Another Storm Yuck.

Another winter storm. Yuck. The last one did me in and I'm not interested in doing this again. I really need someplace warm.

This Weekend

Saturday was a wonderful day for me. It was the "Mid-Winters" convention sponsored by the Penn-Jersey Rose Society. I haven't been to this convention for any number of reasons for a number of years. This year, I not only went, but entered the photo contest that they have.

It's been awhile since I'd won any photo contests so a win was really needed. And so I did! The cluster photo of Patio Pearl took 1st place in it's class. It didn't win best in show, but this award has always seemed to ellude me. Still, a 1st place was very good and I am feeling better than I have in awhile.

Today was another good day. Inbetween snow squalls, we went to the nearby Conestoga River to get some pictures and home movies. We weren't there long because it is still pretty cold, but we did get some pretty nice shots of the river and the local wildlife.

The water in the river basin was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom and it looked quite shall, though it is rather deep right here. This is the mouth of the Conestoga River where it empties into the Susquehanna River.

This little White Throated Sparrow posed sweetly for me, letting me get rather close without being anxious. He just went about his business of finding and eating food as I took pictures of him. It was almost like he knew what I was doing and approved.

Our First Measurable Snowfall

The road home.

We are getting our first measurable snowfall for 2007 just in time for Valentine's day. So far we're measuring at about 2 inches. This is supposed to turn into sleet and freezing rain as the evening deepens and the weather folks are warning about the morning travel to work.

The trip home from the job today was interesting. The city was slippy but once outside the city, the roads, though wet and covered with snow in spots weren't bad driving. Maybe that was due to the less people on the roads. It wasn't until I got into my home town that I ran into some pretty slippery roads. As I got out of the town (I live on a mountain on the southern end of town), the roads became more covered with snow and very slippery. Even in 4x4 I was being very careful. It was nasty out there!

I will wait to see what the morning brings.

My youngest granddaughter, Laura Elizabeth. She is the spitting image of her daddy.

Close Friendships

My sister with her horse, Magic.

Something New

Since I started working days, my attire has changed a good bit. I'm wearing more slacks and sweaters and jewelery. Within the first month I had worked the new shift, most of my jewelery broke. Who knows why? From sitting in my dresser for over 10 years without being worn, or just from age. It doesn't really matter, they just broke.

So I had started out on a jewelery quest just before Christmas, wanting new stuff to wear to work. Yes, I like wearing it, but not to much at once. I'll usually wear a brooch or pendent and a pair of earrings.

I found some really great stuff too. Also, my granddaughters bought me some necklaces and earrings for Christmas. Or at least they picked them out and Daddy bought them for me. It was pretty too!

Husband has decided that I needed a new jewelery dresser to put all this new jewelery in and has been keeping himself busy building one. The outside of the dresser is now put together. It needs stained and finished yet, and the inside needs to be done. Most of the drawers will be partitioned to compartments for bracelets, necklaces and brooches. The top will have some ring bars in it and all the drawers will be covered in felt. It is decorated on three sides because I don't want it for a specific place. I'm planning on redoing the master suite in the next couple of years and may have a different place for it then. I want to be able to move it around the room (not that that's going to happen often, the thing is quite heavy) if I so choose.

It'll be nice to have a beautiful piece of furniture to keep my jewelery in.

Thoughts

Next June a friend is coming to D.C. for a convention. I was talking to him last week and brought this up, wondering if he would take a couple of days to visit while he was in the neighborhood. At this point things are still unsure, but it is really early yet.

During the conversation it came up about an experience I had in the past recent years. Another friend had plans to come through this area and had asked me for my phone number so we could meet for lunch or the day or something. I had kept in touch with her right up until the day I knew she was to be in town and then...silence. Three weeks later, she wrote and told me she was indeed in town for a day or two, had packed my phone number and decided to drive on by without a word. She never heard of "INFORMATION"? My phone number was in the book. She could have also found it on-line. But she didn't bother.

I could feel the loud silence on the other end of the phone as I told this story to my friend last week. He knew the woman that this story was about and I got the impression that he keeps in close touch with her.

When I got that letter from the friend who passed through, she asked me not to give up on her. But in all honesty, I think I gave up on a lot the day she passed through town. Within a couple of months I had sold the daybed that I kept in case of overnight guests, refit the armorer, pulled the carpet out and rebuilt that room into a TV/Den room.

I began to think I just don't have anything to offer these friends. I'm not rich, or so ambitious that I'd walk over anyone to get what I want. People like the friend who passed through are very wealthy and got that way for a reason. I know she didn't realize exactly how she was treating me that day, or that I would be heartbroken that she thought so little of me. I just don't have anything to offer that is of value to her.

As I was telling all this to my friend last week, it hit home again and it made me sad. It made me realize I have nothing to offer anyone except love.

Maybe he'll come for a visit. We'll see. Right now it's late and I"m quite tired. Besides, I've got to work tomorrow.

A Very Special Day

Yesterday was a special day. It was our 25th wedding anniversary.

While I was at work, Bob was busy. I came home and the table was already set, the wine was poured and there were three bouquets of flowers, one of them was 25 Leonidas roses http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/pl.php?n=3793. The salads were already served and he was finishing up dinner (lasagna with the help of Florentino's). German Chocolate cake was for dessert (with the help of Willow Valley). OK, so he doesn't cook all that well, but he does know who are the best chefs in these parts. He had gotten me a card and a beautiful bracelet of sterling silver, diamonds and amethyst. Then he told me he had taken off work that night as well and rented two movies which we didn't watch yet. Oh, but we will.

It was unspeakably special.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Don't forget to celebrate the end of this winter soltice the traditional food of the season. Here it is sauerkraut with pork and mashed potatoes. Also, don't forget to watch the Rose Bowl Parade. Geesh, I love roses.

I hope the New Year brings everyone the prosperity and good crops that we all hope for each year.

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.

Check It Out!!!!

Something new from my desk...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:11&item=280053444272

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:11&item=280053448372

I am in the process of making at least one of these for display purposes. I'm hoping to be able to sell these. The ones I am making now are far enough along to really start to show and are looking really nice.

Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving was spent with friends this year. It was the first year that we've actually celebrated Thanksgiving in over 20 years. Always before I had been working but now, with the new shift, I have the holidays off. All the other holidays I could celebrate about every seven years or so, but Thanksgiving was always on a Thursday. Oh, I was well compensated and the OT looked very good on the paycheck. But I have to admit, spending the day with friends was great. And to think what I've missed all these years. Yet, another bonus to working the day shift.

Today's Work

Today started out not so good. First thing was the brand new dryer. I put clothes in it and started it in the normal fashion. After a bit it started making a loud rattling noise like something was coming loose or never tightened. It dried the clothes in the normal fashion. When Husband got up, I showed him what it was doing and as the noise started, there was a loud "THUNK". The vent hose popped off the machine. Apparently it was never hooked up right.

Shortly after, I went out to do some gardening. Then things started going a little better. Working days now, I rarely get the chance to be out in the garden. It's getting dark now about the time I arrive home. So today, an overcast but rather mild day, I was able to get out and prune roses for their winter's nap and started pruning down the perennials that were ready for bed. I worked outside for four hours and it felt good.

I've been very selective about what plants I buy this year and don't see that changing any more. We get the garden planted in as far as I want it for now. We've already started rearranging the plants we have to accomplish the look we want for the property. But that will come when it comes. I'm not rushing anything.

I'm hoping that next weekend is very much like this one. I'm thinking that another four hours will do it for the garden this year.

For now, meatloaf is the day's fare.

Can I Cook or What?

I do have to admit, we like to entertain. Yep. When it comes right down to it, we do throw a great party.
And so was the case today. We had quite a group of folks who came to celebrate with my stepson and his wife who are expecting a third little girl. Friends and family came. It rained, so we entertained the children with a movie, which fortunately, none had seen before.

The newest of the clan, baby Sarah, was passed around to every mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother who had come to celebrate. Oh, and let's not forget the fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers who were also there. Even her new cousins who hadn't met her before were there to help celebrate.

Even friends of the family came to celebrate.

Everyone had a great time. There was mostly finger food served with a lovely potato salad that was brought, cookies, dips with apple and pear slices, broccoli, celery, carrots, cheese and crackers, crousant sandwiches cut into small tea sandwiches, deviled eggs, assorted nuts and assorted Hershey's chocolates.

Chris got a few things that were and always are needed to start off a new baby.

It was a really great day and great fun was had by all. The children were all well behaved and wonderful to have and the adults had a wonderful time with Chris getting some really nice things for her new one coming.

Did I ever tell you that we throw a really wonderful party? I might be bias, but I think so.

Sick

It started at work yesterday. I began to feel horrible indigestion. As the day wore on, it became worse. Even popping antacids wasn't helping. This morning it was even worse. It was then that I had decided that I had a nasty 24 hour bug. There was nothing to do but wait it out. In the meantime, I had all kinds of things to do. Stuff that couldn't wait but more on that tomorrow. I'm feeling just fine now, even after a rather large dinner (I hadn't eaten in two days).

A couple of weeks ago I had purchased a software for my computer to create my own counted cross-stitch patterns. This is just something that I was kicking around for turning some of my artwork into something a little more creative. Some of my work is really creative. I have one posted on Cafepress...http://www.cafepress.com/byjuliesdesign. If you click on the mini-poster print, you will see that besides the poster itself, I also have this one listed as a counted cross-stitch. I'm actually making one right now to put on display when I show my counted cross-stitch patterns, hopefully at one of the stands that my rose society puts up. I have it about 1/4 done now and it's looking pretty nice if I say so myself. When I have it finished, I'll post a picture.

I have decided that my stomache still isn't 100%. I hope this clears up before tomorrow.