Politics

I really wasn't on the boards much back during the 2000 election, and now I'm glad. The hostility always amazes me, although I know that religion and politics are two of the most hot topics out there at any time.

I'm always amazed how each faction tends to think everything their side says is complete fact, while everything the other side says is total nonsense. Frankly, I think both sides are talking out of their butts and have said little about what they are about. They'd rather spew fear and hatred about the other guy. I don't like either of them and may not vote for either of them. Oh, I will vote. I'm just not sure if I can bring myself to vote for either of these main candidates and may have to "throw away my vote" just so I can vote with a clear conscience.

Then people want to know where you found this information or that information. This always cracks me up because you can find it on 100 websites, and you will be told that each website is biased or has false information. I agree that one must take such things into account. However, what I see is people discounting any source that goes against what they think. I guess that's human nature and people do it all the time.

I think both political parties have their spin doctors who will turn anything into what they want it to be. The truth is out there, but I won't be going to the candidates' or parties' websites to find it.

Daydreaming on Paper

List the snacks that you have stashed in your desk drawer at work or your locker at school.

Let's see. This desk has only been completely mine for a few weeks so I haven't had much time to really stock it up. I have a roll of Sweet-Tarts and a packet of 2 crackers, a tin of cinnamon Altoids, peppermint Life Savers, Fruit Breezers lozenges and (not that they are snacks) three lip balms. I have lip balms stashed everywhere and don't feel right if I don't have one in reach.

Kylie is home

Well, Kylie and the rest of the family are back home. Seems everything looked OK and they did another procedure (I'm not going into details -- ick!) that helped things. Dana say her demeanor seems a little better so we are hoping this is the end of it. The drs. think she just has a very bad virus. It has also given her a rash all over her body and face, and I'm sure that's not helping her feel more comfortable.

To top it all off, her big brother Sean goes back to school tomorrow, our friend with the preemie told us her baby needs heart surgery, and Dana's aunt was mugged in the city, got pushed down and broke her hip.

Yikes! My friends seem to always have stuff like this happen to them all at once. I really can't do anything but offer to help come over and help with stuff, and it makes me feel quite useless.

Kylie's in the hospital again

Dana just called to let me know they took her back to CHOP about 10pm last night and are still there. She will probably have to stay tonight, too. Sean was there for a while but Deron took him home about 3am and he's supposed to call me if he or Tim if he needs anything.

They are going to do exploratory surgery on her to check out her intestines. Seems that every time you touch her side she just screams in pain. I feel so bad because there's nothing I can do. I offered to help out with the house but Dana said for now everything is fine and just knowing that Sean (13) can call me is a load off her mind.

I've been so worried about Madison, another friend's preemie, that I didn't think of Kylie getting so sick. Madison seems to be doing fine, which is good.

Poor little thing. I babysat her almost full-time from February to May and just feel so bad that she's going through this. It must be so hard on the rest of the family, including Sean because he absolutely adores her.


Edited to add: This is really bugging me more than usual. See, I had a very strange dream Thursday night where Dana was hurt very badly and almost died. It was bothering me a lot on Friday and when she called about Kylie I feared the worst, but she was doing a little better -- ear infections were gone, fever was down. I'm sure it's just a big coincidence but I don't often remember my dreams and I can't help but wonder if it meant something. It was probably something weird I ate and doesn't make a difference at all. I'm sure I'm just being silly, but it's nagging at me.

Woohoo! Going to CATS in Hershey!

It's not finalized, but it looks like a friend from SC will fly up to Philly then I'll pick her up at the airport. We'll stay at my place overnight and head out the next day. I'm so looking forward to this because many people I've wanted to meet for some time are going to be there. If anybody reading this is going, hope to see ya! I'll be the short tubby one with dark hair -- probably a lot of us look like that :-)

Hot and humid

Well, it's icky here today but I was able to get a few things done. I'll see if I can do more chores later when it's cooler, but if I'm really into my stitching I doubt I will.

However, I did:

Slice the strawberries in the fridge
Defrost he pot roast and put it in the crockpot
sort through my lingerie drawers
sort the laundry
Put some clothes away (I'm horrible about this)
Cleaned the bathroom

Guess that's not too bad. I've been smelling that roast for hours now and it's driving me crazy! It smells very yummy. I hope it comes out OK. Yes, I'm 33 and this is my first pot roast. I usually eat chicken and turkey and rarely eat beef, not because I'm morally against it or anything but because I spent too much time in my younger days making Whoppers.

My friend had a scare last night. Her 9-month-old, Kylie, has been not feeling well for about 1-2 weeks. She went to the dr. and was given medicine but it didn't help. Yesterday she went to the dr. again and he was afraid it could be viral menengitis and told her go down to CHOP (Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia) to see. Luckily, it's not and they were able to find out without having to do a spinal tap (YIKES!). So, she's doing better but she's still not great. Poor thing had infections in both ears, upset stomach and couldn't keep any food down, a cough, a runny nose and a fever that ranged from 101 to 104. Dana said Kylie hadn't smiled in 2 days, which is pretty major. Usually even if she's crying there are certain things you can do that will get her to smile and laugh at you.

I tell ya, I don't know how people do it. I'd be a mess if my baby was that sick, or and older child. I can barely handle it when I or Tim gets sick :-)

Red marks are too scary?

We've been discussing this article on a few boards I read.

I don't know why this stuff continues to surprise me, but it does. Red is used for such things because it shows up against black and blue and many other colors better than any other color. Heck, when I'm proofing my own stuff I use red to ensure that I will actually see my own corrections. Teachers used red ink on my papers growing up, and proofreaders continue to do so, and I'm fine.

I'm all for kids having self-worth, but this is getting ridiculous. Some parents will not even tell their child "No!" because they think it's a form of abuse. Wha??? So, what happens when a child grows up and gets out in the world and --horror of horrors! -- is corrected or rejected in ANY way? They will not have any idea how to handle it.

I really feel that by focusing so much on children's self-esteem and not correcting and disciplining them, some people are doing their children a major disservice. I don't know how they will cope when they are older if they are treated as if the sun rises and sets by their whim. And when I talk about "correcting" I'm not saying abuse -- I'm saying teach them when they make a mistake, or how else will they know?

And if it matters to anybody, I'm not a parent. Some will say that means I'm not allowed to have an opinion. Fine, doesn't matter to me, really. My friends who are parents agree, and they are the ones who matter.

I'm glad I decided at the last minute NOT to go into teaching. I had the feeling that the way things were going in the late 80s when I graduated from high school was only the beginning, and I was right. I couldn't hack it as a teacher today, dealing with the nonsense they put up with from the administrators, kids and parents.

Five Things About My Hometown

Even though I moved from there at the age of 14, I still consider Penn Yan, NY (Bluff Point, really) my hometown. So:

1. Penn Yan is in the Guiness Book of World Records for making the world's largest buckwheat pancake.

2. There are small wineries all over the region.

3. In the fall all you have to do is go outside and you can smell the ripe grapes on the vines.

4. Penn Yan is the Yates County Seat and it's small enough that it only needs one small high school.

5. There are many Mennonites that live there and I grew up thinking every town had hitching posts in front of the stores so they could tie up their horse and buggies.

Stolen from Erica's journal

I'm sitting here at the switchboard while Mary's at lunch and there's just nothing out here that I can work on (and I asked) so I've been wandering around on the blogs. Found this one on Erica's. It's technically for Thursday, but what do I care?

1) What is your favorite soundtrack from a movie?
LOTR: Return of the King

2) Which movie's soundtrack didn't fit the tone of the movie, or was so badly composed it detracted from the movie?
I can never sit through Bladerunner because I cannot stand the Tangerine Dream music. Music is very important to my enjoyment of a film, and I cannot watch that movie. Shame, because I like sci-fi and would probably like it otherwise.

3) Who is your favorite film music composer?
Howard Shore. I loved the music from LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring and he outdid himself on each successive movie. Hans Zimmer is a close second.

BONUS) Do you prefer an orchestral soundtrack, or a popular-music soundtrack?
It depends on the movie. I love the orchestral tracks from the LOTR movies, Titanic, Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Pirates of the Caribbean and Gladiator. I also really like the pop music on The Big Lebowski and Goodfellas. I like rock more than top 40, so that makes a difference. I also really liked the soundtrack to Blink.

Four for Friday

Q1: Do you have any magazine subscriptions, or do you make a point of purchasing certain magazines on a weekly or monthly basis? If so, which ones? If not, are there magazine subscriptions you wish you had?
I have too many magazine subscriptions. They are really an addition to me and I need to stop. Off the top of my head: The Cross-Stitcher, Crazy for Cross Stitch, Stoney Creek, Just Cross Stitch, Beadwork, House Beautiful (hahaha), Real Simple, In Style (again, hahahaha), and Budget Living. I'd love to get National Geographic at some point but that's a pretty penny.

Q2: Which do you think has a more profound impact in the world... 1. People and institutions operating from a standpoint of fear (meaning, people or organizations doing things for fear of something else happening if they do not); or, 2. Our individual and collective impatience as a society?
I'm not sure. They both have major impacts, but I believe people doing things out of fear has more of a negative impact and people doing things because they want to has more of a positive impact. If you compare the space race, you'll find that yes, Russia at first was ahead of the US. If they did anything wrong they pretty much disappeared. However, when the US got its act together and did it because they wanted to live up to Kennedy's goal to get to the moon by the end of the decade, they got ahead. Granted, there were some goofs along the way but in the end they prevailed (although I'm sure money has something to do with it as well.)

Q3: Do you use fabric softener when you do laundry? If so, do you prefer the liquid kind that gets added to the wash, or are you more of the sheet type which gets added to the laundry as it goes into the dryer?
Yes, especially in the winter because of all the static. I prefer sheets because the stuff that goes in the washer doesn't seem to help with the static. I get literally shocked by almost everything in the dry weather -- including wooden doors and plants (no joke) so the less static electricity around me the better!

Q4: Are there any foods that are widely held as being common everyday eats which you've never been able to bring yourself to try even once?
Scrapple comes to mind. It's something that seems to be prevalent mostly in the PA area and is made up of leftovers, if ya know what I mean. I can't stand to smell it cooking and I've lived here 8 years now and have never tried it. I plan on going the rest of my life without trying it. I'm not crazy about hot dogs either, but once in a while I'll eat one. That's enough "scraps" for me.

Ho hum

I'm at work today and since the big guys are out today there's not much for me to do. I'm spending my time entering a few applications that have been given to me and mostly going through the previous marketing person's stuff to see what I can improve upon, change, keep the same, etc. In a few weeks I'll have so much work to do that I'll be going crazy, so I guess this is the quiet before the storm. I like being busy, though -- well, not busy going nutso, but staying occupied. It makes time go by more quickly.

This and That

Well, I didn't get a chance to post yesterday so I'll post two memes today. I actually got my butt up early this morning and did the 2 mile WATP tape. I can't stand the music and she can be a bit too bubbly for me, but I like the actual workout. I just bought a gym membership but if I don't get up early enough to do the gym thing I can still do a WATP tape, even if it's just the 1 mile tape. So I feel like I've already accomplished something today, which is nice.

Wednesday Matinee
1. Samuel Jackson vs Denzel Washington: who wins?
Toughie. I really like Denzel but Samuel Jackson always seems more street-tough to me, so I think he'd win.
2. How many times have you seen your favorite movie?
It's the Shawshank Redemption and I have no idea -- many, many, many times.
3. What current event or news would you like to see made into a movie?
Maybe the Hacking trial? I don't know. I'm not fond of movies coming out a week after some tragedy happens so I really don't think about it.
~Four Gallon Pop Upgrade Bonus~ What's your favorite movie drink?
Cherry Coke, which I rarely drink any other time.

The Thursday Threesome
Onesome: Cool-- Well, summer is almost gone (except for those Down Under who are expecting it soon), and the cooler weather is coming. ...and other than those who live in places like Hawai'i, things are about to change. Which do you prefer, the coolness of Winter where you live or the warmth of your Summer?
I prefer the coolness (of freezing my ass off) of Winter. If I'm hot there's only so much I can do about it, but if I'm cold I can get cozy under sweats, big socks and blankets and stitch in front of the tv. I just prefer the coziness of cooler weather. Of course, I live in the Philadelphia area, which is not the same as where I used to live in NY and nothing like the midwest.
Twosome: Blue-- Today's softball: blue or green? Pick one! ...okay, if it's a tie (high or low), what color do you prefer for decorating or accents?
Blue. It happened by accident. In college I started buying a comforter and other stuff for my dorm and after a while realized much of it was different shades of blue. So, blue is my main color and I use different accent colors in various rooms -- in theory, anyway. Green is a second color I use in my kitchen and livingroom.
Threesome: Mornings-- Mornings, afternoons, evenings, nights... What's your favorite time of day? ...and what makes it so for you?
I've always been an evening/night person. I used to work closing shift for years at Burger King and I think it's just stayed with me. If I get into the habit of getting up early I'm OK, but if I go more than a weekend without having to get up early I easily fall back into staying up way past midnight. It's just natural for me, I guess. I'm also my most creative at night when it's quiet and cool.

My StRIP List

StRIP stands for Stash Reduction Implementation Plan. I can't take credit for it and honestly don't remember who came up with it, but it's something many TWBBers are doing to get their WIPs down. God knows I need help in that department, what with all those Mirabilias calling me all the time.

The main goal is to reduce the amount of stash and WIPs one has. The minimum goal is to start the following year with even just one less WIP than when the previous year began. I can do that, I think. People are doing it in different ways, but many are simply only starting one project for every two they finish. To non-stitchers, this probably sounds like common sense, or they are thinking, "Why the hell did you have so many going in the first place." Many reasons, but I won't go into them here :-)

For myself, I'm also grouping them into projects of similar size and when I finish two of similar size I'll start a new one of similar size, but sometimes there's an odd man out and I'll allow myself to start a new one. I think writing down what I will start next will help because they are all projects I've really wanted to start but have been holding back, and now finishing my WIPs quicker will allow me to start them.

So, here's my list, in particular order:

1. Finish L&L1990 freebie and L&L 2002 freebie
Start Drawn Thread mini bellpull

2. Finish Christmas Jewel and Crystal Chandelier
Start Dracolair purple dragon

3. Finish L&L 2000 angel and the Mirabilia Cherub (I started both for AQP)
Start another cherub for the AQP

4. Finish Santa in Fur (odd man out)
Start poinsettia ornament

5. Finish I Shall Wear Purple and Spring in the Air
Start Draon Dreams "Why Hoard Chocolate"

6. Finish Guardian Angel and Deco Spirits
Start Celtic Spring

7. Finish Dragon of the Winter Moon and Sweet Dreams Santa
Start Waiting for Ships

8. Finish Rose Arbor and Christmas Flourishes
Start Santa's Magic

9. Finish Liberty Sampler and Angel of the New Dawn
Start Secret Santa

10. Finish Angel of the Sea and Spring Queen
Start Summer Queen

11. Finish TW Welcome (I will only have one TW in my rotation at once)
Start Millennium

12. Finish Lady of the Flag and Angel of Love
Start Maidens of the Seasons I & II (will be together on one piece of fabric)

13. Finish Sleeping Beauty (odd man out and large)
Start Fairy Idyll

14. Finish Earth Dragon (odd man out and large)
Start Titanic kit

TV Tuesday

1. What's your favorite show that deals with school in some way? (Facts of Life, A Different World, Saved by the Bell, Fame, etc..)
Hmmm, does "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" count? I gotta admit, I didn't watch that show for the first few years it was on because it seemed stupid and juvenile to me. Then when I met Tim he watched it and I got hooked and LOVED it! I've watched all the reruns from the beginning a few times and want to get the DVDS.
2. Which TV school would you have attended if given a choice?
I don't know. All tv schools were better and at the same time worse than the real-life school I experienced. I guess Sunnydale High would have been interesting, if nothing else, as long as I didn't have to deal much with Cordelia and Melody.
3. What's your favorite back to school commercial?
This year there are two I really like. One is the Office Depot commercial with that Rubberband Man giving all the kids their supplies. Love it when he gives the dictionary to the kids at the lemonade stand! I also like the Staples commercial with Alice Cooper and what may or may not be his daughter. She's all mad and says, "I thought you said school's out forever." And he says something like, "No, I said school's out for summer." Cooper in his traditional garb, of course.
~Bonus~ Reality check! What's your most memorable back to school moment?
I'll try to keep this short. When I moved to FL in the middle of 8th grade I made some good friends. Most of them went to on high school and I went to the other. The one I went to was the snobbiest and richest school around and I had some friends but never felt that I belonged there. Then we pretty much moved across the road when we bought our house and I was in the district going to the other high school. I went there the first day of 10th grade to my first class (English) and saw a few of my friends there. I thought they wouldn't recognize me as I always assume I'm easy to forget, so I sat on the other side. Then I heard somebody say, "Mindy?" I turned and it was Jeannette and my smile was a mile wide :-)

Random question of the day

Before I get to that I need to ask something, something which actually has something to do with todays question in a roundabout sorta way: Why must the entire bathroom look like it was hit by a tidal wave after Tim takes a shower?

The only way you can tell I've just gotten out of the shower if you go in after me is there may be steam on the mirror and in the bathroom in general, and the bath rug may be a LITTLE damp. I just went in there after Tim's shower and the freshly washed bath rug is soaked, the floor is soaked, and there are wet footprints in the hallway and bedroom. Hey, I don't mind if things get wet, but at least you could dry it a little (or make an attempt, at least) before you see me go in there and about fall on my ass. And yes, Tim is my boyfriend, not my child. GRRR!

Which leads me to the question of the day: Do you want kids?

In a word, NO. I have many reasons for this, but being a mom isn't for me. I'm a great Aunt Mindy to my friends' kids and I love them dearly, but I don't have to worry about them all the time forever. People often tell me I'll change my mind, which I find a bit condescending. I know people usually don't think about it when they say that, but to me it means they aren't taking my decision seriously. I'm 33, and I've felt this way for a very long time. For some reason, if you just start having kid after kid after kid without thinking about it, that's acceptable. Actually thinking about the pros and cons for you (not for others) and deciding the best thing for a child is to NOT have you as a parent is seen as something bad. People think there's something wrong with your mental state if you don't want kids, especially if you are a woman. Some people have the nerve to tell you that you aren't a "real woman" because of it. Yes, because the only thing I should be is a child producer and nobody should see me as anything else.

As you can see, this is a bit of an issue with me because of the way people often act when they hear of my decision. Thankfully, it's not how my true friends and family act, and for that I'm very thankful. Many people get constantly pushed to have kids and that's not right. Why would anyone WANT somebody to have kids if that person doesn't want them? Then people wonder why there's so much child abuse. Ack!

Also, some people who don't want kids truly hate children. It doesn't mean they will go out of their way to harm them. If anything, it usually means they will go out of their way to avoid them. I do not hate children and like or love most I know. I say that because it's who I am, not because I'm being "apologetic" for being childfree. It amazes me sometimes how horrible women can be to each other for making different decisions when we should be accepting that some want a career, some want to be SAHMs, some want kids, others don't. Why is it such a big deal?

Daydreaming on paper

List 15 things that are good for the soul.

1. a hot bubblebath for relaxation
2. helping somebody, rather a friend or through volunteer work
3. daily random acts of kindness
4. pay it forward (kinda goes with no. 3 but a little different)
5. spending time alone to collect your thoughts and regroup
6. having some sort of hobby in which you an lose yourself, artsy or not
7. getting enough exercise so you feel good
8. contact with family and friends
9. learning that you don't have to keep up with the neighbors
10. remembering that when things are bad, there are others who probably have it worse
11. having a pet (for me, anyway -- not for everybody)
12. having friends of different ages, younger and older
13. spending a day or two without getting on the computer
14. realizing that friends can disagree and still be friends, if it's not a "you're stupid for believing that" kinda thing
15. a walk in the early morning after a snowfall when it's quiet and few cars are out

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Olympics -- swimming
Wicked -- witch
Intoxicating -- beer
Radical -- left
Misinformed -- Americans
Triplets -- children
Coronation -- king
Asimov -- sci-fi
Contemporary -- furniture
1 -- gold

Sunday's meme

1. Do you bag groceries in paper or plastic?
Either is fine, since I tend to use both around the house.
2. What CD is in your CD player at this moment?
Let's see. I was in a Rush mood the other day, so Vapor Trails, Rush, Power Windows, Moving Pictures and 2112. We only have the 5-disk changer (not that I'm complaining).
3. What is your favorite Orlando Bloom movie?
I guess LOTR, although I don't watch it because he's in it. I don't go goo-goo over most actors.
4. How many shot glasses do you own?
Probably about 30 between the two of us. I buy one when I go someplace new plus Tim collects Jack Daniels stuff. Aren't we classy? LOL
5. Do you read the Bible and how often?
I don't read it very often at all, probabaly less than once a month. It's something I need to work on.

Land lover or water baby?

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a total water baby! In fact, I think I was born into the wrong species. When I was younger I was a dolphin, now I'm more like a manatee: slow-moving, rather round but still cute in an odd sort of way.

The first time we went to the lake after I'd learned to walk I kept going into the water. My mom saw me the first time and thought I'd stop after it got above my feet because it was a cold lake, but no, I just kept going in above my head and she was right there and fished me out. Two seconds later I was trying to go back for more! I was always a naturally fast swimmer and in high school was competitive. I swam everything, but my breast stroke was never quite right. I swam the IM sometimes, but that darn stroke always hurt my time. I was mostly a freestyler and backstroker, and my butterfly was pretty good, too. I'm also more of a sprinter. I did OK in the 200 and 500, but I could really go nuts in the 50 and 100. There's something about just hauling ass across a pool and not having to worry about pacing myself that really gave me a kick. Of course, the fastest short distance I ever swam was when I was at practice and somebody yelled, "There's a snake in the pool!" I probably hit a world record in those 15 yards to the edge of the pool :-)

What relative do you most resemble in personality?

It's painful to admit, but probably my mother LOL! I love my mother, but most daughters really don't want to turn into their mothers when they are young. I actually look quite a bit like her as well, so she can't get away with not claiming me as her daughter :-)

We are both stubborn and intelligent but at the same time try to give people the benefit of the doubt and are not fond of conflicts. I think we both like a bit of edginess, but not out-and-out conflict, especially in the family.

Well, I'm bored. There's not much happening on the boards at the moment, I'm not quite in the mood for stitching and I'm trying to anything other than clean. Hey! I just cleaned the bathtub while I was in the shower! Isn't that enough for one night? :)

So, I figure I'll answer some more silly questions and talk to myself some more.

As a child...
1. Were you happy?
Relatively. I had ups and downs like any kid but I had lots of friends and was well-liked.
2. What was your favorite television program?
Tough one. Well, "Dukes of Hazzard" was one that we always watched, as well as "The Muppet Show." Hey, I was born in '71! What do you expect?
3. What was your favorite toy(if one)?If yes do you still have it?
Hmmm, did I have a favorite toy? I liked to read quite a bit and played outside on the swingset most of the time, or rolled down the hill. Yes, rolling down the hill was the height of entertainment. I guess when they came out I really liked the Atari.
4. How far back can you remember?
I'm not sure, but I remember my baby brother coming home from the hospital, and I wasn't quite four yet. I think I remember a time before that when my sister and I shared a bedroom and I was standing in my crib wanting to get picked up, but I may be making that up. It's very vague.
5. What are some of your favorite memories?
Sledding down my neighbor's hill after making Christmas cookies there, playing "Spy" with my brother on the farm, times when my sister and I were getting along and she let me play with her doll in the green dress with the pretty dark red hair that grew, sleepovers at my place or my friends' homes and laughing too loud too late and told to go to sleep, summer camp (got me out of farm duties for a week!), swimming at the lake almost every day in the summer, the 4th of July parades in my little hometown and the fireworks later.

Stitching

Ugh. I haven't stitched all week because it's impossible for me to watch the Olympics and stitch at the same time. I tried, but it just doesn't work. The swimming races and gymnastics routines are too interesting to me to be going back and forth. Since the swimming is close to over, as are the gymnastics, I should be able to get some stitching done. Of course, now my upper back, shoulders and neck are hurting a lot from this cold I have, but I think I can deal with it. We'll see. Sometimes when I move it bothers me, other times it doesn't.

So much for finishing Deco Spirits in time to be framed for a Sept. 4 commitment ceremony. Oh well. I've read in etiquette books that you technically have up to a year to give a couple their wedding gift and since they like my work and I think will absolutely LOVE this design, I don't think they'll mind. I'll just mention it in the card and tell them they're going to like it but will have to wait, hee hee. I've worked about 5.5 hours on the third block, so I'm over halfway done and since there's no beadwork I don't have to go back and finish that. Sometimes that gets me.

I'm hoping that by Christmas I'll be able to finish Christmas Flourishes for myself as a gift. It probably depends on how much of what I "intend" to stitch for gifts actually get stitched and what I figure can be replaced with something smaller. I try to finish something large for myself every Christmas. However, I did finish Celtic Summer about a month ago so maybe that will qualify.

I'm also hoping that even if I can't finish Flourishes that I can at least get Titania framed. She's been done since LAST Christmas but I haven't had the money to frame her and my framer does a much better job with my large projects than I do and is really quite reasonable and fast, and she laces -- very important. Plus she's walking distance from my place, which is also very handy.

I think I'm going to wait on getting Celtic Summer framed until I finish the others. Actually, I'm thinking about paying Ames to make them into banners for me instead of getting them framed. It will be much less expensive and they will look very nice. I'm picturing a damask type fabric for the wall hanging, a different dark color for each one. I'll include the Christmas one but that will only be out at Christmas, while I envision the other four being out all at once in the hallway or one at a time somewhere else. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking:

summer -- violet fabric
fall -- dark auburn/rust/brown fabric (I'll be changing the colors in the chart)
winter -- blue fabric (have a version I will use for this conversion, even though I know she's coming out with one herself.)
spring -- dark green
Christmas -- very dark red, almost a maroon color

Of course, I haven't actually gone to see what colors are available, but those are what come to mine. I think since the designs themselves are very similar and the fabric will be the same but different colors, that it will be enough consistency to counter the different stitching colors and linen colors.

I always have such grand plans. I hope this time they actually come to fruition :-)

Saturday question

What is your religion? Did you choose it? Have you ever thought of changing it? Why?
I'm a Christian, a Presbyterian to be exact. I didn't choose it, my parents did. However, I like it and I doubt I'd change, although I do enjoy learning about other religions (Islam, Buddhism, Wicca, etc.). I can't explain it, but being a Christian just seems "right" to me. I don't believe in hitting people over the head with it or trying to convert everybody I meet, which to some people means I'm not a Christian. Frankly, they can have their opinions, it really doesn't matter to me. I believe it's better to follow by example than to constantly harp on people about it. Not that I'm a great Christian -- I need a lot of work. Two people I know who lead by example are my grandmother and Tim's mom. They both are kind, generous and loving people who read their Bibles every day and probably know the Scripture better than many clergymen. However, they believe in leading by love and providing examples of how to live a Christian life, and don't quote verses at people all day, try to make them feel bad about everything in their lives, or be nasty to them in general.

It's a sad fact that today many people equate Christianity with such disrespectful behavior. I understand why that is happening, as I see it every day -- even between different sects within Christianity. Some think they are in the front of Heaven and that they are better than everybody else and it just gets under my skin how they put others down for not having the same beliefs.

I guess that's one thing I've always liked about being a Presbyterian. For the most part the denomination is more more liberal in general, at least in my experiences. (Oh no! I said the "L" word! Man, I'm gonna catch it now LOL!) One of my favorite things about it is at Communion we are always told that it's not a table of our church alone, nor just a Presbyterian table, but that any man who believes that Jesus died and was resurrected is welcome at that table. I like that it is not just for a select few.

I also believe in not treating people badly because they belong to a different Christian denomination or a different religion, for that matter. A person Jewish person cherishes her beliefs just as much as I cherish mine, so why would I go out of my way to try to convert her, make her feel uncomfortable or make her feel "less worthy" in any way? Sometimes people say things that aren't meant to hurt feelings, but other times very hurtful things are said on purpose, and I don't understand that.

Phelps and Hall, Jr.

Talk about totally different personalities!

Call me unpatriotic if you will, but I really did NOT want Hall to win that gold in the 50m. I would have preferred to see Lezak win it, but would have been happy if anybody other than Hall won it. I have always found him to be too arrogant and full of himself for my taste. To his credit, he does back up what he says, but I just don't like him.

Then you have 19-year-old Phelps, giving up his part in the upcoming relay to his teammate who he barely beat for the gold in the 100 fly. Man, that was some race! Either way Phelps will get the medal that the US will probably win. But to give that space up was just an amazing sportsmanlike thing to do and I have found him to be one of the least egotistical people on the team, even though he's won 7 medals and will probably qualify for an 8th tomorrow.

Amazing stuff!

Private vs. Public restrooms in businesses

There's an article about a girl who went to Old Navy and needed to use the bathroom due to Crohn's Disease and the manager would not allow her to because it was not a public bathroom. The girl even had a card explaining her condition. This has created quite a stir on various boards I haunt.

Now, if I had been the manager I would have allowed for emergencies and let her use it. However, people need to realize that they do not all have the right to use a private bathroom in a business just because they walked in and asked, or even if they are buying something there. It is then their right to not buy from that store again.

I say this because I have worked in an independently-owned video store with a small employee-only bathroom. To get to the bathroom, one has to walk behind the counter, past the office where the safe is, past movies and various boxes and stuff, and then into the bathroom. Now, if I was by myself and let a person back there and then went to help a customer, who knows what coud happen? The person could come up behind me and rob me for what little there is in the register or in the safe, and the key was not there for the safe. The person also could have tripped (accidentally or on purpose) on something back there and sued me and/or the owner. Unfortunately, in this lawsuit-happy society, people have made it almost impossible for a person to do anything nice for fear of being sued. Of course, now I'm sure the Old Navy store will be sued for not being allowed to use the restroom, so you can't win.

To me this is a judgement call, and I believe the manager made the wrong choice. However, I don't know if he would have been fired for doing so. Some may say, "Fine! I would have quit, then!" Easy to say but not so easy to do when by quitting you will probably not get any unemployment benefits, and in this job market even retail jobs aren't that easy to come by.

Some will argue that because of this all businesses should be required to have public restrooms. Hello? Do you realize how much this will cost a small business owner, who will then be forced to extend those costs on to the consumer, who will then complain that the prices go up.

I feel horrible for the humiliation this girl suffered, and if it had been me I would have allowed her to use it. However, I don't believe this is grounds for legislation. Rather, it was a bad call by a manager, which happens all the time.

Friday's meme

I found a cool meme list and am just pulling off questions I like at random.

1. Which teacher has influenced you the most over the years? What did you learn from them? Have you ever gone back to them and met them?
Probably my AP American History teacher in 11th grade. It was the first time I took a history class where you learned more than just simple facts, dates and names. Instead, I was taught to look at the big picture and how everything relates to each other, which helped me automatically remember various dates and names. Because of that one class I went on to receive my BA in History. I saw Mr. Williams after my freshman year of college, but haven't been back to the school since. Sadly, I'd be surprised if he's still alive because he had very bad heart problems.

2. Are you or would you ever become a teacher?
I thought about it for many years, but when I got to college I realized I didn't want to deal with all the crap teachers had to deal with, and am so glad! I wanted to teach high school history, but I don't think I'd be able to put up with some of the kids, let alone some of the parents. I'm good at teaching my friends' kids stuff, though.

3. What makes someone a good or bad teacher?I think you MUST be very passionate about what you teach, whether it's English or math or history or science. That interest seems to spill over a bit into kids. You also have to make it interesting and something kids can relate to, especially when it comes to something perceived as boring, such as history. Relate it to something they can understand. A bad teacher is usually one who is just going for a paycheck (which is ironic) who really doesn't care about what the kids know. Sometimes a good teacher can become a bad one after years of the constant nonsense from kids, parents and the administration. It's definitely not an easy gig.

4. Teacher's pet or class clown? Did you ever drive a teacher bonkers... or get accused by your peers of being a goody two shoes?
Neither, really.

New blog for Mindy

I've been blogging on LiveJournal for a while but am going to try this place out and see how it works. It looks like I have a lot more options here than there without having to pay for anything, which works for me.

Anyway, this was supposed to be my day off but I'm home sick anyway so it really doesn't matter. Figured that since I can't sleep I may as well futz around with this thing a bit and get some other blogs linked on here, so on and so forth.