Category Archives: blogging

Show & Tell

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Stenciled slates, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I had the opportunity several years ago to earn a little pocket cash by stenciling ‘Welcome’ signs on slates. We had to base coat them with ecru acrylic paint first. Stenciling is a precise craft. I can see where the hummingbird could have been neater. I ended up doing at least 500 or more of these over the course of almost a year. The end of my stenciling career wasn’t pleasant-I mentioned this before. The lady had a meeting with all her ‘workers’ and nit picked everyone who didn’t copy the stencils perfectly. I added a few touches like foam on waves, which looked nice and made seashells a bit pinker to show up against the ecru. She didn’t like that. My former friend copied perfectly and got lots of praise. Another friend cried. Why I mention this is a few days later, the woman went out of business. Why she had to have that meeting is beyond me when she was going out of business! I thought it was pretty awful.
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Bri still doesn’t have his car. The tow truck guy mentioned that sometimes the alarm system goes fluky and causes the car not to start. Maybe Bri should mention this to the repair guy.
I feel lots better! I made a yummy Rachael Ray chili dish last night and slept well.
Cheesy Hash Brown Chili
Sometime down the road, I’ll get my back checked out. Back in September, the chiropractor thought I didn’t need an x-ray. I have been lifting and moving things since December and I’m not small in the front, so those ‘factors’ can’t be overlooked either. Plus one Tylenol seems to fix me up for a while. That is pretty good. Thanks for your concern and I will definitely take care of myself.

Thursday Thunks

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1. This cat- Link– scary or cute? I do like cats and would have to see this guy in person. He’s a bit scary looking though.
2. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reproducing again. Good idea or don’t care?
Don’t really care. I do think Suri is a cutie, though I don’t care for her name.
3. Do you smile at strangers when you make eye contact? Usually.
4. What percentage of your sarcasm isn’t really sarcasm at all? I try not to be sarcastic-a poor personality quality. If someone has done something opposite of what I suggested I may be sarcastic because I feel like my opinion wasn’t valued enough to be considered. Don’t ask my husband if I was sarcastic about his car please. ; )
5. If you were to be a dog breed, which breed would you be?
Definitely a Sheltie
6. Go grab the closest book. Open up to page 27. Whats the 4th sentence?
Which is more dangerous in the aggregate to humans, barracudas or sharks? (Nature quiz book and had to look up aggregate which means mass)
7. When’s the last time someone put one over on you, told you a story that you totally fell for when it wasn’t anywhere near true?
My brother Ken is good at keeping a straight face. What he said, I don’t recall.
8. Ever seen Michael Jackson in person?
No
9. Do you have a gut?
Unfortunately I do and am not happy with it.
10. What is one thing in your kitchen you have too many/too much of?
I have lots of dinner plates.
11. Ever had a colon cleansing?
No, but the way mine acts, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I heard that the prep for a colonscopy will clean you out well too and I will probably have one sooner or later.
What to play to?
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As I said last night, no car again. The tow truck came to get Bri’s car and it started up. It then started at the station. It must be an electrical problem. I woke up feeling funky about 6 am. I was hungry but felt worse as I was in a sweat. I think it’s my age for sure. Lucky me! My upper back is still sore too. My mom was saying how a sledding accident from when she was a girl showed up in a back x-ray when she was a senior citizen. Well I was in a car accident back in 1981 where my face got smashed again the windshield in a VW bug, and may be having issues. I guess I should get an x-ray sooner or later. I don’t like to talk about my health issues, but if I am MIA ever you will know what the problem is. I don’t want to be MIA, but sometimes I wonder.

Thursday Thunks

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1. What kind of dryer sheets do you use?
I got a huge box of Snuggles at the wholesale club-it’s lasted for at least 4 months so far. And I love that Snuggles bear! My son had one when he was little and he is still propped up on his bed while he is away at college.
Snuggle and Boo Bear
2. How many times a week do you eat out/order in?
Hmmm….I will say at least 2. I think I have to take one off until we see what happens with my husband’s job. I do love my pizza though!

3. What did you do the night of your high school graduation?
Geez…that was a long time ago…I think I just stayed in with my family and we had a party and cake.

4. So Octomom is rumored to have been offered a million bucks to do a porno. Would you do it for a million?
Heck no! I can’t believe she was offered that much, especially if her tummy is hitting her knees now.

5. If your child was born with an extra finger or toe, would you have it surgically removed?
I’d ask the doctor or would let the child decide when they are older. I wouldn’t want anyone cutting stuff off of me.

6. What was the last movie you saw?
The Secret Lives of Bees on DVD.

7. I wanna buy you a dozen roses, what color should they be? Yellow or multi-colored.

8. You are walking across the street, you are not quite half way when a speeding car comes… you have to run to get out of its way, which direction do you run? Whatever side I am closest too, so I hope across the street!

9. Tell us about a time when you were invited over somewhere and had the most awful time.
A couple that lived in the next town and us went out to dinner. She didn’t tell us another couple was going to be there. They ordered everything from soup to nuts and expected us to split the bill 3 ways when we only ordered a salad and dinner. Then to rub salt in the wound-the neighbor of the first couple had invited us over and had a huge lay-out of food that no one felt like eating. Now I’m sure the first couple knew about this. The poor woman had spent the entire day in her little kitchen.

10. You open your front door and there is a box with a puppy in it… what do you do?
I’m a cat person…I don’t know…I’d break my cat’s heart. I would call my vet to see what they would do.
What to play too?

Thursday Thunks

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I’m a bit late as I was down to see my mom and take her out to dinner today. Dropped some cross stitched pieces off an JoAnn’s for framing. They are going to look gorgeous!
Here ya go…
1. What brand & flavor of toothpaste do you use?
Crest Night time formula-it’s gotta be good for the daytime too, don’t ya think?
2. What is your earliest memory?
Having the German measles at around age 2 or younger and laying on my grandmother’s chest all night.
3. Hot Dogs or Hamburgers?
I can go for either, but I love a good beefy burger especially from 5 Guys.
4. If you could bring any one famous person back to life, who would it be?
Ben Franklin as he would be amazed by all this new fangled technology.
5. What is one thing we would always find in your fridge… what one thing would we never find?
Green tea as always find. I want to say sardines, but my husband buys them once in a while for the never will find.
6. Did you have to go and look for the answer of #1? Yes-because it’s to freakin’ late to be answering questions. : )
7. Why don’t watermelons grow on trees? Because they would knock someone out cold if they fell off the tree.
8. What is something that you own that you should probably just throw in the trash, but you never will?
About 3/4s of the contents of my basement.
9. I push you into a room and lock the door. I leave you there for 6 hours. The walls are chalkboards and in the middle of the room there is a box of colored chalk. What will be written/drawn on the walls when I let you out?
I may have cuss words on one wall from not being able to go to the bathroom for 6 hours. I would think flowers and happy things if there was a bathroom in the room.
10. When was the last time you changed the oil on your car?
Funny you should mention this as it is about 200 miles over for a change. I don’t drive my van a lot-so I’d say the end of last summer maybe?
11. In your extended family, who has been married the longest?
My uncle got married when I was less than two weeks old, so 49 years. His wife is in a nursing home and he isn’t.
12. Name one thing that is so normal to you now that someone who was your age 50 years ago would think was abnormal.
Using a cellphone. If you watch ‘Life on Mars’ where Sam the main character goes back to 1973, they thought the idea of a portable phone was a hoot in one episode.
13. Have you ever wanted someone or something so bad that it hurt?
Of course, it’s human nature.
14. What do you dip your french fries in?
I like them with or without ketchup.
15. What was the last picture that you took?
Art trading cards I made.
What to play along?
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Show and Tell-My collection of Pink Glassware

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My collection of Pink Glassware, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

This is my collection of pink glassware. I’ve had the pink cup and saucer for many years. I purchased the cake dish from a friend off of eBay. The other items were found at thrift shops or the Goodwill. Does anyone know what the small bowls are for? One has a little handle on it.
I think these all are perfect for Easter and spring. I need to take the snowmen out of the front window now! Come on spring!!

Thursday Thunks

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Want to play along?
1. You are driving down the road and there is a puddle in the road. A big puddle. Not one that will really wreck your car or anything, but a big puddle. There is no other cars in front of you or behind you – do you drive through the puddle or drive around it?
I recently had to go through a puddle which turned out to be somewhat of a ditch and didn’t it give me a flat tire the next morning-so I wouldn’t chance it again-so I’d drive around it.
2. Go to Google Images, type in any word that comes to mind and post the 1st picture you see.
bleeding-heart
This is on my calendar-gave me the idea. Photo from How stuff works.com
3. A college calls you up and says that you have been selected to take get any degree that you want on their dollar…. what do you choose?
Either Culinary Arts or Graphic Arts
4. Are you blogging on a laptop or desktop?
Desktop
5. Which store, excluding a grocery store, do you shop at most often?
Wally World
6. My daughters tried out for the school musical last night. Were you ever in a school play/musical? Which one?
I tried out for the junior variety show, but my audition for following moves was not good. I was an usher for our show Mame. I never took any dance lessons, but heck, I can sing soprano!
7. I read yesterday that a school PTA group wants to try to ban white bread, cakes, brownies or any other “treat” from their lunch menus… plus make kids’ lunchboxes brought from home not include any “junk food”. Thoughts on that one?
It would never work. Taking Tastykakes away from a Philadelphian, for instance, would be considered a felony! What’s wrong with bread-there are lots of good breads too. And what about sneaking veggies in brownies like Jessica Seinfeld does?
8. How many people can your kitchen table seat?
I don’t have a kitchen table-but I think only 4 comfortably can fit around the round dining room table.
9. What time is it right now?
12:22 am
10. Walk out the front door of your house/apartment, turn right, walk 2 blocks. What do you see?
A one lane bridge, a stream and a bit of a meadow.

The winner is…

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The winner of the Brandywine River Museum book, the copy of the Andrew Wyeth card and the skinny card made by me is:
Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

97

Timestamp: 2009-02-12

Kathy D

Congrats!!!!! I hope to hear from you within a few days time.


One World-One Heart Event

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Unpredictable February-another month of winter and cold-we’ll see what our furry little groundhog pal sees tomorrow! This will be a sticky post. All newer posts will follow.
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I am throwing my hat in for the One World-One Heart event-my third year-thanks to Lisa for all the time and effort she puts into this event-wow!!!
I found the most gorgeous book of prints at the tribute to Andrew Wyeth at the Brandywine River museum yesterday and thought fellow artists would love it for their libraries.
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It is only available at the museum and includes a sprinkling of many of the artists who have been featured at the museum-including the late Andrew Wyeth.
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I’ll send you a copy of the card they gave out at the museum-they were very stingy with giving these out! I only got two, one for us and one for our son who grew up in this area:
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Please leave a comment here if you would like to try to win this amazing book. I will pick a winner on the 12th at midnight. I also made a ‘skinny’ card (3″x5″) in tribute to the late Andrew Wyeth’s work to include with the book (the photo in the book was my influence):
Tribute to Andrew Wyeth in Skinny card form


Hump Day Humor

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I’m trying to be find something funny while it snows and sleets outside. It may make for a lousy commute for Bri. It is suppose to warm up to 40 in the afternoon, so that will help.
Here’s a
Housewife’s National Anthem

My kitchen tis of thee,
Sweet land of misery,
Of thee I sing.
Place where the biscuits died,
That once were mama’s pride!
From every country side,
Let freedom ring!

My kitchen tis of thee,
That took my liberty,
Of thee I sing.
I hate thy heat and steam!
I hate to mop and clean!
I think I’m gonna scream!
Let freedom ring!

Fling aprons to the breeze;
Throw dishtowels in the trees;
Let women sing!
Let frozen food awake;
Let all that eat partake;
Let it their dinner make,
My life prolong.

Our kitchen tis of thee,
Which took our liberty,
At thee we scream!
Long may our pots be bright;
We scrubbed them half a night!
The microwave has saved our life,
It is our King!

Manic Monday

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#152

What gives you hope?
People who inspire me to look forward to the future. For example, how nice was it that with all the millions of  people at President Obama’s Inauguration, not one got arrested.That gives me tremendous hope for a more united country.

How often do you get your haircut? Describe your worst haircut.
About every 5 weeks I get a trim. Worst haircut-after our honeymoon in Cancun, my permed hair was fried, so I had to get a really short cut. I never got my hair permed again. I’ve had more than one bad cut over the years-oh-my grandmom cut my bangs too wide once and the girls were making fun of them in high school.

What’s your most treasured piece of jewelry? Why?
My engagement ring-because it’s one of my oldest pieces that I still wear. It was purchased at Sydney Rosen’s jewelry store on jeweler’s row in Philadelphia back in November,1982 so Brian could give it to my for my 23rd birthday. It’s a .33 round cut diamond with two round emeralds on each side. I went to have it cleaned a few years back and an emerald or two fractured-they are very delicate stones, so they were replaced with lab manufactured ones. Back in the early 80s, fine gems were popular for engagement rings and Princess Diana had a sapphire and Sarah, Duchess of York had a ruby.