A Season-Opening Update

Today is the official opening day of the HS soccer season - we have a game tonight at 7:30 :) They had a scrimmage last Friday, which they lost 4-0; but, last year's Division Champions lost their first scrimmage 4-0, also, to a lesser team than we played this year. So, here's hoping... fingers crossed this season kicks just as much butt as last year's!! And here's hoping I don't get stuck in the damn concession stand - I hate being around food like that...

On to the stitching for this week. I finished another of the Dragon Dreams ornies, Christmyth Fairy. I had to make a couple of mods, as the skin was originally supposed to be bright boiled pink, and I thought her original hair color a little boring, so switched it to a different boring. And Multiply will NOT let me load it into my 2009 Finishes album - I have sent that to Customer Support - they better get it fixed, since I plan to put a few other things in there over this year :) At any rate, I was able to load her to the Ornie Challenge folder:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/68/2009_Ornament_Challenge#6
I have the Pegasus next up, but I don't think I'll start it this week - need to do a biscornu before I do any more ornaments...

I also did a bit of work on Shawn's Yesteryear for our RR, but it's kind of a brown blob, so I didn't take a picture yet. I hope to get this section done over the next week, week and a half, so it can go on it's way to Anita :) Speaking of Anita, I need to get that second Patricia Ann ready to go, in case Anita gets Lavender Path half-done :) If my Kreinik ever shows up. If it's obscure and no one keeps it in stock, you can be sure I need it :)

My main piece this week was MTM. I completed part 2 last night - and was really hoping I would have gotten done in time to allow me to get a few stitches in on Part 3. Boy, I sure could keep working on this piece, if EGS wasn't also calling my name! Here is Part 2:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/65/Chatelaines_Medieval_Town_Mandala#4

I've gotten spoiled with not having that much soccer over the last few weeks - but my reprieve is over, and now I'm going to lose a night or two a week while HS ball is going on :( I hope the weather cooperates this year and doesn't make it too cold to do any at games - last year, I couldn't do any until about the end of April - and then we froze to death on Mother's Day, too. Can't rely on the weather for anything, except to be completely unlike any year before. Isn't that annoying?

Anyway, this week, I will be working on EGS, and as it's warm today, hope to work on BoInk and/or Yesteryear. Little Kid & DH don't start for another week or two - they have practice, but no games yet, so maybe I can make up for my lost nights over the weekend... Until next week, Happy Stitching to everyone!!!

The Groundhog Says: Keep on Stitching!

No spring in sight, as far as I can tell. Which makes sense, since out first HS game is this Friday! No idea what the weather will be by then, but it was 60 yesterday, and only in the 30s by Wednesday! It's probably a given that I'll be a popsicle Friday night, probably well before half time. We'll just have to see if it's too cold to take a project with me :)

You've probably already seen my BoInk update - that took up my Monday evening completely, and an hour here & there until I got to the stopping point Thursday, leaving me looking forward to tomorrow's next part eagerly :) Let's hope these next two (and final!?!?) parts are frog-free! I can't wait to see what this looks like when it's done!!!

On Friday, when I got home, I started the next ornament, but I haven't done enough to warrant a picture; I think it's a fairy sitting in a wreath :) It has wings and a big red bow, that much I know. We'll see if I get it done this week.

I worked on Shawn's Yesteryear piece some more for our RR; I got one heart done and a start on a leaf of the bottom border one night the week before last when I fell asleep. So I finished up that bottom border this week (no frogs from my nap, I'm happy to report), and then, decided to start the Photograph block :) I almost went to the Bicycle one, but then changed my mind. Here is where it is right now:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/59/2009_RR#5

My main focus this week was, after getting over the BoInk hurdle, Lady & Unicorn. I could really use a few 1200-1500 stitch weeks on this thing to get me to my goal of having the top row of pages done by summer - but didn't get it this week. I spent hours and hours this week, and I can finally say that I finished page 3!!!!! But holy cow, this week's progress was ALL confetti - I think the biggest section I had of one symbol was never more than 8 stitches in a row - and I didn't get to those until yesterday. I am really not sure how many stitches I did - several hundred - but they are a bit scattered; as I worked diligently to get page 3 done, whatever color I had in my needle, I used up on page 4 as was convenient - either out of thread or reachable stitches. I did take 2 pictures this time, one with the chart, so you can see the spread of this week's hours of work (the brightest yellow towards where the pages meet - the fainter yellow to the left was from an earlier rotation), and then the area I worked - looks like flag tails to me :)
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/2/SQ_Lady_wUnicorn_-_Current_Progress#46 - the pic w/chart.
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/2/SQ_Lady_wUnicorn_-_Current_Progress#47 - the stitched area detail.

That tree above the flag is going to be a bear - lots of dark with spots of this and that throughout. The flag itself, when I get to the main body of it, ought to go relatively quickly, except the moons on the blue band - you have no idea how many freakin' color changes are in a moon! And then the last page on right hand side is only 12 columns wide, I think, so I expect I'll work it in the same time I'm on that edge of 4. The top row finish is in sight - it's well off still, but after over 2 1/2 years, it is on the horizon. Then I can start all over again on the next row... :( The unicorn & the lion have large sections of just a few colors - the edges will be confetti hell, but the main bodies not so much. Though I think those are all on the 3rd row - so 5 years out??? Give or take... Can I just say that I do not know how anyone could do one of these in under a year - even if I didn't work, had no one to cook & clean for, and was left to my own devices all day every day, I just don't see how I could do it - I couldn't stitch, not on a project as intense as this, for 7-8 hours every single day. But people do it - more power to 'em, I say!!

This week, I get out MTM again - I can't wait to get home tonight!!! We'll see if I am able to pick up BoInk this week (after tomorrow's release), or if I jam it in next week :) If we have sunlight over the coming weekend, I would also like to work on MMM03 again - I'd like to have that done by Easter, which shouldn't be a problem. I can do the buildings at night, and the beading of the inner border, but those vines gotta be done during daylight...

Until Next week, stay warm (or cool) and Happy Stitching!! And save a warm spot int eh sun for Lucy:

My Demands

This is a bit outdated, as it was written prior to the election - but is still stands as what we should all want from the new "administration":

Column - Norma White: You want change? Try these ideas
From: http://www.amarillo.com/stories/102108/opi_opin3.shtml

Opinion
Column
Publication Date: 10/21/08

Each presidential candidate is giving his rendition of the changes he wants for America.

Here are a few that I believe all Americans want.

Limit Congress from serving more than two terms. That is all that presidents are allowed. Stop Congress from voting for their own raises. How did that ever get started? Stop paying for lawmakers' high-priced insurance premiums. After all, they are only part-time employees. They might pass some law changes on the insurance companies, if they had to find one. Stop paying lawmakers their full salary after serving just one term, or at retirement. We need to get rid of that pension plan; they've let other companies get rid of theirs. You were lucky to get 40 to 50 percent of your salary after working somewhere for 35 years, but they get 100 percent. Make Congress pay into the Social Security system. They make laws for it. If they spent some of their own money, they might be interested in making it solvent. Stop handing out aid to illegal aliens. If we did, then Medicaid and the food stamp program would have enough money to aid the aged and the poor. Secure our borders. Stop allowing babies born to illegal aliens in the United States automatic U.S. citizenship. Stop the abuse of our benevolent welfare system. We feed children free meals three times a day until they are 17. Churches give away good, clean clothes. Companies buy and donate school supplies. Emergency rooms provide health care at taxpayer expense and the food stamp program is buying food at home. What are parents doing for their children? Have a computer program that cross checks Social Security numbers with fingerprints to stop fraud on many fronts. Use it on voter registration, too. Stop bailing out mortgage companies and banks that give loans to people who cannot afford them. Stop companies from paying CEOs and other executives outrageous salaries and bonuses while doing away with workers' pensions. Stop all unnecessary spending so we will have the money for our nation's security, and to help needy and elderly Americans. Stop permitting anyone to have a photo with their face covered on driver's licenses. Whoever wins the presidency will not be able to make these changes. Only members of Congress can do this, as they are the lawmakers. You know, the Democratic Congress that got us to where we are right now - Pelosi & Co. The same Democratci Congress that the exit polls showed that all of the Obama voters didn't know was a Democratic Congress, since almost unanimously they said the Republicans control Congress. I don't believe Congress is interested in changing anything, do you? Norma White of Amarillo is a retired network engineer for Southwestern Bell

A Black Day in History

I have to say that I am almost paralyzed with fear, thinking about some of the things that could occur as a result of today's Inauguration. I cannot believe that this country, even the world, is deluded enough to think today will improve anyone's circumstances. Do you hear that??? That is the sound of your freedoms being taken away from you while you watch American Idol.

And just so you know, this has nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin; if that really is the issue, which looking at the exit poll interviews, I really think it is, then how about Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice? I'd vote for either of them right now. How the Republicans came up with John McCain as the only viable option is almost as mysterious as how the Dumbacrats came up with Obama (we know how they came up with Hilary - it's not like she gave them any choice). I agree, George W, hasn't exactly been the best, or what we needed - but dammit people, two wrongs don't make a right.

I hope you people are happy. I have to go now - I need to go pull all of my money out of what's left of my 401K and get it buried in the backyard, after I use some of it to go buy a few guns before I'm not allowed to anymore, and then I might consider quitting my job, because I sure as hell don't feel like supporting one more person in this country with my hard work, while you all sit on your asses waiting for your government checks to roll in. I hope we all live to see 2012. Unless the Mayans were right, in which case none of this matters...

A Bit of This, A Bit of That - An Update

Like most of the updates you've been reading the last couple of weeks, the cold is here, too. Not nearly as bad as up north, but still, a bit unusual for here, without an accompanying ice storm. though there is the threat of sleet & snow here tonight, which will have GA shut down until late tomorrow afternoon, I am sure. The picture is my frozen pond - this is the first that I remember it freezing solidly - often a frozen rim, but never completely iced over, enough to catch half-submerged leaves! Though, to be fair, I don't really go out and look to see how frozen it is - my feet are usually indication enough :) the only reason I saw it this time was because Lucy drug me over there, via the back yard where the squirrels were, seconds before she came crashing through.... Speaking of...
Here she is, trying to squeeze into the last little spot of sun on the steps - and a very disgusted look because I had the nerve to close the door, cutting off that brief glimpse of even more sunlight :) Just FYI - Lucy gets wrapped up in blankets on the couch same as us - I've never seen a dog shiver so much. DH wants to get her a sweater. Ummm, no.

On to the stitching. This week's main piece was Knotgarden. I, as usual, did not get as much time as I had planned in on it - between the weather and the barometer doing a roller coaster thing, and just life in general, a couple of nights I just didn't have the brain power for it, and other nights, I just kinda stared blankly at the TV - 24 started Sunday and continued Monday, so I knew it was pointless to even get it out Monday night. But I did get some in on the huge green part of the bottom right corner. As I was doing the egg section, I could swear those weren't the colors I had used in the first one; the symbols looked right, but the actual colors looked completely different. The first one was under the clamp, so I couldn't see it. Anyway, when I took it out last night to get my pic, I was reassured to see that it does indeed match the first one :) Here's what I did accomplish:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/40/Knotgarden_by_Chatelaine_Martina_Weber#12

On Monday, when 24 was on, I decided to work on an ornament, which I then finished up on Tuesday before dinner and Knotgarden. I flipped through my store of Dragon Dreams, and came up with the first two I wanted to do, and the first finish of 2009 is this one:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/68/2009_Ornament_Challenge#2
Then, Friday night, I got tired of muddling through green on Knotgarden, put it down, and picked up ornie #2, which was to this point as of last night (and should be finished tonight):
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/68/2009_Ornament_Challenge#1

I also did a bit more work on Shawn's RR - I am no longer in stealth biplane mode, the Airplane section is complete!!
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/59/2009_RR#4
Now, where to go next? Maybe the green leafy border below? Some more frame fill-in? I guess it depends on whether Shawn has another piece to send out to those near the end of the list, in case this one gets finished up way before then :) Anita has already told me she wants to keep going on mine, so I have another one picked out to finish kitting up - need beads & Kreinik, of course - so there'll be more for the RRers:
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/6/Stash_Acquisitions_#21
I'll put it on the fabric left over from Lavender Path - this has some whitework around it, and the framed model is on grey, but I think it looks kinda dirty; the bellpull model is on white, and I like that.

And last, but not least, Saturday, I again got tired of thinking about Knotgarden, so Little Kid put Time Bandits into the DVD player, and I got out Kaleidoscope for another block :) I am now 1/4 done (minus the very outside border). Watching those two Starry Nights WIPs has made me want to work on Kaleidoscope and/or start that sea-colored Autumn Mosaic - I refuse to start another project, so Kaleidoscope it was :)
http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/48/Non-Cross_Stitch_Stitching#18

I worked on BoInk, but nothing photo-worthy; more green - the last knot is almost filled in - and I got the entire gold border of the current (and last gold-bordered section) done during a non-participatory conference call :) As this week is Foursome Reel week, or Sampler Week, I will probably spend a couple of nights on BoInk, too. And Sampler 4 Saisons & ABC Vert & Mauve have both been whimpering from their bags, as has World Tree & Noah's Sub. So who knows what I will have worked on by this time next week??? At any rate, I hope everyone has a great week, and know that Spring WILL come - the daffodils tell me so:

Flower of Remembrance - Veterans Day

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

This was the poem written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery. It expressed McCrae's grief over the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders' battlefields, located in a region of western Belgium and northern France. The poem presented a striking image of the bright red flowers blooming among the rows of white crosses and became a rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War. The first printed version of it reportedly was in December 1915, in the British magazine Punch.

McCrae's poem had a huge impact on two women, Anna E. Guerin of France and Georgia native Moina Michael. Both worked hard to initiate the sale of artificial poppies to help orphans and others left destitute by the war. By the time Guerin established the first sale in the U.S., in 1920 with the help of The American Legion, the poppy was well known in the allied countries — America, Britain, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — as the "Flower of Remembrance." Proceeds from that first sale went to the American and French Children's League.

Guerin had difficulty with the distribution of the poppies in early 1922 and sought out Michael for help. Michael had started a smaller-scaled Poppy Day during a YMCA conference she was attending in New York and wanted to use the poppies as a symbol of remembrance of the war. Guerin, called the "Poppy Lady of France" in her homeland, and Michael, later dubbed "The Poppy Princess" by the Georgia legislature, went to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for help. Following its first nationwide distribution of poppies, the VFW adopted the poppy as its official memorial flower in 1922.

However, a shortage of poppies from French manufacturers led to the idea of using unemployed and disabled veterans to produce the artificial flowers. In 1924, a poppy factory was built in Pittsburgh, Pa., providing a reliable source of poppies and a practical means of assistance to veterans. Today, veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and veterans homes help assemble the poppies, which are distributed by veterans service organizations throughout the country.

Donations received in return for these artificial poppies have helped countless veterans and their widows, widowers and orphans over the years. The poppy itself continues to serve as a perpetual tribute to those who have given their lives for the nation's freedom.

A Fair Update - Mixed Results

Well, I have to start by saying that I am a little bit disappointed in the results at the fair. Fire Flower was my main piece, and it got nothing. After looking at the other needlework entered this year - and I think there was substantially less than last year - I am pretty sure it was so far out of class for the entries, that the judges had no idea what to make of it - so they ignored it. There are only 3 categories for cross stitch at this fair - 14ct or less, 16-18ct, and 19ct or greater, and I saw all three 1st place pieces. One was Fish City, and I assume it was in the 19ct or Greater category - it was a huge piece, so I could be wrong, but at any rate, it was pretty awesome:
Another 1st place winner was a rendition of one of Van Gogh's Starry Night's. Now, the work was very nicely done, well framed, but the conversion itself was really, really not very nice - the yellows were all green, and it was very, very blocky and cartoony. So I'm not sure what the judges were going for on this piece, unless sheer size is what won the category? I think it was in the 16-18 category, with my FF (32ct over/2). I didn't take a picture of it - I was getting left behind. It's finished size was about half of Fish City, slightly bigger than FF, with matting and framing. I would guess the stitch count to be a bit less than my FF, if that had anything to do with it....

But I do have to wonder who was doing the judging by the 3rd category 1st place winner (which I also did not take a picture of). It was a very small piece, maybe 4x5, on 14 or 11ct aida. It was a very simple piece, some religious piece that I didn't fully grasp, something with a cross and I assume a piece of scripture. It was cartoonish, too - not primitive, just kind of crude and back-woods-ish, if you know what I mean - like a $2 kit from the Dollar Store, made in China. But what absolutely kills me is the condition of the piece; it was chock full of creases, from hoop or in hand, I don't know, and the dollar-store frame it was in, it was not even centered or stretched - I think they just laid it on the frame, and put the back whatever on, and called it good. And it won 1st place???? We were all stumped - the boys both just looked at me and said "You didn't win anything? With that? How can that be?" Which I took to be quite shocking to them, since they pretty much ignore my works. So I am going to ease my bruised ego with the fact that I must have exceeded the sophistication level of the N. GA Fair with my piece, which with the positive/negative idea alone, made it at least as difficult a work as Fish City, even if it was only 1 color. Personally, I'm stumped...

As for my other 7 entries, I did place 5 - my jewelry, my sister's 2006 Christmas present (long story) took 1st in the Jewelry category. I wasn't that pleased with this piece, to be quite honest, and may actually modify it again before I send it to my sister - but another thing I didn't get - there was only 1 jewelry category, and there were 2 First Place pieces, as well as a second & third. Mine this year and this other 1st place were definitely not on par with last year's entries - I'm wondering if the gas & economy issues kept a lot of participants away? Anyway, 1 of my 3 pics got a 3rd place, and I thought for sure my dragonfly would have placed, too, but it didn't. My set of 4 Dragon Dreams ornies placed 2nd in the 4-ornie Category, and my single Wiehenberg ornie placed 3rd in the 1-ornie category - they both were the only stitched ornaments. My little purple Grumpy Dragon flatfold won 3rd in the 14ct Category (losing to that wrinkled mess???). I have an album set up with all the pictures I took last night - exhibits and attractions - here: http://rifestitch.multiply.com/photos/album/54/N._GA_Fair_2008

So, I placed 5 out of 8 entries, but wow, the competition, from my biased view, was not what it was last year, and neither was the judging, from what I saw. If only my FF had fit the size limitation for the more-local fair (which is a much more affluent part of town) - I think I could have done much better there, but FF was 1/8" too big to go there :( So I will do some rethinking about next year and see if I can't get some stuff framed to fit in the other fair's size requirements. And if nothing else, I will have several entries into Silkweaver's Showcase this year, since I WILL FINISH Bouquet for Cheryl and The Castle and Halloween Fairy. I will also have a Long Dog finish not too far off, though I suspect not in time for this year's showcase. And suddenly, I've become a glory hound - how did that happen?? I don't mean to come off that way, but I guess it does sound like that, doesn't it? I am really just amazed that the works entered this year, aside from Fish City, were so 1990's; it's like the shrinkage we've seen in needlework stores and supplies has also affected the quality of work being done around here - something I am NOT in favor of, as you might imagine. At the very least, I have hoped that the last couple of years' exhibits have exposed more people to this craft, in an attempt to keep it from dying; I think I missed the mark this year - or I'm too late here....

Talk Like A Pirate Day - Be A Pirate

You Are:
Ugly Louise Lofton
(formerly known as Karen)

You have X-Ray vision and look good in Spandex, but you can't fly worth a damn or scramble an egg to save your life. You never sweat even when you use your super strength. If you could cloud men's minds we'd all be in trouble. You also use your X-Ray vision to ogle guy's bodies in the grocery store. You can travel in time, but you only do it to cheat at horse racing. Your super-boobs are every man's dream and you are without a doubt the kinkiest Superhero of them all.

Here's lots of fun Pirate Stuff:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/links.html#piratename
I found this Pirate Generator here:
http://stupidstuff.org/main/piratemaker.htm

So get off yer duffs an' talk like a gentleman o' fortune!

Never Forget

Some may say it's opening old wounds, but I say, better that than forgetting, because someday, someone will try to get you to believe it never happened...

http://911.navexpress.com/

In Remembrance - to all those lost on that day and since, helping to restore and fighting to keep freedom.... It may not mean anything to you, but it means the world to me.

Picture Perfect ~*~WET~*~

I just haven't been coordinated enough lately to participate in PPF - new computers, moving pics around, some on CD, some on other machines, and mainly, no time!! But when I saw this week's, I thought for sure I could come up with something pretty easily... Well, I had the perfect shot in mind, from a soccer game last February, when all of the boys were just drenched, with sleet & drizzle, actually, not just rain, the refs were soaked, we had puddles on the field - the look on the face of my son, with his hair plastered to his face as he went up to head the ball was the epitome of *WET*. And I can't find it.

So, for Plan B, I thought, gee, maybe something in the pictures I've taken outside this year - the creek, the wet dog who plays in the creek, and then I thought of this one:

Click picture to go to the original full size...

This was taken after a thunderstorm had passed through in June, and the sky was golden and looked as if it was lit with fire. So I took the camera outside to get shots of the sky. I turned to see these normally bright white lilies had taken on the color of the sky, still dripping from the brief downpour our drought-stricken area received. Additional pictures in the series are here.

*WET* has taken on a whole new idea here north of Atlanta; we are currently standing at 16" below the normal rainfall we should have by this time of the year, even with the 5" we managed to get out of Tropical Storm Fay almost 2 weeks ago. And that does not take into account the 20" or so we were short last year. Other areas have gotten considerably more than we have - even Atlanta itself is not quite as bad as we are, just 40 miles north. But we have Hannah, Ike, and Josephine lining up out there in the Atlantic - we definitely don't need any of the destruction those storms are likely to produce (like the tornadoes we got from Fay), but could we ever use a bit of rain....

Welcome to

P I C T U R E P E R F E C T

Each week a new theme will be posted here on Friday morning. You are invited to put up your best picture on your own blog with that theme in mind, and you do have the whole weekend to post your picture, so there is no rush

Remember it should be just ONE and ORIGINAL, taken by YOU,and not off the internet,

Then come back and leave a comment on this page in the comment box so that everyone can link to your blog and see your photo. Don't forget to OPEN your page to EVERYONE for that day.

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in any way, so we can all learn and improve our techniques.

Try and post a decent size picture on your blog page for an increased WOW factor. Often so much is lost or distorted if the size is too big or too small.

Remember this is NOT a competition, this about being creative having fun and being supportive of one another.

Out of the box thinking is encouraged.

~ Have FUN out there! ~

...oOo...

The theme this week is

~*~WET~*~

Michael Phelps

'nuff said :)

Remember V-J Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Day

That TV Meme thing

(borrowed from one of the many blogs it has appeared on :) )

Bold all of the following TV shows which you’ve ever seen 3 or more episodes of in your lifetime. Bold and Underline a show if you’re positive you’ve seen every episode of it. If you want, add up to 3 additional shows (keep the list in alphabetical order).

24
7th Heaven
Adam-12
Aeon Flux
ALF
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
Allo Allo
American Idol/Pop Idol/Canadian Idol/Australian Model
America’s Next Top Model/Germany’s Next Top Model
Angel
Animaniacs
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Arrested Development
Ashes to Ashes
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Babylon 5
Babylon 5: Crusade
Barnaby Jones
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Baywatch
Beavis & Butthead
Beverly Hills 90210
Bewitched
Bionic Woman
Blackadder
Bonanza
Bonekickers
Bones
Bosom Buddies
Boston Legal
Boy Meets World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug Juice
Captain Planet
Carnivale
Chappelle’s Show
Charlie’s Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Coupling
Cowboy Bebop
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dallas
Dancing with the Stars
Danny Phantom
Dark Angel
Dark Skies
Davinci’s Inquest
Dawson’s Creek
Dead Like Me
Deadliest Catch
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dharma & Greg
Different Strokes
Dirty Jobs
Doctor Who (new Who)
Doctor Who (original)
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Dragnet
Due South
Dynasty
Earth 2
Eerie, Indiana
Emergency!
Empty Nest
Entourage
ER
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond
Facts of Life
Family Guy
Family Matters
Family Ties
Fantasy Island
Farscape
Father Knows Best
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Frasier
Friends
Full House
Futurama
Get Smart
Ghost Whisperer
G.I. Joe (original series)
Gilligan’s Island
Gilmore Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Green Acres
Green Wing
Grey’s Anatomy
Growing Pains
Gundam Wing
Gunsmoke
Happy Days
Hart to Hart
Head of the Class
Hell’s Kitchen
Heroes
Hogan’s Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
Hotel Babylon
House
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Ice Road Truckers (hate this show – I have no choice, since I can’t move my stitching spot)
Invader Zim
Invasion
JAG
Jackass
Jem and the Holigrams
Joey
John Doe
John and Kate Plus Eight
Just the 10 of Us
Kate & Allie
Kath and Kim
Kim Possible
Knott’s Landing
LA Law
Laverne and Shirley
Life on Mars
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space
Love, American Style
* M*A*S*H
MacGyver
Mad About You
Major Dad
Malcolm in the Middle
Mama’s Family
M.A.N.T.I.S
Marcus Welby, MD
Married… With Children
Medium
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Millenium
Mission: Impossible
Monk
Moonlight
Moonlighting
Mork & Mindy
Murphy Brown
Mr. Show with Bob and David
My Family
My Life as a Dog
My Name Is Earl
My Secret Identity
My So-Called Life
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Mythbusters
NCIS
Night Court
Nip/Tuck
Northern Exposure
Numb3rs
Nurses
One Tree Hill
Out of This World
Oz
Perry Mason
Picket Fences
Pokémon
Power Rangers
Prison Break
Prisoner: Cell Block H
Profiler
Project Runway
Punky Brewster (live action)
Pushing Daisies
Psych
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (British)
ReGenesis
Remington Steele
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Roswell
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Saved by the Bell
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
SeaQust D.S.V.
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Seinfeld
Sex and the City
Shark
Simon & Simon
Six Feet Under
Slings and Arrows
Smallville
So Weird
Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
South Park
Space:1999
Space Ghost
Spaced
Spongebob Squarepants
Sports Night
Star Trek
* The Original
* Star Trek: The Next Generation
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
* Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Starsky & Hutch
Step By Step
Strange Luck – loved this show!
Superman
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor
SWAT
Tales from the Dark Side
Taxi
Teen Titans
That 70’s Show
That’s So Raven
The 4400
The Addams Family
The Amazing Race
The Andy Griffith Show
The A-Team
The Avengers
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Brady Bunch
The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
The Dead Zone
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Flintstones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Golden Girls
The Hogan Family
The Honeymooners
The Jeffersons
The Jetsons
The L Word
The Love Boat
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mighty Boosh
The Monkees
The Munsters
The O.C.
The Office (UK)
The Office (US)
The Partridge Family
The Pretender
The Real World
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Sopranos
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Tomorrow People
The Twilight Zone
The Unit
The Walton's
The West Wing
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
Third Watch
Three’s Company
Thundercats
Top Gear
Torchwood
Transformers (original series)
Twin Peaks
Twitch City
UFO
Ugly Betty
Veronica Mars
Walker, Texas Ranger
Weird Science
Wings
Whose Line is it Anyway? (US)
Whose Line is it Anyway? (UK)
Will and Grace

Yes, it is obvious that I watch WAYYYYY too much tv - but I like it :)

New Words from MENSA

This from an e-mail I've seen a couple of times, but thought if I copied it here, I could read it a few times until I remember them, and work them into daily conversation. I have no idea how old this list is - I know MENSA does this periodically, but I'm too lazy to authenticate - and who cares?

Washington Post's Mensa Invitational

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:

1. Intaxication : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. (This definitely applies to a certain group of engineers to the north of my location...)

4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

5. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

6. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

7. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

8. Hipatitis : Terminal coolness.

9. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

10. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.

11. Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

12. Glibido: All talk and no action.

13. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

14. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

15. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

16. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

And The #1 pick is:

17. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

PPF ==> Extravagance

This week’s theme was a bit hard for me – I don’t really do anything extravagant, haven’t really been anywhere very extravagant that I have pictures of; my life, to date, has been anti-extravagant, actually. But then I started to think about some of my hobbies, and the materials I have come to use for them – hand dyed fabric, silk floss, gemstone beads. And then it occurred to me – the one thing I have thought of as one of my favorite splurges for many years: silk fabric. I love clothing made of silk – it keeps you cool in the summer, it keeps you warm in the winter, it’s soft and shimmery, even the raw silk, and let’s face it – it just feels good! It has had trade routes named after it, areas of the world named for it, was a trading commodity, and was available to the aristocracy only for a very long time. It’s not the extravagance it once was, but is still not as available as cotton and, egads! synthetic fabrics! This is one of my favorite pieces, a shirt:

(click for larger picture)

For something that comes out of a worm's butt, it has some pretty amazing qualities - read here. I also took a second picture of several pieces, but this one was the best; you can see the other one here. Taken with my trusty Panasonic DMC-FZ5 and cropped.

And as I couldn't come up with an earworm for this week, I decided to pick a piece from The Bard - it's not actually about silk, but it does mention it :) And there might be an allusion or two in there slightly related to Extravagance:

Now all the youth of England are on fire,
And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies:
Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought
Reigns solely in the breast of every man:
They sell the pasture now to buy the horse,
Following the mirror of all Christian kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
For now sits Expectation in the air,
And hides a sword from hilts unto the point
With crowns imperial, crowns and coronets,
Promised to Harry and his followers.
The French, advised by good intelligence
Of this most dreadful preparation,
Shake in their fear and with pale policy
Seek to divert the English purposes.
O England! model to thy inward greatness,
Like little body with a mighty heart,
What mightst thou do, that honour would thee do,
Were all thy children kind and natural!
But see thy fault! France hath in thee found out
A nest of hollow bosoms, which he fills
With treacherous crowns; and three corrupted men,
One, Richard Earl of Cambridge, and the second,
Henry Lord Scroop of Masham, and the third,
Sir Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland,
Have, for the gilt of France,--O guilt indeed!
Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France;
And by their hands this grace of kings must die,
If hell and treason hold their promises,
Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton.
Linger your patience on; and we'll digest
The abuse of distance; force a play:
The sum is paid; the traitors are agreed;
The king is set from London; and the scene
Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton;
There is the playhouse now, there must you sit:
And thence to France shall we convey you safe,
And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
To give you gentle pass; for, if we may,
We'll not offend one stomach with our play.
But, till the king come forth, and not till then,
Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.

Exit

- William Shakespeare

The Life of King Henry the Fifth , Act 2 Prologue

-oOo-

P I C T U R E P E R F E C T

theme this week is

~ Extravagance ~

This is week 4 of our 10 week competition

Each week Ten of The Best photo's will be selected by the host. On Saturday a poll will go up and you all get to vote for 24 hrs... for who you think was the best/most effective for that theme. The winner will be announced once the POLL closes.

The one with the most votes (by you) will receive a special icon which they can proudly post on their site as Best PP Photographer in The World..for the rest of the competition

only ONE picture please and it should be YOURS

not off the internet, not a friends picture but your very own

No slide shows please, and no automatic music on the page

Then post a comment on this page
so that everyone can link to your blog and see your pic.

-oOo-

Just a Pic of the Pup

Took this this morning on the way out, thought it was cute. Somebody's a ham....

D-Day Anniversary

"You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely....The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

~ General Dwight D. Eisenhower

(Quote from a speech delivered while giving the D-Day order on June 6, 1944.)

Picture Perfect Friday ==> Curves

This hutch belonged to my grandmother on my father's side; as long as I can remember it being in Grandma Williams' house, I remember her telling me it would be mine one day, and so it is. Inside the curved glass and wood, on shelves cut to mimic the curves of the front, are 2 1/2 sets of Depression Glass that belonged to my grandmother on my mother's side, as well as several other knick knacks. Okay, one set, the gold, has square plates, but the corners are scalloped, so they are actually curvy. The red set has the regular round shapes :) And then, at the top, there is the curvy mirror and the beautiful scroll work and relief work. One of my most prized possessions. And curvy!

Picture Perfect

~ Each week a theme will be posted up on Thursday, and you are invited to put up your best picture with that theme in mind, it should be just

ONE and ORIGINAL,

i.e not off the internet,

Then come back and post a comment on this page
so that everyone can link to your blog and see your pic.

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in anyway! Out of the box thinking is encouraged!!

Please open your page for viewing for all for that day...and then visit as many others as you can! Try and post a decent size pic on your blog page, so much is lost if the pic is too small or too big.

The entries will close at midnight on Friday

oOo

THE LAWS OF ULTIMATE REALITY

& Law of Mechanical Repair
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

& Law of Gravity

Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

& Law of Probability
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

& Law of Random Numbers
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

& Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

& Variation Law
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

& Law of the Bath
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

& Law of Close Encounters
The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

& Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

& Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

& Law of the Theater
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

& The Starbucks Law
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

& Murphy's Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

& Law of Physical Surfaces
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

& Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

& Brown's Law of Physical Appearance
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

& Oliver's Law of Public Speaking
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

& Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

& Doctors' Law
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.

Picture Perfect Friday ~ SummerTime Fun! ~

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Okay, I cheated a little bit (or a lot) this week, but that's only because this week's theme is too big for 1 picture. These are all from our last vacation, in 2006, and were taken with my Minolta Maxxim 7000 - cropped in some cases after scanning.

Welcome to
PICTURE PERFECT
~ Each week a theme will be posted up on Thursday, and you are invited to put up your best picture with that theme in mind, it should be just
ONE and ORIGINAL,
i.e not off the internet,

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in anyway! Out of the box thinking is encouraged!!