May 30 = 3 years!

Kodak and Baxter are 3 today! These two little cats (not at all little anymore) have made me so happy since their arrival. Remarkably loving and both interesting characters. They've already gone through so many ups and downs with me (and miles and miles and miles). What will be next?

I don't remember: have I shared with you my decision to go back to Alaska? I'm going back to Alaska! From early August to the end of the season (somewhere around the 28-29th of September) I'll be in Juneau again. The idea came up as I was venting to Dan about shop stuff. So I'm taking advantage of having renters, having time and flexibility, and having support to go.

Rain!

This is our laundry room right now. It started raining about twenty minutes ago, er, I mean, the skies tore open with a crash and the force of Victoria falls, our landscape was made anew! I looked out the window and where once we had Friedline Dr, we now had Friedline river.

This is water from outside spilling through the side of the house into the stairwell which leads to puddle laundry land.
Said stairwell, now made into a waterfall!

And then just outside the stairwell, where one would be advised to wear the correct footwear, of which I model below.

Welcome to Spring in Southern Illinois!

Home safe with kitty cargo in tact.

Comma was such a trooper yesterday. 11 hours pent up in her carrying case and she only mewed a little when we were landing in Denver (I hate flying into Denver!). We gave her the office for some quite time away from Kodak and Baxter, and already this morning the door is open. Although, it's a million degrees with 110% humidity, so in all honesty, the kitties don't really have the energy to care about anything other than prime position in front of the fans. In fact, this is the current state of things:



Dan is also napping the heat of the day away. This morning I put together Comma's climbing scratch post and got her personals organized (ie: combs, food, flea meds). Dan was diligent in making the house ready for my arrival, so I'm happy to say I don't have much to do now. I'll wait for the ice cubes to freeze, and that may lead to happy drink later, but for now, sitting in front of the fan sounds just about right.

Be confident

I came across this video on Marvelous Kiddo.




It's inspiring just to see her!

Last night I went to a dueling piano bar with Rena, Rana, and Bekah. It wasn't very full, but we all had fun offering up requests to the two chatty men. They were able to pull out renditions of Lady Gaga's Poker Face, a Metallica song, a few Michael Jackson songs, and Dueling Banjos. Rana brought up the idea of having his birthday party there - what a great plan!

Have a nice day. I leave tomorrow with Comma in tow, some great new fabric, and new pictures. It's been a good visit.

Pictures from 2000's

When ever I come home I look through Dad's pictures. Dad has file cabinets full of pictures that he is starting to digitize and put on his computer. Some are recent, like the one above of my dad and auntie Linda, and some are older, like me and Miah back in high school playing tennis.

New Camera!

I've been shopping and saving for a camera since last fall when mine was taken/lost while in Juneau. With all the fun trips I have coming up this summer, plus the creation of my Etsy store, I got determined while in Spokane to end the search.

I settled on a Canon Power Shot G11. I've been having fun with it, to say the least. Here are some shots from Spokane since it's purchase.

Spokane with family

I flew into Spokane on Saturday. It's warm and green, and I'm excited to be breathing air that doesn't have the weight of So.Ill's humidity. Mom and I had lunch in Brown's Addition, eating outside with an orange umbrella and pretty images refracting on the table from the sun through out water glasses. There is always so much to talk about when mom and I see each other!



Since then, Ciara, Josh, and I have been visiting and talking, at both Mom and Dad's respective houses. Dad grilled pork chops (super yum x2) and we sat on the back porch drinking beer and digesting. We got to hear some stories of Josh and Krista's time in Japan, and then a bit more about some of their plans for the next few years. I'm excited to meet this woman who obviously makes my brother so happy.



With mom and Martin, we five saw the Swedish film based on a book my Stieg Larson called The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Ciara and I are huge fans of this author/series and we tried to fill mom and Martin in on it's awesomeness.

I went with Josh and C to visit Grandma yesterday. I haven't seen her since Ciara's wedding, and the stories mom has shared are pretty right on: she's together sometimes, but for the most part, she's losing her memory. Dementia? Alzheimer's? At times she knew we were Renee's children, and a few minutes later she thought we were her friends from childhood - asking if we remember her mom's donuts cooling on the window sill. She looks good for being 91, but she's shrinking away, little by little.

And I got to visit with Rena last night. Rena, Rena, Rena! After such a draining experience with Grandma, it was wonderful to be around a friend who has been steady since we first were friends. I showed up, and a quick 6 hours later, we still had things to talk about. It will be good to see her again before I leave.

Ciara leaves tomorrow, so today I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I feel so fortunate that I like my family.

Etsy seller!

I've been getting so much support and encouragement from the people who have seen my sewing projects. It's been wonderful! Many people at Common Grounds are asking for aprons and wanting to help get the word out about my things. So, after a long thought, I went ahead and opened an Etsy.com account.

I need to retake pictures of things I have, and sort through images of things I've sold already, and post them all on the site. But, very soon, www.alaskajanehandmade.etsy.com will be open for business! Thanks to everyone who has helped me go through with this. I have had so much fun playing with designs and methods, I hope others enjoy how they turn out.

Happy crafting!

Thank you notes

In 2006ish, my dear friend Kristy DeWall and I started writing notes to people/things/inadimate objects to express frustration, joy, thankfulness, etc. Many times my notes are a bit tasteless, but sometimes they are short and exactly the words I need to say. After working at Medici I posted this one on my other blog (that I no longer post at):

Dear Baby Jesus -

Because I was super, super good depressed overworked homesick heartbroken resilient this last year, please, please, pretty please help a sister out.

Amen,
Ariel

And then, here are two that are less blasphemous,

Dear Kodak and Baxter,
We have to live here together.
I don't pee on your bed, please don't pee on mine anymore.
I wouldn't trade you for the world!
Love,
Mama

Dear Mother Nature,
I'm sorry you're going through menopause.
Love
Ariel

Any way...

I saw this blog called THX THX THX: A Thank You Note a Day and remembered how great it was to bring attention to small things (or big things) by giving them a message.

Try it. It's great.

Renters, movers, eaters...oh my!

I was successful in renting my apartment! I have Simon and James living in my cute little place until November, with the possibility of the month of November being added on if their contract continues.

I spent the weekend running all over, all for happy reasons, but now, sitting at the Coffee Hound in Normal, I'm feeling the tired. Not a good sign when I have four hours of driving a head of me.

Other huge things that happened this weekend: 1. Audrey and Greg got married 2. Trish and Crissy moved into their beautiful new house together.

I got a chance to talk with Audrey and Greg this morning (over coffee!) and heard the whole story of how they decided to tie the know four months before their intended wedding day. The whole thing has a few sad details about issues with health care and irresponsible bosses, but they are happy and are still planning on having a party in September. I'll be making Audrey's bouquet out of cloth flowers, one of which she saw and loved as I was wearing it as a brooch on my sweater. It will be fun to play with how they'll fit together, along with the butterflies (which will be all over everything for her decorations).

After Kristy, Cori, and Linda (Cori's mom) were done yard-saleing in Hudson on Saturday morning, I helped Trish and Crissy move into their lovely house. I am looking forward to seeing how they put it all together, as there are reading nooks and lots of fun corners. They both have a fun style and enjoy hosting get-togethers, so any party they have in the future will be pleasant for multiple reasons. It's been a while since I've been covered in that special kind of sweat that seems to be unique with moving, but it felt good to help friends with a task which is universally despised.

Add a bbq, shampooing carpets, moving a queen bed into the apartment, listening to a band (sort of) and the various emails with the company from England, and my weekend is happy to be over! I have a bag of peaberry beans roasted by Steve to take home to Dan, and some new music from Jessica to listen to in the car. Adios amigos.