One thing I noticed when I was trying to get my moon/Venus sunset shot the other evening, was that 1) it was really cold and I was glad I had grabbed my oversized long-sleeve t-shirt to put on under my coat, and 2) that both of these celestial objects are now in

Winter or Summer Apparel

closer relation to Jupiter (which I have been watching since this past summer – you know when it was mesh shorts and t-shirts weather). I tried to get a shot of the three of them that night to no avail, but then the next night I stepped outside to take out the garbage when I happened to notice that on this night, the moon was actually in between Jupiter and Venus. I immediately went back inside and grabbed my camera and tripod (of course forgetting to put on a jacket or coat as usual – brrr). I went back out and got a handful of shots off before I had to go back in to tend to supper. Again I ran into the same problem that I had the night before; I need better equipment and more knowledge. I did end up getting all three in a picture together, but it’s not anything great or interesting. Next month and the month after that, all three are supposed to be in even closer proximity to each other so I’m hoping that the skies will be clear and I can try again.

My husband has been bringing home used pallets for years and repurposing them for various uses. He has broken them down to use the wood for a playhouse for our kids, he has left them intact and used them as a gently inclining ladder to the upper room in our

Custom Jacket Prices Wholseale

Morton building (another playhouse for the kids), he has used them as a floor foundation over the rock near one of our Morton building doors so I would have somewhere to stand and take weather pictures while still being relatively safe, and he has used them for various other miscellaneous reasons. I recently came upon another idea for him to use them for. In our mudroom, we have a large, grey cabinet that houses off season shoes, boots, jackets and team coats. I strongly dislike this cabinet because it takes up too much room in my opinion. The idea I ran across is that you secure a pallet to the wall so that the slats are horizontal, then you put the toes of the shoes between the slats and they hang there, neat and tidy but out of the way. I also took that thought a step further and suggested that he hang one on the wall as well and add screws and/or hooks for hanging coats and hats on. He liked the idea but after measuring found that the pallets he has are two inches too wide to be used as is. This weekend when he has the chance he will resize them to fit. I will be so glad to get rid of that cabinet and open up that wall area again.

I am not a hugger. The only people in my life that I want to hug are my husband and my kids. I’ve always been that way. If you’ve touched my shirt, then you’re too close. I don’t even hug my mom and dad or my siblings, but that’s okay because for the most part they’re not huggers either. Guess it must run in the family, huh? I really hate it when people go in for a hug. I need a screen printed bandana that says, “Please don’t hug the socially awkward” so that people would know to steer clear of the hug.  Because I’m not a hugger the whole thing is extremely awkward and I don’t know how to behave or what to do. I don’t know why people insist on giving hugs. It’s bad enough for me when it’s an extended family member, I don’t want to hug them but at least I know them. When it’s someone I’m just meeting or an acquaintance I haven’t seen in a long time, why do they think they need to hug? What’s wrong with a good hearty wave and a smile? Or better yet, just a tip of the imaginary cap? No physical contact involved. The way I like it.

Personalized t-shirt printing

The other evening when I was taking pictures of the sunset, while standing outside in a sweatshirt on a January night, I also took a picture of Venus. I don’t know if it’s true or if it’s just that I’ve never noticed before, but Venus seems to be particularly bright this year. Here is some information on how to spot Venus in the night sky from my National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky book: “As one of the two interior planets, Venus will always be seen in the hours after sunset and before sunrise; it never moves too far from the sun. But its proximity to Earth and its similar orbital year also mean that it is frequently visible for at least some part of the night. […] Viewing in twilight is best, as the planet’s brightness can make it overpowering in a dark sky through a telescope. For more detailed viewing, consider observing the planet before the Sun fully sets or as it is rising.” Just after the sun has set is when I have been noticing it the most this fall and winter. (I also love the color of the sky at that time of night. It would be the perfect color for a t-shirt for me.) I find it really amazing that we can see other planets with the naked eye from here on earth. I have noticed Jupiter, Venus, and even Mercury a few years ago. I don’t think I’ve been lucky enough to see Mars yet, because over the summer when I would have had a chance, I was unable to stay outside during the wee hours due to a skunk that had decided to have a late night snack in front of my Morton building, and since I didn’t want to have to wash my clothes in vinegar, I high-tailed it back inside, missing my chance. I’ll have to keep an eye on the star charts though and see if I can ever get the chance to see Mars again.

Screen printed custom shirts

I turned thirty-five over the weekend, and I totally don’t mind. In fact, I’m quite happy turning thirty-five, just like I was happy to turn thirty and thirty-one and all the other numbers in between. (I need a screen printed t-shirt that says “thirtysomething and proud”.) When I turned thirty, I felt like I was finally the age I had always been. At thirty-five I still feel that way. They say you are only as old as you feel. I have felt like I was in my thirties since I was a teenager so I guess now that I actually am in my thirties, it fits that that’s how old I feel still. I even pretty much dressed then like I do now – t-shirts and casual pants. I figure I will just be in my thirties for the rest of my life. I can live with that. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind getting older. It’s simply a fact of life. We all do it and just like you can’t rewind and change things from your past, you can’t stop the future from coming either. Although, if I could stop the future I would have stopped the person who gave me that red screen printed sweatshirt from ever buying it. Trust me, that was a mistake of epic proportions that should never be repeated.

Even though our winter has been fairly mild so far, there certainly seems to be a lot of sickness going around. I can’t tell you how often I read about Facebook friends’ kids who are sick. Even my mom managed to catch a not-fun bug recently. Luckily our house had been spared. Until last week that is. One morning my eight year old son woke me up just before I had to get up to take the kids to school to tell me he had gotten sick all over his screen printed pajamas. Poor guy was sicker than a dog all day. I just had him get into his comfy sweats, wrap up in his fleece blanket, and let him veg out in front of the TV all day. Even though he was finally starting to feel better by the end of the evening, before he even went to bed I had determined that he would stay home the next day. He hadn’t missed any school yet this year and I wanted to make sure he had ample time to get better. It turns out he probably could have gone to school, but I’m still glad I was safe rather than sorry. Luckily none of the other kids caught whatever it was that he had so we’re all back to being well again. Hopefully that will continue.

We have been having the craziest weather. One week we’ll need to wear layers of sweatshirts and t-shirts and the next week we can practically wear shorts. New Year’s Eve was like that. On New Year’s Eve day, it was warm for this time of year and I was able to go grocery shopping and get the mail in only a custom t-shirt rather than having to put on something warmer. Then the very next day, it was freezing cold, extremely windy, and went from feeling like spring to the depths of winter. My hoodie sweatshirt felt paper thin when I took out the garbage that day. I have to say, I like winter (to a point) but I’m not complaining about the warmer temps. As long as it stays warmer, it saves money on our electric bill and our propane bill. There’s nothing undesirable about that! Plus the warmer weather allows me to wear t-shirts around the house rather than sweats so it saves on wear and tear on my sweatshirts so they’ll last me longer. I kind of hope this warmish trend continues for a while. I don’t think I’d be sad at all this year if it never really felt all that much like winter.