.... since I blogged. No excuses here. (I hate those bloggers who tell you all their reasons for not blogging - I just had other things on my mind.)
Anyway, Happy St. Patrick's Day! DH absolutely loves corned beef, so there is no reason at all that I only make it once per year. Well, maybe one reason - the kids hated it! They would tease me unmercifully in hopes that I would forego the annual ritual. No way. I was raised by a mom who celebrated every holiday imaginable regardless of ethnicity. (We were probably the only pseudo-Protestant family who ate fish every Friday, pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and latkes during Hannukah. Mom's goal was to celebrate every day.)
Over the years, I've gone from the traditional stove-top corned beef, to the crockpot version, to the Dutch oven version, etc., etc., etc. Here is my tried and true, never fail, would even serve it to company version. It was a success again tonight with DH. Enjoy!
OVEN BRAISED CORNED BEEF BRISKET
4 pounds center cut corned beef brisket
1 lemon -- ends trimmed
1 onion -- peeled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
6 whole cloves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
Trim and discard most of the surface fat from brisket. Rinse meat well under cool running water, rubbing gently to release its corning salt. Lay meat, fattiest side up, in a 2-inch deep, 11 by 15 inch roasting pan. Thinly slice lemon and onion and lay slices over meat. Sprinkle with peppercorns, allspice, and cloves. Set pan on middle rack in a 325 degree oven. Pour about 8 cups boiling water around brisket, seal the pan with foil, and bake until meat is very tender when pierced, about 4 hours. Uncover and drain off all but about 1 cup of the liquid. If desired, reserve the lemon and onion slices and rearrange them on top of the meat. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and brown sugar; spread evenly over meat, on top of the onion-lemon mixture. Broil about 8 inches from heat until the mustard mixture begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Serve hot, warm, or cold; slice meat across the grain.
The only problem with this recipe in our house is that there aren't enough leftovers. DH had thirds ... oh, my.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Success followed by failure ... oh, my!
As usual, I put too many projects on my plate to finish before Christmas. I saw a fun project on one of the blogs that I read and thought I could just whip up a couple prior to the holidays. Will I never learn?
Wisely, I put all the makings of these pillows away -- and out of sight -- until the January calm returned. I finished three this week. So, can I say that I am ahead for Christmas 2011?
The tutorial can be found here. Noodleheads is one of the blogs that I read consistently. Anna comes up with some great, simple projects and wonderful tutorials.
The pillow covers, which are in the envelope style and designed for an 18" square pillow insert, are made of felt. I just bought the cheap felt by the yard when it was on sale at JoAnns. The only problem I had with the project was that you could see the red color through the white snowflake a bit more than I would have liked. For the second and third pillows, I fused a lightweight interfacing to the white felt before cutting out the snowflake. That helped a bit. If I make any more of these, I'll use a higher grade of felt or a different kind of fabric entirely. Also, it takes a bit of time to cut all those angles of the snowflake. I tried the Xacto knife as the tutorial instructs. I found that I had better luck with the Fiskars snips that I bought a few years ago for making rag quilts. The inner cuts, however, definitely required the Xacto knife. I used one of my favorite Bernina feet, the #10C, to sew around the snowflake 1/8" from the edges. I love that foot!
Alas, not all sewing projects go so smoothly. I made both of my granddaughters skirts for the holidays and had some leftover fabric. I found a cute little purse tutorial (you can find it here - scroll down to Lezette Thomason) and decided to make matching purses for each of the girls. I've had the #62 foot for several years and have never attempted to use it. Well, I do not love this foot! I watched the Bernina video, checked out my Feetures book, and even used Google to find a lesson that would help me. After 45 very frustrating minutes, I just gave up and did it the old-fashioned way turning a narrow hem and ironing it carefully before stitching. I think I need a personal demonstration about how to get the fabric into the slot of the foot!
Now that the frustrating part is over, I should be able to finish the purses today and post a picture tomorrow. It feels good to get back to sewing!
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| Snowflake Pillow Cover |
The tutorial can be found here. Noodleheads is one of the blogs that I read consistently. Anna comes up with some great, simple projects and wonderful tutorials.
The pillow covers, which are in the envelope style and designed for an 18" square pillow insert, are made of felt. I just bought the cheap felt by the yard when it was on sale at JoAnns. The only problem I had with the project was that you could see the red color through the white snowflake a bit more than I would have liked. For the second and third pillows, I fused a lightweight interfacing to the white felt before cutting out the snowflake. That helped a bit. If I make any more of these, I'll use a higher grade of felt or a different kind of fabric entirely. Also, it takes a bit of time to cut all those angles of the snowflake. I tried the Xacto knife as the tutorial instructs. I found that I had better luck with the Fiskars snips that I bought a few years ago for making rag quilts. The inner cuts, however, definitely required the Xacto knife. I used one of my favorite Bernina feet, the #10C, to sew around the snowflake 1/8" from the edges. I love that foot!
Alas, not all sewing projects go so smoothly. I made both of my granddaughters skirts for the holidays and had some leftover fabric. I found a cute little purse tutorial (you can find it here - scroll down to Lezette Thomason) and decided to make matching purses for each of the girls. I've had the #62 foot for several years and have never attempted to use it. Well, I do not love this foot! I watched the Bernina video, checked out my Feetures book, and even used Google to find a lesson that would help me. After 45 very frustrating minutes, I just gave up and did it the old-fashioned way turning a narrow hem and ironing it carefully before stitching. I think I need a personal demonstration about how to get the fabric into the slot of the foot!
Now that the frustrating part is over, I should be able to finish the purses today and post a picture tomorrow. It feels good to get back to sewing!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Merry Christmas!
I finally feel human again after fighting this bug for weeks. Managed to get everything done for Christmas, even a little extra project for my SIL. Tomorrow, we're off to Ventura County for the long holiday weekend. Thankfully, our wild Southern California weather has returned to normal after six extremely wet days. I can't remember ever having rain this intense for such a long period.
We'll have our traditional spaghetti dinner Christmas Eve at our daughter's house with most of the family. I imagine the two oldest grandchildren will be beside themselves with anticipation and excitement!
Christmas morning, we'll again be at DD's house to exchange gifts and enjoy Flo's Serbian Eggs. My favorite boss, Sylvia, shared this recipe with me years ago and it has become a family favorite. We usually serve it with sausage, croissants, and fresh fruit. For Christmas, there will also be mimosas!
FLO'S SERBIAN EGGS
6 eggs -- beaten
1 pound Jack cheese -- shredded
1 pound cottage cheese
1 cup Biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted
1 teaspoon dried onions
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together. Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
My sister is hosting Christmas dinner - roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans - yummy! There will, of course, be cookies everywhere we go!
Does it sound as though Christmas in our family is all about the food? Well, food plays a big role but it is really about being together and celebrating this most festive time of year.
My very best wishes to all of you for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We'll have our traditional spaghetti dinner Christmas Eve at our daughter's house with most of the family. I imagine the two oldest grandchildren will be beside themselves with anticipation and excitement!
Christmas morning, we'll again be at DD's house to exchange gifts and enjoy Flo's Serbian Eggs. My favorite boss, Sylvia, shared this recipe with me years ago and it has become a family favorite. We usually serve it with sausage, croissants, and fresh fruit. For Christmas, there will also be mimosas!
FLO'S SERBIAN EGGS
6 eggs -- beaten
1 pound Jack cheese -- shredded
1 pound cottage cheese
1 cup Biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted
1 teaspoon dried onions
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together. Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
My sister is hosting Christmas dinner - roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans - yummy! There will, of course, be cookies everywhere we go!
Does it sound as though Christmas in our family is all about the food? Well, food plays a big role but it is really about being together and celebrating this most festive time of year.
My very best wishes to all of you for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
How to tell that you're really behind on Christmas tasks ....
- It's ten days before Christmas and you're still finishing up the fall placemats you hoped to use in November! (See great tutorial on easy placemats over at I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts. Yes, they are easy; but you still have to plan enough hours in the day to finish them!)
- You have the full-blown flu including a low-grade temperature, aches and pains. Therefore, your mental and physical speed is about 15 mph instead of 95 mph.
- The gifts are wrapped - whoo hoo! None of them, however, have bows or gift labels (unless you consider green post-it notes labels).
- The most important thing on today's "to-do" list is to convince DH that we can skip the holiday letter this year.
- Thoughts of making any last-minute homemade gifts flew out the window about 2 a.m. this morning when the latest coughing spell took over.
- DD called to ask what cookies I would be making so we don't have duplicates. Cookies? I'm supposed to make cookies?
- Today's weather is cloudy, damp, and gloomy - a perfect reflection of my holiday spirit.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thanksgiving Leftovers
Someone brought the flu bug to Thanksgiving dinner! DH and I have been sick on and off since Turkey Day. Our son, Matt, also caught the bug as did all five members of our daughter's family. Now, several in the family have either had relapses or succumbed to another bug. Fortunately, everyone is muddling through and getting on with Christmas preparations.
1 turkey carcass
2 stalks celery with leaves -- coarsely chopped
2 carrots -- coarsely chopped
1 onion -- peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1 cup frozen or leftover corn
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, combine carcass, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaf and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours over medium low heat. Strain and discard vegetables and bones. Reserve turkey stock. In a large pot, melt butter and cook onions until tender. Stir in celery and thyme. Stir in carrots and rice and toss to coat. Stir in turkey stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables and rice are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Stir in turkey, corn, and parsley. Return to simmer and season to taste.
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| Little Helper - Jackson |
I had a blast the week before Thanksgiving looking for appropriate designs to put on aprons for the kidlets. The pictures aren't the greatest, but you can get an idea how they turned out. Unfortunately, only Talia was interested in donning her apron and actually helping in the kitchen!
Tasha still naps in the afternoon, so a full day of family and festivities without a nap just about did her in. So much fun, however, watching her explore the house and play with the toys that we keep here - all new to her! Jackson rushes into the house and immediately heads to the toy box and demands that we empty the entire box so he can dig right in. Tasha's apron says "More sprinkles, please!" Couldn't resist this design since our daughter loves to bake, and she often sends me phone pics of the kidlets mixing the dough at the kitchen counter.
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| More sprinkles, please! |
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| Sugar & Spice - Talia |
Thanksgiving is all about traditions, of course, and one of ours is that the kidlets go on a walk with Grandpa collecting colorful fall leaves to adorn the table. We started this tradition at Talia's first Thanksgiving. She was all of 9 months old! Miss T., the elder, is now closing in on 5 and has graduated to working with Grandma to decorate Oma's Thanksgiving table. Note how seriously she takes her decorating!
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| Miss T.., the elder, aka Martha Jr. |
I'm just about ready to take the turkey carcass out of the freezer and make soup. Although it's unseasonably warm in Southern California today (supposed to hit 80 degrees), the weather will turn cool and rainy towards the end of the week. Soup weather .... here's a very good recipe for Turkey Rice Soup. Enjoy!
TURKEY SOUP WITH RICE
1 turkey carcass
2 stalks celery with leaves -- coarsely chopped
2 carrots -- coarsely chopped
1 onion -- peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1 cup frozen or leftover corn
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, combine carcass, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaf and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours over medium low heat. Strain and discard vegetables and bones. Reserve turkey stock. In a large pot, melt butter and cook onions until tender. Stir in celery and thyme. Stir in carrots and rice and toss to coat. Stir in turkey stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables and rice are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Stir in turkey, corn, and parsley. Return to simmer and season to taste.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for:
- my good health and the good health of my husband and family.
- my wonderful children who still want to spend Thanksgiving Day with me inspite of my reluctance to leave the kitchen, sit down and actually visit with them.
- my wonderful grandchildren who, hopefully, will force me out of the kitchen for a walk down to the park to play.
- my country. Inspite of our problems, I would not want to live anywhere else. We have the freedom to change or not to change.
- my home. I have a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, a refrigerator full of food. Most of the world lacks one or more of these simple things.
- my parents. Although they are long gone, they gave me the foundation on which to build a happy, successful life. They made me responsible, they educated me, they taught me right from wrong, and most importantly, they taught me the power of love.
- my marriage. How many are still in love after 40+ years? I am one lucky gal.
- my friends. What can I say? You are my joy when things go right, my salvation when things go wrong.
- learning and exploring. Reading, travelling, trying new things out, being challenged -- this is what makes life so rich.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Back to the kitchen (where I belong?)
Another Thanksgiving, another marathon cooking session. Thanksgiving is "my" family holiday by default. Most of our family members live in Ventura County, California, a little over two hours' driving time from our residence. However, my FIL, who is 90, lives just an hour from us. Thanksgiving is the only time during the year that he gets to see our children and grandchildren (his grandchildren and great-grandchildren) so I persist in being the go-to cook on Thanksgiving.
I do love to cook, but this is beyond a normal cooking session. Being a firstborn, and seriously anal, I have several plans committed to the computer. I have a recipe plan, then I have a weekly plan, then I have a daily plan, followed by an hourly plan for "THE DAY." YIKES! Why do I do this to myself? Answer: because I know no other way of doing things.
Following the day-to-day plan, yesterday I made the turkey spice rub, shredded the Swiss cheese for the corn bake that my son-in-law loves, and checked the silverware, china, and crystal for spots and other indelicacies. Today, I made the sweet potato casserole (no one will know that it is 2 days old by the time they are eating it), chopped up all those veggies that will eventually go into the dressing, corn casserole, and brined turkey. Then DH and I cleaned the rented tables, set them up in the dining room, ironed the rented tablecloths, and placed the carefully inspected china, crystal, and silverware on the table. Thanks be to the heavens above, my placecards that were made last week (according to plan) look fabulous with the candles that were bought several weeks ago on a whim.
Bright and early tomorrow morning, I will make the dressing (thank you, friend Merle), simmer the turkey stock, cook and mash the potatoes -- and hope that all this is done before FIL shows up! Once he is here, I will feel obliged to converse, discuss financial deals that don't really interest me at all, and play hostess all the while stressing internally about what is and is not ready for the big day. Please, oh pretty please, let him be late in arrival ....
Oops -- also on the agenda for tomorrow: get the serving dishes down from the incredibly high shelves in the kitchen, remind DH to sharpen the knives and watch videos on YouTube about carving turkeys, remove turkey from the plastic wrapper and find all that stuff that they hide inside the various cavities so I can use it to make stock, wash the turkey roaster -- oops - find the turkey roaster, then wash it, review cooking instructions from Butterball, set timer for Thursday so turkey goes in the oven in time for a 3 p.m. dinner so that DD and family can eat and be on the road to get back to Ventura County in time to put the kidlets to bed before their nervous systems are completely destroyed.
Best part of today? Telephone conversation with 3-year-old grandson who requested crackers and chips for Thanksgiving dinner!!
Reminder to self: Relax and have fun!
Hmmmmm ....
I do love to cook, but this is beyond a normal cooking session. Being a firstborn, and seriously anal, I have several plans committed to the computer. I have a recipe plan, then I have a weekly plan, then I have a daily plan, followed by an hourly plan for "THE DAY." YIKES! Why do I do this to myself? Answer: because I know no other way of doing things.
Following the day-to-day plan, yesterday I made the turkey spice rub, shredded the Swiss cheese for the corn bake that my son-in-law loves, and checked the silverware, china, and crystal for spots and other indelicacies. Today, I made the sweet potato casserole (no one will know that it is 2 days old by the time they are eating it), chopped up all those veggies that will eventually go into the dressing, corn casserole, and brined turkey. Then DH and I cleaned the rented tables, set them up in the dining room, ironed the rented tablecloths, and placed the carefully inspected china, crystal, and silverware on the table. Thanks be to the heavens above, my placecards that were made last week (according to plan) look fabulous with the candles that were bought several weeks ago on a whim.
Bright and early tomorrow morning, I will make the dressing (thank you, friend Merle), simmer the turkey stock, cook and mash the potatoes -- and hope that all this is done before FIL shows up! Once he is here, I will feel obliged to converse, discuss financial deals that don't really interest me at all, and play hostess all the while stressing internally about what is and is not ready for the big day. Please, oh pretty please, let him be late in arrival ....
Oops -- also on the agenda for tomorrow: get the serving dishes down from the incredibly high shelves in the kitchen, remind DH to sharpen the knives and watch videos on YouTube about carving turkeys, remove turkey from the plastic wrapper and find all that stuff that they hide inside the various cavities so I can use it to make stock, wash the turkey roaster -- oops - find the turkey roaster, then wash it, review cooking instructions from Butterball, set timer for Thursday so turkey goes in the oven in time for a 3 p.m. dinner so that DD and family can eat and be on the road to get back to Ventura County in time to put the kidlets to bed before their nervous systems are completely destroyed.
Best part of today? Telephone conversation with 3-year-old grandson who requested crackers and chips for Thanksgiving dinner!!
Reminder to self: Relax and have fun!
Hmmmmm ....
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Here's what I've been up to
It took me a few weeks to "settle in" after our trip. After a brief hot spell, the weather in Southern California has turned a bit wintry which encouraged me to get back to my sewing room. Here are some recently finished projects.
A friend from our quilt club gave me the pattern for these cute Halloween placemats. The pattern is Pumpkin Party by Susie C. Shore Designs. I know they'll be covered in sticky food residue once I give them to the kidlets, but I still couldn't resist them. Can't wait to give them to my favorite Halloween goblins!
The September/October issue of Creative Machine Embroidery has a fun project that tempted me. I haven't used the embroidery module on my Bernina in quite awhile. I've enjoyed stitching these doorknob hangers - one for my daughter, one for my sister, and one for me! It's not exactly a quick project since there are multiple steps. Still fun, though.
I love the fabric, though, which I purchased last week during our group's shop hop. We stopped at Quilt in a Day in San Marcos, and Eleanor Burns was actually in the shop! She graciously offered to pose with us for pictures (didn't have my camera - shame on me), and signed patterns and even a fat quarter! Then she gave us a personal tour of the room they've remodeled to give them more cabinetry, cutting areas, and sewing tables for creating the quilts. Quite a lot of fun for all of us.
I found a tutorial for a small bag that intriqued me. I thought maybe I'd reduce the weight of the bag if I used a smaller one! I do like the finished bag, but I totally messed up the directions. I had one of those flashes of understanding in the middle of the night and realized what I had done wrong with the pattern. The bag is actually supposed to be a few inches shorter and not so narrow looking. This is something that I need to be aware of when using tutorials from blogs -- it's lovely that bloggers give these patterns away for free, but they aren't professional pattern writers. I need to scrutinize the patterns a bit more before diving head first into a project!
I love the fabric, though, which I purchased last week during our group's shop hop. We stopped at Quilt in a Day in San Marcos, and Eleanor Burns was actually in the shop! She graciously offered to pose with us for pictures (didn't have my camera - shame on me), and signed patterns and even a fat quarter! Then she gave us a personal tour of the room they've remodeled to give them more cabinetry, cutting areas, and sewing tables for creating the quilts. Quite a lot of fun for all of us.I'm generally not a fan of yo-yo's, but I thought the bag needed an extra something once I finished it. I do like the yo-yo trim, especially with the addition of the button from my button jar. I used the button sew-on program on the 640 along with the #18 foot. Worked perfectly!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Happy 4th of July!
Okay .... I said I would post a picture of the tote bag, but I'm tabling that until tomorrow. We spent the whole day at the Carlsbad house and I AM TIRED!
So, instead of a picture, I am wishing all of you a very Happy Independence Day! Spend a minute or two today thinking about what our lives would be like if those brave men in the 1770s hadn't defied authority and set upon a course that they believed was right and just. If you have never read the entire Declaration of Indendendence, I suggest you take the time to read it now. Think about how these words have impacted your life. Better yet, think about what your life would be like without these words. Then read the names at the end of the document. We owe much to these men. Actually, we owe almost everything to them.
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an
arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
So, instead of a picture, I am wishing all of you a very Happy Independence Day! Spend a minute or two today thinking about what our lives would be like if those brave men in the 1770s hadn't defied authority and set upon a course that they believed was right and just. If you have never read the entire Declaration of Indendendence, I suggest you take the time to read it now. Think about how these words have impacted your life. Better yet, think about what your life would be like without these words. Then read the names at the end of the document. We owe much to these men. Actually, we owe almost everything to them.
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an
arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Friday, May 28, 2010
One thoughtful moment
DH and I are heading north tomorrow morning - early - to attend the wedding on Sunday of a dear friend's son. It's an outdoor wedding somewhere nestled in the Sonoma Wine Country. Should be lovely.
I'm not crazy about traveling on Memorial Day weekend, but there was never a doubt that we would attend this wedding. Jonny, the groom, has been a part of our lives since the day his sister and our daughter were born within hours of one another. Our families and our lives have been intertwined ever since. We look forward to meeting Amy, the girl Jonny has chosen to share his life. She must be extra special to have stolen Jonny's heart!
As we head off to this most happy occasion, I promise myself that I will take at least one thoughtful moment to say a silent "thank you" to the men and women who have fought and died over the years to protect our country, our freedoms, and our future. This is not a time to be partisan. This is simply a time to be grateful for their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families.
As you watch parades, hang the flag, start the barbecue, I hope you, too, will take one thoughtful moment to remember those whose lives were shortened by the anguish of war.
I'm not crazy about traveling on Memorial Day weekend, but there was never a doubt that we would attend this wedding. Jonny, the groom, has been a part of our lives since the day his sister and our daughter were born within hours of one another. Our families and our lives have been intertwined ever since. We look forward to meeting Amy, the girl Jonny has chosen to share his life. She must be extra special to have stolen Jonny's heart!
As we head off to this most happy occasion, I promise myself that I will take at least one thoughtful moment to say a silent "thank you" to the men and women who have fought and died over the years to protect our country, our freedoms, and our future. This is not a time to be partisan. This is simply a time to be grateful for their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families.
As you watch parades, hang the flag, start the barbecue, I hope you, too, will take one thoughtful moment to remember those whose lives were shortened by the anguish of war.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
We spent the day yesterday with our family at National Train Day in Los Angeles. The grandkids had a great time exploring Union Station and Olvera Street. All 3 of them were so well behaved that we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a Mexican restaurant on Olvera Street.
So, today, it's just me and DH. We've decided to spruce up our two outside benches. They are in need of some TLC to get ready for the summer season.
Give yourself a treat today and listen to an NPR story that I heard on Weekend Edition Sunday. Some of NPR's broadcasters speak about their moms as only great broadcasters can do. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will feel some heartfelt moments on this special day. Enjoy!
So, today, it's just me and DH. We've decided to spruce up our two outside benches. They are in need of some TLC to get ready for the summer season.
Give yourself a treat today and listen to an NPR story that I heard on Weekend Edition Sunday. Some of NPR's broadcasters speak about their moms as only great broadcasters can do. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will feel some heartfelt moments on this special day. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Getting ready for next Easter - Take Two!
Why do we crafters always think we can get more done than is humanly possible? We set deadlines for ourselves that are far from reasonable and then stress out trying to meet them. I wonder if male crafters do the same thing to themselves? Maybe it's more gender related than hobby related. Women just think they can do the impossible on a regular basis.
About a month before Easter, this Easter, I came across an adorable pattern on the Internet for Easter placemats. No question about it - these just had to be made for my 3 grandchildren. How much time could 3 placemats take? A few days later, some friends and I were quilt shop hopping and the perfect fabric appeared. Destiny was at work, I was certain. These placemats would go together in a jiffy and be part of the Easter gift for the kidlets.
I should know myself by now. I am not a speed sewer! I like to take my time, enjoy the process, and refrain from making mistakes that cannot be rectified. (That last part is really why I go so slow; inevitably, I make HUGE mistakes if I take shortcuts or rush the process.) Among other things going on which were important last month, but which I can't remember now, I washed and ironed the fabric and proceeded to cut out the pattern pieces and start sewing. I noticed right away that I wasn't going to have enough fabric for binding. Not an insurmountable problem. These are for kids, right? They wouldn't care if the binding was different on each placemat. In fact, my DD would probably just use the different binding to identify whose placemat was whose. And, after DD throws the placemats into the wash along with towels, sheets, sweatshirts, and sox, they'll all look the same anyway!
Got them put together, machine blanket stitched the appliques, made my quilt sandwiches, then the panic set in. How to quilt? Looking at the calendar and the number of days left until Easter should have told me to just channel or grid quilt these babies. Being the obsessive-compulsive-Virgo-perfectionist that I am, I of course decided to free-motion quilt! Ta da - more stress!
Love the bunny faces, don't you? I used fabric markers to color in the details rather than hand embroidery. The carrot is open at the top so that silverware can be slipped in or a napkin.
About a month before Easter, this Easter, I came across an adorable pattern on the Internet for Easter placemats. No question about it - these just had to be made for my 3 grandchildren. How much time could 3 placemats take? A few days later, some friends and I were quilt shop hopping and the perfect fabric appeared. Destiny was at work, I was certain. These placemats would go together in a jiffy and be part of the Easter gift for the kidlets.
I should know myself by now. I am not a speed sewer! I like to take my time, enjoy the process, and refrain from making mistakes that cannot be rectified. (That last part is really why I go so slow; inevitably, I make HUGE mistakes if I take shortcuts or rush the process.) Among other things going on which were important last month, but which I can't remember now, I washed and ironed the fabric and proceeded to cut out the pattern pieces and start sewing. I noticed right away that I wasn't going to have enough fabric for binding. Not an insurmountable problem. These are for kids, right? They wouldn't care if the binding was different on each placemat. In fact, my DD would probably just use the different binding to identify whose placemat was whose. And, after DD throws the placemats into the wash along with towels, sheets, sweatshirts, and sox, they'll all look the same anyway!
Got them put together, machine blanket stitched the appliques, made my quilt sandwiches, then the panic set in. How to quilt? Looking at the calendar and the number of days left until Easter should have told me to just channel or grid quilt these babies. Being the obsessive-compulsive-Virgo-perfectionist that I am, I of course decided to free-motion quilt! Ta da - more stress!I marked my chosen design on the first two placemats and did fairly well. So well, in fact, that I decided to just wing it for the last two placemats. I really felt comfortable by that time doing the quilting. I think I'm going to enjoy free motion quilting more and more. I do much better with some kind of markings, but progress was made. Guess all those who advise you to "practice, practice, practice" really know what they are talking about.
Love the bunny faces, don't you? I used fabric markers to color in the details rather than hand embroidery. The carrot is open at the top so that silverware can be slipped in or a napkin.By the time I was ready to figure out how to bind all four placemats, I realized these were never going to make it to the Easter 2010 table. Sigh.
You can see a little bit of my quilting on this closeup. Not ready for prime time, yet, but at least I can tell that it's a flower!
Now if I can just find a place to store these so that I'll remember them for Easter 2011!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Getting ready for next Easter
As we were leaving to return home after the Easter holiday, my daughter asked if I could embroider the grandkids' names on their Easter baskets. Seemed like a simple task. I brought the baskets home and played around with them today. Fun, fun, fun! I haven't been doing as much embroidery as I should considering how much I paid for the embroidery module for my Bernina.
I tried to choose a font that reflected the personality of the 3 grandchildren. Jackson got Child's Play - fun-loving and playful just like him! I adorned Talia with Guinevere. Being quite a princess, it seemed appropriate. I'm just now seeing Natasha's personality, and I like what I see. Sweet, feminine, a bit alluring and elegant - Audrey Hepburn at Tiffany's! So, Tiffany was the font I chose.
Choosing the correct stabilizer is always such a chore for me. If I did more machine embroidery, it would probably become second nature. I ended up going with a TNT - the "iron on stabilizer that I love" from Carolyn Brown at An Embroidered Affair. It's a great stabilizer and hasn't failed me yet! I have no affiliation with Carolyn or An Embroidered Affair, but I highly recommend that you visit her site and consider doing business with her. She's a wonderful lady and goes above and beyond to provide terrific service.
Here are the finished baskets just waiting for the return of the Easter Bunny.
I tried to choose a font that reflected the personality of the 3 grandchildren. Jackson got Child's Play - fun-loving and playful just like him! I adorned Talia with Guinevere. Being quite a princess, it seemed appropriate. I'm just now seeing Natasha's personality, and I like what I see. Sweet, feminine, a bit alluring and elegant - Audrey Hepburn at Tiffany's! So, Tiffany was the font I chose.
Choosing the correct stabilizer is always such a chore for me. If I did more machine embroidery, it would probably become second nature. I ended up going with a TNT - the "iron on stabilizer that I love" from Carolyn Brown at An Embroidered Affair. It's a great stabilizer and hasn't failed me yet! I have no affiliation with Carolyn or An Embroidered Affair, but I highly recommend that you visit her site and consider doing business with her. She's a wonderful lady and goes above and beyond to provide terrific service.
Here are the finished baskets just waiting for the return of the Easter Bunny.Monday, April 5, 2010
Whole lotta shakin' goin' on ....
I spent the last few days helping my daughter out with babysitting and preparing to celebrate a combination Easter holiday and birthday party for our son, who turns 35 today. Lots of fun times with the grandkids to tell you about in future posts.
I was busy peeling potatoes for Easter dinner in my sister's kitchen in Simi Valley yesterday when the 7.2 earthquake occurred in Mexicali. My sister was on the couch and said "we're having an earthquake!" None of the rest of us felt anything, but she insisted that she had felt a quake. We turned on CNN in time to hear the first reports come in.
We've been in Southern California since 1976, and I can't remember a quake with so many aftershocks. There have been hundreds! Of course, we're used to the ground moving and shaking and bouncing all over the place, but we're not accustomed to the quantity of seismic events that this large quake has produced. Take a look at this site - it's pretty interesting, I think. If you go to this site, make sure to hit your refresh button now and then in order to see the most recent information.
As usual after a sizeable earthquake, everyone is now talking about "The Big One." There are two camps: (1) those that welcome these larger earthquakes as a way of releasing the pressure beneath us and (2) those who believe that when earthquakes cluster as they have recently (Haiti, Chile, now Mexicali), we're in for BIG trouble.
I choose not to talk about it at all since there's not a damned thing we can do about it! The only certainty is that Mother Nature will have her way. The only question is when.
Extra batteries - check. Locate the utility turnoff valves - check. Water supply - check. Flashlights - check. Shoes under the bed - check.
I was busy peeling potatoes for Easter dinner in my sister's kitchen in Simi Valley yesterday when the 7.2 earthquake occurred in Mexicali. My sister was on the couch and said "we're having an earthquake!" None of the rest of us felt anything, but she insisted that she had felt a quake. We turned on CNN in time to hear the first reports come in.
We've been in Southern California since 1976, and I can't remember a quake with so many aftershocks. There have been hundreds! Of course, we're used to the ground moving and shaking and bouncing all over the place, but we're not accustomed to the quantity of seismic events that this large quake has produced. Take a look at this site - it's pretty interesting, I think. If you go to this site, make sure to hit your refresh button now and then in order to see the most recent information.
As usual after a sizeable earthquake, everyone is now talking about "The Big One." There are two camps: (1) those that welcome these larger earthquakes as a way of releasing the pressure beneath us and (2) those who believe that when earthquakes cluster as they have recently (Haiti, Chile, now Mexicali), we're in for BIG trouble.
I choose not to talk about it at all since there's not a damned thing we can do about it! The only certainty is that Mother Nature will have her way. The only question is when.
Extra batteries - check. Locate the utility turnoff valves - check. Water supply - check. Flashlights - check. Shoes under the bed - check.
Friday, January 29, 2010
I feel a rant coming on!
Big problems rarely get to me. Pesky little irksome problems sometimes hit me so hard that I fixate and can't get back on my normal track for days. Here's my latest fixation:
DH and I use our Mastercard for most of our charge purchases. We are in the habit of paying off the bill every month. If we do use another retail charge card, we also pay the balance off when the bill arrives. With a difficult economy, we are fortunate that we can do this and avoid the high interest rates you face if you only make minimum payments.
We used our Macy's charge over the Christmas buying season to take advantage of the extra coupon savings. (By the way, another pet peeve of mine is that these "extra savings" coupons have dozens of exceptions. You have to be Sherlock Holmes to find something you actually want to buy for which the coupon can be used!) I got the bill this week. At first glance, it looks like I owe Macy's $167.30. That amount appears in bold print on the top of the statement under New Balance. It also appears, again in bold, on the payment slip under "New Balance."
I dutifully check all my receipts and find that I actually only owe $164.07. Back to the statement. Oh - there's a line item for Interest Charges of $3.23. Interest charges? I haven't used my card in 6 months. There couldn't be interest charges, could there?
Back to the bill. Here is what is written, in very small print, on the statement:
To avoid Initial Interest Charge: If you pay your New Purchase Balance of $164.07 by Feb 6, 2010, your Initial Interest Charge of $3.23 on your Revolving Account will be refunded on your next statement.
My first reaction, other than confusion and anger, was that I had to pay the $167.30 then wait to get a credit of $3.23 on my next bill. Since I don't plan on using my charge card for the foreseeable future, I would carry over this small amount for month after month after month until either (1) I used the card, got both the credit and ANOTHER Initial Interest Charge entering an endless circle of purchases I really did not want to make; or (2) Macy's finally gave up on me and sent me a refund check or, more likely, a credit slip that could only be used against a charge purchase!
On reflection, and many hours of internal ranting, I decided to pay the $164.07 and prepare my attack when the next bill comes showing that I "owe" $3.23. Now, there is a chance that my next bill will show a 0 balance, and I'll have a clean slate. The evil part of me hopes that the $3.23 shows up as an amount due - maybe even with a finance charge on top of it! - and I'll be forced to go into attack mode. Imagine a senior citizen on the brink of Medicare eligibility cutting up her credit card in the middle of the Macy's business office! Delightful .....
DH and I use our Mastercard for most of our charge purchases. We are in the habit of paying off the bill every month. If we do use another retail charge card, we also pay the balance off when the bill arrives. With a difficult economy, we are fortunate that we can do this and avoid the high interest rates you face if you only make minimum payments.
We used our Macy's charge over the Christmas buying season to take advantage of the extra coupon savings. (By the way, another pet peeve of mine is that these "extra savings" coupons have dozens of exceptions. You have to be Sherlock Holmes to find something you actually want to buy for which the coupon can be used!) I got the bill this week. At first glance, it looks like I owe Macy's $167.30. That amount appears in bold print on the top of the statement under New Balance. It also appears, again in bold, on the payment slip under "New Balance."
I dutifully check all my receipts and find that I actually only owe $164.07. Back to the statement. Oh - there's a line item for Interest Charges of $3.23. Interest charges? I haven't used my card in 6 months. There couldn't be interest charges, could there?
Back to the bill. Here is what is written, in very small print, on the statement:
To avoid Initial Interest Charge: If you pay your New Purchase Balance of $164.07 by Feb 6, 2010, your Initial Interest Charge of $3.23 on your Revolving Account will be refunded on your next statement.
My first reaction, other than confusion and anger, was that I had to pay the $167.30 then wait to get a credit of $3.23 on my next bill. Since I don't plan on using my charge card for the foreseeable future, I would carry over this small amount for month after month after month until either (1) I used the card, got both the credit and ANOTHER Initial Interest Charge entering an endless circle of purchases I really did not want to make; or (2) Macy's finally gave up on me and sent me a refund check or, more likely, a credit slip that could only be used against a charge purchase!
On reflection, and many hours of internal ranting, I decided to pay the $164.07 and prepare my attack when the next bill comes showing that I "owe" $3.23. Now, there is a chance that my next bill will show a 0 balance, and I'll have a clean slate. The evil part of me hopes that the $3.23 shows up as an amount due - maybe even with a finance charge on top of it! - and I'll be forced to go into attack mode. Imagine a senior citizen on the brink of Medicare eligibility cutting up her credit card in the middle of the Macy's business office! Delightful .....
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Yes - my house is back! And Resolution #3 ...
Doug and I spent most of the last three days undoing Christmas. As much as I love to see the decorations come down from the storage bins in the garage, I smile broadly as they make their way back up into the rafters for another year. I'm sure there are those who are saddened when the season is over, but I'm not one of them. I'm no Scrooge, however. I love Christmas and the joy of spending special time with family and friends. But I'm a neatnik (some would say I border on the fanatical), and the extra "stuff" in the house starts to get to me after a week or so. Today is a happy day - the house looks normal again.
One of our traditions is to watch the Albert Finney version of Scrooge at the end of the holiday season. We saw this movie in Michigan in 1970 - our first Christmas as a married couple - so it has special meaning to us. We watched the DVD last night after dinner. I still smile at the "Thank You Very Much" scene!
I started the binding on the TLC quilt yesterday using Sharon Schamber's method. So far, it's going well. I definitely like the way she joins the binding strips and how detailed the video is (see this post). The binding is on; the true test will come tomorrow when I try to sew the second side on by machine! Normally, I finish binding by handsewing it to the back of the quilt. With Sharon's method, the binding is completely sewn on by machine. I tried this a couple of weeks ago following another blogger's method and was not particularly successful! Sharon's method is more time intensive, uses glue, and is highly recommended by one of my quilting friends. Keep your fingers crossed! As the arthritis in my thumbs worsens, I'm looking for more ways to use the Bernina instead of doing handwork.
Now for Resolution #3. About 30 years ago, my inlaws went on a trip to Asia stopping in Sri Lanka along the way (it was Ceylon then). My mother-in-law fell in love with batik clothing and purchased dozens and dozens of skirts, blouses, dresses, saris, etc. to bring home. We think she intended to sell them at the College of the Desert Street Fair but never got around to it. When MIL passed away several years ago, I inherited this clothing as part of the "big clean out" of her house. I've managed to sell a few pieces on eBay and Oma's Closet and at a The Oasis holiday boutique in 2008. I even cut up three of the skirts and made handbags out of them! But I still have two big plastic boxes of clothes in the garage. Resolution #3 - by the end of 2010, all of the clothing will be sold, recycled into new sewing projects, or given away.
One of our traditions is to watch the Albert Finney version of Scrooge at the end of the holiday season. We saw this movie in Michigan in 1970 - our first Christmas as a married couple - so it has special meaning to us. We watched the DVD last night after dinner. I still smile at the "Thank You Very Much" scene!
I started the binding on the TLC quilt yesterday using Sharon Schamber's method. So far, it's going well. I definitely like the way she joins the binding strips and how detailed the video is (see this post). The binding is on; the true test will come tomorrow when I try to sew the second side on by machine! Normally, I finish binding by handsewing it to the back of the quilt. With Sharon's method, the binding is completely sewn on by machine. I tried this a couple of weeks ago following another blogger's method and was not particularly successful! Sharon's method is more time intensive, uses glue, and is highly recommended by one of my quilting friends. Keep your fingers crossed! As the arthritis in my thumbs worsens, I'm looking for more ways to use the Bernina instead of doing handwork.
Now for Resolution #3. About 30 years ago, my inlaws went on a trip to Asia stopping in Sri Lanka along the way (it was Ceylon then). My mother-in-law fell in love with batik clothing and purchased dozens and dozens of skirts, blouses, dresses, saris, etc. to bring home. We think she intended to sell them at the College of the Desert Street Fair but never got around to it. When MIL passed away several years ago, I inherited this clothing as part of the "big clean out" of her house. I've managed to sell a few pieces on eBay and Oma's Closet and at a The Oasis holiday boutique in 2008. I even cut up three of the skirts and made handbags out of them! But I still have two big plastic boxes of clothes in the garage. Resolution #3 - by the end of 2010, all of the clothing will be sold, recycled into new sewing projects, or given away.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Can it really be 2010?
I've been mulling over that number all day. It just sounds so "futuristic" to me; not like a real year at all. More like a movie or song title.
Anyway, Happy New Year to all! I hope that you take time to celebrate today with friends or loved ones, say goodbye to 2009, and raise a glass of bubbly to the hope that a new year always brings.
My family is fortunate that 2009 did not bring us the economic hardships that many endured and continue to endure. No one lost their job or their house, thankfully. The 30-somethings still have time for their 401Ks to grow, the 50-somethings may have to rethink retirement age, and the 60-somethings (that would be us) are grateful for the conservative approach we've always taken on investing.
No one is directly involved with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Everyone is healthy - even me! Yup, that blessed pain seems to have disappeared for no apparent reason. A little like the way it showed up for no apparent reason! My doc refers to me as the "mystery woman." Friends encouraged me to go through with the physical therapy that the doc ordered, which I will do. I'll just have to explain where it "used to hurt" instead of where it hurts!
We celebrated the election of the first Afro-American as President of the United States. Regardless of your political leanings, this was certainly something to celebrate. Now, if we could only get around to electing a woman .... not just any woman, either. A woman who is strong, decisive, confident, as well as qualified, experienced, and competent. I think that pretty much rules out Ms. Palin. Sorry, I just couldn't resist!
By far the best part of our year was the birth of our third grandchild, Natasha Jade. She is turning out to be quite a beauty with striking blue eyes and ash blond hair that can't be matched by the salons of Beverly Hills. She has the cutest way of furrowing her eyebrows from time to time. My guess is that she's trying to figure out how the heck she's going to deal with all these grownups.
2009 also brought me:
Since this blog actually started out as a quilting blog, Resolution #1 is to practice free motion quilting every day until I either learn how to do it or give up!
Anyway, Happy New Year to all! I hope that you take time to celebrate today with friends or loved ones, say goodbye to 2009, and raise a glass of bubbly to the hope that a new year always brings.
My family is fortunate that 2009 did not bring us the economic hardships that many endured and continue to endure. No one lost their job or their house, thankfully. The 30-somethings still have time for their 401Ks to grow, the 50-somethings may have to rethink retirement age, and the 60-somethings (that would be us) are grateful for the conservative approach we've always taken on investing.
No one is directly involved with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Everyone is healthy - even me! Yup, that blessed pain seems to have disappeared for no apparent reason. A little like the way it showed up for no apparent reason! My doc refers to me as the "mystery woman." Friends encouraged me to go through with the physical therapy that the doc ordered, which I will do. I'll just have to explain where it "used to hurt" instead of where it hurts!
We celebrated the election of the first Afro-American as President of the United States. Regardless of your political leanings, this was certainly something to celebrate. Now, if we could only get around to electing a woman .... not just any woman, either. A woman who is strong, decisive, confident, as well as qualified, experienced, and competent. I think that pretty much rules out Ms. Palin. Sorry, I just couldn't resist!
By far the best part of our year was the birth of our third grandchild, Natasha Jade. She is turning out to be quite a beauty with striking blue eyes and ash blond hair that can't be matched by the salons of Beverly Hills. She has the cutest way of furrowing her eyebrows from time to time. My guess is that she's trying to figure out how the heck she's going to deal with all these grownups.
2009 also brought me:
- new friends in The Oasis Quilt Guild
- into the world of blogging
- a trip through the Panama Canal
- hiking in 5 National Parks
- attempts to expand my sewing and quilting skills
Since this blog actually started out as a quilting blog, Resolution #1 is to practice free motion quilting every day until I either learn how to do it or give up!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Through the eyes of a child - the magic of Christmas!
I don't know who had a better time on Saturday - Talia, Tati, or Oma. The three girls went to see Disney on Ice at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Talia knew that she was going to have a special outing with Tati and Oma and that she was going to see a "show." She'll be 4 in February, so a show to her is a movie in the living room! When I picked her up at 9:30 a.m., she was all dressed up in holiday finery, excited, and ready to go.
We had a wonderful day of experiences for a 3 & 3/4 year old (she insists on the 3/4), a 50-something, and a 60-something (we insist on the "somethings"). We drove through LA Christmas traffic talking about how a show differs from a movie. How do you explain these things to a preschooler? All of a sudden, Talia shouted "city!" as we first caught sight of the tall, tall buildings in downtown LA. She's a gal from the suburbs - cities are pretty exciting!
We parked and asked Talia if she wanted to walk to the Staples Center (a short 1/2 block) or take the shuttle. She opted for the shuttle and delighted in the "crazy driver" who turned corners a little too quickly for her to maintain her balance. The giggles and grins were enough to make my day .... and there was more to come.
You can enter one hour before showtime and visit the Disney princess exhibit. If you are lucky enough to have a little girl in your life between the ages of 2 and 14, you know that Disney princesses are all the rage. We saw Belle's dress (from Beauty and the Beast), Show White's costume, and - ta da! - Cinderella and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) were actually there! They smiled, they waved, they blew kisses - and brought delight to all the little girls and boys, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors who were enjoying this holiday treat.
Talia caught sight of the popcorn booth and insisted on popcorn. The box was half as big as she is! She wouldn't let me carry it for her, so lugged that box halfway around the Staples Center until we found our seats. Tati went to buy lunch, and Talia and I settled in for the start of the show. They announced a countdown to showtime and Talia stared at my watch intently waiting for the time to click down - 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute until showtime. Tati brought lunch, the lights went down and ----- Mickey and Minnie Mouse skated out to great us!
I don't have the words to describe the look of wonder on Talia's face as she experienced her first live show with characters that she knows and loves. Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, Simba, Tinkerbell. We almost skipped a potty break at intermission because she was afraid she would miss the start of the second half! She laughed, she cried a bit (why did they choose to do the stampede scene from The Lion King?), she waved at Sebastian, shouted at Skar, and jumped up and down when Tinkerbell flew!
I know I'll get gifts on Christmas from my wonderful family. They'll be thoughtful, beautifully wrapped, carefully chosen, and given with love. They'll also understand when I say that no gift that I receive this Christmas will be more precious to me than the look on Talia's face when she first saw Ariel skate onto the rink. There is no gift greater than the look of joy, wonder, and magic on the face of a child, especially a child that you love!
We had a wonderful day of experiences for a 3 & 3/4 year old (she insists on the 3/4), a 50-something, and a 60-something (we insist on the "somethings"). We drove through LA Christmas traffic talking about how a show differs from a movie. How do you explain these things to a preschooler? All of a sudden, Talia shouted "city!" as we first caught sight of the tall, tall buildings in downtown LA. She's a gal from the suburbs - cities are pretty exciting!
We parked and asked Talia if she wanted to walk to the Staples Center (a short 1/2 block) or take the shuttle. She opted for the shuttle and delighted in the "crazy driver" who turned corners a little too quickly for her to maintain her balance. The giggles and grins were enough to make my day .... and there was more to come.
You can enter one hour before showtime and visit the Disney princess exhibit. If you are lucky enough to have a little girl in your life between the ages of 2 and 14, you know that Disney princesses are all the rage. We saw Belle's dress (from Beauty and the Beast), Show White's costume, and - ta da! - Cinderella and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) were actually there! They smiled, they waved, they blew kisses - and brought delight to all the little girls and boys, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors who were enjoying this holiday treat.
Talia caught sight of the popcorn booth and insisted on popcorn. The box was half as big as she is! She wouldn't let me carry it for her, so lugged that box halfway around the Staples Center until we found our seats. Tati went to buy lunch, and Talia and I settled in for the start of the show. They announced a countdown to showtime and Talia stared at my watch intently waiting for the time to click down - 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute until showtime. Tati brought lunch, the lights went down and ----- Mickey and Minnie Mouse skated out to great us!
I don't have the words to describe the look of wonder on Talia's face as she experienced her first live show with characters that she knows and loves. Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, Simba, Tinkerbell. We almost skipped a potty break at intermission because she was afraid she would miss the start of the second half! She laughed, she cried a bit (why did they choose to do the stampede scene from The Lion King?), she waved at Sebastian, shouted at Skar, and jumped up and down when Tinkerbell flew!
I know I'll get gifts on Christmas from my wonderful family. They'll be thoughtful, beautifully wrapped, carefully chosen, and given with love. They'll also understand when I say that no gift that I receive this Christmas will be more precious to me than the look on Talia's face when she first saw Ariel skate onto the rink. There is no gift greater than the look of joy, wonder, and magic on the face of a child, especially a child that you love!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Something Special for the Kidlets!
Months ago, I bought snack holders from The Sewphisticated Stitcher to give to the kidlets as Christmas gifts. Of course, I waited until the week before Christmas to do this project! Isn't that typical of crafters? It was so much fun looking for appropriate designs that matched each of my three sweethearts to embroider on inserts along with their names. Trains for Jackson was a given, and our little princess (otherwise known as Miss T. the Elder; Talia; or T. Rex!) definitely needed something girlish. Her snack holder has stylish pink highheels and a matching purse. Tasha's personality is just beginning to show, but she is sweet, sweet, sweet as the cupcake design on her snack holder. Unfortunately, I wrapped the gifts in a gift-wrapping frenzy yesterday before taking pictures! I carefully unwrapped Jackson's today so you could see at least one of the finished projects.
I was tempted to put something good to eat in the holders, but Christmas will be filled with enough goodies to get Talia and Jackson on big-time sugar highs! I reluctantly stopped myself from being the indulgent grandmother and just left them empty. Sigh.
By the way, if you are looking for a really nice selection of mini-designs that stitch out very well try Bunnycup Embroidery. (I like to link to sites that I especially enjoy. I have no affiliation with any of these sites except as a happy customer!)
Spent the rest of today wrapping gifts, working on embroidered Christmas ornaments (another late project), and trying to get ready for a short weekend trip to see the family. Doug will be helping Brian put together the kidlets BIG gift (it's a surprise!) Tati (my sister) and Oma will be having much more fun - we're taking Talia to see Disney on Ice at the Staples Center on Saturday! Whoo hoo!!!!
I was tempted to put something good to eat in the holders, but Christmas will be filled with enough goodies to get Talia and Jackson on big-time sugar highs! I reluctantly stopped myself from being the indulgent grandmother and just left them empty. Sigh.
By the way, if you are looking for a really nice selection of mini-designs that stitch out very well try Bunnycup Embroidery. (I like to link to sites that I especially enjoy. I have no affiliation with any of these sites except as a happy customer!)
Spent the rest of today wrapping gifts, working on embroidered Christmas ornaments (another late project), and trying to get ready for a short weekend trip to see the family. Doug will be helping Brian put together the kidlets BIG gift (it's a surprise!) Tati (my sister) and Oma will be having much more fun - we're taking Talia to see Disney on Ice at the Staples Center on Saturday! Whoo hoo!!!!
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