Just So You Know

Moving to WordPress...

2011-07-10T16:08:00.002-06:00

Sorry folks, I've had just too much fighting trying to post pictures this year. It's not worth it. I've moved over to Wordpress.

http://shondratasha.wordpress.com/

I swear I will get the button changed off the homepage but until then just use the link in this post.

Puzzles

2011-05-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

When I was little, my Grandma always had a jigsaw puzzle on the table. Opening a new box of puzzle pieces usually has a familiar scent but not this one. There was no paper dust or fresh glue scent on this one. My son gave me a collection of 10 Thomas Kinkade puzzles for Christmas and I've been meaning to work on them. Today's Daily Challenge was to spend 5 minutes working on a puzzle of some sort. I opened the Kinkade box and this is what I found. None of the bags is labeled with the puzzle it contains. It's easy to tell which are the 2 100 piece puzzles. The other eight bags are all the same size. I've been able to use weight to determine which are the 300 piece puzzles and which are the 500 piece puzzles.

As for determining which bag is which puzzle, it's just a matter of taking them out and turning the pieces. Once the corners are located it's pretty easy to see which puzzle it matches up with. When I put them away, they'll be labeled a lot better. In the meantime, I'm having fun not only putting together the pieces, but puzzling out which is which puzzle.

Needed this today...

2011-04-10T19:11:00.001-06:00

April 10, 2011
Always A Way
Pisces Daily Horoscope

You may yearn to utilize your innate resourcefulness today so that you can prove to yourself and others that you have been blessed with a creative streak. However, the skillfulness and cleverness you exhibit when tackling complex problems may actually be a product of a can-do attitude that never shies away from a challenge. This can be the perfect day to plan an impromptu party or tackle repairs in your home, since the intricacy of each of these activities will likely provide you with a great deal of amusement. If you do feel your spirits begin to flag today, just remind yourself that no obstacle is insurmountable.

We are capable of accomplishing almost anything when we believe that achievement is a matter of willpower as well as aptitude. Though we may discover that there are criteria we do not meet as we research the goals most precious to us, we should not let that dissuade us from pursuing our chosen paths. What we lack in experience or training, we make up for in a high level of dedication and a willingness to learn. However, if we want others to give us a chance, we must be forthright about both our weaknesses and our strengths. They will frequently respect us all the more for our honesty, and the regard we have gained in their eyes may be the catalyst that inspires them to take a gamble on us. When you believe that you can meet your objectives today no matter what your limitations, you will do what it takes to succeed without hesitation.

April is here and it's still snowing...

2011-04-02T20:40:00.010-06:00

Spring does not come to Utah, we have Winter, Summer and Fall. It's raining outside and supposed to turn to snow. And I still have Winter up on my stitching stand...

Years ago I started using a stop watch when stitching on large projects in order to record the time I've spent on them. I've almost put another 10 hours in on Winter since I started working on him this round. I did not get any work done on any of the other ponies, in fact they've been sitting right here....

Next to my chair. The thing is I'm getting tired of Winter both on my stand and outside my windows. I'm starting to look forward to Spring - both the horse and the season. I'm also getting tired of 40 ct fabric and I'm wondering if I should work on something a bit larger like 18 ct canvas? In other words, should I work on a Needlepoint WIP for a bit or should I finish warping this puppy up?

There's also an urge to grab something completely new. I'm quelling that urge because I have enough things going and I should finish the ponies before starting to love something new.

There's something about a good cup of tea...

2011-03-26T23:29:00.003-06:00

Recently when our kitchen sink died, we looked at options for a different style of faucet. The new sink had 4 holes available two for the hot and cold taps, one for the faucet and one for a sprayer. However, the faucet I liked had a single tap, a faucet and the sprayer leaving space for a soap container or something else. We opted for something else - a hot water dispenser.

The lucky thing is our RevereWare teakettle died a few days after we put in the new sink. So instead of putting on the kettle and waiting for the whistle to blow, I now turn the tap and get boiling water. Somehow it isn't the same experience. With the kettle there was a ritual. I would change the water and put it on the stove. Then I would select the tea - usually a citrus blend or a green with ginseng and get out the honey or artificial sweetener.

There's anticipation in putting the kettle on and waiting. Now with the hot water dispenser, I put the teabag in the cup and turn the tap. The anticipation is gone. I still enjoy the tea yet it's missing something. I think it's the anticipation.

The latest weaving finish...

2011-03-21T00:54:00.003-06:00

This is the twill sampler from my weaving class. It's 26 x 8 without counting the fringe. The patterns on it are pretty cool and making the picture web sized took out a lot of the detail.

I spent my birthday money...

2011-03-06T21:01:00.003-07:00

I spent my birthday money. Most of it went to Three Wishes. To let you know what is in the picture - The blue cone is a chenille of some sort. The other cone is a variegated lavender thread that has 22 wpi (wrap per inch) and isn't very strong so I figure I'll have to go at least 4 ply to use it. The dark skeins are a wool/silk/bamboo wrap with sequins in it from SWTC, the variegated is Tabali from Chile, the two spools are carpet weight yarn for me to play with and the latest issue of Handwoven which I got so I can decide if I want to subscribe.

The book in the corner is a present to me off eBay. It's Hand Weaving patterns from Finland by Helvi Pyysalo and Viivi Merisalo. I'm using one of the patterns from it for my final project from class.

Oh, that reminds me - my weaving class is also my birthday present. There's a reason I only take one new class every couple years. After all, I don't have hobbies, I have obsessions.

And the state of the ponies...

2011-03-03T00:00:00.006-07:00

I didn't get very far on Winter....

Fall didn't even get put up on the stand this month...

Ditto for Spring...

So this is as far as I've gone on Summer....

So, you're asking yourselves - what did she do this month...

I finished the Red Thread Sampler - It was Finish it February after all...

And I discovered a new ~~hobby~~ obsession...

This is my first woven piece... see for my birthday I signed up for a weaving class and they loaned me this...

A Nice little Four Shaft/Harness table loom and the whole reason I took the class was so I could use this...

The really nice Varpapuu Eight Harness loom I won at the fiber fair about 4 years ago and didn't know how to use. Now I can use it, I just need to find Cones of nice fibers.

Completed something for Finish it February!

2011-02-20T03:55:00.002-07:00

It's too late in the evening (or early in the morning) to take pictures but my Red Thread Sampler by Bent Creek is finished. All the snaps and buttons are on and it's ready to wash and take to the framer.

Now to finish up my weaving sampler.

From Time Sucks to Believing in Priorities...

2011-02-19T12:09:00.005-07:00

I heard a great speaker this week who said the number one reason we let Time Sucks get in the way of our priorities is deep down we don't believe they are really priorities. We let go of what we really want in the future for what we want right now because in the back of our heads, we don't believe we will really achieve the life we desire. I think that hit me harder knowing that the speaker was talking about what it took for her to leave an abusive relationship and become the incredible successful woman she is today.

The other big reason we put off working on our goals is we don't have the confidence to see that we are up to the task. We see the end and forget that the daily steps to get us there will build the skills needed to accomplish the end goal.

And the easiest thing to fix - we forget to schedule enough time to accomplish the baby steps we have. We try to do it all at once or we let the Urgent but Unimportant get in the way. So remember when it comes to activities... Do It, Delegate It, Defer it, or Dump It.

Facebook and other time sucks....

2011-02-15T23:29:00.003-07:00

Hear that giant sucking sound...that's my time going down the drain. I've been spending too much time on Facebook this year and based on my posts, it hasn't been constructive. At the beginning of the year, I eliminated all my games except Treasure Madness and Bejeweled Blitz. Since then, I've added Puzzled Hearts which really doesn't do anything except give me puzzle pieces for pretty pictures.

I can justify the puzzle nature of the mini-games in Treasure Madness as brain strengthening games for the aging mind but the others have no raison d'etre.

Needless to say, I have plenty of excuses for why I haven't worked on my Carousel Horses, why I haven't made it to the gym and why my house hasn't been vacuumed and why my craft room is a mess (honestly, they're drying after washing, I just haven't pinned them to the blocking board where ever it is in the room).

And on top of my normal timesucks, I found a weaving class which has pretty time hefty assignments between classes - including finding a pattern for the final project (which I may have done through some eBay purchases and library books.)

So here it is almost 2 am and I'm still not ready for bed and I'm a day behind and just a minute, I have a Cats Eye to pick up on Bejeweled Blitz....

AGH!!! Four stitches short....

2011-02-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

I ran out of Bunny Hunny 4 stitches short of what I needed for finishing The Red Thread sampler. I was thinking I could cover the spot with a button since I'm not about to go buy a new skein of Crescent Colors for 4 stitches. Then it hit me I should check my other Mirabilia kits since that is where the Crescent color came from in the first place.

And I scored! I found another skein of Bunny Hunny in a kit I hadn't done yet. So I have what I need to finish up Red Thread Sampler. I should wrap it up this week. Yes, I should be working on my Carousel ponies but I wanted to finish something for Finish it February and this one was just so close.

The year of TW Carousel horses continues....

2011-02-01T21:02:00.002-07:00

So far I've made my January goals...or close enough that I can call them done. Winter has some beads and backstitching to finish the first pages. Interestingly enough, along with working on my ponies, I've done quite a bit on the Red Thread sampler. In fact, I only have 2.5 segments until it's completely finished and since each part only takes a couple hours, I could end up pausing the horses for a day or two and finish it up. After all it is Finish it February.

On top of that, I have been taking the stairs instead of the elevator every day. I haven't made it to the gym. But I have read quite a few books. It helps having a book where I can read in the dark. Love the Nookcolor.

I've been thinking about putting together a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I started putting one together before but I kept realizing that it was just small thinking and not large at all. It got depressing listing a lot of little things that could be finished quickly and needed to be done. I wanted better. This time, I need to list the little things and get them out of the way so that I can get to the big ticket items. Much like playing a carnival game, you win the little prizes to trade up to the big things.

Quick update, more to follow

2011-02-01T01:28:00.002-07:00

Summer has her color chart, brand new stretcher bars, and a new box of tacks. The goal for February is to get the fabric mounted and start stitching.

Spring has stitches in her the goal for this month is to reach a point where I can start her border.

Fall has at least 1500 new stitches and needs to have 10 grid squares crossed off the chart in February (there are a couple that just need some backstitching to be done.

Winter is only 13.5 grid squares from being 50% completed. The goal for February is to reach that 50% mark.

Learning to cook again...

2011-01-23T23:39:00.002-07:00

I married a man who cooks. He cooks marvelous things with rich sauces, lots of pasta and lots of things that go over rice. I learned to cook when I was younger but I cooked for 10 or more which is a lot different than cooking for 2 to 4 people and I learned to make lots of casseroles which feed many people for little money. My husband detests casserole.

I loved the way my grandmother cooked. I loved to eat at her house. Most of the food was grown in the back yard by my grandfather. She would cook potatoes, carrots and onions together and they were wonderful. The only spices I ever saw her use were salt and pepper. I don't remember her serving anything with sauce but she did teach me how to make gravy from the drippings of a roast.

As I look at our budget, I keep thinking we should eat out less and eat at home more. I reached this conclusion at the same time DH decided he was going on a strict weight loss program. He feels it will be best if he doesn't spend anymore time in the kitchen. So for the first time in 24 years, it will be up to me to cook and cook in a way that fits the dietary needs he will have along with feeding two teenage boys.

Which brings me back to my grandmother. She would cook with lots of vegetables and very little meat. There was protein at the meals but only a small portion for each person. If anyone wanted more, there were vegetables to fill up on. In my mother's house the filler for meals was bread. My mother makes wonderful sweet breads full of sugar and slathered with butter and homemade jams and jellies.

It's been a long time since I tried to cook. Last week I made North Carolina Red Rice because I had sausage and tomatoes and it looked easy. It wasn't. DH said my big mistake was adding more wild grain rice halfway through the cooking time. Needless to say, there were crunchy parts. He salvaged it a few days later by using the leftovers as the base for a sauce in which he baked chicken. The boys loved it. I'm envious of people who can through together a dinner with what they have in the house. It's never been a priority before but it's time I learned how.

Letting the subconscious out to play...

2011-01-17T00:59:00.002-07:00

I'm doing better this time around keeping in touch with people who helped me with my job search. I stopped in to visit the group that Mary Cosgrove runs because she announced she was doing Dream Boards and mine desperately needed updating. I should explain that believe strongly in Dream Boards although I do dream boards a bit differently than many people. I get a large selection of magazines from second hand shops or the library. Then without really looking, I grab a magazine and just flip through and rip out pages. I ended up grabbing Architectural Digest, a Pottery Barn catalog and Fasttrack. After I had my ripped out pages, I cropped and arranged and then pasted. It's not until things are glued in place that I stop to think about what the poster says. I have a lot of rooms with beach views, a house in the mountains, two bookshelves, a stack of furs throws, a commercial refrigerator with the line - It's what's inside that matters, and the eBay logo from a headline surrounding a huge garage door.

The door symbolizes opportunity and change. The one thing that hits me every morning though is a headline from a Fasttrack ad - They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But what if it's broke and you don't know it?

I've been pondering the line and trying to decide if it refers to my life or if it refers to analyst jobs that I should be looking for so I'm not bored to death at work.

One week progress...

2011-01-10T00:44:00.003-07:00

Just so you know, I did not complete my January goal on Winter today but I came pretty dang close!

I was thinking that I could spend one week each month on the horses but Winter is going to get some extra days this month. I finished the netting but I have the metallic backstitching to finish, backstitching the leaves and adding the beads still to do. Then it's on to the Fall horse. I did get all my threads onto a single ring and I'm missing 2 colors for Summer.

So my goal for Summer is completed. I've done the color conversion and I've even pulled the threads and bought bars. I want to put some stitching into Spring before I mount Summer if only because I have this horrid fear that I'll somehow mix them up if I have the two blank fabrics up on bars.

And as for progress on my other goals, I only used the elevator once - I accidentally left my keys to the staircase in my office when I went to lunch with DH so I had to ride the elevator up after lunch. Not bad for a whole week of work.

A picture frame with instructions?

2011-01-09T00:20:00.002-07:00

For Christmas my kids gave me a digital picture frame. Here I am 3 weeks after Christmas and the only pictures on my frame are the ones that came pre-loaded on the frame. I have it plugged in. I know where the port is to plug in the USB drive to load pictures on the frame but I haven't loaded anything. I've thought about it once or twice. Today I thought about it even more as we visited with the Aunt that my kids call Grandma. Aunt Dorothy has taken the south wall of the family room and put up family pictures.

I've never been big at putting up family pictures. We take them every year and some years they even get printed. I have some candids of my kids on my hard drive but the majority of my .jpg files are stitching and crafting pictures. Yet even then I'm not current on those either. I finished the 100 project challenge over a week ago and my credenza is still filled with projects waiting to have their picture taken.

I also have several rolls of film to be developed - none of them Kodachrome - including a roll of Elph film that I'm not sure anyone still develops. The sad part is the Elph roll is my trip to San Jose when I visited Whizgidget and the Winchester House. There is a parquet floor in the Winchester house that would make a really cool quilt and the pictures are trapped in the camera. I have a bad habit when it comes to pictures - I take them and then that's it. I'm married to a photographer and after I shoot a picture, I give the film to him for development and printing. I have many strips of negatives. I have proof sheets. I have been offered lessons in how to print if I want actual prints and that's where it stops. I have a digital printer. I have a photo frame with an instruction booklet.

I still don't have any pictures...

Setting Goals for the New Year....

2011-01-04T19:29:00.003-07:00

I don't like New Year's resolutions but I do like taking time each quarter to review my goals and see where I am. 2010 was the year of survival mode. I don't think I really did much in the way of goals beyond living day to day and just surviving.

So now that I have some breathing space, it's time to look around and figure out what direction to go and what steps to take to get there.

I have hobby goals for this year -

1. One thread a day in the carousel horses - more if time permits.

So now to look at other areas -

Environmental - 15 to 20 minutes of house cleaning every day after work. Try to get rest of the family to join in.

Financial - Continue to work on the Debt Snowball.

Social - Blog at least once a week. Try to meet at least one new person a week.

Physical - no more elevators - It's only 4 flights up to work, even that much exercise will make a difference, Get back to a dance class.

Spiritual - read at least 15 minutes of holy writ (not just my religion but others as well), spend some time each week listening to silence.

Academic - read at least one classic from the great classics on my Nookcolor or on my shelf each month

Sounds ambitious but do-able.

2011 - The Year of the TW Carousel Horses

2011-01-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Back in 2000 I discovered the Teresa Wentzler bulletin board. I had completed all of the rocking horses and Fantasy sampler. I was working on Fruit Bell Pull and Dragon Ride. I had purchased all the Seasonal Carousel Horses and had dreams of doing them on the same fabric. Thanks to someone on the board, I ended up with enough 40 ct fabric to do all four. 40ct meant that it had to be stitched with a single strand so all those great TW blends needed to become a single strand, which I did by converting the DMC colors to Anchor.

A good friend I'd met on the TWBB worked a trade and I sent her about 2 pounds of DMC and she gridded the fabric for me. I got it back and started Winter and that's about as far as it's gone. In Ten years, this is my progress -

Summer hasn't been touched. I haven't even done the color conversion.

Spring has been color converted but it hasn't been started. I did put the fabric up on grid bars though.Autumn was started in February 2010 as part of the stitching Olympics.
And with 10 years of work on it, here is Winter.

In the last few years, my eyesight has reached the point where I can't stitch without a magnifier or at least magnifying glasses. It's made me realize that if I'm going to finish these, I need to do them soon. If these were solid like an HAED pattern there would be 50,000 stitches in each one. That means, if I hadn't started any of them, I could finish all of them if I did 550 stitches every day. I will settle for putting at least one strand a day into at least one of the carousel Horses every day this year. And so begins the year of the TW Carousel Horses. I have a goal to post progress pics each month, if I don't post them - email me?

The 100 project challenge...7/1/07 to 1/1/11

2011-01-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

So back in 2007, I became overwhelmed by the amount of unfinished projects I had laying around and the only person I knew with as much stash and ongoing projects was Terry from the Yuku boards. So we talked a little and came up with the 100 project challenge: No buying any new patterns until 100 items on our lists were finished. We started on 7/1/07. Terry was finished in about 18 months. Going into this, I figured it would take me 4 years. I've finished ahead of schedule.

Today I put the last stitches into Bent Creek's Ocean Voyage and that's it. 100 projects completed since 7/1/07. Now, not all of them were on the list when I started but none of them were patterns I went out and purchased. I had them all in stash at the time of the start of the challenge or they were obligation pieces which cropped up afterward. It's kept me focused on finishing and it's been interesting to see how things changed in my life over the last 3.5 years.

One thing I changed was the way I list my projects. The active project list is only projects which actually have stitches in them - - Nothing kitted, no patterns I'm in lust with, no painted canvases without stitching on them - those all have their own pages in the workbook now.

My rotation page has a calculation of what type of projects I should be working on based on the ratio of the number of unfinished projects in that category. I can't say I work on them in order but at least I'm aware of them.

I also realized that I don't have to finish everything. It's okay to give something away when I'm no longer in love with it.

I've also decided I will no longer stitch or quilt for people who do not appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to make things. For example, I will never again make anything by hand for the person who told someone I was "cheap" for making things instead of buying them. I know she has no clue the cost of the materials on the quilts and ornaments I've made in the past for her. Not to mention the cost of my time and as such, she will not value what I've done and knowing her, my heirloom quality projects will end up in a 2nd hand shop or on her eBay auctions listed at .01 starting bid.

I finish things in clusters. I'll see something which inspires me and I'll run home and work on projects for several weeks and then I'll lose interest or I should say something else will catch my eye and I'm off chasing that wild hare.

Quilting is going to sit for awhile since the politics of the local quilting guilds has left me with a desire to never walk in a quilt shop again; let alone look at any of my existing projects. - and that's enough said on the topic.

Now on to the future.... I have a new wild hare in mind I'll blog about later.

Wrapping up 2010

2010-12-30T10:40:00.003-07:00

I did not blog any stitching goals this year... Frankly I didn't blog much this year at all. (I blame Facebook and Twitter but that is another subject for another day).

So what did I accomplish this year? Let's start with work since I used to talk about it alot

Work Life

I started the year being held over on the temporary job - it was great on the sales floor and then once I was moved to customer service, I got time to stitch while waiting for telephone calls but it became boring since I couldn't actually fix the problems, just create case logs to pass on to people who really didn't seem to care. Pretty soon, the temp job began interfering with my job hunt schedule and we agreed that it was time for my contract to end.

I then thought it would be nice to take some time off to clean, quilt, stitch and relax. That didn't happen - I was recalled to the old job but at a lower pay level than before. Luckily I also got an offer at 10% more than the old job paid for a new company. I took the new job. The old employer proposed that I work as a contractor and so I've had two jobs this year which has been really nice.

Family Life

When I was unemployed, DH found work but it was commission only and rough. He's still working although he did switch companies this year and seems to be doing better with the new company. I've tried to spend more time with the kids this year and ended up being a team mom for football. J came and worked with me up at This is the Place park, he was apprenticed to the blacksmith and learned to work with hot metal.

Hobbies

It was good to get back to this part of my life and have time for it again. I've finished 33 projects so far this year and hope to finish a few more before midnight tomorrow. I'm only 7 projects away from finishing the 100 project challenge. I moved the stash room back to the small area in back and I have a ton of stuff to give away that I should be posting soon. I joined EGA and I ended up as President of the Greater Salt Lake Area Quilt Guild. I lost Stitching Station and found I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would since I'm not buying anything at the moment.

I worked with a local book seller to get Jennifer Chiaverini here and then I got to meet Monica Ferris. I also took J to meet Rick Riordan and both boys got to meet Chris Claremont of X-men fame. One thing I didn't do this year was blog.

So that's it for the year. It sure seemed to fly by.

Guilt Free January, Crazy Tammikuu, or Stop the Insanity?

2010-12-05T15:20:00.002-07:00

I've been working for the last four years on reducing my active works in progress list strangely though a lot of the projects that were on my to finish list in 2007 are still on my list to finish. When I started the 100 project challenge I had over 200 projects on my spreadsheet. Somewhere along the line, along with finishing 88 things, I had the brilliant idea to remove anything that hadn't been started from my list and move it to either a list of fully kitted items or patterns I owned and lusted about.

This leaves me today with a project list of 75 started yet unfinished objects (This includes two items at the framers and 2 items that I just need to seal the frames and they're finished.) I have a list of 62 items that are fully kitted and ready to start.

That leads me to next month. Traditionally January has been Guilt Free start month. This year there is a twist proposed by a Finnish stitcher. During January, pick 15 projects to start during the first 15 days of the month. Then, during the year 2011, complete those 15 projects, posting pictures on your blog. I do have 14 small projects fully kitted that I could start and would probably finish during the year if I worked on them. But, what of the 11 Large and Medium projects which I've already got started and should really finish during 2011? I still need to finish 12 items to complete the 100 project challenge.

For me, participation in Guilt Free January has been limited to working on my hobbies and ignoring the housework. I haven't really started anything new during Guilt Free January although I was thinking about it this year. However, I'm really thinking that before I start anything new at all, I need to finish either Winter Carousel Horse by Teresa Wentzler or FireDance by Enchanted Lair. Those two are both over 44% finished which is about the closest I have to finished in my Large and Medium categories. Next would come the Red Thread sampler which really is a collection of smaller pieces which could be used to quickly complete the 100 project challenge.

So that leads me to the next suggestion put out there by Susan - Stop the Insanity! This really sounds like something I should do with a bit of modification. During my days off leading up to the new year of 2011, I should recalculate and see on the 75 projects I have started, which 15 are closest to being completed. Then starting in January, I will start working on the project closest to being finished and work on it until I can't stand it anymore. Then I will start putting one thread a night for stitching projects and 2 hours a weekend for quilting projects into it and start working on the 2nd project on the list. With luck, I will have finished at least one of those before I get beyond sick of the 2 of them. Then I can start working on the 3rd project and so on.... This way, I should have at least 12 finishes during the year or at least make noticeable progress.

The goal is to have progress pictures up for you during the last week of December or during the State of the Stitching address in January - along with a list of the 15 items for the year.

Bliss at work is like the Cake

2010-11-21T15:56:00.003-07:00

When I first started looking for a different career path, I kept running into the phrase, find your bliss and turn it into a job. I’ve watched people try to turn a hobby they love into a cash cow and burn out. I’ve also seen people go broke trying to make money on a product they love and no one else does. But back to me…

I read many books on finding your bliss and marketing it - Four hour work week, 48 days to the job you love, What color is your parachute?, Strengths finder 2.0, You, Inc. They all had wonderful points and I learned a lot both about business and myself but still never had anything pop out and say – Bingo! People will pay you to do this thing that you love!

It may be that part of the problem is my AD.."Oh look at that thing over there!" or as one of the guys in my MBA program described me “she’s passionate about everything.” I’ll admit I reached the point where I was beating myself up and thinking I was in denial or having issues with the fear of success or failure. I was looking for that perfect job, when I got laid off from the job I hated in the fall of 2009. I was lucky in that I found a replacement temporary position quickly enough that I didn’t have to worry about losing the house and actually started saving a little. But a part of me knew it was temporary and I enjoyed it mainly because I knew it wouldn’t last.

Then I got another job and thought it would provide a career path. It took me a few months to realize there was no designated place to go from here and I saw people punished for wanting to do more than what they were hired to do. So I go to work and do what I do and come home and use the leftover energy to work on my hobbies or take care of my family. I do feel bored although there are many places where I could reach and do more, but what would be the point?

So with that background, I'm still out networking and connecting and learning what people do and why they enjoy it. Recently, I had a networking lunch with someone who intrigued me and whom I admire. During our conversation, work satisfaction came up along with the bliss topic. I’m still processing what she told me which is why this blog is still disjointed, but the basic gist was bliss at work is a lie. Sometimes people will find it and if I look at those who absolutely love their jobs all the time, they're more likely to be men than women. I can only think of one or two women I know who love their jobs (excluding stay at home moms).

As I’ve processed this, I realized there is some truth to what she says. Bliss at work, like The Cake promised throughout Portal, is a lie. As my acquaintance put it, “Any job that you don’t go home at the end of the day wanting to slit your wrists is a good job. If you have moments of great joy in your week, then it’s a great job.” I realize too that women’s bliss tends to be things people will not value with cash. Most women find their bliss in things such as home, family, hobbies and charitable work. I’ve enjoyed stitching for cash in the past but it’s not as fun as stitching for my own enjoyment or for friends. How about cashing in on your family? Even typing that just sounds wrong and when it happens we talk about Munchausen’s syndrome or defrauding communities.

Now there have been some people that have turned things they did for their families into cash – Think “Signing Time” and “Baby Einstein” videos or hobby improvements like the Grace Quilting Frame and the Cricut. As one of my friends said, “I work because my family likes to eat and sleep indoors not because I want to save the world or create world peace.” The people I know who do work with their bliss do not like leaving work. As one businessman put it in his training video, “If it doesn’t make me money, I’m not doing it.” He then gave a story of paying a daughter’s boyfriend to build the costume case his daughter wanted. I couldn’t help thinking of a different businessman’s training program where he turned down a meeting with a prospective client’s board of directors in order to keep a promised day out with his daughter. I realize that there are intrinsic payments that cannot be measured in cash which have to be considered in the long run.

So in this age of high unemployment and instant layoffs, it doesn’t really matter that I’m bored at work yet busy with brain-dead tasks that someone has to do. They’re willing to pay me a higher wage than my last job did even if the work is more clerical. Just typing that gave me an epiphany. For many years, I was told that I was being overpaid for what I did. Now I’m being paid a greater wage and doing less thinking – maybe I should be grateful instead of wanting cake.

Slump Stomping Stitching for September....

2010-09-01T20:05:00.003-06:00

So along the lines of NANOWRIMO - this month is devoted to accomplishing a stitching goal to get me out of a slump. I had initially set the goal of 9,000 stitches for the month or 300 stitches a night. I've been trying to decide what to work on. I have a small piece - The Full Moon by Ink Circles or I could work on Winter Carousel horse which is on 40 count fabric and has 3 other pieces lined up to be done behind it on the same fabric. There are 47916 stitches in the Winter Carousel Horse and there are 24702 in Fire Dance - both have quite a bit done on them. So there is a good possibility that at 100 stitches a day and the backstitching to go with it, I could get really close to finishing one of them this month.

I figure here is as good a place as any to keep track of my Sept Slump Stitching.

So 9/1/10 - 105 stitches in The Full Moon,

MAPP testing...

2010-02-05T19:22:00.002-07:00

Stasha is strongly motivated to coordinate: to take actions, to manipulate that which is at hand in order to "get the show on the road." Because of the strong motivational levels for this, it is very important to determine whether Stasha has first seen the big picture, pulled in important pieces of the picture, made plans, and developed strategies before taking action. If "Coordination" is the top priority, it becomes a "General Patton Syndrome" which is to begin the charge, then identify the objective, and hope that someone follows with the supplies. If there are equal motivational levels in this trait as in other mental traits, it still means enthusiasm and drive to take action, but it is balanced with other related functions. This trait represents preferences that are goal oriented!

Hmm, never had a test peg me so accurately before...

Stasha is strongly motivated to apply thinking to the big picture through holistic ideas, concepts, options, and strategies. This does not mean, suggest, or imply that thinking is kept only in a holistic context but it does mean that the first and constant priority or preference for consideration and focus are on the big picture. (Example: Stasha more likely prefers to be an executive rather than a manager, and more inclined to be a manager rather than a supervisor.) Considering how pieces of the picture are brought in to the big picture stimulates motivation for the activity.

Now, how does this fit with the previous piece?

I'm not cut out to be a trophy wife....

2010-01-26T23:22:00.003-07:00

At least not until I have more money in the bank...

DH's new employer brought him to San Diego for a conference to kick off his employment and motivate him. So he's been in conference's all day and I have been entertaining myself. The first part of the day is easy - job hunting. I've had some great phone interviews and found some new postings, sent out some resumes and followed up on other items in the pipeline.

It's the 2nd half of the day that's killing me. I've done a ton of stitching as long as the light was there. I finished my fiction books - I could read the non-fiction but it's so much nicer to just look out the window at the ocean. I did go out to Seaport Village and look around the shops and just couldn't justify paying those prices. I walked over to the mall but after listening to some women arguing about shoes, I just couldn't bring myself to walk into the stores.

I did get a picture of myself out at the Embarcadero working on Enchanted Swans. I finished 2 and 1/2 rows of the Just Nan sampler on Wednesday. I'll admit to playing a lot of Facebook games and surfing quite a bit. That's how I stumbled across some of the jobs I've applied for in the mornings. I just can't imagine doing this on a regular basis day in and out.

True, I could use my Hogle Zoo pass and go up to Balboa Park and go to the zoo or wander around the museums. So, how weird is this? I had absolutely no fear wandering around Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, or Buenos Aires on my own a few springs ago but getting on a bus for 30 minutes to go to the museum and zoo is terrifying to me right now. The subway and trains in Paris held less fear for me and my French is a lot worse than my English. I could always get the Monster Truck out of valet parking (too big for the self-park lot) and drive there but I hate driving it around the streets at home let alone trying to drive in unfamiliar territory.

So, if I'm going to become a trophy wife, I need either enough money to take cabs to visit the sites, or get over my fear of public transport in American cities. I think I'll go with more money.

Wow, it's been awhile...

2010-01-26T23:17:00.003-07:00

I'll admit I started a LiveJournal account (at least I think it was LiveJournal) because blogspot was being stupid with pictures, and then I forgot where it was so I didn't finish the information about how to finish the quilt....

I felt so guilty about not finishing that post, that I stopped blogging altogether. There's been a lot happen in the last several months and I need to go back to talking about it on a typed page. If I could remember where I put the other account, then I would go there and finish it, in the meantime, I'll be here...

Been trying to avoid talking about work ....

2009-09-22T21:39:00.002-06:00

When I started working, I worked for an incredible woman who taught me that the client mattered more than anything at the office because the client ultimately paid our paychecks. Over the years, the company has moved away from that philosophy and I missed it. I'm now in training with a new employer and I'm loving how the emphasis is on doing the right thing for the customer whether or not it means we'll get a sale. What's best for the client is the best thing for the company.

I'm sorry in a way that this is just a temporary job - I wish more company's thought this way.

Am I at 52 or 46?

2009-09-22T01:40:00.001-06:00

So in reviewing the original 100 project challenge, I realized that 6 of my 52 finishes were for quilting projects started after the challenge began. Mind you, they use fabric from stash and the pattern is a freebie Mystery pattern which was only free for a limited time. In addition, the next finish I have will probably be the quilt top on said Mystery. My quilt guild is also starting a new mystery quilt and I'm using stash fabric for that as well (okay, for one I did pick up 3 yards of new fabric to match some of the others I pulled from stash.)

So, since these are projects started after the beginning of the challenge, do I count them when I finish or are they just out in limbo? It seems like all I really feel like working on right now is new stuff. None of the larger older projects are really holding my interest (and seem to strain the eyesight). I'm doing okay with the smaller older stuff just because I can race through it. So, do the new quilts really count toward the challenge? Or should they be posted on a page other than the challenge page on the website?

What would you do?

Finished project #50 of the 100 project challenge

2009-08-19T21:50:00.003-06:00

Here it is the halfway point of the 100 project challenge. I'm a bit behind, I should have hit the 50 project mark at the end of June. Still I'm down 50 projects from when I started in July of 2007.

I was asked to be a guest blogger!!

2009-08-18T20:56:00.002-06:00

You can see my guest post at http://www.favecraftsblog.com/guest-blog-organizing-your-crafts/

I apologize if they want an email address before you can enter - if you're uncomfortable with that, feel free to use a fake gmail account.

What a perfect Yoga class!

2009-08-18T00:58:00.002-06:00

I took my first yoga class today. I'm finally understanding what people are raving about. The teacher was concentrating on hips and low back today which is just perfect considering that over 2 years later I'm still having trouble with the hip damaged in the auto accident. I left class completely relaxed and in less pain without medication than I've been in ages. You can bet I'll be back there next Monday.

I'll just have to figure out how to get the youngest to and from football.

It's football season again...

2009-08-17T00:12:00.002-06:00

and practices are running 2 hours a day on 6 days of the week. I love this because it means I get to sit and talk with the other moms and work on a craft project every day. Right now I'm working on my Stretch pillowcases which I started back when the pattern first came out. Since starting the season, I have one pillowcase finished and I'm almost finished with the 2nd one. That's a lot of progress on a project which has been languishing since 2003!

I may actually get it finished in time to send it to the State Fair this year we'll see how practice goes this week since I'm going to interupt 2 days to start Yoga classes - they're free at 24 hour Fitness.

Oh, and the reason I have all this time - My youngest son made the starting offensive line of the A team for his age group.

Back from Vacation...

2009-08-11T01:16:00.002-06:00

We ran off to the mountains with the boys for a week. The first day was rainy and NOAH said it wouldn't get any better so we headed south for a drier canyon. Ended up someplace where DH had never been so that was a first for the kids and they loved it.

Slept a ton, ate little, climbed a mountain and meditated for an hour by a gorgeous lake. All in all a refreshing, revitalizing trip.

I'm ready to come home though and energized to do everything I need to get done.

On that note, I'm a few feet short of the pre-made binding that I bought to finish the Birds in my Garden quilt. For those following the 100 project challenge this will be project #50. I will get the website up dated soon so y'all can see everything.

Pictures of the weekend find...

2009-07-27T01:25:00.004-06:00

This is the fleece throw that I threw together as soon as I got the sewing machine back from the shop. I have never worked on a quieter machine. No one complained during the episodes of Firefly or CSI: Miami.This is what the cabinet looks like when it's closed. This is after the hubby put a coat of Old Engish Furniture oil on it. It didn't look nearly this pretty at the thrift store. You can see how they would mistake it as a children's desk. I do wonder what they thought about the power cords dangling from it.
This is what it looks like open with everything set up ready to sew...
AND here is a close up of the machine - Elna Supermatic C1 originally purchased in San Jose, CA.

Love when I make a thrift store score!!

2009-07-25T14:11:00.005-06:00

My boys switched bedrooms, DS#2 wanted the ceiling fan and the built in desk. DS#1 wanted the walkin closet and extra 12 inches of floor space. After the move, DS#1 needs a desk so it's off to the garage sales and thrift stores we go. I'm a believer in wood furniture and to get that at a reasonable price, I'm looking at other peoples used stuff.

Saturday morning after the garage sales is a great time to visit Deseret Industries. In the AsIs section we found a wonderful desk with Oak drawers and pedastal but the laminate top was cracked, broken and easy to peel off. Even better, the drawers are the full 34 inch length, not the half length of most later models. Since it was AsIs we got it for $15.

While DH was looking at alternate desks (since the one we got will hamper opening the closet) I spotted a cute little sewing machine table.

As I started opening up the table to make sure the hinges worked, I saw that the sewing machine was still attached! Inside the lovely maple cabinet was an Elna Supermatic C1. At this point I grabbed an employee to see if he could get me an extension cord. Yea, baby! plugged in this machine goes forward and backward so the motor is not burned out and the lightbulb still works.

And Wait!!! That's not all folks!!

In the lovely drawers of this delightful maple cabinet were the original owners manual, the Elna STRETCH fabrics instruction book, 17 embroidery stitch cams, the container with spare faceplates and all the feet attachments (including both parts of the darning foot), the original receipt showing purchase of the machine and the cabinet from Golden State Appliance on 5/28/71 for a cash price of $471.40 after tax and a card from salesman Edwin Hines at Golden State. The call for service sticker on the machine is for a shop in AZ and I'm finding this at a thrift shop in UT.

Needless to say, I plunked down the $50 and loaded that puppy in my truck and drove straight to Valley Sewing and Vacuum who is the authorized Elna repair shop in town. He told me I got a steal since the package of cams alone is worth more than the $50. He's going to tune the machine up and it will be ready in 2 weeks. I can't wait to get it back. I'll have pictures as soon as she comes in the door.

Now the hard part, first, to stay off eBay and keep from purchasing the cams I don't have. Second, how do I reorganize my craft room to put her in? I have the perfect work flow going now...

Refreshed and Revitalized

2009-07-22T22:58:00.003-06:00

Just so you know, I took two days off work and just played. I watched movies, went to the zoo and saw the baby snow leopard. I finished one of the Stretch pillowcases I've been working on since 2000 when the pattern first came out and started working on the 2nd only to realize that blue grey linen was not the best choice of background to put the pattern on the pillowcase. I also set the stash room up with projects set so I could work on multiple things at the same time.

Yes, I can hear my MBA professors saying "Multitasking is inefficient." I am an ADHD crafter. This means my attention span lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. If I had to clean up and set up the next project nothing would be done. I have set up 5 stations in my craft room *(okay 6 if you count the computer)* Sewing machine, iron, quilting on the stand, cutting board and stitching. I have an iron that turns itself off so I don't worry much about forgetting to unplug it.

Each station has a project in process. True the sewing machine, cutting table, and ironing board are all the same piecing project but it's in different segments and when I leave each station, it's set up so I can sit down and start on the next step without having to gather things. The Quilt on the stand is almost done. I can do about 2 motifs before I need to move on to something else. The cutting board is between the quilting and stitching because they are different hand movements and gives me a break between the two stations. The ironing works well after the sewing since I can press the pieces I just finished sewing and they can move from ironing to cutting and back to sewing without my losing interest. The pressing part is also a way of doing quality control on what I just finished so that I don't forget what it was supposed to look like in between the steps. I can tell you I've been much more productive in smaller increments of time for my hobby by having this set up.

Sorry been sucked into Facebook

2009-07-12T17:35:00.002-06:00

Yep, I've been sucked into Facebook and haven't done much but play games. I did escape long enough to work on quilt squares, pictures soon.

That was quick...

2009-06-29T01:33:00.002-06:00

Can you believe that 2009 is half over?

This year has just raced by. I'm supposed to be at the halfway point for my 100 project challenge and unless I buckle down over the next 2 days, it's not going to happen. Actually, checking over the list, I'm only about 4 projects short from the 50 that I should have completed. So there is the possibility that I could make it after all. I have 2 months of the Mystery Quilt blocks that I could complete and there would be my 4 projects. I could do this after all....

Tech can be so amazing....

2009-06-12T23:42:00.002-06:00

So my husband call from Balboa beach, he needs an optometrist as close to the beach as possible and hopefully one that can do glasses in an hour. I find 2 and according to the band teacher, my DH pulls off a miracle getting a kid with 2800 vision replacement glasses for the pair he lost in the ocean. He's a pre-teen, no functioning brain (in between the baby brain and the permanent one), so no it didn't occur to him that his glasses might come off in the waves.

I wish I could have seen DH wearing swim trunks and flip-flops, running down Newport Blvd, trying to catch a bus to the optometrist.

Got a free book in the mail today...

2009-05-21T22:50:00.003-06:00

I've been a member of www.goodreads.com long enough to have rated 1317 books and some even reviewed. I've become a librarian and I enter the book contests. I won a book contest offered by St. Martin's Press and today I received my prize.

Part of me wants to curl up and read it right now and get the review post up on I Just Read. You'll just have to wait through the weekend though. Library books come first and I've been spending more time there since going on the budget and the abstinence wagon - No spending on hobbies until January 2010. I've met some good books from both the library and my goodreads friends.

Jasper Fforde is the current author of note. After starting his Thursday Next series, I know I'm going to have to read Dickens Great Expectations, Eliot's Mill on the Floss and re-read Wuthering Heights (Heathcliff anyone?). Wouldn't it be great if work were much like school and we got summers off? As it is, I've been reserving my weekends for reading fluff. This weekend though, I have a long one and for the first time in forever, I put a book down with the intention of never picking it up again. It's going back to the library unread.

I wonder if it has to do with my sudden urge to read either business or programming books. Suggestions anyone?

Concert etiquette in junior high...

2009-05-20T21:49:00.002-06:00

and no this is not about the kids. The kids behaved quite well. It's the parents I'm concerned about. I'll confess to checking my Twitter feed during the concert but the people behind me chatted all the way through the choral performance. I joined one part of the conversation when they said that the Hanes T-shirts made the chorus look like candy - I said it reminded me of Skittles, they mentioned LifeSavers and Tropical Dots, I finished with Starbursts. Then they started singing the next song.
After the chorus finished over 1/2 the audience got up and left. I was reminded of my daughter complaining that by the time the orchestra performed there was no one to listen. It's been 9 years and the pattern is the same. By the time the orchestra played, less than 1/4 of the hall was still there. By the time the jazz band came on - the only people were the parents and friends of the jazz band - all 50 of us.
It reminded me that the jr. high my older son went to had the choral performance bracketing the band and orchestra - so everyone could have an audience.

By the way, everyone who left early? They missed an incredible jazz and blues performance that sounded closer to professional than junior high. I'm not just saying that because I'm the drummers mom.

Enjoying insomnia comes to an end...

2009-05-20T00:08:00.003-06:00

I've been enjoying insomnia for the last several months. No really, I have been enjoying it. The family goes to sleep and I have several hours to do whatever I would like to do. I can quilt, read, stitch or just surf. I'll admit that I've probably spent too much time playing PuzzleQuest and following people on Twitter.

Last night though, I slept well. I'm not sure if it had to do with flushing my brain and putting together a new plan of action or if I just hit the wall and crashed. However, when I've hit the wall before, the sleep hasn't been restful, just plentiful. This morning, I woke up rested. I was ready to hit the day running. I set up a goal for the week, 3 to do items for today which will get me to my weekly goal and headed to work - only to find I've left my phone and iPod home. No worries, I ran home on my break and grabbed them. Rest of the day was productive even with the standard run of interruptions.

Best interruption to the schedule was going to DS#1's radio performance as school. He was John in The Battling Bickerson's The Operation. He did a great job except his snoring could use some work. I still have a few things left on my to do list for today and I have time to do them tomorrow and still get my list for tomorrow done. It feels so great to be in control again.

So, I'm off to the gym and then another restful night.

Sometimes Life Administers a Much needed Enema...

2009-05-19T00:09:00.002-06:00

Ever feel that life is getting cluttered and at some point soon you’ll need to sit down and clear up the “D-priority to do” pile? I’ll admit that I’ve been neglecting all the icons building up on my desktop. They cover the focus picture on my background. Mind you the focus picture is a project that was completed several months ago and I just haven’t updated it either. Frankly lots of things haven’t been updated recently. I’ve been focused elsewhere and I’m realizing that focus has been diluted by excess baggage. Basically, I've had mental constipation going on in my life.

A month or so ago, a speaker told our group that every so often he performed a brain dump so that he could move on to the next project. I’ve been mulling over the idea and thinking about how I would do a brain-dump - - Well, the universe may have assisted in cleaning out my system. I was trying to do something in Firefox that I had never done before and it didn’t work. So I suggested that the system “undo” it. Well, not only did it take off the new files it installed, it removed everything on my desktop except for the program icons. For about 24 hours I panicked and then I realized that only 2 files were critical – and both had been emailed in the last 6 months so I had copies of them.

So my system has been flushed and all the waste eliminated. It feels great. I’m glad it happened now and I’ve learned, don’t leave files on the desktop – move them to My Documents and back that up.

I love Bruce from Sew Batik fabrics...

2009-05-08T00:47:00.000-06:00

At Quilt Guild tonight, Bruce from SewBatik gave the presentation on how batik fabric is made, how to tell the real stuff from the fake and then he sold fabrics at 15% off. I went through the line, drooled, picked some fabric bundles up, thought about the challenge and put them back. So I get to the cash register with nothing in hand. Bruce asks where my purchase is as someone trips on the extension cord and unplugs the cash register (he came to the Guild meeting and the only desk for the register was nowhere near the plug). I plug it back in and park myself on the cord so no one else will trip on it. I tell Bruce that I was really tempted but I'm part of an abstinance challenge and can't purchase anything new until January.
I catch the arm of another woman who almost trips on the cord I'm still standing on so this time the cord didn't come unplugged. Bruce asks if I can stand there a bit longer. So I stand there and watch what everyone else buys and give my opinion on a few more and we get to where there are only 4 people in the line. Bruce asks them if they can all avoid the cord and when they agree, he tells me to pick a fabric bundle since after all, if I don't pay for it, it couldn't count against my challenge, right?
I thanked him profusely and picked up a bundle of the black and white batik fat quarters.

So if you need fabric for finishing - - There is cool stuff at www.sewbatik.com

Twitter interferes with my blogging

2009-04-26T20:33:00.003-06:00

I haven't blogged in awhile. So I started an introspective as too why and I've concluded it's Twitter. In the past, I would come across an idea and it would ruminate and engender a blog entry. Since joining Twitter when an interesting thought passes my mind, I drop it in 140 characters or less and having performed the brain dump, I don't think about it again - Thus I have less blog fodder.

So for those of you not on my Twitter feed here are some of the ideas which didn't become blogs...

The concept of beauty presupposes ugly. Labels are defined by opposites. How would the world be if we viewed all as equal?
At a bridal shower for my cousin's fiancee' man I'm feeling old! The bride is only 3 years older than my daughter
@briancarter yet 100 years from now the DNA we give a child may still be effecting the earth in response to In 100 years, most of us will be forgotten.
Is the weekend an opportunity to do what you really love or an interruption from doing what you love?
Several things on my middle child - - Lunch today fried rice my son made, cut raw veggies, edamame, & fresh strawberries for dessert. Who leaves their prom & spends the ride home discussing summer internship options - nanotech vs. Computer science is the debate. An hour to go until we pick the boy up from his first prom. He looks sharp in a tux. My 16 year old son is frantically cleaning the kitchen after getting a text? I wonder what her name is. (Girls are having an effect on him).
No one signed up to take my class at the community school. I'm so relieved to have the next 4 tues free I had underpriced the course
Susan Boyle = female Paul Potts? Same shocked look on Simon's face for both
The strongest memory is weaker than the palest ink. - old proverb
NPR All Things Considered will be doing a story on the increase of bedbugs in America -- eewwww
Off to see Wicked sleeping out on the street in Dec to get tickets seems worth it now!
Last year kids said they were too old for stuffed bunnies & baskets today they're mad cuz Easter Bunny did not poop candy around the house.
lack of resources does not keep us from reaching our goals as much as a lack of drive and emotional commitment does

And that's just the last 2 weeks.

An inspiring and productive weekend

2009-04-06T21:45:00.009-06:00

LDS General conference is held the first weekend in April. It means stormy weather for Utah and Saturday afternoon is devoted to crafting. My grandma reserved the Saturday afternoon session for crafting and I've held to that tradition. When Mama was alive, I would go to her house and either bring and unfinished project or the supplies she suggested I bring. In the seventies, I learned to macrame and crochet while listening to LeGrand Richards and Marvin J. Ashton. I've worked on quilts with cousins and aunts discussing the talks we heard.

This year, I started early with the first conference session. For those who aren't familar, there are 4 public conference session which last 2 hours each. The priesthood session is 2 hours in the evening and is only for men who hold the priesthood. The first session I worked on my Red Thread Sampler and completed the March pattern.One concept that really hit me hard during that first session was viewing debt as an addiction to worldly possessions and a lack of self mastery at saying "No" to unnecessary purchases. During the afternoon session, I found my template for the "Star Struck Mystery Quilt" and cut out the green hearts while listening to President Uchtdorf. I got them ironed in place and didn't work on the machine applique part until after the meeting since the sewing machine is too noisy and distracting while trying to listen to speaking. However, it only took about 30 minutes after the end of the 2nd session to have these blocks finished.

Saturday night I did some machine piecing so that I could cut and press during the Sunday sessions. I heard some beautiful messages about the Atonement and the temple. I got quite a bit further on the jungle quilt (did some more sewing between conference sessions) and did a bit on the April Pattern for Red Thread.
Anyway by the end of the weekend, the Jungle Quilt now looks like this:

So Just so you Know...
I had a wonderfully inspiring weekend listening to conference and a fantastically productive weekend by staying off the computer, remembering my Grandma, and working my tail off on projects. Except, I didn't do much on the quilt which I had planned to work on all weekend:
It's still exactly where it was on Friday night, 8 blue strips from being ready to bind.

A tale of two Cat Houses...

2009-04-03T23:01:00.002-06:00

Call it a strange sense of humor; the juxtaposition of two news stories really caught my attention this week. They were a day apart and I've been ROFLMAO when I think of the two in conjunction. First the massage parlor story broke then today, I hear on the radio about a Lehi Cat House being closed down. The two headlines within 24 hours of each other totally crack me up, even more so since they have nothing to do with each other.

My new area...

2009-03-31T00:28:00.005-06:00

I've redone my crafting area. I have a larger space, however, this is the view from the front door as one walks in the house.

Yes, the front door. The best space available happens to be the front room the home builder assumed would be a formal dining room. Not being one for formal dining, in our house the space has been a music room, a computer room, DH's art gallery and now it's my craft room. Since it is the first thing visible as one enters the house, I have to keep it cleaner than I did when it was in the back of the house. If one enters the room, they see this:I love the Expedit shelves from Ikea. I had them in the old room and I had space to add a few more, so I did. The books now have their own shelf. I also had Karen from Enough, Enough come in and help with organization. She has an eye for space. She suggested that my fat quarters and other fabric stash would be happier in mesh bags. She's right. I have combined both light and dark neutrals on one shelf. Same with Red and Green, Purple and Blue, and Florals now live with 30's reproductions.In addition to storage, I have working room. Currently three projects sit ready for me to work on at any time. The 30's sixteen patch is almost quilted (about 8 to 10 hours left on it before binding), a Christmas table runner is visible so I can keep throwing ideas for the pattern to quilt on it, and in the corner, is Theresa Wentzler's Winter Carousel horse on 40 ct linen gridded for me by the indomitable Edie and stitched over 2 with a single strand of Anchor floss. The project on the table is the Jungle Quilt which is in need of 45 blocks before I can piece it.

Anyway, this is my new sanctuary.

It started with a Lamborghini at Dennys...

2009-03-25T17:29:00.001-06:00

DH and I went for a sit down lunch the other day. The closest places were Dennys and Hooters. So as we pulled into the Dennys’ parking lot, we notice a nice gray Lamborghini in the parking lot. We’re in the zebra-striped jeep so not a slouch vehicle yet not up to that tax bracket.

As we walk in I can’t help but wonder who belongs to that car. The hostess seats us where we have a good view of our jeep and the ‘ghini. We’re wrapping up dinner when a couple comes in and argues with the hostess to sit near us. She orders a burger and he glares at her he cancels his meal and says he’ll just have a drink. She leaves the table with her cell phone. His phone rings and he starts giving a sob story about going to his Dad’s funeral (mentions leaving from the airport)and having to take out a loan to pay for it, talks about how the car broke in SLC and he paid $66 for a hotel and he’s now broke (the hotel next to the Dennys is advertising $29.95 per night), the wife suddenly becomes pregnant in the story, and it gets more ridiculous from there and is totally inconsistent. The girl comes back, slips her cell phone in her purse and he keeps talking. Then he hangs up and she slips her hand in her purse and his phone rings again, she comes up empty handed. DH is practically rolling since this team is not even good at the con. He’s speaking too loud and she was just too obvious about using her phone to call him.

Anyway, as we leave, the girl starts to follow us (no way is she preggers!) and DH tells the hostess, just loud enough for the girl to hear, “Thanks for sitting us where we could see the Lamborghini, it’s a pretty car and something to aim for when we’re back on our feet.” The girl immediately turns around and heads back to the table where he is still shouting in the phone about needing $100.

Oh yeah, it was a confidence game. And the Lamborghini didn’t belong to anyone eating at Dennys.

In this economic time there are people in real need and there are scam artists. As a general rule, scam artists throw around a lot of numbers. Real people just ask for any help you can give.

If you aren't sure but want to help, don't give money - pay for a meal, buy groceries, pay the mechanic, or the utility bill. Better yet, find a way to help them help themselves - refer to people in your network who may know of jobs. There are still lots of jobs out there.

National Quilt Day

2009-03-22T01:07:00.002-06:00

National Quilt Day just ended and I didn't do much to celebrate it.
I did get the last of my fabric organized in it's move to a new room.
I slimmed down the denim I've collected by either cutting out the seams so I have just fabric or deciding the jeans were in a condition that would allow them to be donated to charity, thus removing them from the cut into fabric block.
I thought about starting the Block of the Month that I've pulled fabrics for then realized I didn't know which direction to cut the strips. So I DMTwittered the designer.
I did take my old Monster Quilt WIP out of the bag, organized it, finished tacking down the fusible applique on one block and put it back away.
I sorted through my completed Quilt of the Month tops, found one ready to quilt and hung it where I can start musing on what patterns to use. Decided to do a pieced back for a Valentine's one, and realized the snowflake one needs a back and put it back in the bag.
I put the pieces to the Quiltigami/Drunkard's Path Quilt back in the main case since I'm not in the mood to work on it.
Just realized this minute that I don't have a new carry and quilt project since I didn't pull out the next block in the monster quilt.

So all in all an unproductive National Quilt Day although looking at it now, I just wasn't in the mood to focus on a quilting project. Hope everyone else enjoyed it!

Found a great blog through Twitter....

2009-03-19T00:04:00.005-06:00

Came across this blog through a Twitter update. I'll admit that I'm Twitterpated and having a fun time. I'm meeting some great people and learning lots of new things and did I ever mention that much like #5 I need input to function? I'm finding that I actually get more done at work because I have Twitter feeds coming in on my Blackberry. See, now that I have an automatic multi-tasking distraction, I can concentrate on the job at hand. That probably makes no sense to non-ADHD types.
I need to have background sound or tactile distractions in order to function. It's why I sat at the back of the class during my MBA program. I followed the discussions just fine and I didn't want to bother anyone else with either my foot tapping or by playing Fitz, Bejeweled or doing Sudoku puzzles while taking notes. I know it drove at least one of my team members crazy. He said it wasn't fair that I could multi-task while it was taking all he could do to follow the conversation. I will point out that I did more foot tapping in accounting than I did game playing. It took all I had to type out the equations. I really envied the guy with the Mac who tilted his screen and used the stylus to take notes.
But back to the starting topic - - Quilting on a Budget - I'm part of an abstinence challenge this year. Yes, an entire year without spending money on my hobbies. (What you thought I was abstaining from something else? Get real!!) I'm planning on spending most of this year working on the started or kitted projects that I already have going. But then, I spend more time spreadsheeting my hobbies than I do working on my hobbies (back to that data geek aspect of my life!). Anyway, please swing by Quilting on a Budget - after all, some hobby tips go across the spectrum.

A story of Fast Needles...

2009-03-16T19:23:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I was afraid of fast needles. You know the ones that go up and down using electricity ;) A friend who took her online community user name from her cat convinced me that I really should pull out the old Baby Lock sewing machine my DH bought when we were first married (he used it to repair sleeping bags and tents) and try to make some of my stitched ornaments into little pillow type ornaments. That wasn't too bad. One thing led to another and an 8 year old convinced me to take a quilting class. 22 project hours after the start of the quilting class, I had a finished project. It was instant project gratification and I was hooked. Now 8 years later, the 16 year old who started the quilting obsession for me still gives me geometrics he wants pieced into quilt tops and someday when my skill has improved I may actually be able to make them for him.

As of today, I have 36 quilt tops which I have all the supplies to piece the tops in various stages of completion and, not only do I have the trusty Baby Lock, we have a temperamental Elna for appliqué. I have 6 completed tops which need to be quilted, numerous wall hangings and table runners to finish and 1 quilt which is about 10 hours short of having the hand quilting complete. These numbers are different from last week’s spreadsheet. (Yes, I spend more time on spreadsheets for my hobbies than I do actually working on the hobbies :lol)

Friday, I had my first session with a Gammill Long Arm Quilter. It took me 45 minutes to get my quilt layers loaded onto the frame and 75 minutes to completely quilt a queen size wedding ring quilt. That includes changing the bobbin 4 times and breaking a needle since the bobbin wasn’t loaded right. I know it was a simple design and I can see why a lot of the machine quilters put lots of close details in – it’s because they can! It still blows my mind that I quilted the whole thing in less time than it took to make the binding let alone attaching it. (It took me all of Corpse Bride to attach the binding to the front of the quilt and after an episode of Numb3rs and 2 episodes of Airwolf, I’m not even halfway through using a blind stitch to attach it to the back.)

My friend who owns the machine told me that if my stitches were too big, I should either slow down or turn up the speed. It took only one center ring to find that 70 was way to slow. By the end of the quilt, I was up to 110. I guess you could say, I’m over my fear of fast needles since I can’t wait for another session with the Gammill.

More Atlas Shrugged

2009-03-16T14:36:00.000-06:00

No one's happiness but my own is within my power to achieve or to destroy.

Some thoughts on the bailout

2009-03-11T12:14:00.000-06:00

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.
You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 to 2005 ~

Students of history know that no government in the history of mankind has ever created any wealth. People who work create wealth. James R. Evans, in his inspiring book, "The Glorious Quest" gives this simple illustration of legalized plunder:
"Assume, for example, that we were farmers, and that we received a letter from the government telling us that we were going to get a thousand dollars this year for plowed up acreage. But rather than the normal method of collection, we were to take this letter and collect $69.71 from Bill Brown, at such and such an address, and $82.47 from Henry Jones, $59.80 from a Bill Smith, and so on down the line; that these men would make up our farm subsidy. "Neither you nor I, nor would 99 percent of the farmers, walk up and ring a man's doorbell, hold out a hand and say, 'Give me what you've earned even though I have not.' We simply wouldn't do it because we would be facing directly the violation of a moral law, 'Thou shalt not steal.' In short, we would be held accountable for our actions."
The free creative energy of this choice nation "created more than 50% of all the world's products and possessions in the short span of 160 years. The only imperfection in the system is the imperfection in man himself." The last paragraph in this remarkable Evans book - which I commend to all - reads:
"No historian of the future will ever be able to prove that the ideas of individual liberty practiced in the United States of America were a failure. He may be able to prove that we were not yet worthy of them. The choice is ours." (Charles Hallberg and Co., 116 West Grand Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60610)
~~by The Honorable Ezra Taft Benson Former Secretary of Agriculture [The Eisenhower Administration - ed.] Published in 1968~~

Another Quote from Atlas Shrugged...

2009-03-10T18:57:00.000-06:00

“You see, Dr. Stadler, people don’t want to think. And the deeper they get into trouble, the less they want to think. But by some sort of instinct, they feel that they ought to and it makes them feel guilty. So they’ll bless and follow anyone who gives them a justification for not thinking. Anyone who makes a virtue - a highly intellectual virtue - out of what they know to be their sin, their weakness, and their guilt.”
“And you propose to pander to that?”
“That is the road to popularity.”
Why should you seek popularity?
Dr. Ferris’s eyes moved casually to Dr. Stadler’s face as if by pure accident. “We are a public institution,” he answered evenly, “supported by public funds.”

Why do the people who don't want to think call me to think for them?

Hate my Front loading Washer...

2009-03-08T22:28:00.003-06:00

I wish I had never given up my top loading washer.

My front loader is supposed to be larger than the old top loader was but I always seem to be running more and smaller loads than I did with the top loader and the soap is so much more expensive. I always seem to be running extra rinse loads since the front loader never gets the soap out and if I use less soap, the clothes don't get clean.

The basic wash/rinse cycle is 10 minutes longer than my old top loader - and this is supposed to be using less energy?

I wish we hadn't fallen for the spin and had just repaired our old washer.

So much for my goal to not whine or complain...

And Blockbuster goes down...

2009-03-04T10:34:00.001-07:00

So does the restructuring and possible bankruptcy of Blockbuster mean that Netflix won the video war? Or does this mean that the new competitor to watch is Hulu?

Considering that my reaction to the digital change over was to get a better cable to hook my laptop to my television set since everything I want to watch is on Netflix instant watch anyway, how will the shakeup in the video rental/streaming world effect me?

Personally I haven't used Blockbuster since they charged me $12.00 for being a day late on a Disney VHS tape which I'd rented for my daughter to watch after kindergarten.

Identify Your Currency

2009-03-04T00:33:00.003-07:00

I once had a budgeting specialist tell me to measure my purchases based on how many hours I would have to work in order to purchase the item I was considering. Well that didn't work for me. I still ended out grabbing the $3.22 meal at Wendys because it was only a couple minutes.

I think I found a unit of currency which will work for me though. I was reading a blog post on Budgeting for Quilting in a down economy and she mentioned that she used a fat quarter as her unit of currency and it hit me. I could have bought 3 fat quarters for what I spent on lunch today. A yard of good quilting fabric is $8.99, a skein of nice silk is $6.00. I could be buying a skein of silk for every 2 runs to Wendys. A spool of Krenik runs between $3 and $5 depending on the shop and if its Blending Filiment, #4, #8, or #16.

I've been eating a spool of Krenik for lunch three days a week!

So, given your hobby - what's your currency?

Model Banker...

2009-03-03T13:50:00.003-07:00

Why can't we have more bankers like Midas Mulligan?

So what are you doing for Lent?

2009-02-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've been seriously considering giving up whining and complaining. After all it isn't productive, it doesn't make me feel any better and makes those around me feel worse. Besides, it's the first step to giving up victimhood and martyrdom.

So, Millionaire next door or poser?

2009-02-23T16:27:00.001-07:00

The Rich are Rude

Funny that goes against what The Millionaire Next Door found. Are they sure they have the truly rich or the posing as rich?

Gotta love a Quilting Bee...

2009-02-17T22:08:00.002-07:00

even and impromptu one. One of my neighbors came over to help work on a quilt that I've had up for ages. In the time I did one band, she did four. She wants to come over and help next week too. With her help, I could have this done in 2 weeks, except for the binding. I've had the quilt set up for months and worked on it a few stitches at a time every time I passed it in the hall, it's slow progress but it's still progress.

Economic Situation...

2009-02-13T10:20:00.002-07:00

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that the day after the stimulus package passed Yahoo had 2 stories with positive economic news?

I'm still wrapping my head around the concept of this was the best increase in 14 months but still 18% lower than last January. I think I'm missing a change of measurement because I'm missing how the best in 14 months can still be lower than 12 months ago.

Re-reading the article the percentage increase in sales between December and January is the highest in 14 months but the total sales are still 18% under last January.

Why am I reminded of the hot dog man story that a sales exec used to carry in her wallet? To summarize: A man sold hot dogs on the side of a busy road. He put up signs and soon earned enough to send his son to college. Business continued to be brisk and the man put together the plans to expand his current location and franchise the name and recipes to other cities. Then his son came home from college and laughed at him because the news said there was a recession. So the man canceled his franchise plans, rejected the contractors bids and stopped putting his signs up by the road. Shortly thereafter he was out of business and agreed with his son about the horrible recession.

I realize that the hot dog story is extremely simple but I'm seeing sales people preach doom and gloom and then wondering why they aren't closing the sale.

There is hope out there, Mary Kay used to say that when times are tough, sell hope and lipstick. After all, every woman needs a little hope and a little something which makes her feel better about herself may be all the hope she needs today.

As if the Superbowl wasn't exciting enough...

2009-02-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

The news reports that Roethlisberger played Super Bowl with fractured ribs

Too bad more employees aren't willing to work through the pain whether physical or emotional.

Well I'm not crazy!!

2009-02-04T21:07:00.003-07:00

In June of 2007, a semi-truck dropped part of his load on the freeway in front of me, I ended up in a spin. Ever since the accident, my hip and thigh have hurt and the gait compensation to alleviate the pain has caused issues with my knee (right side, the one which was on the brake). The doctor (and the trucks insurance) kept telling me that soft tissue injuries should have healed by now. I was beginning to think I was going nuts because the pain just didn't go away.

Well I had an MRI just a few weeks ago and they found a hip labral tear. Despite having been in the industry for ages I didn't know that the labrum was cartilage. Can I tell you what a relief it is to have a diagnosis? Anyway it's back to physical therapy for me - standard treatment for a labral tear is exactly what I've been doing, physical therapy, Nsaids, Cortisone shots and as a last resort surgery.

I'm still not sure about surgery since in my experience, I usually hurt more after the surgery than I did before.

What is the liberal equivalent...

2009-01-30T23:53:00.003-07:00

of the black helicopter conservatives? You know the ones who are so into conspiracy theories that they make everyone cringe. These are the people who are convinced that the new administration is out to put all the gun owners in concentration camps and execute them.

Politics is a circle, go too far right or left you still end up in the same place. So what is the left side version of the black helicopter conservatives...

Football Game over the weekend...

2009-01-30T08:22:00.005-07:00

We watch one professional football game during the year at our house. We watch several college games and all of our boys little league games. When deciding who to cheer for this weekend I was leaning toward the Cardinals just because a friend lives in their town and I'm not really close to anyone from Pittsburgh. (In fact the only name from Pittsburgh that comes to mind is a certain con-man named Joe who stole a lot of money from his Congressional wife. Montoursville would be a different story.)

But then Schneider Downs Wealth Management of Pittsburgh sent out a press release which has been picked up all over the Net about how the S&P500 does really well during years when the Steelers win. They do include a disclaimer - -
"It never hurts to be positive," explained Ms. Skeans. "However, the reality is that the performance of the S&P 500 is influenced by numerous factors, none of which involve football. I think it's likely that this year's market performance will be much more heavily influenced by fundamental factors and by the restoration of confidence in financial markets around the world. Investors eventually will return to the equity markets in search of long-term profit in light of the significant sell-off that has occurred, rather than the number of yards Willie Parker gains in the game.

Still I find it interesting that a Pittsburgh company would play on financial fears in order to garner more fans. I wonder if they have any data on whether the good vibes from having more people cheering for their team has any real effect on play.

In any case, I'm looking forward the advertisements.

Atlas Shrugged

2009-01-29T16:18:00.001-07:00

I’m listening to Atlas Shrugged again. The first time I started it, I couldn’t stop. It’s amazing how many of the catch phrases from the book I’m hearing from the mouths of pundits on the news and I’m not talking the positive phrases. The lack of responsibility, the constant blaming of someone else until it reached a nebulous unknown responsible party, we should help the smaller people because they deserve a chance even if they don’t deliver, and the lack of leadership taking a decision because it’s right and not because of popular opinion.

The human element should be more important than effectiveness and efficiency – James Taggart’s words have come out of the mouths of more than one environmental activist during the last several month.

The desire for mediocre businesses to be protected from better more efficient competition by government regulation reminds me of the big three automakers pleading at Congresses doorstep.

Hearing that people succeed not because they work and apply their brains but because they are lucky sounds so much like the Legislator who felt that those who built businesses from scratch and have succeeded are “winners in life’s lottery.”

Of what importance is an individual when the group is in trouble? What if the individual is the one who has the idea which keeps the group from starving? Why punish the individual for making the right decisions by making them give of their gains for those who made the wrong decisions? How many motivational and “success” speakers got their true start after a huge failure which left them bankrupt? I keep thinking of the quote attributed to Jimmy Cagney - - The government came in and gave us a check in one hand and took away the dreams with the other.

Email Etiquette...

2009-01-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Avoid fluffy messages and weapons of mass distribution:
Stop playing ping-pong:
Don’t forward jokes, chain messages, messages of faith, or political rants
Use an accurate subject
Put the bottom line first so people don't have to wade through to get the point.

A quote to think about..

2009-01-26T22:24:00.001-07:00

"There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read."

By G.K. Chesterton

This applies to so many other things as well.

Overdyed threads...

2009-01-26T17:15:00.001-07:00

I love using most overdyed threads. They have a rich tone and feel wonderful. I rarely have any difficulty with them and the only issue is to remember to cross each stitch as you go in order to prevent any of the variegated threads from becoming muddy instead of showing their vibrant colors. Last night was the first time I’ve worked with Olde Willow fibers. Someone gave these to me and the Providence Brown seemed like a great substitute for GAST Bark. I had been stitching for a bit when DH asked for something and when I gave it to him, he asked what was wrong with my hands. They were black!
Yes, the dark brown dye was wearing off on me as I stitched. So I took the bundle of thread, and soaked it to get the excess dye off. What a mess. I had to soak it 3 times to get all the excess off. So now the question comes up, do I frog out what I’ve done with that or just try to avoid washing this piece before framing?

What would you do?

Are you Better off Today than you were a year ago?

2009-01-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

Oh, Yes!!

This time last year I was going nuts. My husband was on bed rest and he was convinced he would lose his foot to avascular necrosis. I was working full time, at school full time working on my MBA, I had an ultra genius who couldn't turn in homework and was failing his freshman year that was balanced by the youngest finally having that reading thing click. And to top it off, I hadn't worked on my hobbies since I started school.

So here we are, a year later and what an incredible year.
I went to South America where I rappelled at Iquassu Falls.
I took my boys to Finland for my grandfather's funeral and then to Paris where DS#1 discovered he loved sculpture and I discovered that DS#2 is afraid of heights. He still went to the top of L'arc de Triomphe and Le Tour Eiffel with us.
I graduated with my MBA - I have that piece of paper that says I have managerial and analytical skills.
My ultra genius figured out that grades matter and is doing better in school and my dyslexic has been accepted into the honors program in Junior High.
My daughter has found her bliss and is working with the zoo systems and getting her degree to make sure she stays there (although it will probably mean leaving here since our zoo has limited paid positions).

Yes, there are still issues in my life but not as many as last year

Oh, and best of all, I'm working on my hobbies again. I'm back on schedule for the 100 Project Challenge

My problems are nothing....

2009-01-19T23:43:00.001-07:00

When I look at what this man has done with his challenges.

Get Back Up

It's Sundance time again....

2009-01-19T18:13:00.004-07:00

Fewer stars and people in general descended on Utah this year. It’s being debated whether the cause is the economy, Obama’s inauguration, or a poor selection of films at Sundance this year.

I doubt it’s the selection, this is the 25^th year of the film festival and there is more than the films this year. During the Sundance Festival days (January 15-25), you can download the short film Instead of Abracadabra free from iTunes.

I can see the lower attendance being caused by corporate sponsors not shelling out as much this year as they did in previous years. After all, if you're laying people off, how do you justify sending senior management on a ski and movie trip?

Or it could be a dilution of the audience since Sundance is no longer truly for independents we have the Slamdance Festival which is a great alternative for the truly low budget film maker ($99 specials anyone?). Slamdance is where I saw Ringers: Lord of the Fans and we met one of the actors from Lord of the Rings but didn't have a camera with us. At that time they were looking for a distibutor and they appear to have found one since you can Netflix it now.

And not to be excluded - we have X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival as well this week.
So, anyone in the mood for a movie?

Buh-Bye Circuit City...

2009-01-16T12:47:00.003-07:00

Circuit City to Liquidate

I studied Circuit City in management and cost accounting. They have been the model in several case studies and were featured in the book Good to Great. They've been touted as the model for retail success and forward thinking leadership in their management team.

So when I hit the article above, I was reminded of a comment made by one of Dick Marcinko’s team members in Real Team: Rogue Warrior. He said something to the effect – we ran into trouble when we started to believe our own press, we didn't believe that we needed to train as hard anymore. This little niggle in the back of my head wonders the same about Circuit City.

I’ve shopped at Circuit City. However, I feel more comfortable at Best Buy. Let’s face it, I don’t buy electronic components often. But I may walk in to browse for a movie or look for a game for the kids. Circuit City didn’t have a lot of that selection, or if they did, I couldn't find it the way I can at Best Buy. Circuit City was just too “geeky” for a non-techie like me. I felt lost in the store.

I wonder if that was part of the problem?

Just a thought to discuss...

2009-01-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Just as the opposite of love is apathy rather than hate, the opposite of happiness is boredom, not sadness.

Bison will be back in the Book Cliffs!!!

2009-01-14T19:17:00.002-07:00

New Utah Bison Herd

The Bison are expanding in the Book Cliffs. A small herd already exists but the habitat could support more. So the division pulled some Bison from the Henry Mountain Range herd, moved them to Antelope Island for medical treatment and evaluation and now they're going to supplement the Book Cliffs breeding stock.

I'm excited! After all, the more and larger herds the more opportunities for me to get a draw in order to try for that Buffalo robe I want.

It's been awhile...

2009-01-13T18:30:00.001-07:00

Since The last time I talked about the state of my hobbies a lot has happened. Maybe not as much as I would have liked to have happen on my hobbies but in July of 2007 Terry and I started the 100 Project Challenge. We were supposed to finish 100 projects before buying anything new. I've fallen a few times but I've bought fewer things than I would if I hadn't been on the challenge. As of today, I've finished 30 projects for the challenge. Terry has completed 80. But then I was pretty sure that it would take me 4 years to finish.

I did set some goals in 2008 -
1. Ugly Swan Quilt Contest Entry. (Decided that life is too short to make ugly quilts and didn't enter)
2. Keep on track with the 100 project challenge.
a. 2 to 4 projects a month - total of 25 projects this year. (I'm still on track to finish in 4 years)
3. Finish at least 3 to 4 projects for the State fair
a. Most likely the TW pillowcases (I did enter 3 things into the fair but I still haven't finished the pillowcases and came home with 2 ribbons).

So the goals for 2009 - -
1. Finish the TW Pillowcases
2. Finish a quilt WIP
3. Finish TW Winter Carousel Horse
4. Start one of the other TW Carousel horses
5. Keep on track to finish the 100 project challenge within by June 30, 2011.

Three and four are mainly a panicked reaction to the change in my eyesight. I'm having to use magnifying glasses to read or stitch anymore.

Remember the Shuffle post?

2009-01-13T00:36:00.002-07:00

Remember the post listing the first line of songs?

Here are the answers

1. Farewell to Carlingford - Glen Yarborough
2. One Step Closer - U2
3. Hot Thing - Prince
4. Raspberries, Strawberries - The Kingston Trio
5. One Headlight - The Wallflowers
6. Love Fools (Snooper Version) - Baz Luhrmann
7. Have You Heard (Part 2) - Moody Blues
8. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
9. Dead on Arrival - Fall Out Boy
10. Dressed for Success - Roxette
11. A Lovely Young Man - Golden Bough
12. How Do You Like me Now? - Toby Keith
13. Feeling Good - Nina Simone
14. China Girl - David Bowie
15. Finest Worksong - R.E.M.
16. Making Port - Glen Yarborough
17. Firebird - Kathy Mar
18. Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
19. Listen Like Thieves - INXS
20. Angel - Madonna
21. So Deep Within You - Moody Blues
22. Right Now - PussyCat Dolls
23. Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats
24. Seventeen Again - Eurythmics
25. Now and Then - UB40
26. Time Will Tell - Yellowcard
27. Walk of Life - Dire Straits
28. Winds Four Quarters - Various Artists from the Album Murder, Mystery and Mayhem based on the work of Mercedes Lackey
29. Buried in Blue - Harry Connick Jr.
30. Wonderful from the Musical "Wicked"

So - was that an eclectic enough group of artists for you?

Growing up with two 5 gallon containers....

2009-01-11T15:10:00.002-07:00

Just outside the kitchen door, against the east wall of the dining room were two five gallon containers when I was growing up. One contained sugar and the other was full of flour. Every morning if you wanted sugar on your cereal the top came off that bucket and the 1/4 cup measuring cup would be used to sprinkle sweet crystals over the cornflakes or oatmeal. I can remember my mom pouring 25 pound bags of sugar into the bucket. For that matter, I remember the clouds formed when my mom dumped flour into its bucket.
I must not do as much cooking and baking as my mother did. I cannot remember the bucket of flour ever going rancid. In fact, I didn't know that flour could go rancid until I went to make cookies this Christmas and the bag of flour I bought a few years ago smelled funny and tasted even worse. So, where my mother could keep a 5 gallon bucket rotated, I can't even use a 10 pound bag of flour before it goes bad.

But then, my mom stayed at home with 8 kids...

Some musing on... funerals

2009-01-04T21:22:00.002-07:00

Some funerals you go to because you respected the deceased and want to show your respect. Others you go because you respect the remaining family members and want to be there to support them and show you care. Some I go to because I don't want to disappoint family members who are expecting me to be there.

My family has always tried to put the Fun in funeral. We view them as a celebration of passage from one life to the next, just as a birth is a passage from pre-mortal existence to this plain. Both events should be celebrated. Death is a graduation from this world to the better one to come. I really enjoyed seeing all my cousins at the funeral last week, even if I really didn't feel like going since I'm sick as a dog this weekend.

I love after Christmas sales...

2009-01-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

I don't by my Christmas decorations in October or November... I buy them in January when they're 70% off. Take today, all Christmas fabrics were 70% off at JoAnn's and then I had a 10% off entire order coupon as well. The silk Poinsettia tree at Home Depot, the one that was $35 2 weeks ago. I got it for $8 today - Notice I got them to take off more than the 70% because it was the last one and had a chip in the pot - so I put that side facing the wall and nobody knows a thing.

Michael's was pretty well picked over, not much there worth picking up. But, all in all it was a great day with my DD. She now has her own sewing kit and doesn't need to be borrowing mine. She also got some nice fabrics to put in her stash.

Can't believe it finally happened...

2008-12-30T19:35:00.002-07:00

I've lost a library book. The good thing is I have 6 weeks to locate it since I can renew it 2 times more before I have to show it to the librarians. I can remember checking it out. I remember putting it in my purse, I don't remember ever getting it out of my purse to read but it's not in my purse anymore. It's not with the pile of receipts that I took out of my purse. It's not with the pile of other stuff that came out of my purse. I don't remember which purse I was carrying when I put the book in it.
I'm usually pretty good at finding lost things which want to be found. I once located a friend's car keys from several states away (they were under the center couch cushion). I think this book is just jealous because I didn't start reading it the moment it came home from the library. I started something else, and then started a series which had poor writing but a great background story line (and the last installment isn't available until April). So, I'm sure it's around - it's just pouting and will pop out just in time to be returned - like "Proust and the Squid" did.

But, if anyone knows where I put "Shakespeare's Landlord," please drop me a line and let me know where it's hiding.

Teaching to the Test

2008-12-22T23:25:00.003-07:00

So museum visits by school classes have been dropping so museums have been restructuring so that they too are teaching to the test according to an article on NPR

So what does it say when everything we do in school is teaching to the test. What ever happened to learning to discover or learning for learning's sake? Experimenting to determine one's boundaries is more important than rote learning. Children should learn to question in a safe environment but they should learn that questioning is important.

Welcome to the Solstice!!

2008-12-21T22:10:00.002-07:00

After today, the days will be getting longer for the next 6 months. For anyone who lives with someone with S.A.D. today is a day of major celebration since it gets better from here on out. As part of today's celebration, we went for a drive to find some sun. It was cloudy so we had trouble, not even the mountains were above the cloud cover, usually going to a ski resort means finding sun.
I just hope we have sun later this week.

The December Barnes and Noble trip...

2008-12-20T21:40:00.003-07:00

Last year the B&N receipt looked like this...

and B&N paid me $74.32 to renew my membership and I paid for my purchase using a loan from my home equity line. This year, they paid me $1.81 and I paid with funds in the checking account.

I'm trying this year to not charge things on credit cards so the budget is a little tighter, I only bought one series of books although I did buy the first volume of a few series that I've been wanting to read.

Why is it...

2008-12-17T10:59:00.002-07:00

Why is it that after listening to the news lately, I want to grab my copy of Atlas Shrugged and re-read it? Especially the sections where James Taggart goes to Washington with his friends...

Oh well, Who is John Galt?

Okay, it's been seriously addicting...

2008-12-15T23:50:00.002-07:00

So here's my scroll....I think I've gone overboard. One of hatchlings ages in 2.5 hours so I'll be able to breed some of my dragons. I can't pick up any eggs until I'm down to 3 hatchlings which will be sometime on Wednesday...

Tribune Bankruptcy

2008-12-09T20:47:00.002-07:00

So Zell is having some of his compancies declare bankruptcy and selling off assets except for the Cubs. So does that mean that the Cubs are making money or is it an ego thing?
I have to admit that I have some ego property and even when things are tight, I haven't thought of selling them off. Okay, well the thought has crossed my mind but I just haven't had the heart to really put Grandpa's Mustang up on eBay or Craig's List.
I did put feelers out to the family but in such a way that no one thought I was serious.

I can see the Cubs being a profitable franchise. I haven't looked up their financial history however with my hubby asking for a Cubs hat as his main Christmas present, I have to think there are other non-sports fans who have a tie to the Cubs. It's that eternal underdog that wins them over, at least it is in our house.

Don't worry though, after Zell is gone, the Cubbies will win the pennant.

To continue that great feeling...

2008-12-08T22:08:00.003-07:00

I went to grab some groceries and a gallon of milk was down to $1.85 and $.99 bread is back. Unfortunately eggs are still above $1.18 and peanut butter is still up. It did feel really good to walk out of the store with 3 loaves of bread, 2 gallons of milk, a dozen donuts and a bottle of Chinese hot mustard for under $15.

Well that's a great feeling...

2008-12-08T00:54:00.002-07:00

Just filled my gas tank for $35.00 makes a great change from $107.00, too bad these prices are too good to last.

What kind of books are you buying anyway?

2008-12-04T00:04:00.002-07:00

It used to be if I needed new fluff, I could cruise the new releases aisle at the library, look at the spines, and grab the first 2 or 3 Regency Historical titles I found. Today, I had to look long and hard for a Regency. The majority of titles were Paranormal Romance or Supernatural Romance and in 2nd place was Inspirational Romance.

So, y'all must be reading about "Angels" or "Demons" when it comes to fluff!

Black Friday

2008-11-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

I really had no intention of doing Black Friday at all this year until yesterday afternoon when Ixy said, "So where are we starting with Black Friday tomorrow?" She found a camera that she liked in the Circuit City 6 hour deals so we were in line at 4:30 and it was a really nice crowd (unlike that in New York at Walmart).

They didn’t have the camera that she wanted and we were the first in the store to ask for it. They told us that they didn’t receive any to sell. They did sell us the printer that is free after rebate and only available with the purchase of a camera. It was only fair. While I was standing in line for the printer my sister called from New Hampshire, it seems her Target was sold out of the big Lego item she wanted for her son. Well, Target is across the parking lot from Circuit City and ours wasn’t open yet. So we headed over there next. We scored the item and now have to figure out how to ship it across country.

We added a new tradition to Black Friday though. Shopping now ends with a pedicure at the first place we find open. That was wonderful.

Just a reminder...

2008-11-25T09:47:00.002-07:00

Anxiety doesn't attack. In most situations if I feel I am a victim, I'm the one who put me there and I'm the one who can choose to leave. A difficult conversation is probably a lot worse in my mind than in reality.

People treat me the way I let them. I should not put up with disrespect.

Quilting Emergency...

2008-11-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

So I've had the urge to work on my Christmas quilt for awhile. I had my fabrics laid out and my daughter picked up my gold fabric and said "you aren't seriously using this are you? " So at 8:30pm we were racing down to the quilt shop to find a different light colored fabric. As we walk in, my son turns to the owner and says, "We're here because my mom has a quilting emergency!"

We found a cream with penquins, a cream with Christmas candy and a cream with candy canes. I also grabbed the green of the Christmas candy pattern. My daughter grabbed a black with white and gold poinsettias on it. It's not a light but I think it it might work.

Now to just finish up the rest of the 56 blocks...

No guests for Thanksgiving?

2008-11-19T07:52:00.002-07:00

Usually I invite 40 or so people to dinner, this year I only had 2 who confirmed they could come. In the last several days, both of them canceled. It's going to be odd just having dinner with family this year.

Maybe it's a good thing though, since I have to work Thursday morning anyway.

Met with a career coach...

2008-11-18T23:13:00.002-07:00

And she suggested that since I know what I want to be when I grow up (managing assets at home, selling stitching designs as a hobby, and writing stories for publication) I should focus on jobs which help me learn what I need in order to succeed at where I want to be. It hit me that the accounting portion is where I'm weak. So I tweaked my resume to show more of my accounting skill and I'm now looking for work in a segment where everyone is getting laid off. Not too bright, huh?

Christmas shopping?

2008-11-17T00:47:00.002-07:00

I can totally see buying this for my kids for Christmas...

It's from Squishable.com