Monday, March 18, 2024

Monday Stuff On the way to Other Stuff: Meltdown

     The nice thing about Colorado is that we have these horrendous snowstorms -- and within a few days, they're melting off -- fast. Although the woodpile and trees still show a good amount of white stuff, our deck and driveway are fairly dry. I used to plant spinach on St. Patrick's Day in Castle Rock (6250 ft elevation). However, if I did it here (8600 ft.), I would have had to shovel snow off the planting beds. Guess that needs to wait for a week or two.

     It may be sunny during the day, but is still cold after sunset. Time for another log on the fire.


Meanwhile:

The secret to the 'castle' formation in Castle Rock, Colorado -- opal and chalcedony!

A Roman bust emerges during a construction project in Great Britain...where did it come from, and why? (Theories are included.)

Joann's has filed for bankruptcy... sewers everywhere are mourning. (Fortunately, the stores are still open.)

'we bought a 1700's home with lots of charm...and maybe a ghost.'

Grandma's secret for great lasagna was... cinnamon and sugar? Yes, according to this foodie. (From thekitchn

The Brooklyn Museum is selling off four of its 'period' rooms -- including antique furniture. They say they need the room for 'new collections.'  Hmmm...

Five different ways to commit art fraud I'm not sure I'd brag about this, but...at least it's a warning what to look for.

Look into this class action settlement for walmart customers -- if you shop there, you should be eligible!

Absentmindedness. Sheer absentmindedness. I'm sure that's it...

Or just plain forgetful. Yeah, that's the ticket.

The 'unsolvable' Harry winston diamond heists...the mastermind behind them may still be a free man.

"Ten ways to add joy to your life, even when you don't have a penny to spare." I know I've mentioned this post from The Prudent Homemaker before, but it's so important.



Stuffed 'carrot' crescent rolls for Easter? (No, carrots are not in the stuffing.)

Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his wife's help while at the Oscars. I'll bet she was thrilled.

Dozens of outstanding 'parent hacks' -- that work for us child-free people, too.

A nice Irish coffee recipe. 

"All the posts since the beginning of time" -- from a great FIRE blogger, Mr. Money Mustache.

Another black eye for Harvard -- its Professor of Honesty apparently cheated on her research. And Harvard admits it. Ouch.



Have a good week. 



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Bigfoot Terrariums - the Redux

I had to send this classic post back to "Draft-Land," to keep hackers from piggybacking onto it. But I thought you might enjoy another look at a very silly subject. (Hee hee!)

P.S. we got more than two feet of snow in the latest storm...but it's melting fast. Typical of Colorado.

===============================

 I don't know about you, Gentle Readers. 


I write about saving money, shipwrecks (a new one's coming shortly), politics, food, quilts and oddball mysteries...

I figured you'd want more of that. So what are requests coming in for?


How to make Bigfoot terrariums. 

Zany.

This beauty on Etsy got my attention. What a striking piece.



Then the miniature version caught my eye.
 There are a surprising number of BF terrariums out there -- even kits.




Why not make one (or two) Bigfoot terrariums, for the girlies?

So I did.


Or terrarium...


Here's what I used:

*A large wide-mouth glass jar or decanter
      I used a pedestal jar shaped like a brandy snifter, and a covered  jar--
                 both for a buck or two each from the local thrift shop.

*Planting soil  
      One bag will be more than enough. I was feeling frugal, so went out and dug some well-fertilized dirt from the chickenyard.

*At least three or four small plants
       I used a jade plant, ivy and two others. Look for smaller-sized plants with colored details or interesting leaf shapes. Get a specimen that has more than one plant in it -- then make more than one terrarium.

*Assorted rocks and gravel -- preferably decorative, but use what you've got.

*A Bigfoot figurine. I used the two Sasquatch from this set. (Anybody need a giant Kraken, coelacanth or jackalope for their aquarium or terrarium? A friend fell in love with the fur-bearing trout, so that's gone. I'm keeping Nessie.)




Now comes the fun part.



Step One:  Clean and wipe dry your glass. (Yes, you can spend big bucks on a fancy terrarium -- but large jars, fishbowls and other decorative pieces are just fine, provided they have wide mouths. You'll see why soon.)

Step Two:  Start with a thin layer of stones, decorative pebbles or gravel.

Step Three:  Add planting soil --  at least a few inches thick. (I think mine was 3" in the glass jar, and 2" in the snifter.)

Step Four:  Separate your plants into seedlings. Arrange them around the inside of your glass, gently pushing the roots down into the dirt. I covered three sides, but kept the fourth side unplanted. Aren't you glad now that you gave yourself room to move these around inside the glass, thanks to the large mouth?

Step Five:  Add your Bigfoot. Put it on the fourth side, inside, of the glass, so it's peeking out.





Step Six:  Add something else to give your large buddy perspective. Decorative rocks? (That's what I used in the glass jar above.) Perhaps some artificial trees? (That's what the large Etsy bowl used.) A decorative piece of wood, a chunk of amethyst, whatever -- but it should be something that gives your terrarium a more realistic look and adds visual interest.


This one used a large piece of white quartz, to balance out the effect of the white BF.
(The jar is actually sitting on top of its own lid, by the way.)


That's it. Water lightly, and your Bigfoot terrarium is ready to amaze.




Keep it healthy by watering once a week, when the soil looks dry, and misting occasionally.

These both took me about a half-hour to construct -- but I was busy fooling around with plant combinations and rock arrangements. Yours could be done in just a few minutes.

I was surprised and pleased that the girlies liked them so much.

For more help, go here... or here. 

Have fun.





Thursday, March 14, 2024

Yes, It's A Storm...

     we were lucky yesterday -- only a few inches of white stuff. But neighbors just a few miles from us got a foot of snow.



     Today, we're making up for it -- at least a couple feet...and more's coming down. Our friends in Castle Rock say the same thing. At least it's an equal-opportunity storm!

     That's Colorado in the spring for you.



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Another Great One Is Gone: Joann Montgomery

     Some years ago, I was teaching at an extension center in Denver when I got a call. A lady said she had some trims and fabric to sell -- was I interested? That was my first contact with Joann Montgomery.

    Joann not only had 'some' items to sell -- she had a whole garage crammed full. Her partner's deceased wife was a shopaholic who enjoyed buying all sorts of craft items -- but never sewed or did anything else with them. I must have purchased hundreds of yards of lace, fancy trims and dozens of yards of vintage fabric...something my quilting students especially loved. I wrote dozens of pages of appraisal reports for donation and insurance values, which I swapped for more trims, fabrics and patterns.

    But the best bargain of all was the friendship that grew between Joann and myself. Over the years, I stopped regularly at her home to have a cup of coffee (I brought the doughnuts) and tell her about Stuff. A family picnic included an invitation for us, too. Gradually, Joann's health began to deteriorate. Every visit, I felt would probably be the last. 

    My visits stopped in 2019, as we were elsewhere with commitments.... and gradually our paths diverged from each other. After The Mama's death and our return to Colorado in the spring of 2021, I realized I had not heard from Joann for some time. And of course, there was a reason for it. 

     She didn't write books. She wasn't a quilter. (when I knew her, at least.) She didn't do anything spectacular that I know of. But she was funny, earthy and fascinating, with an opinion about everything. She loved her family and Al, her partner. And she showed me so much kindness and affection.

     I loved her back...and still miss her. This belated obituary celebrates this wonderful woman.



From the internet:

Joann Montgomery was born July 15, 1938 in McCook, Nebraska. She made her transition peacefully on November 12, 2020 .

Those who helped welcome her to heaven include her parents, second husband, one brother, one son, and two daughters along with a host of other family members. Survived by those who will miss her dearly including her longtime companion Al, two siblings and her other children, grand, great grand and great great grandchilden. As well many nieces, nephews, and longtime family friends.

Moved to Denver, CO in 1941 at age of 3, with parents Gerald Shorey and Agnes Shorey and 3 siblings. Moved to Lakewood, CO in 1946 when parents purchased a home on a large lot. She worked part time in HI school at the Chicken Inn on W Colfax as a carhop Attended Lakewood Public Schools where she was active as a cheerleader in 8th grade, was on the drill team as a senior, and sang at school assemblies and was in many school plays. She graduated in June 1956.

Married Gerald "Gary" Bramwell on February 28, 1957. They had 3 children, Kimileen Gae, Liane Rae, and Jeffrey G. After several other posts, when Gary was in the service, they lived in San Francisco - stationed at Presidio Army Base. Returned to Denver for a couple of years, then to Culbertson NE for a year or so until returning to Colorado when he got the job on the Denver Fire Dept. During their marriage they enjoyed camping, square dancing and spending time with extended family. Divorced in 1966

She met and married Everett "Monty" Montgomery. He was a single father with 5 children, Kathy, Jeff, Alan, Michael, and Janet. Joann moved to Aurora, CO with her 3 children and proudly became MOM to 8 children. Monty also had 3 children from a previous marriage who lived in Illinois that became part of the family, Gail, Gary and Sue Ann. They were both very active; Monty as a Scoutmaster with Boy Scouts, Joann as co leader with Camp Fire Girls; as well as just keeping up with raising 8 children! Joann had to learn to cook big meals, would often sing during ironing (Marty Robbins song Big Iron), enjoyed many sewing projects including making quilts with her mom and taught us all many life lessons including working hard, patience, listening, following the rules, being responsible and the importance of helping others.

The family of 10 did a lot of camping with Grandma and Grandad Shorey, mostly in the mountains of Colorado. They traveled to Wisconsin almost every summer to visit Monty's kin on the farm, that they all enjoyed. She referred to her family fondly as “The Montgomery Mob” and would often sign cards this way.

The children had daily chores, collected newspapers to recycle, worked at the body shop for extra money and assisted at home. They learned to work together and play together for the good of all. Joann worked for Arapahoe County in licensing department in Aurora from Jan 1985-May 1997. Monty passed away on May 12, 1999

Joann started square dancing lessons and became acquainted with a neighbor, Al Wright, who was dancing also. They started dancing and traveling together, and became life partners. They traveled to Georgia, Tennessee and Maine to visit both sets of relatives as well as many sightseeing adventures. They also discovered that they had a common interest in coin collecting. They have been together for 17 years and have been a blessing for each other. The family is appreciative of Al being there with Joann during her final illness; giving her loving care, sense of humor and understanding.

Even though we will miss her so much we are so grateful for the times, memories and love that we were blessed to share with her and will look forward to the reunion still to come . . . .

. Rest in peace, dear friend. Next time -- I'll make the coffee.






Monday, March 11, 2024

It''s Okay if This Happened Today...

 



So you messed up -- you'll do better tomorrow. 

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: SCAMMED -- Almost!

      'You have some extra charges on your card,' the caller said, identifying herself as from our credit card company. Someone had charged more than $1000 on AirCanada, among other things -- and she was just checking 'as a courtesy.'

      She asked for the last four digits of our Social Security -- then, when questioned, read off an OLD CARD NUMBER. She obviously thought it was a current one. 

     Alarm bells went off immediately. Why would the credit card company use an old card number? 

     A check of our account showed nothing amiss. A further call to the credit card company cemented it -- this was definitely a scammer. Meanwhile, after hanging up on her, she called back 22 times in 30 minutes. Obviously, she thought she had a live one!

     Whew.

     Just in case, the company sent a replacement card (yes, with a new number). And we'll be checking our account regularly. But this woman was very convincing. To make things worse, the number that came up on the phone was one of the credit card company's real toll-free numbers. (They can easily fake this sort of thing.) And we have had it happen a few times that the company would question a charge -- and text to find out. 

    Don't make the mistake we nearly did -- don't panic. Don't believe what they're saying. CALL THE COMPANY DIRECT. 

    Work is progressing -- but there's more to do. A 'big' storm came in last weekend -- everyone around us got 4-12 inches of snow, but Fort Garland had barely an inch. Supposedly we'll have stormy weather nearly all week, with plenty of white stuff. I'm a bit skeptical...but we've got 'mare's tail' clouds out there -- a harbinger of bad weather. Time to reload the wood rack and make some chili, just in case.



P.S. If you've been reading any of my Really Old posts (like 2008-2009), and wonder why they're disappearing --

    Someone has been hacking my oldest posts, and using them for something -- I'm not sure what. But the visits to the blog have been blowing up, ever since this started happening. If I return the old pasts to 'draft' form, it seems to slow them down some. Sorry about that.

    It does seem weird to realize I've been blogging since Dec. 2007 -- more than sixteen years!


The Oscar winners list.  Think 'love theme for Oppenheimer.' Or Poor Things... take your pick.

People who've DECLINED major awards. Including Dolly Parton and the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- twice!

A beautiful antique portrait slashed and sprayed with paint -- by pro-Palestine protestors. Gee, I am sick of this...

A trip down the river to the Tam Coc caves in Vietnam (Travel with Kevin and Ruth has been visiting Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam lately.)

Thirteen expenses you can take off your budget right away.  (From One Hundred Dollas A Month)

Things you saw personally -- but couldn't prove. Some weird ones here.

Gina Lollibrigida's last words.... at her death, aged 95. And if you enjoyed that...

Ten peoples' ironic deaths. Including the general who declared, "They couldn't hit an elephant at that distance" -- just before Confederate snipers cut him down.

The "gold-filled" burial just discovered in Cocle Province, Panama -- and the chief was buried face-down!

The abandoned (and haunted, they say) school in the "San Luis Valley" that's being renovated for ne use.  This is near us! I suspect it's a building I noticed in San Luis, about 20 miles away -- but have to find out.

Some very funny "impeckable" bird photobombs and divebombs. 

The woman who started her career at McDonald's scrubbing toilets...and now owns TWELVE McDonald's restaurants.  Good for her!

Just before everything went crazy...


Have a good week. 




Monday Stuff On the way to Other Stuff: Meltdown

     The nice thing about Colorado is that we have these horrendous snowstorms -- and within a few days, they're melting off -- fast. Al...