Chatbug Karen

Blogging Outdoors

Karen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:48:26 +0000

This is the kind of day for which I wait all summer. In Indiana it gets so hot in July that it is unbearable to sit outside. Today is perfect. There is no humidity and there is a cool breeze. My husband and I have been sitting outside for the past hour, watching yellow finches perch on the feeder. We have been trying to keep our dog, Elsie, from chasing a dove that is busy eating from a different feeder. She chases it off and it comes back. It is either determined, very hungry, or not very bright.

Years ago, I bought a laptop with the hopes of being able to blog outdoors. Unfortunately, that laptop’s battery would die after two minutes and it was such a hassle to drag a cord outside that I gave up. I have a different laptop now and the battery lasts about three hours! Holy smokes! I am in heaven. Here I am, sitting outside, watching the birds, drinking coffee and blogging about mesothelioma. Life is so good.

We have been wondering if, like red birds, the male is the prettier species. I did some checking and sure enough, the male is the bright yellow bird. The female is a drab brown. The Yellow Finch brings bright sunny color to your bird feeder and is never a pest. To have a small flock of these brightly colored birds flitting about your yard is practically magical! We have been laughing as they fight for their place on the perch.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday afternoon and evening as much as we are and that you have a great week ahead.

The Odd Things We Eat

Karen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:42:14 +0000

I swore that I would not feed the birds this year. They are absolute pigs! I went through so much bird seed last year that I could have bought a, um, I can’t think what I would have bought with that money but it would have been something nice. Besides the expense of buying birdseed, there is the poop left all over the ground and the random sprouting of weeds like thistle in my yard. The guy at the hardware swore that the seed he sold me did not contain the kind of seed that would result in thistle growing in my plants, under the evergreen trees and everywhere else. He was wrong. We have an abundance of thistle.

Did you know that thistle is an edible plant? My husband was watching the Food Channel and caught a segment hosted by that crazy guy who goes to villages and finds the residents eating the weirdest things. He told of a place where the folks make thistle soup. I did some Internet research and found that people here in the US eat thistle too. They cut the stalk, remove all leaves and buds, and then peel the medium green outer layer off. Inside will be a pale green hollow stalk that tastes fresh, cool and crisp. Somewhat like celery. You can eat them plain, with salt and pepper, with vinegar, with peanut butter, or in a salad! Not me.

Quilters Hall of Fame

Karen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:14:41 +0000

I am so fortunate to live in Indiana. Do you want to know why?

Indiana is home to the The Quilters Hall of Fame. Many of my readers know that I am interested in the history of quilts since I make a quilt now and then myself. I know that they require so much effort and I admire those who have made outstanding contributions to the world of quilting. While some of the honorees might require wrinkle creams, they are an inspiration to all of us who make quilts. The Quilters Hall of Fame documents America’s quilt making heritage.

The history of the dream of Hazel Carter and the founding of the QHF from the Quilter’s Hall of Fame Website:

in 1978, she realized another
need existed in the quilt world that was not being met: the need to bring to the attention of her
delegates the work of previous generations of quilters and to recognize and praise the individuals of
the present day who were bringing the story of quilting to the fore. Many delegates appeared to be
ignorant about the history of their quilting heritage, the art from and craft they obviously love with
some passion. How could this be remedied? After careful exploration and discussion with her fellow
quilters, Hazel’s insightful solution was the creation of The Quilters Hall of Fame. The souvenir book for
that first induction ceremony in 1979 stated, The Quilters Hall of Fame has been established to
recognize the people behind the quilting renaissance, to pay tribute to their accomplishments, and
thereby establish documentation of an important part of quilting history.

Marie Webster House, home of the Quilter’s Hall of Fame

June’s Top Droppers

Karen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:36:22 +0000

Thank you to my top droppers for June!

Whatever Comes to My Mind

Foodarrific

All Contests

The Law

Karen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:03:16 +0000

I am a bit envious of my son. Let me tell you why. I have always been interested in mysteries. When surfing the television channels, I find myself immersed in those crime shows that have clues and build up intensity by allowing us to predict the ending. Help me if I land on a true crime story. I get nothing done for that hour.

My son will be starting law school in August. He is not sure what type of law he would like to practice but I am sure by the time he is finished with school, he should have an idea. There are many types of law. There are general family, criminal and Mesothelioma lawyers to name just a few. Greg seems interested in corporate law.

Any type of law is the deduction of mystery. Presentation of a scenario, analyze the clues, represent the client. I want to do that!

When we visited a law class during our visit to Greg’s law school, I was mesmerized by the professor. The students were given a specific incident and were encouraged to discuss what the law said about the way a legal judgment would be made. I’ll admit it was a bit confusing. Law is a bit like the Bible. It is all left to interpretation. It is up to the lawyer to convince a jury or judge that his interpretation is the correct choice. Fun stuff!

I am too old to start a new career but I am going to enjoy talking to Greg as he goes through law school.

Hands Free

Karen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:49:17 +0000

Our son was frustrated with the car stereo he had bought less than two years ago. Needing to have a hands free phone option in his car, he thought he would be able to use a Bluetooth adaptor with the stereo. He, unfortunately, found that not to be true. He began a search for the type of stereo for his car, but was having issues finding one that worked with his iPhone. Those of you that have ipods, know how valuable they can be on long trips. Greg is in his car a lot, so he really wanted his stereo to be compatible, but the issue that he found was that his fairly new receiver was already too old. How many times have we experienced that with computers? To make a long story short and to not go into the frustration of dealing with technicians who like to pass the buck, he finally was able to find a stereo and get it to work the way he needed. We gave him a new receiver for his birthday, but it ended up being useless with an iPhone. A terrific technician allowed him to return that receiver and pick out one that was recommended for use with the iPhone, and now it works great! His music plays in his car via wireless connection, and the Bluetooth lets him talk handsfree using his car speakers. He is a happy young man and had a happy birthday.

Review of the Movie “Up”

Karen — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:59:39 +0000

My son and his fiance recently saw the movie UP and said it was great! If you haven’t seen it yet, they highly recommend it, especially if you can see it in 3D. The film is about a little boy (who, in Greg’s opinion, needs the best diet pills he can find when he gets older) and an old man who go flying around the world in the old man’s house, which gets lifted up by balloons. The beginning of the film has a beautiful montage sequence that shows the old man’s heartwarming background. Everything was very tastefully done, and there are a lot of situations where parents can discuss the movie with their kids later and use the film as a learning tool. Even older kids will enjoy the film.

Sunny Sunday

Karen — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:02:29 +0000

What a beautiful day we had today here in Indiana. We had a horrible week with record high temperatures. Our humidity has been so high that you felt wet just from walking outside. No diet pill needed to lose weight in that kind of heat!

Today however, our weather changed and it was an awesome day. First, we went to church. It was fun to wear clothes I had previously been uncomfortable in and they were lose. I think my workouts are working.

After church, we went to a reception for a couple who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They are special to us because the husband is the minister who performed our wedding ceremony 35 years ago. They are the nicest people and it was good to see them again.

Late in the afternoon, we went with friends for a boat ride on the lake. The sky was blue and the temperature was just right. It was a little windy which made the water choppy but that was okay because we were out for a leisurely ride and not prepared to ski or anything like that.

I hope everyone has a great week.

One Little Screw

Karen — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:34:39 +0000

is all it took to mess up my laptop. I wish there was a wholesale laptops business where you could buy parts for your laptop. A small, teeny, tiny screw fell out of the frame that holds my screen together. The frame was separating and became so out of whack that I could not even close it. What a pain. Thank goodness, I have a warranty on my laptop and was able to send it in to be fixed.

It would have been a lot easier to put in a teeny, tiny screw.

On a good note, I went shopping today and bought a new dress. The things we resort to when our laptops are not at home. Sigh.

Four Foods on Friday #81

Karen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:18:28 +0000

#1. Clair’s question. What’s the biggest kitchen blunder you’ve made?
I didn’t know you were not supposed to put pyrex cookware directly onto a burner. The dish exploded and little shards of glass went everywhere.

#2. What’s your favorite snow day beverage?Hot Chocolate with little marshmallows

#3. What’s your favorite way to eat celery?
with peanut butter

#4. What’s the most most unappealing looking food you can think of? those chicks in their eggshell (I forget what they are called).