I hate changing my sheets. There, I said it.
It's not that I don't like nice clean sheets. I do, really. It's the sheer physical effort involved, especially when I decide to flip my mattress.
I've kept my bed in a corner ever since my sister and I went from a shared double to twins. To begin with it was practical -- separate sides of the room -- and kept down the arguments, but I've gotten used to it and would feel strange with my bed in another position. Unless I upgraded to a double, I think I'd fall off the bed. :o)
After I move the nightstand over and pull my storage trunk away from the foot of my bed, I have to pull out the bedframe so I can pull off the old sheets, then climb on the bed to get the fresh bottom sheet around the head of the bed. It's a pain, but I'm used to it.
The real problem comes when turning the mattress. A twin has handles on the sides but not the ends, so I have to grab one handle and the piping on the end of the bed to pull the mattress out. If I'm turning it over, I have to grab both handles and pull it out to the side about halfway, then struggle to raise the outer edge enough to lean it against the wall; then comes the fun of pulling at the bottom edge and hoping it doesn't unbalance and fall over on me in the process. (Believe me, I'm glad I have a twin. My parents' double bed mattress takes three people to turn over.) If I'm just turning it end-for-end, I have to somehow pull it half (or more) off the end of the bed so I can start rotating it while praying that I don't knock my lamp off the nightstand. I generally end up having to pause for a breather with one end of the mattress on the bed and the other on a chair. And when I'm done I collapse.
I wish there was a bed-changing/turning genie.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Friday, February 28, 2014
Like it or not, things change with time
It's been a long, long time since I last posted. In that time. I've become a great-aunt and celebrated my 18th anniversary at work. And we moved three months ago.
At least, we started the move then. In mid-November we moved the furniture, most of our clothes, and ourselves 10 miles away to a house just down the street from my brother. Since then, we have been clearing out the old house -- not an easy thing to do when you've lived there for 54 years.
Yep, I said 54 years. This was my parents' second house, built when their growing family started straining their two-bedroom house. (And I don't mean two kids sharing a room. There were four of us by the time they moved in here, and three more after.) My dad helped design the house, making sure things were convenient for shorter people (5'6" and under). Things like lower light switches, showerheads, and upper kitchen cabinets, and lower counters in the bathrooms so the kids could easily wash their hands.
The old house is full of happy memories -- scores of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. We even made a point of saying Happy Houseday! every March 19, the day we moved in. But my parents are now in their mid-80s, and the demands of a 4-bedroom house and a 1/3 acre lot were too much on top of their various health issues. The new(er) house is a patio-home with only 2 bedrooms and an office, and yard maintenance done by the HOA.
Of course, since this house is part of a developer-subdivision, some things aren't as nice as in the old house. The old kitchen had furniture-grade cabinets set low enough we could reach them easily, with adjustable shelves so we could store tall items like pitchers; this place has stock cabinets set 2" higher with fixed shelves. So we've had to put some things under the counter because they won't fit. :( The water heater is 40 ft. from the bathrooms, so you have to run the tap forever to get warm water for handwashing unless someone's taking a shower in the other bathroom. And the second bathroom was never designed for permanent occupancy -- there's limited storage and no room to add any. There's more, but I won't bore you with further comparisons.
But we're gradually getting used to it. And the old house is nearly empty -- only two rooms left to clear (and the storage shed and garage). Then we can get it cleaned up, fixed up, and on the market so another family can make their own treasured memories in this wonderful house.
At least, we started the move then. In mid-November we moved the furniture, most of our clothes, and ourselves 10 miles away to a house just down the street from my brother. Since then, we have been clearing out the old house -- not an easy thing to do when you've lived there for 54 years.
Yep, I said 54 years. This was my parents' second house, built when their growing family started straining their two-bedroom house. (And I don't mean two kids sharing a room. There were four of us by the time they moved in here, and three more after.) My dad helped design the house, making sure things were convenient for shorter people (5'6" and under). Things like lower light switches, showerheads, and upper kitchen cabinets, and lower counters in the bathrooms so the kids could easily wash their hands.
The old house is full of happy memories -- scores of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. We even made a point of saying Happy Houseday! every March 19, the day we moved in. But my parents are now in their mid-80s, and the demands of a 4-bedroom house and a 1/3 acre lot were too much on top of their various health issues. The new(er) house is a patio-home with only 2 bedrooms and an office, and yard maintenance done by the HOA.
Of course, since this house is part of a developer-subdivision, some things aren't as nice as in the old house. The old kitchen had furniture-grade cabinets set low enough we could reach them easily, with adjustable shelves so we could store tall items like pitchers; this place has stock cabinets set 2" higher with fixed shelves. So we've had to put some things under the counter because they won't fit. :( The water heater is 40 ft. from the bathrooms, so you have to run the tap forever to get warm water for handwashing unless someone's taking a shower in the other bathroom. And the second bathroom was never designed for permanent occupancy -- there's limited storage and no room to add any. There's more, but I won't bore you with further comparisons.
But we're gradually getting used to it. And the old house is nearly empty -- only two rooms left to clear (and the storage shed and garage). Then we can get it cleaned up, fixed up, and on the market so another family can make their own treasured memories in this wonderful house.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Has it really been a year since I last posted?
My, how time flies. I kept thinking of things to post, but always at the wrong time -- lying in bed, at work, reading the paper.
So, what's happened in my life?
-- I made a bunch of luggage and key tags and listed them on Etsy. I've even sold a few.
-- We finally buried my uncle in May. He donated his body to science, so we had to wait until they were finished with him.
-- I embroidered forty favor bags for a 52nd high school reunion. I hope I make it that long.
-- My mother is losing her memory. It seems like I spend my days telling her what day or date it is and repeating things.
-- The store manager got transferred right after Halloween, and the former assistant came back from the new store she was managing to take his place. Now she's off to yet another new store, and we're currently without an official manager. So it's a team effort right now. Upside is I'm getting extra hours because we're shorthanded.
-- For the first time in the almost 17 years I've worked at my job, a current coworker has died. We had a really nice teenage boy working for us -- eager to learn, tall (very important, we're mostly shorties :o) ), apparently happy. Note the "apparently". A week ago he committed suicide.
Here's hoping I can remember to post more often in the coming year, and with less depressing stuff.
So, what's happened in my life?
-- I made a bunch of luggage and key tags and listed them on Etsy. I've even sold a few.
-- We finally buried my uncle in May. He donated his body to science, so we had to wait until they were finished with him.
-- I embroidered forty favor bags for a 52nd high school reunion. I hope I make it that long.
-- My mother is losing her memory. It seems like I spend my days telling her what day or date it is and repeating things.
-- The store manager got transferred right after Halloween, and the former assistant came back from the new store she was managing to take his place. Now she's off to yet another new store, and we're currently without an official manager. So it's a team effort right now. Upside is I'm getting extra hours because we're shorthanded.
-- For the first time in the almost 17 years I've worked at my job, a current coworker has died. We had a really nice teenage boy working for us -- eager to learn, tall (very important, we're mostly shorties :o) ), apparently happy. Note the "apparently". A week ago he committed suicide.
Here's hoping I can remember to post more often in the coming year, and with less depressing stuff.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Cool Ties Are Hot This Summer
Since the beginning of June I have sold thirty-three cool ties! The orders ranged from several singles to a priority order for six for a camping trip. My boss even bought some for friends. :o)
I list my ties in groups of six or seven fabrics. They've been going so fast I haven't been able to update the listings fast enough! On June 4, I listed two new sets and within five days I'd sold out of two fabrics. Since then I've sold out of several more fabrics, some permanently. :o( I just finished a batch of nearly 40 ties, half of them repeats, and listed the new ones.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Miscellania
It's been quite a while since I last posted, mainly because I would think of topics but forget them when I got online. So here's a short synopsis of the last few months.
January: Had a sinus infection and went a little crazy winding balls of yarn with my nostepinnes. Joined Ravelry.com and listed a few of my yarn projects.
February: Gah, what did I do in February other than not get to work as much as I'd like? I know I spent a lot of time at the Unofficial Etsy Forums, which has now been reborn as Creative Breakroom. Oh yeah, I made three baby blankets for my sister to give to new moms. And I sold several items from my destash shop, including one that went to Spain!
March: We celebrated my mother's birthday by going out to breakfast. I finished up some cool ties that had been half done for months, and bound three toddler aprons. I made sales to England and Greece, and a few here at home. Otherwise, mostly wished for more hours and worked on the computer.
April: I was cleaning out a closet and found 15 more doll dress panels and listed them. So far, I've sold almost all the Daisy Kingdom ones. I also found some vests that I plan to list. We did a major housecleaning and cleaned the carpets, so that disorganized my business area. A couple of my sisters came in to help. In the process we filled up a 6 cubic yard dumpster and still have more junk to get rid of -- not surprising when you live in a house for 50 years. My parents celebrated 61 years of marriage last week (63 if you count from the day they met). In the not-so-happy department, we got a call that an old friend died yesterday. They were friends for 60 years, meeting a few months after my parents were married. The month's not quite over, so who knows what might still happen.
January: Had a sinus infection and went a little crazy winding balls of yarn with my nostepinnes. Joined Ravelry.com and listed a few of my yarn projects.
February: Gah, what did I do in February other than not get to work as much as I'd like? I know I spent a lot of time at the Unofficial Etsy Forums, which has now been reborn as Creative Breakroom. Oh yeah, I made three baby blankets for my sister to give to new moms. And I sold several items from my destash shop, including one that went to Spain!
March: We celebrated my mother's birthday by going out to breakfast. I finished up some cool ties that had been half done for months, and bound three toddler aprons. I made sales to England and Greece, and a few here at home. Otherwise, mostly wished for more hours and worked on the computer.
April: I was cleaning out a closet and found 15 more doll dress panels and listed them. So far, I've sold almost all the Daisy Kingdom ones. I also found some vests that I plan to list. We did a major housecleaning and cleaned the carpets, so that disorganized my business area. A couple of my sisters came in to help. In the process we filled up a 6 cubic yard dumpster and still have more junk to get rid of -- not surprising when you live in a house for 50 years. My parents celebrated 61 years of marriage last week (63 if you count from the day they met). In the not-so-happy department, we got a call that an old friend died yesterday. They were friends for 60 years, meeting a few months after my parents were married. The month's not quite over, so who knows what might still happen.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Hey look! I've got my own nostepinnes!
Well, ok, they're not your regular nostepinnes. Actually, they're wooden spinning mill bobbins that have been repurposed. These are longer than most nostepinnes, which is good if you're trying to wind up a skein of chunky yarn (i.e., most of my stash).
A few years ago I started to make a sweater in Antique Homespun, but got stuck. Since then it's been sitting in my stash waiting for me to frog it and start over. I kept putting it off because winding a pull ball by hand was such a chore. Then I heard about nostepinnes and watched a video. I searched on Etsy and found these. They were longer than any others I found (7.5" - 10.5"), and a much better price. It took me a few months. . . ok, several months. . . to get around to ordering them, but I finally did it. Two days later (!!!!) they arrived and I've been playing with them for the last couple days.
My first attempt looks rather like a corny dog. It didn't help that the ball I was trying to work from was still attached to the sweater panel, so I got to fight multiple twisting strands. Unwind from one ball, wind, onto the noste, disentangle, repeat. Over and over and over.
For my second try I grabbed a hard ball of Bernat's Boa in Bluebird. Let's just say that things did not go well. It looked like I had a very small, very hard, dark blue feathery lollipop.
So today I found a small odds and ends ball of Homespun in Tudor that I could play with, and went back to the video. This time I watched it as I wound my yarn, pausing it at times to catch up. And voila! I have my first fairly flat-ended ball that will pull from the center without rolling everywhere. Yay!
Tomorrow I plan to take a shot of the sweater panel before I frog it (so I can post it on Ravelry.com), and then I'm going to try again to wind a bigger ball. I just hope it doesn't turn into a giant bagel. LOL
My first attempt looks rather like a corny dog. It didn't help that the ball I was trying to work from was still attached to the sweater panel, so I got to fight multiple twisting strands. Unwind from one ball, wind, onto the noste, disentangle, repeat. Over and over and over.For my second try I grabbed a hard ball of Bernat's Boa in Bluebird. Let's just say that things did not go well. It looked like I had a very small, very hard, dark blue feathery lollipop.
So today I found a small odds and ends ball of Homespun in Tudor that I could play with, and went back to the video. This time I watched it as I wound my yarn, pausing it at times to catch up. And voila! I have my first fairly flat-ended ball that will pull from the center without rolling everywhere. Yay!
Tomorrow I plan to take a shot of the sweater panel before I frog it (so I can post it on Ravelry.com), and then I'm going to try again to wind a bigger ball. I just hope it doesn't turn into a giant bagel. LOL
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Phooey on Futons!
Last weekend I spent two nights at my sister's house while I attended a craft show. I was given my niece's old room, complete with a futon bed. I (almost) wish I'd slept on the floor instead.
First problem: height. The damn thing was too low, even as a couch. It was lower than my knees, making it difficult to get up and down. I don't know how my niece does it, especially since she's at least 6" taller than I am.
Next, the mattress. Or rather, the lack of one. Even with the addition of a padded mattress pad, the featherbed was not much better than a couple of folded blankets.
It was marginally more comfortable than the last time I slept on it, mainly because they'd added some plywood so guests couldn't feel the slats through the featherbed. On the other hand, I ended up sleeping on it as a couch the second night because as a bed the only semi-comfortable spot was right in the middle between the plywood panels. (Which led to another problem: having to roll over to get close enough to the edge to get up.) It felt like old times: I used to stay with them regularly, and I always slept across the middle of the sofabed to avoid having a steel bar in my back. At least in the couch configuration I was resting on the most padded part of my anatomy. LOL
If we stay there again, I think I'll bring a camp mattress and sleep on the floor.
Phooey on futons.
First problem: height. The damn thing was too low, even as a couch. It was lower than my knees, making it difficult to get up and down. I don't know how my niece does it, especially since she's at least 6" taller than I am.
Next, the mattress. Or rather, the lack of one. Even with the addition of a padded mattress pad, the featherbed was not much better than a couple of folded blankets.
It was marginally more comfortable than the last time I slept on it, mainly because they'd added some plywood so guests couldn't feel the slats through the featherbed. On the other hand, I ended up sleeping on it as a couch the second night because as a bed the only semi-comfortable spot was right in the middle between the plywood panels. (Which led to another problem: having to roll over to get close enough to the edge to get up.) It felt like old times: I used to stay with them regularly, and I always slept across the middle of the sofabed to avoid having a steel bar in my back. At least in the couch configuration I was resting on the most padded part of my anatomy. LOL
If we stay there again, I think I'll bring a camp mattress and sleep on the floor.
Phooey on futons.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
I want to meet you at the Fall Craft Show!
This Saturday I'll be attending the Fall Arts & Craft Show at the First Church of the Nazarene near Ft. Worth, Texas, along with my sister Joy. If you're in the area, come on by to see all my baby things and more for yourself. And don't forget to check out Joy's beautiful jewelry right next door.
The church is located at 2001 E. Main Street in Crowley. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, including directions, go here.
Hope to see you there!
The church is located at 2001 E. Main Street in Crowley. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, including directions, go here.
Hope to see you there!
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Friday 56 -- The Best of Jim Baen's Universe
A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is The Best of Jim Baen's Universe, edited by Eric Flint. It's a compendium of sci-fi and fantasy stories drawn from the online magazine. The quote comes from a tale called "Bow Shock" by Gregory Benford. I went with the fifth line, since it has some very short sentences at the top.
"Andy pretty well showed there was no pulsar beam," Harkin said helpfully, "so . . . ?"
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is The Best of Jim Baen's Universe, edited by Eric Flint. It's a compendium of sci-fi and fantasy stories drawn from the online magazine. The quote comes from a tale called "Bow Shock" by Gregory Benford. I went with the fifth line, since it has some very short sentences at the top.
"Andy pretty well showed there was no pulsar beam," Harkin said helpfully, "so . . . ?"
Thursday, September 16, 2010
How I spent my day; or, the never-empty dresser.
I cleaned off one of my dressers today.
I wasn’t planning to, I just wanted to find a particular item. But as I kept searching, I ended up with more and more stuff on my bed and it turned into a monster cleaning session. Finally, I was left with an empty dresser scarf.
Well, ALMOST empty. Let me tell you, if you feel like using a vacuum on your dresser scarf, you’ve left it waaaaaaay too long. ;P
I finally found what I was looking for, but along the way I also found all of this: 2 emptied giftcards, an immodium packet, a small can of baby powder, ribbon holder with umpteen ribbons, 2 fabric scraps, old caladryl bottle, ladybug trinket box, lots and lots and lots of long hairpins, old ponytail bands on caladryl, heart trinket box, 2 price tags, card case, little chest, deposit receipt from ‘98, pocket bandaid case, basket, 2 pairs earrings (never worn because my ears closed up), 2 combs, yellow tray, a pair of nylon footies, 2 brushes, 3 hair scrunchies, trim scraps brought home from work, pocket comb, deodorant, a small lego block, a steel crochet hook, assorted business cards, mini screwdriver set (incomplete), 2000 datebook, old watch, wallet insert with old family pix, 12+ paperclips, 6 good rubber bands, lots and lots of barrettes, empty pinbox, 2 pieces fabric, train ticket, 2 packets hairnets, assorted sm. plastic bags, empty card box, 2 snoods (one too stretched out to use), several craft instruction sheets, spring barrette still on card, an unused giftcard to JoAnn Fabrics (!), 2 bookmarks, throat drops, instructions for walkman & headset, a miraculous medal, 4 extra shirt buttons, 43 receipts from as far back as ‘05, and enough dust for a respectably-sized dust bunny. LOL
I wasn’t planning to, I just wanted to find a particular item. But as I kept searching, I ended up with more and more stuff on my bed and it turned into a monster cleaning session. Finally, I was left with an empty dresser scarf.
Well, ALMOST empty. Let me tell you, if you feel like using a vacuum on your dresser scarf, you’ve left it waaaaaaay too long. ;P
I finally found what I was looking for, but along the way I also found all of this: 2 emptied giftcards, an immodium packet, a small can of baby powder, ribbon holder with umpteen ribbons, 2 fabric scraps, old caladryl bottle, ladybug trinket box, lots and lots and lots of long hairpins, old ponytail bands on caladryl, heart trinket box, 2 price tags, card case, little chest, deposit receipt from ‘98, pocket bandaid case, basket, 2 pairs earrings (never worn because my ears closed up), 2 combs, yellow tray, a pair of nylon footies, 2 brushes, 3 hair scrunchies, trim scraps brought home from work, pocket comb, deodorant, a small lego block, a steel crochet hook, assorted business cards, mini screwdriver set (incomplete), 2000 datebook, old watch, wallet insert with old family pix, 12+ paperclips, 6 good rubber bands, lots and lots of barrettes, empty pinbox, 2 pieces fabric, train ticket, 2 packets hairnets, assorted sm. plastic bags, empty card box, 2 snoods (one too stretched out to use), several craft instruction sheets, spring barrette still on card, an unused giftcard to JoAnn Fabrics (!), 2 bookmarks, throat drops, instructions for walkman & headset, a miraculous medal, 4 extra shirt buttons, 43 receipts from as far back as ‘05, and enough dust for a respectably-sized dust bunny. LOL
(By now you're probably thinking I'm a packrat.)
Wait, there's more! The yellow tray contained a 7 day pill box, exacto knife, more old ponytail bands, spring barrette, assorted scraps of paper, a recipe written on printer tape, more long hairpins, an inexpensive green rosary, 3 loose large barrettes, 3 large barrettes still on the card, 3 holy cards, a Happy Easter paper basket with a lot of small hair clips and the ponytail bands I actually use, and a checkbook box containing EVEN MORE long hairpins, a box of oldfashioned hairpins, 5 screwhooks, a rubber ball with colored swirl, a few small bobby pins, old single ball ponytail bands, an ancient pair of small barrettes with bluebirds, 3 God Bless You Dad cards, and 2 more extra shirt buttons.
(And a magpie.)
Hey, where are you going? You haven't heard about the basket that holds 2 claw clips, 1 mini claw, 1 butterfly clip, a spring barrette with a bow, 7 other spring barrettes, a french twist doodad, a magic bun doodad, yet another unidentified hair doodad, 3 terry hairbands, a tiny dolled wrapped in a ribbon, a banana clip, a packet of french hook earring keepers,2 pens, a really old pantliner sample, and an old deodorant container kept so I can color-match the lid for paint. Or the little chest, which only has 6 pins, 5 pendants, 4 rings, 5 pretty stones, 2 small safety pins, a crystal on a string, 2 pairs of earrings, my grandmother’s pearls, a wooden cross necklace, a gold butterfly slide, a long black ribbon, a silver ankh on a chain, another chain with 2 more pendants, a silver tone bangle, a gold/pearl necklace, a multi-strand seed bead necklace, a tarnished silver puff heart necklace, a cloisonné pendant from Greece, a turquoise and silver necklace, and a set of HB 0.5 mm pencil leads.
(And you'd be right. LOL)
I can see your eyes glazing over, but there's just a little more: a heart-shaped trinket box with a pink butterfly pin,a silver angel pin, a gold circle scarf pin, and a pair of small safety pins; and last but not least, the object of my original search, a ladybug trinket box containing an old watch face and a pin and coin from Russia.
(I was looking for the box, not the contents.)
While I was sorting all the junk out, I washed the dresser scarf and most of my ribbon collection. Then I relocated a lot of stuff and threw quite a bit out or collected it to give away. Here’s an “after” shot of the newly clean and organized dresser. It’s not empty by any means, but at least now I can not only SEE the scarf, I can even tell what color it’s supposed to be. LOL
Maybe next week I’ll tackle the other dresser.
Then again, maybe not. ;PSaturday, August 21, 2010
I'm gonna wash that dye right off of my fingernails . . . . .
Yesterday I finished the last of the pew drapes ordered by my brother's parish -- 40 in all. Hurray!!!!What a relief! It took all summer to get these finished, what with work and health problems and more work. I don't even want to see this fabric again for a loooooong time. . . . . well, at least outside of work. ;P
The pile may not be very tall, but it weighs a ton -- it took 7 1/2 yards of drapery weight suedecloth, four rolls of stabilizer, and three spools of embroidery thread. And the dye kept crocking off the back onto my clothes and hands. My fingernails have been pinkish for weeks!
Tomorrow my brother will pick them up (and even more importantly, pay me!!!), and then I can concentrate on getting the dye off my hands, my fingernails, my machines, my iron, my tools . . . . . . . . . . .
If I ever work with this stuff again I should be certified.
Update: no money yet, but soon. :o( My brother had to submit the invoice to the parish board.
The pile may not be very tall, but it weighs a ton -- it took 7 1/2 yards of drapery weight suedecloth, four rolls of stabilizer, and three spools of embroidery thread. And the dye kept crocking off the back onto my clothes and hands. My fingernails have been pinkish for weeks!Tomorrow my brother will pick them up (and even more importantly, pay me!!!), and then I can concentrate on getting the dye off my hands, my fingernails, my machines, my iron, my tools . . . . . . . . . . .
If I ever work with this stuff again I should be certified.Update: no money yet, but soon. :o( My brother had to submit the invoice to the parish board.
Monday, August 2, 2010
It's bedtime -- someone turn off the blankety-blank light!
I can sleep with the light on if I have to, but I'd really rather not. My mother, on the other hand, likes to go to sleep with the lamp on, especially if she's sick. And she turns the bathroom light on in the middle of the night, instead of relying on the nightlight.
Personally, I like my room to be almost pitch black when I go to bed. I keep my door open a few inches (I can't stand having it closed at night), and the dim glow from the bathroom nightlight twenty feet down the hall is all I can bear. All three windows have room-darkening shades, which don't always suffice when my neighbor has the kitchen light on all night (what the heck is she doing in there at two in the morning, hmm?)
A few years ago I bought a clock with big green numbers so my near-sighted self could read the clock in the middle of the night. It wasn't the best choice I could have made. Yes, I can tell the time at 3:00 a.m., but those green lights give off about a hundred times more light than the red ones. It's so bright I can do shadow puppets on the wall. :o( For the last 5? 6? years, I've put a triple-folded piece of paper over the clockface every night so I can get to sleep.
When I do end up having to sleep with the light on, I tend to turn away to face the wall if possible. Failing that, I pull the covers over my head, making sure to create an airway that I can see out of (yeah, I know it's for air, not sight. So sue me.).
So, what's your opinion on the subject?
P.S. Don't forget to turn out the light!
Personally, I like my room to be almost pitch black when I go to bed. I keep my door open a few inches (I can't stand having it closed at night), and the dim glow from the bathroom nightlight twenty feet down the hall is all I can bear. All three windows have room-darkening shades, which don't always suffice when my neighbor has the kitchen light on all night (what the heck is she doing in there at two in the morning, hmm?)
A few years ago I bought a clock with big green numbers so my near-sighted self could read the clock in the middle of the night. It wasn't the best choice I could have made. Yes, I can tell the time at 3:00 a.m., but those green lights give off about a hundred times more light than the red ones. It's so bright I can do shadow puppets on the wall. :o( For the last 5? 6? years, I've put a triple-folded piece of paper over the clockface every night so I can get to sleep.
When I do end up having to sleep with the light on, I tend to turn away to face the wall if possible. Failing that, I pull the covers over my head, making sure to create an airway that I can see out of (yeah, I know it's for air, not sight. So sue me.).
So, what's your opinion on the subject?
P.S. Don't forget to turn out the light!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Moving Right Along
I know, I know, it's been over two months since I last posted here. Two months filled with tendonitis and steroid shots, short work hours, 
and a nasty stomach bug that I'm still not completely recovered from. And waaaay too many viewings of Sister Act 2 in an effort to boost my spirits.
Moving right along, let me show what I was working on when I felt fairly decent -- pew drapes for my brother's church.
I now have 23 of the desired 40 drapes finished and ready to box up. Tomorrow I plan to start embroidering the rest of them.
and a nasty stomach bug that I'm still not completely recovered from. And waaaay too many viewings of Sister Act 2 in an effort to boost my spirits.Moving right along, let me show what I was working on when I felt fairly decent -- pew drapes for my brother's church.
I now have 23 of the desired 40 drapes finished and ready to box up. Tomorrow I plan to start embroidering the rest of them.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Where does the time go?
It's been nearly a month since my last entry. In that time, I've been occupied with the following:
This morning I started cutting pieces of the suedecloth, but stopped when I decided I needed a different quilting ruler -- one that's longer than the blocks of fabric I'm using. I'm going to to be making 40 (or more, counting mistakes) doohickeys to lay over the back of pews to mark them as reserved. Each doohickey has to be embroidered on both ends, so that's 80 renditions of the same design, and then I have to sew them together. I'll post pix when I get a few done.
Auf wiedersehen. A bientot. Ciao.
- work
- six houseguests, 4 of them preteen/teen boys
- migraines
- work
- starting a major embroidery project, involving seven and a half yards of drapery weight suedecloth
- trying to salvage seriously broken nails
- work
- taking pictures of rainbows and roses
- general laziness
- more work
- waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many sessions of playing games on POGO.com
This morning I started cutting pieces of the suedecloth, but stopped when I decided I needed a different quilting ruler -- one that's longer than the blocks of fabric I'm using. I'm going to to be making 40 (or more, counting mistakes) doohickeys to lay over the back of pews to mark them as reserved. Each doohickey has to be embroidered on both ends, so that's 80 renditions of the same design, and then I have to sew them together. I'll post pix when I get a few done.
Auf wiedersehen. A bientot. Ciao.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Friday 56 -- The Far Traveller
A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is The Far Traveller by Manning Coles. Most of what he wrote were mysteries (or "intrigues", as they were known at the time), bu this is one of a handful of fun -- and funny -- ghost stories he wrote. It was included in an edition of Doubleday Best in Books in the 50s, and I read it frequently growing up. Nearly 20 years I found a copy, complete with dust jacket (where that is now, I have no idea), for next to nothing at a used bookstore in Virginia while visiting my sister. (Yes, I visit bookstores on my vacation, don't you?) Anyway, here's the fifth sentence from page 56:
"Three marks and seventy-five pfennigs."
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is The Far Traveller by Manning Coles. Most of what he wrote were mysteries (or "intrigues", as they were known at the time), bu this is one of a handful of fun -- and funny -- ghost stories he wrote. It was included in an edition of Doubleday Best in Books in the 50s, and I read it frequently growing up. Nearly 20 years I found a copy, complete with dust jacket (where that is now, I have no idea), for next to nothing at a used bookstore in Virginia while visiting my sister. (Yes, I visit bookstores on my vacation, don't you?) Anyway, here's the fifth sentence from page 56:
"Three marks and seventy-five pfennigs."
Monday, March 15, 2010
I have a new shop!
Last night I opened a new shop on Etsy.com to sell my destash items. In keeping with my ladybug theme, it's called Buggies Destash. Right now I just have cross stitch kits I'll never get to and doll dress panels, but I'll be adding excess yarn and fabric and other extraneous crafty things that are taking up space.
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Friday 56 -- Mountain Wild
A weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne. It's a western historical romance I picked up at the library book sale for 50 cents. It was by the computer so I could list it on Bookmooch.
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions on your blog or (if you don't have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. * Post a link along with your post back to this blog. * Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
This week's book is Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne. It's a western historical romance I picked up at the library book sale for 50 cents. It was by the computer so I could list it on Bookmooch.
"With that, she took a bite."
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday Morning
I took my camera when I went out to get the paper. Have a look.
This is the street we generally use to get out of our neighborhood. Hope a lot of the snow has fallen off by this afternoon when I go to work.
Here's what left of a tree in my neighbor's front yard. Luckily the branches fell across the lawn, and not on our garage or their house.
See more snow pix on my flickrpage.
There's a driveway in there somewhere, I swear.
You'd never guess that Dad beat all the snow off the oleander yesterday evening. And at the top of the photo is a live oak branch just waiting to fall into the street. I just hope it doesn't hit a car.
This is the street we generally use to get out of our neighborhood. Hope a lot of the snow has fallen off by this afternoon when I go to work.
Here's what left of a tree in my neighbor's front yard. Luckily the branches fell across the lawn, and not on our garage or their house.See more snow pix on my flickrpage.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
It's Snowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We woke up this morning to a world of white. It was coming straight down, lightly but steadily. It thickened up for a while, but when I went out to take pictures it had lightened up a little. Even on the sidewalk it was still just snow, not ice, so walking was easy.There was no one around
-- in 15 minutes I saw exactly two cars go by. It was almost eerily quiet -- no dogs, no people, no traffic. The only thing I heard was a bird high up in a tree.It's a winter wonderland.
Update: it's snowed for over 15 hours. We have about 6" of snow over the Metroplex, which shatters the old record for this date of 1"+. The streets haven't been too bad since there's been enough traffic to keep it slushy, but tomorrow morning will be a different story.
Our neighbors are trying to clear their driveway -- they couldn't get up the slope tonight. As I was watching Mac use a flat rake to scrape the icy bottom layer, a small branch fell off a tree across the street. My neighbor promptly moved both cars several yards down the street to a treeless spot.
Update: it's snowed for over 15 hours. We have about 6" of snow over the Metroplex, which shatters the old record for this date of 1"+. The streets haven't been too bad since there's been enough traffic to keep it slushy, but tomorrow morning will be a different story.Our neighbors are trying to clear their driveway -- they couldn't get up the slope tonight. As I was watching Mac use a flat rake to scrape the icy bottom layer, a small branch fell off a tree across the street. My neighbor promptly moved both cars several yards down the street to a treeless spot.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's Super Bowl Sunday . . . . and I don't care.
Millions of people across the country are preparing to hunker down in front of their tvs tonight to watch the Super Bowl. Some will be having big parties, some will watch with just their families, but all of them will be rooting for the Saints or the Colts, and groaning every time their team gets a penalty.
Me? I don't give a rat's ass about who wins some stupid football game. It was never my favorite sport, and after Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry, it lacked any appeal at all. Okay, if forced to choose I'd watch football over curling (which is about as exciting as watching paint dry), but only if I can turn the sound off.
So tonight while everyone's cheering and groaning and spilling food on the carpet, I'll be under a blanket working on an afghan and watching something from Netflix.
And counting the days until the Olympics.
Me? I don't give a rat's ass about who wins some stupid football game. It was never my favorite sport, and after Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry, it lacked any appeal at all. Okay, if forced to choose I'd watch football over curling (which is about as exciting as watching paint dry), but only if I can turn the sound off.
So tonight while everyone's cheering and groaning and spilling food on the carpet, I'll be under a blanket working on an afghan and watching something from Netflix.
And counting the days until the Olympics.
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