Sunny Days

                                                 

We’ve had a break from the rain and our weather has been lovely. Temperatures are fairly moderate with mostly 80’s but it seems to be creeping up. We were in the 90’s one day last week. And the humidity has been decent! I expect that now that we’re almost at the end of July things will start to heat up!

We haven’t done anything exciting, unless you count going to the mall to get some walking done.  I need to go more. I find when I just sit my joints protest!  Mostly we sit and read, play games or watch something or other on tv or our tablets. We’re enjoying the streaming channels we get. I think once our contract is up with dish we’ll cancel. Of course I find time to make cards!  Jim is slowly assembling gun parts to build his own, but I’m not sure what.  

With all the rain we’ve had stuff grows so every now and then Jim cuts the weeds (or pulls them up).  Looks better and with our patio mat out we have our space more defined. I’ve started a compost pile, sort of. Thought it would slowly cook and provide a scratching place for the chickens. They break it down and I rake it up. Veggies scraps break down quickly unless the chickens eat them first!

                                                  Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle or

Shows off a tweet on the fridge or

Saves a Facebook post in a box of treasures

Total for the year, 327 cards made 

Hand Penned from Stampin Up! Such a pretty set of papers!

This set of six cards includes this fancy insert.

I saw another demonstrator who made cards with this design, I just changed up my paper. I do love me some green

Found some festive, winter paper and decided to make some mini slimline cards

Sweet as a Peach stamps and designer paper from Stampin Up! This suite is so pretty!

A few more Christmas cards using Tidings of Christmas paper from Stampin Up!

All is right in our world

Elsa Was a No Show

 A lot of prep work went into greeting Elsa.  She couldn't make up her mind tropical storm, Hurricane, tropical storm...etc.  Elsewhere in the state I'm sure she wreaked havoc but here in Tallahassee, at least our neck of the woods, all we got was rain.  And even it was just normal.  No hours on end of rain or winds.  

We (by we I mean Jim) prepped by filling the fresh water tank for, you know, bathing, cooking and flushing.  Also bought generators in case we lost power.  I heartily approved this!  The contents of the freezer and fridge could have been lost not to mention Air Conditioning had the power gone out.  The folks across the street at A-Bay towing let us park our truck in their field, free from falling trees or limbs.  Then we waited.  There was some rain Tuesday night but that was from a system from the west.  Overnight nothing!  We slept well and when we got up this morning we waited.  Rains came and during a lull we brought in the bedroom slide.  One of the windows tends to leak when there is heavy, blowing rain.  Thankfully it never came.  

                                All is right in our world

                                                 

4th of July Weekend

 So what did you do to celebrate?  While I like the pretty fireworks I don’t like the smell or pollution they cause or the potential for fires.  And what about all the animals terrified by the noise? We’ll stay home and protect Boo and our property.   We did enjoy some time with Chris and Sonsearae.  They were making food for their evening with friends (we were invited but declined).  Brisket and BBQ chicken.  A vinegar slaw for said brisket.  I arrived with some small Cajun potatoes.  Sonsearae also set out a meat and cheese platter.  We didn't go home hungry!  We watched Capitol on the Fourth on PBS and I must say I was disappointed.  Pre recorded musical segments and I missed the Boston Pops!

It was noisy around here once it got dark.  The folks across the street set off some noisy fireworks.  Some of them quite loud and Boo was nervous....Around ten pm it did get quieter and we went to bed around ten thirty.  Boo was sleeping.  Then round two started.  Loud booms woke me and I could hear Boo pacing.  I brought him up to our bed and he finally settled down.  But once again something loud woke me...mind you Jim was sleeping and wasn't much help.  Boo and I came down to the living room and for about thirty minutes we waited and listened.  He finally fell asleep and I went back to bed...twelve thirty am.  Slept until seven am!

We’ve had rain most every day this week.  This must be the rainy season!  Elsa seems to be headed out way but right now it's a wait and see situation.

                                                 Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle or

Shows off a tweet on the fridge or

Saves a Facebook post in a box of treasures

Total for the year, 301 cards made

These are the cards I made for the 4th of July.  Mailed them out a week ago

Some more cards using the June Echo Park kit

Stampin' Up! has a beautiful You're a Peach suite of paper and stamps with which I made these cards.  Using the July template from Craft Al I present you with 12 mini slimline cards! Six each of Birthday and thank you cards because always need them.

For card makers July signals the Christmas holiday.  It's seems no matter if you send just a few or hundreds, you're never ready when Christmas rolls around.  So we start making cards in July.  This was in my stash and I used these for a challenge.  It's all Stampin' Up! from a couple years ago.  I still have some of the paper...you may see more of it!

After not sleeping well last night we've had a lazy day.  So lazy, Jim took a nap.  Normal chores for me.  I just did them slowly.  Plenty of food in the fridge so I didn't have to cook.  Another rainy afternoon and now the sun is out.  Perhaps we'll have a pretty sunset later.

All is right in our world

It's July!

Can you believe this year is half over?  I guess we're truly settled in here. Our lives aren't much different from living in Texas.  The pandemic  has probably slowed us down a bit, but age has too!

Wednesday was a normal day around here. Both of us were busy in the  morning. Jim with outdoor chores and me with indoor chores. Just can’t avoid them.  And there’s usually more waiting to be done! Fixed salads for lunch, a chefs salad for Jim. I had a Greek salad. Perfect for our warm and humid day.

Mid afternoon brought us a shower, pretty intense for a few minutes. We didn’t do much after lunch. Jim had a wee nap.  I'm pretty sure I only went outside to check on my compost pile and plants.  It's fun watching the chickens scratch around in the compost pile.  Daily I rake it back into a pile.

Boo has been more alert the last few days. Eating at his normal times and even insisting once or twice.

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle or

Shows off a tweet on the fridge or

Saves a Facebook post in a box of treasures

Total for the year, 264 cards made

The June Paper Pumpkin has some beautiful elements. This card is an alternative using the gold elements from a past suite. I stamped the sentiment and envelope using Bumblebee ink and the stamps from the kit

June card kit from Echo Park. Nine 3x3 cards.  Using paper from my stash to make the bases I just cut the EP papers to fit and layered cut aparts on top. Couldn’t be easier! 

Three more cards from the June Paper Pumpkin.  Layered sprigs over vellum on that pretty Bumblebee card stock

A couple of movies rounded out our evening last night.  One was Quantum of Solace..always fun watching a Bond movie.

This morning it is dreary.  Overcast skies and still wet from yesterday's rain.  The chickens are making their rounds and the roosters are crowing.  Of course they crow all day!  There has been some lambs born and a couple of adoptee lambs are being raised here.  Christy and Rik are very good with animals.

What are your plans for the 4th?  We'll probably stay right here.  But who knows?

All is right in our world