We're having a windy,green Christmas, so I'm using a picture of my mother and father's house - pretty as a picture!
May all the blessings of this holy day be yours.
Susan
Friday, 24 December 2010
Merry Christmas!
We're having a windy,green Christmas, so I'm using a picture of my mother and father's house - pretty as a picture!
May all the blessings of this holy day be yours.
Susan
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Not Impressed - What Are We Teaching Our Children?
The past week from 5:30 til 6 p.m., our radio station has had calls to Santa from 
local children. Maybe I'm becoming Mrs Grinch, but for every one that's just adorable and asks for a doll and some surprises or a puppy, the next four will ask for a DS, a cell phone, an i-pod touch, a camera, video games and some surprises to boot. One kid asked for all of that and a laptop. These are kids that are young enough to talk to Santa! Sure, not all the kids will get all they want, but their wish list is unbelievable. I don't remember my kid ever asking for that much. Course, being a single mother in his Santa years, I think I told him something along the lines of Santa having to deliver to so many kids that there was a limit to what one kid could ask for. One little fellow asked for "another" i-pod touch. He was about six years old! How old was he when he got the first one and how much more responsible would he be now?
Okay, end of rant. I just really hate to see kids expect to get so much at such a young age. Especially when there are so many in the neighborhood that will be getting their presents from the Salvation Army.
I just have one more related concern. How do you teach your kids to be wary of strangers? Is it okay if they've seen the stranger in pictures, or the stranger gives them presents? The reason behind this obvious question is that so many of the little kids say so sweetly before they hang up, "I love you, Santa." They don't know him! They only know that he brings presents. They might hear their parents talk all year about Obama or Harper, but the kids wouldn't say, "I love you, Mr. Obama." Because he doesn't bring presents! For some reason, that gives me the willies.
Call me the Grinch, but I'm not impressed.
Okay, end of rant. I just really hate to see kids expect to get so much at such a young age. Especially when there are so many in the neighborhood that will be getting their presents from the Salvation Army.
I just have one more related concern. How do you teach your kids to be wary of strangers? Is it okay if they've seen the stranger in pictures, or the stranger gives them presents? The reason behind this obvious question is that so many of the little kids say so sweetly before they hang up, "I love you, Santa." They don't know him! They only know that he brings presents. They might hear their parents talk all year about Obama or Harper, but the kids wouldn't say, "I love you, Mr. Obama." Because he doesn't bring presents! For some reason, that gives me the willies.
Call me the Grinch, but I'm not impressed.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Still Being Impressed
Okay, this really impresses me. Love the boogie music but the dancers are amazing - watch all the movement below the waist! If you looked at them from the waist up, they're just dancing, but there's a whole other thing going on with their knees and feet. Way cool!
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Things That Have Really Impressed Me This Year, Saturday Dec. 11, part II
Karen, Nadine and Jake
I own a little convenience store here on Prince Edward Island. We're open from 7a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the summer. I couldn't get along without good help, and right now, I have very impressive help.
Karen is semi-retired and works three days a week and that allows me to sleep in three days a week. She is eminently impressive because she treats my business like her own and actually cares about it and me. And my dogs. If I need or want to go away, I couldn't do it without Karen babysitting the store and the dogs. She is just an impressive person.
Nadine is a typical 19 year-old, working to pay for her cell phone and her car, and some day in the near future, she will move on and get a better job. But she's a sweetheart and the customers love her. I find Nadine impressive because she has been waiting with great anticipation and just finally got the operation for a breast reduction. She is slim and gorgeous and it is so unusual for a single young woman with great attributes to want to go down, rather than up and out. It took great courage and a rare mind set to understand that although every guy in the area admires big breasts, it wasn't worth the backaches. Five pounds of impressive.
Jake is a fiery red-haired and freckled fourteen-year-old. He's impressive because he's so incredibly responsible for any age and a great worker. He'll go places, some day. Right now, I'm very glad that for the past six months, his place after school is behind my counter.
Am I lucky, or what?
Karen is semi-retired and works three days a week and that allows me to sleep in three days a week. She is eminently impressive because she treats my business like her own and actually cares about it and me. And my dogs. If I need or want to go away, I couldn't do it without Karen babysitting the store and the dogs. She is just an impressive person.
Nadine is a typical 19 year-old, working to pay for her cell phone and her car, and some day in the near future, she will move on and get a better job. But she's a sweetheart and the customers love her. I find Nadine impressive because she has been waiting with great anticipation and just finally got the operation for a breast reduction. She is slim and gorgeous and it is so unusual for a single young woman with great attributes to want to go down, rather than up and out. It took great courage and a rare mind set to understand that although every guy in the area admires big breasts, it wasn't worth the backaches. Five pounds of impressive.
Jake is a fiery red-haired and freckled fourteen-year-old. He's impressive because he's so incredibly responsible for any age and a great worker. He'll go places, some day. Right now, I'm very glad that for the past six months, his place after school is behind my counter.
Am I lucky, or what?
Things That Have Really Impressed Me This Year, Saturday Dec. 11
Epicure.
What wonderful products! I got their herbed garlic sea salt and their red garlic sansel (no salt condiment) and will have garlic breath forevermore. I make my own gluten free bread in a breadmaker and any of you fellow celiacs will know it's just not as good as the other stuff. BUT, now I'm adding a tablespoon of the Epicure herb and garlic mix (sense a theme here?) and some crumbled old cheddar and it's the best bread I've ever tasted, toasted or plain.
I got their coated grill pan, a square frying pan with raised grills and not only does it cook perfect hamburgers and chicken breasts, it practically rinses off afterwards. Hmmn, let me see, what else did I get? Haven't had time to try everything yet but I think tonight or tomorrow I'm going to make gluten free pizza with herbed crust. I might just go into garlic withdrawal, but I'm thinking of trying their pesto herb mix for the crust.
I seriously like this stuff, enough that it comprised the bulk of my Christmas presents to my parents and my son, so that should tell you how much it impresses me.
What wonderful products! I got their herbed garlic sea salt and their red garlic sansel (no salt condiment) and will have garlic breath forevermore. I make my own gluten free bread in a breadmaker and any of you fellow celiacs will know it's just not as good as the other stuff. BUT, now I'm adding a tablespoon of the Epicure herb and garlic mix (sense a theme here?) and some crumbled old cheddar and it's the best bread I've ever tasted, toasted or plain.
I got their coated grill pan, a square frying pan with raised grills and not only does it cook perfect hamburgers and chicken breasts, it practically rinses off afterwards. Hmmn, let me see, what else did I get? Haven't had time to try everything yet but I think tonight or tomorrow I'm going to make gluten free pizza with herbed crust. I might just go into garlic withdrawal, but I'm thinking of trying their pesto herb mix for the crust.
I seriously like this stuff, enough that it comprised the bulk of my Christmas presents to my parents and my son, so that should tell you how much it impresses me.
Friday, 10 December 2010
Things That Have Really Impressed Me This Year
This blog post isn't a commercial, even though it might sound like one. I was opening my emails this morning and got an eflyer from a bead seller and thought how much I loved their stuff. And that led to thinking that I had never heard of them until this year and it would be nice to make a list of my favorite things so other people could check them out as well.
So I'll start. I know I'll forget some so this will be my end-of-year project and I'll post them as I think of them. This post has three:
Beads Of Cambay (and sister company "Give Me More Beads.")
Their stock of gemstones and semi-precious gemstones are drool-worthy and if you watch their sales flyer or their specials, you can pick up very impressive, high quality stones reasonably. The sister company, Give Me More Beads, is almost like the "specials" department of other companies, because they have lovely stones and some great deals.
I put an order in to both and they were quick to respond, quick to ship and I might never be able to part with some of the stuff I ordered. Sigh. You should see the faceted African Opals. And the pyrite nuggets. I'm right in love with them. One of the things I really like about the shipment is that every strand was actually tagged with what it was and the price. Have you ever ordered beads, filed the invoice away and not used the gemstones for a few months? When you go to use them, they have this little coded tag on them that you don't understand and you can't remember if those were your Indian agates or your jasper. Or what you paid for them. So...an impressive company and I will certainly be ordering from them again. And again. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they have silver/copper twisted rings and beads - very handy.
Kate McKinnon's Books:
I think everybody should have a copy of all of Kate's work. Not for the projects. I sell my work and don't want to make somebody else's design and sell it as my own. But for the "aha!" moments. The things I've been taught or read from time-to-time and forgotten. For the little shortcuts I've taken that compromise the integrity of any piece I've made. If you read Kate's books from cover to cover, you'll learn so much or remember so much. Her specialty is the structural aspect of any piece of jewelry and that focus and knowledge will make any piece that you make heirloom quality. Reading her books or watching the DVDs that come with them is like taking refresher courses from a Master. Well, I guess it IS taking refresher courses from a Master. Anyway, those two books and one of her bead stringing notebooks, are the best I've bought in a long time and I'm a compulsive book buyer. They'll make me a far better craftsman.
Susan Boyle's The Gift
Bliss. The woman has such a wonderful voice. I'd say I could live on a steady diet of her and Josh Groban but my country side would start to whine after a while. Just give me music, it makes me happy and beautiful music fills me with joy.
So I'll start. I know I'll forget some so this will be my end-of-year project and I'll post them as I think of them. This post has three:
Beads Of Cambay (and sister company "Give Me More Beads.")
 |
| From Recently Updated |
I put an order in to both and they were quick to respond, quick to ship and I might never be able to part with some of the stuff I ordered. Sigh. You should see the faceted African Opals. And the pyrite nuggets. I'm right in love with them. One of the things I really like about the shipment is that every strand was actually tagged with what it was and the price. Have you ever ordered beads, filed the invoice away and not used the gemstones for a few months? When you go to use them, they have this little coded tag on them that you don't understand and you can't remember if those were your Indian agates or your jasper. Or what you paid for them. So...an impressive company and I will certainly be ordering from them again. And again. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they have silver/copper twisted rings and beads - very handy.
Kate McKinnon's Books:
 |
| From Recently Updated |
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| From Recently Updated |
Susan Boyle's The Gift
Bliss. The woman has such a wonderful voice. I'd say I could live on a steady diet of her and Josh Groban but my country side would start to whine after a while. Just give me music, it makes me happy and beautiful music fills me with joy.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Canadian Artists Really Sparkle - My Flower Earrings are In it!
I'd like to promise that this will be the last collection but when people keep using my jewelry in them, I just have to promote them! Besides, when it's such a crazy time of the year, it's a very sneaky way of keeping my blog current without having to do a lot of actual thinking.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
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