Saturday (Really, Sunday) Musings

It's past 1:30 a.m., but the fabric and embellishment kits are piled on the tables, waiting for students later this morning. A bunch of bolts of trim are piled in a corner, along with the fabric freebies I plan on handing out. The buttons are ready -- books stacked, ribbon roses and laces out. I can't wait for class to start. But as a result, I don't feel like sleeping, either! The curse of the quilt teacher...

In spite of an attack of nervousness (after all, this is my home guild!), the lecture for the Colorado Quilt Council went great. I saw plenty of old friends, and I showed Crazies ranging over two centuries, including a 70s hostess gown (with Woody Woodpecker-themed ribbon on the sleeves) modeled with great verve by Chris. I love to watch people's faces as they start processing Crazy history; for many, their only introduction to the style are Victorian era silk quilts. Even those are often admired for their stitching and color -- but rarely are the reasons for using those stitches...or colors...or fabrics...or designs...discussed. That's my job, to get people to thinking on a deeper level about these fascinating visual scrapbooks of the quiltmaker's life and passions.

I love this job.

Cell-Made Quilts

How often do you hear about quilts being made as a rehabilitation effort? Fine Cell Work, a fine arts group, has been working with British prisoners since 1998, teaching them embroidery and quilting. The resulting pieces let cellmates learn new skills and earn some money. The quilts are pretty interesting, too, as is the title of the page: "Quilty as Charged." (Take special note of the "Jail House Rock" pillow -- what a kick!)


Take a look at these photos, and you'll find out more about the group at the same time...enjoy.

33 Online Freebies

...and all yours, thanks to All You Magazine!
Go here for the complete list.

(Thanks, One Frugal Girl, for the heads-up.)

Are You Getting What You Pay For?

Do you really get your full money's worth in the products you buy? April Dykman at Get Rich Slowly has a thought-provoking post on this subject, including cosmetics. (Especially don't miss the blogger who compared Crisco with a fancy face cream...and guess what won!! One of the comments says it's better than diaper ointment for clearing up a baby bottom rash.)


Here's the general post -- don't stop reading until you finish up the comments. (Some good stuff here, from people who know from experience.)

The Sun Is Shining!

We had a luxurious sleep-in, then sausage and blueberry pancakes...

aahhhhh.

It's still chilly out, but the snow is done. We lost power a few times, but thankfully those periods were an hour or so, at mostYesterday, while waiting for the flakes to start, I came across a clump of daffodils, cheerfully nodding in the cold wind. They've taken up residence on the dining room table -- a reminder that spring will soon be back.

Grocery Cart Challenge has some interesting ideas for using milk jugs...including an Easter basket!

And Almost Frugal is holding a giveaway -- gift cards to a variety of merchants. Contest ends March 30.


back to business -- but it's nice to have a break.

Buried Under A Pile of Snow

I took Daughter #1 home this afternoon...just as we hit Broadway (and the remnants of a big accident), a wave of rain and snow hit. By the time we unloaded, the three of us, including dog Jack, were soaked.

Getting back on the freeway was an exercise in scariness; I could barely see a thing until *BANG* the rain stopped, as if a knife had cut it short around Evans. By the time I hit Castle Rock, the skies were clear -- directly over town. A big bank of dark gray clouds surrounded, like a pack of dogs waiting to attack.

I raced around and did the necessary errands, then tore home and got the sheets off the line. By the time a client arrived for some appraisals, barely half an hour had passed -- and it was blizzarding like crazy. It hasn't stopped since. We've had the lights flicker several times, but so far, the power's still on.

Will we keep having power? Will school still happen tomorrow?  (Whoop -- Husband just saw they're cancelled!) Stay tuned. In the meantime, you can see a bit of what Castle Rock -- and a big chunk of central Colorado -- is enduring, by checking out this live cam.  Garden of the Gods, further south, looks even nastier.  And this messiness is occurring only a mile or two from our house outside Castle Rock.

The weirdest part? We've gone from the 60s to 20s in only a few hours...the clouds had a nasty resemblance to tornado clouds (with the exception of that creepy green tinge), and Husband swears he heard the wind making a low, grumbling noise. (Tornados make a chugging sound not dissimilar to the 'grumbling' of a freight train.) Didn't notice any funnel clouds...but all the same, creepy.

Stay warm and snuggly tonight.

Free Coffee Samples!

Courtesy of Nescafe's Taster's Choice...


Just apply here, and you've got six different kinds to choose from. (The Mama loves this stuff, and she's getting a sample, too.)

Enjoy.

Another Storm's Coming!

...the snow is supposed to start tomorrow afternoon. Projected total:  1-2 FEET. And this is March???

The Mama and Joy left on Amtrak tonight, thankfully headed east. (The storm's coming from the West.) The house seems a little empty, now they've gone, but Daughter #1 is spending the night. Lovely.

Here's an interesting thought: use a dropcloth to upholster your furniture! Normally, I'd say this was a bit strange, but the chairs in Homebody Holly's post are quite lovely. Take a minute while you're there, and read some of her other posts; she's got great ideas.


And now 'regular' life begins again...whatever that is.

Tales from the Economic Downturn

Salon has "Pinched," a whole series of articles on people and lifestyles that have been hit by financial problems. But these aren't your standard "oh woe is me, I was a moron and lost my house" screeds. Instead, they cover everything from a kid at Duke University who lives in his van (so he can attend grad school) to hipsters who are using their food stamps to buy healthy food. Some good ideas on making the most of your fast-food dollars, haggling and work ideas, too. (Well, most...a few get weird.) I was particularly touched by the single mom who had a job and a master's degree, but still needed to take her kids to a food bank to get by.

Take a look -- but plan on being there for a while. One article leads to another...and another...and...

Snowy Day...and Dover

There's a layer of ice underneath the feathery stuff. It took forever to chip off the windshield, so I could have coffee (and sit like a slug until I completely woke up) with my early-bird friends.

It's still snowing. And snowing. And snowing.

A good day to stay inside, and get some work done! 

If you like unusual graphics, there's a great free place to get them -- Dover Publications has a weekly sampler of selections from their huge library of titles. Here's this week's sampler, including a very quirky anatomical clip art book. Just request that you be put on the e-mail notice for upcoming samplers. Think of the places a skeleton or two would come in handy!

Brrr...

After two days of glorious 60s weather, clouds have papered the sky, the wind is up, and we're getting warnings of a spring blizzard roaring in tonight and tomorrow.

It's not terrible news; we did our traveling earlier in the week, when Daughter #2 and I took the Mama and Cousin Joy to Garden of the Gods. (They said they were impressed, but we spent a lot of time fielding comments, finding bathrooms and hustling people places where they wouldn't feel chilly.) I have a boatload of appraisals to finish off, and watching the snow will be a good stimulating factor to Get Them Done.

I would love to tell you something wonderful has happened this week, but it has been all I can do to keep business stuff going, make sure I'm at commitments promised, pick up/take people to the train station, and schlep the Mama off to see her granddaughters, as well as a few quilting events. It'll stay this way through next Monday evening, when the Michiganders head back home.

Next Saturday is speaking at the Colorado Quilting Council in Longmont about Crazies...the Sunday class that follows is full, but there are plenty of spots Saturday morning! (See the Colorado Quilt Council website for info.)


Helpful tips: 18 ways to find great clothes at thrift shops, thanks to Get Rich Slowly.
    And a look at the New Essentials, courtesy of Tight-Fisted Miser. (Thanks, dudes.)

Have a great Friday, dears.

Women in Mining in CO Springs...School Cuts...and the Midnight Knitter

You wouldn't expect anything less than this odd mix, from this blog, right?   :)

School stuff has been a brooding interest lately... it's not that I couldn't use more edjimication (Popeye-style), but because our local school district has to cut more than $40 million from Somewhere. They're supposed to make the announcement any day now where the ax(es) will fall.

Husband is a trainer for special ed and regular bus drivers and their assistants (TEAs). He took a 20% hours cut last year...will this mean more hours gone? We have many friends who are teachers, and are dreading what could happen. One friend has already offered to quit her job, if it will mean that others can keep theirs.


I wish the Powers That Be would GET ON WITH IT, and make the announcements!

In School News:

*The teacher who thought writing "Loser" on a 6th grade student's assignments would somehow motivate her to do better. (Give me a break.)

*Kansas City (Missouri side) will be closing nearly half of their schools. Just imagine what that's going to do to employees, families and students.

And in the World of Freaky, someone in West Cape May, NJ has been clothing the trees in a park with bright knitted sleeves! (Take a look at the photo -- who, and why???) Some people have been calling this person the Midnight Knitter, because he/she apparently operates during the dark of the night. A performance artist? An eccentric? Someone who's worried about the poor, chilly trees? This one's a curious one, all right.

The Mama is on her way here via Amtrak, with cousin Joy. She'll spend about a week here, making chocolate chip cookies for Husband, and helping me out. Their train comes in at 7:30 a.m.... but I have a gig tomorrow, too. Should make for an interesting weekend.

Come hear me talk about mining, women, gold & silver, and of course...quilts! There will be a lot of them to look at, too. It's all at the "Women in Mining" weekend at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry --
tomorrow, March 13, including a 11 a.m. lecture (and a 2 p.m. repeat), with an Edwardian-style tea in between. The museum is on the northern edge of Colorado Springs, and very easy to get to via I-25.
Should be lots of fun.

Growing Up Poor

I bumbled onto this long involved post (including 400-plus comments!) on what "Being Poor" means.

A lot of thoughtful ideas here, though some are fueled more by frustration and anger, than they honestly reflect a desire to Stop Being Poor. Some are apt to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and vow they'll never again have to practice some of their previous economies. Examples:
     No more mac & cheese (Why not? It was a treat to us! My father hated the stuff, and we only had it when he was out of town.)
    No more secondhand clothes. (Some of my best luxury outfits have come from our local thrift shop -- smack in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in Colorado.)
    No more used cars. (So paying for the automatic $ loss when you drive the car off the lot is...smart??)

So -- reading this stuff also means wearing the Hat of Common Sense while you're processing it.

We may not have had much money growing up -- by federal standards, I guess we were poor. (We've qualified for the label some of our married years, as well...a status we've both found amusing.) But we never took welfare or food stamps. We had a huge vegetable garden, raised our own meat, and bartered and traded with cousins for other stuff. (My first car, a present from Mom and Dad, was a hand-me-down purchase from cousin Steve...something I didn't know until a few years ago!)


Maybe this is less about being poor more than it is thinking poor. Being poor can be temporary, until your job prospects get better, or you're out of school, or you can afford to move away. Thinking that way, however, can take you over for the rest of your life. 

Thinking about St. Patrick's Day...

I don't have any trouble with corned beef and cabbage, colcannon, boxty, or any of those goodies...

But I've never found a soda bread to go with them that doesn't taste a bit, well, 'gassy.'

Thanks to Kathleen over at allrecipes.com, though, I think I may have the answer -- Pretzel Bread. Its makeup sounds similar. Who knows -- this one may well work.

Recipes for the other stuff will be coming in the next week...

And yes. I am part-Irish!

The Appraisal Soapbox

Did you know that today is National Get Your Quilt (And Other Stuff) Appraised Week?

Or so it seems...

I did an appraisal this morning, got a pile to do yesterday, and more the day before. Many people start to think about doing this for donation value on their quilts (especially their old ones) -- that's part of the reason for the uptick in business. I have noticed a big rush for it right around tax time. But many of the appraisals are not done for that reason at all. I hear everything from "this is going to my daughter, and I want her to know about its value" to "I'm putting it in a competition" to "I've always wanted to do this."

What do I know? I just do my job. Seriously, though, having your pieces appraised is a smart thing to do. It protects them, in case of theft or damage. It gives them documentation -- which any good appraiser can tell you raises their value in the future. And it gives you a chance to analyze your work, or that of the quiltmaker.

It's more reasonably priced than you think. I charge $45 for a detailed report that can take up to 1 1/2 hours...and gives you a printed-out appraisal for your files (and mine). But I also do multi-quilt reports that are much less per piece -- even as little as $10 per quilt. So if you've considered doing this...well, consider it a bit harder. The best place to find the best in appraising, textile-wise, is the PAAQT website. It lists appraisers by state, as well as name, and includes several helpful articles.Every one of the appraisers listed are also certified by the American Quilter's Society, the only organization in the country that focuses on textiles, and several are certified by other organizations, too.

Think about it.

More gray skies are moving in, fitting for this lovely surprise rendition of "Rainy Day"...sung by Bette Midler and Johnny Carson. Enjoy.

More Flowers...

Like more fresh flowers in your online world? Many thanks to Web Weaver for sharing their lovely stuff... go here for more.

Hijacked!

Ok...

The good news: my blog was compromised, all right -- but not by a virus. So if you follow my blog, you don't have a virus spreading mayhem through your computer's metal veins.

The bad news: my blog was compromised -- by a rogue program called malware that automatically tries to send you to different websites, instead of reading my stuff. (Not that my musings are that brilliant, but...)

The good news: it seems to be gone now, thanks to some preventive work on our end, and a complaint to Blogger. What it is:  AntiSpyWare.Xpantispxware . Husband, my local IT expert, has some suggestions:


If you believe your computer has been infected, you can check it by doing an online scan from Norton at: http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/premium_services/pc_checkup.jsp  .  Another place to check is at McAfee at: https://home.mcafee.com/Secure/Protected/Login.aspx?appid=73.

 

If you don't already have antivirus protection installed, I would highly recommend it.  You can get it free from Avira: http://www.free-av.de/en/trialpay_download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html or from AVG at: http://free.avg.com/ww-en/hot-topics.num-2379.

 

Also, make sure you have Windows Firewall enabled unless you have separate firewall software running.

 

My webmaster has double-checked the Brickworks and Classy Girl websites, and they're fine. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me. Hope your weekend went well.

Old Movies...And Dean Stockwell

Husband came home for lunch this afternoon, as is his wont, and turned on TMC (Turner Movie Classics) while he was eating his carrot cake. The movie on was Kim, starring Dean Stockwell and a red-bearded Errol Flynn. An "Indian" boy, who really turns out to be the orphan of a British soldier named Kimball O'Hara, becomes the helper of a Muslim holy man. While on their travels, little Kim visits the same British regiment his father mentioned, and gets sent to school. On holiday, he goes on a secret mission for the Army, helped by his friend Mahbub Ali, a feisty horse trader who is also a secret agent for the British.

The movie was a real adventure -- lots of swashing, buckling, exotic costumes, horses and people falling off the Himalayas. And surprisingly good! It got me to thinking about Dean Stockwell. I know him best as Scott Bakula's boss in Quantum Leap, but Dean has been acting since he was a kid, from How Green is My Valley to Gentleman's Agreement (with Clark Gable). He's now 74 -- consider that! This man has been working for more than five decades, and is still going strong.


I hope I can keep going that long in my own work.

Elf Slippers!

Wouldn't a snuggly, cosy pair of elf slippers be just the thing for a gloomy, dreary day?

Now you can make them yourself, thanks to this easy tutorial. They'll  make good use of that beloved sweater that's too small, or developed a nasty hole somewhere.

Many thanks to Kris of Resweater for sharing this frugalicious pattern. She's not only got an intriguing blog, but a shop, Artfire, for purchasing "repurposed" sweaters and other goodies. Homebody Holly is running a giveaway from Kris' business, too, if you hustle over there. (It ends Thurs night at 9 p.m....EST, I'm supposing.)

I intend on visiting Kris regularly to see what she's up to. Wonderful stuff!

And the Waves Roll On

Did you hear about the Mediterranean cruise ship hit -- and severely damaged -- by three very large waves? Two people died, and several others were injured.

What I find especially curious about this, is that there is a strong tradition of large waves coming out of nowhere -- causing incredible mayhem, or even sinking the ship -- then disappearing as suddenly as they came. For a long time, because there were only sudden disappearances, or shocked survivors' accounts, these were pooh-poohed as just a fantasy. Finally, thanks to a few events that are too big to ignore (including photographs and video), these waves are being given some credence.

Who knows what causes them? Some suggest underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Others say they're 'backwash' from typhoons or earthquakes on the other side of the world. No proof for anything...yet.

All that is known is that these rogue waves arrive -- and they kill.

When they come in a set of three (like the ones that hit the cruise ship), they're called the "Three Sisters." When the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes superfreighter, sank in Lake Superior in 1975, she went down without a peep -- no distress signals or other communications. But the Arthur Andersen, another ship near the "Fitz's" last location, and in intermittent contact with her that stormy night, reported being hit with three gigantic waves in succession, with no warning. The ship barely kept afloat. Its captain thought it quite possible that the Fitzgerald, which was listing and reported water washing over its decks, hadn't had a chance.


Shades of the "Three Sisters."

For more on rogue waves, also known as freak and monster waves, read here -- but be sure to do it while listening to this. Good for a getting-gradually-grayer day like today.