Category Archives: Me stuff

I don’t know about buying…

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…things from auction sellers anymore. I just got in a slight disagreement with a seller. Actually it was the seller that made a mountain out of a mole hill. She was trying to overcharge me with shipping when she has a shipping rate quoted on the auction! I was bidding on three of her pieces and asked if I could combine shipping and she agreed. Today it was a different story. The things I won were small and probably didn’t weigh a pound. I thought even $5.50 or our agreed upon price of $6.50 was high for the two items I won. I think because she made these things, she wanted a lot more for them and got seller’s remorse. I can’t stand when people make me the bad guy. Do you think it’s wrong that I said I had 7 years experience on this auction site and that I know roughly how much things cost to mail? Anyway, she opened a dispute that I didn’t agree upon and I said so. Plus I sent about three messages to customer support where we agreed upon a shipping cost.

Don’t be fooled by positive feedback. It’s not always want it seems.

~Update~I guess the auction site must have told the seller to complete the transaction or have a mark against her. I got another email, though a form one. I hope she follows through.

Ever get the chills and/or restless legs during the night? I had them and still feel kinda weird. This must be hormonal as I go through something strange at least ‘once a month’. I know I need to get out of the house. Maybe Sean can take me for a drive up to the post office as I surely can’t walk around the yard.

I just read that the additive MSG can give me the above symptoms! The beef stew we had for dinner was a mix and probably had it in the gravy and I just read that the Chex mix had it which I ate an hour before I went to bed. Watch that stuff!

Heavy eyes and ZZZZzzzs

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I’m actually not kidding. I am way too tired to think of 10 things that begin with Z. I thought I’d give it a try as Barbara let me join the letter game.  She did an excellent job with ‘w’, go see! I thought it would be a ‘random’ letter.

So-

1. Zit-Surprising I didn’t get that many on my face as a teen. Other places, well, we won’t discuss that (I mean my back!)

2. Zipper-I can sew things, but zippers and I just aren’t a team under the needle of my machine. I’m more of an elastic person it seems anyway.

3. Zoo-been to a few zoos-in Philly, Cape May, and the one out this way-I think it’s called the Plumpton Park Zoo-it’s not really a big  zoo, but it’s not that bad. My favorite animal to see is the polar bear.

4. Zorro-Antonio, you were hot as Zorro! I remember watching a tv show about Zorro with the dad from Lost in Space? Am I correct? We also had a Zorro lawnmower!

Antonio as Zorro!

5. Zippity doo dah-I have a video of Sean singing this as a 3 yr old (or around that age). Too cute!

6. Zoey-not that she is really #6! One of my first blogger buddies who is an amazing gardener and quilter.

7. Zilch-How many times I’ve been to Europe…or Canada…or out west…or the midwest….or even New York City!

8. Zero-Which means zilch too and I also never want to see the temps drop that low. Who likes that number anyway unless there are about 5 numbers in front of it? ; )

9.Zap-An expression I use when describing microwave cooking; i.e.-“Sean, do you want me to ‘zap’ your dinner?” He can’t stand it when I say that.

10. ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-sorry! I doozed off there a second. ; )  Ok…Zelda-that’s a cool name-and the name of Robin William’s daughter!

Zelda Williams

Now off to bed…zip!

The Mercer Museum

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Mercer MuseumUp in Bucks County, a few hours away, is a wonderful museum located in Doylestown. This area is one of my favorites and the museum is a ‘must see’ for those exploring Bucks (along with New Hope). I’ve been there twice, as has Brian. We took Sean up there a few years ago on his birthday. Instead of having parties, we take day trips for our birthdays. Mine are usually to either Dover, DE or New Hope.

Henry Mercer collected artifacts from all over the country and built this humongous structure to house it all. Each floor has several different areas of interest displayed in glass encased rooms. I know I mentioned this before, but it’s really a cool place. How many Conestoga wagons does one see in our lifetime, especially ones hanging from a ceiling! The one room with the medical instruments (if you can call most of them that) was frightening and I’m so glad I live in modern day American. We actually walked under gallows-chilling.

So if you get a chance to explore PA., drop by the Mercer Museum.

Inside the concrete palace

Feeling better-went looking for tummy med and found Equalactin and that seems to have made the burn go away. I had other stronger stuff but it was all expired. Most of thet time I try mint or ginger first before resorting to medicine.

Cooking tip for the day-oven bags

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I probably mentioned this before, but when you are roasting beef, chicken or turkey, they will stay pretty darn moist in a Reynold’s Oven bag. You add a little flour to the bottom of the bag, add your meat, seasoning and veggies (like onions, celery and carrots) and tie the bag. Stick some holes in it and it’s ready to go! I have a turkey breast all cooked and we’re waiting on the potatoes.

Bri and I have had funny tummies this weekend. I woke up about 4 am suffering for garlic overload (I won’t go into details). I should have been watching my diet, but no, I had to have some white pizza last night. I can’t seem to handle yeasty foods-soft pretzels, homemade bread-doughy things in general. I’ve never really had that problem before (too much). I’m feeling better though.

I made some more ATC-I’m up to like 25 of them! These have some glitter on them! I traded 3 of these and I’ll get 3 back. I also made some St. Paddy’s ‘items’ for my crafting friends. They turned out nice and I’ll share soon.

Craft tip: You know those desk calendars printed on sturdy paper? Well I had a cat one and didn’t know what to do with it. You guessed it, I’m using some of the smaller kitties for ATC! They are cute if I don’t say so myself!
Cat ATC

February crawling along

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I try not to let cabin fever bother me too much. I have so much I could do, whether it is cleaning, cooking or crafting-ha-the 3 ‘c’s! I’m here fairly warm in my little haven and my fellas have to go out and brave the cold.

A few of the bloggers in my blogroll said they think they need a break from writing here. I think it happens to the best of us. One lady has two little girls and wants to spend time with them and write some children’s books. I am stalled in a way, but with eBay. I’ve been selling there pretty steadily since Aug. ’99. I find when I purchase something to sell, I do a search and there’s always a number of others selling the same thing. This can be discouraging. I have A LOT of things accumulated for eBay. I think it’s time to get rid of most of it. The last few things I tried to sell went over like a lead balloon. I think since I share the computer with the guys, it’s hard for me to hop on it all the time. When Sean goes away, I see me getting into it again or if all is well, getting a part time job.

For me today, it’s stitching on Carol’s NRR which is coming along beautifully and venturing out to the store. I noticed there is a bunch of snow on the roof of the van. I heard you aren’t allowed to have packed snow on your vehicle and I know in the past it’s flown off. Luckily, I have 1/2 mile to go and probably there won’t be anyone behind me. I hope.

Have a great weekend!

Scavenger hunt revealed!

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I was involved in an Ostara (spring/Easter) scavenger hunt that I told you about a few posts back. My recipient, Dora received her ‘goodies’ over the weekend, so now I can show you what I sent to her. I think she liked them as she’s going to use the little wooden fruit as a decoration, try the egg recipe and write inspirational phrases in the little book.
Gifts for Ostara
The frame shows a photo of my forsythia bushes out front, facing east-a requirement of the hunt. What’s special about those bushes is that little forsythia ‘saplings’ came from both my mom’s yard and Bri’s mom’s bushes. I believe that both yards do not have the forsythia anymore. Hanging from the frame is a little dark green bag containing seeds that I have collected from my gardens-cosmos, marigolds and money plants. I decorated the frame and the little book.The newspaper is kinda a collectible as it features the passing of Barbaro the race horse.

Inspiration book
BTW, as a surprise, my font was changed to one of my favorites (and I didn’t even do anything-comic sans ms).

Art card for Sunday

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Series-Family snapshots-#2

Engaged!

I was sorting papers and found a very yellowed copy of Bri and my engagement announcement from December, ’82. Bri’s aunt had sent it to us over last summer, but we had a few of them already. This was kicking around-so what did I think to do-make an art card! I was going through my Princess Di look featuring short hair with brush over bangs and the Victorian style tops. Town talk is the name of the paper.

Farmers Market

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Brian and I went to Booth’s Corners Farmers Market yesterday to give me a change of scenery. There must have been a lot of people with the same thing in mind, as the place was crowded. We went to the big store at the end and I got a few cute things-ceramic birds in a nest, crackle finish Easter eggs to hang on a little tree, some candy, that sort of thing. Sean wanted some sesame sticks from one of the Amish booths. I also got him some macadamia nuts as an added treat. We hit Aunt Annie’s homemade pretzels and headed home for church. We did look around some antique stalls on the way out and I got some cute bisque pixies. Four men hemmed and hauled about what to charge me for them (at another booth). I said ‘yes’ to what they said, but I should have haggled a bit. Brian haggled for some VHS tapes that he didn’t even buy. Our final stop was at the Goodwill to drop things off. We did go in and I got some tiny birds in a nest salt and pepper shaker set (that go with the above mentioned decoration so well); a Portal rectanglar shaped poster of moon and stars and some aqua glass conductors from telephone poles. And a book of poetry by Edgar A. Guest from 1916.

After church we went to a Chinese restaurant that we hadn’t been to for years. We probably won’t be going back. The food was bland and they gave Sean the wrong thing (which he wouldn’t send back and hardly ate). Also, their cc machine wasn’t working and we had to scrape together the money for dinner. Either Sean or I felt good today-me around 4am, but him after he ate his breakfast-we think from the Chinese food. He is plum tuckered out over math and chemistry. He is having trouble with trig and may have to get some help.
The roast beef is nice and brown as I type this. I need to toss on some potatoes for a nice dinner.

Trivia time-
Booth’s Corner also attracted some of the country’s most famous entertainers. Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s famous sidekick, was once a colorful pitchman hawking gadgets in the Market midway. While Bill Haley, of Comets fame, was a popular guitar-playing entertainer. Incidentally, Bri and I lived in the same apartment complex when we were first married that Ed McMahon and Dick Clark had lived in when they worked in Philly.

The Raggedys and little pals

I left my little collection of Raggedy Ann and Andys up-I may eventually take down the tree. The little fairies are a market find.

Oh my mama

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To me you are so wonderful and confusing. My mom is a really lovely woman, but the way she is living right now is very upsetting to me. She loses things like crazy. Early last year it was her cellphone. She swore she left it in my car. Jim, her boarder found it this week under the sofa in the living room. He looked there because my mom misplaced a big bundle of money-and I mean a big bundle! It was my uncle’s stash moola that he told her to get out of his house when he was in the hospital during the summer. Well mom would borrow from it, put money back and now can’t find it. She had a miserable cold to begin with and now she is making herself mentally frustrated. She is definitely bi-polar either really up or really down. I asked if she wanted me to come clean and she said no as she was up until 4 am looking for it. I think she put it somewhere else and forget where she put it. Her vacuum has been broken for almost a month and so that means her house needs attention that way. I have to get her a new one. I can’t live her life, I do what I can to help, when I can, but it’s hard to clean her kitchen for 3 hours and go back a few weeks later and see it in bad shape again. She’ll be 77 in September, so I don’t know if she is able to stay in her big house too much longer. She can’t part with her ‘stuff’ and there is a lot of it.

On to more calming things-my pals over at tribe are artsy folks. We are going to do a few more projects together. The next one will be an Art card trade. These little cards are 2.5″ x 3.5″. They’re rather small, but you have to think in a ‘big’ way I guess. I was reading up on them. I have to make 3 and then I will get three back that are total surprises. I won’t say much about what I’m thinking of doing in case anyone on tribe reads my blog, but I have some neat old books I’ll probably be utilizing for this project. We still have to make a St. Paddy’s day poem (original) to hang up. We all get our turns to chose what to do. My choice was for Valentine’s Day. I found 4-5″ foam letters for the letter of each gals first name (one was wooden as I forgot her the day I was buying them & found the wooden one at Target) and decorated them with ribbon and 3D items. Each recipient got a handmade Valentine that the original poem was glued to. We have one male in the group and he got a decorated card. My verse for him said that may his true love be standing before him on this day without him knowing until this very day. Like meeting your true love on Valentine’s Day. What could be more romantic?

It’s still windy and bitter cold. I am running down to Big Lots for a few things that I need and forgot to get at the store. I’m hoping they still have the string or better yet hemp!

Embracing my age

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My age
I got a couple of compliments today at the dentist office. I was telling the hygienist that my 40 yr old little brother hardly had any cavities as I had acted as a ‘little mom’ to him being 7 yrs older and made him brush his teeth regularly. She replied, ‘so that means your 47, you sure don’t look it!’ Wow-so nice. I thank my parentage for good genes. And I thank the hairdresser too. Dr. Tim did an excellent job with my crown. It feels a bit strange as it’s higher than the first one there was. He’s only 28. I guessed around 30 as he’s so professional. He answered my questions and even looked at an area of concern on my gum. He also went to Penn State (like Sean), but studied Life Science before going on to Temple for dentistry. So I graduated the year before he was born-I feel old now! ; )

Brian stopped at Burger King because all my stress was gone and I was hungry. I tried to eat a Healthy Choice turkey meal for lunch but didn’t eat most of it.

Stitchingwise I am working on an ornament for a change of pace. I want to have something to add to the stitch-along blog. I did find a hemp cord website and am waiting on suggestions from the webmistress on what to order.