Molly Bee's Attic

I'm changing from Zentangle Monday to MollyDoodle Mondays because I don't follow the 'rules' of proper 'Zentangling' which involves special paper tiles and pens and methods. I just do what I do as usual and bumble through it my own way. At any rate. Here are this week's tangles in no particular order. Bits and Pieces Dale (this was for my friend Dale and contains things that remind me of her-fans, baskets, music, Native American beads, dragon scales for strength and calico flowers like the ones on the dresses she wears.  This one is for all the folks who didn't see the moose in 'Northern Maine'.   This guy is a wee bit more obvious. See if you can spot him! I think this one is my favorite of the week. The pussy willows are my current favorite motif! Libya Spring Pussy willows and lupine.

Got out a bit more this weekend than I have in weekends past. I was beginning to get a wee bit 'o the cabin fever doncha know. I went over the Victor Allen's on Saturday afternoon to knit with Elizabeth, Jen and Linda. Still working on the cable sweater. I have two repeats on the back finished. 4 more to go!  Then just two sleeves, sew it together and I'm done. Estimated time of delivery-November 2016. On Saturday night, I made cookies in anticipation of lunching with Dale and Mary on Sunday.  Chocolate Chip with Oreos in the middle. Oh, they'll kill you, but what a way to go!  They created a brief Internet sensation when I posted them on Facebook.  I'll post the recipe over on Molly Bee's Kitchen . I hadn't seen Dale in many moons and missed her terribly.  I packed up the cookies that I hadn't farmed out to neighbors, and went to meet her and sister-Mary, over at Outback Steak house. The fillet and crab cakes were divine, but my soul needed the nou...

This week has been a 'Stop The Madness, For G*d's Sake Stop The Madness'  kind of week on so many fronts... Governor Kim Jong Walker's megalomaniac  'No Compromise Or Negotiation And If You Don't Agree With My Plan I'll Start Using Extortion' style of non-democratic, political madness. STOP IT! The Misery for Entertainment's Sake Mongers- Things aren't grim enough in our Capitol right now?  This historical action by the people of Wisconsin isn't newsy enough for you? You have to spread 'riot' news even though there aren't any?  STOP IT! Snow, Ice, Freezing Rain, More Snow.. STOP IT!!! (Note: THREE exclaimation points). Incessant Whining-You're tired? You're bored? You're uninspired? You chipped a nail? You're mired in your own gloom? Guess what? You're a victim of your own making. STOP IT! I'm included in the last group myself. I'm feeling a bit tether-less, homeless and at loose ends. Today...

Guess what you guys?! I won an award! The proprietor of PZ Designs picked MY blog as one of the group she awarded a 'Blog With Style' award!  I KNOW right?! I was surprised and honored. You should all  pop on over to her blog. She makes some wicked gawjus jewelry for her Etsy shop. Seems this here award comes with a few rules and stipulations.  Number one is to tell 7 things about myself.  I know, like you'll don't already have too much information in that department  right?  But I want the award dammit, so here goes...hmmm 7 things you DON'T already know....Deep Dark Secret Time...Heck! I'll even give you 3 bonus ones! 1.  I love awards and will follow all the rules to get one. 2.  One time I beat up a deaf kid in a bowling alley. It was an accident, but he still deserved it. 3.  I can remove my socks without using my hands. Talent or super power?  Don't judge until you've seen the  show. 4.  I once...

Still uber excited about the Zentangling thing and had a pretty productive week. It's so relaxing and fun to do plus I love surfing the net for ideas for fill patterns.  It's more than a little obsessive though.  At one point I found myself in the ladies' room at work sketching the floor tiles.  Later in the week I was outlining some netting in the produce section at the market on the back of my grocery list.  But I guess as long as I'm not hurting anybody...and I'm definitely not harming any of the dust bunnies that dwell under every surface of my nest!  Here is this week's work...   Round and Round Stuff and Nonsense Apple Corer  Northern Maine The Lion Sleeps Tonight Barriers

About 1/2 my stash...All washed up and ready for one or two more rounds before they get put away until Fall!

I've decided to try and keep my new-found fascination and love affair with Zentangles and Zendoodling confined to Mondays and not post them everyday even though I am churning them out at an alarming rate.   I finished the one I was working on this weekend. What was supposed to be a rope frame looks like a pie crust so I've decided to call it Pie From Another Planet. This stuff is so addictive and makes you see doodle patterns everywhere. Yesterday I was obsessed with trees. I have about 75 more pics almost exactly like these. Wanna see? And I also tried to convince Steve to steal his plate a breakfast because it has a stark black and white pattern on it. I couldn't help it.  I was 'drawn' to it.  Get it?   Drrrraaawwwwnnnn to it?  From now on I'll keep a sketch pad handy so I won't turn to a life of petty thievery to inspire my habit. So to recap, my  new found, meditation practice of doodling to reduce stress and obsessive thinking has morphed in...

Woke up today to sun and mist as the temps finally rose and the snows started to settle. It was none too soon either as I've been in a climb-the-clock-tower kind of mood all week. I am amazed at how well Ben is healing. Sorry for the p*rno-esque shot but I wanted to show how the bruising is all but gone and the wound is pretty much sealed.  He woke up this morning 'Mr Zippy'.  He's been sore and sick to his stomach all week, but seems to have turned the corner. It's going to be a difficult few weeks of trying to keep his body down and calm when his 'inner Bentley' is a wild child careening around and ricocheting off things! This week I discovered Zentangles .  I try to meditate at least 15 minutes every day.  I call it 'being still' though as meditation always brings forth visions of pretzel legs and 'ohms'.  It's not in my nature to not be doing 75 things at once, usually at warp speed, so since the first of the year, I've tried t...

Warning! There are graphic post-surgery pictures coming up! Despite their ugliness, they are absolutely amazing looking for less than 24 hours after surgery . Yesterday Dr. Silbernagel operated to repair Ben's knee. His knee joint was congenitally at about a 29% angle which put too much ware and tear and stress on his ligament and it gave way, just like his left one did about a year and a half ago.  Part of the knee bone was shaved down to change the angle to about 7% and a titanium plate and 6 screws were inserted to shore up the knee. First they shaved the whole leg... ...as well as a spot on the front and a patch above his tail where the epidural went in. It mostly looks bad because of the bruising. But in reality, it looks AWESOME! All of the stitches are on the inside the the outside is glued so there's no oozing or mess. I have to ice it every few hours and do range of motion exercises.  He has to stay quiet and off the furniture, but he is doing amazingly w...

Finally finished the back of my St Enda sweater! If I counted all of the tinking and reknitting, this would have been the 75th back I've knit!  It looks a little wonky because it's unblocked, I'll wait until I have the back and sleeves done to block it....Estimated time of blocking=early spring 2015. Gosh I hope the Mayan Calendar is wrong! If it's not wonky enough for you already, I've included an out of focus, not centered close up version for your enjoyment!  Alice Starmore! I love you! What are YOU knitting?

Well, Jimmy the Wisconsin Groundhog couldn't tunnel his way out of his hole so he didn't see his shadow. He dug up about 6 feet into a snowdrift and then gave up and went back down to sleep. Smart rodent! I'm calling and early spring by default; only six more weeks of winter instead of a month and a half! Outside my door after 'the guy' had snowblowed...snowblown?...it out. Click to biggyfy and see how deep the snow blowers path is! Darn Snow Plow! I had a little 6 inch snowbank day before yesterday. Here it's under my bedroom window after I shoveled at 6AM. It's even higher now since my upstairs neighbor shoveled off her deck! Note how high the snow is over the snow blower man's head!  The little guy in the driveway has a fake snow blower that he 'helps' with (he's four).  He also has a fake lawnmower and a fake leaf blower that he follows dad around with in the spring summer and fall. . Priming the pump! Good thinking parents! Thi...

It's been a busy week and looks to be melting right into another, even busier week.  Last Tuesday I went to see The King's Speech with Paul Wesselmann, of The Ripples Project fame.  Paul  is an amazing speaker who travels the country, visiting schools and business, giving seminars on exploring your own potential and the power of positivity. He came to speak at my company last year and we've been Facebook friends for a while, so when he put out a general FB invitation to join him down at Sundance to see the film, I accepted. I don't know who was more surprised, me or him. I'm not in the habit of accepting invitations from 'strangers' and he didn't think anyone would say 'yes'.  Worked out for the best; Paul is delightful company, the film was WONDERFUL, we had a great time and now he's not a stranger!  Seriously, if you haven't seen the King's Speech, I can't extol it's virtues strongly enough.  And, BONUS, it DOES star my i...

So Ben and I just got back from the vet. He was limping at Christmas while I was away and right after I got back and then he seemed OK for a week or so and then went south quickly again; holding up his right back leg, toe touching a lot. I thought, 'Great! It's his right knee...his 'good' one.  Now we're going to have to go through the surgery again AND the rehab AND another five G's like I shelled out last time; first for the surgery and then when he got so sick  on the med afterward..' Just our luck.  So into the vet we went. The first test was the knee test and it was solid as a rock! Yay! After much poking and prodding, the vet  decided that it either a tear or a strain in his upper thigh.  10 days on doggie Tylenol and bed rest and he should be right as rain again. Wanna know how he did it?  Do ya? Do ya? Yes! Yes! Please tell us, Oh Queen of Every Clumsy, Bone-Headed Injury There Is!  How did your 'son' get hurt?   Why...

Went to Prairie du Sac with Rob and Joey this morning to see the bald eagles. There is a hydro dam up there that keeps the water open and eagles from all over Wisconsin and Minnesota congregate there in the winter to fish. They estimate that there are around 180 birds in the area this January. Normally territorial, they tolerate each others in large numbers in this area in the winter. How lucky am I to be able to see something like this! Absolutely amazing! (Click to make pics bigger...they will be just as poor quality but a different size!) Soaring Swooping in for a fish Almost got ' im ! Away with the prize Three eagles out on the island Roosting in the sun over the dam Soaring Roosting Tree for two Soaring Fledgling-His head is not fully white yet Pine Aircraft Carrier