Engineers Doing Good

Nephew Adam is part of an engineering team for Grand Valley State College...who's just designed a new tray that can be used on walkers. Easy, basic -- and very necessary!


Read more about it here.  Here, as well. (Adam's the smiling guy to the right.)

I have a young voice student who has MS, walks with a walker, and struggles a lot with carrying stuff. Perfect for him. (Yes, I'm asking Adam if I can get one.)

Good on ya, team!

Whew...

Like you, I've been watching the doings about Hurricane Irene. Husband grew up in North Carolina near the coast, has vivid memories of his dad putting up plywood to protect their windows, and notes any weather activity in this area with interest.
    I have a good friend in the Charlotte area, friends in the guild there, as well as friends in New York City...and well, I'm just curious.

It was a huge relief to know that while they're dealing with flooding, trees down and such, the End of the World, Roland-Emmerich-style, has NOT come.

I was proud to read that the soldiers guarding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier did not falter, in spite of the winds and rain.

Now time to pick up the soggy items, nail back the shingles, and start cleaning up. ..

Great Craft Idea

A tea wreath??

This is such a cutie, and it's easy to make, thanks to Kojodesigns' pictorial. Go here to see it all.

Hmmm. What about hot chocolate and marshmallows? Drink mixes?  Postcards? Handkerchiefs?

* * * * * * * * * * *
Don't forget -- there's still plenty of time to enter the Hanky Panky giveaway. Contest ends midnight, Aug. 28. Let me hear from you!

Life Without Cable: Two Months and Counting

I never would have thought it could happen.

You see, we're in a rather unique position -- our part of Colorado (Denver area) is ringed with mountains and dotted with buttes -- which effectively block signals of all but two or three television stations. (It can really play havoc on cell phones, too, although those companies have compensated with higher or more towers.)
   So if you want to watch television -- you pretty much have to have cable or a satellite dish.

Or so I thought. 

Two months ago, we cancelled our cable. Since our Internet access was coming through Comcast, as well, we hooked up via phone line (but wirelessly) with Qwest/Century Link.  (Our neighborhood had very low speed access, until I complained to the Century Link corporate board...then magically higher speed links were approved and installed in our area! Another good lesson on the value of politely complaining.)

Our payment went down considerably.  But what about those programs we really liked?

We watch them on the 'Net. The History Channel shows current episodes of "Ice Road Truckers" and "Top Shot,." two of our favorites. We just watch them a night or so later than we used to.


The series can be rented, or borrowed. We both love "The Unit," a military drama that ran for four  seasons, until 2007. (It still seems a shame it was cancelled.) I borrowed all four box sets from the library -- but they're also available on Amazon for sale,. or via Netflix. We also finished the first season of "Warehouse 13," thanks to a free interlibrary loan. No having to sit through commercials this way,. either. Refreshing.
    I'm hoping that other networks take the History Channel's cue and post episodes directly on their website -- we'll see. (Are you listening, producers of "The Mentalist?")

Hulu's great. So's Netflix. We use Hulu to access all sorts of programs, from documentaries to rv series to movies. Both daughters, one up in the mountains and the other near the Capitol building, have opted out of cable in favor of Netflix. We used to have a subscription,. and may go back to it in the winter.

What I didn't realize was how much we were watching tv,. simply because we were too tired to do anything else. It was a lot easier to plop down on the couch "for a few minutes," but spend hours there, instead. Now we do more things. (Although I'd like to cut down on our mutual time spent online.)

There's a huge test coming up: college football. Can we find games online? (Our two favorites, the CU Buffs and Michigan's Wolverines,. haven't been doing that well -- which means they're not televised that often.) Do we just plan to spend a few evenings at the local sports bar, when important games are coming up? Or do we just listen to them on the radio?
    Time will tell. One thing's for certain,. though: this was a decision we should have made long ago.


(Here's someone else who just got rid of his cable -- although he's able to pick up reception using rabbit ears on the set,. something that's not really possible for us. At the very least, call your cable operator and negotiate a lower price!)

My Top Ten --Best Purchases, That Is

Len Penzo is exploring this idea in his current post.

Hmmm... what would I say?

1. The first house we ever bought
    $72,000 seemed like an insane amount of money at the time (1988), but we sold it for enough a decade later to have a hefty downpayment on our current house. House #2 has not been quite as much a bargain -- it was a mess,. and had to be completely rewired when we first moved in. Plus, it had a lot of cosmetic issues that we have been slowly dealing with over the years -- including ugly bright blue siding. (We eventually replaced it with mossy green James Hardie siding. Now that was a good decision for the money!)


2. Our Jeep Cherokees
    We've had three now --all purchased used-- and every single one was a workhorse. We've racked up more than a hundred thousand miles on each -- in the case of the first one, more than 250,000 miles -- and they've rarely let us down. I love these sturdy, reliable vehicles. (Now, if they'd get better gas mileage...)

3.  Our College Educations
    Husband used his Masters in mechanical engineering for decades. I use my Masters in English lit every day. Both degrees opened doors we never would have dreamed of.

4.  Our Laptop Computers
    We have two -- one for Husband at home,. one for me to take with on gigs. (It's also perfect for working up appraisals on the road...making the small printer I take with another of my best buys.) I could never have written books or articles, or had the opportunities or talked to the people I have without my access to the Internet. Thank God for it. (I should also,however, point out that on occasion,. when the router goes kaput, or the website goes down,. I'm tempted to make this my most maddening purchase, as well!)


5. Three quilts in the Brickworks collection
   These include a c.1900 Redwork Garden Maze piece, an 1839 dated (yes, signed and dated) chintz Mosaic top, and a c.1890 Crazy with lots of ribbons. These, along with others, have been an integral part of my lectures and classes.


6. The washer -- plus the dishwasher
   What would I do without these wonderful appliances? (Actually, I did without the dishwasher for more than a year, and missed it far more than I would have thought.)  The Kenmore washer came used -- the Kitchen Aid dishwasher  new. Both are wonderful.We have a dryer, as well, but I rarely use it. (Husband and daughters, on the other hand...)


7. The Featherweight sewing machine
   I paid for it with my services for an entire quilting conference -- and it was worth it. This little 1950s machine is small enough to be loaded into an overhead compartment, and yet sews and sews and SEWS. Every once in a while, Husband pulls out a wad of thread and cleans it,. and I oil it. Would that I could be this reliable when I'm as old.


8. Our trips overseas
   Both Husband and I traveled through Europe before we met. (Would love to do it again.) The Brazil trip changed our lives -- so did earlier stays in the Baja Mexico area (especially La Paz),. and December's jaunt in Panama . Daughter #1 is headed to New Zealand in November. Or...?

9. Our popup trailer - and camping gear over the years
   I just wish we could use these more right now...

and finally...

10. Our piano
   It's provided great pleasure and comfort for both of us,. as well as income on occasion. But money isn't why we play it -- the piano has become a way for both of us to communicate how we are, what we're feeling -- and share that with others. Our early 1900s upright only cost $150 -- but it's been worth a million to us.

Whew, I did it. Now what are your best purchases? Do tell!

Breaking News on Libya

Quick, if you're reading this in early morning -- check the news. As of 12:40 a.m. (don't ask), Tripoli is falling to the rebels. Two of Gaddafi's sons have been captured, the palace guard have laid down their arms, and President Obama is calling for Gaddafi to capitulate, to avoid further bloodshed. Here's the news so far --but I'm sure there's better coverage when you read this.
    Gaddafi, true to form, is calling on Libyans everywhere to swarm into the capitol and defend it with their blood. So far, nobody seems to be obeying much. Libyans have actually been kissing the ground in gratitude...

Progress

Oh my. For the first time in months, ever since the basement flooding down in the Brickworks office area...our laptops are talking again to the office computer!
    This is wonderful. It means I can once again access photos, class/teaching info, and check our inventory and customer information. No more attempting to recreate it out of my head. Hooray!

Just a few days before I leave to appraise at the Cheyenne Heritage Quilt Show in Wyoming. It runs from Thursday - Saturday this week; find out more here.  It's a wonderful mix of excellent quilts (some of the best quilters in the West contribute), a vendor's mall, silent auction and raffle quilt, and of course, yours truly appraising. Good stuff.

I may have an unusual -- and very wonderful -- opportunity to teach out of the country. Am waiting for specifics, but you'll be the first to know if it pans out.


Things are already looking up. Have a great week!