Ladybugs

This is where I reiterate my desire for a macro lens.

Or castigate myself for being too lazy to go inside and get the telephoto lens.


I love ladybugs.  I don't know why, because I generally dislike bugs.  But, ladybugs make me happy.  I get excited every fall when the congregate in the yard.  This year, they're hear in groves.  There are thousands of them, everywhere you look.

This one was an oops shot.    The sun was coming down, and the flash didn't go off, so all I got was a silhouette.  Even so, can you count the lady bugs?  I don't know if I can find them all, but I took that shot because there was at least 15 in that plant.

 

To cut, or not to cut

So, I'm 38.  It's starting to occur to me that I'm not a spring chicken and I'm making some changes to accommodate..   I sometimes rule out clothing  that I might otherwise like because it's maybe not so age appropriate.  That hasn't been a hardship, but now I'm wondering if my hairstyle might be a little young for me too.

My hair is getting pretty long.  It's just about down to the bottom of my shoulder blades.  It's very thick and pretty wavy, so it's got a bit of a life of it's own.  I stopped wearing it down about 6" ago, when I started to feel  like Medusa whenever my hair was loose.

I read something a while ago about braids and messy buns being in style, and so I embraced them.  Lately, my hair is either in a long braid down my back or in a bun (with a few loose tendrils at the front that don't like to be contained) .  If it's a weekend or I'm doing something casual, it's a pretty messy, loose bun or a simple braid down the back.  If I'm somewhere more formal, it's a less messy, less loose bun or a french braid down the back.  Or, sometimes I twist it up the back and let 6-8 inches hang loose over the top.

I've thought of cutting it, but other than the effort that goes into washing it all, or the length of time that it takes to dry, this is the easiest hairstyle I've ever had.  It doesn't get easier than this, other than super-short hair (which doesn't suit my face).  But, I don't want to be one of those women who looks like she's still trying to pass as a high school student.

So, what do you think.  Should I cut it off, or let it grow?

I can't afford

This painting.

And somehow, I can't stand letting it go.  I have never in my life spent this much money on art.  And yet, this is a once in a life time purchase that I can't go back and buy later if I don't do it now.

I'm scheming.   Although there is a refund on the way for the computer equipment that I bought, the insurance claim in general has not be processed.  I'm expecting a substantial cheque... eventually.  Here's the thing, though - I get replacement value on the items that were lost.  The insurance lady told me that I would get a cash settlement for the smaller items, but would have to go out and buy the larger items and produce receipts to get any money back for them.  I don't know what they consider smaller items or larger items.  Come to think of it, I don't trust the insurance company, period.  (They're in business to make money, after all, not give it away.  No doubt that they'll be looking for any means possible to reduce my claim.)

If you're having to scheme to come up with money that you haven't yet received (aren't sure that you'll get), then you probably shouldn't spend it, eh?

But, most of the items that were in the basement were down there because I don't use them.  If I used some of the cash settlement to buy an original painting of my dog, would that be a bad thing?

I just sent an email to the artist, asking her to please wait a day or two for me to fight with my conscience before she sells the painting.  I can't imagine finally deciding that I'll buy it, only to find that it's already sold.

Success!

The stairs finally went today, after much preparation and delay.

We took a break between getting the stairs up and adding the bannister, and tested them to see what the dogs thought.

Cotton hates changes.  HATES it, so it'll be an adjustment for a while.  The first time down, he needed some assistance from my dad at the top while I cheered him on from below.

Tallulah wasn't thrilled the first time down, but seemed to love how easy they were for her to run up.  As soon as she got to the top, she turned around and went back down so that she could run up them again.

Cotton's still objects quite strongly to going up the stairs, which is the main purpose for the upgrade... to make them easier for him.   It's the change that he objects to, though, not the stairs.  I know, because if I put him on the first or second step, he finds his way to the top pretty quickly.

  Flying puppy!

Later, after we finished, I tried bribing him with cookies to see if he'd start the stairs on his own.

Maybe mind control will bring the cookie to me?

Nah, you better come get me.

I am sorry to report that at his point, he's willing to wait longer than I am.  I know it'll come eventually, but dangit, I worked hard today!  I just wanted to go in and put my feet up, so I went down and got him.

I'm going to order some glow in the dark non-slip tape  for the stairs.  I'm hoping those will help him even more.



PS -  If you're on Facebook, look up  Kimberly Kelly Santini - she's painting a portrait of Tallulah from a photo that I took, and has the in progress shots posted there.  Or, the finished piece is HERE on her blog.

Long Weekend Ramble

• Today was the sad day that I packed up all my sandals and open toed shoes, and pulled out the cold weather - I can wear socks under these - shoes.
• I came upon a woman this afternoon who was standing in the rain beside her car and madly waving me down.  When I stopped, she explained that she'd locked her purse and keys in her vehicle, and asked me to call her husband for her.  I did.  After she got off the call, she offered me money.  Who would think that a payment would be required for something as simple as that?
• As much as I love the Nest Chair, it occurred to me today that a day bed might be the more responsible choice.
• I am somebody who always runs a little cold, and I'm very sensitive to the temperature.  If it drops even a degree or two in the house, I know.  I wish I could be one of those people who could keep their house at 18C all the time, but I can't.  It doesn't matter how many layers I wear, I can't stop shivering at anything less than 21C (Room Temperature).  
• It's been cold outside lately, about 10C most days.  All week this week, I've been Freezing. Cold.  I keep checking the thermostat to confirm that the temp was at 21C, which it is, but it's been so bad that I've been giving serious thought to wearing a toque and some mitts.  I can't decide if I've been that cold because of the drop in the weather outside, or if the new spray foam insulation isn't working.  I hope it's the weather, and the cold is all in my head.  If the thermostat says 21C, then it wouldn't be the insulation, would it?
• Today, I went up the chain with the insurance company.  I talked to four people in Quebec, a lady in Ottawa, somebody in Calgary and then a very nice lady in in Vancouver.  She promised to look into my concerns and call me back, which she did.  She can't promise me how long it'll take to process my claim, but she did track down a copy of the receipt from when I bought the computer equipment to work from home (which is replacing items destroyed in the flood.)  She promised me that I'd have a cheque in 7-10 days.

Let's Talk TV

I have a slight addiction to tv, so the beginning of the new season and the introduction of new shows is pretty exciting for me.  A few weeks ago, I spent about 2 hours, rejigging the schedule on my PVR to record all my old favorites, plus to try the new shows too.  Since I can have only basic cable and can record only two shows at once, this was no easy feat.

First, the new shows:

• I called Crap on Charlie's Angels, right out of the gate.  It took 30 second or less for me to rule it out.
• The Playboy Club was also quick to be ruled out.  I like looking at LeAnn Rimes' guy, so I may have given it a few more minutes.  Either way, I had no choice but to eventually call Crap on it too.
• I didn't even bother to watch Whitney.  I'm not a big fan of sitcoms with canned laughter, and this one seemed like junk.
• I don't think Ringer will last.  The premier wasn't bad, but the following shows weren't so good.
• Revenge is iffy.  I can't decide if I like it.
• Pan Am is too slow.  I find it a little boring, actually.
• Free Agents is the only new sitcom that I bothered to watch, and only because I have a secret crush on Hank Azaria.  It's not doing much for me, though, so I think I'm going to rule it out.
• I don't think A Gifted Man will last.  It's OK, in a so-so way, but I think it'll get cancelled.
• Person of Interest is good.  I like the twists and turns.  Although, I can't decide if the main character is extremely attractive or ugly as sin.
• Unforgettable is good too, in a formulaic way.  I hope it lasts.  (I was a big fan of Without a Trace)
• I like Prime Suspect.  So far, it's good.  I didn't see the original, so I can't make comparisons.

Returning Shows haven't Impressed me so much.

• I can't watch Dancing with the Stars anymore.   Not even for Maksim.
• Glee, which I loved during the first season, has been getting steadily worse.  I don't think I'll watch it anymore.
• The Mentalist has been deleted out of the PVR Schedule.  I don't enjoy watching a rude and lazy guy manipulate people that way.
• The big surprise to me is that lately Criminal Minds has been too disturbing.  This has been my favorite show for years, so that's kind of upsetting.  They're taking a darker approach this year, and I'm finding that I'm anxious for the show to be over.
• Castle's iffy.  It seems a little too formulated, to the point that the episodes start to blend together.
• Grey's is still the same.  I'll probably stick with it for now.
• I thought I was going to have to give up Law and Order, SVU without Christopher Meloni, but so far I'm liking his replacements.  I liked that guy in Cold Case, and the woman who was in Chase last year before it was cancelled.
• I'm still sticking with Flashpoint, which is a Canadian show.  It's not great, but it's entertaining.
• I still love the Good Wife.  Long live the strong and accomplished woman.

I think that's it.  It appears that I'll be cutting back on tv this year.  I hope I can find some great books to replace them.

Stage One

I'd like to show you my new library, but this is a very slow process.  The insurance company hasn't processed my claim yet, and they're choosing not to return my calls, so I'm at the planning stage.

In the decision about the chairs, I was leaning towards the Nest Chair, but still waffling a little bit.  That is, until I found Winter a nest chair of his own.

  At the drug store, no less.  On sale, for 40% off.

And so, because I'm so easily swayed by pet decor, I've decided to go with the Nest Chair.  I'm thinking of something in a deep red, or olive green to best show off my angora cat's white hair.
(Please God, let me come to my senses between now and when the insurance claim is processed.)

I already had pet portraits in the room, but thanks to some assistance from the Zadge, I have a new addition:

It's still on the floor because I'm waiting until the room is furnished before I hang it up.

Since I'm going to turn the room into a library, I've been looking at shelving.  I'm thinking of something about 40" high, almost all the way around the room.  I really like cubbies, but am worried that some items or books won't fit into a 12" by 12" square.  So, right now, I'm thinking of making something myself... something that's a mix between this:

The second picture came from Ana White.com, where she has free patterns for DIY Furniture.    I'll probably make a few variations of this, to work in both cubbies and shelves, but three layers high.  

So, those are the plans.  I'm raring to go, but am waiting for the insurance company.  If anybody knows how to light a fire under them, I'd sure appreciate some ideas.   Until then, the front room of my house is empty, taunting me with ideas.