I haven't really had a chance to look at everything, but I did take pics of everything:
Before she left, she asked me "Would you want anything else if I find the rest?" I said: "Sure!" LOL
May 5, 2008
Stash Galore
A few months ago, I met a lady through Freecycle who said she had a bunch of cross stitch stuff but it was packed in boxes and she didn't have time go through all the boxes at that time. She said she'd go through it and get back to me. In the meantime, every few weeks I received an email from her telling me that she hadn't forgotten and updated me on the latest happenings in her life... planning a wedding, buying a house, moving, etc. The day finally came that she found most of her stash and we arranged for her to drop it off at my house today! During my face-to-face conversation with her, she told me how glad she was to find someone to take it because she was just going to THROW IT AWAY. Can you believe that?!?
I haven't really had a chance to look at everything, but I did take pics of everything:
Fabric
More Fabric
Charts
More Charts
Magazines
Kits
Before she left, she asked me "Would you want anything else if I find the rest?" I said: "Sure!" LOL
I haven't really had a chance to look at everything, but I did take pics of everything:
Before she left, she asked me "Would you want anything else if I find the rest?" I said: "Sure!" LOL
Meari's Marvelous Monday Update 5/5/08
Yummies
Maybe I should say: Yummies that almost wasn't. I decided that I wanted to make Bourbon Glazed Salmon, which requires marinading the fish. No problem. I put everything in a ziploc bag over my lunch hour, and headed back to work. After work, I set about making the salmon. No problem. I'd read that if you boiled marinade you could you use for a sauce. Therein was the problem... Instead of boiling in a pan, on the stove, I decided to microwave it for 3 minutes. THREE MINUTES! While it microwaved, I continued to prepare the meal. In less than three minutes, I smelled something... Couldn't figure it out. I happened to glance at the microwave and I couldn't see the bowl! I opened the microwave and white smoke ROLLED out of it like a foggy haze. No, I didn't melt the bowl (it was glass). The sugar in the marinade crystalized and started burning. OMG, it smelled sooooo bad and my eyes were watering! I had to open the front door, side door, and the kitchen window.
In addition, now my microwave smells like burnt bourbon and brown sugar. I've tried everything... microwaving it with vinegar, microwaving water, cleaning with softscrub, cleaning with vinegar. It's dimished the smell, but every time I use the microwave it gets worse. :(
With that said.... I did get a good meal out of it:
Bourbon Glazed Salmon & Grilled Summer Squash
School
Sighs heard 'round the world! I swear over half the class sighed in relief when they found out their test scores last Tues night. Most passed. I was thrilled... absolutely thrilled to learn that I received a B! Three tests down... One to go! Our last test is considered our final, but it's not cumulative (thank goodness). Because we missed a couple days due to snow, we're making it up this week. Class tonight and tomorrow night... Ugh, that's over 6 hours of lecture over two nights. Next week will be the last test, I imagine since it's the end of Finals Week.
I got some other good news from the school I am transferring to. I went to see the advisor last night before my B Law class. Apparently, all of my Gen Ed requirements are done and 8 of the business classes I've taken qualify for the core requirement classes... which means I only have 9 core classes to take. In addition, 8 of the other business classes I've taken qualify toward the 9 required electives which means I only have to take 2 other classes to satisfy that requirement. To top it all off, I can complete a DOUBLE major with Accounting AND Finance. How cool is that?!? The advisor informed me that if I wanted to take two classes at a time, I could finish in about a year and half -or- 2½ years doing one class at a time.
Celeste
Ain't she cute? If she weren't so adorable, I'm sure the local squirrels wouldn't pick fights with her. Squirrel in tree, Celeste on the ground. Bark-Bark-Bark! up at the squirrel. Chatter-Chatter-Chatter! down to the dog. This is what I have to deal with. LOL!
Dogs have it made, don't they?
Gardening
I managed to clean out the dead stuff from my planted containers that I brought from my other house when I moved. They're ready for the new plants. :)
The rest of my tulips have finally bloomed. These are the pink ones I planted last Fall. I don't know what the purple flowers are. They were planted by the previous owner(s).
Socializing
Social Life? What's that?!? This weekend, I actually felt like I had a social life. LOL
On Saturday, I had a lunch date with M. He’s the one from the ‘burbs of Chicago and brought me salt when all the stores here were sold out last winter. The date was nice and the awkwardness of previous dates didn’t seem to be there. At least not for me, anyway. He asked if I was willing to get together over the summer after my classes were finished. I think he’s a good guy and I have a lot of respect for him. Not many men impress me like that.
On Sunday, my coworker hosted the “2nd annual Get Fit” BBQ. It was a lot of fun! The food was fabulous! Most people brought a dish to pass, which made it easier on the host and hostess. I brought Bacon Stuffed Tomato appetizers. Every person who tried them told me they were really good. :)
Maybe I should say: Yummies that almost wasn't. I decided that I wanted to make Bourbon Glazed Salmon, which requires marinading the fish. No problem. I put everything in a ziploc bag over my lunch hour, and headed back to work. After work, I set about making the salmon. No problem. I'd read that if you boiled marinade you could you use for a sauce. Therein was the problem... Instead of boiling in a pan, on the stove, I decided to microwave it for 3 minutes. THREE MINUTES! While it microwaved, I continued to prepare the meal. In less than three minutes, I smelled something... Couldn't figure it out. I happened to glance at the microwave and I couldn't see the bowl! I opened the microwave and white smoke ROLLED out of it like a foggy haze. No, I didn't melt the bowl (it was glass). The sugar in the marinade crystalized and started burning. OMG, it smelled sooooo bad and my eyes were watering! I had to open the front door, side door, and the kitchen window.
In addition, now my microwave smells like burnt bourbon and brown sugar. I've tried everything... microwaving it with vinegar, microwaving water, cleaning with softscrub, cleaning with vinegar. It's dimished the smell, but every time I use the microwave it gets worse. :(
With that said.... I did get a good meal out of it:
School
Sighs heard 'round the world! I swear over half the class sighed in relief when they found out their test scores last Tues night. Most passed. I was thrilled... absolutely thrilled to learn that I received a B! Three tests down... One to go! Our last test is considered our final, but it's not cumulative (thank goodness). Because we missed a couple days due to snow, we're making it up this week. Class tonight and tomorrow night... Ugh, that's over 6 hours of lecture over two nights. Next week will be the last test, I imagine since it's the end of Finals Week.
I got some other good news from the school I am transferring to. I went to see the advisor last night before my B Law class. Apparently, all of my Gen Ed requirements are done and 8 of the business classes I've taken qualify for the core requirement classes... which means I only have 9 core classes to take. In addition, 8 of the other business classes I've taken qualify toward the 9 required electives which means I only have to take 2 other classes to satisfy that requirement. To top it all off, I can complete a DOUBLE major with Accounting AND Finance. How cool is that?!? The advisor informed me that if I wanted to take two classes at a time, I could finish in about a year and half -or- 2½ years doing one class at a time.
Celeste
Ain't she cute? If she weren't so adorable, I'm sure the local squirrels wouldn't pick fights with her. Squirrel in tree, Celeste on the ground. Bark-Bark-Bark! up at the squirrel. Chatter-Chatter-Chatter! down to the dog. This is what I have to deal with. LOL!
Gardening
I managed to clean out the dead stuff from my planted containers that I brought from my other house when I moved. They're ready for the new plants. :)
The rest of my tulips have finally bloomed. These are the pink ones I planted last Fall. I don't know what the purple flowers are. They were planted by the previous owner(s).
Socializing
Social Life? What's that?!? This weekend, I actually felt like I had a social life. LOL
On Saturday, I had a lunch date with M. He’s the one from the ‘burbs of Chicago and brought me salt when all the stores here were sold out last winter. The date was nice and the awkwardness of previous dates didn’t seem to be there. At least not for me, anyway. He asked if I was willing to get together over the summer after my classes were finished. I think he’s a good guy and I have a lot of respect for him. Not many men impress me like that.
On Sunday, my coworker hosted the “2nd annual Get Fit” BBQ. It was a lot of fun! The food was fabulous! Most people brought a dish to pass, which made it easier on the host and hostess. I brought Bacon Stuffed Tomato appetizers. Every person who tried them told me they were really good. :)
May 3, 2008
Rock Bed? Flower Garden?
Not sure what to call it.
It really shouldn’t surprise me by this point, seeing as everything I touch I have to wonder: “When was the last time...”
Up to this point the wondering had been about cleaning in the house, as I’ve had to deep clean almost everything since the previous owner didn’t seem to keep stuff clean. I’m no clean freak by any means, but c’mon... Mold, burnt on food, etc.? I digress, though because this isn’t about cleaning.
I spent 2 hours after work on Friday night trying to make the “flower bed” in my backyard presentable. As Celeste enjoyed her evening in the “great outdoors”, I sat and pulled weeds and grass from around the bricks (building bricks with holes in them) that were laid flat on top of the ground in an attempt to make it look like a flower bed sans flowers. In the center of the bed is red lava rock interspersed mildly with white rock that apparently was left over from some other project. I had to wonder when the last time someone did something with the bed because the grass that was growing in one portion of it had quite an established root system under the rock, between the bricks and in the holes of the bricks. It seems plants were put willy-nilly and seeing as I don’t know what all is there, I am leaving the bed “as-is” for this year. Next year, the bricks and the rock have to go. Who in their right mind would put a rock bed right next to a deciduous tree? A male friend told me: “A man would.” LOL
It really shouldn’t surprise me by this point, seeing as everything I touch I have to wonder: “When was the last time...”
Up to this point the wondering had been about cleaning in the house, as I’ve had to deep clean almost everything since the previous owner didn’t seem to keep stuff clean. I’m no clean freak by any means, but c’mon... Mold, burnt on food, etc.? I digress, though because this isn’t about cleaning.
I spent 2 hours after work on Friday night trying to make the “flower bed” in my backyard presentable. As Celeste enjoyed her evening in the “great outdoors”, I sat and pulled weeds and grass from around the bricks (building bricks with holes in them) that were laid flat on top of the ground in an attempt to make it look like a flower bed sans flowers. In the center of the bed is red lava rock interspersed mildly with white rock that apparently was left over from some other project. I had to wonder when the last time someone did something with the bed because the grass that was growing in one portion of it had quite an established root system under the rock, between the bricks and in the holes of the bricks. It seems plants were put willy-nilly and seeing as I don’t know what all is there, I am leaving the bed “as-is” for this year. Next year, the bricks and the rock have to go. Who in their right mind would put a rock bed right next to a deciduous tree? A male friend told me: “A man would.” LOL
May 2, 2008
SBQ 4/30/08 - Heirlooms
Do you have any pieces that you would liked passed on to future generations as family heirlooms? Hopefully all of the things I've made that are still in my possession when I die will be passed on to other family members, and not donated to the local Goodwill/Salvation Army stores... or worse yet, thrown in the garbage.
Mostly, I'd hope that Japanese Garden will be passed on. It will be an awesome piece when it's finished. There's a pic in the sidebar.
May 1, 2008
Domestic Violence
*Yawn* I am sooo tired today. Last night, I attended the annual charity fundraiser that benefits my county's Domestic Violence program. Domestic violence is a senseless crime. The county's DV organization provides women with individual and group counseling, children's counseling, legal advocacy, transitional housing, and a 24-hour crisis hotline. All services are free and confidential.
The most recent DV death in my county happened just last month: The boyfriend of a woman killed her sister and mother in a domestic dispute. Granted, not all DV disputes end in death. Most disputes aren't even reported. Some are strong enough to walk away and get help, others are not. Whether it's verbal or physical, it is NOT all right to "beat" someone down. Yet, each of us is touched in some way by someone who is the receipient of domestic violence.
This program has always held a special place close to my heart. You see, I am a survivor of DV. Without going into too many details, suffice it to say that I almost choked on my own blood, and I literally saw stars. Even though it was over 20 years ago, my thanks goes out to DV legal advocate, Teri (who died way too young... in her 30's... of a heart attack), because without her a young woman in her 20's wouldn't have been able to navigate the system, get counseling, and the protection she needed. Thankfully, with her help and "talks" I was able to stay strong and do what I had to do. Interesting to me at the time, I had other young women say to me: "I'm glad you're being so strong. I could never do what you're doing."
So what was this fundraiser about? Each year, the community is asked to nominate women who've offered significant contributions to their communities and/or families. Out of those nominees, several are recognized as a "Woman of Excellence". The DV program also gives out a $500 scholarship to a high school senior girl based on her achievements, future goals, and an essay about a woman who made a difference in her life. In addition, we enjoy a delicious catered dinner and fabulous entertainment.
Dinner consisted of Tropical Baby Spring Green Salad (OMG, it was sooo good!), Pineapple Mango Chicken, Fresh Garden Cut Aparagus, Mediterranean Rice Blend, and Key Lime Cheesecake. I was ready for a nap after all that food!
Entertainment this year was provided by an a cappella rock 'n roll group from the Chicago area called Ac•Rock. They were very funny and entertaining!
On that note, I'll leave a few parting thoughts:
• Domestic Violence is not limited to certain income, education, or socio-economic levels. It doesn't care if you're white, black, yellow, or green.
• Battering is more than physical (hitting, kicking, pushing, etc) harm. It also comes in the form of verbal put-downs.
• No one has the right to physically or mentally harm you. Do not let anyone hit, push, or put their hands on you in any way.
• Don't let anyone tell you "You are worthless" or "You won't be able to make it on your own". Because you aren't worthless. You CAN make it on your own.
• Whether you are single... or have children... aged 13 or 80... There are people who will help you. All you need to do is take that step.
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
Get The Facts
Council in Europe - Stop DV Against Women
The most recent DV death in my county happened just last month: The boyfriend of a woman killed her sister and mother in a domestic dispute. Granted, not all DV disputes end in death. Most disputes aren't even reported. Some are strong enough to walk away and get help, others are not. Whether it's verbal or physical, it is NOT all right to "beat" someone down. Yet, each of us is touched in some way by someone who is the receipient of domestic violence.
This program has always held a special place close to my heart. You see, I am a survivor of DV. Without going into too many details, suffice it to say that I almost choked on my own blood, and I literally saw stars. Even though it was over 20 years ago, my thanks goes out to DV legal advocate, Teri (who died way too young... in her 30's... of a heart attack), because without her a young woman in her 20's wouldn't have been able to navigate the system, get counseling, and the protection she needed. Thankfully, with her help and "talks" I was able to stay strong and do what I had to do. Interesting to me at the time, I had other young women say to me: "I'm glad you're being so strong. I could never do what you're doing."
So what was this fundraiser about? Each year, the community is asked to nominate women who've offered significant contributions to their communities and/or families. Out of those nominees, several are recognized as a "Woman of Excellence". The DV program also gives out a $500 scholarship to a high school senior girl based on her achievements, future goals, and an essay about a woman who made a difference in her life. In addition, we enjoy a delicious catered dinner and fabulous entertainment.
Dinner consisted of Tropical Baby Spring Green Salad (OMG, it was sooo good!), Pineapple Mango Chicken, Fresh Garden Cut Aparagus, Mediterranean Rice Blend, and Key Lime Cheesecake. I was ready for a nap after all that food!
Entertainment this year was provided by an a cappella rock 'n roll group from the Chicago area called Ac•Rock. They were very funny and entertaining!
On that note, I'll leave a few parting thoughts:
• Domestic Violence is not limited to certain income, education, or socio-economic levels. It doesn't care if you're white, black, yellow, or green.
• Battering is more than physical (hitting, kicking, pushing, etc) harm. It also comes in the form of verbal put-downs.
• No one has the right to physically or mentally harm you. Do not let anyone hit, push, or put their hands on you in any way.
• Don't let anyone tell you "You are worthless" or "You won't be able to make it on your own". Because you aren't worthless. You CAN make it on your own.
• Whether you are single... or have children... aged 13 or 80... There are people who will help you. All you need to do is take that step.
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
Get The Facts
Council in Europe - Stop DV Against Women
