Got some great news today! I entered a writing contest -- well, the writing category at the local fair anyway -- and won first place! OK, so it's a fair, but FIRST PLACE! Hello! This is what I want to do. I want to be an author should I ever decide to grow up. Entering this short story really gave me some motivation to keep working on the novel I've been "plugging away at" since NaNoWriMo.

Back to work!

To me!

Just so no one thinks I have given up on knitting and crocheting, here's a frog. Yes, a frog. I know it's a bit hard to see in the picture, but the frog is knitted into the dishcloth and the edges are crocheted. One of my daughters friends really likes frogs, so I made this for her. Hope she likes it!

Not into angel candles? That's OK. How about some snowman soap? This one is baby-powder scented. Our next Worthy Matron is using snowmen as her fun symbol, so they might get these soaps (in different colors/scents, of course!) as gifts... Who knows. I do know that I'll be chaplain next term, but that's ALL I know!

I know I haven't posted much -- although, I think today will make up for that! -- but I have been busy! This candle is so pretty! It has a huckleberry scent to it. I'm actually thinking of using it for either Eastern Star gifts or Daughters of the Nile gifts come next installation. Isn't she pretty?

This is one reason I like to go geocaching! Custer, South Dakota, is filled with these decorated buffalo and I never would have seen them if I hadn't gone caching. (OK, there was a quilt show there, too, but I got a cache!!) Maybe I'll go back and get other pictures!

My husband was so sweet! He did all this canning.... BY HIMSELF!!! Gotta love it!

We are starting to get a harvest from our garden. This isn't the first (close, though) and there are some eggplant and zucchini not shown. Today my loving husband will be doing a lot of canning! Salsa and spaghetti sauce are high on the list. He's already tried pickling some hot peppers and I've had the food dehydrator out and running. It will be a nice winter when we can still eat from our garden. (I don't have pictures, but the corn is more than 6 feet tall!!! And we'll have pumpkins out the wazoo!)

I gained a new respect for "bikers" this week. I wiped out...twice.

I took - actually "tried to take" would be more accurate - a beginner's motorcycle class. This is the class that teaches you to turn on the bikes! For some reason, I can't get the throttle to do what I want it to. So I hit the pavement. Hurt my pride a lot, hurt my knee a little. Thank goodness I was using their bikes and not my husband's Harley!!!

By the way, I DO know that the wreck could have been a lot worse! I'm thankful that it's just some road rash!

It's hot. It's flippin' hot! In fact, hot doesn't even begin to describe it. So what am I doing? Yep. Making Christmas stuff! Here's the quilt I did. OK, it's really just a wall hanging, but it IS quilted!

So what am I going to do with this new knowledge? Why more wall hangings, of course!

This candle is something! It's a bell (as you can tell!) and smells like "twigs and berries." My hubby claims it's a "Manly Scent." I'm really thinking about a candle/soap booth at a craft fair. I'm not sure I have the experience, though... Who knows!

You know, I'm really enjoying the exchanges on a craft list I'm on. This month I did a choker and a dishcloth. I haven't received any yet (this month, that is!) but I realized how much fun I have creating the items to send off. I even added some homemade soap in the exchanges as a special "treat" for my partners. Of course, my hubby was excited to see some of THAT go as well! Here you can see the dishcloth and the choker I made.

The beads on this choker are little pastel flowers. They didn't show up so well on the picture. I really need to get better with this new digital camera. I have some candle pictures and soap pictures I want to upload, too, but I'm not happy with how they came out. Maybe I'm trying to get TOO close to shoot them... Yeah, that's probably it.

I'm still working on the quilt. Actually, I have the "quilt" part done now, too. I just have to add the "extras." It should be finished tomorrow at the latest.

Finished my quilting class, but not the quilt.

I did find my 50th geocache today. And even placed my very first one!!! Not a big thing, but I think it's cool!

Will have pictures later!

NOTE: I'm gonna rant!
Ok, so why would you have an animal, let it roam the neighborhood and NOT get it spayed or neutered? Are people just that stupid that they don't know that animals WILL reproduce? DUH! They teach sex education in schools, right? You can't apply that to cats?

For those who haven't guessed, my neighbors don't "fix" their cats. They let them roam around -- which is great for catching mice, but not so great for little girls catching cats. We know have a litter if kittens in my yard. The sad thing is they will grow up and be "un-fixed" cats, so the cycle will continue. We go through this every summer. So far my daughter has caught 2 (including this little runt!) and we've taken them to the shelter. It's 90 degrees here this week and these little guys need to be given a fair chance, don't you think???

Do I wish I could keep them all? Yep. Do I regret taking them to the shelter? Nope. Better than letting them starve or have MORE kittens which will starve. Do I wish my daughter wouldn't get so attached to the cute little things? Yep. (For the record, I have 3 cats already!) Do I wish my neighbor would be a more responsible pet owner? Yep!!!!

How's this for a Cat House? I did this fish from Simplicity Pattern #9004. Just for the record, it was a PAIN! If -- and this is a big "if" -- I ever make this again, I'll stuff it more like a pillow, instead of trying to sew the foam/batting. Seriously, I broke 5 needles and 4 of them were for heavy-duty fabrics! So I'm not overly pleased with it (of course, I see all the mistakes in just about everything I do!), but the cats seem to like it. Or maybe they just really liked the catnip I put inside....

Did another washcloth last night. Most people I know seem to use them as dish cloths, but I really like them as face cloths instead. Maybe it's the feel of the cotton, or just the fact that I made it. Who knows.

I'm taking a quilting class. I'm not sure where I'll find the time for yet ANOTHER hobby, but it keeps me out of trouble, right? Yeah, I didn't think so, either. At least I have a supportive husband who doesn't mind what hobbies I pick up! In fact, he is pretty happy when I pull out the sewing machine, so this should make him ecstatic! Of course, he's pretty pleased when I'm knitting or crocheting or making candles, too. (OK, he doesn't mind the soap, but we really do have a bit of it right now!)

Made this candle the other day. These are a lot of fun to do! I also did a taper, although why I only bought ONE taper mold is beyond me! OK, so I ordered a second on off the net last week and can't wait until it gets here -- along with a bunch of other candle molds!

Finished this choker for an exchange. I liked the idea of doing it in Patriotic colors for the Fourth of July holiday. Not the style I usually do, but I liked it. I'd really like to find a pattern for one that just has a charm hanging from it or something like that instead of a lot of beads.

What's going on in my life? Well, I'm heavy into making soap and candles. I'm enjoying time crocheting and knitting. I have recently gotten 2 new contracts for web design and I'm easily working on my mystery. (Not as often as I should, but I'm still plugging away!)

As you can tell by the "Signal Box," I'm still caching. I finally broke down and purchased some travel bugs and need to get those placed soon. House work has fallen by the wayside, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make! ;)

Oh, and I'm thinking of selling soap and candles at a flea market/craft fair type thing. A little nervous about that, though!

Just got back from the Job's Daughters Grand Bethel. Too much fun! My daughter ever got selected for a Grand Bethel Officer!!! What an honor!