My first apron......

Well, here are some pictures of my very first apron. I was in at Ben Franklin's a couple of weeks back, thinking about what I wanted to be for halloween, and saw this fabric, and decided that a kitchen witch would be perfect. I'll add a hat from one of DD's old witch costumes, a spatula or some-such in one of the pockets, and a dish-towel tucked in the waist-band. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. And of course Jenny just had to be a part of the picture as well.

Tell you what, this apron was a PITA to make. Got my sewing machine all set up, and started to do a bit of hemming, and found out that somehow our another, my tension was all messed up. Long story short, it took me several hours of tinkering with the damn machine, putting pieces back together after they'd fallen apart, pulling things apart to peer inside, and tinkering some more before I finally got it to work. After about 3 hours of tinkering, we had to leave for one of DD's practices, which is ALL that kept me from beating the crap out of that machine with one of DD's base-ball bats. ;) By the time I got home, I was sufficiently calmed enough to try again. It was still 1 am before I finished the damn apron that night, and 2 before I made it to bed (had to have my shower, before bed). I've got plans for more aprons, but only half-aprons for now. And somethings I'm going to differently. Like, I'm not going to fold the upper part of the skirt of the apron & hem it, then gather, then sew into the waist-band. That makes too many layers of fabric for my sewing machine to get through easily. I'll just simply hem the top part of the skirt of the thing, pleat (worked easier for me than gathers did), then sew into the waist-band (pre-folded twice-fold inch-wide bias tape). And DAMN does it hurt to make pin pleats through 9 layers of fabric (3 layers by the time you've completely hemmed the thing, then pleated back on itself causes 3 layers of this). Then there were two more layers in each side of the waist band, which meant sewing through a total of 13 layers of fabric, to attatch the skirt to the waistband. So, as I said, next time I won't finish the top of the skirt of the apron so thoroughly. It just doesn't need to be done, when it's going to be encased inside the waist-band in the end, anyway.

So there ya go.... Another completed sewing project to show off. Now off to the grocery store to get a few necessities.

Have a Blessed Day!

What have I been working on???

Well, I can finally post a picture of what I spent a lot of the last month working on. One of my online groups has had a Samhain exchange for the last 3 years in which we make (or purchase) something for our exchange partner's house, based on decorating for Samhain/Halloween. This took a couple of days to crochet (the base of the wall-hanging) then almost a month to cross-stitch (the pumpkin & bat). My first ever cross-stitched project, and I can't say as I really liked it all that much. Oh, it turned out ok (though, not quite as exact as the pattern I used), but it was a pain in the neck to actually stitch. ;) I think I'll stick to crochet!

Going to have to get a pic of my latest project up, next. It's my very first apron! Won't say anything else about it till I get a picture of it. ;)

Other than that, it's been work, work, work. I had Wed. off for Alaska Day. DH & DD were somewhat annoyed, as neither of THEM had the day off. Can't say as I minded! *wink*

DD's got her first hockey game of the season, this afternoon. She has also started practicing with an older group of girls, as well as her own team, and it's really helping her with her goalie skills, even after just 2 practices with them. These older girls are ages 12 to 14, and they are VERY nice toward DD, much more so than DD's own team of 7-10 year olds. DD got hit in the face-mask by a 50 mph hour puck, shot by the coach, at her first practice with these older girls, and they all showed a lot of concern for her. Not that she needed it. She got right back in front of the net & continued doing her thing. She saved over half the shots taken on her, and most of them were glove or blocker saves (ie: blocked them as they came UP at her, not on the ice), not stick and leg-pads. The coach said she's a heck of a lot better than even he suspected, esp. for only 9 years old (and he was her coach last year). So, we'll see how today's game goes. Hopefully she kicks butt! *bwg*

Have a Blessed Day!

Do it yourself "name generator"

So, I poached this from Nio. Thought it was kinda fun.

1. MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/mother + your favorite candy): Harold Kristine Reeses

2. GAMER TAG: (favorite color + favorite animal): green dragonfly

3. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name + birthplace): Lynn Landstuhl

4. PORN STAR NAME: (first pet + street you grew up on): Dixie Lee Vicki

5. SUPERHERO NAME: (THE, favorite color, car your dad drives): The Green Ram

6. ACTION HERO NAME: (name of character in last film you watched, last food you ate): Dylan Bratwurst

Now, I guess the gamer tag is the only one that I would actually use. The rest are far too corny. ;)

Have a Blessed Day.

I told my Dad....

Got into a bit of an argument over at my Dad's, today. Except that it wasn't an argument. Not really.

DD & I had gone over today, since Dad has tonight off as his holiday for Columbus Day. He was making chili and asked if DD & I could come over for supper, since DH was going to a hockey game with another buddy of his. I said that'd be fine. Picked DD up from school & headed right over for Dad's.

I had brought along DD's school pictures & a couple of thank-you cards for the girls (DD & niece) to send to Dad's Brother & SIL in TX in appreciation for the jerseys my Aunt & Uncle sent them for their birthdays. DD is old enough that I told her that not only did she need to sign her name to the card, but she needed to write an actual note, and we'd tuck in a school picture as well. DD took it as she usually does: she refused altogether to write anything. Dad made a comment about how if she was going to be like that, he didn't want her in his house, and went on (excessively, for an adult) about how she hurt his feelings over refusing to write a thank-you note to his brother & sister-in-law. As usual, I told DD that she was going to write a thank-you note, so knock it off and just get to it. She kept getting carried away with writing the note (which I drafted for her, so at least she could copy the correct spelling), and making her letters all wonky & spreading the words across the cover of the card. I kept reminding her to slow it down, stop being sloppy & take her time. Well, Dad got fed up with DD and told her that if she wasn't going to do it right she could just go ahead & leave his house now, and that until she decided to be a little more respectful of his bro & sis, DD was not welcome in his house.

I'm sorry.... The child HATES writing. I'm not figuring on changing her opinion about it, I'd just like to get it through her head that it IS part of life and she MUST learn to write legibly and to stop spending so much time griping about it. Dad decided that it was a personal affront against him & his brother & sister, and kicked my daughter out. I told her to get her jacket & get out to the car. I got my things together & started out to the car, rather peeved with my dad, and DD all over the place, appologizing to me for this and begging me not to ground her. My Dad said he hoped she DOES get grounded for her behavior. Then he had the gall to ask if we'd still stay for dinner.

That's when I told him. I told him that _I_ was hurt that he'd kick my daughter out of his house & be so harsh on her for hating to do something that he's always hated to do himself. He's always made it clear that he's not big on writing, and he doesn't do it unless he has to. And here was my daughter, whining about the same activity. Her whining & refusal to do it right had NOTHING to do with his brother & sister-in-law. NOTHING. It was all about how she hates to write AT ALL. I'm just trying to get her to do a decent job, and he jumps all over her, assuming that it's his brother & sister that she's rebelling against and kicks her out of the house for her supposed disrespect of my Aunt & Uncle. I told him that I'm sick & tired of seeing my niece get away with murder and coddled & cuddled for it, and yet when my daughter does the slightest thing, he jumps down her throat.

I told him that for 23 years I've watched my baby sister be given preferential treatment by him, coddled & cuddled & getting my middle sis & I into trouble and I'm sick of it. (To my sis Shelli, Yes, I actually DID reference how K. would shriek & wake him up just because she was mad at you & I for something inconsequential as choice of TV show, and we'd get in trouble & she'd get to watch her choice of shows. And that it was a normal occurance growing up, her getting us into trouble just to get her own way.)

And now he's doing the same thing with my niece & my daughter. And that hurts MY feeelings. And I'm sick of the double standard of affection in this house. He looked a bit shocked, but didn't deny any of it, admitted that he deserved it, apologized to both DD & I and asked if we'd come back in and have dinner with him still, but that he'd understand if we didn't want to. He was rather quiet the rest of the evening. (Yes, we did stay for dinner.)

I hate that it had to happen that way, but I couldn't sit by and watch him jump all over my daughter for something that wasn't even an issue (heck, if it had been to call Aunt & Uncle, DD wouldn't have had a problem, but she HATES writing). Then to watch him try to sweep it all back under the carpet & tell us that he doesn't want DD in his house, but she can have dinner tonight, then she's not allowed back..... I just couldn't do it. I had to say it. And I didn't yell. I didn't. I was crying, and I was upset, but I didn't yell. I just told him that all the years of preferential treatment for my baby sis had hurt, for a long time. I'm somewhat sorry I hurt my dad, because I know it did, but I'm also glad I finally had the courage to speak up. Only by speaking up will anything change. I don't expect things to change drastically, or overnight, but even acknowledgement will help.

And Shelli, if he asks, PLEASE, PLEASE don't sweep it all under the carpet!!!!! Please, please don't pretend that you were never hurt by this. It's not going to do any of us any good. It never has, and it never will. And since I've finally come out and said what needed to be said, opened the floodgates, it needs to come out. Obviously I don't want to hurt Dad, but I can't keep pretending that I think K. is an angel, either. I can't keep pretending that she does no wrong (or little K. now, for that matter) and that it's all good. I don't hate K., either, but I'm sick & tired of hearing criticism from Dad over my faults (AND your faults) and how K. has no faults at all (or, none Dad will admit to, anyway). If he asks, please be as open as you can. It may hurt him, in the short term, but it will be better for us all in the long run.

Have a Blessed Day.

Hugs, not bombs......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Wow!!!! That is what the world needs more of!!!

We had a bomb scare here in my town, yesterday, just a few blocks away from my workplace, and in a neighbourhood (1st St. through 4th St. were cordoned off for safety purposes) that DH drives through to and from work every day. A non-descript black backpack with what appeared to be a pipe-bomb inside was found in a parking garage by employees there. The local Army bomb squad was called in and they sand-bagged the backpack then detonated it, to ensure that it didn't go off unexpectedly. Nobody was hurt, and whether it was somebody's idea of a joke or not, it was a terror threat.

It doesn't make me scared, but it makes me incredibly sad that this has touched my town. That this past spring we had a dozen middle school students (from MY middle school, the one my daughter will also go to someday) suspended, and 6 arrested, in a shooting plot that was almost to "go" stage. It makes me sooooo sad. And I am sitting here crying, watching that video and wishing that instead of crazy people standing in a busy place and exploding bombs on their body, wishing there were more crazy-happy people standing in crowded places offering innocent hugs to their fellow human beings.

3 school shootings in 7 days. Innocent little Amish girls dying for one man's anger & pain. People thinking they will best get their point across through violence to another. Would that more of us have the courage to be like THIS man who was brave enough to put himself on the line & give out hugs..... To perfect strangers.

What if all we really need to do to make a difference for the better is hug. Not just your family, but your friends, but your aquaintances, but people you only see in passing, but strangers. Even if you started with family & friends. Who are your family & friends going to hug??? Their family & friends. As we start to hug more often, we grow more comfortable with hugging, and so do those around us. Give it a try. I dare you. I'm going to. I'm not only going to hug my daughter goodbye, anymore, I'm going to hug her friends. I'm going to give my friends hugs when I see them.

Maybe the loving touch, a hug, from a fellow human is the best thing we can do to help heal this world. Maybe instead of shooting glares & guns, holding hands & hugging, giving somebody a warm hand on their shoulder or arm, maybe that's the best thing we really can do for this world.

Have a Blessed Day.

The Party....

Well, it's over. Thank the Gods. It went fairly well. Only about half of DD's friends showed up, but that was still 10 kids (not to mention a few younger ones that she's not really friends with, but were still on the invite list: cousin & friends of the fam.).

DH went & ordered a half-sheet cake, so we've still got roughly half a cake left. *sigh* Gotta pawn some off on the inlaws & the next-door-neighbours. ;) Tay got a few cd's, a few new toys, and money. My Aunt & Uncle in TX sent her a Dallas Stars jersey, which will ONLY be worn out to special outtings (hockey games, dinner out, but NOT to school, and always over something else so it can be taken off to keep it clean.) And her Heely's. And DAMN was she thrilled with those Heely's. She can't seem to get the hang of them, though. ;) Told her she's gotta ask a couple of her team-mates to show her how to skate on them. LOL It requires lifting the toe & gliding one foot in front of the other. She keeps trying to put her toe down & stumbles. LOL

Almost all the kids took a turn in the batting cages, some of them more than 1 turn (which was fine, DH paid 35 dollars for an hours worth for our exclusive use of the cage). Found out a couple of these kids can hit!!! Dude can they ever!!!! And a couple couldn't. Got a chuckle out of watching DH & his best buddy try. Man.... DH hit maybe 4 balls of 20. His buddy didn't hit a single ball. That was hilarious. The first round, DD hit maybe 12 of her 20, the second round she only missed 2. Her best friend, though, hit about 15 of the 20 in the only round she did. Dang!

Dd wasn't perfect, she was too busy playing air-hockey to want to stop and say goodbye & thank you to her guests as they left. It was more of a quick "thanks" tossed over her shoulder. But she wasn't greedy or ungrateful for the gifts she was given, either. She said a nice, proper thank-you to every one of her friends as she was opening her gifts.

A fairly good birthday party, in all. I did forget the paper towels, but other than that managed to remember everything else that needed to be brought: knife for cutting/serving the cake, candles, lighter, plates & forks, cups, juice, and even a trash bag (which was a good thing as they didn't have a trash bin in the room). Everything, except the remaining cake, got hauled home in the trunk of my car, with plenty of room to spare, so there wasn't nearly an overload of gifts. Thank goodness because an overload of gifts would not fit in my daughter's room. As it is she's got a bin each of Polly Pockets and Bratz dolls that she doesn't play with, and a toy-box & an hammock of stuffed animals that don't get used. But then again, once a kid gets to 9 or 10 years old, anymore, they don't want toys so much as they want things like cds, and boom-boxes and such.

Ok, gotta head to work. But just had to post (for my sister's sake) how the party went.

Have a Blessed Day!

Snow!

Yep, there's that 4 letter word we all dread. ;) Well, roughly six weeks ago (mid August) when the fire-weed blossomed to the top, and started cottoning out, I told Dh, DD, and Dad we'd have snow before Sept. was over. Sure enough, today, Sept 29th, and it's snowing. Been a rainy, drizzly day all day, and now it's snowing, with snow actually sticking to roof-tops and yards, though melting on the roads as soon as it hits. I don't think this'll be a real sticking-snow, but this is it. The first snow of Winter 2006 for us. *sigh*

Tomorrow's the birthday party, and I can't WAIT till it's over. I've had several people ask me today (MIL, best friend's mom, 2 other friends) what DD wants for her birthday. I'm tempted to tell them to just give her a swift kick to the hind end. ;)

DH & FIL are heading north for moose & caribou hunting next weekend. And DH is out this evening with a good friend who's got a couple of bulls lingering in HIS neighbourhood that he wants DH to take a shot at. This friend already has his bull for the year, as well as a grizz. that charged him 2 days ago on a run South that he'd made. So, he's hoping DH will bag his limit this year. I told DH I don't care if he brings home a big-ass moose, a small-ass moose, so long as he hauls one home. LOL We certainly could do with the meat for the winter.

We decided, yesterday, to go in on a pig with our next-door neighbour. He & his wife (also DD's guardians, should anything happen to DH & I) get one every year, but always have a hell of a time trying to find somebody to split it with. As a couple of empty-nesters, they really don't need a whole pig to themselves (these are 300 lb porkers, evidently), so they go halfsies, and split the cost as well. We decided that at roughly $200 for half a pig, we'd go ahead & do it. That's approx. 2 dollars a pound. Not bad, when you consider the prices we pay at the grocery store are seldom lower than 2.50 a pound. DH & I have been talking about doing this with a cow for a couple of years now. If the moose & caribou hunting didn't go well. And probably best of all, this pig will be locally raised (just south of us in the closest farming community to my little town). And the cow, if we end up doing that as well, will likely be a Black Angus raised right here in town. We won't get the cow (actually 1/4 of a cow) till closer to Christmas, though, if we do decide to do that. But, all in all it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper than purchasing individual steaks and roasts & such from the grocery store. So, for the winter, I'll actually be eatting local!!!!! *grin*

Have a Blessed Day!

Not to say....

That my daughter is NEVER greedy. Oh, no.... She proved quite well this morning that she has a greedy streak as well.

Got home from work last night to find that she'd lost a tooth at school. Her 11th lost tooth, btw. And the first molar, at that. So, into the tooth-fairy pillow it goes (made for me, and passed on to my sisters as each of us needed it, by my Grandma S.) and under her pillow THAT pillow goes. Of course the tooth fairy made her middle of the night visit and left her usual 1 dollar bill, folded up tightly to fit the small pocket, and took the tooth with her in exchange.

So, up DD gets this morning and promptly goes for the toothpillow under her pillow. Pulls out the $1 bill and comes and says "Mama, guess what the tooth fairy left me!!!"

Me: Did she leave you one dollar, as usual???

DD: *slightly miffed* Uh huh!

Me: Ok, what's wrong with that??? Were you expecting more because it was a molar???

DD: *nods* Uh huh!!!!!

ME: Well, dang girl!!!! You've lost 11 teeth so far!!!! What makes you think this tooth was going to be any different than any of the other teeth???

DD: It's bigger!!!

(ROFLMBO!!!!!!!!! And if that were all it took for the tooth fairy to give you more cash for a tooth, I would have gotten 4 grand along with the dentist who took out my wisdom teeth!!!!! And dang could I have found a way to spend it, at 17 years old!!!!!! *wink*)

ME: Kiddo, at this rate the tooth fairy's going to go broke, just on you!!!!! What about all the other kids she's gotta supply money for. You're lucky you get a dollar. I only ever got 50 cents a tooth, when I was losing 'em.

DD: Yeah, that's what Joey's grandma said yesterday, too. *sighs*

******************************

My child be greedy?!?!?! Naw, it NEVER happens. *rolling eyes & snickering*

Of course, I do recall conversations over earlier lost teeth with teacher's at my daughter's daycare and at school. One child, just before we changed day-cares this past spring, got $100 for her first tooth. Of course after I gathered my jaw off the floor, I simply commented on how it'd be a feat just to see a 100 dollar bill in our house, much less under the pillow of a child. I mean, at 5 or 6, when most kids lose their first tooth, they still think it's better to get 4 dimes than a 1 dollar bill. What kinda moron parent goes & gives their darling Suzy $100 on her first tooth. Talk about building one's expectations to insurmountable heights. I'm guessing the parents probably aren't going to still be shelling out $100 per tooth when it's numbers, 8, 9, 10, 11, and so on. Of course, they may ruin the secret long before 9, 10, and 11 are reached, as well. I'd rather keep the secret (and the Santa secret) for a while longer, let my daughter experience the magic a while longer, and keep expectations smaller all around. Certainly doesn't hurt Mom & Dad for a kiddo to still believe in Santa when all the more Santa's ever brought was the stocking stuffers. And it doesn't hurt the pocketbook when tooth number 11 nets a child an 11th one-dollar-bill, either.

Just had to share.

Have a Blessed Day!

Discusting Displays of Excess....

What is it about birthday parties, now-a-days, that the birthday child is encouraged to be a greedy, oversensative, hyperactive, spoiled little snot???? I've been to lots of birthday parties in the last several years, and while not all of them are overdone events of excess, most are.

Take my niece's 4th birthday party yesterday (she actually turns 4 tomorrow, but tradition states that the party is generally on the saturday closest to the actual birthday). My sister paid $175 to rent a party room for 2 hours at the local glow-in-the-dark mini-golf place. If that wasn't bad enough (and it was bad, OH, was it bad for the eyes!), she decked my already-spoiled-rotten niece out in a REAL (ok, not diamonds, but still real crystals) tiara, Cinderella costume, and had my niece's nails done up fancy with butterflies and such. The party was, of course, Disney princesses, because my niece is "a princess" dontcha know?!?!? No sooner do we get there and Sis & Dad start hauling in cake, and supplies, and armloads (and I mean this literally) of birthday presents, and my daughter is hauled aside by my SISTER and reminded that as the oldest child present, she will be expected to set a good example for all the younger kids. Don't get me wrong, my daughter CAN be a brat. She was displaying her talent in that arena well this morning, but publicly she tends to be fairly well behaved. Oh, she spent some time rolling her eyes and muttering in my ear about how bored she was, and she was prefering to sit in MY lap (did I mention she's 4'6" tall and 97 lbs, to my 5'0"?) than in the chair around the table. But she wasn't screaming, crying, yelling that SHE wanted to sit next to the birthday girl (or yelling that she DIDN'T want to, for that matter), running helter-skelter around the golfing area untended (like most of the younger ones were) or generally misbehaving. Instead, she was acting like a slightly grumpy pre-adolescent at a preschooler's party. No worse. And still, my sister insists, about mid-way through the party, on berating my daughter again on her bad attitude.

Anyway, took till 1:20 (we got there at 12:45) before my sister decided that it was time to serve the cake (ALL the kids were antzy, my daughter was the only one confining that antzy-ness to rolling eyes & grumbling) instead of waiting for the last family to show up (didn't show till 2). So, eat the cake, with several of the younger whining about this, that, and the other. Juice getting knocked over because they wouldn't sit still, kids leaving the room, unattended by their parents, and my niece starting to shriek about when was she going to get to open all those presents. So, cake gets finished and presents start coming. For about the first 2, my sister insisted that my niece thank the recipients. It was such a mumbled thank-you that unless one is REALLY good at lip-reading, one would not have known that a Thank You actually issued from those lips. Of course, the bigger the present (and all but 3 of the gifts had at least 3 large items stuffed into an enourmouse gift bag), the more fuss was made over it. And NOT just by my niece. By my sister. If it was Disney Princesses, it got a LOT of Ooohing and gushing, by BOTH. If it wasn't Disney Princesses, it got a quick show-off, then stuffed back in the bag from whence it came & put off to the side. The only exception was the Dallas Stars hockey jersey sent to my niece by my Aunt & Uncle from Tx. My well-thought-out gift of hard-back copy of "Fancy Nancy" (cute book!) and a canvas bookbag from my local library (North Pole Branch Lib's logo is a snow-man, reading a book, under a candy-cane street-light with snow-flakes falling around him) got hardly a look before being stuffed in a black trash-bag for the ride home. Certainly cost more than I should have spent, for all the 5 seconds of attention it got before being discarded by my niece & sister.

Besides the fact that every other gift there was very commercial, about 5 presents in, my niece started shreaking (and I am NOT bull-shitting, or exagerating) in this high-pitched tone "I want more presents, I wanna open more presents!!! Mommy, give me more presents!!!!" To which my sister would try handing them over faster. If it took longer than 3 seconds (I counted) between discarding the previous present, and the handing over of the next, my niece would shreak. All pretense of "Thank You's" and recognition to the giver was dispensed with. At one point, my daughter got sick of my niece shreaking right in her ear, and grabbed two presents to hand to my niece. Oh no.... Another chew-out for my daughter because THOSE two presents just happened to be from my sister (Niece's Mommy) and Sis. wanted THOSE to be given last!!! Anyway, LAST six presents were actually more for my sis (bought BY my sis), than for my niece. By that I mean that MY NIECE didn't get a chance to Ooooh & gush over them herself. Instead, my Sister pulls out two boxes that contain a Disney Princesses 14" Tv and a Disney Princesses DVD player, and holds the boxes aloft, allowing ALL THE OTHER PARENTS to see how incredibly generous toward her own daughter, my sister is. From the display, I surmised that these two gifts were not bought at all with my niece's desires in mind. But with my sister's appearance in mind. Terribly narcisistic, that one. Anything that makes her look good, generous, and rich MUST be something she has to have. Last 4 gifts (which nobody ever saw in full) from my sister evidently contained crap-loads more disney princesses stuff, dolls & princess costumes among them, from what I could tell. Because it was now 2:15, my sis decided NOT to have my niece rip into those last 4 bags completely. All the remainder of the kids had lost interest in the gifts altogether, and were pushing to go play mini-golf. By the time all was said and done, the equivilent of 6 large black garbage bags (the kind lots of folks use to bag fallen leaves in) of gifts had been given.

So, explain the rules of the game to the kids, caution the parents that all children under 12 (which all of them were) must be closely parentally monitored, put on the glow-in-the-dark bracelets, and send the kids out to play. Whining & crying was heard by my niece (and several other of the little brats present, though, only a couple of huffs & sighs & rolling eyes by my daughter) when she either didn't get to beat the crap out of the ball, the person behind her (Tay) with her club, or the green, OR when she couldn't cut in front of whomever the hell was in her way at that particular moment. And, after the first attempt by my sister to calm "Her Royal Heinous!" (Yes, I purposely misspelled that, just not sure that I mis-spelled it properly.) my sister gave up and let "HRH" cut in front of whomever she so chose. Remember that we were NOT the only "party" there yesterday. There was another birthday party going on, as well as individuals & families who'd come in for their own good time. And "HRH" was allowed to cut in front of whomever she wanted. Then she threw a tantrum at the end when she did NOT get a hole-in-one and the "ultimate prize" for getting a hole-in-one on the 18th hole. *shaking head*

DD & I tried to say goodbye to "HRH", but she was so overstimulated (though, she pulls this stunt often, so it wasn't JUST overstimulation, but general poor manners as well) that she was throwing a temper tantrum every time somebody tried to tell her thanks for the invite, or wish her a happy birthday. I had to laugh when I told my sister "Thank you" for inviting us. Her return comment was "well, of course I had to invite you, you're family." My response was along the lines of "well, it never hurts to be polite and say thank you, nonetheless." She just glared at me for the (correctly) interpreted jab against her manners (and those of her daughter). Of course she couldn't say anything to my remark, because it's true. Even though HRH was a pain in the butt, and Sis is an all-grown-up version of HRH's attitude, I and my daughter can still be polite and say thank you and be gracious. And then I get to come here and bitch to the world at large. *wink*

Thankfully, within minutes after my daughter's round of golf ended, my dad was finished loading crap into the two vehicals (took 2 vehicals to get all the presents over to Sis's apartement), and we got to leave (after a quick tour through the local school-house supply store, for my daughter's edification). *rolling eyes*

Suffice it to say, as we drove home yesterday, I informed my daughter that I was proud of her general behavior (with a reminder that she REALLY IS too big to sit on my lap, anymore), that I'm proud of her for never having behaved in the manner in which my niece did. I also informed DD that she will be getting NOWHERE near as many presents, so don't count on it. It doesn't mean we love her less, only that we don't like maxing out her credit cards on crap she doesn't need. She's been told for weeks now that she's only getting 1 gift from DH & I, but that she'll like it. It's a $74 pair of Heely's (those tennis-shoes with wheels in the heel) that she's been asking for, for 2 years now. I figured that after 2 years of asking, she can have a pair, but she's getting a size larger (she wears a women's size 6, DH bought a size 7 pair of Heely's) and that's ALL she's getting for this birthday. I've also given the relatives notice to not bother to go overboard, as she's more interested in playing outside than playing with toys, anyway. I can't say what the other guests will do, but I don't have any control over them. I just hope Bratz dolls & Barbies are not gifted, because DD doesn't play with the ones she's got now. Oh, and DD's party will be at the local batting cages (2 years ago was 40$ for a room & lazer tag for a group of friends, last year was 40$ to rent a small space at a local ice-rink and ice-skating for her & friends, this year is the batting cages, all of which were at HER request), which has a room to use for free (as long as we don't mind sharing the -very large- space with other folks who show up), and we'll be shelling out the 2 dollars per child who wants a turn in the batting cages. And we bought a cake, and the necessary plates & such to use. Beyond that, we're not shelling out anything except for the 1 present. No $175 for an exclusive 2 hour rental of a room for us. We don't make that kind of money. Nor do we believe in charging that kind of money to our credit-cards.

And next year, DD can invite 2 friends to the movies, or for a sleep-over, or some-other-such big-girl activity. No more huge parties. 9 years is enough. I can't take it any more. ;)

Anyway, as I said at the beginning, I have gotten totally discusted by the displays of excess that birthday parties have become. The party child seldom appreciates it, and in many cases it seems that it is more for the benefit of the parents than for the child who is being celebrated. The parents want to show off their vast "generousity" and monetary means, regardless of what the child wants. I know that even my mom was like this. She insisted on throwing me parties (albeit at home), with nasty store-bought cake, and neighbourhood kids (or classmates) that I didn't get along with anyway. I wanted a nice dinner out, a few well-thought-out presents from family, and cheesecake for desert. No fancy parties. I hate parties. I have been threatening my DH's life, since we met, with death should he EVER have the nerve to throw me a party. And I DO mean ever! I don't want a party like that at 30, at 40, at 50, for our golden anniversary.... EVER, EVER, EVER. If he truly wants to celebrate my life, or our marriage, it'll include him & me going out to dinner (a few family members or very good friends, if it's a birthday dinner) or on vacation (Ireland for our 25th wedding anniversary, Sweety?) alone together.

Anyway.... Just had to get all that off my chest. I can't complain to my Dad as he thinks baby-Sis can do no wrong (see previous posts). My mom is too busy to listen, and I think she's quite honestly sick of listening to her oldest gripe about her youngest. My middle sis (who reads my blog anyway) is probably sick of hearing me gripe as well, but if she doesn't want to read this, she doesn't have to. My husband just nodds and doesn't say anything because he agrees with me & it's like preaching to the choir. Besides, his sister is JUST as bad as my baby-Sis, so he's kinda sick of that kind of attitude and doesn't wanna hear any more, anyway. So, you, my dear readers, get to listen to me bitch & gripe. Thanks!!!!! :-)

Have a Blessed Day!

To know somebody....

I didn't realize that I actually knew somebody (unconnected to my sister, that is) who was serving in Iraq. Baghdad, to be precise. Oh, I know my sister's fiancee, and a couple of her exes who are over there. But I mean somebody, unconnected to my sister. I only found out he was over in Iraq, in Baghdad, on Monday. Ironic. DH and I were talking about him. He is the younger brother of DH's best friend. We were just talking about him. Find out today that he died on Monday. His name is James.

Here's the link: http://newsminer.com/2006/09/21/2164/ James is a good soul. He is smart, he is kind, he is funny, and when I knew him he was naive. That's a good thing. In fact, my first memory of him is at our first meeting. I had given birth to my daughter only a couple of weeks before, and DH's best buddy invited us to dinner at his mom's house. Met the family, chatted with Mom, and sat down to eat. There we are, sitting around the table, and Mom asks me how I'm feeding my daughter. I responded that I was breastfeeding her. Mom nodded her approval. As soon as James realized what we were talking about, his face went 12 shades of red in 3 seconds flat. He wasn't more than 15 years old, then. What a subject for a 15 year old boy, huh? *smile* He was a good guy. I'm sorry I didn't know sooner that he was over in Iraq. I'm sorry for his family, for Dh's best friend who is now missing, permanently, his brother. I'm sorry for a 2 year old little boy who will not know his Daddy. Except by stories people tell of his goodness.

The real irony, he is a medic. He didn't die in combat, he died of a heart attack. At 24.

Have a Blessed Day!

A REAL taste of "Over There"....

So as not to get folks in trouble, I won't name names. I'll simply say that my sister has a loved one in Iraq, fighting in the 172nd Stryker Brigade, and this site is dedicated to those men & women, and if you care to go read will give the average american a REAL look at what it's like "Over There" for these troops. http://www.bringhome172nd.org/stryker/

There are commentaries written anonymously by 172nd soldiers stationed in Baghdad, there are commentaries written semi-anonymously by family members who've had honest conversations with our troops about what's going on "Over There". This isn't a song. This is a reality. And our men & women of the 172nd Stryker Brigade are being treated abominably by not only the Iraqi's, but by the American Goverment, and even by fellow soldiers from other brigades & units. It's rediculous, and the truth needs to be brought to light.

Needless to say, I won't respond to negative comments, because I really don't give a rat's-ass about your opinion. (Hey, it's my blog, I can say what I want.) I'm simply posting information for the enlightenment/info of those who care.

Have a Blessed Day!

Banned Books Week Is Coming Up

Here's a poster to support reading banned books. http://www.abffe.com/1stAmendPosters.pdf Along with reading a banned book (or a book that others have attempted to ban) maybe you could hang a copy of this in a house window, or in your cubicle at work, or in the staff lounge..... Whatever you decide, let's show the world that we appreciate the freedom to read what we wish, that we will not let our freedoms be stomped on.

More info here: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

Just some personal favorites that have been questioned/banned in the past (all can be found at http://www.amazon.com :

*Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
*Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
*The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
*The Giver by Lois Lowry
*Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel
*A Day No Pigs would Die by Robert Newton Peck
*The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
*Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
*Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
*What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
*Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
*The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
*Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
*Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
*Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
*How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
*The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
*The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
*The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
*In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
*The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (ok, so I didn't enjoy this one, for my own reasons, but I DID read it)
*The Witches by Roald Dahl (also didn't care for this one, but also read it)
*Lord of the Flies by William Golding (another that I've read but didn't particularly enjoy)
*How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (just the thought of eatting worms... *gag*)
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (read, but found very sad)

Now, All the books (I believe) can be found on this list: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm Along with MANY more. I encourage EVERYBODY to pick at least one book from the list, and get reading. I have only listed the books, above, that I have myself read, but I'm sure there are loads more fantastic books on that 100-most-frequently challenged list. I need to get ahold of the Aldous Huxley "Brave New World" and any of Toni Morrison's books, and read them. I KNOW they're fantastic, I just haven't gotten around to reading them myself.

So, that is my challenge to anybody who reads this: Do SOMETHING to promote the reading of banned books. Print out that poster & hang it in your living-room window. Read a banned book. Encourage a child you know to read a banned book. Print off a list of banned books & leave it for others to find. Spark the curiousity of somebody else, about a banned book you've read & enjoyed.

Have a Blessed Day.

So.... What have YOU done this weekend?

Well, along with the usual dishes & laundry, making dinner and accidentally breaking the curtain rod in my kitchen window (I'll get to that), I've done quite a bit so far, in my first two days off, of this long weekend.

Yesterday I made cornbread (a piece of which is pictured above), hung my daughter's window-quilt (NO, I did not make this myself, purchased it from Neiman Marcus -I think- 5 or 6 years ago) for the winter, and varnished the hex-sign to hang on the front of my house. Dad brought me that from Lancaster Co. PA a few years back, and it's been gathering dust in my closet before now. DH always insisted he wanted to get the house repainted before I hung it. I'm sick & tired of waiting and finally figured that he was just saying that so that I didn't go and hang this up. Oh freaking well. A couple of small dribbles from the varnish, but otherwise it looks good. And all that is not even including taking Tay to hockey practice, playing with the dogs, starting a box of canned goods (and other essentials) for an emergency, washing windows, finished reading _Alas_Babylon_ (good book, btw), and getting a start on my Samhain exchange gift.

Today I put out most of my autumn decorations, with the exception of a couple that are specifically Samhain/Halloween related. In trying to drape the second of two faux autumn leaf garlands (the first was successfully pinned to my eyelet curtains in my living-room, also pcitured above) atop my kitchen window valance, the bench I was standing on slipped out from under me, dropping me on the sink (not too hard, though I did wind up with my elbow in the dishes soaking in the sink), and I instinctively grabbed for something to keep me from falling, irreperably (sp?) bending the curtian rod. I'd forgotten that DH put some of those felt pads on the bottom of the bench legs, so that it would slide in and out from the table-side more easily. I should have grabbed a couple of rubber gloves from under the sink, and set the bench on them while I climbed. I didn't think about that until AFTER the curtain rod was down. *rolling eyes* I finally just used safety pins over the rod-hooks to hold the garland (instead of simply draping it over , but now I've got to find a new rod for that valance. As it was, I decided the valance could stand a run in the washer with the rest of the laundry I was doing. *sigh* So, now DH will come back from hunting (hopefully with caribou meat for the next year) to find that not only have I gotten a lot done around the house (and still more to do), but to find that I've managed, as usual, to break something as well. *wink*

Last but not least, I had two great reports for Tay on Friday when I went to pick her up from School. Well, actually, one was from her day-care teacher. The woman said Tay is a good girl, very mature & well-spoken. Like conversing with an adult, and she's well behaved. KNOCK ME OVER WITH A FEATHER!!!!! The second was Tay's teacher saying that Tay has been paying attention in class, seems to be doing well with her class work and is understanding most of what is taught, and she's keeping up well with the rest of the class in reading. Just.... WOW!!!!!! Now don't get me wrong, I know Tay's a smart girl, I've always told her so, but she's always had such a hard time keeping up in class (gets distracted easily, for one thing), and she's very physical and frequently forgets that there are physical boundaries that must be recognised between herself and others. So, I've frequently listened to Day-care & School teachers expounding on Tay's bad behavior, but have rarely heard anything glowing about Tay, much less twice in one day. (Though my favorite compliment was last year's teacher commenting on what a born actress Tay is, that she makes a GREAT king -the play she was in- and that she's perfectly imperious!!! Also said she picked up on her lines immediately, and adlibbed quite admirably, to enhance the script.) I must say that I was proud of my little girl. She's growing up, and hopefully finally maturing to acceptable levels of behavior for her age. Not to mention keeping up with her reading!!!!! YEAH!!!!! Now, she still doesn't LOVE to read, but at least she IS reading and is doing well enough that the teacher isn't concerned yet. I'm wondering if she'll still be going to her reading tutor, or not, but we'll find out in the next couple of weeks as the semester really gets going.

Ah well, always must have a little bad with the good (the curtain rod, among all the other things I've accomplished this weekend). So.... You can see _I_ have been busy, what have YOU done this weekend? This coming week will be a short one for me, just Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before I have Friday & Saturday off again, and then I start into my winter schedual of working Sunday through Thursday. YEAH!!!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

So, here is my finished baby gift. That's the hat, mittens (with the ribbon ties) and booties on the right side of the afghan. Not sure how good the colors are, but the afghan is a lavender & white (obviously, the white). Anyway, I'm not going to make it to the baby shower, however. And not because I didn't get the gift done in time. No.... the shower is at 2 pm tomorrow. Sunday. My day with my dad. My last Sunday with my dad until next summer. Next week he & sis & niece will be down in Anchorage for the weekend. The following weekend, I start back to working Sundays. I like that schedual, but it doesn't leave me much time with my dad. Ok, so I guess that's part of the reason I DO like that schedual. Less time with my dad means less time that he has to nag at me. About anything. And lately it hasn't been chuch, it hasn't even been MY health. Instead he's been nagging at me about my husband's health. As if I have any say in the matter.

But no.... between my hubby's beer belly, my hubby's tooth issues (which will be resolved 9 am on Monday morning), and my hubby's new ulcer (thanks to the painkillers he's been on for that tooth)..... My dad is after me about why doesn't hubby lose weight, and get that tooth fixed, and if he'd just get that tooth fixed he wouldn't have the ulcer..... NO SHIT!!! Like DH doesn't know that. And like he isn't adult enough to make those choices for himself. And of course, Dad feels the need to tell me that it's because _I_ have ice-cream in the house so that DD and I can have a serving each weekend, that's the reason DH is overweight. Not the fact that DH is the one choosing to eat said ice-cream (1/2 gallon tubs) in 3 sittings, without saving any for DD & I. I'm not shoveling it down his throat, that's for damn sure. Then of course, there was DH's ambulance ride to the ER this week. That tooth I mentioned??? It's a wisdom tooth that's gotten infected as it comes in. Anyway, he saw a dentist while he was in Valdez on that fishing trip of his a couple of weeks ago, and that dentist told him to get that tooth yanked as soon as he got back to town. Thing is, DH doesn't have a regular dentist, and my dentist doesn't do extractions. So, we'd been discussing who he'd like to go to, and he'd been hemming & hawing about going. As I said, he's an adult, he can make his own choices. Most of the time. Well, Tuesday night that tooth was really bugging him again, so he took 3 advil at about 2 am, woke up at 4:30 in pain again, and I gave him a Tylenol 3 I had left from my surgery. Thanks to that surgery I know that Advil liquid-gels & T3 can be combined, provided you seperate the dosages by a couple of hours. Advil is an Ibuprofrin product, T3 is obviously, tylenol. Any mom should be able to tell you that they can be alternated to bring down a fever or for painkiller, without overdosing on either one. So I did. Gave him a T3, and we both fell asleep. Till about 6 am, when he woke up with a WHOLE different kind of pain. This pain was in his chest, and it was so bad that he was doubled over, writhing in agony on the bed. He was clammy, and nauseous, and lightheaded. No arm or leg pain, so I wasn't sure if it was his heart (he IS 32) but I called for the ambulance based on how much pain he was in, and how it really didn't look like _I_ would be able to get him to the hospital anyway. Sure enough, they got here and suggested he get in, like, now. He went with them, I woke up Tay & dropped her off at my dad's, then ran on into town to the hospital myself. Turns out, all that advil he's been taking for years for this bad tooth, and others, has given him an ulcer. He was directed by the Dr. to take a Nexium every morning for the ulcer (at least until he gets off painkillers altogether), some Clidimycin for the infection (the Valdez dentist had given him basic penicillin, but that wasn't strong enough), and some Percocet for the pain (another Tylenol & codein product). He's been doing better since then, but as I said, he's going in for an emergency extraction on Monday morning. Do ya THINK that's good enough for my dad?!?!?! Guess what, it's not! Nope, according to him I should have nagged DH into seeing a dentist AGES ago. And on top of that, supposedly this scare with the ulcer should be giving DH second thoughts about how big he is, and that he should be losing weight. Now, don't get me wrong, DH is a big guy, but only by about 50 pounds. Not an incredible amount, really, when you figure that 200 lbs is his ideal weight (years of skating means he's mostly muscle, except for that beer belly). But, again, it's ME my dad chooses to nag, about my Dh's weight. Not DH, and not that it's ANY of my dad's business anyway.

It's bad enough that my dad has nagged me since I was 5 about how much I am like his older sister, and how I was bound to wind up diabetic just like she was (she was Juv. onset). I never DID become diabetic. (Not even going to go into him naming me after his sis & mom in hopes that I WOULD be just like them, and his telling me constantly about how he did so in order that he'd always have a part of them near him, even after they died.) Not Juv. onset, not Gest. Diabetic, and not Type 2 (not yet, anyway). But still, my dad goes on and on about how I'm just like her and therefore I'll end up diabetic JUST LIKE HER. Forget the fact that I'm at least 10 years past the point of being able to end up diabetic "JUST LIKE HER". An adult cannot wind up with Juv. onset diabetis. Forget the fact that Gest. Diabetis (even if I HAD been) is NOT "just like" Juv. Onset diabetis. But nope, because in his mind I'm "just like" my aunt, I get a constant nagging about how I've got to be careful of my weight otherwise I'll wind up diabetic "just like" my aunt. She died 10 years ago, btw. And, as an adult I'm NOTHING like her. I take much better care of my health than she ever did (even as a nurse, she took horrible care of herself, was in and out of the hospital herself for diabetic comas & issues). I'm skinnier than she was as a mother of a 9 year old (she packed on the weight shortly after my cousin was born). And I'm a lot healthier cook than she was (very little veggies in her meals, very high on the fattening factor). But nope.... I'm JUST LIKE my Aunt Lynn was. And now I'm getting nagged about how _I_ should have control over NOT just my weight, NOT just my daughter's weight (another skater with more muscle than fat, but a "genetic" beer belly that runs in my DH's family), but also my husband's weight. And not by a Dr...... Oh no, it's not a medical professional doing the nagging, but my father. A mechanic. Who has never been diabetic. Who has a bare understanding of a well-balanced meal (well, certainly a better understanding than his sister, my mom, or my baby sister, but still....). Who thinks the only way to be a healthy weight is to walk 5 or more miles a day, and to eat a very strict diet of whatever-the-heck is recommended at the moment. Of course, HE doesn't eat that way, or exercise that way. He delights in serving salads with lots of dressing, fried foods, and creamy potatoes at meals. But, nope, it's ALL my fault that DD & DH are overweight, as am I. I admit it. We are. I'm working on it. It's not easy, but I do try. I do make sure we have fruits & veggies in the house and served at meals. But my will power only goes so far. I can only ensure what I myself eat, at all hours of all the days of our lives. As I said, I'm getting nagged for DH's weight now, and it's REALLY, REALLY getting tiring. I'm sick & tired of being my dad's nag-magnet. 27 years is a long, long time to put up with somebody nagging at one.

Did I say that I'm GREATLY looking forward to working on Sundays again?!?!? Any questions why?!?!?! *wink* If there still are questions, see the post a few weeks back about my sister, and my rant just now about my dad, and any posts about how terribly busy our Sundays usually are (during the summer). That should explain why I like working on Sundays. SOOOO much less BS to put up with.

Anyway, on to why I won't be going to the baby shower tomorrow. Along with lunch with Dad, we've got a b-day party, right around the block from my dad, at 4 pm. It's the 5th birthday of DH's best-buddy's daughter. Then at 5 pm, we've got to leave THERE for hockey. Then, after hockey (leave town around 7:30 after hockey to head home), we'll swing by the other friend's house to drop off the baby gift.

But, in the end, that's all probably just justification for why I am truly not going to the baby shower. The mommy-to-be-again's mother is the owner of a local strip joint. That is where the baby shower is being held. Sunday, at 2, at a strip joint. Of course I know that the strippers will not be there in their professional capacity. But I'm sorry, I'm just not comfortable with going into a strip joint. And I'm certainly not interested in going into a strip joint where children will be, and acting like there is nothing even remotely odd about children being exposed to women stripping & dancing for the objectification of men. Just can't do it. Just can't pretend like I approve. Anyway, like I said, I've got plenty of excuses for not going. Very valid excuses. So, we'll swing back by the other friend's house on our way back out of town. And considering we've got to swing back by my dad's and pick up my car (both friends live in adjacent neighbourhoods to my dad's) before heading home for the night.

And thinking I'd better take out something quick & easy to make for dinner tomorrow night, as it will be rather late, on a school night, before we get home. *sigh*

Anyway, it's now 8:56, and I still need to find a recipe for Red Snapper, so I can make dinner. Took me till 8 to get that dang baby gift done. And of course this post has taken quite a bit. But I'm hungry now, so I'll sign off.

Have a Blessed Day.

Pictures of my "kids"....

LOL I can't seem to figure out how this darn thing "orders" my pictures. The face on of Jenny (the white one) should have been up first, then the pic of Tay in her "First-day-of-third-grade" outfit, then the two pictures of Puck, followed by the side-shot of Jenny. *shaking head* Ah, well. Anyway, these are pictures of my 3 "kids".

We've had Jenny since she was a 9 week old puppy. Origionally we were told by the pound that she is an American Eskimo dog. She's not. Definitely some Samoyed in there, but possibly German Shephard or Akita as well. I mean, otherwise she'd have the long hair like a Samoyed, but she actually feels quite a bit like an Akita, for the feel of her fur.

Puck was another Pound Puppy, brought home just this past April. He's already between 4 and 6 years old. He's a good dog, but rather rambunctious. And he's got a horrible tendency to paw people, but won't let us trim his claws. Therefore nasty scratches are common in our house. And he growls if he at all thinks his treats, food, etc are in danger of being taken.

Tay, of course, is just into third grade, and she found out yesterday (after months of stressing) that she likes her teacher (we didn't know anything about this woman but her last name) and that she's got a couple of friends in her class. (She's been afraid that she wouldn't have any friends, as all her "best friends" are in the classroom of the admittedly "favorite" 3rd grade teacher. But, looks like she's happy now. She came home from school giggling about how she and 3 of her friends (2 old friends, and a "new girl") all sat at one table yesterday and it was "a girl table!" ;) Gotta love it.

Anyway, that's all the pictures for now. Gotta get cracking on that damn baby afghan, as DH informed me that he's been clued in that the baby-shower is this weekend. I've only got the afghan 1/2 done. *sigh* I guess that means cranking out at least 2 rows a day, for the next couple of days. And I've still got to make a wash-cloth, mitts, and booties. Though, if I run out of time I may nix the washcloth. I hate finding out that somebody's having a baby, JUST before that somebody has that baby. ;) Makes it awfully hard to get that gift completed.

Have a Blessed Day!

Just some pictures from the past week.....

Well, thought I'd share some pictures of what's gone on in the past week. The fairy "tattoo" pic is Tay's first tattoo. Obviously, considering she's 8, it's an airbrush tat. It's also on her fore-arm, since I know that's not obvious in the pic.

The top two pics are DH and Tay at the Daryl Worley concert we went to on Tuesday evening. Fantastic!!!!! The guy can carry a tune even in person!!!! Doesn't sound any different than he does on the radio, really, but you get to see how much fun he has, as well!!! I had to chuckle, though. Tay has been asking for 3 years now when SHE could go to a concert, and I kept putting it off, and putting it off, because I've had my qualms about spending 45$ on a child for a concert I wasn't sure she'd enjoy anyway. Now, she LOVES country music. She plays it all the time in her room, and you quite often hear her singing along and see her dancing to it, in private. I'm glad that her first concert was a 12$ ticket (and on top of that, my Dad treated us!), at the fair. She said she was kinda bored. And she looked it. And I'm certainly glad I didn't spend BIG money just for her to be bored. Oh, and Daryl Worley is 6'7" tall!!!! I mean, DAYAM!!!! Why couldn't I have a couple of those inches. I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't miss 2 or 3 inches. It sure wouldn't hurt me to stand 2 or 3 inches taller than I am, and him to stand 2 or 3 inches shorter. *sigh* Pity it doesn't work like that, huh?!?!

Anyway, the pic of the crochet-work is my WIP right now. Just found out that some friends of ours are having their fourth child. Well, her 4th, anyway, his second. All four are girls, beautiful, well behaved little girls. So, I'm making my typical gift of a baby-afghan, hat, thumbless-mitts, booties, and a cotton washcloth. I've got less than a month to whip this gift out. This is what I accomplished yesterday. And once I get this made, I've got to start on a gift for our Samhain exchange on Country Pagan Decor (yahoo group). I don't know what I'm making for that, yet. First year we did this exchange I made a Filet Crochet Owl wall-hanging. Last year's project was a spider-web doily. I'd like to do something with pumpkins this year (and not little orange balls with a little brown stem sticking out the top). I'm just not sure WHAT yet.

Anyway, gotta head to Dad's for Sunday dinner. Then it's on to hockey practice, as usual.

Have a Blessed Day!

Our "Home-Grown" supper.....

As a bunch of you, I know, are really into the home-grown/locally-grown food movement, I've been looking at your blogs and seeing the lovely meals you're producing from what is locally produced in your areas. Unfortunately, it seems most of my meals have, at most, one item on the plate that is locally produced/grown/raised/caught. Tonight I had two: the salmon is a red, caught by my husband (or FIL or hubby's best buddy, we're not ENTIRELY sure) a couple of weeks ago, down on the Klutina. The lettuce in the salad was from my FIL's garden (it's in FIL's back yard, and he does most of the watering and weeding because he lives there, though DH and I did most of the planting). The pasta came from a box (sorry, as far as I know, the only "starch" produced in Alaska are Yukon Gold potatoes), and the tomatoes and avacados came from a grocery store. As did the croutons, the salad dressings used, the seasonings on the salmon, and the milk, garlic and olive-oil in the pasta. So, this wasn't a primarily home-grown meal, but at this point in my life, it's the best I can do.

I think I've come to the conclusion that at this point in my life it's maybe not so much about how much is produced local to me, but is it as healthy as I can make it. Am I using what IS available to me (at a price I can afford), while still getting plenty of veggies and fruits. Going lighter on the starches than I have in the past, and heavier on the veggies. This is going to mean, ESPECIALLY during the winter, using a lot of mass-produced and frozen veggies. Or veggies that have been shipped great distances. But in Alaska, ANY distance is a great distance. We're over 350 miles away from the only other "big town" in Alaska: Anchorage. Even Delta Jct, the local "bread-basket" is about 100 miles away. The MatSu valley is almost as far away from me as Anchorage, and that is the true "bread-basket" of Alaska. And even the salmon, halibut, shark, caribou, and moose we eat is not something that is usually found less than 50 miles away. The halibut, shark and most of our salmon come from Valdez: farther away than Anchorage. The Caribou and moose, as a rule, come from at least 75 miles away. For those of you who are looking at maps, think from Fairbanks, half-way to Prudhoe Bay. That's a good 300+- miles, as well, for caribou. It's as "local" to Alaska as you can get, and it's still not "local" in the sense that so many in the "states" talk about. Just to give you some idea of distances in Alaska, that's all.

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted.... It's been either too busy here for me to find the time, or I've not had anything to really show off or talk about. And I didn't want the next post to be a rant. Crafting wise it's starting to look like a very busy next couple of months as I've got to make a baby-afghan, hat, mits & booties for a friend who's about to have her 4th daughter (her older 3 all have something made by me); and I've got a Samhain exchange I'm taking part in. I've no idea what to make for the Samhain exchange. Really. I should. The two "requirements" (not that we're that strict, really) are that it be a decoration for the house (preferably) and that it be hand-made (preferably). I know I could get away with something bought, or something to wear (or both), but I prefer to make something for my exchange partner's home, with Samhain as the theme. Now I'm just wracking my brain as to WHAT. The first year's project was a filet-crochet owl wall-hanging. Last year's was a spider-web doily. I'd like to do something with a pumpkin, this year, but am at a loss what. Most of the crocheted pumpkins I've seen are little crocheted orange balls with a brown crocheted stem. Kinda thinking something a little more... elaborate than that. Ah well..... I'll figure it out. I always do.

Anyway, this is the Sunday I go to church with my Dad, so I've gotta go ahead and sign off. After lunch at my dad's DH, DD, and I will be going to the fair!!!!! Yippee!!!!! Some seriously yummy food to eat, lots of seriously lovely goodies offered up for my purchasing pleasure, and a definite Once-A-Year event. With tickets being 8$ per adult ($5 per child), each "meal" being about 10$, and lots of expensive shtuff to buy.... The average person can only AFFORD one visit a year. Unless, of course, you're like my sister who has a Military fiancee sending her rent money, then spending her own money on season tickets so she and my niece can go EVERY night after work. But, most of us have more responsibilities than that. So we only get to go once (maybe twice) in a year. We're going to go twice this year, actually.... Tuesday is the Daryl Worley concert. This'll be Tay's first concert, and I've got to remember to take my camera so I can get pictures of her enjoying the music. ;-) So, we're scraping up the money for tickets to that. But that'll be it, on Tuesday. Tonight's when we go and browse. Ok, really signing off now.

Have a Blessed Day!

Idiots.....

Gotta love the idiots in this world, and the jerks. Definitely the jerks. This was going to be only about the guy across the street who woke me up at 7 am this morning, running his big old deisel truck for a good 15 minutes or so (probably more, but after 15 minutes I woke up enough to shut my window). The temp did not get below 50 deg. F. last night, and here this guy is at 7 am this morning, wasting fuel by letting his big old, company vehical, deisel truck run for what felt like forever. Can you say FUEL WASTAGE?!?!?! I mean, I know it's a company vehical and HE doesn't have to pay for the fuel, but for crying out loud, the rest of us have to lay there listening to the thing run, or shut our windows and try to sleep in a sweltering room. Then again, he doesn't care about that, either.... They keep their windows shut and turn on the air conditioner in their house. The only time I have EVER run my air conditioner (except for a yearly 10 minute check to be sure it works), is one day this summer when the smoke was so thick it was making us choke. Tay's got asthma, and Puck looked miserable when I went to check on him first thing, so I brought him inside, closed all the windows, turned on the air conditioner (it was about 75 deg. outside, which is HOT for those of us in the Fairbanks area), and let the air purifier in the living room clear out the house for the 2+ hours till we had to leave for work & daycare. That is the ONLY time I've used my air conditioner for it's intended purpose. It uses too much electricity/fuel to be using it otherwise.

Anyway, don't get me wrong, the guy across the street is actually a pretty nice guy, but he evidently has NO clue, or doesn't give a rat's ass, about how his fuel usage affects the rest of us. Not just on an auditory level, but on an environmental level as well. Even my husband, who normally just gripes that he doesn't have a co. vehical that he can use, instead of paying for his own fuel, was saying that he couldn't believe neighbour-guy could be so stupid as to be running that thing in this temp.

Anyway, onto my other gripe for the day. My baby-sister's fiancee was due back from "over there" in 6 or 7 days. They were going to get married, and he was going to move her bragart, whiny self, and her daughter with him out to Michigan this winter. They were evidently going to arrive out there to promptly take over the family business, build my sis her Dream House, fill it with all brand new furniture so that she wouldn't have to suffer used furniture like the rest of us pathetic folks, and enroll my niece in ONLY the best of the best of Michigonian pre-schools where my niece's obvious genious would smoke that of her class-mates. *rolling eyes* Sorry, I've only had to suffer my sister's diva-like ideas and opinions every Sunday for the last couple of years. And, love her like I do, my niece is turning into as much of a spoiled, snotty, diva as my sister is. It REALLY is intolerable in a 4 year old. I'm sorry, Sis, it's NOT cute when your daughter first refuses to give her aunt a kiss, then cries when I decide that's fine and have to head home, only to be told that I MUST wait for the little diva to deign to give me a kiss. I don't need a kiss that bad. It's NOT funny when she sits there trying to color on Tay's pictures. It's NOT hilarious when she decides to ride her tricycle on Dad's new laminate floor. And I'm NOT horribly mean simply because I step in and force her to stop being a destructive brat. She's cute, but she's a brat! Get a clue and discipline her!!!

Ok.... So, this isn't ACTUALLY to my sis, as I doubt (hope!) she'll never read this. Instead.... It's about how my Sis's fiancee won't be back in 7 days to marry her and carry her off to her "Custom Built Dream Home in Michigan". Instead, it's about the fact that the military decided, after telling everybody for weeks that his Brigade would be home on Aug. 2nd or 3rd, that they want to keep these guys over there for another 2 months, definitely. Possibly up to 4 more months. Nevermind the fact that this means my sis WON'T be getting married and moving quite as soon as I'd hoped, it also means that my Potential-Future-Bro-in-Law, and MANY, MANY MORE husbands/fathers/sons/fiancees/wives/daughters/mothers face at least 2 more, and up to 4 more months of physical endangerment in a part of the world that is increasingly anti-American. Not that they don't have some reasons for their anti-american sentiment. There have definitely been things that have been done wrong. But, for those who are just over there doing their jobs, who'd wanted to come back to their fiancees, to their sons and wives (the father of one of my daughter's teammates was due back at the same time as my sis's fiancee), to their fathers & mothers..... These folks just want to come home. That's all my sis's fiancee can talk about, is coming home to his girls, and getting out, and going home to HIS family and helping out with the family biz. So many of them signed up for a typical 4 year tour, and are being stretched to 5, 6, 7 years, or more. So many of them signed up to defend their country, and are being sent off under that assumption, while here at home we're losing rights every day, while our troops are losing their lives in another country who doesn't seem to care about those rights that much, either. I'm sure there are are citizens "over there" who want what they see in America, but want it in their own country. I'm sorry. That's not something OUR soldiers really can do much about. It's not a foreign fighting force coming in and giving it to you, that is going to make your country like America. It's a mindset. It's a being willing to die for YOUR rights, being willing to fight for YOUR rights. The American Revolution didn't happen because we waited around for France to come help us out. We got out there and we kicked ass ourselves. We WERE THE CHANGE WE WANTED TO SEE!

And honestly, it's that lack of mindset that's causing so many Americans to lose OUR OWN rights here at home. Women's rights, voting rights, privacy rights, parenting rights, religious rights...... They're all being infringed upon EVERY DARN DAY, here in America. And, as OUR troops are over there trying to give THOSE citizens rights, we're losing the same rights here at home at an astonishing rate. Because Americans don't give a RAT'S ASS! Most Americans seem to sit back and say "well, it doesn't hurt ME" so why should I care?!?! Or, others, like my Dad, say "GOOD, I'm GLAD that right is being revoked because THAT kind of person doesn't deserve rights anyway, or at least not ALL rights." My husband is one of the first kind. It doesn't phase my husband in the least that if I were to get accidentally pregnant, before long I won't have the option to choose whether or not to keep that child. It'd be forced upon me because I'm "just a woman" and I don't have the right to control my own body and make my own decisions. My husband is a homophobe who doesn't believe that everybody has the right to love who they wish. He likes seeing that right denied those citizens. And, Ironically, when I pointed out that it's a quick step from denying gay citizens of the right to love each other, to the RR denying hetero citizens the right to view legal (ie: not child) porn...... DH made the comment "that's fine, if they outlaw it, I'll just stop looking". It's not about "just stop looking" its about "if you WANT to look, you shouldn't have to worry about somebody else's moral compass". Well, except MINE, maybe, but he married me, after all. But, there's that mindset again of "what do I care, they're not after me." Pretty soon it becomes "well, it's just this one little 'right' and it wasn't even that important to me." GRRRRRRRRRR Some of us damn well appreciate ALL our rights, and don't want to see ANY of them infringed upon, esp. by those we call PUBLIC servants!!!!

Oh, and FYI, for ALL Alaskans. Sen. Murkowski may claim to be pro-choice, but her vote in the recent bill proposed by Sen. Frist was FOR the injunction against non-guardian help of minors seeking abortions. IE: SHE helped pass a bill to say that if any adult (other than a legal guardian) helps a minor seek an abortion, they can and will be prosecuted to the full of the law. That means ALL adults, even grandparents, older siblings, school councelors, Dr's, etc. That's NOT pro-choice. And FWIW, Sen. Stevens made the same vote. They are BOTH anti-choice, when it really comes down to it. Don't be fooled.

Anyway, I've been on here ranting for nearly an hour now. I've gotta get off and get something to eat before I head to work.

Have a Blessed Day!

My Little-Miss-Blue-Eyes got a haircut!

Just had to share. She's got her usual forced smile.... Since she hit 2 I've been unable to get a decent, posed picture of her without this forced, fake smile of hers..... Even her school pictures look forced. But gosh does that haircut look cute. I had a similar cut as a child, and didn't look anywhere near as good with it as my kiddo does. As a matter of fact, I went to a Christian school, and I got called "Carl" quite frequently, while sporting this style. The real irony is that I had a classmate named Carl who's parents had failed to get his hair cut in quite a while, and he sported a longer style and the name "Carla" at the same time I was sporting a short hair cut and the moniker "Carl". We were a rather unhappy pair, that semester.

Anyway, the hubby got tired of her stopping @ practice every 10 minutes and having to have him brush her hair out of her face, then putting her hockey helmet back on, so that she could see to play. One can only play hockey well when one can see well!!!!! ;) She is, at this point, most nervous over what her best friend will think. *wry smile* I guess she has hit that age where it doesn't matter if Mom & Dad like it, if your friends think you look like a doof.

We also had an adolescent moment over the weekend where it was decided that it's time for her to start wearing deodorant. She was sitting on the couch with her arms over her head, and the smell coming off those armpits was definitely not a smell one generally wants to be very close to. But, thankfully, that is the ONLY adolescent mile-stone Tay has reached quite yet. At not-quite-nine years old..... I'm not quite ready for her to BE adolescent yet. LOL She's still my baby (and always will be) and I get worried when I see that a lot of her friends are already into make-up and boys at 9 and 10 years old. Even 18 years ago when I was her age, a girl was still more worried about barbies and baby-dolls at that age, than make-up and boys. But it certainly doesn't help when the popular tv shows for girls of her age, are about girls 5 and 6 years older than she is: Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven.... To name just 2. Please!!!!! I'm about ready to just turn off the TV and tell her she's not allowed to watch any thing. All the shows, any more, are only about what looks good, who looks good, and how to look good. (And I DID sit down and watch a couple of episodes each of "That's So Raven", "Lizzie McGuire", "Suite Life of Zach & Cody", and "Hannah Montana", and I didn't find anything redeaming about them. Lizzie McGuire was about the best, but even that show left a lot to be desired.) I want my daughter to have a brain, to be a caring individual, and to not give a rat's butt if her best friend doesn't look like a fashion plate 24/7. But that's not what's popular, of course, and it seems that TV has experienced a set back where displaying girls with brains is concerned. As I said, I'm about ready to just turn it off or tell her she's only allowed to watch PBS.

Well.... Off to work. Have a Blessed Day!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

Hope everybody had a great 4th!!!! Actually spent some non-painful time around my SIL. Since she had her 2 boys, she's spent so much of the time being freakishly mean and angry at the world, and spends a lot of the time taking that anger out on Tay and myself. It got to the point where I'd send Tay outside whenever SIL was around (or drag her inside with me if SIL was outside) the inlaws at the same time we were, and I'd burry my nose in a book and ignore her. Well, anyway, evidently their father (SIL's on-again, off-again currently-ex) took them up to his parents cabin for the weekend, giving the SIL some time alone, and it really seemed to help. She's still as self centered as ever, but in a much more fun way..... Like she was before she had her kids. She and Tay spent a couple of hours trying to one-up each other with standing on their heads, walking on their hands, and trying to do cartwheels. And SIL and MIL were joking around and making me laugh (which still kinda hurts). It's amazing to realize that when she's not letting life stress her out severely, or high as a kite on crack, she can still manage to be a fairly decent person to be around. Unfortunately, past experience has taught me not to expect it to last, and to be wary that the next time we see her she'll probably be rude, and hurtful, acting like an oversize toddler who's not getting her way. Ah, well.... It's nice while it lasts. And it does help me see some good in her, to remember for the dry spells in between.

Anyway, got to go back to work, finally, on Wed. Then Thursday was cut short due to the power being out thanks to a major thunder & lightning storm the night before blowing the transformer that provides the electricity for the library. I only got 3 of my regular 6 hours in on Thursday. And Friday is only a 4 hour day for me, anyway. So, it was a nice, short week in which to start back to work. Tomorrow (Monday) I'll start back to my regular schedual. I've got 2 percaset saved for Monday and Tuesday nights if I need them. *grin*

Other than that it's been the usual busyness. I've got a scarf finished that I need to take a picture of. It's one I started on thick bamboo knitting needles, but only got a bit done before I got bored with it. Finally took it apart and restarted it on my Knifty Knitter. Took me all of 2 days, that way. Anyway, whenever I get around to replacing the batteries in my camera (I know, should be easily done, but I don't know where DH stashed the spare batteries), I'll get a pic. of it. Tay looked at it and asked how many scarves I need. LOL I told her that this is only my..... I don't know, 7th or 8th scarf. But then, not all of my scarves are knitted (or crocheted), some of them are fabric, a few of them are purely for appearances, and all but 3 are purchased. I figure that's not bad. And scarves are are so easy to accessorize with, esp. in winter when one needs something around one's neck to keep warm with anyway.

Well, gotta go change before heading up to Tay's hockey practice. I did finally get myself a seat cushion crocheted, as well. Those bleachers are metal and D*MN cold!!!!!! And hard. They keep the building set at about 40 degrees, year 'round. I don't like the feel of cold, hard bleachers under my fat, white butt, while I sit and watch my child skate. *wink*

Have a blessed day!