tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76875067966654396262024-02-06T19:41:02.209-08:00Everybody's LeftoversMarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-8567984753690153082012-03-26T14:43:00.003-07:002012-03-26T14:46:51.380-07:00I've Moved!I've decided to wander over to Wordpress, and I'll be blogging over there from now on. Click <a href="http://mariandewshayes.wordpress.com">here</a> to check out the new blog!<br /><br />Hope to see you over there soon!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-4164421681791515512012-02-18T08:06:00.001-08:002012-02-18T08:06:20.943-08:00My First Letter to the EditorI was flipping through the March digital issue of Seventeen magazine this morning over breakfast when I found myself appalled. It's amazing how a short little phrase can have such an effect on people, and that is precisely why people must be careful of what they write! I was so angered that I decided to do something I've never done before: I sent a response to Seventeen via e-mail. I doubt anything will ever come of it, but Seventeen need to realize the harm they're doing to the self-image of thousands of girls. Here is my letter in its entirety. It may not make a difference at Seventeen, but I hope it makes a difference to someone out there on the Internet.<br /><br />Dear Seventeen:<br /><br />I loved your magazine as a teenager, and I still enjoy picking it up now when I need a fresh, young perspective on things. However, I was incredibly disappointed when I read the letter from Ann in the recent March issue regarding the Pretty Amazing Contest. <br /><br />Although I can tell you tried to put the emphasis of the contest on the entrants' accomplishments and personal stories, it was the way Ann wrote one phrase that left me completely appalled: "yes, you have to be pretty to be on the cover...." I would think that a girls' magazine that has been popular for as many years as Seventeen has would realize that ALL women are beautiful. I would think that the editor of such a magazine would also realize this. And while you may say that you believe it, a simple phrase such as the one I quoted above reinforces the idea that some women are pretty, and some are not.<br /><br />One thing I've learned as I grew older and battled constant low self-esteem was that the very things that I thought made me ugly were some of my BEST assets. I want other girls to realize that they, too, are beautiful, and when a magazine implies that they'll be judging girls according to whether or not they are pretty, this implies that you have some criteria for what constitutes "pretty," which is the very reason that so many girls feel ugly to begin with. <br /><br />Is a girl not pretty because she isn't "skinny?" Is she not pretty because her teeth are crooked? Is she not pretty because she has rosacea? Is a girl not pretty because she chooses to wear black clothing instead of the latest fads? Every girl who reads your magazine is now wondering what criteria you're using to judge how pretty they are, and they are despairing that they don't meet it. <br /><br />Maybe you, as a girls' magazine, should be emphasizing things that make girls accept the beauty that they already have, instead of pitting us against one another in some ridiculous beauty contest. Then maybe there won't be another generation of girls who grow up ashamed to look in the mirror, trying desperate measures to change their appearance because they feel their face is too round or freckled, their hair too curly or mousy, or their arms too long or hairy.<br /><br />ALL women are pretty. ALL women are beautiful in their own, unique way. Magazines should be celebrating this, instead of discouraging it. You can do better than this, Seventeen, and you owe it to women everywhere.<br /><br />Marian H.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-75835904015011559872012-02-05T11:46:00.000-08:002012-02-05T12:41:16.898-08:00This weekend wasn't anything special, but at the same time, it was absolutely remarkable. I did the same things I do every weekend...I hung out at home, watched tv while I cleaned up after the dogs, and tonight is our scheduled weekly movie night. Jason's been sick, so for the most part, he's left me to my own thoughts, and it was a welcome chance for me to reconnect with myself - and that is exactly what made this weekend so remarkable. <br /><br />I've enjoyed my time spent in Oklahoma City, but let's be honest...I haven't exactly accomplished much here, have I? I know many people have this issue...we graduate from college and walk out into the world, but have absolutely no idea where to go from there. It's a source of constant anxiety for me, and the longer I go with no life purpose, the more I feel like I'll miss my chance once I finally figure it out, so I flounder. I grab for any shred of a path to plant my feet on, then take a few steps and realize that it's not the right path for me. I see the people around me shaking their heads at my feeble attempts to do something with my life, and I become discouraged and afraid to keep trying, lest I keep failing. <br /><br />So I've hidden myself away at home, focusing all my attention on my dogs, finding excuses to avoid facing the world. And while I love my dogs, and I am most certainly an introvert, I'm not meant for this kind of life. I've let the world push me down and stomp on my dreams until I stopped dreaming. <br /><br />This weekend, I did some soul searching. I realized some pretty obvious revelations about myself, and once those floodgates were opened, the self-realization that was started way back in college started rolling again. I love who I am now, because I've accepted a lot of things about myself that have always been there, but were never recognized. I celebrate who I am and love showing people who I am. But now that I know who I am, I am even more clearly convinced that the path I'm on here is not the path meant for me. <br /><br />I enjoy being a housewife, but pretending like I will be fulfilled if this all I ever am in life? That's not me. And while, yes, I do still think I would make a fantastic Mrs. Weasley, I don't want to be an imitation of someone else. I want to be ME. <br /><br />Now, it's all very well and good for me to talk the talk, but what about walking the walk? That's a bit more complicated. I still don't know exactly which path to follow, but I do have a general direction. When I look at myself and ask what I want to really do with my life, the answer is clear: Something creative. That's super vague, I realize, but there's more to it than that. I know - KNOW - that I am supposed to be an artist. What kind of artist? Of that, I'm not quite sure, because I have multiple creative talents, and I find it difficult to decide to pursue just one. <br /><br />I know I'm meant to go down that creative road, because it's been an unchanging part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mother tells me I used to hum songs before I learned how to talk. I used to reenact Romeo and Juliet on our balcony (by myself - running up and down the stairs to switch between roles). I have numerous notebooks containing stories I started as a kid and young teen. And, of course, I've been sketching since the moment I first got a pencil in my grubby little hand. When I decided that studying Religion in college was a stupid idea and decided to change my major after my freshman year, I picked English. Why? Because ETBU didn't have an art program, and I didn't want to transfer out. English was my second choice, because I figured it would help me learn to write better, and writing would at least help me to express my creativity, although it isn't my preferred method. <br /><br />But after I graduated, suddenly the "real world" hit me square in the face...and let me tell you, I was nowhere near prepared to face it. In the midst of struggling to learn how to support myself, I faced a series of unfortunate events that kept setting me back. Soon, I had to let go of my dreams of making something of myself simply to make room for the responsibilities of life. Something I've noticed recently is that every time I sit down to be creative, what is forefront in my mind is whether or not this pursuit will help me make money. And while I've dreamed of supporting myself with my crafting for a while, who really wants to ruin their perfectly enjoyable hobby with thoughts of how to make money on everything they create? It was a blessing for me to be able to pursue my creative aspirations during college without worrying about money, even if it caused me to be shell-shocked by the real world when I made my adult debut. <br /><br />I can't help but feel I should try to get that freedom back. Yes, money is still an issue. We live paycheck to paycheck, after all. But now that I have a job again, even though I HATE it some days, it's a big feeling of relief that it brings in the money and allows me to pursue my hobbies without the constant preoccupation with how I'll pay the bills. I really think I'll go out and find another job when this temp position comes to an end. Working is good for me, as it turns out. ;)<br /><br />It's true, I still haven't really found my path. But at least I'm being honest with myself, and getting pointed in the right direction. It's time for me to get out of the house. It's time for me to meet more people with my same passions. I have a feeling that things will become more clear as I go along, and we all know that I won't discover anything if I keep standing still. I've been lying to myself for so long. I've been so afraid to face my fears that I let go of my dreams and ignored my very identity. I've been filling my life with things that aren't really that important to me, because I didn't want to admit what was important to me.<br /><br />So yes, it's been quite a remarkable weekend for me. I still have a lot to figure out. But I feel just a little closer to my goal than I did, and for that, I am excited. For today, I am pulling my husband out of bed to take a walk with me at the lake and discuss things. Jason struggles to understand my creative side, so my weekend revelations may prove harder for him to accept than they were for me. But I'm his wife, and I need to be honest with him about who I am just as much as I have to be honest with myself. <br /><br />Namaste, friends, and I hope that your Super Bowl Sunday is just as beautiful as mine.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-73692889599628138862011-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:002011-11-15T06:53:22.932-08:00In Memory of BabyRecently, a community outreach (spay and neuter education) position at a local animal shelter in the city opened up, and I decided to apply. This gave me the opportunity to sit down and write a cover letter that explains how my passion for animals began. I've decided to share this story with you, because I believe that it is a story worth telling. The events written below are a true tale of my life.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I grew up on a small farm in rural Texas, and I can’t remember a time in my life when we didn’t have dogs. They were my constant companions and best friends. But I also grew up in a lower-income family that didn’t believe in spaying and neutered. I’ve seen a lot of birth for someone my age…but also a lot of death. <br /><br />One traumatic experience in particular became the eye-opening moment when I dedicated myself to animal rescue. As a young teenager, I had a terrier mix named Baby. Baby was gentle and affectionate, playful and loyal. Baby had several large and successful litters (most of which were eventually carted to the pound against my wishes). During Baby’s third litter, though, a puppy got stuck in the birth canal. As she struggled in the front yard, obviously in pain, I pleaded with my father to take her to the vet, but money was tight; we couldn’t afford it. I wasn’t even allowed to hold her while she suffered and died that day, but was instead sent off to school in tears. Baby was only two years old. <br /><br />Not long after that, I got my first job, discovered the wonderful, local, low-cost vet clinic, and used my own money to spay and neuter most of our remaining dogs. My life changed with Baby, and the lives of every dog I have cared for since were changed by her, although they may not know it. I educated myself, and then my family. I helped my sister get her Australian Shepherd spayed. During college, I went on to volunteer at the local humane society, and after my move to Oklahoma, I have continued to encourage and educate others on making the right decisions for their pets, and help them find ways to do so in our struggling economy. My love of animals was learned early, but my passion for saving them was born through experience. It is an experience that drives me, and which I feel is worth sharing with others. I know for a fact that I will spend the rest of my life working with animal rescue in some capacity. It won’t always be easy, but every effort is worth it, because every animal is worth it.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2TporK-U_Q26U4OimJUJy2xXm5iSiG9URUVzO6QGFOiLSYpD50NSddimg6zisHH9DAisbuz6tR_VnBdtk5qDbp_O0lpa33Fj3P2A6vkIriTKWZxGWzQVqXgjMinoPPfHPobl5cIdYFE/s1600/Copy+of+Baby1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2TporK-U_Q26U4OimJUJy2xXm5iSiG9URUVzO6QGFOiLSYpD50NSddimg6zisHH9DAisbuz6tR_VnBdtk5qDbp_O0lpa33Fj3P2A6vkIriTKWZxGWzQVqXgjMinoPPfHPobl5cIdYFE/s320/Copy+of+Baby1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673073757533554482" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivlnUEB5LcZkOxAiVkBkHplnykFWWwct5IWXdvb7UX_RyTB7ia2WmY1LDIX1i156rIc0vTocAwAlVbhh5kX8bh0KZHSPTrJurUumr3u7xuDb5Vm-04izhh4TICk8anw_y5MfxWw02UVE/s1600/MVC-010S.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivlnUEB5LcZkOxAiVkBkHplnykFWWwct5IWXdvb7UX_RyTB7ia2WmY1LDIX1i156rIc0vTocAwAlVbhh5kX8bh0KZHSPTrJurUumr3u7xuDb5Vm-04izhh4TICk8anw_y5MfxWw02UVE/s320/MVC-010S.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675234898897720098" /></a><br /><br />This is a situation that I am certain happens over and over in low-income communities. I don't blame my parents for Baby's death (this was shortly after my parents' divorce, as I was living with my retired father who supported us on just his pensions and benefits, and the situation was pretty effed up) - I blame the lack of education. Would things have played out differently had my family understood that there were low-cost options? Maybe. We'll never know. What I do know is that Baby's death affected me deeply, and fanned the flame that had already been building in me for pet rescue. And even though she is gone now and may not know it, her death has helped me advocate and save many pets' lives. This is something I know in my heart I will continue to do, whether I can do it through the backing of a successful humane society, or whether I must plunge steadily ahead, making a path on my own.<br /><br />If you live in the Oklahoma City area and need assistance spaying and neutering your pets, I encourage you to contact the below organizations before it is too late. They can help your pet live a longer, happier life with you - and that's what we hope for, for every pet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.okhumaneplace.org">okhumaneplace.org</a><br /><a href="http://www.okhumane.org/spayneuter/index.html">okhumane.org/spayneuter/index.html</a><br /><a href="http://www.vawokc.org/main.asp?id=19">vawokc.org</a><br /><br />Update 2011-Nov-15: I received a message from the Humane Society regarding my application, but she is currently out of town the beginning of this week, so we haven't been able to schedule an interview. Fingers crossed, though!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-60040925886302537182011-11-07T09:30:00.000-08:002011-11-07T10:37:56.416-08:00The Lazy Girl's Guide to Baking - Pumpkin Pie #1In case anyone was living under a rock lately, Halloween was a week ago. I don't do much to celebrate Halloween anymore, other than hunting around the beginning of November for clearanced holiday candy (my cravings for M&Ms lately have rivaled those of a pregnant woman's). I LOVE making elaborate costumes, but they're often so time-intensive that I only do it if I have somewhere really awesome to show them off. This year was a bit dull, but I had Jason buy me a few pumpkins to carve, since it's been a few years since I indulged in that particular pleasure, and he totally didn't take me to pick apples like I've bugged him every autumn since I moved up here, so he owed me one. Here are the results of a Saturday afternoon:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o56hcohnRWlOIFqwOUFheXe5Y9mZeJML0yTOyGSkGHswLoh-BTxLwGYo8askcO2nvdFvFTfBgJ7cv8VFNhzJQfnK7n6kyyMp2H1qbUEolaX7FybPRn8BEZwtZkEhXUEM_y0rtg9SMWw/s1600/reginald.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o56hcohnRWlOIFqwOUFheXe5Y9mZeJML0yTOyGSkGHswLoh-BTxLwGYo8askcO2nvdFvFTfBgJ7cv8VFNhzJQfnK7n6kyyMp2H1qbUEolaX7FybPRn8BEZwtZkEhXUEM_y0rtg9SMWw/s320/reginald.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672309354623549394" /></a><br /><br />This is Reginald. His mouth was a total pain. I just couldn't figure out exactly how to get it right and went through several different attempts which culminated into this. I'm super pleased with how he turned out. Definitely one of my finer jack-o-lanterns.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkorT7S-jEx7JgRYPV5I7h6R2P1ZJoHqndtzFa6XkDbPIKTkx1AsY8wLMjqToYLDMMkpuPVyzbx1PVItjWlfWTH1h7AapBSHW_6wG0Ynp15-2Y0BU0PDubuYXY_i8I8owjxsRpXWYqUs/s1600/colonel.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkorT7S-jEx7JgRYPV5I7h6R2P1ZJoHqndtzFa6XkDbPIKTkx1AsY8wLMjqToYLDMMkpuPVyzbx1PVItjWlfWTH1h7AapBSHW_6wG0Ynp15-2Y0BU0PDubuYXY_i8I8owjxsRpXWYqUs/s320/colonel.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672310838389363058" /></a><br /><br />This is the colonel. He is less exciting than Reginald, in part because I was getting freaking tired at this point. In retrospect, I should have just shaved the rind for his beard and made his mouth the cut-out, and he lasted all of a day before he was collapsing in on himself. Oh well, now I know.<br /><br />As enticement for Jason to let me have this bit of fun when I already have a to-do list a mile long, I told him I would save the "guts" and make some tasty pumpkin treats for him. Jason can't say no to tasty pumpkin treats.<br /><br />With the help from a blog post by a friend of mine (<a href="http://leftoverhuman.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/bonus-thursday-pumpkins/">check it out here</a>), I learned how to get the most from my pumpkin and puree the meat for later baking. And let me tell you...it is a FREAKING PAIN. But I feel my efforts were worth it. So much so that when we saw pumpkins on sale at Walmart on Halloween evening, we bought four more. Go ahead and shake your head at me. I'm still not completely finished pureeing it all, but I suspect by the end of it, we'll have at least three or four GALLONS of pumpkin puree. We've already started passing it along to family members.<br /><br />I know, I know. I call this the Lazy Girl's Guide to Baking, and there's nothing lazy about making your own pumpkin puree when you can just go to the supermarket and buy a can. But let me tell you, fresh pumpkin tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the canned stuff. Even lazy girls have to admit that some things are just worth the effort.<br /><br />Now that I have enough pumpkin to last me at least until next Halloween, I'm ready to go on a baking spree, and I decided to start with a classic: pumpkin pie. I don't have any particular recipe for pumpkin pie that I feel especially passionate about, so I've decided to have a bit of fun with this: I'm going to use a different recipe for each pie I make, and see where it gets me. It should be a fun little challenge to play with, and should keep me interested enough that I won't get bored making the same pie over and over and over.<br /><br />I made the first pie on Saturday, and instead of turning to the interwebs to kick things off, I dug out an old recipe book that my dad gave me before he died, when he was to the point that he could no longer eat solids and had no need for cookbooks. This particular book has no cover, so I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but I'm fairly positive it is a church cookbook. It originated in Longview, TX, my hometown, which makes it a special cookbook for me. <br /><br />Here is a picture of the recipe itself:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IW-GA_q9ymT8BwG_2-Mt9GPaSnQ4VU8D6Z3Eke5-e33dLOrYl4knwbzAolH97b9RaTx3k3aVWIp1ghy-3rl1riDeVrg2ekfNRWseIBDXrRZAPYii88aPJfleosE7KP-kWrQtEvysgOc/s1600/PB070002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IW-GA_q9ymT8BwG_2-Mt9GPaSnQ4VU8D6Z3Eke5-e33dLOrYl4knwbzAolH97b9RaTx3k3aVWIp1ghy-3rl1riDeVrg2ekfNRWseIBDXrRZAPYii88aPJfleosE7KP-kWrQtEvysgOc/s320/PB070002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672316867981760034" /></a><br /><br />And here is what it looks like after I modified it:<br /><br />Pumpkin Pie<br /><br />3 cups real pumpkin puree<br />1 cup brown sugar (mixed light and dark, because mine was all mixed up in the same tub lol)<br />2 1/2 tsps pumpkin pie spice (see, I really am lazy)<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2 eggs<br />1 Tbsp melted butter<br />2/3 cup milk (skim is what we had)<br /><br />Of course, all those measurements are approximate. I am in no way a stickler when it comes to exact measurements. I used measuring cups/spoons so I get it close, but if I happen to throw in slightly less than a cup of brown sugar, or if my cups of pumpkin happen to be heaping, I just shrug and keep going. <br /><br />The pumpkin was the most challenging thing to get right. Check out that recipe - 1 large c. pumpkin? At first I thought that meant a heaping cup, but if you read the recipe, it states that one large CAN of pumpkin makes three pies, which brought up the question: how big is a large can of pumpkin? Particularly since this cookbook was probably made in the 50s or 60s. Who knows if a large can of pumpkin now was the same size as a large can back then? So basically was I did was start with one cup of pumpkin puree, add all the other ingredients, mix it up, and then continue to add pumpkin until the batter tasted right and was the right consistency (it needs to be fairly thick). From my estimation, three cups was about right. <br /><br />Now, as I've mentioned before, I'm a lazy baker. I don't like making pie crusts. They take too long, and mine tend to come out tasting like oil. Yuck. So I cheated and made this pie with a graham cracker crust, as we have several boxes of graham crackers that need to be used up. To do this, you just crush enough graham crackers to get a cup and a half of crumbs, add 1/4 cup sugar and approx 6 tablespoons of melted butter, mix it well, and press it into your pie plate. Nom nom nom. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EYGygEdEdbrbQHK7n2G8o1Z1Gs0HYZlB852xLIDlTA0r9rrVngu-5PvXFXRNpIQsl68uDM2bsuIznBBwI3QohQrgpIabgezsCKeosVWTZmf3C_CU_iP1E-GSQgtN1zR3nY-yjZ1mDxg/s1600/PB050016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EYGygEdEdbrbQHK7n2G8o1Z1Gs0HYZlB852xLIDlTA0r9rrVngu-5PvXFXRNpIQsl68uDM2bsuIznBBwI3QohQrgpIabgezsCKeosVWTZmf3C_CU_iP1E-GSQgtN1zR3nY-yjZ1mDxg/s320/PB050016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672319997171462194" /></a><br /><br />You can pre-bake it if you like....I was lazy and didn't, but I'm wondering if I ought have, as the bottom crust was pretty moist as an end result. I don't know if pre-baking it will help it keep its crunch or not, but I'll probably give it a try with the next pie and see.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOguNDaMy_5L-U2ZzDmJ14y5MoGY511E5XzRv_5BB4Hc870ZvOUQTKZAZm8RKqW0t7xtElb80VCKd3jXbuB77Ly7ag1Rb7q6dthfD_WUpfWpGh0wubBJQU4qjfdmc_sEG8f2PoGWWXpwo/s1600/PB050018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOguNDaMy_5L-U2ZzDmJ14y5MoGY511E5XzRv_5BB4Hc870ZvOUQTKZAZm8RKqW0t7xtElb80VCKd3jXbuB77Ly7ag1Rb7q6dthfD_WUpfWpGh0wubBJQU4qjfdmc_sEG8f2PoGWWXpwo/s320/PB050018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672320592886369570" /></a><br /><br />I suppose it's a testament to the tastiness of this pie that I didn't even get a picture of it after it baked. Jason and I had half of it gone by Sunday morning, and the rest we shared with his family. I was pleased with it, and everyone else seemed to enjoy it, so pumpkin pie #1 was a win.<br /><br />I haven't decided what recipe to use for pumpkin pie #2, but I expect it will get baked today or tomorrow. Feel free to make suggestions!<br /><br />For the record, I'm trying to get in the habit of using Twitter more than Facebook. I'll still be around on FB, but I suspect a lot of my posts will be routed through Twitter so that I can encourage more followers over there. Everyone loves my hilarious statuses, so be sure to check it out: <a href="www.twitter.com/PrideB4TheFall">www.twitter.com/PrideB4TheFall</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-82292783634376893692011-10-26T08:24:00.000-07:002011-10-26T16:27:35.715-07:00A Dog Park DiscoveryI know I pretty much only use this blog to talk about my dogs and my toys, but don't be deceived by this post's title - this one's about toys, not dogs (although, I will try to get a new post about the dogs up, as I took some adorable pictures of Piper and Munchie the other day).<br /><br />On Monday, Jason and I took Munchie to play at the dog park. While we were down by the pond, I noticed something floating in the shallow water. Munchie went over and picked it up, so I had him hand it over and discovered this little guy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquiIkpalmqSEZVY_5ijZSkQGq7GqzTALLC6p2yP5dN-JG3UkLcleikyrD8n_CLFl_lEw5aqDORJSfU6mpaCijd43WEc3uJKj6k9es8bVJJ0ev5Z__Z7_jQnkJ9KMKkGWmROXlmLdePxo/s1600/PA260013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquiIkpalmqSEZVY_5ijZSkQGq7GqzTALLC6p2yP5dN-JG3UkLcleikyrD8n_CLFl_lEw5aqDORJSfU6mpaCijd43WEc3uJKj6k9es8bVJJ0ev5Z__Z7_jQnkJ9KMKkGWmROXlmLdePxo/s320/PA260013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667931789061666466" /></a><br /><br />Of course, at that point, it was dripping red mud. It's not a dog toy, and if someone brought it to the park as a dog toy, I would be sorely disappointed, because 1) it's tiny and could easily be swallowed by the large dogs at the park (we get a LOT of danes at our park), and 2) it's a beanbag - so the dogs that are too small to choke on it could rip it open and choke on the pellets inside. Not a good toy for a dog at all. Of course, the fact that I pitied the poor, muddy thing might have affected my decision to bring it home. ^.^<br /><br />Once home, I scrubbed it up with soap and let it dry out. That's when Lizzie found it and claimed it as her own. We're still haven't picked a name yet, but I'm sure I'll find a good one soon. In the meantime, aren't these pictures of it with Lizzie cute?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUsqdcgos7LOUfR5V5ZBDaKeCvmLFOyKFXKiC0NMslIV3gpnAr8z5QtumHsNN2YEuohH09NTqquPWufKu8drW7ZAQEdQ9tth35UkbT_ltS07VibhfA9M2B_gXm1AkPcvbWGgGypTOjLQ/s1600/PA260008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUsqdcgos7LOUfR5V5ZBDaKeCvmLFOyKFXKiC0NMslIV3gpnAr8z5QtumHsNN2YEuohH09NTqquPWufKu8drW7ZAQEdQ9tth35UkbT_ltS07VibhfA9M2B_gXm1AkPcvbWGgGypTOjLQ/s320/PA260008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667942234889537474" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFcwKlUPjTNK6haKpJuzDSyVoR9ZByNHSvHQWMSiK5SqM6OLRJD5bXDud647-w9KHbgxGrt3XYCrmB20z6NgDl77hGIb74I7xoryDrkq2DcsMCUKWElj1VcWSpYHrXsRBOmpeILVve1Y/s1600/PA260009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFcwKlUPjTNK6haKpJuzDSyVoR9ZByNHSvHQWMSiK5SqM6OLRJD5bXDud647-w9KHbgxGrt3XYCrmB20z6NgDl77hGIb74I7xoryDrkq2DcsMCUKWElj1VcWSpYHrXsRBOmpeILVve1Y/s320/PA260009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667942237049904402" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxl8VXA2MuRJqt4ZmGv93gU656zWCdQZXETFH1rDU9dZWLdQ-7dTDC1wg-C8nQOyss8NK2jaCy0HUWv5939tF_kuOxpXDZqrFFmzHJL_M5K6WFOqUnk5wSlP1WycUJN7Ey5bcBVLYpqo/s1600/PA260010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxl8VXA2MuRJqt4ZmGv93gU656zWCdQZXETFH1rDU9dZWLdQ-7dTDC1wg-C8nQOyss8NK2jaCy0HUWv5939tF_kuOxpXDZqrFFmzHJL_M5K6WFOqUnk5wSlP1WycUJN7Ey5bcBVLYpqo/s320/PA260010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667942251403070978" /></a><br /><br />So who knows how this tiny stuffie ended up at the dog park that day, but it's most certainly welcome in my toy room. Little, lost toys are always welcome in my room.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-26806793285106170322011-10-11T13:35:00.000-07:002011-10-11T14:07:52.708-07:00McToys! Part TwoWhat's this? MORE McToy goodness? I think yes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1os_9wd6z-UJdfHxwJieQ_0vcBHuUxuZ7INqQptyv9DTPZqheSptI1ZJv3fZ0VC1Ln8oQ1sN-Gs_3igMGmfw2ysAv_5NxmgQ4SECCyHqWc6AFbpr9mc-ifYQVcUTHtBbqDLZxIrnjkU/s1600/PA030030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1os_9wd6z-UJdfHxwJieQ_0vcBHuUxuZ7INqQptyv9DTPZqheSptI1ZJv3fZ0VC1Ln8oQ1sN-Gs_3igMGmfw2ysAv_5NxmgQ4SECCyHqWc6AFbpr9mc-ifYQVcUTHtBbqDLZxIrnjkU/s320/PA030030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662336613700193778" /></a><br /><br />If you know me well, you know that my favorite movie Of All Time is Toy Story. I LOVE that movie (and its sequels!). This toy, if I remember correctly is a McToy from the original movie, circa 1995. It's actually a decent little pull-back car, really. I remember playing with it way back when it was a new toy. It's getting a pretty distinguished place of honor in my craft/toy room now. ^.^<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibo7ql7zuKG0xvAZH43DwigaN3AEMfnKrkb8m-26hgxLVrggZyseP93ByiSckOmmcoLaR0MGgcMUgtUFGZonK4g_TgTJs4hd-mBTtvvP-pqIEJUG8JdOnNk74680iZvskt7DKKFj3-LE/s1600/PA030031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibo7ql7zuKG0xvAZH43DwigaN3AEMfnKrkb8m-26hgxLVrggZyseP93ByiSckOmmcoLaR0MGgcMUgtUFGZonK4g_TgTJs4hd-mBTtvvP-pqIEJUG8JdOnNk74680iZvskt7DKKFj3-LE/s320/PA030031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662336619269930882" /></a><br /><br />I don't remember a story behind this toy, but Doug is the original emo kid of the nineties, so in a homage to awesome 90s Nickelodeon cartoons, I couldn't part with it. Big Smiles when I found this one (and a lot of humming the theme song!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgotYzcUGCIudPa1LbMZl1lpD15KxqUsNmltr0dp3ykGv4UW5SdcXqkwYdzt6a5a5LSnBmkPt2pHMCCAxjTrLSAYe5-3uGzqNyWOZ6kkuttCv_zF9KN2xhzCpLdl5ES9KdvKYqu3xV9Q/s1600/PA030032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgotYzcUGCIudPa1LbMZl1lpD15KxqUsNmltr0dp3ykGv4UW5SdcXqkwYdzt6a5a5LSnBmkPt2pHMCCAxjTrLSAYe5-3uGzqNyWOZ6kkuttCv_zF9KN2xhzCpLdl5ES9KdvKYqu3xV9Q/s320/PA030032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662336625280048290" /></a><br /><br />Pretty sure these guys came from McDonald's when I was very little. I didn't even know what they were when I was a kid! Never fear, though, I've grown into a moderately capable nerd-girl. Everybody needs a little Mario in their lives, after all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L5gZU29X9xbMe32pT6XFALZDlKnjISrKz0q9rxDGUJsN9sNe-1I8nJ-K38Ngou7v5VKu-dyQNjs9GSRtJT-tkxLBebw3ZfT1S6LL2250u0R5cG9D1sJNwWKEEWWq6w-Z-xJrlh9xNN0/s1600/PA030033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L5gZU29X9xbMe32pT6XFALZDlKnjISrKz0q9rxDGUJsN9sNe-1I8nJ-K38Ngou7v5VKu-dyQNjs9GSRtJT-tkxLBebw3ZfT1S6LL2250u0R5cG9D1sJNwWKEEWWq6w-Z-xJrlh9xNN0/s320/PA030033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662336630846930690" /></a><br /><br />I've always been a sucker for miniatures. I'm not sure why, I just love tiny plastic animals! I was a total dino nut when I was younger (and I still kind of am hehe), so the dinosaurs are just awesome. I remember that the pig used to belong to my farming Barbies (lol!). And I used to carry those little frogs around everywhere when I was about ten or eleven. I loved reptiles and amphibians! I don't even recognize the giraffe, but it's a pretty cool giraffe, so I suspect it'll find a place in my stop-motion when I get around to making it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5rlJNcAycQYMKvZawp1IAzaXVr7PZIq2TjDlydizb78G9gujlGEAJHMtIDhyzA8I-14hwiwT5ky-5PErDog180wd0LJe9Qt1L0A6G7SpiJk6VELIGeF7TZmxpMWqKqUQThAm1_RS4-g/s1600/PA030034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5rlJNcAycQYMKvZawp1IAzaXVr7PZIq2TjDlydizb78G9gujlGEAJHMtIDhyzA8I-14hwiwT5ky-5PErDog180wd0LJe9Qt1L0A6G7SpiJk6VELIGeF7TZmxpMWqKqUQThAm1_RS4-g/s320/PA030034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662336648060299186" /></a><br /><br />Oh, man. Where do I even begin with these? My sister and I were NOT car nuts. We didn't collect Hot Wheels obsessively. But we did, over the years, accumulate a few of these die cast cars. And while, yes, we did take them outside and play with them in the mud, we weren't technically playing "cars." No, these cars all had names and personalities, and the big cars were the parents while the tiny ones were the baby cars. Yes, we took perfectly awesome boy toys and turned them into something very girly. But I have very vivid memories of these cars, and still remember exactly which tree we would play under with them. Megan and I had a lot of fun with these, whether it was girly fun or not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yryeeq5D10jtZy-8ClbIhSkNHRQj0qp9tpVVPWE-OSh8ksvCwu3bLzNtlItuef1gZavTwBTTGLzHLgqvMbSUBuKzFR9AXcK1OW6OXvDxm2c8mSt2sNz132wCoUHnQ4knD7_B8iznjvg/s1600/PA030035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yryeeq5D10jtZy-8ClbIhSkNHRQj0qp9tpVVPWE-OSh8ksvCwu3bLzNtlItuef1gZavTwBTTGLzHLgqvMbSUBuKzFR9AXcK1OW6OXvDxm2c8mSt2sNz132wCoUHnQ4knD7_B8iznjvg/s320/PA030035.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662341802945272194" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, the army men. I got these after my sister had stopped playing with toys, and they came to me through various second-hand means. I was never really into playing war or such, but given my love for Toy Story, seeing green army men always makes me smile. ^.^<br /><br />Never fear, for these aren't nearly all of my McToys - I know I have at least one more box still left in storage to go through. I've culled a selection of them out to get rid of, but I still have these pictures as well as a healthy selection of others in my craft/toy room. I look forward to including them in future stop-motion video adventures, as opening the McToy Box always sends my imagination reeling, just as it did years ago. And I'm not going to lie, I still pick up a Happy Meal from time to time, so there's always the prospects of new characters being added along the way. ^.^<br /><br />I've only just realized that I completely forgot to feature the McBarbie collection! No worries, though, I'm sure they'll find their way onto the blog soon enough. If there were ever McToys that we played with more than any other, it had to be the McBarbies. And seeing as I am STILL a huge Barbie fan (you never grow out of some things...), I think we all know we'll be seeing them around. ;)Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-16926220435086316162011-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:25:21.669-07:00McToys! Part OneI probably should have done this before our garage sale last weekend, but I finally sat down with several of the bins of old Happy Meal and other miscellaneous small toys and sorted them into the ones I wanted to keep and the ones I was willing to part with. Some of these toys are as old or older than I am, so it was quite the walk down memory lane! I've held on to these for ages, because (unlike a lot of kids), I actually played with them a fair amount. Lots of good memories were tucked away in those bins. <br /><br />I've decided to show off a few of my favorite finds. These aren't necessarily the oldest or most valuable of the lot; they're just the ones that brought me the biggest smiles when I rediscovered them. ;)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsilufy9jr1S97_YSbaK8w4L_oo75KVBkvjUsOIGKfeJCBhLQTwLQocWp1YIYkzRQnXqmKyKANLdW_aEVdwNMQ5QRlph3nShopHnsWgcNUqK1zr-MRxMBvF8cCA9d-4IBH-Jl0XLMtJ4/s1600/PA030025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsilufy9jr1S97_YSbaK8w4L_oo75KVBkvjUsOIGKfeJCBhLQTwLQocWp1YIYkzRQnXqmKyKANLdW_aEVdwNMQ5QRlph3nShopHnsWgcNUqK1zr-MRxMBvF8cCA9d-4IBH-Jl0XLMtJ4/s320/PA030025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659671788551475794" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe95glhJiSz1usjPaE8rKwaSkeBtGBPa_kh04YcjwtmoipcEtr66lOMznOT3a6Tk-WPo9T7wvmTSoS0sE95FtarsY7n2FiZ5sBW7dEKSQ_kOwlrmjudmJqolv9it8YNvLEnnvzgKKRg8/s1600/PA030026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe95glhJiSz1usjPaE8rKwaSkeBtGBPa_kh04YcjwtmoipcEtr66lOMznOT3a6Tk-WPo9T7wvmTSoS0sE95FtarsY7n2FiZ5sBW7dEKSQ_kOwlrmjudmJqolv9it8YNvLEnnvzgKKRg8/s320/PA030026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659671794443653090" /></a><br /><br />Anyone remember these? These are actually from three different sets. The robots/dinos are from the late '80s and early '90s (I think), and the little spy cassette-player is from the mid '90s. What I love most about these, though, is that they make great props for my American Girls - LOL! You know me, always on the lookout for miniature items for my doll dioramas. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SKtbZRnB27AJNv7s_fG0I98eyLYXJSdpMYT2gIYG1YBN_r6YWid_kIsZ9jk7pzhxGRCsw0E9j80olgBziBqvNHq6QSkVziqm51gA1bPw9N6K5aqRPJRGiH5LSTmQifeEfLXGIULkIGE/s1600/PA030027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SKtbZRnB27AJNv7s_fG0I98eyLYXJSdpMYT2gIYG1YBN_r6YWid_kIsZ9jk7pzhxGRCsw0E9j80olgBziBqvNHq6QSkVziqm51gA1bPw9N6K5aqRPJRGiH5LSTmQifeEfLXGIULkIGE/s320/PA030027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659671801563738770" /></a><br /><br />These got a BIG smile from me when I found them. ^.^ They aren't actually McToys. Back in the early to mid '90s, there were these stuffed animal "mothers" that had a velcro pocket in their bellies with these little beanbag babies inside. You didn't know how many babies you got until you opened the toy. They were quite popular at the time. If I remember correctly, my grandparents bought one each for my sister and I, letting us pick them out. Megan picked a bulldog, and I picked a pink and white cat. I'm actually pretty sure I still have them in storage! I remember that Megan was SO angry, because my cat came with more babies than her bulldog. But man, we had some good times with these little guys!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fq42hPCcxmrrpbiqfnyH6wsLaCQCTCZbINNCBMV7OLrcywXTkK5eBc818pX7dmUy1WtBLIj9v0ZKgnIR-JI7kGGYRMg8ITIVOXxwvf9eCEOlPkx23avv6zw3V7CndqCzNt3LmQeFBC0/s1600/PA030028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fq42hPCcxmrrpbiqfnyH6wsLaCQCTCZbINNCBMV7OLrcywXTkK5eBc818pX7dmUy1WtBLIj9v0ZKgnIR-JI7kGGYRMg8ITIVOXxwvf9eCEOlPkx23avv6zw3V7CndqCzNt3LmQeFBC0/s320/PA030028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659671804645521666" /></a><br /><br />Disney! I don't know that all of these were McToys. I know that Bambi and Thumper were, but I'm not so sure about the others. These are totally going to decorate my craft room/toy room/office. ^.^ Ursula doesn't want to stick to the window very well, but I think I just need to clean the suction cup a bit. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O0e4kWMVV-XYxF6sKDLL9E7OZN-0OYAZwp3Qql0JhJx9TW0TS1QPZjACgNKFgD6Kx1Dv0dSMPtC6yfz6BveNpmWUn6C-yYrZA9X7ngNcjksHAs22IquRJ0X-YwE58shRheXIf8I20CI/s1600/PA030029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O0e4kWMVV-XYxF6sKDLL9E7OZN-0OYAZwp3Qql0JhJx9TW0TS1QPZjACgNKFgD6Kx1Dv0dSMPtC6yfz6BveNpmWUn6C-yYrZA9X7ngNcjksHAs22IquRJ0X-YwE58shRheXIf8I20CI/s320/PA030029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659671809098512322" /></a><br /><br />Once I outgrew Barney as a kid, I was all about the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Trini (the yellow ranger) was my favorite, but I don't seem to have had her in McToy version. You can imagine my excitement when they did the run of Rower Rangers toys at McD. Some of these were the "special" toys that you had to buy extra at McDonald's. The larger action figure I think was bought from the toy store. I also have the red ranger action figure, but he's already locked in an epic battle with a Lego dragon in my room, so he couldn't make it to the photoshoot. ;)<br /><br />Well, I have more pictures, but Blogger keeps trying to freeze Google Chrome. >=( So I guess they'll just have to wait for another day.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-15698200352016586342011-08-01T07:18:00.000-07:002011-08-01T07:26:45.123-07:00On Friday, I was cleaning out what I think are the last few boxes that came with me when I moved to Oklahoma. While I was in college in Texas, my bedroom at home became a sort of dumping ground for everything that no one else wanted, and so when I moved, I gathered it all up and brought it up here with me. The boxes have been sitting in our garage for two years now, but I think we're finally ready for a garage sale now that they've been sorted. <br /><br />I found a lot of awesome stuff tucked inside those boxes while I was cleaning them out, though. Check out these oldies that emerged on Friday:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlpROhX-buYoGP8LYt5wxs1i8LPQpKTOXfZR-g1LtznBLjA6TutvTT_8Qk4pU48Sd3PCt7AlI659oG5lNxEubvD6HLBYp-JQcKvHvwq16oqTaBxf86Kirmi4X8tlTQG1Rw4rydHXXHe0/s1600/P7310025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlpROhX-buYoGP8LYt5wxs1i8LPQpKTOXfZR-g1LtznBLjA6TutvTT_8Qk4pU48Sd3PCt7AlI659oG5lNxEubvD6HLBYp-JQcKvHvwq16oqTaBxf86Kirmi4X8tlTQG1Rw4rydHXXHe0/s320/P7310025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635885842145397250" /></a><br /><br />Both are rubber, for the 1950s, and needed some serious clean-up. But aren't they adorable? After a little digging on ebay, I found what they're actually called, but I can't remember now ('cause I'm awesome and didn't write it down). I haven't decided what to name them yet, but I do know I'll have quite a bit of fun making clothes for them to wear.<br /><br />Patsyette and Takumi aren't quite sure what to think of these young new whippersnappers, but I bet they warm up before long. ^.^<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr-0NbkKqeYPg8t-lkp0JK32iBT-LRwn-PFqqPa4vrWR3CmjyFDLtZBHo1GzVSx-LFLK-vD_GT6nwrhsbcziKa-KkoPj1gjcxbTT13B2PytRrwT014C_FMjxt4RAoU_iSrQziNcNW93E/s1600/P7310027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr-0NbkKqeYPg8t-lkp0JK32iBT-LRwn-PFqqPa4vrWR3CmjyFDLtZBHo1GzVSx-LFLK-vD_GT6nwrhsbcziKa-KkoPj1gjcxbTT13B2PytRrwT014C_FMjxt4RAoU_iSrQziNcNW93E/s320/P7310027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635888216340929554" /></a><br /><br />I also found a vintage cheerleading doll from the 1940s and was going to find her a new home, but then it occurred to me that she is the perfect size to be a doll for my 18" AG dolls, as she is about the same size as the AG mini's. No pictures of her yet.<br /><br />And while we're on the topic of dolls, here are a few fun finds for the Barbies:<br /><br />See that ottoman? Any guesses on what it actually is?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyumPsJHQbRgX1okKVtCPaZPheLrGIKNDEv2EDA0ZdBgniaVKs9SoXrHSxCi3ovRKR4eA4ZOo3ZURFL_vFguN8UymM5NkTGeTj8QRjNiRYrhnCZQQJkcm9EXikCxCrd2Z_WzeQz27VXo/s1600/P7310019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyumPsJHQbRgX1okKVtCPaZPheLrGIKNDEv2EDA0ZdBgniaVKs9SoXrHSxCi3ovRKR4eA4ZOo3ZURFL_vFguN8UymM5NkTGeTj8QRjNiRYrhnCZQQJkcm9EXikCxCrd2Z_WzeQz27VXo/s320/P7310019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635889301159613266" /></a><br /><br />That's right, it's an empty jewelry box! I'm thinking of "reupholstering" it, but since it's empty on the inside, it's great for storing tiny accessories! <br /><br />And who doesn't love arcade games? This was a really old Dairy Queen kid's meal toy that I found in the boxes in the garage. I want to add legs to it so it can stand on it's own, but it should be a fun addition to Ken's bachelor pad.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDz4iqQWIK2V7Iv6Km02TZxN3S9Blcq6_PoRcNiTpJQfC2NgsJA13aKW1NWSdoRkOR3u9B4ACqdLApu0uYYq_QZ_-dUumn2b_eaTr-fs0XAQUX0mlDnUqDziMFA7uEi-B2cde6rReytc/s1600/P7310024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDz4iqQWIK2V7Iv6Km02TZxN3S9Blcq6_PoRcNiTpJQfC2NgsJA13aKW1NWSdoRkOR3u9B4ACqdLApu0uYYq_QZ_-dUumn2b_eaTr-fs0XAQUX0mlDnUqDziMFA7uEi-B2cde6rReytc/s320/P7310024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635890290623832562" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, while we were at Staples yesterday picking up some awesome deals, I noticed that they had these tiny little boxes on sale for a quarter. I picked up some to hold tiny crafting supplies in my bedroom, but I also grabbed a couple of pink ones, because they're the perfect size for Barbie!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFyi9p-6tKdu79B7mirT3crEFd3YkLKgGDxWDmy8kRtYt7OpzAcbZTLfbl8Bzl9iEPOSCrwnmXXb3pTGL5IsxcNsEbnpT2niMcoB1GsbZf53FMNSbp1RML5s0YAig9RDvxm3Ywx2-90/s1600/P7310015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaFyi9p-6tKdu79B7mirT3crEFd3YkLKgGDxWDmy8kRtYt7OpzAcbZTLfbl8Bzl9iEPOSCrwnmXXb3pTGL5IsxcNsEbnpT2niMcoB1GsbZf53FMNSbp1RML5s0YAig9RDvxm3Ywx2-90/s320/P7310015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635890792557290114" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZyF8GlevC6SBbR9OPONgIe7z2FfafQ8Sq8_rN7qA3c6dIwhBmDVFD5iS_O7t17XVlJDUHaV0A99VAlEN25l7mHsKYSJavFs3sZylhjDpHp1-hn8CY4YmyopUemmvTwze7bqmSeuxiJ4/s1600/P7310018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZyF8GlevC6SBbR9OPONgIe7z2FfafQ8Sq8_rN7qA3c6dIwhBmDVFD5iS_O7t17XVlJDUHaV0A99VAlEN25l7mHsKYSJavFs3sZylhjDpHp1-hn8CY4YmyopUemmvTwze7bqmSeuxiJ4/s320/P7310018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635890896632052322" /></a><br /><br />What can I say? An awesome dollhouse is all about the details and having a creative mind. Now if only Jason would actually *build* me a dollhouse like he's said he will. =p Then I could move them off the bookshelf they're currently crowded onto!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-9051076254302647742011-07-30T07:29:00.000-07:002011-07-30T09:40:01.793-07:00Oscar and PiperGood news, everyone! (I can't say that phrase in my head without saying it in Professor Farnsworth's voice.) I found my card reader, so now the photo-dumping can commence again! Before I post some of the older pictures that were sitting in my camera, though, I had a little bit of fun this morning. <br /><br />I'm way overdue for getting new pictures of my pup-pups, so I decided yesterday that it's photo shoot time. Now, I pretty much can only take decent pictures when I'm outside, but it's been WAY too hot to take the puppies out during the day just for some photos. Luckily, I was already up early this morning to go to grand opening at a new Dollar General (freebies!), so it wasn't too terribly hot this morning. <br /><br />Of course, I can't take ALL the puppies out at once (can you say chaos?), so I'll be taking them out in shifts of two until everyone gets a few pictures. I was originally going to take Dolly and KiKi today, but I picked up a new collar for Oscar at Dollar General this morning (his old one was getting really dingy), so I decided to take Oscar and Piper this morning instead so I can get pictures before his new collar gets dirty. ^.^<br /><br />Photo time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD08BrB1qFzXoNA9DT5ZBJv7b7sqnk9DLJxWav365cNObSN_QbV4GffBur4AMd5UYvS2rO67LEAG5mpSlBwI5ZA1tjPFl8dFD-sQRKJNfyuxZ2XPo4hmNCG_o2sFMjK4u5-hKMDXnhYt0/s1600/P7290002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD08BrB1qFzXoNA9DT5ZBJv7b7sqnk9DLJxWav365cNObSN_QbV4GffBur4AMd5UYvS2rO67LEAG5mpSlBwI5ZA1tjPFl8dFD-sQRKJNfyuxZ2XPo4hmNCG_o2sFMjK4u5-hKMDXnhYt0/s320/P7290002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155512689512914" /></a><br /><br />For those of you who aren't familiar with my dogs, I'll tell you a bit about Oscar and Piper. Oscar is the black and tan, and Piper is the silver dapple (that is her silhouette in the picture above, also). Oscar and Piper are littermates, along with KiKi, and Dolly is their biological mother (Oops! They're all spayed/neutered now!). They are Miniature Dachshund/Shetland Sheepdog mixes and were born in June of 2006. They've been with me since birth. =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tzV6yg9auNreg5FNPvVSYFFqjKeOS3ltsPNtfSyY36fxLsWALRcCLecHM8vBhuBwfNfakYqrfVxcbxF6zXSmOfHPNlWx2aLpexLxw5Mkv7HedXVTbcQ8ngOc_nKbenYSj9AEEvGqrgc/s1600/P7290010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tzV6yg9auNreg5FNPvVSYFFqjKeOS3ltsPNtfSyY36fxLsWALRcCLecHM8vBhuBwfNfakYqrfVxcbxF6zXSmOfHPNlWx2aLpexLxw5Mkv7HedXVTbcQ8ngOc_nKbenYSj9AEEvGqrgc/s320/P7290010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155523472117234" /></a><br /><br />Oscar and Piper are practically attached at the hip. They do everything together - they sleep in the same crate at night, they eat together, they groom each other, they play together - everything. They've been together since birth and I would never dream of separating them. I often refer to them as twins, even though they don't look alike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qut_NFlO_iEjQPjS42Iyb0VV626h0OmYMcxwyGg9wIz1xqLDiNxXeIiLTC2kKWL6N0LyYXjchu8Cv-BPR9rE-hOL2wb_-g8tmelOSEzjPLPvNn8BnPwAqguFWtZzxIpE1gvY1HLQ7ZA/s1600/P7290004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qut_NFlO_iEjQPjS42Iyb0VV626h0OmYMcxwyGg9wIz1xqLDiNxXeIiLTC2kKWL6N0LyYXjchu8Cv-BPR9rE-hOL2wb_-g8tmelOSEzjPLPvNn8BnPwAqguFWtZzxIpE1gvY1HLQ7ZA/s320/P7290004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155522563433410" /></a><br /><br />Oscar is a total chunk - he takes after Dolly that way. In fact, he takes after Dolly almost exclusively - it's hard to tell he's actually a mix. He is absolutely precious and loving, and his eyes get so big and black sometimes that you think you might just fall into them. =) But, of all my dogs, Oscar hates change the most. He hates each new addition to the family until someone else comes along that he can divert his attention to. Big Boy has been with us for over a year now, and he STILL hates him. Oscar also hates strangers, and is our most fierce guard dog. Oscar will let you know every time someone slams a car door outside. Oscar is a hilarious dog, though, because he's harmless, but when he gets excited, he puffs himself out like he's Mr. Big Man and struts around like a rooster. We make fun of him all the time, but he doesn't seem to mind. ;) What a clown!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqOCofX3hOXOPGrAHy-l56uI8VnUr1Yr-viYO80MAdmXdEFboBL9K3ksY44mnBsC-GKPN7_CzEo9ePdjjqpnoJMtf5hqDD-9iW-3EBvJPCpYZxA00f1tT43PdKxT5wg6TJ6t-ILMPuOk/s1600/P7290003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqOCofX3hOXOPGrAHy-l56uI8VnUr1Yr-viYO80MAdmXdEFboBL9K3ksY44mnBsC-GKPN7_CzEo9ePdjjqpnoJMtf5hqDD-9iW-3EBvJPCpYZxA00f1tT43PdKxT5wg6TJ6t-ILMPuOk/s320/P7290003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155517276251826" /></a><br /><br />Piper is our athletic girl. She is kind and gentle, and very patient. She is more shy than aggressive, and it doesn't take her long to warm up to new dogs, although she is afraid of new people. When Piper wants kisses, she doesn't just ask for them - she smacks you in the face with her paw, so we have to hold her feet sometimes when we're cuddling with her. Piper is a super jumper, and definitely takes after the Shetland Sheepdog in her. She's not at all afraid to leap off the back of the couch onto the floor. And because she is such a sweetie, she made a fantastic babysitter when Munchie was just a wee thing and needed someone to watch him while we went about our business.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3pLnihA-DgD0lYK-u_f_YETQEnDvlPB8QhRnTzJ5GX4ey67TKsHhP54toKkAsEiZ5r7ifnhJmkGMWR-Txw-LhPy100PHatluZCOFqcwXYaH3asg-wyDjwT2rPMBSxjOtT6HsOgbGprs/s1600/P7290016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3pLnihA-DgD0lYK-u_f_YETQEnDvlPB8QhRnTzJ5GX4ey67TKsHhP54toKkAsEiZ5r7ifnhJmkGMWR-Txw-LhPy100PHatluZCOFqcwXYaH3asg-wyDjwT2rPMBSxjOtT6HsOgbGprs/s320/P7290016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155527083362034" /></a><br /><br />One day while the dogs were playing outside, I heard a commotion, so I went outside to check on them - but Piper was nowhere to be found! I was really, really starting to worry where my sweet girl had gotten off to, and I called Jason out to help me find her. Finally, it occurred to me that our super jumper, who liked to climb on things, could have climbed on a cage I had setting next to the fence and jumped over, whether she had intended to or not. So I peeked over, and lo and behold, there was Piper in the neighbor's backyard, looking positively terrified that she had ended up over there with no way back! The neighbors were cool with it and their feisty bull terrier was caged at the time, so there was no harm done, but poor Piper never pulled that trick again! We've since fenced that part of our yard off because the boys like to fence fight with the neighbor's Bull Terrier. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCVgVC5F_FsABZLpezvIMY7_KE4UnMhaqvKKnJtGx4a0ueIRM5KW4DvyXXilBSZQnP5gkksux5My8Z6jw2DL6ln_e6jN9hVsrQAF1H91nQApAkR1-g1IF_b-xY_xAwQr6cvtMZJETeGQ/s1600/P7290034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCVgVC5F_FsABZLpezvIMY7_KE4UnMhaqvKKnJtGx4a0ueIRM5KW4DvyXXilBSZQnP5gkksux5My8Z6jw2DL6ln_e6jN9hVsrQAF1H91nQApAkR1-g1IF_b-xY_xAwQr6cvtMZJETeGQ/s320/P7290034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155793628588898" /></a><br /><br />Oscar loves small stuffed toys. His favorite toy that we ever bought him was a small, fluffy ball that looks like duck. He carried his Duckie everywhere with him! They were best friends. Not only would he play with it, but he would also groom it, set it in his food bowl to "eat," cuddle with it at naptime, and carry it outside to go potty with him. I think Piper felt a little left out, as occasionally she would try to play with Duckie, too, and Oscar was NOT ok with that! Unfortunately, when Munchie came along, he got a hold of Duckie and ripped all his stuffing out, so Oscar can't have his little friend with him in the living room anymore, but I've sewed Duckie back together so that he can still sleep with him at night in his crate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7-ZFoYSNR9HkLGJxWF3qegEeYtLBOB3N7DXOYqvS_Q74EMSKzCidkjxyuyv5BLhvZHykrwDbBvLWMHdXaMEKkh7Gl4fzQOct_Pd1I26s6uy9r7k_TmOepzeDo-axmPd0ZDJfOgTPVSI/s1600/P7290020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7-ZFoYSNR9HkLGJxWF3qegEeYtLBOB3N7DXOYqvS_Q74EMSKzCidkjxyuyv5BLhvZHykrwDbBvLWMHdXaMEKkh7Gl4fzQOct_Pd1I26s6uy9r7k_TmOepzeDo-axmPd0ZDJfOgTPVSI/s320/P7290020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635155790329631522" /></a><br /><br />And those are my twins, Oscar and Piper. =) I'm hoping to be able to do photo shoots with the rest in the coming week, so hopefully I'll have the whole set done and uploaded soon.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-25982115778994757452011-07-16T17:35:00.000-07:002011-07-16T18:05:19.038-07:00Changing Names: Everybody's LeftoversI was out in the garage today, sorting through boxes and letting my mind dance its little daydreams, and I couldn't help but smile. Because, you see, people may think we're crazy for salvaging things on big trash day, recycling and reusing containers like the world will end tomorrow, taking in sick, incontinent dogs, and all the other things we do that no one else would, but I find so much joy in living life with everyone's leftovers. And so, as you may have noticed, my blog has a new name. Not that I use it much to make it really matter, but I felt it time for a change.<br /><br />And so here I sit with everybody's leftovers, only they aren't leftovers to my husband and I. Because in truth, we're kind of leftovers. We've been driven out, abandoned, ignored, and rejected, too. And so we welcome people, animals, and things into our lives that are unwanted and unloved, because we know all too well that just because someone or something isn't wanted, doesn't mean it doesn't have worth. They'll always have a home with us. A home where they are wanted. A home where they matter. And a home where they are loved. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDvBX-G1pOcSEiKwXDh29A_wTCYlw-Czj28YNPDEYjcYOc2OK7eeC1ZzhbG41IV-z2pRgxxyJP4gNvSuToE8n6RXm4CNOcLbWotaYCaCIF1jv68OafNH0KuGav4pv2Um111HWOA35bxE/s1600/HPIM1767a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDvBX-G1pOcSEiKwXDh29A_wTCYlw-Czj28YNPDEYjcYOc2OK7eeC1ZzhbG41IV-z2pRgxxyJP4gNvSuToE8n6RXm4CNOcLbWotaYCaCIF1jv68OafNH0KuGav4pv2Um111HWOA35bxE/s320/HPIM1767a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630120540470566642" /></a><br />Our Beagle/Basset mix, Junior, on the day I brought him home - the day he was scheduled to be euthanized because no one wanted a dog his age. He's been with us two and a half years now and is still going strong.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-50616196761139896822011-06-14T12:47:00.000-07:002011-06-14T13:05:58.543-07:00My card reader is still MIA (where did that thing get off to?), so today's pictures are brought to you compliments of my Droid. ^.^<br /><br />A while back I posted about the silver maple seeds I had collected for planting. Well, today I show you a picture of how the little guys are doing. Soon I will need to transplant them from the Styrofoam cups I started them in and move them to bigger pots!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdHfYj-yEKUmUpsyWgrTmaJLYlXcClbl_q93m9psTOQQFC1iq6c08syZ243idoxa-9IUJYJsJ8fsNHieqQRjbu5UuQb-c-7PAl3IpE1pBlX9lEEupDGZHRgdJWE7Md_TUIYUP-L7Ru2Q/s1600/blog8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdHfYj-yEKUmUpsyWgrTmaJLYlXcClbl_q93m9psTOQQFC1iq6c08syZ243idoxa-9IUJYJsJ8fsNHieqQRjbu5UuQb-c-7PAl3IpE1pBlX9lEEupDGZHRgdJWE7Md_TUIYUP-L7Ru2Q/s320/blog8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618165321831611778" /></a><br /><br />In an attempt to save more money, I've been learning the tricks of couponing. Yesterday we hit up Homeland (a local grocery chain) and CVS to grab a few freebies with my carefully collected coupons. ^.^ Here is what I managed to get:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrYqxu3yGD7OZg0B5mv2NKP8YABh7Gmcl5NMNSkCw1YACtGWSsQpnQx3jCiWN9JsR_fslXV3VYvFs_3NwXeZEeYbe2HHnklww6D5ZZfn4gVPEp1etOHy0K6IX9UfiqEe2gqcIkkyDjBE/s1600/blog9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrYqxu3yGD7OZg0B5mv2NKP8YABh7Gmcl5NMNSkCw1YACtGWSsQpnQx3jCiWN9JsR_fslXV3VYvFs_3NwXeZEeYbe2HHnklww6D5ZZfn4gVPEp1etOHy0K6IX9UfiqEe2gqcIkkyDjBE/s320/blog9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618165838522925138" /></a><br /><br />I ended up paying about $2 in tax, but the items themselves were free with the coupons. I was especially excited about those pastas, as the husband and I love pasta for dinner. =)<br /><br />Once a month, our neighborhood has Big Trash Day, when then garbage men come by to collect all your trash that is too large to fit in your trash bins. You wouldn't believe the perfectly good items that people throw away! Jason and I enjoy the weekend before Big Trash Day by perusing the neighborhood for items that we can use. Here is a picture of what we snagged last weekend:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKLXyzgFkMT-fo1CAen9GYuRSGdb6XN_uli3o3PryoaA6DkywBcov2Tz8y0D44yndkIvqT2eLrq3AJ3Oy2L1VrrX7__r6zwi0XMYw38EhzLtbVfS0zQDQ8FPE7ym_164SeItb6Miyj1U/s1600/blog10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKLXyzgFkMT-fo1CAen9GYuRSGdb6XN_uli3o3PryoaA6DkywBcov2Tz8y0D44yndkIvqT2eLrq3AJ3Oy2L1VrrX7__r6zwi0XMYw38EhzLtbVfS0zQDQ8FPE7ym_164SeItb6Miyj1U/s320/blog10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618166657513702690" /></a><br /><br />I plan to post pictures of what I do with these items, so keep your eyes peeled for updates. =) Here are a few to start off with:<br /><br />See that big black futon mattress? Our neighbor told us that the people who tossed it out also tossed out the frame for it, but someone already grabbed the frame before we came along. No matter, as what I really wanted the mattress for was this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ5BTmUzEb0M8ykHvoO9y5s0BseliS0uu9YeDgekGUgWJkWqIVLX3tAU0FKKq_3UpVIp8xeIe_HNfhDfRlvLzXscKLQB1a6hMUCtJ2LaYNu6g8M_w0rpF59ILonMw1pSypiE1E-n8yVg/s1600/blog11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ5BTmUzEb0M8ykHvoO9y5s0BseliS0uu9YeDgekGUgWJkWqIVLX3tAU0FKKq_3UpVIp8xeIe_HNfhDfRlvLzXscKLQB1a6hMUCtJ2LaYNu6g8M_w0rpF59ILonMw1pSypiE1E-n8yVg/s320/blog11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167156447433602" /></a><br /><br />A nice, big, comfy dog bed to put out in the sun room! ^.^ The dogs love it and enjoy laying on it while they watch the world outside or taking a lazy nap. Plus, it's big enough that several of them can fit on it at once without starting the "he's touching me!" fussing.<br /><br />I also found this Little Tykes art easel that was pretty dirty, but overall in good condition and still perfectly usable! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAiK_05mg1OWj5uisojjJklExSaCmL8wAjRr_l6HZaLbK5_1LiSOSRaYjERJRmGceein7rlFT_UK4hrYupYBft7BCipi9Cw-kTT7Kv69o5yhpls704uFg7bfyB-5Ox1WT8DbjcOxBKZM/s1600/blog3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAiK_05mg1OWj5uisojjJklExSaCmL8wAjRr_l6HZaLbK5_1LiSOSRaYjERJRmGceein7rlFT_UK4hrYupYBft7BCipi9Cw-kTT7Kv69o5yhpls704uFg7bfyB-5Ox1WT8DbjcOxBKZM/s320/blog3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168151639750674" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vOT75LCdToBS9NWl9ykoLwFTkv_hN3q1bErWO2sY8hl6TAFmTDMRvTA_opX6F7bH-_W9Q9ggSQZX6Auu002_hPPgE0Fgu4KBhk-V3xv49xrsv2mUX3p7n6W5srk93DRZuG1KGOMsJKk/s1600/blog1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vOT75LCdToBS9NWl9ykoLwFTkv_hN3q1bErWO2sY8hl6TAFmTDMRvTA_opX6F7bH-_W9Q9ggSQZX6Auu002_hPPgE0Fgu4KBhk-V3xv49xrsv2mUX3p7n6W5srk93DRZuG1KGOMsJKk/s320/blog1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168145814079618" /></a><br /><br />I took it out into the back yard today and gave it a good scrubbing. Now it is practically as good as new!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCM_eq2VPB4PLdwTMpbWjTwfRuJIw88ae_Nwfzh3Jptj_iY43MipsogoDDuitLZ22JsNgbiUIjBt2_2CPZqkHv3WcdtUD3r01WM98LjOfMN065BmkORl12ZBUO5apHOXaPhmta8_QCEQ/s1600/blog4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCM_eq2VPB4PLdwTMpbWjTwfRuJIw88ae_Nwfzh3Jptj_iY43MipsogoDDuitLZ22JsNgbiUIjBt2_2CPZqkHv3WcdtUD3r01WM98LjOfMN065BmkORl12ZBUO5apHOXaPhmta8_QCEQ/s320/blog4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168489838895794" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDT51kttpF3UGAVRbEBdAxigd1woXAdK_SCSBGXIoF5ZGpHjVovYYlY6RccreTaMk-sEZssHsGP4gqKhvMWibmRXIFk-gHFmwHgitAsF_ZAqIkD7_lGPLNWsXW9CIW05zAS60hnOToUE/s1600/blog2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDT51kttpF3UGAVRbEBdAxigd1woXAdK_SCSBGXIoF5ZGpHjVovYYlY6RccreTaMk-sEZssHsGP4gqKhvMWibmRXIFk-gHFmwHgitAsF_ZAqIkD7_lGPLNWsXW9CIW05zAS60hnOToUE/s320/blog2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168487310593890" /></a><br /><br />Jason and I don't have any little ones of our own (aside from the animals) yet, but it will be nice to have when we do, as if they are anything like me, they're bound to have an artistic streak. ^.^ Until then, I bet I know another little one who will get some use out of this. =)Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-32609061252294827232011-06-01T13:05:00.000-07:002011-06-01T13:56:32.890-07:00I'm Not Dead, I've Just Lost My Card ReaderMy card reader (the thing I plug my camera's memory card into in order to upload the photos) is MIA at the moment, which has contributed to my lack of updates lately, but I am alive and well!<br /><br />Husband and I have been setting the wheels in motion for us to purchase some property outside of the city and start a farm. If all goes well, we should have a place and be moved in before autumn (hopefully in time to plant a pumpkin patch!). I am excited about living rurally again. I enjoy the city and its conveniences, but I dislike the constraints of living so closely packed with so many other people. It's hard for a hippie to live in suburbia! <br /><br />I look forward to having a huge backyard for my dogs to play in. I plan to build some agility equipment for my more athletic canines, and, although I will be busy with the farming much of the time, I am still hoping to get them <a href="dogscouts.org">dog scout</a>-certified through the mail, since there aren't any Dog Scout troops in Oklahoma. Soon I want to start uploading videos of their training to my Youtube channel. <br /><br />The puppies I posted pictures of a while back found a great home together with a country boy and his fiancé who live outside of the city. They send us pictures of them every now and then, and they are getting big and doing well. I am very thankful that they now have a loving home and are still together. <br /><br />The silver maple seeds that I planted in saved Styrofoam fast food cups have sprouted and are doing quite well. I haven't counted to see exactly how many have come up, but I believe it is around twenty. I would love to plant them on whatever property we end up buying (away from the house, of course). I plan to have a flower garden tucked into a grove of trees, so perhaps they will get planted nearby, where I can enjoy their beauty.<br /><br />We have one of those cheap $5 or $10 plastic wading pools in our backyard that we used for the dogs last year, but it has since developed a leak. I am hoping to fill it in with soil and plant some watermelon vines in it. It seems like it would be a good planter for vining plants, anyway, since we can just pick it up and carry it with us when we move.<br /><br />Husband showed me how to change spark plugs on his Grand Am a few days ago, and I really enjoy the learning experience. I am oddly intrigued by mechanics. I suspect I get that from my dad, as he always loved to tinker with machines. I am hoping to get a clunker for a project car sometime after we move so I can get more hands-on learning in that area. I am a big believer in hands-on learning.<br /><br />Hopefully soon I will find the card reader so I can upload some of the new pictures I've taken over the past several months. Until then, live wisely and love deeply.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-55646728666201718982011-04-09T08:34:00.000-07:002011-04-09T08:55:15.169-07:00The Seeds of ChangeNow that spring has finally dug in its roots and taken hold, I've been wandering out into our rather bleak backyard more often than usual. And since this is the first spring I have spent here when I wasn't holding down a job, this is the first time I have started to notice the seeds dropping off our silver maple tree.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPlZolzPRIcADUQAa-8fe_Fo-BFYO5kbI3ECWrk7VduQkDnEboycsYScVYhO2zh-Bu7aA7e7SSinYnQCcXWTp38DdJswyl2v1QtPAtMNTnKYMJDlodiQ8pyj7ijjDCjabCummcZrVhQg/s1600/P4070153.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPlZolzPRIcADUQAa-8fe_Fo-BFYO5kbI3ECWrk7VduQkDnEboycsYScVYhO2zh-Bu7aA7e7SSinYnQCcXWTp38DdJswyl2v1QtPAtMNTnKYMJDlodiQ8pyj7ijjDCjabCummcZrVhQg/s320/P4070153.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593610638513964578" /></a><br /><br />Aren't they wonderful? Look at how beautiful they are! They remind me of little fairy wings. In fact, I may use a few of the wings for some mixed media art along those lines.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoxYUt5vCM5VhnFHMnMTvDBkNnr_nxMqHObVBCnJGfkIKT2szsawLVa_HUtsqcZB4GlzyrQV39G-zf-l5IGS35uyfiL77qRX1kFCxh1l4G04vGO9scnwi_67rwB9g9uYVxrYsBGa8qWs/s1600/P4070158.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoxYUt5vCM5VhnFHMnMTvDBkNnr_nxMqHObVBCnJGfkIKT2szsawLVa_HUtsqcZB4GlzyrQV39G-zf-l5IGS35uyfiL77qRX1kFCxh1l4G04vGO9scnwi_67rwB9g9uYVxrYsBGa8qWs/s320/P4070158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593610640273126002" /></a><br /><br />Since I share a love of all things that grow, I've collected a bowl full of them to try and plant. I've seen a lot of discouragement on the internet about this, saying that there are much better maples to plant than these and silver maples tend to be a very "dirty" tree, forever dropping twigs, branches, leaves, and seeds, but I have dealt with all of these things, having one in my backyard, and they do not bother me tremendously. And it is really such a lovely tee with beautiful leaves; I would love to have a grove of them (away from the house) when we finally move out of the city. Besides, I already have thousands of these seeds raining down on me, and lord knows I enjoy using what the earth readily provides.<br /><br />So for now, it is my little horticulture experiment. And who knows, if I end up with a bunch of little saplings that I don't want come winter or time to move, I can always give them away.<br /><br />And so the cycle of seasons continues.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-70917873948827809532011-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:002011-04-05T19:45:06.543-07:00Showing Off the NibletsThese are my little niblets. They're both four weeks old and male. I can't keep them, of course, but I've certainly enjoyed having them here, particularly now that they are, in my opinion, in the cutest stage of puppyhood - they're tottering around quite well now, have started eating (face first) softened dogs food, they have the most adorable little barks, and they give sweet little kisses when you pick them up.<br /><br />Oh, puppy love. <3 There isn't anything better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvpeSYsVsS2LvXjNBtKStJjxnqKXTsuXyAJFgEksg3pqdvrH-K5DRMAar_k62PqW6_-USAAWr3pxqegsZRy3qOuJH49levtwnUHKCG3w4FHxe6BuOqh_PlxmD4B4d0EAoph1T9oBuA5Y/s1600/P3110143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvpeSYsVsS2LvXjNBtKStJjxnqKXTsuXyAJFgEksg3pqdvrH-K5DRMAar_k62PqW6_-USAAWr3pxqegsZRy3qOuJH49levtwnUHKCG3w4FHxe6BuOqh_PlxmD4B4d0EAoph1T9oBuA5Y/s320/P3110143.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592294957894785602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BOidFdCfq_nHIpXlqRI-0zSFyT-StJo_lF26KAO9_PE4n5V-LeKWEumICum7YWsvrgDYMMZ_J8h7uDAXwZRUwl3dahEfNOmRNGqeGL419BXWTmoR4-qXHy3yj7D2aDUMDpodxwysNrM/s1600/P3310157.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BOidFdCfq_nHIpXlqRI-0zSFyT-StJo_lF26KAO9_PE4n5V-LeKWEumICum7YWsvrgDYMMZ_J8h7uDAXwZRUwl3dahEfNOmRNGqeGL419BXWTmoR4-qXHy3yj7D2aDUMDpodxwysNrM/s320/P3310157.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592294954847468002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MhdSQtCtqMQAfHntJ_k1HV_89uZhC1cHeLySEpm2ljOAYPkjW2t_8be2XHE-868sFG6psXE9mNFb-23Tefh6Yg2usQE9hIjQ4r0wXB4eFPY0lhWX-X-ICkYhKpRmi3dDD3kwH3YiDtI/s1600/P3310156.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MhdSQtCtqMQAfHntJ_k1HV_89uZhC1cHeLySEpm2ljOAYPkjW2t_8be2XHE-868sFG6psXE9mNFb-23Tefh6Yg2usQE9hIjQ4r0wXB4eFPY0lhWX-X-ICkYhKpRmi3dDD3kwH3YiDtI/s320/P3310156.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592294951367170946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNChRdjltMEsM3gN-_F6nHgwiOmImq3D63M4nYYOzmXqfbhHDZn2Mhl1WYdGVwAiNsjyHrmKuWV4K82NjOs0szTGCGpeNBeC3hOj21TrK-Sw8__qZfQDvQLs54bCjI18V1mLmC95JUxnc/s1600/P3310155.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNChRdjltMEsM3gN-_F6nHgwiOmImq3D63M4nYYOzmXqfbhHDZn2Mhl1WYdGVwAiNsjyHrmKuWV4K82NjOs0szTGCGpeNBeC3hOj21TrK-Sw8__qZfQDvQLs54bCjI18V1mLmC95JUxnc/s320/P3310155.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592294949165600642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrMm3JYd54WYcVaZQrFoWfiBod9rhBP7fPcZulBEakMMEnrtswsXi7H1m7uUmz7IlOhNckYlps-5beZaDLPgRLRDpG2u2GKpCgEDLMkBsL24lQRBLCebGnY657CVd7wodsUQKOPKPAek/s1600/P3310154.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrMm3JYd54WYcVaZQrFoWfiBod9rhBP7fPcZulBEakMMEnrtswsXi7H1m7uUmz7IlOhNckYlps-5beZaDLPgRLRDpG2u2GKpCgEDLMkBsL24lQRBLCebGnY657CVd7wodsUQKOPKPAek/s320/P3310154.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592294944763446978" /></a><br /><br />That first picture is when the babies were just a week or two old. Sweet momma kisses! She's ready to be rid of the little leeches now, poor thing. ^.^Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-3546382392289595492011-02-20T07:55:00.000-08:002011-02-20T08:25:36.943-08:00A Little Experiment in Gardening and UsefulnessSo, I'm doing a little experiment. Some of you may remember, back in kindergarten, doing an experiment to sprout a potato in a cup of water. Alas, I never enjoyed that experiment so far as I can remember, as my class went with the bean-planted-in-a-cup-of-dirt route. But now I find myself with five potatoes and an onion, happily suspended over cups of water atop my old piano. Whether or not this experiment will succeed, I haven't the foggiest, but I'm hoping.<br /><br />Of course, this wasn't just a whim. I've been jones'ing to do some gardening lately, but, what with it still being in February, I have a feeling that the deceptive warmth we've been having lately may soon relapse into a final cold spurt before spring finally sinks its roots in.<br /><br />This all started when I found an onion in a little bucket we use for produce atop my refrigerator. Well...truthfully, it was more like an onion *plant.* It had sprouted amazingly well, and while half of me was regretting that I hadn't cleaned off the top of the fridge sooner, the other half of me hated to throw out something that had such a strong will to grow. Hence, we started our little experiment, and since I was already going to the trouble (if it, in its simplicity, can be called that), I went ahead and sorted through the potatoes to see if there were any likely-looking candidates as well. <br /><br />So here we are, and only time will tell if it will actually work and I will indeed be able to start off this year's container garden with my produce-gone-bad. In the meantime, I've named them. ^.^<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8_9i27e3HWqTgC5QL_sxPJqoCjdCY3NsnLT3sqmpylmCQ54WtqGSqVtZhDbP2UPcnpUsEi5eljien-Zo0p-FSGbn7DujGFYHh_C_oT7fRSBc3YcMtUHj17PnIt0StIhXNt9SRkL6xRQ/s1600/sprout2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8_9i27e3HWqTgC5QL_sxPJqoCjdCY3NsnLT3sqmpylmCQ54WtqGSqVtZhDbP2UPcnpUsEi5eljien-Zo0p-FSGbn7DujGFYHh_C_oT7fRSBc3YcMtUHj17PnIt0StIhXNt9SRkL6xRQ/s320/sprout2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575804473532232642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FqTySNMaJyTla6pGBIEMKv7c-OqZJ0FMHJyF7R9z71FvS6qdhlNGPDZAV887-fu0q16HXd4GhGv69JMswcbio9tWVhEosMuCEwEjAYYMAxJNNthsZ3zuhiPjAi7dJtlopjbmxW-Br3o/s1600/sprout1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FqTySNMaJyTla6pGBIEMKv7c-OqZJ0FMHJyF7R9z71FvS6qdhlNGPDZAV887-fu0q16HXd4GhGv69JMswcbio9tWVhEosMuCEwEjAYYMAxJNNthsZ3zuhiPjAi7dJtlopjbmxW-Br3o/s320/sprout1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575804468460445282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcCMXHFQqUqxS6IXJu3yVF-md9bLbfI-L-lGBZqbEjEoBZxu-ZjNMR4wPvyMRsYFPaLrCJJ2OeHYcCNvaHHfjw8UgGOormUmdiUi5e88FYW9W5QWXxBjnO5qwMdAkrsVyFe-lLyX6l-U/s1600/sprout4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcCMXHFQqUqxS6IXJu3yVF-md9bLbfI-L-lGBZqbEjEoBZxu-ZjNMR4wPvyMRsYFPaLrCJJ2OeHYcCNvaHHfjw8UgGOormUmdiUi5e88FYW9W5QWXxBjnO5qwMdAkrsVyFe-lLyX6l-U/s320/sprout4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575804475062438498" /></a><br /><br />And not only am I being thrifty by trying to sprout something that most people would have thrown out, I'm also using empty yogurt containers to do it in. Bonus points for me! And for the record, most non-meat, non-dairy food waste that happens in our home gets added to our compost pile, which happily resides in a large trashcan in our backyard. So one way or another, we put our food waste to work for us. I just thought that sprouting these items would not only allow them more potential than just composting them, but would also save us a buck, since we won't have to buy as many onion or potato plants when we get ready to plant the garden.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-70868698593726402142011-02-18T11:27:00.000-08:002011-02-18T11:37:16.796-08:00'Tis a Gift to be SimpleI've been knitting up a storm lately, so I expect a few posts will soon follow about my newest creations. First, though, I'd like to share with you the tulips that Jason bought me for Valentine's Day.<br /><br />I don't like cut flowers. I just can't understand why people pay so much money for them, when they look pretty for a few days and then die. The only useful thing you can do with them is compost them when they start to go bad. But then, I suppose most people don't really think about the useful thing to do.<br /><br />So, to counter-act this, Jason buys me potted flowers, which I adore. Potted flowers, especially bulbs, mean I can replant them again next year and enjoy their beauty for an extended period of time.<br /><br />We found this pot of tulips at Sam's a day or two before Valentine's Day for $7. When I got them, there were just a few blossoms, but with each day that has passed since then, more have appeared and widened. They're at their peak right now, with the first blossoms starting to wane as the last are just starting to reach their potential. I've had them placed on my dining room table, but today when I saw them, I knew they were just begging to be taken out and photographed in the sunlight.<br /><br />So, whether you're really interested in pictures of tulips or not, here are a few of my beautiful red reminders that spring is just around the corner. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLakjQsuL6veiWvgixmeu0sEc-3qQu9FeCM6dKDTktCYU87hDwzCBA9fLW1JfmPnRl0YwEEf-Em7cVy1KmZmeuwDxwzza-mwSkX_L8eopUDT-fbxuORKeLKonvPgfmbs8PwbJQtXvPHa0/s1600/P2180013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLakjQsuL6veiWvgixmeu0sEc-3qQu9FeCM6dKDTktCYU87hDwzCBA9fLW1JfmPnRl0YwEEf-Em7cVy1KmZmeuwDxwzza-mwSkX_L8eopUDT-fbxuORKeLKonvPgfmbs8PwbJQtXvPHa0/s320/P2180013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115434604132658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sMluZUEde7inB6VlOU_Zp59GW6vG1Dwp9VkS8jNnAI0YWu4Aub_Ca1QdJCZWn9q1XoUCmF9bwtVhzqMLtX98tEL02rauoVuXvuAF7GrgGNJKP7VO6OM00DoVY7sZzcnboVHK8JdGNaw/s1600/P2180012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sMluZUEde7inB6VlOU_Zp59GW6vG1Dwp9VkS8jNnAI0YWu4Aub_Ca1QdJCZWn9q1XoUCmF9bwtVhzqMLtX98tEL02rauoVuXvuAF7GrgGNJKP7VO6OM00DoVY7sZzcnboVHK8JdGNaw/s320/P2180012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115430820893426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtao6F4-hnUdUyLcasxPdiJHzKh6paqx4q24SyRKgGLm-jBNgbBOBftIj_kJhBX5bBajXbVUUAwir4WDxD5mKtTqScLdAqmvFumrUqmnA-zpJjV4Heshehbv1v2j1_Sk-Dm9m-kWppulI/s1600/P2180010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtao6F4-hnUdUyLcasxPdiJHzKh6paqx4q24SyRKgGLm-jBNgbBOBftIj_kJhBX5bBajXbVUUAwir4WDxD5mKtTqScLdAqmvFumrUqmnA-zpJjV4Heshehbv1v2j1_Sk-Dm9m-kWppulI/s320/P2180010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115428872783682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQvxlFhWfAVeubVJrX7QnmYs57WtgRHPlV6N6S97RiRoZllFwwyaYwlDc1TKGJ3FoRjHidkYO2k5FC8v4r63Z51J8eKU3Jz1CW9ZdQRi7tef8VD6KxME4Cr8jjnAkJ0YjkxSYf0eGqug/s1600/P2180006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQvxlFhWfAVeubVJrX7QnmYs57WtgRHPlV6N6S97RiRoZllFwwyaYwlDc1TKGJ3FoRjHidkYO2k5FC8v4r63Z51J8eKU3Jz1CW9ZdQRi7tef8VD6KxME4Cr8jjnAkJ0YjkxSYf0eGqug/s320/P2180006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115427879261394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcDC-jOLwyI2xLAXg9HC84KJ31yLeXXNvZ-BobSiMAi7iAoIACUPCZkbubFQXrtLAJ23URLysXQw44vLru1pnIsiTo_U7E5br_n5kK-L4aoVUtaQFWGmzgD53BxYzP_FADNKoG6djL5U/s1600/P2180001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcDC-jOLwyI2xLAXg9HC84KJ31yLeXXNvZ-BobSiMAi7iAoIACUPCZkbubFQXrtLAJ23URLysXQw44vLru1pnIsiTo_U7E5br_n5kK-L4aoVUtaQFWGmzgD53BxYzP_FADNKoG6djL5U/s320/P2180001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115422850590274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhg2ZI9tUEakDSQQWZV18wjgazf-3HX8QjEpZgBOiFBrAD_MjF6mPhtAuk0ded4k8R6R5Gxv1xt4zRObHGH3WjNRIWz7lLcQbJnUBeVmCpedSHWgowGhzq19O9mKJRhoDQndwVP37LPU/s1600/P2180016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhg2ZI9tUEakDSQQWZV18wjgazf-3HX8QjEpZgBOiFBrAD_MjF6mPhtAuk0ded4k8R6R5Gxv1xt4zRObHGH3WjNRIWz7lLcQbJnUBeVmCpedSHWgowGhzq19O9mKJRhoDQndwVP37LPU/s320/P2180016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575115530017583106" /></a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-86748082985193333992011-01-10T10:16:00.000-08:002011-01-10T10:22:28.155-08:00Mr. FuzzbuttIn all honesty, I'm not much of one for gifting my crafted items, but I made an exception for Christmas and sent this cute little crocheted bunny to live with my almost-two-year-old niece. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhmhvmzY65WKEnQo090LAE-FC9neDCjYnuob1EP_m79JgKIsOwOAKFI0Q7RkNSByLBP5nZJBdAOZiEiGIt53E86yFDH1XI998x-9woxdZp3MqGN-d8pXWvMa5f8zrMJ9HiCVV64Y4H-0/s1600/PC252041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhmhvmzY65WKEnQo090LAE-FC9neDCjYnuob1EP_m79JgKIsOwOAKFI0Q7RkNSByLBP5nZJBdAOZiEiGIt53E86yFDH1XI998x-9woxdZp3MqGN-d8pXWvMa5f8zrMJ9HiCVV64Y4H-0/s320/PC252041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560622839207132018" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3i6l7DxSwfi2NTO4wNTIiHz8f1SyAsc-2qPlZLW3csoxG_OeI6OF0Q5aV4uoAlaK6yRVj-OpA-jks042Fg-JRoMfv0xsnHZCevd1c8w_39oetAzMjoCRE9TqlQYtjeEAnn9oA77VWj8/s1600/PC252039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3i6l7DxSwfi2NTO4wNTIiHz8f1SyAsc-2qPlZLW3csoxG_OeI6OF0Q5aV4uoAlaK6yRVj-OpA-jks042Fg-JRoMfv0xsnHZCevd1c8w_39oetAzMjoCRE9TqlQYtjeEAnn9oA77VWj8/s320/PC252039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560622832050493458" /></a><br /><br />I named him Mr. Fuzzbutt and almost hated to part with him, but I suspect I'll be making another soon to live happily in my toy/craft room. ^.^<br /><br />If you're curious to make your own, here's the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/best-bunny">Ravelry link</a> to the free pattern.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-31568278301884486592011-01-07T11:21:00.000-08:002011-01-07T12:19:36.268-08:00How to Re-Use Absolutely Everything: Christmas Wrapping Paper Idea #1This past Christmas, I brought home the gift paper that had wrapped my gifts (for crafting purposes). Christmas in America generates ridiculous amounts of garbage, and wrapping paper is part of that. In fact, the whole point of wrapping paper is to rip it off and throw it away, which just seems pointless to me. Why pay money for pretty paper that you're just going to...throw away? That aside, I saved mine and added it to my paper stash while I devised different ways to use it. <br /><br />I initially figured that I could use as the background for Christmas-themed scrapbooking pages. It works just as well as made-for-scrapbooking paper if you paste it onto a cardstock backing, and costs considerably less than the 50 cents a page that scrapbooking paper costs. I haven't been in much a scrapping mood lately, though, so I've been digging around for other papercrafting ideas to make use of my salvaged wrapping paper.<br /><br />Enter this cute ornament <a href="http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/12/diy-striped-paper-ornament.html">tutorial</a> from How About Orange. <br /><br />Christmas wrapping paper works great for making Christmas tree ornaments, and it's a great way to decorate handmade. ^.^<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iRTKZiiTfEte6Ba3rL1cFaRoGMOWqC_WFrOJc4BKylJd2Ik4YSOV2qtcDMzmInXZwH9pliC2AgxK6vLPReEvAk1ZNYuKQn6dndWosyzrH87ev_T9rhTbob1U-YLBfaY0MvEiqFsaRr0/s1600/P1070017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iRTKZiiTfEte6Ba3rL1cFaRoGMOWqC_WFrOJc4BKylJd2Ik4YSOV2qtcDMzmInXZwH9pliC2AgxK6vLPReEvAk1ZNYuKQn6dndWosyzrH87ev_T9rhTbob1U-YLBfaY0MvEiqFsaRr0/s320/P1070017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559540068219024290" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpThssqgM1H90Rcm1m0NSlRmNkW93_WZniT29ve-wJ4bGZoox73ST9imp2zMKUR0nlFg-A-dTJrwVHjWNCopnIYKk268pkD3DGlmvsNE56v9tabn8LRihuwGtzs8aQUes2VaWKK9RFP4/s1600/P1070016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpThssqgM1H90Rcm1m0NSlRmNkW93_WZniT29ve-wJ4bGZoox73ST9imp2zMKUR0nlFg-A-dTJrwVHjWNCopnIYKk268pkD3DGlmvsNE56v9tabn8LRihuwGtzs8aQUes2VaWKK9RFP4/s320/P1070016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559540062536495474" /></a><br /><br />I used pony beads as I have no idea where my other beads are hiding right now, but overall I think they came out pretty cute, and they actually use a relatively small amount of paper, so one sheet from a gift should make quite a few. Our Christmas tree is already put away for the year, but I look forward to being able to use them next December.<br /><br />I'll have more wrapping paper ideas posted in the future, so keep your eyes open.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-91201430435846208082011-01-05T10:07:00.001-08:002011-01-05T11:20:12.441-08:00A Rare Reflective PostAlthough most of my posts will be crafting-related or active in some way, I'm going to take a moment to write a short reflective post. I've tried to write something to this effect before and it weighs so heavily on me that I've had to give up, condemned to keep it to myself. But in honor of a new year, I've decided to just write it all down as quickly as possible and get it off my chest.<br /><br />2010 was a tough year for me. Not just because my sister died unexpectedly, alone, or because I had to watch my dad descend into being mute, confused, and helpless before I watched him take his final breaths. These were just what started the bulk of my troubles in 2010. No, what has really taken its toll on me the worst was that I wasn't allowed to move on.<br /><br />In an unlucky series of events, my sister's estate is still in probate. Most of her things are still setting in her house just as she left them, nearly a year after her death. It makes it incredibly hard for me to go back there now. As much as I adore east Texas, I hate making trips down there now. Because of our own financial issues and her lack of life insurance, we still haven't managed to get her a tombstone yet. <br /><br />I knew when my dad died that I would be the one settling his affairs, but he never prepared me for how convoluted that process is. We're still in the process of getting the Air Force to release the rest of his life insurance money, still haven't settled his debts or sold any of his estate. He had no legal will, his information with the Air Force was out of date, and the paperwork he had wasn't organized at all.<br /><br />There is still so much unfinished business to take care of, and everything is going so slowly. It's like having a huge burden on my shoulders. I truly hope that none of you ever have to bear the responsibility that I took on in all of this, because it is truly overwhelming at times. Certainly, I've had other family members die, including two of my half-brothers, but at that point in time, other people made the arrangements and took care of the responsibilities. I was allowed to do my mourning and then move on. Now that I am the one shouldering responsibility, I can understand better why my dad carried a similar burden. <br /><br />To top it all off, I've noticed that having that burden has made me dwell on other bad things that have happened in my life - even little ones that happened when I was a child, but especially more recent ones. Petco trying to fire me for needing time off to settle my sister's affairs after she died. Being told not to worry about how to pay for my sister's funeral, that her church would take care of it, only to find out after the funeral that "it was just a loan" and we were expected to pay it back, because the church "isn't in the business of burying people." Being fooled by two different people into thinking they were my friends, because I take people at face value and it never occurs to me that some people just pt on an act so that they can use you. Our cranky landlord showing up without any notice and letting himself in when I didn't answer the door. And so many, many other things. It kills some days for me, leaves me stuck in a depression. <br /><br />It's not that I'm trying to throw a pity party. It's just that I don't understand how everything got like this. How everything can change so quickly.<br /><br />I've been looking forward to 2011, and I am glad that it is now here. I am offered a tiny bit of relief that my year of hell is now, officially, in the past. I know that it's quite likely that 2011 could end up just as badly as 2010, but they whole point of this blog is that, because it brings me so much pain to look back on even happy memories right now, all I have to cling to is the present and the future. <br /><br />Even though I'm not much of one for New Year's Resolutions, I made one this year: Keep Moving Forward. Because the only way to handle bad periods in your life is just to take one day at a time. My hope for tomorrow is what keeps me trudging on the worst days. My joy is the little family I've built for myself. So I put my past out of my mind, for now. Maybe one day I'll be able to look back again and enjoy the happy memories. For now, all I can do is keep moving forward, focus on the present and keep working on living out the values that Jason and I have ascribed to our lives. I'll just keep moving forward.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1AE7OHbzmdA9zMNNuReTv8b5JH0N07clezniq7K7jSDYkxmNBUYVjOGUd3CFbkcBLcE7C4HKa8aRAVbtzJLdm9QT5JqP2txt9ljleIozZJUBdUJ3yevuiwHU9DsaY3PIGjwiwcSpfqI/s1600/thankyouforthememories.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1AE7OHbzmdA9zMNNuReTv8b5JH0N07clezniq7K7jSDYkxmNBUYVjOGUd3CFbkcBLcE7C4HKa8aRAVbtzJLdm9QT5JqP2txt9ljleIozZJUBdUJ3yevuiwHU9DsaY3PIGjwiwcSpfqI/s320/thankyouforthememories.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558783238587339218" /></a><br /><a href="http://vulgarsanity.xanga.com/738467050/610/?cuttag=true#cuttaganchor">[Picture Credit]</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-49629249656687563642011-01-05T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-05T10:56:21.977-08:00What To Do With Too Many Large Picture FramesHere we are, five days into the new year (Huzzah for 2011! A pox on 2010!), and that means I am five days behind schedule in getting this blog up and running again. In my defense, however, that isn't entirely because I was being lazy, but rather because my aura of anti-technology had been pissing my computer off lately. It keeps locking me out of the network drives, which happens to be where everything gets saved or imported to. It surprised me and let me in today, though, so I'm taking advantage while I have access.<br /><br />Today's topic wasn't at the top of the list for posts I wanted to start with, but it's the one I've got finished enough to write about, so there you have it.<br /><br />I've recently been faced with a dilemma in that I've used all my small 4x6 and 5x7 picture frames and was left with a bunch of 8x10s. Since I prefer small pictures and have a bunch still left to be framed and hung, it occurred to me: why pay money to buy new frames and just keep all these big frames waiting for large pictures that I will probably never have, when I can just get creative and use the big ones I already own? Therefore, the solution to my problem:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6K-xmS3dwsI0mpuCrggZBhL7YuDQ_Me58myiOg-EcfUemPtKuoNoItL62s87PwkI-_-VTiom3nn-T1c9r1uZjrDBYWZZCwfUe1NtielKJ_JWVqibZ3L_VKzGpfP9LNlxaniu4D0VUbo/s1600/PC292062.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6K-xmS3dwsI0mpuCrggZBhL7YuDQ_Me58myiOg-EcfUemPtKuoNoItL62s87PwkI-_-VTiom3nn-T1c9r1uZjrDBYWZZCwfUe1NtielKJ_JWVqibZ3L_VKzGpfP9LNlxaniu4D0VUbo/s320/PC292062.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558754455126294818" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnaoneKEzySAwQDRfM19_0RJAzot3PhEzdZ509XyLOvy417gEGUExgpFlAK68SrZyVHwRAUtcvuH5DhUbhspufAhqk_8vd2K15ThG2FKBXWvdJAYdgnho0N8hLCuG4XESRkWJiDC34-g/s1600/PC292052.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnaoneKEzySAwQDRfM19_0RJAzot3PhEzdZ509XyLOvy417gEGUExgpFlAK68SrZyVHwRAUtcvuH5DhUbhspufAhqk_8vd2K15ThG2FKBXWvdJAYdgnho0N8hLCuG4XESRkWJiDC34-g/s320/PC292052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558754450939182626" /></a><br /><br />Take some smaller pictures, add some scrapbooking paper/cut-outs, and put them in a cute vintage frame, and ta-da! Killing two birds with one stone. I also love this idea because it allows me to embellish the photos and add captions or titles. Plus, you don't have to use scrapbooking paper - you can use any piece of scrap paper that will fit a 8x10 frame. I plan on making one with pictures of my dad using a copy of his retirement order from the Air Force as the background. <br /><br />These are the only two I have finished right now, but I printed off a bunch more pictures of my current dogs this morning, so you'll probably see new ones posted in a few days.<br /><br />As an aside, the pictures featured in the frames above are of Gomer, my first miniature Dachshund and best friend when I was a pre-teen, and also KP, my second miniature Dachshund, Baby the terrier mix, and Scott the giant Shetland Sheepdog, who is, coincidentally, the father to my sweet Oscar, Piper, and KiKi. Who'd have thought? Gomer, KP, Baby, and Scott are no longer with us, but clearly, I haven't forgotten them.<br /><br />Speaking of the dogs, we've finally scheduled a neuter appointment for both Munchie and Big Boy for later this month, and it's about time. The testosterone in this house is about to drive me over the edge. <br /><br />Keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon, but for now, it's time I go take down our little Christmas tree.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-77430504498619416792010-12-27T14:22:00.000-08:002010-12-27T14:58:53.813-08:00I'm here, I swear. I'm just waiting for this devilish year to end. In the meantime, I've got so many projects planned and in progress, it's ridiculous.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-4452400652284649042010-09-15T07:31:00.000-07:002010-09-15T08:13:55.115-07:00Reading and Writing (but no arithmetic today)Does anyone even recognize that reference in my title, or is that one of those obscure things I picked up from having an elderly father?<br /><br />Hrm. I meant to make another playlist for you yesterday, but forgot. Ah well, I'm thinking of moving that to another day of the week, as I've recently discovered "Teaser Tuesday," when writers post little snippets of their writing to titillate others. I haven't decided, though, whether I'll be posting my writing and writing-related posts on this blog, or making another one to keep things more organized. It's not really a pressing question right now, as no one really reads this blog.<br /><br />Speaking of writing, I'd like to recommend a book I've recently read on the subject. I always kind of considered books on writing to be amateur and thus avoided them, but I stumbled onto <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy</span></span> by Orson Scott Card in our local branch of the library and ended up enjoying it so much that I recently purchased a copy of it on Amazon (for a penny, of course).<br /><br />This one initially caught my eye because of the author. I've read what is probably his most notable work, the sci-fi classic <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Ender's Game</span></span>, and it is truly a brilliant book. He's had great success as an author, but I didn't pick up <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">How to Write</span></span> to learn how to be successful - if you know me, you know that popular success is not my goal in writing. No, I picked this book up to see if the knowledge contained within could teach me more about science fiction and what, other than content, makes it different from other fiction, and I also wanted to see if it could help me give my own writing some direction.<br /><br />I wasn't disappointed. Card knows his stuff when it comes to writing, and he was dedicated to making sure that he didn't digress into generalizations about all genres, but stayed specifically on the subject of speculative writing. One of the reasons I bought the book for my own library is because there is so much useful information in it, that I am certain I will need a copy to refer back to at my leisure. Granted, some of the publication information is a bit out-dated, given that this book is a good twenty years old, but that is a relatively small portion of book as a whole and doesn't dim the quality of the rest of the book. The only thing really missing from this book is a discussion of cyberpunk writing, but as that sub-genre didn't gain popularity until recently, it isn't surprising that he doesn't address it.<br /><br />What I love most about this book, though, is that it is a great read for readers as well as writers. It quite literally changes the way you read and makes you more aware of the devices at work behind the story. If you are at all interested in a more Formalist approach to literature and not simply in it for a good story, I would recommend you check this book out. You may find yourself understanding why certain books are more popular and better-written than others.<br /><br />So, kudos, Orson Scott Card. Your nonfiction rocks just as much as your fiction does.<br /><br />Following in that trend, I've picked up Stephen King's <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">On Writing</span></span> from the library. To be honest, I've never actually read any Stephen King, as I'm not much of a horror reader, but if my adventure in <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">On Writing</span></span> goes well, I may be tempted to pick up one of his fiction books and see what all the fuss is about. Feel free to drop suggestions into a comment and send them my way if there is a particular novel you feel would be a good one to start with (or just your favorite in general).<br /><br />As for fiction reading, I'm still casually strolling through Gene Wolfe's <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The Knight</span></span>. Poor thing has been neglected as of late, as I've been pouring most of my reading time into school and nonfiction. It will get some love soon, though.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-15373358168364133272010-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:002010-09-13T10:03:41.411-07:00Craft of LateLet's take a look at a few of the recent additions to my closet, shall we?<br /><br />First off, in only three or four days of leisurely knitting, I finished up the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-tam">River Tam<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-tam"></a></a> (linked to the Ravelry pattern page for those of you interested in knitting it or seeing the original). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeEGgwEQESRtXyf8cvsGZ5IMw5QA-fnKAGmevLfUW7BPmXfPuK0MTkTsuwRoO1xPivJMdFxLZV_0uhmdeVJoVL9Jjf2lXWtWLBtl0-b-x5ICTNVusJ4oE02BKTE0JfkvabZIaEndpt2s/s1600/P9111391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeEGgwEQESRtXyf8cvsGZ5IMw5QA-fnKAGmevLfUW7BPmXfPuK0MTkTsuwRoO1xPivJMdFxLZV_0uhmdeVJoVL9Jjf2lXWtWLBtl0-b-x5ICTNVusJ4oE02BKTE0JfkvabZIaEndpt2s/s320/P9111391.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516111900172776754" /></a><br /><br />This beret was knit using Yarn Bee Rainbow Wool in the Seastorm colorway that I picked up at Hobby Lobby last week. I used about 75% of one skein, knitting on size 6 and 8 needles so it would fit my giant head (and Hermione Granger hair). It is 86.4% wool, 5% mohair, and 8.6% acrylic - not the best yarn available, but it's cheap, comfy, and, despite being a bit fuzzy, really quite lovely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38935FBBYMdwVIjGYox2UFBcj4v06w8quenTklkpg6hIA-LpLw-DmTx-7AMpkx6VvY6Q2ro_QceZF9ZL6sfN5cetAUNISm9qjtUM4KWk89r16QiqOIpCt20n0pS_BZUOHaU8DFnh4dCc/s1600/P9111421.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38935FBBYMdwVIjGYox2UFBcj4v06w8quenTklkpg6hIA-LpLw-DmTx-7AMpkx6VvY6Q2ro_QceZF9ZL6sfN5cetAUNISm9qjtUM4KWk89r16QiqOIpCt20n0pS_BZUOHaU8DFnh4dCc/s320/P9111421.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516111894394434434" /></a><br /><br />The pattern is remarkably easy to knit, and for those of you who, like me, have a penchant for geekcraft, it is inspired by River, a character on the painfully short, cult-classic television series <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Firefly</span></span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x_gYrh7rNn-UOjGgG2YRqIhFxl04vsgyibDPwcmm37DyZHzVgzh-n7FSbClYKKmgdMfYmQ0B6SE7UsMO-b4eDI2n1zTNt0mwfRehPn-I5_Y1jpz_lKHRG9ID-uDKpYusJgLee1FJgm8/s1600/P9111428.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x_gYrh7rNn-UOjGgG2YRqIhFxl04vsgyibDPwcmm37DyZHzVgzh-n7FSbClYKKmgdMfYmQ0B6SE7UsMO-b4eDI2n1zTNt0mwfRehPn-I5_Y1jpz_lKHRG9ID-uDKpYusJgLee1FJgm8/s320/P9111428.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516111883328232162" /></a><br /><br />And yes, for those of you who noticed, I am knitting another hat, as previewed in the first picture. Another slouchy beret (a result of my finally having a 16" interchangeable cable ^.^), but a different pattern. I'm sure it will get a post, too, once it's finished and photographed. <br /><br />Also for the more observant, you might have noticed my army medic bag in that first picture. Jason drove down to an army surplus store on Friday in search of rope, and of course I had to go along. These sort of places always have fantastic and obscure accessories for ridiculously cheap. This medic bad was about $8 new.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEojyc8R1assJ_S62wRuSTz76iN47fiptLYiLzBzC4amJy7a9hoYj_Lrq8NLIFy0mZUDBFFd2h7jOhg51WgKkoO8S5cZ2J-nLiJ8zycexmCtAuhyphenhyphenbbNRj2KgSRQ-TwtuxEj7rAYCrvc9E/s1600/P9111409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEojyc8R1assJ_S62wRuSTz76iN47fiptLYiLzBzC4amJy7a9hoYj_Lrq8NLIFy0mZUDBFFd2h7jOhg51WgKkoO8S5cZ2J-nLiJ8zycexmCtAuhyphenhyphenbbNRj2KgSRQ-TwtuxEj7rAYCrvc9E/s320/P9111409.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516111875109406882" /></a><br /><br />I also picked up another bag, rather unfortunately called a "military GI butt pack" for $6. This one is used, but the wear and tear adds a lot of charm, I think. I have plans to do some work on both, adding pockets and giving them a more steampunk and feminine feel. I'll post pictures when I feel they're finished.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687506796665439626.post-62957440104782586112010-09-07T12:58:00.000-07:002010-09-07T14:03:59.038-07:00Playlist Tuesday (A Work in Progress)My, my, how time does fly. Yeah, I'm still alive. I keep meaning to post - about grad school, and the fun I have in Obsidian, adorable pictures of my pets, fantastical adventures with my husband and friends....But it seems I never finish writing the posts that I start. Anyway, we'll get around to all of that in due course. <br /><br />Today, and perhaps most Tuesdays from now on, I'm here to talk about music. I don't feel like being chatty, so I'll keep this relatively brief. I just thought I would mention some of the fantastic sounds I've recently added to my playlists. I encourage you to check any of them out, but I will warn you - I have strange musical tastes. These aren't artists for mainstreamers. <br /><br />Joanna Newsom's album The Milk-Eyes Mender<br />She has a voice you will either love or hate, but it is guaranteed to make you think, "WTF?" upon the first listen. The songs and lyrics are very whimsical and imaginative, which is probably one of the more prominent reasons I love her. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IYl0uLrXP7U?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IYl0uLrXP7U?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Mediaeval Baebes' album The Rose<br />These ladies sing song in old and middle English. It's a great album to listen to when you're curled up with a new fantasy novel. The song below is very haunting and makes me think of sirens luring beguiled sailors to their watery graves. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dAYrP1wL7is?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dAYrP1wL7is?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Phildel's EP Tales from the Moonsea<br />Like the group above, Phildel is a fantasy singer whose music goes well with stories of elves and dragons, but her sound is lighter and more playful than the Baebes'. In fact, it can be downright lullaby-esque. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/louU-O0MKxk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/louU-O0MKxk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Priscilla Ahn's album A Good Day<br />I've had this singer's song "Dream" on my (almost completely forgotten) Myspace profile for at least a year now. This is the typical, sweet sound I'm often listening to; calming and beautiful and filled with wonderment. ^.^<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ed_IPf2YECc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ed_IPf2YECc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Well, that's that. Now you know what I've been listening to these past two weeks while I commute back and forth to school, mop the floor for the fifteenth time this week, cuddle with my puppies, go cycling with Jason, read, role-play online, or any other variety of activities that could use a good soundtrack.<br /><br />Cheers, see ya soon.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13404878138655232360noreply@blogger.com1