WhatnotGems Blog

Selling on Line

2013-07-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

Selling a wide variety of items, most one of a kind, on the internet variety takes time.
Enhanced with colors.
Researching to verify the information is correct. Some Gems collected have no dates, brands, or other marks and my knowledge is just the beginning.
Photography. Being a novice photographer I have learned a lot over the last 2 years. But there is always room for improvement. Taking a marketable image is not always easy.
Editing the photos. 99% of the editing is done on the backgrounds. Very little to the item itself and the usually then only the color adjustment. I want all flaws to show.
Writing the listings. Each item gets different information in the listing. Title, manufacturer, Publisher, Author, Illustrator, MPN, ISBN, UPC, Color, Size, height, length, width, texture, material, description to name a few.
Double checking the condition. This a chance to get a listing correct. I try to list all flaws.
Storing neatly and recording location. Not all items need the locations stored. Selling books entailed over 10,000 titles. With the drop in the book market, Donations have reduced the number. A relocation reshuffled many more titles. A shelf coding helps immensely, as inventory changes and shifts this coding is invaluable.
Determining the price. Although some research has been done, as to price, the numbers a second time. I want to price items fairly.
Now it is time to activate the listing. How does it look? Any errors. Yes I make them. and I correct them when I find them. Hopefully, I do not miss to many.
The hard part, wait to see if an order comes in. I have had items sell the day I list them and other sell a year later.

Shipping, this is the tricky part I usually use the USPS, Books ship media mail, other Items shipping is determined by weight and speed. One Store front has a USPS calculated shipping method the other, strictly a flat rate. Changes in postal rates mean a change in the shipping rate. Invisible cost must be considered. How much does the packaging cost? Bubble wrap tissue paper, shrink wrap, the boxes, envelopes and the shipping tape. Printer ink and labels. Time allowing, I turn used boxes into shipping containers. Recycling is great to a point. As a caregiver I am finding less time to make the boxes. My time is getting more precious.

Look at My Display Tent!

2012-11-05T08:55:00.003-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted here. Season has begun in Southwest Florida and I am raring to go.

This last Saturday, I began by setting up my display tent at the Promenade in Bonita Springs where I will set up every Saturday Morning until April!

The day began at 3 am. Preparation the day before, included loading the car and managing to squeeze in 5 large boxes of Children’s Books. Preparing the day before allows me to sleep in.

Friday included an 8pm phone call from our real-estate agent; the house was going to be shown at 1pm on Saturday! Ah preparing for an event always leaves bits and pieces lying around. (Displays not being used, signs cardboard little things.

Thank heavens the car was loaded, I finished cleaning the house to show before leaving at 5 am. Arriving at my assigned location at 5:30 began setting up my display in the dark. By 7 am I was ready. My new earring display board is working out very well. I want to do more to display necklaces and sets!

Now the morning always begins watching the shoppers racing each other to be the first inline for the fresh fish stall. One of these days I will manage to get some fish this week he was sold out by 10am! The flowers and vegetables are always wonderful! My first sale of the day was a mini book. I love selling these are they make great card replacements. What a beautiful morning with many smiling people. I did catch a few without smiles, but they were smiling as passed my booth. One couple, I told them I love to see the romance, they came back they were holding hands to keep form falling over. What a great laugh. Another couple, I just said “Hi Smiley” and they began to smile. A beautiful morning is complete with a smile.

I had several little girls trying on necklaces, I had told them before, they began I sold Adult jewelry, but they could try on one necklace each to see what they thought. They left with instructions to show me something they made next time they come.

You may ask why I do not sell to children, it is simple, young children tend to put jewelry into their mouth. I just do not feel comfortable with them potentially swallowing a piece of jewelry.

I also showed them the mini books I had with me! Two of the children really wanted the they are saving their allowance to come back next week.

A slow day as season begins, a few looking for gift ideas, I handed cards out and several told me they would be back.

At noon, I began to dismantle! 4 tables boxes of jewelry bookshelves, and the grab bag box all where gathered together and place into the car in 45 minutes along with the canopy and sides, the fastest I have ever managed to break down. Off to the next event, which began at 3pm in Fort Myers.

Eating a small snack in the car the temperature had risen, by 1:30 I began to set up. The canopy first, it is warm I left the sides off, and the set up began, many of the vendors expected the event to be indoors. They did not even have umbrellas. Here, I unloaded the boxes of books for donation, I had left in the car. Off to the side they waited until I could get them moved into the school. By 3pm, I was exhausted but set up they way I wanted. I need to paint the back of my display boards!

In the car, I keep two golf umbrellas, these I shared vendors. I wish I had had more.

The bounce house was busy; the school activities in progress and the shoppers did not show. I had planned on donating 10% of my sales after I sold $50.00. I did not meet my minimum. I sold 1 pair of earrings.

The event ended at 6pm and I began the break down, finally catching someone who could take the books indoors. Finishing at 7pm, I ran home unloaded the car and collapsed.

NEXT TIME ONLY ONE EVENT IN A DAY!

Books on Sale

2012-08-22T11:04:00.005-04:00

New Copies of Books

Suffering from a book overload, with many older titles, and boxes of books yet to be listed for sale.

This week will begin a purge, With the kindle's entry onto the market, print book sales have dropped.

While some titles will remain for sale, others may be repurposed, donated, and perhaps tossed.

Now, this is a time consuming process.

What will determine be the outcome?

The Writing Beatle by John Lennon

Price - Postage and packaging prices are rising, while using recycled packaging whenever possible (turning cereal boxes into shipping boxes) this is not always possible.
Number of Copies for sale - Very popular, these you will find hundreds of copies for sale, does it pay to store them waiting for a buyer?
Condition - Paperbacks from the 60's and 70's can be fragile, are they still in the condition they have been listed in?
Emotion - A tough call, some books just have an emotional feel, inscriptions, nostalgia.
Status - Already listed for sale or processing, more of the unlisted will go without listing.
Space - with every nook and cranny in the stockroom full, the inventory has been creeping into unused spaces inside our home.

P. Buckley Moss: Painting the Joy of the Soul & Singing The Joy Of The Soul, Off Set Lithograph 1997

Shop while you can. Ordering more than one? Combined shipping can be arranged.

800 square feet of BLISS

2012-06-02T22:44:00.001-04:00

I stumbled across a new blog today, Rustic Living. Stopping to read an entry 100 square feet of BLISS.'

A memory triggered, of our move to a new town. My parents moved us in during Christmas vacation. My youngest sister was just a few days old, making a total of 7 people living in a house 796 square feet. A little larger than the 100 square foot this single gentleman lived in.

Village "School House" Wall Plaque

The home was built in 1900 and everyone referred to it as the Ford House. With thick hard plaster walls and a steep pitched roof. We kids slept on the second floor, the girls walking through the boys’ room. Now, I know they are counting the square footage from wall to wall, but the roofline met the floor. When I stood, at five foot, I cleared the single bare light bulb by an inch my brothers soon began to hit the bulbs as they grew.

What most people would use as a dining room, my parents used as their bedroom. With my youngest sister placed in an old drawer tucked into the corner. The second floor being to cold for an infant.

The bathroom jutted off the rear of the home, and old porch conversion. With freezing pipes and drafty floors, winter bath times were quick. One quirky thing about the home, there was a second sink by the rear door. When we sat at the table, whoever had a seat near the door had to be careful to not hit the sink with their elbows?

The living room had the only source of heat in the house, an old oil burner. Tucked into the corner too up most of the free space. With the front door, one to the kitchen and one to my parent’s room, each on a different wall, and a door to the “basement” a crawl space for storing can goods. Made setting up the furniture difficult, a single sofa and chair. I know there had to be a TV, but I cannot recall it clearly. The days before cable I think we managed to receive 2 stations clearly and a third depending on the weather.

More later...

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Writing in my dreams

2012-06-02T08:40:00.000-04:00

How I Write by Janet Evanovich

Maybe You Should Write a Book

As I lay my head at night

a story seems to come to light

ah just what to write you see

in the morning it cannot be

the words have gone

the story done

disappeared with the morn.

Traveling Shoes

2012-05-26T19:31:00.001-04:00

Vintage BALLY Adorna

will they also be brave enough to travel?

Have your shoes ever taken a trip without you?

These shoes are made for traveling,

and that's just what they do

One of these days these shoes,

are going to stop and visit you.

Well, I had a pair of shoes decide to travel the country, without the new owner.

I had two orders to ship with severe gallbladder pains hampering my vision. Printing the mailing labels, I attached them to the shipping boxes. Dropped the boxes at the post office on my way to the hospital.

RoseFeather Lifelike Handmade

Ruby Red Feather Roses

One box contained a dozen feather roses being shipped to a wonderful woman in Washington State, from her son for Mother Day. The other contained a pair of shoes on their way to Texas. Imagine my surprise when the shoes decided to arrive in Washington State.

I promptly sent a new shipping label to the understanding recipient in Washington state.

Off for testing to see if I needed surgery.

Emails flying, Doctor's visits, and the prognosis, luckily, the shoes arrived before my scheduled surgery.

The grand tour courtesy of USPS Priority Mail and two shipping labels.

FORT MYERS FL 5/5/12 10:40am

OAK HARBOR WA 05/19/12 2:59pm

KENT WA 05/19/12 11:15pm

COPPELL TX 05/20/12 10:55pm

TAMPA FL 05/22/12 9:53pm

FORT MYERS FL 05/24/12 4:51am

COPPELL TX 05/26/12 1:24am

MCKINNEY TX 05/26/12 1:24pm

These shoes should bring the new very understanding own many adventures, as they are not afraid to travel.

Stay Alive... Just Drive

2012-05-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

SAFE DRIVING IS NOT EXPENSIVE, IT'S PRICELESS!

"Since the introduction of the automobile, distractions have always been a major factor in the safe operation of a vehicle. Distracted driving puts other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians in the bull’s-eye. Given the number of distractions in these days of electronic technology, along with eating, grooming and dealing with small children, society needs to accept the fact that distracted driving has become a public health threat."

Why I rented a spot at the local Stay Alive Just Drive Public Safety BBQ Cook-off held at Harley Davidson Fort Myers.

#1 it is a great organization.

#2 I wanted to work on my displays!

What my set up looked like when I began this season.

A borrowed blue canopy top left dark shadows.

Here are the results of my new booth set up!

I hung displays on the walls of my tent.

Reorganized all of my displays.

Now to improve the set up time. This took me just over 2 hours, after 3 weeks of preparation.

I really like the looks of my booth from the front.

Views as you walk towards my tent.

The concrete blocks on the tent footing are a must, as wind will move the tent. But I do not like the looks.

And Here I have a friend visiting me during the event.

A customer!

The white carpet does not stay white on blacktop.

Carpet squares would be much easier.

And adjustment to my signage is a must this one is hanging to low.

Earrings were raining down as the breeze hit the tent walls or people passed between the tents. Knocking the earrings off the display. I need to reinforce and place a buffer between the tent and the board.

I will be ready for next season. For now the temperature is getting to high and most of the shoppers have gone north.

Barbara Ellis, Artist Extrodinaire

2012-05-21T14:26:00.000-04:00

The Lions Club Farmers Market located at the Promenade At Bonita Bay, has been a wonderful place for me to set up my booth. The people I have met are friendly and smile easily.

Heart-Heart

Now I have made the acquaintance of a wonderful bead artist Barbara Ellis. She has an artist shop in the Promenade. Barbara was sitting outside her studio working on a new bead project, as I walked by.

I joined her at the table. To watch Barbara work, is to realize you are in the presence of a true artist. I hope someday, to be able to create as easily as she does.

Check out the information on her work at Bead-Patterns.com

The cuff bracelet.

2012-04-15T08:50:00.000-04:00

Handmade Wide Stretch Cuff Bracelet - Brass

As I was packing my jewelry show last week, I noticed this bracelet had been moved and did not get into the proper box, I slid it on my wrist and continued, carefully packing the baby hats.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived home to discover the bracelet still on my wrist! It was so comfortable I forgot I had it on. Now my inventory will be short a bracelet as I plan on keeping one of the Brass Wide Stretch Cuff Bracelet for myself.

Easter Bunnies Become Chocolate Bread Pudding

2012-04-09T10:53:00.001-04:00

If you are like me chocolate and Easter go hand in hand. And the day after Easter I rush to the stores to purchase the leftover Easter bunnies (other chocolate works as well). Now, the photo is not my pudding. It does not last long enough for a photo! But the bunny will also work in place of other chocolate in recipes.

Dessert Cooking Class Cookbook

Chocolate Bread Pudding
4 cups dried (stale is best) French Bread cubes (or I used croissants)
2 cups low fat chocolate milk (I used plain low fat milk and grated chocolate candy the old Easter bunny came in handy)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teas cinnamon
2 large egg whites
1 whole egg
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8"x8"x2" baking dish
1. In a large bowl place the bread cubes. Pour the chocolate milk over cubes; stir and mash until bread is well soaked. (Mixture will be very moist but not soupy. If needed, add more chocolate milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until bread is well, soaked.)

2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. In a medium size bowl, use a rotary beater to beat together the egg whites, egg, butter, and vanilla. Add the sugar mixture, then beat until combined. Add egg mixture to the bread mixture. Gently stir until combined. (Do not over beat the white or the pudding will be dry.)

3. Turn the mixture into the prepared dish. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until almost set in the center. Let stand on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve. Make 9 servings.

( you can freeze the left overs and reheat at a later date, that is if you have any left!

2012-03-14T12:44:00.000-04:00

I have not been posting regularly. I added selling locally to my list of activities. As much as I enjoy it it does take a large chunk of time in preparation.

Dinners have been hit and miss. This is a simple dish I make using cooked chicken. It is amazing how far a rotisserie chicken will go.

Chicken Enchilada

1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Salsa Verde "Tomatillo"

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese with Jalapeno Peppers
1/2 large onion, chopped

6 flour tortillas (6" diameter), warmed

Serve on the side

1c shredded Lettuce

1 small tomato, sliced

1/4 sliced avocado

1 green onion, sliced

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix Chicken, onion, cheese and 1/4 jar Pace® Salsa Verde "Tomatillo"

Divide chicken mixture among tortillas. Roll up tortillas and place seam-side town in 11 x 7 x 2" baking dish. Pour remaining Pace® Salsa Verde "Tomatillo" over filled tortillas. Cover baking dish.

Bake 40 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling.

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Happy Holiday

2011-12-09T07:38:00.001-05:00

Necklaces

This season take the time for

Family

Friends

Bracelets

Laughter

Love

and Celebration

Enjoy listening to

Rings

Sugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky on the Glass Harp and check out Some Holiday Gift Ideas

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah,

Trudy Connor

The story of 1975 Madison House Diesel Auto Horn

2011-11-27T14:30:00.000-05:00

1975 Madison House Diesel Auto Horn

I have an item up for sale, I know it will take a one in a million chance for it will to sell.

My husband likes to buy stuff. Well before we were married, he purchased this horn. He planned to install it in his pickup at the time. With one thing or another, he placed it on the shelf and forgot about it. Packed up by movers, from California to Florida it traveled. Imagine my surprise, when I was shredding a box of old papers only to find this in the bottom.

Never installed, only test once, when I took it to the repair shop to ask Jack, if it worked. Well, Jack & Al (Jack's business partner) hooked it up to a battery and it works fine. There is also a volume control luckily, which will prevent tickets.

With my husband driving a wheel chair these days, this horn needs a new truck for it to ever be installed.

Know anyone who might be interested?

I wonder how else it could be used?

2011-11-26T10:58:00.001-05:00

Lenox Mickey's Sledding Adventure

Perhaps this season

you will find

a friend

a lover

or just your mind

take the time to enjoy

a book

a letter

or just a smile

reaching out to everyone

by phone

and email

or just a Christmas card

the important part

to remember

You are you

and I am me

together we will be company

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

Season's Greetings

Happy Hanukkah

and many more

Donated to a good cause.

2011-11-06T11:06:00.001-05:00

Many of you are aware, I sell books on line. With the advent of the ebook readers. Paperback sales have dropped off.

I have a large inventory of paperbacks, some left over from my flea market booth last year. Most of these sell for 1¢ on line. Due to postal price increases it does not pay for me to list all of them anymore.

I did a major purge over the last month.

The St. Columbkille church thrift store, is a charity I enjoy making donations to. The church pays the rent on the store front, it is all volunteer and all proceeds go to help the needy. Items are also given outright to individuals in need. I took over 150 books. These they will sell for $2 and up.

Next, the local Library book sale. I am a member of the friends of the library. Once a year they have a large book sale. Being a volunteer, I know things sell better, when people can find them. Since my donation would be large volume, I took the time to prepare the boxes of books by sorting and alphabetizing.

First, I pulled 1600 of the Harlequin and Silhouette books, then I pulled 1900 regular paperbacks and finally 300 hardback books, a grand total of 3800 books.

I have more I want to remove from my inventory.

I took an additional 13 boxes of Harlequin and Silhouette's to Goodwill yesterday. I have made a good start on the reduction in my inventory. With the holidays coming, I will now go into marketing mode, as I hope I can increase my sales.

Crystal Rhinestone Stretch White Gold Plated Bracelets

Happy Holidays

Trudy

PS. Don't forget, I sell jewelry also. :D

Halloween Memories

2011-10-29T11:28:00.001-04:00

Halloween is fast approaching.

And childhood memories are encroaching...

A tiny old white brick house with narrow doors, sloping ceilings, steep stairs, and thick plaster walls. Outside an old well stood between the house and a dilapidated garage so old, the doors swung out scraping the ground as they opened. Once opened wide, they proved too narrow for a car to fit between.

Now it is a risky business to leave your vehicle outdoors, while ghost and goblins made their way around town. The previous year our car had proved to be to tempting for the tricksters roaming around. The next morning we discovered soaped windows, toilet paper, and old tin cans adorning the car.

The front porch, we prepared for the season. Yarn became spider webs, and old clothes a scarecrow. Other bits and pieces became our costumes, a mob of 5 left out the front door, toting our pillowcases to collect our treats. My brothers running off with their friends, while my younger sisters and I continued on trick or treating. As we approached the third house, we heard a scream. Eerie in the night, especially this night as it filled with screams.

Around the block we continued, cutting the corner short and though our yard a large ghost appeared from the narrow garage. Loudly screaming, we ran into the house. To find our mother laughing!

Trick or treat, our father tricked, the car windows remained clean, and he safely left for work at 5am the next morning.

I still smile, as I remember, the family tradition begun that evening. The old sheet was used many times and the laughter the next day was fun. Did you see them run!

Halloween items for sale!

A Week Away from home...

2011-10-26T18:39:00.001-04:00

I have been quiet the last little bit. I took a much deserved break from my everyday life to visit my daughter Deborah in Los Angeles.

While there, I took on a project. Shelving, with the help of her friend, Karl. We salvaged a wooden bookcase and turned it into over the toilet storage. We found the wooden book case on the curb, waiting for the salvage truck.

Of course, I had read several books on storage and cabinet making over the years.

The two bedroom apartment she lives in was built in 1954, and is under 600 square feet. It does have some character, with it's wooden paneling on some walls and exposed beam ceiling. The shortcomings: limited storage, no insulation or sound proofing. Deborah shares the apartment with 2 roommates and they all share the one bathroom. Most of the manufactured over the toilet storage measure 25" wide.

How did we do this? The books case measured 72"H x 36"W x 13.5"D and the ceiling is 7' 10". For safety the bottom portion needed to be shortened and altered. By cutting the curve and splitting a shelf I was able to create two narrow 5.5 inch shelves perfect for the extra rolls and storage jars.

The only tools we used a hammer, screwdriver drill, and jig saw.

Remove the shelves, toe kick, back and bottom shelf.
The attached middle shelf originally used for stabilization became our bottom large shelf.
Just below the stabilization is where to begin the curve. How did we obtain the curve? We made a trip to the kitchen, found a large bowl. Marking where we wanted the curve to start and end carefully placed the bowl on the dots and traced the curve. We continued the line down the back for the depth of the bottom unit. (1/2 the original depth) We also shortened it at this point. Our unit is now 60" tall.
Using a piece of paper make a pattern of the shelf adjustment holes, using a screw to punch holes in the paper. Align in the front of cabinet and carefully drill new shelf holes. A piece of tape is a good reminder for how deep to drill the holes.
Split one shelf in half, forming 2 bottom shelves.
Screw the new bottom shelf into place.
Dry fit back panel, carefully draw a pencil line, remove and shorten.
Replace and secure back panel.
Attach the old toe kick onto the top back of the unit to aide in hanging.
Paint, stain or leave finished as is. We did stain the unit.
Now to find studs, I use a hammer and thin nail to locate the studs.
Using the remains of the bookcase side I cut two pieces to attach to the wall. Securely screwing them into the stud and in two instances using mollies for added strength. I used 4 screws to support the unit.
Lifting the new shelving unit onto the wall cleat, we screwed it into place.
For added stability, screw into ceiling joist and into wall studs.
We probably added more screws than necessary, but the back panel was 1/8" thick, and bathroom safety a priority.

The cost, a few hours of labor, some 3" screws, and 1.25" screws and a quart of stain.

The girls then added baskets, to finish the unit.

Navy Fighters and the Santa Catalina Ferry

2011-10-01T08:51:00.001-04:00

In the 1950's, young Navy fighter pilots flew out of Miramar California.

Then and Now

Flying high and low, to and fro over land and water. Experiencing the thrill of going supersonic. Above and in the clouds, these young pilots flew formations and combat patterns. Often they would find themselves over Santa Catalina, a favorite place for them to go.

The local Radio broadcast, upon the Santa Catalina Ferry easily picked up in cockpits would play. The broadcaster would entice the young pilots to appear out of the sky. Down they would go to buzz the ferry, dropping out of supersonic as they came down low, over the waves for a little show. And often times a song would play "26 Miles Across The Sea."

As fast they came, they would leave, to the song on the radio.

Many of those young pilots became Air Line Pilots.

Photography Progression

2011-09-26T22:57:00.000-04:00

Sept 17, 2011 results of final G+ coaching, a photo I can use.

Photographing jewelry is a relatively new venture for me. Hiring a professional, would require a much larger inventory and a larger price tag.

I have always been a snap shot type of person. While my daughter is a photographer, although she lives on the other coast, to far away to snag into doing these photos. She has done some before.

Sept 1, 2011 I lost hair this day.

Not having a high end SLR camera, I have had to learn to make my Digital, to capture the images I needed. In the last few weeks, I have taken many many photos, lost a few handfuls of hair, ground my teeth, used a magnifying glass, and threatened to smash the camera against the wall.

Mid July, I Joined Google+.

I admired many of the photographs, I watched on the stream, and knew I needed help.

I gave myself until the end of September. I needed to get these earrings listed for sale. After several frustrating weeks, I finally developed the nerve, to ask for help via the Google+ stream. After all, I am no where near their level of expertise.

Sept 16, 2011 1st Google+ photo

What I had to work with:

light tent
lumix dmc-fh20
Two 3000K 45w Tungsten lamps
Tripod
Grey Boiled wool
Black Granite Tile
White Bathroom Tile

You will note with my daughter's urging, via the telephone, I switched to Macro photography, prior to posting to Google+.

But I needed to learn more, about adjusting the white balance.

Sept 17, 2011 2nd Google+ Photo

I began with the lights pointing directly at the earrings. This caused a harsh reflection. I changed the lighting method.

Next, the ISO was set to auto, this I first adjusted to 400, then with some urging, dropped to 100. I began using the timer on the camera for each photo, greatly decreasing the blurry images.

Another problem, reflections, I was wearing red shirt one day and a blue the next. A sheet hung over the light tent allowed me to the camera down low, and prevent reflections.

Finally I managed a usable photo! Perhaps if I ran the photo through Photoshop, I could eliminate the dust on the earrings, and once I get all the earring posted for sale, I need to take the time to learn Photoshop.

I received valuable help from Marcel Bankmann, Joe Gastrich, Justin Bond, Ursula Rodgers, David Kaiser, and many others.

To follow me on Google+ click the link.

Friendship

2011-09-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

Just spent a couple hours visiting good friends of ours, both of them in their late 80's. Near the end of the visit Jim asked me, if I knew anything about computers. Well I know the Mac.

Thank Heavens for Friends

They have a Dell.
First request was, if I would help them send photos of the kitchen to their children.

Then a trickier question arose, could I scan a proof sheet and send the photos to them. I explained the proof sheet would not scan well. It seems, when they attempted to work with the camera disk, it printed a proof sheet. I asked if he had erased the disk. He said he had it auto delete when he loaded the disk.

Off to the computer the three of us went. First he handed me the battery to load onto the computer. I explained I needed the disk. Next locating the slot, turned out to be on the printer. Crossing my fingers I placed the disk in the slot and up popped up the instructions. Following them I managed to load all 276 photos, including the ones on the proof sheet. I lucked out they now think I am really good.

Selected the photos hit the email button; ah something is not right, the address are not auto filling for the email.

Turns out they do not have an outlook express email account.

On to their Comcast account up load photos, and send.

Then they hand me another camera disk they had from Christmas 2002 another 280 photos. Needless to say they are now, as I type, sending photos to various family members.

And me I am still chuckling at the fact they had this second disk, and wanted to make sure they could send them also.

The real kicker, they had never emptied their recycling bin. It is now empty.

Me I am smiling. Glad I could help them.

A Challenge To Be Completed

2011-09-01T09:49:00.002-04:00

Care to join the Challenge?

This post will be a diversion from my normal posts.

At my last physical my Internist and I discussed my weight and other issues. He suggested I reduce my meat and fish intake He did recommend Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

This will be a drastic change to my diet, let alone my husbands.

Goals For September:

Remove meat form my diet 3 days a week.

Use Almond milk in place of non fat on my cereal.

Exercise 20 hours this month.

Lose 10 pounds this month.

I began this morning. After a day of preparation for a colonoscopy (which I rescheduled for Monday).

The day has just begun..

Breakfast

Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! Cereal

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Milk, Unsweetened Original

Coffee

Shall we see how I do?

Care to join the Challenge?

NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy Books

2011-08-20T20:33:00.001-04:00

Only those who read Science Fiction and Fantasy will appreciate this list. If you are new to Science Fiction and Fantasy these are always recommended.

Realms of Tolkien

A list of the top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels put together by NPR. Let to my curiosity as to how many of the books by the authors I have available. Resorting to my database and not my memory I listed the books available Some of these like Fahrenheit 451 I have sold several copies. Terry Goodkind and Diana Gabaldon, two of my favorite authors have made the list.

As you search the list below, do you spot any of your favorite authors?

1. The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Universe of Douglas Adams

3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game

4. The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert

5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series by George R.R. Martin

6. 1984 A Novel by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

8. The Foundation Triology by Isaac Asimov

9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

11. The Princess Bride S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale Of True Love And High Adventure by William Goldman

12. The Wheel Of Time Series by Robert Jordan

Crossroads of Twilight: The Wheel of Time #10 (will be posted by Tuesday)
The Fallon Blood

13. Animal Farm by George Orwell

14. Neuromancer by William Gibson

15. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

16. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

17. Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

18. The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

19. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

20. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

22. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

23. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King

The Gunslinger: Dark Tower #1

The Illegal Rebirth of Billy the Kid

24. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

25. The Stand by Stephen King

26. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

27. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

28. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

29. The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman

30. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

31. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

32. Watership Down by Richard Adams

Tales from Watership Down

33. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonsong: Harper Hall

34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

35. A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

36. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Island of Dr. Moreau

37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

Master of the World

38. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes

39. The War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells

40. The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny

Knight of Shadows

41. The Belgariad by David Eddings

42. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

43. Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

44. Ringworld by Larry Niven

The Smoke Ring
The Integral Trees

45. The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

46. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

47. The Once And Future King by T.H. White

48. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

49. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

50. Contact by Carl Sagan

Cosmos

51. The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

52. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

53. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

54. World War Z An Oral History Of The Zombie War by Max Brooks

55. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

56. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

57. Small Gods A Novel Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett

58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson

The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant #1

59. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

60. Going Postal A Novel Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett

61. The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

62. The Sword Of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind

63. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

64. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

65. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

66. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

67. The Sword Of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks

68. The Conan The Barbarian Series by Robert E. Howard and Mark Schultz

69. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

70. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

71. The Way Of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

72. Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne

Journey to the Center of the Earth

73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series by R. A. Salvatore

74. Old Man's War by John Scalzi

75. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

76. Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series by Jacqueline Carey

78. The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

80. Wicked The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West by Gregory Maguire

81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series by Steven Erikson

82. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

83. The Culture Series by Iain Banks

Walking on Glass

84. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

Thornyhold

85. Anathem by Neal Stephenson

86. The Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher

87. The Book Of The New Sun by Gene Wolfe

88. The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn

Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes: The Official Prequel Novelization

89. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross

90. The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock

91. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

92. Sunshine by Robin McKinley

The Blue Sword

93. A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge

94. The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov

95. The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson

Antarctica

96. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

97. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

New Hugo Winners: III

98. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

99. The Xanth Series by Piers Anthony

Harpy Thyme: Xanth #17

100. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe sold out
Voyage of the Dawn Treader

"Bug" BLOG HELP!!!

2011-08-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

I apologize for repeating and unwanted emails.

"Bug" HELP!!!

I have a glitch, but not sure where.
http://fh-whatnot.blogspot.com/
Free Subscription via Feedburner email subscription
About a week ago I received a email from my blog. for a post I did not write. I proceded to delete the post "Google Adsense India | Google Adwords India | Join Now | Call 999xxxxxxxx"

This morning I received an email containing my blog post dated 02 Jun 2011
I do not want to offend my subscribers. How do I find the "BUG"

Turned off email posting, seems to have stopped unsolicited posts.

Cannot find the source of the blog post reposting in email.

Genre Reading

2011-08-08T20:15:00.002-04:00

The other day I met a woman who has been diagnosed for the second time with cancer. This time she will not recover. She has always read nonfiction, mainly biographies and was looking for a book to read. Being the meddler I am, I suggested she try something different. I handed her One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. The next week she returned for more books by Janet Evanovich. She really enjoyed the humor. Laughing helped lift her spirits. I am sad to say I have not seen her since, and it has been a month, but I do think of her.

When you look for a book do you stick to one genre or do you read multiple genres?

I find myself reading Mysteries, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance, I also enjoy some non-fiction cookbooks of course, and strangely enough books about trains.

Selling used books gives me a wide variety to choose from today I am reading Deep Midnight by Shannon Drake part of her Vampire Series. O course you can find books I have for sale at WNBooks.com.

Sign up to view, Posts of a Whatnot nature, find product updates, book talk, and my memories of life. Wherever the ideas take me.

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Lake of the Ozarks

2011-07-26T16:36:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks. A the trip to see the family. Turned into a wonderful weekend Heat and all!

A canceled flight, delays, I arrived at St Louis airport at 1:30am. I stayed in a hotel near the airport. They picked me up and off to the Ozarks we traveled.

Eleven of us in three vehicles. I rode with the 17 month old twins. We made on stop on the way down. Allowing the twins to eat and run around for approx 45 minutes.

We did a short cruise on my brothers boat and stopped at a local waterfront restaurant for a bite to eat. As we ordered cocktails I suggested we go ahead and order the twins a plate. Great Idea. Once feed they were happy we managed to keep them corralled as the adults ate, I held Cloe on my lap and Caden sat on his grandfathers. Cole enjoyed my fried sweet potatoes much more than I did. Saturday and Sunday more of the same.

Keeping two toddlers in life jackets and entertain on a moving boat was a project. We had one and sometimes two adults keeping an eye on each child at all times. Of course swimming was on the agenda. I enjoyed the kiddie pool on the back of the boat with it's one inch of water.

Monday found us back in Illinois attending the Madison County Fair. The twins loved the rides they rode and enjoyed seeing their cousin Dameon.

Toady I am sitting in the Dallas airport waiting for my return trip home.

Plane Reading - Short Stories for Air Travelers by Edward L McNeil (autographed, first edition)