Unfocused!

You can now find me at...

2018-02-19T14:47:00.002-08:00

theunfocusedlifeblog.wordpress.com

NOTICE

2017-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

NOTICE
Due to Photobucket requiring an astronomical fee for hot linking to 3rd party sites (e.g. blogger), I can no longer continue to do this for fun. It's crazy! Their site is having issues. Why should I pay $400 to hotlink? No thank you. So, I'm quitting unless an excellent solution comes up.

At this moment, I have to consider my pictures lost. I do have backups of most of the photos; but, to dig through them all one by one to find the pictures used for blogs is a pain in the you-know-what.
It is way too much work to try to rebuild this blog of mine. I am actually sick at this moment and have been sick for several days. I really don't need to stress over this anymore. So, I'm quitting until an excellent solution comes up
Y'all take care!

Lee Ann

Dog Needs a New Home!

2017-06-18T07:11:00.001-07:00

Unable to locate owner. So, this dog is now looking for a new home!

Age: estimated between 7 to 9 years old
Sex: Female
Breed: Unknown; looks like Golden Retriever, Border Collie and/or Chow in the mix
Size: Currently around 33lbs
Vaccinated: June 6, 2017

This sweet girl came up to us June 4th and is looking for her forever home to live out her golden years. She is shy but friendly. She is need of someone who has patience and would give her love and training in spite of a few issues. She is currently an outdoor dog afraid of thresholds and most likely not housebroken.

We cannot keep her as we travel and go camping. It would not be fair to her to drag her along with us. And, we do not know of anyone who could keep an eye on and feed her while we are away.

Other dogs, cats, kids: Unknown. However, she did seem vastly interested in our cat from a distance – that is as far as we would let it get. And, she seemed timid and/or extremely submissive to the next door’s happy-go-lucky dog.

Current health (6/13): She underwent a medical workup on June 12 which included x-rays. Overall, she is in pretty good health. She has been diagnosed with heartworms which are not severe. She is now on Heartgard Plus. Her lungs are clear and her heart is not enlarged. We will pay for heartworm treatment while under your care.

Let's Dance!

2017-06-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

This has been a draft sitting in Blogger just... well, sitting. I'm currently working on something; so, I thought to just go ahead and publish this bit after inserting dates. Enjoy.
I plcked up writing again back in late April (2016) after a long hiatus. This piece was started May 9th (2016). I played with it a few times and then abandoned the effort. It is based on a dream I had of a dog who knew how to dance and how violence tore us apart. I heard music in my mind when I first started writing this. And, in my dream, I saw a dog and me dancing with pure joy.
Please keep in mind that this is just piddling writing (journaling) -- nothing is ever perfect when I write...

We met one day,
feet tangling
to know one another,
to tango, foxtrot.

{Let’s Dance.
Giving Glory to God, Hallelujah.
Let’s Dance!
Rejoicing in the life we have.}

The day came, life dealt a cruel blow
Separated the two of us.
Looked high and low,
Looking high and low,
For one another.

One kept searching,
the other bonded with another.
In accident, a day came
I found you.
And, we came together rejoicing!
{Let’s Dance}
I looked up and realized
sacrifices need to be made
giving up the one I looked for.

It’s only temporary;
God willing.

Both mourned and lived.
Duties performed.
Loving others
until the day and call came
reuniting us once more.

Taking time to grieve losses
Coming together when the other is ready
because life is meant for rejoicing….
{Let’s Dance}

Are You This Dog's Owner?

2017-06-05T08:08:00.001-07:00

This female dog is currently safe; but, is in need of veterinarian care. The person keeping the dog is ill-equipped to take care of it at the moment as there is hardly any shelter on the land and has indoor cats. At the moment, the keeper is waiting to see if someone claims her and if not, will go from there. Please contact me if you think you know who this dog belongs to. Thank you!

blogging break

2017-05-19T06:13:00.002-07:00

Due to a variety of reasons such as getting ready for camping, life, sickness, etc., and etc., I have stopped blogging. I just realized that I needed to let you guys know! I do intend to return to blogging again soon. It will be sometime in June. I have several posts planned, I just need to get them written up. I just don't have the time nor then inclination to do so at this time.

Macro: Bees on False Dandelions

2017-05-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Honeybee

I have no clue to what type of bee this is -- he/she was one hyper critter! And, look at the pollen on its leg!

(Closeup/Crop)

Hard at Play

2017-05-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

{Working on March's Ornament kit; Shot on April 18, 2017}

Texas Indian Paintbrushes: Pink (Peach) Variation

2017-05-08T08:22:00.004-07:00

To see what Texas Indian Paintbrushes look like, please refer back to my older posts:
White Variation (with a normal one).
This is not the greatest picture as it was a very windy day. But, I wanted y'all to see another variation of the Texas Indian Paintbrush.

Castilega indivisa (Texas Indian Paintbrush)
Shot on April 6, 2017

2017-04-27T08:09:00.001-07:00

I am a nosy observant person -- this is all part of being deaf and being constantly aware of my surroundings. Plus, I take joy seeing others puttering about taking care of the things they enjoy such as their animals (e.g. chickens) and gardens.
When we first moved here, I was extremely happy to see an older couple that often puttered about on their land behind us. They are “the gardeners” in my mind. I often wished I could see their goats and chickens; but, they are hidden from our view. It always thrills me to see a Billy Goat or two on the rare occasions they are let loose around their house.
This couple is always dressed in a long sleeved shirt and a wide brim hat… until recently. I noticed the lady out and about in her nighty and robe. I would like to think that I am the inspiration for that because I will often go outside with my lounge wear.
I used to worry about going outside in my loungewear (PJ pants and a t-shirt or a sweatsuit in the winter). But now, I just do not care. On the days when I am not feeling well, it is too much effort to change into street clothes and it takes a lot out of me to do this one tiny task. Instead, I will just put on a long-sleeved work shirt (over the t-shirt) and my snake proof boots to take care of my garden and cats. At least, the things I am passionate about will not get neglected.
It pleased and tickled me to see the gardener lady taking care of a few things she cares about in her nighty and robe. There is nothing to be ashamed of as long as you are decent and covered. I imagine she is taking care of her chickens. I even saw her once in the morning getting the burn pile started in her nighty and robe.
I just pray that she is not sick and if she is, she will get well soon. I know all too well how a body can get depressed when you cannot do anything and if you try too hard, you will crash and burn. If I continue to take care of the things I love, I will be okay (in the long run). I hope and pray she will be too and return to her normal self soon. And if she does not, that is okay too as long as she remains active like me.
By the way, I refuse to wear pajamas when I go out and about (e.g. shopping). If I cannot make the effort to get dressed in street clothes, then I am not well enough to go out and about. I refuse to look like the people of Walmart. After all, I still have some standards.

Macro: Unusual White False Dandelion

2017-04-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

I was outside with Dan and Abby Gail on April 6th when I spied this unusual white False Dandelion. I believe this is the first one I ever seen and I thought it was very cool.

Here is what the False Dandelions look like. We have a kajillion of them on our land.

Abby Gail and Gracie

2017-04-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Abby Gail:

Dreaming of Herding Cattle? {April 13}

After I took this picture, she started to go across the street. I would not let her as I had the sprinkler going in the garden and I needed to shut it off within a few minutes. (Note. I use a timer. I can be lazy and use sprinklers before 10:00am on Sundays and Thursdays here where I live).
She isn't going outside as much as she used to as I am paranoid after seeing a baby snake on the move. We need to set that brush pile out back afire. She has grown up and matured so much that she does not need as much activity. However, when she does, she does. In other words, she goes nuts.

She made me think of Sheldon's lullaby from the Big Bang Theory TV series:

Soft kitty, warm kitty,
little ball of fur

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty
purr, purr, purr.
And yes, she lays on me like this all the time.
Gracie:

{April 17}

She is doing well after a long struggle with skin and ear infections. We saw a cat dermatologist and are now attacking her suspected allergies from three possible sides -- food, environmental and flea -- at one time. She is currently free of both the skin and ear infections and will be on medication and the special diet for another five weeks or so. Once past this time, we will start determining what her allergies are by either taking away the special diet or the medication (for environmental allergies). She is much happier, more active and so much more normal these days. She shocked me when I turned around and saw her on the back of this chair.

{April 15}

This was the first time she went without the cone of shame under supervision. She was extremely happy bathing herself. Both Dan and I are pleased that she rarely sought to scratch herself and whenever she did, it was mostly the normal scratching that cats do. And yes, she is missing fur around her face and neck; but, it is growing back slowly and surely.

An Easter Visitor

2017-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

I was outside tending to the garden when out of the corner of my eye I saw this Red Admiral {Vanessa atalanta} butterfly walking on the dirt towards me. He was flapping his wings like a beacon yelling "Hey, do you see me"?
I talked to it for a few seconds and then put my hand down on the ground and he walked onto my finger(s) with a little encouragement. I was more than floored because most butterflies are skittish.

He rested on me for a few minutes. It was both beautiful and ugly. And, so peaceful and brave.
I could not help but think of my Dad. It is a long story; but, butterflies remind me of him.

I think both Dan and I were amazed at this little visitor.

Macro: Moth {Desmia funeralis}

2017-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Desmia funeralis
When I first spied this moth, I immediately thought "what a pretty little critter!" However, I discovered it is ugly up close! And, when I researched this moth and found it to be a pest of grapes, I took a disliking to the insect as I am trying to grow grapes not to mention that we have wild grapes too.

Selfies {Beekeeping 101 course} and Some History (with Pictures)

2017-04-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Who Are These People?

We attended a beginner's Beekeeping Course on April 8th. It was a lot of fun for me and a brand new experience for Dan. Due to this class, I think it has helped convinced and encouraged Dan to partner up with me. But first, I want to build some shade for our future beehives as we do not have mature trees on our land. I have given myself 'till next spring (2018) to do all that we need to do to get some hives started.
Here is a little history about me: My Dad was a hobby beekeeper in the 1970s. I've always been fascinated with those bees. And fearless. Dad even took me to a friend of his that helped harvest some honey which was the coolest experience a girl could have. I wanted to own and maintain several hives when I grow up and now that I have space and land to do so, I am determined to have a few.

Dad on the left and my Gram (Viola Mae) on the right. circa 1970s

My Gram (Viola Mae). circa 1970s.

We're Hard at Work in my Studio....

2017-04-12T03:00:00.001-07:00

I wanted to show y'all the setup in my studio. I have a craft table that I use for making general crafts and folding laundry on (while watching TV). By the way, we made the table using free plans and it is foldable so that we can put it away if needed. I am going to need to figure out how to raise it up a few inches; but, I am fairly happy with the thing.
Anyway, we turned that craft table into a desk and were hard at work on our tax returns.

But, the reality is....

the cats wanted attention! (I had to resort to using the flash with a faster shutter speed because both of them were too fast.) This is Abby Gail playing with a kick stick. (Dan: "I'm trying to work here!")

And, Gracie wanted attention from Dan.
(In case you do not see her, She is on one of his legs).
FYI: We went out the next day and purchased TurboTax: Premier edition for $25 off. It ended up being worth the cost because it saved us thousands of dollars. No joke! This is the first year we had to deal with stocks and more and we were not confident of our initial efforts. So, my advice would be, when in doubt, seriously invest in TurboTax.

Texas Bluebonnet, White Variation

2017-04-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

I was surprised and pleased to see a few white bluebonnets pop up this year as they were not the healthiest variety last year. They still seem a little stunted; but, at least, they are a tad healthier.

Lupinus texansis (Texas Bluebonnet)

Abby Gail Amongst Wilfdflowers

2017-04-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have already posted these pictures on facebook; but, there are many who are not on facebook with me. So, I am posting them here for everyone to see. Both of these pictures were taken with my camera phone on the same day and both were in our backyard. Abby was pretty much annoyed with me by the time I took the last picture.

My Perspective

2017-04-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

A christmas ornament: A work in progress.

Macro: Texas Indian Paintbrush, White Variation

2017-04-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

These are not the greatest pictures; but, it was bright and windy. I tried. We had about eight of these white variations this year and all of them were out front by the driveway.

Castilega indivisa (Texas Indian Paintbrush)

Our Garden

2017-03-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2017
Dan took this picture with his phone and I liked it so much that I made him send me the picture for this blog of mine. We have two rows of onions, one row of Garlic, and carrots and the rest are herbs such as chives, rosemary, sage, oregano, basil and more...
We had to replant cucumbers from seeds as the previous ones died off in a cold snap. Speaking of cucumbers, we are also trying to grow some in two plant beds we first established when we moved here. I saw some seeds sprouting in the beds; so, there's hope! I just pray we don't have a hot time of it because cucumbers do not do well in the heat of our southern central Texas summers.

Macro: Painted Phlox

2017-03-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

This flower is part of the Phlox family and is spread all over our land. I had sat down to keep an eye on Abby Gail and spied this beautiful flower that looked like it was just painted. It was very different from all the other ordinary pink flowers.

Today I am....

2017-03-17T08:54:00.001-07:00

::vigilantly:: guarding the garden against weeds and ::striving:: to get cucumber plants to thrive. I had to replant cucumber seeds as the others did not survive a cold snap. As a result, I am not sure if we will have any pickles this year.

::struggling:: with a lack of desire or motivation to do just one thing.

(I had been sick earlier this week with migraines and the after effect is extreme tiredness. When I go through episodes like these, I struggle to return back to normalcy.)

::spoiling:: two neglected cats. By neglected, I mean not being able to tend to their playtime/activity needs on account of being sick. Abby Gail is going outside frequently and Gracie is being spoiled by being allowed to stay in my studio on my sewing chair.

::amazed:: at the variety of differences among the flowers especially the coloring. I took pictures of one that looked like someone left brushstrokes of white on pink petals.

Slapdash Saturday

2017-03-02T12:57:00.001-08:00

It's been a LONG time since I shared links. I have a feeling this will be sporadic because I am not online as much as I used to be. However, I came across a link (the last one listed) and thought it should be passed on to others. Enjoy.

Jazz Up Your Binding!
Quilting / Sewing

Chip's New Year Revelation

If there is any hope for all of us to move forward, to heal and to grow – we have got to learn to engage people who are different from us with dignity and with love. Joanna and I have personal convictions. One of them is this: we care about you for the simple fact that you are a person, our neighbor on planet earth. It’s not about what color your skin is, how much money you have in the bank, your political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, nationality or faith. That’s all fascinating, but it cannot add or take away from the reality that we’re already pulling for you. We are not about to get in the nasty business of throwing stones at each other, don’t ask us to cause we won’t play that way.

I think we are all here for a reason. I think we all have a call on our lives. Your role is not my role, and thank goodness, because there is so much unique and important work to be done. Jo and I feel called to be bridge builders. We want to help initiate conversations between people that don’t think alike. Listen to me, we do not all have to agree with each other. Disagreement is not the same thing as hate, don’t believe that lie.

I've been busy... Gardening

2017-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

I already obtained the first fruits from plants I had purchased several weeks ago. We transplanted the strawberries into hanging baskets and I hope they survive.

We were quite in a rush to till and amend the soil, plant and start seeds last Sunday (February 26). We decided to amend only the portion we needed to be done right away as it was threatening to rain. The previous weekend was not ideal due to high winds. We will not be in town this coming weekend. So, we only had that one day to do what I needed to do to get the garden started.

It was hard work and I ended up sore from the efforts. When I went out Monday morning to take care of the garden, I ended up with the trembles (shakes) I could not stop. It was from over exertion. I need to invest in sports drinks just for these times.

I am keeping an eye on the seeds I have started and hope to transplant them after we finish amending the soil on the weekend of March 11th.