Fiss I seen a lady using them outside. She walked fast!

Very scary, Lia!

Good tip on the hiking poles I do have two of these someplace I’ll have to dig them up. They would be particularly helpful in the winter. I can’t see doing it in the backyard but I’m sure it would help the steadiness on my feet on the road even.

I think the poles should be required on any surface that is not smooth..but after a certain age …hiking on any irregular surface is a gamble…gravel..being one of the most dangerous

The other mistake I never make anymore …is …walking in the dark…even with street lights…as these conditions caused the only injury I ever experienced on a walk

Darkness and gravel…agree…as my eyes get more problematic I realize sight is also linked to balance. Now don’t walk around house in dark either. Ughhhh…😑

Added a second raised bed next to Ollie’s using the last of the tamarack trunk pieces. Planted with lovely iris from a container that got wayyyy too crowded. Hope this takes!

OH is very pleased with the results of the cataract surgery. He said it was worth doing.

Oh good! Almost certainly, I will be looking at next spring and summer for mine…

Huge alligator behind my house this morning. It caught a large bird that was sitting on the shore. Loud crunching sound as it ate it.

These are the Iris that were in the container by the front door that have been moved to that new bed….Hopefully, they do well. Finishing up this batch of jewelry….these have a slight metallic highlight, for the winter season. Please let me know your preferences in colour and/or design. 🤔I’m curious. I’ve decided to stop making masks. The people that sell them are moving their shop back to their own home as local business has been so poor. Eventually, I may stop making the jewellery but not yet. I’ve made masks for so many years and sold them. There must be dozens of my pieces floating around out there.

The metallic is very subtle. It’s hard to photograph. I managed to catch it on these two hearts here. It’s not super in your face. It’s just enough to catch a glint of light when the piece moves.

Beautiful. I prefer the hearts and butterfly pin. That would make a beautiful scarf pin or on a lapel.

Love the hearts! That iris is gorgeous! I do miss having those. I had a nice patch going 4 houses ago! (Who knew I would be a gypsy!). They were purple too but not the “Fancy” variety you have. Stunning really!!

You are so talented!

All of my iris have reverted to a 2 tone purple.. at one time I had a few that were dark like that. Your jewelry is pretty.

Good to know people like the hearts. I’ll post a photo of the whole display in favorites.

Actually I put it in the idea book sketchbooks 2026. Better place for it.

Amanda, OMG!

Lia, that iris is gorgeous! OH is planting ours tomorrow. He had to dig them up as they were getting crowded. But we lost 2 of our hydrangea bushes. I guess 2 very hot summers was too much for them.

Your jewelry is very nice! I hope it sells well for you for the holidays coming up soon.

I am torn as to whether I should report the alligator to Animal Control. I favor conserving wildlife but they will come and kill it. On the other hand, suppose it attacks a human or a pet.

Uh oh. We have exactly the same problem with bears. They can become a nuisance around the compost bins, but if you report them, they don’t have any relocation program. It’s a little bit different than alligators however, because it’s rare for a bear to attack a person or anything else for that matter with that alligator… I think I’d be reporting it. I’m not sure what kind of threat they are to people, but you wouldn’t want to come across one in your garage I suspect.

So yes, I would report it. It also looks to be sizable. Almost certainly someone else will report it as well.

Maybe ask some questions as what their policy is in handling the alligator challenge…also ask if there any alternatives to consider…maybe a zoo or some other preservation possibility

Can they take "Allie" to the zoo?

You don't take alligators to the zoo in the South, in South FL you take them to the Everglades. Maybe try the FWC-the FL fish and wildlife commission to see what they say.

I love the butterflies, the fish, the hearts… I don’t know. I like the dangling fish earings. I don’t wear jewelry, but when I did wear it, I liked that better.

I know Amanda, you mentioned a lot of appts recently. Same here.

Going to consultation for phys therapy for my back this morning.

The rheumatologist on Monday, was very good. She would have recommended it.

Yesterday, I ended up going to urgent care for my ear. Since Saturday morning, my right ear has a strange pressure in it. It’s not pain, but feels very weird. I left with a referral for ENT, but the doc said it looked fine. I‘m waiting it out.

Here’s what I do for Halloween

A couple of strings of lights on the kitchen rack, and I’ve got another set on the table near the front window, where I have my light up 🎃 propped up on two clear glass cylinder vases, so it’s centered in the window. From outside, you don’t see the glass, and it seems to be floating.

I have the vases and 🎃 secured with a clear thick double sided tape. If Charlie was clumsy, I wouldn’t chance it, but he’s really something. He can run around here in his insane frenzy, bouncing off the walls, and NEVER knock anything over. When he’s calmer, he carefully walks through all the strange cacti and succulent plants, crystals and other stuff, never knocks anything over.

He will push things off deliberately however. If we’re doing something, he’ll push the pen or whatever off the desk or table. Have himself a little fun! 😂🥰

Some Halloween related drawings the kids made the other day.

4yo drew a “happy pumpkin” there on the left, and 6 year old’s drawing on the right. I wish they had been on paper.

The bear sightings have increased in my neighborhood. Folks are losing their chickens. And my Nextdoor neighbor saw it in her back yard!

Michele, Mr had an ear episode this summer, he insisted he had water in it, then too much wax. The at home wax treatment didn’t help. He went to urgent care and they couldn’t see any thing. THEN he told me the fullness went away when he yawned, and he heard a click. It was his TMJ! Luckily I am trained in treating it. A few quick mobilizations and he was fixed. If he was better at reporting symptoms to me I could have saved him $50!

Michele, in my experience things in the ear can be related to the jaw as was just pointed out by Ladma. When I had problems with my lower jaw (teeth and dental work) it connected up to inflammation putting pressure on the eustachian tube. My osteopath said putting a magic bag a.k.a. heat across your lower neck and shoulders will help that area open up and drain if there’s fluid build up.

Michele, Charlie sounds like a fun character to have around!

Hm. Bears and chickens… ?? we have foxes and chickens… I haven’t heard bears. It’s mostly bears and compost bins around here…they are small black bears. Mind you I would not want to come face-to-face with the bear at night and I avoid going out into the yard if there’s a bear around. Currently I’m trying to figure out what to do about feeding the birds. I’ve started putting out suet but feeding anything brings its own host of unwanted visitors.

I’m going to get a little cat heated pad for Violet. It might help her out at night to have something warm and cozy. Winter is coming.😑 or 😭 as my youngest son posted last night. Cold… and dark Here in the frozen north. We go back to standard time on Sunday.

Michelle I love the way lights change the ambiance inside a house. All my lights are outside this year. I had ordered these green solar lights for the grandkids but they’re so delicate I realized that I should just use them myself to mark the edge of my walkway.

On the kids drawings, you could try taking a photograph of them and getting it printed someplace like staples for anything like that that you really want to preserve. We had a meltdown here a while ago where my older grandson had done a beautiful job of colouring in a turtle and then it was sitting on his desk and he spilled water all over it at night and wrecked it. Fortunately my daughter-in-law took a photograph of it before it got destroyed. I’m going to get it printed out for Christmas.

Large fish are not selling at all… I think they’re just too big.

Lol Amanda…I agree…Charlie is a force of nature, clearly. 🥰Long day in town today…hate leaving Violet, but can’t be helped. Set up bird feeder with fresh seeds and suet, and she is in the coveted bed…had a cat treat, is having a wash, and will likely nap. She usually naps in the PM. Put music on. Is this cat spoiled or what🙄

I think the large fish would make fun summer earrings….

The thing about the alligator…. we will be in this house almost 10 years. The alligators are always far out in the lake. This is the first time I’ve seen one come right up to the shore. It plucked a large shore bird and devoured it. The loud crunching sound as it chewed the bird with its large jaws was awful. It was like watching a horror movie!

Our lake connects to the Everglades.

Back from consultation. I’ll have physical therapy tuesday and friday for a few weeks

Thanks Ladma for sharing your husband’s experience with ear problem.

Reassuring that this will resolve.

I’ve always been somewhat ambiguous about the appearance of this woodbox but in my efforts to find a good cat bed for her I am pleased with this runner that I usually use as a chair covering but it works very well to save the wood box. And she likes it as well…

What decision have you made about the alligator, Amanda? Maybe it will swim back out into the Everglades it just got temporarily lost.

Loonggg day in town. Osteopath worked on neck and shoulder fascia; I wish I could find the right pillow to sleep on. I bought some about six months ago and of course they’re now hard and flat as pancakes even though they were Laura Ashley pillows and great to start. 😠 Then went to a Vietnamese tiny neighborhood restaurant with my younger son and had Bahn Mi. I’ve still been really tired from the last six weeks but made myself stop on the way home and get glass lantern blanks for the lantern business and acrylic medium. And made a Costco run for my protein drink. I think she stayed up on my bed most of the afternoon! A little snack and now it’s cuddle time.

She's glad you are back home! ❤️

Michele, I shared that with you incase the ENT appointment doesn’t come with a diagnosis, TMJ can have weird symptoms.

Lia, the cat looks very comfortable there,

I haven’t spotted the alligator since so maybe it did hopefully swim back to the Everglades.

What a loveable cat! She's quite amazing.