Tuesday Quote
...Art is either plagiarism or revolution.
-- Paul Gauguin
Tuesday, December 30
Tuesday, December 23
Tuesday Quote
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
--Bill Cosby
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
--Bill Cosby
Monday, December 22
Happy Holidays
Amazingly, while all around me are folks still hustling and bustling, I am now calm.
We did gift exchange over the weekend; my kids, my parents, my brother (butt-head), and I. The kids will be with their dad and other grandparents for the Christmas week. So my part's done, and it's very relaxing.
Like making Gingerbread Cookies.
Amazingly, while all around me are folks still hustling and bustling, I am now calm.
We did gift exchange over the weekend; my kids, my parents, my brother (butt-head), and I. The kids will be with their dad and other grandparents for the Christmas week. So my part's done, and it's very relaxing.
Like making Gingerbread Cookies.
Saturday, December 20
Thursday, December 18
Projects Update
Inspired by ikastikos, her own art, and her collected links, I've been thinking about trash art lately.
A while back I picked up (very cheap) this craft pattern (REALLY cheap, like it was almost more expensive to not buy it) when I bought a few other patterns. (I guess I'm justifying it because it's not something I normally would have bought)
These bottle spinners were made by using an electric wood burning tool to burn designs in the soda bottles. I borrowed my dad's old wood burning thing (old as in he probably had it when he was a kid!) and tried it, but the newer bottles don't work as well, now that we use plastic labels that are glued on. So I put the wood burning thing away, and forgot about it.
Until, recently, along with thinking about trash art, I remembered burning through the plastic so easily with the wood burning thingy, and got a new inspiration:
I'd burn out designs in colored shampoo/lotion/whatever bottles, and put those cut-outs together to make something.
First idea, a bunch of flowers, as I have tons of great colored wire. (Still love the electrician dude who came to my old job and replaced some wiring above my cubey and let me take home the extra wire!!)
So last night, I got out the empty shampoo bottle and the wood burner thing, and did NOT create something wonderful, just a headache. I wasn't thinking about how much thicker the shampoo bottle plastic is. (it IS a 'recycle 2' as opposed to the soda bottle's 'recycle 1') It just didn't cut well, and stunk to high heaven, so won't be doing that one again.
But still thinking of how to easily cut the heavier plastic...
Inspired by ikastikos, her own art, and her collected links, I've been thinking about trash art lately.
A while back I picked up (very cheap) this craft pattern (REALLY cheap, like it was almost more expensive to not buy it) when I bought a few other patterns. (I guess I'm justifying it because it's not something I normally would have bought)
These bottle spinners were made by using an electric wood burning tool to burn designs in the soda bottles. I borrowed my dad's old wood burning thing (old as in he probably had it when he was a kid!) and tried it, but the newer bottles don't work as well, now that we use plastic labels that are glued on. So I put the wood burning thing away, and forgot about it.
Until, recently, along with thinking about trash art, I remembered burning through the plastic so easily with the wood burning thingy, and got a new inspiration:
I'd burn out designs in colored shampoo/lotion/whatever bottles, and put those cut-outs together to make something.
First idea, a bunch of flowers, as I have tons of great colored wire. (Still love the electrician dude who came to my old job and replaced some wiring above my cubey and let me take home the extra wire!!)
So last night, I got out the empty shampoo bottle and the wood burner thing, and did NOT create something wonderful, just a headache. I wasn't thinking about how much thicker the shampoo bottle plastic is. (it IS a 'recycle 2' as opposed to the soda bottle's 'recycle 1') It just didn't cut well, and stunk to high heaven, so won't be doing that one again.
But still thinking of how to easily cut the heavier plastic...
Wednesday, December 17
Projects
On my old Blog Template, I had a small list of Projects I'm working on: which I had imagined would prompt me to write about my projects, and update the list, which didn't really happen.
I also thought that maybe my 'regular readers' (all three of you :)) might help keep me to task on the projects if I had them listed in plain sight. Again, didn't happen.
Plus, I've found lately that my creative path, though it still seems to be the path I am to be walking on, seems a bit overgrown, and needs some weeds to be hacked out of it before I can stroll along it properly.
Well, I do realize that I need to keep myself to task, so I have decided to let Blogger's new features help me with this.
I've been saving my 'Tuesday Quotes' ahead of time ever since the new features came out. That way, I can use one afternoon to find enough good quotes for a month or two. Now I'm going to do that with my project updates, as well.
So every Thursday, I'll have a Project Update post. And hopefully, none will end up empty.
On my old Blog Template, I had a small list of Projects I'm working on: which I had imagined would prompt me to write about my projects, and update the list, which didn't really happen.
I also thought that maybe my 'regular readers' (all three of you :)) might help keep me to task on the projects if I had them listed in plain sight. Again, didn't happen.
Plus, I've found lately that my creative path, though it still seems to be the path I am to be walking on, seems a bit overgrown, and needs some weeds to be hacked out of it before I can stroll along it properly.
Well, I do realize that I need to keep myself to task, so I have decided to let Blogger's new features help me with this.
I've been saving my 'Tuesday Quotes' ahead of time ever since the new features came out. That way, I can use one afternoon to find enough good quotes for a month or two. Now I'm going to do that with my project updates, as well.
So every Thursday, I'll have a Project Update post. And hopefully, none will end up empty.
Tuesday, December 16
Tuesday Quote
Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men, or they are no better than dreams.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men, or they are no better than dreams.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Monday, December 15
Advent
I almost forgot about this wonderful advent calendar.
And if you're a
NeoPet-er, don't forget their advent calendar, too.
I almost forgot about this wonderful advent calendar.
And if you're a
NeoPet-er, don't forget their advent calendar, too.
Friday, December 12
Thursday, December 11
Entertainment Bits
The much-hyped movie Stuck on You starts tomorrow. Cute looking, but probably won't bother to see it at the theatre, maybe the $2 theatre. Looks better than Dumb and Dumber (or at least the sequel), plus it has Cher. (Shut up, I like Cher!)
But I'm probably not the only one to notice that one twin (the not-Matt one) looks about ten years older than the other. Not very believable that they're twins and not the same age, plus, aren't conjoined twins always fraternal? Better do some fact-checking.
Turns out Matt was born October 8, 1970, (and his middle name is Paige???), Greg, on the other hand, was born June 17, 1963. That's quite a difference, and it really shows in their faces. And, yes, monozygotic twins ARE fraternal. There's your science lesson and new word for the day. You're welcome.
So I'm hoping (but not expecting) that there's some joke in the movie about the age difference and the not-looking-identical difference.. Or does Baby-Boomer Greg (or who ever cast the roles) really think he looks as young as Gen-X Matt??
AND, I can't believe what they got away with on last night's South Park!!! The 'raisins' theme was funny enough, but the "Stan says you're a cont.....cont......continuous source of inspiration" that was just the most!
The much-hyped movie Stuck on You starts tomorrow. Cute looking, but probably won't bother to see it at the theatre, maybe the $2 theatre. Looks better than Dumb and Dumber (or at least the sequel), plus it has Cher. (Shut up, I like Cher!)
But I'm probably not the only one to notice that one twin (the not-Matt one) looks about ten years older than the other. Not very believable that they're twins and not the same age, plus, aren't conjoined twins always fraternal? Better do some fact-checking.
Turns out Matt was born October 8, 1970, (and his middle name is Paige???), Greg, on the other hand, was born June 17, 1963. That's quite a difference, and it really shows in their faces. And, yes, monozygotic twins ARE fraternal. There's your science lesson and new word for the day. You're welcome.
So I'm hoping (but not expecting) that there's some joke in the movie about the age difference and the not-looking-identical difference.. Or does Baby-Boomer Greg (or who ever cast the roles) really think he looks as young as Gen-X Matt??
AND, I can't believe what they got away with on last night's South Park!!! The 'raisins' theme was funny enough, but the "Stan says you're a cont.....cont......continuous source of inspiration" that was just the most!
Wednesday, December 10
No alarms
Well, the SNOW DAY happened after all, and like I thought, we didn't find out until early this morning. But my bladder woke me up earlier than the alarm, and I was able to shut off my alarm and the kids'. Nice treat to wake up on your own in the middle of the week.
Today, after shoveling we'll be playing games, and making pretzels. Oh, and probably watching this over and over again.
"Precious is the Bling-Bling"
Well, the SNOW DAY happened after all, and like I thought, we didn't find out until early this morning. But my bladder woke me up earlier than the alarm, and I was able to shut off my alarm and the kids'. Nice treat to wake up on your own in the middle of the week.
Today, after shoveling we'll be playing games, and making pretzels. Oh, and probably watching this over and over again.
"Precious is the Bling-Bling"
Tuesday, December 9
And more on snow
It has snowed, literally, all day. I unburied the car once mid-afternoon, and there's another 1/2 foot grown over it again, and the snow hasn't stopped. But school's still on for tomorrow at this point.
Now, I trust the folks whose job it is to decide if school is called off, after all, it's their job. But if we all have to wake up early tomorrow morning only to discover that they decided at 6:00 in the morning there will be no school, I'll be more than a little put out.
I don't want to have to scrape off the car, no doubt, but if you're gonna call off school, at least do it the night before so that the little buggers can stay up a little later than normal.
I mean, there was another Trek on, and everything.
And the school system, and all the local news sources need to learn to use the net better, IMHO
It has snowed, literally, all day. I unburied the car once mid-afternoon, and there's another 1/2 foot grown over it again, and the snow hasn't stopped. But school's still on for tomorrow at this point.
Now, I trust the folks whose job it is to decide if school is called off, after all, it's their job. But if we all have to wake up early tomorrow morning only to discover that they decided at 6:00 in the morning there will be no school, I'll be more than a little put out.
I don't want to have to scrape off the car, no doubt, but if you're gonna call off school, at least do it the night before so that the little buggers can stay up a little later than normal.
I mean, there was another Trek on, and everything.
And the school system, and all the local news sources need to learn to use the net better, IMHO
On snow
One kid was pretty disappointed that there wasn't a blanket of snow on the ground already when we got up today. "Someone should go after them with a pitchfork." Them being the weather people who had made incorrect predictions. But since the snow started coming down on the trip to school, he's better now, and we got to have a discussion on how weather is predicted. (He's still hoping for a snow day, but maybe tomorrow)
The other kid got philosophical about the snow on his trip to school. "How could there still be snow each year?" I thought he was going on the global warming vein, but no, check this out: "I mean, if every snowflake is different, won't we eventually run out of designs? Hmm, interesting thought. We talked about random-ness the rest of the way to school.
Pretty good for the first snowfall.
One kid was pretty disappointed that there wasn't a blanket of snow on the ground already when we got up today. "Someone should go after them with a pitchfork." Them being the weather people who had made incorrect predictions. But since the snow started coming down on the trip to school, he's better now, and we got to have a discussion on how weather is predicted. (He's still hoping for a snow day, but maybe tomorrow)
The other kid got philosophical about the snow on his trip to school. "How could there still be snow each year?" I thought he was going on the global warming vein, but no, check this out: "I mean, if every snowflake is different, won't we eventually run out of designs? Hmm, interesting thought. We talked about random-ness the rest of the way to school.
Pretty good for the first snowfall.
Tuesday Quote
Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.
--Niccolo Machiavelli
Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.
--Niccolo Machiavelli
Monday, December 8
Different Dates
Though Blogger's new 'change date and time' perk make it look like I actually did post that post yesterday, they were actually down most of the day.
What's up, guys??
Though Blogger's new 'change date and time' perk make it look like I actually did post that post yesterday, they were actually down most of the day.
What's up, guys??
Sunday, December 7
No pink for me
I knew that Iowa wasn't going to air the scheduled SNL "last night" because of equal time rules, but I thought we'd get to see it. Nope.
I understand (kinda) why Iowa stations made their decision, and since the Omaha NBC station that I watch probably broadcasts across the river a little ways, I guess that's why they chose to go along with the i-WEE-juns.
But I wanted to see Pink. I've never seen her.
(Oh, did you think the title was going a different direction, shame on your dirty mind!)
I knew that Iowa wasn't going to air the scheduled SNL "last night" because of equal time rules, but I thought we'd get to see it. Nope.
I understand (kinda) why Iowa stations made their decision, and since the Omaha NBC station that I watch probably broadcasts across the river a little ways, I guess that's why they chose to go along with the i-WEE-juns.
But I wanted to see Pink. I've never seen her.
(Oh, did you think the title was going a different direction, shame on your dirty mind!)
Friday, December 5
Thursday, December 4
Thursday Bit O' Beauty
Look what they made with Rubic's cubes:
And there's more here. From the folks that make the game Flux.
Look what they made with Rubic's cubes:
And there's more here. From the folks that make the game Flux.
Fashions that kill
or at least make you sick
There are so many differences between elementary school and middle school, and since I've got one in each this year, I get to see the differences every day.
One of the biggest, I think is how they dress. In grade school, there's no 'punk' or 'goth' fashions, or very little. K wore safety pins on his shirt yesterday and no one even noticed. So he just told me he'll wait to start dressing punk until middle school.
In grade school, it's still mostly mom's call on outerwear, too. I'm pretty lenient about letting them make their own decisions about what to wear, but I still make them take a jacket. My rule of thumb is from October to March, always carry a jacket, you never know when the weather will change.
Driving Z to school this morning, I see two girls walking to school, with light jackets and their hair pulled up on top of their heads. My ears were safely hiding under my hair, and riding in a car, but they still shivered and wished I'd worn a hat when they saw those poor, cold, baby ears.
Do we get less tolerant of pain as we get older? Do they not feel the wind whipping through their ear canals? Their ear drums are beating SOS loud enough for a mother to hear. If they were in elementary school still, I'll bet they would have had a hat or hood, but now that they are trotting off to middle school, mom's opinions don't count, only looking good counts.
Come on folks, be true to your ears. Let's make hats fashionable again!!
or at least make you sick
There are so many differences between elementary school and middle school, and since I've got one in each this year, I get to see the differences every day.
One of the biggest, I think is how they dress. In grade school, there's no 'punk' or 'goth' fashions, or very little. K wore safety pins on his shirt yesterday and no one even noticed. So he just told me he'll wait to start dressing punk until middle school.
In grade school, it's still mostly mom's call on outerwear, too. I'm pretty lenient about letting them make their own decisions about what to wear, but I still make them take a jacket. My rule of thumb is from October to March, always carry a jacket, you never know when the weather will change.
Driving Z to school this morning, I see two girls walking to school, with light jackets and their hair pulled up on top of their heads. My ears were safely hiding under my hair, and riding in a car, but they still shivered and wished I'd worn a hat when they saw those poor, cold, baby ears.
Do we get less tolerant of pain as we get older? Do they not feel the wind whipping through their ear canals? Their ear drums are beating SOS loud enough for a mother to hear. If they were in elementary school still, I'll bet they would have had a hat or hood, but now that they are trotting off to middle school, mom's opinions don't count, only looking good counts.
Come on folks, be true to your ears. Let's make hats fashionable again!!
Wednesday, December 3
On the bookshelf:
Been reading Bel Canto, slowly, the past month or longer. This is the book that all of Lincoln is (supposedly) reading together for the One Book promotion, though the only other person that I have heard is reading it is Z's 7th grade English teacher. It is a bit of a chore to read it, like being assigned a book in class. It's a very good book, don't get me wrong, it's just I sometimes take issue with being told what to read. (I have to admit I've never actually finished any Shakespeare, despite his plays have been assigned to me at least 4 times in classes. I just read the Cliff's Notes! But it's not that I won't read and enjoy what's assigned to me; I absolutely loved Gatsby, for example, and wouldn't have even thought to read that if it hadn't been assigned.)
Anyway, I digress.
I ordered Bel Canto at the same time as Why Girls Are Weird and did read the first 'entry' in that, but I told myself I had to read my assigned book before I could read the fun one. (Even after the excitement of learning that the author is a friend of a friend-wow six degrees to pammie!)
This past week, I went off my assignment, and tonight I finished WGAW. Not to gush too much, but I think Anna K saved my life! Well, at least my sanity for a while. See, (huge personal junk coming--turn your head if you've a weak stomach) I get horrible cramps (and 'horrible' is not even close to being an adequate adjective), and lo-and-behold 'cramp day' (as I have affectionately named it) was mixed in with 'get all the rest of the Turkey Day sh*t done days'. And I almost lost it. But I took a little break and drew myself a hot bath and started in reading the book.
It made me laugh hard enough to get back to a good mood despite the pain. And in the last week, it made me laugh several more times, and cry a couple, too. And it helped evolve some of my ideas about having a public blog, but more on that another time.
Highly recommended book, I think all Weird Girls, and all bloggers should read it. Sometime after the first of the year, my copy will be available for borrowing, but to support the artist, you could buy your own.
And let me just say that all I want for Christmas is a Tiny Wooden Hand.
Been reading Bel Canto, slowly, the past month or longer. This is the book that all of Lincoln is (supposedly) reading together for the One Book promotion, though the only other person that I have heard is reading it is Z's 7th grade English teacher. It is a bit of a chore to read it, like being assigned a book in class. It's a very good book, don't get me wrong, it's just I sometimes take issue with being told what to read. (I have to admit I've never actually finished any Shakespeare, despite his plays have been assigned to me at least 4 times in classes. I just read the Cliff's Notes! But it's not that I won't read and enjoy what's assigned to me; I absolutely loved Gatsby, for example, and wouldn't have even thought to read that if it hadn't been assigned.)
Anyway, I digress.
I ordered Bel Canto at the same time as Why Girls Are Weird and did read the first 'entry' in that, but I told myself I had to read my assigned book before I could read the fun one. (Even after the excitement of learning that the author is a friend of a friend-wow six degrees to pammie!)
This past week, I went off my assignment, and tonight I finished WGAW. Not to gush too much, but I think Anna K saved my life! Well, at least my sanity for a while. See, (huge personal junk coming--turn your head if you've a weak stomach) I get horrible cramps (and 'horrible' is not even close to being an adequate adjective), and lo-and-behold 'cramp day' (as I have affectionately named it) was mixed in with 'get all the rest of the Turkey Day sh*t done days'. And I almost lost it. But I took a little break and drew myself a hot bath and started in reading the book.
It made me laugh hard enough to get back to a good mood despite the pain. And in the last week, it made me laugh several more times, and cry a couple, too. And it helped evolve some of my ideas about having a public blog, but more on that another time.
Highly recommended book, I think all Weird Girls, and all bloggers should read it. Sometime after the first of the year, my copy will be available for borrowing, but to support the artist, you could buy your own.
And let me just say that all I want for Christmas is a Tiny Wooden Hand.
Quick...
turn your radio or web radio to KZUM.
Our favorite folk musician Cris Sayre is on Acoustic Wheel right now!
(Maybe he'll play 'Don't put your finger up your nose', the kids' favorite)
turn your radio or web radio to KZUM.
Our favorite folk musician Cris Sayre is on Acoustic Wheel right now!
(Maybe he'll play 'Don't put your finger up your nose', the kids' favorite)
Tuesday, December 2
I Love Blogger!
Cool.
I've been meaning to mention how much I love the updates that Blogger added back in September, but haven't done it until now.
I have saved 'Tuesday Quotes' into the future a month or so, now that we can post to future dates.
So tonight, after not posting for a week, two Tuesday Quotes post automatically when I post tonight's blathering.
I just love technology.
Cool.
I've been meaning to mention how much I love the updates that Blogger added back in September, but haven't done it until now.
I have saved 'Tuesday Quotes' into the future a month or so, now that we can post to future dates.
So tonight, after not posting for a week, two Tuesday Quotes post automatically when I post tonight's blathering.
I just love technology.
Catching UP
Whew! The last guests left last night, the last road trip to pick up the holiday-traveling-broken-down-car was this afternoon.
I don't want to say 'finally' because it was all fun, but Thanksgiving weekend is (finally) over.
And my server is all moved. There are a few things I need to clean up and had to change the log-in on Blogger, but all went well with that.
Of course, things went on in the world, despite me not being there to blog about it, most notably in my corner of cyber space:
*GNE has added more items and stats. (Still not up to full game potential, but it's coming along)
*BlogShares has folded. Though, to be honest, I never really understood it, I kept thinking I should figure it out.
*The latest fun thing on the web (from Dave) is Mr. Picassohead!
Here's mine:
Whew! The last guests left last night, the last road trip to pick up the holiday-traveling-broken-down-car was this afternoon.
I don't want to say 'finally' because it was all fun, but Thanksgiving weekend is (finally) over.
And my server is all moved. There are a few things I need to clean up and had to change the log-in on Blogger, but all went well with that.
Of course, things went on in the world, despite me not being there to blog about it, most notably in my corner of cyber space:
*GNE has added more items and stats. (Still not up to full game potential, but it's coming along)
*BlogShares has folded. Though, to be honest, I never really understood it, I kept thinking I should figure it out.
*The latest fun thing on the web (from Dave) is Mr. Picassohead!
Here's mine: