Still no Finland pics, but I did locate these of early progress in the livingroom redecoration. The pellet stove is working lovely. There's a lot to be said for a thermostat, heat blower, and push-button power. Can't say that I miss all that choppin' and a-haulin' of fiewood. The stove even has a bit of flame for that romantic ambiance LOL

Installing the floor has been a longer ordeal. The crew just wan't up to their usual enthusiam.


Yes, Cosmo was back in his not-so-stylish Elizebethan Collar. He'd taken a bit of a slider on his bum, and simply wouldn't leave it alone....but he's fine now.

I wanted to post some dog and floor pics today. Couldn't find them, but came across this video that I think is worth sharing, so I figure that Thanksgiving Day is a perfect time for a cat joke, so here ya'll go....

Dear Printer Repair-Man: Please come to my house and check my printer. Every time I use the printer - and I am away while it prints - my papers are wrinkled, even shredded. Sometimes the ink is blurred. I hope that you can find the problem!! Sincerely, Concerned Computer Owner

Dear Concerned Computer Owner: While you were gone today, I checked your printer, and I found your problem. Please click on the attachment for the answer. Sincerely, Your Printer Repair-Man

Happy Turkey Day from Linda, Creighton, and the Critters

I'm at the Madison, WI airport on my winding way home from the last show of the year. Everyone I know is either asleep or on a plane, so I have some quiet moments to catch up on blogging. Fog delays, and I'm missing my connection, so today I'll be eventually visiting Denver and Seattle in route to Spokane. I made United's 1K tier last week, so at least I'll be able to walk down the red carpet three times. LOL
I'm glad to be going home, but it was sad to be saying "see you next year" and "Happy Holidays" to all my BFFs. I'll miss you all greatly.
I'd been holding off on a post until I had some funny luggage pics taken in Helsinki but they're on Mary Kay's camera. I thought they really represented our lives, so they'll be here as soon soon as she gets them downloaded. Meanwhile here's a pic from my collection of Surprise Photos -- the ones you didn't know you took.

By now, the Albuquerque show two weeks ago is just a pleasant memory, but I wanted to post some pics of students and projects for a class I taught at China Phoenix 2.


Since then, Mary Kay and I pioneered a huge Arts and Crafts Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Pics to follow when I get them from Mary Kay. I'm back briefly to repack and do laundry, and leave tomorrow for the Carson show. I'm stuck out in the Garden area, so please come look for me.
And for those of you that have had difficulty posting comments, I made some changes to the permissions, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

-Linda

I'm having love/hate relationship with my iPhone. Most functions work, but the phone part (hey, isn't that the main function of the device??) locks up and won't run without a reset, and the volume keeps going to "vibrate only" so I always miss calls. And now it has deleted most of my photos, so I've uploaded a old pic from the Netherlands Keukenhof (Tulip Park) we visited last April after the show in Zeist. The gift shop has an exhibit of hats, including this one that wouldn't inconspicuously slip into my backpack.

I'm at a show Albuquerque Fairgrounds this weekend. For everyone else that needs an immediate "convention fix", check out the Virtual Convention at www.rubberstampchat.net. I don't remember how many vendors are participating, but it's a LOT. It's easy to join if you're not a member. Then click on the RSC Virtual Convention link to see a list each booth's convention special. It'll run until Monday night.

-Linda

L: "I have no passport"
MK: "And I have no ticket"
It's frigging 4am in Manchester England, we've already been up for 20 hours, and the "hard part" of the journey home is still ahead of us.
And on a positive note...we DID get home, and I'm happy to say that the blog is back!
I'm headed for Albuquerque tomorrow. There's a show this weekend, and I'm teaching a class Thursday. I'll post some class samples when I get back.

Something's screwed up the dating of my posts (and yes, I did check that my Time/Date setting in Windows is correct). Beats me where this entry will show up, but the pics of the plants that are BELOW the donuts post, should be above it. Let's see what happens here. I've been hugely enjoying being home this week. After 11 shows in a row, the joys of traveling were losing their attraction. I haven't actually debased myself to cleaning, but the sock monkey I dragged home from that dreadful ZNE show last month is now in her permanent home on the wall (the funky stuff at the bottom of the pic is my shadow),
and I've completed, yes, completed, two pairs of socks.
Several more are at that awkward, unphotogenic interim stage so will appear in the distant future.

Just say No to Donuts.
Ummmm, donuts, I love them all.
As the sun was rising on our recent marathon run from California to Spokane, I stopped at a 7-11 for a dose of caffeine. They were unloading the morning's donut delivery, including apple fritters -- warm, soft in the middle, deep-fried-crunchy on the outside -- yummy. I know that donuts and I do not do well, but I thought that under the extreme conditions of driving, the sugar/caffeine combo might just do the trick, and I was just going to eat half. Yeah, right. Well, next time I want a donut, tell me NO, and when I say that I want to give them just one more chance, tell me NO, NO. As the morning progressed, I finished my half, and as Creighton opted to pass, I eventually ate his half, too. No surprise there....but the lack of sleep, sugar, fat, caffeine had a bad effect such as I have never experienced without the fun of alcohol. So please, next time I'm about to stray, please tell me NO. Although I would forgive them in an instant, they are not my friends.
LOL

While I've been jet-setting between both coasts to the Syracuse and West Sprngfield conventions, Creighton has been busy moving us up the evolutionary ladder from hunters and gathers to sedentary farmers.Tomatos, Cucumbers and Cosmos
Blueberries, Gooseberries and Batman

Next we'll start working with metals, building temples and developing a system of writing LOL

You'd think that I'd have something more enlightening to share after two weeks of no posts, but, alas no, I might regress later and come up with something interesting, but tonight I am digging in the the bank vault of Funny Pics for this most amusing, super life-size(and bizarre IMHO) photo from the wall of the hotel where I stayed durng the the show in Holland last month....

I guess their faces just didn't rate inclusion???
OK, it WAS a Sports Hall, but still...... :-)