Celebrate Life!

Photography: Hanging with my favorite person

Opal — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:03:57 +0000

Whoa… the time is flying by! It’s so busy in the real world that I’ve been scrambling to find time to do something as simple as sit down and compose a post to my website. Sadly my personal websites have been suffering, however I’m still maintaining my business sites.

This week was busy meeting up with colleague I hadn’t seen in a long time. His reply upon seeing me, Opal, you haven’t changed in twelve years! I guess he’s right… outside of the fact that I now wear dreadlocks, not too much about me is different.

What’s been keeping me busy? As a stay at home tech writer, my plate stays full. Additionally I have a few business websites that I maintain. This past Sunday, I did more volunteered at the homeless shelter, and I’ve been crocheting more amigurumi. Additionally, I’ve been introduced to a few more volunteer opportunities, and I’m trying to see how I can fit one local wheelchair non-profit organization into my schedule. I’m unsure when life will settle down, the winter is usually one of my busiest seasons.

A friend, took the above photo of my daughter this past August. I remember this photo, I was tired but wanted to see her that day. I met her a few years ago at the local gym where I work out. She’s 84 and works out daily. What an inspiration, right? My daughter and I stopped by and visited her today. Her husband died twenty years ago, but fortunately she still her daughter and family are close by, and she’s loved by many friends.

I’ve decided to include one of my favorite videos by Buju Banton (along with the lyrics). I love the rhythm, and the pictures shown in the video.Throughout my years volunteering, I’ve encountered many in similar situations that are mentioned in these lyrics. I

Buju Banton: Untold Stories

While I’m living
Thanks I’ll be giving
To the most high, you know

I am living while I’m living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through every day
With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

All I see is people ripping and robbing and grabbing
Thief never love to see a thief with a long bag
No love for the people who are suffering real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul

What is to stop the youths from getting out of control
Filled up with education yet don’t own a payroll
The clothes on my back has countless eye holes
Could go on and on and full has never been told

I am living while I’m living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through every day
With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

I say who can afford to run will run
But what about those who can’t, they will have to stay
Opportunity is a scarce commodity
In these times I say, when mama spend her last to send you to class
Never you ever play

It’s a competitive world for low budget people
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards for who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on and full has never been told

Through this life keep getting me down
Don’t give up now
Got to survive some way some how
I could go on and on and full has never been told

I am living while I’m living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through every day
With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

All I see is people ripping and robbing and grabbing
Thief never love to see a thief with a long bag
No love for the people who are suffering real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul

I am living while I’m living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through every day
With all the hike in the price, arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told
Could go on and on and full has never been told

Know your worth: Harlan Ellison — Pay the Writer

Opal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:53:58 +0000

Harlan Ellison: Pay the Writer

Recently on Ravelry, there was a discussion about knitting and how much one should charge for their work. I’m not selling any of my crocheted items yet. I’m still learning, but I do see many crocheters and knitters undervaluing their work. Well, guess what? This applies to any profession. When I got interested in paper crafts, I saw it there. I do a lot of freebies for family and friends. I also volunteer my time to assist with local charities and I also make hand crafted items that are donated to various organizations.

If I ever get to that place where I do sell my crocheted designs — you won’t find me underselling myself. Those who do undervalue their work can make it challenging for those who are selling their work at a legitimate price, since some buyers might assume they’re getting ripped off. Talk about frustrating! I’ve experienced this when approached (by some people) about technical writing assignments, and in the past when selling my beadwork and sewing designs, however, I never undersold my services.

Anyway the discussion on Ravelry made me think about Harlan Ellison’s rant Pay the Writer. Now Harlan’s a bit more colorful than I’d be, I don’t swear, and you won’t find me threatening anyone, but watching the video you get the point. Although he’s speaking from a writer perspective, this can be applied to other professions also. With myself it took a lot of research, to ensure that I receive fair pay for the work I do.

MegaUpload shut down; Day after websites went dark to protest SOPA/PiPA

Opal — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:48:27 +0000

I find it interesting that the day after many websites went dark to protest SOPA/PIPA that MegaUpload was shut down. MegaUpload, for those of you who don’t know, is one of the largest file sharing sites available. It’s based in Hong Kong, and has been around since 2005.

According to TorrentFreak, it was shut down by the US federal prosecutors in Virginia. I have to admit this has me a bit confused, since MegaTorrent is a legitimate file sharing site.

The Justice Department’s website states this about MegaUpload...

WASHINGTON – Seven individuals and two corporations have been charged in the United States with running an international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites, generating more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and causing more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners, the U.S. Justice Department and FBI announced today.

This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States and directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime.

The full indictment regarding the MegaUpload shut down, can be read at Scribd.com. To be honest, I’m a bit puzzled by the entire ordeal. I know they used the DMCA notice for people wanting to download files… If the allegations are true, I’m guessing some people were sharing copyrighted material and this is why it’s being shut down? I’ve seen similar things happen on Youtube, where copyrighted material has slipped through, but once it’s found YouTube removes it.

I’ve known about MegaUpload for a few years, and so I’ll be following this story closely.

Photo Source: My Side of the Story

What is SOPA and PIPA? How it could this bill change your internet experience (if passed).

Opal — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:08:34 +0000

As mentioned, I participated in the internet blackout on all my sites on Wednesday, 01/18/12.

The good news is that 25 senators are now against the bill. Naturally this is great news, but is something to keep a close eye on to make sure that these bills aren’t tacked on to other bills.

If you’re not sure what the SOPA and PIPA are abut, please check out the video, which is 11 minutes and 15 seconds, below. Thus far, this is the best video I’ve seen about these two bills, and I’d encourage you to watch it — if you haven’t already.

Noodles and veggies in spicy garlic sauce

Opal — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:50:08 +0000

Yesterday afternoon I prepared this simple dish; noodles and vegetables in a spicy garlic sauce.

The next few weeks will be extremely busy, and so just tossing a few extra ingredients to foods I’ve already prepared; rice, beans, and pasta… will be common.

My vegetable pasta is actually made from vegetables but yesterday I used the traditional pasta noodle. Since I already had pasta noodles from a few days ago, the only thing I needed to add was vegetables and prepare the garlic sauce. Besides the obvious garlic, I added finely chopped onions (which I’d sauteed) and I coarsely chopped broccoli and tomato, and marinated tofu — which I’d crumbled. I didn’t make too much of this perhaps three servings, my daughter ate hers quickly and asked for more.

This meal was quick, delicious, and nutritious, and more important it was served in minutes.

SOPA/PIPA: Going Dark on Wednesday, 01/18/12

Opal — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:20:11 +0000

As you travel the net, tomorrow, you might notice that some of your favorite websites are inaccessible.

The reason is simple, some websites are Going Dark, to protest Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). I’ve read about these two bills last year, and over the past few months the outrage amongst those not wishing to be silenced has picked up momentum.

Although written about a month ago, 1st Webdesigner Foundation has written a great article about SOPA/PIPA and how it can affect you.

Several of the big name tech companies like Wikipedia, Boing Boing, Reddit, and Google are joining in the protest…

“Like many businesses, entrepreneurs, and Web users, we oppose these bills because there are smart, targeted ways to shut down foreign rogue Web sites without asking American companies to censor the Internet,” a Google representative said. “So tomorrow we will be joining many other tech companies to highlight this issue on our U.S. home page.”

In response to questions about how the protest link would be displayed on the page, all Google would say is that the link would not replace the company logo.

The White House has spoke out against SOPA

Right now, Congress is debating a few pieces of legislation concerning the very real issue of online piracy, including the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the PROTECT IP Act and the Online Protection and Digital ENforcement Act (OPEN). We want to take this opportunity to tell you what the Administration will support—and what we will not support. Any effective legislation should reflect a wide range of stakeholders, including everyone from content creators to the engineers that build and maintain the infrastructure of the Internet.

While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.

Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small.

Last week, I read about a protest that’s been scheduled for Wednesday, 01/18/12. Perhaps some of the politicians who’re trying to pass this bill don’t care too much about some websites going dark. I do believe some of them will care if their constituents start calling them complaining about the bill that they read about online, and so I’ll be participating. Go Dark, is the Word Press Plugin I’ll be using to join the protest against SOPA/PIPA.

References

Photo Source: XBMC

Headwraps; Crocheted loc wrap

Opal — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:41:37 +0000

Last evening I crocheted this simple head wrap for my locs. It’s the same head wrap I wore while volunteering at the homeless shelter. If you look closely, you’ll see a pair of earrings. I made them myself. It’s one of my simpler beaded creations. The sweatshirt is my favorite; warm, roomy, and oh so comfortable! I wear it often.

I was planning to take photos (eventually) but my daughter beat me to that and snapped the above photo. I wasn’t aware she was taking the photo. In this picture, I was looking in the Ultimate Crochet Bible: A Complete Reference with Step-by-Step Techniques (C&B Crafts) for a finishing crochet stitch; I’ve settled on the shell stitch to edge the front of this head wrap.

suituapui says:

December 29, 2011 at 12:50 am

How about a photo of you wearing that? LOL!!! Imagine here in our hot country, we have those young guys wearing things like that – trying to be trendy by blindly imitating the ways of the west. Not very smart, I would say…
suituapui recently posted..Pamper me…

In the comment section of my post, Happy Hooker: Crocheted my first (human) hat, Suituapui had mentioned that I should actually wear some of my crocheted items within the photos, so here’s one of them. I do post photos on my Facebook page, I don’t post as many here on Celebrate Life.

Suituapui, has an amazing food blog, perfect for the foodies out there. He shares plenty of delectable photos, and tales of his foodie adventure that will keep you returning to his site for more.

I still have a few additions I’ll be including with this head wrap… one or two crocheted flowers will be added, with beads woven into the crochet stitch. And perhaps a beaded crocheted cord to cinch the back opening? I’ve sketched out how I’ envision the updated head wrap, the only thing left is to start hooking.

Homeless shelter: Not green eggs and ham… bacon and eggs

Opal — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:35:58 +0000

This morning, when I told a friend that I made bacon and eggs for breakfast they were stunned.

Friend: Veggie bacon and eggs right?

Me: Nope, it was the real deal

Friend: So when did you stop being vegan? You’ve been vegan for like… forever!!!!

Me: Oh I still am!

Friend: Uhm…. ????

Because of their expression of what the heck is she going on about, I let them in on a secret. The bacon and eggs were made for the homeless shelter where I volunteer. No, I wasn’t scarfing it down myself.

Twice monthly, my Lutheran church prepares meals for the guests. Today, we had thirty guests. This homeless shelter is located in the suburbs, and so you”ll the majority of the guests is Caucasian that’s a bit different from I’m used to when I volunteer in the city.

I really enjoy doing volunteer work in homeless shelters. I imagine some might be surprised at how many are like you or me. It is even more common in this present economy.

No show

There was another lady who was supposed to help… unfortunately, she was a no-show. That was uhm… interesting especially since it was my first time at the location. I had no idea where things were located. However an angel appeared in the form of the man that had volunteered to stay over as the overnight helper. He hung back and assisted me when he realized I didn’t have any assistance. How sweet was that?

He told me up front he didn’t know how much help he’d be since he wasn’t a cook, I responded that any help he could give was appreciated. He did well, and the time flew by while we prepared a breakfast for 30 guests.

Service with a smile

The meal was served, and we had quite a few that came back for seconds (and in some cases thirds). Several thanked me for the meal, and told me it was excellent. I chatted with several guests while serving the food. I really enjoy chatting with them, and it’s a great feeling to help others when you can.

Leftovers from last evenings meal, was already packed in lunch bags, and given to the guests. The guests can’t stay there during the day, but thankfully since they receive a packed lunch they have a meal, and they can come back for dinner. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned at how they got around. It’s not like the homeless shelters I’ve volunteered at in the city, and so if they don’t have transportation, bus routes are sporadic.

This homeless shelter is small. I’ll definitely be coming back there to cook for the guests. Being there today, gave me ideas of other ways I can assist. I’ll be brining vegetables during harvest time, so the guests can receive the fresh produce from my garden. I’m also going to prepare a few treats to accompany the meals.

I’m totally loving this loc wrap! I stumbled upon this beautiful loc wrap (and lady) on the Rebel with a Cause Facebook page. Once I learn a few more crochet stitches, I’ll definitely make something like this.

Since I have long hair, I had to tie my locs back. I figured if they had hairnets, it wouldn’t be large enougn to tuck all my locs into. Last evening, I’d completed a crocheted Loc wrap. Although not as fancy as the one above, I love it! More importantly, it serves its purpose — keeping my locs under wraps. My newly crocheted design turned my already fabulous locs a bit trendy with the added accessory.

Photo Source: AshlyNTess, Rebel with a Cause

Amigurumi: Chibi Cat – WIP (Work in Progress)

Opal — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:22:50 +0000

Amigurumi: Crocheted chibi cat

Yesterday, I posted about my first amigurumi crocheted project. My daughter love cats, and so she asked me to make one for her.

Naturally I agreed, but was a bit puzzled on how I’d turn my first project into a kitty. Look at it, the head is oversized. It literally dwarfs the body. Last evening, I thought about this, while I was working on the arms and legs… Then it hit me! I could make a Chibi cat!

Because of this cats oversized head, it easily falls under the Chibi category. You’ll find Chibi’s in Manga (Japanese comics — which I absolutely adore!) Chibi’s are easily recognizable since their limbs are overly exaggerated. I wanted to make the arms and legs smaller, but my daughter wanted them to be ‘normal size’.

Finishing the crocheted amigurumi chibi cat

I still have a bit more to do on this Amigurumi chibi cat. A mouth needs to be added, I still need to crochet ears and a super long and skinny tail — but this being my first amigurumi project, I’m really pleased with how it’s progressing. Regarding the eyes, originally I was going to use buttons (or purchase eyes) for this project, but I opted to crochet the eyes instead. I made one slightly larger than the other, to add to its deformity.

There’s another reason I chose crocheted eyes… Remember when I wrote about The Mother Bear Project? Well… the more I thought about it, I realized that I don’t know how young some of the children might be that receive a hand crocheted or knitted bear. To be on the safe side, I think it’s wise for me to make the items out of fiber, so it won’t be a potential choking hazard. Some of the techniques I’m trying with this project (like the crocheted eyes) will be incorporated into the bears I crochet.

Crochet: No time for idle hands

Today, I’ll be volunteering at my daughters school. It’s open house, and so I’ll be greeting potential parents. I’ll be sure to bring along some yarn, crochet hooks, and perhaps a bit of fiberfill so I can create some more Chibi pets. I’m thinking I’ll make about 17. Once they’re completed, I’ll hand them out to my daughters third grade class. Each school year I make some type of crafted item for her classmates.

My inspiration for this upcoming project comes from Nerdigurumi. I guess, you could say I’m already ahead of the game, since I’ve already made the heads. I made this this past weekend. I discovered her site this morning and have already liked her on Facebook. If you love Amigurumi, stop by the site and check out her adorable crocheted amigurumi critters.

Photo Source: Nuhfanik; Deviant Art

Amigurumi: First attempt; The making of cats

Opal — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:29:14 +0000

When it comes to art creation, my main form of creativity is fiber; cloth, yarn, natural and synthetic fibers…

Amigurumi (pronounced ah-mee-goo-roo-mee) has been occupying most of my weekend crochet time. This is fueled by my daughter’s love of stuffed animals, She’s requested that my first amigurumi project be a cat, and so I’ve managed to squeeze hours throughout this weekend to focus on it. I’ve decided to devote some of my crochet time into making amigurumi creatures for my daughter, and some others…

Amigurumi

The word Amigurumi is Japanese, it means “stuffed toy.” The toys are crocheted or knitted. Pretty clever, right?

Making daughters amigurumi cat

As you can see from the above picture, my daughters amigurumi cat isn’t complete. Actually, I’ll be making two. The second will be smaller than this one. I didn’t follow a pattern, I just picked up a size G crochet hook, and started doing my own thing. No surprise, since when it comes to crafts (or cooking) I rarely follow directions.

I found the head and body was easy to make, although in hindsight I should have made the body more cylindrical in appearance. When I attempted to correct that ‘flaw’ my daughter told me, No! It appears she loves the round body. I’ll make sure I do make corrections with some of my upcoming projects. My daughter is happy with how her kitty is progressing and is clamoring for me to finish.

The legs and arms were a bit of a challenge, until I started using a stitch marker (strip of yarn in another color) to make off my starting point. I believe I’ll remake the tail, since I think it should be slimmer than the legs. I still need to complete the arms.

Perfect timing: 12 for 12 in 2012; Charity

My interest in Amigurumi comes at an excellent time. I’ve mentioned The Mother Bear Project in a few posts, the crocheted and knitted bears that are created and sent to children in underdeveloped countries. My local yarn store, Lovely Yarns, supplies a pattern, but I’ve decided to make my own. I’ve already sketched out the design for that amigurumi bear, the only thing left is to make it. I’m getting my feet wet with the amigurumi cat, once that’s completed I’ll start working on the bear. I’ll be sure to post pictures of both completed projects.

This post should have been posted yesterday, since I’m participating in the 12 for 12 in 2012 Charity Crochet project. Head on over to Kathryn’s crochet blog, to see who else is participating in this project. This weekend, I haven’t been online as much. I’ve been spending time with my daughter, and working on the above amigurumi project.

I realize that everyone isn’t like myself, and might want instructions before they attempt to dive into Amigurumi, and so I’ve included a few links below, enjoy!

Amigurumi Resources

Photo Source: Crochet Spot