What Do You Think?

I finally got the first of my display pieces for my counted cross stitch collection. I found it rather funny that the camera picked up every stitch! But, nonetheless, I think it looks rather nice. This one is Cupcake, made from the artwork that made one of my bestselling cards. I'm still trying to find a market for these things.

I've already started the second of a series of four.

In other news...as I sit here writing this, the radio starts to play the Superman song (oh, I don't know what it's called, but I like it). It reminds me that I watched the new "Superman Returns" movie this weekend. I rather liked it. If you haven't had the chance to see it, I recommend it.

"Oliver!"

Today we were up and dressed up to take my oldest granddaughter to see the show "Oliver!". It was at the Historic Fulton Opera House in town...http://www.fultontheatre.org/.

This wonderful old theatre had been remodeled a few years back and this was the first time I'd been in it since the remodeling. Though not as big as some theatres, this one had all very good seats and it was easy to see the actors in all their glory and makeup. All the beautiful woodwork was gold gilded and restored to it's original beauty. There were also some very beautiful artworks that were hidden for years and surprised everyone with their near pristine beauty once uncovered. All the chandeliers are original but refitted for electricity and the bulbs that were used were hand made with a handcrafted element. The walls are decorated with all kinds of show advertisements from the history of the theatre. Still with all the restoration, there was a sense of oldness about it; a grandness; a maturity, or time lapse and elegance that's not seen in newer buildings. Kind of like Grandma's house; very old and very grand. The seats and railings were covered with red velvet. It's a beautiful theatre.

The show "Oliver!" was simply wonderful! It was 3½ hours of wonderful entertainment and my granddaughter Abigail loved it as much as we did. To me, there is simply nothing like the theatre. The cast got a standing ovation for their performance. I love plays and musical entertainment and prefer it much, much more than to a movie theater.

Husband never visited the theatre before he met me. The first time I took him to the Hershey Theatre to see the play "Cats". He still talks about that play. He was so impressed with the way they introduced the play and the characters danced down the aisles to the stage, one actually stopping to shake his hand! He loved that play and you would have thought it was the next thing to heaven. Before the show, we stopped at the Hershey Hotel for dinner in their 4* restaurant. The second time we saw a play was to visit a local dinner-theater to see "Guys and Dolls". For this one, dinner was first and then the show which was just as enjoyable as "Cats".

After the show today, we took Abby to a nearby deli that is known for their wonderful sandwiches, all named after birds. The waitress gave her a child's menu and her dinner looked at least as good if not better than my own. Her menu also had puzzles and coloring areas and came equipped with crayons which she took advantage of.

We talked about our next trip to the Fulton Theatre to see the play "Thoroughly Modern Millie" which is one I want to see. And we also talked about a train trip to Philadelphia with both Abigail and Hanna to the Museum of Natural History. I think both children will get a kick out of that!

On the way home we talked about our 25th wedding anniversary that is coming up January 4th. Husband said he didn't know what we would do for it and I told me that we had just done it. This was all I wanted...a trip to the theatre to see an excellent production. I don't need anything else except maybe a trip to New York to see the Broadway show, "Phantom of the Opera".

Christmas

Each year for Christmas I make a new card, send it out to some close friends and family. My gift giving is mainly for the children in my family who believe in Santa Claus and also those children a little older who still believe in Christmas. As far as adults in the family, my gifts are usually some home baked cookies and jams and maybe a pointsetta. I don't go for gift giving, especially to my family who have told me that I'm not worth the 39¢ for a postage stamp (one actually said this to me).

Of all the holidays in the year, Christmas is my least favorite. Of all the holidays, the one that causes the most stress is Christmas. It's not a fun time at all, not even close. I suffer from hypertension as it is and then to have the holiday on top usually throws my blood pressure over the top.

I don't want to hear the "Christmas Story" theme or the "Commercialization of Christmas" theme. To me they're both the same -- argumentive. If you really want to know the truth about Christmas...

The Encyclopedia Americana says: "CHRISTMAS. It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth..." (The "Communion" which is instituted by New Testament Bible authority, is a memorial of the DEATH of Christ.) "...a feast was established in memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed.

HOW This Pagan Custom Got Into The Church

Now notice! These recognized historic authorities show Christmas was NOT observed by Christians for the first two or three hundred years - a period longer than the entire history of the United States as a nation! It got into the Western, or Roman Church by the FOURTH century A.D. It was not until the FIFTH century that the Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official "Christian" festival!

Remember, the Roman world had been PAGAN. Prior to the fourth century, Christians were few in number, though increasing, and were persecuted by the government and by pagans. But, with the advent of Constantine as emperor, who made his profession of Christianity, in the fourth century, placing Christianity on an equal footing with paganism, people of the Roman world began to accept this now popular Christianity by the hundreds of thousands. "

So, even the holiday itself, isn't what some think it should be. I see it as a way the Roman's had for having something for people to celebrate a ancient holiday; thus trying to make it an acceptable holiday of the times. It doesn't change the fact that this holiday was originally to celebrate the winter solstice of the "New Sun"; a celebration that was observed by a number of different religions besides the Babylonians such as the Druids.

Many of our holidays are handed down from Pagan beliefs, but we've changed their meaning some to make them acceptable for the time.

I will celebrate Christmas as a holiday for which it has always been, but not necessarily for the same holiday that everyone thinks it is. It isn't a time of gift giving, but a time to celebrate the new sun and the prosperity of Mother Earth in the growing season to come.

It also doesn't make me believe less in what I was raised to believe, but in the honesty of the holiday, I don't see it as most want me to see it. So, in this sense, since so many try to push their beliefs on me, the holiday has become stressful and simply something to have to tolerate. Once it is over I will again become myself.

In all honesty, this is one of the things I miss most about working nights. When I worked nights, I often called off many of these types of celebrations because it was to difficult for me to make long trips to nowhere to celebrate a holiday I really didn't believe in with people who thought I wasn't worth the cost of a stamp for a greeting card.

Cooking Baking Time

Farmer Bear inspecting my cookies that I enjoy baking this time of year. Farmer Bear resides in my kitchen to make sure that all food I prepare is etable.

Every year for Christmas, I get my brother and sisters something. Then I also bake some cookies. I started this last night, actually, and will do one or two more kinds of cookies. On the plate are Cowboy cookies (the chocolate ones made with cocoa, chocolate chips, walnuts but very light with the flower, baking soda, etc; just enough to hold them together). The other, lighter cookies are my favorites, Snickerdoodles. I usually make at least two batches of snickerdoodles since I have a tendency to eat one batch. I also have at least two pounds of san tarts in the fridge to be cut into bells, sleighs, santas and stars, egged and decorated tomorrow evening. What I like about the san tarts I make is the cream of tarter. I don't usually taste it in the decorated cookies I get from other people. This recipe appears to be an old family recipe.

Husband went out today and bought a package of cookies saying that we should eat those instead of the ones I'm making or they won't make it to the tins I got to pack them in for Christmas presents. I might pack the store bought cookies. Mine are 100x better so it's possible that the cookies in the cookie jar won't get eaten. Wait until I make those San tarts tomorrow! The recipe I have makes 24 dozen. But boy are they good!

Are you making cookies this year?

The Broken Dryer

For the past month now I've been without a dryer. I had purchased a new washer/dryer set and had it delivered the first week of October. It was a wonderful b-day present if I would consider it so. However, the first week of November I noticed the dryer was making all kinds of really strange noises. We called the store and they sent a repair man out to check it out. At first he didn't find anything wrong, but then, on the return to the company, they sent him back out. The dryer was making the noises as Husband was on the phone with the company and they heard it.

The repairman discovered that the blower wheel of my dryer was actually split in half. He told me he wanted to order all the pieces but in the end, he only got one. Apparently, Bosh told him what he needed to fix this dryer. The second piece was even worse than the first one. So, yet another wait for another replacement piece (this time the entire assembly). All the pieces have now arrived at the appliance store except one. The appliance store wants to replace the dryer and Bosh keeps saying "no". Hopefully this machine will be fixed tomorrow.

I found a customer service email on their website and wrote them a letter:

I am complaining about my Bosch dryer Model #3321, Serial #84476022208. I've had it for two month and for the past month it has had a broken blower wheel. The dealer has been working with us trying to fix this problem, but after the 4th broken blower wheel, the dryer still is not functional. We bought what we thought was top-of-the-line and it just doesn't work. What is your explanation for this and is this the kind of workmanship I can expect from your products? There is yet another repair scheduled. Martin's Appliance are doing their best to try and fix this problem. My greivence is not with them. It is with you for allowing these cracked blower wheels to continue to be put in your machines.
I am tired of being without a dryer to finish my laundry, especially now that it's cold. I paid good money for this machine and want to use it.
What can you do to fix this problem? I want to know. Also I would appreciate an extended warranty since I can no longer trust the workmanship of your product.
Thankyou so much for listening. I'll be waiting your response.

I hope these people respond to this because after a month of not having my dryer working, I am just a tad upset.

Thoughts

I thought I would try selling some of my counted cross stitch patterns on Ebay. Now that was a joke. Everyone who visits that website will easy buy, but only if it's nearly free.

I had checked some other cross stitch patterns that sold, $.99 or $2.99 -- You've got to be kidding!!! I would sell 1/4 of the pattern only for that price, not an entire kit! In stores the average price of a pattern kit runs around $27.98, some higher, some a little lower according to the number of floss colors, etc.

Knowing what it takes to put one of these things together, that alone makes it worth more than what people seem willing to pay. Add on to that the copywrites of original artwork and you get something even more valuable than what's in the stores.

I will find a market for my stuff some day. Or at least people who can really appreciate it. At least my boss does. He pays me a decent salary, according to my abilities to come up with creative ideas.