I HATE Standard Time.

This time of year and in the spring, everyone complains about the time change. We hate the disruption that change brings. Yet many people declare that they LOVE Standard time.

Me? Not so much.

In case you're confused about which we have when, we are now in Standard time. Back in the 1800s when time standards were being adopted around the world, Standard time showed the relationship between local time and time anywhere in the world. It was mainly adopted to make train schedules work.

During WWI, many countries began adopting Daylight Savings time to save energy and increase productivity. At the moment, the US government has declared that -for most of the US- daylight savings time is in force roughly 7.5 months of the year (mid-March through end of October). Standard time rules during the winter months when increased darkness does little to effect energy savings.

Beside the disruption in sleep patterns (and I understand major confusion among animals), most people really have little problem with one time or the other. I say this because at BOTH time changes people complain about hating Daylight Savings Time and, I'm sorry, but you can only hate it at one change. If you really hate DST, then you spent the last weekend celebrating the clocks move.

I, however, truly hate standard time and was sorry to see last Saturday come.

See, like many animals, I have a set circadian rhythm. My body wakes up at its own same inner-clock time and does not fall back to sleep. I could lie in bed more, but I will get no additional rest. During DST, I awake within 10 minutes of 7 am; a decent time to get up considering I go to bed at 11 pm. Close to the eight hours sleep I need.

You see where this is going, right? During ST, I wake up at 6 am. Even if I went to bed at 11 pm. Even if I'm still tired. Even if it's dark.

My body doesn't recognize the time change and there is no way to train it to stay asleep an hour longer. I wish I could.

So I hate Standard Time and my lost one hour of sleep every night. I wish could accept it as the chance to be more productive for an hour, but that doesn't seem to happen. The extended dark doesn't lend itself to more productivity.

Those who love Standard time and hate DST, please tell me why?

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

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Quotes

I collect quotes as I wander around the internet. Quotes that speak to me or make me think of a friend who should hear these words. I save these in an draft post to keep them on hand.

But why not share these? Why hoard them to myself? I thought tonight that sharing some of these with you would be a positive step in a world full of less-than-positive. Here's 10 I've collected. Enjoy and please share a quote or two of your own in comments.

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“When we don’t turn away from pain, we open our hearts and are more able to connect to the best part of ourselves and others–because every human being knows pain. I’m not sure what enlightenment is, but I’m sure it has something to do with turning pain into love.”
–Myriam Greenspan, from “On Moving from Grief to Gratitude” in the January 2008 edition of Sun Magazine.
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The soul won't invest in a compromise" Christine Kane's blog
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“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” - Swedish proverb
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I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain. ^[1]

From DUNE.

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"The bulk of mankind are schoolboys through life." Thomas Jefferson
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Before something happens in the world, it must happen in your mind. CS Lewis
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"You can have anything you want
if you will give up the belief
that you can't have it."
~ Robert Anthony
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It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no results.
Gandhi
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“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world. Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” – Tom Bodett
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"We must use time creatively . . . and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do great things.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
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I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Ghost Story

I wonder if we all have a true life ghost story? I do. Mine's a little different.

When I 20, my father bought a used car from a guy he worked with whose wife had originally purchased it. It was a 1970 AMC Hornet SST. It was determined that when I graduated from college, this car would be mine. And so it was.

Her name was Persephone. For the first several years we owned her, she would run like a dream until the first cold hints of winter blew in. Then she'd go to hell. Finding her name was the saving grace; a gentle little talk with her, an encouraging word, and she ran like as reliably as my current German-engineered car, but in a time when "running reliably" was not used with any automobile.

Most of the time, then and now, I drive in my cars alone. In Persephone, though, I never alone.

There was a palable spirit that resided in the back seat. A blur in the rear-view mirror that disappeared if I looked in its direction. A feeling of a protective soul watching out for me. A Back-Seat Driver. I could feel it (him? It always felt like a him) sitting just behind my right shoulder. Late at night, stopping at a drive-through for some kind of nosh, I'd always offer my protector of bite. He never took one.

I wondered if was me, comforting myself by creating this feeling of a protective spirit in the car. But why only in the car? If I created this spirit, I'd want it with me any time I was alone and needing protection: walking through a parking garage (still creeps me out); down a dark street; in a distantly located public restroom; along a quiet and deserted hallway.

OK, those places all STILL give me the heebee-jeebees! And I don't sense any ghost-protector.

It was only that car. When she was totalled in an accident and had to be replaced, at first I reveled in the sense of freedom I felt. No more spirit backseat driver looking over my shoulder. I have, however, come to miss that sense of companionship I felt; that never-being-alone-even-when-alone.

Nowadays, I'd welcome back that spirit.

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Tags: ghost stories

Linking to Creativity

My computer is back home. HP had to replace the defective fan (a common issue for HP laptops), and the fried mother board. Fortunately, my hard drive is was in tact. (exhales breathe I'd been holding for 2 weeks).

Using a borrowed computer meant it was always easy to save/share websites, but that doesn't mean I didn't find them:

Are you reading Creativity Prompt? This blog provides memes, writing themes, and journal making instructions to encourage you to "seduce your creativity." I like the early post on making your own hard-bound journal.

Live in the bay area? There is new fabric store in the city: WhizBang Fabrics.

Also, The Church of Craft is re-organizing, and has found a new home: Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective in Oakland. I haven't made it down to this place, yet, but a trip is definitely in my future.

Check out the inspiring winners of the 2008 World of Wearable Arts.

I LOVE A Little Hut's 3-D Trees made from junk mail.

Finally, Goody-Goody has a fast little project for a fabric covered bead bracelet These are a great way to use scraps of binding!

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Tags: links, hand-made journal, whizbang fabrics, "Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective", bay area, wearable arts, recycled craft, paper, fabric, beads

Photos and Aging, Are Living The Fountain the Youth?

Last week I received a CD from my brother with about 250 photos from childhood. I've begun to process these and upload to my Flickr stream. I think I'll organize them online by the decade (1950s, 1960s, etc.), though I'll admit that some of the dates will be a guess.

One thing struck me while working on these. I have photos of both of sets of grandparents, taken about the time I was born, which means my grandparents are about my current age.




They look old.

It's not just that I don't look as old as them, it's that nobody my age looks as old as grandparents do in these photos. I don't think it's hair color or hair style or glass frame. It might be weight, but I doubt it. Somehow in 2 generations, we've all found a fountain of youth that has us looking about 10-20 years younger than our grandparents did.

Genetically that can't happen in 2 generations.

What has caused the change? Is it better medicine keeping us healthy? I don't think so; my grandparents -with the except of one with type-1 diabetes - were quite healthy at this time. They had not had heart attacks or episodes of cardiac problems that occurred later.

Could the nutritional improvements that occurred when we young have such a dramatic effect that we are physically aging more slowly than previous generations? If so, what does that mean for our children and grandchildren who are consuming a hugely processed diet? Will we be an anomaly blip on the genetic chart? THE generation that somehow got it right?

If it isn't nutrition or health care, what else could it be? I can't imagine. But I'm curious...

Or am I wrong?

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Baker's Aprons

I've been attracted by simple baker's aprons/market aprons as a way to use some of my stashed 1 yard pieces of fabric. These aprons are easy to wear, simple to sew, and useful gifts to have on hand.

I used a finished apron for my pattern, then forgot to add seam allowances when I traced the design. This left me with a finished apron that was just that much too short, too short-waisted.

Darn. A creative solution is called for.

I was always planning on using a contract fabric for the trims and straps on these aprons. So I simply cut them in half and created a "contrast fabric" waist that puts everything back where it belongs. In the case of the market aprons (those with a pocket running along the bottom), the contrasting fabric is also used there.

I like the way these aprons are turning out. They are cute, fast and great way to use some stashed fabric that I'm not sure what I intended to do with.

I'm working on a short tutorial for this, but there are a couple reasons that this post must remain photo-less. I'm having a problem with yahoo/flickr and I'm temporarily blocked out of my account (AAAAHH!). Also, my computer is at the shop getting a new motherboard. I'm using a borrowed computer and trying not to do things such as upload my photos here (instead of my own computer). Have no fear, though the pictures are being shot, the tutorial is being written and Yahoo and I are working on my proving to them that I'm who I say I am.

The photos are coming. The aprons are coming. I'm sewing again.

Life is returning to good.

Sorry, no photos with this post. I'm having trouble with Yahoo and Flickr that need to be worked out before I can get back to my photos. Als

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

An Open Letter to Some of My Very Bestest Friends

Dear Best Friends I’ve Had In the World (and you know who you are).

There are lots of things that I love about you gals. I love the way you know one member can’t digest nuts, so bake batches of cookies both with and without nuts in them.

I love that you know some gals are allergic to shrimp or shellfish, so you only make paella when they are not in town.

I love that you except that one member FREAKS OUT BIG TIME at the smell of tumeric or the word “curry” so you try to keep both away when she’s around.

I love that we know one girl grew up with too many beans begin forced down her gullet, so we don’t bring those to dinners and watch squirm(though that squirm is funny!)

I love that on trips we occasionallly stop at a restaurant because one member approves of the tea they serve (black, plain, brewed, not mixed with the coffee brewing system).

I really love that one of you who is allergic to strawberries drove all around the county to get me strawberry pie for my 50th birthday, because THAT'S what "birthday cake" means to me.

BUT when do I finally get equal treatment?

It’s been over 20 years that I’ve known I have an allergy to cow’s milk. While it’s true, if I’m healthy and the dosage is small, all that will happen is a slight cough. No trip to the ER or anything. Greater exposure and I’m hit with allergic bronchitis which can be treated by Mucinex and allergy pills. During the winter months, or if I’ve already gotten a cold? the dairy will require me to take these meds for 4-6 weeks. Twice a day. Just because I’ve eaten some cow milk.

This one isn’t new - to me or you - yet you never seem to remember that OH YEAH, DEB IS ALLERGIC TO COW’S MILK, SO LET’S PLAN SOME FOODS THAT DON’T HAVE IT IN. A couple of you actually sound offended when I questioned last week why so many of the foods we had at a party contained cow’s milk. We will travel to a retreat together, go out for a tea or celebration - plan what sounds - to me - like a safe menu and then you change it to challenge what I can eat. And you complain when I express my frustration.

Worse is when you ask me to “just eat a salad”. Like I don’t deserve warm/hot food like everyone else because I’m being “difficult” with my food choices. Because my allergy only means difficulty breathing not an epi pen episode. Because it’s easy for you to cook with milk and cow’s milk cheese and you don’t want to change. Ya know, they make some might fine cheeses from goat and sheep milk, and you can even find them at Trader Joe’s!

While we’re talking, I’ve discovered something important these past 2 years. For years I lived on TUMS to fight heart burn. TUMS all day (even if I said I was using it because I don’t consume cow’s milk and need the calcium).. TUMS for the heart burn.

I’ve discovered that if I limit - or eliminate - wheat from my diet, I don’t need to take the TUMS. Hmm. Wheat = heart burn. It’s a recent discovery. I haven’t shared it with you all because you look at me like a 2-headed freak for not using cow’s milk; if I start talking wheat, too, I figure it’s all over. Although you accommodate a lot of other strange food requirements, these two may land me in “never invite anywhere, she’s too whacky” list.

There are many fine grains grown in the world: oats and rice are common, spelt, quinoa (yuck), ya want to list a couple dozen more?

So do think it might be possible once in a while to plan meals we share together - or consider restaurantswe visit- to accomodate the person who is trying to avoid wheat and cow’s milk. That isn’t that difficult: choose an Asian restaurant and I’m probably golden. Most Asian diets do not use cow’s milk and much prefer rice to wheat. They tend to be fairly safe on the bean issue (except perhaps for edamame) and I’m sure they can brew tea by the pot any way the drinker prefers.

Think about it. Afterall I thought I was one of your very bestest friends in the world, too.

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

You WANT to rent this movie!

Monday evening my girlfriends and watched this movie as part of a memorial/birthday celebration. You want to see this too! It makes you young and hopeful and happy.




I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Deb's Utterz

Sleep is for the weak

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Casa de Murillo at the Museum

A YouTube video tour of Cathy Cano-Murillo's exhibit at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ. Glitter, Virgins, Day of Dead... color, color, color..



Cathy shoots video like I do, except she remembers to talk!

Besides Cathy, do you know any Latina crafty-bloggers? I'm looking for some for an article I'm working on. Please hit me up with any links you've got.

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Challenge Anyone??

The Skooba DIY Laptop Bag at the MAKER SHED is SCREAMING to become the basis of an art/craft challenge, isn't it??

Now who? how? to go about organizing it?

From the MakerShed page (photo from the same page):

This blank canvas sleeve is instantly ready to make a one of a kind work of art using permanent markers, fabric paints, glued-on decorations, sparkles, stenclis, pens, airbrush, needlework/embroidery or other medias*

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

photo credit:

Standing Strong

(believe it or not, I am close to returning to insane crafty goodness on this blog. Just a little longer...)

I am a strong person. I speak not about physical strength. When the chips are down, I am the one that people lean on; the one who doesn't crumble; the one who stands for the weak.

I am a strong person.

I do not know how much of this is a natural part of my personality and how much is a part of my environment. I have felt emotionally responsible for myself since I was a very small girl (ah the joys of child abuse! It makes you strong quick.) Still, my personality lends itself to being a strong reliable soul. A woman warrior.

A couple years ago, a young friend, himself a strong soul, mentioned a wish to me. He wished that there were times that the weak could pick up the burden for a while, be strong for him, let him - just for moment - be weak.

I stood beside him and wrapped an arm around him. I did not speak. The words I would have said might have hurt him more as the truth is:

We who are strong will NEVER TRUST another to be strong for us. The MOST we can hope for is that another strong soul will stand beside us, giving support, standing strong with us.

Today I'm standing strong. Come stand beside me.

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Understanding My Click-Click

There are days when I spend hours trolling the nets, clicking from here to there.. repeating the same steps over and over again:

Gmail.
Twitter,
Facebook.
Flickr.
BlogHer.
MySpace.
GoodReads.
Something new??

Click and repeat.

Clicking out to new links, then back to the home space. Click, move, read, move, click, click, click. I'm always anxious and become more anxious in the movement. It's compulsion in medium high gear. It's obsession and hunger and anxiety and emptiness.

I have always thought that it's me saying FEED ME. Entertain Me. Engage Me. Notice Me.

I just figured out that it's really me looking for the inspiration to engage myself. What I'm compulsively looking for isn't anything external. It's not the latest viral video or piece of gossip. It's not a a new friend. It's myself.

I'm trying to escape having to deal with myself.

Those are the times when I need to be blogging. My concentration is down to mere milliseconds, but I need to take a deep cleansing breath, open my editor and begin to discover what I'm running away from in my soul.

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Deb's Utterz

At the ball game

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Start Getting Ready for Halloween/Day of the Dead

The Crafty Chica has posted a neat video over at LifetimeTV on how to craft your own mask from plaster tape. She's then decorated hers (of course) as sugar skulls for Dia de la Muerte.



I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Secrets No Longer

I surprised myself Thursday evening and shared a couple secrets with a friend by email. NOT little secrets like what I'm making a friend for a xmas present. BIG secrets. Secrets that I'm sure I've shared with others at times. In the past, however, they were not quick, not unplanned, not just spilling them out like every-day news.

Last night, I shared these secrets the same way I share what I ate for dinner or what I did yesterday.

In the past, they were shared in whispers or in tears. They were shared with shame. Last night they were sent without any of at. Matter of fact. This is what's happened to me. It's formed me; it's informed me; it's part of who I am. Felt that maybe today this friend needs to know this about another human being: me.

My friend didn't ask for them, doesn't expect them. I wonder what the reaction to reading these will be.

I don't know why they suddenly came out in an email. Or why, when given the breath to consider and delete the message (my normal way of dealing), I instead hit send.

Something is changing about me; I'm starting to accept who I am secrets and all. And I'm starting to expect others to accept me and my secrets too.

But, hey, I'm just starting.. you notice I kept a lot of secrets in this post, now, didn't I?

I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

In Crafty Video News...

Did you see that CRAFT IN AMERICA, the PBS special from last spring that bloggers RAVED about was nominated for an Emmy this year? This after winning the Peabody award for television excellence last spring! Will have to watch the press releases in about 10 days to see if it won this second award.

If you have forgotten, the producer emailed me last spring, and I blogged about on BlogHer:

(me) I saw a large number of bloggers writing about the program before it aired. I'm certain that the ratings can and should be attributed to ALL the bloggers spreading the word. Congrats to us all!! We made a difference, it was noticed, and we shall reap the reward: More Programs! (though a thank you in the form of a complimentary DVD would have nice... I'll take more programs!)

A belated thank you for the wonderful coverage Craft In America received May 29, 2007 on BlogHer. The response from your readers must be considered when we look at the ratings for the series, which were excellent. Over 2.3 million households tuned into the first airing of the series on May 30th!

On the strength of the ratings and because they had a very positive personal reaction to the first three episodes, two of our supporters have decided to support future programs. This is especially good news because there is still so much of the story that remains to be told.

Hopefully we can look forward to a couple episodes this coming spring. If you missed the series first time around, check out this preview video. Sorry, there is no way for me to embed that video here.

So instead, I share a preview for a documentary that hasn't premiered yet. Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation:


I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

BlogHer interviews Obama

This is my friend Erin Kotecki Vest (aka Queen of Spain) interviewing presidential candidate Barack Obama. The BlogHer community compiled a set of questions and approached each and every candidate before the primaries ended, requesting that they sit for an interview or atlest answer these questions.

Obama was the only one who took up the request.

Most candidates offered to let BlogHer speak with their wives; I'm not sure what the Clinton camp said, as I wasn't paying that close attention. Granted, this is a couple months old; I just found it on YouTube. (I'm way behind on finding stuff I want on YouTube...)


I also blog at: Weight for Deb and BlogHer on Mondays and Saturdays.

Deb's Utterz

Carquinez Straits from Capt. Blyther's. The end of First Street, Benicia, Ca.

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Deb's Utterz

Mpp

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OK. You have 10 minutes to get the phone call and the photo sent for them to show up together. Looks like I missed that time slot. The picture is above, the audio is here.