Happy New Year! The Diva is back!

Happy New Year everyone! I have been gone for some time due to computer issues. My computer is still not 100 percent, but at least I can post from time to time. I hope to resolve the issue sooner then later.

I have not been able to be on here during the best time of the year sadly. I would have loved to post pictures of my house during the Christmas holidays and some great memories. I even missed some fun Pink Saturdays.

My family and I had a wonderful Christmas. Santa was very good to them all. I can't believe it's already 2010. I hope and pray for a better year. Although me and my kids have started it out being very sick. I'm wishing for a quick recovery for us all and a positive start for a fabulous new decade.

Until I can start posting on a regular basis, I hope some of you can come say hello from time to time. I hope all of your holidays went well. I can't wait till my computer is back to it's full potential so I can start posting again. I have missed it so much!

E-Book Reader on Steriods: Blio

By Ray Kurzweil | Gadget Lab | Wired.com:

Her Name is Mud

For the past few days, I've been taking Cabana to a new dog park. It's the perfect walking distance from our house (about 2 miles), so we walk there, then Cabana gets playtime, and then I walk a too-tired-to-pull Cabana back home. The dog park is actually a soccer/softball field, but during winter, when no one is using the fields, dogs are allowed off-leash from 6am until 3pm. I've walked past this place hundreds of times but had never read the sign until this week! Hey, they don't say I'm quick on the uptake for nothing. But I suppose it's just as well since it would have been a forbidden temptation to bring her here before now anyway.

Yesterday, Cabana got to play with a lot of great dogs there--but her favorite was the sweetest little pit bull named Kona. She was newly rescued from a shelter just the day before and loved herding Cabana, who it seems loved to be herded! I didn't have my camera--drat! But I made sure I had it with me today....

Except NO ONE ELSE was there this morning! Maybe it was a bit too early (I left the house at 7:30), and it was a Sunday, and very, very foggy.

In fact, the fog was so thick that I couldn't see Cabana when she went to the other side of the field. I wasn't too worried because the field is fenced, but I ambled over to find her--should I be surprised at what I found her doing?!

Yep, another mud puddle!





Cabana was a bit freaked out by this seagull feather, above. She was checking it out intently. (Cabana does this at home with escaped feathers from our down pillows--it's so funny how dismayed she is by them!)

I'm doing a little experiment. I'm going to take Cabana to this dog park every day for a week and see if it makes any difference in her dog distraction. I don't know if I should really count today, though, since she didn't actually get to play with any dogs!

Free Dog Treats!

Click here to enter Becky and Cricket's giveaway! Enter to win the most delectable looking dog treats I've ever seen, made by Star Spangled Pet Treats. Plus, they are made from all natural ingredients in the U.S.A.

The winner can also choose from a selection of dog soaps--the lavender soap sounds heavenly!


At the writing of this post, I am the SOLE entrant, guaranteeing me the grand prize. But unselfish blogger that I am, I encourage other dog lovers to enter. The deadline is Wednesday, January 6, so don't delay!

While you're at the Star Spangled site, don't miss Becky's beautiful tribute to her 1st guide dog, Pantera.

Rhino Gas Mask: Finishing the Horn Model

Continuing work on the horn model, I've added red metal eyelets and a faux pearl at the top. The model is now complete.

Once the horn is cast hollow in cold cast metal I'll drill through the eyelets to create ventilation holes in order to make breathing easier for the wearer.

In preparation for making the silicome rubber mold I've hot glued the model upright on a scrap of Formica®. The popcorn cup will be hot glued down around the horn, and will contain the liquid rubber while it slowly cures. The white plasticene around the base of the model will become a separate rubber plug which will keep in the liquid resin during the rotocasting process.