Bits and pieces

I'm happy with myself, I finally got my Shingles shot last week. Easy peasy. Since I had chickenpox as a child and my father had a nasty case, I thought it prudent.

Anyway, my arm was red for a few days where the shot was given and it itched for a couple of days, but it's all good now.

And then I chipped a back tooth, so I'm getting a crown next week.

And now it is snowing - my bulbs have been peeking out of the ground for awhile already and now it is snowing.

February has been an interesting month.

Remembering Challenger 25 Years Later

‘High Flight’ by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless falls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

From left are Ellison Onizuka, Mike Smith, Christa McAuliffe, Dick Scobee, Greg Jarvis, Ron McNair and Judith Resnik


President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office of the White House from his televised address to the nation about the space shuttle Challenger explosion:

"The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." "

Good-bye Aunt Marianne

Saturday was spent with mixed emotions. The oldest generation is all gone now that Aunt Marianne passed away on January 5th. Her service was on Saturday and the room was filled with relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers - all telling wonderful stories.

We all enjoyed her 100th birthday in June 2010, and that is a wonderful way to remember her.

How the time has flown...

...since I posted last. Over a year..what on earth was I doing? Well, having a not so good time at work, so I quit/retired January 8, 2010. Then I had a great time cleaning clutter from the house - something I am still doing. It's great to go through each drawer and closet & find things I thought I needed but really don't.

We are getting the foundation to our house fixed soon (as soon as the engineer's report is completed) the estimate is $21,000 - yup, $21,000.

I was called back to work for the month of October ('new' webmaster quit & they were in between web folks). They paid me the same salary as when I left in January & I did not have to deal with the problematic people where I was before. A wonderful time & I was able to leave on better terms & a much happier me. I told them I would be available if they needed me, but for no more than two weeks at a time. We'll see if that happens.

I've been doing other crafts (other than scrapbooking) and am really enjoying myself. I'm crocheting again & am finishing a Crochet-a-long with Bernat. I chose shades of blue instead of using the suggested yarn. I tore apart an afghan I started a couple of years ago. Here's my afghan before the finishing edge. Cindy enjoys the Afghan, too.


You can see truer colors on my Ravelry page.

I also got interested in using my beads when I ran across the Bead Journal Project. Now, I am not a professional, but I do have some crafty skills. I am not joining the project, but it did prompt me to go off on my own & get creative. I decided to use mixed media - fibers and beads. I chose to do projects about things I liked. So I've done a dragonfly (see the little frog in the lower right side crawling up on the lily pad?),



Christmas tree: I still need to add tinsel or a popcorn string - haven't decided yet what,



the beach: added shells on the beach. I still need to create the jellyfish floating in the water, and a starfish or two. Can you see the seagulls in the sky and the seaweed on the beach?,



fall: this was my first & I ran out of steam after doing the tree & grass. But Mr. Wind will be done next with his big puffy cheeks - blowing leaves around,



and my version of a Cinderella dress: I know her dress is supposed to be blue, but these are the fabric colors I had to create the dress. Now I just have to bead the background & attach the dress.




They are in various stages of 'doneness' ;-)

Well, I have a few things to do this evening & must get to them. I'll try to be a better blogger in the future & post more often.

Where I'm From...

We have a challenge on our Obsessed Scrappers United boards..to go to this site and create a LO using the questions about where I am from. This was based on a poem by George Ella Lyons called "Where I'm From." It took quite awhile to come up with my words & the LO followed easily. I used paper from July's Club Scrap Jr. kit....it fit the theme beautifully!!

Where I'm From

I am from cool saltwater breezes, from shells, starfish & clams, from a Voit wetsuit for skiing over the sound, long sunny days & cold winter nights.

I am from a home built by my parents & added onto when I was born, from beautiful “mother-tended” gardens, from a shop full of tools & smells of creativity.

I am from wild blackberries, thimbleberries, nettles, elderberry trees, Fireweed, Indian Paint Brush & from the sweet scent of Sweet Peas & colorful, sweet blossoms of Nasturtiums.

I am from family gatherings reuniting souls each summer & loving, caring, closely knit kin, from George & Ruth, from Andrews & Loomis.

I am from the honest & hard-working, music lovers & the curious, from the artistic & creative.

From wait ½ hour after lunch before you can go swimming & is your homework done.

I am from solid & quiet Presbyterians, from the huge brick building & a Sunday School teacher I loved. I am from red-doored Episcopalians & a small church in Port Townsend.

I am from the Pacific NW, third generation, from pioneer stock. The ocean, sound, lakes & rivers run through my veins. From grilled & smoked salmon, butter clams, shrimp, Dungeness crab, sweet corn from grandpa’s garden.

From hardy Yankee stock in Maine who came west in the 1840s, returned to the east to fight in the Civil War, & came west again to homestead in Washington Territory, from a guitar playing dairy farmer & an Irish lass turned school teacher. From a dairy farmer’s son & a brick mason’s daughter – country & city united, strong, dedicated, hard-working men & women.

I am from photos lovingly scrapped from the 1800s to today, from a genealogy written in 1700s Ireland, tatted lace, crewel pictures, hand-made dresses, a hand-hewn shingle from a barn long gone, silver from a generation that lived in a castle & were landed gentry, my paternal grandfather’s guitar that I never heard him play, the letters from cousins in England during WWII, & the stories passed down from generation to generation to those who still love to hear them.

I'm soooo ashamed

I haven't updated my blog in such a long time :( But, here I am today. Lots of stuff going on this week. Tomorrow we have a funeral mass for DH's uncle on Bainbridge Island. He was 82 and quite ill for some time. His wife is just trying to get used to an empty house. I'm sure it must seem very quiet to her.

Saturday, we go down to Olympia for a 99th birthday party for my aunt. She's the last one of the five kids. My dad passed away first in 1985 at age 68..but his sisters were long lived...each of the other three sisters lived to at least see their 90th birthday. My aunt in Olympia was the second eldest and my dad the youngest. It should be a fun time for the family. We are bringing a life-long friend (age 93) of my aunt along with us - they should both enjoy the time together.

Next week DH & I go to San Antonio for a scrapbook retreat with my Obsessed Scrapbook sisters. There will be about 20 of us staying cool in the scrapbook store. A few DHs will be there, too...mine just wants to toodle around SA and see the sights. I want to take some pictures because the last time I was down there (in the 1980s) I didn't take a lot. So Riverwalk & Alamo here I come!! I'll be working on a couple of swaps - I don't want to bring a lot of stuff on the plane - so I'm pre-cutting and packaging up my stuff. I'm so looking forward to this since I've never met these wonderful ladies in person!!

We've been having HOT weather here (yes, I know it will be hot in SA) and we don't have air conditioning...just a lot of fans and popsicles.

Well, that's the short update for now. Happy Summer!!

Susan Boyle - I am a fan!!

I watcher her performance on YouTube from April 11th and was in awe. I will be looking forward to hearing more from her. You can see her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables via YouTube from Britain's Got Talent 2009.

My?? Dog

I was surfing this morning on MSN and the home page had a link to "Best pet for you by zodiac sign." So I had to see what they thought the "best pet" for me would be. Hummm, a Bernese Mountain Dog. They are beautiful, that's for sure, but I'm not sure it would fit into my lifestyle at the moment.

According to Pets 911, they are very loving - wonder if they like cats?

So check out the web site & let me know what pet was picked for you.

I love my hubby....

Today my DH said, "I would rather be happy and have less money than be unhappy and more money."

I have been under incredible pressure at work and have been looking at my options. His statement really lifted me up. He has been running numbers to see if I can get out of this nightmare, and he supports me 100%.

What more could a wife want? I love you, honey.

Goodbye, PI: 1863-2009

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

I grew up with this newspaper. Every morning it was delivered to the door. It is part of my history and I'm a little sad at its demise. They will go on on the internet, but there is nothing like spreading the paper out on the table and reading here & there, or going through section by section.

After 146 years, the P-I's final edition rolled off the presses yesterday, and quickly sold out. So many things are changing, sometimes I wish the world would slow down a little. So I wish the remaining 20 staff members the best of luck with the new venture.

It's finally over..

Four days of 12 hour shifts. Went to work today at noon & was able to leave as soon as I wanted to. I wanted to leave at 4:00 PM or 4:30 PM, but I had a meeting that lasted until 5:00 PM. But, at least I can go to work tomorrow at 8:00 AM and leave at a normal time. It's gonna take a bit for my body to adjust - this with the time change happening on Sunday really threw me for a loop!!

I've started my Bible Study - see our blinkie to the right - and I really am enjoying the process. I've almost got my intro page scrapped, when I do, I'll post it here. I'm doing paper piecing, so it's taking me a little time to finish it.

Same ol', same ol'

So here it is Sunday and I'm sitting on the computer just in case there is snow somewhere here. At my house it is 40 degrees & partially sunny. Last night I stayed at work until 9:30 PM & then came home and finished my shift until midnight.

I wish I were scrapping or making charms or ATCs - something creative with my hands instead of here on the computer!! I did get a basic LO drafted for the Bloggin' Bible study, so I just have to find my papers and embellies and put the front page together.

OK, enough whining for now **sigh** Hope your weekend is better than mine!

Let's get caught up

Oh wow, another month??

Weather
Well the snow disappeared & then we had more last Monday. Guess the groundhog was right - six more weeks of winter!!

CleanScape
So I called CleanScape and had a very nice conversation with the Customer Service Rep. I gave him the date and approximate time when my recycling was picked up with the garbage. They have video on the trucks that see what their employees do. The Rep. said they were very serious about recycling and were very sorry this had happened. Anyway, I don't know what the result was; however, they listened to me and I believe that they took care of the problem.

Work
Friday, Feb. 13th was our second of ten Furlough days. Which means I didn't work, not did I get paid yesterday. This is a cost saving measure by the county and all county employees (except essential workers - sheriff, prison, some health workers, etc.) did not work & the county saved some money.

Valentine's Day
DH gave me a small heart shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. He's not real big on holidays, but I try to give him a nudge in the right direction. What was really nice about this is that I've been sick with a cold for two days (feeling really crappy) and he remembered without me telling him....I'll keep him for another year.

Huh? part two

I thank CleanScapes for posting a comment about their service...it was nice to hear from them & I really do appreciate their customer service.

Can you feel the 'but' coming?

Yup, here it is. We put out our garbage container & our recycling container Friday night. Then I decided to trust what they said to do and I gathered up a lot of extra recycling, put them into paper grocery bags and found a large box (our new computer came it in, so I know it would be sturdy) to hold it all. I had five grocery bags of cans, glass & plastic and one large plastic cat litter container on top of it all. The contents were not hidden, and I had my son write 'Recycle' on the box.

Along about 11:30 AM or so on Saturday I hear the welcome noise of the garbage truck (they always come first & then the recycling truck comes by later). I am having a pajama day, reading & scrapping, so I am not dressed. I peek out the window and watch in dismay as the big box of recycling is thrown into the back of the garbage truck followed by the emptying of our garbage container. The driver had run the compactor before I could get my housecoat on & tell them to pull it back out.

I am very upset with what they did. They did not pay any attention to what they were doing...sure, they were in a hurry because a lot of people needed their garbage picked up. I can understand that, but the box was clearly labeled Recycle....so my question to CleanScapes is...

What else was I supposed to do?

Huh??

So last weekend, was the second week in a row that CleanScapes was not able to pick up our garbage or recycling. Our normal pick up day is Friday and when there is a major holiday (Christmas, New Year's Day, etc) our pick up day goes to Saturday. (Recycling gets picked up every other week.)

OK, so here's the "huh?" part: On Saturday, when CleanScapes once again said they could not pick up our garbage (they leave a message on our phone - that part is good customer service), they said we could take our garbage to their facility between the hours of 9AM & 3PM. So, if their big huge trucks cannot pick up our garbage because of the conditions of our street, how do they think we can get out with our little puny cars????? On Saturday, we still had lots of snow and no melting. 9AM??? it's still cold and dark and there is ICE on the road. Our car was not going anywhere.

So, this coming Friday it will be three weeks. Luckily, we have a large garbage container so if they really come on Saturday (remember, we have a major holiday this week) we should be OK. But, we are overflowing with recycling and that will not be picked up until a week from this Friday. We have our 96 gallon container filled and have six grocery bags under the table plus three boxes of recyclables that will not fit in the container....they did say they would pick up extra stuff at no additonal charge...just nothing in a plastic bag. Hummmm, we live in the Pacific NW...if we put stuff out in boxes and bags they will be very soggy and yucky.

Anyhoo, the snow is still melting and we never got plowed out. It's still slushy in the street and at the end of our driveway. We still have snow on the lawn. And, I can't imagine what our heating bill is going to be.

Life and times at our house.