Laura's Bears & Critters Contest

the contest for Laura's Bears & Critters https://www.facebook.com/Lauras.Bears.Critters starts Laura's Bears & Critters contesttoday. Enter today for your chance to win a unique item, plus tell me what I should make for selling next.

It's Me Again

   Yes, it's me again. I know, I said I would write sooner, but a lot has happened. The biggest reason is because all my photos disappeared and I am not happy about it. Not pouting, just discouraged.
   www.facebook.com/Lauras.Bears.Critters , Laura's Bears & Critters is having a contest. You need to keep checking my page for more information.
   We decided to plant a garden again this year. We are having a drought up here, but nowhere near like California's or other states. Not much snow for the last couple of years is not a good thing. We made it to 98 today, which is way too hot and much too early. I keep telling Tim we need to move someplace cooler.
   Anyway, I will be a good person and write more often and my daughter says when she has a chance, she will try to figure out what my missing photo thing is all about and see if she can fix it.
   Remember, check out my Facebook page for information the contest and to see the bears. I don't have a large supply of bears on hand, but I will be making more as well as other things. I only decided on having a contest today, so there is only one posting.
  Try not to melt or float away.

 

Revamping My Blog

   I know I haven't written anything for a while, because I thought no one read my blog anymore. I was wrong, people do still read it, so I decided it was time for a revamping. New colors, new layout same thrilling content,(note the sarcasm),  now with ads to try to earn a little extra cash. I am also going to try to sell my bears on here in the bear section. So in the meantime, this is a work in progress. Maybe it needs an under construction sign. I had to ask my tech savvy kid for help, because I sure am not tech savvy.

I Know It's Been A Long Time, But...

   I know, it has been a couple of months since I have written anything, but there is a really good reason for that. Nothing ever happens here. I have thought about writing something new quite a few times, but what can I say? So, here goes, I will write about what is happening around here.
   We bought some new chicks and a couple of white broad breasted turkeys in March. We now have two coops, the breakfast and the dinner coop. One of the turkeys is a definite tom. I was calling him Thanksgiving, but yesterday I changed his name to Godzilla. He walks on everyone else and he reminds me of how Godzilla stomps on cars and buildings. The turkeys are also getting pretty ugly.
   We have two Buff Orpingtons that are going to go into the breakfast coop, even thought one of them is a rooster, and we have 10 New Hampshire Reds. One of those is going into the breakfast coop. One is so gentle, I pick her up and she just relaxes and doesn't struggle at all.
   Too bad my parakeet, Frosty, isn't like her. I have had Frosty for almost a year, and I still can't get her finger trained. I have tried all the ways you hear, but no luck. I can pet her, but that's it. I have had birds before and they got finger trained, but not Frosty. Maybe it's her name that did it. Since I named her Frosty, maybe she is just giving me the cold shoulder.
   We planted a small garden this year, because we really need to build up our soil, but we also needed the garden. I was beginning to think I had a bad packet of bean seeds, but after tow weeks, they have finally started coming up. I know I didn't plant them too deep and I have planted this kind before. I was getting ready to go replant them.
   I have been busy making and selling teddy bears in flannel pajamas. I have three left to sell and am making eight more.

Pale blue bear wearing polka dotted jammies

Striped bear wearing train jammies. He looks swirled in the picture, but he is just striped.

 

 Tan bear wearing sheep jammies. It isn't swirled either. All bears and clothes are machine washable and dryable. I am selling them for $40.00 each which includes US shipping. I even started a Face Book page for them.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauras-Bears-Critters/624151867673434
   So, now you know what I have been up to. I have a black Shetland fleece in the living room that I need to
wash and spin. The neighbors behind us gave it to me. The sheared
the sheep before they butchered him. I also have shirts and
shorts to make. So much to do and so little ambition.

I Saw A Robin, Does That Mean Spring?

   I saw a bobbin this afternoon, and I really hope that means spring is on the way. We are in mud season right now, and I can tell you, it gets old really fast. We are suppose to have more rain tomorrow.
   The ground, for the most part, is firming up, so at least we don't sink up to our ankles. The only green I have seen popping up was a Russian Thistle. I'm really looking forward to spring. We did get to 61 today, with sun and it was really nice.
   I've been mailing off teddy bears that I have sold and last Saturday, when I mailed a couple more boxes the local Post Mistress ask me if I brought in any to show. Of course, I thought about it, but didn't, so when I mail another box tomorrow, I will bring in a couple for her to see.
   Not much is happening around here an I am thinking about spring cleaning, but we all know how much fun that is. I must admit though, that I don't have any clothes waiting to be folded, not even those towels.
   We are trying to decide if we are going to have a garden this year and if we are, what to plant. I suppose the usual. Some of our fruit trees might need replaced, because some buck decided to mangle them with his antlers. The joys of wildlife.
   Now for fun, I need to figure out what's for dinner tonight. Any ideas?

Sometimes, I'm Sure I Must Have A Screw Loose

   Being the bored, unemployed person that I am, I had a brilliant idea. Actually, I had the idea a couple of years ago, but just started doing it. Besides the loose screw, I'm slow too.
   People seemed to like the bears wearing flannel pajamas I have been making, so I decided to make them and try to sell them. Their faces are cuter than Smirky bear who's pictures is in a previous post. I haven't invested much into them so far because I have a lot of fabric in my craft stash, and I have even sold a few. It's a little extra money and something to do. I don't work on them everyday, but days I do work on them I spend a lot of time making them.
   I was going to make them and donate them to the children's hospital, but from everything I have read, hospitals only want new, in the original packaging. I'm still going to check into it some more. Also, there are always craft fairs around, so I figure if I work on them all year, I should have a half way decent amount made to sell at the end of the year for the holidays. There is always Craiglist, too. I have been told I need my own website, but I haven't decided on that yet. I don't want to be committed to making tons of them and get bear burn out. See, I must have a screw loose.
   Luckily, we haven't had all the snow like the East has had. We have had snow, then rain and now mud season has come really early. We are do for more snow and rain tonight and tomorrow. Perfect weather for staying in and working on bears.

I Really Want To Play A Musical Instrument

   I really want to play a musical instrument. When I was in elementary and middle school. I took violin lessons. All we ever played was a song called Concerto Grosso. Four years of the same song was really no fun, and I do admit, I didn't practiced all I should have because I really hated that song. I have no idea who the composer was. I did learn in those years of school orchestra lessons that the teacher was an identical twin and he and his brother married identical twin sisters and the each had 4 kids who oddly enough looked really related. I also learned how to read music and play the violin. I didn't play well, but I could play it.
   I also have a really pretty autoharp I would like to know how to play, but then again, there is that finger and string problem. Plus, no one seems to think you need lessons, "you just pick it up and play". I know there is more to it than that. One day, I might find someone who gives lessons.
   When I was a freshman in high school, I took one year of guitar lessons. I learned more about reading music that I already knew and learned that I can't play the guitar because my fingertips split and bleed and really hurt when fingering the guitar.
   A really, really long time ago, when I was 17, I got my first recorder. I really wanted to play it, but hated the sound, and it wasn't all my playing, which admittedly wasn't good. Way back then, I couldn't find many books to teach yourself the recorder. Now, with the wonders of the internet, I can find many books and videos on youtube. I still don't like the sound, so now, I have a collection of instruments I cant really play.


An A and a D Native American Flute. I really like the sounds of these,
but I think I want to play them without written music.

A G and a C Seed Pod Ocarina. These are interesting. I also like playing
these. The fingering is fairly easy if I could get my brain
and my fingers to work together. When I bought these, I also bought little song books
that you play by tabs. If I drop them, they break.



 

D tin whistles or penny whistles. These are also high pitched, but I actually
like these. I hope to learn to play them. There are several places
on youtube to learn to play these.

My recorder collection. From right to left are 2 Soprano recorders, and Alto recorder
and a tenor recorder. The white recorder is my first one. I was really trying to
learn you to play it, but with a toddler in the house, I didn't want it broken, so I bought the clear
orange one. Soprano recorders are in the key of C.
I decided to get the Alto recorder because it is an F and has a deeper tone. It still wasn't right, but I
am pretty sure I will learn to play it eventually. I hope. The fingering is the same, just the notes are different.
The last recorder, I just got and it is a Tenor, in the key of C. Everything I learned on the
Soprano recorders I can do on the tenor. It has such a nice, low mellow sound. I really like
playing it. I got the tenor recorder right before the new year started. I am practicing everyday and am now working
on my 8th note. It has been so long since I was able to read music, I had to start over with that. I can play a very mournful Red River Valley.
My brain and fingers are getting better at working together, so that's a good thing, and the dogs don't howl either.
With a C recorder, I should be able to play a wide range of songs when I learn more notes. I really want to learn how to
play The Tennessee Waltz and Moon River. I am making progress, but I really wish I was younger, so I would learn things easier and have a longer time to enjoy playing the instruments, not that I plan on kicking the bucket soon.
Maybe I have just hit the right time in my life to learn because I also actually like practicing now versus when I was younger.








 











I Finally Made Bear Clothes

  

Smirky Bear

   At long last, I have made the bear clothes. I had to make another bear to see if the clothes would fit, and I named him Smirky Bear because his face looks like he is smirking. He originally was named Damn Bear because I was having trouble with sewing his feet and legs because the directions on the pattern and the diagrams are flakey. I had the same problem when I made bears for the five grand kids and since I didn't think I would be making anymore bears, I didn't change the directions on the pattern. I didn't write down the changes this time either, but I did use three different colors of fabric to show how the feet go.


   The bears have flannel pajamas and slippers, summer pajamas out of the backing I used for the quilts I made the kids for Christmas last year and three other short sleeved shirts and pairs of pants. I used Velcro on the shirts because it is easier for little fingers to maneuver than tiny buttons or snaps. The shirts can be worn with the opening in the front or the back. I also changed the shirt pattern because the shirt was a pullover shirt and it would have been hard to get it over the bear's heads. I know, I should have made some dresses for Ashlynn and Michaela's bears, but I didn't because I didn't want to make tiny underwear for them. Later, I might add some dresses and sunsuits for girl bears, but then again, I might not. There is nothing wrong with pants. The kids can roll up the pants legs if they want their bears to wear shorts.


Pajama slippers, because there is nothing worse than a bear with cold feet.

Slippers and pajama pants

Pajama set

Short sleeve pajamas

Micheal's bear's clothes. The back of his quilt was orange.

Ashlynn's bear clothes, The darker pink is the backing of
her quilt.

Alix's bear clothes. He has a red backing on his quilt.

Nathan's bear clothes. He has a stripped back on his quilt.
Hopefully, no one will point out the
thunderclouds and rain are falling up
on the one shirt. I'm pretty sure someone will.

Michaela's bear clothes. She also has a dark pink backing on her
quilt, or quit as the kids call them.



 

  




Thanks For The Warning

   This time of year, I like a nice cup of hot chocolate in the evenings after supper. By nice, I mean a little hot chocolate with my marshmallows. I eat the marshmallows with a spoon and if the hot chocolate is still hot, I add more marshmallows to be eaten with the spoon before I drink the chocolate when it has cooled some.

My nightly cup of hot chocolate

The other night I noticed something I hadn't noticed on the bag before, and I do admit I am not the most observant person at times.



 I have never noticed the warning on the back of the bag. All these years, I have been eating my marshmallows wrong. When I eat them straight out of the bag, I always eat more than one at a time, but I am usually sitting down when I eat them because I am watching TV. Yes, I do realize the warning is for little children, but I am someone's child, just an old one and I am not small.

Then I noticed the part about closing the bag after it has been opened to keep the marshmallows soft. When I was a kid, probably not eating marshmallows the right way, I learned that when you open something it generally needs closed if it is not used up or you aren't finished with it. I always put my opened bag in a gallon size zippered plastic bag, but wouldn't it make sense to have the marshmallow bag have a zippered opening to close the bag?

It's pretty sad that there has to be this warning and handy information because some people lack common sense and might sue Kraft.

 

 

 

 

It's Been Really Rough But I Made It

   I know, it has been quite a while since I have written anything. As you know from the last blog, I had ankle fusion surgery on my left ankle. I thought everything was going fine, but boy was I wrong.
   Three days before I was supposed to have the cast changed, I woke up with excruciating pain in my leg. The next morning, I called the Drs. office and they got in me that afternoon. They suspected blood clots in my leg. As it turns out, I had three DVT's in my left leg, one below my knee, when in my thigh and one high up in the groin. As if that wasn't bad enough, in the emergency room I had a CT scan and they found a clot in each lung. I was told after, that if I had waited to go to the Dr. for my scheduled appointment, I probably wouldn't be here now. I ended up spending three days in the Acute Care ward of the hospital. Loads of fun.
   I had to start giving myself Lovenox shots in my abdomen to help thin my blood faster. Those shots twice a day were no fun at all. Once again, things couldn't go smoothly because I got Cellulitis from all the bruising from the shots. Of course, that isn't enough either. My asthma really kicked in and I had to have breathing therapy and breathing treatment four times a day.
   I have to be on Warfarin until the end of the year for the clots. I go back to the Dr. Nov. 4 to hopefully get this air cast off. Ok, it is removable, but I want it off forever. I am tired of it.  I have been walking around the house with it off and I feel much better since I have been doing that.
   I can honestly say that the pain is actually less in my leg since the surgery and what pain there is, it is from the surgery. I need to go to physical therapy to learn how to walk right again.
   As I was laying there in bed I thought of all the things I could be doing if I could walk around. I thought I could teach myself how to knit while in bed, but didn't. I did watch MacGyver on Netflix.
   I almost feel like my old self now and I have to be careful not to over do it.
   So that is why I have slacked off on the blog writing. Just so you know things are still normal, I really need to get busy on those darned bear clothes. There are still towels to be folded and floors to be vacuumed. I am working on it all, but not very fast. Winter will be here soon, and I will have plenty of time.
   Today, I really started working with finger training Frosty. I have made progress today. Tomorrow, I am making and canning Salsa Verde.
   I have decided I really like my iPad mini I was on it all the time. I am typing this on my iPad with a keyboard our son and daughter-in-law gave me. I still need to figure out how to get pictures onto my blog from here. I found some of my photos, but not the ones I was looking for.
   Anyway, I am alive and kicking and ready to bore you all once again.