Marvelous Monday Update 11/3/08

Weather
The weather has been unseasonably nice for this time of year. It was the first Halloween I can ever remember where it wasn't cold and rainy for trick-or-treating. This week, forecasters are calling for temps in the mid to upper 70's! Unfortunately, it's not going to last. By week's end, temps are to be in the upper 40's and snow is in the forecast. Crazy stuff!


I'm Rich!
I've always been content with where I'm at financially. I don't roll in the dough like a lot of others, and it doesn't really bother me because It's been documented that for the most part people debts will be proportionate (if not higher) than their income. So whether you make $18K a year or $180K, you're in debt up to your eyeballs (as the TV commercial says). Wow, I'm way off track as to what I really wanted to say... I'm RICH, or at least I'm in the top 4.33% wealthiest in the world. How do I know this? See for yourself:

I'm the 260,000,000 richest person on earth! Discover how rich you are! >>

Interesting!

What's also interesting are these comparisons:
* $8 could buy 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.
* $30 could buy an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.
*$73 could buy a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
*$2400 could buy a second generation HDTV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

Anyone got $2400 laying around that I could donate to an Angola village?


Freecycle
My goodness the games never end, do they? The local Freecycle “owners” are so passive-aggressive... and I find it quite amusing. I found it odd that suddenly no messages were finding it’s way to my mailbox and thought “Did they remove me from the group, after just last week saying I could remain a member?” So I searched through my Yahoo groups, and yes I was still a member *but* they’d changed my status to “No Mail.” LOL, talk about high-schoolish stuff! So, I changed it back to daily messages and am waiting to see how long it takes before they change it again. I mean, really... What owner/moderator has the time to do that stuff? Hmmm... wonder how long it’ll be before they “remove” me from the group?


Stitchy Stuff
Nora received the Color Exchange I sent her in the CSF group. For October, the color was PINK. I'm glad she liked it. I forgot to take a pic, so this one is hers:

• "Be Nice" chart by Heart in Hand
• Fuzzy Stuff Floss
• Seed Beads
• Sewing Kit
• Silk Floss
• DMC Floss in various shads of pink
• 2 different spools of ribbon
• Flat of pink funky patterned fabric

This week, I've spent some time working on Believe by The Trilogy. Here's what it looks like after 11.25 hours:

Other WIP pics can be seen HERE.

Marvelous Monday Update 10/27/08

Fallen and Can’t Get Up
“I’ve fallen and can’t get up!” How many of us remember that popular TV commercial? Years ago, I tripped over the sidewalk in my front yard, twisted my ankle, couldn’t get up, and had to call my sister to come take me to the ER. Ever since that time, she mocks me by saying: “I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” Anyone who’s known me for a long time, knows my propensity for clumsiness and hurting myself.

Last week, I swept the leaves out of my garage... the hazards of leaving the garage door open all day. As I took a step backwards, I tripped over a pallet and fell backwards onto my rump... lots ‘o padding, no damage there... but did manage to scrape my elbow on the corner of the pallet before it smacked down onto the concrete. In retrospect, it’s probably good the pallet broke the fall of the elbow. So, I’ve been nursing abrasions, bumps, and bruising on my elbow. Once again: I’ve fallen...


Just Call Me Grace
“Good going, Grace”… That’s the nickname my family has dubbed me due to my clumsiness, as previously mentioned. Last Wednesday morning, the C-gene reared it’s ugly head. In my rush to get ready for work, I slammed... not just stubbed, but slammed.. my baby toe into the door jam going into the bathroom. I have a high pain tolerance, but it was all I could do to make it to my sofa and sit down. “Deep breath... breathe it out... In and out... Yeah, that’s it.” That’s what I was telling myself while pain was screaming out from the end of my toe. I actually felt light headed for a bit. Fifteen minutes later, I could finally breathe normally and was able to move my toes. I didn’t break it, not that anything could’ve been done if I had. “Pinkie” let me know all day that she did *not* like having the end of the shoe push against her whenever I walked around. Turns out, I bruised the joint where the foot connects to the toe. Ouchie.


Freecycle Update
Much to my surprise, I received a response to my email to the state’s outreach coordinator asking what happened. I wrote a long email back detailing all the ways that the “owners” do not follow Freecycle guidelines for sanctioned groups. In my email, I included copies of emails received from the “owners” as evidence against them. (There's something to be said about the CYA folder) At this point, I don’t really care if I’m re-instated or not... at least the outreach coordinator has the information.


Dating
There seems to be some confusion as to the "dating" stories I've posted lately. They are NOT mine! LOL... I know I've had some doozies, but at the bottom of each post is a notation where the story came from. I post them because I find them extremely funny... and true. Sometimes, I'll leave commentary. Other times I won't.


Weather
Had some wacky weather this past weekend. Saturday was pretty nice: Sunny with temps around 51F. A switch was flipped on Sunday as the cold front came through. Mostly gray and overcast, winds whipping around so hard that my backyard is filled with small tree branches and I could hear the house creaking and groaning. The sun came out briefly and then came a downburst of rain and snow. Sun, wind, rain & snow... imagine that!


Froggie Froggie

I couldn't pass this little guy up when I saw him while shopping. There's a button on the back of his head that makes a realistic froggie sound and turns on a little green light under his chin. It's got a tiny keychain clip that would be perfect for scissors. Isn't he cute?


Giveaway
I came across an interesting giveaway being sponsored by Jo-Jo at A Mom's World of Madness and Blessings. It's her first one, so if you like giveaways, check it out. :)


Stitchy Stuff
I finished both Joy's into ornaments. Only one is pictured, but they both look the same. The oval shape was a bit of a trick to accomplish, but I succeeded!

Joy
Designer: ???
Fabric: 14ct white opalescent aida
Fibers: DMC floss
Time: 3 Hrs to Stitch
Embellishments: Pre-made cording

Update: This ornie winged it's way over the big pond to the UK and now has a new home with Sharon for the ornament exchange on the CSC board.

Duty Relief

I’ve been moderator for my local Freecycle group for over two years, and have done 95% of the work to ensure the group ran smoothly and according to the rules the Freecycle organization has in place. During the years I moderated, I tried on several occasions to contact the “owners” of the group with no avail. All I had was a generic “owner” email address and no one ever responded. So I used the website set up by the Freecycle organization to moderate the group. Several months ago, chaos erupted when the “owners” suddenly appeared on the radar and appointed a new moderator who caused all sorts of problems on the group. This person was banned, and others were appointed. In my mind, I often questioned *where* these moderators came from since there was never any posting on the group asking for volunteers. It has been brought up in the past that these mods were family members of the “owners”. In addition, they obviously didn’t read the moderator “rules and responsibilities” set forth by Freecycle. With the “owners” and new moderators, inconsistencies in moderation caused problems to arise. I did my part to bring these issues to the attention of the “owners” and was met with disapproval. It was at this point, I seriously started questioning my involvement in a group where the “owners” did not want input, nor were their intentions to be consistent in moderation or following the rules the Freecycle organization set forth in order to be sanctioned by them.

During this same time period, I was admitted to the international moderators group where mods “met” to discuss issues with moderating Freecycle groups, and found that my moderation techniques were in line with other Freecycle groups.

While I feel the premise of Freecycle is a good one, and I like to do my part in re-use/recycle, and helping the community in general… the mentality of my local group is “Gimme, gimmee, gimmee” and there are those who don’t have the common courtesy to pick up items when they said they wanted them (common complaint among members). The “owners” seriously lack communication, (Freecycle) education, and support skills.

Late last night, I received a generic message from Yahoo that my membership status on the Freecycle group was changed from “moderator” to “member”. Did I mention lack of communication on the part of the “owners”? Shortly after that, I received a short email stating: “You may remain a member, but your services as moderator are no longer needed.” LOL, this came from the “owner” who not even two months ago was singing praises to me about taking care of the group.

It really should not have come as a surprise to me, and I was a bit shocked at the time. I took a moment to write a well thought out response to the “owners” and the state outreach coordinator, not that I expect anything to come of it. That’s just what I do when I feel injustice has been done… I write letters.

Upon waking up this morning, I was kinda relieved that I didn’t have to deal with the complaints about other freecyclers and more recently, questioning from the “owners” as to why I rejected this post or that post. I am still contemplating whether or not to remain a member, whether to start a new group, or to become more active in the other group that works on the same premise but aren’t sanctioned by Freecycle.

Marvelous Monday Update 10/6/08

Stitchy Stuff
Last Monday, I met with D, who is a member of my local Freecycle group, to give her the flatfold "Peace Love and a Cure". She really liked it! D kept saying, "It's so pretty!" I was thrilled to find out she used to stitch. She gave it up during chemo because she said she couldn't concentrate on anything... stitching, reading, not even TV. D and I had a nice chat over smoothies (yum!). We talked about gardening and Freecycle. LOL, we went on and on and on about Freecycle (her experiences and mine as moderator). Before we knew it, the hour was up and she had to get to her eye doctor and I back to work. I had the feeling we could've talked for hours. A couple days after our meeting, D sent me an e-card and she wrote:

"I want to again thank you so very much for the beautiful cross stitch picture you made for me. I am so touched that you would do that for me. The cancer was an experience I would never want to relive but the kindness and wonderful people I've met make it less painful. People like you are why :) Please keep in touch ! I so enjoyed our "tea."

Wasn't that the sweetest thing? She's such a nice lady.

I started working on my UFO called Treasured Memories Afghan Quilt. It comes from The Cross Stitcher magazine. I started this project back in 1997. This will be my next BAP UFO to finish. (Cheer me on, Nancy. LOL Or, prod me in the rear!) Progress as of 12/2005 can be seen HERE. Since that time, I've finished the pinwheel and am 2/3 done with a dresden plate. I'm thinking about changing the center to a poem I found back then, but I need to figure out how to chart something that big onto afghan fabric. Ideas, anyone?


You're probably tired of hearing about my "wonder tool" as Petra puts it, and technically this isn't about the crop-a-dile itself, but about the eyelets. I had several packages laying around taking up more space than I wanted, and I'd been contemplating how to "lose" the packaging and keep all the eyelets in one place. So, I went digging into one of my many boxes yet to be unpacked and found this:

It works out perfectly!

I also spent a little time stitching on Believe. Not a lot of change to show.

One of the groups I'm in coordinated a Blind Ornament Exchange. No, the ornaments aren't blind... well, maybe they are... I don't know! LOL Each person stitched an ornament, sent it to the coordinator along with a postage paid envelope to send back another a stitched ornament from someone else. Mine was from Gabi in Australia. As I recall, it was Gabi's first time doing a triangle ornie and I think it turned out beautifully. Thank you, Gabi!

I started -and- finished my October ornament for the SAL's I'm participating in. Actually, I stitched two of the same one over the weekend. I'll get some pics when I actually make the into ornies.


Getting Fit
Week before last, my routine became a dismal failure, as I spent my free time studying for that darn test. I only worked out one time. But hey, one is better than none, right? This week I didn't do much better:

Monday
• WAYW DVD 3miles (cardio/strength training) 48 minutes
Tuesday
• CS Sexy Abs (ab workout) 15 minutes
• WAYW DVD 3miles (cardio/strength training) 48 minutes


School
What can I say??? The instructor always starts on the other side of the room when he passes back the tests/scores so I get to hear the moans and groans of students as they see how they did. It doesn't do much for my morale, I can say that! Simulatenously, I look at my score and hear the "smart" guy say he got 27 on the MC. My score was 26 and I quickly tried to figure out the percentage as I flipped through the test to get my score for the essay and definition portion. You can't even imagine my reaction when I realized I got a.......

After some discussion about the MC questions, the instructor gave us credit for a couple of them, which bumped my score to a nice solid B! Apparently, my random choices, and scribbled essay answers had some merit... and talk about relief on my part. I *seriously* thought I'd be lucky to get a C and realistically thought I got a D. (Even told one of my nieces I got a D. LOL)


Stocking Up
Thanks to a Freecycle member, I got a heads up on a HUGE 1-day meat sale going on at one of the local grocery stores. People were like piranhas in the meat section! In order to get the deals, meat had to be purchased in bulk. I spent 20 minutes standing in a line to have my bulk beef cut into steaks. Normally $15/lb, I was able to snag NY Strip Steak for $4.99/lb. Chicken was 89c/lb. Pork Loin chops/roast was $1.69/lb. I came home with 50lbs of meat and spent two hours packaging it into normal serving size packages. It all went into the freezer for this winter.

With that preface, here's what I made Saturday night:

I ended up saving half the steak for breakfast the next day... Just couldn't eat it all.

Meari's Marvelous Monday Update 8/25/08

Stitchy Stuff
Several people have asked what the sparklie fabric is on my latest WIP. In four words: I have no idea! Like a lot of my aida, it's without packaging. Thank goodness for the count ruler, otherwise I wouldn't know what count it is either. So, I'm sorry I'm not much help. :(



I've had Serenity on my wishlist for quite a while. JoAnn Fabrics had it for $3.99 and with my 40% off coupon, I got it for $2.39 + tax. Can't beat that for an entire kit!



School
Waaahhhh... Summer is over! School started last Wednesday. I have the same instructor I had for B-Law II (oooooh, *this* should be fun). Not only do I have the textbook to read, I have to read a book on "management" and write a 7pg term paper/book report on it. Of course, *he* has to approve the book first. Since my boss (CEO) has lots of books on management, I asked him if there were any he'd recommend. He gave me 3! I've already read 1/2 of one and tagged important things with post-it flags. Am I ahead of the ball or what?!?


Getting Fit
In the past, I've talked about my WATP workout tape. I've got the 3-mile Fat Burning one and really love it. It's low-impact, easy to learn, and you get a cardio workout as well as strength training. Here's a YouTube video clip:


I liked it so much that I bought a second DVD by Leslie Sandsone called Walk Away Your Waistline 3-Mile Walk. It's just as great as the other one. :D


Freecycle Drama
As you all know, I've been a big advocate of Freecycle. Last month, the Freecycle yahoo group owners decided to add a new moderator because they have personal problems, weren't able to "man" the group, and felt that it was unfair I was doing it alone. Never asked me how I felt about it, nevermind the fact that I did 90% of the work anyway (certainly didn't mind). So the new girl, Chrissy, wasn't following the rules set up by Freecycle and as it turned out was basically using the site for the greater good -- HERS! Without going into details, I noticed several things happening that just weren't quite right. I emailed the group owner, and got no response. Not surprising, since I'd emailed her in the past two years I've moderated and never received a response. One day, I noticed I wasn't receiving emails from the group which was odd because there's aways posts to be approved. I went to the group site and found out that I had been BANNED. What the heck is going on?!

Needless to say, I was angry and devastated because I had no idea why I was banned from the group. Besides Freecycle, my community has another group similiar to it, but For Sale items can be listed. Several people from Freecycle belong to this other group, too. About a week after I'd been banned, I received an email from a lady who had been banned also, for no reason. She said someone had given my email addy to her and she'd hoped I could help get her reinstated. She then posted a message to the For Sale group telling everyone what went on. A few days later she was reinstated to the Freecycle group.

It worked for her, maybe it'd help me? I posted to the For Sale group stating my situation. I also contacted the Freecycle organization directly, whereby my state outreach coordinator emailed me back telling me she was looking into it. Next thing I know the group owner of Freecycle contacted me asking why I didn't let her know what was going on. What?!? So after some back and forth emails, the owner banned Chrissy from the group. After I was reinstated, I checked the moderator activity and found out that not only was this woman/girl banning people and using the group for her selfish needs, she went and deleted TONS of posts. Just went to the list and started deleting stuff! I asked the group owner about it, and she said "Your guess is as good as mine." WOW! In less than two months, Chrissy turned a smooth running group into chaos! It's pretty much back to normal now. Thank goodness!

With that said, a little GOOD news. My latest Freecycle find:


It's an adjustable dress form. Just turn the dials to your measurements and viola! I've always wanted one of these. Now to find the time to make something!


Yummies
This week, I've harvested two LARGE bowls of lettuce from my garden. Needless to say, I'm eating a lot of salads. :) Here's what I ate while watching the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics:

Fresh Mushrooms, Diced Vidalia Onion,
Tomatoes, and Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Homemade Quesadillas

For Cripes Sake!

This must be my week for complaining, LOL!

Someone posted on the Freecycle group that they needed moving boxes. I break all my boxes down flat and have been storing them against the wall in the basement. They are nice boxes! I offered my boxes to this person.

Her: Can I pick them up at 4:30 today?

Me: No, I don't get off work until 5pm. 5:30p would be fine, though. Let me know, and I'll give you directions.

Her: Any chance of my picking them up sometime tomorrow?

Me: 8:30am will work, or between 9:30-10:30am. I can't guarantee when I'll be home after that, as I have a busy day tomorrow. Sunday evening will work, too... after 5pm, if you can give me a specific time. Or, next week after 5:30pm. Let me know.

*** Now, I thought I offered up some very flexible and reasonable time schedules. ***

Her: Would it be possible for you to put them out on your curb, and I can just swing by tomorrow morning to pick them up? That way it's easier for the both of us.

*** I thought to myself: They're free! If she wants them, SHE can walk up and down my basement steps and haul them to her vehicle. I am NOT going to drag them to the curb. ***

Me: No. There are a lot of them and they are in my basement.

Geesh, I'm all for helping people out but where's the effort on her part??

Marvelous Monday Update 7/14/08

Gardening
I've finally managed to get the rest of my little vegetable garden planted. Yes, I know it's kinda late. Oh well. I've got 3 tomato plants, 3 sets of climbing pole beans, 3 rows of baby romaine lettuce, 3 hills of bush cucumbers, and a row of climbing snap peas. The green beans are about 8" high already and *something* is eating up the leaves! I've started to sprinkle with garlic powder and will do cayenne pepper, too. That seemed to do the trick last year.

Will my 6 bags-at-time mulching project EVER be done? Let's hope so! I put down some more mulch this past weekend. I'm about 2/3 done.

Here's one of two planters I created this year. It's growing in nicely!


Here's a closeup of the Goldfinger Potentilla bushes that line my garage in the backyard:


I wish I could visit this garden: Beijing Olympic Garden. Absolutely stunning!


The Dating Game
Some of my faithful readers remember S from last year. We had some good times and I thought things were going OK until he whigged out over the fact that I dared to correct his kid misbehaving in MY home when Dad didn't. Details HERE.

Right before the July 4th holiday (almost a year later), he came to pick up the stuff he left at my house. Yes, I know... I'm a nice person for keeping it in my garage all that time. LOTS of people gave me suggestions as to how to dispose of it... Burn it, Sell it, Freecycle it, Give it away, etc. etc. I put it all out in my garage last Fall so it wasn't in my way. He showed up and acted like we were friends/buddies... like NOTHING happened! Are men *really* THAT ignorant? He let it be known that he wasn't dating anyone, too. Like I'd care about that? Here's the real kicker: He sent me a text message last Wed asking me if I wanted to go to a Thai restaurant with him! One of my friends said: Did you tell him HELL NO!? I wanted to text back and say: "Obviously therapy isn't working... What makes you think I'd want to go with you after the way you acted??" The man couldn't even bring himself to talk to me on the telephone after the "incident"! Geesh.

I texted him back, "Are you asking me out on a date?" He said yes, and when I didn't answer he sent me another text: "Are you still thinking?"

Yeah, I'm thinking all right...


Freecycle
Each time I receive something from a Freecycler, I thank my lucky stars. Being a new homeowner, there are lots of yard tools that I've needed to get and it can get expensive! I received this weedeater from a lady on Freecycle:

It's only a 7" cut, and the battery only holds a charge for about 20 minutes, but it'll do until I can afford to buy a bigger one.


Stitchy Stuff
I fell off the wagon and broke my self-imposed stash diet. I couldn't resist. These are cross stitch miniatures kits:

Aren't they the cutest things?


Books
I've always loved books and reading. When I moved last year, my Dad was in disbelief at how many of my boxes contained books. LOL With that said, I rarely have time to read books of my own choosing... usually I am reading textbooks for school. Since I've had the summer off, I've actually read two books! What were they? Totally and utterly useless reading material, yet entertaining. ;-) Harlequin Intrigue novels! It's been decades since I've read Harlequin. These "intrigue" novels are advertised as a "breathtaking romantic suspense" series.

Phantom Lover by Rebecca York
Bree Brennan goes undercover as a schoolteacher to protect Troy London at the request of his sister. From the moment she arrives at the beautiful old mansion by the sea, Bree's encounters with dangerous tenants, ghosts and hauntings crank up the suspense. But Troy is not to be found—at least not in physical form.

I really don't think this had much suspense in it. The ending wasn't what I expected and the crux of this story was (to me) rather strange.


Under Lock and Key by Slvie Kurtz
Isolated in the family castle because of a childhood disfigurement, Melissa Carnes is in danger and doesn't know it. Her uncle calls in a favor to get hard-hitting investigative journalist Tyler Blackwell to protect his niece and find out who is threatening her.

This story kept my interest from beginning to end. It had all the elements of a romantic suspense: a dark castle, an incredible hero, a heroine whose courage is tested, tension and a twisted ending.


Can you say "Yummy!"?

Grilled Bourbon-Glazed Salmon,
Grilled Candied-Basil Carrots,
Grilled Dill Potatoes,
Iced Suntea

Marvelous Monday Update 7/7/08

Freecycle


I've been looking at tables for my backyard for when I get to sit out there and stitch. An older couple were giving away two small metal patio tables. They needed a little work...




So, I set to work. After primering and painting, I have a great looking set of new-to-me tables!

Matching Swing



Remember the last place I lived at? The family that lived there when I first moved in left this swing behind.






The landlords were just going to throw it away, so I scarfed it up for my own. Unfortunately, it's always needed a new paint job.



Again, I set to work. I scraped. I wire brushed. I washed. I primered both the wood and metal. I painted. After 3 days of painting, it was finally finished! Not perfect, but much better than it was. I still need to touch up some of the white where I smeared red onto it.


M-m-m, Good!
There's nothing like grilled food. Great summer weather, sizzling sounds, scrumptious smells!

Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob, Grilled Spicy Vegetables(potatoes, onions, zuchini, mushrooms), Grilled Honey Dijon Chicken, & Iced Suntea


Stitchy Stuff
One would think with all the stitching related posts I'd made over the weekend, I'd be done... But no! I managed to work a couple hours on Quakers Rule. Here's what it looks like after 7.25 hours:

Marvelous Monday Update 6/16/08

Movie Monday

Because I Said So
Stars: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham & Piper Perabo. Daphne Wilder (Keaton) is a mother whose love knows no bounds or boundaries. As a single parent, she has raised three fantastic girls to become the kind of women any mom would die to have. The only problem is she drives her daughters crazy. In an effort to prevent her youngest, Milly (Moore), from making the same romantic mistakes she did, Daphne decides to set her up with the perfect man… through the use of a personal ad and doesn’t tell her daughter. She chooses a smart, sexy, rich, architect for Milly. While “interviewing” potential candidates, Johnny the lounge singer watches from afar. He suggests to Daphne that he could be a match, but was quickly shot down. He takes Milly’s business card and goes to meet Milly on his own. Daphne pushes, cajoles, suggests and nudges her way into Milly's smallest of decisions. Comic mayhem unfolds as the well-intended mom continues to do the wrong thing all in the name of love for her beloved daughter. Will it be the architect? Will it be the singer?

*** I really enjoyed the movie, and for once thanked my lucky stars that my mother isn’t that way. Although, she did make it known at the wedding reception I was single! Back to the movie… It’s definitely a chick flick, and had some funny parts.


Come Early Morning
Stars: Ashley Judd. Lucy (Judd) is a 30-something woman who keeps waking up with a stiff hangover and a guy she doesn't even want to look at. If coming to grips with why she keeps repeating this pattern isn't enough, Lucy also begins to realize that she needs to get in touch with her family past and, more importantly, with the person she has become.

*** This was an OK movie. The best part of it was her realization that she needed to come to grips with the past and to stop using it as a crutch for her behavior. She had a good thing going (in the movie) with Jeffrey Donovan and screwed it up. He's a cutie!


Hope Springs
Stars: Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver, Mary Steenburgen. British artist Colin Ware (Firth) discovers that his fiancee, Vera (Driver), the love of his life, is going to marry another man. Distraught and despondent, he gets on a plane for America and ends up in the tiny town of Hope in New England. At first, Colin is depressed, but he soon finds more than a shoulder to cry on when his innkeepers introduce him to Mandy (Graham), a beautiful nurse. All's going well and Colin has almost forgotten his old flame until Vera suddenly shows up with a surprise her own. Turns out she faked her wedding invitation in an effort to get him to wake up and marry her.

*** This, too, was an OK movie. I'm not a big fan of Firth's so maybe I'm biased. LOL Vera was a very manipulative character, and Mandy was too flighty for a nurse character.

Did everyone know that Blockbuster is offering non-new release rentals for 99cents? Maybe it's just my BB in an effort to keep up with competition since a new Family Video opened up and their rentals are WAY cheaper. I belong to the $9.99/yr BB club where I get a free rental each month and rent-one-get-one on Mon-Wed. So I got three movies for 99cents! Can't beat that.


Freecycle
I can hear it now... "Not the Freecycle speech again!" LOL Freecycle is great! First the good...

1. I received a small Toro battery-powered weedeater from a lady who bought a new one. She was really nice, and what a talker! It's kinda small, but it'll work until I can afford to buy a larger one. Snowblowers, hedge trimmers, lawnmowers... Can you say $$$?! I was so excited about the weedeater that I used it right away when I got it home. :)

2. I received a brand new 5-gallon bucket of paint from another lady. I had planned on painting the living room/dining room so this will come in handy! :)

Now the bad...

Some people are just plain rude. About 2 weeks ago, I offered a 5x13 piece of carpeting that was on my garage floor. Last week, a lady contacted me and said she wanted it so I sent her a pic just to make sure that she liked it. Toward the end of the week, she emailed me that she still wanted it. I emailed her back that I was busy with the wedding and I'd get back to her afterwards. Within a day, she sent me three other emails that said things like, "Do you still have the carpet or what?" And the scary one was: "I found your address on Freecycle and drove to your house to get the carpet, but didn't see it at the end of the driveway like you said. There was a blue one in the backyard but I wasn't sure if that was it." Now... First of all, my address is NOT listed anywhere on Freecycle. Secondly, it takes guts to go to someone's house UNINVITED. To walk around the property??? Lastly, I didn't tell her that the carpet was at the end of the driveway. I emailed her and told her it wasn't my house she was at and that she had me mixed up with someone else.

I just thought... W-O-W!


Stitchy Stuff
I've had a box of stash sitting by my computer since last year that needed to be scanned and put on my stash-for-sale blog. (There's also a link in my sidebar) I finally was able to get some of it added to my blog.

Over the past several days I've spent an enormous amount of time stitching and frogging... stitching and frogging... stitching and frogging on my June ornie for a SAL I'm involved with. Who sent the frogs???

No, Nancy... I wasn't frogging because I was drinking. LOL The problem was that I didn't thoroughly think through the lettering on the ornie when I charted a new set for over-one on aida. I'm working on A Christmas Wish for Health & Happiness by Blue Ribbon Designs. The design is really for linen/evenweave but I grabbed a piece of 18ct aida and started stitching before I realized there was over-one AND over-two stitches on it. Here's what it looks like after 16 hours (16 hours!!! LOL):




Skin's On Fire
What were 5 grown women thinking when they ventured out to sit poolside at a company function? Well, we were thinking it was going to rain and we wouldn't be out there long, that's what! Two of the women could be my mothers, btw! None of us were too smart on Friday.

Saturday was pretty rough for me. I felt ill and had tremendous pain shooting into my shins whenever I stood up, due to too much sun. My skin was on fire all day Saturday and into Sunday. With a big bottle of "Aftersun Aloe" next to me, I spent the bulk of the day on the sofa on Saturday. By the end of the day, the skin on my legs started feeling 'funny' so I got curious about what was in the Aloe. Looking at the label, the first ingredient was water. The second ingredient was ALCOHOL! No wonder my legs were feeling funny, I spent the day slathering alcohol all over them. Nowhere was aloe listed in the ingredients. I think it's a crock tha the name of the product even contains the word ALOE when it's clearly not.

I was finally able to put on shoes Sunday. Could you hear my Dad? "Did you learn anything?" I decline to answer that on the grounds it might incriminate me later. Trying to be helpful, he sent me home with two large containers of medicated heavy moisturizer that is supposed to be for his hands because they used to get so dried out while working. I've been using it, hoping that I don't peel too badly.

Today, Monday, the heat is gone but my shoulders and chest are still pretty tender. Comparing notes with my coworkers, I'd say I fared the worst. Lucky me! *This* is why I don't normally go out in the sun.


Father's Day
This year, I came up with a brilliant idea for a Father's Day gift. A month ago, I asked my Dad to figure out what size tarps he needed and I would get them for him for Father's Day. Guess what? He got too busy in retired life and never got around to it, LOL. So he got a gift card to Menards instead. I told him he'd have to buy his own. ;-) More about my Dad HERE.


Freebie



A Christmas Wish of Health & Happiness
by Blue Ribbon Designs

Meari's Monday Update 4/28/08

A Feel Good Moment
Last summer, I offered my niece's old bicycle to local Freecyclers. A woman showed up with her 7yr old daughter and told me how much her daughter had been wanting a bike, but the family couldn't afford to buy her one. Apparently, the father had gone through surgery and had been their only breadwinner. The woman had also mentioned that she'd have to use the bike to go to the store because their car was repo'd due to nonpayment. After the two of them left, I got to thinking... I had an adult bike (OLD) in the garage that hadn't been used in 6 years. I emailed her and asked her if she could use it. She came back and got it. Why am I sharing this? Last Monday on my lunch hour, I saw my OLD bike chained to a telephone pole near the hospital. It made me feel good knowing I'd helped someone out and that they were actually using the bike. :) (Insert *warm fuzzies* here)


School
The B-Law II test was horrible. Absolutely horrible. Everyone in the class felt the same way. I think I'll be lucky to get a C on this one. The upside is: Three tests down... ONE to go... and NO FINAL! :) I won't be finding out how I did on the test until tomorrow night. In addition, I get the pleasure of listening to a three hour bankruptcy lecture given by a federal bankruptcy attorney.

I'm still plugging away at my Access project. I've named it Stash Tracking. I missed class last week (due to taking Dad to the hospital) which was OK with the instructor. I had big dreams with what I could do in the 8 week time period, but alas... I'm not going to accomplish a lot of it. It'll definitely be a work in progress for quite a while. Ha! Like I need another "project"? The good think about this project that it doesn't have to be a finished product. It's the process that the instructor wants us to go through, and of course she does have some guidelines that we need to follow.

I started my documentation today. So far it's 6 pages! Geez. There are things I need to add while I'm using the program and working on my project. Right below "Stash Tracking" (Can anyone come up with a better name?), I put the following cartoon strip:

LOL!


Weekly Workouts
I managed to workout three times this week. I really need to work hard to get out of this rut I'm in. I want to get more in, but by the time I get off work and do what I need to get done... housework, homework, laundry, shopping... I barely have time to sleep (Ack, I think B-Law is getting to me). I know... excuses, excuses. It'll be over soon. Meantime, I'll try to stay in my exercise routine.


Freebie of the Week
If you'd like to download the freebie, just click on the link.






Celebrate
by Passione Ricamo

You Have To Wonder About...

... some people! If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm an avid fan of Freecycle. I've benefited a little by receiving a few items, and benefited a lot from giving to those in need. In addition, items were kept from going to the landfill.

With that said... Here comes my RANT:

As Freecycle moderator, my job is to enforce the rules set up by Freecycle and approve messages that go to the public at large. Yesterday, there were 7 posts by the same woman asking for "Gently Used" clothing & jackets, sheet sets, comforters, entertainment center, TV stand, couch & loveseat, computer desk w/hutch, kitchen table and chairs (because the one she was given was OLD), and outdoor table & chairs. Not only did she post to my city's Freecycle group, she also posted to another city's group.

First, common sense would tell me... If big items are "Gently Used" people would not normally be giving them away on Freecycle. They would be selling them to recoup some of their cost. "Gently Used" items normally wouldn't be ending up in the landfill. Second, Freecyclers aren't in the business of setting up "house" for others. Lastly, the lady just comes off as being greedy.

I have also seen people asking for items such as iPods, and cell phones.. but not just any cell phone... ones with cameras and other specifics detailed out. What the... ?!? I'd like an iPod... Do I think someone on Freecycle is going to JUST give me one? Noooo. C'mon people! Geesh.

*stepping down off the soapbox*

With that said, I offered a bunch of items on Freecycle. Two people have come and picked some of the things up.

One was a guy who clearly was not well-to-do, but making-do. He picked up a popscicle mold for his 7yr old and before he left, he asked me if there was anything I was looking for (from Freecycle). Talk about thoughtful! He sent me an email afterwards thanking me and telling how much he appreciated it.

The other was a lady who picked up a nice pair of shoes that I couldn't fit my fat feet into (LOL). She later sent me an email about how much she liked them and how comfty they were. This morning when I went to set more items on my porch to be picked up, a piece of paper fell to the ground when I opened the door. Here the lady had written me a thank you note!

See... it's people like these that make Freecycle worth the effort. People helping people, and helping the environment.

Get Fit Challenge

My faithful readers know that I've been participating in The Get Fit Challenge sponsored by the local hospital and health clubs. It's a 12-week program that started in January and the purpose is to make life changes while trying to get fit.

At the beginning of the challenge, participants are required to go through a health screening that included blood pressure, total cholesterol, weight and body composition. Throughout the 12 weeks, points are accumulated for exercising, eating five servings of fruits/vegetables per day and drinking 32 oz. of water each day. We were required to log our progress each week on the Get Fit website. At the end of the 12 weeks, participants attend a final health screen.

Last week was the final week of the challenge. I have my final screening on Wed. I am really curious to know how my numbers changed.

I tried a new aerobics tape on Saturday. It was step aerobics. I got a kick out of the tape because it's an 80's Jane Fonda video. It was one of the tapes I got from Freecycle a while back. I also got one of those aerobic "steps". I'd been looking at them in the store for quite a while. Couldn't believe it when someone posted one on Freecycle! Admittedly, it was a bit dirty when I got it, but I didn't have a problem cleaning it up. It looks great now and I saved $30! The day after I did the workout, I was SO sore. (I guess that means it did the job, right?)

Nancy... I'm keeping YOU accountable. ;-) You want to win that bet, don't you?

Gripe, Groan & Complain...

That’s how I feel today. It all started last night...

Kickbacks
No, this isn't about money. Since the weather was nice, I thought I’d bring some wood in for the fireplace rather than wait until today when it snowed, sleeted, and rained. Good thinking on my part, don’tcha think? I had a few 2-3” tree branches that needed to be cut up, so I set about doing that with a combo mitre saw ( LOL) -- Hey, it works! Just be prepared for kickbacks. I didn’t have a secure grip on a branch and the saw grabbed it and kicked it… smashing two of my fingers in the process. I think a few profane words came out of my mouth. I’m not sure, as my fingers REALLY hurt! Today, they feel bruised and a little warm to the touch. I don’t think they’re broken since I can still bend them and type without them hurting. I did get that wood cut up, though!


Car Recall & Other Repairs
Today, I took my car to the GM dealer to get the manifold gasket replaced per the recall letter I talked about a few days ago. For those who care: The recall is for the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.8L supercharged engine.

Within an hour, the service department called me to tell me the serpentine belts needed to be replaced and did I want them to do that. Had I NOT already known that they needed to be replaced, I would’ve thought to myself: What a racket… Get the car in for a recall, and try to up-sell other repairs! I knew the GM dealer would charge me an arm and a leg to replace the belts, but I gave them an opportunity to give me a quote. They were going to call me back with one. My mind spoke again (Funny how it talks to me, LOL): Great, you do that! Meantime, I’m going to call around town and get my own quotes. I could also hear T telling me a while back: “But you’re getting genuine GM parts!” Phooey on that. GM called me back and their quote was $75 higher than everyone else’s (I called 4 different places). I politely declined and made an appointment with a shop I’ve dealt with before. Meantime, the manifold gasket was replaced free of charge. Who knows what they would’ve charged me for that repair.

Tomorrow I’ll be up early again in order to get my car to the shop by 7:30am so they can get me to work on time. Two serpentine belts coming right up! I really can’t complain about the repairs as I haven’t had trouble with the car, other than the battery problems. I’ve known for almost a year the belts needed to be replaced, so it’s now time.


Freecycle Woes
Anyone who’s an avid reader of my blog... I’m still stoked that I have fans!... knows that I’m a big advocate of Freecycle. What you may not know is I’m one of the moderators of our local Freecycle group. The basic rule of Freecycle is: Items posted or asked for have to be FREE and the jist of the organization is to reduce the amount of “stuff” that goes to the landfill, not to borrow… barter… or sell things.

Several weeks back, I rejected a post because a person was asking for a recipe. I sent a polite explanation as to why the post could not be approved. Next thing I know, he/she is sending a LONG post to the group (luckily on moderated status) going on a tirade about how UNFAIR it was that a few weeks ago a post went to the group asking to borrow an engine lift, and how everyone should be treated the same, blah, blah, blah. It was a page long! This person also DEMANDED an apology and threatened to go to the newspaper about it. LOL I sent a short email back to him/her stating that there are several moderators and the other post probably was accidentally approved. I also said: “I’m sorry you feel you were treated unfairly. I treat everyone the same, according to the rules of Freecycle.” I figured that would be the end of it… but NO! (Do you think any of the other moderators stepped up to diffuse this? They all got the same “waiting to be approved” message I did.) Next, I received an email telling me it was a poor excuse for an apology. LOL “Not an apology, just an explanation.” is what I responded and left it at that.

Last week, I accidentally approved a message from someone selling dogs. I hit the “approve” instead of “reject” button… going too fast and not paying attention, I guess. Immediately, I contacted the person who posted the message telling them it was inappropriate AND I sent a message to the group apologizing for what I did. I received a couple of emails stating “We all make mistakes, you mods do a good job.”

Today… I received an email from the “recipe” person stating: “Speaking of apologies, I’m still waiting for mine.” WTH!! I promptly deleted it. Not getting anymore responses from me. Obviously, the newspaper hasn't gotten wind of this human interest story yet. I think the TV newscrews should be called, too. LOL

This brings me to the guy wanting to borrow a hoist. I thought his post was accidentally approved, but he posted another message asking for the same thing to which I contacted him, and told him the post wasn’t according to Freecycle rules. After some investigation, I found out he wasn’t on moderated status and I put him back on. He was offended and asked “Since when… You new moderators… blah, blah, blah.” I’ve been a moderator on Freecycle for several years. I’ve given a lot away, and gotten a few things. I’ve read the Freecycle site (obviously he didn’t because he didn’t know what the purpose of Freecycle was). Cripes! I sent him the mission statement of the Freecycle site, and sent a Friendly Reminder to the group about the purpose of Freecycle. He didn’t like that, so he sent a message to the local “For Sale” group telling everyone he’s starting a new group where people can trade and barter. Oh, and he put a little blurb in there about the “Freecycle moderator won’t let me ask this on that group” so I’m starting my own group. Have at it, friend! Not saying I was THE moderator, I posted a message to the “For Sale” group stating my “understanding” of the Freecycle organization, informing everyone of the local barter group that was already set up, and wishing him well in his new group. Haven’t heard from him since. LOL

What is it with people who think they’re “entitled” to disregard the rules? It’s not like I’m rude in any of the communications I send. Anyone who’s in my stitching groups knows this. I’ve actually gotten compliments on how “diplomatically” I handle the exchanges I coordinate and firmly set the expectations without offending people. I just don’t get it!

OK, enough of the gripes, groans, and complaints!

*stepping carefully off the soapbox*

Fabric Frenzy

Here I go again... another post about Freecycle! I can't say enough good things about it. Earlier this week, someone put out a post that they were offering up a box of fabric scraps, some with yardage. Good for a quilter, she said. She was also offering two 1/2 bags of fiberfill, and 12 fitness videos. I was the lucky recipient of all three. Here's a pic of the fabric:


The fabric covered a 5x5 foot section of my dining room floor! Lots of pieces where at least a yard to 3 yards. It was like Christmas taking each piece out to see what the next one was. :D Also in the box were these:


I don't know why the thread is on cardboard spools like that. Can someone shed some light on it for me?

Friday Update 10/19/07

~Pampering~
One day last week, I spent an hour over my lunch hour getting a bit of pampering from the local cosmotology school. First, was a facial. Ahhhh... Depending on the student giving them, I could fall asleep right on the table. They are so relaxing. Then some maintenance on the bushy brows... a brow wax. There were some strays coming in so I decided to get them done. After all, it's an ongoing 2-for-1 deal they have. So how much did this pampering cost me? A whopping $6 TOTAL. If only there was a local massage school!

And look what was waiting for me when I got home from work last Friday:


A giant Mum made into an ice cream sundae!
Isn't it the cutest thing?

It was from S and in addition, he bought me some really nice tulip bulbs as a little housewarming present.


~More Flowers~
Several months back, I sent Cherie in UT a bunch of cuttings from my Maternity Plant. This week, I received a bunch of iris bulbs from her garden! Knowing it was going to rain, I dug a patch and put the tulips and the irs into the ground so they will (hopefully!) bloom next year. Once I get my garden beds in order next year, I'll move them to a better home. :)


Stitchy Stuff
I had four hours to kill while waiting for my Dad to have a test done at the hospital. In addition to listening to my Mom jabber on about everything under the sun, I sewed on 3/4 of the beads for Pink Carnations. I told my Dad that I needed another 1/2 hour so I could get the rest sewed on. Couldn't he do something about it? LOL

After getting back into town, I stopped at a local consignment shop. You never know what you'll find! Among other things (for the house), I came home with these:

Floss wound on plastic bobbins, several pieces of evenweave, wood tray

A little enabling: Hobby Lobby has all their cross stitch fabric (packaged and on-the-bolt) on sale for 40% off. This also includes bookmarks, bibs, towels, etc.

In their clearance section, I found this:


What is it?? I almost walked by it... It's an Elan Lap Stand! Quite compact, isn't it? These stands cost anywhere from $70-95. I got mine for less than $15!!! Not only that, they had a chart holder for less than $15. Holders run anywhere from $40-$60.



~Freecycle~
Are you sick of hearing about it? LOL I have yet another Freecycle find! It's a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash Kit. The kit came with the original box, flash cover, and user's manual. The flashbulbs came from rummage sale where I bought the Baby Brownie. These were made from 1950-61. Another nice addition to my camera collection! :)

Tuesday Update 9/4/07

The Three H’s – Hot, Humid, and Hazy
That describes last Tuesday’s weather perfectly. The humidity was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. So what do S and I do? We meet at a state park for a picnic supper and hiking. It was much cooler by 6:30pm but the humidity was still quite high. By the time we got done hiking a “hard” trail (as indicated by the difficulty sign), both of us were dripping with sweat, our clothes were quite damp (romantic, eh?), and our glasses were getting fogged up! On my 45 minute drive home, I could see heat lightning storms in the distance.

Heat lightning is flashes too far away for its thunder not to be heard. During hot, humid weather, short lived thunderstorms may occur in regions driven by heat and humidity. Some storms bring relief with cooling rain and brief wind. Other pass over noted only by cumulonimbus clouds and flashes of lightning, which is what I saw last night. I’d never seen a heat storm before, so I found it noteworthy.


In The News
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Her sons planned a 10th anniversary memorial of her death which was televised in the UK. I find it a bit odd to celebrate a death.

President Bush has declared my county a federal disaster area due to the Sept 7th flood we received. Homeowners who had devastating losses now may be eligible for funding from FEMA.


Weekend Fun
Last weekend was On The Waterfront Festival. It's held every year over the Labor Day weekend. The company I worked for sponsored a corporate party which included passes for the 3-day event, a covered tent with tables along the waterfront and within seeing distance of the Miller Lite Great Lawn Stage, and catered food/drinks. The Friday night band was Black Crowes. I'd never heard of them prior to the concert. Not really my type of music, but S enjoyed them a lot. The music was REALLY loud and I think we left there with less hearing than we started with. LOL Since the corporate tent was along the Rock River, we had an excellent view of the fireworks display.

On Saturday evening, S and I had a picnic with his mom/stepfather along another part of the Rock River in another city. The river was really high and we could see where it had flooded (at least 20 feet from the banks) from the rains in August. We were practically devoured by mosquitoes!


Freecycle
Peturbed doesn't begin to describe emotions associated with a recent Freecycle transaction. I put out an ad for Maternity Plants that I am giving away (I need to thin out my plant). LOTS of people asked for cuttings. I told each one that I'd put some cuttings on the window sill of my front porch WITH THEIR NAME ON IT. On Friday, I put three sets of cuttings out. One lady took the cuttings with another lady's name on it. How do I know who it is? Because two plants were picked up, and the one lady said she stopped to pick up and there wasn't one with her name on it so she didn't take any of them. So with deductive reasoning, I figured out who took what. I emailed the culprit who "collects plants" and asked if she picked up her plants.... No answer. My guess is that she took the one she thought looked the best. If she'd been smart, she would've switched names! I'd heard from other freecyclers that people take items that aren't marked for them, but until now it'd never happened to me. Shame on them! On a good note, my plant is really thinned down now. It lives up to it's name of Maternity Plant, as it reproduces like rabbits!

I also put an ad out for a display cabinet that I did not want to move to the new house. I had about a dozen people ask for it. Four people later, someone finally said they could come pick it up. I really like Freecycle and think it's a good thing, but I despise the "No Shows" -- people who say they want stuff, set up a time, and then never show up. Back to my story... I was waiting on an answer as to what time this person could come pick up. I decided to take down the curtains from the windows above the cabinet. Can you see where this is going?? I climb up on top of the cabinet (Yes, it's strong enough.). I hear a noise. As I look down... in slow motion... I see one of the sliding doors fall OUT of the cabinet and crash to the floor. Broken glass EVERYWHERE! Luckily, the doors can be re-made at the local glass place for less than $10.

I relisted it on Freecycle telling that the door was broken... blah, blah, blah. Finally had someone drive 45 minutes to pick it up. In a MINIVAN!! In the ad, I specifically said a truck would be needed to haul the cabinet. My jaw dropped and I said, "Uh... I don't think it's gonna fit in there." Of course being a man... "Oh yes. I measured and it'll fit." Uh huh. Thirty minutes later him and his wife had to take it 2/3 apart to get it in the van door. Meanwhile their 5yr old apparently was being a monkey and swinging from the bars above the van doors and HAD to go in out of every door of the van at least 3 times, including the one they were trying to get the cabinet into. Want some pop (Mt Dew)? Sure honey, go ahead an have some. Like the kid needed anymore adrenaline rushes?? When all said and done, they got the cabinet in the van. I wished them good luck in getting it back together. LOL At least it's out of my way and I can stack boxes in the corner it was taking residence at.


Health
Another trip to the ENT doc brought me some good news... and some bad news. The good news: The sinus infection I had cleared up. The bad news: I WILL have to have my tonsils taken out. They are abnormally large and as the doc put it: "They're little birdhouses for bacteria and infection." Well, duh... I've had problems with them since I was 18. With that said, I don't run to the doctor everytime they bother me or I am sick. I tough it out. Since they've started to obstruct my airways when I sleep (especially when I am sick), it causes me not to get a good night's rest so I am tired all the time. The doc did say something I found interesting. He said that when bacteria collects in the pocket, "chunks" of white stuff form back there. Earlier this year when my tonsils were hurting, I felt something back there and when I swiped it with my finger I had little white chunks of stuff that I had no idea what it was. Well now I do! It's really weird how *just* my tonsils will hurt and not my throat. For 3 days this week, the one on the left hurt when I swallow. I guess surgery will take care of that problem, too.

I want the surgery to be done the first week in November. Reasoning: It's the month after by busy time at work, and it's two weeks before Thanksgiving. I will need at least two weeks to recover. Fun. Not.


Labor Day
Holiday? What holiday?? Monday holidays always suck for me because it means that Tuesday is horrendous. Monday and Tuesday's work needs to be done by the close of business on Tuesday. I've gotten a few of my clients in the habit of getting me the data early which makes it easier on me. I ended up working 5½ hours on "the holiday". I'm hoping I can take that amount of time off on Friday.


Update on Dad
Kicking up his heels and dancing, he is! LOL, OK... Maybe not quite like that, but if you knew my Dad the picture in my head is quite funny. So what am I trying say? Dad is apparently healed up because he's been back to work for 2 weeks now. I haven't had a chance to ask him if the pain he's had in his legs for years has been reduced or eliminated.


Stitchy Stuff
I changed the white windows in "No Place Like Home" #2 to 677, a pale yellow. I think it looks much better.


I did have a mishap, though. I started frogging a window in NPLH #1 because they both were in the same ziploc bag and I grabbed the wrong one. Ooops. So, I have to re-stitch that window. I've started NPLH #3 and am about 1/3 of the way done. It's a pretty quick stitch!

What Is This? 8/18/07 Answer

A couple weeks ago, I put out a "What Is This?" challenge.

It's my lawnmower! A couple years ago, I needed a lawnmower and Freecycle came to my rescue! Actually, the freecycler had two mowers, neither of them worked. However, my Dad used to be a small engine mechanic and for about $2 he got this one running for me. It's worked great since then! Not bad for an 18yr mower, eh??


Have I said how much I like Freecycle?!?

Now for the really fun part. I really enjoyed the "creative" stories I received in response to the challenge! Thank you ladies. :) As promised, I put all the names of those with the correct answer in a "hat" for a prize from my stash.

The winner is....

*drum roll*

Anita Sorrells!!

Monday Update 8/27/07

Health
My neck and shoulder pain is getting better. A week of chiro and electro therapy will do that, I guess. I'm still in constant pain, but it's not nearly as bad as it was the beginning of last week. I try to put ice on it three times a day and it temporarily makes the pain go away. I find myself compensating by using my left arm a lot, which is very awkward.

I have a follow-up CT scan on my sinuses on Friday. This is to see whether the 21-days of antibiotics did anything. The doc told me on the last visit, the next step would be surgery. I'm not sure I want to go that route. *sigh*


Moving
No, not me... not yet, anyway. My brother is selling his house and has to be out by Tuesday. Over the weekend, I helped him pack and clean. He made it clear to everyone that I was not to be lifting anything because my neck and shoulder is messed up. Again, I did a lot with my left hand. By Saturday evening, my shoulder was a hurtin’ puppy. Sunday, wasn’t too bad.


Suzy Homemaker
Remember all the tomato pics from last week? I picked those luscious, ripe, red tomatoes and made salsa. Actually, I canned it. I ended up with 7 pints of salsa. I think I used too much cilantro and it could use a bit more spice, but for my first time it’s pretty tasty!

I also used up the cucumbers that I got from a lady on Freecycle. (Have I said how cool Freecycle is?) I ended up making 2 gallons of yummy, crispy refrigerator pickles. They won’t be ready for at least a week. Ohhh... the tortuous wait... :)


Stitchy Stuff
In addition to starting and finishing “No Place Like Home” (see previous post), I started a second one. I’m about 1/3 of the way done with it.


School
The fall semester started last week. I’m taking an online Beginning Excel class. At the end of Week 1, I managed to complete seven assignments and one quiz. I’m over halfway done with what is required for the class. My intention is to finish this class before I move, so that I don’t have added pressure. I was informed by the instructor that the Advanced Excel class can be taken online by instructor permission. I may go that route since I’m signed up for the on-campus class.

Monday Update 8/20/07

Freecycle
Freecycle is great! Last week, I put sent out a message for a bicycle pull behind. You know, one of those things you can pull a child in while bicycling. A freecycler came through! S and I picked it up last night. It should work just fine, with a little cleaning up.

In addition, I've been freecycling my own stuff like crazy. So far I've given away: a breadmaker, plants, two boxes of misc household items, books, a hand vac, and clothes.


Stitchy Stuff
We had some sad news this week. A 23-year old soldier from my area died in Iraq last weekend. I quickly asked for his name so that I can stitch a memorial for him.


I am going to do The Cricket Collection's "Red White & Blue".

Believe it or not, I've managed to stitch on Mime. Two nights this past week, I spent about an hour working on it. If I'm lucky, it'll be finished by the end of the year. Woo Hoo!


School
The fall semester is starting up again next week. I am taking an online Beginning Excel class. In Oct, the advanced class starts and I'm signed up for that, too. It'll be interesting to see how these two classes will pan out taking both together. I have extensive Excel experience so I'm hoping for the best. I tried to klep out, but that's not an option for these classes. :(


Gardening
The pole beans didn't turn out as beefy as I would've liked. They're sort of stringy and I don't like 'em that way. After freezing the first batch, I've left the rest on the vines. The tomatoes are turning red, and I've been able to harvest a few at a time.



Lastly, my flowers are really pretty right now.



Moving
I spent all day cleaning, purging, and packing boxes. I had a big pile of empty boxes in my living room. I'm down to 3 empty ones. Here's what it looks like so far:


Health
I really don't know what I did, but on Sunday I had pain running down the side of my neck all the way to my right shoulder blade. It was a nagging pain all day and got worse Sunday night. I spent most of my evening lying down with heat and ice trying to get it to feel better, but it didn't help.