Welcome to Gaia! ::

OMGosh, Evangeline looks like my Bumble, who died last year! He was my best bud. Played tag with me, wanted to help me cook, always kissed me goodnight-----we named him Bumble because he looked like the Abominable Snowman in the old claymation "Rudolph" Christmas show when he was little and would attack everything! It didn't make me sad to see the pictures, which is a great surprise. Maybe I can look at his pawprint plaque now without totally losing my composure. (My husband just saw her picture, and said, "Bumble!" Everyone at the vet's office cried when he died, too.)

I have the feeling that hot water and any kind of butter is going to taste pretty much the same.....

Tornado watch was supposed to be over at 10, but they extended it. Lots of hail and flash flood warnings now. All this rain is really needed here. Had the opportunity to try out the valerian drops I bought from the llama supply on the dogs----it really does calm them down! They were in the house alone when the tornado hit just down the road a few years ago, and it's been really scary for them when it storms ever since then. The llamas actually enjoy rough weather. I've seen them happily trudging through knee-deep snow with icicle earrings!

I planted sunflowers this year, a trial.
And I managed to harvest a head of seeds for next year! They look a lot better than the scrawny black ones I got earlier this year.

^^ now hopefully I will be able to improve my sunflower growing technique next year.

I like it!

I woke up late today...sad i know.
But i still managed to do the dishes, make two batches of muffins (one chocolate chip and the other cranberry walnut) and then bake a batch of cinnamon swirl bread. Not a bad list of accomplishments i guess...could have done more.
Oh and yesterday i cut out another knife design on some scrap wood i had laying around. Not enough money to order grinding belts and steel and handle supplies right now though or else i would...i don't care if its below freezing i can sit in the garage and grind out knives lol.

I think around January i'll be ordering some steel again and trying 2-3 of the designs out. My first batch was 7 knives 5 of a small skinning knife pattern and 2 larger kitchen type knives. My steel was far too thick and my skills nowhere near up to the challenge of doing what i was trying to do. But the next set should be much better and will have pictures to document it better this time. All i can provide pictures of right now would be wooden patterns which isn't any fun.
Edit: I hate having blood drawn. Hope your results come back good though.

I know, i'm one of the people that scrolls through pages and pages in the artisan crafts section lol. I'm just hesitant about showing or selling anything yet until my skill level is higher.

I made my first knives back in april of this year. That was after spending a good 6-8 months reading everything i could about the subject. I still read new things daily and i'll probably never stop reading about it. I wish i had a degree in metalurgy sometimes because it can get really complicated.

Back onto the subject of what did i make buy or learn to do today, I got the new issue of mother earth news and it makes me want bread...front cover is just pictures of gorgeous loaves of bread. I'm planning on making some bread so i can have an excuse to make french toast out of it. I also remembered that i had a prepaid credit card in my wallet with some cash on it still. So i might order myself a bar of steel to cut up and make a few knives. I really want to work in a stainless but the high end stainless steels are really expensive. Plain old high carbon steel it is for now.

heart I'm glad you were okay with the picture. :3 My cats are part of the family, so I know it's really hard to lose one.

I loved that claymation. I always liked the "this fog's as thick as peanut butter!" line. (Pea soup? No, you eat what you like, I'll eat what I like.)


In other news, the move went well. We suckered my brother in law to help and the three of us with our bad backs packed the U-Haul, with the usual moving day rain. So far, only one glass candle holder and a lamp bit the dust. Not too shabby considering what happened when we paid for movers last time.

On the five hour drive, both cats were little angels. Both laid nicely in their cages as Mumsies drove. No accidents, no drama. What sweetums I have.

Now I'm at the in laws with lots of boxes. x3 Cats are doing well. It's just very... different. They have three TVs. I saw my first TV commercial in a year. I really hate those Charmin commercials. (Really, if you have toilet paper sticking to your butt, I think you have more pressing matters to look at other than which brand of paper you use. And no, just because it's a cartoon bear doesn't make it any less disgusting. Ugh.)

I love how generous my boyfriends side of the family is. It's a 180 from my side. xD