JMark Afghans, etc. is offering - for a limited time - our favorite Lacy Afghan at amazing prices!
This offer is available only to readers of "Random Musings of a Curious Mind" who order before December 10th.
(To ensure that your order is completed in plenty of time for Christmas, we are offering only 3 sizes and a limited number of yarn colors.)
Ordering couldn't be easier! Simply pick a size, a yarn color, and click {Buy}. For your convenience, we offer PayPal or Google Checkout to complete your order. (No personal information is required, until you place your order through our secure options.)
As always, if you have any questions or problems - Contact Jules - for more information.
... making it through another Thanksgiving orgy of food. Truly, I don't know why we go to so much trouble every year. By the time everything is cooked and set out, the cook (in our case, cooks) are too worn out to enjoy it.
We were up until after 4:00am Thursday morning, baking pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. Then, back up at 9:30am to get the bird ready. I'm not sure I actually had any sleep. (I know Mark didn't.) And, sadly, we managed to enjoy one of our newer Turkey-day traditions, again this year ...
Our lovely, beautiful, sat-in-the-fridge-for-a-week bird was still half frozen!
I try to tell myself that, with a refrigerator that freezes the pickles on the back of the shelf, we know our food isn't going to go bad overnight. But, it's really tough to remember that, when you're trying to get dinner in the oven. Too bad you can't fit a turkey in the FlavorWave - that thing'll cook anything from frozen-to-table in record time.
Oh, well. We had our family together. The food was good, if several hours later than we'd planned. And no one had the flu.
This year I'm going to do it! Seriously! I'm going to send out holiday cards to everyone I know.
If I start now, it won't be too much of a project. Just a couple of cards every day and, before long, I'll have them all sent out.
That will give me time and energy to add a personal note to each card. And, because I'm not trying to do everything at once, it will be easy to keep the notes from being tedious and redundant. Hopefully?!
The other alternative, of course, is a holiday newsletter. Though I used to hate getting them, I can understand just how much they simplify the process. One creative page, detailing a year's worth of our lives. But then there's the supremely difficult decision:
What, exactly, have we done this year that would be interesting to anyone, other than us?
Well, there are only 33 days until Christmas. Therefore, I do believe that it's time to start my list for Santa. Don't want to miss the please-send-me-this deadline since, after all, I have been very good this year. No really - I have!
Everyone knows that Santa is extremely busy, so there's nothing wrong with cutting out pictures or bookmarking websites - just to help out, you know. For example, there are specific Mopar parts involved in repairing a Dodge truck. Can't just slap any old head gasket onto a Dakota Sport (from 1995, 2.5L engine, standard 5-speed transmission), and expect a Christmas miracle. Well, one can hope, but how practical is that?
No, it's important to get the specifics just right when sending a request to Santa. And if, by chance, there are a couple of elves with mechanical expertise who would like to spend a little time with us - we wouldn't complain. In fact, we'd be willing to pay handsomely - with all the hot chocolate and sugar cookies they can hold!
For weeks now, I have been threatening to drag out the Halloween decorations. (We finally got permission from management to put things in the window, a few days ago.) But, here I sit, the morning of the big day, with not a thing out.
Maybe I'll run to the store in a little bit and see what goodies I can find. Nothing wrong with adding new decorations every year. Right? Not to mention, we have zero candy for the little ghosts and goblins. We, actually, can't have it in the house.
With three candy junkies living here, there is no way we'd have anything left by Halloween evening if we bought it even a few days before the magical night. But, because we are connoisseurs, the kids who knock at our door are assured of getting 'the good stuff'. We never buy what we wouldn't eat.
So, Happy Halloween to all. Watch out for those little ballerinas and cowboys when you're out tonight.
Every year, about this time, I start thinking about the holidays. It's all Mark's fault! He's a holiday junkie and starts getting excited for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas by the end of September. Once the weather starts to cool, at the beginning of October, everything goes into holiday mania mode.
I am not quite as exuberant about this time of year, other than an appreciation for the cooler weather. In fact, I haven't managed to get Christmas cards out in the mail for many, many years. The best I can manage is a holiday newsletter-type mailing. But even that doesn't make it out every year.
Apathy notwithstanding, every year I shop for Christmas cards. I especially love photo holiday cards - the ones where you put a picture of the family (or the furry kids) in the little cutout. There are so many adorable options out there that I end up spending hours just exploring.
Some do the printing for you, which is nice. All you have to do is pick your favorite, upload a picture, and order. Couldn't be simpler. Or, you can order the cards and do your own photo printing. Still, super easy.
Maybe this year I'll have to put on my Santa hat and get into the spirit of the season.
All I can say is: "Oh, my gosh ... Oh, my heavens ... Oh, my stars ... Oh, NO!"
I do not like heights and I certainly do not like heights in a clear box on the side of a skyscraper, 1,353 feet above the ground! Oh, no! Not me! Not gonna happen!
These pictures (click for larger view), taken by Jesus Ayala of ABC News, show 'The Ledge,' located off the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower and consisting of four boxes that jut out about 4.3 feet. About the size of an elevator, each box can support 5 tons. If you look at the picture of the two women (a reporter and her friend), you get an idea of just how far down 1,353 feet really is.
The view is rumored to be fantastic, and there are images all over the Internet of this attraction that opened July 2nd. Kids, I would imagine, would just love it; as would any adult not terrified on anything taller than a 2-step ladder. (Heck, I get nervous standing on a chair to clean my ceiling fan! Which probably explains the condition of my ceiling fan, but that's a whole 'nother story.)
Seriously though - three layers of glass, supported by steel beams from the Skydeck? Five tons, shmive tons. It's up way too high! And frankly, standing in a transparent elevator-sized box on the side of very tall building is enough to send me back inside to the bar - and I quit drinking years ago!
If any of you manage to get there and actually get out on 'The Ledge,' would you please send me pictures?! I'd love to see (from the safety of my recliner) just what the view is like.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth. Our day was terribly uneventful - until Frankie showed up! Great surprise for us.
Spent the day doing laundry and trying to cook - around, over, and on top of the washing machine.
We have an apartment-sized washer and dryer, which is tremendously convenient and much, much cheaper than the laundromat. However, since the washer hooks up to the kitchen faucet, not much else gets done when it's laundry day. And, for some unknown reason, the dryer compartment is smaller than the washer tub?!
Not usually an issue, until we get to the throws for the recliners or the comforters on the bed.
They fit just fine (okay, the comforter fits just barely) in the washer and even get really nice and clean. However ... after stuffing, shoving, pushing, pulling, and screaming, they just don't fit quite as well in the dryer. Which means that every 15-20 minutes they need to be completely removed, fluffed, adjusted, and restuffed, shoved, pushed, and screamed back in.
And people wonder why I'm cranky after the laundry is done!? Sheesh!
I know I'm a little early, but this is a song that needs to be played - over and over, regardless of the date.
We don't all share the same political views. We don't, it seems, all share the same goals for this country. We, thank our forefathers, don't share the same beliefs.
That is what it is to be an American - we are free to believe as we choose; we are free to worship as we choose. And we are free to speak our minds!
"Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers and fathering is a very important stage in their development."
~ David Gottesman
Father's Day is not a big holiday for me. I've never known my birth-father and my adoptive father died when I was two-and-a-half years old.
When my kids were little, it was a lot of fun picking out presents with them for their dad and celebrating the day. I was lucky, also, to have two very special fathers-in-law, who made every day special. Now that they have passed, it's become just another Sunday for me.
"It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures; by this time, I have found several and dearly enjoyed knowing them all."
~ Alice Walker
Mark has several kids; two in Arizona. But, today, we're in the middle of moving and it will be a long tiring day. Hopefully, Mark will hear from his kids between trips between apartments. Either way, it won't feel like much of a holiday.
"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."
~ Mark Twain
"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic." -- General John Logan - May 5, 1868
Over the years, with the government changing the date of Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day, for the women who decorated the graves of those killed in the Civil War), the day has become just another 'day off' and we've lost sight of the purpose of this day of mourning:
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
Let us remember those who gave their lives that we might be free. Take flowers to your local cemetary and honor the fallen, today or on the traditional date: May 30th.
Once a year, the 'world' pauses to say "Thank You" to the women who keep
families whole and safe and grounded -- Moms.
At approximately 13 years of age, females are capable of becoming pregnant
and giving birth to a new person. A person who is totally dependent upon
them for health, love, and guidance - for survival - and has no choice but
to trust that those needs will be met.
Those girls/women who
successfully bring a pregnancy to term and deliver a healthy infant are
Mothers. Any fertile female can become a Mother. The women who nourish,
love, and guide their children into becoming the best persons they can be
are far more important. They are the 'Moms,' without whom the world would
be a much sadder, scarier place.
Back when I was young, many centuries ago, we celebrated May Day by creating small baskets of nuts and candies. About the size of a 1-cup measure, they came in a variety of colors. If memory serves, we added our own decorations and the goodies were mixed and added by hand.
These small baskets were then left on the doorstep of friends. (Usually girl-to-boy or boy-to-girl, but it wasn't a strict rule in my neighborhood.) Tradition called for knocking, or ringing the bell, and running away. The recipient was supposed to chase the giver. If caught, a kiss was the reward.
I don't remember a Maypole or labor rallies in my youth. Just the joy of trying to catch, or avoid being caught. And, of course, little baskets of yummy treats.
Well, another Christmas season has come and gone. The days leading up to the 'big day' are so filled with stress that, by the time Christmas arrives, I'm too exhausted to enjoy the day.
Now, it's time to think about New Year's resolutions. I don't usually make resolutions, because I habitually fail to keep them. Why promise myself, or anyone else, something that I know I won't follow up on?
Though, with all of the changes in the economy and a new President - this might be the year to think about ways that I can make some positive changes in my life, too.
What about you? Any resolutions on your mind this year?
Do you remember the anticipation leading up to Christmas when you were a child? Waiting in line for your chance to sit on Santa's lap? We were all on our best behavior for weeks, because we didn't want a lump of coal in our stocking. The excitement of getting a chance to share our fondest desires was just too exciting.
Got a wish this Christmas? Well, you're never too old to tell the jolly fat man what you want for Christmas. CEIVA Logic has seen to that.
In order to demonstrate the amazing features of their Digital Photo Frame, they have given everyone the opportunity to visit Santa and tell him what you want this year. Simply type in your name, your wish, and upload your photo. Couldn't be easier!
It was fun trying to find a picture to upload. I ended up settling on a rather silly one, with me looking into the camera over the top of my reading glasses. Then, I had to decide on a Christmas wish. (My choice is between me and Santa!)
Literally in seconds, your face will pop up on Santa's digital photo frame. Listen to Good Saint Nick talk to you, review your wish, and check with his elves. Have you been naughty or nice this year? Santa knows!
This digital frame is fascinating. Get it for someone you love - Grandma and Grandpa come to mind - and you can immediately send new pictures from your house to theirs. I love the idea.
Even better? Send your photo and wish to Santa today. Then, enter the sweepstakes, for your chance to win one of 29 daily $500 prizes!
It's not often that I write about hunting. I do not believe in the indiscriminate, mindless (read: Sarah Palin) killing of furry creatures. But, I'm also a meat-eater and am quite fond of venison stew.
For those of you who do hunt, you know how important long-range vision is; not just for accuracy, but for safety. Unlike Dick Cheney, the average hunter isn't gunning for his fellow hunters and a good rifle scope (plus, common sense) can help reduce the risk of targeting something without an 8-point rack.
In honor of the beginning of bargain hunting season, take a gander at the Nikon Black Friday Promo. It's a tremendous deal on great equipment. And, just for this weekend, Nikon is extending the gift card promotion to their incredible line of binoculars.
If you're in the market, you really can't beat this offer.
Depending on where you live - rifle deer season is upon us. Do be careful out there!
Everyone has their favorite Christmas-season movie - It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, some versions of A Christmas Carol, and White Christmas. Not to mention, the animated stories of Rudolph, the Grinch, and Charlie Brown that I've been watching since I was almost as small as the Peanuts gang.
At our house, we watch all of those (most years). But we have a couple that we - traditionally - have to see or it just isn't Christmas.
One of my must-see movies is Scrooged the manic remake of 'A Christmas Carol' starring Bill Murray and a cast of dozens. It's funny and, at the end, always makes me a little verklempt. If you haven't seen it - I won't spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that their take on 'Tiny Tim' always gets to me.
Now, Mark likes most of these movies. But his must-see is A Christmas Story. When I say must-see, I mean MUST-SEE!
We missed it one year and the holidays just weren't the same. I've gotta find a copy of that movie - this year!
I know that it's difficult to find reasons to be thankful this year. So, I decided to see what greater minds than mine had to say.
Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted--a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.
~ Rabbi Harold Kushner
May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.
~ Richard L. Evans
I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and new.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am thankful for (in no particular order):
A loving man who makes me sandwiches when I forget to eat;
A fuzzy friend who rubs on my legs and purrs when I pet him;
Family that IMs me at 2:00am when I'm up and can't sleep;
Friends who send me wonderful email messages - just because;
Running water and indoor plumbing;
A soft bed and clean sheets;
Rain and sunshine;
and blessings too numerous to count.
May you - for at least this one day - know only the Blessings!
Well, for another year - we had zero goblins grace our door. In fact, over the 7 years that we have lived here, we only had any Halloween visitors one year - and that was management's kids.
There are quite a few youngsters - judging by the noise level out my front window - living here right now. So I was surprised to hear no knocks last night. Of course, the fact that we are now gated and it would take Houdini to get in here after hours might have a little something to do with it!
Guess I'll just have to share the candy with . . . ME! Yum, yum, yum!
This offer is available only to readers of "Random Musings of a Curious Mind" who order before December 10th.
I am not quite as exuberant about this time of year, other than an appreciation for the cooler weather. In fact, I haven't managed to get Christmas cards out in the mail for many, many years. The best I can manage is a holiday newsletter-type mailing. But even that doesn't make it out every year.
Some do the printing for you, which is nice. All you have to do is pick your favorite, upload a picture, and order. Couldn't be simpler. Or, you can order the cards and do your own photo printing. Still, super easy.
