Yay! I am back! I hate the flu. A week of my life gone. I finally got my appetite back today! My friend invited me to lunch. We went to the Thai place down the road from his office and then had soft serve ice cream. It was a great break from my day!
Anyway, 10 Favorite Sounds:
1. My cat purring contently, especially that extra-loud purr when she stretches.
2. Rain on the leaves in the forest.
3. An orchestra warming up. Not a high school orchestra, where even playing they are out of tune, but a professional one.
4. The sound of snow falling off a branch or other object into more snow.
5. The crickets or other insects outside my window.
6. Ocean waves on a shore.
7. Bird calls.
8. Wind chimes.
9. Water gurgling in a stream.
10. Keys typing in a keyboard. After all these years of writing on a keyboard, I find it easier to concentrate on what I write if I type it out rather than when I hand write it. I hand write all thank you notes, especially after an interview, but I usually get the rough draft faster if I use the computer! Besides, it saves paper.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
I lost a week of my life to the flu...
I was really busy last week (but I can't remember doing what), and this week I had the FLU! Yay! First time as an adult, and I can't even be sure that the one time as a child that it was the flu. I was on holiday (Holland? Don't remember, really - I was sick the whole time), and was sick the evening we got there until right before we went back home. My parents are Army, and we were stationed in Germany on/off for 9 years, so we took our holidays in Europe most of the time.
Now you visit the doctor, they shove a q-tip up the nose and a second one down the throat, and can tell you whether it was strep or flu.
I have an excellent immune system, so this is really the first time as an adult with the flu. Let's hope it doesn't happen again any time in the near future. And my mom says it was a MILD version. Bleah.
But today was a GREAT day. I actually made it through the whole day without a nap! What a strange concept a nap is, but what a necessity it has been this week. Today, my Mom drove me to Williamsburg, VA. We went to the Kingsmill Shopping Center, which was having a sidewalk sale at every store, including the Knitting Sisters. I love that place. They are so nice there.
I had called a few weeks ago because I ran out of yarn for my baby dress. They did not have the colorway, but had promised to help me find that dye lot at another store if necessary. When I went there, they had just gotten more in, including one in the right dye lot! Perfect! They also had a bag sale, with bags sorted by color. I bought a bag of beautiful brown yarns for $20.Two skeins alone in that bag covered the price. We went to an antique store, the bead shop, and my mom went to the cross-stitch store there as well. I found an antique lace magazine there for $1! I couldn't find a year on first inspection, but the pricing and language suggests pre-1950s! I'll hopefully be able to find a date - it is in somewhat sorry condition. I'll take a pic of it later.
We then went to New Town in Williamsburg for lunch, More Than Just Beads, and Barnes & Nobles. The bead store there had just what I wanted - accessories for my facinators. I think I can make them now. B&N had a great selection of magazines, just none that I wanted/could afford. But there were 75% off knitting (and wire jewelry) books I couldn't pass up (thanks Mom!).
I would also like to note that the Richmond Main Library has an excellent selection of knitting and crochet books. I am currently enjoying a book from the 1970's of styles from the 1920s-40s. I would like to say that if you are going to take a book out of the library, don't tear the pages out. I mean, yes, it's YOUR tax money and all, but it's our tax money too, and use the stupid copier instead. It's $0.10 a page after all. Jeeze. I have checked out a dozen craft books so far, and a third of them are missing pages - one or two pages at a time. Half of them are scribbled on. I know most of these are old, but there have been copy machines since the 1970's. Just saying. You are just going to lose that page, anyway. The book is going to be there for a LONG TIME. I checked out a bibliography on George Washington from 1860! It'll be there when you need it. Stop tearing out pages, people.
By the way, the bibliography written in 1860 was better written than the one written in the 1980s. And it was a quickie written by request for people in the UK, as compared to something someone had time to work on in the 1980s. Yes, I am geeky enough to check both out (they were next to each other) and read them at the same time. :) There is a little more detail in the 1980s book, but it was just starting to get easier to do research at the time.
It is so cool reading a book from 1860. There is a pressed stamp (pressed into the paper, not inked) stating that the book is the property of the Richmond Library. The book had been rebound, but it is so neat to look at. Plus the language then was more stately. At that point the written language was generally the same, but it was definitely more stately.
I have an in-person interview and a phone interview on Monday! Amazing for someone suffering from the flu all week. I am looking forward to both - they are both wonderful positions, both at potentially wonderful companies. Wish me luck!
Now you visit the doctor, they shove a q-tip up the nose and a second one down the throat, and can tell you whether it was strep or flu.
I have an excellent immune system, so this is really the first time as an adult with the flu. Let's hope it doesn't happen again any time in the near future. And my mom says it was a MILD version. Bleah.
But today was a GREAT day. I actually made it through the whole day without a nap! What a strange concept a nap is, but what a necessity it has been this week. Today, my Mom drove me to Williamsburg, VA. We went to the Kingsmill Shopping Center, which was having a sidewalk sale at every store, including the Knitting Sisters. I love that place. They are so nice there.
I had called a few weeks ago because I ran out of yarn for my baby dress. They did not have the colorway, but had promised to help me find that dye lot at another store if necessary. When I went there, they had just gotten more in, including one in the right dye lot! Perfect! They also had a bag sale, with bags sorted by color. I bought a bag of beautiful brown yarns for $20.Two skeins alone in that bag covered the price. We went to an antique store, the bead shop, and my mom went to the cross-stitch store there as well. I found an antique lace magazine there for $1! I couldn't find a year on first inspection, but the pricing and language suggests pre-1950s! I'll hopefully be able to find a date - it is in somewhat sorry condition. I'll take a pic of it later.
We then went to New Town in Williamsburg for lunch, More Than Just Beads, and Barnes & Nobles. The bead store there had just what I wanted - accessories for my facinators. I think I can make them now. B&N had a great selection of magazines, just none that I wanted/could afford. But there were 75% off knitting (and wire jewelry) books I couldn't pass up (thanks Mom!).
I would also like to note that the Richmond Main Library has an excellent selection of knitting and crochet books. I am currently enjoying a book from the 1970's of styles from the 1920s-40s. I would like to say that if you are going to take a book out of the library, don't tear the pages out. I mean, yes, it's YOUR tax money and all, but it's our tax money too, and use the stupid copier instead. It's $0.10 a page after all. Jeeze. I have checked out a dozen craft books so far, and a third of them are missing pages - one or two pages at a time. Half of them are scribbled on. I know most of these are old, but there have been copy machines since the 1970's. Just saying. You are just going to lose that page, anyway. The book is going to be there for a LONG TIME. I checked out a bibliography on George Washington from 1860! It'll be there when you need it. Stop tearing out pages, people.By the way, the bibliography written in 1860 was better written than the one written in the 1980s. And it was a quickie written by request for people in the UK, as compared to something someone had time to work on in the 1980s. Yes, I am geeky enough to check both out (they were next to each other) and read them at the same time. :) There is a little more detail in the 1980s book, but it was just starting to get easier to do research at the time.
It is so cool reading a book from 1860. There is a pressed stamp (pressed into the paper, not inked) stating that the book is the property of the Richmond Library. The book had been rebound, but it is so neat to look at. Plus the language then was more stately. At that point the written language was generally the same, but it was definitely more stately.
I have an in-person interview and a phone interview on Monday! Amazing for someone suffering from the flu all week. I am looking forward to both - they are both wonderful positions, both at potentially wonderful companies. Wish me luck!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Truckin'
The Mack truck graveyard was great yesterday. It's way out past Powhatan, VA. I met the Richmond Photography Meetup Group at the Target at I 288 and Rt 60 (nice super Jo-Ann's out there) and rode with a friend the rest of the way. It is definitely out in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful drive.
I think the place used to service trucks. It had an open-air shed and a medium-sized building, plus a couple of pumps from various eras slowly rusting alongside the large gravel driveway. A row of trucks ranging from Mack freight trucks to very old Ford pickups lined the driveway and partially covered a big field. Tractors and fire trucks added to the mix. I haven't had the energy today to look through my pics, but I will post some this week. Besides, I want to be able to post one of my best on the meetup group page.
Instead, here's pic of the Black-eyed Susans growing next to the shed in the yard. I love these things. There were some growing in the graveyard, too. I am going to bed now.
I think the place used to service trucks. It had an open-air shed and a medium-sized building, plus a couple of pumps from various eras slowly rusting alongside the large gravel driveway. A row of trucks ranging from Mack freight trucks to very old Ford pickups lined the driveway and partially covered a big field. Tractors and fire trucks added to the mix. I haven't had the energy today to look through my pics, but I will post some this week. Besides, I want to be able to post one of my best on the meetup group page.
Instead, here's pic of the Black-eyed Susans growing next to the shed in the yard. I love these things. There were some growing in the graveyard, too. I am going to bed now.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Oh Baby Love!
Here is the second baby dress I am working on. It is definitely an easier pattern than the first, at least up to this point of the skirt. The bodice is the same as in the first pattern. This is from a set of four pattern, so the other two dresses probably also have the same simple bodice. This one's skirt is turning out to be very full and wavy.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Eye Candy Friday
I had a great interview today, which kept me too busy to post anything yesterday. Well, technically it is no longer Friday, but I am posting anyway! I will take that pic of the cute baby dress this weekend. I am also going to a truck graveyard tomorrow for a photo shoot, so I may have something to post on that this weekend.
This is a weird vine we have in the yard. It had flowers this spring, and now it had purple pods on it. I like the contrast of the light leaves on the darker background of trees. We live in the woods, with trees surrounding the garden.
This is a weird vine we have in the yard. It had flowers this spring, and now it had purple pods on it. I like the contrast of the light leaves on the darker background of trees. We live in the woods, with trees surrounding the garden.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wish me luck!
I as going to post a cute pic of the other baby dress I am working on, but I ran out of time to take one tonight. I am busy preparing for my JOB INTERVIEW! Yay! It's Friday morning and Thursday is my busy day, so I was trying to prep as much as possible tonight.
Cute pic sometime this week, hopefully.
In the meantime, here's a random picture instead. An unusual sunflower from my neighbor's yard.
Later!
Cute pic sometime this week, hopefully.
In the meantime, here's a random picture instead. An unusual sunflower from my neighbor's yard.
Later!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
I am a little uncomfortable with this week's 10 on Tuesday, so I won't be participating. Yes, sometimes people can be annoying or do annoying things. However, I would feel rude if I were to list them here. Besides, the lists already done give a good representation of things people find annoying about other people.
I'd rather show this cute baby dress I am working on.
This is the one I have had to set aside until I get more yarn for it. I love the pineapples! I will block it when I am done to see if it looks different/better that way, but hopefully it won't be a necessary thing (after all, what mother really has time to block her baby's dress?). I envision this over a white slip or one-piece. It is so soft, too!
I'd rather show this cute baby dress I am working on.
This is the one I have had to set aside until I get more yarn for it. I love the pineapples! I will block it when I am done to see if it looks different/better that way, but hopefully it won't be a necessary thing (after all, what mother really has time to block her baby's dress?). I envision this over a white slip or one-piece. It is so soft, too!Monday, July 6, 2009
Yum!
I made Vegetable Gyoza and Edamame Succotash from the Vegetarian Times tonight! Yum.
Sorry, no pic - we dug in before I could take a picture.
I will note that I did not use sesame oil (some of us react to it), and I don't have cilantro or chili oil, so I used dried oregano and cayenne powder. I try to limit the oil I cook with anyway, and chili oil isn't very spicy (or maybe the stuff I bought once wasn't). I buy cayenne pepper, along with most of my spices, from the bulk section of the health food store. It's a lot cheaper than buying McCorrmick or any of those bottled spices from the grocery store. A decent health food store has good turnover with the spices, so they aren't already old when you get them. Also, you can get cayenne pepper (or red pepper) powder in various levels of heat at the health food store, and the hottest stuff is not much more than the regular stuff, so it actually is more cost effective because you use less (yeah, right - I like it hot!).
Sorry, no pic - we dug in before I could take a picture.
I will note that I did not use sesame oil (some of us react to it), and I don't have cilantro or chili oil, so I used dried oregano and cayenne powder. I try to limit the oil I cook with anyway, and chili oil isn't very spicy (or maybe the stuff I bought once wasn't). I buy cayenne pepper, along with most of my spices, from the bulk section of the health food store. It's a lot cheaper than buying McCorrmick or any of those bottled spices from the grocery store. A decent health food store has good turnover with the spices, so they aren't already old when you get them. Also, you can get cayenne pepper (or red pepper) powder in various levels of heat at the health food store, and the hottest stuff is not much more than the regular stuff, so it actually is more cost effective because you use less (yeah, right - I like it hot!).
Wow! Almost a month!
I just realized how long it has been since my last post. I have been very busy.
I am unemployed. I was laid off from my job and haven't been having much luck finding a new one. I started this blog because I have been crafting more and wanted a record of my work.
I am as busy, if not more so, as when I was employed, but now I am making time to craft. For one thing, I can crochet while I read job ads. I couldn't do that at work!
I am getting crochet and crafting done, just haven't finished anything yet for various reasons.
I may be getting a commission for a baby blanket! I made one recently for my mother to give to a coworker who just became a great-grandmother. Everyone loved it! The new mother was showing off her baby in the blanket and now another relative of my mother's coworker wants one!
I used to sell Avon to the coworker, so she asked my mother to ask me if I was willing to take a commission. Now I have to figure out how to charge for it, besides the yarn. I've only done crochet for family, who bought the yarn for me.
So here's what is on my plate right now:
Crochet:
1. 2 baby dresses. I started a second when I ran out of yarn last week for the first. I have to go back to my LYS to get another skein. The pattern book I am using just said 6 oz of a type of yarn that I didn't want to use. I made a big mistake in translating that into yards. The owners of my LYS said they were out of the dye lot I had bought, but if what they have doesn't match, there is a website for finding a dye lot they can use to get my yarn. I don't want to spend a lot on another skein, so I may try using a different color to finish the dress if what they have in stock won't work. It's missing the last few inches at the bottom of the skirt and the sleeves.
2. The Chic Ripple cardigan out of Crochet Cardigans. For my mother. Of course, she's an in-between size, so now I have to study the pattern to see I can alter the pattern to fit her. The small is too small and the medium is too big!
3. Baby blanket?
Craft:
1. Finish those butterflies I painted. My sister wants one. I need to find a good clear acrylic paint sealer or glaze so I can coat the wings and add them to the bodies already made.
2. Started drawing again. Nothing to write about here.
Sewing
1. 1930's evening gown. I haven't touched it since April. The sewing room just got cleaned, so I can start on it again. Maybe. I need a sewing manniquin.
2. Duct tape sewing manniquin. Needs to be stuffed and put on a stand somehow.
Sigh. I need a job. Being unemployed is wearing me out.
I am unemployed. I was laid off from my job and haven't been having much luck finding a new one. I started this blog because I have been crafting more and wanted a record of my work.
I am as busy, if not more so, as when I was employed, but now I am making time to craft. For one thing, I can crochet while I read job ads. I couldn't do that at work!
I am getting crochet and crafting done, just haven't finished anything yet for various reasons.
I may be getting a commission for a baby blanket! I made one recently for my mother to give to a coworker who just became a great-grandmother. Everyone loved it! The new mother was showing off her baby in the blanket and now another relative of my mother's coworker wants one!
I used to sell Avon to the coworker, so she asked my mother to ask me if I was willing to take a commission. Now I have to figure out how to charge for it, besides the yarn. I've only done crochet for family, who bought the yarn for me.
So here's what is on my plate right now:
Crochet:
1. 2 baby dresses. I started a second when I ran out of yarn last week for the first. I have to go back to my LYS to get another skein. The pattern book I am using just said 6 oz of a type of yarn that I didn't want to use. I made a big mistake in translating that into yards. The owners of my LYS said they were out of the dye lot I had bought, but if what they have doesn't match, there is a website for finding a dye lot they can use to get my yarn. I don't want to spend a lot on another skein, so I may try using a different color to finish the dress if what they have in stock won't work. It's missing the last few inches at the bottom of the skirt and the sleeves.
2. The Chic Ripple cardigan out of Crochet Cardigans. For my mother. Of course, she's an in-between size, so now I have to study the pattern to see I can alter the pattern to fit her. The small is too small and the medium is too big!
3. Baby blanket?
Craft:
1. Finish those butterflies I painted. My sister wants one. I need to find a good clear acrylic paint sealer or glaze so I can coat the wings and add them to the bodies already made.
2. Started drawing again. Nothing to write about here.
Sewing
1. 1930's evening gown. I haven't touched it since April. The sewing room just got cleaned, so I can start on it again. Maybe. I need a sewing manniquin.
2. Duct tape sewing manniquin. Needs to be stuffed and put on a stand somehow.
Sigh. I need a job. Being unemployed is wearing me out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)