Okay, I was wrong last night.  Who saw that coming?  The only thing I got right was that there would be some surprises and hard loses from here on out.  So they saved "big" Mike.  That means that two will go home next week.  My honey called it.   He said big Mike will be the lowest vote getter and they will save him.  How did he know that?  I mean he didn't watch the show.  Sometimes that man ... just scary how he knows things. 

 

Anyway so there's that and then, there are big things happening on the ranch this week. Well, one big thing - Trees.  That's right trees and we planted a bunch of um.  All kinds of varieties, pines, oaks, crabb-apples, pistachios, petty trees all over the place. (Note, I don't really know what all the varieties are, I should study.)

  

Oh yea, another big thing, I finally got my outdoor furniture ordered, it will be here in six weeks.  I've been working on that one for a year one.  And Melissa, pictured here

 and the windy hair shot

is going to help me landscape my front courtyard.  I'm not really good with outdoor planting.  I mean I used to live in south Texas where the climate is classified as "sub-tropical"  and the plants just make you look good, know what I mean.  Here the wind blows in the spring, no make that howls and the air is dry and we get really cold in the winter and just darn hot in  the summer and I feel a little lost here.  So, I have help and help is good. 

And last, I need to paint something.  I'm starting to eye the some of the furniture around here that really shouldn't be painted.  I found a piece at the antique store but it cost a little more than I want to spend so right now I am in "visiting mode".  That's where I want something, a lot, I call it a zinger and I go to visit it until someone else buys it or I do.  Zinger, that's a phrase I coined for when you know it's right.  I get this little buzzing feeling in my stomach and I know that I will always love it, no matter what.  A zinger, works for clothing and shoes too just a little diddy from me to you.  Probably works for man toys too.  I don't know men may need to know this stuff to you know.

Oh and an update on my honey, he's doing okay.  He had his 6th chemo treatment last week and we have discovered that the 7th day after chemo is the day that you are most venerable to getting sick and yesterday was that day.  He came close but his fever didn't get up high enough to go to the hospital.  They say that some folks just get sick after treatments and he is one of those.  What they don't know is how determined he is and once he puts his mind to something,  we are going to do everything we can to make that happen.  Such as quarantine ourselves and stay away from public places during that time when his system is most susceptible to illness.  So there you go on that.  I'm probably just dreaming cause one thing I've learned with this cancer is that your body is not your own.  There are major drugs coursing through your body  and they do what they do and you just do the best that you can do.  And God.  I consider that a sentence.  

  

So that's it for today.  Love to you all, I pray for a blessed filled day.  Now I think I will go visit my table.  See ya.

 

Top 9 Season 9 - American Idol

Here's the thing, tonight I realize that we are getting to the point that some surprises could happen.  I mean this is the most talented group I can ever remember being on Idol.  Not everybody is someone I would buy albums from but they are all (for the most part) solid performers.  So from this point on we could be losing some really good contestants.  

Aaron Kelly - Long Winding Road

He's got a really good voice, he has been a solid performer and being young and all - that's a good point for him but, he doesn't seem to be growing musically to me.  He's not getting better.  His performance tonight was just alright.  It didn't compare to the rest, he didn't live up to the standards that are being set by the others.  I mean, even Tim did better than Aaron tonight.  And that's really splitting hairs because he has a great voice.

  

D - Wasn't very good.  I agree with what the judges said he just keeps doing the same thing.

Katy Stevens - Let It Be

Let me just say I love "Let It Be".  One of my all time favs.  I thought Katy knocked it out of the park tonight.  I loved it.  Loved what the judges said about her, she has been in the bottom three two weeks in a row and tonight she came out and laid it all on the line.  I loved it, thought it was great.

D - I thought she did a lot better, I thought it was real good.

Andrew Garcia - Can't buy Me Love

We didn't get to blog last week but, Andrew where have you been?  I am so glad you didn't get voted off, man.  Last week's performance was soo good.  This weeks was good too but last week it was the bomb.  It was good to see you come back like that.  I loved it. 

D - I liked it, I mean it wasn't great, like last week, It wasn't great but I enjoyed it.  He needs to shave his face.  That is not a beard, that's leg hair.  Like little Sarah's leg.  Anah fell and busted her lip, she has a fat lip.

She did!?  Poor little baby, is she okay?

Mike Lynch - Eleanor Rigby

Mike performs so well every week and now I know why, he is from a performing family.  He's good, he's solid every week.  I don't know, it's going to get hard to see some of them go home from here on out.  He did a great job with this song.  Beautiful performance.

D - I don't like Mike, I couldn't understand what he was saying, that could be because I can't hear.  But, I figured that they would love it and think it was wonderful.

Crystal Bowersox - Come Together

Oh man this girl is in her own zone.  She is just so comfortable, so consistent, so good.  She does have a Bonnie Raitt kind of sound and I love Bonnie Raitt.  

D - ah - *big sigh*  you know Mom.  You know how I feel about Crystal.  Enough said.  I really love her a lot.  Do you think in nine weeks we'll still love her the most?  It's almost like she was at a certain place and now some people are catching up to her.  I wonder if she will step it up or not or if she needs to?

So who do you want to see win? 

D - I want to see her win.  Casey or Lee, that's it.  

This is the most solid group of singers on this show ever at this point.  What do you think Mom?

Tim Urban -  All My Love

I've been trying to figure out who he reminds me of and a couple of weeks ago I said that I was worried that he would end up on some variety TV show, sliding across the stage, singing in pencil straight slacks and a jacket that matches with like a turtle neck on and just be sooo ... so clean, you know.  Like Bobbie Vinson or something, I don't know.  BUT, his performance tonight was the best I have seen of him.  He was much more relaxed, more natural.  I liked him with the guitar, I forgot that he played the guitar.  And I hate to hate on him because he is probably one of the nicest kids from the best family ever but the competition is stiff this year and I think he is very much in danger of going home tomorrow.

D -  Oh my, I went outside.  I was afraid it was going to be bad, with his dopey sneaky eyes.  Like he sneaked it up in the bedroom, but then I checked back in half way through and it wasn't bad.  So, in your vision, does he annoy you real bad?  Okay this is so bad we're picking this poor kid apart, he is doing good.  I mean if Crystal Bowersox wasn't on there we'd probably be liking him better.  You know, he should have been on season 6.  If he doesn't go home I'm gonna have issues, though.  That was mean what Randy said, "I'm judging you for a Tim performance."

True, so true, mean Randy!  I thought Simon paid him a great complement.  It was almost like they were saying good bye to him, they know.

Casey James - Jealous Guy

Okay, that was soulful, meaningful, touching, real and heavy.  I voted for the first time this year and I voted for more than one person but this is the only performance I want to go watch again.  

D -Oh my, it almost made me cry.  He almost seems like a shy person in a way, it seemed like he almost started crying.

It did make you wonder who he was thinking of, cause it looked like his mom was crying too.

D - Yea it did look like his mom was crying or emotional.  I just want to know, I want to know the whole story.

It was my favorite performance tonight by far.

Siobhan Mangus - Across the Universe

That was simply beautiful.  I really liked what the other contestants said about each other and what they said about her vocals was pretty telling.  She came out tonight and showed a different side of herself, very controlled, simple, and beautiful.

D - I didn't like it.  I know it was controlled, I just didn't like it.  She's just too far out there for me.  I liked her so much more before they got to the big stage.  When she wore the white dress and those white shoes.  She's really changed since then, she's doing a lot more stuff, I guess they all are. 

Lee Dewyze - Hey Jude

What worries me about Lee is that he doesn't believe in himself.  I love his voice I love the vibe he has going on, I just worry about someone getting to the big time and not being sure of who they are and where they are going to take themselves, that worries me about him.  He needs to be the one driving this train not second guessing himself.  But with all that said  - he's one of my favorites and I want to see him succeed both in his music career and in his life. 

D - I love Lee, although I didn't understand the Scottish guy Anah had just fallen so I didn't really get to see him.  

Awe poor baby. She got shots and busted her lip in one day?  That's a bad day.

Instead of whose going home, pick you top three or your top five.

D - Crystal takes it all.  After her Siobhan, I don't really like her but she is good and then Casey,

I don't know mom, this is hard.  Let's see ... Crystal, Mike, Siobhan, Casey, and Lee this is not in the order that I like people but I'm guessing the top five.

  

For me, I want to see Crystal, Casey and Lee in the top three.  But Mike and Siobhan will be hard to beat out.  So, I agree with you on the top five, I'm just not sure how it will all shake out on the top three and I really don't know who will win this thing.  At first it was Crystal no doubt but like you said others are really starting to shine too.

Whose in the bottom three this week?

D - Tim, Aaron, and then Katy, I hate to say that, but I think that's what's going to happen.  Tim's going home 

So for me bottom three, that's hard, I agree with Tim and Aaron, performance wise. I just don't know who that third person will be.  The scary part of it is the results may not be on performance but on who votes.

Linking up with BooMama.    

Burlap Flower Pins

I saw these flower pins on one of the blogs and a tutorial to go with.  Very nice of her and I would thank her if I could remember which one she was.  If you are reading this and you have provided a tutorial on anything really but particularly on this flower ... I thank you.  Please leave me a comment and I will give you full credit because with out you, I would not know what the heck to do here.  :)

For the beginning, I cut burlap in 5 inch strips,

I like to paint burlap, it gives it body and I needed it to be white sooo ...

then I traced a circle - cut it out and 

scrunched it up.

For the flower petals I cut the linen in 5 inch strips  

and stamped on a pattern

and cut in 5 inch squares.

for the smaller petals I cut a 4 inch strip.  This time I used scripture, I was thinking of the french script fabric that is out these days, since I didn't have that, this seemed like a good fit plus it has the bonus of being scripture so it is encouraging as well.

How to fold the fabric squares to make the petals of the flower. 

For the larger petals, I used a 5 inch square and for the smaller petals I used 4 inch square of fabric, fold the fabric square into a triangle.

then fold the triangle again.

and again.  

cut the top to make a snow cone kind of look.  It's easy, you can do it.

tools of the trade

The wooden disk and the hair bands wrap to make the center, the twine to dress up the "stamen", the scissors ... hello, the hot glue holds it all together, and the putty knife?  Can you guess what a putty knife does in a project like this?

I used it to fray the edges ... ingenious, I tell you.   

Once I finished the flower you can't really read the scripture but it's there.

This is one of those projects that is morphing and changing the more that I do. 

one for a friend.

 So what do you think?  Would you wear something like this?

This week I ate lunch with the grandkids.  It was without a doubt the most fun I have had in a long time.  Their friends were delightful.  Here a few pictures I was able to snap.  

Class of 2020

Class of 2022

And, it was Anah's first birthday.  I didn't get too many pictures of her because I was too busy being with her.  Holding and playing and talking and buying toys.  This was our first time to be together, just the two of us and I wanted her to feel comfortable so we went to the toy store.  She is a sweet little girl and I can't wait to see her again.  Happy Birthday sweet baby.  

   

Quick Update

Tomorrow is our 6th chemo treatment.  We've spent one more weekend in the hospital but this one wasn't as bad.  As soon as his fever started we got right in the car, so the hospital stay only lasted two days and nights.  

One thing we've learned is that the seventh day after his treatment is the day his white blood cell counts are the lowest and that is the day his is most suseptibll to getting sick, so ... our game plan is to stay home, stay inside and stay away from everybody for just a few days.  Then the white blood cells begin to build back up. 

 

Our goal is to get finished with his chemo treatments and get to feeling  better. 

 

So, there you go.  Oh yea, I will be gone for a few days.  In the city with my honey tomorrow (Tuesday), then to Anah's house for her 1st birthday (Wednesday) and then home Thursday.

And a little tease.  I've been playing in burlap again.

Ooh, so cute.  I can't wait to show you.

Have God blessed week girlfriends.  See ya.

I've Been Very Very Crafty

It all started with this....

and this ....

plus this ....

and this.

layer number one.

layer number two.

same for the table.

lots and lots of texture.

Next on the candle sticks - base coat in brown,

then finished with a couple coats of white plus brown glaze and 

wa-la, the finish product,

For the table, turquoise paint and van dyke brown glaze.  

The table, which has no place in the house, looks fine on the back porch.

she's a little warped on top but I've been wanting to get my paint brush wet for a while now.  I have plans for this porch.  Hopefully I will be able to show you soon.  I have a table that my young friend Blaze is making a special top for and I will paint the bottom.  I hope it turns out in real life as good as it looks in my head.

Be Blessed, see ya.

Spring Break Road Trip

Day Three.

Good Morning!

Baby H discovers cousin Sarah's hair.

First crawling steps.

Almost gets Sarah's magazine.

 Sarah changes position and scoots back. 

 

Baby H, not deterred, tries something new.

Now that was one big step. 

 So much momentum, 

so hard to control.
Whoa.

Now, that deserves a magazine of her own. 

 Thanks Mom.