Atleast I'll have a point of view!!

While we were packing up last Thursday, I told myself:

You are returning to your own life, and the question of these triangles you're kind of obsessed with.

Then, sometime later (while falling asleep?) an idea perculated through the mess. Today I need to draw it out and play with it a bit to see if it will actually work outside my head. If so, it can be an interest project to work on.

First, though, I need to put away the clutter in the studio (it looks like a fabric monster threw up in there!), and photograph each of the dyed tshirts to show you. (yes, Gerrie, I know you want one!!) So I'll probably draft out the shapes in paper tonight while watching Studio 60, then play with them for a while before I fall asleep.

And, yes, I'm working on redesigning my blog. Again. I suspect a 2 column look is coming back!! Kind of like jeans with a flare to the leg...

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I ask about the first concert you attended.

Tags: PointOfView, rlm

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

HOME.

Can four little letters be so filled with meaning and joy and personality? We are glad to be back under our own roof.

Fabulous Pickle-pal Janice who drove us to the airport 3 weeks ago made 2 (two!!) trips back down to the fetch us home again. Yeah, I never actually wrote which day we were flying in; she drove down Thursday and forgave me enough to drive down again on Friday!! Talk about good friends!!! Give a hand to the Janice. (you saw her studio studio back in August).

The dogs are home from the boarder. There is a tale to tell there for another day. Let me just say that one is a lucky human who can find someone like Bonnie the Boarder. She is a keeper. The dogs got needed baths and a nice pack nap. Now they're busy napping in all their old spots.

I now have reliable internet, a tv with a remote and cable, and HOLY HEALTHY EATHING, BATMAN!!! a counter and fridge filled with healthy, colorful fruits and vegetables!! Every color of the rainbow (I think).. but no white potatoes. We've had our fill of those things enough to last until 2007. We are home.

Today I really need to catch up on my blogs. I've read my regular every day reads... but almost nothing else. I'd written post for BlogHer mostly before I left, but now I need fresh stuff.

I also need to pay attention to the gardens. Tomatoes need picking (some trashing); weeds need pulling, and something happened to the lawn (it's brown!! I swear I left the irrigation system on!) Between these two and about 30 programs on Tivo, I think I've got my weekend planned out.

How about you?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: rlm

I would not let her steal all my gags

We stopped to see the MIL for the last time today. The early part of the day was spent in policing the house, lunch and a nap. I've been sleeping rather poorly, so these afternoon naps keep my mind from completely frying.

Our plans were to go up in the mid-afternoon, visit for an hour and half or so, then say our goodbyes. My MIL is not a happy person; never has been, And she doesn't react warmly in my presence. But I figured this is the last time I will see her alive; I could deal with 2 hours. Even knowing that I've made the last 25 years of her life pure hell by my very existence.

Knock her door. Verbal barrage began before the door opened.

Now since Diane mentioned it last month, I have been spending part of many evening playing ToonTown. The idea of conquering evil (bitter, nasty, grubbing behavior) with laughs and gags is deeply appealling to me. When my MIL began today, she reminded me of nothing more than one of the "cogs". I smiled.

"It's all your fault!" she screamed my way. My smile missed but I was BANG down five laff points. I returned the cart we used to carry stuff up there to the first floor, hoping the spouser would be able to diffuse her in the meantime. No. The attack continued on him while I was gone, but was returned full-bore to me when I reappeared.

Down another 8 laff points.

Assessing the situation, I could stay and become so beatdown that nothing could improve my mood; she could ruin dinner, the evening and deny me a night's sleep. Instead I chose to keep my sense of me. I walked into the other room, and grabbed my jacket.

Whatever she said in that instant was enough for the spouser, too. He was out the door before me. I did call out "goodbye" before I left. I doubt she'll remember that. Neither of us will see her alive again. She has taken all that we will allow (and then some).

I gave up three weeks of my life to come here. Yes, I did it for the spouser, not the MIL, but still. All this work... all this time!! Would it have killed her at some point to say "thank you"? Probably. It's likely she would have melted like the wicked witch.

Early tomorrow morning I start to get my life back. I'll return here one more time for the funeral when it happens. Maybe. Probably. Because I am a good person and the spouser will need the help. And I'll feel better because I did tell her goodbye.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

H-Day minus one

Yesterday we ran a couple errands, but pretty much just recovered from the excitement that was Tuesday. The main way we did this was by driving out to Bishop Hill for lunch and a walk around.

Bishop Hill was founded by Swedes who came to the US for religious freedom. The village, now, is part tourist/part historical site. We've seen the halls and such before, so we strolled through the shops checking out the knicknacks and such. And we had a good lunch.

The spouser had Swedish meatballs, a big bowl of garden vegetable soup and raspberry pie. I had a salad plate called The Garden Crate. A nice 1/2 c. scoop of chicken salad was surrounded by slices of a wide variety of veggies and fruits. A small corn muffin accompanied this. Yum. I finished the meal with a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie. YUM. A really decent cuppa coffee would have made it perfect.

Today we're packing everything up that remains around the house. The kitchen is being emptied into the garbage can. A think a final run to Goodwill. Then pack up our stuff. Yay!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Countdown: H-Day Two and M-Day Plus One

Ok, so my connection was a little funky yesterday and I apparently published a whole lot of repeats. When your internet connection comes and goes whenever someone in the neighborhood starts their microwave or uses a wireless phone, you can't be sure.

We actually accomplished everything we needed to yesterday. Yay! The oldsters are moved in and having to adjust to a new life; they are happily unpacking their stuff and finding homes for things. Hopefully by today they start making new friends.

Yesterday the weather was perfect. Today it will be about 10-15 degrees cooler, and getting worse tomorrow, so today we are going to have fun. We are headed to Bishop Hill, which began life as a Swedish community... the King of Sweden has even visited it. We shall walk around and look into the shops. In the past, we head there for the big family Thanksgiving celebration, but I doubt we'll be back here during a holiday time again.

We'll find the cafe that serves good pie and have a piece with a sandwich for lunch.

Tomorrow I empty this house out, and pack.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I'm writing about the importance of eye contact.

Countdown: H-Day Three and M-Day Zero

If it's Tuesday, then we're moving the old folks into their new home today. The plan (you WILL need a scorecard):

8 am: Steve drives to the hotel to pick up a furniture mover;
8:30: M and D and their grand-daughter show up here with a truck and trailer. The guys load 2 final pieces of furniture into the trailer here; they head to the nursing home in the truck. D, her grand-daughter and I take the car there.

We gals load the old folks into the car and head to the new hotel. (oh joy! Four adults, a grand-kid in a carseat in our little car! And two walkers!!). They have interviews with the nursing staff, then they go off to lunch.

Meanwhile, the guys are loading their furniture from the nursing home, coming to the hotel and moving it in.

At 12:30 pm, someone (me and Steve or the folks at the hotel) need to drive the MIL to a doctor's appointment where she will get a 2 hour infusion of stuff for RA, wait for half an hour and then come home. I am really hoping that the hotel can deal with this. If they can, then,
we set up the apartment, turn the key over to them and get the hell outta there.

These two need to get into the swing of things in their new environment. While they might wish we helped them, that's a crutch that will only slow things down.

While we're doing all that fun, the local realtors will be walking through the house and (hopefully) thinking of their clients who will fall in love with this place.

Wednesday might be spent finishing up some details with the move (hanging a shelf or two), maybe not. We're hoping to just chill. Thursday we pack and hang out, try to have a little fun, throw out the garbage in the house. Get some quiet time.

We are both so ready to get our lives back.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Countdown: H-Day Three and M-Day Zero

If it's Tuesday, then we're moving the old folks into their new home today. The plan (you WILL need a scorecard):

8 am: Steve drives to the hotel to pick up a furniture mover;
8:30: M and D and their grand-daughter show up here with a truck and trailer. The guys load 2 final pieces of furniture into the trailer here; they head to the nursing home in the truck. D, her grand-daughter and I take the car there.

We gals load the old folks into the car and head to the new hotel. (oh joy! Four adults, a grand-kid in a carseat in our little car! And two walkers!!). They have interviews with the nursing staff, then they go off to lunch.

Meanwhile, the guys are loading their furniture from the nursing home, coming to the hotel and moving it in.

At 12:30 pm, someone (me and Steve or the folks at the hotel) need to drive the MIL to a doctor's appointment where she will get a 2 hour infusion of stuff for RA, wait for half an hour and then come home. I am really hoping that the hotel can deal with this. If they can, then,
we set up the apartment, turn the key over to them and get the hell outta there.

These two need to get into the swing of things in their new environment. While they might wish we helped them, that's a crutch that will only slow things down.

While we're doing all that fun, the local realtors will be walking through the house and (hopefully) thinking of their clients who will fall in love with this place.

Wednesday might be spent finishing up some details with the move (hanging a shelf or two), maybe not. We're hoping to just chill. Thursday we pack and hang out, try to have a little fun, throw out the garbage in the house. Get some quiet time.

We are both so ready to get our lives back.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Countdown: H-DayFour and M-Day One

Several major things happen this week:

One day from today we move the MIL and her SO into an assisted living apartment. My part will be easy: accompany them from the nursing home they are currently in to the assisted living hotel and wait while they have their interviews with the nursing staff.

While two of us women are doing that, the guys will be loading up their mattresses, tv, chairs and incidentals at the nursing home, and getting them installed in the hotel.

The happy couple will get their plans set with the nurses and head directly to their first meal in their new place. They might even see someone they know. (a couple of the last names sound familiar).

The second major thing that happens (you can all guess this one): we fly home in four days. The weather here hasn't been bad; the people have been for the most part helpful. But I will be so glad to be in my own bed and home. I miss my dogs; I miss my car and understanding the area well enough to drive alone; I miss my own bed. I miss (gasp!) fresh vegetables.
-------------------------
Today we take a final "installation" run to the hotel with things. That cannot take long. We have to leave by 11 am. and return the house. I have folks coming out to:

a) clean the carpets in the entire house;

b)pick up all the items for auction. Auctions are big here. Everything will be sold for probably a pittance, and the check will mailed to us in California, where we put in the MILs account.

Living so far away was probably a good thing: we were not tempted to keep a lot of her things because of the shipping. One box about 24" square took most of it.

Anyway, life is calling... have a good one all.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: qca, rlm, RealLifeMaintainence

For the Technology Challenged

The well-shaped tree across the street. I'm going to have to blog the story of the guy who lives there.

Back in Skinny Jeans has a really great explanation of RSS and feed-readers called How To Explain RSS The Oprah Way.

I like that instead of giving the real explanation of RSS (really simply syndication), she tells why people would like it: Ready for Some Stories. Go read. Tag it. Bookmark it. Keep in your "bag of tricks" for explaining to others.

Tags: QCA, RSS

Weekend chores

I will be spending the weekend have some fun (zoo, dinner.. who knows what else?) and ironing laundry tape names into every friggin' thing the MIL will have at the hotel. Look for some fun photos Monday.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I'm listing the 10 most challenged books of the 21st century so far. This is Banned Book Week.

The photographic evidence

God, now you get to see my stubby little toes!! But note the colorful impact of the damaged one.

Yes, it hurts as much as you can imagine. 

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

I mentioned how much I like this street we're staying on. It has one problem: a real fear of color in the house choices. Every house is white.

This periwinkle blue trim is the most courageous color choice I've seen in my strolls.

Speaking of which, I won't be taking long walks for a a couple days (except tomorrow when we go to the zoo). This morning I carried something out to the attached garage, stepped up to come into the house and bashed my toe against the doorway. It's a gorgeous black and red color and if it isn't broken the nailbed may be damaged.

It was nice to spend the day at a senior hotel; my limpy, gimpy nature let me fit right in.


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Blinded By The Light...

Blame it on Pammy Beancounter.. or because I really need to have some fun...
The sheer volume of knowledge you will gleen about me from these quizzes, shall blind you...
(and, yeah, I know that Blinded By The Light is a 70s song not an 80s song).

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

AND....
proving that I'm not a freeking a genius about everything:

You Scored 25% Correct

You know some 80s stuff Like that Paula Abdul was a star back then But you're not sure who Suzie Q was And you don't know what Samantha Fox was really famous for!

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

uhm... I don't know who Suzie Q was at all... and Samantha Fox neither!!

But I couldn't resist...

You Are 56% Control Freak

Generally, you are in control but not a control freak. You life is usually in order. However, sometimes you get too obsessed with making everything in your life picture perfect.

Are You A Control Freak?

Call it my controlling nature....

Yesterday we moved the heavy stuff into the MILs new assisted living hotel. Today we put stuff together and start putting away some things. We will move them in next Tuesday or Wednesday.

This weekend we are taking a little time to have some fun: hitting the local zoo on Saturday, and then a park or a festival on Sunday.
Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: quizzes, rlm

Through Thursday

Kawabunga, Martha! Have we gotten a lot done.

The house is 99% empty. The remaining stuff is there to make our lives easier until we leave next week. Granted, most of it is simply moved to the garage at this moment in time, but...

The MIL and her SO are signing the lease for the assisted living hotel this morning. Then the spouser writes a check and we get the keys. Most of the stuff headed there (and some that will go and probably come back) will be there by suppertime tonight. Half of the garage empty.

A local auction house will come on Monday and take away whatever remains. Except for that 1% that we're still using (a coffeepot, a broken tv, 2 chairs, 2 plates and 2 coffee cups).

The house goes into the MLS tomorrow. The sign goes up on Tuesday early, and the realtors' tour rolls through here later the same day. Records indicate that the house should sell within 15 days (fingers crossed).

The car is stored until the state of Illinois mails us a replacement title. Then it's sold.

Gee, what I am going to do next week??



Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Wednesday Wonders..

The open, treed street on which we are staying. Oh, and notice those nice big trees in the middle of yards? Somehow my MIL drove into one of these. (I don't want to know...)

The sun is shining, which improves my mood immensely! Also, yesterday I scheduled the carpet cleaners and an auction house. Monday at noon both will show up. One will take all the extra furniture and "saleable stuff" out of the home; the other will lessen the traffic patterns in the house. All I can do to make this easy to sell.

Actually, it's a slab ranch in a wonderful neighborhood at a good price. It's functional, but there is room for decorating and some remodeling in the future so a youngish couple could make their own mark. And it will be empty; fast occupancy that waits only for the legal stuff to be completed. Similar houses in the area have sold within 10 days; with the "soft landing" in real estate, we might have to wait up to 21 days.. but I doubt it. If I were shopping for a home in this area, I'd take it. (that said, if you are shopping for a home in the Quad Cities, Illinois side, please come look. Next week.)

I think I have about half of my jobs for the week crossed off. I need to find some newspaper somewhere and wrap all the glassware up carefully. Then talk to the MIL. If she will give it to me, I have no problems carrying it to an EBay dealer and getting the stuff sold. It depends on whether she's having a good day or a bad as to if she will give me the stuff. (fingers crossed).

Watched NCIS and The Unit last night. Good to finally be seeing new tv shows. Checking them out, I don't believe they see their viewers as "young, hip, connected" folks. I've noticed that the shows with a slightly younger appeal all seem to have blogs attached to the show's website. These do not. I wonder if this will change during the year. (yes, Pauly blogs.. but not with an RSS feed. And I don't even remember if it allows comments).

Not much to watch tonight, as I don't have cable. Is this the last episode before the reunion show? One more designer out?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: rlm, RealLifeMaintainence, QCA

Tuesday??

"Love is the only rational act." Tuesdays with Morrie...

I'll be honest; the reason I'm writing the days on each post is to try to keep straight for myself where in time I am.

Tuesday. Tonight I hope we can sit and watch the season premiere's of NCIS and The Unit on our crappy little tv in piece and quiet. Just zone out and not think.

The oldsters will most likely be moving into an assisted living hotel by sometime next week. A bit of a reverse from earlier that means there is more stuff that folks are unwilling to part with. I'm the minimalist "bad guy".. but that's a good thing, too. If I pare things too far back, then others can "win" by adding a thing or two more and get to a good average. If I started where they wish me to start, we'd end up at a higher level.

The spouser is just exhausted and unwilling to fight; the relatives (especially those the same age as the MIL) are trying to let her keep every piece of crap she owns or take it for themselves. I think if you haven't used it in 6 months, you don't need it. It should go to an auction so we could get her some cash.

For example: there is a curio cabinet full of mis-matched pieces of glass that are never taken out of it... totally useless. Not very stable. So I state that the cabinet and it's contents must go, the family says "but oh, she loves it so, it must stay exactly as it is". In the end, the cabinet might stay.. the contents will probably be severely pared down. (one piece per shelf instead of 12). This arrangement will be safer and less distracting and let them "win".

I've tried three times to upload a photo to go with this (something pretty), but blogger and my iffy wifi aren't cooperating.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: rlm, RealLifeMaintainence

Monday Musts...

Good Monday Mornin' to you all!
(I just watched Babe again... polite geniality shall abound, along with some la-la-las!) Yellow is the color of the day!! I took this while out walking the other afternoon.

To keep me on track, my to do's for the week ahead:

1. Schedule carpet cleaning for this Friday or next Monday. DONE

2. Get all the boxed items to Goodwill or storage. BOXED AND IN THE GARAGE.

3. Get most of the furniture to auction. IN THE GARAGE AND BEING PICKED UP MONDAY.

4. Stage what is left here to make the house show better. THE HOUSE WILL BE EMPTY EXCEPT FOR A TV, 2 CHAIRS AND A BED THAT WILL GO WHEN WE LEAVE.

La, la, la!!
La!! La!! La!!
Gee, what am I going to have to do next week? I don't know.

As a reward for hard work, we are planning to go to the local zoo next weekend with one of the spouser's cousins. I can't wait, as I try to make a point to visit zoos in every city we stay in, yet I have never made it to this one.

She found my bloglink on my email, and has been reading, so ya'll say howdy to Debbie. (geez, just what we need another Debbie. Just guess her general age...).

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I've posted a quiz.

Tags: niabizoo, rlm

Sunday Stuff

Goldenrod (I think) on a wood fence. This the backyard of the house we're staying in.

When we go on vacation, the weather is always fabulous. Went to DisneyWorld one winter back about '85. They had killing frost and cold the week before we left; eighty degree temps while we were there; killing frost the week afterward. It didn't rain when we spent 10 days cruising Hawaii at Christmas, though it was the rainy season.

The weather apparently recognized that this trip isn't vacation. Not that the weather is bad. Last week, we had highs in the upper 60s to low 80s. Still humid enough (for me) that wearing anything more than a tshirt could lead to that sense of stickiness if the air wasn't moving.

Today rain is coming through area and Tuesday the high is supposed to be 58. Wonder if I'll feel the humidity then?

Tomorrow is the start of the new tv season (for the big commercial stations). I have already found the blog for Grey's Anatomy (is should be over on the left sidebar: Grey Matters). I know the podcast for LOST. Ofcourse Tim's Takes for PR. Will be on the watch for blogs for other shows I regularly watch. Maybe when I redesign everything I'll put a catagory up just for these blogs.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

One week down, two to go.

If the next two weeks move as quickly as this one did, it won't be long until I'm back in my own house and bed. I have a lot of pretty pictures to share from walks around the neighborhood and parks.

The first is this shot of the "mystery" fruit (tree) around that the birds love. I was thinking crabapple, but the fruit is, I think, too small. Can anyone identify this for me?

We have everything out in the open at the house; have done several trips to the GoodWill. Have a special trash pickup scheduled. Accidently threw her lipstick out. Relatives are invited to come over this coming weekend and choose a memento or two if they wish; buy other stuff if they're interested. Then someone knows an EBay dealer who will try to talk to about selling off some of this stuff. Anything to get it out of the house.
We need the house ship-shape and basically empty in just over a week. That's when the "for sale" goes up and the realtor's tour the property.

It looks like it will be weeks until we can sell the car; the title cannot be found and it will the state of Illinois 4-6 weeks to mail us a duplicate. Oh well, that will be a responsibility for someone closer than we are.

We looked at a potential "other" location today. I have my doubts that it will really work; but I'm trying to stay positive. Monday an administrator of this facility will visit the MIL and her SO. They must pass an evaluation in order to be approved. If one or the other fails, that ends it.

When my MIL asks about places that are not appropriate, we've developed the line/lie: "We checked that place out and they don't have any vacancies at the moment." It appeases them without the big fight that "you are not aware enough to live there" would cause.

The weather today was quite nice: high around 80, sunny with a nice breeze. I opened most of the windows in the house and let fresh air in. And we took a walk around one of the larger city parks (4 square blocks). Up hills and down... in the greenhouses and through the gardens. It was a great let-stretch.

Saturday the local folks who have been our "laison" all return from their vacations. So we'll have people to talk with.

On other news: Can you believe that SuperNova chose Lucas?? I'm glad I have no interest in watching or listening to the band, because that choice killed them for me. Project Runway, I read about.. but I won't see it until I get back to California.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I cross-posted How To Sew, Part Two.

Still Here... Still no pictures

Still here, still no pictures. I do have my camera, but all I've managed to do with it is take photos of the stuff in the house. There is a perfectly wonderful crab apple tree across the street that I must take. And yesterday we saw this wonderful cloud formation as a front finally moved out. I regretted not having my camera with me then.

Today I'll throw it in my purse, and carry it with my when I walk.

We are making progress on packing up the house; and we have pretty much determined that the MIL in not moving from the nursing home she's in. We haven't told her yet, though, because the verbal abuse is bad enough when she thinks there is a hope that she can get her life back. We talk to one more facility tomorrow, and this weekend make the decision. We'll probably tell her the night before we leave. (chickens that we are).

I have one major personal headache in this. The only phone we have is a Tracfone that I activated for our area code back home. Just found out that though they gave me a number 2 weeks ago, that same number is being used by someone else. That is, someone tries to call me.. they get Tom. And to fix it? I need a land line and atleast an hour of time. Guess what's not going to happen until I get back home?

So last night we found Vera's tracfone (we gave her one for her car 2 years ago. It was parked in the laundry room cupboard. No minutes, no power.) and activated it for around here. My anti-phone spouse is in charge of that one. I still don't think it's set up for voicemail, but we'll live.

Life at the moment is pretty drab. Hopefully things pick up a little as we come out from under this pile of crap. The sun is out for the first time since we got here today... so things are on an upswing.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions if you want to read more whining.. this time about my crappy phone problem.

Hello from the soggy Midwest

I just discovered that we have very weak wifi off the back of the house (bless you anonymous neighbor), so I'm taking the chance to say howdy!! No great photos today, but there are trees and bushes and things that I can shoot on our walks. Now that I know, pictures will be in the future.

Arrived here uncerimoniously late Saturday. Spent a good part of Sunday packing up trash (expired meds and other such things). Filled the huge garbage can (60# can) then found out that trash day isn't unit Friday. Hopefully some of our neighbors have empty space in theirs.. because we're cranking out 1-2 large kitchen trash bags a day.

It was sprinkling when we got here, and has been cloudy, damp and cool since. But still muggy. The humidity is up around 80-90%, though the temps are in the 60s. It's supposed to be sunny and warm (80s) by Friday. I know I won't melt, but I will stick!

One day soon I will be out weeding the beds. A day of fresh air and stretching and moving. Joy!! We have the realtor's open house two weeks from today, so we've got lots of straightening to do. We've taken walks each day.. my Omron pedometer shows I'm still averaging about 12000 steps a day.

We've spent a lot of time emptying drawers and closets and figuring out what needs to go and what can be saved. We might (small might) be moving the MIL into a different facility. There are factors which complicate things, but today we'll be checking out a few places to see if they qualify. I'm cautiously hopeful.

The wifi has disappeared twice while I've been writing this, so I think I shall try to publish and not push my chances.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Please don't leave me!!

A gorgeous sunset in the fog from Wednesday night this week.

I am not going to be daily blogging for the next 3 weeks. Occasionally I will be able to get online, how much or how long I don't know. Hopefully enough to check my emails and upload a blogpost or two.

My excellent friend Janice (who is not a morning person) volunteered to drive us to airport this morning. Biker Deb will pick the excellent tomatoes in my garden (want to bet most of them ripen while I'm gone?). Since we get back on a weekday morning, we'll wander home by way of the regional shuttles. My most excellent neighbors will keep the house safe. (Have I sucked up to these folks enough? I think not.)

The Quad cities are not anywhere near the cutting edge of technology. High speed connections are basically limited to businesses and the wifi spots aren't very many. but I see that the main library has free wifi. I hope a couple mornings a week to check email and "catch up" a bit somewhere. Maybe I'll surprise myself and rediscover my native wit.

We will return the end of September, at which time I promise to return to regular blogging again.

Deb's Daily Distractions has absolutely nothing new on it for the month. Say "La Vee"...

Save Your Sheckels...

Yeah, I'm getting ready to leave tomorrow and who knows when I'll be able to blog after that over the next few weeks, though I'm planning on a final post tomorrow.

To whet your appetite for my return, I thought I'd preview some of the hand-dyed tshirts I'll have for sale when I return.

These five are being fabulously modelled by Pickle friends to demonstrate how friendly these are to real world women's bodies. Note: Do you know how hard it is to clip off faces when there are such different heights and builds? But those chins are all beautiful. And I think it was the only way I was gonna get models...

Left to right: S in a Medium; K in a Medium; R in a Medium; J in a Medium; L in an XL.
Hey, why are most of them wearing mediums? I didn't plan this well!!

I wear an 11-12 and I can fit in both the medium (tight) and the XL (just little loose.. but still complementary). But I have that excess boobage problem.

I'll put up photos of all the shirts, but each will be $15.

These are Dharma's Feminine fit tshirts which they describe as:

• 100% 5.5 oz. super soft combed Ringspun Cotton
• It's unbelievable soft & smooth on the skin! People will want to touch you!
• It's designed for women
• Tapered waist, lower neckline, double stitched
• Form fitting, so buy a size larger if you like it loose!

Pam bought one at BlogHer and in the comments wrote:

I'd like to tell you as an aside, the painted t-shirts you sold? are fabuloso. I have just realized that most artists start with men's t-shirts. Maybe because they're cheaper? Easier to order? But you used a women's T - there's a big, big difference in comfort and fit. I love this shirt!

Blogfolk, if Deb ever sells her T's here, grab one.

Tags: tshirts, hand-dyes

One Reality Show Bite

One Reality show take for the week. Project Runway and Rockstar Supernova together on the same page.

First: Rockstar. This week, I loved, loved, loved the performances from Magni and Josh. Storm rocked it. Dilana...I was not fully inspired on Tuesday.. she redeemed herself a bit on Wednesday. Lucas? Just. Must. Go. Should have gone instead of Storm. Hopefully she gets a solo recording gig... I'd listen to music.

OK, it's obvious that the show producers are trying to manipulate the audience to make Dilana look less like a dead lock for winner of this. Question is: has the band decided that they don't to front a chick rocker? I expect the final three to be Dilana, Josh and Magni. I've always thought the winner would be Dilana.. now it looks like a push between her and Magni. We shall see.

=========================
Project Runway

I HATED Jeffrey's dress, although he won. I admired his working with the plaids. It was gutsy and brilliant. I liked the fabrics. I liked the skirt open and free. I wasn't overly fond of the bodice.. square with those odd blibs covering the breasts. What I really hated were the bows and ties and folds around the waist. Didn't this make the model look wider? And a bit sloppy?

Thank goodness that Vince is auf'd. This guy was not going to win.. and this dress? Pure mistake. He uses an upholstery brocade for the skirt.. that doesn't flow and gives no illusion that it would be pleasant to dance in a fancy affair. And the top. There are no words. After weeks of learning what gets Vince off.. it's just good to know he's auf.

The others:

Laura. She is only 3 months pregnant?? With that belly?? With that belly she just found out she's pregnant? Am the only one wondering what the real story here?? And why she felt the need to walk around with her bare belly sticking out in the Paris workroom? Ok.. enough about the person. Her dress was old, predictable and uninspired. Didn't I see this same look on Ivana Trump about a decade ago? And maybe if she's always cold at affairs, she might try designing a dress with a neckline that doesn't go down to the waistline?? I am completely over Laura.

Kayne. I liked his dress. I thought it was going to be too "pageant-ey" but it looked quite nice. I could even imagine an actress like Eve Langoria wearing it. First, however, we'd take those dark ribbons off the front and fix the showing boning.

Kayne and Laura will be the next ones off, I fear.

Michael. I was amazed how much better his dress looked when they folded those two extra blobs of fabric down under from his dress. While choosing a real color and doing all that hand sewing was a major risk, his design was a mis-step. What it is with all these ties and rouching over waists and bellies making the models seem almost thick waisted? Imagine what those dresses would look like on a real body (like mine? Not a pretty picture).

Who's left?

Uli. Ok, if I complain that all of Laura's designs look the same, I must make a similar complaint about Uli. But I like Uli's style better. And this dress would have been my choice as the winner. I can only assume that there wasn't enough risk. Or enough of the hand work to make it couture.

My take for the final three is still Michael, Uli and someone who will not win. Now it's looking more like Jeffry than Laura. Michael will still win the whole thing.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: realitytv, projectrunway, rockstar supernova

A Call for Entries

The International Museum of Women has published their guidelines for their online exhibits.

I was really excited about promoting this; but I just read their discussion and it seems they want to limit their work to young women: those in their 20s and 30s... Oh well. If anyone fits the bill, feel free to check the submission guidelines.

On the personal front..

Katy's bloodwork is back, and her thyroid meds need to be upped a little again. Dogs use incredible amounts of thyroid compared to humans. She gets the highest pill made for humans (300 mcgs.) Most humans take one pill a day. Katy has been taking 4.5.. now she's up to 5. The refill will be here when we get home from Illinois. the photo is Katy swimming last year.

I'm cleaning up my studio (the monthly attempt). I hope when we get home I'll be all set to work some more on the pyramids I started last week. While we're gone, I'm taking a piece that needs lots of hand stitching on it. Can't wait to finish it up.

I really seem to concentrating on getting the house in order before our trip and getting ready to leave. Does anyone else find it necessary to have a clean house when they are leaving it? It's really like the "underwear" thing with me; I'd hate for us to die in a plane crash and my friends to have to clean out our house and see that I'm slob!!

We take off Saturday morning.. and will be back in three weeks. I'm going to try and post stuff while I'm gone with photos even!! And, to keep this all really positive.. I'm thinking what 3 weeks of really low consumption is going to do to my gas/electric bill.

(smile)

It's working already.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: rlm life imw call4entries

How NOT to Practice World Diplomacy

It was not quite a normal morning to begin with.

I had gone to sleep just a little hungry (Oprah says it's not hunger, it's normal. And a good thing. [oh, wait.. that's Martha!]. I'm not convinced.)
And I got up an hour early because Kate needed to be fed at 6 am. (blood work 5 hours later to test normal level of meds).

So maybe today wasn't the best day to have a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast.

It tasted good.. and with a hot cuppa coffee was an enjoyable break of my fast.

But about an hour later, I was reading blogs and sending messages to folks.. and generally (in retrospect) trying to instigate a bunch a disagreements. NOT picking fights myself.. but just poking and prodding and trying to get others to do the dirty work so I could sit back and watch.

I mean, I called a man I've never met a troglodyte!! But not to his face... to someone else.

Now I've also moved all the tv stuff into the new cabinet, gotten all the wires reconfigured the right way (I hope). I even moved the big tv downstairs from the den upstairs.

Apparently, then, chocolate cake isn't the way to practice world diplomacy... but the buzz is good for other tasks.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: RLM, Life

I took the weekend off...

Like this photo? Her "tail-thingy" was the detail that I showed last week. This sculpture was in the gardens of the hotel where BlogHer was held in July.

Well, I didn't completely take the weekend off, just not much quilty-arty inspired. Friday I went to the Sewing, Embroidery, Quilting expo thingy over in San Rafael... and met our ring-leader, Diane!! She's friendly and nice and really tall!! That last part surprised me for some reason. Alas, no photos. But we chatted a lot about ToonTown. Curse her! That game is fun and friendly.

We've been painting this weekend and putting together the IKEA furniture. A photo will come after everything is cleaned up and put back into the room. The color is just slightly darker than the off-white that's been there; not as dark as I'd wanted, but atleast better than Najavo white everywhere. The IKEA furniture is going together fairly quickly, too.

Now to shop some for a couple pieces of new furniture (tables and small couch. I hate shopping for tables.. everything they make now is so boring.)

I did spend some play time painting up some fat quarters... but they are for a Pickle birthday (we will have 3 in 7 months this year!!). So no photos until November. She wants "frosty fairy" kind of fabrics.. I think they have already collected all the real "frosty fairy" fabrics.. except for maybe one or two.. so I've been "frosting" others. Some hand dyed and some commercial pieces. Grand fun! I may have to write up a "how-to" on this someday.

So did you labor or go labor-free for your holiday?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags: RLM, Life

Playing With Pyramids...

I've been playing with these pyramid shapes all week. On painted batting, on black felt, on the plain design wall. I like them well enough.. but it's just not enough!

What really intrigues me about this play is the positive/negative play between the shapes. So when I'm not acting a painting assistant this weekend, I think I'll work on this concept with some commercial fabrics and maybe even some piecing!!

I see some hexagonal shapes.. partly open, partly patterned, varying in size... Like a grandmother's flower garden gone wild. (yeah, it seems to me that this HAS been done before..but not by me.)





Speaking about piecing.. this the smallish flannel quilt top (fuzzed up) that I was earlier. It needs a final border, I think.. so I must shop for something to use.


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

In the spirit of BlogDay

The spirit of BlogDay is to find new blogs totally different from our normal spot of blogging.

While I was looking for blogs, I thought about Koan's blog.. No, it's not new... but recently I find many of her posts have a much wider application than simply examining her rather interesting life. So, though she's not listed in my BlogDay post, I am writing about her here and suggesting you go check her out.

Koan Brenner is as she describes it: 42 years-old, English, female, Buddist, music-loving, motorcyle-riding, insomniac, podcasting videblogging technologist.

Sounds interesting enough at that, right? Her blog is whole lot more.. as she blogs her life, including adjusting to a new body. It's an interesting read. Especially to see the ways that our lives are similar. Just before her recent breast augmentation surgery, Koan wrote:

Something I've been thinking about, a lot, is the consequences of a conclusion I came to, maybe six years ago. Back then, I convinced myself that I would never be passable - by which I mean, I convinced myself that there was always going to be the likelihood that when I met someone, they would (sooner or later, but eventually) work out my past. Six years ago, that conclusion was enough to stop me from beginning to transition. Three years ago, I still believed it - but, knowing that I had to transition or die, it shaped my transition. I realised that it really didn't matter to me if someone worked out my past, or not - I would still be alive, long after I would otherwise have been.

Choosing change (perfect or not) and life over staying the same but dying. How many of us have had to do the same thing!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I'm celebrating BlogDay!

Tags: BlogDay

Smudgy Seams

Another photo in my "smudged clouds" set. I promise tomorrow will be something different.

Bet Carol and others were about to send out the blogging huskies again to find me. Sorry. I have been working...

One of my Pickle friends is a rep. for a fabric wholesaler. So frequently she opens a huge suitcase of samples and asks us to please get them out of her house. The fabrics have been discontinued, so she doesn't need them anymore.

A week ago Monday I took 6 identical packets of flannel squares of a Halloween print (cute pumpkin things). The plan is to sew them together in a raw edge way... and have a really fast small quilt top. (84 squares to work with each about 4" square).

Except.

I have to pay attention to what I'm doing, or I automatically put the fabrics together the usual way.. which in this case, it wrong. I should have finished piecing this part in just over 2 hours, but I'm not done yet and I worked on it for about 2 hours. I've lost count on how many times I've had to unsew a seam.

When the center is put together, I will have to decide on a border. It's going to be too small without one (9x9 I think). With any luck, I have the center part pieced by noon.

I'm still playing the pieces I painted last week. It's just about set to start some stitching.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions. Where I'm writing my ToDo list...

Hah.. Celebrity Reality...

Steve heard the ads for the new "talent competition" show.. Celebrity Duets.

"Humph. Celebrities dancing and singing.. how trite. You will let me know when they have celebrity mud wrestling, won' t you?"

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I'm fighting a cold.

Part of the Plan Shared

After the first coat of paint was applied in the family room (9:30 am) the spouser cleaned up and suggested that we head down to IKEA to look at a couple pieces of furniture for this room. I hope to have this room more-or-less decorated by the end of October. (probably less.. but we'll see.) It would be the end of September, but... ooops those 3 weeks in the Midwest...

This photo shows a fairly empty room. See that ugly bookcase thingy at the left? That is leaving this room. I wish it would leave our house, but getting someone to pick it up? Almost as hard as getting the spouser to part with it. It is the first piece of new furniture he ever purchased (back in 1978).

Anyway the family room will be oriented to face the wall with the fireplace on it (ok in this shot? the rectangle of newspaper). I may cut a piece of foam to cover that stupid porthole window, and hang a picture over it. (the window is no good for anything but shining the morning sun in my eyes, but people find it a "charming touch".). Underneath there we will put this TV Stand that we picked up today. Between the fireplace and the windows, we will put this bookcase or one quite similar to it. That will hold the audio stuff, some books and nicknacks.

I want to find a small couch.. maybe one with a chaise kind of end to it to place in front of the fireplace. Microfiber would be good with the dogs. Steve's chair will go where the ugly bookcase is, and mine near the windows for the good light.

We are still talking about getting a rear-projection or other fancy new TV set in here. The major requirement is a screen that can deal with glare. Because there is a lot of glare along the back of our house. Even with the blinds installed.
See we have these windows to deal with in the family room. There are 2 not quite showing around the corner there on the left.







Plus these in the kitchen. My new computer spot until the painting is done.















And even sometimes glare from these in the dining room!! Though are usually covered with nice light sagey curtains (also from IKEA) hung from the wire system at the top of the shot.

Can you tell? I love IKEA!!

Oh, and for of you thinking: if I had that view out my windows I'd never cover them!! I thought that, too, when we first moved into this house. Until the day in February when it was 75 and sunny outside and my family room went up to 95.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Spouses! Can't live without and can't shoot them.

THE SET-UP

When Katy was recovering from her surgery, I noticed the damage her pen was doing to the wall behind her and mentioned that "we'll have to paint this room when she recovers." When it comes to painting, "we" means "Steve" (ya got to let them think they are needed for something practical, and I do the electrical and plumbing repairs.)

Also, for the past year Steve has been talking about cleaning all the windows in the house. Inside and out. Have I mentioned that we rooms 2 stories tall with windows going all the way up? Anyway, last month someone he works with put him onto a window cleaning guy who is coming this Saturday to do the job.

Yesterday we removed all the window coverings on the first floor. I'm washing the curtains and rehemming one set, then cleaning the wooden blinds. That my job this weekend.

He will begin painting the family room


NOW, TODAY:

Ceiling this weekend, walls next. The way he's going, he'll be done by 10 am. and could get the walls done today, but a plan is a plan.

Monday night he started clearing the room, taking down the mantle I don't want up anymore, the quilt that covers a window I hate.

I got up at 6:30 this morning, and the chair I sit in and watch the morning news? NOT THERE. My laptop that sits next to my chair? NOT THERE. His chair? THERE. That was 6:30.

It's 7 friggin' AM and he's moved everything out of the family room except the one big piece of furniture that won't be moved. The floor and said bookcase are covered with plastic. He's controlling the tv.

THE FUTURE:

Ok this is one example of living with this guy. In September, we're back to Illinois for 3 weeks to pack up his mother's house and get rid of most of her stuff. She's demented (probably from a series of TIAs), and will remain in a nursing home the rest of her life. Now imagine the fun I will have with Mr. Spouser while we're there.

Oh, BTW, we'll be staying at the house. No Cable. A 16" TV from the 1970s. No phone. The only internet at Panera Bread. Please don't leave me when I'm gone!! (I will try to blog during those trips to PB to keep my sanity).


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions... like I'm not distracted enough here!!

Inspiration sources

Photo: An element from a sculpture.

Every once in a while we all just need some visual inspiration. Looking at patterns or colors and distilling what you see into your own work. Melody has written that she uses photographs of rugs and home dec items when she needs something...

Print and Pattern blog is a place to find some of this. Scroll down through the retro post-modern work, to the animals and bright graphic work of yamauchi kazuaki....there is inspiration a plenty here.

Another great place to look was pointed out by Sharon B. when she wrote about symbols.com


Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I wrote about the weather...

Tags: inspiration pattern

Working

..
Yes, this photo is a little "improved". The clouds really looked like scratchy brush strokes, but that didn't come out in the photo. Saturating the colors made it unreal, but quite dramatic. I love this. This is facing east from my back deck.

Today I've already taken the dogs to the dog park, and did some picking up around the house. We're going out to supper with a friend early this evening, so I've got about 3 hours this afternoon to work. I've painted up fabric and batting, carved myself out a stamp (and have another drawn). This afternoon I'm going to fuse up some of the fabrics, cut the shapes and start playing.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

I haven't posted since Friday??

I haven't posted since Friday?? Really? Wait a minute.. I have photos of my friend Janice's new studio. I must go find those and post them.

Janice and her hubby have moved into what was a rental unit of thiers for the next 2 years (changes the tax situation when they sell). As this home has a very small efficiency unit on the lowest level (like an inlaw suite), she is using that as her studio.

This is right-hand side of the efficiency unit. Think of it as the sitting/sleeping area. Those two steps lead you up a platform (on the right... covered with fabric) that is the bed. There is a closet area behind that wall on the left.

Most of the supplies you see here are some of Janice's paper art supplies. the colored organizers (red, blue, green) hold stamps. I think the other organizers may hold stamps, too.

There is a nice "desk area" to organize papers and do small work, and a large work table.


This a shot from the kitchen side looking at the front part of the suite. That's Janice at the door. And see the nice large window in the sitting space? That's the work area.

In the foreground here is the kitchen counter space. In living situation this would be the eat-in area, but now it's a paper storage area.






The rest of the kitchen area. Xerox machine, space for wet work, and cupboards for more storage.












Look how cute the fabric looks in the glass-fronted cabinets of the kitchen.

Janice says this will all be sorted out, UFOs finished, and ready to move back into their main house when the 2 years are up. We'll see!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
where I'll be writing about walking the dogs.

Tags: studiospace

I must have it nearly perfect this time...

I just added a couple new songs to the ever-growing playlist of music for my MP3 player.

Every couple weeks Ipick and chose about 40 songs to download. Yes, I have more than this, but 12 songs or so are usually a walk-length listen.. so this gives about 1/2 a week before I need to repeat. And knowing I like every song and they are all "walk tempo tested" is a benefit.

Except.

This week I start listening while I walk.. and don't take the earphones off until I've run through everything! The mix of heavy and less heavy rock is great. I find myself smiling and happy and incredibly energized... then pulled back to calmer but still happy energy level.

I added some Simple Minds, Boston and (as I said) Smashmouth to my normal mix of Santana, Los Lonely Boys, Jethro Tull, Meatloaf and (ofcourse) Dire Straits. Quite Happy Happy, and I shuffled the arrangements so no person performs 2 songs in a row. I'm constantly surprised!

I also just today realized that often when I'm spending time a group, I seem a bit "dull" because the music that's being played is softer or (to my senses) duller than I prefer (think Celine Dion or that blind guy who sings Italian). So the background music saps my energy. I have a feeling many friends would be surprised to see me with my earphones on, head bobbing and dancing around the house singing.

So how many out there are calmed by rock music?

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

My notes say this piece is Paul Klee's Tunisian Garden.

I am constantly intrigued by the way his paintings look like quilts. Simple shapes, repeated in differing scale, and a variety of colors. Sometimes sharp lines, sometimes blending from one to the next.

This piece has been in my photo inspiration file for ages, so I'm dragging it out to use. Yeah, I could collage together a piece with similar shapes just to get myself back to work, but I'm going to try and limit myself to only using the color pallete. Then construct a collage using some of the graphic sketches I've been working on to both paint on top and use as appliques.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I've blogged about Cute Shoes, Lemon Chicken and Katy's full recovery.

Tags: art, inspiration, Klee

Clara Cried.

I often mention my Pickle friend; the shows we attend, the trips we take, the way we get together each week and support our lives. One tradition is to have a party when we hit a "Big Zero" birthday. Monday night, was Clara's 50th Pickle Party.

When these began eight years ago, the idea was that each person would receive 50 fat quarters and a collection of buttons, beads, threads, and other good stuff. Several months ago, Clara mentioned to another Pickle (HI, Del!) that she didn't NEED any more fabric. We put our heads together behind her back, and came up with a plan. Clara has wanted to do a crazy quilt for a while. She's talked about it, and talked about.

Now she can stop talking. We gave her a Crazy Quilt in a Bag.


We each made her a couple crazy pieced blocks, in pastely and light colored fabrics, added some of the trims and threads to finish each block. The party hostess (Jeanne) then found this great case (in the scrapbooking section at JoAnne's) to put it all in.

Clara has 25 blocks and all these threads, trims, beads and buttons to work with.

Some examples. This is one of the blocks I made. The color is bad because the flash was off, (sorry). The center is hand-painted silk.



This is a different block, but a better example of the colors of most of them. Sorry, I'm not sure who made it. (Debbie?) Silks, satins, ribbons and cottons were combined to make some the blocks. Others are all cotton. And although each person made their blocks independantly, they all go.

Another Block Sans Flash. Sorry. This one has several pieces of kimono silk in it and a gorgeous piece of lace lightly tacked in place. Made by Karen. The blocks were all oversized, so Clara can trim them all up to the same size.

Several years ago, one of our more senior members died. For her funeral, we all quickly stitched up little squares with embroidery (thank goodness for machines with fancy stitches) which were used as a casket cover. One of the Jeanne's blocks used an extra square of this embroidery as it's center. Many of the threads given had belonged to my friend Linda (a fabulous crazy quilter) before she died. So almost all the Pickles and then some are represented in the quilt.



When Clara opened the present, she cried. Heck, as she heard the story of our plans, and the stories of the blocks, she cried again. She's probably crying today as she explains it to her coworkers.

Our next party is in November.... but you can't wait to see what we come up with for that occasion!!

Life Maintainence

First, THIS was a sunset this past week. I missed getting the sun actually setting, which occurred in the very center of the "V" of clouds. Just imagine it.

This weekend has been spent in Life Maintainence activities. I have done most of the repair work on our lawn sprinkler system, cleaned carpeting and vacuumed, and gotten much yard work done.

This is all good.

The coming week I have a birthday party to attend one night and a play date scheduled one day. The rest of the time can be dedicated to something creative. I'm trying to work out some details of the plan that is really only instinct at the moment.

I know that whatever I do, it will involve intricate stitching and layering of details. That's about as far as it's gotten so far. I'm sketching graphics.. and thinking about ways to use them. I'm touching fabrics, fingering threads and waiting for the connections to be made in my sub conscious. I am confident NOW that very soon everything will suddenly "click" and concept will vision.

As these things are stewing, the physical action of cleaning and gardening is distracting the left side of brain so the right side can work.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where I'm pointing out a fun add on for bloggers who use Performancing and reporting on a small gardening/cooking experiment.

Tags: creativity, stitching

See how this bush in divided in parts? That's kind of the way my day has gone. Errands upon to-dos upon chores. sigh.

First thing this morning, I heard from Angela at Kel-Aire. Funny thing is, I was just about to call her. Matt was scheduled to show up this morning, but I was the second visit. My furnace is in our attic; and it could be hot today. I thought he should come first thing; Angela and Matt agreed.

So 8:30, he's here's. Finished everything up by 10 am. Even asked me if I had any questions about my systems. That's why I like this company. When was the last time a serviceman asked if you had questions?

Matt leaves. I shower, get dressed, take the dogs for a walk and a trip to PetSmart. Home for a quick lunch, getting a load of laundry done and out of the line. Check out the sprinkler head I broke mowing the lawn yesterday. Broke the piece I found for replacing it. (sigh..). Grocery shopping. Maybe Home Depot will help me with the sprinkler head. (probably not).

Interspersed was thread selection, some browsing through my stash. Tonight I hope to recover the knitting that's gone off.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions

Tags:

I LOVE the Tuesday Farmer's Market

I'll admit it; I shop around for my dream Farmer's Market. I visit the Saturday morning one close to my house. It's very small and appeals to our strong Asian population. The stone fruit is hard-as-a-rock, the veggies common and there's not much else.

Sunday mornings I can drive over to Martinez; while slightly larger, the new vendors are soaps, candles, jewelry. Still not what I want. We checked out Marin's famous Sunday market last month: Everything there was double the price of the markets in our county. And it was too crowded.

But Tuesday mornings I can drive 12 miles south to El Cerrito and be in heaven. Today I found white nectarines that are only 1 day away from ripe. As close as I will get. I found a booth selling raspberries, the last of the season blackberries and Red Heart strawberries. I got a "three-fer"--a carton of each berry--for $5. It will complete tonight's supper.

There was a vendor selling only heirloom tomatoes ($2.50/pound). I picked one of about seven types. Tomorrow's supper will include sliced heirloom tomatoes with slices of buffalo mozzarella.

I can plan 3 days worth of menus while walking around the market. It would be perfect if I also remembered to return on Fridays. I could cover the whole week.

NOW THE BONUS: The farmer's market is located right by a Trader Joe's. TJ's is the only place I can varieties of sheep and goat milk cheeses. So a stop at one place means a stop at the other. Most of what I need to fill out those menu plans I pick up at TJs. Healthy, delicious stuff and not too expensive.

So the important stuff: What's For Dinner, Tonight? A mixed veggie quiche made with freshly grated Pecorino and Manchego cheeses (summer squash, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes) with a fresh fruit salad.

What else did I do today? Do some my work for BlogHer and sketched some design elements. And so far: 8822 steps.

On The Launch Pad

Nah, the photo doesn't have a thing to do with the text. But it's a nice photo. And it's part of my neighborhood.

Ok, I am done with my post-blogher ramblings. Back to the real life.

Friday night I picked up the yellow cotton tank top I've been knitting most of the summer. I put it down at some point, and don't remember where I left off in a pattern. So instead of knitting further Friday, I ripped back to an obvious point and I'm knitting it again. I'm doing the last of the armhole shaping-heading up to the straps. (oh yeah.. THAT'S where I left off.. where I had to add the second skein of yarn. Oh well, too late now).

The sewing room is a bit messy and needs a thorough straightening up. Hopefully today. I have seen so many impressive graphics places in the past couple days, and they are registering as interesting design stuff. I just know that I'm in the "final stewing" stage before my next creative spurt erupts. Some time early this evening with some sketch paper, and some images to play with.

Hhmm... maybe pencil in a morning of fabric dyeing this week to get prepared.

I feel energy and enthusiasm beginning to pulse!!

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions where today I'm writing about a pit stop.

Tags: creativity, knitting

Showing Off

This week I mentioned two things I would talk more about. One was FilmLoop and the second was the kit from ZoomAlbum. I'm combining them here.

Below is a photo loop created in FILMLOOP. It shows the parts of the ZoomAlbum kit I recieved, what they are and what the end product is.




The FilmLoop folks believed this would a cool way to share all the photos from a party or event (you can import stuff from Flickr, like everything with a certain tag.) So they believed all the pictures from a party or conference could be shared this way. There is a blogher film loop with about 250 pictures looping through it.

I realized that we could take step by step photos for a demo, upload them into the FilmLoop program and show them as a mini-flash program on our blogs. A running loop how-to.

Ofcourse to actually see the whole loop and read my comments, you need to download the FilmLoop program. Bummer. But it's free, small and fast.

1. Would you do that? (download the program?)
2. Would you do that to see more details in a demo?
3. Would you do it if it meant you could access the demo photo loop whenever on your desktop?
4. Would you do this yourself?

Or are you happy scrolling through a blogpost a few times to pick up what you wish?

I'm really curious here. I see this an an app with great potential!!
=====
So anyway, about these ZoomAlbums. These are kits you can purchase to make your own 12 page 3"x3" photo books. Each kit comes with material to make 3 books; that's the yellow kit. Additionally, you can buy a photo cover kit which would let you print 3 photo covers for these books. The software sizes and organizes everything for printing. The printed sheet tells you how to fold to make the book.

I think these would fun for a really special occasion things (the examples they sent me were a wedding day and a young girl. Possibly her first year or two.) Very cute little projects. I may have to break this open after a 50th birthday party I'm attending this weekend. NOT that I'd use this often, but I don't think this is something to use often.

As I said, there is a party this weekend with many of my Pickle-girlfriends in attendance. Lots of fun will be had!

Kowabunga, Martha!! All last weekend, I whined that I was only 2 readers away from averaging 100 readers/day. Just checked my stats: average numbers: 115!! Hello all my new friends.

Tags: FilmLoop, ZoomAlbums

Five Bonuses From BlogHer

BlogHer was frequently described as an "un-conference." That is, the connections made outside the sessions are as important as the lessons learned in them. Given that plan, the bonuses:

1. Nancy White. Nancy is a dynamo I've admired from afar. We've connected and I hope will be talking about really doing something with the Culture of Love concept in the future.

2. I met Buzz Brugerman from ActiveWords who wrote the guys at ZoomAlbum and suggested they send me a couple of their kits for review. I know they are winging their way to me as I write. And when I have time, I'll be checking out ActiveWords, too. Next year, Buzz and I have to chat.

3. My room mates. Thursday night I roomed with Elizabeth Perry, Friday and Saturday it was Pam. Two bloggers I've admired are now friends. What the entire experience should be.

4. Meeting several of the other BlogHer CEs I admire. Leslie, Maria, Kaylee, Britt, Liz , Tricia. Only wish there'd been time to meet more.

5. Sue Richards. If you are a woman "of a certain age" Sue is well worth reading. She is warm and engaging and freaking gorgeous!!

6. OK, I need to add another. Average Jane. We shared a table Friday morning.. and again Sunday morning. A charming, intelligent woman (and heavy metal rocker!!)

Anyone else I missed??

Check out my other blog, Deb's Daily Distractions, where I'll be reacting to this week's Project Runway.

Tags: blogher06, blogher

Five Things I Didn't Love About BlogHer

I'm not going as far as to say I Hated These Things.. They were simply the things that detracted from the experience.

1. Sponsors with a flawed marketing concept for the group. While several of the sponsors had spot-on concepts and presentations (Saturn, Film-Loop, Six Apart), others were woefully inappropriate. MSN marketing Live Spaces to already bloggers? Elexa by Trojan passing out t-shirts that would primarily fit a 8 year old? Contrex giving us "european mineral water" (not necessarily a bad idea) and telling us that drinking it would make us skinny?

None of these companies quite grasped the concept that this group of women was savvy. That many were highly educated. That they couldn't talk down to us.

2. Poor connectivity. You would think that telling a center you will have 700 people showing up who will all want free wifi all the time, would convince them to have the infrastructure to deal with that. Not true. Apparently the Hyatt thought our demand would be no greater than 700 businessmen checking email. That, and most people couldn't find our complimentary connection so they ended up signing up for the $25/3 days cost.

3. Sessions that somehow didn't/couldn't live up to their description. Heather Champ, who did the session on digital photography, admitted she expected to be talking to maybe 15-25 people NOT the 50-100 that attended each section of the session. And she did it well. Other presenters, promising a lot, left me thinking that I made poor choices. After talking to other attendees, I'm thinking instead that there was a gap between expectations and reality.

I'm not sure how this could be fixed. But next year I'll probably position myself where it will be easier to leave a session when I realize it's not panning out.

4. Some of the food options. Mainly having only 2-3 stations for serving food by the pool meant long lines. And for the $25/ticket price.. I think we deserved a bit more than cold cuts and melons (all I got on Saturday night) and one drink. However the lunches were yummy; with chicken, veggies and fruit offered, and delicious desserts.

5. The sense of us/them inclusion/exclusion. There is a huge discussion going on post-conference about the mommybloggers. Those of us outside that realm had experiences of feeling marginalized by the mommybloggers; they claim we're mistaken. All I know is there was frequently a "in crowd" and "everyone else" division that nobody really anticipated.

Fortunately, the organizers are already evaluating actions for next year to deal with this.

Tomorrow: some of the highlights you might find only at a primarily woman-oriented function.

Tags: blogher07, blogher

Five Things I LOVED About BlogHer

I'm slowly processing my reactions to the weekend at BlogHer. I decided that I had to start writing some of this down before it slipped into the muddle of my menopausal mind. So I'll start with some of the high points.

1. I loved meeting people I read, even if only infrequently. I embarrassed myself constantly when meeting someone, to suddenly have their face and their photo click in my mind. So to the introduction: "Hello, I'm Betty Blogger". My mind would say.. Betty Blogger's photo.. look at this face in front of me, CLICK. And ALWAYS come out with: Yes!! You Are!!

Like they didn't know who they were!!I know it was my way of processing, or recognizing.. but I'm sure I sounded like a dingbat.

2. I loved meeting other people who blog and love it. Most of people I know IRL don't have the same passion. Most, let's admit it, either shrug at the word or more honestly say: I've read a few.. and what's the point? I could glaze their eyes over with techie speak: social networking. yada yada. Instead, I just keep this part of my life private. Another case of my feeling the need to segment myself. No segmenting at BlogHer.

3. I loved learning about a couple new applications. One vendor was thrilled when mid-talk I suddenly saw a way of using their product on my blog in a way that they hadn't considered. I'll be playing over the next few days and giving this a try within a week or so.

4. I loved being around strong, verbal intelligent women. I've said before that the reason I cherish my Pickle friends is the chance to experience intelligent women. Way too often in my life, I've felt the need to "dumb down" around women; at BlogHer I needed to smarten up. And when Nancy White told me she considers me a writer? Made the entire day.

5. I loved some of the schwag. We got really cools bags from Six Apart (typepad), and jump drives from Saturn. Got some cute "mommy" stuff that I'll pass along, and several books. But we also got sugar substitutes and condoms (?) which I could have done without. And all conference we were supplied with one brand of bottled water that didn't taste particularly good, and marketed itself as the water that will make you skinny!! (NOT). I get that these were people learning that it's important to market to women. But when will they learn that marketing to smart women means they have to market smartly?? I can only hope that the message gets through someday.

Not on the list, but a great experience: Friday night I sat at a table with a number of edu-bloggers (educational bloggers). In raving about the DOPA someone at the table decided that this law exhibits the current administration's culture of fear. And it was decided that the only way to fight it was with a CULTCHA OF LOVE. We started grabbing each person who passed by, trying to enlist them, we sang John Lennon, we got "that look" from the tables around us.Older savvy women on tear!! It was delicious.

Now BlogHer we know is atleast half about the social networking, so this is a good list to start with, but did you notice a lack of love for the sessions? Not that hated them all. But, I'll write more about the things I didn't love tomorrow.

Check out my other blog: Deb's Daily Distractions
later today where I'll catch you up my everyday life (the AC, my TV obsessions and this week I hope to hire a trainer).

Tags: BlogHer07, BlogHer, NancyWhite, CultchaOfLove, cultureoflove