Money, money, come to me, financial bondage, set me free

OK, as you can see from my title, I'm being a bit melodramatic today.
I have good reason.
My finances are in the toilet.  Flush. Gone.
I'm not alone; I'm in good company, it seems.
So, rather than dwell on the negatives (and create weird rhymes), I decided to look for ways to make money.
I'm a writer. I should be able to make money writing.  I used to make money writing, before i took time off for my fiction.
So, off to google.  If you google freelance writing online, about.com, hubpages, elance, and odesk will come up.  Other sites will come up too, but I'm interested in these ones.

Of these, I found hubpages and elance to be the most promising.  I signed up for hubpages yesterday and started hubbing (hubba hubba, toil and trubba) (oh no, there goes the weird rhyming thing again!).

My hub pages


I wrote a hub yesterday, and a hub today, and if I write a hub every day for a year, I should start making money on it.  Some people make thousands a month.  I'd like to be one of those people.

And then there's elance.

I joined elance before, then forgot all about it.  I edited my profile today, scanned through all of the job ads, and save several interesting jobs to "my favorites".  Now I just have to make my profile more appealing by adding a photo, and getting verified.  Then I can apply for some of those cool jobs.

In the meantime, I went to look at a trailer today.  I really liked it.  My Dad showed up just as I was leaving.  I'd called earlier to ask him to come with me but his line was busy for two hours.  When I finally got through, my Mom said it was too late for my Dad to come, since he wasn't dressed or shaved yet.  So I went alone, and just as I was leaving, he pulled up.  I had no idea how he found me.  When I asked, he said he'd tell me later.

So, we went through the place again, and my Dad asked all of the same question that I asked, and he pointed out the same flaws that I pointed out, lol.  He wasn't as impressed with the place.  In fact, when he left, shaking his head, he must have driven straight home to complain to my Mom, because she called and offered to pay my mortgage for a year while I wait for a spot on the geared to income housing to open up.  I told her thank you but no thanks. I'm NOT taking money from my retired parents.  No way. 

I asked Mom how Dad had found me, since I hadn't mentioned an address, and she said she called the cab company and asked to speak to a driver.  She knew the trailer park was within the city limits because I told her it was on the bus route.  So she asked the driver which trailer park was in the city, he told her, and gave directions.  I swear, my Mom could be a private investigator, lol.

It was so nice of my Dad to show up.  He thought the trailer (a 3 bedroom) was cute enough, but he's worried about insulation.  I am too.  He also was worried that the realor wouldn't tell us how much the previous owner paid for heat bills per month.  He just told us that the owner used the wood stove for most of his heating needs.  My Dad said the woodstove would only heat up the main part of the house, and not the bedrooms.  It's not a big house though, so I think the woodstove would do a good job.  What do I know, though.

My Dad and I were both wondering if the pipes would freeze.  I guess I'll need to get the place inspected.

Either that or move to Ecuador or Panama or Costa Rica or the Phillipines; maybe Thailand.  Those are all places where people can and do retire on their social security checks.  Ecuador's mountain areas are supposed to have spring like temperatures year round.  I'd love that.  I just don't know how safe it would be, or how my asthma would fair in mountain air.  Or how the Ecuadorians would treat my dogs.  I need a dog friendly country.  Maybe Prague.

OK, so I'm babbling.  Anxiety does that to me.  Something will work out. 
Maybe I can shrink myself down and live in one of my dollouses.  Now that would be cool.

On the bright side, to change the subject, today marks 6 weeks of crate rest for Mac.  He only needs two more; woohoo.  He's been so good about staying in his crate.  I love that dog so much.  Ben too, of course.

OK, I'll stop talking now.
Have a nice day!

Have a great day!

Something blue...a mini house?

My kitchen cupboards

I love the color of my kitchen cupboards.  They're such a pretty blue, and one of the reasons I bought my house.

I have ot sell my house soon, so I'm painting my little dollhouse to match my cupboards.

First coat of paint, Primrose cottage dollhouse.

Painting the Primrose dollhouse.

Mac on his 5the week of crate rest, post surgery; enjoying the deck.

Mac is supervising from his spot on the corner of the deck, under the tree.   He's starting his 6th week of crate rest...Friday will be 6 weeks.   He really enjoys this pop-up crate as a break from his regular crate in the house.

I've had some really bad financial news and will have to sell the house soon, so we're enjoying the deck and yard as much as possible.

I'm not sure what we're going to do next, but something will come up.  I'm hoping I'll have enough money left over after selling the house to pay off my bills and buy a trailer in a trailer park, so we'll still have a yard.  I need a yard, with the dogs, and the apartment rentals in town are outrageous; they all want to charge a ton of money (for the area), and discrimante against smokers and pet owners.  I'm not a smoker, but I have dogs and birds and fish, so I'm thinking a trailer may be our best bet for affordable pet friendly housing.  I'm just not sure how much it will cost to heat a trailer in Northern Ontario.  Lots of people live in trailers, so it must be possible.  The one I want to see has a wood stove, so there'd still be heat in case of electricity failure.  I've heard that trailers burn quickly though, so that's kind of scary.

I wish I was healthy enough to return to teaching.  I saw my doctor last week, and he said it's not possible; he told me "don't even think about it".  I'd end up in the hospital again, he said.

If I relocate to someplace like Ecuador or Panama or the Phillipines, I can live off $800.00 per month, or so people online who are doing it say, but then what about health insurance and health coverage?
What about my pets?  I've looked into ther countries, and some are OK but others are not.  Mac needs a good vet.  I need a good doctor.

I wish my book would have sold better.  I have others I can send out, to see if I can find a publisher or agent, but that's beginning to look as likely as winning the lottery.

Lots of people are in the same boat, with this terrible economy, so i'm not alone.

Something will work out; it has to.

Primrose dollhouse construction Part B floors

Staining the floor of the Primrose dollhouse

I am new to the world of dollhouse miniatures...wooden dollhouses, that is.  I've made a few cute plastic canvas dollhouses, which I love, but this is my first wooden dollhouse kit.

I've been reading a lot, so much that I'm almost crippled by the loads of info out there.  I can't seem to make a move without googling everything extensively, lol.

Anyway, my point is, I read on several blogs and forums that the dollhouse kit will "talk to me".  I didn't believe it, until i stained these floors.  My dollhouse told me it wanted a lighter color for the floors; a nice honey blonde.

Unfortunately, I was unable to hear the kit's pleas until AFTER I stained the floors this red...it's not cherry red, but the name is a type of wine, I think.  I can't remember...the fumes are getting to me, lol.

Primrose dollhouse kit :  floor staining

I like the color; I wouldn't have purchased it otherwise.  Well, maybe, as the 2 dollar sale price was awfully tempting.  But I do like the color.  The problem is, this one floor piece came out nice, but the other didn't.  It's because no two pieces of wood in this kit are equal.  Some are lighter, some are darker, some are dry as desert sand while others seem brand new.  It's a big pain, and a drawback to tab and slot kits, in my opinion.

It's not a problem, as I'm probably going to make a nice plastic canvas rug for the upstairs of this little house. 

I like the woodgrain showing through on this piece, though.  It reminds me of our neighbour's cottage...it was all done up in a similar color, in an Austrian chalet style. 

I wanted to do the walls up in a blue flowered pattern; I already have the paper.  But the blue flowered pattern is delicate, and won't go with this floor...I don't think.  I guess I'll save that paper for another room in the bigger house, the Laurel. 

I suppose I could stain some coffee stir sticks in this color and use them as beams; make this a sort of cottagy addition.  It's so hard to know what to do.  I keep changing my mind, lol.

One thing, I do need to make this floor shiny.  I'm not sure if I should apply a gloss, or modge podge, or what.  So, it's back to google for me.

Dollhouse construction Part B

I am officially on Part B of my dollhouse instructions, lol.  Part A had 3 steps; I had to sand and paint the window frames and door frames, shutters, and flower boxes.  Then I had to put them together.  I got bored waiting for the paint to dry so also tried a dollar store cradle, lol.

This is my work area, outside on the deck.

Dollhouse miniature  flower box and cradle

Here's the other flower box.  This is the end of step three of part A of the instructions; yay, lol.

I wasn't sure whether to use carpenter's glue or the fast grab tacky glue.  I tried both and like the fast grab better.  It seems to hold well.  I'll do the main parts of the house with carpenter's glue, just in case.

The cradle was part of a set that I bought at the dollar store.  It had weird tab and slots; the tabs were huge, with hooks on the edge.  I cut them off.  I was going to put bows on the cut out parts, so it looks like I've tied a mattress cover set there, but now I'm wondering if I should just fill the cut out parts  in with wood filler or plaster and paint over them.

The wood was very thirsty; it took over 5 layers of paint to do these little items.

Smokey the bird, and Noel the bird.

Smokey the bird with her foraging toy.

Smokey is such a smart bird.  Last month, the vet suggested I buy her a foraging toy to keep her occupied and help her stop egg laying.  I told him she already had loads of toys, but he said a foraging toy will take her a long time to figure out, and will keep her from being bored.  I bought one, and Smokey immediately figured it out, lol.  In fact, she can get the treats out faster than I can put them in.
Each pie shaped compartment has one opening, and they all have to be lined up in order to get treats in, or out.   After the food is dropped into the top pie, all of the pies are twisted and turned so the holes no longer line up.  In theory, it should take Smokey quite awhile to turn them again so the holes line up, allowing the food to drop from the top compartment to the bottom.  Yah right, lol.  She twists them and is eating before I can close the cage door, lol.  Here she is, looking very proud of herself.

Smokey the bird.

Here's Noel, the bird, Smokey's friend, watching Smokey play with her new toy.

Noel has new toys too, but he'd rather watch Smokey play with hers, lol.  Smokey taught Noel to talk, and this is what I hear very day:  "Are you a bird?"  "No, you're the bird!"  "You're the bird!"  "I'm Smokey the bird!  Noel, are you a bird?"...and on and on, lol.
Then Smokey will yell, "Kathy, Kathy!  Are you a bird!"  After all of these years, she knows what I'll say.  "I'm a human being. You're the bird."  Smokey says, "Are you a dog?"  I tell her no.  She cracks up laughing, then asks, "ARe you a pretty, pretty girl?"  I tell her thank you, and reassure her that she's the pretty girl, lol.  Sometimes she barks, and I tell her she's not a dog, she's a bird.  Then she quacks, meows, etc.  She's a cool bird. 
Noel's vocab isn't as big as Smokey's, but he can say "Hi, hello, thank you, are you a bird, you're the bird".
Smokey's vocab is about the same as a 4 or 5 year old child's.

A butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker?...

...no, not quite, but I did feel like a jill of all trades today...or at least a painter, carpenter, and furniture maker.  I know there's a name for furniture makers...makers of furniture...why can't I think of it, lol?

I painted a window box for my dollhouse, and a mini cradle.  Next I have to glue them.  I would have done the other window box too, but my dog, Mac, wanted to go inside.  It was too hot on the deck, and he apparently has more sense than I do because I didn't even notice that I was getting burned.  He was in the only shady spot, so he was OK, but I am lobster red.  Are lobsters red?  More of a pink, I think.

I only had 3 hours of sleep last night because the light outside my window was too bright.  I'm probably not making much sense, and I'm beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss, so I'd best call it a night.
Goodnight!

Emma is listed on Ebay

I stayed up until 3:30 AM to finish this auction template.  I sure hope Emma will find a new Mommy so I can make payments on my credit card.  I have to pay down Mac's $6000.00 vet bill.
Oh, here's the link to the auction:  Reborn Emma on Ebay
I'm so sleepy I almost forgot, lol.
Well, cross your fingers that she'll sell.
Goodnight!

I love crocheting!

Like my title says, I love crocheting, but I never thought I'd be crocheting...a tree!

Crocheted tree, home for needle felted bunny.

I found the pattern for this tree online.  It's called Fairy Hideaway, and it's by Karen Fitch.  Her pattern is easy to follow, with lots of photos.  If I make this again, I'm going to be sure to use a smaller hook and tight stitches, so the tree isn't so wobbly.  I think I'd put pipe cleaners in the tree branches too, because once I sewed the green pieces on, the branches sagged.  I had to run some thread through the branches and anchor them onto the tree.
If I do make it again, I also want to try making it bigger, so it will fit my bears.  It would be a perfect home for the bears.  I would also divide the floors so someone can live "upstairs", lol.

Crocheted hollow tree for needle felted bunny.

Crocheted tree, needle felted rabbit.

I found the mini furniture I bought on my trip to Guelph last month!

I'm so happy that I found this bag of mini furniture! 

Mini furniture haul from buck or two store in Guelph

I found the items at a discount "buck or two" type store in Guelph, and I was so happy to find them for such great prices...1.99 for two pieces of furniture per package.

I thought I had left the bag behind in the hotel room in Guelph, but today I found it tucked away inside another bag, full of yarn.  I must have packed it with the yarn to keep it from breaking...then forgot all about it, lol.

Mini haul from discount store

I don't want to take them out of the packaging yet because I'm not ready to paint them; I'm still working on the dollhouse.  They're just so cute and tiny.

Mini containers in nail kit.

I also found this little nail set, with cute mini containers that are perfect for mini settings. 

The little stools are my favorite.  I'll have to make a little kitchen island for them, or maybe I can save them for an ice cream parlor or old fashioned drug store.

It's nice to have furniture all put together.  I have a cool 56  piece furniture kit, but it's going to take forever to paint and put together, lol.


cute little stools

My latest reborn baby girl

Reborn Lucy sculpt

I just put this little doll together today, and I'm so pleased with the way she turned out.  I worked hard on this doll over the past week, and I think this is the fastest I've ever made a doll.  I painted and baked for 8 hours a day for 3 days, then rooted for several days.  It took another day to seal the hair, lips, and nails, and after she was dry, I put her together. 

Reborn Lucy Sculpt

I couldn't get any good photos this evening because it's dark and dreary outside.  We really needed the rain t hough, so I can't complain.

Reborn Lucy sculpt

I've been busy painting dolls and dollhouse parts this week, plus rooting and sanding.  It will feel really nice to relax in my recliner while I crochet an outfit for this doll.  I always like to make special hand made outfits for them before I sell them on ebay.  I just have to choose an outfit. I have several cute dress patterns to choose from. 

Starting on Primrose Dollhouse Kit

I read the instructions over several zillion times and finally got up the  nerve to start on my Primrose kit.  It's the attachment/add on for the Laurel, but can also be used separately as a cottage.  I'm going to be using it with the Laurel, but decided to start with the smaller house first.

Primrose window casings and shutters

I knew I wanted to do the houses in a country blue and white, but wasn't sure whether or not to make the shutters all white or multicolored.

Primrose window casings and shutters

I laid the shutter tops on top of the shutter bottoms while all painted white in order to see if I liked the look, and I do, so I'm going to leave them all white.  Now I just have to glue them together, and also glue the windows into the frames.  Then I can start on the window boxes.

I hate the sanding, and can't believe how awful some of the wood pieces are made...it's like every sheet is made of a different wood.  Two of the 6 large pieces of wood that contain all of the smaller ones are in good shape, but the others aren't great, and one is really bad...like the wood is 100 times older and dryer than the other pieces.  I can't believe they passed quality control.  I sure hope the bigger kit has more good sheets than bad.

I enjoy the painting part, and I think I'll enjoy the decorating.  I know I'll enjoy making little objects to put in the dollhouse.  I already have a list of things I want to make.  I'm going to start with breads and a breadboard...it looks simple and fun to make.

My dog Mac is on his 4th week of crate rest post surgery (on Wednesday it will be 4 weeks), and he likes to sit outside in his pop up crate so I've been doing the sanding and painting outside on the deck in the mornings and evenings, when it's still cool enough to be outside.  Mac loves it out there, and this gives me something to do while supervising him.  I can't leave him alone because he can open the zippered door with his nose, lol.  He's so smart.  He seems to be doing a lot better, thank God.

My latest reborn sold, yay!

Reborn doll, Andrew, adopted!

This little guy was fun to make, and he found a home the first time I listed him on ebay.  I was surprised, as I didn't give him any hair; he was my first bald baby.  I started the bidding a lot lower than I normally would because of his lack of hair.

Reborn doll, Andrew, in hand croceted outfit

Reborn doll, hand crocheted outfit

I crocheted this adorable little outfit for him, and it was a perfect fit.  I hope his new Mom will like him.

Misc ramblings of a disorganized mind, lol

Hello,It's a beautiful, bright day today. I woke up at 7 AM to the smell of chicken soup.  It had been simmering on low in my crock pot all nigt long, and boy, does it smell good!  It's been simmering away all day long, and still smells wonderful.  I'm going to have a cup for supper, but most of it will be used to cook Mac's rice in, so I can make him more rice/chicken/yam balls.

Mac's rice/chicken/yam balls, to hide his pills.

I gave Mac his 7 morning pills, hidden in 7 rice/yam balls, and we sat on the deck to enjoy the morning sun.  Mac really loves his new pop up crate.


Mac in his pop-up crate.  Check out the big smile on his face!

It's so nice to see Mac's big doggy smile again.  He's been through so much, poor guy, but he's getting stronger every day.

I read a book about writing while sitting on the deck and was so motivated by it that I grabbed my laptop and wrote a few pages.  Not a lot, but something, enough to make me feel I'm out of the slump I was in.

Then I lost my internet connection...my new laptop has a bad habit of losing the network adaptors...they don't even show up in the device manager.  I redownloaded them all and still couldn't get it to work so now i'm on my old laptop.  It's hard to type on this one because I'm used to the new keyboard now.

I couldn't get back into the swing of writing after I lost my internet connection, so I sanded a few pieces of the Primrose dollhouse kit.  The cheap wood did not like getting sanded and it splintered like crazy, so it was back to the computer for me.  I googled, "how to sand" and somehow lost myself in cyberspace for two hours (I hate when that happens, lol).


Lilacs and apple tree in bloom.

My yard is gorgeous right now.  My apple tree is just loaded with blossoms, and my lilacs are blooming.  The one near the deck is in full bloom, but the other 5 are just starting.  The cherry tree has a few blossoms, but nothing like the apple tree.  The yard smells heavenly.

Well, I wanted to blog about my reborn but Mac is barking; I think he wants to go back outside.  I'll write more later.
Have a nice day!

More Photos from our trip to Guelp

My Dad and I went for a nice walk while Mac was in surgery.  Mac only had a 70 % chance, so I was terrified.  I prayed, and visualized him walking with me, healthy and strong and happy, as I walked by the river.  After our walk, we went downtown for lunch.  Dad saw a sign for the Vienna Restaurant, and we had to eat there, since he's from a small town just outside of Vienna.  He was very pleased with the meal, and the waitress liked him so much she gave us our drinks for free.  The cook made the Wiener Schnitzel especially for Dad.

Dad's special lunch at the Vienna Restaurant in Guelph, Ontario.

Dad outside the Vienna Restaurant, in Guelph, Ontario.

Best name for a  pub ever, Frank and Steins!

Downtown Guelph, Ontario.

Dad, walking downtown in Guelph, Ontario.

Me on the covered bridge in Guelph.

View from the covered bridge.

Me, hiding behind a tree.

River in Guelph.

Dad on covered bridge, Guelph Ontario.

Dad smiling..miracle!

Pretty river in Guelph.

Dad.

Cute little mall in Guelph, Ontario.

"Outdoor cafe" inside cute little mall in Guelph.

Gorgeous church in distance.

Me feeding the birds outside the room.  Smokey said hello to each and every bird,
and was disappointed when I told her they couldn't talk, lol.

Cute squirrel begging for more food.  He came every day.

We came back to the room after lunch, and called the veterinary clinic, to find out that Mac had made it through the surgery, responded well, and there were no complications, thank God.  He was walking better the next day, eating, and getting stronger.  On Friday they released him.  Smokey was very happy to see him again, and greeted him with, "How ya doin, dog?"  I was worried about the 10 hour drive home with a dog only 2 days post op (he has a huge line of stitches down his throat and neck...like someone installed a zipper, poor guy).  He was good on the way home, except he refused his dog food.  He had to have his pills on a full stomach, so I had to stop and buy him a burger the first time, and a chicken wrap the second time.  He loved it, and took his pills with no problem (hidden in peanut butter).

Smokey in her travel crate on the 10 hour drive home.  She LOVES car rides. That's part of
Mac's huge crate next to Smokey's.  On the way to Guelph, she was up higher , and could see above the bumper pads. 

On the way to Guelph, I had Smokey's cage up higher, up past the bumper pads.  When Mac sat up they were face to face.  Smokey didn't like that, lol.  She said, "Kathy, help me!"  When I looked I saw she was looking directly into Mac's mouth, which was wide open because he was panting.  She's not afraid of him, but didn't seem to like the look of those big fangs, lol.  She told him to "Go lie down!"  and he did.  She's so funny.  On the way home, I put her cage lower, so she couldn't see over the bumper pads. Mac only got up a few times, so I needn't have bothered; she would have been fine up higher.  She was still high enough to see out the side window, and she really enjoyed the drive. She's been asking to go for a car ride again, lol.