January 1, 2012 is nearly here!

I can not believe the new year is right around the corner!  It is amazing to me how swiftly years fly by, yet I honestly feel like I hardly age.  A perk of not having kids, I suppose, is not having their little birthdays to remind me of my own years passing?  I do have 2 younger sisters, who I feel I had a part in raising during my school years.  The older of the two is turning 30 in a few days, and things like that make me 'feel old'.  When I run into acquaintances from my early bagel shop days, and they tell me how their kids (or grandkids) are doing in college, when I remember them as grade schoolers...this makes me 'feel old'.  It is the passing of days for OTHER people that reminds me that I, too, am aging.
But that's no matter, really.  We all age, there is nothing we can do to stop it.  We must simply live our lives as best we can and not get down about the number of years we've  endured thus far.

So, in the spirit of ages, and our aversion to growing old, I made some art last night.  I made it with the intent to send it off to the West Coast as my mail art submission to the Milk Gallery in Sacramento. 
Another blogger has posted about it and I was intrigued.  All pieces must be sent through the mail and ready to display.  And that is where I am running into trouble!
I have made several pieces to send to my mail art friends...though not nearly as many as I had hoped when first joining the mail art group...but I never really tried any 3-D effects. 
Here is what I've done:

I think it's fun and quirky...I really rather enjoy it!  However, the pigtails may be a problem.  I am going to attempt to really secure them and hope for the best, I guess.  This is one of my favorite photos of mine, and I've been wanting to use it as a base for something else, for quite a while.
I'm hoping my friend in Sacramento will be able to go see the show, too!

And in other news...I am eagerly awaiting new years day!  It will be my first day off in 23 days and I'm planning on sleeping with ear plugs and eye mask, in hopes that I will stay in bed later than 5 a.m.!!  Well, I'm hoping to be out quite late/early morning anyway!!
Happy New Year, everyone! 
Perhaps I should consider some resolutions? 
#1: get treadmill to basement so that I might get more running in!

Decisions, Decisions

I have decided to take a couple days off at the end of January to have another 'grand re-opening' of my etsy shop.  The whole month I will work, work, work at creating a whole bunch of new items: journals, quilled things, maybe some new cards.  So, with this re-birth, I have again been considering changing my shop name.
I had picked my original name quickly one morning.  After a lot of stream of conscious brainstorming, I found that each name I liked had already been taken.  I finally got to one that wasn't being used and decided that would be the one.
MyDearest was born from the idea of the greeting of a letter: My Dearest...
Since I was playing with paper, and making cards and homemade paper stationery, I thought it was cute.
But now I'm wondering, again, if I should change it to include my name in someway.  With a last name like Hart, it seems silly to not use it! I like paper hart, but it has been taken by another 'card company'. So, again, after a long list of possibilities, I fell into I Hart Paper.  Is that weird?  Does anyone like that?  Is it better/worse than what I already have? It's more obvious what my products might be, and that could be beneficial in getting noticed more, out there in that giant sea of sellers.
MyDearest is quite vague and...does it seem a little odd?
Of course, if I change it to I Hart Paper, does that tie me into only paper?  If I decide to branch out to bags, again, will that seem odd?
Of course, the spelling would have to be correct to find it, so that may actually make it worse!?
I am kind of just typing to try to work this out for myself...to see if one name makes more sense than the other...if it's worth changing; but, all opinions are welcome.
well, I'll think on it for a week.  that way, if I change it, I have time to get new business cards made!
Oh, and happy Christmas to me...I have sold 7 of my 9 snowflakes at the bakery!! I only wish I had time to make some more. Now with Christmas being over, and all the extra shifts I've been working being over, I may have a little extra time tomorrow!

On to the next big thing

Well, just like every year, after all of the hustle and bustle to get everything ready of Christmas, it seems to end in an instant.
This year there were a couple trips to the hospital to see Dad, I was working both jobs most days, and I was trying to sell some of my handmade snowflakes at a local shop...so, this year I was extra busy.
And the weather did not make getting into the Christmas spirit very easy.  Most days it was unseasonably warm, or rainy...it was easy to forget it was December.  So, I relied on the Internet to do what little shopping I could coax myself into.  I was increasingly frustrated by the traffic at the mall next to where I work.  The convenience of the mall wasn't enough...I didn't step foot in there once!  Hubby drove to the quaint neighboring villages and shopped at the little local shops, but I just didn't have the time to do that.  Luckily, we just buy for each other, and then a swap gift for our Christmas Eve party.
We all managed to get stuff done.  I got to the point where, if it wasn't done by Thursday, I wasn't going to do it at all.

 We ladies dressed up pretty.  We just love our puffy dresses!

A delicious turkey dinner, complete with a farm fresh salad of local greens, roasted Brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry sauce, gratin dauphinoise (or, fancy scalloped potatoes), rolls, gravy, and of course turkey.  We had plum pudding for dessert; and, we brought along freshly baked cranberry walnut bread and a white chocolate brioche, for which I made a yummy whipped vanilla-honey butter.
We swapped gifts, laughed, and talked.  Baby sister sang a beautiful Victorian song while Uncle played along on the piano.  (If she puts it in her blog, I will share a link...I think someone was getting video of it.)  It was a lot of fun.
And just like that it's over.  On to New Year's Eve and the prospects of a better new year.  I am using January to just concentrate on creating new things for my shop, with the hopes that I can re-open in February, all fresh and new. 
We saw Sherlock Holmes last night.  It was in the tiniest theater and it was crowded.  We had to sit too close to the screen and the guy behind hubby was too large in relation to how close the seats where.  The movie was good, but it was very uncomfortable.  I may have to try to see it again.  We didn't stay for the credits like we like to, so I feel like we missed out on the 'end'.  But, my Panang Curry, Thai iced tea, and Tom Ka Kai soup were fabulous!
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas day...whether you celebrated, just had a day off, or even if you had to work.  I ended up just having to work a couple of hours in the morning and was back home by 8am, the way i worked it out, so it was almost like having the day off.  (That's a whole other story I won't bother getting into, though.)
So, here we go...on to the new year...

December=eggnog

My eggnog is a process.  And it needs at least 3 days to 'cure' before it can be consumed.  I think it has something to do with the mellowing out of the brandy and whiskey; but, also the fact that it's made with a dozen raw eggs.  That alcohol has to 'cook' the eggs.  So, each year, I count back from the day I 'need' it, and plan to make it then.  Well, this year, my plans have been thwarted at every turn, causing me to alter them almost daily.  The extra work this past week was one thing, but throw on top of that a family medical issue and I'm just tearing my hair out! 
I don't deal well with this sort of thing. 
It wasn't busy at work today, so I asked to take the afternoon off.  I will not be able to do anything tomorrow, as I will now be working and then going to the hospital to see my dad.  So, I had to do some of tomorrows stuff today, and the rest on Thursday.  That meant I HAD to make eggnog tonight!

This is serious stuff we're talking about!  Here's the kicker: Hubby asks, 'can you make some for [other friends]?'  Well, I can, but I'll have to make extra and that means I need more stuff.
So after one full batch, I made a extra half batch. 
This is serious business, too!  After separating a dozen eggs, I have to cream the yolks with sugar and add milk and heavy cream; whip the whites very stiff; and, then fold the whites into the rest.  THEN, I add the brandy and whiskey.  The first couple years I made this, I didn't have an electric mixer...I had to whip a dozen egg whites BY HAND!!  It takes much less time these days, for sure!
Once the creamy deliciousness is decanted into whatever bottles I can find (I do keep a few bottles specifically for this time of year), I have to 'shake' the bottles each day for 3 days (at least).  It reduces the volume and I actually end up emptying a couple bottles by the 3rd day.
Usually, I fight with myself over just how much to make.  I have made full batches to be left with way too much after Christmas.  I've made half batches after that, only to wish I had made more.  This year was the first time I've made extra.  It's usually too strong for most people, so I have cut the whiskey a bit...just a bit.
Yes, I did just write a whole post about eggnog.  I just love it so!  I even like looking at this picture!  The way the foamy egg whites separate from the thick and creamy yolk mix, and float to the top! Yummy!!  It's really the reason I feel like I have to make so much...I have to make sure I have some for my own enjoyment Christmas Day!

Victorian dress

I thought I'd post some pictures today. 

This is our Victorian Christmas from a few years ago.  The confederate soldier is my brother, and the girl with the grey dress was his girlfriend at the time.  We tend not to get to familiar with his girlfriends, as they change each year.  Of course, I'm pretty sure that was the last time I saw my brother anyway.  I, of course, am hidden behind Gram...I never get a good shot of my dresses!  Hubby's taking the picture, as he hates having his picture taken.

The dress I wore, and am wearing again, and have worn several times for Halloween costumes and also for a different Christmas (our first Victorian inspired Christmas, which was back in 2001 or so, when I made a glorious Beef Wellington). 

I bought this dress at Goodwill for $29.99.  I bought it to actually wear as my wedding dress, but , as we know, plans changed.

The whole thing is just covered in flowery appliques.  (I added the sleeves with some material I found to mimic the dress fabric, and a quick addition of lace trim.)

It does have a long train, so for dress-up, I stitch the train to the back and then I have a maroon colored 'backwards apron' sort of skirt I tie around my waist, making it look as if I have a bustle.

The back had a tear in it when i bought it, so i had to stitch that up many years ago, but you can't see it when the costume is done anyway.

I'm just so in love with this dress! 

I will (hopefully) get a good picture of the finished product this year.

Once again, my hair is at a weird length for this, but I have my fake braids I can pin on.

I had a dream is was snowing

But, it still hasn't.  I think it is because the gentleman on the news reported 'possible dusting' on the coast in a couple days.  This morning, we're easing out of our overnight 'wind advisory' and the ground is wet from rain/dew. 
I'm attempting to keep the little bit of holiday spirit I have in me this year by adding eggnog to my morning coffee, listening to Pandora's 'Swingin' Christmas Radio' station (it's really good...there are some hilarious songs from the '40's thrown in), and looking at all kinds of great stuff on etsy (leg warmers, hats, mittens, penguin prints).  So far, it's mostly just reminding me that the few days just before Christmas Eve are going to be busy!
Our family Christmas (it's just 7 or 8 of us 'kids' getting together) is at Auntie's this year.  We theme or Christmases to make them more interesting, since we don't celebrate for religious reasons.  We celebrate our togetherness.  This year we are 'Victorian'.  We have done this before, and it's great fun for us girls to wear our puffy dresses and braided hair.  We do a $20 limit Yankee Swap, which has varied results.  Some years it seems everyone ends up with a gift perfectly suited for him or her...other years, there's that one gift everyone fights for!
I always bring homemade eggnog.  It is from a recipe Auntie got from a co-worker 15 or so years ago.  I made it that first year, it was a hit (I especially loved it) and I have made it every year since (minus the year we lived on Nantucket).  So, that is on my list, but there is a specific time I must make it...it needs at least 3 days to 'cure' before serving.  I have marked Wednesday on my calendar, as that is the only time I can make it. Monday/Tuesday are out due to work, and Thursday would be too late...it has to be Wednesday...I can't forget! :)
I will also have to find a potato dish to bring.  Having just one dish to make, I like to find something interesting or at least VERY tasty.  And we'll pick up a freshly baked loaf of bread at our friends' bakery...yum!
I did get a swap gift on etsy after all.  I won't be getting the antique knife sharpener that I thought would be cool as a paper-weight or other such do-dad/decor, but that's okay.  I think I've found something equally as cool.  With things like these, if no one else likes it, at least you know YOU will!
OH, and I got all of the gifts I had shipped for Hubby...so no worries there.  He's been wanting a nice 'rocks' glass since he got me a nice one for my birthday several years ago.  He has gotten a few, in the meantime.  The one he first got, chipped.  Then there were a couple others that he liked, but as he used them, wished they were a little heavier.  He likes a nice sturdy, heavy-bottomed glass.  Then he finds a nice one, but it's got a weird pattern or something.  Luckily, he doesn't read my blog, so I can show them off, now:

They're really nice.  They are a little smaller than I imagined, but a good size, I think.  They are definitely heavier than 'today's' glasses, as they are 'vintage'.  I thought the plain 'wheat' design was nice...kind of manly.  This is the shop from where I was going to also get the knife sharpener.  To my surprise, this duo came as a trio.  I am contemplating giving 2 to hubs, and giving the spare to my friend who has started collecting cocktail glasses.

The arrival of gifts has me in higher spirits.  I love giving gifts.  When i can find that 'perfect' gift, I just get so excited wrapping it up and awaiting the reaction from the recipient!  The simple pleasures of life, I suppose.

I was lucky enough to not be needed at the vet Wednesday evening, but I did work from 4:30am to 5:30 pm yesterday, after the day was done.  I tried very hard to stay awake for A Charlie Brown Christmas (I had been saying ' I just want to know when it's on!' and then, there it was!).  I could only listen to it, as I could not keep my eyes open!  I offered to work only the afternoon at the vet today, so I am off until 2pm today.  Then, all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  I will have to make the most of my afternoons Wednesday-Friday!  I should go pen my list of 'to-do's', I guess!

Hope everyone is keeping up with all of their holiday errands!

oh, that's right...Christmas is coming!

As I've said before, we don't 'celebrate Christmas'...we get to have a day off together and use it as an excuse to buy things.  Each year, we buy less...because there are fewer things that we truly need.  These days our lists include things like new bulkhead door, gutters, new flooring in the dining room, new exhaust for my car...things like that.  But, Hubby does enjoy a nice bottle of Scotch to get him through the cold winter nights.  And his favorite children's book authors seem to still be putting out books (thank you, Graeme Base!), so I do love getting him little things.  And I LOVE wrapping gifts.  Sometimes I come close to just wrapping empty boxes for fun!
However, what just occurred to me is that it's nearly Christmas Eve...the night I get to spend with the few family members I am close to.  The night of our gift swap...for which I need to get a gift!!  I was planning on hitting the antiques mall in town, but I don't know when I will have a chance now!  I have found a couple things on Etsy, but it's getting to the point where I am just nervous it won't arrive in time. I actually ordered a little trinket to go with my swap gift but got a message from the seller that he was refunding my money as he couldn't find the item.  He was very apologetic, and it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but this happened last year, too!  There was a book I ordered and the woman couldn't find it.  So that compounds my fear of trying to order something so late.
I often get so wrapped up in all the day to day that before I know it, a week has passed and I'm still trying to cross things off my list!  I'm sure I'm not the only one, but boy! don't the holidays just seem to speed up time!?
But on to some good news...
I already got one of MY gifts!  And, as excited as I am to get this, I was again touched by how awesome our friends are.  We decided that I should get a treadmill.  But of course do not have hundreds of dollars to spend on something that is not a necessity.  So, I kept checking craigslist until I found 3 that looked good, in my price range.  Hubby called on the first one on my list, and got set to pick it up Monday.  But how do we get a treadmill to our house without a delivery service?  Hubs drives a Scion (the one between the sporty one and the big boxy one) and I drive a Cavalier...neither is going to house a treadmill, even if it does fold down!  So, Hubby posted that he needed a truck the next day, and within minutes our friends were offering their trucks.  I actually had one friend come in to my work and tell me where his truck would be and that he'd just leave the keys in it for us.
Now i know lots of people have friends and family who will do this, but to me it is the speed of it all.  One quick post to facebook, and within minutes someone is there to help.  Of course, I had to help unload it during my lunch break, since the truck he borrowed was our plumber friends giant work truck, and the treadmill is super heavy on just one end, so it's awkward.
Anyway...that means no more excuses for not running, or working out at all, really! 
We have to somehow get it down to the basement.  It will not go around the curve of the stairs so it will have to go in through the bulkhead.  Which wouldn't be a big deal, if not for the fact that our bulkhead door is now a rotted wooden door, covered with a tarp that has been nailed down and secured with several 2x4's (courtesy of the Hurricane Irene scare).    So, for now, until the two of us have more than 10 minutes of  'hi & bye' in one day, it stays in our 'dining room'. 

It didn't have a manual, so i have to get online and find one.  There are so many buttons, I just don't know what to do with them all!  There is an additional part you can get for the heart rate function, but I already have 2 heart rate monitors, I probably don't need another.

I unfolded it and gave it a go today.  (Oh, I actually called my vet job today and they said they could do without me today!!)  I was definitely making it harder than it needed to be...I am very new at this.  I have never even stepped one foot on a treadmill before today!

I decided that I really need to download the manual, because there are several workout programs in the machine, but I don't know how to access them.  So, I struggled a bit trying to figure out why it would speed up and then slow down, but managed to get to a steady jog.  I think it'll do the trick!

Maybe I can lose those pounds by spring, after all!?

And in other news, one of my snowflakes sold the second day they were at the bakery.  At least that's something...some positive feedback.

In the public's eye

Please forgive my picture-taking abilities for this post.  I know they aren't ever as good as other bloggers (I really need to sit down with the manual and practice with that thing!!), but these were taken after my 3 days of quilling-during-every-spare-moment.  Also, the end came an hour after my normal bedtime when I needed to be up at 3:30 the next morning.  They are very dark and I didn't try at all to make them look nice.  They were mostly for reference, but I was so pleased with the snowflakes themselves that I thought I'd show them off.This is the display my friends at the Underground Bakery have let me put up on their pastry case.  They are so nice to do this, too, with it being the holidays and having their gingerbread houses and other such holiday treats already needed space for display.  They encouraged me to make some for the village stroll (it was yesterday).  I had to be somewhere else, so I couldn't go and so don't know if any sold, but just having them out for people to see is a start.

I really liked the variations of the original 6 or so I made.  It goes much faster when I am not coming up with an entirely new pattern with every snowflake.  Though I would like them to be different, they are all similar, to save time, since I was trying to get as many as possible done. 

Things you MUST have to do this quickly: paper shredder, tiny squeeze bottle of glue, very pointy tweezers, and a good movie or music playing in the background! 

I wasn't quite sure how I was going to package them safely for the bakery, but I found some old cello sleeves from my card making days, and that seemed to work fine.  Added some pretty blue cardstock for support, slapped a label on the back and in the end I had seven of my 'larger' ones (4.5-5'') and 2 of the little ones (about 3'').  

These were a couple of my favorites.

So now I am at the beginning of my 2 week stretch, where I will have no time for anything but work.  That's okay, though, who doesn't need the money this time of year, right!? (Or any time of year, for that matter!)  But I am feeling good about my new hobby and think that I can get some stuff in my shop (after the holidays, unfortunately) and be proud of it.  For now, I am happy to have it in a public place for people to actually see up close and personal and maybe get some feedback.

It's like it never happened

Why do I even own a camera?  I am the worst at documenting anything (which is probably why my etsy pictures could use some work...i need some practice!).  I had my little 'party' last night.  Just my sisters, probable future brother-in-law, aunt & uncle, and Hubby & me.  I learned a new card game (Spit) and it was a riot. This is the only picture I got...before anyone got there, so before any food went out...not particularly impressive.










Though I did get the tree decorated, and put out some of my holiday stuff.  The penguin couple goes out every year, no matter how little desire I have to decorate.


Our Ikea ornaments have loops for hanging.  That was not going to work on my 'tree arrangement' of pine babies.  So I had to dig for the package of metal hooks that I knew we had, though, have not used in a long time...

 What a mess!!

We had a little food and some drinks.  I, of course, put together a cheese tray; and, forgot to take a picture...it was not my best effort anyway.  The wedge of brie I got was fairly large, so I baked one with honey and almonds, and the other half with blackberry jam and almonds.  Yum!  I didn't want to be in the kitchen all day preparing, so I just got a few frozen appetizers at Trader Joe's...it worked out okay, though, I think I could've made everything a little hotter...oh well.  No one would ever tell me it was cold, anyway. 
The girls and I like to get dressed pretty, and I have my sequined dress from our Vegas trip that has limited occasions for which it can be worn, so I like to wear that whenever possible.  Of course, I didn't get a shot of the 'finished product', but here's my glamour shot after the hair and jewelry...
...though, this is even before I had my satin flower fascinator on, too!







It was a good time.  For me, at least.
I had taken yesterday and today off as 'vacation' so that I could concentrate on cleaning up my basement and possibly getting some stuff done around the house.  But now I have a 14-day work 'week' ahead of me.  And then it's Christmas Day (yes, I did just say it's 14 days until Christmas).  So, my plans have changed a bit.  Sure, I could still clean the basement today, but I won't.
Tomorrow is our towns Christmas Stroll.  I recently made a collection of 6 paper snowflakes for our friends to hang in their bakery (for which my payment was a paper shredder!!  I love the barter system!).  They are so kind, and didn't 'let' me, so much as 'insist' that I make some to sell there during the stroll.  So, the past couple of days I have been making snowflakes in the early morning hours or just before bed.  Today, with the whole day, I am going to attempt to just make snowflakes until I just can't do it anymore.  The main issue will be getting them sprayed with sealant in time to package for Hubby to bring in Sunday.  I will be gone all day Sunday, so I can't go sell them myself, but they said they'd take care of it, and Hubs will be there hanging out anyway.  I guess I'd better get to work, then!

Time to get festive

My Homemade Tree

Well, Christmas is almost here.  Even if you don't celebrate it as a religious holiday, it's a fact...December 25 is fast approaching.  We have an odd family.  I mean, all families are odd...it's just the nature of family!  But, this time of year is more 'the end of the year' than anything else.  All growing up, Christmas morning was about 30 minutes of 'fun': opening gifts, eating candy, yummy homemade breakfast of some sort; then, everybody got dressed and packed into the car for a 2 hour road trip to Detroit.  Already not fun, but throw in a little sister who gets car sick and now you're talkin' awesome family road trip!  And it's not like Michigan winters were fun to drive around in, and the suburbs of Detroit aren't really a fun destination for youngin's.

But it was Dad's family...the crazy Roman Catholic Polish family that passes 'the body of Christ' to everyone before dinner (Brother and I had never even had our first Communion!).  The family that loves and lives to fight.  Women in the kitchen chatting while the homemade sausage, potatoes, green beans, etc. cook; men in the living room arguing about anything and everything; and, the kids trying to figure out the newest board game grandma has found for us.  Most of my memories are from before my aunts and uncles started having kids...so it was basically me and my brother for 10 years.  Can you imagine being the only 2 kids in a room full of bickering adults on Christmas morning!!??  I ate a lot of snacks that day...but, that was true for most days, to be fair.
When I moved out on my own, I swore I would never travel anywhere on Christmas day.  And it eventually became one of the only 2 days Hubby and I had off together during any given year.  Things change of course. I go out on Christmas day now...to see a movie and get Chinese food.  Christmas Eve is family Christmas: the kids table only...no 'adults'.
Now, Hubby was raised Jewish.  He's not a practicing Jew, but he did have his bar Mitzvah...that was the last day his family went to temple, I guess.  He's not keen on Christmas due to it's being shoved in every one's face starting before Thanksgiving, these days; but, growing up, none of his friends were Jewish...he was always sad that he didn't get a tree to decorate.  He still likes to get a tree.
This year, though...it's unseasonably warm.  It is hard to get into any sort of Christmas spirit.  We decided against a tree.
BUT THEN...
I decided to have the girls over to my place for a little shindig.  I can't have a holiday party without a tree and decked halls!!  So I made a tree.  This is the second year I've done this and I gotta say, I really like it.  I still have to decorate it, but it's just beginnings of pines, growing in my driveway, that I've cut and put in a vessel full of rocks.  You could do this same thing by cutting some branches from any tree!  I really like the way it looks.  The last time I did this, I added some bittersweet branches and other fun stuff...this year, I just couldn't find anything else in the yard.  Must be all the wind we've had this year; everything has blown away.
Anyway, the girls and I used to do a cookie bake every year before Christmas, but each year we realize we aren't really enjoying the baking part as much.  So now we cut to the chase and just have cocktails and gab session.  This way the boys can come, too.  So that's tonight. 
Then after one more day off, my next scheduled day off will be Christmas day...I'm seriously considering wearing my p.j's to the movie that day!!

a full day...i like it!

well, a full day by my book is probably a boring 'what now' kind of day for a normal person. 
I was up early, as usual, and posting oddball random thoughts blogs at 4:30 this morning...not even sure what i was babbling on about.  Then i finished the last 2 of the 6 snowflakes I was making for my friend to hang in her bakery.

 I would've loved to have delivered them today, but I had to spray them with sealant and i didn't want to rush it.  By the time Hubby left for work at 8:30, I had lost my desire to take the run I had been thinking about all morning.  Running was so much easier when I could get up at 5 and be out the door, with the sun already rising, by 5:30!  Having to wait until the buses are out is annoying.  So, instead, I cleaned the kitchen and then ate some lunch while I watched a stupid movie that I can't even remember right now! 
Then, for about 10 minutes, around 2pm, I stared at my running shoes and talked myself in and out of running several times before finally giving in.  I didn't run the full 25 minutes i was out, but alternated 3 minutes of running with a minute of walking.  I wasn't really feeling it, but i was glad I got out to exercise.  Of course, then I came home, and between spraying my snowflakes, trying to watch Footloose(I just couldn't get into it), trying to decide what to buy for christmas gifts, and trying to coordinate a small cocktail party for next weekend, I made rice crispy treats.  And then I ate half of them!!  (it was not a full batch of treats, but still...) 
so, by a 'full day' I mean i spent most of it eating!  Clearly my day off has to be my 'cheat' day b/c it's really all i want to do when i'm home.

Well, i decided to take advantage of having a window in our shed, and took my snowflakes outside to spray.  While i was out there, I glanced at my garden beds.  And I saw green...it was a tiny snow pea plant!

 and over in the other bed...a bunch of giant radishes!!  Crazy weather!













And this was the inside of the really big one on the left! Gross!

don't bother reading this

I just wrote a huge post that got so far off track that I scrapped the whole thing!  Sitting here thinking about an old song I remembered from a tape I had when I was 14, ended with some rant about sex in movies!!  Oh, my!  What I learned from that...I'm getting old!! :)
Some things I'll take from that and pass on to you:
1. If you watched the Muppet Show, growing up, go see the movie!
2. If you lend out your music, be sure to get it back...you may want to listen to it again, even 24 years later!
3. You can find just about anything on Wikipedia
4. Memories are fabulous!  Even things you thought you forgot can somehow turn up in the darkest corners. 
5. Memories of when you were 14 may not give you the same feelings you thought they might...you are not the same person you were when you were 14!
6. It's good to hold onto your memories, but even better to not be the same person you were at 14.  Getting old sucks, but growing up is kind of fun!

There's not really any point to this post...sorry.