Happy Valentine's Day Everybody.....There is a houseful here!

You never know, Lori!

Watch my mailbox?! That sounds promising!

I am always embarrassed when someone says, how much do you want for making this...this one card, I said how much is it worth to you....I left it in her court...
Lori, I am glad that you are valuing the end product of your art. It costs you money to publish books. You are very talented and deserve to be recognized.
Watch your mailbox!

It's a different feeling to get paid for your art, isn't it? I gave away most of my poetry books for free, but in my poetry group, they insisted on paying for it. At first, I was embarrassed to take money, but then it felt good--like it was a real book and had some value!

Good news is my friend liked the Anniversary card so much she paid me $15....amazing!
My Valentines are finished and I have made the sugar cookies with heart sprinkles ...so, I am done! Whew!
My elbow surgery is scheduled for February 26, so I will be out of card making commission for a few weeks...not sure how good I'll type with my left hand either...so, I guess I should practice....don't want you all to miss me too much.
My kids and grandbabies are all coming up this weekend. I am excited to see them all. Told the little ones we will have a Valentine Party...what could be better then heart shaped sandwiches, jello jigglers and heart sugar cookies with sprinkles???

Happy Birthday Brian!
Have a great day.
Still riding your bike in the rain/snow?

Karen, you've got it right--"now the wrangling begins." It doesn't look too promising one way or the other. By the way, did I mention I'm going to Israel for 2 weeks in March for my mother's birthday? I didn't go for my usual visit last summer because of the wedding and the Bat Mitzvah, so they've all been asking me when I'm coming. I figure a birthday is a good excuse to go!

Kathi, I agree with Karen. I'm sure she'll like your card. I think you have a real talent for that kind of creativity. I'm not creative in that way.

I have been trying to get these Valentines done all week...plus I'm suppose to be making an anniversary card for someone at school to give to their husband on Valentine's Day. I am having trouble thinking about what she wants for a card so I have been putting it off...If she couldn't find one she liked at the Hallmark store, I'm not sure she'll like this one..time will tell. I really admire all my friends talents!!
It is cold here again....waiting to see if we get freezing rain tonight. Hopefully, not!

Karen, the Israelis I've talked to aren't excited about any of the candidates. None of them are very inspiring. I definitely prefer Livni to Netanyahu, though. He's too extreme for me. I'd rather give negotiation a chance even if it seems impossible. Negotiation is always with enemies, not friends, but I'd like to believe we're all still human beings and have something in common, something that can bring us to compromise. The election system is different there. It goes more by the party than the person, and even if a certain party wins, they haven't really won until they've managed to form a coalition of parties, so we'll see what happens....

As for creativity, I think it's all the "boring" stuff that gets in the way sometimes, like dishes, laundry, etc. Sometimes I feel like I have to finish that stuff first so my head will be clear to write, but I think maybe that's the wrong approach--better to start with the fun stuff!

My brother has one of those hypoallergenic dogs. I think it's called a cockerpoo. (sp?) I'm not a pet person, but I seem to be surrounded by animal lovers, and my sister-in-law's dog always plunks itself down on my lap and seems to feel comfortable there. My daughter has 2 cats, and my son Omer loves dogs, so I guess I didn't pass my attitude on to them--except maybe my son Rafi. I have to say my sister-in-law's dog has some nice clothes! And he seems to eat everything we do and even drinks coffee, which probably isn't so healthy. He seems half-human to me, and I always have the feeling that one day she's going to kiss him and he'll turn into a prince.

I've never been snowshoeing either and would like to try it sometime. Nice to see you here, Debbie. Say hi to Ronnie. Were you bowling with Janice?

Yes, it's nice to see a poem in print. If someone gets something out of one of my poems, it's even better. But even if that doesn't happen, I feel good when I'm writing. I think any kind of creativity does that--takes you out of yourself and makes you lose track of time.

Yes, The Blue Embrace, page 58.

Hi Deb it's great to hear what you've been up to. Yes, Facebook can be a bit daunting. But now that I'm used to it I find I'm there more than I should be. But I will tell you, I'm never alone. "You Know Who You Are!"

That is the cutest dog! How large will it grow to be? I wish Dave didn't have allergies but its for the best probably because we spend so much time away from home in the summer.

Heat wave in Springfield...it was up to 46 degrees this afternoon...can you believe that!! Sunshine, too.
Oh well, it won't last..suppose to be 10 tonight....think Spring, think Spring.....six more weeks...
Hi Deb! Try facebook again, once you get the hang of it, its prety easy and fun.

Hello again, I've gotta tell you, I had to finally change my password cuz I couldn't remember it. Sounds like everyone has been busy and had a chilly winter.
I tried facebook but still find it awkward so I will try again here. I only usually check in 1-2tmes a month.
Karen, I love the picture of your new puppy. We just adopted 2 4mo old kittens. We had to have our beagle put down this last fall and haven't had a cat for 2 years now. I'm still trying to fill that empty nest. I get to watch my granddaughter 1-2 days on weekends. I love it!!!
We had a pretty active weekend trying out the new snowshoes Sat. am and I bowled 6 games in the afternoon, then out to dinner Sat. night. I love it when we fill up the weekends. Sitting around esp. in winter is not my cup of tea.
Enjoy this short spell of warm weather.

Cute dog, Karen! In Avi's family they all have Chihuahuas.

Yes, Patti, that's the book you have. Sisters Singing is an anthology that has poems, essays, art, music, prayers by women mostly from the Santa Cruz, California area, but not only from there. I have one poem in the anthology ("The Blue Embrace," which is in my book, too.) I think the anthology is available on Amazon and should be available in the bookstores now, too.