kidlet has been doing amazingly well.  she ventures out on her own without serious hesitation.  she's being creative.  happier.  step by step, life is getting better.  we understand this is a long term adventure but she is captain of her ship these days and it is oh.so.very.good to see.

and then the phone call.  the numbers from her blood test are off.  a second test proves it was not a glitch.  her kidney function is not as it should be, neither is her thyroid.  the probable culprit?  Lithium. 

we just got the referral to a nephrologist and are waiting for one for an endocrinologist.  in the meantime, her primary care physician wants in on the action.  as i rattled off dates for her, she looked up and said, "Mom, I see more of my doctor's than I do my friends."  true dat.

monday, she has an appointment with the good doctor.  it will be their 10th anniversary together, so kidlet has special ordered a cake for the occasion and will waltz it into her office at 10:50 a.m.  gotta love this new attitude!   

once again, what goes up must come down.  we've had enough of this roller coaster.  could we please trade it in for a new little Toyota Tundra for kidlet????

crowning glory . . .

this is kidlet's newest endeavor.  she is making more hats for the littles.  this one comes with its very own crown, braids and flowers:

not sure the zebra likes it but then again, he is a captive audience.  cute.  cute.  cute.

and then so you can see the damage mother nature wrought:

today, i am going to enjoy the great outdoors and see if i can make some headway in the weed patch.  gorgeous, gorgeous days in the burg.

miss me, miss me . . .

now ya gotta kiss me!

i think this has been my longest gap in blogging  . . . not counting when the 9TS and I were out paddling around in the big blue sea once or thrice.  just not in the mood although lots has been going on. 

the house is done.  the screen company is back logged . . . tis the season and everyone wants to play in their puddles.  the closet is repaired.  carpeting will come in next week. 

but the truth is that cleaning out the 9TS's closet, doing the repairs and having a nice clean new bright spiffy closet is rather sad.  that was the home of his stuff.  clothes.  karate uniform.  old photos.  7,952 pairs of shoes, his hats, shirts, pants, my favorite blue jacket, his ratty old . . .  he couldn't part with them . . .  slippers.  all things 9TS and now they have been donated, given away or chucked so the repairs from the leak could be fixed and the mildew removed.  i feel like a part of my life has been removed.  i loved that part.

on the other hand, kidlet has been doing some simply awesome stuff.  she's crocheting up a storm, stopped by a knit/crochet meeting by her lonesome, runs errands, and tonight started with the basics of cooking.  my heart is going pity-pat in a very good way.

to jump start things from the miasma that has moved in, i have signed up for a doodle class that starts in july.  i'm also reviewing an old class i signed up for that will help me get off auto with my camera.  it's about time i learned all the bells and whistles. i'm beginning to feel like i'm being shipped off to summer camp and am getting excited.

milli-thanks to sue for her monthly inspirations.  i wonder if she knows how much happiness she pops into the mail.

be back soon.  jeanne

you were saying . . .

the entomologist . . . isn't that better then beth the bug butcher, was due at 8:30 . . .  her little girl tossed her cookies off the top bunk at 4 a.m. and consequently she re-booked for monday morning.  john the painter arrived at 10:00 and is competently completing the closet . . . robert, the pool purveyor,  pranced in at 10:30 and properly plunged the pool.  rob, the screen securer, is coming next wednesday to give me a quote on redoing the raggedy remnants remaining 'round the rotunda.

now, not to change the subject but i have a question.  do any of you all ever have pee dreams?  you know, you're in the middle of a decent dream when all of sudden you have to 'go' really, really badly but in your dream there is always a reason why you can't:  the toilet is dirty, there are people watching, there's no paper, the toilets are all jammed, you're on a motorcycle sitting on a perfectly good toilet seat but your banker is on the seat behind you????   i want to hear stories.  i'm betting you have some doozies.

the cave is getting an overhaul.  first stop PAINT.  gone the decidedly pink tinge . . . bring on the creamy goodness:

 Next stop.  Indoor repair work!!

and then there are these goodies, collected from the net:

a bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch, but on its own wings.  always believe in yourself.

life would be better if we wore more tutus  . . .

forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness
but because you deserve peace.

namaste.

happy mother's day all . . .

kidlet, who is genetically unable to hold back surprises, especially presents, handed me a certificate last week for a hot rock massage for this coming tuesday.  she figured it would end a perfect day of yoga and the lunch bunch.  she figured correctly!!

then this morning, she wandered into my room with this little sweetie:

 

and yes, he is a tad appendage challenged but only because she was so exhausted last night from working on him that she fell asleep.  is he not the cutest?!?!?!?!?  no fears, his arms are coming forthwith.  love this little fellow.  love you kidlet.

between kidlet, stacie, craig and steph, it's been a great mother's day in the cave!!!

EDIT:  and he has arms . . . the better to hug me with!!!!

 you rocked him, kidlet!!!!

in no particular order . . .

these came to the door last night.   color me happy.  thank you stacie for the mother's day flowers.  gorgeous. gorgeous. gorgeous. love you.

this certainly isn't the best vid of my bizarre littlest beastie but it will give you an idea . . . if you can actually make her out:

 

and this little robotic fellow was a present kidlet made for her godson who is all of four months old.  it's a snuggly security blankie:

as women of a certain age (cough) approach their eligibility for medical assistance, it seems they are pelted from all directions with offers from insurance carriers to cover that not covered by medicare.  this must be big business.  daily, their mailboxes are stuffed with official looking documents that scream:  choose me!! while the fine print reads: not affiliated with any government entity   then the phone starts to ring:  this is senior _____, we provide.  click!  and finally, yes, the doorbell rings:  we sent you correspondence . . . quack, quack, quack . . . well may i leave my card.  harrumph.

addictions, zombies and geysers, oh my . . .

* don't taste test a serrano pepper you are using for a marinade unless you want your lips to blow up.

* scrub your hands twenty seven times before touching your eyes.

* kidlet's almost newest project.  [her newest is still under wraps until received by its new owner]:
                                         A Corporate Zombie! [ i think i used to work for his wife.]

* i posted this one on FB but decided to share it here too.  i wanna go back.  now!

*  the pool is once again green but the deck and furniture have been scrubbed clean!!!

*  the release valve from the pool pump broke and i had my very own geyser.  i named it blowhard.

* i got kidlet addicted to sudoku.  hee. hee. hee. 

* she got herself addicted to the french bakery.

it was a mixed bag . . .

ok, so i was just down in the kitchen feeding the beasties.  i opened the can of cat food slowly as i usually do, over the garbage can because i seem to be having an ongoing battle with the contents of those small cans.  i open the lid and goblets of chicken liver slither off the lid and dribble downwards.  i am learning.  today however, as i leaned deeply into the opening of the garbage, the contents took off in an upward projectile and forgot to fall to earth . . . meaning of course, that somewhere in my kitchen is a little gelatinous bubble of pate stuck to a surface awaiting its fate.  will it fall back down upon some unsuspecting soul?  will it dry there and begin its odorous march into decay?   now i need to go on the prowl for the disgusting little bauble.  gah!


however, i am not much concerned.  i actually rid myself of the mundane . . . having washed and dried three loads of wash, done my semi-annual ironing, balanced my checkbook on the 4th try and paid the bills before they were due . . .  and i'm feeling kind of good about myself. 

kidlet started therapy today while i napped.  when i awoke, she was home and had that certain kind of toad-from-toad hall look in her eye.  part maniacal and part just pleased as punch.  i know that look well.  it is signature kidlet when she is up to something.  not being one to be known for keeping secrets, she handed me my mother's day present.  a certificate for a hot rock massage for the tuesday after mother's day.  she picked the day and time so that i had already been to yoga, eaten lunch with my bunch, given my tummy a chance to settle down and my day would be complete. can't beat that logic.  but the kicker was when she told me she purchased that particular package because she knew i liked it and because i had been her rock!  don't you just love that kid?