I've been spending Thursday evenings at my sister's house, scrapbooking. She creates superb memory books, while I approach it with good intentions - that means I never get around to it. So we've started working on them together so I can work through the tons of photos I have and put them in some kind of order. Right now I'm working on a book about my east coast trip, but I'm hoping it will motivate me enough to get the four kids' books done. By Christmas.

So that's where I went right after work last night and my outside light wasn't on so I barely saw Jan's mail (in a tin!) sitting on the porch floor. It wasn't until this morning, as I fed the cats that I saw a package on the ledge. Bugs & Beasts by Becky Dempsey! Click on her name if you want to know how to order your own. I admired Becky's cat a long time ago when I saw it in a Birthday card RR hosted by Maus. Besides the cat, I also particularly like the bunny rabbit and the squirrel.

This has just been the greatest week! I made plans this week to visit Hope Green in November!!! Hope has been such an inspiration to me. She once sent me her samples of the split chain to help me see how it would look. Once I mastered split chains, there was nothing I couldn't do in the world of tatting! I love comparing notes with her and this visit will be a real treat. I may wear the same clothes for days to save room in my luggage for all the tatting stuff I'll bring. LOL!

On top of all that, I've been visually entertained by yet another friend's awesome photos of the landscape, sunrises, and nature around his home in Vermont.

I also got to spend an hour or so with another friend I seldom hear from on IM the other night. I swear, I'm just blissin' out here! How much better will the coming days get???


OH, not meaning to forget the surprise package from another friend with CD's and pressed flowers and a cool wire lizard.........and other little goodies. And of course, the shuttle from Jan. And the fellow who hand delivered my ebay win (an MP3 player for my son).