Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Snow Globe of Doom on an Icy cold day

Ok, this is just hilarious- got this one from Jordin over at Looking for Grace Notes- the Snow Globe of Doom.
She sent it to me in honor of our snow day today. We had only about an inch of snow, but nasty ice everywhere. Shut down everything from schools to massage therapy offices to dentists.
We had a great day- sleeping in, bringing in firewood, drinking hot spiced cider, reading out loud, working on the Girl's Ancient Egypt notebook, the Boy and I discussing the Epic of Gilgamesh using Socratic Dialog, having soup for supper, and then watching Superman Returns.

While the kids and I were doing school around the kitchen table this afternoon, the Papa Dude got to go out into the icy cold day and find a dentist that was actually open to repair a chipped tooth. He chipped it on of all things, a prickly pear cactus seed. So much for our being open and trying new foods!

All in all, minus the chipped tooth, it was a good snow day. It was fun to not have to go anywhere, and just be able to school the kids.
LB

Sunday, November 26, 2006

This was funny- I couldn't resist.

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form.

Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up.

Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Update at Green Dragon

I posted an update at The Green Dragon tonight. It doesn't have anything to do with reading challenges, but you might find it interesting.
LB

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Quilting meme

Cool! A quilting meme! Got this one from Sioux's Zest.
You highlight what you have done. Anyone want to do this one?

Have You Ever?

1. Taken a quilting class
2.Paper pieced
3. Hand quilted
4. Hand pieced
5. Created your own pattern
6. Published a pattern in a magazine or book
7. Gone on a quilting retreat
8. Gone to a quilting convention
9. Met someone who wrote a quilting book
10 combined your quilting with some other craft
11. Done any three dimensional quilting - like fabric origami
2. Made something using Thimbleberries fabric
13. Made something using batiks
14. Dyed your own fabric-only once- just tie-dying
15. Made a landscape hanging
16. Made a New York Beauty quilt
17. Made a baby quilt
18 Made a wall hanging
19 Made a journal quilt
20 Submitted your journal quilt for viewing
21 Made a fabric postcard-haven't yet, but want to soon.
22 Made a artistic trading card (ATC)
23 Exchanged artistic trading cards
24. Mailed your own postcard
25. Made a lap quilt
26 Made a twin size quilt
27 Made a full size quilt
28 Made a queen size quilt
29 Made a king size quilt
30 Donated a quilt to charity
31 Sent a quilt out to a quilter
32 Thrown away a UFO
33 Given away a UFO
34 Cut up a UFO and made something else with it
35 Ripped fabric instead of cutting it
36 Made a quilt exactly like the pattern, with no changes whatsoever
37 Done any Sashiko
38 Quilted your own quilt
39 Did free motion quilting- just a tiny bit- I am just learning
40 Put any embroidery or beads on your quilt-another one where I have to say not yet but soon!
41 Given away your quilt to a stranger
42 Swapped fabric
43 swapped blocks
44 participated in a round robin
45 participated in an ostritch round robin
46 kept a journal about your quilting
47 written a letter to someone who made an antique quilt
49 kept a blog about your quilting
50 participated in a gift exchange
51 sent a quilting random act of kindness
52 joined a newsgroup about quilting
53 made a quilt using a pattern from quilterscache
54 joined an online block of the month
55 made a block of the month quilt- I just signed up for one of these- I can't wait to get going on it.
56 subscribed to a fabric of the month club
57 bought fabric at an online store
58 bought fabric from ebay
59 own more than one sewing machine
60 have a room dedicated solely to sewing- in my dreams!
61 hide a fabric purchase
62 finished making a holiday gift before July
63 spent more than $200 in one quilt shopping trip
64 made a quilt using a book from the library
65 worked with someone else to make a quilt
66. joined a quilt guild
67 become president of a quilt guild
68 taught a quilting class
69 helped someone else get the quilting bug
70 taught a child to sew
71 made a Dear Jane block
72 Made a miniature quilt
73 watch QNN - quilters news network
73 subscribe to a quilting magazine from your own country
74 subscribe to a quilting magazine from another country
75 buy fabric from another country
76 swapped completed quilts with someone else
77 asked for quilting help online
78 gone to a quilt shop to ask for quilting help
79 bought fabric at a local quilt shop
80 traveled more than 100 miles to go to a quilt shop
81 used nontraditional fabric for a quilt - something other than cotton or flannel
82 made a quilt using instructions given to you on a blog
83 make comments on someone's quilting blog
84 meet a quilter in person after only having talked online
85 had a quilting retreat in your home
86 own quilting software
87 made a quilt you designed on your quilting software
88 done any quilt research - history, interviewing quilters, etc.
89 had any quilt related subject published anywhere
90 donated a quilt to a museum
91 bought a quilt from a thrift store
92 made a quilt using fabric from a thrift store
93 made a quilt using photos
94 made a pastel quilt
95 made a quilt using brights
96 made a quilt using ethnic fabric from another country - African, Asian, etc.
97 made a quilt using leftover blocks from other quilts
98 had your quilt in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, etc.
99. submitted your quilt to a quilt show
100. won any ribbons with your quilts
101 had more finished quilts than UFOs
102 made a quilt using reproduction fabrics
103 took a break from quilting that was longer than a year
104 made money with your quilting
105 had a job in the fabric / quilting industry

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Being Thankful & Watching Movies


Cool! I posted a pic! So much to be thankful for here. Thought I'd list the movies we have to watch this long weekend.
Last night we watched Ice Age 2 The Meltdown. It was ok. Good for Laughs, I guess.
We also have Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. I want to watch this one tonight. I absolutely love Gary Cooper, sigh. For tomorrow, we have Pocketful of Miracles with Glenn Ford and Bette Davis. I haven't seen this one before. We also have Back to the Future 3, which the kids have seen, but the Dude and I haven't. The kids will probably just watch this one again while we watch Intolerable Cruelty with George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I have to admit, I am surprised that Clooney made Sexiest Man twice in one lifetime- just for the record, I can think of many other famous men I think are sexier. But he is a good actor, so I will put up with it!

OK, off to go eat some more roasted nuts while we wait for the turkey to get done!
LB

Happy Thanksgiving!

As those of you who know me will remember, we usually host an "orphan" Thanksgiving, and cook a huge Indian feast, filled with curries, and riatas, and the works. But this year, there didn't seem to be any other orphans needing a place to be (which is a very good thing!), and I was tired of doing half of the huge amount of work required for a feast. And just last week, I helped cook a Thanksgiving meal for 100 people. It was fun, but exhausting. I also have the fresh memories of last Thanksgiving, which is when I started to get sick, and I just couldn't muster up much enthusiasm for this upcoming holiday, and the work involved for me.

So when the Papa Dude sat us around the table late last week, and asked us what we wanted to do/eat for Thansgiving, I had a hard time coming up with ideas. I finally got into the idea when I realized I could make an unreasonable request. I asked for a traditional turkey dinner that I didn't have to prepare. Here is the result of that request. My living room is clean, and I did none of it. There is a stack of 4 movies on the telly, and I didn't have to go to the movie store. The children wrote up the menu, and the grocery list, and did the shopping (I did taxi them to three stores, break up 2 fights over who got to push the cart, and helped them comparision shop.) The children and the Papa Dude have been cooking and cleaning and there are a lot of great smells coming from the kitchen. Meanwhile, I have had long baths, have read a bit of mind candy, talked to good friends on the phone, cleaned up my sewing area, and practiced relaxing (yes, I do have to practice letting go and letting others do all the work!). This is a great idea, and definately prompts me to make more unreasonable requests! I also would like to say how thankful I am for my little family.

Today's menu:
snacks:
broiled garlic shrimp
sweet spiced nuts
herbed spicy nuts
cucumber and radishes
olives and pickles

Main menu:
Dry-cured rosemary turkey
gravy
wild rice stuffing with dried fruit and spiced nuts*
Challah*
cranberry-orange relish
twice baked sweet potatoes
garlic kale
roasted asparagus
punkin pies#

* I made these, cuz I wanted to, and/or the recipe is only found in my head.
# I made the crust, the kids did the rest. We ended up with 6 pies! Look out neighbors, here I come!

Well, I need to go knead the challah, Happy Day to you today!
LB

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

I'm Spring, what are you?

Got this one over at Miz Booshay's blog. I would have to say it was fairly accurate, though I do love Autumn as well. How 'bout you?

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world...
You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring.
Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season!

Friday, November 10, 2006

It Fits!

Okay, I am thoroughly deep cleaning my room today. I was clearing off my dressing table, happened to find my wedding ring, slipped it on, and for the first time in 7 years, it fits!!! I haven't weighed this much in that long, and as frustrating as it is beginning to be to be overweight, my wedding ring fits. I have to admit- THIS part of it I am going to enjoy.
LB

A contest!

I used to not enter any contests, because I never won any. Great logic, huh? But lately, I have been entering in any contest, or drawing I can, and I actually win sometimes- anything from free soap, to an Ibanez guitar. And it is fun, whether I win or not. SO here is the latest one I have found. Check it out. Jennifer over at The Wilson Six is having a drawing for a custon-made notepad. Fun!

Papa is downstairs fixing breaky, and I need to get the kids up and moving, but will try to post later today- there is a lot of stuf happening here, and I need to tell you all about it! Ask me about tournaments, and cars crashing fences!
LB