Cats-Be-Gone, Jammy Days, & Phone Interviews

Hey there!?

Yes, it may be true...

I believe our cats are gone?!

We may have one or two 'smarter' ones,

but there are still a few cages out.

Luckily, we didn't really have to watch them get caught!

The guy came, put out the cages, set the traps, & left.

The cats ventured into the cages for food, the door shut,

the guy came back & took them away!

This week, I am taking our kitty to the Vet.

He has had a wound on his neck for some time.

It heals up almost all the way, the fur grows back,

then he itches at it, & we start all over again!?

So - before he is free to go & enjoy the great outdoors again,

I need to get him in & have it wrapped or something?

THEN he can enjoy going in & out of the house again!

So - whew?! Enough with the cat issues already?!

I am so done with it all!

Last weekend, our daughter had a little Retreat overnight at church,

so Dave & I ended up going out to see "The Pursuit of Happyness"

It's a very well done movie, but I think we could have rented it...

if we would have gone when it first came out - I may feel differently,

but by now - I knew the entire story - so there was nothing new to learn?!

I saw the guy on Oprah & had read all about the true story & all...

I had to reluctantly agree that we should have gone to see "Deja Vu"... oh well!?

Still - I plan on seeing We Are Marshall - with or without him!

I may take my little one out of school early & we can go see it together!

Saturday, after lazing around in the morning (kidless!),

My Honey went to a friends, & I went to get Kaye from her retreat.

We swung by my sister-in-laws to pick up Season One of the Gilmore Girls

LOVE that show...

Sunday we had a JAMMY DAY!

Gotta LOVE Jammy Days!

This is something my daughter & I

would do more when she was younger, before school!

But, after only getting a few hours of sleep at her Retreat,

& fighting off a bit of a sore throat,

we decided we would have a Jammy Day together'

while Dave went to church & to a friends' house!

Jammy Days always mean no make-up or getting ready...

We stay in our pajama's ALL day long.

Junk food, a variety of beverages, nothing really nutritional at all...

They usually mean rental movies,

video or computer games, or reading a book together

We don't leave the house, no errands or work at all.

We ended up spending some time talking in the morning,

reading our devotions together,

then we moved to the basement & plugged in the

Marathon Gilmore Girls event!!!

By the time Dave came home,

he watched the last couple of episodes with us,

our roommate brought home a pizza,

then it was time to read a bit,

then getting to bedtime for the kid

while I was ready to wrap up Jammy day

(yes, still in my jammies)

by watching You're The One That I Want

& The Apprentice!

Aaahh yes... it was a good day!

Oh - and then - the other exciting news to share...

My daughter has an assignment due this week in her Humanities class.

She was asked to pick her favorite author,

research, & write/prepare a report & story board to share with the class.

It is due on Wednesday.

Her favorite author is Patrick Carman.

He wrote The Land of Elyon series (a trilogy).

He is awesome... very C. S. Lewis like

- in fact, we found him after we finished Narnia.

Anyway - we have secured a Phone Interview with him for tonight!!!

God is so good... and my Little One is SO excited!

He is actually a 'local' author - (he lives in our State)

& before he was a published author, he worked for my Uncle.

So - we know a bit about him and how the book(s) came about.

I encouraged her to e-mail my Uncle

& simply ask for some inside info or help in answering

the questions she was supposed to find answers to.

Since he is a fairly new

(& somewhat unknown - although not for long!) author,

she was having some trouble getting all the info together!

So - she sent an e-mail last night,

& this morning she got a response saying that he had talked

with Patrick himself & the author was willing

to give her a phone interview tonight,

'if it is not too late'!??!!?

Oh yeah - thanks anyway!? Are you kidding me?!

So cool!

So - that is what is going on in my world today!

Scrap On!

(Oh yeah... I am still all caught up!?

I need a reason to take some pictures?! LOL!?)

~Karri~

Update on the CATS!!!?

Hey Darc'... I was waiting for that Cats in the Cradle song! LOL!

I love that song! ...I knew you would come across it soon!

So - the Cat situation...

Well - they are STILL all here?!

I was GOING to take a picture of them,

but then you would see that they are in fact still cute,

& maybe get all sentimental on me!?

So - I thought better of the photo op outside?!

BUT... my Mom is not feeding them yet.

She went out to clean off her patio a bit

& really took a look at the damage that they were doing.

She realized then that it was out of hand

& she shouldn't have let it get so bad in the first place!

She cleaned as much as she could in the freezing cold

& threw away all the bedding and shelters.

The cats haven't had food (at least not 'cat food') since Sunday.

They are confused.

They know that something has changed,

but they don't get that they need to just

'move along now!'

We did manage to actually talk to a live person (finally!)

...after the run-around between the Humane Society & the City.

Our Landlords finally found someone who will come

& capture the cats & take them away!

What he will do with them, I do not know!?

He is supposed to be here today,

but I have yet to see him?

Thankfully, Dave did not need to dump anymore dishes?

So - as long as the guy is able to show up and catch the cats,

it seems as though maybe, just maybe,

the drama is coming to an end!

(Ah yes... the guy - is charging about $500!?)

But they'll be GONE!?!?!?

So, after I made all those cards for other people,

I decided I wanted to make at least a few for myself.

(Well - you know - to send myself anyway?!)

So - below are the 4 cards I made yesterday!

Sorry the pictures are a bit dark...

I finished them late & took the photo's

without any natural lighting!

So... when I make a card I usually make it with someone in mind. Then I like to pray & ask the Lord if there is something in particular He wants me to say to the person that the card is for...sometimes I feel He answers, & sometimes not. Last night, He answered for all 4 cards! I love when that happens! A Scripture, a word of encouragement, sometimes it makes sense to me, & sometimes it doesn't- but always, the receiver knows that it is from God! I love that!

Anyway, tonight my daughter has an overnight church deal... so I think we'll go see a movie!? Any suggestions?! Anything good out in the theaters that is worth seeing? We can't decide... I want to go see We Are Marshall - but he is not sold on that... He wants to go see Deja Vu but I am not sold on it. Pursuit of Happyness seems like it may be good, and I can't tell about Catch and Release... anyway - if you girls have seen anything lately, let me know! Of course, this is Friday - so I am sure you will probably all be scrapping together somewhere! Crank up the tunes, and someone steal a brad from Darcie for me! Wish I was there!

~Karri~

Enough with the Drama...

I was going to title this Post "That Darn Cat!"

However, oh - that it was just ONE cat?!?!?!

It's not... oh Lord - how it is not!?!

OK - so here is the deal... Let me start off by saying this:

I am a Cat Lover... I love cats...

well - maybe not ALL cats, but MY cat for sure - & many others...

I don't know if I am what you would call a Pet Lover...

but - I am pretty soft and while I wouldn't want to own a dog -

I get the connection and used to own one (or two) as a kid.

All of that said, let me follow it up by saying

this is a "drama" that has been a long time coming!

Years, really?!

So - here it is... my Dave - Mr. Pollyanna,

Laid-Back, It's-all-Good kinda guy

had finally had ENOUGH of our "Wild Cat" problem!

Yes... wild cats. LOTS of them!?

It started maybe 6 years ago...

we had a stray start coming around

& she was fairly tame & pretty friendly,

& my neighbor began feeding her.

One cat... no problem.

Turns out this sweet little cat was somewhat of a tramp

& before we knew it we had several litters of kittens

& offspring gathering around the area.

Now, if they just came to eat & then moved on

... fine, great! They are cute!

Eventually, though, this neighbor began to purchase

expensive cat beds & toys & basically set up a pampered cat

vacation home for all the strays.

We've now had SEVERAL generations

of wild cats from a nearby field

migrate up to the Hampton's & settle in.

Keep in mind... We live in a 4-plex...we entertain outside...

we have a flower garden outside... we USE the lawn out there...

Our neighbors do not...

which is why for at least three years

we have diplomatically complained

about this cat issue that has gotten out of hand?!

Finally, about two weeks ago,

while visiting our neighbors, my calm, laid back husband

plainly said, "OK... we HAVE to do something about these cats!?"

He went on to explain WHY we don't want them around anymore

& how much damage they are doing to the yard,

garden, other property, etc.

When you come to my front door - it smells like a cat box!

Charming!?

I can not let my (MY!!!) cat outside anymore

because the wild cats fight him

& I don't want him to get sick!

(He already has a wound that is

not really healing very well!?)

Nice!?

I am gonna need new Patio furniture in the Spring...

I will have to through away my wicker couch in the garden...

And they have quite possibly destroyed

my flower garden this winter...

Fed up!? Oh yeah... we are...

So - in this conversation,

my honey said that she needs to stop feeding them

- that is the first step!

We need to get rid of the Hilton hotel outside

& encourage them to move on.

If that doesn't work,

we'll have to call the Humane Society or someone.

She agreed to stop feeding them.

(Oh - did I mention that this neighbor is my Mom!?

Yeah... she is my Mom...

adds a nice little dimension now, doesn't it?!)

So... she manages to not feed them for about a day or two...

then gives in.

I can see why - honestly!?

She has been feeding them for years & they are hungry...

sitting on my BBQ and patio table,

staring in her window, looking for food!?

But, here's the deal - they are not her pets!?

They are not tame enough to allow her to pet them...

they are not clean or caught up on their shots...

they are not 'fixed'...

if you attempt to reach out to them,

they either run away or hiss...

I honestly don't know if they would attack.

I doubt it - but you can never know.

Because, as cute as they are...

they are still, in fact, wild cats?!

So - as promised,

when my husband found food in the dishes,

he dumped them out?!

He is not a real confrontational guy!

He talked with the other neighbors

(one of which are the landlords who are

afraid to confront my Mom but also want it to stop)

and we are all in agreement.

One neighbor has two very expensive dogs...

they don't really get to go outside anymore, possibly,

for fear that they will get some disease.

Honestly - we are all just wanting the cats to be gone.

We called the pound... it will require us to go pick up cages,

CATCH the cats, and pay $25 PER CAT to turn in the cages.

(Oh my?!)

After a day or two of dumping the food,

my Mom figured it out & was livid!

She, in her anger, compared my husband to George W. Bush.

LOL!? Honestly!? For me... that is a compliment,

but to her - she might as well used a cuss word!

(That is another thing - we have a long running agreement

to NOT talk politics!? LOL!?)

So... we knew the big blow up was inevitable...

& on Sunday, before church,

my Mom & my husband got into it.

I can't even know what they said!

I prayed rather than go outside & get involved!

By the end of the day, they had both apologized to the other

(via other people due to schedules more than avoidance!)

My Mom agreed to stop feeding the cats.

That was Sunday... This is Tuesday...

She is already saying if they are still here by Friday

she will feed them again?!

Oh LORD?!

Honestly?! We have lived next door

to each other for over a decade...

We have made it through many

family challenges, religion, sicknesses,

family moving away, family passing away,

the 2000 (& 2004) Presidential Elections,

and this... THIS?!?!... is what is going to break us!?

THIS is what we are going to stop talking about?!

Honestly?!

(I haven't even MENTIONED the health issues!?)

So... trivial!? High school stuff?!

I didn't play this drama crap when I WAS in High school?!

I am really not interested in playing it now?!

We are going to have to do more than not feed them!
They have been raised here

& they are not going away on their own!?

It frustrates me to think we may have to pay

for these cats to be taken away,

but someone is going to have to deal with it...

I guess that makes my husband an @#$()&*.

But, God love him,

I can't wait to sit outside in my own yard &

enjoy a sunset in the Spring & not smell a litter box!

So - other than THAT stupid drama, I have been busy at work...

I made two sets of various 'blank inside' cards

("I feel like that too!?" ~Brian Regan!)

& one large set of Valentine's cards.

I also made a Mini Promise Book Album for a friends' birthday!

I loved it! It turned out great... if I do say so myself!

So, here are a few examples of what I was working on this week!

Whew?! So - there ya go... a bit of venting, and a bit of crafting...

I went to Prayer this morning...

& had coffee with a friend this afternoon...

Got to tell both clients I am done with their orders,

& I am placing a Stampin' Up! order today

& I get a couple of the SAB sets, too!

New TOYS!!! I can't wait!!!

Oh yeah, & in the middle of that week,

I hosted my Scrap Happy link

& I was the only one that showed up?!

THE ONLY ONE!?!??!?!

I got 4 pages done... but still!?

It's GOT to get better (& less trivial!) soon!

(Go ahead, Darcie... hit me with some lyrics! LOL! I know they are comin'!)
~Karri~

New Job, Scanning Photo's, & a Happy Scrapped Mug to go!!!

I can't believe it is STILL winter?!

It seems every year around this time -

I am really honestly ready for some Springtime weather!

I am done with the snow and the cold &

would love to once again eat dinner while it is NOT dark outside!?

I love the fact that I live in a place that has 4 distinct seasons...

but really?! Does Winter honestly have to last this long?!

Ya'll know how I feel about Fall... Spring is a close second...

and in case you were wondering -

yes, Winter comes in a distant LAST!

Anyway, on Friday, I got a new 'job'... just when I was beginning (once again)
to question this business venture! It is only a small Card order - but it is something!
It seems whenever I am ready to just quit and give up, God sends me someone...
just a small order, or a small album request...
just enough of something to keep me at it &
to assure me that I did in fact pray over this idea
& He did in fact say He would bless it?!
I know I could go all out & really work to promote the business
& pound the pavement & all of that.. but honestly
- I feel like I need to keep my priorities in check.
And as much as I feel He gave me this idea & lead me on this journey
- He doesn't desire me to have to work that hard...
He will bless it and bring in the right clients as He sees fit, in His timing!
Sometimes, though, I must say -
I think His timing is off?!
So - right in the nick of time
I get an order...
So, I will be working on that this week.

I have spent most of the past several days at home.

We had a nice relaxing weekend.

My husband lined up a Jazz gig at a local restaurant

(Jazzy's - southern BBQ food! Yum!) on Friday night.

So, we were out of the house on Friday...

he did great and we were blessed to see so many

friends & family show up in support!

That was great!

I am partial, I know... but I think Dave is amazingly talented!

I love it when other people get to see that too!

& I think it will be happening more & more!

We ended up bringing an extra kid home with us, too!

The girls had fun and after watching 'Jump In'

decided they wanted to learn how to do Double Dutch...

but there were only two of them... so - it didn't last too long?!

Saturday I spent much of the day scanning older photo's/layouts

to play around with for my Christmas Letter album!

My Mom (who lives next door) just got a new

Printer/Scanner/Copier for Christmas!

She doesn't know how to use it or what to do with it!

I will have to be sure to thank my brother-in-law for it!

(I am sure it was for me... more than her?!) LOL!

Sunday is a blur...

I know we went to church...

we watched the Seahawks lose...

we had the same extra kid, again...

we watched some tv, & read, & laughed.

Oh... after the game, I watched Season One of The Office

with my sister & my Mom!

Oh MY!? Laughter is good for the soul!!!

Last night, while watching Grease AND The Apprentice,
I scrapbooked a Starbucks To Go mug that I got for Christmas!
This cup ROCKS!!!
It came with three different background papers,
stickers, pens, & glue!

You can change out the insert whenever you want...
I am just lovin' it! Too Fun!

I realized during this long weekend that

I am so incredibly blessed!

My little family LOVES to laugh!

We are naturally a joyful bunch...

mostly positive & full of encouragement...

& oh my how we love a wee bit of sarcasm!?

My Honey and my Little One make me laugh

CONSTANTLY!
I am not kidding...

They are both just so funny!

I will leave you with an example...

a conversation I overheard last night

when My Honey was putting my Little One to bed...

When I had tucked her in & prayed with her,

we prayed for those who did not have the blessing of a warm bed, & a safe home.

When Dave went in, she decided to ask how much money he made at work.

After discussing his weekly and hourly wage, she asked how much people who work at Inklings or Borders make per hour... then did the math for a week's worth of wages.

When Dave told her that she wouldn't actually GET that amount,

due to taxes & social security etc. she seemed a bit discouraged.

She then asked, "What it was that that Mom in Freaky Friday did for a job?"

"The one where you talk and listen to people..."

"Oh, a Pyschiatrist, you mean! A Counselor!" he said.

"Yeah - how much do THEY make?" she asked.

Dave told her that they make a LOT more than Borders Books employees.

"A LOT more?! Like how much?!"

"Probably like a hundred dollars an hour"

She said, "Hmmm - thenTHAT is what I want to do!"

He must have looked at her funny because she quickly added,

"Not just for the money though... {wait for it!}

...it's for the PEOPLE!!!"

Yeah - even SHE couldn't hold a straight face...

She cracked her OWN self up on that one!

Yeah... for the PEOPLE!

Scrap On!
~Karri~

P.S. - you all still have time to enter the contest...

I have not yet received the winning Layout or Card?!

An Update of Sorts, & a Challenge with a PRIZE!!!

Aaaaah yes! It is true! I am already looking forward to Valentine's Day!!!

I have my decorations out and candy dishes filled

(for display purposes only... which, by the way,

my daughter MOCKS me over this, every time?!)

It's been awhile since I have posted. It's simply because I have not had much to talk about?!

Time has slowed down a bit... it's been really nice, actually!?

I was able to get the Christmas stuff put away and the Valentine's Day stuff out and on display

I am back to my daily workouts, weekly meetings, and monthly Bunko's and Scrap Nights.

I just started the Beth Moore study on the Book of Daniel.

It seems like it will be really good - as all of her studies are!?

After the study, I managed to print out all of our Christmas pictures yesterday...

I have some great ones... (no surprise, there?! LOL!?) which explains the 20 pound albums.

I am seriously going to have to get a handle on that this year?! Honestly... it is out of hand?! I may have to take on Corinna's approach to stacking, just so my actual Albums are not like a resistance training workout just to look through!? I am also taking on this project of my own (since business is slow right now!)... I am planning on making a Christmas Album that is not based around photo's, but my annual Christmas Letter. That is a challenge... I may have to scan some pictures of Christmases past. However you know they are all, yes, ALL, scrapped?! Anyway - my challenge, (as always!) is to keep each year to one double-page layout!? Yes, even though there are little or no photo's?! (It's no secret... I LOVE WORDS!)

Anyway - I have that project, I have Christmas Layouts to complete... AND - Valentine's Day is coming?! Which means hand-made cards, fun gift projects, and who can know what other fun?! A Love letter, for SURE! That is my challenge to all of you... I challenge you to Write a Love Letter for Valentine's Day and make a Scrapbook Page or Card out of it! It could be a Letter to your spouse, one of your children, a parent, yourself, whatever...

But, it must be real & from the heart (and NEW!?).

The first person who completes this challenge & e-mails me a photo of it will win a Prize!!!

I'm not sure what yet, but it will be good... and may include Chocolate?!

I will post the Winning Layout here.

Scrap Happy!

~Karri~

What!? Not a WORD yet about "Your the One that I Want" ???

How can that be?! What with EE and her obsession - that's right, I said it - OBSESSION with Grease?! I can not believe that there are not plans for parties and TiVo and call-in-your-vote conference call times set up and ready to go!??!?!?!???? You can not tell me you have not heard and are not waiting with baited breath to begin the search to cast Sandy and Danny!??!?!!? Come ON... weigh in, people?!????! LOL!?

Just in case you have not heard of this show... check it out at: http://www.nbc.com/Grease

Also - I just have to say that over the holiday break, I discovered Gilmore Girls. I know - I am a bit behind... have you all watched this show before?! I heard about it from a few people - but we did not have cable and just never really gave it much thought!? Then, in the Fall we started getting a new channel - the CW - which carries the Gilmore Girls. So - I would catch a show here or there if I could remember when it was on... I am faithful to few shows really... anyway - then over the 2 week vacation, we found on abc Family they were playing reruns/syndicated shows - so they are older seasons and my daughter and I watched it together! We rented the first Season and have watched half of it so far... Someone told me that Rory sort of wigs out and makes some poor choices towards the end of Season Two or beginning of Season Three... I have already told Kayelyn that we will not watch more than Season One - at least for awhile! Right now (in Season One) Rory is a GREAT example... super smart, great kid, respectful, kind, etc. etc. etc.! I really don't want to have that influence go bad?! At any rate - if you have not yet experienced the wonder and fast-paced wit and banter of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore - well, then - you are missing out!

Check out their website at: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gilmore-girls

(...and for those who watch and say, "Oh - if only that was real... if only mothers and daughters could get along like that..." let me introduce you to a living breathing life example of Rory and Lorelai... the one and only, Karianna (Rory) and Karinna (Lorelai) Ball. Truly - they are something to behold... built-in entertainment... they have the same banter and close relationship - even through those trying teenage years. Plus - the bonus - they actually have a moral compass that revolves around their relationship with the Lord (the one thing that the Gilmore Girls are missing!)

Obviously - I have not much to share... I am still in the midst of boxes... the cleaning up and putting away stage of Christmas is ALWAYS my least favorite part... it seems to always hit me around the halfway put away stage that I do this whole decorating deal on my own!? Which - in reality - I like it that way... but after COUNTLESS trips up and down the stairs to put away boxes in storage and carry up 'normal' decor and a bit of Valentine's Day stuff... well - I needed a distraction - and the Blog update won out over the laundry and dishes!? Go figure?!

Anyway - hope you have had a great week getting back into the routine of regular life! I have not even printed out my Christmas photo's - I have to have something to work on in a few weeks - so I know myself well enough to know that I need to NOT print them so soon!?

Scrap On!
~Karri~

Go Boise State!

Yeah... whatever!?

I am SO not a sports/Football/College Ball fan... but I have to say Thank You to Boise State for a GREAT game!!! Man... what a game! Congrats!!!

Those last few minutes... and then the overtime... the trick plays... gotta love it! (Oh yeah... and then the Proposal!? LOL?!)

~K~