Updating Like Crazy

*Spring is indeed still here...but we're supposed to get snow tomorrow. (Figures.)

*Feeling a little better -- but still not well. This fluish version is nasty. I get some work done, then promptly run out of steam and must stop and rest. Not conducive to making a lot of progress.

*The $135 update! I brought the laptop receipts to Office Depot...and lo and behold, the main rebate didn't require a proof-of-purchase from the box. (Thanks to the Office Depot employee who pored so carefully through the pages of receipts and figured this out for me!) So I put that in the mail as fast as my little legs could carry me. We should be $135 to the better...it's not $150, but it's a heck of a lot better than losing it all. and I NEVER will throw a box away again without checking with the husband first.

*Packing and prep work for Brazil continues.

And life goes on.

Frugal Stuff...And Yes, Spring is Really Here

After a few days of sunny-but-cold, I happened to glance at the flower bed...

Are those daffodil stalks -- with BUDS?!

The crocus and a hyacinth are blooming their heads off...

The mint planted last spring is actually showing STALKS...

And where in the world did all that grass come from?

The rose bushes, only sticks a few days ago, are sending out rosettes of leaves. Suddenly little topknots of growth are EVERYWHERE.

Guess Colorado has finally decided that it is indeed spring.

This bronchitis is hanging on. When I cough, it sounds like an eighteen-wheeler changing gears. We have a fundraising concert to do Friday night for the Brazil trip. But if I talk even a little, I'll lose my voice. So I don't. Dave, who tends to be quiet anyways, speaks even less. If it weren't for the Woofy Brothers, we'd have a dead-silent house around here.

Just found a wonderful new blog: http://www.velveteenmind.com She's feisty and a bit earthy. (Check out the guest post, weirdly illustrated, on baby poop -- and I could do without her f--- words.) But I love her graceful prose and thoughtfulness. Here's her post on running out of money:

http://www.velveteenmind.com/velveteenmind/2008/04/less-than-zero.html

Yesterday, to celebrate Earth Day, our local thrift shop ran a 50% special on clothing. Living in one of the richest counties of the U.S.A. has its benefits, when it comes to donations! Some generous soul in my size, bless her heart, dropped off a batch of stuff. And for her (and now me), it was only the best.

I scored a pale gold silk shirt (high quality)...a lime green linen bigshirt...a white unusual collar shirt...another linen blend shirt...and a Land's End pink snowflake nightshirt. Designer labels. Oh, and a batch of t-shirts perfect for the upcoming Brazil trip. All for less than $1 each, thanks to my volunteer discount. Yowza!

This bronchitis has got to go away sooner or later. In the meantime, there's writing (and ironing) to do.

Corned beef is simmering in the crockpot, and all's well with the world.

Want to Learn More?

Want to learn more about your personal Crazy quilter?

ForewardMagazine has an author page up for yours truly:

http://www.forewordmagazine.com/authors/home/index.asp?w=pages&r=0&pid=59

The review of CRAZY QUILTS will be out on the website in a few days...

Tacos 4 for $1 at CO Taco Bell Thursday!

The Colorado Rockies got more than 7 runs in tonight's game in SD...actually, final score was 10-2. (Go, Rocks!) Therefore, all Colorado Taco Bells are running a special tomorrow, Thursday, April 17:

4 tacos for $1!

Only one order per customer, and it's only good from 4-6 p.m. on just this Thursday. (I'm guessing we're going to see this special again as the Rockies continue to start improving! There, that's optimism for you...)

Apologies to non-Coloradoans who read this (and drool)...but for those of us from the Centennial State, take advantage of this great special.

Go Rockies!

Library Journal review of CRAZY QUILTS

NEWSFLASH

Title: Crazy Quilts
Author: Cindy Brick
ISBN-13: 97807603237-5
MBI Catalog ID: 145479AP
Price: $29.95
Pub Date: February 2008


Activity:
Library Journal, April 15, 2008 (Circ.: 18,000)

One of the most influential magazines for the library market and seen by far more readers than the circulation reflects, Library Journal included a review of Crazy Quilts on their page featuring Fiber Crafts. Reviewer Jan Zlendich, Librarian Emerita, Cal State Univ. Lib., Fullerton writes:
“Textiles appraiser Brick here presents a well-documented and generously illustrated history of a ‘crazy’ form of quilting that was wildly popular in the1880’s and is today enjoying a resurgence of interest among quiltmakers…Color photographs, vintage drawings, postcards, and advertisements bring the colorful world of the crazy quilt into focus while a practical ‘how-to’ section teaches the prospective crazy quilter three different methods for constructing crazies. A fine, solid choice for public and academic library quilting collections”.

Whoo hoo!

I Scream...You Scream...

Winter (again). The sky is a dull lead gray, and it's getting ready to snow. I keep thinking of playing Simon and Garfunkels' "Hazy Shade of Winter"...it would fit today.

On a cheerier note, if you like ice cream, here's the place to stop for more info on your favorite treat! (I already signed up for the Blue Bunny IScream Team...they have a seasonal 'bunny in a blizzard' flavor that's incredible.)

http://www.wisebread.com/i-scream-you-scream-i-m-lovin-free-ice-cream

Dave has the flu...he didn't go to work, and has spent the day so far watching westerns and staring morosely into the fireplace. (Poor guy.) I have writing deadlines, as well as a headache that won't quit, the start of a cough, and achy body-ness all over. I suspect the Big Guy has shared his flu with me. Chicken soup has already been administered...time for some frozen pizza, and a snuggle.

Winter...spring. Spring...winter.

Late yesterday, after about a foot of snow earlier in the day, the air was warming and the snow melting into lakes of moisture. Unlike the rest of the country, we hardly ever see standing water -- it's that dry around here. In fact, we rarely have rain at all: maybe once a month, if we're lucky. Rainy days are a celebration. People come sputtering in, flinging off the raindrops and grinning -- they won't have to water!

So, it's spring in Colorado...right?

This morning, the puddles were frozen over. And in spite of a brief flirtation by the sun, we're back to gray skies, blowing and snowing. The mountains are socked in completely -- no doubt they're REALLY getting nailed. Down here on the flatlands, we're just seeing those hard bits of snow, driven by an icy wind.

Will it ever change? Well, based on recent experience, it won't be long. People around here say, 'Don't like snow, rain, ice, sun/whatever? It's Colorado -- just wait a bit, and it will change.'

Did you know:

Colorado is one of the lightning strike capitals of the world?

That we often get snow -- but rarely a batch that actually sticks for a long time? (Last winter was the big exception.)



That ski operators are thrilled when it snows on a televised Broncos game -- because that means they're going to get lots of reservations? (In fact, there's a big joke around here that it snows BECAUSE the Broncos are being televised. Hey, bear with us -- now that Jason Elam has been released, we don't have much to look forward to for next season. We've got to talk about SOMETHING.)

Well, back to work -- ironing, the last of the reports (yay!), and preparing for a cozy weekend, doing taxes.

Oh, goody.

Spring Blizzard

We have a new kitchen faucet...lovely. Dave spent a good share of his evening last night with his head underneath the kitchen sink. A nasty way to spend it, but gee, I am so grateful.
Thank you, Honey.

We woke up this morning to snow. And wind. And ice. It's a full-scale blizzard, courtesy of April. Where are those crocus? The daffodil and daylily leaves? They're under there, I'm sure...but when the wind is shrieking around the house, it's hard to remember that.

Chili's in the crockpot, warming the air. Dave had to go to work. (Those Who Decide decreed that Douglas County Schools would have class on time, even though it's hard to see the roads, let alone find them.) But when he gets home, I'm guessing that our usual Thursday night commitment -- worship team practice -- will be cancelled. And then we can spend a cozy night by the fire.

A Very Unusual Version of Swan Lake

(yes, I am going to learn how to imbed these things...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqxSaW05p4

The frogs at the beginning are GREAT!

True Lemon: A Review

Hi guys -- I received a free sample of this in the mail some time ago, and wanted to mention it.

Ever since our trips to Mexico, I love what lemon and lime juice does to food. Sit out in the sun on the patio, stir that tangy mixture of shrimp, citrus, garlic and cilantro on your plate. Scoop up the ceviche on a cracker, look out over the ocean (or in one case, the highway!) and munch. Every time I inhale that tangy, biting aroma, even on a snowy, bleary day like today, I think warmth, sun and sandy beaches.

The problem is longevity. I have a heck of a time getting lemons and limes to hang around. In our dry air, they dry up quickly -- especially the tiny limes whose flavor is soooo Mexican.

That's why [commercial here] True Lemon is helpful. (I like True Lime even better; True Orange is also available.) You've got that bracing citrus flavor in convenient powder form -- and it's not going to end up looking like Night of the Shriveled Dead in your fruit bowl. It's not just handy for salads -- I also like it sprinkled in as a flavor note in soups. Many people also use the handy packets for zipping up their water. Vitamin-wise, it's also going to be a nice jumpstart if you'll feeling fluish or rundown at all.

You can try it for free here at:

http://truelemon.com/gratitude-sample.html

Requesting a sample won't cost you a thing -- and True Lemon will donate 10 packets to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan every time you do.

And think spring. I'm sure it's out there. Somewhere.

Two HUGE Surprises in the Movie Department

Dave is away at our niece Kristin's wedding in Rhode Island this weekend. I've been moving in (organized) piles of this and that, eating whatever I feel like (clam chowder, chili fries, sausage, popcorn...and peas!). And working.

In between, I've been watching movies. And much to my amazement, two have just blown me away.

The first is Kevin Costner's THE POSTMAN

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119925/

This apocalyptic disaster epic got awful reviews when it first came out in 1997. It may just have been ahead of its time. Thanks to bad weather, disease and war, the world consists of isolated communities...until a lone drifter finds a crashed van and its skeleton driver, and decides to deliver the mailbag he finds. Eventually a whole network of mailmen is flowing between communities (think Pony Express). And when they do, people start fighting the army oppressing them.

It's long - 3 hours. And there are corny and awkward moments. But I found myself absorbed in the vitality and passion Costner pours into both his directing, and his work as The Postman. Will Patton is General Bethlehem, the 'bad guy' -- creepy and mesmerizing at the same time. His army smacks a bit of the banditos in the Magnificent Seven, but it's terrifying, all the same.

I was also amazed at the level of heartfelt -- and effective -- patriotism expressed throughout. (Although their canonizing of the US Post Office's persistence and enthusiasm may be a tad misplaced, based on my experience! :) ) There's a surprise character too, who grins and allows that he "may have been famous." (look for him around the dam sequence.) If you like classic rock, you'll recognize him in a flash.

If you liked Red Dawn, The Day After Tomorrow, or I Am Legend...and you don't mind an occasional silly visual reference to Costner's past work (like riding past the troops a la Dancing With Wolves), you are going to LOVE this amazing movie. Shame on the critics -- if Costner had produced The Postman today, it would have been a much bigger hit.

--------

The other movie to take my senses completely by surprise:
AUGUST RUSH

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426931/

Evan Taylor (a.k.a. August Rush) is an 11-year-old runaway from the foster home, looking for his parents. And he reaches out to them via music. But it's not your usual kind -- August hears it in the growl of the trucks on the city streets, or the swish of the wind...the tramp of feet...birds twittering... August falls in with a group of miscreants who are set up as street musicians, led by a greedy man who markets them to the public. (This is interesting, especially if you're a big fan of Ron Moody's Fagin in Oliver Twist, but Robin Williams' "Wizard" role is not one of his best. I guess Williams' sometimes odd nastiness adds some tension, but it often seems to have little purpose except to drag the plot onward. Ol' Robin is supposed to have been a "kid in the system" gone bad...but his bitterness grates on you.)

August's version of sound and rhythm isn't just music. It's interpreting life, using musical notes and percussive sounds. Amazing amazing amazing, and Freddie Hightower's obvious pleasure and excitement channeling this wonderful music just makes the whole movie even better. Add to it the romantic supposition that August is drawing his parents with his music -- and they are being drawn to each other at the same time -- and you have a tearjerker that is a musical experiment in the senses.

The finale is a huge concert in New York City's Central Park by the Philharmonic, featuring August's "Rhapsody"...but the real pleasure is hearing the percussive guitar of Kaki King -- an exercise in drums and melody at the same time. (How DOES she do it!) And organ music. And beats used as melody, as much as the notes. And a mix of the unusual, everything from wind chimes to cello to waterglasses. I especially enjoyed hearing classical music treated the way it was originally meant -- to be heard (and whistled, hummed and fooled around with) by the average joe on the street, as much as the society snooty-goer.

One of our good friends raved about this movie -- a surprise, since he usually likes shoot-em-ups, and though he enjoys music, I tend not to think of him this way. (He also HATES 'chick flicks.') But August Rush is a re-introduction to the beauty and simple, expressive meaning in our everyday lives. You won't walk down a road again without thinking a bit of your heels slapping the pavement, punctuated by the rhythm of your breath. As the Wizard says, "Play as if it is life...as if there's nothing else."

The Times, They Are A-Changin...

Finally, I am beginning to see the light again. When you're an appraiser, and people donate quilts, they also need a special report to submit to the IRS. By April 15. Which means you hustle up and get their reports done...and your own taxes suffer.
Don't feel too sorry for me. I am a notorious procrastinator. (Shame, shame.) The good thing is that I am in the middle of the Last Report, which should go out in tomorrow's mail. Then it's on to some promised articles -- and clean up the rat's nest waiting downstairs!
Wait a minute. Rat's nest? Naah...no self-respecting rat would dare step foot downstairs. I suspect there are Things down there. Big Things. Perhaps hiding under Other Things. (Like those weird monsters under the bed in the Calvin & Hobbes cartoons...only I have nothing to throw them!)
Dave is headed to our niece's wedding in Rhode Island tomorrow morning. Once I drop him off at the airport, I plan to make a beeline for home. Then, other than a lecture in Castle Rock Saturday morning, I plan to WORK. And catch up.

One of my voice students just had leg surgery...Ana is a dear, and has had to deal with her leg suddenly going out from under her. (Especially scary when you're trying to maneuver on winter ice.) Considering her surgeries, past and present, and living with legs that don't quiiiite operate like they should, she has been amazingly gutsy through the whole thing. You can see Ana's progress at her blog, http://www.anamariajoy.blogspot.com/

Back to the report -- then sleep. Hopefully.

Six Reasons Why I Can't Sleep at 2:30 a.m.

*Something's shining in our window. (I guess it's the moon, but it's driving me CRAZY.)

*Dave is snoring like a freight train just rerouted through our bedroom. Maybe it did. Maybe the tracks are being reset even as we speak...

*It's spring. I itch. All over. Darn lack of humidity around here, anyways.

*Too many 'little' things need to be taken of. (And they'll all take 'just a minute.' Right.)

*That cake we had for dessert is calling my name.

*I'm cold. Then hot. Then chilly again. Or just the toes...nope. I'm cold. (And if I snuggle up to Dave, well -- see item #2.)

That's why I'm watching 'Monk', and getting ready to finish up one last appraisal report. (The cake's already gone -- it was delicious!) Maybe, once it's finished (the report, not the cake), then maybe I can sleep again.

Yeah, right.