Black Cat of the Family

2005-12-23T08:22:00.000-10:00

Me in desperate need of a perm...

2005-12-10T13:34:00.000-10:00

Pure Cuteness
Irwin at his most comfortable...

2005-12-09T03:28:00.000-10:00

Computer Gargoyle
Julius doing what cats do best...

2005-12-07T04:25:00.000-10:00

Jessi and I
She gets those natural curls from her daddy, definitely *not* from me!

2005-12-06T05:45:00.000-10:00

David
My six year old, whose name means "Beloved of God". If he only knew how much I love him...

2005-12-05T05:05:00.000-10:00

Gypsy
Isn't she beautiful? She came to us a few weeks ago. I found her across the streets by the trash can, and fell instantly in love.

2005-12-03T03:47:00.000-10:00

La Christmas Tree 2005

Notice the elves impishly hovering near freshly decorated tree...

2005-12-02T09:27:00.000-10:00

Lazy Butts!

Hubby and the four furbabies.

2005-11-23T16:53:00.000-10:00

Well, I did it! I revived Fully Caffeinated and Armed with Chocolate!

I feel like I've gone home.:)

Starting in December (which translates "by-then-I'll-have-my-camera-software-installed") this blog will be home to pictures of my family, furbabies, and home. It will give you an view into the inner workings of my life on a visual level, and hopefully satisfy the little voyer that lives within us all.

Bottom line: I hope you like cats. And kids. And home decorating. Be prepared to see a lot of them.

See you in December!:)

2005-11-23T02:48:00.000-10:00

Well, it seems I've been bitten once again by the knitting bug.

I've been perusing the blogosphere, and I've found some blogs by knitters (two of which I've added to my blogroll). I dabbled with knitting about two years ago, and then abandoned it to other interests. While I enjoy crocheting, it just doesn't have that same je ne sais crois as knitting. There is something extremely elegant about taking two sharp sticks and a ball of soft yarn and creating something whole and wonderful (Freudians, no analysing, please). Not to mention the stash-a-holic in me *loves* the prospect of all of the patterns! knitting bags! needles! stash! that is available to me. It does all look extremely complicated, and right now the best I can do is cast on, knit, and purl. I suppose that is all well and good for a beginner, but it's not as if I can actually make anything with them, but there is something just so satisfying to see a row of neat, clear stitches on my needle. It makes me feel so accomplished.

After a Mexican lunch today with my niece (you all know her, the Legolas-adorer that I'm constantly tormenting with my affection for Haldir) we are zipping up to Hobby Lobby in search of The Perfect Needle. I've dabbled enough to know I faaaaaaaar prefer wood needles over metal, so I want to see what they have. I would prefer to go to a specialty shop, but the only knitting store I know of is in Macon and there is no way today I'm braving a two hour round trip. So...Hobby Lobby it is.

I'm also kicking around the idea of turning Black Cat into a photoblog. I have a lot of pictures I want to

share of my family and furbabies, but I want a specific place to keep them. If I do, I'll be blogging again at Fully Caffeinated, but no one will have to change their blogrolls (thank goodness!) because both blogs will be active.

On stitching news, here is my recent work on Snow Princess:

I'm using two strands of blending filament for the background (which is actually a lot bluer in person than it appears in the scan). I'm also (insert "banging-head-against-the-wall" icon) using one strand of blending filament with one strand of floss for the tiara, which is absolute murder for stitching over one on 32 ct Lugana. And for whatever reason the scan makes it look as if I gridded, which I can assure you I did not! I've gridded some of my pieces, but not this one. To be honest, I don't know if I'm sticking with her or not for the time being. I may just have to work on something other than the tiara in the meantime, for I am *not* looking forward to the rest of all that bulk!

BTW: my cherry pie was devoured shy of one piece last night, which I proudly brought home and is sitting at present cozily in my fridge. Go me.

2005-11-22T07:10:00.000-10:00

Okay, I'm sick to death of this depression. It's a crappy way to live a life, so today I'm going to do something about it and fight back. If something has depressed me lately, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and nail it to the wall.

Hold on to your seat belt, folks, here goes:

...

Zarquon Frood!!!!!!!!!!!

...

There. I sure told them! I feel so much better...

David will be spending the next two days with my parents, a little break we all need. He will have a total blast, and I will be able to use the next two days to whip the house into shape so all will be done before Thanksgiving. That way all I'll have to do is eat and stay fat. Next week I'll be re-visiting my weight loss scheme, but this week I'm going to consume enough turkey and pumpkin pie to feed the entire country of China. We will be putting up the tree and decorating for Christmas, and have our yearly "let's-go-out-go-eat-and-stuff-our-faces-some-more" dinner that evening. And, speaking of food, we are having a Pie Social at church in place of Wed. night's service. Let me tell you, can't no body cook or bake better than Christian women with a church full of people to feed. If you want good eating, come to my church...you won't be disappointed.

For the Pie Social tonight, I am taking a cherry pie. My mouth has just been watering for cherry pie, and I found a frozen one that I'm dying to make. Yes, I should have made it on my own, but being the one exception to the uber-bakers as mentioned above, I am borrowing from Mrs. Smith's pantry and baking one of her pre-made, albiet frozen confections. That said, I've had Mrs. Smith's pies before and they are *incredible*. Whether or not anyone else indulges, I'll be scarfing tonight on cherry pie, hold the mode gimmie the whipped cream. Yu-hum!

2005-11-17T03:47:00.000-10:00

God...Is...Good.

And don't let anyone tell you any different.:)

Okay, for the record I *hate* the show South Park. It's rude, it's crude, and it's just downright tacky. That understood, I just had to succumb to the Alternate One (or in this case should I say the Demented One?:p hardy-harr) and see what I looked like as a South Park character.

Behold la Me:

Harumph. I knew it would be something freaky. Thanks, Belinda for the nightmare!

oh, don't worry folks...she knows I love her more than my luggage...

2005-11-16T09:03:00.000-10:00

I've been doing the big No-No today...I've been reading blogs and comparing myself to others.

Everyone, even in their darkest times, sound so fascinating. I read with intense interest, from everything to struggles to births to money struggles to romances. It's all raw and real, and the bloggers are as fascinating to me as their stories. And then I think of what's going on with me right now and I get more depressed than ever.

God tells us not to compare ourselves to others, and with good reason, for when we do we begin to feel inadequate.

Perhaps I've just had a difficult morning. It started out wonderful, with coffee and a blog entry, and my parents came down to see David in his little Thanksgiving production at school. He did not have any fits this morning when I dropped him off, so things went very smoothly until we all got home. Once my parents began to leave, both children become A-bombs and exploded. I was left with two screaming, mouthy kids that did not want to see their grandparents leave. Of course, that's only part of the problem: they have both been pretty mouthy and a lot lately. They don't want to mind, they don't want to listen, and they want what they want. Welcome to parenthood.

Don't get me wrong: I have wonderful children. They are bright, outgoing, and charming. They are also headstrong and have rebellious streaks as long as the Chinese wall. This "phase" has been going on for too long, and I'm just about worn out. And when I read other people's situations, for some reason it makes mine seem all the more bleak at the moment.

It's pathetic, I realize. I think if I could get just one really good night's sleep I might be better equipped to handle the normality of childhood mood swings, but when you are tired it's a whole 'nuther ball of wax. When my kids are grown, the one thing they are going to remember about their mama is her standing in the kitchen before breakfast with her hands in the air sighing in exasperation, "God, grant me strength!.."

I just want my children to be happy. I want to be happy. I want us all to be happy. I would like to go one day without a fit being thrown about something. And no, I'm not going to let you eat just cake! Gimmie a break, it's bad enough that all you want is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, for four months solid. There are other food groups, you know. And nap times means just that...nap time, not get-up-and-sneak-around-in-your-room time.

Do you ever wish you were someone else? Or that you ever had someone else's life? I really don't, but there are some days when I just wonder what it would be like...

But, God is good and He gives us what we are meant to have. He also equips us with the tools we need for what we are meant to do; I just wish I didn't misplace the toolbox so much.

2005-11-16T04:13:00.000-10:00

It's dark and raining outside, and every now and then a breeze stirs the fallen leaves. I am rejuvinated by overcast days, and I find then wonderfully comforting.

Well, I am a year older since the last time I blogged. My birthday was November 13th, and here I sit a cool 37 years old.

Actually, my age surprises people. The general consensus is that I'm not a day over 28, which amuses me considering I don't feel a day over 12. I have a young face, but my hair betrays my middle-age; it's silvering like crazy. And since I don't cut it, the silver strands are loooooooong and cannot be hidden by shorter strands. I was kind of hoping I would go silver all over at once like Emmy Lou Harris, but alas I am fated to endure a gradual whitening. Ah, well...we all have our crosses to bear.

Speaking of white, we are now the proud owners of a small female feline, who happens to be solid white -- the color of cat I've wanted for a very long time. She showed up across the street the other day, and with a little coaxing came to me, and that was it: bond-city, big time! I brought her in to feed her, introduce her to the other cats, and wait for Robert to get home. I told him about her on the phone, but I wanted him to see her. She is just adorable. She is solid white from tip to tail, with a pale pink nose. Her eyes are beautiful; they are an odd pale greenish-gray with a touch of amber. She is a very sweet cat, but it took a few days for her to get comfortable to really display her personality.

My three boys don't know what to make of her. They sniff and snort and occassionally hiss, but for the most part they have settled down as well. Irwin, my gray tabby, being a naturally nervous cat, makes her nervous in return. Julius, my solid black kitty, is fascinated with her and Mulder, my tuxedo and my oldest, just tolerates her. The dynamics have shifted, but I was expecting that. The only thing is that I have to change the litter box every two days now, or she starts sniffing around. We are going to put another box in the bathroom so they can 'distribute the wealth', so to speak. It will make more work, but after the complete bonding that has taken place between her and I it will be worth it.:)

My birthday was wonderful. I had a bit of a weepy weekend (blasted depression) but everyone did what they could to make it wonderful. My parents grilled mojo chicken, one of my favorite dishes. We had potato salad, mexicorn, baked beans, and triple chocolate cake. I gained five pounds just looking at all! It was a wonderful feast, and great fellowship. For gifts, I got some lovely clothes, TWs the Best of Fantasy book, a Paula Vaughan stitching book, and the last book in the Mitford series. I also got an adorable chips and dip tray, with the dip dish shaped like a hot pepper. Classic!

The next day, Robert bought me another cake and a dozen pink roses, my absolute favorite. He also let me take my yellow gold engagement ring and wedding band and get them plated in white gold (I got the engagement ring back yesterday and it's *amazing*!). I also considered his agreement in letting me keep the little white cat as my big present, because although she is a family cat she is really all mine.:) Oh, and we named her Gypsy. Very appropriate. I had originally wanted to name her Luna, but Gypsy suits her much better. Before we settled on a name for her, she was known for two days as Snow Princess, in honor of my current cross stitch project.

I wish I could get a picture of both her and my new ring, but we don't have the camera software installed and I can't find it at the moment. If I thought for a moment the scanner would work I would try it, but I think scanning the ring might be far easier than a small squriming feline. Har.

As far as stitching goes, I'm still plugging away on page one of Snow Princess. I fear it will be another couple of weeks until I am able to move on to page two, but at least I'm making somewhat of a dent. I made the mistake of combining one strand of blending filament to one strand of floss for her crown, which is pain extraordinaire when stitching over one on 32 ct. Lugana. I hate 32 ct. Lugana for over one stitching, but it's what I started on and I don't want to waste the work I've done. So, it's slow going until I finish that blasted crown. The other metallics I'm using are working wonderfully, because the strands are very thin and using two over one is working great. This is going to be one sparkly piece! I'll have to post my conversion on the HAED board once they are hammered out. It might be a little too sparkly for some tastes, but there are stitchers out there who love cross stitch bling bling as much as I and they might like the option for a super-sparkly Snow Prinncess.

2005-11-03T09:09:00.000-10:00

I've been playing around with PSP 9 today, and I created a smaller version of my painting "Faery Beloved" (click on it to see a larger version):

I think it turned out rather cute. I am a huge font freak, and I thought the Papyrus font would work well, which I am delighted to see that it does.

Now...I have a secret. Well, okay, it's not a secret, for if it was I wouldn't be blathering it all over this blog. And it's not even that big of a deal, for most people will probably yawn and say, "So what?". It's a big deal to me, however, because it means less stitching time and more art time. So, dare I say it: I'm going to start painting with oils again!
The Pros: more luminous quality, easier blending, more money for originals.
The Cons: slooooow drying time, which means less artwork being produced.
I have some cobalt blue which helps with drying, but I don't like the way it mixes. Call me finicky.

Oh, and I have another secret...but I'm not telling this one. Nope, no way. Let me just say I have a dream that is art related, and until I achieve that dream I'm not saying a thang.

2005-10-29T03:00:00.000-10:00

And the winners are:

Snow Princess and Silver Wood! And stitchers cheer everywhere!

Thanks to everyone who voted. I took the final tally from here and the threads on the Wagon, the Mira board, and the HAED board and those two charts had the hightest votes. Cats came in a very close third behind Silver Wood and Snow Princess.

Here are the final results:
Silver Wood: 17 votes
Star Maiden: 4 votes
Serendipity: 6 votes
Pearl Princess: 4 votes
Touch of Frost: 4 votes
Snow Princess: 18 votes
Cats: 11 votes
Titania: 9 votes
Brid: 1 vote

Before I started her, I unkitted a *lot* of projects. The hard, cold truth is that I truly am at heart a La Technique de la TKDchick-er (that's a "one-at-a-timer" for those that are newbies to the expression) and a lot of projects get me nowhere. I thought it I worked on a lot of different pieces that I could rotate and get more finished, and not get bored doing it. The problem is that I do not have the discipline to rotate, as well as not as much time to stitch as I would like. And I'm not getting *anything* finished, which kind of defeats the point of why I wanted to rotate in the first place! So: I may never finish all the projects I love, but at least I'll be very careful about the ones I choose!:)

As of now, I am working on Snow Princess exclusively with Fantasy Triptych as my small project (you know your main piece must be huge if a *TW* is considered your "small project"!). Silver Wood is kitted up, but I'm only going to work on her when I'm suffering from intense burn-out. Once Snow Princess is finished, then Silver Wood will be the next one up! Sounds like a plan.

In other news: perfume!
Yesterday I bought myself an early birthday present. My birthday is not until November 13th, but I went ahead and treated myself anyway. I bought a bottle of Pure Poison perfume from Perfumania. It's made by Dior, and I have yet to meet a Dior fragrance I don't like. Some of my favorites include Dune, Miss Dior, Poison, and Tendre Poison. All of them are pretty strong scents, but my chemistry works well with strong scents so it's a nice match. I actually went there to see if they had Alien by Thierry Mugler (I'm wierd) but they only had only Angel. Robert bought me a bottle of Angel Innocent for my birthday, so I didn't need any of that (they are very similar in opinion). I was really disappointed they didn't have Alien for me to try, but I found the Pure Poison and fell in love with it. It's primarily orange blossom and jasmine, with several other florals thrown in for good measure. It's a little sharper than the original Poison, but they layer *wonderfully*. The staying power is like all Dior perfumes, and for this reason all you need is a little! It will last me forever. Now I want all in the Poison series: Tendre Poison, Hypnotic Poison, and the original Poison! My little bottle of the original Poison is all gone, so I think that will be next on my perfume list. Anyone want to get it for me for my birthday? ::: grin!! :::

While I was there, the sales lady thrust two sample cards at me featuring their "fragrances of the day". The fragrances were 360 Blue by Perry Ellis and Halloween by J. Del Pozo. I'm not a fan of the original 360, but the Halloween sounded interesting (hey, this is from a woman whose perfumes du jour are called "Poison" and "Alien"), so I gave the scent cards hearty sniffs. Here are my reviews:

Halloween: Due to its name, I was expecting a musk with layerings of patchouli and orange blossom enhanced with a dash of cinammon or nutmeg to emulate the fall season. Not only did the scent have *nothing* to do with fall, but it was absolutely horrible. It smelled like a damp earth. It had that kind of musty, mildewy smell that dirt gets when it has gotten wet and allowed to dry to many times. I tried to like it, I promise, so much that I even took another sniff. Nope...still nasty. Fragrance.net tells us it possesses the following notes of " floral iris, lime blossom, gardenia, mimosa, rose, lavender, a lovely feminine scent." A lovely feminine scent? I don't think so, not unless you want to smell like a grave.
To sum up: Gross.

360 Blue: Fussy. Confused. Complicated in a negative way. It smells as if it's trying to be a floral, an oriental, or a marine scent and in the end just gives up being anything. Fans of the original 360 will find it headier and sharper than the original, so they may like it, but to me the scent was not even pretty enough to try to figure out what it was. According to Perfumania, this scent is a composition of "Princess Peony, Violet Leaves, Cassia, Mandarin, Mimosa, White Freesia, Rose Centifolia, Lily of the Valley, Narcisse, Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli and Musk." I love a lot of scents used here, but the particular formula used for 360 Blue causes them all to cancel each other out. All that is left is a mish-mash of fragrance that does nothing for me.
To sum up: Meh.

Now, keep in mind these are only my opinions, and some of you may love these scents. I know there are a lot of scents I adore and that work well on me that others can't stand. I adore patchouli, but Rhonda my SIL thinks it smells like an unwashed hippie. Not everyone's olfactories are the same...still, being the perfume junkie that I am, I have quite fun reviewing fragrances, so you may see more of these to come.:)

In a few hours I'm off to church to work on puppet practice with the Praising Hands puppet troupe. Tomorrow is our fall celebration for the kids at church, and we are doing the whole Sunday morning service. Tomorrow evening Robert and I are doing our children's ministry outreach for the evening service, so I'm going to be busy busy busy! Please pray for us that God will use us to touch these children. A lot of them are from broken homes, and they so need God in their lives.

Toodles!

2005-10-27T04:41:00.000-10:00

Okay freaky dahlinks, I have a dilemma. It's stitching related, so all you needleartists perk up!

I used to stitch my projects one at a time, until I found the cross stitch bulletin boards and that ominous entity known as The Rotation. Well, 4+ years later, I'm still a horrible rotationer. I can't stick to one for anything, and when I do manage to attempt one I get overwhelmed; everytime I stitch on a project I think of how much I could be getting done on another if I just 'stuck with it'! That said, I do not want to abandon my projects altogether, but I can't really work on any more than 3 at a time. However, there are so many I want to stitch that I am having a hard time picking out my final rotation!

Actually, I only need two more to complete it, for I am going to continue with TW's Fantasy Triptych. I've changed the Eowyn/Faramir conversion to an Arwen/Aragorn, because the autumn conversion feels too much like Rivendell pre-War of the Ring. The castle panel was going to be converted to white, but I'm going to leave it the original colors to represent Rivendell, and Arwen's unicorn is now Asfaloth (I've had to "whiten" la horsie up a bit, and of course there will be sparklies!).

So...here are the choices for the rest of the rotation:
A Touch of Frost (I'll be doing a more modest version)
Cats
Serendiptiy
Silver Wood
Pearl Princess (another modest version)
Brid
Titania (without the background, though I wish I had the chart with the background for I love it!)
Snow Princess
Star Maiden

What two would you choose? Help!!!

2005-10-26T04:22:00.000-10:00

Still here, and still chuggin'.

On the stitching front, I've decided to break my Heaven and Earth Designs rotation with one little ol' TW, Fantasy Triptych. I have decided to change the greens of the trees to golds and oranges, and give the whole piece an autumn flair. The maiden will become Eowyn (which means the unicorn will lose its horn, but I think it will forgive me), the castle panel will become white aka Gondor, and the knight panel will become Faramir. I've started the Eowyn panel, and already I'm having a blast! I also stitched a little on HAED's Touch of Frost, but I really really really want Autumn Winds and Storykeeper. That way I could work them into my rotation with Star Maiden!

I've been doing some surfing today, and I've been kind of surprised at what I've found. Behold the highlights:

Celine Dion and Hurricane Katrina:
Aparently Celine Dion (who has fabulous perfumes, BTW) went off about the lack of effort to get the Katrina victims out of New Oreleans. She was stating her disgruntlement for the Bush administration and the way they handled it, but one particular comment caught my attention. Her comment was in regards to the stealing of merchandise, of which she responds, "Who cares?" and basically stated that these people were 1) not going to get very far anyway, and 2) maybe they were indeed so poor that it was the only way they could get a television set, or something to that effect. Hmm. Methinks Ms. Dion has never met a plain, old-fashioned thug in her life, or perhaps she would have recognized one when she saw it.

Now, don't get me wrong; I love Celine. Her voice is truly sublime, and her version of O Holy Night is one of my favorites. I just think her genuine sympathy for the true victims of Katrina is trying to make victims out of the punks that basically pillaged and took pot shots at the police and ambulance workers that were trying to help the New Oreleans residents that week. These grunts knew a 'good' situation when they saw it, and they took their chance to be King of the Day. I don't sympathize with them for a minute, because their actions were nothing less than criminal.

I think what was more interesting to me than her remarks (which, again, I believe to be completely genuine) was the flutter of message-board persons that were applauding her for her bravery! her boldness! her courage! to actually say such things. Oh, puh-leeze. Since when does it take courage to state what the liberal pundits want to hear? Again, I don't fault Ms. Dion for stating her opinons, but when the average shmo like you and me cannanize her because she isn't afraid to "speak out" about the Bush administration there is something askew. I mean, are you kidding?? In the liberal-fed media, speaking out against the Bush administration is practically a requirement. I don't find that courageous; courageous would be someone who says, "You know, I do have disagreements with the way the Bush administration handled things, but the real blame for all this mess goes to the pathetic ego-trips and lack of leadership displayed in the New Orelans governor and mayor, as well as the hundreds of policemen who turned chicken and chose to flee rather than protect and serve the citizens as they had pledged to do against the hood rats that decided it would be more fun to shoot at cops and loot rather than help it's fellow man." Now, that would have been courageous!

Prussian Blue and Louis Farrakhan
Okay, these are two of the freakiest little girls I've ever seen. They are 13-year-old twins, and are basically being heralded as the "Oslen twins of the White Supremasist Movement". Lamb and Lynx Gaede are twin sisters who make up the band Prussian Blue, a folk-type band where they sing and play the violin and guitar. Their songs are all about - and I kid you not - how the white race will one day conquer and be free from its "oppression" on the "bloody and holy day". They also have a lovely little ballad for the "man of peace" (gag spit hurl) Rudolf Hess, otherwise known as Hitler's right-hand man. Yes, boys and girls, these two youngins dream of world where all Barbies are white and all Barneys are purple, as long as Barney is only a guest in this country and not allowed to be a citizen.

Oh my good GUSSEY!! Their Nazi parents, of whom are completely responsible for their daughters mind-numbing racism, are hawking these two in county fairs and have even had the girls cut a CD (although, by hearing a couple of the tracks, I don't think the music world is in too much danger; they really suck. And I'm being totally objective). Now, I completely support freedom of speech; they can warble about the Supremacy of the Master White Race all they want, and they are protected under our laws. And no one who has any sense listens to them, so I'm not too worried about Aryan Nation taking over the land (which is, BTW, one of the most evil websites I've ever encountered. But I digress). We all know this is nothing other than racist pap, and we recongnize it for what it is.

That said: why, then, do we challenge the Nazi ideology, but merely accept the words spouted by Louis Farrakhan? One of his biggest platforms is black seperatism, and he does nothing but feed white rasicim to his followers, to the extent of even fabricating outrageous claims (such as the fact that 'someone' [aka Bush] purposely blew a hole in the New Orleans levy to wipe out the black population). His statements do nothing to bring whites and blacks together, but does everything to drive them further apart. He claims Martin Luther King was more patriotic than either George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, because of the stance King took. While I completely agree with King's principles, why is he more patriotic in Farrakhan's eyes? Because he is black? It seems that King's very own words of wanting to see a day where every man is judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin seems to be ignored by Farrakhan at every turn, who judges people every day by the color of their skin! If we can so easily recognize white racism in the Prussian Blue girls, why can we not see the black racism in Farrakhan? Because he's better spoken? Because he has more followers? Because he's black?

Methinks we have been desensitized in this country to ignore things from some buy recognize them in others. Personally, I think Martin Luther King would be heartily ashamed of Farrakhan, Jesse Jackons, and Al Sharpton. And he would absolutely abhorr the scariness of Prussian Blue.

On other notes, I haven't excersiced this week due to a weird funky pelvic pain I've been experiencing. I think I overdid it last week, started too much too fast. I'm going to try to walk a mile today, and lay off the weight training. Once I get my routine re-sorted I'll get back in the swing of thing.

Toodles!
P.S. Spellcheck is being blocked and I'm too lazy to hunt down a dictionary, so any and all spelling mistakes are just a figment of your imagination.

2005-10-14T02:17:00.000-10:00

Monday I begin my walk to Rivendell.

I am nervous and excited, for it has been a long time since I have dedicated myself to my health. I was doing so well last year, and then it just kind of got tossed out the window. If you want to know what in blazes I am talking about, check out the Eowyn Challenge. I will begin at Hobbiton and start my journey to Rivendell, for a total of 458 miles. My goal for the first week is 10 miles, so I should approximately make it into Tookland in time for a frugal supper. My first stop outside of Hobbiton is Bree, and considering it take 135 miles to reach the Prancing Pony I will be in the Green Hill country for a while! But hey, once I reach Bree I get to meet Strider (although I'd rather meet Haldir, thank yew very much).

I'm going to do this. I am determind. I am going to set up my own Eowyn Challenge log, so that I can be accountable. If anyone cares to join me, feel free to let me know! And all I ask is one thing: please remind me of this enthusiasm once I'm flat on my back, exhausted after my first 10 miles...

2005-10-13T08:38:00.000-10:00

I didn't realize how out of touch I've been this year regarding my internet communities. So much has changed, things I never even realized.

I had no idea Laura was dealing with infertility. I had no idea Jennie was pregnant. And now, I've just learned Zena has left, due to some painful physical and emotional issues. People are enjoying life or shrinking from it, and all this time I've come and gone, not bothering to share my own with those who needed me. I guess it's easy to forget those that you don't see everyday, and it's easy to hurt people you never intend on hurting. I don't feel down on myself for things that are out of my control, but I do grieve that I have not been more aware of the lives of people I care about. I have made a pledge to myself to try to do better and become more in-tune with life around me, and I assure you it's something I am desperately praying about.

2005-10-13T02:32:00.000-10:00

snorrrrrrrrrrre

I'm really still in bed, snoring. Can't you hear me? I'm snuggled underneath two fluffy comforters, sawing logs like some crazed lumberjack and counting sheep to the nines. I'm revelling in sleep, glorious, blissful sleep, and I am shameless.

*sigh*

So much for daydreams. I need coffee. Lots of it. Pumped into my viens like a brown sea. Now. Pronto. Wait no more.

Be back when I'm caffeinated again.

I'm back, with steaming hazlenut coffee by my side. It's warmth soothes me. I feel invigorated, ready to tackle the world and face today whatever life may bring.

Or, at the very least, the laundry.

I'm slowing adding links back into my blogroll. I had a list of them somewhere around here, and I can't find them at the moment so I have to skulk around and add them manually. They will all get there eventually, and then I can spend all day reading blogs instead of the message boards. Painting and stitching? What's that?

Now, on a totally different note: I'm so sick of politics. I don't even care that much about them anymore. I know what I believe, and I trust in my beliefs. I'm not a closed book, and I do take many things into consideration when forming an opinion, but for the most part I'm not going to change on a whole lot of things. What I can't stand is when politions feel the need to "blast" this person or "blast" that person, as if the person who blasts the loudest and the hardest will somehow convince that Everyday Pundit like myself that we must listen! Be warned! Obey! Gimmie a break. The whole thing is disgusting. I want to take some of these men by the ear, ground them to their rooms, and send them to bed without any supper. They must promise to treat each other with respect and common decency, and then and only then willI let them come out to play.

Hey...I've got no problem with someone being called on the carpet for something, but all the nonsense has to go. And what's with all the "I hate so and so" kind of jargon? Do you *really* hate whom you claim you hate? I mean that seriously. Think about it, draw deep down into your spirit and think about what hate really means. When you say you 'hate' someone, you are basically saying you have such a revulsion and anger them that if they died you would celebrate, because the source of such revulsion and anger is no longer around. I 'hate' brussel sprouts, but I don't 'hate' people. I get annoyed with them, I get angry with them, sometimes they make me sad, and many times I hate what they do, but I don't say I 'hate' them. For example, I think Michael Moore is one of the most delusional human beings around, but to say I hate him would frankly say more vile things about my character than his. To truly hate another human being is a scary and frightful thing, and it's not something to make fun of or toss around lightly. And for those of you who say, "Well, I don't really mean I hate so and so, I'm just embellishing", then stop saying it! Words mean things, so say what you mean and mean what you say! It's not difficult.

Yes, I am ranting, but someone has to say it and it might as well be me. I realize I'm a nobody, and my thoughts will not affect the exchange rate of the Japanese yen nor provide the next heir to the English throne, but I have a voice and I might as well use it.

And for the record: I'm not a card carrier of any particular party. The Republican party is probably the closest thing to me, but frankly they are not conservative enough, and I see too much wishy-washyness going on. For heaven's sake, you are the majority! Act like it! Quit trying to please everyone, and just do what you think is right! Yeesh besheesh, man! I don't care what party you belong to, if you live what you believe and treat others with respect then you are years beyond those who choose to fling insults at each other in some vain attempt to be heard, or who cower in corners for fear of 'offending' someone. And, while were are on the subject of that, perhaps if We The People, no matter what political party, tried a little harder to not be offended by everything that does not jive with us then maybe our politicians can finally get down to business and do their jobs, and not have to waste our tax dollars.

I mean, come on...how many children have grown up to be axe-murders because they had to say the word "God" in the pledge? Or better yet, what is wrong with leaving it in for those who want to say it, and the child that doesn't simply keeps his mouth closed during that one little word? Why is that so hard to instruct your child to do if the word offends you so badly? Why do we have to waste the court's time and money over this issue? Yes, the word was added at a later date, but it's there now and why is it such a big deal to just not say it? Would it hurt you to just choose *not* to be offended? I just don't understand how this is infringing on someone's constitutional right. And oh my goodness, why do some *care* if a private Christian school chooses not to include Harry Potter on their required reading list? How in the world does it affect you? I wouldn't expect for a private, pagan institution to have The Chronicles of Narnia on their required reading list, so what gives?

I know...I'm whining. I feel better, more awake, more caffeinated. Of course, I think I may be pumping a little too much juice through my veins, so I may need something to calm me down. Perhaps I'll go light and insence stick and listen to Mandy Patinkin warble "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Have you ever heard this man sing? Sublime. He is the only one who can sing that song as well as Judy Garland.

2005-10-10T19:04:00.000-10:00

Good morning! It is 1:15 AM here, so while it's still Monday to me it's really Tuesday to you. I'm still up and jiving, and surfing away.

Must be the caffeine.

Anyway, it's now time for a little Unconscious Mutterings:

Quirk:: work
Crystal:: ball
Pet Peeve:: politically correctness
Cuban:: cigar
Breasts:: chest
Whispers:: in the night
Complicated:: life
Promise me:: ring
Murder:: crime
Filament:: blending

It's been so long since I've played that game, and methinks I need to add it into my weekly routine.

You know, I have to say I am really enjoying the prospect of blogging again. I don't know what happened, I guess I just kind of burned out. I felt cramped within, and therefore nothing wanted to come out. I know I've changed blogs more than most women change handbags, but I promise you this: I will try to keep each blog for one year. It might be kind of neat to see how each year transpires, and the growth (or regression) that I experience as a wife, mother, and all-around general person. Once I get my web site up (cross fingers) I will have a page that will list all of my journals, from starting date to most recent so all you will have to do is make that one link and - voila!- never have to make any changes again! Wunderbar.

I've managed to get quite a bit of stitching done on my Star Maiden, but I need to get her scanned in. She is beautiful and will be absolutely stunning when finished. I'm actually thinking about continuing with her instead of going on with my rotation, for it would be neat to track a HAED from consecutive start to finish. Here is a peeky-peek:

*sigh*

Isn't she gorgeous? I'm smitten. This is from four days of stitching, and I'm hoping to finish her face some time this week. Despite the fact that there are no more colors than an average HAED (approx. 50), she is no easy stitch; most of the colors in her face are very similar in hue, which makes it a bit trickier than my other HAEDs. The fabric is Conferderate Grey Quaker Cloth, and I highly recomend Quaker Cloth to over one stitching. It has the feel of a linen but the evenness of an evenweave, and I'm just nuts about it.

2005-10-10T11:36:00.000-10:00

Since I've been out of the blog scene for a while, I spent a good part of today perusing blogs and playing catch up. I found this interesting meme on Kirsten's blog, and decided it looked like fun.
The deal: bold everything you have done, add three things, and pass it to three people. No passing for me (since I'm sure everyone in blogdom have done seen and completed one themselves) but I will add three things.

Okay, off we go:

I am bisexual. Not.
I am homosexual. Defintely not.
I've run away from home. When I was five. I packed a suitcase and made it all the way to the corner.
I listen to political music. Too tedious.
I collect comic books. Not anymore. I did, however, throw out five years ago my nearly complete, first editions of the Elfquest original series. I can sense Wendy Pini fans shuddering across the globe...
I shut others out when I'm sad. Sadly, that is true. I'm very male-ish in this regard.
I open up to others easily. I used to. Perhaps I still do.
I am keeping a secret from the world. Who isn't?
I watch the news. - at least once a week. Nope, but I listen to talk radio which is about as much news as I can handle.
I own over 5 rap CDs. Never.
I own an ipod. Have no clue what this is.
I own something from Hot Topic. Nurp.
I love Disney movies. For the most part, yes. Treasure Planet is one of my favorites.
I am a sucker for hair/eyes. Yooooooou bet!
I don't kill bugs. riiiiiiiiight. I relish the act! Unless it's ladybugs, or butterflies. But ants and roaches? They're gone, baby!
I curse regularly. Good grief, I don't think so.
I have "x"s in my screen name. Another nurp.
I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation. Um, no.
I love Spam. Hurl!
I bake well. If the orange harvest cake with chocolate and plain cream cheese frosting I made last night is any indication of how well I bake, then move over Martha Stewart!
I would wear pajamas to school. No, but I wore them to work one day when I was late for a manager's meeting. Just flew out of bed, brushed my teeth, jammed some clothes in a bag and off I went! And for the curiously nosy, they were flannels...
I own something from Abercrombie. Nope.
I have a job. I'm a SAHM. What do you think?
I love Martha Stewart. Yep, still do. I hated what she did, though...
I am in love with someone. Hopelessly, desperately in love with my husband and children.
I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS. i dOn'T ThInk So...
I am totally obsessive about clarity of my typing. Not really.
I am self conscious. All the time.
I like to laugh. Adore it.
I smoke a pack a day. Not anymore. Used to smoke two.
I loved Go Ask Alice. Um...what?
I have cough drops when I'm not sick. Only Luden's Cherry. Reminds me of my Floridian childhood.
I can't swallow pills. The only pill I can swallow is Advil (but not the caplets). I have my own fancy marble pestal and morter. I'm getting to where I know the different tastes and textures of presciption pills. Some can be masked by chocolate pudding, and some can't. Hospitals love me.
I have many scars. Not many, but a couple.
I've been out of this country. I've lived out of this country.
I believe in ghosts. Well, not the ghosts of people, but I belive they are demons masquerading as "the unrested dead".
I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room. Maybe a spider, but not a cockroach!
I am really ticklish. Oh, yeah!
I love chocolate. Do dolphins swim???
I bite my nails. Unfortunately, when I 'm stressed.
I am comfortable with being me. Not lately.
I play computer games/video games when I'm bored. Who has to be bored to enjoy a computer game? Gem Drop is my latest craze.
Gotten lost in a city. Yep, in Monaco. Fortunately, I found my party and all was well.
Saw a shooting star. I've been blessed enough to see several shooting stars in my life thus far.
I have had two serious surgical procedures. Two c-sections, both to children over 10 pounds. Huzzah!
Gone out in public in my pajamas. See previous pajama statement.
I have kissed a stranger. A stranger what?
Been in a fist fight with the same sex. Please.
Been arrested. No, but came miiiiiiiiiiight close.
Laughed and had milk/soda come out of your nose. Never had the pleasure.
Pushed all the buttons on an elevator. Hee-hee!
Made out in an elevator. Nope.
Sworn at my parents. Definitely not!
Kicked a guy where it hurts. *snort*
Been skydiving. Not on your life.
Been bungee jumping. Like life too much.
Broken a bone. Never had a broken bone, but I've had some pretty mean sprains.
Played spin the bottle. I plead the fifth...
Gotten stitches. Nope.
Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour. Gag...
Bitten someone. Yep, my brother when I was about five years old. Boy, did I ever get The Sandal for that one!
Been to Niagara Falls. Not yet.
Gotten the chicken pox. Yep. And scarlett fever, only not at the same time.
Crashed into a car. Not really.
Been to Asia. Lived in Saudi Arabia for four years.
Ridden in a taxi. New York and London, respectively.
Shoplifted. I was a bit of a punk as young teen.
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. Oh, yes.
Stole something from my job. I don't think I ever did.
Gone on a blind date. Yes. Ick.
Had a crush on a teacher/coach. Nope.
Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Um...no.
Been to Europe. Lived in England and visited Ireland, France (twice), Italy, the Vatican, Holland, Russia (when it was still communist), Greece, and Spain.
Slept with a co-worker. No.
Gotten married. Oh, yes!
Gotten divorced. Not in our vocabulary.
Saw someone dying. Yes.
Driven over 400 miles in one day. No.
Been to Canada. One day!
Been on a plane. Too many of them for my taste. I'm a train person.
Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Gag, yes.
Thrown up in a bar. No, thank God!
Eaten Sushi. Ewww, *no*!
Been snowboarding. Nope.
Been Skiing I'm boring.
Been ice skating. Yes! I have been ice skating.
Met someone in person from the internet. All the lovely ladies of the Georgia Ghetto Floss Lickers club!
Been to a car show. Yes, at Epcot center.
Going to or have gone to college. Have a BA in Liberal Arts; studiedMusical Theatre to be precise.
Done hard drugs. Yes.
Taken painkillers. Yes.
Met a celebrity. Several. I think the one I got the biggest kick out of was Waylon Jennings. I met him in a hotel elevator in Dublin, Ireland in 1984. Who would have thunk it??
I like playing practical jokes. No, I really don't.
I love rainy days Adore them.
I have rushed the stage at a concert Duran Duran, circa 1987. LOL! Not that I recall!
I love to take naps. More than I should.
I have more than two pets. Three cats, respectively.
I love coffee. Yu-hum!
I collect things. You bet! Dolphins, faeries, cat figurines, and candles. I used to collect My Little Ponies, but many of them have succumed to my 3 year old daughter.

Fun!

2005-10-10T04:06:00.000-10:00

Yeesh-besheesh, it's Monday.

Two things come to mind when I think of Mondays:

1) The fact that it's not the weekend anymore

and

2) That horrible, wretched song "Tell Me Why (I don't like Mondays)" by the Boomtown Rats, sung by none other than the even more wretched Bob Geldolf.

*sigh*
Not a very promising prosepct for the second day of the week, is it.

I want another cat. Not just any cat, but a kitten. A black kitten. Preferably male, because we have found that young males can be incorporated best in with our older cats. I don't think Robert will relent, however, and the truth is we seem to do best with the number three. We had seven at one point, and it just got too crazy (of course, we were in a much smaller home and David was just a baby, but I digress). You know how some women get broody after being around newborn babies? That's me with kittens; I see one, and I want to get one. And, knowing I can't get one right now, I don't know why I torture myself by looking at all those sweet, feline faces on Petfinder.com.

To make things worse, I also found a white one I want. Major, major sigh.

2005-10-09T08:30:00.000-10:00

So far today has not been as hectic as I thought it would be. I'm still suffering a little from my spell of depression yesterday, but I'm doing a little better. God's presence helps so much, as well as a stiff cry.

I've been denying this for quite some time, but things have gotten worse. I thought I would quit trying to be so "strong" for everyone, and just come out and admit it: I struggle with severe anxiety and the bondage of depression. I have not been "officially" diagnosed, but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to recongnize the symptoms. I will had weeks of perfect clairity and happiness, and then something so small will rock my world like a tsunami and it will take days to just recover. Sometimes I feel so alien to my own husband and children, as if they deserve someone so much better than I. I've had a lot of very kind advice, and I appreciate the time everyone has taken to help me. The sad truth is that I have not had a doctor's appointment since my youngest child was born, and she turned 3 this past August. Yes, yes, bad on me, I know. I'll be 37 in November, so for all I know I could be in perimenopause. Oh fun.

Now, about medications: to be honest, if I am clinically depressed, I don't know if I want to be on medications. Well, that's not really true: I do want to be on them, but at the same time I don't want to be dependant on a drug to help me. I know God can heal me of this garbage; He's delivered me of a lot worse in the past. He's delivered me from cigarette addiction, and I know someone personally who has been raised from the dead, so I know it's no big deal for Him to do this. What I don't know, however, is if this is my "cross to bear". I tend to be a rather larger-than-life personality, and this mess I've been struggling with for the past two years has humbled me. I find I need God more when these episodes hit, and my focus (which has the nasty tendency to stray from time to time to more worldly things) will always shift back to Him when I'm in pain. I don't for a minute belives He want's me to live in bondage, but I don't necessarily know if He wants me to go for the 'quick fix' that I so often crave. Perhaps all of this is to deepen my character and strengthen my walk with Him by having to depend on Him and Him alone. I just don't know, but you can bet your sweet bippy I'm praying about it.

On the art front, I'm considering picking back up where I left off on the Women of the Bible series. I have some wonderful ideas for Rebecca, Deborah, and Herodias, just to name a few. It's a dream of mine to present these women in flesh-and-blood paintings, and to share with others who they were and what they stood for. In a world where the harlotry of Jezebel is celebrated and the faith of Mary is mocked, I think it would be nice to present the true stories behind these women. Besides, can you imagine the cool images that they invoke? Tres cool.

I've tinkered some more with the sidebar, and I still need to upload my Links graphic. I will be adding some more blog links, and I added a few now so it wouldn't look naked. Which brings me to this new blog and why I keep moving from blog to blog with no stopping; well, the answer is simple: I outgrow the others.

I must have adult ADD as well as everything else, but I get bored and uninspired with things after a certain period of time. To keep my interest in blogging alive, I feel the need to reinvent myself from time to time. And lately I've felt that need more than ever. Those of you who have been with me since the original Perle Moon have heard all this, and I have no doubt you get rather bored rehashing this same old ground blablabla everytime my brain has a fluff and I skip off to create another "me", but for you new readers I felt it necessary to fill in the blanks. Of course, you can just book mark my journal page on my main site once it's finished, for it will have a list of all the blogs in descending order and that way you won't have to throw darts at a picture of me by causing you to update your blogroll all the time. The truth is, I was tempted to give up internet life altogether, but then decided I would make this move and start afresh.

So...Black Cat is where I will be for a while. I promised myself if I did this that it would be for my healing and spiritual exploration. It will be raw and it will be revealing, but at least it will be real.
Hope you stick with me for the ride.

Oh...and there will be more stithching talk. I haven't done that kind of thing in a long time, and I am itching to join in some memes.:)

2005-10-08T11:19:00.000-10:00

Oh my goodness, I *so* need to go to bed!

I have no idea what time it is. All I know is that my eyes are burning, I'm thirsty, and I'm bone weary. Why I haven't put all this aside to go slip beneath my warm covers and snuggle against my husband is beyond me.

And tomorrow! Ouch! It's Sunday, and although that's supposed to be my day of Rest it rarely is. Sunday's tend to be our busiest day of the week, with two church services and early praise team practices. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I dread getting out of bed when that alarm clock blares its way into my dreams. Ugh. The Good Book tells us we are but flesh, and this butt-flesh wants to do anything but get up and start dealing with the ordeal known as Sunday Morning Get Ready. It involves a tired wife and mother, a sleepy and sometimes moody husband, and two wide-awake, socket-tester children ready to go!go!go! Glory be, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

My littlest cat, solid black with glowing green eyes, is perched next to me as I type this. He has just snarked a french-fry off my plate (from hours ago, mind you) and has taken off with a speed that surprises even me. He does not eat it, however, but proceeds to play a one-cat game of fry hockey on my kitchen floor. And he is loud. Now he has batted it into the bathroom, of which I hear him frantically trying to undo an obviously stuck fry from the bathroom floor rug.

Methinks this is my cue to put the dishes away and go to bed, not to mention rescue a wayward french-fry from a petite nocturnal feline. If only he would get a clue from his older, chubbier, calmer feline sibs that night time really is for sleeping. Really! Honest!

Humph. Then why I am still up? G'night.