Compulsive Hooker

Revival?

2012-02-02T22:24:00.002-06:00

Wondering if I should revive this blog or just leave it to the dust & cobwebs of the interweb and start anew.

Pondering.. pondering....

Pumpkin Maple Sauce "snack"

2011-07-29T15:07:00.003-05:00

I haven't made this yet, sticking it on my blog real quick so I don't loose it.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/recipes-for-gals-in-figure-and-bodybuilding/pumpkin-maple-sauce-snack/10150266479453895

This is another quick treat when you are in a hurry. You can pack this and take it with you or have it as a fast pre or post-workout snack. Either way.

Pumpkin Maple Sauce "snack"

Makes 1 snack

Ingredients:
■1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
■1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
■3/4 scoop Isopure Zero Carb vanilla protein powder
■1 stevia packet or to taste
■dash ginger
■dash nutmeg
■dash cinnamon
■1 tbs chopped or crushed pecans (optional - toast first)
■1/4 tsp maple extract (found in baking aisle)

Directions:
1.Chop or crush pecans. To change the flavor a bit, you can toast them first (of course do this with a larger batch of nuts, so you're not having to toast 1 tbs at a time).
2.Place all ingredients with the exception of the pecans in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with nuts, and enjoy.

Nutrition:
■Calories 189
■Total Fat 6.49g
■Sodium 125.13mg
■Total Carbohydrate 14.2g
■Dietary Fiber 6.21g
■Sugars 7.08g
■Protein 21.53g

From https://www.facebook.com/notes/recipes-for-gals-in-figure-and-bodybuilding/pumpkin-maple-sauce-snack/10150266479453895

Sick of Spam comments

2010-07-28T06:53:00.002-05:00

I (this blog) got on someone's spam list. Every time I post these days, I get hit with TONS of comments that are nothing to do with my post. And they ALL have hyperlinks to sexually provocative sites. (and NO, I'm not going to share the links with you my perverted readers (if the shoes fits, etc.).. get your own blog and spammers).

So, this is a rant and hopefully someone will read this and take me OFF THEIR SPAM list.. your comment will not get posted. I moderate all comments just for this reason. Go find some other sucker.

Me.

Melancholy Music

2010-06-26T00:33:00.003-05:00

Pondering tonight why I am so drawn to melancholy songs... "Hurt", "Cumbersome", "Creep", "Save Yourself", "Haunting Me", "what do I have to do", "Box of Rain", "Shaking Hands (Soldier's Joy)"....etc. etc. etc.

I think my Daddy's sudden death in 1971 permanently scarred my psyche.... I've never completely recovered. The sad songs allow me to feel ..

I was so hurt by the loss of my father, my world turned upside down, that I shut off part of myself. I have a hard time getting close to people because I'm afraid of losing them.. being hurt again. I can't even show my children the depth of love I have for them.. sad sad sad.

Maybe one day I can peel back the layers before it's too late.

.......
A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through.
Just a box of rain, wind and water
believe it if you need it
if you don't, just pass it on
sun and shower, wind and rain
in and out the window
like a moth before a flame.

And it's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
believe it if you need it
or need it if you dare

and it's just a box of rain
or a ribbon for your hair
such a long long time to be gone
and a short time to be there.
.......

I miss you Daddy.

Eclectic Post

2010-02-19T06:30:00.002-06:00

Just a variety of thoughts to journal...

I'm over at B&N pursuing books as they have a special right now.. spend at least 10.00 (on certain items) and get free shipping. So, somehow I end up reading a chapter from a book I remember from my childhood "Betsy, Tacy and Tib" by Maud Hart Lovelace.

I about fell over laughing at one of the sentences.."And Tacy's Mother had ten children, besides Tacy, so of course there wasn't much for Tacy to do." (this was in regards to housework) Um.. excuse me?? Not much housework with 10 kids??? I find it difficult to keep up with only 2 kids. Maybe it's different with lots of them, I don't know, but I found that statement amusing, amazing, and totally unreal.

~~~~
A not so funny thing happened this week. Went back to the oncologist for a checkup and she found a place that needed a biopsy. OUCH. Not so fun to have a slice (even though very small) taken out of your sitting down parts. I got through it with some lidocaine (or it's equivalent) and some hand-holding by the resident working with her. Now I just feel like I'm sitting on a sandspur or a small pinecone. One week or so till I hear results. She doesn't think it's anything serious, but did the biopsy just to be sure.

~~~~

Back to funny again....

This morning as my dh was leaving for work, he kissed me, said he loved me (awww). I asked with a smile in my voice, when he was going to show me how much he loved me. He said perhaps tonight, with a wink. I reminded him that he would need to "prime the pump" .. ya know women take longer to get ready in all things, not just getting dressed... And my smart-aleck, unbearably cheerful in the mornings, nerdy, geeky husband bent over and kissed my cheek a few times and whispered in my ear "3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19"

(For those who aren't math inclined.. those are examples of prime numbers.)

What a smart ass. And I have a son just like that.. only he's not a morning person.
I had to laugh.

Nerds make really good husbands btw..

Braised Brussels Sprouts in Mustard Sauce

2010-02-10T19:28:00.002-06:00

This is soooo good, and not that difficult.

The original recipe is here

I'm going to post what I did differently.

Ingredients

1 12oz package frozen brussels sprouts
Some vegetable oil spray (butter flavor if possible)
1/4 cup minced white onion
4 tbspns water, divided
1/4 cup plochmans mustard
2 tablespoons splenda

Directions

Microwave Sprouts 1/2 of the time suggested on package. I did 5 minutes, which was just a tad too long.

While sprouts are in microwave, chop onion. set aside.

Cut sprouts in half, then each half in half. If a really large sprout, cut each 1/2 in thirds. Repeat with all the sprouts.

Spray a large, heavy skillet with Pam type spray and heat over medium for 1 or 2 minutes. Add onions; sauté for 2 minutes.

Stir in sprouts, and 2 tablespoons water; spread everything evenly across the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure mustard, add splenda and remaining water into the same measuring cup and stir until blended. Once sprouts have cooked for 5 minutes, pour mustard mixture over them and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover, cook for 5 minutes, then stir. Remove from heat or, if you prefer, cook for 5 minutes more—the sprouts will get browner and more intensely flavored.

Serve hot or warm. We had them with little beef filets and portobello mushrooms. Made a wonderful dinner. DH had 3 servings of the sprouts.

Finally an update

2010-02-09T08:26:00.006-06:00

I've neglected this blog for so long.. been incredibly busy.

I just finished an afghan.. didn't know who or what I was making it for, just wanted to make it. I got started because I bought some Vanna's choice to make a couple of squares for a comfortghan that someone else was going to put together, but once I got started.. I wanted to keep making squares.

I couldn't get enough of the same dyelot in two colors, so I did a hodgepodge of what I could get.. here's the results... (excuse the unmade bed.. I'm getting ready to strip it and wash sheets).

The square pattern I used is called "Winter's Dream" and is available here.

Full view

slightly closer

The edging.

The edge is two rows of sc, then a repeat of the last two rows of the square. Right now it's tending to curl a little, but it hasn't been washed yet. I'm hoping that washing and drying will allow it to unfurl.

And this is an afghan that I made back in November 2009 with Red Heart Fiesta that I found on clearance.. again not knowing why or who for.. and ended up giving it to a counselor at FSU who was so helpful to my daughter this past fall.

The pattern is called "Little Windows Granny Throw" and you can find it here. I didn't like the fringe, so didn't do it. I think I just went around the edges a few times with sc, but honestly don't recall exactly what I did.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I had never used Fiesta before, but quite like the results.

It seems that when I'm inspired to make something, but don't know why.. God eventually lets me know who it is for. Like the VC's afghan shown first.. I just found out one of the medical providers I've been seeing for about a year or so is getting married and moving away. I think maybe it's meant for her.

And last but not least.. is an snuggly blanket I made for myself at Christmastime 2008. I call it a Candy Cane ripple.

It's made from RH light and lofty. It's so cozy, I love to sleep under it at night. I wish I had a better selection of the colors where I shop.

I don't remember where I found the ripple pattern, any simple ripple would make a similar blanket. :)

Celebrate Vitamins

2009-11-11T05:51:00.003-06:00

I'm trying out the Celebrate Vitamins . They're vitamins designed specifically for bariatric patients. They sent me a trial package of their calcium and multis and iron with C.

I started taking them last night.. here's my eval so far.

Last night: Calcet creamy bite, Lemon creme. : Ok.. nothing to write home about, but not offensive either.

This morning: Blackberry multi: Pretty good. Actually better than the Bariatric advantage multi in Lemon that I've been taking.

CalciumPlus 500: Berries N Cream: bleah.. was ok until I got to the end and then it became chalky, gritty.

So far they are sitting on my stomach ok.. and this is major as I've had a mild GI bug for the past 2 days.

Will try to remember to talk about the other flavors as I go along.

If you want a sample, email Celebrate Vitamins at success AT celebratevitamins DOT com

(replace AT with @ and DOT with . and remove spaces).

enjoy

Sadness

2009-11-08T16:49:00.001-06:00

Very sad. Missing my daughter. Haven't heard from her directly for a month.

She doesn't call, doesn't reply to email. I do know she's alive in the world from 3rd hand sources.

It's very sad.

New schnauzer pics

2009-10-17T04:59:00.002-05:00

This is was about a month ago and before grooming yesterday .. I'll try to get some current pics up soon.

Pain medication

2009-10-03T04:35:00.004-05:00

When did accepting pain, not taking meds for it, become a virtue?

Was it in generations past when pain meds weren't very common, or the really only good pain medication was whiskey.. and nice women didn't drink?

I don't know.

My mom seemed to think that pain was just something to be endured.

Or is it the "good patient" syndrome.. where good patients don't complain of pain?

I am on a journey to get rid of the "good patient" syndrome within myself. I'm not a drug seeker...not one of those who is "allergic to everything except dilaudid". But I dont think it's my job either to make it easier on the physician by just grimacing and bearing it. *yes, I know the term is grin & bear it, but I think grimace is much more appropo*

Just rambling thoughts after talking to a friend who recently had surgery and is only taking their pain meds at night. And they wonder why they're having such a hard time during the day. Take some tylenol/acetaminohen during the day silly.. it won't make you sleepy and you'll feel so much better. No reason to suffer needlessly.. it doesn't make you a better person or earn more stars in your crown.

At least their doctor gave them good pain control. I've had docs who wouldn't give enough to keep a fly pain-free. :(

BAIPA

2009-09-22T03:34:00.004-05:00

It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones. - Luke 17:2

WWJ_NOT_D

Super Easy Homemade Split Pea Soup

2009-09-21T23:10:00.004-05:00

Did you know that split peas don't have to be soaked b4 cooking? Fantastic item to keep on hand for those days that you don't know what to cook. I made this tonight and it was oh so good.

Here's my super easy recipe.

1/2 cup dry split peas
2-3 cups HOT water
1/4 cup diced ham (or other meat).
(I often use the Carl Buddig Quick Fix meats.. they're 2oz, 70 cal and ready to use, already diced. They come in Turkey & Ham. I've only used the ham, but I bet the turkey would work just as well)

OPTIONALS

2 T diced carrots
2 T diced Broccoli stems (peel them first)
2 T diced onion
2 T diced celery
2 T diced veggie of your choice (bell pepper, cauliflower, squash, etc. the only thing that I'm not sure would work would b mushrooms, but I could be wrong.. they might b wonderful)

Saute or stir-fry veggies for a few minutes in a wok or frying pan coated with spray veggie oil (such as canola or olive oil). If u don't have the spray kind, a scant teaspoon or 2 of oil would work. Use as little oil as possible.

Put everything together in a 2quart or larger saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook with a lid slightly ajar for 30 to 40 minutes or until done to your liking.

Enjoy!

Serves 1 or 2 people.

Serving size: 1 generous cup (really 1& 1/4 cup or 303.5 grams or 10.69 ounces)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138
Calories from Fat 13
Total Fat 1.4g
Saturated Fat 0.4g
Cholesterol 6mg
Sodium 166mg
Total Carbohydrates 21.8g
Dietary Fiber 9.0g
Sugars 3.5g
Protein 10.1g
Vitamin A 21%
Vitamin C 16%
Calcium 3%
Iron 9%

Nutrition information calculated at CalorieCount.about.com, based on the following ingredients:
1/2 cup dried split peas
3 cups HOT water
2 T carrots
2 T onion
2 T bell pepper
2 T celery
1/4 cup chopped ham

If you change it, of course your results will vary. go to the site above and put in your variation and see what you get.

If you want to make larger amounts.. for every Pound of dry peas (which is the usual size of the bag sold in regular grocery stores) you need 6 to 8 cups of HOT water. Since neither my ds or dh will eat split pea soup.. I use 1/2 cup peas & 2 cups hot water.. and end up adding another cup of water during cooking.

I think this would be great for the soft foods stage of wls.. and could run it through a blender or magic bullet if it wasn't smooth enough. Use chicken broth instead of water to up the protein. :)

Social Media

2009-09-21T12:28:00.006-05:00

This was shared on twitter.. (do you twitter?).. and I found it VERY interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

enjoy.

Stress and the Lapband

2009-09-21T02:45:00.003-05:00

I had a terrible time with being hungry this past Friday. I was getting hungry 1.5 to 2 hours after eating, and not just a little bit hungry.. ravenously so.

Then I found this article at cnn (well, I didn't find it, it was posted on a yahoo group called smarterbandsters) about why we eat to much.

Go ahead and read it, I'll wait.

Turns out there are 2 main stressors that cause us to overeat. 1) lack of sleep, and 2) stress. I suffered from both of those last week. Thursday night I only got 2 hours of sleep due to the stress. DUH.. no wonder I was extremely hungry.

Then.. one of the ways to combat the overeating.. is exercise. It's been raining almost everyday here.. and plus our new neighbor is ugly about one of our dogs. So the exercise I prefer, walking my dogs, has been practically non-existent.

Things have settled down some, my sleeping hours are still very odd, but I am getting at least 5 hours (I know I need more.. it will happen) and the cause of the stress is being addressed. Now if it will only stop raining.....

Corruption thy name is Obama

2009-09-17T12:59:00.004-05:00

Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti

Walk from Obesity

2009-09-15T02:22:00.001-05:00

Unless something goes terribly wrong.. on Saturday, September 26th, I'll be participating in my first Walk-a-thon (am I dating myself? they don't call them walk-a-thons any longer).

If you'd care to support me, click here.

Loss Equivalents

2009-09-14T05:48:00.003-05:00

Your weight loss =

1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human’s skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain
20 pounds = an automobile tire
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant’s heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant’s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”)
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”)
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony

I'm somewhere between the worlds largest ball of tape and a newborn calf.

Ideally, I'd like to lose Arnold Schwarzenegger, but will settle for losing 2 bloodhounds.

ROFL!!

New neighbors suck

2009-09-13T15:26:00.002-05:00

I want my old neighbors back. The ones that were Texas Highway Patrol.. and understood dogs and country life.

I walk for exercise. I have two schnauzers that I walk on a lead and a big German Shepard mix that is very shy and is scared of almost everything.. except something that runs.

We were on our way home from a walk and the new neighbors had a skinny female hound outside and we stopped at the edge of the yard (we didn't go past the counties easement) to say hello. Lady of the house came to the door to call the hound in. I called out "We're just making friends, if that's ok" She replied "It's making the dog in the house bark" .. weird, dogs do that naturally. And I happen to know that the other dog they have is a Pomeranian.. those dogs typically bark alot. If she didn't want a barking dog, why have a Pom??

Anyhow, the hound decided to run to her and my German Shepard decided to chase. Oh lordie.. and he will not respond to voice commands. I know, we should've trained him better, but at 9 years old, I think it's a bit late to learn.

Anyhow, the chasing upset the neighbor lady.. she yelled at me "You need to keep your dog on a leash or keep him home." "Keep your dog on a leash".

I didn't say anything.. didn't know what to say. I felt bad that my dog was chasing hers, but I couldn't stop it.. I had a schnauzer on a leash and a schnauzer puppy in a front carrier. I didn't have permission to go on her property. I knew my Shepard wouldn't harm her dog.. but she didn't know that. I can understand her feeling threatened.

I just wish we had our old neighbors back.. they were such great folks. They had two really big dogs, one breed I don't know what it was, and a Great Pyranees (spelling?). The Pyranees was a big baby.. would lie down anytime you got close to him and roll over for a belly rub.

I don't know what I'm going to do from now on.. I guess I'll have to check and see if neighbor is home b4 I walk my dogs any longer. Like being a prisoner in my own house. Good grief.

Hurray for Pat Boone!!

2009-09-12T21:32:00.002-05:00

A message I sent to the President and my elected representatives. I urge all citizens to do the same.

Dear Senator:

I did not give you permission to sign my name to any of the bailouts or “stimulus package” or appropriations bills – and certainly not a ten trillion dollar indebtedness!

You’re my elected public servant, and the public servant of all the citizens who sent you to Washington on our behalf. There are other solutions to our economic crises, ones that will directly help taxpayers, homeowners and ordinary citizens, including those who lose jobs in corporate bankruptcy or restructuring.

We weren’t consulted about these huge deficits and paper promises and trillion dollar debts – AND WE REJECT THEM!

Taxation without representation is tyranny! Have you heard that before? Well, we citizens of a democratic republic reject these draconian measures, and direct you to undo them on our behalf. We’re not wasting perfectly good tea this time; but the “tea parties” have begun all over this country, and you’d best get the message. We reject the tyranny of governmental control, taxation without representation, and the usurpation of our constitutional freedom and independence.

You now have lots of tea – but little time, and we have very little patience left.

Pat Boone
Hollywood, CA

from http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2009/09/03/pat-boones-letter-to-elected-representatives/
or
http://www.patboone.com/tea_party.php

Acorn Field Office

2009-09-12T21:23:00.001-05:00

Quotes for Patriots Day

2009-09-11T03:06:00.003-05:00

someone should send this to Obama.

found at http://ccm-cos.com/

On Respect.

* You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

* You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

* You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

* You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

* You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

* You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.

* You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

* You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.

* You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

--William J.H. Boetcker, 1916

When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.

Adlai Stevenson

Witchy or Improved Self Esteem ramble

2009-07-30T05:50:00.004-05:00

I had a WONDERFUL time shopping yesterday. [/sarcasm]In my ongoing quest to find good walking shoes, I went to a shoe store in my small town.. trying to buy locally like they urge us to do.

There were two clerks working(?). One was checking out a customer and another was standing there twirling his keys around his finger watching. I had been in the store a good 5 or 10 minutes looking at shoes and being ignored. I finally went up and asked if he was working...or if he was just spending his day twirling keys!!

He said he was working, but didn't move to help me.. just continued twirling keys. I said something to the effect of "your store just lost a customer" and walked out.

Makes me soooooooo mad to receive poor service in this economy. I went home and wrote the store a love letter on their website.

My husband says "Don't make Lisa mad" as if this is a bad thing. I don't know. I'm finding I have much less tolerance for incompetence and poor service the older I get. On the other hand, perhaps it's improving self esteem from weight loss. I still have a long ways to go, but I also don't feel I have to be "nicey nice" any longer to make up for being fat.

Strangely enough, I rarely run into discrimination due to my obesity. I don't know if that's because I don't go out much in public (due to high gas prices) or if because I refuse to accept poor treatment. I'm not sure.

The PA at my doctors office said to me that I should learn to accept compliments.. I don't think I have trouble doing that. I think she was speaking from a one size fits all patients, she has only met me twice, I don't think she knows me very well.

I need to get busy with doing the mental work of weight loss too. Another thing to add to my schedule.. busy busy.

felting with I Love This Wool

2009-07-15T03:31:00.002-05:00

Bag is Paton's Merino (black), HL's I Love This Wool (lavendar, pink & yellow), and a variegated wool blend, don't remember the name, but it's by Yarn Bee and is sold at Hobby Lobby.

Had to run through wash cycle twice.

I don't know why my post felting pics are so dim. Same room, same everything.. only about 30 minutes later. sorry bout that.

as always, click the pictures to see them bigger.

Prefelting. Bag is pretty big, almost covering the entire lid of my washer.

With magazine showing prefelting size.
About 18" tall, 22" wide near base & 14" wide near top.

showing the stitch detail

more stitch detail and handle edging.
I did the top edge the same way, just neglected to get a photo.

Stuffed and drying.

Bag didn't shrink much at all horizontally, but vertically it shrank about 5 inches.

I think I would compare ILTW to Lionbrand wool, but the colors are a little bit more subdued. It's ok to work with, but I still prefer Paton's Merino. Cost wise, unless Paton's goes up, I think they are comparable. I'm lucky to have a Michaels and a HL in the same town.

Free Our Health Care NOW

2009-07-10T19:07:00.002-05:00

In one month, over 330,000 people have signed saying no, to government health care! We are now receiving between 15,000 - 20,000 signatures every day. We ask each of you to reach out to at least three friends this weekend, as time is of the essence. With your help we will have 1 million-plus signers to deliver the petition to the Congressional leaders and the White House. http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.com/

For our 437 Tea Party Patriot chapter partners, we have prepared a health care power-point presentation with teacher's notes for your health care day, on Friday, July 17th. Every one of you can be an expert on free-market health care! http://actionpack.ncpa.org/ Don't forget to ask everyone to sign the petition, and have their voices heard. http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/healthcare_petition.pdf Remember to return the completed petitions to us!

We are in the battle of our lives. President Obama and Congress want to force employers to pay for health insurance reform. Although the details aren't completely settled yet, the idea is to create a new federal mandate that would force employers to provide health insurance for their employees - or pay a penalty tax to the government. Of course, they don't actually use the dirty words "tax" or "mandate", rather the legislation uses words like "shared responsibility" and "contributions" to the government. Of special note, members of Congress, are going to vote for you and me to have a government-run plan, but not going to join us - they are going to keep their current taxpayer-funded plan.

If that doesn't get your attention, this will! The government is about to force employers to pay for employees' health insurance with an average cost of $12,000 per employee per year or $6.00 per hour. This new health care mandate will effectively increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $13.25 per hour. There will be massive layoffs and entire industries who employ hourly employees are at risk. This is a direct hit to small businesses, the job creating sector of our economy!

This is truly a partnership! If you have not signed, please do so! If you have signed, forward the petition to three friends who have not signed and let's move those numbers. www.freeourhealthcarenow.com You can keep track of our progress on our website www.ncpa.org - just click on the ticker link under the Eagle. 500,000 - 1 million, here we come! We are fighting for our freedom!

Jeanette Nordstrom
National Center for Policy Analysis

Mandatory Volunteerism?

2009-07-07T10:10:00.003-05:00

compulsory volunteerism was passed by house & senate and signed into law in april 2009.

Can anyone explain to me how being forced to volunteer is any different from slavery?

I had heard someone say that Obama hates the white man. At first I thought that was just fear-mongering. I'm beginning to wonder now if it wasn't truth.

Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1584, makes it a Federal crime or offense for anyone to willfully hold another person in involuntary servitude.

Where are the bloggers that used to post on how badly Bush sucked. They are all strangely silent now. Happy with your choice? I'm not. Cannot wait for an opportunity to vote the man out of office.

Music

2009-07-07T01:22:00.001-05:00

Just wondering why it is that blues speaks to my soul so strongly.

I'm sitting here making a playlist at playlist.com and every song I can think of to put on the list is sorrowful, dark and full of emo.

Strange when I feel generally content and happy.

It's so simple.. socialism does not work

2009-07-05T01:55:00.001-05:00

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.

The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.

*********

I've lost one of my followers on this blog (a big 50% loss.. I only had two.. lol). I don't know if they don't agree with my political views, got tired of the lack of crochet content or what the issue is.. and whatever it is.. it's OK.

I'm just so very worried about the direction our country is taking that I don't have the urge to type about more fun things right now. I am feeling literally ill at times seeing what is happening. While people have their hearts in the right place.. the way things are being approached is wrong wrong wrong.

Just praying that we survive until the next election.

Third Fill

2009-07-01T16:30:00.004-05:00

I went for my 3rd fill today. Got a very small one, only .25cc added.. but that's because I am losing still at a good rate, but am still having hunger issues 2 hours after eating a meal.

So I didn't need much added.. just a little fine tuning. And I'm glad only .25 was added.. I'm just a tiny bit sore on the inside.

I'll update this tomorrow.. I'm really tired and going to go lie down now.

Ok.. I'm finally rested up and here's the update......

As of July 1, 2009.. I've lost 56 lbs!!! That's about 14 lbs a month, or approx. 1/2 lb a day for the past 4 months.

Last appt was June 2nd.. between June 2nd and July 1 .. I lost 8lbs. And I didn't try all that hard.. just stayed with my 3 (sometimes 4) ounces of meat and 1/2 cup of veggies.

I am hoping to really WOW my oncologist when I go back in August.  I will
actually be able to be weighed on their scales!!  She wasn't all that supportive
of me getting a band when I asked if I was healed enough to get one.  She said
"if that's what you want to do to yourself".  I'm thinking that maybe she was
confused and thinking I meant a different surgery.. but she's a normal weight,
so she's probably not well informed on this aspect of medicine.

Isn't the band amazing?  I lost 8lbs and wasn't even trying all that hard.  Even
fell off the "band-wagon" one night and ate about half a bag of flat-earth
chips.  At least they were baked.  I try not to keep such things in the house,
but we were having taco salad, and I really miss having SOMETHING crunchy/salty
to eat with that.

I'm not beating myself up over it.. but I keep thinking.. what would've the
numbers have been if I hadn't indulged in the chips.  hmmm.. what a great
motivator for me.

I'm going to try and figure out how to get my walking ticker posted on here.. I'm trying to walk at least 20 min/day.. the past two days I've walked an hour each day, but that was shopping. I don't think the budget can stand me to shop daily.. lol.

It's so hot here.. heat index for the next two days is going to be from 105 to 109.. so exercise has become difficult if not impossible during the day. 3am walks.. here I come.

When I forget to time my walks.. I go by steps. Past two days I've done 4000 and 4500 steps. woohoo!! I'm on my way to another 8 (+ ??? I hope) lbs gone.

Political comment

2009-06-12T13:07:00.002-05:00

I wanted to post a cartoon here, but can't seem to get it to fit the layout.. so I'll just redirect folks to the page (probably safer copywrongwise anyhow)
(copywrong.. all rights reversed..hehehe)

check it out: http://www.creators.com/comics/41/37901_thumb.gif

And just read today about Letterman slandering Sarah Palin and her daughter Willow. And now the fool says he made a mistake, thinking it was Bristol with the Gov.. not her 14 y/o. WTF difference does that make!!! An apology is owed.. to Governor Palin, to Willow, to Bristol and to all women in america. How dare he!! If he had a daughter, maybe he'd think a little differently. Maybe. Some MCP's never change no matter what.

And I totally agree with Lou Pritchett (former vp of Proctor & Gamble) in his letter.. posted below.

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don’t understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and ‘class’, always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the ‘blame America’ crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer ‘wind mills’ to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use ‘extortion’ tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O’Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

And for those who question whether Lou Pritchett really wrote the letter above.. yes, he did. Check it out at snopes.

Ok.. my venting is through for today. Off to pray that BHO is defeated in 4 years.

Second Fill

2009-06-02T16:18:00.002-05:00

Went back to the Doc today for a consult and hopefully a second fill.

I have had a little trouble over the weekend with sliming (food getting stuck and then you produce massive amounts of saliva) due to eating too fast due to stress (from having a 20 y/o son who does boneheaded things from time to time). So I had to really talk alot to convince the nurse to give me a 1/2 cc fill.

I'm on full liquids till thursday then can eat what I want. I asked if I should do soft foods for a bit before moving back to hard solids, but she said it was up to me. hmmm I think I'll do at least 1 meal of soft foods...

The good news is I'm down 48 lbs since surgery. 48 Wow.. I can hardly believe it. But yet I can cause I'm already wearing smaller clothes. Things I couldn't wear last summer (like non stretch pants) I can wear now. AAMOF, things I bought last week are starting to be too big. yippee!!!

Life is good.

PIllowPurse

2009-05-29T04:03:00.002-05:00

Wow.. it has been forever since I posted.

Weight loss continues to go well. I go back for my next fill on June 2nd.. so will talk about numbers and stuff on a post after that.

I finally felted a purse that I've had made for a while. I call this a pillow purse because I used a pillow pattern to make it.

Here's the good stuff:

Wrong side out.. prefelting

Right side out.. prefelting

Right side out.. with magazine to show size.. prefelting

Right side out.. prefelting.. showing D Ring handle attachment

Right side out.. POST felting.. drying over box.
(horrid lighting.. will try to get better pic up later)

Made with Lionbrand wool in black and scarlet. I've got a crafting date, so must run right now, but will post more details later.

rambling through current events

2009-05-01T17:36:00.004-05:00

Hurray for Carrie Prejean for politely and without fear speaking her opinion. There may be those out there who disagree with her, but last time I looked, the United States still had freedom of speech. Or is it now only free speech when it's politically correct?

Ridiculous that being for traditional marriage makes you anti-gay, or being against Obama makes you racist. Has the world lost it's mind?

And what in the world is Perez Hilton doing judging a beauty contest anyway? What makes him qualified? His mouth and manners sure don't. Of course, he's probably brought up in a culture that thinks cussing is no big deal. News Flash: The flyover country doesn't talk like that and doesn't appreciate hearing it either.

I didn't walk today.. didn't even make it to the grocery store. I don't know why, but all my energy faded today. I got sleepy about 10am and since I had gotten up at 3, I took a nap. Since then the day has been downhill.

Finally got dressed at 5pm (ah the life of a country housewife).. and am now waiting for dh to get home before I go to the grocery store. Which is probably a mistake as I ate lunch at 3 and that will put me at the store at mealtime. rut roh.

Swine flu..aka h1n1 (p.c. again!!) has hit near hear.. about 50 miles away. Just hoping it doesn't come here although my son would love for his college to close down. One amusing thing I heard on the news a day or so ago was that a newscaster said "it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy a mask", but said nothing about actually wearing it. Yeah, yeah, I know it was implied.. but I still found it amusing. Any bit of humor in a dire time eh?

One step at a time

2009-04-30T12:30:00.002-05:00

I have so many things going through my mind as I type this.

I want to share my weight loss journey. When I went back for my two week check on March 23, I had lost about 18 lbs. By my next visit about a month later on April 20th, I had lost 28lbs.

Yesterday, I had lost 33lbs. Clothes are fitting better, and the seatbelt in the van isn't quite so tight.

And my dh came home yesterday and looked at me and said.. I'm starting to see your weight loss.. you definitely look thinner. What a sweetheart. I love that man so much!! He has almost never said anything negative about my weight over the 28 years we've been married ( I can count on my one hand the times I've heard him say something hurtful.. and over 28 years, that's not a lot). And he's so very supportive of my efforts. He eats my new cooking efforts without complaint.

Yesterday I made white chili from the bariatriceating.com website.. it was pretty darn good. And under 200 calories/cup. I had 1 cup of soup and 1/2 cup of mixed veggies and I was full. I could not have eaten so small a portion before surgery and be full.

My one complaint so far.. beyond the inadequate post0p pain coverage...is that the Dr. I chose to do my WLS seems to be very very busy and I can't get in when I'm supposed to. I was supposed to return around May 20th and they can't get me in until June 2nd. Two weeks can be forever when you're hungry and trying to lose weight.

I'm also walking almost every day ( I took Monday and Tuesday off of this week because of huting feet and rain) and while I don't enjoy the walking, my dog sure does!! I can tell my stamina has increased.

More later, I need to go bring the dog in and take a shower.. I'm all stinky from walking.

More Bernat Felt goodies

2009-04-25T11:54:00.002-05:00

The first pic is to show the colors of the yarn, the second is to show the whole bag (lousy flourescent lighting) hanging to dry. I don't usually hang bags, but I want the handles on this to stretch some.

This is a variation of I felt the earth move bag . I didn't follow her pattern exactly, I did the decrease rounds where they looked right to me. I also crocheted in FLO (or maybe it was BLO.. i don't recall.. i was consistent tho whichever stitch I used). I think the yarn I used was much bulkier than hers, so I'm glad I made the changes. Otherwise the bag would've been humongous!!

And when it came to the handles.. I didn't feel like flipping the thing back and forth to make the handle, so I dug out my tunisian hooks and did them in the tunisian knit stitch. And devised a way to hook the handle to the other side instead of stitching.

One more thing I did differently was that I did a round of reverse sc all along the edges of the handles and the top of the bag. I like that effect.. think it gives a project a "finished" look.

This is almost all of the Bernat Felt yarn.. I had 13 skeins. Two left which I made a purse organizer out of and it's in the machine right now felting. Pictures soon.

Time to get back to crochet

2009-04-15T10:59:00.004-05:00

I've been felting quite a bit and now it's time to show some of the results.

Found a great buy on Bernat's Feltit in the color "Fresh Poppy" (i think they must be discontinuing this color) and bought TONS of it.. cleaned out the bin ..lol.

I made my own pattern for this.. it's not even written up yet. But I did post the diagram for my idea on my pattern blog. I will eventually write up the numbers, but for those who are confident to proceed on their own.. this should give you a starting point.

Here's a purse I made for one of the nurses who took care of me during my latest surgery. Her first name is Lisa too. She admired the bags I had with me preop, so I made this for her while I was recovering. I haven't given it to her yet.. I don't know when or if I will see her again.

Prefelting

Drying over a woven basket

Finished. But it's VERY floppy, in this picture it has a tupperware bowl inside to give it some stability. I will either need to find something to give it more structure.. or felt it again.

This is a bag I made from the pattern available here.

Prefelting

Drying over a Wine Box.. lol

Showing finished size with a magazine

Finished and needing a shave

This last one I'm very pleased with. It's one I made from a stitch pattern I found. It didn't turn out exactly like I had planned, but it's great anyways.

The stitch is very yarn intensive, but makes for a very sturdy bag when felted. I would've made it bigger, but ran out of the dark teal.

Finished, with magazine behind it to show the size (still drying).

Here it is stuffed with plastic bags, drying.

Prefelting with the magazine lying on top of it to show size.

Right side out

Wrong side out.. which I also think looks attractive.

I have two or three more bags in progress.. hope it won't take me as long to finish and post about them as it did these.

Socialism

2009-04-13T16:45:00.003-05:00

ATHEIST HOLY DAY

2009-04-13T08:28:00.003-05:00

Received this in email today and thought it was worth sharing.

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter
and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case
against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days.

The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such
recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to
the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his
gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your
honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have
Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and
Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your
client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special
observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day.
Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it
is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God,
then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!

sometimes it doesn't pay to be frugal

2009-04-09T14:08:00.004-05:00

i got a boo-boo yesterday. i was going to turn out the light and wasn't paying attention and slammed my left hand into a wall. owie owie owie. i had to go get the frozen bag of peas we keep for an icepack and put it on my pinkie.

well, by bedtime it was hurting pretty good.. and all swollen. so i took two motrin and went to bed.

this morning, not only the pinkie was swollen, but my hand was swollen too. so off i go to the doc/hospital to get irradiated.

i broke a bone in my hand..not my pinkie. fortunately, it's only a hairline crack and not displaced at all, so it doesn't need a splint. doc said just don't hit it on anything else. i don't plan on that!!!

next time i will leave the light on. oh.. and i can't reach the shift key w/o a lot of pain.. so i'm all lower case for awhile.

Update on Banding

2009-04-08T07:12:00.003-05:00

This started as a post to one of the many Lapband support groups on yahoo, but as I typed I realized that this was really more of a blog post than a message to the group.. so here goes.

I am 4 weeks out from surgery (March 9) and I keep reading where everyone says the first 6 to 8 weeks are for healing.

I'm not "pushing" myself at all, but I feel SO much better than I did at 2 weeks out, it's like I'm a whole different person. At 2 weeks, I couldn't sit at my computer more than about 20 minutes before I started having lots of pain.. and would have to go lie down.

I remember thinking.. I need to walk, but I hurt so much.. how can I walk? Even taking the glorified tylenol I was sent home with (Darvocet) didn't work. Only thing that did work was Motrin and that was supposedly a no-no.

I finally got back at 2 weeks for my first post-op visit on March 23rd.. and they were very surprised that I was still hurting. I did take a couple of Motrin before driving over because I just couldn't see driving an hour while in pain. I'm soooo very glad the pain is over.

But NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER HAVE SURGERY (ESP. ABDOMINAL SURGERY) WITH ONLY DARVOCET AS POST-OP PAIN MEDS. And I told the nurses and Dr. B's PA the same thing. If this thing ever has to be revised and all he will provide is Darvocet.. well, I'll go to a different doctor. That's all there is to it. There's no need to fear that I will get addicted to narcotics.. I wean myself off as soon as I start feeling better. I've done it before when I had my hysterectomy.

But the GOOD news is that of March 23rd I had lost 15 lbs. I believe I'm even lighter now.. probably on the order of 20lbs total. I hope it's more, but as my scales and the doctor's scales are way off from each other.. I have trouble telling.

What is significant is that my clothes are fitting better. Things that were too tight, are now loose. Not to the point of falling off.. lol dream on dh...but definitely looser.

I've also found that turnips (really.. ) make a decent lower carb substitute for potatoes. It's surprising, but they work. Haven't been able to get them to crisp up like (oven fried) potatoes yet.. but I'm still in the learning stage.

Tea'd Off (or what to do on April 15)

2009-03-21T23:45:00.006-05:00

www.teapartyday.com/

Dig Deep

2009-03-21T06:45:00.003-05:00

Got the plumbers out yesterday.. turns out that the drain wasn't clogged.. the whole pipe near the cleanout near the house was BROKEN. From the riding mower going over it. sheesh. Time to make those lazy kids use a weed eater instead. The plumbers had to dig enough that it looks like I had a flower bed dug.. LOL

Maybe my son will listen now when I tell him not to drive his car over the field lines.

At least now I can wash clothes w/o worry about flooding the laundry room.

I'm getting so very tired of a full liquid diet.

Although this morning I made something very good. I took some fresh strawberries.. maybe 1/2 to 3/4 cup.. I didn't measure, I just used the ones that hadn't gone bad in the pint box and threw the rest in the trash.. lol. Dumped "some" (again didn't measure) plain non fat yogurt on top. Threw in a tablespoon of Flax Seeds and a dollop of 2% milk (to thin it down a bit) and 1 package of unjury strawberry sorbet flavor (for extra protein) and blended all of this together. Oh.. and 1 package of Stevia sweetening (because I thought it needed it.. ymmv). WOW.. is this stuff tasty.

I'm trying to keep my meals small and frequent right now as that seems to agree with my tummy the most, but this is so good I want more than the 2 oz I just ate. I'll give myself 20 minutes or so and if I'm still hungry and desiring more, I'll get some more.

I tried weighing again last night.. don't think I've lost any more, but don't think I've gained either, so this is a good thing. I have trouble with my scales.. I can't maintain my balance perfectly still long enough for it to register all the time. But the numbers that I did see come up didn't go above the last good reading (where I WAS able to remain still long enough).. so I'm hopeful.

It's always something

2009-03-20T08:39:00.003-05:00

The saturday before surgery (March 7) I was doing laundry and noticed that there was a little bit of water on the floor in front of the washer. Wasn't sure what was going on.. and really wanted to get things washed before I was put out of commission for a while.

So I went ahead and washed and prayed that it wasn't the hoses on the back of the machine. Must've hung out aleast 7 or 8 loads on the line. Wonderful day. Lots of exercise.

Surgery day came and went.. and I didn't worry about the washer for a week. Just put towels on the floor incase someone absolutely had to wash.

Tuesday of this week I finally found an appliance repair place.. and called them and they diagnosed the problem over the phone.. said it was probably the pump. Seems that nowadays they make the casing for the pump out of plastic and eventually the ball bearings overheat or bind up or something goes wrong and the plastic melts and lets water out on the floor.

Sure enough, when he took the machine apart, I could see where the plastic had melted and a semi-circular hole was in the casing. That's why the machine would still work, but was leaking.

Replacement costed a little over a 100.00, much cheaper than a new machine. But then, while he was testing the repair and then writing up my ticket.. we started hearing a strange noise.. chugga... chugga... chugga... then chugga...... chugga...... chugga...... then chugga............ chugga............ chugga............. slower and slower. Repair man says.. sounds like you have a back up in your drain line.. it's not bad yet, but if you don't get it snaked out soon, you'll have a flood in here, not just a leak.

So now I'm waiting on the plumbers to come out and snake out my washer drain line. Isn't life wonderful?

OTOH.. the back pain from my surgery is beginning to ease. It was never really bad, just constant. And lapbanders are supposed to avoid nsaids (aleve, aspirin, motrin) if possible and tylenol just wasn't very good. I was beginning to have greater empathy for those who are in chronic pain.. it's not the degree of pain so much as it NEVER stops!!! But this morning, miraculously, it's suddenly alot better. Not gone yet.. but better. Thank You Jesus. I needed that.

Protein

2009-03-18T00:34:00.003-05:00

Got my samples of Unjury protein powder today.

I ordered the Strawberry Sorbet, Chocolate (gotta have chocolate!!) and the chicken soup flavor to try out. Everyone says the chicken soup is really good.. so I decided to mix it in with the remains of my cream of brocoli soup. Wow.. was that good.

The chicken flavor was a little intense, so maybe next time I'll mix it with a whole can of soup instead of half a can, but otherwise it was really good.

I've been missing crackers with my soup, but lately that has dyed down a little. I did give in a few days ago and put 4 goldfish in my cream of tomato soup and let them get really soggy and then mush them up to babyfood consistency in my mouth.

I also did the same with a bite of steak this past weekend. DH was having steak and he gave me what he considered two small bites. I cut one small bite off of one of the pieces and gave the rest back to him. I chewed all the juice out of the meat.. and masticated it till it was a paste in my mouth and swallowed. No repercussions from it, but won't push my luck.

I want my band to heal well. Healing is what the 2 weeks of full liquids is all about.

I'm down to using the Darvocet (glorified tylenol) only about every 8 to 12 hours now. I do wish the doc's office had given me something stronger and will complain about it when I go back next Monday. NEVER again will I submit to elective surgery with only Darvocet as post op pain coverage. Be better to just hit myself with a stick on the head. The pain from the stick will take my mind off the surgical pain better than the Darvocet would.

Eating O' The Green

2009-03-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

I'm wearing green for St. Patricks.. and will also eat green. Today's soup will be cream of Brocoli. yum yum.

Still on full liquids and will be until next Monday at least. I didn't call the doctor, but have discovered that if I try to eat more than about 6oz at a time .. my belly complains at me. So I think it's a good idea to stay on liquids for now.

I might have lost about 9lbs since surgery. I don't trust my home scales.. but it seems that that is what they are saying. We'll see by next week when I weigh in at the doc's.

Mission Accomplished

2009-03-16T03:30:00.002-05:00

I did it.

I took a giant step.

I had surgery last week.

I am now the new owner of an Adjustable Gastric Band.

Sorry I haven't posted in about 3 weeks, but I was busy getting ready for the surgery and my new life.

So far, so good.

I'm still on full liquids as of now.. later on today I will call my Doc's office and find out if I get to move to mushy stuff yet..or if that is another week away. Right now, 6oz of a thick soup fills me up incredibly full. And keeps me full for several hours.

Acrobat misses.. Foxit to the rescue

2009-02-25T22:57:00.002-06:00

Just read that there is a vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat.. ..after much digging, I finally found this:

A critical vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 and earlier versions. This vulnerability would cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this issue is being exploited.

above is from : http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa09-01.html

There are patches on the way, but a partial solution is to turn off javascript in Adobe reader & acrobat. It's only partial because someone has been able to reproduce the vulnerability without utilizing javascript.. so turning it off is only a stopgap measure.

I'm sooooooooooo glad I ditched Acrobat reader a long time ago and only use foxit now.

More sites of related interest:

http://secunia.com/blog/44/

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2690

http://blog.metasploit.com/2009/02/best-defense-is-information.html

Power of Prayer

2009-02-24T08:36:00.000-06:00

While wandering around the web last night I found an essay on why Prayer isn't answered.

I'd love to post the essay here, but as that would be a violation of copyright I'll just have to post the link here.

http://mzbworks.home.att.net/prayer.htm

If you read it, let me know what you think.

To me, it's another way of saying "God helps those who help themselves" among other things.

I do know there was one thing in my life that I wanted so badly, I prayed for it, I prepared for it, I made drastic changes in my environment to let this thing happen.. and it did happen. So I can attest that what the author calls the "Power of Abundance" does work. But.. you may have to give up other things for it.

Has it been a good decision for me? Well, so far I'm happy with my decision. I do know I missed out on other things because of the choices I made, but I would've lived a totally different life.

Read the essay and see if it speaks to you the way it did to me.

The Survivors Club widget

2009-02-23T13:42:00.001-06:00

Update on Stray

2009-02-23T11:04:00.002-06:00

Well, the vet that I liked wasn't able to see the dog (he had to go home sick) and the other one was tied up in emergency surgery, so they had me sign a paper permitting sedation (just in case) and had me leave him for a few hours.

When I came back about 4 hours later, the vet came and spoke to me. He said he couldn't find any obvious injury to cause the swollen chest and that the abrasions on the back legs were nothing to be concerned about. I asked "what about the matted and discolored fur at his neck". The vet didn't know anything about it. I TOLD the vet tech. Something is wrong here.. there's severe miscommunication.

Anyhow, the vet went back to try to look at him and the dog did his "yipe yipe yipe yipe" routine that he does when he's very frightened. Vet came back and said he couldn't handle it.. that he would have to sedate him to examine him. (Wasn't that what I signed the paper for???) And it being so late on a Friday, that that would get into boarding fees.

I am rather unhappy with this vet and will mention it to my regular vet when I get the chance.

The final verdict is that we decided to take him home (the vet did give him a rabies shot and a long lasting antibiotic) and see how he did. If he was still doing poorly on Monday, I would bring him back in.

I got him home and let him out of the carrier into the bathroom.. he promptly threw up on the bathmat and then went outside. LOL.. thank goodness the bathmat is washable.

We kept him in the bathroom/small yard the rest of Friday and all Saturday.. finally let him go on Sunday afternoon. He's doing alot better.. still not 100%, but better. He's running some and tried to jump, but when he landed he hollered.. so I guess he's still some sore.

I at least feel better to know that he has had a rabies shot since he hangs around my dogs and my house so much.

Taking in Strays

2009-02-20T08:42:00.000-06:00

I have a vet appt in front of me today. I know I've talked about the little neighborhood stray that likes to hang out here with Sasha. We don't know who he belongs to or his name.. no collar or tags. We call him "Pogo" because he jumps straight up into the air about 4ft..when he's feeling good.

He's not feeling good at all today. Late yesterday evening, we noticed him in our yard and went to see him and he didn't jump like he usually does.. and when we tried to pick him up, he screamed. (he's a whiner, he hollers when a big dog chases him..and he hasn't even been touched..but this was different)

We got him inside enticed with a bit of doggie treat and once we picked him up, he quit hollering. Looking him over, we at first thought we saw a bb gun wound, matted reddened fur, but we couldn't find an actual wound. Then we noticed that one side of his chest was swollen and two little abrasions on his back legs. So now we think maybe he was grazed by a car.

We kept him penned up in the bathroom that has an outside door with a little fenced yard last night and he seems a little bit more comfortable this morning. He let me lift his front legs off the ground with only a whimper, no screams. I called the vet this morning and they said they would see him at about 11. Now the trick will be to get him into a carrier. I don't think anyone has ever done much with this poor little one. Looks like we're going to be semi-adopting him.

My dh said the other day that what he'd like to do when he retires is to get into Dog rescue. This may be our first step in that direction.

Good Hair Day

2009-02-16T17:41:00.002-06:00

I got my hair cut today.

It was down to my waist.

Now it's just below my shoulders.

I didn't mean to cut so much off, but it felt so good, I kept on going.

Actually, it was severely tangled, so we just cut off the tangles.

Now I get to grow it out again.

(The old color is almost grown out.. now I just have to adjust to having so much gray)

My valentine heart

2009-02-14T13:57:00.001-06:00

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out.

Your heart is open to where ever love takes you!

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out

Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking

What turns you off: fighting and conflict

Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

more animals

GRITS.. manna from heaven

2009-02-13T03:13:00.006-06:00

Got this in an email from my Uncle. I agree with 99% of it..all but the fork part. I use a spoon.. don't want to miss a single grit.

Southern is as Southern does!

IN GOD WE TRUST, THE SOUTH SHALL RISE AGAIN!

What Are Grits?

Nobody knows. Some folks believe grits are grown on bushes and are harvested by midgets by shaking the bushes after spreading sheets around them. Many people feel that grits are made from ground up bits of white corn. These are obviously lies spread by Communists and terrorists.

Nothing as good as a Grits can be made from corn. The most recent research suggests that the mysterious Manna that God rained down upon the Israelites during their time in the Sinai Desert was most likely Grits.

Critics disagree, stating that there is no record of biscuits, butter, salt, and red eye gravy raining down from the sky, and that God would not punish his people by forcing them to eat Grits without these key ingredients.

How Grits are Formed:

Grits are formed deep underground under intense heat and pressure. It takes over 1000 years to form a single Grit. Most of the world's grit mines are in South Georgia , and are guarded day and night by armed guards and pit bull dogs. Harvesting the Grit is a dangerous occupation, and many Grit miners lose their lives each year so that Grits can continue to be served morning after morning for breakfast (not that having Grits for lunch and dinner is out of the question).

Yankees have attempted to create a synthetic Grits. They call them Cream of Wheat. As far as we can tell the key ingredients of Cream of Wheat are Elmer's Glue and shredded Styrofoam.

These synthetic grits have also been shown to cause nausea, and may leave you unable to have children.

Historical Grits:

As we mentioned earlier, the first known mention of the Grits was by the Ancient Israelites in the Sinai Desert.

After that, the Grits was not heard from for another 1000 years. Experts feel that the Grits was used during this time only during secret religious ceremonies, and was kept from the public due to it's rarity.

The next mention of the Grits was found amidst the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii in a woman's personal diary.

The woman's name was Herculaneum Jemimaneus (Aunt Jemima to her friends.)

The 10 Commandments of Grits:

I. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
II. Thou shalt not eat thy Grits with a spoon or knife.
III. Thou shalt not eat Cream of Wheat and call it Grits, for this is blasphemy.
IV. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Grits.
V. Thou shalt use only Salt, Butter, and red eye gravy as toppings for thy Grits.
VI Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits
VII. Thou shalt not put ketchup on thy Grits
VIII. Thou shalt not put margarine on thy Grits.
IX. Thou shalt not eat toast with thy Grits, only biscuits made from scratch .
X. Thou shalt eat grits on the Sabbath for this is manna from heaven.

How to Cook Grits:

For one serving of Grits:
Boil 1.5 cups of water with salt and a little butter.
Add 5 TBsp of Grits.
Reduce to a simmer and allow the Grits to soak up all the water.
When a pencil stuck into the grits stands alone, it is done. That's all there is to cooking grits.

How to make red eye gravy :

Fry salt cured country ham in cast iron pan. Remove the ham when done and add coffee to the gravy and simmer for several minutes. Great on grits and biscuits.

How to Eat Grits :

Immediately after removing your grits from the stove top, add a generous portion of butter or red eye gravy. (WARNING: Do NOT use low-fat butter.)
The butter should cause the Grits to turn a wondrous shade of yellow. (Hold a banana or a yellow rain slicker next to your Grits; if the colors match, you have the correct amount of butter.)

In lieu of butter, pour a generous helping of red eye gravy on your grits. Be sure to pour enough to have some left for sopping up with your biscuits. Never, ever substitute canned or store bought biscuits for the real thing because they can cause cancer, rotten teeth and impotence.
Next, add salt. (NOTICE: The correct ration of Grit to Salt is 10:1
Therefore for every 10 grits, you should have 1 grain of salt.)

Now begin eating your grits.
Always use a fork, never a spoon, to eat Grits. Your grits should be thick enough so they do not run through the tines of the fork.

The correct beverage to serve with Grits is black coffee.
DO NOT use cream or, heaven forbid, Skim Milk.)
Your grits should never be eaten in a bowl because Yankees will think it's Cream of Wheat.

Ways to Eat Leftover Grits:

(Leftover grits are extremely rare)
Spread them in the bottom of a casserole dish, Cover and place them in the refrigerator overnight. The Grits will congeal into a gelatinous mass.
Next morning, slice the Grits into squares and fry them in 1/2 inch of cooking oil and butter until they turn a golden brown.

Many people are tempted to pour syrup onto Grits served this way. This is, of course, totally unacceptable.

IRISH BLESSING BEFORE EATING GRITS

May the lord bless these grits,
May no Yankee ever get the recipe,
May I eat grits every day while living,
And may I die while eating grits.

AMEN

Now excuse me while I go cook some grits. Anyone know where to get Dixie Lily Yellow Grits? They are exceedingly hard to come by.

Happy Birthday Sis

2009-02-11T20:29:00.001-06:00

more animals

Back to the farm

2009-02-09T15:58:00.003-06:00

Looks like it's time for us all to start growing our own food.

"Beware of what you eat. You are on your own", Senator Tom Harkins announces.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=346&z=1

Who didn't know this already? I have always maintained that locally grown food is so much more safer than stuff shipped in from who knows where. At least now they have to tell us where the fruits and veggies come from... that's a start.

I do feel for the people in big cities who don't have a farmers market to go to.

I just don't understand

2009-02-09T02:50:00.002-06:00

How is it that people in the news keep forgetting that they owe taxes?

The IRS surely doesn't let US forget that our Uncle wants his (more than fair) share.

Do these folks have friends in advantageous positions? I can't figure any other explanation.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/tax-cheats-or-tax-idiots/

And beyond not understanding.. I'm OUTRAGED at Geithner being our treasury secretary.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (aka Washington, DC).

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090209_Stu_Bykofsky__If_the_rules_apply_to_Betty__why_not_to_politicians_.html

Showing Off: Valentine Tote

2009-02-05T08:40:00.003-06:00

I am going to brag on myself a little here.

I saw a pattern for a square and turned it into a felted tote bag. How cool is that?

Not only is that cool.. I used Tunisian and did lots of color changes.. whoopee!!
Based on the December Square from the Stitch to Win contest at CrochetToday : Pyschedelic Heart. I was also a maverick in that I used TKS instead of TSS.

You might have to register to be able to see the pattern, but it's easy and unobtrusive. I had to enlarge the graph to be able to see where to make the color changes, which means I had to d/l an editor for my foxit pdf reader, but once I had gotten that accomplished, the rest was gravy.

(I did write to coats and suggest that they make the graph larger and on a separate page for those of us with impaired eyesight.. or make the graph in black and white and label the squares p, r, o for the pink, red, orange colors.. they wrote back thanking me for suggestions and offered to send me all the patterns. No telling if they'll take my ideas and use them, but at least I'm getting all the patterns already printed out for free. I'm happy.)

I didn't have any orange wool, so I used white. I know white sometimes doesn't felt as well as other yarns, so that made me nervous.

Here's one side:

Another side:

Another thing that made me nervous was all the color changes.. would they hold together during felting?

Here it is this past weekend, 99% complete, waiting for handles and to be seamed up.

This morning. I finished making handles. Ran out of enough red to make handles and finish off edge, so used some hotpink too. I think it actually looks nice this way.

Just another photo. Prefelted the body measures about 11" wide by 14.5" tall.. about the size of a legal sheet of paper.

I threw it in the machine with a tiny bit of Gain liquid detergent, hot water and permanent press cycle. (We have soft water..so I can get by with tiny bits of soap). I stopped the machine at the end of the wash cycle before it spun.

A better angle where you can see the handles. I'm not sure if I like the short handles. If I were plannning on keeping it, I might redo them.

The finished size is about 12" high and about 9" wide. Not exact measurements cause I measured while it was stuffed with plastic bags drying.

What do you think? I think I love it!!

Windows 7

2009-02-04T08:45:00.002-06:00

Seems Microsoft is beginning to let us know a little bit about Windows 7. It will come in 6 flavors, Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.

How confusing will that be?

I'm just hoping my win2000 pro and winxp will keep on chugging a good long while.

Read more here if interested.

Felt-it Felting

2009-02-02T07:44:00.003-06:00

It's just my luck. About the time I discover a yarn, the company takes it out of production. Such is the case with Caron and it's Felt-it yarn (actually, I think I'm beginning to notice that Caron is rather quick to discontinue yarns.. or is that only my imagination?)

Here is a little tote that I made with 3 skeins of Caron's felt-it. I'm pretty sure the colorway is called Wildflowers, but mine doesn't have as much cream in it as the colorcard at Caron shows.

I had 3skeins and it was barely enough.. but would've been enough if I hadn't experiemented with doing the handles in a different manner and messed up some of the yarn.

I was so short that one of the side seams wasn't stitched securely enough and it came apart during the felting process. I had to stitch it back together while still wet with a totally different wool.. but I don't think it shows very much.

Actually the mend makes it even more unique and one of a kind. ::grin::

Without further ado.. here are the pictures.

Mended area

Postfelting

Prefelting

I can't give out the pattern, it's based very heavily on the Felted Tunisian tote class taught by Kim Guzman. You can visit her group at Ravelry or one of her websites, CrochetKim or Wips'NChains. Perhaps she might agree to assist someone, but I cannot share it, so please don't ask me.

Friday Update

2009-01-30T07:52:00.003-06:00

It's still very very cold here, but we still have power, so it's all good.

I cooked a ton of food before the storm, thinking I might need stuff that could be reheated over the fireplace.. the chili is gone, the taco soup is almost gone and we've made a good dent in the pot roast.

I had a brain storm about a new project and was so excited about it, I stayed up all night stitching on it. I'm lucky that I can do that.. being unemployed and kids grown and out of public school. But now I'm tired and want to sleep.. so I'm gonna.

I feel so bad for the folks who are freezing and are running out of fuel and food. If I knew where to send stuff, I would.

Freezing Fog

2009-01-29T13:03:00.002-06:00

That's what our weather was this morning. Weatherunderground said that if prolonged it could lead to black ice. Ouch.

Got the call from the Bariatric Surgeon today.. my insurance is still good. So now we need to pick out dates. NOW I'm getting scared/nervous. Oh lordie. I have to do something, but surgery? yikes. At least dh is supportive and will help me through this.

Jabba the Cat

2009-01-28T20:40:00.004-06:00

Courtesy of LolzCats

Winter (un) Storm

2009-01-28T08:15:00.002-06:00

It was all excitement and no ice.

We did have some freezing rain in the middle of the night .. and it's still cold and wet and ucky outside, but no winter wonderland and no ice on the ground or snow either.

Schools are still in session here. Life goes on.

So I guess I have to be nice as I don't have an excuse for cabin fever ( no holes in my freezer).

And that electric company that put a limiter on the meter where the 93 y/o man lived.. and the old man froze to death... needs to be sued. There should be some sort of requirement that they have to make face to face contact with the elderly and make sure they understand and perhaps a referral to social services if they can't pay their bills. They may have been in the right legally, but morally they were bankrupt.

Crankiness

2009-01-27T12:19:00.004-06:00

Do I sense cabin fever before the storm hits?

I am on an email list and responded to a post that someone made the other day.

Today the original poster replied to me and said they posted because of certain reasons and these were their credentials and so on and so forth.

My response?

"What does it matter that I added to your post? Does giving people MORE information make your information less valuable? And you shouldn't assume that sex or age makes one less able to learn about a subject"

Then I blocked their email .. sending it forever into oblivion if they email me again.

If I still had ovaries I'd think I was PMSing.

Books

2009-01-27T05:44:00.003-06:00

I was glancing at some of the books in my bedroom and thinking about the authors I read. I've really been berefit of good fantasy since Marion Zimmer Bradley passed, but all good things must come to an end.

I could live in Darkover...but I think I would be one of the headblind people, not comyn. I might could be a renunciate, but then again, I am fond of my husband, so that might not work either. I definitely could not be a drytown woman... I'm too headstrong for that. It would be nice to be comyn though..to be so perceptive, so sensitive that a fingertip touch would be intense.

What other worlds could I live in? I'd like to experience some of Heinleins futures.. where people could get rejuvenated when they get to feeling old and women having babies outside of marriage is not unusual (now that sounds like todays times..) and sexual mores are quite a bit looser than what is customary now.

On the other hand, while I enjoy reading Diana Galbadon's time traveler books, I would NOT want to live 200 years ago. Healthcare was precarious then. I wouldn't have survived childbirth.. either that or my dd would've suffered with brain damage or even died.

Likewise Jean Auel's books.. save me from living with the cave dwellers too. Very interesting to read about, but I wouldn't want to visit.

Assorted Trivia

2009-01-25T16:30:00.002-06:00

I'm finding it difficult to make a daily post. Notice I missed yesterday? Weekends are so discombobulated here, it just totally slipped my mind.

I guess I just don't have as much to say as I thought. Or maybe the things I do have to say might be considered controversial and I don't like controversy.. I'd rather keep them to myself.

Recently I've been reading (online and in books) about the FLDS. I really admire Carolyn Jessop. It must be really difficult to leave a situation and lifestyle one was brought up in. And when I read about some of the things she was taught and preached to about.. it sounds so similar to the things that were preached to me and the other students at the church run private school I was sent to for 2 years.. it's scary.

Like, end of the world timelines, and hair lengths (long hair on girls.. good, long hair on boys.. evil), etc. Had us believing that drinking a beer while watching football on TV was a horrid sin. That movies were bad.. any movie at all. These folks were so rigid in their thinking..

For example: We had to wear dresses or skirts that went to the middle of our knees. But, granny dresses (floor length) were in style then. Could we wear those? Nope.. because they didn't think about those when they wrote the dress code to avoid mini-skirts. They were trying to instill modesty, but didn't think about floor length dresses. I wore a granny skirt to school one day over my knee-length skirt and it was confiscated.

No pants of any kind were allowed for the girls.. supposedly these could be worn at home, but only if they were side zippered. Huh? Because that would mean that they were designed for women and not male clothing. Good grief. A position of a zipper .. I don't think God really cares about that. Sounds legalistic and not something Jesus would care about.

Oh, and back to dresses.. girls who did flaunt the rules and wear dresses that were shorter than the middle of the knee would have crepe paper sewn to the bottom of their skirts until the parents could get there and bring them appropriate clothing.

I'm all for appropriate modest clothing.. but I abhor idiotic rules and uniforms.

I'm even more opposed to Uniforms since reading Carolyn Jessops book "Escape" and read about the FLDS women working in slave conditions to make the uniforms. That's just terrible. I wonder if people who support school uniforms know about who are making them and what their working conditions are?

As early as the 8th of this month, there was still court action over one of the FLDS girls.. she will remain in state custody because her mother refused to testify. How sad that a mother will chose her own safety over having her daughter back.

Recipe time again

2009-01-23T22:21:00.003-06:00

Today I'm blogging a recipe my sister gave me ...oh.. maybe 35 years ago? I couldn't find it lately and had to call her to get it.

Why not look it up on the 'net? I tried, but the all the internet versions I checked (there are 1,000's) where long and involved.. my sisters version is easy.

I thought I'd post it here to avoid losing it again.

Schnitz and Knepp (Ham, Apples & Dumplings)

1 Ham Steak, cut into 1" cubes (probably 12 to 16 oz)
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
12 oz Apple Juice
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Dumplings (use 1 cup bisquick to 1/2 c milk)

Brown ham, remove from pan. Add apples & juice, simmer covered 5 minutes. While they are simmering, make up dumplings. Return ham to pan, drop dumpling mix by spoonfuls over ham, sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.

And that concludes todays post.

Bag Of Many Colors

2009-01-22T03:04:00.003-06:00

Presenting my current freehanded (no pattern) project.. BagO'ManyColors...

I'm inspired to do this in Tunisian from the class I just finished, and to felt it to avoid having to line it. I'm making it huge because I like big totes and in many colors because I'm eclectic.

The bottom darkest brown is Taupe, which I'm now out of. The color sections are a row of TKS, TPS and then 2 TKS.. then change colors.. and repeat. But I'm out of enough of the Burgundy to do 4 rows..(per side!!) so I don't know what I will do next. I'm also out of enough of that shade of green. I do have a different green, so maybe I will combine the two greens with the burgundy.. maybe that will make it look variegated? Either that or just awful.. rofl.

Maybe it will be an excuse to order more Paton's Merino? Yum.. that would be good.

I don't have it tall enough to finish it off yet.. unless I want a really wide and short bag.. which is OK for some things, but not the way I envision this.

I'm thinking of doing the built in handles AND some strappy ones .. we'll see when I get further along.

Escape

2009-01-19T17:27:00.002-06:00

Is there ANYWHERE to go to escape this inaugeration tomorrow? I'm so SICK of it already. Thank GOD I don't live anywhere near DC.

I love the bumper sticker I saw the other day.. "The beginning of an error" hahahaha.. so true.

Very proud to read that Bush has commuted Compean and Ramos. The sentences were much too harsh and as I understand it, the agents were only doing their job.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/bush_commutes_agents/2009/01/19/172960.html?s=al&promo_code=77FC-1

Now, to see if BO will do anything about National Bankruptcy Day.. I doubt it.. home manufacturers are too independent and not as susceptible to socialist thinking. Need to get them into the workforce like other little 'bots.

Tomorrow will be a day of hiding and watching old movies and DVD's.. and praying that we don't get another terrorist attack. Or that when it does happen it won't be too horrid.

Music

2009-01-18T20:24:00.001-06:00

Found an online radio station thingy that doesn't require the use of Winamp or any other player (well, at least as far as I can tell)...

www.jango.com

I haven't figured the whole thing out, but it's pretty nice and doesn't seem to eat up bandwidth.

Level of Confidence & CPSIA

2009-01-17T15:43:00.004-06:00

I find this video sad, strange and amusing. Government doubletalk at its finest.

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/18479590/index.html

"It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

(since this is my 3rd post of the day.. I might allow myself to take tomorrow off)

Phthalates in yarn??

2009-01-17T15:04:00.004-06:00

Thinking about the upcoming CPSIA legislation and National Bankruptcy Day (when 70 million dollars worth of inventory must be destroyed on February 10, 2009, and 61% of manufacturers expect to be put out of business) What FOOLISHNESS in the middle of an economic crisis!!

But I digress....

What I wanted to comment on was why do yarn companies think it's a good thing to make yarn out of recycled plastic? Do Moms (green or not) want their babies cuddled by blankets that possibly have bpa or phthalates in them? If we knew what kind of plastic was used to make the yarn.. maybe, just maybe.. but the yarn companies aren't required to divulge this information and I'd be willing to bet that without a requirement.. they aint gonna say. Sort of a Fiber "don't ask, don't tell".

Oh, ok.. just don't use the yarn for babies.. well, that doesn't work either because there's no telling what a caretaker of a child or infant might use to wrap a kid in when the child needs warmth. An adult sized blanket works just as well as a baby one when getting or keeping warm is the need.

Just going on the record to say I won't be buying or using any yarn that is made of recycled plastic anytime soon.. unless I can know WHAT kind of plastic ws used. (and yes, I know that acrylic has problems too.. )

And CPSC?? It would be so much smarter if you required the yarn companies to test the yarn instead of the end manufacturers... Please consider this.

Water Water Everywhere.. but is it safe to drink?

2009-01-17T14:45:00.003-06:00

I'm currently on the prowl for a safer drinking bottle.

I don't like to buy bottled water, it seems such a waste to throw the bottles away when done. (Rural location.. recycling is DIFFICULT here). And reusing them isn't safe.. can lead to leaching of phthalates and bpa. Most water bottles are 1. I just threw out a half dozen that I've been reusing. :(

Really good information and explanations here

So I'm considering buying some Nalgene bottles. (the older ones had bpa in them, but they've reformulated and now are bpa free). but not sure what the recycle numbers are on the bottom of them. I want bottles that have either 2, 4 or 5 as the recycle numbers.

I do use glass when at home, but sometimes plastic is just too convenient.

Now I need to go look at my tupperware and see if I can tell what recycle numbers it has. Yikes!!

And I'm going to stop microwaving things in plastic.....or covering things w plastic wrap before I microwave..

btw.. this makes my dogs KAH.. RAY.. ZEE

Felting again

2009-01-16T13:55:00.004-06:00

I took an online Tunisian class with Kim Guzman and would like to show the results.

Prefelting Right side out

Prefelting Wrong side out

I changed my mind about placing the handles before I felted and moved the knots to the outside.

Drying over a cereal-box-sized tupperware.

I think the tupperware is too large, so I will probably stick this back in the machine and find a smaller box to dry it over. It will also need a going over with a disposable razor after it finishes drying.

The Taupe and Burgundy are Paton's Classic Merino which was a Christmas surprise from Maddie.. a friend at CalPals.. Thanks so much Maddie!! And the Pink is some Lionbrand Wool.

And something I've discovered about felted purses.. velcro sticks to them wonderfully. I have a small cell phone and glasses cases that came with another storebought bag that have velcro on them.. they're GREAT in my felted purses.. they don't wander off. Stick right to the side of the purse where I stick them.

Gone in the Night....

2009-01-15T23:20:00.003-06:00

Not too long ago I was invited to join a group blog. I did so and made 1 post on topic and all was sunshine and lollipops.

Then another member posted a recipe.. Hmm I thought, that sounds good, maybe I'll share one of mine too. So I did.

Next time I checked the blog, both recipe posts were gone. Without a word, without a sound.. vanished in the dead of the internet.

I understand the owner of the blog chosing to delete posts that are off topic (the recipes).. but what bothers me was the lack of contact about the deletion. I don't know if the owner has my email.. even if they didn't, they could've made a short post to the blog about the recipe posts being removed because they were offtopic.

Because of the lack of finese.. I removed my first post.. and I removed myself from membership in that blog. So there!! nyah. LOL

Daylight anyone?

2009-01-14T09:02:00.004-06:00

Today I'm on a quest to find a new bulb for my daylight lamp. Huh? Daylight lamp? whuzzat?

A daylight lamp is a lamp that is supposed to emit light very close to the daylight spectrum. Only mine isn't right now because the bulb went out.

And bad thing is.. my lamp uses a funny looking bulb. It's like 4 miniature fluorescents bonded together at one end and it has 4 prongs at that end.

I've found one at amazon.com, but the ratings aren't that good.. and for over 10.00 for a light bulb, I want one that's GOOD.

I could just open the curtains and have some light, but what would I do at night? Oh well.. guess I'll have to spend the bucks.

If dh had gotten me an Ott lamp, I'd know where to go to get replacement bulbs.. but he got me a Bell and Howell.. an off brand. I guess I should know by now to pick out exactly what I want and hand the advertisement or webpage to him.. rofl.

Lost in Austen

2009-01-13T04:43:00.003-06:00

Well, I just got through watching all 4 episodes of Lost in Austen and I just LOVED it.

Granted, it's not your typical period piece, but it's done quite well and having a strong ability to suspend my disbelief.. I was able to enjoy it. And where-ever did they find a male lead who looks just enough like Colin Firth to draw us all in?? LOL

I found it interesting that while the heroine (Amanda Price) knew the P&P story backward and forward, she still fell into the trap of being prejudiced... but this time the object of her prejudice was Mr. Wickham. In this version of the story He turns out NOT to be as evil as portrayed by Miss Austen.

I also enjoyed the very short side story of Mr. Collin's having brothers.. which were even more repulsive and lacking in good breeding. "Tinkler" indeed!!

I think I shall have to look into whether this was made up entirely out of someone's head or if it was a book that was adapted to TV.

And I'm not sure, but I think the actor who played Mr. Bennett, also was in the movie Nottinghill.. I believe he played the stock broker or accountant.. whatever he was. I'm glad to see him in another movie.. his potential wasn't realized in Nottinghill.. but of course, HG and JR got all the attention in that one.

An interesting start

2009-01-11T09:38:00.002-06:00

I've had an interesting start to my day.

I got up about 8am and put Sasha out on her lead. I checked on her about 20 minutes later and Pogo was over and they were playing just fine.

So I return to reading my email and drinking coffee. I check on her again in another 20 minutes.. and she's GONE. This time she managed to wiggle OUT OF her harness.. lead, leash and everything lying on the driveway.

Well, thank goodness at least she's not dragging a leash somewhere where it could get tangled.

So, off I go to get dressed and look for her. Put a jar of treats in the van to help seduce her.. lol.

She's not off at Pogo's house.. so I drive down a little further and turn around to go search the other way.. neighbors in the other direction have some dogs too. And there she is.. with Pogo.. running and having a high old time!! I almost hate to reel her in.

She's so smart.. she comes to me at first, but won't get close enough to let me get a hold on her. So out comes the treats... she gets one.. and runs off to eat it. So I give Pogo one and pet him and talk to him...and she gets jealous and comes to look for another. I tell her to sit. and she does.. and then lie down.. and I manage to grab her then and then give her the treat.

So.. we're back home and I'm waiting for dh to get home and we can put the harness back on her. I'm thinking that maybe she had pulled a leg out of the harness this morning before I put her out and being only half-awake, I didn't notice it. I've noticed Pogo at times pulling on her leash as if he's trying to get her loose. These dogs can be tricky!!

On the Tunisian bag.. I've decided to finish off the side I've got almost done and then start a new bag from the foundation up.. and then compare the two sides and see which one I like the best. Then frog the one I don't like. And if I like both..well.. I'll just have two bags. :)

Frustration

2009-01-10T19:55:00.003-06:00

I'm taking an online class to make a felted bag using Tunisian (sometimes also called Afghan stitches).

Found out after getting halfway done that I've done it in TSS instead of TKS.

So, it looks like some frogging is in order.

I'm halfway inclined to finish it in TSS.. but I will frog and restart. And this is a good thing because I had noticed some errors and problems, but wasn't going to go all the way back and fix them correctly.. was going to try and use a yarn needle and some yarn and try and fix it.

But now it will be fixed correctly.

But DANG at all that frogging.

Haha.. maybe I'll meet my prince. :D

Gone to the Dogs

2009-01-09T12:00:00.003-06:00

Decided to make today a dog day. Here's some photos of our beloved schnauzer, Sasha and the neighbors dog (who has no tags, so we don't know anything about him. We call him Pogo.. because he bounces like a pogo stick ..LOL)

They play a little rough, but no one is injured.. at least we've yet to find an injury. Pogo is generous..he brings over bones to share. We're finding all kinds of bones in the yard that we know we didn't give to Sasha.

We're still a bit afraid to let Sasha roam completely free.. the one time I did try, she took off and I had to go chase her down. We try to give her lots of room on her lead though.. we have 3 20 foot leads joined end to end.. and then whatever length her leash is.. so unless she's gotten herself tangled, she has at least 60 feet to wander. And we check on her frequently when she's outside.. she has a water dish outside and we go out and untangle her when needed.

Sasha LOVES DentaStix (I forget who makes them.. pedigree I think). Anyhow.. she gets one every night as a bedtime treat. She has learned to recognize the package and when we get one out and say "time to go to bed Sasha".. she RUNS for her crate (which is in the dressing room next to our bedroom). It's so cute!!

She also gets a small piece (about 1/2 inch or so) of hotdog twice a day. One of our other dogs has a seizure problem and we give him his meds in a piece of hotdog. Well, we can't leave the other dogs out.. so when Tux gets his medicine hotdog, Fancy and Sasha get a piece of hotdog too. And Sasha likes raw carrots and baked sweet potatoes. She gets small samples when we have these for dinner.

As you can tell, she's not spoiled at all. LOL. When we first got her, the vet weighed her at 9lbs. When we picked her up yesterday from the vet, the info sheet gave her weight as 17lbs.. wow. And she has learned to lie down and shake on command. Now we're working on beg.. shouldn't be too hard.. ::grin::

Ok.. I have to quit having fun talking about my dog and get back to kitchen and laundry detail. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig

2009-01-08T15:20:00.003-06:00

We're back home. It was so good to get away overnight. We ate too much, drank too much and gambled just enough (lost about $5.00 each on the poker machines.. whoopdedoo). I sat next to a guy and watched out of the corner of my eye while he fed 100.00 bills into the machine 3times while I was there.. and who knows how much he fed in before I got there. OUCH!!

I could not do such.. I figure going like we do, maybe once or twice a year and blowing 5.00 to 20.00 is acceptable (since we make sure bills are paid first) ... but it would hurt my feelings to lose 300.00+ to a silly machine. I guess my scots heritage shows up now and then.

Anyhow, we're back home and I have the washing machine doing it's thing and will soon go look in the freezer for something to fix for supper.

Not much else to say right now.

MORE Excitement

2009-01-07T09:23:00.002-06:00

I just found out that "Lost in Austen" ( a fanciful show where a modern girl falls back in time into the Pride and Prejudice story.. and Elizabeth comes forward into modern time) is going to be shown on OvationTV here in the states.

It will start this Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009 at 7pm central. OvationTV is on Channel 157 for Dish network subscribers. It will also be on DirectTV, and Cox cable, but don't know the channels for those.

I'm practically bouncing off the walls I'm so happy.

Excitement

2009-01-07T08:03:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited.. I've been waking up since 4am.. and telling myself it's too early, go back to sleep.

Finally got up at 7 and showered and washed this waist length hair (sometimes I really want to cut this mess off.. as in yesterday when I was combing through the tangles.. I wanted to just gather it in a ponytail and WHACK it). Now I'm dressed and waiting for my hair to dry.

Just got off the phone with the vet.. they will board Sasha overnight.

Why all the excitement?

I'm going to meet DH at a nearby casino .. we're going to have drinks, supper and spend the night. We might even gamble a little.

Now, I'm off to put on shoes and see if my van will start..

(I may or may not be able to post tomorrow.. we haven't decided if we're staying 1 or two nights at the Casino).

Stream of Conciousness (or channeling James Joyce)

2009-01-06T12:50:00.003-06:00

I'm going to go with a stream of consciousness here and hope I'll come up with a blog title at the end.

I've just gotten off the phone with the cashier's office at my ds's college, they finally received payment. I was worried because his student account is still showing a balance. They assured me that it will go through and that he won't be dropped from early registration. Whew.

I wasn't looking forward to dealing with them in person.. it's so cold and rainy outside.

It's so cold and rainy that Sasha hasn't wanted to go outside for days. Somehow she managed to break her harness yesterday so she's just out on a leash attached to her collar right now. I had to rig up a tie out in the garage because she wouldn't even go out to potty and I was afraid of messes in the house.

Yesterday, everytime she woke up from a nap, I put her out in the little fenced yard my dh made for her to go potty in.. and closed the door and left her for at least 2 minutes.. so she'd have a chance to go to the bathroom. I haven't found a mess yet, so maybe it worked.

I owe her former owner an email. S, if you're reading this, I did get your message and I will get some pictures soon and send them to you. Right now, she's doing well, but needs grooming very badly. When my dd was home for xmas, she and Sasha played and played and played. We still miss our Madchen, but Sasha is helping to heal the hole Madchen's passing left.

One of our neighbors has a little mutt dog that comes over to play with Sasha almost every day. He whines and howls when she's not out there. They are best buddies.

I started a new afghan and ran out of the color of yarn I wanted to use.. so now I'm debating whether to make it various colors or order more and hope the dyelot matches or drive 40+ miles to see the dyelot in person.

I was really trying NOT to add to my stash.. sigh...

Tuition Woes.. or Don't they want my $$??

2009-01-05T13:27:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to pay my ds's tuition online today.. and the server that they use is sooooooooo busy that either 1) I can't get through at all, 2) It gets to a certain point and crashes or 3) I get to the payment page and the processing fails.

It's been trying to make payment for over an hour now. ARGH!!

I called the school and they checked and they haven't seen payment come through. They gave me the 800 # to call the FACTS people (the company handling the online payments) and they don't show a payment going through either.

I told them I do NOT want a double payment showing up on my credit card that I will have to dispute and all that.

FACTS told me that a payment has not shown up.. and suggested I cancel out the payment page and start over again in 30 minutes.

Ok.. did so, and now I can't get into FACTS at all!! This is extremely frustrating. DS will probably have to get up early and drive up to his school (30 min drive) and pay in person tomorrow. Wouldn't be so much of a problem but regular registration starts tomorrow and he will have to stand in line if he doesn't get there early.. and he has to be at work by 1:30pm back here. Sheesh.

You'd think that the FACTS company would anticipate heavy useage today and tomorrow and increase the bandwidth available or put more servers online.

It doesn't help that the weather is wet and wet weather and fiberoptics don't play well together.

Resolutions

2009-01-04T05:47:00.002-06:00

I had said somewhere else that I wasn't going to make any resolutions this year, because I always fail.

I've changed my mind. I'm going to make 1 resolution. And what is that, dear reader(s)? How is your correspondent going to change her life? It will be deep and meaningful, a turning of a new leaf, a blank page. Literally.. in both meanings of the word.

I'm going to try to blog daily. Expose my soul to anyone who cares to read (like anyone really cares what exists in this fiber-addicted brain of mine).

Here are some topics that have just ran through my head for future postings:

A list of the publications I subscribe to.. both paper and electronic
How badly I want to go buy more yarn..and the lack of storage space here
Home projects that need tending to and why I haven't done them (other than laziness)
Books I want to read
Movies I love and want to see again
Songs that speak (sing?) to me
The things I find when I google my name
My fear of money (yes, really!!)
My dogs
Crochet projects
Bariatric Surgery
Blogs I read and why
Cancer stuff
(sure is a lot of I's in this list)

And little to no Politics!! ick. Nasty word.

Sounds like scintillating reading (I don't know what scintillating means ~yet, I will go look it up in a moment~ but it's a neat word and I've always wanted to use it).

:::pause while I look up scintillating::::

Now I know what it means, but I'm not going to make THAT easy for you. But I did use the word brilliantly. My typing just sparkles with wit. Here, you go look it up.

Well, todays blog post is done. Will another appear tomorrow? Time will tell how long my resolution lasts.

Sappy Old Songs

2009-01-03T17:59:00.002-06:00

I was watching (well, just listening really while I surfed and read email and junk) Bubble Boy and in the background of the movie they were playing an emo song from the 80's... and boy did it bring back memories.

I LOVE emo songs.. I dunno why.. but the sadder the better as far as I'm concerned. Maybe they make me feel better/happier in comparison?

Here's the song I heard:

Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill

You ask me if I love you
And I choke on my reply
I'd rather hurt you honestly
Than mislead you with a lie
And who am I to judge you
On what you say or do?
I'm only just beginning to see the real you

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

Romance and all its strategy
Leaves me battling with my pride
But through the insecurity
Some tenderness survives
I'm just another writer
Still trapped within my truth
A hesitant prize fighter
Still trapped within my youth

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

At times I'd like to break you
And drive you to your knees
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly

At times I understand you
And I know how hard you've tried
I've watched while love commands you
And I've watched love pass you by

At times I think we're drifters
Still searching for a friend
A brother or a sister
But then the passion flares again

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides.

~~~~

I wish I could write like that. I used to be able to during the hormone and angst driven teen years, but now that I'm old and dried up... I have no more passion for writing.

And they're off

2009-01-02T07:42:00.002-06:00

Not two minutes ago I waved goodbye to DH and DD. Two of the 3 lights of my life are off to drive 900+ miles to take her back to college.

It's still hard to let her go, but at least I don't cry now.

Thank goodness I still have my ds and Sasha. And Fancy, Tux & Thunder. They will keep me company .. but not much conversation.

A new year begins

2009-01-01T14:26:00.002-06:00

A new year begins, and it's also an ending.

Tomorrow my dd starts her journey back to her university to start the spring semester. My dh is driving her back and he will be gone about 5 days (it's a 2 overnight drive there..unless you push it.. and it's still an overnight stay ..well, it can be done w/o staying overnight, but you're dead tired when you arrive).

I'll miss her horribly. I wish there was someway to keep us all young. I remember my dh telling her when she was 2 years old to never grow up. :) For some reason we didn't experience the terrible twos here.. Just lucky I guess.

I also found something today while straightening.. a crochet project that I started probably 18 years ago or so.

The first two pictures are what I found.

This is what it makes when completed.

I have absolutely no use for it.. so I'm offering it to some friends of mine on a private crochet forum. If nobody there responds by tomorrow.. I'll probably offer it up somewhere else.

Why do people like politics?

2008-12-30T04:49:00.002-06:00

Just thinking outloud here. Why do people like politics and political discussions? Why do folks like to argue in the first place? It seems so unpleasant.

I am so adverse to arguments.. I feel myself tremble and shake inside when arguments start. I do not like them, Sam I am. I really don't.. and I've even participated in a few, still don't like them.

In many ways, I'd just prefer to lie down and rollover(.. rub my belly please) than have an argument. This probably costs me a lot, and I've gotten better over time in standing up for myself, but I'm still very conflict aversion oriented.

I wonder if this aversion came from my strict upbringing where we weren't allowed to cry. Well we did cry, but I can remember being told "Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about" and trying so hard to swallow the tears and it hurt my throat so bad.

I don't know. I do know I've tried to never use that phrase with my kids. I probably failed and did use it a time or two, but not as much as it was used on me.

All this is to say that I have views about things that I won't express because I don't want the arguments. And people who enjoy politics and arguments perplex me.

Just because I'm silent, doesn't mean I agree with you.

CPSIA

2008-12-16T00:12:00.002-06:00

My first letter to the CPSC.

I am writing to ask what in the world the CPSC was thinking when proposing and working on passing this "improved safety act"? The CPSIA, while well meant, is not thought through very well and needs ammendment.

I am a crafter, I do not sell my products, but I DO donate to charities and after reading the provisions of this act, my understanding is that I will no longer be able to make baby blankets, booties, baby sweaters, afghans or ANY other item made of acrylic yarn and donate it. Or even the Charity may be risking prosecution by accepting such items.

Yes, please protect children from lead and phthalates, but how much lead or phthalates are in a blanket? In booties?

I am also concerned that other handcrafters who do sell their work will be put out of business by this draconian act. Our country is already in a recession, if not heading into a depression and the CPSIA is only going to make things so much worse when so many home businesses are forced to close or face huge fines.

With this act, I'm seeing the real life illustration of the saying "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". The CPSIA was created with good intentions. It's sending hand-crafters to hell.

Fake Flakes

2008-12-11T17:38:00.004-06:00

The real stuff is melted, so we must do with the faux.

Got some more crocheted flakes finished.

These are from various sources, nothing that is available online except the first one. I tried using some sparkly thread for it and quite like the effect. It is pretty large.. about 4 or 5 inches. I may try this one again with smaller thread.

This one is called a Texas Star and you can meet the designer and see her pattern here:

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=86827

The remainder of the flakes I right off hand don't recall where I got the patterns. They're not something I made up though. Many times I'll see a 8 point mini doily or the center of a doily that looks "flaky" ::grin:: and will work on adapting it to a 6 pointed creation.

Most of the time it works well. Sometimes I have to frog a lot. Occasionally I have to give up on it and move on to the next. It's all an adventure and quite fun.

I've discovered that for me, 3ch picots are difficult to pin and then get the pin out after the flake dries. So, I'm adjusting most of my picots up to 4 or 5 chain versions. If the pattern calls for a combo of 3 and 5 chain picots.. then I might make them 5 and 7 chain instead. Depends on how things look when I get a few done.

I'm also not using a pinning or blocking guide. I know I should.. but I don't have a laser printer and I'm worried about the moisture from the "stiffy" I use seeping through the pin holes in the plastic and the ink ruining the flake. I haven't been able to think of a work around for that yet. I'm sure there is one, just my "very little brain" hasn't come up with it.

Therefore, I'm working on the premises of:

the incident of repetition in snowflakes is low. (they used to say that no two snowflakes were ever alike, but I seem to remember that science disproved that a year or two ago)

I shouldn't worry about whether my snowflakes are perfect, because only The Lord God is perfect.

These are some paperwhites or narcissus, a type of daffodills that have been growing in my yard. I picked a few to enjoy inside.. they smell soooo sweet. These are supposed to bloom in the spring, but I get the treat in November. This year they decided to bloom in Dec.

And this beautiful arrangement is from my sis in law. She always sends us the most beautiful flower arrangements for Christmas. I could've taken a better picture, but then I'd have had to clean off my dining table. And that would mean fewer snowflakes.

Ok.. back to my hooks.

P.S. They may have found the remains of Caylee Marie Anthony today. Or might not have. No matter if it's CMA or not.. someone's child's remains were found today in a plastic bag. That is so sad and I feel horrible for all those touched by such tragedy. I pray that whoever the child is.. that they did not suffer very long.

The real thing!!

2008-12-11T11:57:00.002-06:00

After all that blogging about snowflakes... we got the real thing last night..but it's gone now.

However, I preserved some for memory:

Best pictures I could make while holding a flashlight under my chin at 3AM.

Enjoy.

Snowflakes

2008-12-09T16:55:00.007-06:00

Some of what I've been doing recently. I'll add some descriptions and explanations later. Right now I'm feeling chilly.. lol.. wonder why?

I'd say 99% of these were made from free patterns found somewhere on the web. The other 1% were either made up by me or from a Harmony guide or some other resource. If the pattern is one I can link to (and IF I can remember where I found it.. I'll post it.) One more bit of info, except for one flake and one ornament, all of the below were made with DMC Baroque thread size 10. Not as high a grade as cebelia or opera, but I quite liked it for the snowflakes.

Now on to the snowflake pictures and descriptions.

These first two aren't exactly "authentic" snowflakes as they have 8 points instead of 6 or 12. I was going to frog and redo them, but as I got to looking at them I decided I was being too rigid and these were too pretty.

Whoever I chose to gift with these will surely enjoy them?

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/ornaments/make-a-crocheted-snowflake-ornament/

The above I think was the beginning of a doily. I just stopped when the loops got to be 12 in number and then put a picot in every other loop.

Below:
Experimenting with glitter. I don't think I'll try that again. Don't care for the effect.

#8 at http://www.sarahanns.com/crochetworks/snowflakes.html

#8 got the glitterati treatment because I missed a stitch when making it and didn't realize until I was weaving the ends in. So I thought a little glitter might help it's hurt feelings and perhaps hide the defect. Couldn't hurt now, could it?

The above simple beauty is #3 at http://www.sarahanns.com/crochetworks/snowflakes.html

Now that this one is photographed, I see one of the "arms' got a bit twisted. Back to the pinning board with you!!

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/cards/crochet-a-snowflake-gift-topper/

I call the next 4 (below) the Aussie "Gang of Four" Flakes.

The patterns are written in UK or British terms, so where it says DC, the stitch needed is really a SC and so forth. I made the first one not realizing the difference in terminology and had to completely frog it and start over. It was sad and very misshapen.

Also, they are quite large made with size 10 thread. Would've been better to use size 20 or 30, but I haven't gotten brave enough to try that yet. I still think they're pretty, just kinda on the gigantical side. :)

The pillow they're sitting on is probably about 12" square..so you can see how big they turned out. The pattern is here: http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=27469

Aussie#1
I really like this flake. I need to get some size 20 thread (maybe I have some in my stash? hope, hope) and try this one again.

Aussie #2
My second favorite of the gang.

Aussie #3

(taking the gazillion pins out of it made it get a little floppy. It looks more like a fern or a starfish than a snowflake. I also revised the pattern just a bit to make it easier. I joined each picot to it's corresponding opposite as I worked back down the "arm" of the flake instead of leaving them loose. I don't think it changed the look all that much and made it MUCH easier to deal with.)

I plan to restarch this one.. maybe pin it out first and then spray or paint the starch over it?

Aussie #4

The next one is made from Aunt Lydia's Bamboo thread. Lovely stuff, very soft to handle. Doesn't split UNLESS you have to frog it back more than about twice.. then it can be a problem.

That tendency to split under stress makes me wonder if it would be a good idea to avoid using this thread where it would get a huge amount of use. Something to ponder.

The above is also a pattern I'm working on. I don't think I've seen it elsewhere, but I'm sure I haven't seen every snowflake pattern ever written. When I get it tweaked to my satisfaction, I'll post it.

Some of the above flakes laid out on my dining table after Thanksgiving.

Pinned out on styrofoam board covered with plastic. Using mainly quilting pins. I'm using some old stiffy I found in my craft cabinet. It was left over from making string easter baskets back when my kids were in elementary school. Those kids are now in college and the stiffy is still good. Amazing. One of the bottles that had been partially used and the stiffy had seperated, but it recombined with a little stirring and is working great.

From a booklet titled Victorian Christmas Ornaments. It's supposed to have a ball and tassel hanging from the bottom. Those are made, but I haven't attached them yet.

Crocheted in an unknown ecru thread.

That's all for now. As I said before, I'll give links as I find them again.

I have a few more made with the Bamboo to get photographed and blogged.

Part 2... I'm just gonna tack onto this post cause I've already given the link out and don't want to overwhelm or confuse by giving out another link to another post about another group of snowflakes. whew.

All of these next are made with Aunt Lydia's Bamboo. I've decided to abbreviate it ALB. :)

I really like this one. It's inspired by an 8 sided motif I saw the other day . I will write this one up when I get it perfected. I think I'm going to call it Trinity snowflake for the 3 picot clusters.

I thought this was adapted from a Harmony Guide motif. WRONG. It's adapted from this pattern at Drops. (Hint: It uses british or UK crochet terms. Adjust for American) http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=99&d_id=30&lang=en

First time I've ever worked with a drops pattern. It is worded a little differently and maybe a step left out once or twice, but for free, I can't complain. I added the picots as usual.

Now that I've done one Drops pattern, I shall be on the look out for more that have potential for flakiness ::grin::

This one looks very familiar. I shall have to go hunt it down.

One of these two is the center from the snowflake afghan at www.artoftangle.com. I'm almost positive it's the one on the right. I added the picots to the pattern. I'm kinda disappointed that it turned out so small, but wouldn't be hard to do extra rounds.

Ice Crystal pattern from Harmony Guide with extended picots added.

From Coats and Clark website, but adjusted to have only 6 arms instead of 8.
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Seasonal/WC1795+Crochet+Lacy+Snowflakes.htm

And last but not least.. a comparison shot.

These are basically the same flake, I just added some arms to the one on the left.

What's different about them is the one on the left is made with Bamboo and the one on the right with Baroque. I don't know if ya'll can tell in the photo, but the Bamboo isn't as "bright" a white as the Baroque. In most cases, it wouldn't be a problem, but something to keep in mind if things are going to be right next to each other.

Ok.. I MUST get off the computer so I can have some semblance of a normal life. Talk to ya'll laterz.

Celtwich Vintage Crochet Patterns

2008-12-02T09:48:00.002-06:00

Another crochet website is gone.

Celtwich's Vintage Crochet has decided to remove themselves from the internet due to theft of their patterns (people were stealing them by selling on ebay what she offered for free).

I can certainly understand her frustration, but it's sad that it has to happen.

However most of the patterns and many of the pictures are still available here.

There are other things I'd like to say, but due to censorship and the possibility of being banned, I will keep those thoughts to myself.

Hope everyone has had a great holiday. I've been busy crocheting up a storm but can't post pictures until gifts are in the mail.

Washing machine is calling me.

A funny found on the interweb

2008-11-23T02:42:00.003-06:00

Fellow Business Executives:

As the CFO of this business that employees 140 people, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama will be our next President, and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way.

To compensate for these increases, I figure that the clients will have to see an increase in our fees to them of about 8% but since we cannot increase our fees right now due to the dismal state of our economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been eating at me for a while, as we believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who will have to go.

So, this is what I did. I strolled through our parking lot and found 8 Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the first to be laid off. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. These folks wanted change; I gave it to them.

If you have a better idea, let me know.

Sincerely,

John Smith
CFO

The Who's "Won't Be Fooled Again" should be played at the inauguration.

Some fun

2008-11-17T02:48:00.003-06:00

Turkey Taco Soup

2008-11-11T09:38:00.002-06:00

This is really good.. better than it sounds.

Turkey Taco Soup

1 package Ground Turkey (the ones I can get come in 20oz packages)
1 onion, chopped (more or less to taste)
3 10oz cans Diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
2 15oz cans Pinto Beans, Drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 16oz package frozen whole kernel corn
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 beef bouillon cube (optional)
1 cup beef broth or water (optional)
Non stick spray

Spray large frying pan (I used a wok style pan) with non stick spray. Add Turkey and Onion and bouillon cube and cook until Turkey is fully cooked and onions are clear or nearly so.. about 5 minutes.

Drain meat if necessary. Return to a large soup pot. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Simmer at least 20 minutes.. longer if you can stand it. The longer it cooks, the better it is.

This comes out very thick.. more stewish than soupish.

The original recipe called for ground beef and cream style corn and was rated at 281 calories/ 1.5 cups of soup. Ground turkey and whole kernel corn make it a little less calorie dense, but not a whole lot.

I like to add a little fat free sour cream.

In Mourning

2008-11-05T05:10:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Socialist States of America.

Who is John Galt?