All Strung Out

See my new stand of beads?  Well, I spent most of the weekend making strands of such beads.  I used the paper beads that I have made over a long period of time.
At various times I have taught several people how to make the beads, and I always make a batch as I am showing them how.  Anyway, I decided to get out all my stash of beads and string some of them into necklaces.
It was fun, relaxing, and required almost no thinking whatsoever.  And, at the same time, Don kept me posted as to the scores of all his various games he was watching.  So it made for a very nice week end in our cozy little sun-filled den.

We did leave the house twice:  for supper at Frisch's on Saturday evening, and lunch today at Subway.
Our neighbor, Cindy, brought us a great big bowl of chicken and noodles this evening, so we had a very nice hot supper.  She appreciated that Don had shoveled out her parking space last week.  Thank you, Cindy.
Here are some of the raw bead materials.  Just this evening I found a book full of the most beautiful hand painted papers.  So now, I have to make some more beads.  Look at the rainbow stripe bead, and the bluish printed ones.  Those are from the hand painted papers. Must make some more!

It Is Debra's Birthday!

Today, February 21, is our daughter-in-law Debra's birthday.  And we hope it is just the happiest one ever.

Debra and Rod met back in 1998, and they say that they never dated.  Hmmm.  However, one evening in February, Rod called us and told me that Debra had access to a Condo in Orlando offered to her for a vacation, so they thought they would go there together.  We were happy that Rod and Debra were seeing one another.  She seemed very good for Rod.  So I said, "Why don't you make the trip a honeymoon."
So they did, and they were married one week later.  It was a lovely wedding - all planned and arranged in one week.

They have been very happy, and have both worked very hard to build a home and careers.  Debra has worked quite hard to establish herself as a very successful food blogger and food writer.  Together, they have been involved in many conferences and have become accomplished as photographers and videographers.
We want to wish Debra a Happy, Happy Birthday.  We hope you will too.  And visit their blog spot:
smithbites.com

Hello Sunshine! Hello Blue Skies!

So, today I heard from the doctor.  He has looked at the bone scan results.  There is no cancer or infection.
So that is very good.  He says that there are signs that something is happening with the replacement joint, loosening or something.  Next week at our appointment we will discuss what is to be done.  But anyway, I am relieved and looking forward that perhaps this can be corrected.
So Don and I set out to take a little mini trip like I dreamed about yesterday.  Ours was a scaled down version, because most of the time today was waiting for the phone call.  I did go to Hobby Lobby and spent my gift certificate that Bob and Elaine gave me for Christmas.  I want a MOST SPRING LIKE door decoration.  I am determined by strong will power and positive actions to bring Spring to town.  Here is the decoration that we are now enjoying every time we enter the house.

We then tried to go to the new shop downtown called "Three Birds on a Wire."  These three lady friends have had a booth at the antique mall, and it has been my favorite booth to visit.  They have decided to open their own shop.  However, when we arrived today, it was closed because of a "Pet Emergency", the sign said.  Well, we all know about those, don't we?
So we decided to go to Mounds Park and enjoy the bird viewing room at the Nature Center, since it was such a lovely day.  And it was fun.  Such a neat place to watch the many birds that visit the feeders.  And they have a little pond with a pump fed water feature.  Beautiful day for the visit.  We saw a handsome red-headed woodpecker and tried to get his picture.  But he wouldn't stay in one visible spot long enough.

It was a great afternoon.  We are so thankful to have such a nice day after all this winter weather.  It makes us hopeful that, after a bit more Winter, Spring may happen sometime soon.

How to Hasten a Bone Scan

Today (well, actually yesterday since it is after midnight) I had to go to St. Vincent's Hospital and have a bone scan.  This is the test where they inject into your blood stream a radioactive tracer.  Then they have you wait for 3 hours and come back for the scan.
During the scan you must lie on the back and hip that are already giving you pain.  And you must lie perfectly still while the machine scans you from head to toe for 45 minutes.  It is a lot of fun.
So I decided that I would try and occupy my brain with pleasant thoughts so that I might ignore the pain and pass the time more quickly.
Listening to the news this morning, the weather people from whom we've heard such bad news yea these many months, promised that Wednesday of this week would be almost spring-like, and would be the best weather that we would have for the rest of February.
So, I decided that I would mentally plan a trip for Wednesday, a trip that would include as many of my favorite things that my brain could think of during a 45 minute scan.  And to help me come up with as many favorite things as I could, I started making the list in alphabetical order.  This is what transpired:

                                                                  A.
We will travel by Auto from Anderson on this first decent day.
We'll Access Sirius radio Along the way.
Maybe Alison Kraus will sing a country song.
I'll channel the Alto and sing along.
We'll find an Area of interest to make a stop,
Maybe an Antique Mall to browse and shop.
                                                                  B.
For sure, we will Browse, and maybe we'll Buy,
Especially if some Books catch my eye.
Then it will be time to take a Break.
                                                                   C.
Maybe Coffee and Cookies, or maybe some  Cake,
And, of Course
                                                                    D.
I must search for Doll house stuff,
Mini Dolls, Dishes, Doggies - I never have enough!
                                                                    E.
But, if minis are not to be had
Earrings and collectible Eggs wouldn't be bad.
                                                                    F.
And when we are Finally Finished and our Funds are low,
We will Find the exit and home we will go.


And just then the technician arrived at my side and said,
"That's it.  We are all done with the scan."

A Not-So-Wild Weekend

Today is Randy's 56th birthday.  It is just hard to believe that Randy is older than Don was when Don retired from teaching.  But, there you go.  Time just keeps moving on.  Randy still seems young and active.  He shall probably work on for a long time.  He seems to really enjoy his work and the traveling around the world that his design work involves.

We have had a rather quiet weekend.  Don had a bit of an upset stomach yesterday.  So we just stayed home and enjoyed ball games and Olympic events.  Every major college in Indiana lost in basketball yesterday.  And to think, Indiana is the hot seat of basketball.  Maybe not so much anymore!

I have spent the weekend trying to finish up some little projects that were started a while back.
First I finished up another "Penny Rug."  Remember, this is not really a rug.  It is just an old pioneer craft that is called that.  I am using both of mine on the back of easy chairs.  They can also be used as table scarves under a centerpiece.  This second one is smaller than the first, because I used so many of the "pennies" to make book marks for Christmas gifts.

I also finished three sets of miniature pictures to be used in miniature scenes.  I have no plans for their use, but they will be here when they are needed for a project.

I also made a larger one like this to replace one of the pictures in the latest doll house kitchen.  I was just not happy with the first one.  The new one looks much better.

I have also begun a project - taking apart a small house I found at the Muncie Goodwill.  I hope to make this into a garden store.  I have taken off the roof and hope to finish this inside.  I would like to remove the back wall, but it is so securely nailed in that I fear the whole house will collapse.  So I think I shall just keep the roof so that it can be removed to see the interior.  I found and cut out green plant and flower scenes for all five of the windows.

That is about as productive as this weekend is going to be.  It will be doing my nails while I watch Downton Abbey, and then I shall call it a day or rather a weekend.

A Weekend of Prepositions

Slept IN
Sweats and Jeans ON
Feet UP
Reading ABOUT exotic people and places.

Soups ON
Ate IN
Filled UP
Talked  ABOUT familiar people and places.

We've been
INSIDE the house
BESIDE the fire
DESPITE the weather
OUTSIDE the door.

ALONGSIDE loved ones
THROUGH  an enjoyable weekend
FROM Friday TO Sunday
UNTIL Monday comes.

And P.S.
We've been disappointed BY football!