Nov30

Passing time

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Ginseng 4" x 4" Collage Card, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

It was one of those days when you have something planned and then it falls through. I was going to go to Longwood Gardens and it was just so dreary and spitting rain-ugh. I ended up making a pot of stew and trying some new crochet stitches for maybe a future gift. Seems like I can do more stuff like this tomorrow as it will be very rainy.
We are all upset by something that happened with my father-in-law. He is fine, but he let a man in his house who said he was an antique dealer from North Carolina. Just because he had a ‘business card’ and a truck. The three of us flipped out. So many ‘bad’ things could have happened. The guy cased out the house and did purchase 6 things for $250. Cash only-no check or receipt for what he bought. We got the name of the guy’s business from Brian’s dad and tried to look him up and said viewing the site could harm our computer! Doesn’t sound good. I hope the money was real. His dad argued uphill and down dale that he knows when to trust people, etc. Said he won’t tell us when he wants to do that again. Smart-no common sense. My grandmom’s sister started to act like this-she picked up an hitchhiker and soon had to go in a home. It may be time to get the ball rolling as Dad C. can’t take chances like this!
So…my collage card was going to be all black and white and then I ran across the soap wrapper and other Asian images and there you go.

Nov29

Cyber Monday

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I started shopping way early in the morning and was pleased with making a few purchases this early. Found things for both fellows that they will be surprised to receive. I got some things off of Sean’s wishlist (most of it, he doesn’t have a big one) later in the morning. I still like to hit stores like Marshalls, Home Goods and TJ Maxx. Scored a few things for mom the other night at Tuesday Morning.
Speaking of mom, she bought or got me the bookmark at the Absecon lighthouse in NJ a few summers ago. I thought it would work on the 4″ x 4″ Collage and it almost fit! I used some ‘beautiful’ scrapbook paper (you can see the actual word here) and die-cuts. The neat part is the bottom which was handmade by a lady in one of my Flickr groups. We send each other things like this, which inspired me to do the cards. I’ve only been stuck a few times-this is about card #95!
I haven’t made too many Artist Trading Cards (the ones I show are bigger of course). I need to do a matchbox next for an exchange.
My brother who lives with my mom got a brand new vehicle. I wish I could be happy for him as he just turned 50 a few days ago. He never picks up the phone or speaks to me when he sees me or my guys. If he drives my mom around a lot I’ll be happy for her. He is holding a grudge and saying I didn’t help him and mom a few weeks ago. I was having issues and my van can’t be driven that far. Cross that bridge already!
Thinking about seeing the Longwood Garden Christmas display, but I have to see how cloudy it is tomorrow as heavy rain is coming later.
Oh! And the ABS and brake light issue-the poor van needed brake fluid!

Nov29

Playing Catch up

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I’ve been trying to tidy up the house a bit more in anticipation of the upcoming holidays. My bedroom seems to be a ‘catch all’ and I worked two hours in there while Brian cut up more leaves and did raking.
I had been in Tuesday Morning last night and found this vintage look tissue paper and used it on these two cards. Those are shots of my mom in the second one.
Girls will be 4" x 4" Collage Card
I was scanning photos for my Christmas card (third year making it) and went to print them out and I need a couple of ink cartridges. I have in my head what I want to do. Should be cute.
Brian and I went to Applebee’s-couldn’t do turkey again and had their Lime Chicken. We went to Wally World so I could exchange a gift Sean gave me (for color choice) and saw him scanning like crazy. Did a little shopping while we were there.
Cyber Monday is coming up. Will get some things from Sean’s Amazon wishlist and go from there.

Nov27

Photo Hunt-Written

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I have shown this before, but it is fun to see how I use to write back in 1967. That’s the school in the photo. We went to one of two elementary schoolse and attended here for Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd grade. It’s an administration building now. I remember the seesaws were popular and I remember singing Mockingbird (before James Taylor and Carly Simon did). I’m still in touch with a few members of my Kindergarten class.

History from Wikipedia about the Upper Providence school district:

Formal education began when local Quaker, James Turner, left money in his 1787 will to establish Blue Hill School near Chapel and Providence Roads. The Union Library on Sycamore Mill Road opened in 1813 and had over eight hundred volumes by 1843. Sandy Bank School opened in 1836, and was rebuilt 1905 and enlarged in 1926. Lower Banks School opened in 1872. The Rose Tree Union School District was established in 1947.

Nov26

Same tree-4 different themes

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Same tree-4 different themes, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I’m going for #1 as I haven’t had a Victorian tree for about 4 or 5 years. I’m wondering if I could change it up with ‘gold’ and clear. I think I have some of the candles on a string-maybe I could add more of them. It will be similar to that, but I will definitely change it up a bit. I’ll probably do this in less than two weeks.

Nov26

No ship like friendship

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This is a very English card as many of it’s elements are from that country. The foil sticker of the little boy was sent to me from a friend in the UK. I send lots of things over there. I have a package of die-cuts from an English magazine (the boat and star).
We all were zonked from Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Sean did his 4:30 am to 12:30 pm shift. He said it was really rough at 5 until about 6:15 with 100s of people in line. He said they looked haggard too. Crazy! I say do decorating, baking and visiting. Give a few gifts, maybe something you’ve made (I have made 2 things thus far).
Tomorrow we will order a fiber glass door for the basement. I felt the first deep chill of the old door letting in the cold air. And next it will be time to get a plumber in here to unstop two bathroom sinks. It’s nasty upstairs because it takes a good 20 minutes for it to drain. I don’t think it’s too far down-must be a cap off a bottle (maybe).
Have a great weekend!

Nov26

Thanksgiving Day Parade

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I really like the Macy’s parade. I was going to call this ‘Turkey time’ at first and then found the 1930s photo (on scrapbook paper) which looked like NYC, but it’s really San Francisco. The next card is for Wednesday-
Key to my heart 4" x 4" Collage Card
I called it ‘Key to my Heart’. It’s a metal faux key that I bought up in that neat scrapbooking store in Bucks County.

Nov25

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

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We ate dinner at a ‘normal’ time around 5 and Bri and had it all cleaned up by 6:30. Actually I have the second round of dishes going. I was pretty happy with the dinner.
Thanksgiving din din
I think I need a new meat thermometer as it took a bit longer than I thought. And my cranberries were so tart they would make your mouth pucker-that’s even after adding more sugar. The highlight of the dinner was pretty easy to make-Rachael Ray’s ‘Not Your Mama’s Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives’. The secret was adding a few turnips, some Boursin cheese, sour cream and chives. Very tasty.
Rachael Ray's 'Not your Mama's mashed potatoes
The cheesecake turned out well, though the crust stuck to the bottom a bit.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow/Sour cream topping
We cut the turkey like Bobby Flay did on RR yesterday. You cut off the breast in two big chucks and then slice it so it’s the perfect size for sandwiches. The guys took dinner over to Brian’s dad while I finished cleaning up and made some of my little collages.
I do have a photo I took of the guys too.
I hope all my American pals had a delightful day!
Wish Sean well as he has to be at Wally World at 4:30 am. He was Mr Grumps at the dinner table. That’s retail for you-even in this day and age. I plan to look through some catalogs and shop on Cyber Monday.

Nov24

Errands and owls

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Today was my day to get some last minute things out of the way. I went to a produce place I found down in Delaware that has some excellent prices. I’m going to make some Rachael Ray garlic and chive mashed potatoes she recently made on her show. I needed some potatoes, turnips, sour cream, and Boursin cheese (which someone helped me find as I’ve never used it). I mailed off a few packages, looked around Tuesday Morning and found an adorable owl plaque for the garden (I have to fix a chip in his beak). So the owl made me want to do an owl collage card as we have one or two that greet us at night also. It may be a screech owl like the guy on the card. I just bought some wintry scrapbook paper. When I was making this, I felt sick and had tummy issues. I was starving for dinner and Bri and I split a roast beef hoagie. I also had done 25 push-ups earlier in the day. Actually I used a roller machine you grab on to in the front and roll forward. I hope it’s not my HBP medicine.
Brian said he hit a deer going about 40 MPH on the way home. He said one went in front of him and he didn’t have time to hesitate and hit the one following the first. He was pretty shook up when he came home. He looked at his car and it wasn’t dented. Maybe the deer ‘just’ got tossed to the side of the road. We had hit one years ago when Sean was a baby and dented the hood of a former car. I worry about the guys short cutting down back roads.
I decided to return the Libre e-reader and get a Kindle that I really wanted to have for a few years now. The Libre wouldn’t download anything for me off of Borders. You can go there and download their reader and read books right off your computer. The Kindle has a ‘store’ right on the machine that you can visit and you pick and download the book (or newspaper) right away. A better choice I think!
Today, the old Spectrum in Philly started to get demolished. I have been there quite a few times-saw a few Flyers games with a college friend and got Herb Brooks autograph (coach of the 1980s winning Olympic ice hockey team). Took Sean there to see ‘Disney on Ice’ a few times. Saw a number of concerts-John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Heart there. Lots of memories.

Nov22

I am thankful

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I wanted to make a Thanksgiving collage, but the scrap clippings are slim pickings. I did have that new pumpkin paper and the words from another paper.
I am thankful that my blood work was ok. My thyroid reading was 4.75 and it should be around 4.2. It may be that way from starting the high bp medicine 5 days earlier. The nurse said the doctor just wants to watch it. Seems like it’s another hormone issue to me. I am ‘this close’ to going to a specialist.
I’ve been upping the exercise lately. I do some floor exercises and walk around the yard. It’s not 30 minutes, but it’s a start.
I got exercise carrying the 20 pound frozen bird out of the freezer down in the basement. Brian said I should have waited for him. : )