Hello everyone. I'm joining in with Annie to share this week's smiles. You can check out what everyone has to be happy about HERE .
I've been busy trying to get settled into my new home. I'm so excited that I will have my very own designated craft room! The house is all on one level, which is the primary reason for moving. No more stairs is a good thing!
This week I'm sharing a photo of Katie. She usually runs out of the room when I pick up my phone to take a picture; she's just camera shy I guess. This time she didn't see it coming! She was so exhausted from watching the movers and me unpacking.
The dogs love their new backyard. It's much larger than what they had before. Not to mention the smells of wildlife such as skunks, raccoons and deer!
In the evenings the lighting out there is terrible. A friend told me about collars that glow in the dark. I think I might give those a try.
Here's one of the neighbors. Isn't he just beautiful!
I will try to get around to see what's bringing smiles to your face, although it may not be until the weekend. I have a load of errands to run today!
Peace,
Kay
Hello everyone. I'm joining in with Julia for WOYWW. Go to her blog HERE to join in the fun or have a good snoop at craft spaces all around the world!
Since I last joined in I sold the condo, bought the house, painted the entire house and redid the hardwood floors and moved in. I'll leave that for another post as I don't want to get out of hand!
I will show you the beginnings of my craft room. Yep!! A real designated craft room. I've ordered two bookshelves, a desk and a turquoise chair on wheels. The desk is also on wheels and will not be located right in front of the bookshelves. I will order probably four more bookshelves to fill out the space and maybe have one bookshelf in the guest bedroom.
Most of the house is the same color of yellow. It looks totally different in the rooms because of the lighting.
I am so excited that this actually coming together. The floors are original hardwood floors that were put in when the house was built (1950s).
I'm not sure where my laptop is -- hopefully I'll find it so I can visit. (Writing this post somewhere where I shouldn't.....) As always, I will do my best to visit those that visit me (please leave your number) and those that end in the same number as me. It probably won't be until the weekend before I get around.
Peace,
Kay
Don't blink. This is the second week in a row that I'm joining in with Julia at Stamping Ground. I'm happy to be among you once again. Although with the move coming up I may skip a few weeks but I'm going to try my best not to.
Here's my finished cowl. I had a dear friend, Monique, model it for me.
I'm happy with how it turned out. This will be going to Warm Hearts Yarn for sale. I have several cowls and a few scarves that I'll be dropping off next weekend. I found a very easy pattern for fingerless mitts so plan to knit some of those up while I take a break from packing.
It's official (birds singing)! I close on the sale of the condo on Monday, October 31. YAY. I will now be in a one level place WITH a craft room. Honestly, I think those two things alone bring me so much joy. I'll be doing some posts with what I do around the house. The closing date on the house is Friday, November 4. The underwriter hasn't given my lender the appraisal yet. Hopefully we'll be on target. In between I will be renting my condo back from the new owner.
In the meantime, I will do my best to visit those that visit me (please leave your number) and those that end in the same number as me.
Happy WOYWW
Peace,
Kay
I've been absent for so long (again). Life once again has swallowed me up and I've been focused on other things. Through it all I've been knitting.
I'm joining in with Julia at Stamping Ground. In looking back at my posts I haven't joined the party since May! Wow, I knew it had been a long time but not THAT long.
Like I said, I've been knitting so my work desk has been my comfy chair. Here's a photo of my latest project. It's a lovely cowl that's knitting up wonderfully. The photo is a bit dark but the contrast in the yarn is from a dark brown to yellow to a light turquoise. Very southwest.
Some of you may know that I've been trying to sell my condo and buy a house. Today I found out that my condo appraised at the purchase price so that's a good thing. We are scheduled to close on the condo on Monday, October 31! Happy Halloween everyone.
The next step is the house. I'm scheduled to close on it on Friday, November 4. Yep, buying and selling in the same week. I have movers scheduled for November 9. Prior to that I need to clean and paint. Wish me luck. I have a wonderful couple that I hire to do things for me and they've already set aside that weekend.
I was over at the house last weekend and met one of the neighbors.
My dad mentioned that this buck is in amazing shape and would be considered a "trophy" buck. He was standing so still that I almost didn't see him, and when I did I questioned if he was real! There's a herd that hangs out in the neighborhood. How cool is that!
What's really cool -- I'll have a guest room (for those that would like a visit the Santa Fe, New Mexico area) AND a craft room. I am beside myself with happiness. What's even better is I have only one step into the house. No more stairs! Yay.
As always, I will visit those that visit me (please leave your number) and those that end in the same number as me. I'm off this coming Friday so it may not be until then that I get around.
So glad to be back among the WOYWW community. And really, we are a community. It's amazing how much we support each other through what life brings our way. I feel that I've been lacking in that area, being pre-occupied with my own life. I'm making some "end of year" resolutions that I'm hoping to keep.
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. It's been an exciting (and stressful) time around the house. My place was appraised on Wednesday and I'm just waiting until it comes in. Wish me luck! Hopefully we'll be able to still close on Monday, October 31! I'm supposed to close on my new place Friday, November 4 but I don't think that's going to happen. No appraisal has been done yet.
So, I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time to see what made people smile, giggle or bust a gut this week. I have this to share.
This is the way it is at my house. I actually gave Katie (prescribed by her vet) xanax to try brushing her this week and she still tried to bite the brush and my hand. Bless her heart. I really thought that would mellow her out.
Here she is relaxing on the couch. If only she'd be like this when I try to brush her.
Here's a picture of Muffin. She's a wild and crazy girl. She's the one that has Cushing's disease, is blind in one eye and has terrible allergies.
My little loves.
I also made my first paper crane.
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week and ready for the weekend! I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time. Once again I've been lacking in the blogging department!
I'm working on my second buyer for the condo. The first person didn't get approved for funding (bummer) but this buyer is pretty solid. We are hopefully closing on October 31! The only drawback would be the appraisal, which hasn't happened yet.
At the new place: yes, I will have a designated craft room. I have mentally chosen bookcases, storage, etc. And this:
Below is a picture of a young lady I ran into in Santa Fe. Her blue eyes and red hair are so striking, but what really got my attention was the skateboard. After we talked for a while she said that she had done a lot of the artwork - now that really blew me away. She's a kind hearted girl with a passion for the board! She said her boyfriend is jealous because she can go faster than him! Now that really made me laugh!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. There's an Artisan Expo this weekend and I just might find my way there!
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time. I hope everyone
has had a great and creative week. I haven't really been creative in the usual way. I have had a week of fun and some silliness though. Monday was a holiday for me so I had a great day of relaxation and lunch with friends. Muffin and Katie have been having a great time. Not sure if it's the change in weather but they've been feisty girls. Last night Katie went up to the landing and turned around as if to tell me that it's time for bed! She was right, of course.
I've been a bad blogger. I've kind of been in a slump for what seems like a year now. Bugger. The first buyer for my house fell apart; she couldn't get the funding. She did have a pre-approval letter so who knows what really went on. I have another seller and hopefully this will come together. I've been mentally involved in all the mess of selling and buying.
For whatever reason I've been more active on Facebook lately. Actually, I've been selling some things on a local yard sale site. It's worked out quite well.
Here's something I found that really gave me a chuckle.
Yes, I'm at that stage in life where I can no longer kick up my heels, even if I was inclined to!
I hope everyone is doing well and have a great weekend!
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. It's been a while - a long while. Days have been rolling into each other and now the summer has slipped through my fingers.
My potential buyer for the condo didn't get her funding. She had been pre-approved so everything was going right along. We had a closing date of September 30. The home inspection had been done already and luckily there wasn't anything major. This is something the buyer usually pays for but I agreed to pay for half of it. That meant that I'd get a copy. Yay. Something the next "buyer" won't have to invest in. Luckily I hadn't gotten the appraisal yet so didn't have those costs.
In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of mental decorating at the new place. At least it's been all mental so don't have any extra pieces of furniture hanging around and cluttering up my already cluttered home! I'm even deciding what colors to paint, installing laminate flooring in one room, will I install a doggie door? You know, the basic what to do when I move sort of thing. I know a few bloggers who have either been buying and selling or remodeling so you know what it's like. How long did you think about what you were going to do before you did it?
I had another craft yard sale and did pretty well. I sold a bit of yarn (who am I kidding) I sold lots of yarn. I also had some things that didn't sell the first time so put them back out. After it was all said and done I posted onto a Facebook group site that I have craft supplies free for teacher's only. Needless to say I had lots of responses and found a good home for four bags of supplies. I felt so good about this. The teacher/therapist told me that she just found out her budget was slashed to nothing. As I go through things I'll be getting in touch with her.
Katie was exhausted from the sale. Isn't it funny how she hangs over the edge of the couch! My funny little girl. Her muzzle was solid black when I got her. Now she's getting gray all over. Oh bless, just like her mom!
The beginning of a new week and someone else interested! I showed my condo this past Saturday. She's very interested and is looking at her options. This person is more established and hopefully won't run into the same issues as the first person. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
After I showed my "new" potential buyer my place I gave her a little tour. She doesn't live in town but works with me. She commutes every day 1.5 hours each way! We had a nice breakfast at Viola's and then I took her to the dog park that is located about a block from my place. Her realtor had given her information on another condo that was for sale by owner in town and was scheduled to see it at noon. We did a drive by - I was so glad she asked if I'd be willing to do that because I was VERY curious. It turned out to be something she definitely wasn't interested in looking at and called the owner right away. Yay. That resolved itself rather quickly.
We then headed up to the Horse Stables, one of my favorite places. Turns out she also likes the smell of horses, or, er, the stables in general. We found some adorable miniature donkeys.
Aren't they the cutest!
Anyway, the house purchase has been put on hold for now. I'm fortunate that the owners are willing to wait a bit for me to sell my place. This process has been exhausting to say the least. I'm on a roller coaster ride and so ready to get off!
For those that have been wondering about me, thank you for inquiring if I'm breathing! I've noticed that I've been more active on Facebook, primarily because I can add a photo with just a click on my phone and not have to write a post. How lazy can a person get?
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time. I hope everyone
has had a great and creative week. I've been creative in stashing ALL my art supplies. It was a crazy time but the house looks nice and clean! I listed my house on a local Facebook yard sale site and sent flyers to friends asking them to spread the word. I have a nibble - a pretty good nibble! She came over last Sunday to check it out and she really likes it! Woo hoo. She's a seamstress so she understands about craft clutter (yay). I'm meeting with her tomorrow to go over some things and we'll see if I get an offer. Keep your fingers crossed and send those positive vibes out into the world please!
Here's the reason I'm doing this now. I had decided to wait until retirement to try to sell my place but when opportunity is at the door sometimes you just have to go with it. Two of my friends are selling their half duplex. They called me when I was in Alaska and said they were buying another house and wanted to give me first option to purchase it. At the time I was feeling like this couldn't happen - but it might.
My smiles this week is the front yard of my potential new home. We ate dinner on the patio and enjoyed the sound of the stream.
They have all types of birds and wildlife visit the pond. Luckily no bears so far. Talk about a peaceful retreat right in your own front yard! I will have a learning curve on maintenance but my friends won't be too far - the house they are buying is right around the corner!
It more than likely will be late Saturday when I come to visit. I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed weekend!
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time. I hope everyone
has had a great and creative week. It's been hot here so I've taken a break from knitting. The wool is almost felting as I knit!
My Friday Smiles this week aren't really from this week. A few weeks ago I celebrated another birthday. This translates into a year closer to retirement! Nikki from Graphix and Design and I share the same birthday. She's been so very generous and I've been lacking. This year she sent me an extra WOYWW ATC that she made and this beautiful colored card.
She also sent me this hand beaded mandala. Isn't is gorgeous. I think I might string it on some fishing wire and hang in front of my bedroom window. Then I'll see it every morning when I wake.
Last year I was really spoiled. She sent me a painting she created and it goes so well with my decor. I have it in my living room so everyone that visits can enjoy it. Isn't it funny that the colors in her painting match my wall color so well!
I also received a very sweet card from Darnell! You can visit her HERE.
Inside she inquired about my retirement. I just might have a date - July, 2018. YAY.
Special thanks to these wonderful ladies! They definitely have brought many smiles to my face. I still have the cards on my mantle!!
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. I thought I'd share some more photos from my trip to Alaska from early June. Everywhere we went there was record breaking heat and no rain.
One of our excursions was to ride the White Pass and Yukon Route train. The train begins in Skagway, Alaska and goes into the Yukon Territory. Skagway had record breaking heat the day we were there.
Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, this narrow gauge
railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a
designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the
Statue of Liberty. The WP&YR railway was considered an impossible task but it was
literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26 months.
Can you see the line where the track is?
The $10 million project was the product of British financing,
American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men
and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and
geography to create “the railway built of gold.”
The WP&YR climbs almost 3000 feet in just 20 miles and features
steep grades of up to 3.9%, cliff-hanging turns of 16 degrees, two
tunnels and numerous bridges and trestles. The steel cantilever bridge
was the tallest of its kind in the world when it was constructed in
1901.
The 110 mile WP&YR Railroad was completed with the driving of the
golden spike on July 29, 1900 in Carcross Yukon connecting the deep
water port of Skagway Alaska to Whitehorse Yukon and beyond to northwest
Canada and interior Alaska.
This is such a beautiful train ride. It was very hot so I stood between cars most of the time. I saw the tiniest bear cub right next to the tracks. It probably weighed around twenty five pounds - don't know where momma bear was but I'm sure she was nearby. The bear was probably a grizzly, as that's what most of the bears in that area are.
The original bridge. Imagine how many traveled over it!
Notice how close we are to the edge of the cliff?!? I was leaning out and took these photos with my Droid Smart Phone. They came out rather nicely. I really didn't want to drop my phone!
I hope you enjoyed the photos. If you've ever thought of going to Alaska I would highly recommend it.
Peace,
Kay
Hello peeps. I'm joining in with Annie at A Stitch In Time. I hope everyone
has had a great and creative week. I finished the scarf for the high school graduate but didn't take a picture of it. Drats.
Here's Muffin waiting for me outside the bathroom. Do you remember doing that to your mom? I certainly do!
Isn't this little dog too cute! He's about six inches tall and makes my heart skip a beat. My friend found him at a yard sale. Sadly he stayed with her and didn't come home with me.
My catalpa tree is blooming! The flowers are so delicate. I can't wait to see all the buds open. The vine to the left is a silver lace vine. It's very intrusive and I need to cut it back so it won't take over.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Kay
PS Tuesday was my birthday and I received some very special cards. I'll share those hopefully next Wednesday during my WOYWW post!
