Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Palmer Divide Quilters, Thank You!

    I spent Thursday night with Colorado friends -- the Palmer Divide quilt guild. They were showing off their latest quilt challenge -- monochromatic quilts. Very cool ones, too.  (Here's some of their work with another teacher.)  
     An evening of their kindness and enthusiasm was just the pick-me-up I needed.
     This week: finish up a big batch of reports, do some minor restoration work, and spend a lot of time cleaning up and putting away Stuff around here. The Brick's 60th birthday is coming up soon, and I want the house to shine during his party. 

Doings from the Grammys...including weird clothes and winners. Pharrell Williams won for his music video, "Happy."  ( I liked it, too!)

Dean Smith died. We've been fans of this North Carolina basketball coach for decades. (The Brick grew up in Jacksonville, NC, and we've watched an awful lot of Smith's work.) A classy, dignified man who was Michael Jordan's coach -- and personified college b-ball.

Ten tips for sleeping safely at the airport. Sometimes your flight is delayed...or cancelled. Or there's only a few hours until the next one. Just don't try it at places like Midway in Chicago -- they close up the airport at midnight and boot everyone out. (I know, from experience.)

A new copy of the Magna Carta is found...in the archives of Sandwich, England. It's worth millions and millions of dollars.

Cleaning your house out -- and making money in the process. Some good sources who buy videos, books, clothes, etc. here.  (From One Frugal Girl)



Nine freezer-to-cooker meals that don't need cooking prep ahead of time. (From New Leaf Wellness) This blogger loves freezer and slow cooker meals that are easy to make -- so don't wander off her blog until you look around a bit.

 Spaghetti alla Puttanesca -- the latest in the Bare Bones II pasta series in Holiday Goodies.

A Colorado couple that stole more than $100,000...from her parents. The wife even had her parents' calls forwarded to her cellphone, so she could keep track of their doings. And if you think the money was pretty much wasted, you're right. Shame, shame, shame.

10 places to find lost money -- at home. 

The broke person's guide to decorating. (From Apartment Therapy)

Dear Mom in the tunnel -- a sweet (and wry) celebration of what it's like to be a mom. (From Red and Honey)

Get a family member to cut your hair!  Step-by-step instructions and photos make this extremely helpful. (From The Frugalwoods)

Another 25 ways to save a buck or two. (From yours truly, via Midlife Finance.) A post about keeping (or quitting) your job, too -- same place.

Famous last words. The actors' version is here, but if you scroll down, you'll find plenty of others to choose from, including writers, religious figures and U.S. presidents.
 
"I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers."
                     Bob Monkhouse, English comedian and actor


Kanye West did it again -- This time, he decided that Beyonce should have the Grammy Beck was awarded! It's hard to believe that a guy would have enough cojones to march up to the stage and actually start to demand it. (Well, he did.)

Oops, it's Tuesday... I had some unexpected things to take care of that took longer than planned. Daughter #2 is on her way to Tucson, to the gem show there and pick up inventory for her business. I took her and companion Keith to the airport this morning. Then back to the races. 

Have a great week. 
 

What Does Your Mom Say in the Car?

Josh Pray (a comedian) takes his mom for a ride...or is she the one giving HIM the business?

My mom wouldn't act this way in the car. No, unh huh. (I can say this, because she doesn't go online and read my blogposts. Otherwise, I would stand a clear danger of getting smacked.)



Oh my.

What Mondays Should Be Like (And Aren't)

(From motleydogs.com)

Go, Charley, Go!

That's what he would say, anyways...

(From motleydogs.com)

Yet Another Bigfoot Story!

 

If you've hung out on this blog for any length of time, you know I have a strange hobby:

Collecting Bigfoot sightings. Or Sausquatch. (Otherwise known as 'Mr. S.')

I've had some doozies lately, thanks in great part to Daughter #2 and her boyfriend. 

But I heard a new one, while teaching at Road to California!

One of my students remembers seeing "Him" (or "Her," or "It") standing in the bushes, watching her family while they were camping. (They lived then in Washington state.) She could see him clearly from the shoulders up -- and she described a hairy-looking 'man' who was just curious. She said she got the strong impression that he "just wanted to be friends."

The student, now in her late 20s, was a kid at the time. That's how she described her experience to me.

He wanted to be friends, huh? Tell that to my daughter. 


For more BF reports, go to the BFRO site. You'll find a ton of them -- including one from your particular state.

Bare Bones is Starting Up Again -- Pasta

It's a warm day in Colorado -- and I ache all over.

The Brick came home yesterday, feeling flu-ish. Apparently he was generous, and shared it with me. No matter -- I have stuff to do. The flu's gotta wait.

Maybe I'll make a pot of the steaming, tomato-based meatball soup featured on our other blog, Holiday Goodies.  Pasta Fazool is easy to make, and full of veggies that may help fight this sickness.

Then of course, you can sing:

Go here for more. Enjoy.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: So They Won (or Lost...)

Watched the Superbowl with the Brick and our friends...what a wacky ending! The commercials were mildly amusing, including this one from Sprint. I actually laughed out loud on this one!

I also laughed out loud at the Brick, along with our goofy friends. All of them were wearing Broncos shirts, caps and sweatshirts...and the food was garnished with Broncos napkins. The Broncos may not have been playing this year -- but hey, devotion persists! 

(If you want to see what some people think are the 50 best Super Bowl commercials, go here...)

All sorts of food freebies for February. (From The Simple Dollar)

Getting a credit card refund when you've been scammed. (From the Brad's Deals blog)

An oral history of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation -- by the people who made it and were in it. One of my all-time favorite movies. And while you're at it:

Cary Elwes' take on Princess Bride. Another terrific one. (Did you know that Andre the Giant could down more than 100 beers in one sitting?)

The 32 greatest unscripted movie scenes. From The Godfather to Zoolander.

9 things you'll need for a rich DIY life. (From Living in Rural Iowa)

Why you should consider "shorting." (If this guy is right, we are in BIIIG trouble.)

Saving money on heating costs this winter. (From Penniless Parenting)

The best ways to pay your expenses while traveling overseas. I don't agree with all of these; travelers checks, for example, have been hard to cash, in our experience. But generally there's good stuff here. (From One Cent At A Time)

Hidden door bookcases. Dickens had one of these in his study in Gad's Hill, complete with funny book titles: The Virtues of Our Ancestors (1 thin volume) and Lives of a Cat (9 volumes), etc.  I wish, I wish... I'd love to have one of these.

the dummy book door in Dickens' study

Eating on 80 pence a day. What is that...about $20 a week? 

Frugal eating revisited -- practical ways to eat well, and cheaply. (From Womanhood with a Purpose)


Making your own 'Girl Scout cookies'...including thin mints! (From Blogher)

Why is this woman calling 911...and ordering a pizza? A Super Bowl ad that needs to be heard:

A cabin with a wall of windows...for $500? Yep, from Apartment Therapy.

Have a great week...regardless whether 'your' team won or not.