Post contributed by Noah Schmidt
When we first moved here I was determined not to have a TV in the bedroom. My husband and I have gotten really bad about laying down and turning on the TV been falling asleep at night in front of it which I just don’t think is the healthiest thing in the world. But after a few months I caught my husband on http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/high-definition-tv.html looking at packages to get for the house. He said he just needed some more sports channels because he was getting all the football or basketball games that he wanted to but I knew what he really wanted was to angle to eventually get a TV back in the bedroom. I don't know what I have to do to get through to him but I really don't think it's good for our marriage for us to let all these TV characters into our bedroom. I'll even make him go to therapy if he keeps fighting me on this one, that's how strongly I feel about it!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Leathercrafting is a Great Family Hobby
Not long ago, I noticed my granddaughter chewing on something purple. "What's that I asked?" With a full mouth, she said, "Fruit leather" and went on chewing. I had to admit, that was a new one to me. Fruit leather? What next? I wondered.
Actually the fruit leather my granddaughter was enjoying wasn't actual leather--it just looked like it and the length of time it took to finish the thin piece of purple fruit leather she was chewing on probably made it seem as though she was chewing on a piece of leather.
Leather has been around since the first animals arrived in the Garden of Eden, and I suspect that Adam and Eve quickly learned how to use it to their advantage.
History records leather being used in thousands of ways over the centuries.
In the beginning, animal skins were used mainly for crudely made shelters to protect a family from the elements, for plain clothing and foot coverings, and for blankets to keep warm. Later, various other ways were found to use leather in shaping instruments of warfare, for musical instruments, as a surface for writing as men learned to communicate with each other, and for decorative items for their homes.
Today, leather is still popular for shoes, clothing, office items, belts, and a large number of decorative things for our homes.
At one time, leather postcards were very popular and some vintage ones can still be found in antique shops, or at auction sites such as ebay.
If you are a person that enjoys the feel and look of leather, you might be interested in trying leathercraft yourself. Although choice leather is expensive, there are places you can order bundles of scrap leather online and try a few small projects to get the feel of it before advancing to something more expensive.
A lot of beginner projects only take a large needle, some strong thread, and a pair of scissors besides your piece of leather. Give it a try and you may surprise yourself by coming up with some unique gifts for your family and friends for very little cost.
A great book, on just about everything you ever wanted to know about leathercrafting is Leather Craft Secrets by Dwain Berlin. Check it out for yourself and see.
Another tradition just bit the dust.
My husband and I took our two youngest granddaughters, 8 and 11, to lunch the other day. As we were driving along toward the restaurant where we planned to eat, the 11-year-old asked, "Grandpa, why do you have a phonebook in the back seat?"
My husband explained that sometimes we would think about something we needed while we were out in the car and that we could look up the name and address of a particular business in the phonebook. I added that we could also find a phone booth and call the company if it was just some information we needed.
The 11-year-old replied, "What's a phone booth?"
We were aware that most people have cell phones now, but surely there were still phone booths for people like us who hadn't yielded to the cell phone craze---right? Wrong. At least in our town. We were determined to find one to show our granddaughters, but guess what? We couldn't? I guess another tradition--seeing how many bodies can be stuffed into a phone booth--just bit the dust.
My husband explained that sometimes we would think about something we needed while we were out in the car and that we could look up the name and address of a particular business in the phonebook. I added that we could also find a phone booth and call the company if it was just some information we needed.
The 11-year-old replied, "What's a phone booth?"
We were aware that most people have cell phones now, but surely there were still phone booths for people like us who hadn't yielded to the cell phone craze---right? Wrong. At least in our town. We were determined to find one to show our granddaughters, but guess what? We couldn't? I guess another tradition--seeing how many bodies can be stuffed into a phone booth--just bit the dust.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Choosing a Baby Blanket
I recently read a blog article on Choosing a Baby Blanket. I checked it out, because I would have thought anyone could choose a baby blanket. The article did teach me a few things I didn’t know though. For example; wool baby blankets aren’t itchy and scratchy any more. I have avoided anything made of wool for years, because of itchy and scratchy clothing items I had to wear as a child.
A Cotton Baby Blanket seems to be the most common choice now, and the variety of colors they come in is amazing. No more just “pink or blue,” but pale greens, yellows, and lavenders are common, especially as gifts for baby showers where the sex of the baby isn’t already known. You can also choose baby blankets with adorable animals, or fairy tale characters frolicking about on them.
No matter what the fabric, a Receiving Blanket or a gift set of several receiving blankets, always seems to be appreciated at the baby showers I've attended, because they can be used so many ways. I remember using them as night diapers when my kids had grown a little too big to be wrapped in them.
The blog also talks about and shows other baby items they handle, like furniture and clothing, but blankets are definitely their main focus..
Even if you don't have any baby showers coming up in the immediate future, check out the blog. If you're like me, you probably want to keep a few baby items on hand just in case your mail includes an unexpected baby shower invitation.
A Cotton Baby Blanket seems to be the most common choice now, and the variety of colors they come in is amazing. No more just “pink or blue,” but pale greens, yellows, and lavenders are common, especially as gifts for baby showers where the sex of the baby isn’t already known. You can also choose baby blankets with adorable animals, or fairy tale characters frolicking about on them.
No matter what the fabric, a Receiving Blanket or a gift set of several receiving blankets, always seems to be appreciated at the baby showers I've attended, because they can be used so many ways. I remember using them as night diapers when my kids had grown a little too big to be wrapped in them.
The blog also talks about and shows other baby items they handle, like furniture and clothing, but blankets are definitely their main focus..
Even if you don't have any baby showers coming up in the immediate future, check out the blog. If you're like me, you probably want to keep a few baby items on hand just in case your mail includes an unexpected baby shower invitation.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The $79 Kindle is well worth the money
For several years, I have toyed with the idea of getting a Kindle, but couldn't quite bring myself to part with the money. The new, $79 version changed my mind.
After all, I would have to pay that much for one night at a motel, I told myself--or a month of cable at our house--or enough gas to visit my sister across the state. And, what about taking the whole family to a nice restaurant for just one meal? Surely a Kindle was at least as important to me as any of these other things.
I finally convinced myself, bought the Kindle, and haven't regretted it for a minute.
True, the $79 version lacks the frills of some of the higher priced Kindles, but I really wasn't looking for frills. I just wanted a simple e-reader that held lots of books, that was light-weight to hold, and had adjustable font sizes so I could enlarge the print if I wanted. My $79 Kindle met all those qualifications and more.
After a couple of weeks, I decided to buy a cover for my Kindle to make sure the screen didn't get something spilled on it, or scratched to pieces by our curious cat, so that was an expense I hadn't counted on, but it has been well worth it, too. Now I can toss it into my purse without worrying about something sharp, like a comb or my ball-point pen rubbing against it. I bought a black cover, but it is available in 4 different colors. It fits the Kindle perfectly.
In the short time I have had my Kindle, I have not only purchased a few titles I really wanted, but have also found many free titles at Amazon.com. Just go there and type in, "free Kindle books," and you should find a number that appeal to you. One free one I downloaded was, Transfer of Power," by Vince Flynn, which I highly recommend if you like adventure novels.
My first real purchase was a Bible, for only $2.99.
Now I do my daily Bible reading on my Kindle. The next day, even if I have been reading other books in between, I just turn to the index page where all my titles are listed, click on my Bible, and it opens at the exact place where I left off reading the day before. Another button takes you to a keyboard where you can type in a different place in the Bible if you wish, and that spot will appear.
If you want to order a new book, use the same keyboard to search for the title or author, and then go click on, go online, in the index to order it. Like magic, it is quickly added to your collection, and you can open it with a click and start reading.
Many public libraries also loan books for use on your Kindle, but I have only ordered one that way so far. You search the list of available books and, if there is a waiting list for a particular title, you add your name to the list, and they will notify you by e-mail when it is available. If not, you simply order the book, sign in to your Kindle, and the book is there.
The book I borrowed was loaned to me for 7 days. After 5 days, I got an e-mail reminding me that the loan period would expire in 2 more days. Then, at the end of 2 days, the book no longer opened, but I had finished reading it, so I deleted it.
Another thing I really, really love about my $79 Kindle is that I can move text documents from my computer to the Kindle and read them there. As someone who never passes up an opportunity to download free e-books online, I am well-stocked, and have many I haven't even open, yet. Now they reside on my Kindle, and when we go traveling, my lawnchair by the river, my can of soda, my Kindle, and I will while away the hours with those e-books I always meant to read, but haven't gotten around to yet.
If you have been putting off purchasing an e-reader, you can't lose with the $79 Kindle.
It is worth every penny.
After all, I would have to pay that much for one night at a motel, I told myself--or a month of cable at our house--or enough gas to visit my sister across the state. And, what about taking the whole family to a nice restaurant for just one meal? Surely a Kindle was at least as important to me as any of these other things.
I finally convinced myself, bought the Kindle, and haven't regretted it for a minute.
True, the $79 version lacks the frills of some of the higher priced Kindles, but I really wasn't looking for frills. I just wanted a simple e-reader that held lots of books, that was light-weight to hold, and had adjustable font sizes so I could enlarge the print if I wanted. My $79 Kindle met all those qualifications and more.
After a couple of weeks, I decided to buy a cover for my Kindle to make sure the screen didn't get something spilled on it, or scratched to pieces by our curious cat, so that was an expense I hadn't counted on, but it has been well worth it, too. Now I can toss it into my purse without worrying about something sharp, like a comb or my ball-point pen rubbing against it. I bought a black cover, but it is available in 4 different colors. It fits the Kindle perfectly.
In the short time I have had my Kindle, I have not only purchased a few titles I really wanted, but have also found many free titles at Amazon.com. Just go there and type in, "free Kindle books," and you should find a number that appeal to you. One free one I downloaded was, Transfer of Power," by Vince Flynn, which I highly recommend if you like adventure novels.
My first real purchase was a Bible, for only $2.99.
Now I do my daily Bible reading on my Kindle. The next day, even if I have been reading other books in between, I just turn to the index page where all my titles are listed, click on my Bible, and it opens at the exact place where I left off reading the day before. Another button takes you to a keyboard where you can type in a different place in the Bible if you wish, and that spot will appear.
If you want to order a new book, use the same keyboard to search for the title or author, and then go click on, go online, in the index to order it. Like magic, it is quickly added to your collection, and you can open it with a click and start reading.
Many public libraries also loan books for use on your Kindle, but I have only ordered one that way so far. You search the list of available books and, if there is a waiting list for a particular title, you add your name to the list, and they will notify you by e-mail when it is available. If not, you simply order the book, sign in to your Kindle, and the book is there.
The book I borrowed was loaned to me for 7 days. After 5 days, I got an e-mail reminding me that the loan period would expire in 2 more days. Then, at the end of 2 days, the book no longer opened, but I had finished reading it, so I deleted it.
Another thing I really, really love about my $79 Kindle is that I can move text documents from my computer to the Kindle and read them there. As someone who never passes up an opportunity to download free e-books online, I am well-stocked, and have many I haven't even open, yet. Now they reside on my Kindle, and when we go traveling, my lawnchair by the river, my can of soda, my Kindle, and I will while away the hours with those e-books I always meant to read, but haven't gotten around to yet.
If you have been putting off purchasing an e-reader, you can't lose with the $79 Kindle.
It is worth every penny.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Kids are my Life
Guest post written by my buddy Lavern Small
My kids are my life but boy are all their activities tiring me out. My daughter is still in really into ballet even at her age and my son’s all about football which would be fine if he wasn’t the star of his team. I think there’s something to be said for taking your time to relax after a long day at work and I never have that chance because I’m always running them from one thing to another. I recently got a bunch of directv channels hoping I could relax more often and hang out at home with my husband and the dogs but no, as it turns out my son was trying out for soccer last week on a whim and he made the team. Between that and all the sports my daughter is interested in, too, it looks like I’m never going to have time to take up a hobby until they both graduate and go off to college. I guess that’s not the worst thing but boy am I exhausted!
My kids are my life but boy are all their activities tiring me out. My daughter is still in really into ballet even at her age and my son’s all about football which would be fine if he wasn’t the star of his team. I think there’s something to be said for taking your time to relax after a long day at work and I never have that chance because I’m always running them from one thing to another. I recently got a bunch of directv channels hoping I could relax more often and hang out at home with my husband and the dogs but no, as it turns out my son was trying out for soccer last week on a whim and he made the team. Between that and all the sports my daughter is interested in, too, it looks like I’m never going to have time to take up a hobby until they both graduate and go off to college. I guess that’s not the worst thing but boy am I exhausted!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Model Airplane Building, A Great Family Hobby
When I got married quite a few years ago, not only did I acquire a wonderful guy for a husband, but I also ended up adding his huge model airplane collection to my life. It wasn't easy, because, at the time, he had more than fifty models airplanes ranging in size from about five inches to a few with 6 foot wing spans.
Over the years, the planes would come and go as he traded with friends, sold one now and then, and, unfortunately, totaled a few during our frequent trips to competitive meets and on solo trips to a nearby lake where he enjoyed flying his amphibian models.
As soon as each of our children was old enough to hold a tiny balsa glider, their dad had them out in the back yard flying their own little airplanes, and, over the years, many of the neighborhood kids joined in as well. Later, grandchildren were added to the mix, and the "gang," as they love to call themselves, still love to meet at a field or lake and practice their flying skills against each other.
Model airplane building is fun and educational. Kids can start with inexpensive little balsa press-out kits that can be assembled in just a few minutes. Then, as they grow older, plastic models with just a few basic parts, or rubber band models can be purchased for a reasonable price. These can be painted and personalized with numbers so the child feels a real sense of ownership.
Depending on the interest and skills of older children, you may want to move from the simple models mentioned earlier into kits where the child follows a pattern to cut out individual parts and glues them, sands, them, applies fabric, paint, etc. If an adult member of the family already has these skills, so much the better, but, if not, there are books available online that can help.
Radio control model airplanes are the next step, and the one most families who are interested in building and flying model planes look forward to. It is a more expensive step, and one that should be studied carefully before you actually get into it to make sure you choose a plane that isn't too difficult to build or fly for the skill level of your family members.
The time to get your family started on this exciting hobby is now, during the winter months, so that you will be ready to "take off" when good flying weather rolls around next spring.
Over the years, the planes would come and go as he traded with friends, sold one now and then, and, unfortunately, totaled a few during our frequent trips to competitive meets and on solo trips to a nearby lake where he enjoyed flying his amphibian models.
As soon as each of our children was old enough to hold a tiny balsa glider, their dad had them out in the back yard flying their own little airplanes, and, over the years, many of the neighborhood kids joined in as well. Later, grandchildren were added to the mix, and the "gang," as they love to call themselves, still love to meet at a field or lake and practice their flying skills against each other.
Model airplane building is fun and educational. Kids can start with inexpensive little balsa press-out kits that can be assembled in just a few minutes. Then, as they grow older, plastic models with just a few basic parts, or rubber band models can be purchased for a reasonable price. These can be painted and personalized with numbers so the child feels a real sense of ownership.
Depending on the interest and skills of older children, you may want to move from the simple models mentioned earlier into kits where the child follows a pattern to cut out individual parts and glues them, sands, them, applies fabric, paint, etc. If an adult member of the family already has these skills, so much the better, but, if not, there are books available online that can help.
Radio control model airplanes are the next step, and the one most families who are interested in building and flying model planes look forward to. It is a more expensive step, and one that should be studied carefully before you actually get into it to make sure you choose a plane that isn't too difficult to build or fly for the skill level of your family members.
The time to get your family started on this exciting hobby is now, during the winter months, so that you will be ready to "take off" when good flying weather rolls around next spring.
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Lie Detector Test, Anyone?
Politics can be very confusing. One day, I listen to Herman Cain and think, "This guy would make a great president." The next day, a woman I never heard of comes out of nowhere and accuses him of making sexual advances to her, and I think, "Oh, my. Another Bill Clinton. We certainly don't want him for president."
Then, the next day, Mr. Cain comes out and denies ever sexually harassing anyone and even offers to take a lie detector test to prove it. In the meantime, several other women are lining up to make similar accusations against the man.
What is the average voter to do? Maybe the solution is to have them all take lie detector tests. Will it come to the place where truth serum is a requirement for running for office? Someone is lying. The question is, who?
Then, the next day, Mr. Cain comes out and denies ever sexually harassing anyone and even offers to take a lie detector test to prove it. In the meantime, several other women are lining up to make similar accusations against the man.
What is the average voter to do? Maybe the solution is to have them all take lie detector tests. Will it come to the place where truth serum is a requirement for running for office? Someone is lying. The question is, who?
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Do You Have a "Hello Kitty" Fan on Your Christmas List?
My youngest granddaughter loves, "Hello Kitty." In fact, she is so in love with this cute little kitty that I think I could get her to wear almost anything, eat almost anything, or do almost anything, as long as there was a promise of something with that little white cat wearing a pink ribbon involved.
Wanting to get a jump on Christmas shopping, I stopped by my favorite online store earlier today and took a look at what was available in the "Hello Kitty" department. I was surprised to find the already huge variety of offerings even larger than last year. Here are just a few items that caught my eye.
Amazon has so many cute, "Hello Kitty," items that I couldn't begin to show even a fraction of them here. They have jewelry, bedding, purses, shoes, and clothing that any little girl would love, along with cuddly kitties to sleep with. If you need Christmas gifts, click on any of the above items to pay a visit to the Amazon store and enjoy shopping from your easy chair.
Wanting to get a jump on Christmas shopping, I stopped by my favorite online store earlier today and took a look at what was available in the "Hello Kitty" department. I was surprised to find the already huge variety of offerings even larger than last year. Here are just a few items that caught my eye.
Amazon has so many cute, "Hello Kitty," items that I couldn't begin to show even a fraction of them here. They have jewelry, bedding, purses, shoes, and clothing that any little girl would love, along with cuddly kitties to sleep with. If you need Christmas gifts, click on any of the above items to pay a visit to the Amazon store and enjoy shopping from your easy chair.
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