St. Paul Conservatory

 Took the kids and our friend Mike to the Conservatory a week ago.  It is always a GREAT visit.  Cloe the sloth is always a hit.  I just love the orchids.  And of course the fern room.  K~

Cricket and Meal worm Farming

Well, I am starting out small, Literally!  I have set up small meal worm and cricket farm.  The meal worms are quiet and sit in oatmeal for now.  I hope to afford bran soon.  That will be much easier to sieve for babies, beetles, and feeding worms for my animals.   The cricket farm is nosy as to be expected.  The mommies are laying eggs, or so I think so.  They are are at least appearing to be depositing something with their tube in the mesh and dirt.  For now, the only addition I am going to make are containers for babies.  I will be getting that set up in the next week.  Here's hoping that it will be successful, so I can reduce if not stop my weekly purchase of 90+ crickets at 12 cents a piece.  K~

She is a wonderful artist

Cora is such a talented artist.  She asked me how to make a misty looking background.  She found the inspiration on line.  I should he how to do this technique once with chalk.  

This was her result.  It is just beautiful.  K~

Perdi and Fancis

These photos tell it all.  I just love my beardies.  Francis is growing up so fast.  He looks more and more like Puff every day.  He is so strong and has such a fun, grumpy personality like Puff.  He seems to really like Perdi.  He looks at her so affectionately.  Sometimes I think he thinks she might be a yummy snack too.   Perdi is a nice orange color.  Her physical therapy I give her daily seems to be helping.  She uses her left back leg more, and her tail seems stronger.  Her right back legs is getting better I think. She resists me now, and that means her muscles are, at least, working.  I had to give them a bath because the only thing I HATE is how bad they STINK after thy poop!  So, in the bath they go.  This was the first time they were in the tub together.  Under close watch, I saw how they liked to kanoodle.  They got closer and then suddenly, Perdi discovered that Francis would make a nice retreat from the water.  ADORABLE!

Hmong Elephant Footprint Inspiration piece

This is first of my series on cultural pieces. My format ( A plan for the organization and arrangement of a specified production) will remain the same. I will continue to use a square with an X stitch, only with the possibility of using 3 strands of floss for needed detail definition. My hopes are as follows:

1. Learn a bit about the culture I am working on.

2. Learn a bit about the way they do the particular art piece I am using as an inspiration.

3. Work with my format, style, and color to accomplish the piece I am working off of.

Hmong Elephant Footprint

Hmong Elephant Footprint inspiration piece

This piece is made from cloth. It is a very detailed laying of fabric pieces or appliqué. Patterns are often named after things found in nature. In the piece I made, the circular feeling of the fabric inspiration piece are reduced. I feel this makes it less successful. In order to change the appearance of mine, I would need to drop the stitch down in the following rows. 

You can see that just by dropping the 2 green squares in the 2 horizontal rows, and adding green to the diagonal rows, the piece takes on a more circular feel than the original finished piece.

Another item that I wanted to point out is the symbolism within the piece. 

My piece has 2 of the 3 that I found from this blog. ( http://tribal-made.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html) The heart meaning Love and the spiral meaning Longevity are both seen in my piece. I, however, would like a bit more spiral in my piece. This would be complicated with my format, due to it's size, but it would be more reflective of the actual longevity spiral.

I am excited about doing these pieces this year. I am unsure if I am going to be able to do my goal of 12 or not, but I am certainly going to enjoy the process. K~

Perdi is growing up

Perdi is doing just fine these days.  She was quiet a weak little lizard when I got her.  With daily leg exercises and hand feeding, she is using 3 of her 4 legs regularly now.  She just LOVES my laptop.  She likes to sleep on my laptop keys.  Puff used to do this until he got too heavy.  Then he kept typing letters so I had to move him. Francis loves to display his dominance  over her.  He bobs his head and she waves her arms in the air. K~

Beautiful Morning

I woke up this morning to this sight. 

 I sleep right under a sky window.

  I see stars on a clear night and clouds floating by.  

I love when it rains and storms. 

 The lightening is stunning.

  I recommend a sky window. K~

I know I am just talking to myself (and maybe Bobbi :-)) but I have several things going on in my head today.  One thing that stands out is:

I wonder if anyone that I know eats food from a "regular" store that sells food, and not only in their organic section. Some foods I have in mind are fruit and veggies, frozen chicken strips, pizzas, waffles, milk, cheese. 

Frankly I am trying to find people that I don't need to feel shame every time I get home from being out with them.  I am quite tired of being sad about what I provide my family.  I am convinced that people must eat stuff from say Super Target (where I shop) because, if the didn't the store would eventually close right? Or at least stop selling food.  Rainbows and Cubs would close.  Walmart's that carry food would be gone. No fast food would be eaten.  

I was just starting to feel good about myself for buying fruit and cheerios to feed my family.  I have been buying meat and preparing it instead of having it all come from a bag.  I have been working really hard on providing only whole wheat bread.  I now find out that it's all bad and I have not even begun to do anything good for my family.  

I suppose I just don't get it.  I frankly know one person who, in front of me, fed her kids chicken strips from a bag. (thanks to you know who you are) I don't want to mention names because she, perhaps, feels like I do, and would like to remain in the closet. 

K~

Poop

You know, I have a lot of animals.  Caring for them is constant and brings me joy.  There is a loose routine for me to hold them all, especially my new special needs animals Perdi and Medusa.  Cookie is ill too and needs medicine once a day and special food 3 times a day.  She had to go to the vet on Thursday.  Of course it is poop related.  I have been waiting for Perdi to poop since I have had her and finally it happened.  I needed to hold the snake yesterday, and well need I say it???  Bing and Nala even are having a bit of a problem down there.  Sigh.  So, I am almost literally covered in it at any given time.  Lots of wipes, bathes, showers, paper towels, regular towels and so on and so on.  Yet, I still keep up with it.  I still reach into the cage for an unsure snuggle.  Diapers are hard for snakes and lizards to wear.  Believe me I have tried.  K~

It has been 11 days of the new year and so far things are holding steady.  I am sitting here after feeding Perdi and Francis.  Now I am holding Medusa.  I really get a feeling of satisfaction taking care of may family and my animals.  I have been working on the house too.  We got a "new" couch and a "new" chair and ottoman.  I have been starting sure but slow to go through things and get rid of things.  It feels good.  I was working on an afghan I am giving as a gift, and Medusa is now snuggled in it and I can't work on it.  Sigh.  That's ok. Just hangin out tonight.  Homework starts soon.  K~

Welcome to the Zoo

This is Perdita (which means rescued), we call her Perdi

She is the smaller Bearded Dragon.  She was a rescue.  The vet at work called me and asked me if I could take her.  She has Metabolic Bone disease. This has limited her use of her hind legs and tail.  Her tail is 1/2 gone too.  Someone just dropped her off at a vet in St. Cloud in very bad condition.  She had to have medicine when she came to me.  I need to work on feeding her everything other than crickets.  I do leg exercises every day to help tone her muscles.  She has improved some. 

 This is Medusa.  She is an adoptee.  She is an albino corn snake and is about 3 feet long.  I adopted her from the same owner as Boris and Natasha.  She is sweet, but has a biting issue.  I need to hold her daily at risk of being bit to get her used to me.  She has not actually bit me, but she has struck at my head, neck and arms.  She used to be extremely tame, but needs more lovin.  Thus the adoption.  She does like to sit on my lap like a cat.  Her she is curled up by a stuffed animal I use as an elbow pillow.  She is huge compared to our little Mazey.  K~

The Jesus Barn

It was last night and I asked S if he had seen the Nativity set that I put up. He went into the dining room and came back and said "oh the Jesus barn, yes, it's beautiful". K~

Rose Ireland

Welcome to my new niece Rose Ireland. Born 12-5. K~

results of snail love

When 2 snails meet and fall in love, this is what happens. All of these snails are a result of 2 romantically involved snails. What you are seeing is just the survivors. There have been at least a thousand pin sized babies sliding down the side from the egg clumps on the wall of the tank. Those that have lived and thrived have grown and grown. Now here's the important question. What happens when any two of these snails meet and fall in snail love? If I think I have a snail problem now, I can't even imagine what's up for me in the future. K~

Hoarder or Holiday Boutique

Something just dawned on me this holiday season. I was shopping at a local nursery (not the picture, but you get the idea) and I had my purse over my shoulder and a basket in hand. It was totally decked out for the holidays. From wall to wall and floor to ceiling, it was packed with holiday ornaments, clay pots, gnomes, this and that, all of of them very breakable. With my purse and basket, at every move, every turn, I was going to break something. The "aisles" were so narrow, it was like driving over a one lane bridge in a traffic game. And then it hit me, one of those life changing aha moments. My house is not on the verge of being condemned for being a hoarder garbage house, it is on the verge of it's grand opening as the local Holiday boutique. Suddenly, my head was being held just a bit higher. I have been a bit more inspired. I have been a bit more accepting of my house for what interest and beauty it holds. It has only been about a week since this revelation, but it has brought a bit of a smile to my face now and again. I guess the saying is true "It's all the way you look at it" K~

My Dad has passed

My Dad passed away Nov. 1, 2011.

He was a wonderful man, artist, and researcher.

I will miss you dad.

Arizona

My dad in hospice. We were able to have a very nice visit.
All of us were able to go to Arizona to see him.
His brother was even able to come. It is tough.
I'll be going back very very soon. K~

Rosemarie

We all miss Rosemarie. My wonderful mother-in-law for 25 years. She had such a peppy presence. She passed on the Sept 18th. She was one tough cookie. She rebounded so many times that it is actually hard to believe she didn't this time. An active artist, this was one of our close connections over the last 25 years. The other of course was Rick. It was a joy and a privilege to help care for her at the end, and that too I will miss. K~

Cheese

This is cheese. Hi is a wonderful, obnoxious, annoying imaginary friend. He is all that is my memory of raising a 3 year old. If you have not raised or have been extra exposed to a 3 year old, he may come across as abrasive and intolerable, but, that is the point. I Love Him. K~

School has begun for the oldest 2.

Well Wednesday brought the first day of school for C and D. It was so nice to see them go off to school together. D has been doing really well. It is his third day and he has been in a good mood for Wed and Thur. This morning he happily went off to school. Homework has not started, but I think we are going to get that worked out too. One day at a time. K~