Lazy Days and Sundays

Boat Pageant at the Cultural Center

2012-01-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I would like to share some short videos taken at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the island of Oahu. More information about what is in these videos can be found here on the page of the website that describes the six islands depicted throughout the Center. The islands include those islands of Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga. Each name represents multiple islands of that culture.

This tour was over 12 hours long from hotel to the Center, through all the activities, a Polynesian buffet, an evening show called Ha, the Breath of Life and the return trip to our hotel. I began to run out of room on my camera's card and was depleting the batteries too so I didn't get as much photographed as intended. These clips were taken during the boat pageant. Between camera issues and crowds of people, I didn't film the boats from Hawaii or Tahiti.

Some of the things that surprised my friend Lynn and I the most were how strenuous these dances were, especially the men slapping their chests and thighs. Some of the groups were very loud and facial expressions weren't always what we would consider friendly. There was only so much time for explanation at each "village" where some things were explained but that was before the pageant so these particular questions didn't arise. Then again, some things were undoubtedly explained and I've forgotten them while trying to stay out of the sun (how could I have left the sunscreen at the hotel?!!), baby a blister on my foot and worry about my camera's batteries and card? Let's just say that none of the four of us admit to sleeping on the hour's ride back to the hotel, but we don't remember any details of the ride either.

Some of the chants and music are quite loud so you may want to turn your speakers down before clicking on the clips.

Dancers from FijiFrom SamoaFrom Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand)
From Tonga

I hope these clips play successfully. I haven't used YouTube for personal videos before and have the album set as private. Let me know if you can't see the images and I will make adjustments. Tomorrow I will end this travelogue with photos of orchids....lots of them.

Hilo had me quaking

2012-01-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

The day before visiting Kona, the cruise ship harbored on the other side of the Big Island and we visited Hilo. The guide told us we were lucky to have clear weather as Hilo is the wettest of American cities and had experienced a lot of rain the previous week.

The excursion here took us to see craters, steam holes and through a lava tube. I had never heard of a lava tube before this. It is basically a cave through which lava flows.

These photos were taken at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The Halemaʻumaʻu crater is a pit crater within the much larger summit caldera of Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The crater floor is 770 x 900 meters, 83 meters below the floor of the Kilauea caldera. In feet, that is 2,530 x 2,950 feet for the floor. and 270 feet below. Halemaʻumaʻu is home to Pele, Goddess of Hawaiian Volcanoes, according to Hawaiian traditions. According to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, the crater is currently active, with lava in an open vent fluctuating from 70 to 150 meters below the crater floor. (This info taken from Wikipedia)

Doesn't this look like smoldering ground fires?

This steam was HOT. That is my friend John in the orange shirt. I couldn't get as close as he did without my glasses steaming up.

I handed the camera to my husband as we began our descent into the lava tube. I wasn't sure how steep, dark or slippery this was going to get. It wasn't bad but I was very cautious where I stepped. Look up "chicken" in some dictionaries and you'll see my photo.

Ahhh, light at the end of the tunnel, er...lava tube!

Above and below are views of the crater from another vantage point.

This last photo is a close up of part of the previous photo. See those specks? Those are people walking across the crater.

Our visit to Hilo was on January 18th. Our tour guide kept saying that something was "cooking" because he had been noticing subtle changes. Was this said to boost interest in his tour or was he serious? On January 22nd, when we were taking a city tour of San Francisco, a 4.7 earthquake hit 5 miles below the Kilauea volcano!

It is nice to be back in our boring little home town where nothing shakes unexpectedly. If only I could have brought home the blue skies and warm weather.....

Kona coffee and chocolate

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm, touring a chocolate and coffee factory in the same day....does it get any better than this?

The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory was the first stop on her tour in Kona. The owners are originally from North Carolina where he was the caretaker of a golf course. What a leap of faith to move to Hawaii and start a chocolate factory!

Driving in past the first few trees

The cacao pods can be different colors even before ripening

I had a ring side seat for the cutting demo

The beans are covered in a milky white substance, adhering to a spiny growth within the pod

Some people like to chew on this part. This one was old and dry but shown in the demo

Pulling off the beans

Two different types of beans split open and displayed on the knife

Geckos like chocolate too! See him near the bottom, right of center?

Drying beans

Tempering the chocolate. It smelled heavenly!

You'll have to click on the company name above to see some of their actual product. We were each given three samples which I would have photographed but with chocolate all over my hands (hey, it was a warm day!) I couldn't operate the camera.

Next stop was Kona Joes where coffee is grown on trellises just as grapes are grown in wineries. It may be impossible to believe if you don't love coffee, but the aroma here was even more delicious than at the chocolate factory!

Labor intensive work, training the plants onto the trellis

Green, unripe beans

When they are red like cherries, they are ready to be picked by hand

The inside resemble a peanut

Mmmmm, the smell was delicious in here!

We sampled a few blends. Did you know that darker roasts have less caffeine than medium roasts? I still prefer medium though, and boy, this coffee was good!

This is hubby and me standing just off from the patio in the above photo. Nice scenery while you work, eh?

We were each given a coffee mug to bring home. I wrapped them in articles of clothing but one broke in my suitcase anyway. That one was Bill's, of course.

Guess where I've been

2012-01-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

Can you guess where I have been?

I didn't lie to anyone that my computer was undergoing changes, I just didn't want to announce to the world that our home was going to be empty for two weeks. I've discovered it is really a small world and amazingly easy to put 2+2 together. I don't think anyone who reads and comments here is dishonest, but we never really know who lurks and might have ugly ideas.

Enough with the negative and on to the positive: Hawaii was a wonderful vacation!

We flew into Honolulu on a Wednesday, spent two full days there going to the Polynesian Cultural Center (more to come about that in days ahead) and visiting Pearl Harbor. On Saturday we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. We cruised for 7 days, visiting Maui; Hilo and Kona on the big island; and Kauai before returning to Oahu.

Our good friends John and Lynn traveled and cruised with us. They returned on Saturday but Bill and I took a side trip to San Francisco for a few days. We got home yesterday and are playing catch up today. Laundry, paying bills, returning phone calls, etc but you know what? It is all good. We had a great time but it is good to be home even if the sky is gray and it is way too cold for shorts and sandals.

I have a ton of photos to go through and will try not to overload you with too many of them. For today I'll just post a few of us and of our accomodations.

Do we look happy to be taking off?

We were able to use frequent flier miles and fly first class for each leg of the trip. Wheeeeee! The extra leg room and amenities were much appreciated, especially when you are in the air for more than 9 hours straight. Here are our seats for the Atlanta to Honolulu part of the trip.

We received the first of many leis throughout our trip after exiting the plane.

In Honolulu we stayed at the Sheraton Princess near Waikiki Beach. It offered a waterfront view. They didn't lie...you just had to stand on the balcony and look between tall buildings to see the water.

Onto our stateroom and a few views of the ship. The ship's comedian joked that while seated on the toilet, it was possible to lean over the sink to brush your teeth, then lean sideways into the shower to wash your hair while remaining seated. He was right! That isn't a complaint though, just a funny comment on efficiency.

This is our third cruise (the first two were with Carnival Cruises) and I am still amazed to see grand salons that look like movie sets from Gone with the Wind. Do you expect to see a stairway like this on a ship?

And look at the ceiling above the stairs:

How about a Conservatory on board? I immediately thought Professor Plum probably killed Colonel Mustard in here with a candlestick.

Norwegian Cruises feature Open Dining, meaning that you choose a restaurant or the buffet without an assigned dining time, assigned table and dinner partners. The four of us enjoyed this, but as the days went by, we began to think that the other way was more efficient. On Carnival (which may have changed since we last cruised 13 years ago), you committed to either an early or late seating throughout your cruise. We sometimes ate at the buffet, a few meals in one of the restaurants, but the little Cadillac Diner was our personal favorite.

There were plenty of activities on board even without the shore excursions which we did most days. One afternoon was a crafts class. Hooray!!! I made a kakui nut lei. The first one was free. I won't mention how much I spent on supplies to make more here at home.

I've gone on much longer than intended. I apologize. I will get back to laundry after one last picture taken the night the ship launched. I can hear the music and feel the warm air when I look at this. Ahhhhhhhh......

Amazing Golf Ball!

2012-01-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Hopefully if this post reaches publication, it is the last pre-written, scheduled post and I will back to live writing in a day or two.

The Amazing Golf Ball

A golfer, playing a round by himself is about to tee off when a greasy little salesman runs up to him and yells "Wait! Before you tee off, I have something really amazing to show you!"

The golfer, annoyed, asks "What is it?"

"It's a special golf ball," says the salesman. "You can never lose it!"

"Whattaya mean you can never lose it?" scoffs the golfer, "What if you hit it into the water?"

"No problem," says the salesman. "It floats and detects where the shore is, then spins towards it."

"Well, what if you hit it into the woods?"

"Easy," says the salesman. "It emits a beeping sound and you can find it with your eyes closed."

"Okay," says the golfer, impressed. "But what if your round goes late and it gets dark?"

"No problem, sir, this golf ball glows in the dark? I'm telling you, you can never lose this golf ball!"

The golfer buys it at once. "Just one question," he says to the salesman, "Where did you get this?"

The salesman reply...... "I found it."

Ewwwww!

2012-01-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

The following in blue is a quote from a source called The Laughable News. It is, nonetheless, true. My comments follow.

The world's first urine controlled video game has been installed in a London bar. Patrons can play one of three games every time they use a urinal.

Gordon MacSween, one of the game's co-founders, said he was not sure how the public would react to the game initially. As soon as he saw it go on trial at a bar, he knew he was on to something good.

The game was designed to create a valuable media opportunity from the 55 seconds the average male spends while he pees just staring at a blank wall.

At the end of the game, players are encouraged to post their scores via mobile to Twitter and to a live leader board so they can compete with their friends.

{Note: I had a video clip to accompany this, but it was deleted from You Tube as I tried to post. Fear not, it wasn't a demo.}

Do we really want to encourage men to compete while in the loo?

Will women soon have to wait for men to return to the table?

This is totally sexist! What are we gals supposed to do for fun while in our rest rooms?

Maybe interactive screens mounted on the inside of the stall doors could let us see how we would look with different hair styles and tinted lenses?

Or maybe hands free keyboards so we could Twitter on the sitter?

I know! How about a scrolling update of what is going on in the men's room?

Screen name Bladder Buster just scored 5,682 points in Angry Birds at urinal #2!

I am glad our bar days are behind us.

Will you be leaving town?

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tohelp save the economy, the Government will announce next month that the Immigration Departmentwill start deporting
seniors (instead of illegals) in order to lowerSocial Security and Medicare costs.

Olderpeople are easier to catch and will not remember how to get back home.

Istarted to cry when I thought of you.

Thenit dawned on me ... oh, crap ...

I'llsee you on the bus!

Having fun with a calendar kit

2012-01-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Some of my hobbies take a long time to complete. Knitting for example. It is very satisfying to me, but once in a while, a project that can be finished in an afternoon or evening is tremendous fun.

I bought a blank calendar and embellishment kit at Archivers last month. I probably have enough paper and embellishments at home to make calendars for everyone in my address book, but we aren't talking about that right now.

Occasionally it is nice to NOT have to make decisions about what paper to use, which embellishments will work or worst of all, tracking down the elusive daisy/brad/ribbon or paper punch to work on a project that is supposed to bring almost instant gratification. Buying a kit can be good for your mental health!

Having said that, a few things in two of the following pictures weren't from the kit, but there was absolutely wrong with what was provided. I only have three months done because I need to print more photos and am thinking that I may wait a few months since my grandson will be in many (alright, I admit it, MOST of the photos) and at his age, he changes a great deal every few weeks.

Without further ado, here is January.
Colton is not posed in this photo. If he is in my lap, especially if we're watching TV (in this case, Kipper the Dog on Sprout TV), he has his hands behind his head while stretched out on top of me.

February's photo is hubby and yours truly dancing at our son's wedding.

And March holds one of my favorite photos of Colton and Grandpa.

I'm hoping the formatting of this post isn't all wonky. It is being composed for later publishing and I've discovered that the preview mode isn't a sure thing . With luck I'll be back to my "real" computer soon.

Do you still enjoy coloring?

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

I still love to color. A brand new box of crayons, colored pencils with sharpened tips or new markers will always be a treasured gift to me.

This Christmas I received Copic markers from one son and Watercolor pencils from another. I must admit that while I know Copic markers are highly rated among scrapbookers, card makers and such, I don't know much about them yet. I will be rectifying that soon.

Here are identical images stamped onto watercolor paper. The first image has been colored with watercolor pencils and water to soften and blend the shades. The second was done with Copic markers.

The cards are 3.5 x 2.5 in size, packaged as Artist Trading Card size. I plan to stamp a few more, continue to play and experiment, then punch holes in the top of the cards to be used as gift tags when I give someone a hand knit item. I will write care instructions and fiber content on the backs.

If you are a fan of either medium, I would love to hear about it.

This will wear like iron

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

I still haven't gotten around to trying gel polish at a nail salon. I don't mind splurging on a pedicure once in a while because it feels so good to have someone work on my feet, but manicures aren't the same thrill. I did buy another new-to-me nail polish that is supposed to dry fairly quickly and wear well.

I admit it, I can be a sucker for advertising when I want something to work.

Anyway, I bought Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel. Apparently I should have moved out of the aisle with the malfunctioning light. I knew the polish was pink and thought it was light. That is what I wanted. I think.

What I have is bubble gum pink nail polish.

You know this stuff is going to wear like iron just because I don't like the color.

The name alone might have tipped me off. The color is called Pink Lingerie.

Respectfully, but not shyly submitted,
Hoochie Mama Knitty

Time to clean up the computer

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

Every January seems to evoke cleaning and decluttering genes that are blissfully dormant the other 11 months of the year. This year it isn't closets or a particular room that is under attack, it is our computers.

I won't bore you with the details but we're clearing out files, changing servers and other stuff that makes it sound like we'll be terribly busy when in truth it is our computer guru who will do all the hard stuff for us. Bless his heart and gigabytes.
He'll be working on our stuff in his spare time from his other job. I think he is Superman, defender of all that is seen and unseen, but I might be wrong. Anyway, it could be two weeks that I will seem to be offline.

Wait!.....What?....Offline?...I thought they had a cure for that?

Actually I can kid instead of panic because I won't really be offline, I just won't be posting because I have issues posting from my iPad and forget typing much from my iPhone. I love both gadgets but nothing beats my PC for blogging.

The timing is good because we have a lot going on this month and I won't be spending so many hours in my desk chair, compelled to read and write, play Sudoku and wander around Facebook muttering about their changes.

Mind your manners in my absence. I'll still be reading and commenting when my ~~boss~~ husband lets me take a break. I am a mom, you know, and just like Santa, I'll know if you're behaving.

See you soon!

The Man Rules

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

A little humor, courtesy of an email buddy...

The Man Rules

We always hear " the Rules " from the female side. Nowhere are the rules from the male side.

These are our rules! Please note.. these are all numbered "1" on purpose!

1.   Men are not mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put itdown. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about youleaving it down.

1.   Sunday sports, It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let itbe.

1.   Crying is blackmail.

1.   Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
      Subtle hints do not work.

      Strong hints do not work.
      Obvious hints do not work.
      Just say it!

1.   Yes or No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1.   Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That'swhat we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1.   Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, allcomments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1.   If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one .

1.   You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. And if you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1.   Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say duringcommercials..

1.   Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

1.   All men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, forexample, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no ideawhat mauve is.

1.   If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1.   If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act likenothing's wrong.We know you are lying, but I t is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question that you don't want an answer to, expect an answerthat you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discusssuch topics as baseball, hockey or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round is a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couchtonight; but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Pass this to as many men as you can - to give them a laugh.

Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh.

'Tis good to laugh

2012-01-06T11:13:00.002-05:00

Today I am joining my friend Chatty Crone for some Fun Friday quips.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Murder Trial

In a murder trial, the defense attorney was cross examining the coroner:

Attorney: Before you signed the death certificate, had you taken the pulse"
Coroner: No.

Attorney: Did you listen to the heart?
Coroner: No.

Attorney: Did you check for breathing?
Coroner: No.

Attorney: So, when you signed the death certificate, you weren't sure the man was dead, were you?

Coroner: Well, let me put it this way. The man's brain was sitting in a jar on my desk, but I guess it's possible he could be out there practicing law somewhere.

Apologies to lawyers everywhere. If you have a coroner joke, I will give it equal time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bumper Stickers

Seen on the the back of a biker's vest: If you can read this, my wife fell off!

I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian!

Warning! Driver only carries $20 in ammunition!

If you lived in your car, you'd be home by now.

We have enough youth. How about a Fountain of Smart?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Not humor, but useless facts to toss into conversation lulls...

The Saguaro cactus found in southwestern states does NOT grow branches until it is 75 years old.

The little bags of netting for gas lanterns, called mantles, are radioactive. So much so, they will set off an alarm at a nuclear reactor.

40% of Americans have never visited a dentist.

Coca-cola was the first soft drink consumed in outer space.

More people in China speak English than in the United States.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So what did you learn from those five little factoids? I've learned that it is okay to camp next to a Saguaro without fear that a branch will sprout overnight and cause an unexpected problem when answering nature's call in the middle of the night BUT...I should not camp with my Coleman lantern near nuclear reactors. Also, someone in the same campground has probably never seen a dentist so I hope they are genetically blessed with good teeth. I am packing extra toothpaste and mouth wash just in case.

I normally prefer diet Coke, but without gravity to weigh me down, the extra calories in regular coke shouldn't be a problem the next time I orbit Earth. I will continue to brush though. I do see my dentist regularly.

And the last bit...maybe I should route my next carry out order for Chinese food through China!

Pulled in too many directions

2012-01-05T20:49:00.002-05:00

I thought it was supposed to be calmer after the holidays!

Nothing is really wrong, but things could go more smoothly. We've all been there, right? I knew January was going to be busy for us, but not quite this hectic. We're only on day 5 and I feel like I've spent a month on this calendar page.

I hope to be back tomorrow or Saturday with a regular post of some sort, but in case I don't make it, I want you to know I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. Not just yet.....

Are you what you eat?

2012-01-02T11:17:00.001-05:00

I bet many of us made new year resolutions to eat better, right? Or maybe you already eat a balanced, healthy diet but just over indulged during the holidays because everyone felt the need to bake and then ~~push~~ share cookies. Let's not forget all the party nibbles that either sit on your hips for the month of January or sit in your esophagus when you attempt to lay down at bedtime.

Not that I speak from personal experience.

I feel it is my duty to warn you about eating healthy foods like fruit though. If it is true that we are what we eat, look at these lovelies and decide if this is the look you had in mind:

Are you a Macintosh or a Granny Smith?

Unfortunately I am much more pineapple than cherry.

Forget the fruit, let's just have some wine!

Do you think Dannon knows about this fruit on the bottom syndrome?

I'd like to be a banana. Is that a date or a fig on the left?

No comment on the melons please.

Is that a swim cap? Maybe if I wore one the focus wouldn't be on my....oh forget it....

So far today, I'd be a bagel, but without the makeup. I guess I should go dress for success. Pass the cream cheese please.

Good-bye 2011

2011-12-31T10:35:00.000-05:00

It feels like I just started writing 2011 yesterday and tomorrow I must remember to write 2012. I remember thinking writing 2000 was going for feel odd and that was what...just last month? Can we put old batteries in the calendar and slow things down a bit?

Gone are our days of big parties on New Year's Eve but that is not a sad thing, that is a choice. All is good, very good in fact. We'll have a little private party early this evening with our grandson. When you're as goofy in love with a little guy as we are, what could be better?

It has been a very hard year for many good people. This cartoon might seem odd, but it expresses what I hope for 2012. I hope we can change from frightening to fun, from bullies to buddies, and the all encompassing hope, from hatred to love.

Can you imagine if everyone followed the Golden Rule?

Blessings to all and wishes for peace and happiness. Thank you for being friends and readers. I'll see you in ~~2000~~ ... ~~2011~~...2012. Yeah, that's it! 2012!!!

And on the 29th day...

2011-12-29T10:37:00.001-05:00

I'd like to say that on the 29th day, I rested. But that might not happen until the 30th. Of April.

Christmas was wonderful. Busy, blessed, tiring, all those things at once. Our tree didn't just drop needles before the 25th, it was ejecting them like a porcupine in defense mode. We stripped the tree of decorations on Tuesday and got it out for pickup yesterday morning.

We have a piece of furniture that we call a room divider because it was my mom's and that is what she always called it. Every year we wrap white lights around the shelves and place decorations on it that can be viewed from both sides. Two days before Christmas, half of the lights burned out.

When we took them down yesterday, hubby began unwinding the string as he usually does, then said to heck with it and got his wire cutters out can cut the dead string off. This is big news! Huge! Hubby didn't even flinch when he threw out the entire string although we knew half of the bulbs were still working. Notice I didn't say they were still "good"?

Normally January is a quiet month and I get a bug to reorganize things in a big way. Successful de-cluttering in past years would mean less work this year, but I doubt even that will happen. We have an unusually busy January and February ahead and I am trying to streamline housekeeping chores by sending my snowmen collection on vacation.

Before Colton became so mobile (and tall!) I had snowmen out among the Christmas decor and they remained out until February so that the house wouldn't look so bare. I had to downsize what came out on display this season for safety's sake....both Colton's and for the sake of breakable items. I might just be a wee bit superstitious too. I didn't put snowmen out and we haven't had a snowfall that required shoveling yet. Think I'm on to something?

One bit of organizing that I am doing concerns the computer. I deleted a lot of photos and saved graphics this morning, will be saving what is left on an external drive and then taking more off of my hard drive. This brings me to a question for all of you, especially those of you who like to use many photos and graphics in your posts.
Do you mainly upload images from your hard drive for your posts or do you have them stored elsewhere, such as Photobucket? I mention Photobucket because I use them for animated images and pictures that I want to share on a forum that doesn't allow direct uploads from hard drives.

I am almost at capacity for free storage through Picasa albums with Blogger. The down side to using photo hosting sites such as Photobucket is that sizes have to be changed there rather than a simple click and adjust through Blogger. Another downside is that if you clear out a Photobucket album, forgetting you used one of the images on your blog, you leave this message in its place:

Darn. I hate when that happens.

If you are a graphic-aholic or photo junkie, what are you doing to stay within your free range in your Picasa album?

I'd go take some photos of what I'm working on, but I'm already at 95.66%. Maybe I should just email everyone instead!

Nail product review and a typical day of household repairs

2011-12-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

First, the repairs. Our home is on a concrete slab and our dryer vents through the second story. Periodically my husband uses the shop vac to clean the dryer after removing the back, and then reverses the shop vac and blow air up through the dryer hose to encourage any clinging lint to free itself.

Normally we would not tackle this just before Christmas. My washer and dryer are at the back end of my kitchen. The washer has to be moved in order to get the dryer pulled forward so that he can access the tubing. A few loads took much longer than usual to dry the other day and I was concerned we had a blockage. The good news is that we don't. If it wasn't a fluke, there might be a sensor going bad that is causing the heat to shut down too soon. Time will tell.

To pull the washer forward, the hoses have to be disconnected from the laundry tub. One of the pipes is now leaking at the handle. It is a very slow leak, but will have to be addressed soon. Now just isn't the time to rip everything apart unless it becomes an emergency. Why is it that one problem or task always seems to lead to four or five more?

Now for my disappointing product review. My sister-in-law gets manicures with gel polish and is very pleased with the results. I've been considering trying this but it won't happen until at least next week, or more likely, after the first of the year. Same sister-in-law told me about a product called Gel Perfect by Nutra Nail, available at Rite Aide. It is supposed to be like the salon applied lacquer but does not require a UV light treatment.

The polish was $11.99, the remover $5.99. I did use coupons, but it was still much more than I normally spend on polish. The procedure called for you to shake the bottle of color (all bottles are small), then unscrew the caps on the three bottles in the kit.

(Three middle bottles are the kit. End bottles are for size comparison)

First you brush Activator on 5 nails. Next you immediately apply thin coats of color to those 5 nails. Now you need to clean that brush with the cleaner in bottle #3. They stress that you MUST. DO. THIS. after every 5 nails!

Now you repeat the steps on your other hand. After cleaning the brush, repeat everything AGAIN on your first hand for a second coat of color. You definitely need at least two coats of color, maybe 3 or more, depending on the color.

It did dry quickly and was shiny.

That is it for the good part. The bad part is that one nail chipped in less than 24 hours. No housework or crafting was done in that period to have caused the damage. Within 48 hours, I had a second chip that got larger in a hurry. Now that I've looked at reviews online, I see I not alone in my disappointment.

(image found on internet, not my nails)

I took the Gel Perfect polish and remover back to Rite Aide and got a full reimbursement. I came home and used acetone (the company's suggestion if not using their removal pads) to soak cotton balls which were placed on each finger and wrapped in foil for two minutes. I had to go through this process twice on each hand to get 95% of the lacquer off. I will have to work on them again tonight, but I have other things that need attention this afternoon.

I guess I will be visiting the salon soon and trying a professionally applied gel polish and see how that goes. Anyone have experience with them?

What we go through for beauty, eh? And for clean dryer vents too.

Flurry of activity

2011-12-21T22:11:00.001-05:00

The best part of this week's flurry of activity is that there haven't been any flurries falling yet.

Yeah, yeah....I know...some people think Christmas should always be white. I think the pavement should always be clear and dry, and temperatures above 50 are more to my way of thinking. Seventy degrees would be even better but I am realistic. (Did you just hear my husband snort over that proclamation?)

My wayward Christmas orders arrived on Monday, I finished knitting a gift that I shouldn't show here yet, and today I went to lunch with my two once a month dinner buddies. Our initials are C, L and T but we put them in another order to call ourselves TLC as it is true that we do Tenderly, Lovingly Care for each other. I am the C of the trio. L was the last to retire which enables us to know go to lunch instead of dinner if we choose.

In Decembers past we have gone to the Nutcracker or seen the Rockettes perform in addition to dinner and a small gift exchange. We've seen plays performed, a spoof on traditional Christmas stories and tales, and when "Menopause, the Musical" first came to this area, we saw that for our holiday celebration and laughed until our sides hurt. L was out of town until recently so our date took place later than usual and we couldn't find a performance that worked into our schedules but the important part is always being together, not what we are eating, watching or doing. Except for whichever one of is driving. She is supposed to watch and know what she is doing.

Today we drove to a town that is about an hour away. We went to the Clarkston Union Bar and Kitchen, a place that is favored by Kid Rock and on his recommendation, was visited by Guy Fieri from the Food Network. He featured it on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

The building was an old church and the pews are now dining benches. The following 3 pictures are not mine, I found them online. The place was packed today and apparently has been since the original airing of Fieri's show.

The restaurant is famous for their mac and cheese. I should have taken a photo of it. The top of individual serving dish was a beautiful and tasty crusty brown. A half order, especially after an appetizer that we shared, was more than L or I could eat for lunch. T ordered the full order (huge!) so that she could take some home for dinner for herself and her daughter. You could get the mac and cheese plain, with cubed ham added or with lobster.

The appetizer we shared was called a Cracker Crust Pizza. Here is what a slice of it looked like. The blackboard lists the ingredients. If anyone thinks they have mastered a cracker crust pizza like this, I am willing to come over and sample it.

Yours truly, grinning away between her long time friends L and T.

Next on my to-do list is narrowing down the dessert possibilities for Christmas day. I have 5 desserts and chocolate chip cookies and that is way too much for the number of people who will be at Christmas dinner. I think I will make it easy on myself and eliminate the fussiest dessert and keep the keep the cookies (which are always part of hubby's Christmas gift) down to a single batch that will stay here. Don't quote me on this though. I've gone nuts and overloaded on baking before.

Best wishes completing your to-do lists on these last few days before the holiday!

The kind of snow that I like...

2011-12-18T12:37:00.001-05:00

Go to Google and enter "let it snow". I really like the "defrost" button feature. If Mother Nature provided that, I'd like winter a whole lot better!

Postal delivery problems

2011-12-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

Every year I seem to order more Christmas gifts online. Seldom do I order with a week or less to spare and actually expect to get the items in time. I am having a terrible time this year and it is because of the post office.I am not bashing postal workers. I know the service is in financial trouble and I'm guessing they haven't hired temporary workers to help with the holiday crush. Something needs to change though, but what is the answer?

Tracking my other orders from Lands' End, Signals and another source (don't want to mention in case the gift receiver reads this as the name would be a give away) all show that the items have been delivered to the post office, but not to me. I would say that I am pissed but that doesn't sound nice so I will just say I am really displeased. I had to reschedule a date with a friend because I don't have her gift yet. I am going to have to try to come up with something else in case it doesn't arrive today or Monday.

According to tracking info online, the post office has had my Signals order since 12/11; the Lands' End order has been there since 12/13; and the mystery store order was placed on 12/3 with delivery in 5-7 days.

I ordered from L.L.Bean online on Thursday 12/8; got notice that it shipped on 12/9 and received it on Tuesday 12/13 from UPS.
I ordered shoes, not a Christmas gift, from Zappos on Thursday 12/15 at 3:13 PM and got them the next day before 2:00 PM through UPS. Wow,right?

Another problem for me is stamps. Do you receive an order form at home for stamps? I have ordered that way in the past and usually get the stamps within 2 days, paying by check. If you order online, there is a $1 fee involved. When I mailed a package earlier this month it required two trips to the post office because their computer was down the first time. I tried buying holiday stamps but they were out of them. I'm not complaining about this. Computers are lovely when they're working and evil when they aren't. The stamps were expected within a day or two and I certainly could have bought a different design but I wanted those particular stamps. Not sure if I could specify them on the order form, I ordered them online.

After a week without stamps, I tried checking my order online. I couldn't. It doesn't recognize either my email or my password, the same address and password I've been using for ten years with them! I went back to the post office and bought stamps. The online order arrived the next day. Good thing they are Forever stamps as I will likely be using these at least through next November.

How do we improve this situation? People are cutting out sending cards because postage rates are too prohibitive. Decreased mailings hurts the post office so the rates go up again, and still they're in debt. I would personally deliver cards and gifts but you really don't want to hear me get started on gas prices, do you?

Not so quiet day in the park with Benton

2011-12-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Chances are, if you've ever had a dog, you can identify with this man's frustration as he tries to get his dog, Benton, to stop his pursuit and return. This took place in Richmond Park, London.

And look here at the marketing that has already happened!

What do you see?

2011-12-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

I was searching for brain teasers and found optical illusions. I hadn't thought of them as brain teasers, but some do test your ability to think (view) things differently.

This one is an old classic that everyone has probably seen. Do you see a vase or two faces in profile? I easily see both and one doesn't dominate the other for me, maybe because I've seen this so often.

Do you see a grim faced man wearing a helmet or a man bent over mooning you? I saw the helmet first, but the full moon was pretty obvious to me too.

Is this a young girl or an old woman? I had a bit of trouble here. I'll give a clue later on.

Saxophone player or graphic of a woman's face with high contrast?

What do you see here? An elderly couple facing each other? Do you see their younger selves in their faces?

Portrait of a man or a landscape? Both, I'd say.

This was called High Society. Does his suit remain a suit or does his torso become a donkey's head?

Another donkey or a seal (otter?) sliding downward? Clue will follow if you aren't seeing them both.

A woman's profile facing to the left with her hand outstretched or a self portrait of Salvador Dali facing the right?

The image of a lovely lady or simply flowers and a butterfly?

I would like to shout this word because I was successful in seeing both images in each picture

Having trouble reading that? It helps if you squint. I can't shout that word though because the last image stumps me. there are supposed to be 7 faces here and I can only find 5 of them.

Let me know if you spot them all. Or if you need something to calm your stomach and eyeballs after staring at that last photo.

If you had trouble seeing the young girl, think of the image as being done from her side with her looking away from the artist/photographer. A small protrusion defines her nose, the larger one is her jawline. The line above the collar of her dress might be a necklace. Her ear is detailed near her long, flowing hair.

To see the old woman in the same image, what was the young girl's ear is the old woman's eye. The young jaw is the older woman's nose and the necklace is her thin mouth. The hair becomes wrinkles near the eye and I'd like to think those are laugh lines near the mouth.

I think the donkey/otter is an easy one but a friend did not see the otter until I pointed it out. The details of the donkey's snout becomes the otter's head. The donkey eyes are the fins and the donkey ears are the tail of the sea animal.

Still stuck on that word? It is Eureka.

12 Days of Christmas lament

2011-12-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

Do you appreciate any and all gifts that you receive? It is the proper thing to do, right? Here is a mid-week gift from me to you. I hope you enjoy.

You know it 'Tis the Season....

2011-12-11T19:22:00.001-05:00

You know it 'tis the season when you can't remember sleeping last night.

I had a cookie exchange to attend today. I planned to bake Snickerdoodles last night. I wasn't procrastinating. My reasons were that they would be fresher baked less than 24 hours before distribution and they weren't likely to all disappear with milk or coffee during this time frame.

The result was horrible. I wouldn't have given the cookies to anyone. I think my baking soda was too old. Before getting to the baked disaster, I almost had a personal disaster while getting the first sheet into the oven. Two would-be cookies rolled off the sheet unbeknown to me and I stepped on them. As I slid at least 18 inches before jolting myself upright, I had a million thoughts in those few seconds including:

What am I slipping on???

Don't drop the cookie dough!

Please don't leave me without 48 'good' cookies!

I hope I don't mess up these pants which I planned to wear again before laundering.

and finally

I hope I don't break anything....like a bone!

Nothing broke. When I stopped in an upright position, I dropped 5 more cookie dough blobs into the bottom of the oven. I turned the heat off, removed the racks and pulled the liner out to get to the blobs. I ripped the oven liner in the process.

After taking the second sheet of baked cookies out of the oven, I tasted one from the first sheet. Ptooey! I got up early this morning to start peanut butter cookies. Forget the Snickerdoodles. For one thing, I used up the last of the cinnamon last night.

Uh oh...I didn't have enough shortening. Or peanut butter. And a fresh box of baking soda would probably be a good idea. Bless my husband's heart, he took pity on his frustrated wife and went to the store for 4 items. He came home with 20, but that is another story.

Plain ole peanut butter cookies got made. They don't look Christmasy next to cut out cookies or many other varieties, but they tasted at least 200% better than last night's cookies.

I'm old enough to know that there are times you should say "Thanks for thinking of me, but I can't attend/participate in xxx event this time". Good friends should understand and those who don't....well, they don't pay your medical bills when you slide across the kitchen floor on raw cookie dough and break your tookus (the Latin term would be Hind-Endicus) on the oven door.

The cookie exchange has ended and now that I am back home, a half bottle of wine has mysteriously disappeared.

'Tis the season....

Good news for women who think as I do!

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

This woman is 51. She is Gillian McKeith, advocating an holistic approach to nutrition and health, promoting exercise and a vegetarian diet high in organic fruits and vegetables. She recommends detox diets, colonic irrigations and supplements.

This woman is 51. She is Nigella Lawson, a cook on TV who eats meat, butter and desserts.

May I say....I REST MY CASE!!!

Happy Shopping!

2011-12-09T10:16:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned this site before, but in this season of frantic shopping, it bears repeating.

If you are shopping online, before you finalize your order, go Retail Me Not and check for promo codes for discounts or free shipping. Most retailers will only allow one promo per order but if they are automatically offering free shipping, you might be able to use a discount found at this site. I'm sure there are other sites similar to this but this has become my go-to source and I've had great luck.

I understand that shipping has become expensive and it isn't the fault of retailers but I am old enough to remember when shipping costs were based on the size and weight of items. A small item with a large price tag can cost more to ship than a huge, inexpensive item. I guess what the stores lose on shipping the latter is made up by overcharging on the former.

Recently I ordered 8 items from Kohl's using discount offer and free shipping. All of the items were toys but must not have dispatched from the same warehouse. So far, I have received 7 of the 8 items and they've arrived in 5 boxes. One carton was large enough for a microwave and the content was one Mr Potato Head play set. There was more packing than toy.

I'm not the "greenest" person in the world but I do notice things like this and feel bad. It probably would have been better to shop the brick and mortar stores but honestly, I couldn't pass up the savings while enjoying the simplicity of shopping from home. Some of the drivers and shoppers are NUTS out there!!

Good luck with your shopping, cleaning, baking and whatever else December demands of you. Just be careful if your computer crashes before you are done gift shopping or you run out of sugar for your baking. Don't let this happen to you:

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-07T16:50:00.001-05:00

I thought this was thoroughly enjoyable. I understand that some people think anything but a traditional telling of Christian stories is disrespectful. If you are of that opinion, all I can say that is no offense is intended.To the best of my knowledge, these are the lyrics used. A few words were hard for me to understand and there isn't sanctioned post online that I could find to pair with this clip. Someone named Anna (no last name given) cited these words as the lyrics:

Is this the real birth? Is it Nativity?
Caught in a census, in the town of His ancestry.
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see…
He’s just a poor boy, foretold by prophecy.
Because the wise men come, wise men go,
Angels high, shepherds low.
This is how God’s love shows,
It’s a wondrous story to me, to me.

Mary just got the word,
The angel did appear, but he told her not to fear.
Mary, now it’s just begun.
Your Son is gonna wash our sins away.

Mary, ooooh…. this is how God’s love’s shown.
The God who reigns on high, has sent his Son through you to die for all.

I see a little silhouette of a sheep,
Shepherds watch, shepherds watch over their flocks at nighttime.
Angels shine like lightning,
Very, very frightening – me!

Glory to God! Peace on earth!
Glory to God! Peace on earth!
Unto you is born this day,
The only way!

I’m just a shepherd, nobody loves me.
He’s just a shepherd, from a poor family.
Angels said, go to the stable to see.
Wise men come, wise men go, will Herod let him live?

King Herod, no! He will not let him live – better go!
King Herod, he will not let him live – better go!
King Herod, he will not let him live!

Better go – will not let him live; better go – will not let him live
Better go, go, go, go!
Mary, Joseph, Mary, Joseph, Mary, Joseph better go!
To Egypt now, gotta save your Son who came for me, for me, for me!

So you think that it’s just a tale of days gone by?
But this Child who was born went to Calvary to die.
Oh, Jesus, it’s the story of Jesus-
Wash our sins out, wash our sins right out of here.
Jesus, Jesus.

It’s a wondrous story, anyone can see.
Let’s give God the glory, it’s a wondrous story, to me.

This is how God’s love shone.

And hopefully a non traditional nativity won't offend you. I do have a serious, traditional one, but this one comes out every year and makes me smile.

The RIGHT kind of snowmen

2011-12-06T11:32:00.001-05:00

I like hot air balloon images but have no desire to go up in one.
I like watermelon prints but am not particularly fond of watermelon itself.
I think snowmen and snowflakes are cute, but would prefer NOT to have the real stuff falling near me.

Welcome to my world of contradictions.

I belong to a small internet group of long time friends. Each year we draw names for a Christmas swap. The tree snowmen are what I made for my swap partner. She has two granddaughters and I thought this could be a snowwoman and her grandchildren.

The pattern is called SnoBuddy Family, available for purchase through Knitting at Knoon or as a kit at Mary Maxim's but it is currently on back order there.

The pattern gives directions for three sizes plus two additional hats for men and boys (see below). I added the pink trim and made the little one a pink scarf so that this family would be color coordinated. I left off the noses because I wasn't happy with how they looked. They seemed more like beaks than carrot noses.

Directions called for dried beans in the bottoms of the snow buddies to help them stand up. I wanted these to be easily washable so I made one without beans for myself. She is ok, but tends to list a bit. I think she drinks spiked eggnog, but I haven't caught her in the act yet. Anyway, what to do to weigh these bottoms down? I would have volunteered a butt fat transplant but I really like my swap partner and didn't want to gross her out. I used drapery weights instead.

The cute box and tin are from Joann's. The tin was filled with assorted Hershey Kisses before being packed into the box with the snow buddies. I'm happy to say that this gift was well received.

Last year I got a red shower curtain with white dots as a Christmas gift. I love it in my white bathroom. I had just added these 7 mirrors to that room. White plastic rings were attached to the hangers on the back of the mirrors with blue ribbon to match last winter's shower curtain.

When I put the red curtain up, I switched the ribbon color to red and added a small ribbon tie to the ring to bring in a little more color to that wall without getting out paint and causing hubby to get nervous.

While at Joann's for the snowman box and tin, I bought red grosgrain ribbon with white dots in two widths. Using double-sided removable tape, I made the mirrors look a bit like hanging ornaments.

I like the extra color in there so the ribbons might stay in place past Christmas. If not in this manner, perhaps in some other configuration. I've had to re-adhere one ribbon once within the first 24 hours, but they've now been in place over a week. The shower doesn't get used in this bathroom though, so I can't say that humidity wouldn't affect the scrapbooking (double sided) tape under other conditions.

We did have some snow fall here in SE Michigan last night, but fortunately the pavement is still warm enough that it melted on contact. If this could be the case all winter long, I wouldn't mind snow. Unfortunately though, the temps are dropping throughout the week and I will be forced to admit Michigan is not in a tropical climate, put on another sweater, and watch the weather to time my errands for when I am least likely to need boots or a spell to cast on other drivers to keep them away from me on slippery pavement.

A new neckerchief

2011-12-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

What do you call a very small shawl? A shawlette? A neckerchief? A little knitted thingy?

The official name from the author of this pattern is a Bandito Scarf. It is available at Ravelry as a free download. You do have to join Ravelry to access this, but there are no fees involved and they don't bug you about anything or send unwanted emails.

The yarn came from my local yarn store and was called Mill Ends which meant that odds and ends of yarn were spun together to create a skein. Looking at the skein gives no indication of what a finished project will look like. This piece started at the narrow end where the yarn is a beige color with a green wrap. The green disappears and becomes a light orange wrap and the beige is replaced with a darker orange. One of the oranges becomes teal and then the other orange becomes blue. What looks turquoise in this photo is a rather bright blue with green that the eye reads as turquoise unless you are on top of it and examining it closely.

No one is here this morning to assist in taking a photo of me modeling this (and given how I am currently dressed, you should be thankful I am not posing!) so here is Gloria Gunn modeling the Bandito tied behind her neck. If you're not feeling orangey this morning, you can always turn it around and showcase the narrow stripes of color.

We had a busy weekend and this week is shaping up to be pretty busy too. I feel like I've been neglecting blogland with both my own posts and visiting others but I suspect many are feeling a time crunch right now. Some things I've been working on have to remain secret for a few more weeks. I discovered that a few friends and family have been reading here without saying a word about it. Good thing I didn't tell all of you what REALLY happened on Thanksgiving....

I hope your week is off to a good start and that you are kept warm in a cozy in a small shawl. Or a shawlette. Or a neckerchief. Or even a little knitted thingy.

Stylish Seniors

2011-12-01T10:26:00.001-05:00

In high school, seniors were the kids about to finish school and graduate. Back then, you didn't mind being called a senior.

In early adulthood, a senior was what, someone over 40? 45? Definitely 50. Man, 50 was old back when you were 21!

Then you blinked two or three times and found yourself counting 40 or more candles on your birthday cake. 'Senior' became a bit older, like retirement age.

But what is retirement age? When does a person become a Senior? I know a man who retired at 47. I can't tell you when I retired. It isn't a secret and I'm not fudging on my age (59). I gradually relinquished by duties at my husband's company and even when I no longer went in to work, I still handled some quarterly duties from home. Without double checking, I think it has been 4 years.

What about senior discounts? A few places give them as early as 50, more at 55, some require proof that you are 60 or 62 and I am guessing the last minimum age of places offering discounts would be 65.

I've never been very concerned with age so maybe that is why saying I am 59 doesn't bother me. I'm not quite sure how I got here so soon, but I've had fun along the way.

What about seniors and style? Do you think cutting edge fashionistas or do you think elastic waistbands and white socks with sandals?

I was directed to this link this morning and had a good time looking at the slide show and then reading some of the blog entries. The people in the slide show are mostly women, all over 50, some decades over 50. I don't embrace each style but that isn't important. Look at the faces of these people. They are confident and happy in who they are and what they're doing.

Advanced Style Link

Now that is what I call Style.

Card holder stamp set

2011-11-28T11:41:00.001-05:00

My daughter-in-law's birthday was last week. In addition to a small wrapped gift, we wanted to give her cash but not just stuck inside an envelope. On a recent visit to Archivers for one item, I bought many more than one item. Big surprise, eh? One of them was a stamp set from Ai (Art Impressions). The four piece set included the bag shape, the tissue paper filler, the words 'Happy Birthday' and a hang tag that I didn't use.

I have small stamps with words of Christmas greeting on them, and plenty of Christmas themed paper so it would behoove me to make some of these and have them ready, right?

Are you betting people? Smart money would say you should bet on me doing this 15 minutes before I need the gift card.

Oops! Gotta go....I'm late for my Procrastinators Anonymous meeting!

Another successful, happy holiday

2011-11-24T22:45:00.001-05:00

Like the quiet after the storm, I like the reflective part of a holiday get together when I am alone with my thoughts and replay conversations that took place, look at photos that were taken and make mental notes of what to repeat or delete knowing full well if I don't write the thoughts down, I will forget them by the next event.

Chuck and Kim hosted 25 people to dinner today, almost an even blend of Kim's family and ours. If her uncle that lives in Michigan had been available along with two of our MI nieces, the count would have been 31. Yikes!

Folding 8' tables made their way to the basement along with stacking chairs that used to belong to my husband's company. I bought Christmas print fabric at Joann's on Monday and hemmed it to make three table cloths and two bread basket liners. A busy print doesn't just look festive, it hides stains if they don't come out in the wash.

My Christmas dishes, a Corelle pattern, mixed with Kim's grandmother's china and my and my mother's silverware to set the table.

My mother-in-law's electric roaster is still going strong even though it looks ancient. My sister-in-law and I guess that it is from the late 1940s or early 50s.

Using these items keeps the generation that has passed with us at current and future holidays.

And the one little one who shares DNA from both family trees was someone we are all thankful for. Here is Colton from this afternoon. You might think the lower half of the photo is out of focus. I'm here to tell you that his feet never stopped moving!

I hope everyone had as nice a holiday as I did, with full bellies and full hearts.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to bed with the intention of sleeping for 10 hours but I will settle for seven. Call me when the coffee is ready.

Who stuck the target on me?

2011-11-22T10:01:00.001-05:00

Ever leave the house and feel that both your clothing and your car have big targets on them? I could live with a Kick Me sign if it meant Donald and Goofy were my only worries.

Yesterday I went to Joann's to get Christmas print fabric. Between the fabric on sale and a $10 off coupon, I am covering three 8' tables and making bread basket liners for under $30. I was happy. Until I left the store. I didn't notice it, but apparently a target was attached to my cute little car.

Silly ole me...following rules that would make my high school driving instructor proud...I was driving within a lane in the parking lot. Cars were parked in their proper spaces. Silly cars. By doing so, they blocked the view of the %*$# idiot who almost sideswiped me while driving much too fast diagonally across the lot.

She had the nerve to glare at me when she slammed on her brakes! Oh to be Kathy Bates' character in the parking lot scene of Fried Green Tomatoes. Do you recall it? If not, here is a link to that clip: Click here

Next I stopped at Kroger, hoping to get everything I needed for the rest of the week. My son and daughter-in-law are having Thanksgiving dinner. I am making the stuffing, lemon meringue pie and had hoped to try this dessert called Pumpkin Lust Cake that I just discovered this past weekend. If you read the recipe and the blogger's comments, you'll know that this ingredient

could be difficult to find. Ha! I live for a challenge! I tied my Super Hero cape on, unaware that it too, had a target on it. I had carts rammed into me, someone walked off with my cart by mistake (humorous apology made that incident fun) and more than the usual number of shoppers who stopped at that midpoint in the aisle that prevents anyone from passing on either side.

I noticed lots of expressions that looked like these. I hope my face didn't look like either one!

Kroger disappointed me, not at just one store but three. One of the Kroger stores was next to an Archiver's (scrapbook) store. I spent almost as much in there as I did at the original Kroger where I bought groceries for the week. We won't discuss that with hubby just yet. No sense in both of us feeling agitated.

Meijer stores are a chain in Michigan and Ohio. I avoid grocery shopping there because the stores are huge like Super Walmart stores, but in I went on the quest for the pudding mixes. I needed two. Meijer had one left. I bought it and another seasonal pudding mix, Classic Turtle.

I hope to make the dessert with pumpkin at one end of the 9x13 pan, and this at the other. Wish me luck. If you are venturing out amid crazy drivers, either in their vehicles or behind shopping carts, I wish you luck too.

Let's talk turkey...

2011-11-18T11:14:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season for turkeys and pilgrims, right? How many turkeys are hiding out at your house?

Do you have any furry ones?

Calico printed ones?

How about a musical one that sings Turkey in the Straw?

One that is camera shy and turns his head away?

One with such skinny drumsticks, you definitely wouldn't want to roast him?

How about a small one that gobbles REALLY LOUDLY?

A demure one, embarrassed to be among the noisy ones?

One that is a sun catcher?

One that sits on a kitchen window sill issuing a reminder?

Maybe yours is a place mat, made by a friend?

Did Jim Shore make one you simply had to have?

Or did a Beanie Baby catch your eye?

How about a rustic one?

Or a turkey with a sassy attitude?

Ever see one try to hide his hand in the sand when there isn't any sand?

Here is another one with lousy drumsticks

And the skin on this one would probably hurt the roof of your mouth

This one is stuffed, but not with anything tasty, he's 100% fiberfill

This pair isn't protesting Wall Street, but they are picketing with a sign

As is this one who appeals to teenagers

Let's not forget the people who brought us the first Thanksgiving feast, and no, I don't mean Mr Butterball and Sara Lee. I'm talking pilgrims now.

There are young pilgrims bringing food to the harvest table

Innocent looking, nose-less pilgrims

Happy pilgrims with enough nose for the pair above as well as themselves

And smart turkeys disguised as pilgrims so that they stay seated at the table rather than plated!

Even one of the bears at my house gets festive for Thanksgiving. The other two are jealous. Or maybe they are cold because they don't have sweaters. Here they are cuddled together in a basket wondering if they'll be safe until the next visit by my grandson.

This has nothing to do with turkeys or pilgrims, but it was a new purchase this year.

A little bling tied onto a shelving unit.

And lastly, sometimes my favorite Thanksgiving decoration of all, taken from a

Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine

If you're shopping this weekend for Thursday's feast, cleaning like mad in case a relative decides to look behind the entertainment for cobwebs and dropped Easter candy, dieting to fit into your skinny jeans or binge eating to stretch your stomach so you'll have room for seconds of everything...whatever the heck you're doing, have fun with it!

Food+holidays: fun or headaches?

2011-11-15T09:48:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, the holidays....the Norman Rockwell picture of the loving family gathered around the table, giving thanks for all they have. How many women feel part of that picture if they're hosting dinner for 25 relatives, some of whom don't get along, one family who is always late, and one insists on bringing their dog even though you've specifically told them not to do this?

That second scenario is not mine (thank goodness!) but is a compilation of problems that I hear from some who no longer enjoy hosting or even attending holiday dinners with family. I think it is a shame that we can't be closer to the Norman Rockwell version, but I understand the angst and anger some women feel.

My Michigan sister-in-law and I have traded off Thanksgiving and Christmas for over 30 years. Last year my single son hosted Thanksgiving and this year my married son and dear daughter-in-law are hosting it. Last year Bill and I hauled dishes, pans, table cloths and folding tables not just to our son's house but down to his basement. All 327 steps. What? You never noticed that the number of steps increases with each trip?

We'll be helping again this year, but my married son and his wife have more experience with cooking and entertaining. This will be their first turkey and their first meal for 26 people. Our youngest niece will be out of town and the middle one is hosting her husband's family. Their will be 14 diners who share my married surname, 11 with Kim's maiden name and one friend of the family who has had Thanksgiving with us for years. There will be 8 young children (ages from 20 months to 9 years) which is the most I can remember at any holiday meal.

I don't know yet who will be making desserts this year. I love to make them, but will make whatever is needed. Except gravy. I make lousy gravy. Regardless of who gets the joy of desserts, I plan to bring these, at least enough for the 8 kids, but more likely, enough for everyone.

Are they cornball or cute? Whatever you think, they are soooooo me. The directions are here.

Are you hosting or attending? Will people bring a dish to the meal? Are holiday dinners a joy or something to be endured?

Our extended family doesn't quite look like Norman Rockwell's family, but we do pull together and enjoy our meals together. I am very thankful not only for my sister-in-law and nieces who help clean up when they are here, but for my husband who starts prepping whenever I do, and is by my side throughout the entire process. My married son is following suit and that makes us both happy. Our single son is great with helping to clean up, and if you need someone to make Kraft macaroni and cheese...he's your man!

I'll let you in on a secret. My sis-in-law discovered that after the turkey is in the oven or roaster, the side dishes are cooking or chilling and ready to be finished just before everything goes to the table, it helps if you have a glass of wine. Or two. Honest.

My Prize, and an Oddity

2011-11-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about winning a prize from a yarn shop hop. Today I picked up the prize...10 skeins of yarn!

It is a bulky weight yarn and I have no idea yet what I will do with it, but I've already looked to see what others have done with it on Ravelry's website. I probably won't have time to touch it until after the holidays anyway.

Before leaving the house this morning, I noticed a piece of paper had blown onto our porch. It was a receipt, an old one with a carbon backing. Note the date.

It is not my receipt. That store no longer exists and I never heard of it 25 years ago. The receipt was for an exchange of one skein of yarn, one color number for another.

How odd that it would show up on my porch. Maybe a ghost of knitters past has come to haunt me!

Anticipation!

2011-11-13T09:31:00.001-05:00

Anticipation! I am feeling it! What is on the other side of that door? Or in my case, what will I be picking up tomorrow?

Last Saturday I participated in something called The Baaad Girls Shop Hop. I've done quilt shop hops before, and one scrapbooking store hop, but never one for a yarn store. In shop hops, you purchase a "passport" either at your favorite participating shop or the one which will be your first stop. The passport is a sheet of paper or booklet that gets initialed, stamped or punched at each store and turned in at the final store for prize drawings.

In last weekend's case, there were 5 shops participating and the passport fee was $10. The passport entitles you to discounts at each store for that day, gives you a goody bag from each shop, and the money generated from passport sales goes to charity. Most shops also offer refreshments, often home baked items and beverages.

For a few blogger friends who knit and are somewhat local to the area, I will mention shop names and my impressions. Don't read anything into more photos at one store than another. Lighting, shopping congestion or the fact that I didn't ask permission to take photos might be the reason for fewer photos.

I began the hop at the store furthest from me, Sweet Pea's in St Clair, Michigan. They are located in the shopping plaza on M-29 ( North Riverside Avenue), at the south end of the plaza. You must enter the plaza to find their entrance.

This was part of their refreshment offering with drinks on a nearby table.

Beyond this window is the St Clair River. This area is a nice place to sit and contemplate a pattern or have a husband watch the river (and often freighters) go by while you shop.

A closer view from the window.

Their goody bag included The Country Register, a Debbie Bliss magazine, a guide to things to see and do in the Blue Water area, a lovely skein of fun yarn (Crystal Palace Monaco) and a package of Sweet Pea seeds.

My review: I loved this store! It was bright and cheerful and so were the employees. It isn't so close that Bill has to worry that I will go there weekly as I do my local shop, but I will definitely return.

My next stop was in Armada at a Knitters Hideaway. It is off Armada Ridge on 33 Mile Road, set back quite a bit and if traffic had been heavy, I would have missed the small sign at the end of the drive.

The store is upstairs in this garage. The area is small, but chock full of yarn, patterns and notions. The two women working were very friendly.

Their goody bag had a pattern, some candy, an emory board and oddly....a pen from a funeral home or cemetery that I guess was local to the area.

My review: The store was nice, but in all honesty, it is so far from my usual travels, I doubt I will return.

Next stop, Labor of Love Yarn and Fiber in Romeo.

Their goody bag included size 3 Bryspun circular knitting needles and patterns for a mug cozy, a seed stitch bobble scarf and a flapper hat. No photos accompany the directions and since no one greeted me or asked if they could help in any way, I have no idea if these items were displayed somewhere or not.

My review: The downside to cramped quarters in an old Victorian home mean that a table full of knitters (class or a regular knitting group session) made it difficult for new shoppers to walk around or even see what was available. The turn off here was that no one paid any attention to potential new shoppers.

Stop number four was Trio Crafty Lady on Hall Road in Macomb.

Their goody bag was the store's newsletter and a pattern book featuring ella rae yarns.

My review: The store had lovely displays. The staff is not friendly. This is not my first experience with aloof attitudes in this shop. There was a beaded scarf on a display that caught my interest. I found the pattern near the check out and asked if the yarn was anywhere near the displayed scarf. The employee walked me to the display and said it could be made from this, that or the other yarn. I asked if this meant that they were out of the yarn in the sample. Oh no, they had it, but it was locked in the display case at the check out. I didn't really want to see it, did I? Of course not, you idiot. (thought but not spoken). I kept my $36 (cost of said yarn) and left with previous impressions in tact.

Last stop was City Knits, now in Harrison Township on Crocker near 16 Mile. They have a location in downtown Detroit, but that store wasn't part of this hop. This location is a recent move from downtown Mount Clemens where parking was sometimes difficult and nearly all metered parking. The store is in a strip mall and most easily found by looking for the restaurant's sign.

This is only a fraction of the yarn in the store nearest the windows.

Items from a trunk show were displayed on the walls

More trunk show samples behind the refreshments. They are still constructing shelves and bins to hold even more yarn and notions which is why the ladder is in site.

Samples of crochet for one of their classes.

Their goody bag had Spin*Off magazine, a pattern for a ski band, a bottle of water and a skein of Ironstone yarn, color is called Herb Garden.

My review: Like Sweet Pea's, everything in City Knits was good. I asked about knitted gloves that were placed on top of Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 magazine. The gloves are on page 98 of that issue and in my opinion, the photo doesn't do them justice. They are gorgeous and were designed by the shop owner, Karen Hendrick-Hands. The employee took me to the yarn (Misti Alpaca) that was used to make these gloves and wished me luck choosing one color over the many others that were drool-worthy. I will definitely re-visit this store for two reasons: First, I ordered a pattern that was out of stock due to popularity during the shop hop and second, I got an email notification that I won something from the shop hop drawing which took place yesterday!

Too bad I have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is!

Before anyone thinks I was harsh in commenting on two of the stores that didn't greet shop hoppers, this isn't about ego. The purpose of a shop hop is to draw new people into the store. The first three stores were brand new to me and I will definitely return to Sweet Pea's, so they succeeded. The fourth store wouldn't have warranted a stop from me except for getting my "passport" stamped. The snooty attitude over yarn cost them a sale not only that day, but any future days.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

2011-11-12T11:39:00.001-05:00

Nothing like having things work again after a period of frustration!

I have no idea why or what happened, but I can change backgrounds and add things to the sidebar again. This makes me happy. Almost ridiculously so. Should I be ashamed to admit that?

In the early days of our marriage, I changed furniture around often. It drove Bill crazy. He was thankful the bathroom fixtures were not re-positionable. When we remodeled and enlarged our home, it was a good thing (as Martha would say) but it limited rearranging furniture. Our bedroom is large but the room's architecture and the size and amount of furniture pretty much dictate the bed stays were it has been for years. Living room is dictated by the entertainment center which currently must remain on one wall and our family room is long and narrow which limits anything out there. The room that serves as an office has a huge sectional that only fits one way in the room.

So what is a gal who likes to move things around supposed to do? Get a blog, of course, and change things around there!

Whatever was preventing me from doing this for weeks may have actually started right after the previous time I changed things here. Ignorance is bliss though. If I didn't know something was broken, it didn't bother me, but knowing that I couldn't change things was driving me crazy! Aren't we all at least a bit like that?

I just heard yesterday that music CDs may cease production by the end of next year with downloads being our only option. Really? Nobody is going to get rich with the amount of music I purchase a year, but no more CDs? That doesn't feel right to me. By the way, would you like to see my vinyl collection?

For the record, another reason furniture doesn't get moved often anymore is that I am not 20-something. Heck, I'm not even 30 something. I moved some bedroom furniture yesterday to do a top to bottom cleaning. Oy! I was careful not to strain my back, remembering that I wasn't young-something but today...oh my aching arms!
I think I only have enough energy to switch from my summery dishes to my wintry ones with snowflakes on them. We did have snowflakes fall two days ago but mercifully, they did not accumulate on the ground. I've asked Mother Nature to deliver snow on December 23rd and remove it on December 27th this and every future year. I'll let you know how that goes.

Speaking of snow, here is a little snowy humor for you.

Happy, frustration-free wishes to everyone!

Technology 7; Knitty 0

2011-11-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

Technology is beating me. Not only did it score a touchdown by driving me crazy, it made the extra point by bringing on a tear or two of frustration. The fact that I am using football analogies should be proof of how far over the edge I am.

According to Blogger Buzz as of two weeks ago, they are excited about the positive feedback they've received over Dynamic Views and those of waiting for "gadget support" should stay tuned. I haven't made any changes and yet my problems began at the time of that announcement. What a coincidence!

Have you successfully gotten help from Blogger? Their support board is people like us helping others. If someone hasn't had your problem or doesn't see your post because it sank to page 8 while others are posting about their own headaches, you are SOL and I don't mean Sorry Ole Lady. I finally found a way to contact Blogger and am waiting to hear back. I was polite even though I felt like the following women:

I suspect my iPad issues are connected to this too. Others are reporting the same error message but nobody seems to have an answer.

I appreciate the suggestions I've received in comments and emails. So far they haven't cured the problem but I keep trying. This morning I upgraded Firefox because I have been using the old 3.6 version to the latest, version 8. I had upgraded once before and had all sorts of problems and went back to 3.6. The first thing I checked after the upgrade was Blogger. Nope. That didn't solve my problems here. I can't upload a picture from my computer to the sidebar layout. I can't change the background to one from my computer no matter which template I use. Both attempts tell me they can't be completed because of an internal error.

Next I went to a message board that I visit daily. I am one of the administrators there and yesterday added new "clickable smilies" that we use in our replies. It all worked great yesterday. Today none of the them were clickable for me. Neither were the buttons for Bold or Italics. I checked another board that I visit that is built on a different platform (like comparing Blogger to Word Press). Everything worked there. I've returned to Firefox 3.6.

While I realize those problems might not be understood to some readers here, I bet we all recognize computer frustration. We've all felt it over one issue or another. The images I've used in today's post were all found by searching "computer frustration"!

I don't plan to write about this again unless I hear something from Blogger or Firefox that might help someone else.

To prove that I've done more than hit the computer, swear and cry lately, here is a repaired dining chair that hubby and I have worked on for our older son and his wife. Sorry that the photo is small and the background is cluttered. I took the photo in the garage with my phone. I had intentions of getting another photo with my camera but the chair was on its way home before I was ready. Bill had to repair damage done by a long ago dog who thought the frame and seat were chew toys.

And lastly, a just for fun photo of my grandson. This has nothing to do with computers, football, chairs, anything worrisome or truthfully, about anything at all. He has discovered that his nose is more than a bump on his face to point to when someone asks where his nose is. It has holes in it! Two of them!!

Still frustrated....

2011-11-07T19:14:00.000-05:00

The post yesterday was from my PC. Still no luck posting from my iPad and no luck uploading images to my sidebar or header yet. I've submitted a question to the Blogger Help Forum, and while people have been helpful in the past, I don't believe they are actual Blogger staff people. I'm not sure I'm being heard, but I do see others with a similar error code, at least on the iPad non-posting issue. Sadly, their questions haven't been answered either so I am not hopeful.

Since I seem to be up to my eyeballs in offline issues, I will probably be absent for the rest of the week while I catch up and occasionally see if my Blogger issues have corrected themselves.

For anyone who switched from Blogger to another blog host, such as Word Press, was it an easy transition? Any regrets or advice?

I hope to visit my blog buddies later tonight or tomorrow but I'm supposed to be covering a dining room chair seat as soon as hubby gets off the phone. I hope that goes better than posting here!

Bad Blogger. Bad, bad Blogger

2011-11-06T20:32:00.002-05:00

First the issue was that I could not upload pictures into my sidebar. Now Blogger loses entire posts from my iPad. If this goes through, it will be a miracle.

Hopefully I will be back to normal (ha! whatever that is!) soon.

November 1st already...Rabbit, Rabbit!

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

How the heck did it get to be November 1st already?

Rabbit, Rabbit....for good luck. If you aren't familiar with this superstition, I talk about it here.

How are you spending the first day of the month? I'll be packing away ghosts and pumpkins and bringing out turkeys and pilgrims. A few autumn decorations are holiday neutral and will stay in place until it is time to decorate for the C-word. I can't bring myself to say that holiday out loud yet, you know which one...the one that takes place in December.

Since I'm not ready to talk about future holidays yet, let's review review Halloween. Were there many trick or treaters in your neighborhood? Were they cute or scary? Did you have a good time?

I did, mainly because I felt so safe. When your grandson is Superman, how can you not feel safe?

Look at that steely gaze and those abs!

Do you hear a damsel in distress?

Oh, it's just silly ole grandma!

Halloween is such an emotional holiday...

Upper left: Oh please, let there be some candy left!

Lower left: All right! 8 PM, done and there is still candy in the bowl!

Right: Bill saved all the Snickers for himself and gave out what I like!!!

I guess there is one more turkey around here than I planned to display, and after all those Snickers, he is looking pretty stuffed.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

Have a sweet Halloween, all treats and no tricks!

Seniors with delightful attitudes

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

My blogging buddy Chatty Crone shared this clip a few days ago and a discussion on aging and attitudes continues in this post . First, the clip. Meet Dorothy Custer, a 100 year old lady who appeared on Jay Leno's show this summer.

This lady reminds me of my Uncle Harold who was also a guest on Jay Leno's show. Uncle Harold was invited to the show because of his achievement on the golf course. In May of 2001 he became the oldest American to hit a hole in one at the age of 101. Six years later, Elsie McLean at the age of 102 broke that record, but I don't think Uncle Harold wouldn't have minded. He was a very gracious man.

ESPN's Page 2 interviewed him in 2001, asking him their "10 Burning Questions". That interview is here in its entirety. I'm only sharing the questions that pertain to life in general.

7. If you could have a superpower what would it be, the strength of 100 men, the ability to fly or be able to turn invisible?
Stilson: "Hmmm. I don't think I would want any of them. I want to be myself."

8. What is the secret of long life?
Stilson: "I don't know. I've lived a nice life. I had a wonderful marriage. My wife and I were married 76 years. She died three years ago. ... If I had mydruthers, I would say she was the best-looking woman of the century. I would say toe the line and live life as it comes out. Plus, my mother was 100 when she died, so it's in the genes."

9. What advice would you give to the younger generations?
Stilson: "The best advice, to me, is to make people smile. We have waiters and waitresses here in the home where I live and I always say to them, 'Let mesee your teeth.' They do, and they smile and I smile back. That's my philosophy on life. Try to be friendly."

10. Would you like to live your life over again?
Stilson: "No, I certainly would not. I've had a wonderful life and don't regret one bit of it."

Uncle Harold was 9 weeks short of 102 when he died in 2002. He was always cheerful. He enjoyed sharing stories of the past, especially with family members, but he definitely lived in the present. I love his answer to the 9th question. Harold was a relative by marriage, not by blood, so I cannot claim the same longevity genes. What I can share is that making people smile is my mission too.

There is another video clip of Dorothy Custer that was done off stage at The Tonight Show. Someone named Bryan asks her a few questions here, some of which are already covered in the embedded clip. The important part begins at 1:35 where she says the secret to a long life is exercise, looking forward rather than backward and that laughter is the main thing.

Accidents and illness cut some lives way short of our definition of a long life. Sadly, some people continue to have birthdays and reach a big number without any realization of their milestones or who is around them. A few reach their 90s and beyond with bodies and minds still in working order but have chosen to be miserable old cusses. I don't think that happened at a significant birthday. People like that are miserable old cusses in their 30s and simply hone their disagreeable ways throughout their life.

The truly successful seniors are the ones who continue to look ahead, who smile and laugh, who continue to love, who continue to learn, and who make the best of whatever they have. Smiling and laughing isn't just about making you more likable to others, its about making you feel better about yourself.

My goal is to have a long life but not just to reach a certain age. Getting older happens as long as you are breathing. Have a successful long life happens as long as you are fully engaged in living one.

Killer Jigsaw Puzzle

2011-10-28T10:21:00.001-04:00

A little silver-haired ladycalls her neighbor and says, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started."

Her neighbor asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?"

The little silver haired lady says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster."

Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster."

He takes her hand and says, "Secondly, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then,"

He paused before continuing with a deep sigh .............

"Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."

May I now borrow Kellogg's tag line and wish you the very best this morning?

Kleenex sales have returned to normal

2011-10-27T11:33:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a cold leaving you to remind you how good "normal" feels. I don't want to jinx myself by saying its gone, but at least its bags are packed and the cold seems to be ready to move on. I hope it doesn't have your house on its GPS program.

How about some smile-worthy quotes today? I am trusting my email source is correct in attributing these accurately, but if not, they still made me smile.

Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself,'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin..'

- Lillian Carter (mother ofJimmy Carter)

I had a rose named after meand I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated thiswoman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by hersister, and now wish to withdraw that statement..

- Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermonis to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as closetogether as possible

- George Burns

Santa Claus has the rightidea. Visit people only once a year.

- Victor Borge

Be careful about readinghealth books. You may die of a misprint.

- Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If youget a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become aphilosopher.

- Socrates

I was married by a judge. Ishould have asked for a jury.

- Groucho Marx

My wife has a slightimpediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.

- Jimmy Durante

I have never hated a manenough to give his diamonds back.

- Zsa Zsa Gabor

Only Irish coffee provides ina single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, andfat.

- Alex Levine

My luck is so bad that if Ibought a cemetery, people would stop dying.

- Rodney Dangerfield

Money can't buy you happiness.... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.

- Spike Milligan

Until I was thirteen, Ithought my name was SHUT UP .

- Joe Namath

I don't feel old. I don'tfeel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.

- Bob Hope

I never drink water becauseof the disgusting things that fish do in it..

- W. C. Fields

We could certainly slow theaging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.

- Will Rogers

Don't worry about avoidingtemptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.

- Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that lifebegins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spreadout..

- Phyllis Diller

By the time a man is wiseenough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

- Billy Crystal

Stock market advice

2011-10-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

Everything is speeding up except me. Night fall is happening way too early and we haven't even set the clocks back yet. I'll vote for any presidential candidate who can deliver sunlight from 6 am to 9 pm. Then there is the matter of months...what's with the calendar pages turning so quickly? And lastly, how come I have a winter cold already and we're maybe midway into autumn?

I know, I know....it could be worse and I shouldn't complain, but what would I write about today?

When this crept up on me last Thursday, I thought I would give into it and hopefully shorten the duration. I cleared my weekend plans. I canceled my date with George Clooney; told Tiffany's and FAO Schwarz to reschedule my private viewings; and gave away my Tigers World Series playoff tickets. What? The Detroit Tigers didn't make it the pennant race? Maybe I do have a fever and am a bit delusional after all.

The chicken soup, extra sleep, comfy attire and attention from Bill have all been nice but I don't think my master plan is working. I think this cold is going to last as long as it is programmed to last. Appliances should be as predictable.

Since my eyes don't seem to be burning today, I hope to catch up on blog reading and exercise my fingers with a few comments.

Want some advice? Buy stock in facial tissue!

What's brewin in your caudron?

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

What are you brewing in your cauldron? Need something from my new line of spices? Petrified skulls? Cyanide sprinkles? Spider parts or corns from witch feet? Unholy spirits? Deathly morsels or Dreadful edibles? Maybe my favorite is yours as well: Last person who doubted me.

Have a wickedly wonderful Wednesday!

Tuesday Thoughts

2011-10-18T09:50:00.002-04:00

I am giving my brain a rest and only having thoughts on Tuesdays.

Actually my thoughts are just random today and without a cohesive thread to connect A, B and C so the vague post title is appropriate.

A. What are businesses thinking when they don't have their street address and business name prominently displayed? I was alone in the car yesterday, trying to find a store in an unfamiliar town, looking for an address like "123 Main". The street was marked only with the state highway number but I am confident that M-29 was "Main" in this town. None of the businesses had a visible street address. Not one! I pulled into a shopping plaza thinking the store was in there. No sign of the store and no addresses on the doors of the shops. I pulled up their website on my phone with the intention of calling them, but by then I had an attitude and figured they didn't want new customers bad enough to make it easy on us, so forget it.

Yes dear readers, I occasionally get an attitude.
I appreciate businesses that include helpful directions, such as "on the corner of Main and Third" or "across from the library" or park, etc, something that isn't likely to change and can be considered a landmark.

B. How are you feeling about the new characters on TV shows? (I didn't say my random thoughts were going to be deep ones) I don't like the new boss on Castle or perhaps I should say that I don't find her a necessary addition to the cast so far. A woman asking to be called "sir" seems ridiculous to me. I still love the show though.

What do you think about the new boss on The Mentalist? The writers did more in one episode to introduce him and arouse my interest than the writers of Castle. I'm interested to see how he works out. He seems awfully young. Was I ever that young?

Has Harry's Law made a mistake with their changes? The show went from two lawyers struggling to find clients while sharing space in a shoe store to being a firm over the shoe store between seasons. I still watch it, but I miss the feel of the old space and the two cast members who have been dropped.

C. I finished the scarf that I wrote about here but not without some angst. Three quarters of the way through the skein I discovered that it wasn't one solid length of yarn but two. The yarn hides the join well but I need to go back and take some stitches for my peace of mind so that it won't unravel. In looking online for suggestions on how to join this, I found that a few others had the same experience. I also discovered that the same yarn could be ordered much cheaper online, even with shipping and handling costs, than what my local yarn store charged. I do believe in supporting local businesses, but when you can get the same thing for less than half price online even after a class discount, that is too much of a markup.

Now I've shared my ABCs, won't you share your thoughts with me?

Fun shopping bags

2011-10-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

I got an email claiming these are European plastic shopping bags. The email said the Europeans have a much better sense of humor than we Americans do. I can't verify that these bags do exist or deny that this is a photoshopped spoof. Now that I've made those disclaimers, I hope you enjoy them.

I almost deleted the second photo with the handgun. That would be a frightening thing to see, wouldn't it?

Brightening the dark with plastic bottles

2011-10-15T11:54:00.004-04:00

I couldn't out how to embed this clip so I am using a link instead. Someone figured out am economical way to light dark homes in Malaysia using simple supplies. A chemist could probably explain how this works but that doesn't really matter to me. I am just impressed and happy that something so simple can bring light to the darkness.

Click here

Does anyone know how to embed clips from wimp.com and other sites that don't offer embedding info?

I hope your day is bright and beautiful.

Knitting with a web like yarn

2011-10-14T09:48:00.001-04:00

How did it get to be Friday again so soon?

I think time passing too quickly in our adult years is payback for complaining as a child that there is nothing to do, that we don't want to go bed yet, and thinking Christmas, Halloween or our birthdays will never get here. Judging by my fleet footed clock, I must have complained a lot as a child!

So what have I done the past few days that have been fun?

I painted a chipboard casket, added a Martha Stewart skeleton and a sign.

This will look good next to a plate of Halloween cupcakes, cookies and candy, don't you think?

The knitting mystery project at the yarn store where I hang out is almost done. It is another small shawl. Photos will show up here as soon as I finish. I got distracted by some fun yarn which is the real subject of today's post.

The yarn is Filatura Di Crosa Moda. Quite a mouthful, eh? It is acrylic and looks like this in the skein:

and like this when you spread out the strand. The denser part at the bottom in this photo will remain the loose edge and knitting will take place in the top openings.

Casting on isn't really done, you just pick up as many loops as you need.

Knitting felt a little awkward at first, but soon that feeling was gone and it was fun to watch the rapid progress. This project is a scarf and worked on only 4 stitches.

It doesn't look like much in these photos, but trust me, it is a fun accessory when complete and worn rather than laying flat. This photo is a good representation of the color wave I am using and the next photo gives you an idea of how it will look hanging.

Here is a view of the finished scarf from the yarn's website. As you can see, it is offered in solid colors as well as the tonal blends and multi-colors. I prefer the multi-tones but if I was thin, blond and could master this expression, I'd wear it in solid brown too.

Just what is her expression saying?

"What are you looking at?"
"Of course my hair color is natural, you wicked doubter!"
"These shoes are giving me a headache and they aren't even in the %$#* photo!"
"Do you think I'm beginning to look like that Martha Stewart skeleton?"

I am going to buy the poor dear a Big Mac combo and some fuzzy slippers as soon as both knitting projects are done. I hope she lasts that long!

Ghostly feet

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last year Colton was only 7 months old when I painted the bottom of his foot with white acrylic paint so that I could stamp the image onto black paper for his first craft project with me. He didn't complain at all.

This year I couldn't think of a suitable project for a 19 month old, so I decided to repeat last year's footprint. I thought it would be cute to compare sizes. I had planned to take his picture with the sole of his foot white, but trauma occurred.

I have no idea what that poor child thought I was doing to him, but he cried from the moment the foam brush touched his foot. He was captive in his high chair and grandpa did his best to distract him but the tears became sobs. Colton is so fair skinned, when he cries he gets red and blotchy almost immediately.

How did I handle this? The way generations of grandmothers have handled tearful trauma...I told grandpa to get him some pudding! Colton ate the pudding but tears continued until I was done. He wasn't too thrilled with the foot washing either, but once he was on the ground and running, all was forgiven.

I don't think I will be making actual cards from these prints, I'll be leaving them as tags instead that can be propped or scrapbooked. There is one for mommy and daddy, one for his other grandparents, one for Uncle Billy and one for us, the tormentors.

The middle ghost is from last year. I wish I remember which blog I saw this on last year to give proper credit, but I do not recall which one it was.

The rickety fence on the lower left and the bottom borders of spiders on both right side prints are Martha Stewart punches. I see now that I cut off part of the upper right one's trim. I used another Martha Stewart punch that has cobwebs and hanging spiders.

The Prince of Sweetness wasn't really wearing shoes last October but this year he is in a size 8 and growing.

Next year we'll find something where he can be an active participant. I won't paint his foot again unless he likes the idea. Hopefully I'll have a large enough piece of paper!

Was Chicken Little right?

2011-10-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder if Chicken Little was right and the sky really is falling?

Being an optimist most of the time, I don't subscribe to that theory until something falls on my head. Couple that with my ostrich like ability to stick my head in the sand and you'll see why I am protected. Or oblivious.

I've heard about the Mayan prediction of the world ending in 2012 but I figure that is just a rumor. I haven't heard it directly from a Mayan though, have you? At knitting a few nights ago, a woman told the rest of us about a person who attempted to get his air freight business insured by Lloyds of London. The agent from Lloyds asked what his contingency plans were for 2012. Huh? Sun spot activity is expected to be at a very high level next year and may knock out satellites that control so much of our daily lives here on earth. If communications satellites go down, air traffic will be stopped. Banks will be close because records won't be accessible. TV, radio and cell phones...bye bye. And how will you and I exchange greetings?

But wait...didn't we just go through this with Y2K mania?

I think we'll all be fine. Unless the Just for Laughs production crew shows up in our neighborhoods! Click on that link to see what I mean.

Have a great weekend!

Don Ho would have to change the lyrics....

2011-10-07T15:08:00.000-04:00

If my grandson were a little older, I would get tickets for this show. Don't you wonder how he does this? Surely I'm not the only adult mesmerized, am I?

And my other question...with this experience with bubbles, do you think he helps with the dishes at home?

Responsibilities of grandparenting

2011-10-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

I take my role as grandmother seriously. I am here to love unconditionally and teach my grandson important life lessons. Be kind. Share. "i" before "e" except after "c". How to make ice cream soup. And how to make silly noises.

A day in the life of a retiree

2011-10-04T09:58:00.000-04:00

6:30 Shut off the alarm clock. Didn't I throw this thing away once we were both officially retired?

7:00    Stumble through drying hair and getting dressed and walking downstairs feigning alertness.

7:15    Follow hubby to dealership so that he can drop off his vehicle for minor repairs while still under warranty.

7:45    Listen in amazement to him explain that yes, the left front door window really is the same as the driver's door window.

8:50    Arrive at lawyer's office. Time to update legal documents and get answers to a few questions.

10:10   Leave lawyer's office with questions answered and list of questions from him. Hmmm, can we charge him while we research these answers?

10:30   Arrive at dentist's office for hubby's dental cleaning. Attempt to catch up on knitting before class tomorrow night.

11:20    Leave with only one row done, but pleasant conversation with the office manager and tandem teasing of husband with the hygienist accomplished.

11:48    Stop at home to pick up iPad and head to Best Buy with question.

12:15    Leave Best Buy, hopefully with issue resolved. Engage in embarrassing conversation with hubby. We never go anywhere together in my car, but with his in the shop, we obviously were in mine today with him driving.

He asked "When was the last time this thing's oil was changed?"

Looking at him driving, I said "Why would I know that? I don't even know the last time my oil was changed!"

To which he replied "....this is your car....."

Oops!

12:28 Plead temporary insanity because of no breakfast, no lunch and worst of all, NO COFFEE yet!

12:40 Arrive at Bob Evans, order and begin eating. Across the aisle and few booths back from husband is an older couple with something floral laying on their table. When the gentleman picked it up, I was surprised not only that it looked like a weed, but it had just been pulled from the ground and had roots (and dirt!) attached. First the man would hold it up, then the lady, all the while eating their meal. After they finished, he got out a loupe and continued to examine it while they finished their beverages.

(Who knew there's an internet photo of a woman using a loupe to examine a plant???)

1:10    While leaving restaurant, attempt to convince hubby that the plant examination was much more strange than a starving woman who is never the passenger in her own car being confused about whose vehicle she was in. Besides, he is in charge of oil change documentation and all things automotive, right?

1:30    Hubby attempts to take a nap but instead takes 3 phone calls while I discover that my iPad still isn't recognizing our router.

2:00 After discovering that our lap top wouldn't start because the power supply cord is apparently wonky (highly technical term), hubby resets our router and iPad works again. He resumes his nap position on the couch.

2:03 Our 3:00 appointment called and asked if we were available a few minutes early followed by a call from the dealership that his truck is ready.

2: 28   Arrive at appointment, sign papers, say blah...blah...blah and head to dealership. Of three problems, they could only address one because the other two occur intermittently and yesterday those issues were on their good behavior. Wait almost 20 minutes for them to find the truck they had just finished an hour ago.

4:26 Home again where it was my turn to handle phone calls while hubby, bless his heart, vacuumed out my car (the one I barely recognize), washed the mats and took it to the car wash for an external spiffing up because I am picking up a friend for lunch tomorrow.

(Snuggled up against Grammy, almost asleep )

5:38 Leave for dinner at Colton's house. Oh yeah, his mommy and daddy live there too because he isn't tall enough to reach everything yet, but he is working on it. Uncle B (our other son) was invited too, so I had to share Colton time.

8:54 Home again, this time for good. Wonder where the day went, wonder when some things are going to get done here, set the alarm for 6:00 (yikes! That is worse than today!) for hubby's golf game, sort laundry for tomorrow and promptly fall sleep while watching TV.

Do your genes fit your jeans?

2011-10-02T11:14:00.000-04:00

The world has become such a casual place, hasn't it? I spend most of my days in jeans and khakis until the weather turns cold enough to trade the khakis in for cords.

Do you have a favorite brand of jeans? Maybe a specific line within that brand? Has your favorite changed over the years because your body has changed or because the company no longer makes that style? I don't know which is more frustrating, a woman's personal battle with her body shape or finding the perfect cut only to have that style discontinued.

And whatever happened to standardized sizing? Wouldn't it be nice if all size 12 slacks fit the same? Wouldn't it be nice if I were a size 12? Oops! I digressed with that comment, but sizing is all over the board from bras to jeans to shoes.

I recently ordered a pair of shoes online. That isn't my preferred way of shoe shopping, but when I couldn't find what I liked in the stores to try on, I ordered them. For years I successfully ordered Reeboks this way because Kohl's stopped carrying the style that fit and felt great right out of the box. The casual leather shoes that I ordered were a brand that I've worn before and I was pretty confident they would fit well. I was half right. They look cute and feel great from instep forward. The heel is sloppy wide on me.

I bought heel liners that adhere to the inside of the shoe but they aren't enough. I took them to the shoe repair shop that used to work wonders on anything presented to them. They have new owners and he didn't have anything to add that wasn't on the shelf at Walgreens or Target. If I didn't like the shoes so much I would return them. I doubt the heel liners would come out without leaving a telltale mark though, so returning them probably isn't an option. I found something at Amazon to try, something a little thicker. Cross your fingers for me.

Now back to jeans. Amazon doesn't offer a product that will squeeze ample me into ~~cute~~ ~~little~~ ~~medium~~ nice jeans. On a scale of not caring what I look like to expecting a miracle, I think I am in the middle, perhaps a notch towards the miracle side. I would like them to fit without sagging, but also without cutting off circulation or creating a muffin top. A pullover that looks nice with dress slacks can become sausage casing if jeans are too tight and push things up and over the waistband. Not a good look on anyone, and the larger the person, the worse the look! This photo is from People of Walmart.

Besides gross, doesn't that look painful?

I am not ready to go the route of buying jeans and having them altered, but it may come to that. I'm planning to go jean shopping this week and try on brands I haven't tried before. If you hear someone behind you in the store and her shoes are flapping off of her heels, turn around and say hello.

What I've learned from the news

2011-10-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

I seem to rant about the news frequently, yet still I tune in. I claim it is to hear the weather forecast but am I secretly addicted? Years ago on a forum that no longer exists within the HGTV message boards, there was a woman who saw conspiracies in everything. Every. Little. Thing. I have no doubt that she would have deduced that a micro chip was implanted on my last dental examination what forced me to tune in and receive daily indoctrinations.

I think I just like to laugh at the absurdity of many things until it becomes too much, too depressing and necessary to stay away from it for a while. Since the only thing depressing in my world today is the weather (gray, wet and way too cold for October 1st!), today's news is worthy of a few rolling eyeballs and head shakes.

Did you know that it isn't ok to kill a terrorist if they were born in America? The pacifist in me wishes no one ever had to use a weapon period, but the realist in me doesn't care where they were born.

I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you [can you hear the sarcasm coming from my keyboard?] that Martha Stewart won't be nominated for Mother of the Year by her daughter. Personally, I like many of the ideas, crafts and products from Martha, the corporation. My gut feeling has always been that she isn't a warm person that I would enjoy knowing, but neither Martha or I have lost sleep over this. Did her daughter really need to write an expose on her mom? Especially while mom is alive? Do I think this was done for the money? No, no and a big fat yes!

Speaking of fat, did you know that NJ governor Chris Christie is too fat to be president? Before I say another word, I want to announce that I have no political affiliations, don't know if Christie has been good, bad or indifferent for his home state and I am an overweight American. Will Americans at large (is it ok to use that phrase or does that promote obesity?) ever look beneath the surface and determine a person's value for a position based on merit and experience rather than appearances?

Hmmm, maybe not considering former playmate Holly Madison just insured her breasts for one million dollars. She certainly is within her rights to do this, but when you pay a hundred dollars to see her show in Vegas, you're paying to see her "biggest money makers" (her words) and the insurance premium too. Who is the biggest boob?

Whatever size bra Holly Madison now wears, she isn't likely to find it on the rack (ooh! rack is another terms for boobs! I may have to give this post an R rating!) at Target where our First Lady recently shopped. Can you imagine having your shopping trips scrutinized? Or worse, not being able to come and go as you please?

I understand the need for security but I like to shop at Target. That is why I won't agree to my husband running for president next year or any time in the near future. There's also the fat factor as I'm sure I am too fat to be First Lady, my silly belief that a person's value should be measured by their character rather than what trendy label they wear or who did their cosmetic work, my children's upbringing possibly being scrutinized (years of peanut butter and jelly on white bread without carrot sticks, arugula or soy milk!) and lastly, that I will talk to anyone peacefully but if you want to blow up people in some misguided notion that this is what any Supreme Being (whatever you choose to call the entity I call God) wants, I will pray for those who must stop you in order to save the lives of many.

On happier notes, there are only 262 days until summer returns and today is October 1st, time to once again say Rabbit! Rabbit! for good luck!

I'm off now to have my body scanned for the type of chips mentioned in my first paragraph. Thank goodness there is a setting that ignores chocolate chips and potato chips....I could be in big trouble otherwise!

How do you do it?

2011-09-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

How do you change your ingrained habits to ones that are better for you?

For me, this question is about diet and exercise. For someone else it might be stopping smoking, drinking, impulse shopping, etc.

I am not a stupid woman. I know that the basic formula for my goal is eat less and exercise more. I also know that anything I say after this is an excuse, but let's face it, change is hard, especially when you don't want to make the change in the first place.

Once upon a time I didn't mind cooking. Sometimes I truly enjoyed it, other times it was just a daily task like making the bed and wasn't a big deal. For quite some time now, I've almost hated it. My husband and I aren't picky eater but there are some things we either A) don't care for, B) don't eat because it disagrees with us, C) are easier or better to order in a restaurant or D) has become very expensive.

Starting with A, neither of us cares for peppers or zucchini. Hubby prefers most canned or frozen vegetables to fresh. We like salads, but not every day.

As we get older, the list in B grows. Anything in the melon family which includes cucumbers, disagrees with me. I like garlic, but it stays with me forever. More than just a little isn't just unpleasantly aromatic on me, it causes indigestion. Avoiding fried foods isn't just health conscious, they also don't "sit well" if we eat them as we used to do, especially later in the day.

The list in C would include seafood and many fish entrees. Living in Michigan, we like lake perch which are small fillets. I like tilapia and farm raised catfish but hubby does not. He can't get the appearance of catfish out of his mind or stop thinking of them as bottom feeders despite them being raised in controlled conditions now. When I mention how odd looking crab and lobsters are, he can overlook them. My point is that I order these fish entrees in restaurants, he does not.

And the last category, D...doesn't everything fit into that category now? I bet most people in my age group remember when chicken was really inexpensive. Can you say that about any meat now? I just bought a pound and a quarter of ground round and paid $5 at Kroger.

I am giving up the All or Nothing mind set that I so often get when I decide that "this" is the week we are going to follow a better eating plan. When I tried to follow Weight Watchers in the recent past, I would do ok the first few weeks when my motivation was high and then fall apart when family would eat something I shouldn't have. Yes, I know that on WW you can have anything, you just need to plan for it and count the points. If it was the end of the day, the allotted points were already consumed and I gave in to temptation, that downslide was likely to continue into the next day or two.

I am going to try to avoid magazines and news that tell us one week to eat and drink {fill in the blank} for our hearts and the following week tells us that too much of this causes memory loss, toenail fungus and snarky blog entries. Moderation will be my goal. I think if I am going to make changes that I can stick with long enough for them to become my new ingrained habits, it is going to have occur this way.

How have you successfully exchanged poor habits for better ones?

And one last question...do you think that donut graphic means

No donuts
Don't eat a donut with a bite out of it
Don't eat more than one bite of a donut

Donuts are not my weakness so it was safe to end with that question. Don't press me on ice cream though.

Wet weather is good for something

2011-09-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

I think it began raining around midnight and has almost stopped now, 14 hours later. More is predicted over the weekend. It would be a good weekend to cook if I felt like cooking. A better weekend to bake but heaven knows we don't need what I would bake. I guess I will just have to play with my new toy all weekend.

What did I unwrap? Hmmm, what did I ask you to talk me out of a month ago? No one did. In fact, most of you encouraged me to want this gift which my husband, sons and daughter-in-law gave me last night. Colton was in on it too, but I don't think he had much input.

Yes, I got an iPad 2! I am so excited! I didn't know that having a Kindle and then an iPhone would lead to this addiction but there you have it...all since Mother's Day. The road to wireless electronic media nirvana addiction was short and sweet, and the pushers weren't even shady characters!

Almost 30 years ago I had my handwriting analyzed by a psychic who often appeared on a local TV program. The most surprising and unbelievable thing she told me all those years ago was that I would spend long hours working on a computer. At the time, home computers in middle American neighborhoods were as rare as private jets. A few years later Bill surprised me with a computer for Christmas. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I was intrigued. A few years later Bill began his own business and there I was...on the computer at work and at home for long hours at a time.

In retirement I am spending as much time per day as I did when we had the business, but now it 95% pleasure with just a little productive accounting thrown in. It is funny to think of that first computer with its limited memory, bulky monitor, those large floppy disks and no internet and see how that led to the lightweight, oh so portable devices I use today.
Does your computer time surprise you too?

Zappy Do Do to Me, Zappy Do Do to Me....

2011-09-22T12:32:00.001-04:00

No, I am not shamelessly looking for greetings, I'm just happy. Today is my birthday.

The inside of this card says "next year you'll need a bigger cake!"

What is your favorite birthday dinner and dessert? Do you have a birthday ritual such as a place to go or something to do on that day? No ritual here and no favorite dinner, just anything that I don't have to cook. I'm sure there will be cake tonight but honestly, my favorite dessert is simple, provided you can find the right flavor:

Ice cream. Coffee ice cream!

But if you want to go fancy on me, this looks and sounds devine:

Coffee liquer ice cream pie!

I don't know how I reached 59 so quickly. I have very few regrets which makes me a pretty happy person. When I blow out the candle (just one tonight, we don't want to set off the smoke detector!) my wish will be the wish and prayer I send up daily. I will share part of that with you now.

May you all know the love I have known. May you recognize it when it shines on you and in you. May you learn to overlook the little things, including comments by others as well as dust on the shelf, while you focus on peace and love. May we all learn to celebrate our beliefs, heritages and interests without being fearful or combative with others.

That last part is big one for one little candle, but the power of one is strong. Take care of yourself so you will have strength to care for others. Take care of your one household and then help one neighbor. When all the neighbors do the same, your street or town can look to help one more. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the only rivalries were good natured ones where the winning team tells their opponents "great game" and both sides walk off the field feeling good about their effort?

Take that to the Nth degree and we'd eliminate war, theft, cheating in all manners and even hurtful remarks would disappear. We are all made of the same components. We are all connected. We all matter. I know that isn't likely to occur in my lifetime, but I will continue to wish for it and hope that others find peace within their hearts and homes.

Meanwhile, bring a fork and a spoon (be prepared for cake and/or ice cream!) and come over tonight to celebrate love, life and laughter.

How do you feel about gray hair?

2011-09-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

Is there a woman alive who hasn't loved her hair on a random Tuesday when it looked great and nothing special was scheduled for that day but can't do a thing with it two days later when she needs to look just so? The most emotionally secure woman has probably had days where she had doubts about her hair. Haven't you wondered if your cut was out of style, if your color looked natural (assuming that you wanted it look that way), if it flattered your face, and the big one....does gray hair make you look old?

I think the women in the photos I've included today look great. If they look older than 40-something it is because they ARE older than 40 something!

Before gray began moving in on my head, my hair was such a dark brown that my husband insisted it was black. Dyeing my hair that shade was way too harsh. How much of that is my perception of unnatural color (like purple hair which is fine if you're aim is fun and funky) and how much is the more subtle slide of coloring in complexion, eyebrows and even irises that no longer "work" with that dark color?

Emmylou Harris

I can do many things but I cannot color my own hair neatly. Even when it was short I'd rather bathe a long haired dog that sheds if that gives you any idea of how bad I was at self-color. For a few years I did have it dyed. It looked ok to good, but it never felt right to me. The color was too light to suit me.When my roots showed, 30% were light gray ones while the rest were much darker than the bottled color.

Jamie Lee Curtis

A new stylist suggested highlights to blend the naturally gray hairs when I told her I wanted to grow out the dyed hair without an obvious line of new growth. She turned me an awful shade of blond with brown streaks. She recognized my horror and promptly redid the color, this time with lowlights instead of highlights. I continued the lowlights until the last of the dye job grew out.

Sharon Gless

I am ok with my hair now. It is dark hair with a lot of gray in it. I shortened it a bit and had layers cut into it. Most days I wash it, let it air dry and enjoy soft waves and curls. There are certain styles I could never pull off because my hair isn't the right texture and I'm not interested in spending 30 minutes styling my hair daily. Been there, done that, don't plan on going back.

Roseanne Barr

I would never tell someone to stop coloring their hair or to change the style, so why do some people feel it is ok to ask others why they don't cover their gray? It hasn't happened to me, but I have witnessed this. Maybe my expression stopped them from asking me the same question.

Paula Deen

There is no right or wrong to the question of gray hair. It is all personal preference, just like Coke or Pepsi; coffee or tea; and should the toilet paper hang with the paper over the top to the front of the hanging roll or along the backside of the roll. I am currently going to a new stylist much closer to home. I like the way he cuts my hair but if he asks me once more about coloring it, he may be history.

Here are two sites dedicated to gray hair: Love your grey hair and the blog Going gray

And by the way, gray hair or not is optional, but the other choices should definitely be Coke, coffee and over the top.

The stock market fainted

2011-09-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

If you know how I feel about media and overkill, you might have expected me to break into your regularly scheduled blog reading or writing and announce in grave tones that

The Stock Market Fainted!

but you can relax. The stock market has done, and may still do, many things, but it has never fainted and it has never worked a weekend. What? Did you just say that you have some relatives like that? Yeah, we all have some drama llamas in our family herd but that isn't what I'm talking about today.

So, what am I talking about? (I think I just heard Bill ask that very question...)

I went to a shoe store on Saturday and did not buy shoes.

I went to Walgreens and only bought the sinus/allergy medicine that I needed.

I went to an art fair yesterday and didn't buy a thing.

Later I went to the yarn store to meet with the knitting group and did not buy any yarn, not even yarn that was 50% off!

Oddly enough, the yarn store was the easiest temptation to resist. Not because there weren't lovely yarns because there were. As I said in my previous post though, I have three ongoing projects plus baskets of yarn sitting forlornly on a shelf.

Walgreens did tempt me with a magazine until I flipped through it a second time and noticed the ads far outnumbered anything I would read. I know that ads help pay for the magazine, but when a magazine rivals a paperback in price, it should have more than two articles that might interest me.

The shoe store wasn't one that carries styles that I like but they do have a good repair service which is what I was using. I will be spending $4 tomorrow when I pick up the "new" old shoes.

But the art fair not getting any money from me is a surprise, even to me. Some things just weren't appealing to me, but many were and I walked away anyway. I guess the downsizing bug has really taken hold of me.

Even though this was a fine art fair and not a craft fair (serious art rather than mixed skill levels with seasonal decorations prominent), there was a feeling of fall in the way some of the vendors decorated their booths. The air was crisp when my daughter-in-law, grandson and I started out in the morning, and the senior center was selling homemade apple pies near the exit gate.

I put a few autumnal decorations out at home but am waiting a few weeks before the Halloween theme makes an appearance. That feeling spread to this blog too, hence the new background and a few changes in the sidebar.

The stock market might feel woozy over my lack of spending this weekend, but the house is happy and I think my husband still has a big smile on his face. Or is he practicing a Jack O' Lantern grin? Whatever. It's all good.