Ever Lovin' Saturday

I rock! Today I have:

• Cleaned the kitchen surfaces (some haven't been touched since Christmas). This might not sound like much but my kitchen is huge for a kitchen. When we bought the house it was called a "farm kitchen." It was really a tiny kitchen, tiny family room and tiny dining room in one space. After a few years we added a large family room off of this room and now the 315 square foot space is kitchen and dining room. Although the actual work area is small, there are lots of "drop spots" that were still cluttered since I packed away the Christmas decorations. Whenever DH leaves for more than a day or two I like to clear all the surfaces and keep them clear (if I clear them while he's here, within a couple of hours they will be covered with food, computer equipment, newspapers, candy...)
  
• Shopped at Home Depot for stuff to make some repairs
• Repaired my 3-way lamp
• Replaced the drain cover in my shower
• (Bought a new fluorescent bulb for my magnifying lamp but I think the lamp is dead.)
• Went to Target for a copy of the Lilo & Stitch movies; came out instead with a gallon of bubble mix for my Eeyore bubble blower and a new nozzle for the front hose.
• Whipped up a batch of brownies (with pecans)
• Folded the rest of last week's laundry and got a start on this week's.
• Set up my sewing corner for tomorrow.
  
• Am almost done with the first short row of stitching on the "...Spring..." quilt. Hearts and vines with ladybugs. I love working on it and will finish it now while I get a start on "...Pirates...At Worlds' End".
  

I decided to have a movie marathon since I am in control of the television today. It was a hard decision but I settled on the Pirates... trilogy. I'll have to think about tomorrow's program.

Tomorrow I am hoping to sew ALL DAY, then Monday (a holiday for me) I want to go up to my favorite nursery and buy flowers for the fairy garden, and spend a couple of hours whipping that space into shape. Then back inside for another marathon sewing session.

I'm really loving feeling better.

TGIF

Well, not a bad ending to the week. Little altercation with a student over a cell phone in class right at the end but I don't THINK it ended too badly. Passed her off to the AP and skipped out as quickly as I could.

DH made it to Eden yesterday without incident, if you don't count the AC bearings going out in the car on the way up. He realized today that if he couldn't get it to a mechanic and get a rental car today they could be in trouble in an emergency over a three day holiday weekend, so he took it into Ogden this AM. Got his rental car for the weekend only to get a call after three hours that the car was finished (they'd been able to rush in the parts). We love Enterprise - they refunded the unused portion of the rental (they had agreed to that ahead of time) and took good care of him.

Here is his view out the back balcony.

He had called me from our condo last night, practically in tears. They had gone up to get some "necessities' that we store up there (coats and gloves, extra blankets, coffee grinder) and the place is gutted. No wallboard, no carpet.

No furniture, which is really alarming. Our sofa and chair are stored in the entry. DH and his guests couldn't find our coffee table (a collector's piece made from teak reclaimed from a 200-year-old ship) or the quilt I had made for the family room or the limited edition moose print from the downstairs bedroom.

Sigh.

But DH got to have a long talk with our old friend (his father was DH's roommate in college) who is the developer of the resort. Not only did they clear up some misunderstandings, but the friend now has HIS VIN (Very Important Nose) into the project which should move some things along. Plus, with DH up there he can also push. Really good news was that our friend said to call him before the property tax appeal next year and he would get us the documentation we need to show the county that, even though our lot may have been declared worth $500,000 last year, nothing up there is selling for more than $200K, if they are selling at all. It will be a huge help not to have to pay $6,000 taxes on a vacant lot, especially since we've been cut out of this amazing ski season because of The Calamity.

There also may have been a turn in contract negotiations that will relieve a lot of stress around here. On the off chance that anyone involved may google their way in here I will only say that we are cautiously optimistic (and beating ourselves up for being so stupid as to be so.)

Still, with the previous good news of DS2 returning home in April and to college for his masters in the fall, I can feel my blood pressure down a good 30 points and am looking forward to holing up for the three-day weekend.

Tomorrow I want to run up to the Barnes & Noble. My SIL won 2nd place in a writing contest for a literary magazine called CUTTHROAT and her story, "One Man Band," is supposed to be in the magazine now. There's no way her predominently redneck town will have it in their Borders so I said I'd go check out the B&N up the road from me. She bought us all copies from the publisher, but she wanted one with receipt from a bookstore. While I'm there, of course, I will check out the UK cross stitch mags to see if there's anything to enjoy this weekend. After a quick stop at Target for a floor lamp and a video (and I guess I should pick up some food, too) I'll come home and barricade the door. Already warned DH to call me on my cell. The house phone is sure to all be for him so I'm going to ignore it.

I'm going to bring a large table from storage into the family room and set up a sewing center. I'm really hopeful that I can make major progress on a wallhanging I started two years ago. Years ago I read a book by Jean Ray Laury,

I had done several JRL crafts, and this how-to book (c. 1975) was a collection of great advice for home crafters. One of the pieces of advice I have remembered all these years was about incomplete projects. In short, incomplete projects are crippling. Get them done or get them out. This wallhanging quilt I'm working on should be a project of joy (it's a housewarming gift for a special friend) but is becoming a burden. It's time to get it done.

Another artist who gives great advice is Mary Ellen Hopkins. If you EVER get a chance to attend a presentation by this woman (The Yes, You Can Sit on My Quilt Handbook), do it! She is not only a fabulous quilter but an absolute riot. She was giving us advice once on what to do with unfinished projects. If you realize you just don't want to finish it - ever - but you don't want to get rid of it, she directs you to go to Nordstrom's and buy something inexpensive just so you can get one of their beautiful silver gift boxes. You line the box with gorgeous tissue, then place carefully inside it (iron if you need to) the fabric, partially completed blocks, pattern and whatever notions and embellishments you have left for that project. Carefully smooth the tissue over the treasures inside. Put the lid on the box and tie with a beautiful wired ribbon. Add a tag (maybe handmade) inscribed,

"To My Daughter-in-Law"

and put it up in the closet or attic.

When you die and your son and DIL are going through your things, think how thrilled she'll be to find that you were thinking of her!

Here's another SBQ I can identify with:

Do you have any projects that you have scrapped and started over? What made you start over from scratch?

Oh, yes. I do.

In 1992, I opened up this magazine

and fell hard for this chart.

This would be my first BAP ("Big Ass Project") and I wanted it to be REALLY big when I finished it. I also did not want to work on linen, so bought a huge piece of 11 count Aida (yes, ELEVEN count). Oh, it was easy to work on, but it didn't take long to see that I was not going to like the result when it was done.

I just wasn't getting the coverage I wanted (the colors had no depth) and I really didn't think I liked the effect of the holly border on the ecru Aida. So, I took a deep breath, folded it up and tucked it away. I didn't have the heart to trash it.

I bought a nice, natural Fiddler (14) that I like a LOT better. I'm using three strands and getting much better coverage. Unfortunately, it's not really much fun to work on. Large expanses of color (red, brown, white) with an amazing amount of confetti. But I really would love to have this hanging in the entry of the new house for the holidays so I try to work on it a little here and there.

Maybe it's a good thing the house has been delayed a few years, huh?

Chiloe is having a mommy emergency. Pencil on the wallpaper that won't come off. Just wanted to share that these Sanford Magic Rub erasers will erase things that other erasers miss. Don't know if they are worldwide but I think they are worth a little search for anyone who works with pencil (I use them for scrapbooking and - knock on wood - so far they take out even the faintest traces of pencil.)

I'm so excited!

My sweet, beautiful boy came by with dinner and a need to talk.

He graduated from UCSB in 2006 (after a lifetime of hating school) with a degree in cultural anthropology and a desire to have a no-brainer job. He had no job for several weeks, then started his job as a sub mail carrier, recently supplemented as a pizza delivery guy.

Tonight he told us he's going to take us up on our offer of a room (yippee!!!) while he - and I still can't believe I heard it with my own ears - goes for an M.A. in physical anthropology and an eventual Ph.D. in forensics (maybe primate forensics but he hasn't decided for sure.) He's already taken the first step of making an appointment with the counselor at the local community college to find out how much lower division he can get done at the CC (cheap tuition, live at home). He's also already emailed the chair of the department he's interested in at UCDavis.

Pretty good first steps. I'm so happy that he is, for the first time in his life, seeing himself as a student and seeing that as a good thing!

A Distraction

So, just because it's Whiney Wednesday doesn't mean I can't try to distract you from my venting post. I thought I'd catch up with some of the memes and other prompts I haven't done yet.

First, Kathryn's SBQ:

Are there other crafts that you have tried and abandoned? Why do you like stitching better?

I don't know that I've abandoned many in the sense that I'll never do them again. I don't think I'll do decoupage again, I guess, but most of the crafts I've tried over the years I would love to get back to. I have greenware for about a dozen dolls stashed, but there's nowhere around here to have them fired. I also have a box of ideas and materials for a line of skateboarding and snowboarding dolls made of polymer clay that I'm looking forward to making (and may include some hot air ballooners, too) but am saving them for retirement. I have lots of rubber stamps and may, someday, make my own cards but don't have time now. Another craft that I've done and would love to do again is ceramics (cast from molds, although I've also done some pottery and would do it again if the circumstances were right).

My list of stash that I share time on now includes scrapbooking, quilting, embroidery and cross-stitch. I enjoy them all equally and for the same reasons. I love the color and patterns of the materials. I do more embroidery and cross-stitch, though, because our house is rather -uh - full at the moment and it's very difficult for me to s-p-r-e-a-d out anywhere to quilt of scrapbook. Stitchery is an on-my-lap indulgence that I can do in the family room while DH watches TV. Works for me!

Next, from Nancy, although I've seen it on other blogs, too:

Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.

Weird is in the eye of the beholder. Having said this, I think some would think it is weird that I:

1. Loved cats my whole life, then got into showing and breeding Himalayans. I will never have another cat in my house.
2. Had two wonderful years of clogging class. I had lost about 75 pounds when I started and I never had so much fun! But life got emotional again and I ate myself out of class (fasciitis in both feet and had to quit.)
3. I have only been a patient in a hospital once (my uterus prolapsed and I had to have a hysterectomy.) My two sons were born at home.
4. I've never smoked anything or drunk anything alcoholic. I can't stand bubbles so don't drink sodas, and I hate the taste of coffee (though I love the smell of it). I drink LOTS of water and a couple of glasses of milk every day. (No, I'm not LDS.)
5. I married one of my college professors (13 years older than I) in 1972. We're still married.
6. One of my favorite things is a completely bare flower bed. I love to think of the possibilities.
7. My friends appreciate me for my clear-headedness and common sense. I would give anything to be quick-witted and clever.

And from Marita, the media meme:

Books, TV/Video, Music in the Last Week

Books: I heard the last part of The Golden Compass on audio while I stitched. Am looking for the second book now. Nighty-night reading was Susan Wiggs' latest from The Lakeshore Chronicles, Snowfall at Willow Lake. With nothing new on hand I am re-reading Julie Garwood's Heartbreaker when I wake up at 2:00 am.

TV/Video: I don't really watch much television although it seems to be on most of the time (DH is addicted). I watched reports on the primaries. I watched A Daily Show (until I fell asleep) a couple of nights. I channel-hopped into Practical Magic once and The Family Stone twice. I don't care where it is in either movie, I will sit and watch whatever's left and love them both. I watched Stardust (again).

Music: I teach eighth grade and noise is my life. I don't try to fill the silence when I finally get some. I do sometimes sing along with a cd in the car. I'm trying to learn the words to "He Mele No Lilo" (Lilo's hula song from Stitch Has a Glitch). Today I was singing along with "Happy Working Song" and "So Close" from Enchanted. I predicted both would be nominated for Academy Awards and my money's on "So Close."

Thanks for the fun, everyone.

Hugs for Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Whiney Wednesday

Since 2000 there has been a group of people working to unify my K-8 school district into a K-12 district. There is some questions as to the purity of their motives. I don't know about their motives. I do know, however, if I had had to drive my kids into the next town for high school instead of a mile away, their high school careers would have been much less rewarding for them. For that reason alone, 8 years ago I personally supported this effort.

Seven years ago, however, I started a two-year term as president of my local. The unification group (not teachers) learned from the state that if the teachers' union would support unification it would be pretty much a "done deal" with the state. It became apparent early on, however, that teachers in the district were dramatically split on this issue, and the decision was made by the exec board and the rep council to stay out of the issue completely.

And so we have.

Last year a new, interim superintendent started the school year by looking at our district to see where he could help. He noticed what we've been saying for years. Good teachers are leaving our district in large numbers because, even though our town is a very expensive place to live (about as close to a "rural" suburb of Los Angeles as you'll get, we have a lot of people from the entertainment industry living in our town), our teachers receive the lowest pay and worst health benefit package in our entire county. He also saw the reason right away. Although our district is in a condition of declining enrollment, has refused to consolidate school and we have too many tiny schools too close to each other. By consolidating schools (closing three or four campuses and combining their kids with the next closest school) the district would save enough money to move our salaries into the mid-range in the county. Even at that, when you combine salary and health benefits you get a compensation package that puts us back at the bottom. However, this was a start, a move toward a goal of "competitive compensation that attracts and retains high-quality teachers," a goal that even the Board president admitted they gave given "only lip service" for years. The problem, said the sup't, was that parents were going to be upset. Parents like having their children in tiny schools just around the block rather than a half-mile away. "If the Board is going to take the heat on this," the sup't warned us at three district faculty meetings, "they have to at least know that the teachers understand and support their action, and that support has to be visible to the public."

I was asked to be chair of the Active Teachers Committee and we did a fine job of showing support and showing the public that we supported school consolidation. Our teachers wore bright, school-bus gold t-shirts to board meetings (often over 150 teachers at a time, so many that the fire marshall would have to clear some out of the room.) We wrote letters of support, and stood together outside our schools before our contract hours began to show support. As expected, parent groups protested vehemently and the board caved, closing only two schools instead of the four needed to move us to the middle.

This year, however, the board has refused to negotiate in good faith for increasing compensation using the approximately $1.5 million saved through the closing of the two schools. I am, again, the Action chair only this time our goal is to put pressure on the board to fulfill their promise to use the money from school closures (which we are already paying for in larger schools and larger class sizes) to raise salaries again.

It's been going well. So well, in fact, that the board is now embarrassed and angry at us, and has decided to USE us to achieve their goal of unification. "The only way we will be able to give you raises is if we unify the district!" (A lie in a couple of ways. First, there is nothing in ed code that ensures that districts have to use any of their increased income to improve teacher salaries. Second, even though the board insists the district will have an "extra" $7 million to apply toward salary, they made such a mess of their petition that there were several aspects ignored that would not only eat up the $7 million but would put the new district hundreds of thousands of dollars in the whole from the get-go.) "Help us with unification and you will get raises!" they tell us.

I didn't think I could get any angrier. I've been working on my letter to the paper with the theme, "Teachers Held Hostage to Unification". Then yesterday our union rep presents us with a petition supporting the unification effort by asking the state to allow the issue to proceed to a vote, bypassing the appeal of a group of citizens questioning the budget imbalances.

The endorsement by the teachers is something they have wanted since 2000. Our exec board is trusting a woman who is a known liar, who will, I believe, "spin" this petition into an endorsement of unification, not a vote for unification. And our board went along with it.

When the board attempted to hold our compensation hostage until unification I was angry, but I just considered the source. But when my own exec pulls something like this, I feel like I've been sold down the river.

Weird

Blogger is being weird. I just went to check in on Dineke's blog and was dropped into a November, 2006 post. And I check some of my blogroll two or three times a day and I SWEAR to you there were no updates on YOUR blogs for days, then yesterday suddenly there three and four days worth of updates showing!

And no, that doesn't count as my Whiney Wednesday. I'm saving that up for after work 'cause I'm really upset about something and need to vent.

I just wanted my friends to know I haven't been neglecting you!

Make-it-Healthy Monday (for real)

Last week I wrote a post about my heart testing and how I came to be heading to a cardiologist in the first place so I won't repeat that story. I'll just say that I am gradually getting used to the idea of preventative health care as a positive thing and am gradually developing better habits as far as getting regular check-ups.

I'm up-to-date on my mammograms (last one in January, all good).
I'm up-t0-date on my teeth (clean and x-rayed with no new decay).

I take my blood pressure meds every day. My grandmother died at 51 of hypertension (in 1954 when I was three) and I am grateful every day that we have medications for this disease now that have helped keep my mother with us well past that age. At my last "comfortable" check-up (XL BP cuff, 45 minute wait to relax) my BP was 116/74. My internist and I were both thrilled!

At my visit in August my weight was the highest it's ever been at 271 (I'm 5'7"). At my last internist appointment it was 268, and at the cardiologist's consultation it was 258. I've had two pieces of advice that have made a huge difference for me as far as losing weight. The first was a post by a dietitian I read on a Weight Watchers site last year. She said - believe it or not - that most dieters don't get enough fat in the morning and pay for that all day with low energy levels, which tends to make them eat more. She recommended changing from nonfat to 2% milk in the morning. In 1964, on the advice of his doctor, my father started drinking nonfat instead of whole milk. My mother, to make her life a tad easier, changed the whole family to nonfat and I've been drinking it ever since. But, on the advice of this columnist, I switched to 2% and use it on cereal in the morning. I noticed within a few days that I am no longer ravenous by my mid-morning break.

The second was something shared by an old friend (I've know him for 35 years). Jim has always been athletic (marathon runner, biker) but has never been thin. The last time I saw him I was amazed at how much weight he'd lost - he actually looked thin! Of course, I asked him what made the difference and he said his trainer had him eating five small meals a day instead of three larger meals. That was all he'd changed, and the weight just dropped off. So, what I do now is split my lunch and eat half of it for my morning break. For example, I'll bring a tuna salad on whole grain sandwich and a pear, then eat half the sandwich for my break (about 10:30 in the morning.) I guess it keeps my metabolism working more efficiently because I've been able to lose some weight and that's really the only change I've made.

Now, I've been in and out of Weight Watchers since 1971. Someday I will find a lecturer who has lost more than 100 pounds (well, I would even settle for 75) and be truly inspired. But every time I do sign up for a while I learn something new. Most of the time I eat very reasonably.

Most of the time.

But not during (dun, dun, dun!)

CHOCOLATE SEASON

Never heard of Chocolate Season? It runs (in America) from early October (or even late September when the Halloween candy appears on the shelf in all it's freshy goodness), continues through Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. The Easter bunny makes ALL the chocolate and - thank goodness - goes into hibernation after Easter. What's bizarre about my addiciton to chocolate is that I really don't think I like the flavor that much. But, oh, I love the texture of Hershey's Kisses, Dove's Promises, M&Ms and See's dark chocolate walnut clusters.

I read an article once by some kind of doctor doing a study of people and chocolate. He said he had found that what most people like most about chocolate is the texture, the "pop" as you bit into a firm piece of candy. Boy, that was sure me! Then he went on to say that for his patients with this problem he had found that they were often satisfied chewing on a wooden stick. Which was really meaningful for me, because for all of my life when I would eat a popsicle or fudgesicle or anything else on a flat, wooden stick I would chew on the stick until it splintered.

So, guess I'd better head to Michael's and pick up a box of craft sticks to use as a diet aid!

Make-it-Healthy Monday

Have you met my friend, Linda? Her story is not mine to tell, but I will say that if you were to read her blog you would never guess what she's gone through in the last year. Linda may slip into her batcave for some recovery time now and then (don't worry, Tinkerbat won't hurt you), but when she comes to blog she is so filled with strength and insight and a willingness to share both. She's been an inspiration to me for over a year now. She has a general blog that is often focused on her health issues. Because Linda has been such a health inspiration for me, as was Debbi at dubiquilts last week, that I decide to post from time to time about my progress toward regaining good health. It's way too easy to lurk here and never fess up to the destructive choices I make.

I also noticed how many of my daily, favorite blogs are those whose writers do not linger over life's challenges so much. This blog is my journal and I do tend to vent here. That's fine - it's what it's for - but dang! Even I get tired of it and am starting to wonder how much of our attitude is affected by our own absorption with people's troubles, especially our own.

So here's the deal. I know I will never blog any health stuff unless I commit to a specific day, and I will never stop my venting posts unless I limit myself. I've set up a list in the sidebar. On Monday the topic will be health and my progress (or challenges) in regaining mine. On Whiney Wednesdays I can come here to vent (feel free to head for the hills on Whiney Wednesdays.)