A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Shop

Vigil at the Top(Second from the top while my mother is still ill.)

2009-11-30T21:00:00.004-08:00

Photo by Annisa Lam (former member of Stock.exchng)

Licensed photo DO NOT COPY

Currently I am keeping the following in my thoughts & prayers:

-----Shiloh, a little girl with "mermaid syndrome," has died at age 10.

-----Kevin who has cancer....and it is showing growth.

-----A man who fell to his death while hiking in the Grand Canyon. The part about the camera was at least some beautiful news. When we were at the zoo recently, I told Husband of this gentleman's story in regards to the importance of memories.....not everyone's passing is an inspiration....I will continue to pass the beautiful part of this on to others.

-----The Yale student whose body was found hidden in the building on what was to be her wedding day.

-----Lucy in the Sky (with Diamonds) is ill.

-----Kristi Cornwell is missing. Likely abducted.
-----Several family members (including my Mother) who have diabetes.

-----Baby Gabriela. I hope she continues to do well....she was able to have a heart transplant!

-----A little girl who is basically allergic to modern life.

-----A UK baby with a brain tumor. Could use donations.

-----Caylee Anthony. I am so sad for everyone who loved her. I hope that the truth is found in this matter.

-----A young man who died after taking acne medicine

-----Good news! Lauren Richardson, who had a case similar to Terri Schiavo, is being given a chance to recover!

-----Patrick Swayze.

-----Jenny Lloyd, a little girl who has a rare disease where she can be literally scared t o death. I am not sure how the fund-raising efforts are going..."Jenny's Pennies." I hope that Jenny has gotten her dream of meeting Hannah Montana by now.

-----Apx. 16 children were orphaned as a result of a man dressing up as Santa and arriving with a guns and a flame-throwing device on Christmas Eve. This is something they will never be able to forget. I will definitely be thinking about them next Christmas.:-(

-----Heath Ledger's little daughter...who will grow up without her Daddy. :-( I am glad to hear that Heath's family decided to give her all of his assets with no fighting. One does not always see family members do the right thing after someone dies. I glad that Michelle Williams is taking a year off to focus on her daughter.

-----That Madeleine McCann and Natalie Holloway are found soon....or what happened to them is found.

-----War...I am tired of it. I realize that some wars are needed for protection of one's country or of fellow human beings...but all I see is War, anymore.

-----Heather is fighting very hard against brain cancer.

-----A beautiful baby named Kayla passed away after a valiant struggle with cancer.

-----The family and friends of Lorraine Allard. Lorraine passed away after delaying cancer treatment in order to give birth to her son.

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Note:

This post is in no particular order. Prayer/thought requests just go to the top as I hear more about what is going on. If you can think of a way to help these people, PLEASE do so. This post will be second-from-the-top during the midst of an emergency (such as an Amber Alert).

Note: I would not advise linking to this post...you will wind up with a broken link each time I have to change the post-dating to keep this a Vigil at the Top.

Heroes by Robert Cormier

2009-11-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

-----Not a long read. 144 pages. Considered a young adult book. The book is about a young man named Francis who has just come back to his hometown after World War II. He is planning revenge on a person who was once his childhood hero....and may get away with it since no one recgonizes him due to an injury.

-----The idea of praying for one's enemies....but if Francis were truly praying for his enemies could he really be planning whatever revenge at the same time? When he did pray for his enemies....doesn't that he imply that he thinks his enemy could change?...or is he just praying that his enemy changes before he gets his revenge? I need to pray for whomever I consider an "enemy" more...I think many people probably don't do so at all.

-----The flashbacks that give info in a jerky manner at the beginning....I didn't like that. I also did not like the couple of times that info was given and then retracted.

-----Robert Cormier has been banned for inappropriate material on "social issues" in many schools. I can kind of see the reason why in this book....but banning everything willy-nilly just because violence/revenge is mentioned does not work either....violence and revenge really do get contemplated in the world. Now banning it because suicide is mentioned....that is a different story. If a person is well-adjusted though it is better for them to recgonize the emotions that really do bring people to suicide....perhaps they can learn from it or help someone else in a time of despair. Young adults have to learn about suicide sooner or later....so they are not floored the first time they encounter this in a book somewhere or in their own lives. I do not think such books should be banned...Cormier's book did not glamorize anything immoral....the reading of books with mature/real life themes that are extreme situations should be monitored when a young person is the reader.

-----Our heroes....many times don't feel like heroes to themselves. I have noticed that this is particularly true of war heroes.

-----Fred Astaire....admired by many.

-----The interactions don't really strike me as something out of the past....well maybe if written from the prospective of a young person. It does seem as if the conversations could be present day (if you substitute different movies and books).

-----Heroes do become Pied Pipers....and some misuse this ability.

-----"It's amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks."

-----Does one sin outweigh all the good things? This question has been posed of many who have reached some level of fame. It is a question that likely haunts many....but only becomes public discussion/crucifixion for the famous/notorious.

-----The final outcomes were a total surprise to me.

-----Sunlight being different in one place than another. I noticed this in Florida. I think this more has to do with how we percieve things. Or maybe the way the sun sits in the sky...for instance, I see the same kind of light that I have seen in Florida sometimes during sunrises.

-----Getting what one deserves....and the real heroes don't always get any of what they deserve.

-----Being confused as to what a hero is. Our society does that to us a lot.

-----I think it might have been a good ending....and maybe Francis character has just become more of a hero.

-----I have never known a perfect war hero. All of the war heroes I have known who survived to tell about wars were severely messed up emotionally. I think that wars or extreme situations often cause people to do things that are out of character....and it is often just "one sin."

-----I don't think that the person Francis is seeking revenge on realizes until the end that perhaps he had more than one sin. As to whether he could ever redeem himself....that is a confusing matter and I think that God is ultimately the one who decides that. This is the kind of debate that often comes up when people are facing the death penalty.

-----In this story someone does listen when injustices are brought to light....that is not always the case (no matter how vocal the victim or victims are).

-----Nicole and Francis act like Francis knew all along what was happening during the event that was the turning point of this story....the way this reads he did not fully conciously know. I think this issue should have been addressed.

I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. It is really close to 5 stars. Cormier really made me think and I felt for the characters. I especially warmed up to the main character. This was not merely a story of seeking revenge...it was truly a look at how heroes are made,fall and sometimes are rebuilt.

In My Life....

2009-11-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner.

A twist on a dish from the "Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook."

Savory Skillet Noodles...but ours were not buttery as I cooked the veggies in a garlic-infused olive oil. Sliced almonds are too expensive at our stores....so I took two chicken bouillion cubes and some toasted salted almonds and put them in a Ziploc bag....then gently applied a hammer all over. In the final step I added more regular olive oil to avoid sticking. We skipped the parsley garnish...though I do have some pretty good parsley flakes. We would definitely repeat this dish....and might experiment with putting some plum tomatoes in. The side dish that serves 8 was a tasty, light and filling meal that served 2. :-)

-----Tonight I drew my eyebrows green for fun. Told husband I should wear in public. He said no only if lighter green cause I look like Groucho Marx. :-)

-----Gran Torino finally came in at the library.

-----I have started reading a book called "Heroes" by Robert Cormier. It is about a man who comes back from WWII without a face. I just got to a part where the young man mentions praying for your enemies....something I do not do as often as maybe I should.

-----We re-watched Hancock this evening. There is a lot about this movie that makes me laugh.

-----Doggie has started learning when we are not going to take Doggie with if we go someplace....I guess because we don't have same sense of getting Doggie geared up for whatever. Happy to say that Doggie now waits patiently for us to leave....if it is only one of us.

-----I now have a lot of sweet peppers. Single peppers were $1.50 a piece and it was lower cost to get packs. The recipe I used tonight did not call for a whole pepper....this means I have to get through 6 sweet peppers soon. Hmmm.

2009-11-02T16:20:00.001-08:00

Man who lived without money.

2009-11-02T14:42:00.001-08:00

-----Sea slime killing U.S. seabirds. I feel sad for the bird in the photo.

-----California paychecks will be getting smaller.

Unconcious Mutterings Meme

2009-11-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hairbrush :: My hairbrush is always getting full of hair. I have thyroid problems and lose so much. The thyroid issues also make my hair brittle....and on top of that it is really curly and frizzy. Still my hair is generally very pretty. Singing into a hairbrush. Whatever the number of strokes it is that they used to say you should brush your hair.
Sneak :: Trick or treating...the trick part. Sneaking a cookie, chocolate or other treat. The way some spouses sneak their purchases into the house and hide them from their spouse....some people do this everyday and I wish they could see their own behavior. A racoon....bandit.
Hole :: The rabbit hole. Courtney Love. Having a hole in your pocket and loosing things....I am good at that. Having a hole in your purse and everything getting behind the lining or underneath it...I am good at that.
Horror :: Horror movies. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Horrified.
Standard :: Envelope. Having standards. Standard procedure.
Mailbox :: We need to check the post office box today. Mailboxes on country roads. People harming the mailboxes of others. The scene from The Butterfly Effect. People stealing things from your mailbox....sometimes the delivery person.
Attachment :: Attachment in an e-mail. Vacuum-cleaner attachment. Airbrush attachment. The space station or other space vehicle attaching to each other.....especially in movies. Being attached to someone. Being overly attached to someone. People often watching and criticizing each others' level of attachment.....sometimes this can be a very harmful thing that society does.
Type :: Blood type. A person being "not your type." Some people, who have only met me and do not know me, assume that I am not my Husband's type (even though we have been married/a couple a long time). Giving blood because one is the same blood type. Typing...I can do that pretty fast and actually type much more than I write.
Nails :: Mine are long, thankfully. Having thyroid problems, I battle brittle nails. Often I have this weird characteristic where a new nail grows under my old one....so I almost always have long nails. I am told that my hands are beautiful. Putting nails in the wall. Jesus nailed to the cross. Nine-Inch-Nails.
Storage :: Storage box. Storage unit. Cold storage. Things never getting used that go in storage. Hoarders....and piles of stuff. I am currently sorting out two closets that I use for storage....clothes, Christmas Plush, books. Ziploc containers. Apparently there are some really big Ziploc bags that are for storage.

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Participate in Unconscious Mutterings.

2009-10-30T00:31:00.001-07:00

I think my photo would look pretty in a book or journal. :-)

101 in 1001...continued.

2009-10-29T01:38:00.005-07:00

Monday July 16th, 2012 is my new day for my "101 in 1001." I was/am achieving many of the goals...but really feel that I need to have a new start on this. A new start on this list just feels right for me.

Here is my refined list:

1. Go zipriding....Lost Canyon in Colorado.

2. Get my split ends cut more often. I do not cut my hair....growing it long as I want to try out various historical hairstyles.Among other things, I want to be able to put a coronet on top of my head. I want to do more research on historical hairstyles and clothing. Get my eyebrows arched more often-I like the way I look more when I do this.

3. Take Doggie to obedience school. At this point, I am looking at classes from the American Kennel Association....because I see that as being the best. Build an outdoor play area for Doggie...even pre-made items that are near each other will do. Eventually, we will design an actual playground....I have seen many that are similar to childrens' playgrounds (so, it can be multi-purpose...meaning also for when neices/nephews visit and/or if we are fortunate enough to eventually have a child).

4. Participate in many more memes. I love meeting new people and learning more about myself through memes. I also have found that I like doing journal swaps...so, I will be doing more of this.

5. Participate in a bike ride....meaning an overnight event across long distances. I wonder if there are any bike rides that allow participants to stay in a hotel...I am not one for camping outdoors.

6. Loose the last 23.2 pounds of weight that I have gained via my thyroid problem. See how many of the symptoms I can alleviate/lessen through research on what might help. Do not eat the items on the list of things I am not supposed to...no soy (easy)...no caffeine (NOT FUN). If I do not cut out certain food items (caffeine for instance), then research ways to offset their effect. Daily skin care routine....extremely dry skin from the thyroid problem.

8. Pray genuine prayers...everyday. Not say words....pray genuine prayers. Remember to include the people in my "Vigil at the Top" in my prayers and thoughts…this is on my Blogger blog.

9. Daily and varied workout. I have been asking fellow bloggers for suggestions on songs to workout to. Do you have any workout music suggestions?

10. Eat breakfast every day. Start compiling a book of the breakfast recipes I come up with. I like to make my own recipes.

11. Continue to celebrate the end of the work week. It used to be that we would buy really cheap champagne...we need to get back into doing this. A fun way to keep one's sanity... recognizing the hard work/contribution of the week.

12. Once a week, find a new person to include in my friends on MySpace…..this was to be an art blog but now is more a gallery of art that I am interested in. Not many people read the actual blog parts of MySpace.

13. Learn a new word every week. Not an obsolete or obscure word...a usable word. Use the new word...and blog it.

14. Explore one new radio station a week.

15. At least once a month, update any program on my computer that is updateable. I am sure that I will have more to this computer maintenance goal.

16. Have a giveaway on my blog at least once a month. I have a mailbox especially for this sort of thing. I have been enjoying MyBlogSpark and also am working on some sort of book giveaway.

17. Use my "Dance,Dance Revolution" for aerobic exercise at least twice a month.

18. Take at least one nature photo every season.

19. Undergo "vision therapy." Look into the possibility of getting botox shot into my eye muscle...to help with alternating exotropia (may temporarily or permanently overcome this problem).

20. Get a swimming pool.

21. Play more games.

22. Get a hanging pot rack. I think we will have to make something more coatrack like...the ceiling does not seem to be up to this idea.

23. Wash and detail our car at least once every two months.

24.Continue to add to my home barista setup. Currently, I need more of the espresso shot glasses.

25. Guitar:

All guitars need one or more things-reassembly,repair,"setup."

Learn how to play...using online lessons and textbooks...Berkley has a free online program for this.

Relearn how to read music.

I want to learn Moonshadow on both the acoustic and electric guitar.

All guitars need to have a boogie bag and a stand.

Buy carrying straps.

26. Niagara:

Visit both the American and Canadian sides.I am leaning towards "Chariots of Fire Tours" as they have a helicopter ride.

Learn a lot of the history beforehand so I can convey the whole experience with my camera.

Be sure to get to the Illumination. Practice nightshots on all the cameras I am going to use beforehand.

Make a book about the whole trip for my coffee table. Have it nicely bound.

Read a fictional book that I have called "Niagara Falls All Over Again."

27. Find a place where I can take a romantic sleigh ride with husband. Walnut Grove (home of Laura Ingall's Wilder) was my ideal but they don't seem to have such an event.

28. Read "The Joy of Cooking." Yes, I read cookbooks.

29. Go horseback riding regularly. I tried e-mailing an equestrian school that offers lessons by riding experience level...but you have to learn tack and so on which I am intimidated by. If this school lets people learn at a slower pace then EVERY week, I will actually take lessons.

30. Read all of the Cantebury Tales....do a piece(s) of artwork for each.

31. Purchase a good telescope that I can take pictures of the nightsky with. Make fractal photos with the pictures...even if I have to play with the colors first.

32.Writing:

Win NaNoWriMO 2009...I have failed miserably every time I have participated.

Continue working on my book about William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame).

33. Be more ready to open my coffeeshop.

34. Go on a hot air balloon ride....every time I have scheduled such an experience, I have been held back by weather.

35. Buy an Alaskan Klee Kai...a miniature Alaskan Husky.

36. Find a wig manufacturer that I like and purchase a wig that I like. I have cheap Halloween wigs...very cheap. Cheap Halloween wigs are not much fun. I like to be kind of costumey sometimes. Right now I have a demoness-ish wig on a teddy bear….have been calling it “Harvey the Devil Bear.”

37. Take some of Husband's art/jewelry/clothing to at least two Ren faires. Dress appropriately and have fun. I love medieval clothing...so,dressing appropriately and having fun will be the easy part. Scheduling and selling will be the challenge.

38. Plan a trip to Wounded Knee. Make a film about Native American issues out of this...when I go (not necessarily, during the 1001).Re-read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." Attend a Pow-Wow that follows the authentic traditions.

39. Get a working stereo. I have come across a lot of non-working stereos but they cost more than the stereo to fix. Build my record collection. I want a record of the "Annie" soundtrack (in good condition).

40. Do a combined study on my blog of:

The Surrendered Wife

The Artist's Way

Eat that Frog (a book about Procrastination)

40 Days and Forty Nights

The Five Love Languages

The Velveteen Principles

Becoming a Vessel God Can Use

I may add more books to this.

41. Read "Dune" the entire series. Make artwork inspired by it as I go along. Seek out "Dune" discussion groups and forums...there were things I didn't understand in the movie and I expect there will be in the book. Re-watch the Dune movie.

42. Watch every video on FoodTube.

43. Finish setting up my sewing room. I have been working on this but need to devise ways to keep this area from getting overrun with everyone else’s clutter. This is a goal I need to persist in as I have nowhere else to put my sewing area...and I am sure there are a lot of other places that clutter could be put.

44. Collect every book ever written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Start mapping out an itinerary (like people do when they want to follow the Lewis and Clark expedition) to follow Laura's life. Someday I want to take a short trip in a covered wagon but not camp out (I don't like camping outdoors). I also want to follow the Oregon Trail...with activities, blogging and photos (not complete with starving and dysentery).

45. Get out of any and all debt. This does not include student loans. Start keeping better records, so that I can prove when a "debt" is unjustified.

46. Finish my next degree....I am a collector of degrees. :-)

47. Wear more nail polish....particularly OPI (which I like a lot). Husband finds "wear more nail polish" as a goal amusing. I have worn more decals, did a pretty good French manicure and I am going to get back into blending my own colors.

48. Build upon our butterfly garden. The winter will be a nice time to research more flowers to include.

49. Read "The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake."

50. Read all 37 of Shakespeare's plays.

51. Learn to draw unicorns. I have always found making their horn look realistic to be impossible. Maybe I can find a book on how to draw unicorns. Once I progress past drawing unicorns, I want to learn how to paint them.

52. Read the entire New Living Translation Bible...twice. Journal as I am reading.

53. Read every alternative history story ever written by Harry Turtledove.

Write my own short story of alternative history.

54. Take a self-portrait photograph every season.

55. Set some TBD (to-be-determined) goals about my calligraphy. Work through "The Calligrapher's Companion."

56. Visit the farm that is the headquarters of Seed Savers...try to learn something new while I am there.

57. See at least two plays a year. I enjoy plays and I think that I can drag others to see them with me at least twice a year.

58. Make a serious attempt to learn to draw/paint portraits.

59. Blog my entire re-reading (and implementation) of "The Tightwad Gazette." I am going to try to teach others some of the tactics presented in these books. The U.S. economic situation is not so good…but we can help each other to thrive.

60. Make a flower press. I have some plans for these...not sure which I am going with.

61. Handmade Christmas cards. Work on Christmas all year.

62. Make my own teas...I have some recipes.Collect many recipes for making tea or using tea.

63. Finish reading Stephen King's "On Writing." Write a review of it on my blog. Eventually write to Stephen King with what I think of the book...start doing this with more artists/writers/actors....I don't quiet know why I want to share my opinion but I like contributing what I can and thanking people. Stephen King-wise, I am planning a trip to see his new musical with John Mellencamp in Atlanta next year.

64. Try swordfish,kangaroo,snake and alligator meat. If I find the initial tasting tolerable, experiment with at least one recipe for each of these.

65. Start a new tropical fish setup...with live plants and lots of ghost shrimp. As a joke, name one of the fish "Esta-fishie."

66. Acquire/make a bookmark for every book I own.

67. Get good enough to sing "You Don't Know How it Feels" at karaoke....and do so. I have been working on this and some other songs. I am now seeking out online voice lessons and tips from people that I know are good singers. I am not the worst singer in the world but not at the level I want to be at.

68. Join a volleyball league. If the first one is not compatible, then try another until I find one that I like.

69. Restore all the wood in our house....no small task.

70. Family tree.

71. Put in a pond and start beekeeping. Up our urban farming efforts...I want to eventually teach classes. The plan is for me to eventually be an environmental engineer (read this as a lot of work ahead of me).

72. Be ready to have a little bundle of joy.

73. Become more knowledgeable of great artworks and architecture.

74. Make more soap.

75. Try my hand at making candles. Not soy candles as I can't eat soy...I would assume inhaling it is bad for my thyroid, too.....interesting, I should look into that.

76. Pedicures...I like pretty toenails but always mess them up. Repetition makes for improvement.

77. Transplant my Christmas cactus.

78. Improve our herb garden.

79. Go golfing.

80. Train for a marathon.

81. Start showing more people my photography.

82. Go to BlogHer and SXSW.

83. Attend Burning Life....something I have already done twice. Get to the point where I have enough knowledge that I can create my own area at this event.

84. I have several relatives I need to visit...this involves trips. I need to start planning these trips (and how the budget will go for this).

85. Do more volunteer work.

86. Learn more family recipes...while their are still people around to teach me.

87. At least twice a year put flowers on graves of diseased loved ones.

88. Start really adding to my GoodReads page. I am coming along at a decent pace on this.

89. Learn Photoshop better.

90. Continue trying to learn 3-D animation software...this has not been a small task as I don't have much time and often forget everything I learn.

91. More games (board games,video games,etc.) played with Husband.

92. Re-read the Heloise household hint book I have. Of course, Blog about this.

93. Blog my viewpoints on the TV shows I watch.

94. Frame my sentimental photos.

95. Scanning family photos.

96. Organize scrapbooking supplies. This is a tall order as I like to do a lot of handmade stuff but collect too many bits and pieces. I need to develop a system for making sure that I use the neat things I find.

97. Attend another marriage retreat. It takes a while to find one that suits us, but we really enjoyed hearing Gary Chapman over the course of a weekend.

98. Finish a candlestick that I started painting.

99. Work more with fabric and beads. I have a lot of seed beads unopened. I need to get more fabric.

100. Complete my dollhouse. I plan to decorate my dollhouse for Christmas this year. I need to put up photos of the dollhouse as it progresses. I also need to give a name....something-or-other-Manor.

101. Visit a good zoo,a significant art exhibit and a exciting amusement park at least once each year. We did get to the zoo this summer. :-)

Q & A

2009-10-26T00:50:00.007-07:00

What Star Trek Species would you be and why?
I never identified with any of the characters on Star Trek. I did enjoy watching TNG.Data's human side was intriguing to me....so I guess I take that back about not identifying with any of the characters. I think I still retain some of the innocence and wonder that Data has.

Pepsi or Coca Cola?
Pepsi. Coca Cola has become too sweet for me. I only drink Pepsi when I want to taste something strong. Pepsi gives me gas (especially with Chinese food). I always find myself working on the pace of drinking Pepsi when I have Chinese food...otherwise I have enough gas that it hurts or I can't finish my meal. Diet Cherry Pepsi is nasty-tasting stuff.

Komissar Rex or Kántor?
I did not know who either was...though I had heard Komissar Rex mentioned. I will try to find some episodes of Komissar Rex. I still do not know what Kántor is...I would assume it is another series.

American Idol or America's Got Talent?
I don't really watch either. I sometimes do not like the themes on American Idol. America's Got Talent does have more appeal to me.

Star Trek or Stargate?
Star Trek TNG. I found some of the Stargate episodes bordering on repetitive.

Dark or milk chocolate?
Dark chocolate...though I get criticized by a lot of the people I know who are not into trying "different" things for this. I am excited because I have some good chocolate chips from Trader Joe's in the cupboard....supposed to be much better than Nestle. I do not like American chocolate as much as European....I detest the oiliness and aftertaste of some American chocolate.
-----I want to try Dagoba again. I bought Dagoba in 2006...a few months after Hershey bought the company. I suspect that my bars were from before Hershey's purchase. I hope that the taste has not changed...that it has not become oily,etc. What I liked about this originally was that it was similar to Hershey's...but tasted like there were better ingredients used. Wouldn't it be ironic if what I enjoyed was a Hershey product?...after I have done all my picky complaining.

Windows XP or Windows Vista?
Currently using Vista but I have no preference.

Cats or dogs?
Dogs because I am allergic to some cats. Cats like me a LOT. We have a Doggie. Our Doggie does lots of tricks....including saying "I Love You," playing dead and coming when we call "Tribble."

Which, now dead, famous person would you like to have dinner with?
None...a lot of famous people have so much drama/attitude that I would not want to speak with them.

What was your most influential book as a teenager?
The Bible. I was both addicted to it and scared of some of the things that it said.

I found this on Hevel's blog. :-)

Unconcious Mutterings Meme

2009-10-25T14:47:00.014-07:00

Redskins :: Washington. Potatoes. Indians. Sunburn. Grapes for wine...I don't know if this would be a wine-making term-it just made me think of wine-making.
Show :: Freakshow. Peep show. Television show. Let the show begin. Showoff. Show them what you've got...proving oneself. Showgirls. Show and Tell. Las Vegas.Broadway. I want to see "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County"...a musical that John Mellencamp and Stephen King are doing in Atlanta next year.
Smoker :: The co-worker who keeps lecturing the smoker. Marlboro Man. I like a sandwich called a Marlboro Man sandwich. The dreadfulness of people who get cancer from smoking. Thank You for Not Smoking....we went to see the movie and I have the book. Patrick Swayze...sad. Walt Disney...and editing out the cigarette. Hannibal from the A-Team and his big cigars. I love the smell of cigar boxes and pipe tobacco. People that accidentally set forest fires or fall asleep with cigarettes. American Cancer Association. That Smoke-Out day...the Great American Smokeout.
Bad movie :: I don't watch bad movies all the way through at times. I did not like Quantum of Solace....and have not been able to watch that all the way through.
Play :: Yatzee. Shakespeare's plays...I want to read all 37. A playdate. Real theater....I want to attend.
Jaguar :: Car. We saw one at the zoo. Running from a jaguar...now that would be scary. I sometimes do not spell words having to do with "scar" and "scare" correctly.
Click :: The movie....I found it to be touching. Remote control. Hanging up the phone on someone. Clique.
Production :: Movies. Making a production of something...over-dramatizing. The different stages of a movie (pre-production,post-production,etc.)
Sand :: Like sands through the hourglass. All the sand art that people make for weddings. Trying to prevent stray cats from urinating in the sandbox. White sand....I want to visit a white sand beach. Getting "beach-ready"...I would not wear a bikini so I guess it would be easier if I ever decided to make this a goal.Happy couples running down the sand.Little kids building sand castles.
Foreign :: Learning languages. I am learning French....and finding LiveMocha very helpful.

PARTICIPATE IN UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS.

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I am having a giveaway....see my post about this. If you are not into Light yogurt, the coupons for 2 FREE 4-packs also work for regular yogurt. :-)

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Update: YoPlus Package Winner announced. The winner was Jennifer B. :-)

You can win a "Get Healthy" Package....from YoPlus Light and MyBlogSpark. :-)

2009-10-24T01:02:00.008-07:00

This evening my YoPlus Light package arrived....included were two coupons for a FREE 4-pack. Of course, I promptly went to the store.

I also recieved:

-----A pastel-ish blue workout bag. It even had an expandable compartment for my tennis shoes! The shoe compartment excited me....because I actually needed a new bag just like this for traveling (so that is what I will be using it for).

-----Earbuds...with changeable tips. The earbuds can be blue or purple. Considering how often I lose or damage earbuds, this is VERY helpful (not to mention stylish).

-----A workout towel with its own bag.

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I tried:

YoPlus Light Honey Vanilla. It was not tart and had no aftertaste. It was the perfect texture and there was no overkill on the vanilla.

I also picked up:

The other 4-pack I got was Blueberry Acai. I hear so much about acai (especially from spammers). I think I have tried this before...but I am excited to again.

The store did not carry:

The Key Lime Pie flavor that YoPlus Light has. They did have the Strawberry Banana YoPlus Light...but every single one was expired (annoying since it is a new flavor). If I had more time, I certainly would have seen if the Strawberry Banana could be brought from the stockroom.

I shared:

-----With In-laws (who, by the way, have been a SUPER help lately....if you are reading). I gave them two containers of each flavor....so, they can each try.

-----HERE IS A COUPON FOR YOU. $1.00 off.....that is helpful.

http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=57800&ci=1&c=GM&p=4XeBjIEi I like that the coupon is a "brick." If you don't know about coupon bricks, I just want you to be aware that sometimes you are allowed more than one coupon by refreshing or going back....depends on how many coupons whatever company allows.

____________________

YOU CAN WIN:

-----The same package as me (bag,coupons,workout towel in a bag,earbuds)....United States only (sorry). The coupons for FREE yogurt do not work in Louisiana, Nevada and North Dakota....but winning the bag and other items would be great.

---The coupons also work for regular YoPlus not just Light.

HOW TO WIN:

I choose a random winner....you can enter several ways. Serious contributions only,please. Place your answers in the comment section of this post. The contest ends October 31st at 12:01 am Pacific Time. HAVE FUN WITH THIS!!!

-----Tell me three songs that you think are good to workout to....title and singer(s). You can get as many entries from this as you can think of songs worth working out to. :-)

-----Tell me of an unusual thing you have in your workout bag, purse, or wallet. You can do this up to six entries....and you can include them all in one post.

-----What would you recommend as a nutritious romantic dinner? One entry allowed. I hope that there are some good recipes with these answers. :-)

-----One entry: About how many calories do you think (or know) you eat a day? YoPlus light has 70 calories. :-)

-----Tell me that you hugged someone who is trying to lose weight....this can include yourself if the intent is sincere. This is on the honor system. One hug per person intending to lose weight....each hug will get you two entries.

-----Where do you think would be the most beautiful place in the world to work out? One entry.

-----What do you look for in a yogurt? One entry.

The winner will be announced sometime during the day of October 31st. Make sure that your comment is filled out in a way that you are not completely anonymous....I must have a way to contact you. :-) The prize will be sent out to you, as it was to me, via MyBlogSpark.

________________

WINNER:

THE WINNER IS JENNIFER B. !!!

2009-10-21T22:19:00.011-07:00

I wish that "Diary of a Foodie" were close-captioned on Hulu...it would be helpful to me with at least one name mentioned. Of course, it would be very helpful to someone who couldn't hear and wanted to watch it on Hulu! When I am learning about cooking, I have been so thankful many times that "Hell's Kitchen" can be close-captioned when viewed on Hulu.

I think I am becoming more of a "Foodie" every day. :-)
I was surprised recently when a co-worker said that I am a "gourmet cook." She has never tasted my cooking and I could not imagine why they said this at first. Then, I thought of the fact that I often sit writing about food, reading recipes or answer truthfully (when I get a quizzical look or actual quizzing)that I am attempting to learn the French terms for all things culinary.
---Today I learned that "artichauds" is the word for artichokes in French. No idea how to pronounce it correctly....yet.

<<-----My find of the day. :-)

101 in 1001...continued.

2009-10-18T18:40:00.011-07:00

Here is my refined list:

1. Go zipriding....Lost Canyon in Colorado.

2. Get my split ends cut more often. I do not cut my hair....growing it long as I want to try out various historical hairstyles.Among other things, I want to be able to put a coronet on top of my head. Get my eyebrows arched more often-I like the way I look more when I do this.

3. Take Doggie to obedience school. At this point, I am looking at classes from the American Kennel Association....because I see that as being the best.

4. Participate in many more memes. I love meeting new people and learning more about myself through memes.

5. Participate in a bike ride.

8. Pray genuine prayers...everyday. Not say words....pray genuine prayers. Remember to include the people in my "Vigil at the Top" in my prayers and thoughts…this is on my Blogger blog.

9. Daily and varied workout.

10. Eat breakfast every day. Start compiling a book of the breakfast recipes I come up with. I like to make my own recipes.

11. Continue to celebrate the end of the work week.

13. Learn a new word every week. Not an obsolete or obscure word...a usable word. Use the new word...and blog it.

14. Explore one new radio station a week.

15. At least once a month, update any program on my computer that is updateable. I am sure that I will have more to this computer maintenance goal.

16. Have a giveaway on my blog at least once a month. I have a mailbox especially for this sort of thing.

17. Use my "Dance,Dance Revolution" for aerobic exercise at least twice a month.

18. Take at least one nature photo every season.

19. Undergo "vision therapy."

20. Get a swimming pool.

21. Play more games.

22. Get a hanging pot rack.

23. Wash and detail our car at least once every two months.

24.Continue to add to my home barista setup.

25. Guitar:

All guitars need one or more things-reassembly,repair,"setup."

Learn how to play...using online lessons and textbooks...Berkley has a free online program for this.

Relearn how to read music.

I want to learn Moonshadow on both the acoustic and electric guitar.

All guitars need to have a boogie bag and a stand.

Buy carrying straps.

26. Niagara:

Visit both the American and Canadian sides.I am leaning towards "Chariots of Fire Tours" as they have a helicopter ride.

Learn a lot of the history beforehand so I can convey the whole experience with my camera.

Be sure to get to the Illumination. Practice nightshots on all the cameras I am going to use beforehand.

Make a book about the whole trip for my coffee table. Have it nicely bound.

Read a fictional book that I have called "Niagara Falls All Over Again."

27. Find a place where I can take a romantic sleigh ride with husband. Walnut Grove (home of Laura Ingall's Wilder) was my ideal but they don't seem to have such an event.

28. Read "The Joy of Cooking":

29. Go horseback riding regularly. I tried e-mailing an equastrian school that offers lessons by riding experience level...but you have to learn tack and so on which I am intimidated by. If this school lets people learn at a slower pace then EVERY week, I will actually take lessons.

30. Read all of the Cantebury Tales....do a piece(s) of artwork for each.

31. Purchase a good telescope that I can take pictures of the nightsky with. Make fractal photos with the pictures...even if I have to play with the colors first.

32.Writing:

Win NaNoWriMO 2009...I have failed miserably every time I have participated.

Continue working on my book about William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame).

33. Be more ready to open my coffeeshop.

34. Go on a hot air balloon ride....every time I have scheduled such an experience, I have been held back by weather.

35. Buy an Alaskan Klee Kai...a miniature Alaskan Husky.

40. Do a combined study on my blog of:

The Surrendered Wife

The Artist's Way

Eat that Frog (a book about Procrastination)

40 Days and Forty Nights

The Five Love Languages

The Velveteen Principles

Becoming a Vessel God Can Use

I may add more books to this.

42. Watch every video on FoodTube.

43. Finish setting up my sewing room. I have been working on this but need to devise ways to keep this area from getting overrun with everyone else’s clutter.

44. Collect every book ever written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Start mapping out an itinerary (like people do when they want to follow the Lewis and Clark expedition) to follow Laura‘s life. Someday I want to take a short trip in a covered wagon but not camp out (I don't like camping outdoors).

45. Get out of any and all debt. This does not include student loans. Start keeping better records, so that I can prove when a "debt" is unjustified.

46. Finish my next degree....I am a collector of degrees.

48. Build upon our butterfly garden.

49. Read "The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake."

50. Read all 37 of Shakespeare's plays.

52. Read the entire New Living Translation Bible...twice. Journal as I am reading.

53. Read every alternative history story ever written by Harry Turtledove.

Write my own short story of alternative history.

54. Take a self-portrait photograph every season.

55. Set some TBD (to-be-determined) goals about my calligraphy. Work through "The Calligrapher's Companion."

56. Visit the farm that is the headquarters of Seed Savers...try to learn something new while I am there.

57. See at least two plays a year. I enjoy plays and I think that I can drag others to see them with me at least twice a year.

58. Make a serious attempt to learn to draw/paint portraits.

60. Make a flower press. I have some plans for these...not sure which I am going with.

61. Handmade Christmas cards. Work on Christmas all year.

62. Make my own teas...I have some recipes.Collect many recipes for making tea or using tea.

64. Try swordfish,kangaroo,snake and alligator meat. If I find the initial tasting tolerable, experiment with at least one recipe for each of these.

65. Start a new tropical fish setup...with live plants and lots of ghost shrimp. As a joke, name one of the fish "Esta-fishie."

66. Acquire/make a bookmark for every book I own.

68. Join a volleyball league. If the first one is not compatible, then try another until I find one that I like.

69. Restore all the wood in our house....no small task.

70. Family tree.

71. Put in a pond and start beekeeping.

72. Be ready to have a little bundle of joy.

73. Become more knowledgeable of great artworks and architecture.

74. Make more soap.

75. Try my hand at making candles. Not soy candles as I can't eat soy...I would assume inhaling it is bad for my thyroid, too.....interesting, I should look into that.

76. Pedicures...I like pretty toenails but always mess them up. Repetition makes for improvement.

77. Transplant my Christmas cactus.

78. Improve our herb garden.

79. Go golfing.

80. Train for a marathon.

81. Start showing more people my photography.

82. Go to BlogHer.

83. Attend Burning Life....something I have already done twice. Get to the point where I have enough knowledge that I can create my own area at this event.

84. I have several relatives I need to visit...this involves trips. I need to start planning these trips (and how the budget will go for this).

85. Do more volunteer work.

86. Learn more family recipes...while their are still people around to teach me.

87. At least twice a year put flowers on graves of diseased loved ones.

88. Start really adding to my GoodReads page.

89. Learn Photoshop better.

90. Continue trying to learn 3-D animation software...this has not been a small task as I don't have much time and often forget everything I learn.

91. More games (board games,video games,etc.) played with Husband.

92. Re-read the Heloise household hint book I have. Of course, Blog about this.

93. Blog my viewpoints on the TV shows I watch.

94. Frame my sentimental photos.

95. Scanning family photos.

97. Attend another marriage retreat. It takes a while to find one that suits us, but we really enjoyed hearing Gary Chapman over the course of a weekend.

98. Finish a candlestick that I started painting.

99. Work more with fabric and beads. I have a lot of seed beads unopened. I need to get more fabric.

100. Complete my dollhouse. I plan to decorate my dollhouse for Christmas this year.

101. Visit a good zoo,a significant art exhibit and a exciting amusement park at least once each year.

What Will Your Christmas/Holidays Be Like??

2009-10-16T22:20:00.008-07:00

One thing that won't change is our tree.

Husband likes the way we do our tree so much that we do almost exactly the same tree each year.

This year we will get the huckleberry (which are purple) candycanes.

I have been preparing for Christmas for a while now....I have a large family, some friends that really need to know others care and I have a tighter budget than previous years.

What I envision for our Holidays so far:

-----Making lots of paper snowflakes. Building snowmen.

-----Using a lot of Pampered Chef's Double-Strength Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in my recipes. This is one of the prized things in my spice rack.

-----There are a few Christmas displays in our area that are must see for us each year.

-----Bring the pine cones that I gathered earlier in the year into the house to sprinkle with glitter. I hope that I can make them look pretty, not gaudy.

-----If I can find a guaranteed-clean patch of snow, making Maple Candy (like Little House on the Prairie).

-----Making cranberry sauce. I like to make my own cranberry sauce...it is not very hard. I think homemade cranberry sauce tastes so good....and I am quiet proud of mine. I plan to freeze several bags of cranberries this year...as you can no longer get them here at any time other than the Holiday season.

-----We assembled an Advent wreath by switching out the dark candles in our candelabra and slipping a wreath over it.

-----Finding some sort of tutorials to see if I can do a bit of ornaments decorated from the inside. I was talking to a woman today who bought something similar to these hand painted Christmas ornaments. I don't think that mine will be beautiful....but it will be fun.

-----Trying a few new wines or beers. Maybe we can find some that are specifically designed for the holidays...but not over-spiced. I see either a trip to Trader Joe's or having someone bring us something from there. (For Halloween we have Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale set aside from last month's visit to Trader Joe's).

-----Bringing out ALL my plush Christmas village people, lights and ribbons....I have quiet a collection. Last year, a friend gave me three bags of plush village people!

-----Lots of Billy Idol's "Yellin' At the Christmas Tree." That song makes me laugh.

-----Watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. Husband got it for me about three years ago as an early Christmas present.

-----Having mead. We usually have mead at the holidays. :-) I have some mulling spices for it this year.

-----Mulled apple cider...I am good at that.

-----Figuring out what to send my Jewish friend for Hanukkah. I am thinking candles...as they are always helpful for religious observations.

-----Lots of hot cocoa. So relaxing to drink hot chocolate with Husband at the end of the evening.

-----Listening to various Christmas radio stations. I love seasonal radio stations. For Christmas my favorite station is "Lagniappe" (pronounced Lan-yap). Lagniappe plays New-Orleans-style Christmas music.

-----Doing an Astro Weenie Christmas Tree for every party I attend. This is a funny, retro tree with all sorts of veggies, cocktail weenies,etc.

Of course, I will be looking forward to my Christmas cacti blooming.

I gave a friend a cutting from one as a part of a "Play It Forward" Game called Akoha...

I hope it blooms for him this year.

Sponsored Post :-)

Thursday Thirteen......

2009-10-14T22:58:00.032-07:00

1. I am excited....I have found something that may help my Raynaud's Phenomenon. I have problems with my extremities during the winter. As I type, my feet are hurting and cold. I was posting a sponsored logo for "Sock, Socks" over in my sidebar and I discovered that they have winter socks. I need socks to keep my feet cold indoors and I will gladly pay 13 dollars to see if a pair will help me....I have my eye on the Thorlo Cold Weather Hunting Socks. I think the hunting socks may be just enough to keep my feet warm without making me overheat....and they look like they will be comfortable enough that they will not aggravate the swelling that I get as another symptom of the thyroid problems.

I am a Blog Action Day alum. Blog Action Day is today!!!

So, what are your issues, beliefs and concerns about climate change???

Christmas Countdown

If you celebrate, how ready are you for Christmas?

4.

This is one of the things that I do with my Thursdays.

Speaking of Halloween, this cover of "Thriller" (below) is awesome.

5.Beautiful. Photo of swans and koi that Husband took when we were at the zoo.
Next year, we will put in a pond with koi in the backyard. :-)
We will also have tilapia....many of them outdoors but a few raised in a "farm fountain" for dinner.

6. 30 million men in China will not be able to find a wife??

A new friend's wife passed away. This was a rose that she liked to look at in a park. He goes to visit her rose often. His grief is in my thoughts and prayers.

8. I am sick....seems to be a cold. I am popping a generic Zicam-imitation every three hours (less expensive).

I liked and agreed with the gesture that Chef Ramsay made to the third place contestant. :-)

10. Has anyone been watching 90210 (new show not old)? I do not understand the Dixon/Sasha storyline....I can't figure out where it is going. It is obviously going to change radically next episode. Dixon is a 17-year-old and Sasha is much older (graduated college and working older). It never come right out and says exactly how old Sasha is. I am wondering if Sasha's character is in pregnant, in love, planning to frame Dixon to stay with her, etc???? This storyline is unusual...I guess I will see next week.

11.

My opinions of things change over time....last year I was so enchanted by this performance. This year, on watching it again, I do see some flaws.....but it is still beautiful.

12. It occurs to me that it has been months since O.J. Simpson has played golf....almost a year.

13.

Garlic-Infused Tubetti and Grilled Calamari Recipe

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PARTICIPATE IN THURSDAY THIRTEEN. :-)

-----Thank you, to Annie for visiting this post....and I really appreciated your peaceful stand against cell phone annoyance.

-----Thank you, to Sherilee for visiting this post. I like that your blog talks a LOT about food and gratitude. I really appreciated the swine flu paranoia photo.

Some of our photography adventures......

2009-10-13T23:38:00.019-07:00

Some photos are just better without any color correction at all....like this one.

I think it was taken by Husband. Beautiful movement and colors.

A photo that I took. Husband liked this bird a lot.

I like to take duck/water photos.

This morning I am looking at this new york city camera store site. I am also editing a lot of photos that Husband and I took at the zoo. We started the trip with the main intent of me practicing my photography skills...but I started off our adventure having a bad day (some days are just like that....turns out I wasn't taking bad photos but it so seemed like it to me). Anyway....Husband took a bunch of photos for his artwork.

We thought that we would each have a camera....but my camera continues to be broken. I have an Aptec that had the battery charger struck by lightning...so maybe Ebay can fix my problem. Right now, for digital photos we are sharing an Olympus.

We have three film cameras...but really can't justify the expense of film. When I can justify the expense of film and/or I start the photography portion of my education (purposefully "over-educated"-that's how I like to be).....expect to see just how great I think "old-fashioned" photography still is.

I am especially excited to try out the finds that Husband made. I have a Canon AE1 and a Rebel that Husband found for twenty dollars a piece at a thrift store....no, I am not kidding. This will likely remain one of the finds of our year! :-)
-----We have slowly been finding darkroom equipment at thrift stores,too. I have a closet that I think might work for a darkroom.

Husband likes to photograph lizards.

Poor elephant. What are those metal things on the ground?

Mr./Mrs. Elephant your restroom is not very aesthetic.

Back to the photo site that I was visiting this morning, "42nd St. Photo," there were a lot of things that might add to my adventures.

-----Vievu PVR-PRO Wearable Camcorder. Attaches to your jacket or whatever. For someday when I get around to a Vlog or for my friend who sometimes does performance art.

-----It was nice to see that portable photo printers might now be in the realm of affordability for me. I am glad that I held off on such a purchase. When I start the photography portion of my education, I will need one...but now I will have to make less of an investment. This was great news.

-----There are various electronic toys on this site. I have not completely figured out what gifts I am going to give my nieces/nephews this year. Hmm. I did not find any prospects yet....but there is a lot to look through.

Sponsored post :-)

What I'm Wishing For.... :-)

2009-10-13T21:27:00.032-07:00

This week's question was asking what we want to see in the theaters currently. My answer is that I do not know what is playing in the movie theaters. I know about "Paranormal Activity"...but do not want to see that. I wanted to go to see a fine theater show, "The Man Who was Thursday," but schedules permitted me from going....I was upset about this. I usually use several libraries to watch any movie I want.....even if I have to wait months for it (as I have been for Gran Torino).

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Other things I want:

-----To get over the cold that I recently contracted. I am using a generic equivalent of Zicam. I don't know about imitation Zicam yet....but I have found the real thing effective. At least for me, Zicam has made having colds much more tolerable....taken away a lot of breathing issues that come with having so much congestion.

-----I would like to know if I actually have a zinc deficiency (one of the things in Zicam). I was researching side effects of too much zinc and what foods are high in zinc. I apparently eat almost no zinc. :-(

-----To take Doggie to obedience school. I want to find something from the American Kennel Association....I think they are the best as far as this goes. I have had free access to some "Sessions with Cesar" in the past (via BzzAgent)....but I have not gotten that much into Cesar-even though I am part of the "pack" or something like that. Doggie could use obedience school....a bit stubborn.
-----To never see a Chia Obama in person. @Auritech said that he has seen the Chia Obama and it made him cringe. I agree with @Auritech....Lincoln Chia is silly fun.
-----I want to know why many people don't see me as a human being due to my eye problem. I want to know why people pretend that this treatment is horrifying....but do the same thing to me. Also, why I can put on a pair of sunglasses and the same people are nice to me and don't recognize me...why they see the eye problem and not me. I want to know why people mistake me for anyone else they have seen at my work who has an eye problem or is less than conventionally pretty. I want to know why some people actually tremble, gasp or make fun of me when they see my eye problem....it is not that extreme.

-----I want to know why other people choose to vent their childhood issues on me. This applies to more than one person. I understand that everyone has issues from their past.....but I do not understand the extent that certain people take this to when they interact with me.
-----I want to know why men are naturally better at video games and role-playing games (like Warhammer 40K) and there are games that I can't get no matter how I try (like some parts of Warhammer 40K).
-----I want to know why some people spend their every day thinking about how they can make their life better and how they can control the lives of those around them. I want to know why you would want to be like this and why you cannot see that it makes all involved unhappy. I want to know why I cannot figure out a way to not be in pain over such behavior.
-----I want to know what my newest niece will be like. :-) I love doing the Christmas presents for the little ones in my family. So far, I have found one curbside item and have stockings that were a gift from a friend (I used some of them last year and the kids loved them). I generally put a lot of effort into holiday presents....and a lot of hunting and gathering. :-) Seeing the smiles is one of my favorite parts of being an aunt. :-)
-----To get a working record player. Also, to collect more records. I go to a lot of thrift shops and rarely find an unscratched record. I must find a way to travel to record shops more often...yes, I have to travel to find a record shop (groan). I plan to make some sort of turntable...and hope that I will not ruin records using it.
-----To buy a graphic novel called "Nixon's Pals." It is about a man who is a parole officer for super heroes. Imagine the training one would have to do for a job like that.
-----To get a big thick chopping block like they use at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). I would also like to have a set-up where a large amount of my countertops are chopping blocks (like Julia Child's kitchen).
-----The series "The Chopping Block" to have another season. For what it's worth, I agreed with the choice that was made for the winner of this show. I could not make up my mind what I thought of the second place couple and I really liked the third place couple. I really learned a lot from this show. I think that I might eventually like Marco Pierre White more than Gordon Ramsay.
-----I would like Trader Joe's to post more of their products online. It is hard when they only talk about 3 or 4 products at a time. I am really enjoying the Eggplant Garlic Spread....with egg noodles and chicken.
-----This Iron Butterfly Baseball Cap. I would also like to see a video that actually looks like Elvis singing Inna-Gadda-di-Vida.....I think he would have been awesome at singing this. I wrote an e-mail to Iron Butterfly telling them that they should do this. I enjoy having Husband do an imitation of Elvis singing Inna-Gadda-di-Vida.
-----To attract a lot of bees to my yard (fairly safe bees only). I am trying to do my part to fight Bee Collapse. We are going to take up beekeeping....wanted to start this summer but a lot of other projects got in the way. I was happy to see that we did start getting a lot of bees at the end of the summer.
-----To attend the BlogHer and SXSW Conferences within the next few years. BlogHer is within my price range next year....I hope...if I use the student rate. When I do SXSW, I want the full package...and that is going to take some saving up.
-----To try many grilling recipes next Summer....especially marinades. I have been collecting different marinades whenever I see a clearance or sale at the grocery (of course, I won't be saving these until next year). I like Newman's Sesame Ginger and have a Merlot Sauce in the pantry that we are going to try. Over the winter, I will collect up recipes to try.
-----To avoid catching the Swine/summer Flu. Despite concerns over outbreaks, I see so many people that still sneeze and cough on others. I have several co-workers that come to work knowing they are contagious...and every time I catch something I have to stay away from visiting my mother (due to her being weakened from Stage 4 Breast Cancer). I understand needing the money...but I once got a viral illness so bad from a co-worker who had been ordered not to work that I had to sleep sitting up to avoid choking in my sleep and came very close to a trip to the ER that I could not afford....and no one at my work cared about how sick I was or how I got that way (or that the effects lasted for a few months). My friend and his family have the swine flu. :-(
-----To own "Dragon:The Bruce Lee Story." If I could ask for things that weren't possible...then one of them would be for Bruce and Brandon Lee to have not tragic-and-premature deaths. I also wish that tragedy hadn't befallen Lennon and JFK, Jr. I watched a good movie based on the life of JFK, Jr. recently....I will have to find it and post a link (it is up on Hulu).
-----More farm-fresh eggs. I have found someone to buy them from and need to call to start arranging pick-ups. The info is on the side of my refrigerator...I just need to call and get this started. Maybe I will tell people I am subscribing to farm-fresh eggs. :-)
-----To visit Dollywood. I want to go on their SkyZip ride. Multiple ziplines in the Smokey Mountains. I also want to safely see a bear in Smokey Mountains National Park...and have the knowledge of how to photograph it (relatively) safely.
-----To visit Graceland. I want to make leaf rubbings of the Fall leaves there...a souvenir that would suit me.
-----I would love to have the sewing talent to make a Elvis-style jumpsuit that suits me. I saw the VMA's on TV recently.....and did not really like Katy Perry's outfit or performance.....her outfit looked like Elvis' Aloha from Hawaii jumpsuit cut up into several pieces.
-----To have Hogan's Heroes remade into a movie. I would want it done in a way that was not offensive to Germans/other people in WWII.We have the complete series that we have been slowly watching....and then passing on to my Mother (who is very ill and likes them to pass the time). TVLand.com has a rotating schedule of episodes that you can watch for FREE.
-----More storage containers....lots more. I am especially longing for refrigerator and closet containers. I do not like Tupperware that much....it just gets hard to clean after a while. I would rather buying Ziploc containers every so often.
-----A dehydrator.To make different kinds of jerky. I am intrigued by jerky made out of salmon.
-----To buy a case of Blu Frog (energy drink). I like the flavor much more than Red Bull. Unique. I was hoping to buy some for Summer guests but they did not stay long enough.
-----To find if the song Judd Nelson sang about wanting to be an Airborne Ranger is a real song. If so, I want to learn the lyrics.
-----To find a medieval-looking dress that coordinates with my green Marvin the Martian fisherman's hat. "The Very Merry Seamstress" seems like it might be a good choice.
-----Purchase a mosquito trap called a "Mosquito Magnet" for the grill area. The Mosquito Magnet traps the mosquitos for 200 feet! Right now we have citronella oil tiki torches that we use for get-togethers....and they are beautiful (looks like a Hawaiian lua or fire poi show).
-----To take a cruise to somewhere warm. Cliche but true wish. I also plan on a whale-watching cruise to New England/Alaska.
-----To play Bossaball. I do not know of anywhere in the United States that offers this game. I hope I am in better shape the first time that I play.
-----To find ways of eating meat that cause less strain on the environment.
-----To have a complete lapidary equipment setup. I have picked out what I think will be our first rock saw and now must save up. I have BAD hand-eye coordination due to an eye problem....so, I will have to ask Husband to complete anything I design for me (same with the bee-keeping).
-----To finish our bathroom remodel.
-----A new stock pot set. I want to make sure that this set is made better (last did not take to prolonged periods of heat...I kid you not). I also want it to be the correct width/height proportion to not have soup evaporate quickly. I have done some reading on this and found that my original pots were likely not thick enough.
-----A claw-foot tub. We have considered putting in an enclosed bathhouse outside. :-)
-----A rubber duckie. I have told Husband that they have rubber duckies at the dollar store. I am going to drop this "hint" to Husband again. The rubber duckie and the claw-foot tub would go perfectly together. :-)
-----To learn both freehand and string glowsticking.
-----Replace several necklace chains that I am allergic to.Repair a couple that have broken.
-----Purchase and board a horse. Or at least go horseback riding with the same horse on a regular basis. Learn how to saddle/care for a horse. There is an equestrian school that I really want to attend.
-----To make another Kiva investment (micro-business loans to third-world countries). I am on my second Kiva investment and it seems to be going well for the small business that I am lending to. I have been very happy about this whole adventure....I won a gift certificate to make the investment and I intend to just continually give the $25 out to help (if I continue to be lucky about it getting re-paid).
-----To open a coffee shop....obviously from the title of my blog. I intend to grow much of my own product for this shop.
-----More home barista equipment. We need a coffee grinder....oddly enough we do not own one (have to take beans to someone else's house and borrow theirs).
-----To go Zorbing.
-----To go on a hot air ballon ride. Every time I have tried, the weather has thwarted me.
-----To get a truck....because we have to borrow one a lot when hauling manure and the like.
-----To get my Phd. I will be getting very intense with my urban farming...to the point that in the end I will technically be an Environmental Engineer. Another want, unfortunately, is for me to be better at math...I have to pass several higher level math courses at some point.
-----Get the proper set-up and repairs done for my guitars. Then learn how to play them. I need a boogie bag for all but one. I also need guitar straps and stands.
-----To watch every video on FoodTube.
-----To put down tiles on the floor of the kitchen sink cabinet...we always seem to be breaking the same pipe and this would be better for the wood. I got this idea from "The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook" by Justin Spring. I would like at least one of the tiles to have a butterfly on it.
----PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOTHER. She has Stage 4 Breast Cancer and we are unsure when she will be able to have surgery. This surgery was supposed to occur back in August but she has not been strong enough. My Mother is also struggling with diabetes and had a heart attack.

Accomplished:
-----Much of this laptop is paid off.

-----The old laptop has finally been totally wiped. Husband happily made it work like when I got it and is happily using it. Now, we can both work on our respective online projects....while watching a movie together. :-)
-----We went to the zoo so I could practice my photography skills. In the end we ended up taking photos for some of Husband's artwork. We will go again next year. I still need to blog the photos.

This post is a work-in-progress. :-)

2009-10-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

-----A heart of sea lions :-)

2009-10-13T00:21:00.001-07:00

-----There were some miracles on September 11th.

Request from me:

-----PLEASE help to have Drew Carey donate a million dollars to LiveStrong. If enough people spread the word, it will be an easy thing to do. My Mother has Stage 4 Breast Cancer.

Rivers in the Blogosphere.....

2009-10-11T19:35:00.014-07:00

This evening I am experimenting with "Small Rivers"....a Bloggers tool to network content and audiences. I have only seen one similar tool....and I do not remember its name. Obviously, I keep extensive blogrolls, but I must hunt out content by hand. I think that Small Rivers might bring something of interest to my blog. :-)

I tried this with "blood oranges" as the topic...I guess we will see if anyone else ever blogs about this. I have odd fascinations. :-)

So I think I will be able to use this to:
-----Discuss music with other bloggers
-----Find new books to read (or see what others think of what I read)
-----Learn what others think of key news topics....especially upcoming legislation. There are some weird laws in this country....and some that could do a lot of good.
-----See what recipes Bloggers are talking about. I love finding new recipes.

It's called a "portable content network"....so it's basically like doing a search on items you are interested in all the time (while you blog). Convenient.

Small Rivers is in alpha. I hope this works out well for me....and will keep readers updated. :-)

Sponsored Post :-)

I Say and You Think....

2009-10-11T18:22:00.004-07:00

My treat ::Trick or treat. Making sure have the money to offer to pay. Things I consider treats. Not a treat...pork....people here in the U.S. eat so much pork. Treat others with kindness.

Bell ::Cowbell. School bell. It doesn't ring a bell.

Five :: Give me five. The Dave Clark Five. Five fingers on your hand...and five toes on your feet. Five weekdays...and then two days on the weekend.

You’re crazy :: No, I'm not. Sometimes being crazy is a compliment.

Disgust :: Disgusted. What disgusts me?

Tempest :: Storm. Tempest Bledsoe.

Bummer :: Hummer. Disappointed.

Brim :: To the top. Overflowing.

Hose :: Garden hose. All the times the garden hose has kinked up. Getting my clothes wet...I don't like that. Turning the outside water on for the first time in the spring or summer.

Lollipop :: I have seen some strange lollipops on the Food Network. People who throw their sucker sticks on the ground or leave them in your shopping cart. People who think sucking on a lollipop makes them attractive.

Participate in Unconscious Mutterings....you can play all week if you like. :-)

Vlad's Favorite Fruit....Blood Oranges

2009-10-11T15:47:00.015-07:00

They are called volcano because they come from the Slopes of Mount Edna. This is also called Blood Orange Juice. I have been wanting to try Blood Orange Juice for at least the past three years....and yet I forgot to look for it when we went to Trader Joe's.....groan. I think that I noticed actual bags of blood oranges at Trader Joe's, too.

In My Life....

2009-10-11T04:36:00.009-07:00

-----There is a new episode of "The Next Iron Chef" on tonight. I am excited! :-)

-----I keep seeing all these commercials for wine from Cupcake Vineyards on TV. I have never tried that.

-----That I have never heard before. I heard Emeril pronounce "pralines" as "proh-leans".....more than once on "The Essence of Emeril."

-----I learned that Emeril likes Divinity. I have never had any that tasted good to me...but than again I have only had store bought Divinity.

-----I learned that Michael Vick will be getting a reality show. I wonder how often "the case" will be mentioned. Is he on probation or something like that??....then that would be part of his current reality.

-----I have wanted a better refrigerator for a while....then I see all the refrigerators on the Food Network and want a fridge with more space/easy reach even more.

2009-10-11T04:19:00.003-07:00

-----New street...literally!

-----I saw the Levi Johnston commercial and I will be avoiding Wonderful Pistachios....because I find their commercial far from wonderful.

-----A carpet made from a German Shepherd is a piece of art?? Many are protesting.

-----Oklahoma law will publicly post details of abortions.

Thursday Thirteen......

2009-10-07T22:47:00.027-07:00

1. "Dinner:Impossible" is supposed to be a real show with real missions. Why does the the doughnut and cake episode at a New Jersey bakery seem so scripted? It really seems like the night shift supervisor is acting. Maybe her management style is this way?

2.

This is one of the things that I do with my Thursdays. I meet a lot of interesting people this way. :-) I think this will particularly fun this month....seeing what people are doing for Halloween.

3.

4.
Blog Action Day is October 15th.

5. There is an all new episode of "The Next Iron Chef" on Sunday. I am excited.

6. It is Old Navy's 15th Anniversary. Do you wear clothes from Old Navy?

7. As Halloween approaches I have been thinking of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (and of Michael Jackson himself).

8.
-----Vintage recipe...Pumpkin Mince Meat Pie.
-----Vintage Macaroni and Cheese recipe
-----Tipsy Maple Pecan Pie. I do not like pecan pie...but I might try it sometime.

9. If we only have 3 years left to live...

10. T-shirts:
-----"Vampires Have No Life" Very reasonably priced.
-----"Shark Tricks"

-----"It's the Most Wonderful Time for a Beer"

11.
-----Apple caviar recipe
-----Pilgrim Hat Cookies. Simple fun.

-----"Cream of Taco Soup"

12.

13. People are always telling me how they want to learn a foreign language....but when I suggest ways that they can do so (LiveMocha, for instance) they basically blow me off. It's weird how people can say they want to do something that they really have no commitment to doing.

Participate in Thursday 13.