Youthful rites of passage and grey hairs...

Weird. That's what he said. We're weird.

My 18 year old is a reliable sort. Goes to work. Comes home. Goes to school. Comes home. Goes to the movies... tells us. Goes to a friend's... leaves a note.

He often works "close" at his job. This means he gets home sometimes just after midnight. 12:30 a.m. at the latest. He's not home by the time I go to bed this morning and I think that's a little (in his terms)... weird, but expect he'll walk in shortly as maybe there was more to do this time, but I don't sleep soundly. I'm listening.

I'm still listening at 2:50 a.m. so get up. He's not been home. I'm a tad concerned. Okay... a lot. So I wake up my main man. He, too, is concerned so hops in the car to go check the area and see if maybe he can find our son. Nope.

What to do? This is highly unusual. Has something happened (again) in our small community and maybe my son is hurt or been swarmed or...? Call the police to find out. They can't divulge any information without cause. Geesh. I'm just a mom looking for my good son. Well, if you want to file a Missing Person's report, then we can check the system and put the word out. Okay. Can I "de-list" him easily if he walks through my front door? Yes, ma'am, but if you don't cancel the case number, we can have him arrested and detained until we can get in touch with you. Hmmmm. Okay. So, my son becomes a case number. Then I check with the hospitals. Nope, not there. Whew.

Husband goes out again to double-check. Manages to get in the front door of where our son works as someone didn't lock up. Uh-oh... are they tied up in the back? Nope... but the alarm goes off, lol. So I get a call that he'll just wait around for someone to show up about the alarm and explain his presence there. I tell him I'll take a taxi to the precinct to bail him out [grin]. Alarm re-sets after a bit and I call my husband at 4:30 a.m. to say "the son" just walked through the door as if nothing happened; however he's a little sheepish to see me sitting there waiting. Hubby comes home as no one has showed up for the alarm.

We have a little quiet chat, no big fanfair, but we want him to know that he should've contacted us and/or told us of his plans. We were worried as he just has never done anything like this. We're weird, lol. But he takes the chat well and seems to know he messed up. He just "forgot". Geesh.

Where was he? Well at one of his co-worker's homes in the area. We don't know the co-workers so... couldn't check. They were just chillin' out after work and introducing our son to the intricacies of a mixed drink with vodka. Yes, he was feelin' no pain. This is only the second time that he's had alcohol; the first being his cousin's wedding a couple months ago. And yes... I did consider NOT cancelling the Missing Person's report, lol. Somehow, the image of him in the back of a police cruiser gave me a twisted sense of justice. Okay... I did call and cancel the report.

Fast forward to a couple hours ago and he needs to get up for work. He's got SEVERAL alarms going off in his room. Sounds like an air raid alert. No reaction. I holler and he gets up to start his day. Still saying we're "weird". If the shoe fits...

~ Shelley

Guilty

Sadly, I've allowed myself to be pulled in too many directions this last couple weeks. Nothing earth-shattering or bad, but just lots of 'stuff. Something had to give. It was my 'puter, lol.

I'm still attempting to make sense of my cluttered craft table. I did have a rather large space cleared; however, it quickly got filled with more "stuff". Solution: need another cabinet. It's on the agenda for this week. But you know what happens; more space = more stuff to fill it, lol. I'll keep you posted. 'Course, the hubby doesn't help. He complains about my collections however, he continues to feed my passion. Case in point: down to Watertown for a day trip and he says let's go to Michael's. I say I don't "need" anything. Kindly takes me there anyway and uses my coupons to buy me more paper. Geesh. Love him! Of course, now I've taken over the diningroom table to make some Christmas cards, but am having a ball!

Kidney stone attack (we think). Lasted 3 hours and of course I decided to tough it out knowing the E.R.'s would be full to the brim of people thinking they had H1N1, etc. Left me weak as a puppy and begging for mercy, lol. Still have some lingering pain (kinda limited my staying in anyone spot for a few days, thus not much 'puter time, crafting time or anything time, lol) but it's abated and I have an abdominal ultrasound scheduled and prescription and finger shaking to up my fluid intake, lol (doctor and hubby nagging me, lol). No biggie. And life goes on.

Guild meeting and elections and we have a few newbies on our Board and I get to sit back and play Past-Pres in the new year. Yippee Skippee. Still a few "holes" to fill on our Board, but we'll just muddle along. We, too, suffer from a shrinking membership and a few-too-many who want a group but don't want to "serve". Sign of the times and we just have to be inventive and try to attract new members. Those that are there tho' are very supportive and want to be there and it is a wonderful atmosphere. Baby steps. I will be teaching Willow's Cockatoo to my guild in February at our paint-in and look forward to this. I've only ever taught "strangers" in a small shop, so am a little nervous, but... I look forward to this and will have fun.

I've had another couple meetings with people the last couple weeks (minutes to write and newsletter update for our painting guild to do) and an evening card party that I prepared for and hosted and went beautifully. Couple more card events to come. Christmas luncheon for our painting group and then I want to host one for just the Board members.

Then I've been trying to fit in painting between all this cardmaking and other goings on. Wow, see what I mean 'bout being pulled in a few too many directions?

And of course there is family "stuff" going on, birthdays, doctor appointments... Isn't there always.

And hubby is currently on holidays for a couple weeks so we're having together time which rules out me sitting at the 'puter talking to everybody for any stretch. Between just "together time", day trips, home projects and yard work (did I tell you our weather has been unseasonably awesome?)... well, I know you understand.

Plus... when I do make time to do crafting or organizing in between all this and WANT to take my 'puter with me... I cannot. Grrrr. Something has changed on our 'puter network and for some reason it won't recognize my 'puter if I want to go wireless so can't bring it to my craft area or anywhere else in the house other that hardwired at the kitchen table. Haven't wanted to burden hubby with another 'puter "woe", lol. This is not a bad thing (for me), lol, because I'm trying to strike a balance of not spending all my waking hours, while at home, on this dang thing. It's an addiction and I obviously have an addictive personality (and/or I'm a born procrastinator and waster of time, lol).

So... off I go for some laundry and... cardmaking. What else, lol?

~ Shelley

I couldn't stand it anymore, lol!

What?! Snowshoe feet! They don't belong on shelties. And they sure-as-shootin' don't belong on them in mucky, wet, cold, damp, leafy fall (or sticky snowball making winter, or muddy spring... not as big a problem in Summer, but...).

Well, almost two weeks ago now, 5 dogs plus the visitor for grooming got trimmed up. Whew, what a big improvement and nicer-for-my-house. It was worth the blood, sweat and tears (dogs, lol) and muscle aches and pains.

So today I have a couple extra four-legged guests. Their family is on a road-trip and not sure if they'll be gone a few hours or if something will pique their interest and it'll be an overnighter. No biggie. Sally is old. Older than my oldest sheltie by a year and a bit. So that makes her 15. And she's an old 15 so she just hobbles into a corner and sleeps like a log. Only waking up when the food bowls come out [grin]. Cooper is the youngster of the bunch. He's three and just a goof. His manners are impeccable in the house but when he gets outside, well, he just rips around and be-danged for anything or anydog to get in his way 'cause he'll just bulldoze it down with a big, sloppy grin on his face.

But it's damp outside. And he came complete with... snowshoes on his feet, lol. I know his owners think it's cute, but he's in my house, lol, so I took artistic license 'cause darned if the first go-see outdoors didn't bring in a multitude of unwelcome s'prises on those big hairy feet. He was patient as could be but decided he was going to lie down and not move (thus not the easiest to manipulate the scissors around the foot [chuckle]) while I did the deed then trimmed his nails.

So... now I'm happy. My house gets less of the outside in and Cooper got a big treat. We'll leave Sally alone 'cause she doesn't move enough to bring anything in, lol, although she'll get her nails trimmed later.

Wonder if his family will notice? Wonder if I'll be blacklisted? [VBEG]

~ Shelley

Sally (lying down) and Cooper (headshot)

While I'm telling on myself...

I should fess-up now. I did vow that I'd never make/create cards. Yup. I thought it silly to spend that much time creating a one-of-a-kind card that was only destined for the recycle box, lol.

Well, I would like to take back that statement. It's the process and the journey and the enjoyment and the creativity and the release of stress while creating and, well dammit, it's just plain fun. And if I had all that fun and free stress relief while making them, well, then that's the ticket, right?

So, yup, I'm now creating MORE cards (last year I created/designed a few Iris Folding cards for my sheltie friends and family along with the other easily obtainable patterns).

Add craft-aholic to my list of weaknesses, lol.

~ Shelley

Noooooo, I can't believe I did THAT!

Yup, unbelievable but true. Hanging my head in shame here. I bought two new brushes today.

Why would I hang my head in shame? Well, because I vowed another brush would not walk across the threshold of my home. Why? Well, because I admit, I am a Brush-aholic. Yup. Probably should find myself a 12-step program.

I do NOT need anymore brushes. I'm working for a lady (Willow) who can supply me with just about every brush imaginable and then some. And has, lol. But... sadly, I was swayed. Gullible? Not likely. But someone whom I respect very much, Lydia Steeves, told us we'd be sorry if we did NOT try to find an Ultra-Round brush by Loew Cornell to do our next week's project with. We are starting a Lynne Andrew's piece and from what I've heard/read, with Lynne's technique, we really would be frustrated with trying to make some of our other multitude of brushes behave the way the Ultra-Round does.

Sigh... I know she's (Lydia) right, but it just irks me to think that I just couldn't make one of my other brushes "do the deed", and felt the need to cave [chuckle]. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be much happier with the learning of the techniques if I start off with the correct tools of the trade. Shhhhh, you don't have to tell on me do you?

~ Shelley