Life: Live it. Breathe it. Love it.

Sometimes you need daily reminders to be awesome, feel awesome, and strive for awesome. Happy Wednesday!

Hillhaven

Recently I spent some time in DC. My grandma has been ill and we had to move her from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility - she has Parkinson's plus.  I spent a lot of time with her at the hospital where I told her all about some of my recent adventures and I encouraged her to be positive and if she wanted to moan to use a new vowel not just 'oh oh oh' because it would be much more fun to say 'y y y' or 'e e e' - I'm sure you all agree. Anyhow I hope that at the very least I made her laugh and she enjoyed having me there.   I also got to visit Applebees with grandpa and hear some new stories which is always a treat.   And of course I got to see Thea and Paul, Rachel, Sara, Bruce, Andrew, Stephen, Kate and Rob - which is also an added bonus.

While I was there we did take a few photographs and I got to do more #14 and #38 on the big list - so wehoo!

This is me trying on my crazy eye patches.

grandma sleeping

Everyone assembling her new tv in the hallway at hillhaven with a pair of scissors instead of a screw driver (notice how I help by snapping photos?)

Yes I know exciting photographs.  Hopefully you can feel a little better soon grandma - hugs.

Something for Sriram

My friends Ram and Jaishri had a baby - almost on my birthday too - unfortunately they did not name him Joneshri like I suggested however - there's always baby number 2 who can be named Katieshri. 

This was supposed to be a 9-patch quilt but sometimes I just can't make myself follow a pattern so I did my own thing.  And I kind of like the result.

Anyhow I got to seem little Sriram and he's quite adorable and such a good little baby.  I'm a little jealous I'm not going to India with them this fall.  But I do wish Ram all the success with the tribute of the bus shelter he built in his father's memory. 

Cremona + Family #49 Check!

So we finally made it to Cremona (aka #49)- I wish we had had better circumstances for going East but you know sometimes even the worst laid plans can have bright spots I only wish that more of our family could have been there.  It's always great to spend time with cousins.  And now for some pictures...

Basset hounds are so goofy  - this one was particularly well behaved

grapes on the vine

cutting the grapes

cousin cody and the grapes - cody is my  buddy I can't wait to hang out with him next time I'm in DC

these are the grapes we eat not make into wine

and we lunch

the vineyard is on the water

Oh look there's Cousin Dylan

smashing the grapes

Jono and Cousin Emily with more smashing or is this anger management

Cus-Uncle Stevie pouring grapes

more crushing with cody and emily

Jesse desteming

more grapes to crush

grape baskets

the juice pouring from the cake

even the kids are into it.

and the kegs

and the bottles

cuz-uncle bruce man-handling the kegs - he said to tell everyone it's full.

and removing the grapes from the cake

then we went for crabs - can I tell you I don't like crabs - ick but everyone else loved them.

cody showed jono the appropriate etiquette

and then we walked to the end of the pier

and a little sunset shot

I had a dream last night and I was an native american ...

wearing the coolest moccasins, and I was going deer hunting with a bow and arrow (in my mom's side yard at that). It was so vivid and so real.  Oh my moccasins were ever so cool!  I mean I can tell you - it was like being barefoot without but not being barefoot I was an envy of all the other indians you know?  Of course I woke up and I was still wood glue white with a touch of pink and I didn't have the coolest moccasins and I wasn't deer hunting with a bow and arrow it was just time get to work.  Anyhow I can't get moccasins out of my mind - so I put mine on even though I am going no-where and googled them.

They were kind of like these but mine were a darker brown probably because I'd worn them a few times too many deer hunting.

Source Manitobah $89.

I also found these little guys which are similar to the ones I have only in tan.

 Source Minnetonka $64

Mine were anything but like these but are these not the coolest?  I wish I could spend $300 on shoes and not feel guilty because these are divine.

Source Felt $325.

Oh and I love these with just a touch of beading. and colored thread.

From Digging in the Dirt

Oh and I'm sure all the native american's were styling back in the days in these green fringe ones. If they weren't then they wish they were.

Source Minnetonka.

So there you have it if anyone out there analyzes dreams perhaps you can tell me what this means if not maybe you can get me some $325 moccasins.

New Month - New Big 4 Goals

Brand new month September.  Summer is ending fall is coming and I have been thinking of some big goals for the rest of the year - don't worry I am planning to continue on with my 52 mini goals too. I have been thinking really hard on what they should be and talking over it with various friends and family and I think I came up with some fun stuff:
1.  Finishing unfinished projects - I am not going to be specific because I think I have like 50 of these but I am going to put my best foot forward to finish them off
2.  Blog promotion - this is really jono's idea but the more we kick around ideas the more I think it sounds like fun
3.  Biggest Loser challenge - this is something I have been chatting with my friends and family about and I am still working out the details more later
4.  Learn something new - this is also a mini goal but lately I have been having a real desire to learn - I am not a traditional learner really I don't like to follow directions or really listen to lecture so I think this qualifies as a bigger goal.  Who knows what it will even be I am open to suggestions
So what do you plan to do with the rest of 2010?

Tuesday Tutorial - Crate to Coffee Table

#1 Get an old crate - mine is from this company "barnstead still and sterilizer" which from best I can tell used to sell medical supplies and parts.

#2 remove old casters that just don't roll anymore.  

#3 Mark where holes for new casters go

#4 Drill Holes

#5Screw in bolt

#6 starting to look like a coffee table but not quite right

#7 Cover Screws - I am using beads because I had them handy but I could have got nuts and bolts etc.

 #8 Tape off the top - and say bye bye to the yuckiness written on the top although I thought about keeping it.

#9 Spray paint with several coats. 

#10 Ta Da!  we have a coffee table. (It doesn't look this dirty in real life it's just these photos)