30 Days of Happiness: Day 25

I made this yesterday:

I realize it's one of those super easy kind of crafts, but the fleece was so freaking cute, I had to make it. I love owls.

My first knitting project. I need some help, though - I don't know how to add on, and this is a whole skein of yarn, but it's not quite long enough to be a scarf. I have another skein of the same yarn, I just need to take the time to learn to add on. I also need to learn to cast off, or wear a scarf attached to a knitting needle, which probably wouldn't be very comfortable.

I have to admit, though - I'm awfully proud.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 24

Sweet nephew came over for the afternoon. I walked into the living room and he and the Girl Child were playing school. She was lecturing him on "matter" ("Try not to touch matter. See? You can't! It's everywhere!") and they were writing on the white board. This pleased me on two levels - adorable nephew and daughter writing together, having fun; and the Girl Child showing an interest in science and the fact that she is actually learning it at school. I loved playing school as a child, as well, and the Girl Child does this often - either with the nephew or with the quads that live down the street. She reads to them, shows them how to write, talks about science. It is a lot of fun to watch (and it keeps the neighborhood children happy for hours.)

30 Days of Happiness: Day 23

Brunch with this sibling:




And then lunch with this sibling (on a different day):



How lucky am I to have such fabulous people in my family (even if I can't take a decent pic of these poor people.)

30 Days of Happiness: Day 22

I realize it is possible my numbering is off. I'm assuming my sweet and understanding readers are not going to judge me on my bad numbering. I'm actually going to post a lot of these today, so I hope you all enjoy.

This kid. (not a great pic, I apologize, but it can be difficult to get him to stand still for any length of time.) My sweet, adorable, lovable nephew. Every time I go to his house, he runs to the door shouting my name. When I go out to his car he gives me the happiest smiles. Nobody makes me feel as special as he does - he's always so happy to see me. We should all have someone in our lives who makes us feel like we make the world a better place.

30 Days of Happiness: Days 16-on and on

I have been so remiss in posting lately. So I thought, since I haven't caught up on my days of happiness (and I've been happy, don't get me wrong) I would just add a list:

16. It's been raining. Finally. We hadn't had rain in so long. Things are finally getting green again.

17. My brother is back in town. The kiddles are thrilled.

18. First day of autumn! I love fall - it's my favorite season. I took my camera to the arboretum to take pictures of the changing trees and the autumn wildflowers. So pretty.

19. Yesterday my brother and I went to a job fair, up in Sharonville. A long drive for a rather sucky job fair - they had 3 "multi-level sales opportunities" as well as an Army National Guard recruiter and a temp agency. Very few actual companies looking for employees. We did, however, get to stop at Red Robin for lunch on our way home. Yum.

20. I get to go to the Halloween store with my darling nephew today. He's such a pumpkin.

21. I won 4 free tickets to Shadowbox - a cabaret/rock and roll club in Newport. I'm going tonight. I love this place, so I'm totally psyched.

22. I've written about my other two cats - this is Bug. She is my only little girl kitty, and she's as sweet as can be. We got her at only 3 weeks old - she was abandoned in a dumpster, along with the rest of her litter. My mom's next door neighbor's son rescued them, and we took Bug. I had to lift her into her litter box, she was so tiny. She has an oral fixation, too - she'll lick any exposed amount of skin, a lot. She is a loud purrer, and she has what sounds like a smokers voice - which she uses a lot when she wants a treat, which is always. Buggy is my Monkeybutt's cat - he was only 1 when we got her, so they've grown up together. We adore this cat - she's just lovely.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 15

And a happy day it is! It rained, most of yesterday, and we so desperately needed it. I think the rain washed all the fuzzies out of my brain, as I am feeling so much clearer today. I will take a picture of something happy today and post it later.

Is it legal, do you think, to be this chipper on a Monday? I feel like the red-haired receptionist on Office Space.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 14

Yo ho!

It be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

I make my mom a calendar every year with pictures of family and cats, birthdays and whatnot. A few years ago I started adding odd holidays, which she and her coworkers found absolutely delightful, so I have continued to do so. Here is where I find these unusual (but real) holidays:
http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

It's later. I'm feeling a bit of a need to offload tonight - nothing major or bad, just feeling a bit...unfocused. Which makes it difficult to complete a task, let me tell you. I've been feeling this way all week, and in part, the feeling is hormonal (if you females catch my drift.) I find, with each passing month, my anger and complete frazzled-ness increases during this time. I very simply cannot concentrate on anything and I have to write it all down or lose it. And one annoying detail will completely bog me down - for instance, for the past few hours I've had a little fuzzy something stuck to an eyelash and I can't find it. It's very likely I will pull out each and every eyelash before I manage to fix the problem. And the irritation of it has consumed me to the point that I haven't been able to craft at all tonight.

So there you have it, readers. I'm going completely out of my mind. And with none of the cool creative side effects. So unfair.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 13

Seasonal wreath - autumn edition. The little paper guy at the bottom is an owl; I have a fondness for them. Plain grapevine wreath form - just change out the decor for the seasons. I may have to add a Halloween addition or two for October. I do love Halloween.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 12

I will not deprive all of you of my happiness - you will get all 30 days. Even if I happen to skip a few.

This is Eddy. He is 14 years old. I got him as a kitten the day before Thanksgiving, 2005. I really wanted to adopt a cat, but the shelter wouldn't let me - I was only 20. So I picked him out of a box at a pet store - and yes, I realize the horrors of pet stores, but seriously, he was calling my name. We bonded instantly. I was going to call him Raul, but it really does not roll off the tongue gracefully. "Rocky Horror Picture Show" was playing in the background, and it had come to the part where all the guests are in Dr. Frank-n-Furter's lab and the freezer opens and Columbia screams, "Eddie!" and I just stuck with it. But, being 20, I felt the need to change all conventional spelling, and hence, Eddy. I've had him longer than I've had my husband. He sleeps with me every night, stretched against my back. He bites the tops of my feet if he feels I have not refreshed his food recently enough. He refuses to let me go to the bathroom alone. He talks more than I do - he even meows at phantom somethings in the bathroom, walking his front paws up the walls and meowing at the ceiling. He is desperately soft, extremely friendly, he loves milk rings, and he purrs like a rusty motor. Eddy is my first baby.

My mom drew my attention to the fact that I neglected to mention one of Eddy's most charming attributes - his freckles. I added another picture - look closely at his nose. I was scared to death the first time I saw them, but the vet assured me that they were normal. He has freckles on his nose and his lips, and they are, definitely, charming.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 11

Fika: a Swedish word for having coffee and dessert with friends. There is no English equivalent - that probably says something about the Swedes and their priorities, don't you think? I wish I had known this word when my grandmother was alive; I would have suggested fika for us. I think she would have liked that. Anyway, I had fika with some MOMS Club friends yesterday. We had a lovely time nibbling, drinking coffee, and chatting. Exactly what fika is all about. I just love that word.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 10

A space of my own.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 9

Monkeybutt, my brother, and I played Scrabble tonight. Nothing else has to be said.

I love Scrabble...

30 Days of Happiness - Day 8

The aftermath of a very fun party. Ok, maybe a really fun party is supposed to have more mess, but today we celebrated my little sister's 22nd b-day with brats, cake, and Trivial Pursuit. We played in teams, and although A and I lost, we laughed so hard at times I peed a little. See? The mark of a good party. Happy birthday, K!

30 Days of Happiness: Day 7

'Twas a busy weekend around here, and yesterday I watched my nephews for a few hours. I let the Girlchild and the nephews play with the neighbors for a little while and neighbor mama gave them popsicles.

They're all sweaty and sticky and cutie patootie - I just had to immortalize the moment.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 6

These are supposed to be my own pictures, but this is what is making me happy, right this minute.

I love all these "real haunting" type shows, and I haven't watched Ghost Hunters in ages. I'm so glad I turned it on tonight. Spooooooky.

30 Days of Happiness: Day 5

Oops, I skipped a few days, but I'm back on track.

Piles of books to read and love.

Great friends who recommend great books. This morning I finished our September book club selection, Skeletons at the Feast, which was...amazing. Best book I've read all year. My friend S recommended another book to me called Pandemonium, which I started this afternoon, and am well past the middle of the book now. I love love love amazing new books to read, especially when I would never have thought to pick them up in the first place.