The Writings of a Mediocre Artist

Almost Spring!

2011-03-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

The weather is beginning to warm up. As I tell my mother, soon we will go from the cold winter rains to the cool spring rains and on into the warmer summer rains :-). I'm already preparing my greenhouse. I am not planning to do any tomatoes this year. They just don't get enough sunshine and warmth where we are. I will do potatoes, peas and beans again. Also making a reappearance will be chard, kale, spinach, carrots, cucumber and loose leaf lettuce. I know pumpkins didn't do well last year, but they did excellent the year before, so I will try again.

I have made many updates to my dA page. All of my old work is up, as well as many new pieces. The work above, inspired by the recent tragedy in Japan, is an example of one of my recent works. 100% of any profit it might make will go directly to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief for Japan. Not that I think I am all that as an artist, but, if it made any money, I didn't want to profit from it.

I have been having fun teaching myself various types of fixed-form poetry. So far, Haiku is my favorite. I enjoyed not only learning the technical form (which is rather simple to master) but also the traditional subjects and themes prevalent to Eastern forms in general and Haiku in specific. I think Shakespearean sonnets will become another favorite, but I haven't played with them as much as I want yet.

I have done some beautiful dye work on my homespun yarn recently. The Easter egg dye, as you see above, comes out beautifully for projects that don't need to be washed often.

I haven't been doing as much on the free samples/sweepstakes front. Life intruding and all that. I have not completely abandoned it though and will get into it more again. Until then, I have nothing to report except to say I have a few small samples coming in here and there that have been useful.

My boyfriend's Uncle Dave had been sick with cancer. It has been less than a year since he was diagnosed. They didn't find out what it was in enough time to effectively treat it. He passed away just this past Wednesday. He was a neat man and will be missed. He and his wife Sue took the time to come and visit us and ask about my health and such. He was really suffering toward the end though and I am glad that is over.

I will try to be better abut updating this blog.

Crafting Words and Art

2011-02-23T00:55:00.000-08:00

Have done a big deviantART update. Unless I come across something forgotten, I am done adding old works. No more backlog! Come see to view new poetry, photography, and pictures of some of my artisan crafts.

I joined some artist groups on dA as well. I am glad I did. Now I can read works of like minded people, discover works I might not have, get critiques, talk with other writers/poets/artists, and join in activities related to these things. so far I have only joined writer & poet groups. I may change that later.

My interest in sampling continues, though I have taken a break from contest entering. I find not the interest or energy to spend 30-45 minutes on it a night. I will get back to it, eventually. I have gotten some great freebies and samples and won some neat prizes. Most memorable: Getting a beautifully packaged pomegranate from POM Wonderful for Ryan, The $100.00 PUMA Giftcard, and the Otter Box Defender Series Hard Case I won just as I was trying to decide whether to buy a dedicated e-book reader or an iPad. Guess who owns a very well protected iPad?!

In other news, Ryan's Uncle Dave is dying of esophagus cancer. He has only months to live. We let him and Aunt Sue borrow one of our lap tops to help entertain him when he feels too I'll to do much. We will miss him when he dies. I am trying to e there for Ryan too as he deals with losing his uncle.

Holidays Over, Back to Routine

2011-02-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays, but am so thankful when they were over. December and January were a whirlwind! I am just getting back to my crafting, poetry and art. I have been playing with poetry forms again as well as with the new Bamboo Pen my boyfriend gave me for Christmas. A new, better camera (also from Ryan) has sparked a renewed interest in photography as well. Expect to see the results of all these art forms here.

Freebies, samples and sweepstakes are going well. My two biggest wins were a $100.00 PUMA giftcard in their holiday IWG (instant win game) and two hardcase Otterbox defender series protector cases one for the iphone3 and one for the ipad from AT&T. They claim the full retail value is $289.00 but I think I could get about $80.00. Anyway you look at it they were a free prize so that is cool.
Among other things, I won a Spa Kit from the Dove Buzzwords IWG, free boxes of toaster strudels from Pillsbury, and cough drops from Halls. For samples I have received everything from a pair of socks to granola bars. I have a lot of fun with this. It helps that my good friend Sabrina does the games, samples and such as well. We enjoy talking about it and comparing samples.

My neighbor and friend Trudy gave me some beautiful merino top roving for Christmas. I am finally beginning to spin it. I will photo the resulting yarn and post it. I also want to finally work with some more henna dyed wool fiber I colored just before the holidays and haven't gotten a chance to spin yet. I expect good results, the dye gave a full robust rusty orange to the fiber.

My deviantArt page has some new items since I last posted, mostly poetry though there are a few other things. Check it out if you are interested. I will be posting a few new pieces I am just finishing within the next week.

In other news the MMO I play had a huge update on the first of February. Check out www.RuneScape.com if that sort of thing interests you. That will be easier than me trying to paraphrase here. I am glad so many people are excited by the changes and don't see them hampering my preferred game play so I don't care, even though the content isn't something I am personally interested in.

Dinner tonight will be marinated chicken breasts cooked with veggies and rice. Yum. I have been cutting down the carbs we consume at meals as well as making sure we are eating more veggies. Not hard for me but sometimes a challenge with Ryan.

My grandpa Christiansen turns 93 this year. We are going to take him out to dinner and buy a big cake for him. Happy birthday grandpa!

Things to Come & Preparing for the Holidays

2010-11-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with my boyfriend and my sister. I made a brined roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, brussel sprouts, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. More later . . .

Coming Soon, Fiber Preparation and Sampling Savvy

2010-11-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished with an original sock pattern that is for the averaged-sized female foot and easily adapted to other sizes. Check back soon for the FREE pattern and a picture! Also coming your way: An Amigurumi fan doll. I am in the process of creating a doll in the amigurumi style that is an excellent likeness of a certain tall "skeletal" figure of a beloved animated movie. Check back for details, FREE pattern and pictures.

In other news, I am creating a website that will be a central "hub". It will have a bit about me and what I do in general and then pages featuring my other web links and an introduction on their contents. This will make it easier for someone to travel between my blog, Facebook page, Etsy store, and deviantART gallery.

Ryan's sister has given me an opportunity to help scan medical records onto computer for her. I assured her that I am knowledgeable on HIPAA in specific and the importance of the privacy of Privileged Health Information because I used to work as a Release of Information Clerk in the medical records dept of a large hospital in Indiana. I am excited to help out and it will mean a little extra bit of pocket change for Christmas gifts.

I have received a lot of neat samples, freebies and sweeps prizes lately. I have taken pictures of them with a new camera and still have to learn how to take them off but I will soon post a few of some of my latest samples and freebies. Of particular note, my coupon for a free box of Smuckers Uncrustables came today as well as a coupon for a free box of Barilla plus pasta (and more bogo free coupons for their product).

I like trying food products we haven't tried before. Sometimes I discover something we truly love and add to our grocery list. Other times we are glad we could try before we buy because we DIDN'T like the sample we got.

When it comes to Sampling, I have a few good words of advice:

1. If you or your family won't use it/don't need it; then don't request it. Why request a sample that is just going to sit around until you either throw it away, put it in some poor soul's Christmas stocking, donate it to Goodwill, etc.? Companies are offering these freebies and samples because they are hoping to gain more consumers' interest. They only have a limited number of samples so you are, conceivably, taking away a chance at a future customer for them.

2. Find a few good sites you trust and stick with them. When I first started out I think I had 15+ freebie/sample sites in my bookmarks. As I began to get familiar with them though I noticed that there were three or four that, between them, had everything those other sites had all together. Less places to navigate. Though I have to admit I still visit the others from time to time and once or twice saw some obscure but interesting freebie that wasn't posted elsewhere.

The sites I picked as my favorites (mentioned in a previous post) were also ones I noticed had few to none of those "offers" promising things like full-sized products if you qualify or chances at large dollar amount gift cards. These offers generally include a lot of very fine print in which you learn you have to complete so many "offers" in able to qualify for your freebie. Invariably you end up spending money and/or giving them way too much personal information.

3. Many of these sites have social network links. For instance, all of my top sites have Facebook pages. This makes it easy to view things in one central location. I STILL check on each individual page at least once a day though to make sure I didn't miss anything.

4. Many of these sites have or link to a list of Sweepstakes and contests. While I personally have not won anything worth a large amount of money, I have won some items. So it does pay to take a few minutes and go through them. So far, in the few months I have been doing sweeps, I have won a Subway Restaurant tote bag, 4 boxes of Pillsbury toaster strudels, a personal massager, a carpet cleaning tool, and a full-sized box of Barilla Pasta with other coupons for bogo free).

5. Make a free (throw-away) e-mail account that you only use for sampling. You WILL start getting e-mails from companies you have requested a sample from. Inevitably as well, some company who promises not too will sell your e-mail address and you will get spam and scams. You don't want all of that in your main e-mail!

As a last note, it is also great to have a friend who also does samples. We help each other keep track of upcoming offers and/or offers one of us might have missed. My good friend and I were both trying to get a 50.00 Target giftcard from a Dr. Oz sponsered giveaway. I told her I'd share if I got it because she didn't think she would have time to get on. Then she had time after all and she managed to get one while my server clogged and I couldn't get through. She shared the win with me and we both came out ahead.

A good friend also means you have someone to brag too when you win/find something really "cool" and everyone else is sick and tired of hearing about your samples and freebies :-P

On the Wooly side, I have washed up a batch of creamy colored wool. I am going to spin this separate from the brown and then ply the two together to get a candy cane-like stripe. It is going to make a beautiful, sturdy yet relatively soft, yarn.

My adventures in fiber preparation have taught me a few things:

1. Wash twice, rinse thrice. It makes for a cleaner fiber, especially important if you are going to dye it. I fill up the tub with hot water and wool wash and then drop the wool in. Pressing it down gently to make sure it is fully saturated with soapy water, I leave it to sit for at least half an hour. DO NOT AGITATE or you will partially felt it. This makes the fiber harder to work with both when dyeing and spinning.

After the wash, I pile the wool toward the back of the tub as I drain the dirty water out (move the wool gently, again you don't want to partially felt it). I then begin to slowly put water back into the tub (better to go slow, remember) that is nearly the same temperature (I like it just a tiny bit cooler than the wash). Let the wool soak about 5 to 10 minutes in the rinse water and then slowly drain. (I have a fellow spinner who swears by putting a bit of vinegar in the first rinse water to help balance the pH.)

Repeat the wash and give it two rinses afterwards. This is to make absolutely certain you have the cleanest wool for use. This helps assure even color dye, spinner satisfaction, and beautiful yarn.

2. Don't be so "thrifty" that you keep truly sub par fiber. Second cuts, dirty skirting, stained, and matted partially felted fiber is difficult to deal with if you are going to spin the end product. And, even if you are going to felt the fiber before spinning, you will notice a better quality to your felt if you get rid of the sub par fiber.

My boyfriend and I are very thrifty. We try to save wherever we can. I had to teach myself not to try to save every bit of fiber. Your end product will be of a much higher quality. This is important for yourself and gifting, but especially for sellers! If you are truly hate to throw out the bad bits, scatter some in your yard and the wild things will use it to makes nests or line burrows. Throw it in the compost pile. Use it as mulch.

3. Patience, patience, patience. This can be a hard one for me. Especially when I am already seeing the finished product, through my rose-colored glasses, in the dirty wool before me. Focus more on the individual steps and don't rush to the goal. You will save yourself time in the end because going too fast can mean having to redo some steps and/or ending up with something you aren't as pleased with as you thought you would be.

A Brother's Wooly Wisdom Comes Free. Or, less wierdly: Wisdom, Free samples, Wool, and Art)

2010-10-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

So, as my brother told me (to paraphrase, cause he wasn't as eloquent :-P), "If you are going to be passionate about a cause AND share that passion to the general public, be prepared for some people to criticize." In other words, some people will agree with your cause, other's will not really give it much thought, and some will downright disagree with your cause. The latter may just want to discuss that with you. But enough of that.

In other news, I have received some very useful samples recently. Ryan leaves earlier than I do in the morning when it is still dark. He will get some use out of the UFO lighted key chain. Well, and it is just so darn cool. He says the place we got the sample from has a good reputation for making lights (lamps, headlights, flashlights, etc.).

The Whisk samples are the same brand, but different types. Will be interesting to see if one obviously works better in my new h.e. washer than the other. The Wisk sample from Wal-Mart included a coupon for $1.00 off. while the Costco one didn't. Not that I mind, just an observation. The playtex will, of course be useful as will the vaseline lotion. It will be nice to not have to buy a lotion before I try it. Sometimes, when I try something new in hopes it will work for my skin better than something I already have, I end up throwing it away because it makes my skin itchy or rashy.

The other piece of paper (which is illegible; I have to stop using the camera phone to take pictures) is an apology that the toilet paper roll dispenser extender will be late and a coupon for $ off for my troubles. Wow, a sample is nice enough, but to receive a notice that it is late but will be here and a coupon is great customer service.

I was washing wool today. My back is tired from bending over the tub all evening so I am putting off scouring the tub until tomorrow and warned Ryan not to use it until I do. I will use an antibacterial cleanser so as not to risk leaving anything behind. The wool was fairly clean but did have some obvious filth and vegetable matter around the edges. I trimmed off the obvious and washed the rest. It is now on my sweater dryer rack hanging in the tub from a pole to drip dry.

The bottom rack of the dryer above is waiting for the next batch of wool which is just below the view of the camera. The rack is now full but I didn't want to take another picture. The brown wool is from a Romney sheep. Below is a picture of some of a super fine, extra crimpy wool filled with lanolin (sticky!) that I had to rewash. There was a lot of lanolin and it got sticky even after it had been washed a while back. I rewashed it and combed it out and it is much easier to work with. I will have to ask my friend Trudi what type of sheep it came from. I just can't remember. Anyway, it is drying atop the pellet stove:

I am so thankful to have access to free wool often enough that I never have to buy any as long as I am willing to wash and card it myself.

Tomorrow I need to finish the dog leash I was knitting and begin another hat. I just need to attach the hook and then I will take a picture of it.

I have put a few more items up for sale on Etsy. I also uploaded some beautiful photos onto my deviantART page that I took down at Shore Acres past Charleson. A few others that were interesting but either a little blurry, dull or otherwise flawed I put up on my Facebook page to view.

Am feeling a bit too wordy tonight. This is a rambling long post.

Friday!!

2010-10-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here! Tonight I am just sitting in front of the Pellet stove with my feet towards the fire blogging and knitting. Tomorrow I volunteer at our textile guild's store from 1-4 and then we are having company over at 5:30 for dinner and movie. I enjoy Phil and Sabrina. Sabrina and I are both into Sampling big-time. In fact, I think it safe to say that she gave me my addiction :-P.

I added another item to my Etsy store for a grand total of two. Again, I should finish this weekend. I added the banner I created for my Etsy store to my deviantART page as I liked how well it turned out:

I still have things to update there but I hope to get that done this weekend too. I hope I am as ambitious in doing all this as I am in writing about it. I am thinking about adding Alchemy requests (requests for custom orders) for hats (to begin with) to my Etsy store. I will have to think about how to word it and work it though. I don't want to end up with 3 requests all due in one week, for instance.

I received some useful samples today:

The Aleve and Tampax are for obvious reasons, the Head and Shoulders for Ryan, and I wanted to taste the Just Like Sugar to see if it lives up to its name. If so we might switch to using it in our coffee and tea.

I am so thankful to Sabrina for getting me into sampling. It has already proved useful in helping me to try out products. As a result I have, for instance, changed my brand of K Cups and discovered that the SalonPas Pain Patches didn't work for Ryan's pain BEFORE I spent money on it instead of after.

Well, time to finish the leash I am knitting and then do a load of laundry. It isn't the washing I mind, it is the folding :-(. I don't even mind the putting away part.

New Etsy store and general news

2010-10-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

I have started my Etsy store. I am so excited! I have only one item up just now but will expand on that tomorrow. I have made several other items and taken the pictures, I just need to add everything online. My new store can be viewed here: Danielle's Etsy Store.

I was so excited today to receive a wonderful sample from Green Mountain Coffee. I had signed up for a sample of some their Fair Trade varieties in K Cup form for my Keurig. I was expecting a cup and perhaps a coupon. I received 4 K Cups (people who opted for loose ground got a whole bag not just one pot) in two different flavors and a travel mug. Talk about customer service. It all came within 2 weeks of my request!

I finished another hat today. I am going to be doing a lot of them. I want to put a few in my local textile guild's store, list a few on my Etsy store, and donate a few to the charities our guild is supporting this holiday season. This is in addition to the fact that I am making one for almost everyone on my Christmas list! I will not let it become a chore instead of a pleasure though. Whenever I get a bit tired of knitting or crocheting hats I will either work on another needlecraft project, switch to my current sewing project, enjoy my favorite online game for a while, etc . . .

Ryan and I are having our friends Phil and Sabrina over for dinner Saturday night. I haven't come up with a specific menu yet. If the weather is nice we are going to grill chicken breasts outside. Other than that, or an idea for the marinade, I haven't explored yet.

Tomorrow's goals are: List at least two more of my crafts on Etsy. Add at least one more of my poems or other art works to my deviantArt page. Do one load of laundry, including folding :-( . Remember not to get frustrated if things take longer than I expect to accomplish!

Busy, busy day!

2010-10-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

First of all, samples I received Thursday and Friday (today I received a coupon for a free box of Cottonelle Fresh Wipes but I wasn't going to photo one item).

Edit: I created this post on October 9th. But I seem to have never finished or edited it. Am not sure what happened to the images I was going to post. I think they got merged into October 19th post. I decided to publish this post as reference despite the fact that the actual post is one sentence long :-P. I wish it would show up under the creation date (which my dashboard says is 10-9, but it is apparently going to show up under the published date, today 10-19).

Sleepless in Oregon and News on Updates and Etsy Store

2010-10-19T01:39:00.000-07:00

I battle with sleep all the time. I can't get it when I need it and occasionally get it when I shouldn't. I have had this problem for much of my teenage and adult life. I am told "You take after your Mother." As much as I love her, that is one trait I could have done without.

In other news I almost have my deviantART account updated completely. Just a few more additions. I also almost have my etsy store up and running. I am going to sell some of my home-made crafts. Knit, Crochet or sewn. Some are made of my homespun/dyed yarn. Some are from storebought materials. Ryan gave me some tips on how to get the best photos and took a few to get me started. My first batch to go up will include a couple of hats, some homespun/dyed yarn, a small keepsake pouch, and a crochet grocery bag. I will see how slowly things start (I don't expect to get many hits at first, there are so many wonderful sellers out there) and decide how quickly or slowly to add new items.

I am not looking to make major money, though that would be a nice surprise. I am just hoping to make enough to support my crafting addiction :-P. I do hope, though, to can at least a small client base over time. Perhaps with holiday items. Maybe interest people in coming back each holiday season to see what I have up next.

Anyway, "High hopes" and all that, but not unobtainable.

As a P.S. here are my latest samples by mail:

As always, I try only to get those things that will be useful to me. It is hard when you see how much there is out there. The temptation is to get greedy. I try to remember that these people are offering samples to get you interested in their product/service. If you only sign up for an offer/sample because it is free and you will never use their product/service you have denied a chance for a true potential customer to get information and/or samples.

I almost lied and said I was a smoker to get a free lighter last week because I thought it might be useful when we go out to the beach, camp, or such. Then my sense of guilt kicked in (it does come in handy) and I clicked off the page before I entered my data. I do not smoke, I will never smoke and I hate smoking. I will never use the lighter for the purpose they intended.

Ryan was teasing that I would start to become rabid about getting things for free and go nuts signing up for anything and everything. He has been happy with the freebies I have gotten so far though and the jokes, though always good-natured, come not as often.

Gearing Up for Christmas - Yup, you heard me!!

2010-10-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

(click picture to enlarge)

So I mentioned in my last post that I had started my Christmas crafting rush. Well, now I am full steam ahead. Though I didn't get to the apples Wednesday, so some of tomorrow will be used for that. That will be the last of the canning.

Anyway, I finished another hat last night. It and my other current and holiday projects can be seen above (poor quality, will change it out later). I know a couple of babies whom I will make socks for. I generally make a new pattern out on yarn other than what I want to use for the intended recipient first. This way I make sure there are no mistakes with the pattern and can check my gauge. All my "mockups" this year are going to charity through our local textile group, Headles and Treadles.

I haven't even begun making my Christmas Cards yet. This is the first thought I have given to them. Last year I just went the easy route and used store-bought. I may do that again this year if things start getting too crazy (don't want to burn out on Christmas, it is supposed to be fun) but I would like to make them!

In other news I found a sweater knitting machine at the local Good Will that was in NEW condition. Never opened. I got it for $30.00! I love knitting and crochet but generally don't have the time or patience for really big projects. This thing cuts the working time tremendously. I am already 1/3 of the way through a sweater in 2 days! I have an old one I started a couple of years ago that I still only have about 1/4 done.

I have started looking for freebies and samples online. My friend Sabrina got me started. I have found it is a great way to try out something before I buy it. It also helps the pocketbook a bit and provides entertainment. I had to promise myself not to go hog wild though and get something just for the sake of getting it free. Only things I think I, or someone close to me, can use.

My favorite three sites to check for are Freebies 4 Mom, I Love Free Things, and Totally Free Stuff. They post some of the same things but each catches something once in a while that the other miss. Other sites I have found seem to be not updated as fast or be as comprehensive. Freebies 4 Mom also links to sites that track other offfers and sweepstakes. Anyway, above is my first "Inbox" of freebies that I received in the mail this week (A pain relief patch for Ryan to try, a coupon for free cat food for Hansa and a sample and coupon of free dog food for Rat-Deer).

I am also going to be updating my deviantArt account soon and link it to here. Makes sense to link the two. I will add some more pictures of the projects I have been working on here and on dA as well as some poetry to dA.

Canning and Preserving 2010 Edition

2010-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

She's Back - After a long Haitus!

This year was not as big of a garden year for me. Hardly anyone had any luck with tomatoes this year due to the unusually wet and cool summer. I did however can a couple of quarts of tomato sauce. In addition to that I canned 64 half-pints of tuna (with Ryan's dad so we each got half) and 7 half-pints of plum preserves. I also dried about 2 lbs of carrots and froze several lbs of blackberries.

Wednesday I am getting apples from Grandpa Button and, depending on how many I get I will can apple pie filling and perhaps apple sauce. That will probably be it for this year for the most part. Due to the fall rains starting early the blackberries didn't do much this year either or I would have a bunch more to process.

I have finally become a member of the Facebook Population. I was dragged kicking and screaming into it, I swear! I am so nontechnical but when your own Dad keeps asking you to join, what can you do. Can't let the old man show me up :-P.

My friend Sabrina got me hooked on some of these new freebie sites like Freebies4Moms. That is how I started finding samples (I try not to go crazy and get everything just because, only things that I will use) and coupons and found the offer below. As Ryan and I have recently started a weightloss program, it would be neat to win. I am sure there are going to be millions of people entering though so I won't hold my breath.

Since I last posted here I have started spinning and crocheting. This is in addition to knitting, sewing, making jewelry, etc. I could say I really didn't need another hobby but I won't because I love it so much. And making something from yarn you spun yourself? Awesome. My neighbor and friend Trudie has been such a blessing. She has given me so much wool fiber to spin. It may take months to go through it all. I won't have to worry about getting my own for a while. I thank her in home canned goods and knitting and crochet patterns I get online (she doesn't internet surf).

Almost everyone, for Christmas this year, is getting a hand-knit or chochet hat from my very own fingers :-). Some will also be from my handspun yarn. For those not receiving hats I am making socks or bags. I am also sewing coupon organizers for a few people I know who, like me, love to use coupons. So far I have made 4 Christmas hats and 1 coupon organizer. My Christmas giving list is long so I have a ways to go yet.

More later!

Chance at a Wii Fit Biggest Loser Kit

2010-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Because I would love to win this wii fit kit and help Ryan and I lose more weight on our goals I am blogging about it here. Have been trying to restart this blog anyway. I am shameless but it seems really helpful. I am sure you all know the TV show "The Biggest Loser". Well, this is to help all of us become "Big Losers" (in a good way, lol) too.

Here is the Biggest Loser Page link: http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/?v=nbc_the-biggest-loser

And here is more info on the contest: http://www.jleighdesignz.com/2010/09/biggest-loser-nintendo-wii-fitness-kit.html

Check them out if you want to see more about it.

Upon leaving this life

2008-11-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

The funeral for Ryan's grandmother was this past Thursday. She was 93 years old. As we sat there in the Mausoleum listening to the service I happened to glance upon the some of the dates on the wall. There before me was chronicled the birth and death of a young boy. He'd only been 7 when he'd left his family to join the eternal dwellers interred in the cold, silent building.

Somehow 93 didn't seem so bad. A full circle, instead of one just begun. I thought of how much had been accomplished in 93 years and of how much was left unrealized in only 7. A world of experience, of love and sorrow, of pleasure and pain, lie between the numbers of 7 and 93.

We will miss Marjorie. She leaves behind a grieving husband and 5 generations of family. She was the mother of 10; patient and kind, Stubborn and adventurous. She is returned now to One who knew her before she'd begun. 93 years of life wasn't just quite enough for some of us. How much less was it for 7, just begun?

Old Friends

2008-11-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend's Grandmother passed away a couple days ago. She was 93 years old and had 10 children. She was gentle and kind and knew how to laugh. We will miss her. She leaves behind a husband and numerous relatives. It has been amazing to see the family all rally around and support Grandpa. Even with a large family it has been hard to make sure that he is never alone; except when he wants to be. Still, I see the loneliness in his eyes as much as the sadness.

We brought an old friend over to see him today; my Grampy. They have known each other, so they worked out between themselves, since 1950 when they met on the job at a place called "Evans". My family and his family have been friends ever since. It was, in turns, poignant, funny, a bit coarse, but always interesting to listen as they talked about a way of life and a town that has changed tremendously.

Then I thought of the fact that these two barely see each other because one hardly drives at all anymore and the other is afraid of the busy traffic out in front of the house and doesn't drive at night. Ryan and I decided to stop visiting them separately so much. Instead, we'll make an effort to bring my Grampy (who is the elder at 90, but more mobile) over more often to visit when we go. It would be a shame to let a friendship that is almost 60 years old falter for the distance of a few miles.

On another note: I lied. I apparently wasn't yet done with canning and preserving food. My boyfriend's sister sent me 4 1/2 lbs of tomatoes. The last hold outs from her tremendously successful garden. Yesterday I happily snacked on one while I prepared the rest and canned them. Add 2 more quarts of Stewed Tomatoes to my total. Ryan's Grandpa also gave me some of the last apples from his trees. I gave a plastic grocery sack full to my sister and kept the rest. Tomorrow I will can the apples into more apple sauce (as Ryan said it was delicious).

Then there is the pumpkin I bought. I'm not much into jack-o-lanterns. They are messy and often end up being the victim of Halloween pranksters. Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays anyway. If I had children I might feel differently, but there is my opinion for you. Instead I placed it in the window for decoration "as is". Because I didn't carve it, it is in perfect shape for preserving. I am going to peel, steam, mash and then puree it and pack it into freezer containers for use in Thanksgiving and Christmas pies! That will, hopefully, get done tomorrow with the apples.

Incidentally, it is no longer recommended for home canners to can their own pumpkin puree. Anything that is very thick is hard to process successfully and is a risk for botulism, or so the online websites say. The only "recommended" way to can pumpkin is cut into cubes and hot-packed. I think pureeing and freezing it will be easier.

Christmas cards are almost done. I ran into a snag when I ran out of glue stick and needed one more color of tissue paper (I underestimated the number of cards I needed and had to make more). 2$ at the dollar store remedied that and I want to finish them within the next few days.

Nothing much has happened with the job hunting. I sometimes wonder if prospective employers look at my application, see that I was off of work over a year "due to illness" (I hate that you are asked to "explain any absences from employment" on applications), and wonder if I will get sick again and have to quit. I think it makes them hesitant to consider me for employment. I will continue to search, apply, and pray.

Holiday Crafts and Thinking Ahead

2008-10-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's that time of year again. Time to start craft projects for Christmas. This includes gifts and cards.

OK, you've got me: I already started! But, now, I am truly motivated to finishing. I am not one to be frantically trying to mail out cards a week before Christmas, nor to be running around stores on the 24th still looking for gifts. 'Tis the season to celebrate, reflect, and worship, not run around as if mad, stressed out, and over-caffeinated.

Here are the images I created for my Christmas cards. Not bad for someone who never created a piece of pixel art before a few months ago. I am still not completely pleased with the sky behind the angel. The style doesn't quite fit into the rest of the images. The other's have distinct lines and/or patterns while that one is rather chaotic. If I have time I will change it, otherwise I am pleased with my overall effort.

The card idea came from my recent foray into creating digital and pixel art. For this project, I designed and created the 4 simple 100x100 pixel art images (small, I know, but my mediocre talent isn't up to creating a masterpiece) and glued them to a border a cm larger and cut-out with beveled scissors. Then I glued that onto notecard sized cardstock covered in colored tissue paper. Inside I will pen some of my favorite applicable bible verses and holiday sentiments. I played with the idea of incorporating ribbon, but I am not convinced yet. I don't want to overpower the small images with too much around them.

The images can also be seen on my deviantART page. I will probably take a picture of the actual cards themselves, along with their coordinating envelopes, and post it there as well.

I am also working on a few crafts for gifts. I have a bead loom project in the works as well as a few jewelry pieces. The bead loom piece, featuring candy canes, is approximately 3x5 and will be sewn onto a backing for a wall-hanging. I played with making it into a decorative pillow but, to be honest, finances prevent me from buying the stuffing and trim needed to finish it in that manner. I am confident, however that the wall-hanging will look just as nice and be as appreciated. We can't always do what we like, but that doesn't mean we don't have to like what we do. In other words, I am happy with what I can do with the piece, and it isn't a bad compromise.

The canning and preserving is officially finished. I am confident no more mushrooms, produce, etc. will be entering my kitchen in any quantity sufficient enough to preserve. I did help my sister this past week with a batch of green tomato salsa. A lot of fun, it was neat to sit in my sister's kitchen and cook together. I took one of the jars home for Ryan and I. It looks to be rather hotter than we were expecting but, if necessary, I can tone it down with added fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce when I open it.

Getting this done is what has allowed me to start thinking ahead toward the holidays. This doesn't just include the various craft projects and decorating. It also includes one of my favorite holiday tasks: Baking! Pies, cookies, breads and other delicacies are starting to fill my thoughts. By necessity, there won't be as much of a variety this year. Because of my canning efforts, however, there will be plenty of what I do bake!

Along with the baked goods will come all the cooking. I don't usually do the main dish, as we eat with Ryan's family, but I have brought a secondary main and side dishes along with my baked goods. It works out well for all of us. I generally stick with a bread, roll or biscuit, a potato or noodle dish, and/or a vegetable dish and a dessert or two.

Oh, my head is spinning and I'm starting to ramble. I will have to go and start writing my lists of what to start and when!

Feeling Old

2008-10-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Feeling old isn't necessarily an age thing. Sometimes I feel very young. Yesterday I felt old. I think it had something to do with the fact that it was my niece Dante's birthday. 14. 14!!! The most beautiful baby I ever held, is now far from a baby. Then I realized her brother Paxson is 17. Yup, 17!! I held him in my arms when he was only weeks old and now he's driving. In another year, their brother Will will join them and soon, so will my niece.

I didn't feel like I had 17 and 16 year old nephews and 14 year old niece. I liked the age of the youngest, Max, better. He's 3. I felt like the Aunt of a 3 year old. It was just "one of those days". I rarely get them, but yesterday I did.

Then today, I returned to visit. And, surrounded by most of the kids, (Paxson wasn't around but Will, Richard, Dante, and Max were) it felt right again to be the Auntie of them all. It wasn't so horrifying anymore that if they were getting older, than so was I. It's so neat to see how they're all growing in stature and mind.

Note: The birthday picture above I created for a birthday card I made my niece. I have to admit to creating it quickly because I was feeling impatient with myself that day. I already have ideas to improve upon it and repost to my deviantART account.

Relief and Worries

2008-10-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a relief to finish with all the canning and most of the preservation. I enjoyed it and there was a certain sense of pride involved in the making as well as being happy to be able to provide produce for our table over the winter when it tends to be more expensive. It took up a lot of time and energy though, so I am glad to be done for the season, except for a small batch of mushrooms to dehydrate here and there.

I wanted to take a picture of the pantry now that I am through because it is an interesting mix of store-bought and home-canned food. The problem is that the pantry is in the front room, the only place we had space for it, and the door is slightly blocked by the computer desk. It won't open all the way so lighting and placement of the camera is awkward at best. Oh well.

Total accumulation of preserved foods (not counting items given away as gifts or already eaten): 5 quarts Pears in Lite Syrup, 6 half-pint and 1 pint Ginger Pear Preserves, 4 pints Apple Butter, 3 half-pints of Plums in Lite Syrup, 14 pints and 1 quart of Cinnamon Red Hot Apple Wedges, 21 half-pints and 8 pints of Blackberry Preserves, 5 half-pints of Blackberry Dessert Sauce, 7 quarts of Stewed Tomatoes, 7 quarts of Apple Pie Filling, 5 quarts of Apple Sauce, 10 quarts of Blackberries for Baking, 2 half-pints of Green Beans, and 1 pint of Dilly Beans. The Green Beans and Dilly Beans were a gift from my sister for helping her out with her canning.

As well as the canned items there are still two batches of Pear Fruit Leather and a gallon bag of cinnamon apple wedges that I dehydrated. In addition I have a small jar of dried green beans and also some dehydrated mushrooms that Ryan's dad went out into the woods and picked for us. We would have had more fruit leather and apple wedges but hey, they were very good. Edit: Plus a small jar of dehydrated zucchini to use in casseroles. The zucchini came from Ryan's sister.

I am worried that I have not found a job yet and that Ryan is still laid-off from work himself. It makes money tight. In the end, God provides, I know. But I am human, and can't seem to stop worrying. I have 4 applications around town at various places. Surely something will come of them. I continue to check the Employment Office and the Help Wanted section of the local newspaper. Ryan does the same, not trusting that his old job will be available again soon. We should be OK, but I dislike having to scrimp, especially around the holidays.

We tend to be frugal people anyway, but it is hard. Thank God for our small garden, and the gardens and orchards of friends and family! Without them the bounty of preserved food wouldn't have come into being.

All in all, we are blessed. We have a roof over our heads, food for our table, clothes for our bodies, family, and each other. I will stop complaining! Enough for today. I think I will go and pick the last of the green tomatoes off the remaining plant in the garden. I don't think the weather is going to cooperate long enough to finish ripening the rest. Maybe I can bread and fry them or make green tomato preserves (to keep in the refrigerator, not can *grin*).

Introduction: Oh No! Not another "Beginning"

2008-10-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have stretched myself so thin over the internet, trying to find a good place to write. I tried so many places but, for one reason or another, I didn't find a good comfortable fit.

I have uploaded my art to a deviantART account. It has a journal spot, but I tend to write generally as it pertains to the pieces I have submitted. My art tends to keep my attention when I am visiting that site and it just doesn't seem the place to focus on other things.

In regards to my art, I will post some of my efforts here and there in this journal as well as talk about it. It is one of the things I enjoy. I am not great, I will not set the world on fire, but it is soothing, entertaining, and just plain fun. At times it can also be cathartic.

The small piece to the right is a sampling of a larger piece I have published on my deviantART page. (My deviantART ID is Oceanbird).

I am a member of a forum for a popular MMORPG I play. It has a blog spot as well, but I tend only to focus on things to do with the game when I visit the site. Not really the place I feel like going for writing about the everyday.

I created a webpage back when I was wanting to teach myself how to do such things. It had a blog built in, so I used it. However, I had soon learned how to do everything I could with the free, simple template offered by my web service provider. I abandoned the site when I could learn no more, and its blog lies abandoned.

So, (with clinking of glasses together) here is a toast to yet another beginning. May it be a place to write about all aspects of my life as the muse visits me.