Some creativity & hard work....

Well, the first picture there is of some aloe plants I have just repotted this morning. The biggest leafed in the terracotta planter is the Mother Aloe DH gave me on my first Mother's Day, 10 years ago. I pulled and cut a good 20 leaves off of that, to trim it back to where it is now. It has been cut back 5 times now. I don't have the heart to kill it off, though DH wishes I'd get rid of it and keep one of the babies. The other 3 aloes in the plastic pots are 3 of the 4 most recent "babie aloes" that have spung up in the last year. The 4th was too small and broke before I even got it out of the big pot. Those three will probably survive. The first "baby aloe" to ever spring from my Mother Aloe is in my kitchen window, and is now actually bigger than my now-cut-back Mother Aloe. DH was wanting me to keep that one, and get rid of my Mother Aloe. Hopefully he will not flip when he finds out I've simply cut my Mother Aloe back and replanted it. Oh well, if he does. Anyway, so I now have these 3 baby-aloe to find homes for. My MIL wants one, a coworker wants a second of them.... Now to find somebody to take the third off my hands. *wink*

Anyway, I woke up this morning, saw that it was already 60+ degrees out and sunny, and decided today would be a good day to get this repotting done. By the time I'd finished these 4 pots, it was 70 deg. And it's now REALLY REALLY warm outside and I'm glad I did this when I did instead of waiting till later in the day. As it is, I've watered these plants well, and now they're sitting soaking up the sun & hopefully recuperating. As hard as it is to believe, Aloes are a hardy species of plant, and as long as one gives them good drainage & plenty of sun, they'll come back from some pretty serious damage. Some plants wouldn't survive the way I cut back my Mother Aloe. I didn't get to leave ANY of the origional root, but instead peeled off the huge leaves & cut the stem back to where it'd fit in the pot. It'll look shitty for a while, but it'll start putting roots out from the stem and will gain strength and in the next couple of year's I'll have to be cutting it back massively again. Probably have more babies to transplant in the next 2 or 3 summers, as well.

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The second pic is of the 7 cotton-net grocery bags I've made to sell (not including the previously pictured red one, which is already sold). The red, white & blue one on the upper right side is actually as good as sold to a woman who's in Jury Duty with me. The other 6 are going to go to that local gift shop, unless I get somebody to buy them before I take them down. I've got yarn for 1 more bag, before I must buy more yarn, but I'm going to take a few days off from crocheting. I've done so much crocheting in the last couple of days that my left shoulder is bugging me again. Not as bad as it has in the past, but enough to remind me that I need to let it rest for a few days. Besides, if I get that next bag made NOW, I won't have anything to crochet on during Jury Duty on Wed. & Thursday.

What isn't pictured is the bread I made yesterday. 2 loaves of yummy "Golden Egg Bread". Half of one loaf is already gone. The other loaf is in the freezer for later. *grin* I also didn't take any pictures of my bacon & pancake breakfast I made this morning. That didn't last long enough for pictures. *wink*

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Thanks again for all the support y'all have given me over the decision whether or not to hold DD back. Yesterday as I picked DD up after her last day of school for the 2006-2007 school year, the principal told me that DD's standerdized test scores came back in the "proficient range" on all 3 categories: reading, writing & math. The principal commented that with those scores, even if I was certain I didn't want her passed on to 4th grade, they wouldn't let me hold her back. They'd pass her on to 4th whether or not I gave my consent. Which kind of pisses me off, that the school will actually go over the parent's head in regards to the child's education. And, seeing as how the teacher evidently didn't have a single child in class who didn't pass on all 3 categories, I have to wonder at the strenuousness of this test. Has it been created to be SO easy that all the kids will pass, or is the teacher just that good of a teacher??? I don't think she's a BAD teacher, but I do know that in her normal math tests, DD hasn't scored very well (S-minus, as previously mentioned). And I know that there is one student who has been suspended 5 times during the school year, and one would wonder how this child has managed to score proficently when he's spent most of his time in detention or suspended. (For every 3 times I was at the school, he was in the principal's office one of those times.) Again, makes me wonder if the test has been created to be so easy to pass in order to prevent the school from losing governmental funding.

I hope every one of my friends is having a similarly sunny & warm day.

Have a Blessed Day!

And so, we go ahead.....

I took today off work & went in to talk to the teacher, the special ed teacher that's been supervising DD in her speach therapy, and the principal. I explained my concerns, they agreed that she isn't exactly comfortable with some of the skills she's been working on this year, but all seemed pretty thoroughly convinced that DD will catch up. I'm not so convinced, still.

The special ed teacher made a comment that at a recent seminar, the special ed teachers were told (and I quote) that "any teacher that still holds any student back should be ashamed of themself" and supposedly that a large quantity of children held back eventually drop out. (To which I promptly told her what a crock of BS I think the no-child-left-behind plan is, and that I don't see ME holding my child back as her being left behind or abandoned as I see it as giving her a second chance to learn what must be learned.) I don't know if that's because of the child's being held back, or because of lack of parental involvement. I personally think that if a child drops out, it says more about the parent's attitude toward school, than it does about the fact that the child was held back. And I remember oh-so-many classmates 10 years ago who were either held back from continuing on along with classmembers older than myself, that then graduated WITH me, and my former classmates that wound up graduating 1 or 2 years behind me after being held back. But, MOST of us graduated. Heck, most of the kids I knew who didn't graduate on time with their class weren't held back, but dropped out anyway. Anyway, that single comment kind of told me that the special ed teacher was going to be a hardliner against me holding DD back, though the principal said it was my choice, and DD's regular teacher said she thinks I'm being very brave to bring this before them as a serious option when so much of the country is opposed to daring to tell our children anything that may wound their fragile views of the world. *wry smile* So, I had one in my corner (at least theoretically) and 2 against me.

And, of course, the special ed. teacher suggested that in the fall we test DD to see how she's doing in ALL her subjects, rather than just reading & comprehension as she has been tested to now. The last time she was so tested (in first grade) she was a little low, but not so low as to make her eligable for the special ed. program. Now, of course, the special ed. teacher wants to test her and see if she qualifies, but now I'm very reluctant (knowing what I do) to put her INTO the special ed. program. I would prefer to hold her back and allow her to catch up, then to push her so far forward till she's so far behind that she qualifies. That just doesn't make sense to me. Of course, that's what was being advocated. It helps, though, that DH spent his whole middle school & high school careers (till he dropped out in favor of homeschooling, from which he finally graduated 2 years later than the rest of his "class") in special ed., frustrated because he was treated as though he was stupid. (He still thinks he's stupid, though I don't. He's not NASA material, but he's not stupid.) So, it certainly helps that DH is on the same page as me as far as holding DD back, instead of passing her on only to have her put in special ed.

Anyway, DD's reading grade is up to average, she's even reading, occasionally, at a 4.6 level. (That is, this is the upper number she's reached, at this point, not that she reads consistently at this level.) I did, actually speak to DD's reading tutor and told her that I was seriously contemplating holding DD back a year, and she said that she thinks it would do DD a world of good.

DD's math scores are pretty consistently about S-minus. Which realistically is maybe a C, possibly down into a D. I'm not comfortable with that. And I made that incredibly clear to the 3 educators present. Her teacher DID say that while DD isn't caught up to where they would like her, in class she's gotten very confident, asking questions and not giving up just because she gets the wrong answer the first time. She seems to think that we can continue to build on that confidence and that DD will continue to work hard in class to improve her grades. I just wish she was as confident & self-motivating here at home as they say she is in school. The teacher did, of course, suggest that if we could just drill the math facts into DD's head she'd do so much better. They don't seem to realize that outside of school, DD isn't nearly so amicable to doing school work. She tends to fight & yell & whine for about 45 minutes (wasting 45 minutes) before she finally settles herself down to do a half-assed job of whatever the homework is, before she throws another tantrum when told to fix her work and finally settling down enough to do the job correctly.

Handwriting and spelling also came down to a direct comment from the teacher stating that DH & I simply must pull more time out of our already furiously busy (most of the time) scheduals and work with DD ourselves. *big ol' sigh* Part of me seriously wanted to ask the teacher if she wanted to take DD home with her for a taste of DD's after-school behavior, seeing as her oldest is just graduating with his PhD in something-or-another and her younger is going to be getting married any day now. I mean, she's raised two well adjusted adult children.... Maybe she'd like to give me a break & take a try at raising mine???? *wink*

Now comes the part I'm still not comfortable with..... Despite my serious misgivings about passing DD on to 4th grade, the principal informed me that there will be a joint 3rd/4th class next year. She suggested that for the next year we place DD in that 3rd/4th class as a 4th grader. That IF DD seems to be falling behind right off the bat, we can bump her back to a 3rd grader (so she'll be doing 3rd grade work, instead of being pushed ahead into 4th grade work, most of it repeating from this year) without it appearing so to her age-mates. I'm not nearly so concerned about the appearance to other kids, but I know that if DD feels attacked by her age-mates because she has been held back, then it may make it harder for her to concentrate on the truly important issue of improving her skills.

Of course, one of the concerns raised by several people (DD's day-care teacher, when I spoke to her about this today, DD's current teacher, the principal, and the special ed. teacher) is that seeing as DD is one of the oldest children in her grade (birthdate Sept. 30th, so she'll turn 10 at the beginning of this next school year), if we hold her back in 3rd grade, that will mean that she'll be turning 18 at the beginning of her junior year of HS. After which point if she decides to drop out, I can't stop her. She could opt to drop out, rather than being a 19 year old senior in HS, or even finishing her junior year. That is a possibility. I would hope, though, that if DD is that close, and DH and I are consistent in our insistence that she graduate & recieve a highschool diploma, she will carry our value of even a basic education at least far enough as to graduate. *sigh*

I guess it does sometimes come down to the biblical proverb to "raise up your child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it". And while I may not hold faith in a lot of what is said in the bible, I know for a fact that this particular proverb does hold true to an extent. We all deviate a little bit from what our parents say to us as we grow up, but I do think that many of us still hold at least some of their values to heart. And I hope that being consistent in my insistance on a decent education will be one of the values that DD holds throughout her life.

So, that's where we're going to go, for now. We'll consider her in 4th grade, but she will be in this combined 3rd/4th grade class. If ANYTHING goes wrong (and I DO mean anything) I've made it clear to the principal, her current teacher, and the special ed. teacher that I WILL have her placed back in 3rd grade, regardless of what their feelings on the matter may be. And I have DH backing me up, and DD said she understands (though it's clear she doesn't necessarily like it) my reasoning.

The day-care teacher (upon learning that DD is struggling in various educational aspects) expressed that she would appreciate if we could share DD's weak spots with her, and she will be sure to help DD concentrate efforts especially on those weak spots in their 2 hours a day they will spend on education at the day-care, this summer. So she's also very adamant that hopefully we can bring DD up to speed during the summer, instead of watching her fall back again.

So, that's where things stand for now. Thanks for the support. I really appreciate it.

Have a Blessed Day!

End of the School Year Blues.....

May I formally say that I am, ironically, a supporter of year-round schooling. I can, as a mother, appreciate how beneficial it would be to our children to have a shorter summer break, and a school term that ran longer than the normal 9 months with a 3 month summer vacation.

On Friday night, when DH came home he checked the mail. In the mail was one of those letters addressed to the parents of.... The sort that carries report cards, or official school letters. I opened it expecting to find the DD's results from the standardized tests taken in April. It wasn't. It was the result of a test called the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices, administered by the "Extended Learning Specialist" at DD's school. The letter starts out with defining the test: The SPM consists of 60 items arranged in 5 sets of 12 items each. Each item contains a figure with a missing piece, kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. Below the figure are alternative pieces to complete the figure, only one of which is correct. Each set involves a different "theme" for optaining the missing piece, and within a set the items are roughly arranged in increasing order of difficulty. The SPM measures visual perceptual skills and the ability to form perpetual relationships. It measures a student's ability to reason by analogy, which helps sudents to understand new material more readily. It also measures a student's ability to make sense out of complex data. The test was designed to be independent of language, culture, or formal school experience. It does not measure math skills, though it correlates with that ability. It also does not measure reading skills or your child's verbal ability.

IE: it's an IQ test of sorts.

The total score was possible out of 60. DD achieved 16 correct out of 60. Which put her in the 10th percentile, well below the "average" which ranged from 16% to 84%.

Quite honestly, I feel as though I've been told by the school "Your child's an idiot, and with one week left in the school year, there's not much you can do about it." I know that this is probably not how they intended it. But I hid this letter from DD, not even letting her know that it'd come, because I didn't want to discourage her about her own abilities. And then, yesterday, I called and talked to the E.L.S. for the school, and found out that the E.L. Program is what we used to call the "G.T. Program" (Gifted & Talented). He said that this test was origionally given back in Oct. (OCTOBER!!!!! I could have had some knowledge of this all winter!!!) but that when DD didn't test INTO the program, he disregarded the results (along with the results of all the other children who did not test into the program). Then last week he was informed that the parents of all the students who took this test STILL needed to recieve the results of this test, though I was never even aware she TOOK this test in the first place.

After finding out what this test was about, I called the office to ask about setting up a conference between myself, my daughter's teacher, and the principal to discuss DD's progress for the year. Even though this test was taken back in Oct. and even though it doesn't track her progress in the basics throughout the year, it's reminded me that with my child I must be ever-attentive as to her progress. I was reminded, with one week left in the school year, that it may not be in DD's best interest to pass her on to 4th grade next fall. And I hate to do that to her, for social reasons. But I would also hate to pass her on to 4th grade, knowing that she doesn't have the skills needed to keep her head above water, much less succeed.

And wouldn't you know it, the teacher mentioned this test to DD, and the fact that I was wanting to come in to discuss DD's readiness for 4th grade. And DH clarified that for her when he picked her up from Daycare with the statement that I would be discussing with the principal & teacher the possibility of holding her back. So I barely made it in the front door last night, after work, before I was subjected to yelling & crying over how mean I am to consider holding her back. (The yelling and crying from DD. DH understands though he also finds it almost heart-breaking.)

And of course, the teacher was planning on taking today (Tuesday) off, so I can't talk to her about it today. And tomorrow (Wed.) and Thursday I'll be in Jury Duty for the part of the day when the teacher would be at the school, so I won't be able to conference with her then. Friday, the last day of school, will be the next time I'm able to speak with the teacher & principal about this. At this stage in the game we should already be almost celebrating DD's passing onto 4th. Instead, because I haven't been as attentive as I realize I should have been, and because the school is content with the status quo, we're still struggling to decide if this is even the right thing for DD.

And I know that I'm going to face opposition from the teacher and probably from the principal. Mainly because this damned "No Child Left Behind" program has put them into a position of passing children that they KNOW aren't ready to be passed, or risk losing funding for the school & their teaching positions. I don't mean to sound like I'm blaming DD's lack of academic skills on the teachers individually, as I know they've done the best with what they've got. But they've also been consistently extremely reluctant to consider holding a child back, even if it's in the best interest of that child to have another year to catch up, before being forced to drop even further behind (in academic skills, though not in grade level) the rest of her class. I really do think it would benefit DD to spend another year in 3rd grade, reiterating with herself all that she's learned in one year, and solidifying the concepts that she doesn't have down yet. Hopefully by the end of that second go-round in 3rd grade, she'd be at the top of her class, having had sufficient time to grasp all the concepts before moving on to 4th.

So, I'm really kind of bummed these last few days, considering doing this to my daughter. I recognize that my primary job in life is not to make sure that she's an imbicilic social butterfly, but instead to make sure that she IS a mature, strong woman with a solid educational foundation underneath her upon which to build her future.

She seems to understand, sometimes, that this would probably be best for her. She seems to understand that she can't be a veterinarian without making decent marks in school so that she can get whatever college education is required for a veterinarian practice. And even on the days when she insists that all she wants to do is play hockey for the rest of her life (and one doesn't need to know how to read, write and do math to play hockey! *wry smile*), she WILL need to know how to read & write in order to read hockey contracts & sign autographs, and basic math skills will go into making sure she's getting paid enough to play. *big wink*

So, now all I've got to do is meet with the teacher & the principal & go over her scores from beginning of the year to now. I'm not 100% decided on if we'll hold her back, but I'm at the point where I really do think it'd benefit her more than it'd hurt her, in the long run. And I've been assured by other parents & past teachers that if she's not got a good foundation in 3rd grade, then she'll likely drown in 4th grade. That is the point where the basics of reading, writing, and math are used as a foundation upon which further academic knowledge is built & solidified. And if that foundation is so weak as to be unusable, then she'll never catch up. And we're already aware of how reluctant the teachers are to hold a child back, for fear of looking bad themselves. I don't see it as a failure on the teacher's part, and I don't necessarily see it as a failure on the student's part. In this case, as in some others, I see it as a legitimate validation that not all children are ready for advancement at the same time. There are some that pick things up more quickly (those generally wind up in the E.L. program) and there are those that pick things up more slowly. And rather than putting those slower-to-learn children in special ed. WHY not hold them back???? To get into the Special Ed. program, a child must be IN their "age grade" but be 2 years behind in their skills. And then they must be passed on to the consecutive grades with their age-mates, regardless of their skill levels, simply because they ARE in the Special Ed. program. I don't see that as a solution, I see that as a hinderance. You're still saying that the kid's got to be in the same class, but they just don't have to learn as much. Why not pull the child back a bit & let them get their foundation solidified before letting them build ever higher????

Anyway..... I know this has been another long, poorly written post. Thanks to all my friends who've read my meandering & ranting. Even if I don't write clearly sometimes, it really helps to solidify things in MY mind, and it helps to know that I've got friends out there in cyberspace who'll support me & back me up, even though most of you don't know me in person. It's great to have that support, esp. when one must go about being a "mean mommy" and flouting the conventions in the effort to do what is truly right for one's child.

Have a Blessed Day!

A nice, quiet weekend....

That's what I needed, and that's pretty much what I've gotten. Yesterday I didn't even take off my jammies, except for a shower. I sat & crocheted & watched TV all afternoon. I now have 5 bags to sell, the red one having been sold last week, and another one that I didn't take a picture of having been given to a friend for a belated birthday gift. I've got yarn (as of today) for two more bags. Some of the women I've talked to LOVE the colors, but feel that light colors are too easily dirtied, even if the bag is cotton & easily washed with their towels or such. So I've picked up a couple of moderate-toned solids in pretty blues that I'll whip up this next week. I've been averaging 2 bags a week, and a third one started. If I don't sell any this week, I'll take the lot of them in (should be 7 by then) to the gift store just up the road, and see if she'd like to put them out for sell on consignment.

Anyway, today was somewhat busier, but in a mellow sort of way. Got up and made bacon & a flat of Hawaiian sweet rolls for breakfast. (The rolls just had to be popped in the oven to warm for 5 minutes, I didn't really make them.) I'm not a big breakfast person. I like continental style breakfasts most, when I eat breakfast at all. Anyway, after that I sat & crocheted while DH played a video game & dd played on the computer, for a while. Then we went to Sam's club for some bulk grocery shopping. Spent a little too much ($$ wise) there, but we didn't get anything that we didn't truly need. And we actually didn't buy some of the things on our list, when we saw that the prices at Sam's were actually higher than our local grocery store. Then over to Michael's for a bit more cotton yarn, and then to Walmart for some Mother's Day cards. Then we came home, and dinner is about done (we eat dinner late, here). We'll settle down & watch a movie as soon as we eat, then it's to bed & start the week over again tomorrow.

For the record, dinner tonight consists of Parmesan Herb Chicken breasts, buttered egg noodles (DH likes them very plain, for some reason), and Cucumber Salad (our favorite family recipe, Shelli!). YUM!

I hope all my femail friends have a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY tomorrow. And may EVERYBODY have a Blessed Day!

What a day for chocolate....

We had a couple of intense cases today. One concerning some inappropriate conduct by an esteemed member of society against another member of society that left almost every woman in the jury room in tears. Several of us insisted on "breaking the rules" and giving one of the witnesses a hug and a whispered word of encouragement in their case after we'd come to our decision.

The other case that was intense was very poorly researched and it felt like the accusing parties were trying to find the defendent guilty at any & all cost, even to the point of disregarding human dignity & rights. But, the evidence was there, if sketchy, so we had to agree to send the case to court.

Between the two, even the guys were feeling the need for some chocolate. *sigh* As interesting as this process has been, it's been frustrating & intense and I don't think I ever want to do this again.

Ok, I guess that's it.

Have a Blessed Day!

Be prepared.....

Oh, but be prepared for WHAT???

I live not 1/4 mile (as the crow flies, slightly more if driven) from a fuel refinery. I also live between 2 military bases: an Air Force Base, and an Army Post. I'd say that approx. 40% of the inhabitants in my borough happen to be associated with the military. Maybe (probably) more.

So many people did not express suprise when we woke up on Monday and found that the military was conducting an "exercise" just down the road from our house (my neighbourhood) that involved stopping motorists as they passed & asking to see their license. MILITARY, not police. This is NOT a random police search for alcohol. This is the military stopping each & every vehical to pass their way, and request ID. They happen to be performing this exercise in front of the local refinery, and it's being passed off as an exercise to ascertain the safety of the refinery, and get some idea of how massive the danger to that property could be.

Today, the road leading past my subdivision is closed off to all but those of us who live here and military & medical & police officials. They're conducting a M*A*S*H* drill as part of a north-western (region of the country, that is) training process to ready the hospitals & police forces for any potential terrorist activity that may take place in our area.

Ok, I can somewhat understand the preparedness issue for medical & even police..... But, why are the military preparing ME for being stopped just outside MY neighbourhood??? I hate feeling like a conspiracy theorist. I really do. I don't like to think the worst of people. But this feels more like we're being prepared for a crack-down on our civil liberties. We're being conditioned to think "oh, this is just another exercise." Or "oh, if I don't have anything to hide, I shouldn't be worried about crossing that line." Or "Oh, they're just doing their job, just making sure we're safe."

I don't like feeling unsafe, but I don't like feeling like every move I make is being watched, either. I don't feel like I may have to watch what I say or do on my own property, in my own neighbourhood, in case it's deemed subversive or deviant. As a pagan in a primarily christian town, I don't like the thought of being closely monitored, being followed, or being stopped for no apparent reason. I know that some of the people I associate with every day would have no problem with claiming that paganism is deviant & should be suppressed. Hell, I think my dad would say as much. There are neighbours, of course, who are willing to look the other way on some of my idiocyncrasies, if I'll do the same for them. Those neighbours I like. It's the ones give me looks as if I'm crazy as I hang crystals to refract light from the trees outside my house (they're pretty, what can I say).

And it's knowing that some of those people who occasionally look at me as if I'm off my rocker, are the same who are likely to say "well, if you don't have anything to hide, then you shouldn't be worried." Who are likely to say "well, it's just a drill in case we DO get bombed." The ones who are likely to feel that when the military bring down force upon a person (or household, community, or town) then that person/household/community/town deserved it, without consideration of the facts. Guilty unless proven otherwise.

And I hate the fact that the military is doing this drill just outside my neighbourhood is making me nervous of conspiracies to subjugate the public.

I hope you have had a peaceful day, vacant of the constant sound of military helicopters flying back & forth overhead. I hope you have had a peaceful day, free of stops by police officers asking what my destination is. I hope you have had a peaceful day, free of the constant sound of ambulance & fire-engine sirens.

And, I hope you have a Blessed Day tomorrow!

My latest projects....

(Forewarning, the blogger won't allow me to do recognizable paragraphs today, so I'm going to bullet-point this post so it's easier to read, hopefully.)

1. Well, here are some examples of my latest projects.... Cotton net grocery sacks. The pill bottle gives a bit of size reference, in case somebody's curious of how big they are.
2. A couple of weeks ago it was announced on the radio that a couple of our state legislator's are looking to put a $.15-a-bag tax on plastic grocery sacks. (Both to increase revenue for the state, and to "encourage" people to Bring-Your-Own-Bags when grocery shopping.) I'd gotten 6 of these type bags made for myself, starting with a vastly different pattern with my first bag, then changing things till I've come up with a completely different pattern all my own (though it's a basic net, I didn't copy from anybody else, and how I do the strap/handle is different from any other patterns I've seen). By the time I got to my 6th bag and was getting started on DD's swim bag, I'd come up with a definite prototype, which is what I used in making these 3 bags (and the 4th that I just finished yesterday, that's not shown here).
3. Anyway, I figured that I'm not going to be the ONLY one in my area who'll be wanting reusable bags instead of paying a bag tax, so I decided to make a bunch of these to sell. As I was making the yellow & white one, a coworker expressed an interest in the bags, but said she likes red. Which is why I've got that brilliant red one made. So I'm hoping that when she sees it today, she'll go ahead & buy it from me. Several other coworkers have also expressed an interest in these, as have a few of my fellow jurors. My origional intent was to make several to take with me to a locally owned & operated gift shop just a couple of miles from my house, and see if the 0wner would be interested in selling these in her shop. I'm going to ask at least $20 for them, though that price may be adjusted a bit depending on the consignment percentage the gift-shop owner wants per bag. I'm willing to go as high as $25, but not any higher. I think that $20 is about as high as most people are going to want to spend.
4. It takes about 8 oz of cotton dishcloth yarn, of which brand I've been using the Lily Sugar & Cream. That means at least 3 balls of yarn (for solid colored bags), 4 balls of yarn in the verigated or ombre colors. And at $1.89 per bag, I can't make the bags for much less than 8 bucks in materials. Most people price their handicrafts at approx. 3 times the cost of materials, which would bring these bags up to almost $24 per bag. As I said, I don't think I'll sell as many if I charge more than $20 a bag, so as long as I get at least twice the cost of materials, per bag, I think I can work that way. And maybe I'll find people that'll buy them without having to go through selling on consignment. Seeing as I use several myself, if I have a supply of them on hand to sell, I may be able to just sell them to interested individuals as I'm out and about around town. We'll see.
5. And seeing as their cotton bags, they're very washable. Except for that red one up there (which I'm going to advise the buyer to wash seperately with cool water the first time or two, to avoid bleeding onto other items), one can simply toss them into the washer & drier with one's towels or jeans & they wash up beautifully. Technically crocheted (or knitted) items are supposed to be blocked while wet & dried flat, but these are the sort of thing where you just scrunch them up in your purse or jacket pocket till they're needed anyway.
6. I figured that by making DD a swim bag in this pattern, she'll be able to simply come home from the pool, take her shampoo & brush out, and toss the whole darn bag into the wash, suit & towel & all. She seems to have a hard time remembering to either take things out of the bag or to bother to toss her swim things in the washer at all. This bypasses a step by allowing her to just toss the entire thing into the wash.
7. Anyway, I figured that it's been a while since I've shown off some of my crocheted goodies. So there ya are.... Some examples of what I've been working on lately.
8. Have a Blessed Day!

Day 2....

After my second day in JD, I'm appreciating how hard it is for grand juries to make decisions. We had a couple of major potential cases to decide on today. There really wasn't any arguement on one of them whether it would go to trial, but it was long & the details were not pleasant. The other long one came out with a lesser-than-completely-clear decision as to whether it should go to trial or not, but final decision was 11 out of 17 (one was excused for this case) jurors determining that there was sufficient evidence to take this to court. The others were small cases, but we had 4 of those as well as the 2 big ones. Interesting, and sad, and bringing up many other interesting issues that it really isn't our place to decide, but still brought up some interesting conversations.

After getting out of JD at 5:10 (we had to finish that last long one or we'd be back in tomorrow as well, and none of us wanted that!), I headed up the street to the library and pulled in the parking lot there just after 5:20. By the time I got inside & talked to my boss it was 5:30 and she agreed that if I wanted to just take that 1/2 hour as leave time, there was no reason I shouldn't. Me staying and trying to get ANYTHING done in 1/2 an hour is almost pointless. Esp. when it's the last half hour of the day. So, it's now 6:23 and I'm home, waiting for DD & DH to get home (they went over to the inlaws after work & daycare) so we can order pizza.

In fact, there they come now! YEAH!!!!!!!! So, DD's going to be happy that we're having pizza for dinner tonight. She's been whining about wanting pizza for the last couple of weeks, but DH and I have been pretty burnt out on the stuff since our trip to Anchorage.

Another mostly beautiful day out. It's getting kinda cloudy & somewhat windy as the afternoon goes on. Supposed to be gusty tonight with some chance of showers. Here's hoping. Ok, I hope y'all have had a good afternoon.

And, HAVE A BLESSED DAY tomorrow!

As luck would have it.....

I get to discover first hand (and in a long month, no less) what Grand Jury duty is like!!!! I was one of the 18 "winners" to win this lottery. *rolling eyes* It WAS interesting, today, and funny, and pathetic, and I can't say more than that obviously, but I'm wanting to. DANG am I wanting to.

And we have to buy or bring our own lunches, which means that for 9 days this month I'm going to have to shell out $$ for something to eat (above and beyond my lunches on my usual work-days). I had a sandwich (a good one, I might add) from The Fudge Pot today. And yes I got a small sliver of fudge to go with it. I don't know where else I might eat tomorrow. There are other resteraunts & eatteries in the area, but a lot of them are rather touristy, as the courthouse is down along the river on 1st avenue and that's our most touristy part of town. Go freaking figure.

I was up at 6:25 this morning to be sure that I got there on time, but I had a sleepless night last night. Between my nerves (it was something new, of course I was nervous over how it'd go) and Dh's sleeping I was up at 1:30, at 2:30, at 3:30, again at 5:30, then my alarm clock went off. Thank goodness I got to bed by 10:30 last night, or I'd be even less coherant than I am now. But, again tomorrow I'm going to have to be up by 7 am so I can be to the courthouse by 8:15 for more cases. *another sigh*

Whim, I know how imporant juries are. I don't mean to diminsh them at all. I'm just grumpy from having to wake up so early, and being worried about DD getting out the door on time (she made it, but all she decided to have for breakfast was a banana, so she didn't eat well before she went) and now I'm grumpy about the expense this is going to be on our checking account.

And besides Jury Duty, seeing as I get off each day around 4:30, I'm being told by my employer that I've still got to go into work after jury duty and finish up my work-day. That means I'm there till 6 before I can even come home and find something for us for dinner, go over DD's spelling words with her, make sure she's getting her teeth brushed & gets her shower, do anything else I may want to do, or even take a shower and drag my tired ass to bed. *grumble*

Anyway, yesterday was beautiful, though I didn't do anything special what-so-ever for May Day. Today was beautiful till about 2:30, then it started clouding over and we started getting some sprinkles. We're hoping it actually rains, as the ground & the trees could use it. And I think that about covers it...... Yep. That's it! Now, I'm gonna see if I can get to a couple of blogs before I have to get off and get dinner made. If I don't get to stop by your place, I'm sorry. I'll make doubly sure to do so this weekend.

Have a Blessed Day!

Early Mornings SUCK!

I've gotta say, I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. I've gotten called for Jury Duty for May. And not just REGULAR Jury Duty, but GRAND Jury Duty. Which, could be rather interesting as it'd be my job (and the 17 others picked with me, if I get picked) to decide if there's enough evidence to take a case to court. On the other hand, I'm a night owl. I've always been a night owl. I HATE, HATE, HATE being up before 8 in the morning (and even that's pushing it!), and tomorrow I've got to be up at 6:30 (at the latest) so that I can be downtown at the courthouse by 7:45 to sit in a big, cold room waiting to find out of MY name has been one of those drawn from the hat to come back at 7:45 EVERY Wed. for the month and listen to the evidence available for these cases. *sigh*

Not only that, but I hate going into the court house because I'm never sure what I can take with me. I mean, I know knives are not allowed, but that's hard as I ALWAYS have a pocket knife with me. Sometimes my mini-gerber as well. Those'll have to be left in my car when I go in. I can take a crochet project, as long as the hook isn't so small it can be used as a weapon, but I can't take scissors (same reason I can't have a knife) even though they're my little embroidery scissors. So, I've got to remember to trade my scissors for a pair of nail clippers (which ARE allowed) for cutting my yarn. I don't know if we get a lunch or not, though I do remember at least one 15 minute break when I had regular JD a couple of years ago. So, what do I want to take with me to eat???? Probably a bagel with cream cheese and a baggy of chips or something. *sigh* And I've gotta pick out a good long book to take with me. I REFUSE to get stuck somewhere without a book. It's just pathetic on the rare occasion I've let that happen. I mean... ME, without a book! *rolling eyes* Just shouldn't happen. I should know better than that. But, what book??? What do I feel like reading right now??? And if it's an author I've never read before will I get 1 chapter in and decide I hate the book, then be stuck without something to read after all??? *sigh* Oh the decisions to make.

Oh, and I took tomorrow off of work. So even if I do get picked for JD, I won't have to go on to work after getting let out of JD. DH said he thinks that JD gets let out by 2 in the afternoon, which would still leave me with 4 hours of regular work to do. That's a long freaking day: up at 6:30, to town by 7:45, only to have to go on to work till 6 pm, then home to make dinner and get the kiddo squared away with school work & brushing teeth before I can take a shower and drag my sleepy @$$ to bed. Of course, except for the "up at 6:30 and into town by 7:45" part, that's what today's looking like. I'm just heating up a couple of can's of Dinty Moore chicken & dumplings, and a can of creamed corn for dinner tonight. Nothing major, because it needs to be fast. And hopefully in for a shower & to bed not long after. I'd like to be in bed by 10 PM tonight. Now, we'll see if that actually happens, and if it does happen, if I'm even tired enough at 10 pm to actually sleep. I'm a night owl.... right now I'm sleepy & wish I could crawl back into bed, but by the time most people are ready for bed by about 10, I'm chillin' with a good book or watching TV and not quite tired enough to sleep yet. Of course, by 11:30, I'm tired enough to sleep, but that means I don't get enough as I've got to be up most mornings @ 7:45 to get the kiddo ready for school. *sigh* Never ending cycle of sleeplessness. I think, for every one good night's sleep I DO get, I get 20 more nights without enough sleep. So, I'm rather far behind on getting enough rest. By the time the kiddo's 18, I'll likely be a living, breathing zombie.

So, whatever else goes on, I probably won't be on tomorrow. Not at all, likely. I hope everybody else gets to sleep till a sane time of morning, and has a fabulous day.

Have a Blessed Day!

Mama's don't let your babies......

I saw another Mom's post today about how she never thought she'd be a nervous mother, but come to find out she is a bit. LOL I always thought I'd be a hyper-attentive mom, but come to find out I'm more worried about the mundane than the extreme.

Maybe it's just how active the DD has always been, but it doesn't make me all that nervous when she tries some bonehead stunt.

She learned to walk at 8 months old (yes, 8 months when she took her first steps, 9 months and she was walking well, by 1 year she was almost running in a toddlerish way). She was always climbing on things (though she seems to have a sense for what is truly too dangerous, as she's never climbed on bookshelves or dressers or even the kitchen counters). When she was 18 months old, we were visiting my Dad's older brother & sister-in-law & Mom (my Mom-mom) in Dallas, TX. DD would climb all over things: the couch, a little wheeled toddler ride-on toy, and whatever else she could find that appeared safe. Mom-mom would freak out, telling me that I better get her down before she fell and hurt herself. I know part of it was Mom-mom's age prompting her to be more nervous about things than she might have been with her own kids, but I was also made aware that there were things that may have appeared dangerous to some, but with DD I just didn't worry about it. She's always been pretty well able to handle herself.

*****

Then there was the time when we went out to Tangles Lakes camping, when she was about 6 years old. All weekend we'd been watching these bone-head teenage boys attempting to extreme mountain-bike on the little walking paths around the camp area. Most of them had rather nasty spills. Then DD decided it looked like fun, and asked her dad if she could take her bike up this little hill not far from our camp-site and bike down it. He told her ok. I came out of the camper and asked what was going on, I sat there shaking my head, praying she didn't have a REAL nasty spill (as we were nowhere near any sort of medical facilities) and figuring that no matter what happened, she'd only do it once. Needless to say, she was on a child's bike with the brakes that are tied into the pedals, where one must "back-pedal" to activate them. This little hill had about a 45 deg. incline, but the path was a straight-shot down the side, no curves or winding. So, DD got to the top and turned her bike around (she walked the bike UP), mounted her bike, and waved to us. It was me, the FIL, and DH standing there in our campsite, watching. MIL was sitting in their camper reading, or she would have been hyperventelating, watching her granddaughter attempt a stunt like that, and yelling at the hubby & I for allowing DD to do this crazy thing.

So, DD heads down, and about 1/2 way she loses her footing on her pedals, and by the time she got another 1/4 of the way, she'd gone head-over-handles and was laying out on the bike path, her bike beside her. So, the 3 of us started ambling over (she wasn't screaming, but was conscious, so we knew she wasn't terribly hurt) to check on her. Sure enough, when she went over the handlebars, she'd bruised her sternum a bit, but was otherwise unhurt. And she didn't want to ever try that again. LOL Unfortunately she also popped the tire on her bike, so she wouldn't have been trying it again on this trip anyway. MIL came back as we stood around looking at the bike and asked what had happened. When we told her, she damned near had a heart-attack and started yelling at the 3 of us for allowing DD to do something so stupid. LOL

*****

When we got back from DD's hockey tournament and I took pictures to work, I had several people ask me if I wasn't terrified to let DD play hockey, much less play goalie. I quite honestly responded that I've NEVER felt nervous about her playing, as they're so heavily padded and helmeted that she's in more danger when she's out riding her bike then she is on the hockey rink. It just doesn't occur to me to be nervous of her playing hockey. And I figure that if there was some part of it that DD felt was truly hazardous to herself, she wouldn't do it.

*****

Yesterday, my older nephew had his 5th birthday party at a park near his paternal Grandma's house (not the MIL, the dad's parents). DD wore her Healy's (those shoes with the wheels in the heel). She was having fun skating on them on the pavement, since she's not allowed to where them almost anywhere else in town (school, stores, watching hockey games). One of her favorite actions at the smaller kiddie parks (the ones designed for the under 8 crowd) is to stand on the top, center part of the teeter-totter while kids on either side are making it rock. She's got fairly good balance, what can I say.... She never falls off those things. Well, even though she's not grandchild to the nephew's grandma, Grandma N was nervous as heck watching DD perform this feat. LOL And there was no way her grandson was going to be allowed to do the same. I was figuring it's a 1 foot drop, granted that it IS possible to break an arm in that distance, but I didn't figure it's likely.

Then DD decided she was going to skate down the spiral slide. *rolling eyes* Well, again, she'd only do it once if she got hurt! And she did it, and didn't fall, and said it was fun. LOL

*****

I don't know, things like that don't make me nervous. Instead, she called just a bit ago from her best friend's grandma's house (where they all spent the night last night) asking if she & M. (best friend) could walk over to the park. It's really only about 2 blocks from B&K's House (grandparent's house) to the park, but to get there the girls must cross a minor highway and the railroad tracks. THAT makes me nervous. I know they're both old enough to know how to look both ways and what is safe and what is not. And DD's got her cell-phone in case they've got any problem. (I didn't mention that we got her a cell-phone for just that kind of wandering about town, did I?!?!?! Just got it for her this past weekend. Figured if she was old enough to be wandering about our small town, then she was old enough to have a phone with which to contact the DH & I. But it IS prepaid & no texting capabilities. And after our initial investment, she buys her own minutes. Oh, and it's DH's old cell-phone, he got himself a new one, as did I.) But, I don't like the thought of her crossing the highway and the railroad tracks. THAT makes me nervous.

It just strikes me as rather funny how the things that would normally scare most mom's half-to-death don't scare me. The physical stunts don't scare me. It's the normal every day things that make me nervous.

Oh, and for the record, the ONLY time she's ever had stitches, it was not a physical stunt that resulted in that trip to the ER. She was wearing flip-flops and trotting up the gravel path leading from our next-door-neighbour's backdoor to his drive-way, and tripped over her own feet & gashed open her hand on the gravel. It was about 10:30 on a summer night, when she & DH got done hanging out with J&T and came home for bed. Tossed her into the bath to soak out the dirt from the gash, only to realize how deep it was, so we ended up heading in for the ER by 11 pm. That was a late night. And she's NEVER broken a bone! Even her most recent gashing of her arm was when she was bumped into a mirror at B&K's house that had a chip in the edge, and gashed her arm on that chipped spot. The mundane, every day actions are when she's more likely to get hurt. Not the physical stunts, it seems.

Just had to share some of my reminisces about s ome of DD's stunts, and how I don't seem to share the same concern over stunts that a lot of mom's do. I don't know. Maybe it's because I know that telling DD that she's NOT allowed to do something will only result in her becoming more determined to do exactly that sort of thing. I'd rather tell her ok, and be prepared to take her for assistance if needed, then NOT be there when she attempts it WITHOUT my knowledge. And again, I figure that she knows best what her body can accomplish and that if it's something that either hurts her or scares her, she'll only do it the once! LOL

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In other news, we've had some beautiful weather for most of the past month. March was windy & cold and even somewhat snowy. Then April came and the weather calmed, and the clouds went away, and we got sun, and warmth. And finally about 1 week ago the mosquitos started showing up. But they were the big mosquitos. The ones we refer to as "bombers" because they're big & slow. These are the mosquitos that we try to kill as much as possible, because the more of them killed, the less will be left to lay the eggs that produce the next generations of mosquitos. The subsequent generations of mosquitos are small & fast (so small and fast that often one doesn't even realize they've been bitten till it's too late & one starts itching), and there are loads of them. These mosquitos we call "fighters" (refering to the F16 or whatever fighter jets the military uses these days). Well, wouldn't you know it, we woke on Thursday to snow and cold. And it appears to have killed off what "bombers" were still out there. And it's sunny again, so hopefully the majority of the bombers were killed by the cold before they could lay their eggs. That would greatly reduce the number of fighters this summer. It'd be even better if, once the fighters all take to the skies, we get one more snow & freeze that kills even more of them. I love the thought of a mostly mosquito-free summer. I mean, we'll always have SOME mosquitos, but the fewer the better.

But, it's back to sunny & beautiful for now. And only 1 more day left in the month, then we'll be into May and we should start seeing REALLY warm days coming, and the trees hopefully finally greening out. They've all got buds, but we haven't had much moisture to prompt them to leaf out finally. It's looking like, after a cold winter, we're going to have a beautiful early summer.

Have a Blessed Day!

What a week....

It's just been a pisser of a week....

But first off..... Anybody want a mutt??? We've got two of them..... They're both housebroken, sweet dogs.... Rather insistant on not being ignored when one is typing on one's blog or reading the blogs of others.... In fact, in the last minute & a half, I've had both of them come up beside me and push their noses up under my arm (one each side, Puck prefers the left, Jenny prefers the right) and remind me how much they want my undivided attention. As I said, sweet dogs..... Anybody want one???? ;)

And thanks for all the funny & sweet comments over the last post.... Yes, I do feel the urge to put a brick on DD's head, sometimes. Gotta say, that was never something I was threatened.... Instead it was jokingly (thank goodness) proposed that a stretching rack might do me some good. ;) Not only does she need new shoes, of course, but she's also going through clothes like nobody's business..... As the bus was pulling up just a minute ago, DD ran up to the computer-room window motioning at her leg, so I pull up the sash, and she's yelling that she can't feel her leg (she RAN across the drive to the window, from where she'd been tossing the football around with some of her buddies) and she's torn her pants..... Sure enough, good khaki's, torn in the knee now and all smudged up with dirt. Told her that there was NOTHING I could do about it at this point (the bus was stopping right in front of the house, as we were "discussing" this) and to get her hind end on the bus. *wry smile* Good night.... That kid is one rough & tumble tomboy. I suppose I should at least be grateful she's not a prissy-missy who's afraid of breaking a nail. ;)

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Anyway, so back to the "pisser of a week".... Obviously the V-Tech massacre tops the list, and I won't dedicate this blog entry to discussing what went wrong and what could have been done better. That's been done to death. I had the chance to explain to DD this morning about what happened, as soon as our moment of silence at 8 am (Alaskan time), I was asked WHY we were keeping quiet for a minute and remembering college kids in a University across the country. (Evidently it was origionally proposed in VA by their governor for noon Eastern Standard time, and as we're 4 hours behind, we observed that moment at 8 am to be sharing that minute with others across the country and possibly the world.) Anyway, so I did have the teaching moment with DD, explaining to her about all the people who's lives were lost, who's children were killed, who've had their lives abruptly altered in ways not even possible to imagine unless you've been in that kind of situation.... Tried to explain to her that this Cho was in so much pain that he decided death would be the only way out, but not only did he kill himself but he also took the lives of other people, those he imagined as a threat to himself. That as sad as one should be by the pain he must have been in to do this, we shouldn't forget that in his pain he's caused innumerable amounts of pain for others. And while war, it appears, will always be with us, we must do our best to not ADD to the pain of others, but to help where we can, and to teach other options when we can.

On Monday, also, my Mom found out that her best friend has Multiple Myeloma (cancer in the plasma of her blood, if I understand correctly) and was given 3 years to live. J. is only 50 years old, with a 21 year old daughter, and also lost her hubby to cancer 3 years ago. Maybe this isn't tragedy on the scale of V-Tech, but it's a tragedy nonetheless. She will be undergoing chemo, from what I understand. And evidently "3 years to live" is an old number, 5 years is closer to the average now possible, and some with this form of cancer have lived 10 years past their diagnosis date. J. has already suffered 6 or 7 (mom couldn't remember the precise number) broken ribs.... Broken in activities one would not generally assume very strenuous.... Like the rib broken while J. and Mom were sunbathing, when J. rolled over on her beach-blanket and heard her rib crack. So, any prayers and/or positive thoughts, candles lit, etc, for a recovery for J., and for more time for J & her daughter S. I'm sure would be appreciated.

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Monday also brought a verbal ass-chewing by my coworker, KO, over how many "windows" I had opened up during my shift at the check-out desk. We've recently gotten receipt printers, and are no longer stamping books with the due-date, unless specifically asked. Well, at the same time, it is harder to see if a book has been previously checked out by a patron, so we must actually zap the book under the laser to get a glimpse of the book's status. If the book's barcode reads "on shelf" we know that the book is NOT checked out and must be checked out before that patron can take it from our library. If it reads checked out to so-and-so, then we know that it IS indeed safe to let the book leave with the person. So, I keep my check-out window (the one used to charge books to people's accounts), my check-in window (used to check in books on the ever-present cart of books in a lag between patrons), and my "check item status" window open, each in their own little corner of my screen. It works for me, and I'm well accustomed to using multiple windows here at home. I'm not a complete imbicile when it comes to computers, and I've got no qualms about using that knowledge at work as well.

However, KO is not terribly computer savvy and completely shuts out of her windows each time she has to open a new one. It takes her forever (esp. considering she's nearly blind and has to hunt for the correct key to open the correct window). So, she came out at the end of my hour to relieve me of desk duty, but even though I was actually still helping a patron, KO started closing out my windows and ranting at me (in front of said patron) over having too many windows open. I kinda laughed with CM (another coworker) about it when I got back into the work-room, and let it go. It was funny, but it wasn't a real problem.

At least, _I_ didn't think it was a real problem. I got in Tuesday and had desk-duty immediately. Not 10 minutes after I start my desk-shift, Boss Lady comes out and, observing my 3 open windows, told me that KO had complained that I was using my "check-item-status" window to spy on people's records and steal their information. *SHOCK* EXCUSE ME?!?!? (Now, Boss Lady wasn't being a byotch about it, but she was following up on KO's accusation, which is just fine.... I have no problem with Boss Lady following up on some question like this, but I do have a problem with being accused of information theft by a coworker.) I told Boss Lady that I am NOT interested in taking a patron's information, but having all 3 windows open makes it simpler for ME to check the item status on a book when a patron asks to have it passed around the gate, saying that it's already checked out to them. I reminded her that we were instructed to do this, as we no longer have date stamps to look at. She was fine with that, but then made the comment that I need to remember to shut all my windows out at the end of my shift, before handing over the computer to a coworker. I told her that I usually do that, but that KO came out as I was still helping a patron and started closing out my windows before I'd even finished with them, pushing in front of me and ranting at me in front of patrons for doing what I need to do my job efficiently. Anyway, so no lasting problem with Boss Lady over this, she accepted my reasoning that multiple windows is easiest for me and that I DO shut out of my windows when I'm done with my shift. But, it still pisses me off that KO is spreading rumors about my intentions while I'm at my job.

I understand about identity theft and all, but sometimes I think the privacy issue is taken too far. We're not allowed to acknowledge our patrons by name, even our regulars who we wind up seeing on a very regular basis. I'm not supposed to remember the name of the woman who comes in EVERY night, 5 minutes before closing and returns 5 audio books and checks 5 more out. I mean, I'm not going to keep track of what she's checking out, that's none of my business, but I can't help remembering her name and face when I see it and her day after day. Or, having conversations with patrons when they're so friendly and see the library as a part of their community, and they BELIEVE in community and knowing your neighbours & those you interact with. Isn't that what we're taught even as toddlers, by Sesame Street.... Who are the people in your neighbourhood???? Why, there's Kati, the library girl. There are Merry & Dana & Sue, the grocery store ladies. And Terry, the guy from Burger King. And oh that's, Miss Robin from the craft store.....

And that kind of thing was appreciated and encouraged when I worked out here at my local library. The librarians were always asking me "Kati, what's Joshy's Mom's name???" and "Who is that little boy with the striped shirt & green eyes, what's his name???" And the conversations & knowledge that these are the people you share your town, your life with. That we all live here and therefore all kind of share our days & our lives & our business, and that's what makes a small town work.

But, at the library where I work now, it seems as if I'm discouraged from being a real person. I'm discouraged from seeing anybody else as a real person. And I hate that. I've got coworkers at the library I'm at now who don't allow any personal interaction, they limit it solely to their job. But, they also tend to get grumpier attitudes from the patrons, they get grumpier WITH the patrons, they don't get any respectful reactions from the teenagers when the teens are asked to bring their volume down a notch. I find that people respond SOOOOO much better when I'm a real person, and remember that they too are real people. The teens know that I'll wish them a good day, with a smile, just as I will any of the adults. When I ask somebody to stop shaking the trees, I generally get a chagrined look, an "I'm sorry" and I thank them in return and smile. It helps to remember, and be reminded, that NONE of us go through life alone, and we really DO need human interaction in order to function properly. Ironically, nobody likes the answering systems where one types in 1 for this option, 2 for this option, 3 for the next, and so on.... And yet we do away with casheers at the grocery stores. We seem to expect the people that DO handle our daily business to be completely impersonal automatons. And I can't stand that. And too many businesses realize that the best impersonal automaton is in fact a computer scanner and not a human. What a shallow, sad life it will be to go through our daily business without making any human contact unless we absolutely must. What a colorless existence...... Makes me dread the next 50 years, if automation becomes the norm, instead of the exception. Makes me hope for the sort of economic collapse suggested by those in the most fervent Peak Oil circles. At least we'll have to rely on fellow humans and learn to be nice again, instead of just computers for all our daily interactions.

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Tuesday, got home to find that Puck had once again pulled the carpeting up, outside DD's bedroom door, and shredded the padding underneath. And he'd evidently shoveled all of the food OUT of the dog dish, into the water dish, decided he didn't like it THERE either, so he proceeded to dump it back out of the water dish, all over the floor..... So, now he's back to spending his days outside in his kennel. When nobody's home, that is. And thankfully it's getting warm enough that he can do so. Of course he gives me an utterly pathetic "I'm so neglected & unloved" glare as I pull out of the drive on my way to work. But, if he's going to tear the house apart while I'm gone he's not going to get to stay in the house. That's all there is to it.

And of course, Jenny must go into her kennel as well. At least Puck's got the outdoor kennel & room to get out and move around. Jenny has her indoor doggy kennel. Which she seems to not mind. But it kinda annoys me that we must keep them cooped up so long on some days.

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Wednesday, my coworker AH left. She's decided to take a position as airport security, so Wed. was her last day. She'd only given notice on Monday (as far as I can tell) so we didn't know that this was in the works. We had a small party for her, though, as a farewell.

And my coworker ME will be leaving in the next couple of weeks as well. She's decided to get her Masters of Library Sciences through an online course, and realized that she'd have a full enough plate between her schooling & raising her daughter, that she would be best off quitting her job. So, we're going to be left short-handed by two until we get some new people in those positions.

Also, one of my other coworkers interviewed for a Library Assistant 1 position that'd come up in the Reference/ILL department, so she may be leaving us as well. (Really, I hope so. I think she'd do good at that position, though I DO like her, so I'm not just wishing her to be out of my hair. And another of my coworkers who only has 14 hours a week, at this point, would like EC's 40 hour position, if EC gets that reference/ILL position.)

So, a lot of changes taking place at work. And more to come as we get into summer.... One of the Tech assistants will be retiring in June, which means another Library Assistant 1 position will be opening up. I'm getting in on that one. The job entails purchasing books for the library's collection. Even though I don't get to pick the books to be purchased, I certainly don't think I'd have a problem doing that kind of job. It also entails 2 nights a month of Circ-desk-duty. Which is something I REALLY want, as it'll help if I ever have a chance to work back out here at the NP library. And I've made it known to Boss Lady, my former boss out here at NP, and even the boss of my former boss that I'd love to be working back out here closer to home, if and when the option arises. They all seem amenable to that possibility, and I get along well with G (NP Boss Lady's boss), and with the librarians out here at the NP library. So, we'll see. With a new library building being built over the next few years, it may open up more options for more employees out here. (Currently there are 2 librarians, 2 library assistants who do pretty much the same job as the librarians anyway, and 3 pages. With a bigger library, there will likely be need for more staff.)

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So, it's been a busy, somewhat turbulent week, all around. But, also been some small good things. Like the ham I made last night. *drool* We'd gone in on a pig from a local butcher/processor this past winter, with our next-door-neighbours. Well, we got a couple of good size (BIG!) hams and roasts out of it, as well as bacon (which I don't care for the flavor of), and pork chops & steaks, and sausage. So I finally got around to making one of the ham's yesterday.

First I put about 1/2 c of orange juice into the bottom of my slowcooker, put the (smoked) ham in next (wanted to have liquid cover the bottom, first). Drizzled a few drops of liquid smoke over top of the ham, then more orange juice. Then I mixed up some orange marmelade & dijon mustard together and slathered that all over the top & sides of the ham. Then cooked for 8 hours on low...... *sigh* Oh dang was that a good ham!!!!! And, I'm not generally big on ham. It's usually too fatty for my taste. But this stuff...... *drooling* I even had to have a ham-sandwich with it while we were watching ER last night. LOL Of course I made mashed potatoes (instant) and asparagus (fresh, barely simmered in lightly salted water) to go with the ham. Just a very yummy dinner. And with all that ham left over and a bunch of asparagus still to be used, I'm thinking I'll pick up some swiss cheese & make a quiche or two. I haven't made a quiche in a year, so it's time. *grin*

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Other than that, it's looking like it's going to be a nice slow weekend. I've got some tv shows pre-recorded that I need to watch. I'm going to walk over to the school today to pick up DD, instead of driving. We may or may not be going to get DD new shoes this weekend. (DH doesn't seem to think she needs them, I do. We'll see who wins this one.) I hope to do some baking, besides that quiche. It's been a few weeks since I've made bread. I think I'm due. *wink* Maybe some garage saling tomorrow morning as well.... We'll see. The weather's been beautiful, so I'd be suprised if there aren't a couple of early-season garage sales this weekend. Then DD and DH are going to go to the Outdoor show (bazaar in Fairbanks featuring hunting, fishing, boating & camping goodies for the upcoming summer in Alaska) on Sunday while I'm at work. I like hunting, though I'm less thrilled about camping, and don't like fishing at all, but I rarely get to go hunting, so there's really no point in me going to the outdoor show. It's mainly DH wandering around and signing up for all the fishing charter sweepstakes. Although I did instruct him to buy more Spicy Garlic Mustard if "The Garlic Gourmay" is at the outdoor show again this year. We ran out a couple of months ago, and that stuff is fabulous. Hell, I'll have to tell him to get 2 jars this year, so we have extra and we don't run out. LOL

Wishing everybody a quiet, slow, calm, sunny weekend. Think about the things that make your life blessed, pray for those who's lives aren't so blessed, enjoy the small things, do something nice for somebody (including yourself), and take some time to appreciate the everyday things going on around you.

Have a Blessed Day!

Big ol' puppy-dog feet.....

You know how it is, when you see a puppy with big ol' feet.... First you think how increadibly large they look on such a small body, then you wonder how danged big that dog's REALLY gonna get...... Have had a similar experience here the last couple of days..... But not with a dog. Nope, here ya go.....

The bottom foot is my big ol' size 8-1/2 wide. The top foot.... That would belong to my 9-1/2 year old darling daughter. She's now just barely over 4-1/2 feet tall, but she's got size 8-1/2 (regular, not wide) feet. Just..... DANG! I mean, the kid's 9-1/2. She's in THIRD GRADE!!!!! I just can't help but feel astonished over how darned big her feet are. And even more incredible is how quickly they've grown. Last year, this time, she was wearing size 3's. In fact, she'd just STARTED wearing size 3's. By mid-winter, she was into a size 6 women's. Mom & Shelli will remember me & DD telling them about how she was now wearing a 5 in boys, a 6 in womens. And all the sudden she's gone up 2-1/2 more sizes. And it's funny, too, because all of a sudden the complaints she was making late last week about how bad her feet were hurting her, make sense. And she's been complaining about her ankles & shins & knees and even her back hurting her lately. That would be growing pains, I'd guess..... *shaking head* Just in awe, over the astonishing rate at which kids grow, sometimes. The only time I recall ever having a noticable growth-spurt (at least from my point of view) was in 5th grade, when I shot up 4 inches (it was actually 9-1/2 centemeters, which was the unit of measurement we were using). I was still the shortest kid in class, but I'd had the biggest growth spurt from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Ok, enough rhapsodizing about growth spurts. This picture is purely for the fun of seeing this goofy mutt of mine enjoying DD's bed while she's off to school. He doesn't seem to get that this is where SHE sleeps, not where he's supposed to sleep. But he looked so danged cute, I couldn't resist a pic before shooing him off. *wink*

Ok, I think that'll do for today.

Have a Blessed Day!

I'm back!!!

Actually, I was back yesterday, but didn't have more than a couple of minutes to check in on things..... And that's hard to do without my favorites list. LOL But, everything is up & running, and now it's just a matter of reorganizing my favorites into their proper categories for easier browsing. *grin*

To my friends in the path of this nasty storm through the mid-west & east coast.... Stay safe!!!! You're in my thoughts & prayers.

Have a Blessed Day!

Might be scarce....

Ok, just to give everybody a head's up..... We'll be setting up our new PC in the next day or so, and it'll probably take that long to get back up and running, so I'll be scarce the next couple of days. Darn near done transfering my favorites links. Just some kid's links, a few blogs, and some favorite online stores. That'll be it.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Needing some computer help.....

Does anybody know how to save one's favorites list, so when we get our new computer set up we don't lose everything on our old computer??? We've got a new computer, and will be setting up this weekend, but I've got loads of links in my favorites list that I don't want to lose. HELP!!!! LOL

Unfortunately our old computer is SO old (going on 7 years!) that it's completely incompatable with our new computer (a compaq presario), so any tips on linking them will not work. (Besides, we've got a couple of viruses we don't want to transfer from one to the other, so hooking one up to the other is really, really not an option.)

Help is appreciated!

Have a Blessed Day!

Happy Easter!!!

Hope everybody's having a good Easter today! Got up at nine and got started on the coffee & maple sausages, tossed a flat of Sweet Hawaiian Rolls in to heat up in the oven, and then made DH and DD some eggs (I can't eat fried or scrambled eggs, just hardboiled). The DH is kinda grumpy as he fell asleep on the couch last night watching TV and didn't wander in to bed till 6 this morning. Then DD woke up at 9:30 and we all sat down & had breakfast, some of us more awake then others. *grin*

DD is pretty well pleased with her Easter goodies. I made her a crocheted cotton net swim bag in a verigated blue color aptly titled "Swimming Pool", and tucked the goodies inside. She got some American Girl -Molly- books and a mini Emily doll, and a Pet Vet Nintendo DS game. DH figured as she talks frequently about wanting to be a vet when she grows up (if the professional hockey career doesn't pan out, of course) that the Pet Vet game would be one she'd appreciate. She's gone over to her best friend's house to retrieve her DS, where she forgot it when she FINALLY came home last night at 10 pm. *rolling eyes*

The DH is grumbling that there's no Nascar on TV this morning. LOL And I've gotta head to work at 11:45 or so. Later DH & DD will be heading over to the inlaws for an early Easter Sunday supper with them, and then I'll go over after work and have some of the leftovers & hang out with the inlaws for a bit. As active as it seems, it's really looking like a pretty laid-back day. I love working Sundays, as it's generally rather relaxed at work, and it's only a 4-1/2 hour day anyway, so it's like starting the work week very gently. Monday is my only 8 hour work day, so working Sundays (during the winter only) gives me a chance to start out with a calm, easy work-day before the true work-week sets in.

Um, let's see.... Break-up is well & truly here and the yards are mushy snow & mud. The road, thankfully paved, is only slightly wet around our place, but down at the end of the street it's the usual lake. The way the road-construction company worked the drainage means that until the snow melts back a good ways, enough to let the water drain into the ditches properly, we STILL have a lake at the end of the street. Somewhat annoying, as one can't walk through it comfortably and has to make one's way around the block when going for a walk.

I did take the dogs for a nice half-hour long walk yesterday, around the loop we live on and up to the far back of the subdivision and back, checking the mail on my way back into my part of the neighbourhood. It was incredibly sunny yesterday, so nice. Today it's a bit cloudy & overcast. But, it's already up to 50 degrees. We'll probably reach 55 or 60 today. Loving it!!!!

Ok, Have a Blessed Day!!!!!

Unfortunately.....

Seeing as some people just cannot bring themselves to be civil in this world (these worlds?) we all share, I am formally announcing that I hereby reserve the right (as if I didn't have it already) to remove comments from MY blog that I find offensive. Not saying that EVERY comment that I disagree with will be removed, but if a comment by a fellow blogger is overtly negative & foul mouthed and cruelly intended, then it WILL be removed. Don't like it??? Then don't be mean! Again, good, honest & healthy debate is not discouraged (should that come up here), but foul-spirited cruelty IS discouraged and will be moderated.

Have a Blessed Day!

A Small-minded town.....

Full of small-minded people. That's what kind of town I live in. This morning, the total is thus far at 56% voting YES for a ballot measure to restrict benefits to legally married couples, and 44% voting NO to a ballot measure restricting benefits to heterosexual married couples. I'm proud to be one of that 44%, but I'm ashamed that my community, Alaskans as a whole, are so closed-minded as to deny people their rightful earnings & benefits based on their sexual choices (and, for heteros, their religious choices, for those who refuse the option of marriage in favor of a long-term civil relationship).

Many people come to Alaska feeling that this state allows for more individuality than do many other states, and yet we see that we are no less small-minded, as a state, than many, many other states. It's sad.

It really confirms in my mind who I will NOT be voting for in the next set of elections for state senate & legislature. I won't be voting for those who would like to deny rights to others, based on their own moral compass.

Have a Blessed Day!

So, I signed a petition......

(For those that I'm in a yahoo group with, that may read this there, this is just a reposting of what I've posted on my groups, so you can disregard.)

Ok, so there's a state-wide advisory vote coming up on Tuesday that determines if state employees will be able to recieve benefits for their non-married partners. One group, of course, is calling it a "marriage protection vote" (gee, guess which one) and telling everybody to vote yes. The other group is calling it an "equal pay for equal work" vote, and telling everybody to vote no. I signed my name to a petition as a no-voter, and it turned up in a full-page ad in todays paper. The FIL just called and said to DH "did you know your wife's name is in the paper as a 'No voter'?!?!?! " Sure enough, that petition I signed at work a couple of weeks ago, got my name in the paper. FIL was somewhat disgruntled. I'm a bit nervous now, if my Dad'll read through the names and see me there as well. (I'm in the first column, towards the top, so I'm hard to miss.) I shouldn't be nervous about standing up for what's right, but I'm nervous about how this could bring so many differences of opinion with my dad out into the open. Differences of opinion that he's almost voilently vocal about, and that I've kept quiet on, just to keep the peace.

I told DH that this in no way protects (or threatens) our rights as a married couple. That nothing is going to take away our marriage vows, that nobody is saying that marriage isn't valid or in the cross-hairs. But, for those who "chose" to NOT get married, but have a life-partner anyway (no matter what sex, or for what reason they're not getting married), this gives them the same benefits as those who've made it religiously official. My coworker who's got a life-partner of 7 years (a hetero couple) and has a daughter with him. Some friends of ours who've got 4 girls together and still aren't married. This makes it OK for them to have benefits together, even if their not married in the eyes of the church. I told him that THIS is what the vote really is about, NOT protecting or threatening marriage. It's about giving 2 different couples with maybe different living situations, the SAME benefits.

Anyway, FIL was kinda grumbly that I'm voting NO, when he's voting yes. And my dad, if he reads it and sees, will be even MORE grumbly & upset, seeing as he's of the opinion that I walk lock-step with him & his church when voting.

*sigh* Wish I didn't feel nervous about this, but my stomach is now tossing & turning. Just had to share.

Have a Blessed Day!