Just what do other folks mean by "Mixed Media"?

In the past year I have come to realize that the best description of my art work is "Mixed Media".

It defines (at least in my head) the fact that many, many of my pieces incorporate more than one kind of material and more than one technique.

How much more "mixed media" can you get?

So, when I saw a call for members of a women's mixed media art group in our little village, I thought "hey, some folks I could relate to" and sent off an email requesting some information.

Here was the response:

This group is more for "assemblage", collage or digital artists. After reviewing your website, you might want to look into people working in "crafts" as we are not jewelers or fabric artists.

Oy!

Obviously we are still stuck in the "traditional" art definitions.

While I really would like to find a group of artists locally to hobnob with, it's clear this little clique is still stuck in the junior high school era.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that it only took me one email to find out it's not a group I want to go near

geeesh

How to tell things are bad in the economy

Here in our little village, things are bad with the economy.

On the main drag through town there is a restaurant that a couple of years ago was so busy it had expanded twice. When we drove past it yesterday, we discovered it was all boarded up and out of business.

And another example this morning.

Ever since we moved here eight years ago I've done business with the same tire shop. The guys in there actually recognize me when I walk in.

This morning I went over to have them check out the tires, etc., before I head off to California this weekend.

In times past he would have cheerfully done what I asked and we'd have made an appointment for the fall to have a new pair of tires installed ---- the tires on the back of the van are a 40,000 mile tire that have about 25,000 miles on them, and come fall I plan to replace them.

Not this morning. Today his whole push was to sell me a new pair of tires now --- giving me a 33% discount for the tread left on the tires that are on it.

HUH??

If there is still 33% of the tread on the tire, exactly why would I buy brand new ones today??

like I said, the economy is bad here in our little village

and good news again

As I've been saying, one of the things that was almost as scary as the possiblity of bad lab results was the fear of the hospital bill and the whole "how will I ever pay that" issue.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the young man at the hospital that is in charge of "Patient Benefit Access".

Last week, when I was still in a dither about just getting through the procedure, he had given me a list of documents I needed to bring with me: birth certificate, social security card, bank statement, proof of income, mortgage statement, auto registration. Seems they want you to prove who you are and how much income you have and the value of your property. Just like any government program.

Unlike any other time I've applied for any help, however, this time I was told that I can get assistance.

That little procedure they did last week ---- the hospital billing would have been almost $4800.00. With the assistance, the most the billing will be is about $600.00.

And it will also cover part of the cost of the surgery I'll be having in July.

Will wonders never cease?!

I'm glad that a big chunk of it will be taken care of --- I'll still have to figure out how to get the $600.00 paid, but it will be easier than it would have been.

wherein we discuss why it's good to have your doctor's office on your side

Ok, so last week I went and had the procedure done --- the biopsy and all that, which included an outpatient surgery --- for which my pathetic little "health" insurance will pay 80% of the doctor, 25% of the anestheisiologist, but 0% of the hospital

Yesterday, I had my appointment with the doctor. The test results were wonderful --- there is no cancer, just the fibroids (one the size of a lemon) -- oh yes, and the continued (STILL!) unexplained bleeding.

While I was there she told me about a phone call her office got from the hospital billing folks wanting to know why she had scheduled the procedure when the insurance was not going to cover it. The doctor's office informed them in no uncertain terms that this was NOT an elective surgery.

WHAT? Like I did this FOR FUN!!??

So, I still have to have the hysterectomy (and at my age they'll just remove everything), which I will be doing mid-July.

Tomorrow I will be meeting with a fellow at the hospital that specializes in getting financial assistance for bills in cases like mine.

I'm not hopeful that I will qualify for anything, but I'm willing to try anything that might help.

Meantime, I'm trying not to have absolute panic attacks over just how big that hospital bill is going to be.

The mighty hunter?

Last week when we trimmed the pine tree at the back of the yard we heard the fussing and carrying on of the robins in the higher reaches of the tree.

Seems we have a pair of robins that have appropriated some real estate up there and had some baby robins.

Yesterday morning, the DH let the dog out.

She went tearing across the yard and literally swatted one of the baby robins out of the air as it took a test flight.

He called her in, and the mama robin was right there on the spot.

But later in the afternoon, as we prepared to mow the lawn, we found the little body.

The dog kept going back to the spot, trying to find it again after I picked it up.

At least I didn't have to do what my son-in-law has had to do several times with squirells and their dog. It seems their dog will catch and maim a squirell, then he has to go out and finish it off. They keep a crochet mallet at the ready for this activity. The whole idea gives me the whillies.

Ok, so the house wrens are starting to take exploratory flights --- I think I'll keep the dog in the house --- she just doesn't understand how strong she is.

Waiting to Exhale

What a weird week this has been

Let me begin by saying that I still don't have any results from the biopsy yet ---

should I think that no news is good news?

or should I think that the doctor doesn't want to tell me bad news on the phone?

or is it just that the lab hasn't gotten back to her yet?

And there is this strangeness of good news heaped over the possibility of bad news that has me walking into walls

Yesterday I was notified that both of the beaded pieces I entered in a big contest made the first cut from my photographs and the pieces themselves now go off for the second part of the competition.

This morning in my in box of emails were two other interesting things: an invitation from a Colorado art work agency to submit some of my work for inclusion in their online gallery and a request from a web gallery on art to be interviewed and included in their site.

I'm a little freaked out by the whole timing thing

The sceptical side of me instantly thinks of a lyric from the Tim Rice/Elton John version of Aida --
Is it written in the stars
Are we paying for some crime
Is that all that we are good for
Just a stretch of mortal time
Is this God's experiment
In which we have no say
In which we're given paradise
But only for a day

I'm trying to tell myself that these are the rewards for hard work and consistently trying to put my work out there to get recognized (and hopefully be able to reach a bigger audience)

And I'll also say I'm a little freaked out by the idea of actually succeeding

ok, I think the timing is strange

I'm still a little afraid

and grateful

Thoughts on Blogging

Over at Travelin Oma Marty's been talking about her recurrent bouts of paranoid soul-searching.

Frankly, I'm happy to hear that someone besides me has those!!

So, Marty posted a list of questions about blogging, which I thought was pretty interesting, here are my answers:

What kind of blogs do you like to read? (Infomercial, daily diary, advice, photography, pour-your-heart-out, sarcastic, rants, upbeat . . .) all of those plus any art projects, quilt projects, politics --- basically I'm an eclectic reader

Do you go back and read comments on somebody's post after you've already commented? yes, because I like to see what other people think of what the blogger said and maybe what I've commented

If someone asks a question in a comment, how do you answer them? (In a follow-up comment on your blog, in a follow-up post, in an email . . .) either in a follow up comment or another entire post, only rarely on email

When you link to another blog, do you email that blogger to let them know? usually I post a comment on the post that prompted the link (I'll be commenting on Marty's as soon as I finish this)

If you comment on a blog, and you get no response, do you stop reading that blog? No, but I may wonder why

How do you think of blogging? (Hobby, addiction, learning experience, waste of time . . .) everything but a waste of time, one of my main ways to reach out to the world beyond the little "village" I live in, a way that I record what I'm doing and thinking a sort of electronic diary

Do you feel funny talking about your posts in real life to a reader? No -- doesn't everyone do this?

Do you feel embarrassed or complimented if someone refers to what you've said? complimented, it sort of validates what I've said

If you could read your great-grandmother's experiences on a blog, would you? would that she had even left anything written for me to see!

How do you think reading blogs has helped you? allowing me to see that the more we learn about each other the more we have in common across all of our differences

Do you spend more time reading blogs or writing posts? about the same, my posts are sort of "stream of thought"

Do you comment on blogs you read? Why, or why not? Absolutely, and I always hope that someone will comment on mine, otherwise how do I know anyone is reading?

Thanks Marty, for giving me something to think about today.

To my other readers: want to play along? What do you think about those questions?

Wherein I remember why I was happy to go through "the change"

Ok, so today is the day when I'm going in to have the biopsy done to see what's really going on.

Now days you don't go into the hospital the night before so the nurses (who know what to expect from the various procedures) help you though the whole "getting ready" thing.

Nope, they give you a couple of little plastic baggies at your "pre-op" appointment and you're on your own. (Which makes me wonder how someone that has difficulties with reading and following instructions ever gets through this.)

So, last night I started with the first little baggie which involved taking not one shower, but two. One last night with this "soap"(?) --- and I'll get to do that step again this morning --- as soon as I finish with my morning computer time.

And then at bedtime, baggie number 2, inserting 4 little tablets. See when you go through menopause, the cervix closes up really, really tight, and to do the biopsy, it needs to relax, so these little tablets are supposed to take care of that.

Oh yeah, they neglicted to tell me that it would be like having a full blown period again, complete with cramps. And it pretty much freaked me out when I got up in the middle of the night and there was a lot more blood than I expected.

I can't tell you how glad I'll be to get this procedure over today so I can (maybe) not think about the whole thing for a couple of days ---

or not

geesh

Garden's all in

now that the last of the garden is in (we planted corn in that corner yesterday), we've installed a little fencing

our labrador likes to go and lay on the soft cool dirt after we water, which is not a good thing for the little plants

and I'm really afraid she will do the same thing my daughter's dogs are doing to her corn plants --- eat them as they come up because they taste so good to doggies

it was warm and humid (a rare thing here) as we planted the corn yesterday afternoon

this morning its cold, windy and rainy (wind chill was around 32 degrees this morning --- on the first of JUNE!)

the moisture should be good for the seeds tho', and we're supposed to be back up in the 80's by the weekend

Getting answers?

If you have been reading here for a long time you may remember my talking about struggling with finding where I belong in the whole scheme of being religious.

It's not that I'm an atheist or even an agnostic. I was raised with Christian values. I have been a member of several churches.

No, the struggle has been with squaring up what other people say (ie: "God talks to me and tells me what to do") with my own personal experience of these things.

It has never seemed that simple -- would that it were!

In fact, I have felt for some time that whatever it was I was asking for must not have been the right thing because there either seemed to be no answer or the answer was no.

This week has been odd.

I'm struggling with the medical issues and the big scare factor involved there and the stresses of minimal health insurance and the worries about how I will ever pay all of the bills that will follow.

And I'm not good about asking for help --- physically or emotionally. My life experience has been that I'm the one that must deal with it, and I better just "buck up" and deal.

So, there have been several really odd experiences this week.

For one thing, when my husband had his doctor's appointment on Friday, he talked to her about my issues, and when we were leaving she took my hand and said "it's going to be okay".

A couple of days ago I got an email from a cousin that I have not heard from for about 10 years, full of encouragement and newsy updates on her life --- and I'm not even sure how she got my email address.

Then when someone I have known only a short time found out what was going on she offered to bring us a meal when I need it, and her husband will come and give me a blessing before I have the Wednesday procedure done.

And yesterday I opened my mail box to find a letter from a friend that I have known for 26 years and we are admittedly bad at corresponding except at Christmas, but there it was, a 3 page letter.

Ok.

I'm up for admitting that maybe I just haven't been aware enough before to see the answers.

A while back I asked all of you to say a prayer for me. It seems you've all been doing that, because I'm being surrounded with support and love.

Thank you --- and could you please continue to do so? Even if I get good news after the biopsy, there will still be those pesky medical bills to deal with.

Thanks again to you all.

An update and a diversional rant

Accept in advance my apologies for the rant that follows!

So, I went to the doctors office yesterday and they re-did the ultra sound exam and discovered that there is not one small fibroid, but there are two of them and one of them is about the size of a lime --- all of which translates into "you're going to have to have surgery"

Next Wednesday they will do a proper biopsy -- as in under anesthesia so they can actually get enough tissue to do the biopsy.

And you're thinking, why are they doing that if you already know you'll have to have surgery? Basically to find out if this is just a "simple" surgery that my gyn can do or if there is something more sinister that will require a specialist.

Oh yes, and that insurance that's costing me $250 a month? That's going to pay for 80% of the doctor, 25% of the anesthesia and NOTHING on the hospital itself -- and that's just for the biopsy.

At this point I can't even think about the next surgery and what it's going to cost.

I've been saying for a while here that I wasn't allowed to need anything more than minimal health care for another 7 years when I'll be eligible for Medicare. Turns out I was right in saying I couldn't afford to need it.

The insurance coordinator at the doctor's office gave me all the forms to apply for Medicaid, so this morning I went to the online questionaire to determine eligibility for any benefit in the state.

The only thing I'm eligible for is a reduced rate on a pass into the National Parks (and can I tell you just how THRILLED I am about that!?)

Add to this whole mix the fact that even though I FINALLY got juried into the fine arts area of a show that I've wanted to do for the past 5 years, I'm probably not going to get to do both the show and make the trip to California for my friend's birthday ---- there aren't enough weeks in between to have a surgery and 6 weeks to recover.

oh yeah, it's going to be just a great summer --- or not

In the Garden

Things that we planted a while back are growing!

The little sprouts in the right hand picture are carrots

The other picture is either beets or swiss chard -- we planted both, and while I know which row is which in the garden, in the picture it's impossible to tell which this is since they look just alike at this point

Looks like before long it will be time to thin!

We put in tomatoes

Lots of tomatoes -- about 20 little plants, some of them that we got at the store and some heritage ones that I started from seed

With any luck we'll have tomatoes to eat and tomatoes to can and tomatoes to give to Second Harvest


In a double row along the fence behind the tomato baskets I planted these

These are not the seeds I originally intended to put there, but the ones that I started in pots indoors did not survive the transplanting, so we're trying again.

These can get to be very, VERY, tall plants, so I figured I can tie them to the fence if I need to

We hope to get sunflower seeds to share with our daughter (she has a bird that gets them as a treat sometimes)

See the string on the fence?

That is my bean lattice.

I know some folks prefer to plant bush beans, but I just don't like having to crawl around on the ground to pick them. So I've always tried to grow climbers and run them up some kind of support system.

Since we're planting all along the back fence this year, beans seemed like the right thing to put against it.

We planted yellow wax and green beans, and I only used about half of the seeds. I may run a similar lattice along the side fence and plant beans there too.

(and if all of these do well I'll be learning how to freeze them and maybe pickle them too)

We still have peppers and eggplant and cucumber plants to put in, and squash and corn seeds to plant, but when we got this much done it started raining on us, so we decided to go in the house. Maybe late today we'll be able to get back to it.

Gardening makes me think of my Mammy and Pappy (my mother's parents). When I was a child they had a huge garden. I can remember a lot of summers when a lot of what we ate came out of that garden. One of my favorite pictures of Pappy in his later years was taken of him standing in the corn in his garden.

Mammy was big on poetry. I can remember her quoting it for every occassion (maybe where I got my love for words --- especially the lyrics of meaningful songs). The garden poem (as I thought of it) was "you're nearer to God in the garden than anyplace else on earth". I know now that it was a misquote, but it is still dear to my heart and really is close to what the poet meant.

Just to set the record straight, here's the full poem with the poet's credit and the oft misquoted stanza highlighted. (I have to think somewhere Mammy is smiling about this!)


God's Garden

The Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees
Where the angel of strength was the warden
And the soul of the world found ease.

Dorothy Frances Gurney

Memorial Day

This handsome sailor is my dad

He is a veteran of World War II

He went into the Navy before he finished high school

When my daughter was in college, her major was History, with a specialty in the WWII era.

She kept a copy of this picture in a frame. A lot of her friends wanted to know if they could get introduced to the cute guy.

How cool is that?

A few years ago we took my folks with us to do an art show in Springfield, MO. My dad was sitting in our booth, wearing his WWII Vet baseball cap.

A couple of young men were walking down the street and stopped to talk with him, thanking him for his service.

I can't speak for my dad, but for me just to hear that exchange was an amazing experience.

Just an individual part of what Tom Brokaw calls The Greatest Generation

Bad Neighbors

we have new neighbors down in the cul de sac from our house

I am not thrilled

this is the site that greeted me when I went out to get the newspaper this morning

he's got furniture and boxes on the porch like someone getting evicted -- wood all piled up on the grass --broken down pickup in the driveway -- tools all over the place ---

It looks awful

I'm thinking of sending a copy of this photo to the people that own the house --- and live in another state. They were always such nice neighbors, kept the yard up so nice.

This guy's turning it into a mess --- I hate to think what he's doing inside where no one can see!

the beets go on

see 'em?

The tiny little red and green leaves poking out of the dirt

that is my beet crop!

there are lots and lots of these little gems

and the ground is starting to crack along the line where we planted chard

and I spotted one little carrot sprout

YEAH!!!!

next week we'll be putting in the wax beans and some other stuff ---- neat

oh yeah, that head line? from an old Sonny and Cher song

"...The beat goes on, the beat goes on. Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain. La de da de dee, la de da de da..."

ok, so now I'm off for 3 days to do an art show (particulars here if you want to come and visit!)

working in the fog

woke up this morning and I could swear we must have slept through the summer and we're somehow back in winter again

or maybe it's just that I'm feeling like summer will never get here! (or even spring!!)

After another weekend of cool grayness, this morning it's foggy again --- bleah!

Of course the next weekend is supposedly going to be the first nice weekend we've had in ages, which I hope means there will be people at the art show we'll be doing (the first one of the summer --- meaning tents to be put up and dealing with whatever the weather is for three days)


So just excuse me while I wander off mumbling.......

Happy Mother's Day!

Isn't my kid sweet ---- such a cute card!

Well, we have this mutual admiration society thing going on --- I'm one of her biggest fans and she's one of mine.

Hope all of you mom's have a great day!

and all of you women that are not mom's, it's your day too for the example you set for the children of others.

Enjoy!

Rant Redux

So, I got to see the new doctor yesterday.

Now I guess I know why the other doctor's office was so reluctant to return phone calls or talk to me about anything.

Seems the two tests that they did were so poorly done that I'm basically back to square one!

The doctor failed (after TWO attempts in the office) to get enough tissue to do a proper biopsy. This was a painful "digging around" procedure, done totally without any kind of prep on my part (physical or mental).

And the ultrasound technician was so inept that they even failed to get a picture of one of the ovaries --- don't you think they would have noticed while they were doing it!?

The fact that these procedures were painful and in the case of the ultrasound, humiliating because of the way it was handled, I am not happy that the hack job shop masquerading as a medical facility that performed them will get any money from my insurance company.

In fact, I have decided to write a letter of protest to them and copy our state medical board.

So, yesterday, the new doctor, with copies of the reports in hand (such as they were) walked me through what they said --- and didn't say. She explained what she would be looking for and why it was important to check things out (for instance, one of the things that can cause the post menopausal bleeding is cancer, or something that can turn into cancer, in which case we want to deal with it pronto).

She spent an entire HOUR answering my questions, reasurring me and yes, drawing pictures!!

The end result of this appointment is that in a couple of weeks I'll go back to her office and they will redo the ultra sound --- right there in the office, with a female technician that has been doing this for 20 years and only does ultra sounds on WOMEN ---- I'm guessing she'll know there should be two ovaries in the pictures. At the end of the appointment for the ultra sound, I'll see the doctor --- yes, ON THE SAME DAY! and she'll explain what the pictures from the ultra sound show -- and let me see them.

Then, in the first week of June she'll do a procedure that will take a look inside and remove any polyps, etc. and a proper tissue sample will be sent to the lab (which I will know the results of within 48 hours --- from the doctor, not some office clerk!)

And where will this be done? Not in the office. In the hospital as an outpatient procedure. After I've had time to get a couple of medications that I take daily out of my system so they don't interfere with the test or put me at risk of excessive bleeding. And who will do it? The doctor herself --- no passing me off to yet another butcher for his share of the monetary pie ---

I'm still a little nervous about the whole issue, but reassured that even if the lab results come back with something unpleasant, it's something fixable.

I slept better last night than I had in a while

Ok, now it's time to go write that letter!

An update --- sort of -- and a rant

Back the end of April I posted here about the medical issues I've been having.

I can report that after repeated phone calls regarding results, questions, etc., I have decided to take my medical records to a different doctor --- the whole trust issue with something this important just can't be handled any other way (to my mind, anyway)

So, today I get to go do battle with the office to get my medical records send to the new office, and tomorrow afternoon I get to talk with the new (highly recommended by the women in the office of my general practice doctor) gyn.

Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this issue --- hopefully the answer won't involve something that messes up my whole schedule of shows for the summer.

Meantime, I've been mumbling for a while about artistic competitions.

Be it performance art or the sort of art I do, there seems to be a thread of commonality --- if you've already done something, you get to do more --- if you've never gotten to do something, it's almost impossible to get to do it.

Take beadwork competitions for example. Everybody in the beading world knows the names Sherry Serafini or Heidi Kummli or Margie Deeb. So if you enter a competition and they're in it too, you can just about bet that one of them is going to win.

And in performance art there is the same issue --- if you've already had a lead part in something and the people holding the audition know you or know your teacher you're a sure bet.

So my question for the day is: how do you get known if no one will give you a chance?

just sayin'

Gardening progress

This little item is an instrument of torture!

It's a dandelion digger --- a brand shiny new one --- or at least it was all shiny before I spent some considerable time working in the back yard yesterday.

The neighbor up the street evidently thinks that yards are SUPPOSED to be covered with fuzzy yellow flowers, which means the seeds are "blowin' in the wind" all over the neighborhood.

This is NOT, however, my ideal lawn, and while chemicals may seem like the way to go, they are price-y (remember, we're in the post squirell budget month), and I'm not real wild about what they do to the environment.

So --- diggers up --- and away we go

I pretty much filled up a 5 gallon bucket with what I dug up


Yesterday's work outdoors also included planting the "low crops" section of the garden.

The tilling had been completed last week, so the soil was all prepared to receive the carrots and beets and swiss chard seeds.

I had not planted any of these things from seed before. Carrot seeds are teeny, tiny, tiny little seeds and there were bunches of them in the packet (which is packaged by weight).

Beet and chard seeds both look like little goat's head thistles, only not so prickly.

So now we're on "growth patrol" --- by about next Wednesday there should be some sign of green things (other than weeds!) growing out there --- Yippee!

The sunflower seeds that we had started in the little pots got planted too, now the trick is to keep the labrador off them until they get tall enough for her to realize they are there.

I can tell you that a winter of working at the computer and in the studio did not put me in shape for all that stoop labor, however. I have some sore muscles in places that surprised me, and going upstairs is a bit painful (ouch, oooch, ow!)

The squash and pumpkins need to be moved into larger pots, so I'll probably be working on that today (it's too early to put those in the ground here, just yet).

Onward and upward!!

An unusual request

During the time that I've been blogging I've ask folks to pray for my dad and my mom and my husband and my daugher. I've added my prayers to those of others in the blog world for like causes.

Certainly I never thought I'd been asking for myself.

Since I'm taking this (what seems to me, drastic) step, I feel I should explain.

As a woman of "that age", I had gone through "the change" almost 5 years ago.

I'm the only woman of my family to do this "the old fashioned way" as every other female member of the clan had done this with surgery at some point in their lives (before they got to the age I am), so certainly I have no guide book here (Ok, I guess I'm writing one for my daughter!)

However, about a month ago, I began having episodes of bleeding again.

A trip to the doctor revealed a normal pap smear, and a biopsy done in the office showed "nothing remarkable" (really, that was the comment on the lab result!).

The ultra sound (a whole other experience to be ranted about another time) revealed that I have a small fibroid tumor which is "not of concern" and supposedly is not the cause of the bleeding.

Now the doctor wants to do a D&C, which my reading tells me is not really helpful to treat post menopausal bleeding.

Part of my issue here is that I don't have a really trusting relationship with this doctor --- it's okay in terms of being able to go for that yearly exam, but I'm feeling really out here by myself just now.

I'm really not good at asking for help for anything, even when (in looking back) I should, but this thing, frankly, scares me.

So if you all could say a little word for me to have understanding and guidance and make proper choices, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks to you all.

Squirells final destiny and screen doors

Yesterday, after 3 days of there being no more squirells in the traps, the pest control guy came and made the roof repair.

The traps have been removed from the roof, the sturdy double layer of hardware cloth (which is really heavy wire screening) has been installed to keep any future squirells from moving in.

This residence has been officially "Red Tagged" for squirell habitation!!

The picture here is of Douglas County, the county to the North of us, which is where the pest control guy took those squirells and dropped them off ---- in a much ritzier zip code!!

Yippee!!

And today was the day of the screen door repair.

Last week, on one of the warm days, I went out onto the patio, leaving the glass door open and closing the screen.

The big black lab that lives here didn't see me go, and when she realized I was out and she was in, she came running.

I'm impressed that 80 pounds of lab hitting the screen did not tear the screen --- but it did pop the door off the tracks entirely and sent it flying.

But then we couldn't get it back onto the rails. I called the company that installed it -- after all, it's supposed to be guaranteed.

They came this morning and put it back on the rails --- and repaired the latch so it works again.

All at no charge (which was great after I wrote that $500.00 check to the pest control guy!!)

ok, I'm hoping now that we are done with house issues for a while and can get back to something resembling normal!!

Further Squirell Control

When we arrived home yesterday afternoon, there was a fox in the front yard of the house next door having squirell for lunch (raw on the half shell, no doubt)

mmmmmmm, tasty!

I don't think the pest control company arranged for this, it's just the natural progression of the food chain

The report from the pest control company is that so far they have trapped 3 adult squirells and 4 juveniles --- yeah team!!!

It was cool and rainy here too from the time we got home, and I haven't heard any chasing in the ceiling, so I think we're getting close to having the problem solved.

squirell update and gardening in process

As we discussed earlier, the squirells are being evicted.

There are two of these humane traps on the roof, and the pest control guy comes by once or twice a day to take the occupants.

I've seen 4 squirells in the traps.

Sorry guys, we just can't have you chewing on the drywall and the rafters and the electrical wiring!! (I hear that they will literally chew right through the drywall into the living areas, and we're all for wild life, just not sharing our living space!!)

The garden is growing!!

Those really tall little seedlings are sunflowers, and we'll be putting them in the ground next week.

Meantime, this weekend we're off to build a deck (or at least the foundation and frame for one) with our daughter

Updates on that project next week!!

aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln....

Before you say "isn't he cute", let me tell you, we are not amused

"Why?" you ask

Because it's going to cost us a hefty sum to get these "cuties" out of our rafters.

Last weekend during the heavy wet snow storm we could hear scurrying in the ceiling. Since there has been a lot of construction going on in the back field, we suspected the local field mice had come looking for a nice dry home.

Then we saw several juvenile squirells sitting on the edge of the roof.

Enough! I called the local pest control guy.

Seems that even though the house is sided with vinyl, which they can not climb, they can climb brick, and the found a place right where the house and the garage meet to burrow under the roof shingle and chew their way in.

The pest control guy was here at 7:30 a.m. By 8:00 he had set the traps and left. He'll be back every day to check the traps. I don't even have to be here when he does.

It will take about 10 days of trap minding to make sure all of them are out. Then he'll repair the spot so they can't get back in --- there at least. He guarantees his work. He'd better, it's costing us $500!

On the up side, a major remodel inside if we don't get rid of them (not to mention the whole health issue) would be much more costly.

Guess we'll be eating a lot of chicken wings and beans this month.

And while this is upsetting, I'm brought straight to the fact that things could be a lot worse. Yesterday while I was reading one of the blogs I visit at least once a week, I learned that Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting lost her husband on Saturday. I'm stunned and saddened --- she has young children.

All this reminds me of something my grandmother had posted above her desk --- "I used to complain because I had no shoes, until I met a man that had no feet"

We're praying for Kay and her family.

Britian's Talent Wows Us Again

Let me begin by saying I do not watch American Idol

I do not like the whole "phoniness" of it, or the way the "judges" brutalize and publicly humiliate the contestants


I can't speak to how that's done on the whole on the "Britian's Got Talent" show, because the only clips of it I have ever watched are the ones where the singers are great (remember Paul Potts?)

Anyway, the latest "phenom" is a 47 year old unemployed single woman singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. If you haven't heard this clip yet, you can access it here.

Listen closely to her sing --- listen to the lyric

(see Simon get knocked out of his chair!)

I hope she wins it all!!

Tuesday Afternoon

There's this commercial has been making me nuts the whole time it's been playing.

It's for VISA and it want's you to use your VISA card to take your daughter to the aquarium on a (what else) Tuesday afternoon.

[If you haven't seen the ad on TV, you can see it here]

In fact, it wasn't until I was talking to my sister about the affect this thing has had on me that she did the "google" thing and told me what the thing was for.

So what's the deal, you ask?

It's the MUSIC!!!

The song is a 1967 piece by The Moody Blues.

I first became acquainted with the group when I was in high school, and a very close friend gave me the album this piece of music is on (it's called Days of Future Passed). I love the Moody Blues, I have many, many of their albums (on VINYL!!)

The problem?

I've lost track of the friend that gave me the album. The last time I saw her was in the 1970s, after which she and her husband split up, I think she married again, but I haven't been able to find either of them or her boys. It's frustrating.

And I'm wondering, every time they run that commercial, if somewhere she's seeing it and wondering where I am too.

Where are you Cathy?

Happy Easter!

The weather here in my little corner of the world is raining -- we're glad to have the moisture

Just thought I'd share this photo of a beaded piece I did a couple of years ago --- the Easter Lily is on one side --- the other side has the cyrillic letters for "Christ Is Risen"

Have a Happy Easter!

Loosing it

Recently a comment on this blog reminded me that getting older isn't for sissies.

There was a time in my life that if you asked me where something that I owned was that I could tell you in such detail that you could walk right to it.

I can't do that any more

Maybe it's the aging process

or the fact that we've moved so many times

or maybe we just have too much stuff

So, what's the potato peeler about?

Well, I usually don't do a lot of the cooking here in our little hut --- the DH is ever so much better at it, and since I take care of keeping the kitchen clean and doing the laundry and keeping track of the dog (for the most part), the cooking is his normal "chore".

Except about 3 weeks ago he had a little accident with the circular saw and tore up a finger on his left hand and I've been trying to keep us alive with my feeble cooking skills ever since (I did get a "reprieve" when my daughter and her husband came to visit for a weekend and HE did some cooking for me).

Anyway, the other night we wanted to do mashed potatoes.

We have a couple of those other style potato peelers, but I really don't like them and several years ago I bought a really nice OXO peeler.

Trouble was, I can't find it.

I emptied all three of the "gadget" drawers in the kitchen. The DH even emptied the one we used to always keep my peeler in.

I looked through all the crocks of gadgets on the counter.

The peeler has gone AWOL

Let me tell you the frustration level was intense

Amid much grumbling, I used the old metal one so we could have dinner.

Yesterday I bought the pictured "replacement" --- it's not as nice as the OXO one was, but it's better than the metal one and it only cost $1.50.

Now I suppose I should tie a string to it and hang it around my neck

or I'll put it in the drawer and the other one will suddenly reappear

Yup, getting older is definately not for sissies

Why it's hard to make a living as an artist

This picture was in the USA Today yesterday

It's a collar style necklace. They were talking about the great "look" this is.

I like that part --- get people excited about the kind of art jewelry that I make

Except for one little thing

This piece is being made somewhere out of the U.S. (by someone that will work for a nickle an hour) and they are selling it for $48.00!!!!

Any piece that I make with my own two little hands (or as I tell folks some days "THESE TEN FINGERS!") that is anywhere near this size has probably got $48.00 worth of materials in it, not to mention the hours and hours it takes me to create it.

just sayin'

"I'm in a ditch"

Those are words to make a mother's heart skip a beat when spoken over the phone from your daughter.

And she said them so calmly --- almost with a little laugh ----

all I can say is thank goodness for cell phones and for her having a great husband and good friends to come to her rescue

For those of you who live where it doesn't snow, we are in the middle of pretty typical weather for spring in the mountains.

On Wednesday it was beautiful, clear, warm.

Yesterday a big, cold storm blew in and dumped a lot of snow --- the operative word being BLEW!

My daughter (who lives at the other end of the state) had to go to work, but at 10:30 she headed for home. As she often does, she called me and we chatted briefly when she left work, telling me that she was headed out and would let me know when she got home.

Half an hour later, I got the call -- I answered the phone and said "are you home?"

That's when I heard "no, I'm in a ditch!"

Seems the road conditions and people around her driving crazy had combined in a bad way and she slid off the road into the ditch rather than being hit in the rear end --- a better situation to my mind.

Several hours later, after spending some time at a co-worker's house and having a good friend help her and her husband haul the car out of the ditch, she finally got home.

She's alright.

The car is alright.

Tomorrow it will be in the 50s and the snow will all melt away like it was never here.

geesh!

Can we skip this month?

I have decided that I do not like the month of March.

Now that the sun is shining more, it's warmer than it was, the daffodils are coming up -- and I'm in a funk

oh yes, did I mention, my birthday is in a couple of weeks

I have a love/hate relationship with my birthday

They're fun when there is cake (chocolate!) and perhaps a present or two involved

They're also a reminder that I'm another year older

The counting isn't the issue --- it's the lack of accomplishing that is

It's like reading other people's blogs --- I love hearing about other places --- but wish I could go there too

{sigh}

Why we hate the beginning of D.S.T.

for those of you who sail through this annual torture known as "springing forward", I say "good on ya"

I for one wish we could just set the clocks somewhere (ANYWHERE!) and just leave them alone

Seriously, this whole Daylight Savings Time thing makes me crazy --- I love having more sunlight in the evening -- that's a totally cool deal as far as I'm concerned

But the adjusting is messing with my routine --- I mean by the time I get through the emails and all the other things I do every morning on my computer (checking bank balances, etc.), here it is after 10:00! and there's been no breakfast yet, and then it will mess up the eating schedule for the rest of the day, as in "oh, it's 6 pm and we haven't even begun to think about starting dinner"

This morning at 7:30 (!) the dog decided it was time she was up and greeted me with loud squeeking of one of her toys. A week ago this would be 6:30, which would have given me a whole hour more to get everything done at my desk before moving on to upstairs projects

geesh ----

never mind, we'll adjust in a week or so --- I hope

Photographic Schizophrenia

Sounds like a scary disease!

Let me explain.

When I apply to art shows with my jewelry, I must go through a jurying process.

To do jurying you are required to submit photos.

To get through a jury, those photos must be of only one object, with a plain background and tightly focused on the object so the details of the work show.

I'm getting pretty good at taking those photos.

Like these, for example.



I have noticed, however, that a lot of the pictures that are now appearing on places like Etsy have been "fru frued" --- that is they are are "busy" backgrounds, or they include things in the picture that do not come with the object for sale.

Hence the schizophrenia ---

I'm wondering if my sales would be better if I did THAT kind of photos to put out on Etsy.

For instance, this photo.

It's clear, nicely cropped so that you see the details of the bear.

It would be a great shot for a jury photo.

But is it a good one to advertise Miss Cupcake is for sale?

Would it be better if I had a glass cake plate to sit her on? Or some other assorted props, even though those are not part of the deal when she is sold.

I'm confused, and frankly, don't know which is better.

My old fashioned eyes tell my brain that I should apply the K.I.S.S. principle, but I'm not sure that still works in today's advertising.

What do you think?

Struggling with "why bother"

The economy has had an impact on most every one (except perhaps for those ubber rich folks that are only worrying about maybe having to pay their fair share of taxes with the rest of the folks!)

One of the things that I'm struggling with just now is the impact a really down economy has on the one place I have been able to make a little money.

Let me explain.

This is the time of year that we apply to shows.

Today, I was online trying to find the application for a show that we have done in the past that was pretty reasonable to do and had a educated clientele (ie they know that artists can't work for a nickle an hour) that liked my pieces.

Not only is there no application for the show, their entire website is gone --- folded their tent in the night and just disappeared

This is the second show this year that we had done before and planned to do this year that no longer exists

We had applied to a show in Iowa, but this week received the "thanks, but no thanks" letter

The inability to find shows to take my jewelry to is really frustrating. I enjoy making the pieces, playing with the beads, working with the stones. But without a market for them it becomes more difficult to get excited about starting new stuff.

As I said, it's the "why bother" issue

Some good news!

Our local grocery store did a free health screening thing yesterday.

I was all prepared to have it be like the big health fair I go to in late April, where you stand in line practically all morning and then you have to wait for a month to get the results.

What a pleasant surprise when I walked in and there were only 4 folks ahead of me and I was told I would have my results on the spot!!

So, aside from the total lack of hassel, I was pleased to be told that the medication for my cholesterol is working!!

All of the "bad" cholesterol numbers had dropped a lot.

Now if someone could just tell me what I need to do to make the "good" cholesterol number go up, I would be a very happy camper.

Oh yeah, the fasting glucose number was real good too

Yippee ---- happy (virtual) cartwheels being turned here!!

I'm not a twit(ter)

Ok, I'm listening to the news and all the talking about twitter

Let me say here that while I consider myself pretty savvy about technology for an old broad, I do not Twitter

I also do not do text messaging on my cell phone

It's not that I think I couldn't

With the phone it's more a thing of no one I ever talk to on the phone (except my daughter) does texting either, so I can't justify the extra fee each month to have texting enabled on my phone. (Guess this shows a deplorable lack of techie friends)

As for twitter--

Let's say first that my computer is in the basement, and I go there every morning first thing and spend a couple of hours or so reading email and blogs and downloading any orders to be filled, etc.

After that, I go upstairs and I work on other things --- like sewing and beading and drawing and knitting --- well, you get the idea

So that whole idea of being right where the computer is and "tweeting" to people all day long is pretty strange, at least from the logistical point of it

I'm guessing this little piece of technology is just going to have to go on it's merry little way without my participation!

Music to my ears

I watched the president's speech last night.

This is a new experience for me. During the past 8 years I was interested in what was happening, but I couldn't stand to listen to the butchering of the English language and the outright lies that every presidential address was.

And during the times before that, frankly I was busy trying to juggle full time jobs and running a small business and being a good parent and was just too exhausted most of the time to pay attention.

Last night the president was back in his campaign style uplifting mode for the most part.

And for me, here is the line that gave me a real thrill:

"But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and our conscience long enough. So let there be no doubt: Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."

And the oddest couple in the Senate, Orin Hatch and Ted Kennedy will be the standard bearers for this legislation.

And NEXT WEEK(!) the discussions begin.

I'm at odds with some other things that are still going on, but I have hope that part of the country's biggest nightmare (and, yes, my own) will at least have someone seriously working on it.

yes, it's music to my ears

About to become a statistic?

So it would seem.

I recently was notified that my current health insurance plan is probably going to be eliminating individual coverage in my area.

So I applied for another plan, and was turned down because as a woman of my age I take medication for a couple of health issues. Seems I don't fit their "insurable profile".

Programs for the folks that fit my age and "health issues" are available, but we're talking something with a $10,000 deductable and a $500 plus per month premium.

I don't qualify for Medicaid, I'm too young for Medicare

If my current insurance company truly does cut individual coverage here, I will be joining the millions that have no insurance, which means if I should have some serious medical problem, it's just going to be "too bad for you"

health care reform can't come fast enough

Official Dog Duties

It's been pretty nice the last couple of days (after a Saturday full of fog and cold) such is the joy of living in the mountains!

Our dog has assigned herself to an official duty.

Every morning after breakfast, she and the DH take the bucket from the kitchen out to the compost bin (she'll sit at the back door and wait for him to come from the kitchen with it).

Later in the day she'll go out from time to time and make sure no squirrels are helping themselves to any "tasty treats" that she can't get to.

It's good for a labrador to be busy -- it keeps them out of trouble!

Snow and Seeds

It snowed last night.

We were only supposed to get a "dusting" but it was more than that.

The last little snow wasn't enough to even shovel, but this one was.

You just can't ever tell how much snow you'll get!

The seeds arrived yesterday.

Mmmmmmmm, garden on the hoof, so to speak, and by extension, lots of good fresh veggie meals toward the end of summer and hopefully enough tomatoes to can.

The plain white packages at the right are the Burpee seeds --- all very business like and such, but the other ones are from Baker Creek, and the packages are a lot more interesting and colorful.

I ordered two more seed catalogs this week --- blame it on Martha Stewart and the show she had earlier in the week talking about gardens --- even if we don't order from them this year, they will be a good resource for next.

Making hay while the sun shines

We live in an area that gets snow, and we're in snow season right now, but for the last week or so it's been pretty nice -- no snow, so warm in fact, that even in the back yard that never sees the sun, almost all the snow is melted.

We decided to take advantage of the brief week of spring-like weather and do some garden preparation

Last fall, before the first snow, the DH built the wood frame for our compost "heap".

Originally we were just going to use an area along the back fence where we could start with a hole and work from there, but we have a dog.

A big, black lab that thinks anything that ever passed through the kitchen in any form should be eaten

(why is it that dogs have a very keen sense of smell, but they'll eat anything --- leading to many a dietary indiscretion!)

but I digress

Shortly after the wood frame was built, the weather got too cold to even paint it, so it had been sitting on the back patio with a blue tarp over it since.

This week, it was warm enough. So the DH put a coat of paint on all of the wood surfaces (something not really required, but it does extend the life of the wood, especially when it's outdoors).

Then yesterday we wrapped the chicken wire around the outside, fastened it all down with heavy duty staples and carried it out to it's assigned spot in the yard.

This morning I put in the first deposit -- coffee grounds, orange peel and the remains of some strawberries that had been ignored long enough in the fridge to begin the transformation into some sort of alcholic beverage -- the dog is still trying to figure out how to get to it --- pacing around the pen, sniffing, looking longingly at those "goodies"

Mission Accomplished!!

and just in time --- tomorrow we're supposed to get a boat load of snow

I can't take it any more

the hate mail that is

All during the election my inbox was filled with nasty, lie filled hate mail about our new president ---- from people who are either "distant" relatives or supposedly friends

During the last 4 or 5 years I have become something of a political junkie. When we lived in California my views were considered to be middle of the road to nearly conservative. Now that I live in Colorado, I'm considered to be a flaming liberal --- and my views have not changed.

This morning I went through my email and found yet another one of those nasty emails -- I snapped --- I sent back a one line reply -- "please don't send me any more of this hate mail"

the letter in question came from a cousin of my mother's, and I'm risking family feuds, but I just don't want to hear it any more

we need to stop the way business has been done with hate speach and spreading of lies and move on to working together to fix the truly horrible mess our country is in

we need safe roads and bridges
we need new renewable power sources
we need responsible health care

so much to do and so much is being wasted on just being mean

geeesh!

no, what do I REALLY think

about health care in this country, that is

On this blog have been some of my larger "rants" on this subject, and I have to say, this may not be one of them, but I just need to "get it out"

It's been a loooonnnngggg week

My dad was supposed to get a biopsy done this week on a "swelling" around his voice box. Turns out the specialist had actually wanted him to have this done back in October, but neglected to clearly communicate that information to my parents at the time.

Then, when the specialist sent his little report to their "primary care" doctor, it just went into the file, and the primary care doctor never asked them if the biopsy had been taken care of either.

Oh yes, and the biopsy didn't get done this week either because my dad is in the hospital with pneumonia, and now they want to wait until he recovers from that.

And then there is the medication issue.

A while back the doctor prescribed a medication for my dad to aid in his digestion (since his last cancer surgery he has had issues with this). Problem is, the medication they prescribed induces Parkinsonian-like symptoms, that can become permanent if you stay on the medication.

So, one of the doctors told my parents that there is a medication that does everything BUT the side effects. But it's not available in the U.S. After several MONTHS of dealing with the Canadian pharamacy and trying to get an acceptable prescription from the doctor, my sister recently discovered that the "no side effects" medicine is available in Great Britian --- OVER THE COUNTER!!!!!

Insert appropriate swearing here!!!

I've said it before, and I'll keep on saying it until it gets fixed --- the health care system is seriously broken --- it has nothing to do with health OR care ---- it's all about how much money the drug companies and the insurance companies can make.

It crossed my mind Tuesday as I watched them wheel Teddy Kennedy out on a stretcher that fixing health care has been his life work, and he's hanging on to get a real reform passed and to a president that will sign it.

We better all hope it happens.

Not their day to die

This post could be sub-titled "or, why I refuse to fly", but that is not my real point to this post.

My grandmother used to say that each of us has a certain appointed number of days here.

I'm not so sure I believe that --- too fatalistic for my experience, and I believe in free agency which gives us choices and chances to impact what happens in our lives.

But I also believe that every choice and decision we make impacts every choice and decision we get to make (or must make) thereafter.

I find it really interesting how the pictures from this plane ditching in the Hudson make it look like the people are all walking on the water, just waiting for those ferry boats to come by the stop and pick them up.

And actually, it seems like the guy that could almost walk on water was the pilot. By all reports, there just couldn't have been a better guy in the pilot's seat to handle this situation. I think he deserves whatever the highest civilian award for bravery and service there is.

Whatever choices, decisions or fates were involved with this group, it just wasn't their day to die.

It gives us a view of what a real hero looks like --- a pilot "doing his job", and ferry boat captains and passengers suddenly finding themselves "in the fray", making that decision to go toward the danger and help save another person's life.

What would I have done?

What would you?

Blogging --- am I doing it right?

Almost every day that I'm on my computer I check out a favorite blog or two (and I have a LOOOOONG list of "favorites" bookmarked -- some of you know who you are!).

Some days some of my favorites have posted, and some days not --- sort of like the way that I post (when the spirit moves me)

What puzzles me most are the ones that seem to look different every time I see them, like the writer has an unending fount of templates to use.

I'm thinking about what Marshall McLuhan said "the medium is the message"

I guess it's all about what your blog is to you. Since I think of mine as a sort of on line journal, I think that explains why the template doesn't change much --- from me it's about what I have to say (or babble about)

just sayin'

mumbling

This post should be subtitled "I really don't like change unless it's my idea"

For the past 6 months I have been part of a local quilt group.

It was fun.

Once a month we'd get together, show off whatever we'd been working on, stitch a bit, talk a bit, and have lunch (potluck)

Now there's been a change in the routine

It seems that there were several of the ladies that want to do "classes" -- ie: teaching each other techniques

Ok, I guess I'm outa here

Why? you ask?

#1 -- every class they have planned for the entire year involves piecing -- a fine technique, wonderful in fact if you're wanting to whip up a quick quilt top on the machine -- it's just not what I'm doing right now

#2 -- because I'm working on applique art quilts right now, doing the classes would mean I'd have to go and BUY materials to do them, and then I'd have to figure out what to do with whatever gets done in class -- also not what I had in mind doing right now --

{sigh}

just when I was having fun

Unabashedly stolen

Over at Kay's Thinking Cap she posted a list of things she's done.

Since she invited folks to do so, I stole her list and made it mine.

The stuff I've done is in RED

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to a charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown my own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill. (Ok, it was a "Mental Health" day!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (in the winter I do this a lot!)
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (accidentally)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (several, actually)
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (they wanted to hire a relative).
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Ridden an elephant

Ok, a lot of the things I haven't done involve traveling -- as on a airplane -- which is not likely to happen folks!!

Interesting to review, though

What does YOUR list look like?

thinking about Spring

It's January

Right now it's not so cold that we have frost on the tree -- in fact what we do have is brown snow

Last weekend we had snow, and since our back yard faces north, the snow takes a long time to melt from there

and since there is construction going on in the field right behind us, the 50 mph winds we've had for a couple of days has turned what's left of the snow and ugly, dirty looking brown

I wish it would either finish melting or we'd get new snow (I can't believe I said I wanted snow!)




All of which has me thinking about Spring --

and Summer --

and gardens

Have you ever noticed how the seed catalogs start to arrive right after New Year's?

I'm thinking I'm not the only one that needs a bit of a lift and there's nothing quite so uplifting as thinking about eating yummy stuff right out of my own yard

We got some new catalogs this year -- my favorite being the one that came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds --- the art work is adorable, the seed prices are reasonable and they have seeds for some plants I remember from my childhood and you can't get anywhere locally

We've worked up a list of what we're going to order, and soon we'll be going out and measuring the space then working up drawings of what will get planted where

Funny, we've lived in this house now for 7 years (the longest I've lived in one place since I left my parent's), but last summer was the first year we actually did serious gardening. I guess we're finally "here".

The DH has built me a frame to use for compost -- I need to paint it then we can put on the chicken wire to keep the labrador from digging in it for those tasty morsels -- you know, egg shells and coffee grounds and apple peel or potato peel -- the joys of gardening with a big black dog

Seed catalogs are our reminder that Spring is coming!

The Ghost of Christmas Past

When I was a child my grandmother would set up a snow village on top of the piano.

She would put down a layer of batting and set up the little houses and trees.

Back early in December I was talking to my mother about decorating for Christmas.

My folks don't decorate anymore, not even a tiny little tree, and she was asking me if there were some of the things that I wanted.

I told her that someday I'd like to have the snow village that my grandmother used to set up.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened one of the boxes from my mother to find these little cardboard houses inside.

These are the ones! I don't know how old they are, though I remember them from the late 1950s and I doubt they were new then. Each one has the opening in the back for the old style Christmas lights.

We're getting ready to take our Christmas stuff down now, but next year I want to get a string of small LED lights to put inside these.

Yes, it's definately the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Almost 12 Days of Christmas

I know, you're all tired of the 12 days of Christmas.

In fact, most places have gotten past Christmas, past New Year's and are already thinking about Valentine's day.

A lot of folks think of the 12 days of Christmas being the 12 days BEFORE the 25th of December. Actually it's traditionally the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany which is January 6th and is the day celebrated as when the Magi arrived.

We leave our tree up and light it until January 6.

And in recent years as our children have gotten older and have their own lives, as do my sister and her husband, sometimes the Christmas get together actually occurs with them closer to Epiphany than Christmas.

We had our family gathering at my folks house on Saturday. These gatherings usually include presents and food and a good deal of chaos -- Eight adults in a small space, everyone talking at once plus the usual mess of wrapping paper, boxes and ribbon from the unwrapping.

My sister was obviously reading my wish list this year. These were the presents I got to unwrap:

A box of pins!

Ok, you may not get how great this is, but these are an essential (and time saving) item for quilting projects.

And since I've had at least one quilt project and usually more going for quite a while, this will keep me happily moving along on those for this year


Off of her knitting needles to my hands -- lovely mitts to keep my wrists and hands warm while allowing me to write, sew, knit, draw or even type!

She had made me a pair of these last year (in bright red) and now I have a pair to wear and a pair to wash --- a wonderful thing!!!

I really love this heather-y blue yarn


There was also a package of Christmas blend coffee -- yummy --- sorry no pictures, I couldn't wait to open it and so I'm enjoying a cup-a, as I write this morning





and this book

I had read on someone else's blog (sorry, I can't remember who) about this book back when it came out in the fall and I really wanted to read it

It's great

One of the things in the first chapter talks about how long and cold and dark the month of January is and what you can do to "winterize" your mind.

I'm trying to put into practice 2 of the things

1) seeing the sunrise and the sunset every day and enjoying every precious minute of daylight

and

2) repairing something with my hands -- sew it, glue it, Fix It! I'll be mending a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts today

Sometimes when we have this family gathering I learn something new.

To say that my dad is not a great communicator would be a major understatement. So I was really amazed to hear him say how pleased he is that my sister and I are not only sisters, but have learned to be friends as well.

I know he's been hearing horror stories from one of his neighbors about one brother stealing from the other, and perhaps that is what put this on his mind.

But, yes, given that we are about as different in most ways as two sisters can be; that for most of our adult lives we've lived too far apart to even see each other for years at a time, we are friends.

So, I choose to start the new year instead of making resolutions that I probably wouldn't keep just to say how grateful I am to have a sister that is my friend ---

For all the gifts and all the times you've pulled my butt out of the fire --- thanks sis!