Tuesday This or That:
1. Morning or night person? Night
2. Heavy or light sleeper? Light, unless I'm sick or exhausted
3. Remember your dreams or not? Some
4. Do you need a lot of sleep, or just a little? Variable (must be my age)
5. Do you need something like a nightlight or TV to sleep, or do you prefer complete darkness? Nightlight
6. Flannel sheets or some other kind? Flannel in the winter!!!!!! *grin*
7. One pillow, or more? more more more
8. Bedroom door opened or closed at night? Open
9. Wrap yourself into blankets like a cocoon, or just cover yourself with them? Cover
10. Alarm clock: wake to music or buzzer? Music
Monday, February 03, 2003
Blogging
Around
Whoa! Ava caught a wave! We should all be so lucky.
Lynn is doing the good kind of "giving up". If you have any resources on quitting smoking, sugar and caffeine, she needs your input!
Have you stopped by Bobbi's lately? Beautiful heartwork.
Susan, maybe there is still some hope for that competition in March Madness. Thanks for the plug!
DianeG has a beautiful post about telling her children about the space shuttle. She also has a neat link to a quick-time American Sign Language primer.
Via Hestia Chronicles and Celestial Offerings:
|
Heart
Tree
I tend to have a little trouble handling the darkness and greyness of January in Michigan. Knowing this, I make sure all my lights are bulbed and ready to illuminate. I also decided to keep my table top Christmas tree and decorate it with some heart lights I found at Browns Pharmacy. I thought the lights would be enough ornamentation...
Kathryn has created the Wednesday Wonder blog/meme. She posts ideas for projects for the week. The January 15 post was Finders, Keepers, Creators and pointed to this site on Found Art, which is about creating art and then releasing it into the wild.
Lightbulb time! I had a bunch of art type supplies around, so I created 18 pieces of "tag art" to adorn my tree. After Valentines Day I'll release them. It was such a cheerful, in-the-pink project for a gloomy time of year.
That's what I love about blogging. Sometimes you click on a link and find a lifeline.
Sunday, February 02, 2003
February 2, 1982.
It had been a cold January. There had been an ice storm on New Years Day, and the temperature had never risen above freezing since then. Boo, who was sixteen at the time, had built an ice rink in the back yard.
We had buried my father that afternoon. It was a Tuesday. My sister had been planning to skate with Boo and Dad that night. We all helped her keep that date. Later we sat around Mom's living room, batting a balloon. (Bryn was only three, we couldn't sit and cry all day, now could we?)
The snow began to fall. And then: a huge crack of thunder and lightning. That rarely happens in a snowstorm. We figured Dad was tinkering with the weather machine. Oops.
I believe there is a "further up and further in".
It had been a cold January. There had been an ice storm on New Years Day, and the temperature had never risen above freezing since then. Boo, who was sixteen at the time, had built an ice rink in the back yard.
We had buried my father that afternoon. It was a Tuesday. My sister had been planning to skate with Boo and Dad that night. We all helped her keep that date. Later we sat around Mom's living room, batting a balloon. (Bryn was only three, we couldn't sit and cry all day, now could we?)
The snow began to fall. And then: a huge crack of thunder and lightning. That rarely happens in a snowstorm. We figured Dad was tinkering with the weather machine. Oops.
I believe there is a "further up and further in".
Okay, we all love to do the blogroll now and again...meg has the snazziest blogroll I think I have EVER seen. If anyone sees Elvis, tell him to sign on in!
It was a little too cold to sit around at the Michigan State University 4-H Children's Garden yesterday. A little too cold, and a little too gray. But it felt good to be outside without having to brace against the cold (it was in the low 30's) and it felt good to walk. Argh!
More gray is predicted for this week. I'm just gonna have to remember to turn on my heartlights!
Saturday, February 01, 2003
Friday, January 31, 2003
Aunt Owwee.
Oops, I need to clear my name. The nickname Aunt Owwee came about when the nieces and nephews were burying me beneath a pile of blankets and toys. The toy piano they kept trying to set on my head hurt, and I kept saying "owwee". Violet and Kea piped up: Aunt Owwee! And thus the name. It has been about nine years now, and I think I'm the one and only.
Oops, I need to clear my name. The nickname Aunt Owwee came about when the nieces and nephews were burying me beneath a pile of blankets and toys. The toy piano they kept trying to set on my head hurt, and I kept saying "owwee". Violet and Kea piped up: Aunt Owwee! And thus the name. It has been about nine years now, and I think I'm the one and only.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
Okay, so I'm watching TR: American Lion. My boss taped it for me, what can I say? *grin*
Theodore Roosevelt
Okay, so I'm watching TR: American Lion. My boss taped it for me, what can I say? *grin*
It's the Friday Five.
1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Why? Supergirl. Because WonderWoman had too big of a chest.
2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got? blonde hair
3. What's the furthest from home you've been? Yellowstone National Park
4. What's one thing you've always wanted to learn but haven't yet? how to draw
5. What are your plans for the weekend? A little work, a little play, release a book into the wild, blog around, church, visit mom
Link via Lynn.
1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Why? Supergirl. Because WonderWoman had too big of a chest.
2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got? blonde hair
3. What's the furthest from home you've been? Yellowstone National Park
4. What's one thing you've always wanted to learn but haven't yet? how to draw
5. What are your plans for the weekend? A little work, a little play, release a book into the wild, blog around, church, visit mom
Link via Lynn.
Nicknames
Oddly enough (well, maybe not so odd, given the way my mind works) it was nicknames that I was thinking about when I went off on the gym tangent. Have you noticed that some people are nickname folks and others aren't? Nothing wrong with either philosophy, just an observation. One of my grandmothers (see, I can't even call her grandma) wouldn't even shorten names: Stanley not Stan, Shirley not Shirl, Kenneth not Kenny and so on. She was more formal.
Now I like nicknames ... and I have a bundle. Shirl/Pearl/Aunt Owwee/Shirts/Spud/Molly. (That isn't a sign of multiple-personality disorder is it?)
I'd like to read your thoughts?
Oddly enough (well, maybe not so odd, given the way my mind works) it was nicknames that I was thinking about when I went off on the gym tangent. Have you noticed that some people are nickname folks and others aren't? Nothing wrong with either philosophy, just an observation. One of my grandmothers (see, I can't even call her grandma) wouldn't even shorten names: Stanley not Stan, Shirley not Shirl, Kenneth not Kenny and so on. She was more formal.
Now I like nicknames ... and I have a bundle. Shirl/Pearl/Aunt Owwee/Shirts/Spud/Molly. (That isn't a sign of multiple-personality disorder is it?)
I'd like to read your thoughts?
I am Rapunzel!
Find your fairy tale character at kelly.moranweb.com.
Link via Joni (who loves Brian)
Thursday, January 30, 2003
More on Gym.
I went to a large (2400 students) High School. One of the things I did like about gym was swimming...the high school had a superb pool.
I liked swimming, but I didn't like certain aspects of it. The girls had to wear a regulation red tank suit with name embroidered on the back. And they always checked to make sure you had taken a proper shower: you'd have to soap up, be inspected, then rinse and THEN get into your suit. ARGH.
Oh well, better that than the regulations for the boys. They had to swim sans suit, supposedly for health reasons. (According to google that's not so strange. See here or here.)
I went to a large (2400 students) High School. One of the things I did like about gym was swimming...the high school had a superb pool.
I liked swimming, but I didn't like certain aspects of it. The girls had to wear a regulation red tank suit with name embroidered on the back. And they always checked to make sure you had taken a proper shower: you'd have to soap up, be inspected, then rinse and THEN get into your suit. ARGH.
Oh well, better that than the regulations for the boys. They had to swim sans suit, supposedly for health reasons. (According to google that's not so strange. See here or here.)
Remember Gym Suits?
I was pondering something the other day, when all of a sudden I flashed on ... Gym Suits! In the 60's in our school district gym was mandatory for two years in junior high and two years in high school. We had to wear gym suits: one piece navy blue jump shorts outfits. (Okay, that link called them rompers. That works.) (Think jail clothes, but in shorts.) Our names had to be embroidered on the back in 2" high letters.
Do girls still have to wear gym suits? Is gym still mandatory? I need to go talk to my nieces.
I was pondering something the other day, when all of a sudden I flashed on ... Gym Suits! In the 60's in our school district gym was mandatory for two years in junior high and two years in high school. We had to wear gym suits: one piece navy blue jump shorts outfits. (Okay, that link called them rompers. That works.) (Think jail clothes, but in shorts.) Our names had to be embroidered on the back in 2" high letters.
Do girls still have to wear gym suits? Is gym still mandatory? I need to go talk to my nieces.
Earlier in the month Robin had a post about her father's death in 1990. (January 17th post.) She asks if she will get over it. I believe that some events in our lives are so complex that they are always there. We deal with them, we go on, but ...
January 30, 1982. My dad died suddenly at age 56 of a massive heart attack.
January 30, 1982. My dad died suddenly at age 56 of a massive heart attack.
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
If you want to be an IT professional, go take a peek at meg's day at MandarinDesign. Heck, if you DON'T want to be an IT professional go take a peek...snazzy writing. Edit:That particular post has been pulled. Edit again. Oh wow, meg is weaving a heart-stopper now.
Diane G doesn't care for the term Wednesday hump. Check her out for the Wednesday Stump! (I know the answer to the first one, they just said it on ET.)
Diane G doesn't care for the term Wednesday hump. Check her out for the Wednesday Stump! (I know the answer to the first one, they just said it on ET.)
I just finished reading How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, by Julia Alvarez. It was chosen as our Community Reading Book. I found it an interesting contrast of cultures.
I also seem to be keying on details lately. There was a tender vignette on, of all things, mechanical banks. Remember those? I'm off to ebay to see what they're showing.
This Jonah and the Whale one is one of the ones listed in the book. My brother J.R. and I had mechanical banks. The bank part was the world and the coin was shot in by an airplane lined up with the world. I wonder whatever happened to them?
I also seem to be keying on details lately. There was a tender vignette on, of all things, mechanical banks. Remember those? I'm off to ebay to see what they're showing.
This Jonah and the Whale one is one of the ones listed in the book. My brother J.R. and I had mechanical banks. The bank part was the world and the coin was shot in by an airplane lined up with the world. I wonder whatever happened to them?
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Whoa! My Wednesday Wonder is here! And it's not even midnight yet! The project was to Create a self-portrait -- a drawing, clay model, or collage -- that illustrates what is unique about you. Well, learning to draw is one of my resolutions for 2003, so that was out. I had to make a clay model in Art for Teachers in college...people would flock to my work station and say: That is the saddest thing I've ever seen. My mother has kept it for years in the guestroom in her upstairs. It scared my niece so much that she had her folks put it in the closet: I think it STILL gave her bad dreams. So, anyway, here is the non-scary me.
Monday, January 27, 2003
Well, this has definitely been the type of Monday that gives Mondays a bad name. I absolutely lost it three times, the computer absolutely lost it two times, and here I sit, waiting for a database check to finish and then do a keybuild of the other file that is screwed up. That is, unless Mike gets back from the class he is teaching so he can take this stuff back. (I'm second chair here, hehe.)
Gotta redo the hand pic. That looks feeble. Everything looks feeble. Grrrr!
But wait! There is a positive here. I have a very good car. Even though it is a 1994, it started this morning at -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Anyhoo...catch ya later!
Gotta redo the hand pic. That looks feeble. Everything looks feeble. Grrrr!
But wait! There is a positive here. I have a very good car. Even though it is a 1994, it started this morning at -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Anyhoo...catch ya later!
Give Lynn a hand, please! She's collecting pictures of hands over at Always a Dreamer. Sounds like fun.
It was kind of a weird week-end on the web, what with the slow-down Saturday and comments on many blogs being in various shades of function. Ah well, we're resilient, right?
Happy uh....ewww...Monday!
In
History
On this day in history the Apollo 1 astronauts died in a fire during a launch pad test. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom, Lt. Col. Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee were killed in this accident. Grissom had been one of the original Seven Mercury astronauts, was the first man to go into space twice, and if the accident had not happened he was slated to be the first man to walk on the moon. (The Challenger accident happened on January 28th. What's with these January disasters?)
On a cheerier note, Venus should look pretty near the moon in the morning sky, if it's clear. And boy, it should be clear here, because the temperature says -8F (-22C). ARGH!
Sources: What's Out Tonight, NASA
Sunday, January 26, 2003
The Big
GAME
So, are we all ready for the big game? No, not THAT game. The game at l:00 p.m. Basketball. Michigan State University v that school down in Ann Arbor. Go Green!
It's hard when there are two schools in the same conference from the same state. It's hard that we Greenies have a bit of an inferiority complex and it is hard that the folks from A2 have a bit of a superiority complex. The one consolation of losing the football game this fall (49-3) was that basketball season was coming. Wellllll...things change. We've struggled, and the team that shall remain nameless is doing mighty fine. All I can say is ...Go Green!
Update. Uh, Susan....looking more and more like we won't be having to worry about competing in March Madness. *sigh*
Th
50's
Television
I've had bunches of visits this week from folks googling "Sargent Preston", which kept the thought of 50's television in my mind. I don't remember too many cartoons. There was Woody Woodpecker, but I remember him because my brother Grizzl blamed a crayon drawing on the wall on him. But I remember Howy Doody, The Lone Ranger, Fury, Sky King, Lassie (in many incarnations), RinTinTin, Sargent Preston, Roy Rogers (with Dale Evans, Pat Brady and his jeep Nellie Belle), Captain Kangaroo, and oh....here is where the cartoons were: The Mickey Mouse Club. Now there's a "this or that" question: Spin or Marty? And don't forget Cubby!
Fury was the "story of a boy and his horse". Joey was the boy who was adopted by Jim Newton, played by Peter Graves, who is the brother of James Arness aka Marshall Dillon. I used to hear my folks watching Gunsmoke (it was after our bedtime), and I'd wonder why Joey's dad was on that show.
50's
Television
I've had bunches of visits this week from folks googling "Sargent Preston", which kept the thought of 50's television in my mind. I don't remember too many cartoons. There was Woody Woodpecker, but I remember him because my brother Grizzl blamed a crayon drawing on the wall on him. But I remember Howy Doody, The Lone Ranger, Fury, Sky King, Lassie (in many incarnations), RinTinTin, Sargent Preston, Roy Rogers (with Dale Evans, Pat Brady and his jeep Nellie Belle), Captain Kangaroo, and oh....here is where the cartoons were: The Mickey Mouse Club. Now there's a "this or that" question: Spin or Marty? And don't forget Cubby!
Fury was the "story of a boy and his horse". Joey was the boy who was adopted by Jim Newton, played by Peter Graves, who is the brother of James Arness aka Marshall Dillon. I used to hear my folks watching Gunsmoke (it was after our bedtime), and I'd wonder why Joey's dad was on that show.
BookCrossings
Kathryn is a member of BookCrossings. At BookCrossings you can register books you own and then send them into the wild. Hopefully people will find them and register them and then send them back out into the world. (And reminder to self, my screen name there is pearlwhoisshirl. I'm always forgetting those things.)
Kathryn sent me Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver in November, and I've been late getting it up into my reading list. I just completed it, logged it into bookcrossings.com, and plan to send it back out into the universe this week.
The book intertwines the summer stories of three main characters, told with insight and caring and, in the case of Mr. Walker, incredible humour. I had the unusual experience of actually being jealous of Deanna, one of the three. Unlike several reviewers at Amazon, I liked Prodigal Summer better than the Poisonwood Bible.
Thanks, Kathryn!
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Ever wondered how to make Haggis? Bryn knows, and she posts the recipe. She also has a link to a Lover/Loner quiz that is quite interesting...I'm a lover, can you believe that?
Blu has links to a variety of news stories...check her out.
I'm working on my Wednesday Wonder...actually I'm working on the one for this week and the one for last week. Thanks, Kathryn, for the inspiration!
Lynn has some beautiful prints posted.
Blu has links to a variety of news stories...check her out.
I'm working on my Wednesday Wonder...actually I'm working on the one for this week and the one for last week. Thanks, Kathryn, for the inspiration!
Lynn has some beautiful prints posted.
Fred points to this imaginative place. Wayyy too cool! (However, mouse will act funny in other browsers while this site is still up. (I surf with multiple windows open.))
which edward ii-era historical figure are you?
this quiz was made by Caitlin
which art movement are you?
this quiz was made by Caitlin
Swiped from Laura. Thanks!
Susan was writing about winter depression Thursday. I think the darker days are the culprit. This year I didn't want to give up the extra light my little table Christmas tree gave me, so I now have a Valentine Tree! One of the gift shops had the prettiest little string of heart-shaped lights in their window display: it was the only one, so they let me buy it out of the display. I find that just that little bit extra of light gives me the boost I need for the cold long winter nights.
Shadows below are courtesy of MandarinDesign, of course.
Shadows below are courtesy of MandarinDesign, of course.
Friday, January 24, 2003
well, let's jump in here with the Friday Five.
1. What is one thing you don't like about your body? The extra weight I added in the last four months. I'm a big woman, but this extra stuff doesn't belong here.
2. What are two things you love about your body? My eyes and my birthmark.
3. What are three things you want to change about your home? The size...I need an extra room. A dishwasher. And ummmmm....gosh, I guess I kind of like it right now, otherwise.
4. What are four books you want to read this year? Going over to amazon to look now.
5. What are five promises you have kept to yourself? Going to Montana, getting a tattoo, doing Blogathon last year, and now I realize...I haven't really dared promise or dream a whole lot and therefore I drift, drift, drift.
Played from Lynn...thanks! And somehow my personality test got lost. :-(
1. What is one thing you don't like about your body? The extra weight I added in the last four months. I'm a big woman, but this extra stuff doesn't belong here.
2. What are two things you love about your body? My eyes and my birthmark.
3. What are three things you want to change about your home? The size...I need an extra room. A dishwasher. And ummmmm....gosh, I guess I kind of like it right now, otherwise.
4. What are four books you want to read this year? Going over to amazon to look now.
5. What are five promises you have kept to yourself? Going to Montana, getting a tattoo, doing Blogathon last year, and now I realize...I haven't really dared promise or dream a whole lot and therefore I drift, drift, drift.
Played from Lynn...thanks! And somehow my personality test got lost. :-(
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Ack!
I overslept. It's 0 degrees here, and I'm wondering how Lynn, Bryn and Joni fared. They were headed for -40 degree weather in their area. Yikes!
There's a fun thing you can do with such cold weather. Take hot water, run outside, and throw it up into the air. It will crystallize before it hits the ground. It misses a phase change with a lovely little "poof".
Update: It really does work, even in our 0 degree weather. Two things to keep in mind: throw high and don't throw into the wind. This is the voice of experience speaking. Did you give it a whirl, Lynn?
Good day!
I overslept. It's 0 degrees here, and I'm wondering how Lynn, Bryn and Joni fared. They were headed for -40 degree weather in their area. Yikes!
There's a fun thing you can do with such cold weather. Take hot water, run outside, and throw it up into the air. It will crystallize before it hits the ground. It misses a phase change with a lovely little "poof".
Update: It really does work, even in our 0 degree weather. Two things to keep in mind: throw high and don't throw into the wind. This is the voice of experience speaking. Did you give it a whirl, Lynn?
Good day!
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Any idea of what a recurring dream about being at the beach means? The beach is a busy one with a large number of cottages, stores, restaurants and motels facing it. The waves are up and the water level is higher than usual. I am enjoying wandering the beach, but am making plans to go to a sunnier sandier one farther north the next day. I've had this dream at least three times, and one of the characters in this dream recognized me from earlier ones. Any meaning...or am I just longing for summer?
Wednesday Wonder.
Kathryn has posted this week's Wednesday Wonder. The Wonder is a week-long meme...your answers don't need to be posted until 11:59 the next Tuesday. (Someone keeps running late, but we won't mention any names *gulp*.) This week centers around living without comparison.
Kathryn has to have a medical test today. In spite of that, she had the Wednesday Wonder posted on time...applause applause. Holding a good thought for you this morning!
Kathryn has posted this week's Wednesday Wonder. The Wonder is a week-long meme...your answers don't need to be posted until 11:59 the next Tuesday. (Someone keeps running late, but we won't mention any names *gulp*.) This week centers around living without comparison.
Kathryn has to have a medical test today. In spite of that, she had the Wednesday Wonder posted on time...applause applause. Holding a good thought for you this morning!
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Wednesday Wonder almost ready....dang, I fell asleep again!
Almost there, almost there!
My Wednesday Wonder is here.
Thanks, Kathryn!
Almost there, almost there!
My Wednesday Wonder is here.
Thanks, Kathryn!
I have snail mail!
Yep, I have a new "Cape Breton Island" mug from Bryn! Thank you girl! You Rock!
The kindness and sharing of folks on the web is truly amazing. It's a great new world here, ever-widening and expanding.
Yep, I have a new "Cape Breton Island" mug from Bryn! Thank you girl! You Rock!
The kindness and sharing of folks on the web is truly amazing. It's a great new world here, ever-widening and expanding.
Lunch hour time:
This-or-That:
1. Super Bowl or World Series? Super Bowl (for the commercials, of course!)
2. Winter or summer? Summer
3. Look up numbers in the phone book, or call directory assistance? Look up
4. Mashed potatoes or French fries? French fries
5. Hand-code your website, or use an editor (such as Front Page)? Front Page with hand-code extras. Unless I'm feeling VERY energetic.
6. Freeway or winding country road? Winding country road...the windier the better.
7. Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Trek
8. Disney or Warner Brothers cartoons? Warner Brothers
9. When it feels chilly in the house: crank up the heat or put on a sweater? yes
10. CBS or PBS? CBS
This-or-That:
1. Super Bowl or World Series? Super Bowl (for the commercials, of course!)
2. Winter or summer? Summer
3. Look up numbers in the phone book, or call directory assistance? Look up
4. Mashed potatoes or French fries? French fries
5. Hand-code your website, or use an editor (such as Front Page)? Front Page with hand-code extras. Unless I'm feeling VERY energetic.
6. Freeway or winding country road? Winding country road...the windier the better.
7. Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Trek
8. Disney or Warner Brothers cartoons? Warner Brothers
9. When it feels chilly in the house: crank up the heat or put on a sweater? yes
10. CBS or PBS? CBS
And it's 0/-17.777 degrees out. WAAHHHH. Kathryn was eating outside yesterday. Why am I still here in Michigan????
January.
It is wonderful what a day of sleep will do as a restorative. The afternoon sleep was the absolutely best one. I opened the bedroom drapes and the sun magically fell in the perfect place on the bed. Mmmmhmmm. I felt like a delicious old tabby cat. Yum.
I have a confession to make. I finally saw Fellowship of the Rings Friday night. Timely, because Meryl has posted a link to fractured captions for stills from the movie. Too funny.
January is just a cold miserable loooonnnnnnnng month. Pffft.
It is wonderful what a day of sleep will do as a restorative. The afternoon sleep was the absolutely best one. I opened the bedroom drapes and the sun magically fell in the perfect place on the bed. Mmmmhmmm. I felt like a delicious old tabby cat. Yum.
I have a confession to make. I finally saw Fellowship of the Rings Friday night. Timely, because Meryl has posted a link to fractured captions for stills from the movie. Too funny.
January is just a cold miserable loooonnnnnnnng month. Pffft.
Oops....we didn't twin on this one, Bryn.
Who 's Your Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick ?
brought to you by Quizilla
Who 's Your Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick ?
brought to you by Quizilla
Monday, January 20, 2003
H A P P Y
B L O G D A Y
It's Kathryn's first blogday at The Hestia Chronicles. Happy Blogday, Kathryn, and here's to many more!!
Sunday, January 19, 2003
Fuss Budget time. I broke my timer the other day. It was one of those dial kitchen timers: you turn the dial to the specified time, it whirs, and then it bings when it hits the time. Today I bought a new timer. Meijers was out of the dial type, so I got a digital. It works, but it will take some adjustment. There's no whirrr!!! And apparently I cued off that auditory feedback. (I could swear it speeded up the closer it got to the designated time.) Oh well. Progress.
Edgar
Allan
Poe
The things we learn from other bloggers. John, over at ColdMarble, lives in Baltimore and takes wonderful pictures. If you haven't visited, you really really should. He does a lot with trains and cemeteries, two of my favorite things.
In yesterday's post he made reference to the Poe Toaster. Fascinating read. (Poe's birthday was January 19.) Update: Bryn has another Poe link!
CBS Sunday Morning is on the television: they just said that Richard Crenna died. He was 75.
Richard Crenna has always been there, on those ancient TV sets back in the fifties right through this year's television season. I can remember his squeaky Walter Denton voice from Our Miss Brooks. (I wonder, TV was so low definition back then, perhaps voices mattered even more for actors.) Then he became Luke on The Real McCoys. And then...he kept on working and playing different parts and was still going strong, playing Tyne Daley's love interest in Judging Amy.
Oh no! Now they've headlined the passing of Richard Simmons. No, not that Richard Simmons. Sargent Preston of the Yukon Mounties Richard Simmons. Dang. Another major blast from the past. Sargent Preston and his dog, Yukon King, always got their man. Saturday mornings were a lot different back in the '50s.
Richard Crenna has always been there, on those ancient TV sets back in the fifties right through this year's television season. I can remember his squeaky Walter Denton voice from Our Miss Brooks. (I wonder, TV was so low definition back then, perhaps voices mattered even more for actors.) Then he became Luke on The Real McCoys. And then...he kept on working and playing different parts and was still going strong, playing Tyne Daley's love interest in Judging Amy.
Oh no! Now they've headlined the passing of Richard Simmons. No, not that Richard Simmons. Sargent Preston of the Yukon Mounties Richard Simmons. Dang. Another major blast from the past. Sargent Preston and his dog, Yukon King, always got their man. Saturday mornings were a lot different back in the '50s.
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Kind of a fuzzy wolfmoon there. It is cold...and hard to hold the camera steady on such a high volume zoom. It's so cold that Boo called earlier in the day to tell me the ice rink they've been working on is complete! They are a hardy bunch over there.
For those of you who watch CSI...do you prefer Las Vegas or Miami?
Kathryn posted the link for the color test below (which goes right along with last week's Wednesday Wonder). Kathryn had some disquieting news Friday; if you haven't been to Hestia Chronicles stop by and say hey.
Your Results
Your identity color isMauve!
Your identifying characteristics are -- delicate, reserved, sensitive, encouraging.
Your inspiration color isPurple!
You find your inspiration when you trust your feelings, use your intuition, are recognized as sensitive.
Your balance color is Silver!
The things that bring balance into your life are a sense of self-worth, higher self-esteem, self-enhancement, and more trust of others.
Your "birds-of-a-feather" color is Green!
People whom you can consider birds of the same feather as you are healers, therapists, humanists, or scientists.
Your partner color is Brown!
The partner most compatible with you is a steady, supportive, secure man, supportive subservient woman.
Your weakness color is Gray!
Your worst weakness is that you feel rejection, or fear or failure due to lack of self-acceptance or self-respect.
Your motivation color is Yellow!
The things that motivate you are socializing, expressing self, counseling, advising, and sharing in group activities.
Your Results
Your identity color isMauve!
Your identifying characteristics are -- delicate, reserved, sensitive, encouraging.
Your inspiration color isPurple!
You find your inspiration when you trust your feelings, use your intuition, are recognized as sensitive.
Your balance color is Silver!
The things that bring balance into your life are a sense of self-worth, higher self-esteem, self-enhancement, and more trust of others.
Your "birds-of-a-feather" color is Green!
People whom you can consider birds of the same feather as you are healers, therapists, humanists, or scientists.
Your partner color is Brown!
The partner most compatible with you is a steady, supportive, secure man, supportive subservient woman.
Your weakness color is Gray!
Your worst weakness is that you feel rejection, or fear or failure due to lack of self-acceptance or self-respect.
Your motivation color is Yellow!
The things that motivate you are socializing, expressing self, counseling, advising, and sharing in group activities.
We interrupt the playing with floats to share Beat the Dictionary, which we swiped from Jennifer. Thanks, Jennifer, how am I going to finish the laundry now???
Kevin
Costner
Okay, now we'll see if this float things works on the right side. It's my prediction that it won't due to...uh, something something. However, I was wrong. It works. There Kevin floats. Kevin was born on January 18, 1955. For years he was my favorite actor. Field of Dreams is one of my top three favorite movies, and Dances with Wolves and Bull Durham are right up there. His most recent work hasn't been of that quality, but that happens. (I blame his divorce. Perhaps his wife was the brains of the pair and picked the better projects. That's just my guess.)
Revenge is one of the lesser known movies that Costner made in the eighties. When someone is your favorite, do you pay extra attention to their work and do some backstory research on their projects? Thought so. So do I. Revenge was based on a novella by Jim Harrison. Now it just so happens that Harrison is a Michigan writer who attended...mmhmmm....Michigan State University.
Jim
Harrison
Okay, now I'm checking to see if we can float both right and left in the same post, and how that looks. Bear with me, please. Oh sweet, it does work! Back to Jim Harrison.
So I find out that Jim Harrison went to Michigan State University, and that he still lives in Michigan. He writes novellas, short stories, essays, and for years wrote the food reviews for Esquire magazine. In his book of essays Just Before Dark he wrote about his home in Michigan, in the Leelanau peninsula. Surprisingly, that was an area of Michigan I had never visited. (It's the little finger in the northern part of the mitten part of the state.) So I put it on my travel list...not to stalk him but just because it sounded like such a beautiful area.
Leelanau
Peninsula
The Leelanau Peninsula turned out to be far more beautiful than had been described. Its south end is the Sleeping Bear Dunes, perched dunes that rise 400' above Lake Michigan. From the top of the dunes you can see two islands: North Manitou and South Manitou. Legend has it that a mama bear and her two cubs were swimming from Wisconsin to Michigan, fleeing some disaster. Mama made it to shore, and waited and waited for her cubs, who did not make it. She became the dune, and the cubs became the islands.
I'm currently reading Off to the Side, Harrison's recently published memoir.
Friday, January 17, 2003
Benjamin
Franklin
Happy Birthday, Ben! He was born January 17, 1706 in Boston. Read about him here. His autobiography is on line here. He prepared his autobiography for his son. In scanning it, I realized that I had forgotten he was indentured as a printer's apprentice to his brother. Apparently this was to curb his desire to go to sea. Hmmm. At age 16 he became a vegetarian. Don't know how long that lasted.
I always thought Ben Franklin would have been fun to know.
And I really enjoy this "float text" stuff I lifted from Mandarin Design. Thanks, meg!
Full Moon.
The full moon tomorrow night is the "full wolf moon". For a list of the names of the full moons, check here.
Kathryn at Hestia Chronicles has done a full redesign. Beautiful job! And her top post at the moment is a "moon" post. Simple Graces is Kathryn's haiku blog. I find it a lovely place to stop and visit.
Lynn has a new heading picture. She's expanding her "dreaming horizons". I like.
Reminisce
I grew up in the fifties/sixties in a family that was short on bucks, long on love. That was the condition for lots of folks back then, I think. Make-do works.
There were six children in the family, two kids to a bedroom. It was hard enough to find beds for everyone, let alone fancy matching bedroom furniture. (I think my sister Crystal did sleep in the crib until she was three.) Sheets were always white and always flat (did they make fitted back then?) so they could be mixed and matched as they became worn. There was a set per bed: Saturday was wash day and they all got washed and remade then. Each bed had one blanket.
We're up here in Michigan and sometimes those January nights DO get cold. What's a loving mom and dad to do? Well, after the bed-time story and prayers we'd all get in our beds, and then Mom and Dad would come around with....coats. Yep. Coats. And they'd snuggle the coats over the blankets and we would get just toasty and fall asleep.
Cold nights make me think of love.
The full moon tomorrow night is the "full wolf moon". For a list of the names of the full moons, check here.
Kathryn at Hestia Chronicles has done a full redesign. Beautiful job! And her top post at the moment is a "moon" post. Simple Graces is Kathryn's haiku blog. I find it a lovely place to stop and visit.
Lynn has a new heading picture. She's expanding her "dreaming horizons". I like.
Reminisce
I grew up in the fifties/sixties in a family that was short on bucks, long on love. That was the condition for lots of folks back then, I think. Make-do works.
There were six children in the family, two kids to a bedroom. It was hard enough to find beds for everyone, let alone fancy matching bedroom furniture. (I think my sister Crystal did sleep in the crib until she was three.) Sheets were always white and always flat (did they make fitted back then?) so they could be mixed and matched as they became worn. There was a set per bed: Saturday was wash day and they all got washed and remade then. Each bed had one blanket.
We're up here in Michigan and sometimes those January nights DO get cold. What's a loving mom and dad to do? Well, after the bed-time story and prayers we'd all get in our beds, and then Mom and Dad would come around with....coats. Yep. Coats. And they'd snuggle the coats over the blankets and we would get just toasty and fall asleep.
Cold nights make me think of love.
Thursday, January 16, 2003
Middle of January already.
Time surely does fly. I had seen some cute heart lights in the window of Browns Pharmacy last pharmacy last night on my way home. I've been missing the extra light from the Christmas tree, so I was thinking about maybe making a Valentine tree this year. I stopped at Browns on my lunch hour. The lights were nowhere to be found except in the window. *sigh*
A clerk was setting up a display. I asked her about the lights. "Oh, those are the only ones," she said, "but we'll sell them to you."
Resolution 2, "making more noise", had a nice little dividend there. I have pink heart lights!
***
Survivorfever.net speculation for six here.
The Universe in powers of 10. Warning, slow loading.
Time surely does fly. I had seen some cute heart lights in the window of Browns Pharmacy last pharmacy last night on my way home. I've been missing the extra light from the Christmas tree, so I was thinking about maybe making a Valentine tree this year. I stopped at Browns on my lunch hour. The lights were nowhere to be found except in the window. *sigh*
A clerk was setting up a display. I asked her about the lights. "Oh, those are the only ones," she said, "but we'll sell them to you."
Resolution 2, "making more noise", had a nice little dividend there. I have pink heart lights!
***
Survivorfever.net speculation for six here.
The Universe in powers of 10. Warning, slow loading.
Swiped from my quiz twin Bryn:
 | You are Civilian Calvin! You don't get to travel much outside your neighborhood, but you still manage to get in plenty of trouble. When you're not acting up, you like to wax philosophical. Take the What Calvin are You? Quiz by contessina_2000@yahoo.com! |
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
It's cold here tonight, about 8 degrees F. But that's not as cold as it is in some parts. I found a very simple fahrenheit/celsius converter here.
pssst. Pass it on. It's Jennifer's birthday!
Jennifer is talking about Survivor. Diane G. is talking about Survivor. Survivor starts February 13th. Get ready!
Another excellent Wednesday Wonder is up. I posted last week's right on the deadline here. Okay, maybe I was a couple minutes late...I accidentally fell asleep.
Jennifer is talking about Survivor. Diane G. is talking about Survivor. Survivor starts February 13th. Get ready!
Another excellent Wednesday Wonder is up. I posted last week's right on the deadline here. Okay, maybe I was a couple minutes late...I accidentally fell asleep.
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
This or That
January 14, 2002: Around the House
1. Window shades or blinds? Shades
2. Wall or desk calendar? Wall (log cabins at work, Bev Doolittle at home)
3. Paint or wallpaper? paint
4. Electric or gas stove? electric
5. Carpeting or bare floors? carpeting
6. One TV, or more than one? one
7. Leather or fabric sofa? fabric
8. Eat meals in kitchen or dining room? dining room
9. Fabric or vinyl shower curtain? vinyl
10. Your kitchen: well-equipped or bare bones? well-equipped (but oddly).
January 14, 2002: Around the House
1. Window shades or blinds? Shades
2. Wall or desk calendar? Wall (log cabins at work, Bev Doolittle at home)
3. Paint or wallpaper? paint
4. Electric or gas stove? electric
5. Carpeting or bare floors? carpeting
6. One TV, or more than one? one
7. Leather or fabric sofa? fabric
8. Eat meals in kitchen or dining room? dining room
9. Fabric or vinyl shower curtain? vinyl
10. Your kitchen: well-equipped or bare bones? well-equipped (but oddly).
No Motivation this Morning.
Absolutely none. Just want to go back to bed, hide under my blankets. It's cold out. Argh. It's only Tuesday. This is going to be one long week.
Lynn has posted a new winter photo album: Snow and Ice. Beautiful. Bryn has some excellent info on the value of tea drinking...I think I'd better start. Susan's new home is bustling. I'm jealous though: the Duke basketball team is undefeated, while the Spartans...well, we're having a little trouble.
Kathryn and Leah are discussing the joys of "bookage". That's one of the joys of the blogworld, reading about people with similar addictions! Jeeem is another bookaholic.
Mandarin Design had an interesting idea: meg dropped her counters and had people sign in! Interesting responses, and I found another Michigan blogger, Diane G. **waves** Cybertoad details her job search with her usual upbeat cheeriness...plus she had a great weekend!!
Okay, waking up a little now. Still not motivated, but a lot cheerier. Thank you all. Only made it partway through the blogroll...will be back for more later!
Good day.
Absolutely none. Just want to go back to bed, hide under my blankets. It's cold out. Argh. It's only Tuesday. This is going to be one long week.
Lynn has posted a new winter photo album: Snow and Ice. Beautiful. Bryn has some excellent info on the value of tea drinking...I think I'd better start. Susan's new home is bustling. I'm jealous though: the Duke basketball team is undefeated, while the Spartans...well, we're having a little trouble.
Kathryn and Leah are discussing the joys of "bookage". That's one of the joys of the blogworld, reading about people with similar addictions! Jeeem is another bookaholic.
Mandarin Design had an interesting idea: meg dropped her counters and had people sign in! Interesting responses, and I found another Michigan blogger, Diane G. **waves** Cybertoad details her job search with her usual upbeat cheeriness...plus she had a great weekend!!
Okay, waking up a little now. Still not motivated, but a lot cheerier. Thank you all. Only made it partway through the blogroll...will be back for more later!
Good day.
Monday, January 13, 2003
Oh yay! I have snail mail. Thank you for the lovely card, Bryn! That was just so cool seeing that addy in the mail box. {{hugs}}
While I was over at Bryn's I swiped the link to this quiz:
Which One Of *The Passionate Ailurophile's* Kitties Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
While I was over at Bryn's I swiped the link to this quiz:
Which One Of *The Passionate Ailurophile's* Kitties Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sunday, January 12, 2003
A bit of this and that.
Fluff Movie time.
There's Maid in Manhattan. And Two Weeks Notice. Really similar movies. If you want to pick one, I'd opt for Two Weeks Notice, though if you'd like to see Ralph Fiennes smile for a change, then Maid would be your better bet. However, he's not naked.
Baking
My friend Sherry gave me a gift certificate to the Baker's Catalogue. If you're the baking type, you can check them out here. I think she was giving me a hint: I need to spend more time in the kitchen.
Happy Birthday
Go say happy birthday to Ava, if you have a minute. She's even older than I am!! Can you imagine that??? She's 67 today.
Colours and Heaven.
Talking about colors and talking about heaven: I think heaven is green. And no, not Michigan State go green, but verdant spring green.
Continuing with the heaven theme: I just finished The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (thank you very much, Kathryn!!). This is the opening paragraph of the inside jacket:
When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.
This was a most unusual book in perspective and totally and completely engaging. Don't start it without a good chunk of time available; it is hard to put down.
Fluff Movie time.
There's Maid in Manhattan. And Two Weeks Notice. Really similar movies. If you want to pick one, I'd opt for Two Weeks Notice, though if you'd like to see Ralph Fiennes smile for a change, then Maid would be your better bet. However, he's not naked.
Baking
My friend Sherry gave me a gift certificate to the Baker's Catalogue. If you're the baking type, you can check them out here. I think she was giving me a hint: I need to spend more time in the kitchen.
Happy Birthday
Go say happy birthday to Ava, if you have a minute. She's even older than I am!! Can you imagine that??? She's 67 today.
Colours and Heaven.
Talking about colors and talking about heaven: I think heaven is green. And no, not Michigan State go green, but verdant spring green.
Continuing with the heaven theme: I just finished The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (thank you very much, Kathryn!!). This is the opening paragraph of the inside jacket:
When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.
This was a most unusual book in perspective and totally and completely engaging. Don't start it without a good chunk of time available; it is hard to put down.
Note:
This is the post from Yesterday Morn that I thought I had lost, but somehow must have sent into the aether...and now here it appears. And the comments came too, Susan.
Five Day Work Week is Exhausting!
I don't usually sleep in on Saturday mornings, but I surely did today. Yikes! It was hard enough getting used to a five-day week after the holidays, but this one was also heavy on end-of-year stuff. Worst day was Thursday, which ran from 7:15 to 7:15. On the positive end: I'm done with my end-of-year stuff, so I can finally finally shift to 2003 at work.
Blogger usually delays on me. I publish, and I know it goes through, but it doesn't show as changed for about half an hour. Is that how it works for everyone, or should I take it personally? *BIG GRIN*
I have to go to a funeral at noon. (That may be adding to my dawdling.) It's for the husband of my old Sunday School teacher, Mrs. S. She is one cool lady. All teenagers should have Sunday School teachers like her. She had lots of parties, and she genuinely liked kids. Well, she genuinely likes people too. I'm sorry for her loss. Her husband and my mom's boyfriend (who passed in August) and another older gentleman who passed earlier in the year used to meet at McDonald's three times a week for coffee. Do you suppose heaven has a McDonald's? I think it would have to be the old-style kind, flat-roofed with the golden arches in front. And fifteen cent burgers. Mmmhmm. That would work.
Now I'm curious. This post had been appearing. I changed my archives to monthly. Now it doesn't appear. When will I see it again?
This is the post from Yesterday Morn that I thought I had lost, but somehow must have sent into the aether...and now here it appears. And the comments came too, Susan.
Five Day Work Week is Exhausting!
I don't usually sleep in on Saturday mornings, but I surely did today. Yikes! It was hard enough getting used to a five-day week after the holidays, but this one was also heavy on end-of-year stuff. Worst day was Thursday, which ran from 7:15 to 7:15. On the positive end: I'm done with my end-of-year stuff, so I can finally finally shift to 2003 at work.
Blogger usually delays on me. I publish, and I know it goes through, but it doesn't show as changed for about half an hour. Is that how it works for everyone, or should I take it personally? *BIG GRIN*
I have to go to a funeral at noon. (That may be adding to my dawdling.) It's for the husband of my old Sunday School teacher, Mrs. S. She is one cool lady. All teenagers should have Sunday School teachers like her. She had lots of parties, and she genuinely liked kids. Well, she genuinely likes people too. I'm sorry for her loss. Her husband and my mom's boyfriend (who passed in August) and another older gentleman who passed earlier in the year used to meet at McDonald's three times a week for coffee. Do you suppose heaven has a McDonald's? I think it would have to be the old-style kind, flat-roofed with the golden arches in front. And fifteen cent burgers. Mmmhmm. That would work.
Now I'm curious. This post had been appearing. I changed my archives to monthly. Now it doesn't appear. When will I see it again?
Saturday, January 11, 2003
In Praise of Family Men.
I attended a funeral this afternoon. The funeral was for the husband of my tenth-grade Sunday School teacher. Some people are just special. Mrs. S is one of those people. I have run into her through the years at Meijers and at various functions my mother's church had sponsored, and its always been the same...the quick smile, the remembering of our last meeting, curiousity about current doings. She and Mr. S had been married 54 years.
When I heard of his passing Thursday I thought of my dad. There are certain men whose main characteristic when you think of them is "a family man". My dad had been that type, as was Mr. S. And bearing out my feelings, when I expressed my condolences to Larry, the S's son, he brought up my dad's passing also, even though that was twenty-one years ago.
So it has been a bit of a melancholy day. That's the price of loving people, I guess. Remembering is sweet but also renews the sense of loss.
I attended a funeral this afternoon. The funeral was for the husband of my tenth-grade Sunday School teacher. Some people are just special. Mrs. S is one of those people. I have run into her through the years at Meijers and at various functions my mother's church had sponsored, and its always been the same...the quick smile, the remembering of our last meeting, curiousity about current doings. She and Mr. S had been married 54 years.
When I heard of his passing Thursday I thought of my dad. There are certain men whose main characteristic when you think of them is "a family man". My dad had been that type, as was Mr. S. And bearing out my feelings, when I expressed my condolences to Larry, the S's son, he brought up my dad's passing also, even though that was twenty-one years ago.
So it has been a bit of a melancholy day. That's the price of loving people, I guess. Remembering is sweet but also renews the sense of loss.
Friday, January 10, 2003
Thursday, January 09, 2003
Wednesday Wonder.
Kathryn has started a new Wednesday meme. It's one that takes some time, and you can work on it all week (which I really really enjoy!) This week's is on color. There is a choice of exercises (I'm still deciding which to choose, I want to do them all!) and one everybody does it exercise, which is:
Have the color in front of you while you do this exercise. Glance through a magazine, look around for a color that catches your eye, look at a box of crayons. Now role-play that color. That means you are going to pretend you ARE that color and speak for it, since it cannot speak for itself.
Um. Eek. Okay, here goes.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the fresh spring morning sweetly awash with dew~~and the color of bouquets hand-gathered to decorate soldiers graves.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the lenthening afternoon shadows on snow~~and the depths of color in the far-sighted gaze of a man of the waters.
I am lilac.
I am the color of hope, the settler's bright spot in a new and unforgiving land~~and the color of remembrance of those homesteads long abandoned and gone to ground.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the contrasting striation in the lowering night sky~~and the first peek of heaven of a beautiful summer morn.
I am lilac.
TOMORROW I THINK I'LL BE RED
Box, of course, is from MandarinDesign.
Kathryn has started a new Wednesday meme. It's one that takes some time, and you can work on it all week (which I really really enjoy!) This week's is on color. There is a choice of exercises (I'm still deciding which to choose, I want to do them all!) and one everybody does it exercise, which is:
Have the color in front of you while you do this exercise. Glance through a magazine, look around for a color that catches your eye, look at a box of crayons. Now role-play that color. That means you are going to pretend you ARE that color and speak for it, since it cannot speak for itself.
Um. Eek. Okay, here goes.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the fresh spring morning sweetly awash with dew~~and the color of bouquets hand-gathered to decorate soldiers graves.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the lenthening afternoon shadows on snow~~and the depths of color in the far-sighted gaze of a man of the waters.
I am lilac.
I am the color of hope, the settler's bright spot in a new and unforgiving land~~and the color of remembrance of those homesteads long abandoned and gone to ground.
I am lilac.
I am the color of the contrasting striation in the lowering night sky~~and the first peek of heaven of a beautiful summer morn.
I am lilac.
TOMORROW I THINK I'LL BE RED
Box, of course, is from MandarinDesign.
It's Thursday!
I made it through Wednesday, but really lost steam. I was able to have the internet up at work in the morning, but kept losing my connection in the p.m. After a few errands in the evening, I came home and faded away like an old rose. But Thursdays shouldn't be too hard to get through. Right? Now if we were just done with all the inventory updates at work. Argh.
Congratulations to Susan! She is the mistress of her own domain now. Check her out at easybakecoven.net.
We had a heat wave yesterday...we hit 45 degrees F. We have a new service tech from Oklahoma. He called into the dispatcher. "You people are nuts up here! I see people out in their shorts and no jacket." He'll learn.
I made it through Wednesday, but really lost steam. I was able to have the internet up at work in the morning, but kept losing my connection in the p.m. After a few errands in the evening, I came home and faded away like an old rose. But Thursdays shouldn't be too hard to get through. Right? Now if we were just done with all the inventory updates at work. Argh.
Congratulations to Susan! She is the mistress of her own domain now. Check her out at easybakecoven.net.
We had a heat wave yesterday...we hit 45 degrees F. We have a new service tech from Oklahoma. He called into the dispatcher. "You people are nuts up here! I see people out in their shorts and no jacket." He'll learn.
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
I've forgotten how to do Wednesdays at work.
It's been so long! Isn't there supposed to be a holiday or something? Sheesh. December 18 was the last working Wednesday, and December 17th was the last full Tuesday (we got out at 2:00 p.m. both eve days). I don't think I can do this! Pacing, Shirl, pacing.
Ah, but the Wednesday Wonder is up! Great prompts for both writing and investigation. Thanks, Kathryn. I highly recommend a visit!
I'm not very familiar with various fonts. Do you have a font or fonts that you love? Thanks in advance!
It's been so long! Isn't there supposed to be a holiday or something? Sheesh. December 18 was the last working Wednesday, and December 17th was the last full Tuesday (we got out at 2:00 p.m. both eve days). I don't think I can do this! Pacing, Shirl, pacing.
Ah, but the Wednesday Wonder is up! Great prompts for both writing and investigation. Thanks, Kathryn. I highly recommend a visit!
I'm not very familiar with various fonts. Do you have a font or fonts that you love? Thanks in advance!
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
First This-or-That of 2003!
1. "Time" or "Newsweek"? Newsweek
2. "Wall Street Journal" or "National Enquirer"? National Enquirer
3. "Sports Illustrated" or "Cook's Illustrated"? Sports Illustrated
4. "Martha Stewart Living" or "MAD Magazine"? Martha
5. "Cosmopolitan" or "Maxim"? Maxim
6. "People" or "Entertainment Weekly"? People...People who love People yadda yadda
7. "National Geographic" or "Readers Digest"? Reader's Digest
8. "Good Housekeeping" or "Popular Mechanics"? Good Housekeeping
9. "PC World" or "MacWorld"? PC World
10. "Southern Living" or "Yankee" (magazine about New England living)? Yankee.
Link via cyber-toad! Thanks!
1. "Time" or "Newsweek"? Newsweek
2. "Wall Street Journal" or "National Enquirer"? National Enquirer
3. "Sports Illustrated" or "Cook's Illustrated"? Sports Illustrated
4. "Martha Stewart Living" or "MAD Magazine"? Martha
5. "Cosmopolitan" or "Maxim"? Maxim
6. "People" or "Entertainment Weekly"? People...People who love People yadda yadda
7. "National Geographic" or "Readers Digest"? Reader's Digest
8. "Good Housekeeping" or "Popular Mechanics"? Good Housekeeping
9. "PC World" or "MacWorld"? PC World
10. "Southern Living" or "Yankee" (magazine about New England living)? Yankee.
Link via cyber-toad! Thanks!
Monday, January 06, 2003
Oh my! I just got a birthday package from Texas. Kathryn...you are amazing. Thank you thank you! And packaging it in artwork...YAY! Made my evening! To make a Monday evening is a wondrous thing *grin*. Wow.
PromoGuy's Monday Mission 3.1
1. What is one of your favorite things to wear? My black sweater and my black skirt. *grin*
2. Did you get any "dud" gifts for the holidays? Will you return them? Nope…so Nope!
3. Let's do a few "Best of 2002" thoughts. What was the best movie of 2002? Why did you pick that one? I haven’t seen the last batch of the holiday movies, so I’m sure I’ll find another best, but right now it would have to be 8-Mile. I loved it, not so much for the music, but for the portrayal of the working class. They nailed it!
4. What world event of 2002 made an impact on you? Passover Massacre in Israel
5. What personal event of 2002 was the most memorable? There were several. The blogathon was one as it was a conscious act of remembering a beloved brother. Lots of ghosts were laid to rest. And oddly, getting a tattoo was a conscious act that had a huge impact. Hmm. Common thread here: consciousness.
6. Is there anything in 2002 (decisions, relationships, purchases, etc.) that, looking back, you would have done differently? Um. I probably should have done a relationship one differently (moved it faster) but I gotta be me.
7. Shine up your magic crystal ball and look into the future. What do you think will happen in your life in 2003? Or, what would you like to happen in 2003? Peering deep into ye olde crystal ball I see: a move. Freelance work in addition to my regular job. Weight loss. Three new men (oh shut up, it’s my crystal ball). Chose one by end of the year and have holiday of dreams. Great trip to Montana. Perfect weekend on Mackinac Island.
1. What is one of your favorite things to wear? My black sweater and my black skirt. *grin*
2. Did you get any "dud" gifts for the holidays? Will you return them? Nope…so Nope!
3. Let's do a few "Best of 2002" thoughts. What was the best movie of 2002? Why did you pick that one? I haven’t seen the last batch of the holiday movies, so I’m sure I’ll find another best, but right now it would have to be 8-Mile. I loved it, not so much for the music, but for the portrayal of the working class. They nailed it!
4. What world event of 2002 made an impact on you? Passover Massacre in Israel
5. What personal event of 2002 was the most memorable? There were several. The blogathon was one as it was a conscious act of remembering a beloved brother. Lots of ghosts were laid to rest. And oddly, getting a tattoo was a conscious act that had a huge impact. Hmm. Common thread here: consciousness.
6. Is there anything in 2002 (decisions, relationships, purchases, etc.) that, looking back, you would have done differently? Um. I probably should have done a relationship one differently (moved it faster) but I gotta be me.
7. Shine up your magic crystal ball and look into the future. What do you think will happen in your life in 2003? Or, what would you like to happen in 2003? Peering deep into ye olde crystal ball I see: a move. Freelance work in addition to my regular job. Weight loss. Three new men (oh shut up, it’s my crystal ball). Chose one by end of the year and have holiday of dreams. Great trip to Montana. Perfect weekend on Mackinac Island.
Sunday, January 05, 2003
My Wednesday Wonder post is now up here. That was fun!
Stephen Hawking's 60th birthday party was featured on 60 Minutes. I think his will to live is even more awesome than his brilliance.
Stephen Hawking's 60th birthday party was featured on 60 Minutes. I think his will to live is even more awesome than his brilliance.
Around the Blogs:
Kathryn has joined the 100 Words project, and has set up a new blog for those entries. She also has a new blog featuring her Haiku. Sweet! Words matter.
Susan is in Tennessee with her mom and sister Robin...I think they must be having a great time, because things have been a leeeettle quiet there. Merry belated Christmas!
Lynn has a weird toolbar showing up on her browser. Can anyone help? And Joni loves Brian...
Cybertoad had some bad news New Years Eve day, and yet it typical Cybertoad fashion she's working right through it. You go, girl!
Bryn has a new lay-out for the New Year, chockful of facts and interesting stories.
I'm having trouble getting cyber-bro Jeeem's site to load. Hey Jeeem....You still stuck under all that snow?
Wendy at weepixie says her domain is about to expire, and she won't be renewing. She will be moving somewhere though...we want to know where, kiddo! Wendy had the most excellent project for the Blogathon (she won an award!!) and her project helped me make it through those 24 hours.
Jennifer has posted: Missing ... Motivation, Energy, Inspiration, Enthusiasm, Creativity and the ability to combine words into sentences. If found, please return to Jennifer. I'm sure it's a passing thing...go check her archives for a wide wide variety of subject matter.
I've been having fun with framing pics (see below). Code comes from...MandarinDesign. mmmhmm. Fred's been bitten by the Mandarin bug also.
Kathryn has joined the 100 Words project, and has set up a new blog for those entries. She also has a new blog featuring her Haiku. Sweet! Words matter.
Susan is in Tennessee with her mom and sister Robin...I think they must be having a great time, because things have been a leeeettle quiet there. Merry belated Christmas!
Lynn has a weird toolbar showing up on her browser. Can anyone help? And Joni loves Brian...
Cybertoad had some bad news New Years Eve day, and yet it typical Cybertoad fashion she's working right through it. You go, girl!
Bryn has a new lay-out for the New Year, chockful of facts and interesting stories.
I'm having trouble getting cyber-bro Jeeem's site to load. Hey Jeeem....You still stuck under all that snow?
Wendy at weepixie says her domain is about to expire, and she won't be renewing. She will be moving somewhere though...we want to know where, kiddo! Wendy had the most excellent project for the Blogathon (she won an award!!) and her project helped me make it through those 24 hours.
Jennifer has posted: Missing ... Motivation, Energy, Inspiration, Enthusiasm, Creativity and the ability to combine words into sentences. If found, please return to Jennifer. I'm sure it's a passing thing...go check her archives for a wide wide variety of subject matter.
I've been having fun with framing pics (see below). Code comes from...MandarinDesign. mmmhmm. Fred's been bitten by the Mandarin bug also.
Saturday, January 04, 2003
Thank you, thank you!
Lynn and Kathryn and Susan and Bryn and meg sent folks here for my birthday: Thank you so much! I don't know if Lynn remembers, but last year I was bemoaning turning fifty and that I had made some poor choices and needed to make changes in my life...but how to do that? And Lynn said the simple: "One day at a time". Timing is everything, and that was perfect. This year, whenever I would panic, I would focus on those words. And on I would go, instead of retreating into my little corner. Thanks, Lynn!
Susan and Kathryn and Bryn have given the same kind of enlightenment to this year by both their words and example. I check them daily for their writings. *grin* Thank you!
I found Mandarin Design this fall. The generosity and patience meg shows in sharing her tech stuff is amazing.
And a big thanks to all of you who visited with birthday greetings. {{hugs}} This fifty stuff is quite all right! Now where's my rocker?
Lynn and Kathryn and Susan and Bryn and meg sent folks here for my birthday: Thank you so much! I don't know if Lynn remembers, but last year I was bemoaning turning fifty and that I had made some poor choices and needed to make changes in my life...but how to do that? And Lynn said the simple: "One day at a time". Timing is everything, and that was perfect. This year, whenever I would panic, I would focus on those words. And on I would go, instead of retreating into my little corner. Thanks, Lynn!
Susan and Kathryn and Bryn have given the same kind of enlightenment to this year by both their words and example. I check them daily for their writings. *grin* Thank you!
I found Mandarin Design this fall. The generosity and patience meg shows in sharing her tech stuff is amazing.
And a big thanks to all of you who visited with birthday greetings. {{hugs}} This fifty stuff is quite all right! Now where's my rocker?
In the Fifties.
Big difference in years. Being in a decade is a lot more low-key than turning a decade. I do have this story to tell, though:
Ten of us had dinner last night at Old Country Buffet. I was up at the line, dishing up some baked fish, when the PA came to life. "We'd like to wish Shirl Peters a happy fifty-first birthday." Eek! I punched Boo when I went back to the table. "Okay, okay," he said. "Next time I'll say 39." But it was all in good fun. As we all know, or will find out...fifties really are nifty.
Big difference in years. Being in a decade is a lot more low-key than turning a decade. I do have this story to tell, though:
Ten of us had dinner last night at Old Country Buffet. I was up at the line, dishing up some baked fish, when the PA came to life. "We'd like to wish Shirl Peters a happy fifty-first birthday." Eek! I punched Boo when I went back to the table. "Okay, okay," he said. "Next time I'll say 39." But it was all in good fun. As we all know, or will find out...fifties really are nifty.
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Wednesday, January 01, 2003
Link via Kathryn, who has just inaugurated the Wednesday Wonder. I'm doing it!
Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz
Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz
The Nifty Little Christmas Tree
It was spring of 1969. Grandpa P had passed away, and we had all gathered out at the lake for the funeral. My youngest brother, Boo, was three. Boo had been his grandpa's "eye apple". (Hurrah for fractured Hollander.) Boo looked out the patio door and noticed a little blue spruce growing on the lawn. "That's a nifty little Christmas tree," he said.
Well, Grandmas and Aunts notice these sayings, and so for his fourth birthday that year they bought him a "nifty little Christmas tree" of his own: a blue spruce just his height. It was planted in the front yard and pictures were duly taken as the years passed and the boy and tree grew.
Of course, trees grow at a different rate than little boys. The spruce sprouted. Boo started hanging Christmas lights on it each year, adding strings frequently. Ladders had to be used. As the tree grew larger, he developed a method of using clothes poles to reach the upper heights.
Another thing happened as the years passed. The tree, which had fit fine when it was little, began to starve on the side that was shaded by a maple (which had also grown over the years). Eventually, even sentimental Boo agreed that the tree had to come down.
My brothers are big athletic "Michigan" men. They figured they could take down this tree. So they sawed and buzzed and used guy ropes (which weren't new ropes and which broke as soon as some tension was placed on them) and the angels were watching and the tree came down between my mother's and the neighbors houses.
And there, a few feet from where the old tree had been, was a new little blue spruce.
A "nifty little Christmas tree".
And the cycle continues...
It was spring of 1969. Grandpa P had passed away, and we had all gathered out at the lake for the funeral. My youngest brother, Boo, was three. Boo had been his grandpa's "eye apple". (Hurrah for fractured Hollander.) Boo looked out the patio door and noticed a little blue spruce growing on the lawn. "That's a nifty little Christmas tree," he said.
Well, Grandmas and Aunts notice these sayings, and so for his fourth birthday that year they bought him a "nifty little Christmas tree" of his own: a blue spruce just his height. It was planted in the front yard and pictures were duly taken as the years passed and the boy and tree grew.
Of course, trees grow at a different rate than little boys. The spruce sprouted. Boo started hanging Christmas lights on it each year, adding strings frequently. Ladders had to be used. As the tree grew larger, he developed a method of using clothes poles to reach the upper heights.
Another thing happened as the years passed. The tree, which had fit fine when it was little, began to starve on the side that was shaded by a maple (which had also grown over the years). Eventually, even sentimental Boo agreed that the tree had to come down.
My brothers are big athletic "Michigan" men. They figured they could take down this tree. So they sawed and buzzed and used guy ropes (which weren't new ropes and which broke as soon as some tension was placed on them) and the angels were watching and the tree came down between my mother's and the neighbors houses.
And there, a few feet from where the old tree had been, was a new little blue spruce.
A "nifty little Christmas tree".
And the cycle continues...
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