I got a new phone! It's so cute. I hope I don't hate it the way I hated the last new one I got. I ended up going back to an old one until I could find a new one that I thought I would like. My requirements were: it had to have a place for a cell phone charm, it had to be a cute color and have a QWERTY keyboard for texting. I found this little blue phone and it's perfect! I made myself a new charm out of one of my spare beads.




On another note, Java is doing really well *knock wood*. We are still keeping the restrictions on her, so her back doesn't get any worse, but for now she is doing great. Today she is loving the return of the sun and celebrating it by lying in a sunbeam on the porch. The other day I caught Gary lying down next to Java, which she doesn't allow very often. I was able to snap a quick pic.

I'm so happy the sun is back out. I took out the hammock and showed Robert the joy of sitting in it and looking at the sky. Today was just perfect weather-wise, sunny, mid-70's and breezy. I could almost say that this day makes up for the last three weeks of rain. Almost.

Wow, I completely managed to not post in June. Huh! That's funny because a lot of new things have gone on. First of all, I got a tattoo! It's Java's pawprint on my inner ankle. I've always wanted a tattoo but could never think of something I'd want to have forever. I know that I want Java forever, which obviously can't happen, so I'll settle for her pawprint.

Second is that we went to another game at Fenway. We watched the Red Sox cream the Yankees 7-0. It was a great game (for a Red Sox fan) and ended up being a great series. We were on TV, being 9 rows behind home plate. I DVR'd it and I go back and watch the little section where you can see us.

Third is that we spent a fun weekend in New York City. Although it's enemy territory we had a blast. People didn't even mind us using our Red Sox credit card all over the place. We saw two shows: Waiting for Godot and Wicked. Our hotel was amazing and very welcoming. We did a little shopping and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday.

So that's a five minute recap of June. Hopefully I'll be better about blogging in July.

My sweet cute little car has a dent. Some jerk hit me while I was parked somewhere and never left a note. I have no idea when or where it happened. I'm dropping it off to the body shop tomorrow and I'll be without her for 10 days! *Sniff*

Here's a picture of my press storage all filled up. There are 112 boxes and I have all but 8 occupied. Amy needs to invent some new shapes so I can fill it up! The great thing is the boxes are built so that they will each accommodate two presses if need be. Hurry hurry Amy!


Today we planted two azaleas and one mountain laurel outside the bead cottage. We needed something out there. I think these will be very pretty.


Last week we went to Manchester (along with 8900 other people) to see John Smoltz pitch. He was doing a rehab start for the Red Sox with the Sea Dogs. They ended up beating the Fishercats, which is not surprising. Smoltz did well and I can't wait till he can start for the Sox.

Press Storage

Here's the awesome press storage I've been eagerly anticipating! I am so excited to fill it up but I have to wait for Steve the painter to make some touch-ups so I have to wait. The colors go great with the tile on the floor. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I moved my photo studio set-up to the bead cottage, on the advice of my friend Amy. I think I will be taking more photographs of my beads now.

Blogging from the bead cottage

Hello! I'm sitting in the bead cottage, taking a break from making beads. It is a beautiful day today; spring has finally come on full-force. I just love it. I just looked out the window and was really happy to see the shadow of the weather vane on top of the bead cottage spin in the breeze. The lilies of the valley have sprouted and some are four inches tall already. I put up the hummingbird feeder to catch them early. I haven't seen any yet but I hope to by the end of this week.

Java has completed her course of acupuncture and is holding steady, which is great. She is loving the porch and the huge patches of sun she can lie in. I told Robert today that I think she's part plant with her love of the sun.

Baseball season is well underway and the Red Sox are exceeding all expectations. The last homestand was fabulous, capped with a sweep of the dreaded evil nasty NY Yankees. I love this time of year.

I'm loving the Prius and I have no regrets about trading in my SUV. Oh and I got my nose pierced about three weeks ago. I love it.

Some beads and some knitting

These are some beads I made the other day. I'm trying to get back into making sets again, so I made a set of Terranova2 rounds. They came out pretty good with lots of color.

And other than making beads, I've been knitting. I've shown some stuff here before but here's some more. This is a pattern I got the link to from my friend Amy's blog. It's a bag that I keep in my purse so that I can go into a store, buy something and not have to use an odious plastic bag. I despise plastic bags because so many of them wind up in trees. I don't want to contribute to that so I refuse those plastic bags. It's more coral than shows up here. My flash went off and the picture I took without the flash was too blurry. I was very impressed with being able to do an I-cord border all by myself!

Now that it's spring, I made myself a scarf! I wanted to learn how to cable, so here is the first project with cabling that I've done. I can wear this next winter.

And here's a shawl/wrap that I made myself. In February I went to a women's group at church and it was held in the chapel, where the heat is really noisy, so in order to hear each other we'd turn the heat off. I'd sit there and freeze! So I modified a pattern in an afghan book by cutting it in half lengthwise. It's made out of cascade 220 wool and it's toasty warm. I used two skeins of different colors at the same time.


I took little Java back to acupuncture yesterday and who was there but one of her regular vets, by coincidence, to observe the acupuncture process. She seems to be doing well pain-wise, but is losing sensation in her rear hind leg, unfortunately. We have her back on the anti-inflammatory drug she was on before in hopes that that helps and she has a follow up with her neurologist on Tuesday. I hope it gets better.