Yay! After only one week, I have my computer back! And just in time for Halloween pictures. I will post some later.

I thought I'd get a ton of stuff done without my computer over the past week, but it didn't turn out that way.

Puter died! I will not have it back for 2 1/2 weeks. I'm at the library right now, which I will come to now and again...

Grandma Holt, how come you never leave any comments? -Gillian

Purdy 

Pearl on my lap = one insanely jealous Gus.

I finally dusted off, and even opened up, my medical transcription books yesterday. I'm already wondering if I'll be able to get through the course. It seems dreadfully boring. I want to work from home, so this seems to be the only thing I can do. Sigh. -Shannon

More doggie friend pictures

Shiva. He's got lots of energy and loves to be chased.
And this is Jupa. Jupa is very sweet and as you can see, very beautiful.

Gillian took this great picture of Molly.

A perfect spider web.

My witch hazel tree.

We went to Astoria (Oregon coast) yesterday to celebrate the birthdays of my sister and my dad. Here is my sister. She is going to be 40 next year!
My parents.
Pictures from our lunch table.

After lunch, Gillian and went to Gearhart. I love this picture of Gus because his feet aren't touching the sand.
Then we went to the aquarium in Seaside. They had this big octupus,
and for a dollar, you get a tray of dead fish to throw at the seals.
As usual, a day at the beach has to end with an elephant ear.

First of all, I apologize for not writing anything for such a long time. Second, we buried Shadow today. My friend Josie came over. She has hamsters too, and she really liked Shadow. I can have one of her baby hamsters but we have to keep it at her house because my mom says it's too stinky. We gave her Shadow's old cage. She lived from 2003 to 2005. I really miss her. -Gillian

This photo makes me laugh. I took it today of Gillian and her friends Ashlyn, Iris, and Lala. It looks like she is mad, but she's just goofing around.

Another beautiful day

A beautiful foggy morning in Portland.

Gluing stuff together is fun!

The top one and the bottom one were both made by Gillian. The middle one was made by Gillian and Shannon.

It would be nice to have a natural talent with something. I love art and crafty projects and I wish there was something that I was really good at.

I suppose if I took a class or read a book about quilting and then I did it a lot, maybe I'd get good at it. I envy people who can pick up a pencil or a paintbrush or a guitar or a camera or pieces of fabric... and create something beautiful.

Oh well. I am pretty good at creating a piece of junk out of pieces of junk. I will post pictures in a bit.

I learned today that quilting is not easy. I got out my sewing machine and some material, and I thought I'd make myself a quilt. I was plain stupid to think it would be easy. I wish there was something that I was talented in. --Shannon

Yesterday my hamster Shadow died. We found her in the cage, dead. She was laying on her back. We put her in a box with hamster bedding and then tied bags around it. My dad and maybe my friend are coming tonight to dig a hole and bury her. I will miss her, but she lived a good life. None of the cats or dogs ever got to her. -Gillian
This was Gillian's first experience dealing with the death of a pet and she did well. She held Shadow and gave her a kiss goodbye. -Shannon

It looks like Mike will be okay. I took him to the vet today and they drained his lump. The vet said it was an absess, probably caused from a bite. He also said that the reason he was acting so strange yesterday was probably because he had a real high fever. Mike is back to his normal self today, except that he is leaking fluid all over the house. I have to put a warm compress on it 2x daily as well as give him antibiotics. Fun. I'm just glad that he's going to be okay. I thought for sure yesterday that he was going to die. -Shannon

Mike is better! We just came back from the grocery store, and Mike jumped about 2 feet from the bed to my lap. And, I got him to purr! I'll still take him to the vet tomorrow though because he does have that big lump. -Shannon

I'm pretty sure Mike is dying. He's eating and drinking, but he's acting very strange. He doesn't want to be on my lap or on my bed. He's just been lying on the air vent in the hallway nearly all day. That is a place where he has never hung out before. If we put him on the bed, he jumps down and goes back to that air vent. In the past when he hasn't felt well, he hangs out on the bed. That's why I think he's dying. Plus he's got a lump that suddenly appeared, and I had that dream last night. Weird. When I scratch him under his chin, he doesn't purr. He's been with me for 16 years. I'm very sad. -Shannon

Last night I had a dream that I had to put Mike to sleep. This morning, I noticed he had a huge lump on his side. It's like it suddenly appeared because I would have known if it was there yesterday because he sits on my lap everyday and I always pet that particular spot. I'm wondering if tumors grow that fast. Maybe it's just an absess or something, but he doesn't have any wounds.

I've noticed he hasn't been doing well lately. He's got that unhealthy cat look. :(

Behold the style of the future - pillow hats! -Gillian and Lala

Moviestars on the runway. -Gillian and Lala