I’d been waiting months to go to my next scrapbook retreat. We’d had such a blast and I got so much done last time. This trip we booked the smaller house and had a smaller group but got the same great food as we usually get…..the problem was….I didn’t have any thing to scrap really. I only truly finished maybe 4 pages and got maybe 3 started (need journaling or embellishments I forgot to bring). I was so disappointed in myself.

Last time I was completely organized, pulled together pictures, ideas, embellishments etc and divided everythng up in folders and would do one project at a time. This time, I didn’t even pack everything up until the morning I left.

And yes we got the same great food because one of the ladies who helps out at the big house did our cooking. There had been a death in the family of the owners of the retreat unfortunately but thankfully the folks who had the big house scheduled can cancelled so they didn’t have to worry about that…just us 8 in the small house and the found someone to take care of us.

I promised myself when we go back in March that I would be organized better. I hate to waste scrap time but I did enjoy a peaceful weekend on the lake, beautiful weather, good food and some good undisturbed football games!

Although it’s a necessary thing to do sometimes….I hate having to find homes for animals. Seems I got in the loop for every animal lover I know. Someone will send them an email about a cat or dog needing a home and they forward to me. It’s not that I don’t want to help..I do…I just feel so guilty if I can’t take them or know anybody who can.

Another example is all the stray cats at my mom’s having kittens. They don’t always actually have them at my mom’s but I guess it’s the lucky ones that are born there because my mom either keeps them or we find homes. She’s got 4 four kittens now from two different mothers. Ned, who I introduced you to earlier will be kept by my mom. This is mostly because they became attached to him after his hernia surgery. He’s a beautiful boy and I would actually like to bring him home. Little Tabby only had the one kitten but her friend or child, Snowface had three kittens under my Mom’s deck. They are about 7-8 weeks now and still not 100% tame but my mom has them up on the porch and is trying to tame them. This of course means we have to find homes for them since my mom (nor I) can have any more.

Years ago I probably wouldn’t have thought a thing about finding homes for cats or kittens but it is sometimes hard to do when you know the person you give them to….like say when something happens to the animal. We are sometimes too picky about finding homes and sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad. One cat (Ruby) had some kittens (several) and we put up a sign at the vet’s and a lady adopted two of them. She didn’t know my mom but called several weeks later to let my mom know how the kittens where doing only to upset my mom to find out this lady was letting them go outside when we thought they were two young to be out. One of the other kittens was adopted by a co-worker who I was actually afraid to let adopt because I didn’t know him well enough only to find out that that cat was loved so much it wasn’t funny. His daughters even had a birthday party for Daisy and they kept very good care of her.

Maybe we shouldn’t be so picky. A young girl at my old office had talked about wanting a cat. I know she lives at home with her parents and she had to ask her dad. They are wanting to adopt two of these newest kittens but I was afraid they’d just throw them outside so I had to quiz her. Now I’m afraid we’ll let her have them and something will happen to them and of course I’ll end up finding out and be upset.

It’s just really tough. I’m trying to remember that no matter what these kittens or any kitten has a better chance than they would if they were just running lose. Snowface’s previous litter of two didn’t last 6 months before they got run over. They were pretty feral but were coming to eat at my mom’s which most of the strays do and got hit going back across the road. I don’t want that same fate for Sheila, Sid, and TJ.

I haven’t posted anything in awhile but wanted to write about our dear Angel (seen in picture above..the black and white Great Dane). Angel passed away last week. She lived well beyond her life expectency for a dog that size. My brother found her laying half out of her dog house where she’d died during the night. We didn’t think she had long but you are never really prepared for that.
Angel did not believe she was a large dog. She would lay her head against you and lean towards you and if she was allowed in the house she’d be up on the couch in a heartbeat and in your lap. When she’d go into heat she would always carry around one of the dumb-bell sqeaky toys and take it to her “nest”..a hollowed out hole she liked to lay in.
It’s not going to be the same going to my mom’s and looking up not seeing her there in the dog pen. I want to find a better picture to post so one can fully appreciate what a sweet dog she was.

After waking up this morning at the crack of dawn with a little boy who wanted to lay in bed and cuddle..then started crying because mama had to go take a shower….I really started to regret taking this new job.  I know this feeling is only temporary but needless to say I was feeling pretty homesick for my old job this morning.  With my old job, my comings and goings were pretty flexible.  My boss didn’t come in till 8 and heck the timekeeper (if she came in) came in between 8:30 and 9 (although she was suppose to be there at 7:30).  My boss was pretty flexible and as long as you did your work he didn’t watch you.  It usually all worked itself out.  One day you might be a few minutes late and the next you might have to stay or not get a lunch.  Although life was good there…..it wasn’t going to last forever because this boss will probably retire next year and I’m sure that kind of environment will not stay in place which is one of the reason I decided to leave while I could.

In my new job, it’s a very professional environment as far as comings and going.  Most of the office comes in at 6 or 6:30 and goes home early.  I think I’m the only one working the 9 hour days and I’m only doing that so I can still get every other friday off.  It’s really hard working 9 hours when in the afternoon it’s just you and the boss especially on fridays.  Hopefully this will get better once I know more about what’s going on.  I think part of the reason I’m depressed and homesick is because I haven’t actually been given much yet.

I pray life gets better here.  I’m sure it will…heck it’s only been two weeks…..

This is Ned.  He’s a little kitten at my Mom’s.  Ned’s mother (a stray who comes to my Mom’s) brought him up a few times and he even crossed the road on his own a couple of times.  My mom was really worried about him but he really came to be a concern one day when they realized he had a cold and was pretty sick.  Because he was sick he was more tame than he had been and my Mom and brother noticed a big knot on his belly.  They took him to the vet to have him checked out and the big knot was what is called an umbilical hernia.  They left him at the vet to have it removed.  If it had not been fixed he would have died because those things get up in there and choke out the other organs or something like that….he would have died.  Although my mom doesn’t want or need anymore cats she felt she needed to help this little baby.  After his bandage and stitches were removed my brother built a nice big pen for him and they bring him in the house for a bit every day to socialize him.  He’s really sweet and although I said I didn’t need another cat (for the sake of my marriage) I may end up with him because…..they found one of the other stray females under the porch with may be three kittens.  She must have just had them too…..My mom is going to try and catch the female strays and get them fixed before they have more babies.  It’s a shame how some people just don’t realize where babies come from and get there cats fixed….there are so many strays that come to my mom’s.  Some she don’t know if they originate across the street at her neighbors or someone dumps one and it just multiplies..  It’s a never ending battle and we can’t save them all.  But we try….

Some friends of mine from high school who I have re-connected with on Facebook told me about this art class nearby where you come learn to paint a particular painting (we chose this Klimit Red Circle Tree), drink some wine and just spend time with adults.  This was our first class and this is my version of the painting.  We had a blast and I can’t wait to go again.  Of course mine didn’t exactly look like the sample but it got me motivated to try more so I even went to the store and bought some paints and canvass to do more.  Something else to add to my hobbies and things I want to do that I never have much time for Sometimes you HAVE to make the time though.

Okay I’ll admit..my addiction to Facebook has kept me from blogging as of late….We are allowed to view it at work now so when I get a free minute….that’s what I check in on….I will try and do better.

Lots of things going on at the house of Scrappycat….I’ll be starting a new job in a couple of weeks (which may end my facebook addiction) which I’m really excited about.  I’m going to have to be more professional and my free time will be limited but I’m ready for a change.  Since the new job doesn’t start for a couple of weeks I decided to get those household projects done that I’ve been putting off (projects that require taking off work).  The guy comes on free to measure for new carpet which I’m happy about.  For those who read my home improvement page you may remember that the contractors ruined my carpet and it cannot be cleaned.  We’ve been putting off getting new carpet but I finally bit the bullet.  Along with the new carpet I plan on calling our electrician and get some new ceiling fans and light fixtures installed too.  The new carpet coming will also encourage us to finish painting the master bedroom and finally get that new mattress we’ve needed for over 3 years now…yeah!

Little boy is doing very well with his potty training.  I think alot of that is contributed to his new teacher at daycare who also happens to be one of our nearby neighbors.  She is really good with the kids.  So now I’m in a house with two boys…so you can imagine that I have sat down on the toilet rim a couple of times.  I need to teach little boy to close the lid before it’s too late…. I’m really proud of him though.  He’s growing up too fast!  Getting him out of diapers/pullups except at night is bittersweet because it does mean he’s growing up.

Since I haven’t had too much time to scrapbook and not the best pictures to scrap these days I decided to do a little card making…..

They are very simple cards using some pre-made white greeting cards, some paper I had laying around, my cricut cutter and some little embellishments.  It’s hard to see but the first card says “Just a little note to say I was thinking about you today”.  I made that one to send to my Mamaw

Cards seem to something I can do fairly quickly and a chance to use up some of the millions of dollars worth of paper, stickers, brads and other embellishments I have in my room.  I think I’ll do some more and try some new designs……

Since I’ve redone my craft room, it has become a place where we can all go there and do some crafts etc.  Little boy has decided he likes play-doh and ever since I bought him a small set…he’s been going in there every day and saying. “ma, wanna play play-doh?”.  We can sit in there, play play-doh, watch “artoons” and I can even do a little of my own crafting. 

It was funny the other night when I arrived home late from my trip to DC to see the light on in my craft room as I drove up the drive.  There was little boy…sitting there playing with the play-doh…..

As I continue to organize the space, I actually got to do a little scrapbooking.  Although it was only “re-doing” a couple of pages little boy had torn apart, I still felt a sense of accomplishment.  I have even started some little gift card boxes for xmas and plan on making some cards here real soon.  It’s amazing how you can find the time and be inspired when your space is just right.  Let’s just hope we can keep it that way for a little while this time!