tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137327072011-12-27T08:40:42.542-05:00<a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com">The life and times of a 17th century frugalista on a modern suburban homestead.</a>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.comBlogger3071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-61700467834532739002011-02-26T21:10:00.003-05:002011-03-13T13:22:19.631-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;">My blog has moved to <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt,blogspot.com/">Empress of Dirt</a>. Come, join in!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6170046783453273900?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-26361415729730696032009-07-21T08:58:00.003-05:002010-04-15T06:23:18.569-05:00<span style="font-style: italic;">I really want to record this dream so I will remember it.</span><br /><br />I dreamed my body had become very large and round and I felt very unhappy about it.<br /><br />As I walked, I came upon a gathering of all my former school teachers and some children running around in a field. I noticed a big, old tree stump and walked over to it.<br /><br />I was dismayed to see one teacher who had really upset me many times during my school years. I ignored her questions and walked over to the tree stump.<br /><br />It was about six feet high and four feet in diameter. I peered inside and saw all kinds of birds I've always wanted to see. Rare and unusual and beautiful birds. Most eye-catching was a giant hummingbird with a brilliant red breast. It shimmered in the light. There were also big, plump wrens with delicate black and white stripes. I knew there was an unlimited variety of wonderful birds to be found here.<br /><br />At the top was a golden eagle. It was nesting there, like the queen of the birds. When I got my camera out to take her picture, she got up and flew up above us in a great circle. As she opened her massive wings I saw there were actually eight wings. Six major ones and two smaller ones.<br /><br />I pressed the shutter down on the camera, hoping for multiple shots and let go as she settled back down on the stump. I then realized that my camera battery was dead and I did not have a second charged one in my bag.<br /><br />The teacher who bothered me was so busy talking she couldn't see this great creature. Someone called her away (thank you!) and I could look closer at the birds.<br /><br />In the bottom of the stump was a secret world like a dollhouse for fairies, except little animals were playing in there. A tiny little girl walked up to me and asked if she could play with them. Of course, I said and she went inside. Mice pulled her in a little wheeled cart. I really wanted to take a video of it. Her parents told me the eagle was flying again and I looked up to see those enormous wings overhead. They made a gorgeous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wooshing</span> sound in the air.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-2636141572973069603?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-54623717474344425502009-03-30T19:14:00.006-05:002009-04-01T16:51:21.379-05:00Dina Babbitt was a prisoner at Auschwitz during WWII. Her life was spared because she could draw and paint. Instead of going to the gas chambers, she was set to work painting portraits of various people the SS were conducting experiments on. Dina survived the camp and became a professional artist, living in the United States.<br /><br />A few years ago, someone found six of Dina's paintings from Auschwitz. They were given to the Auschwitz Museum. The museum contacted Dina to tell them they had the paintings and asked for her help in identifying the people in them.<br /><br />These paintings are deeply significant to Dina. They represent that fact that she is alive today. She has asked the museum to return the paintings to her. With everything in her life taken from her during her time at Auschwitz, these paintings are the only part of herself left behind.<br /><br />The museum refuses to give back the paintings. I wrote to them asking for them to be returned to Dina and their stance seemed to be that a museum's collection is more important than the healing that the paintings could bring to any one person's life.<br /><br />If this story interests you, feel free to read more details at the sites listed below, and contact the museum yourself [muzeum@auschwitz.org.pl] to see if you can help move this along. Given the purpose of the museum, you would think they could show copies of the paintings (with Dina's permission) and return the originals to her.<br /><br />Dina now has terminal cancer. Her remaining days are uncertain. Imagine if she could have this last wish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resources</span><br /><a href="http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1006/return_paintings.php3?printer_friendly">http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1006/return_paintings.php3?printer_friendly<br /></a><a href="http://freedinasart.wordpress.com/">http://freedinasart.wordpress.com/</a><br />Facebook Group: Return Dina Babbitt's Paintings<br />There's also an excellent interview with Dina on CBC radio (search podcasts)<br />Also see Return Dina Babbitt's Paintings group on Facebook.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-5462371747434442550?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-59879823953600862182009-01-22T17:12:00.002-05:002009-01-22T17:19:01.754-05:00From an interview with <span style="font-weight: bold;">John Robbins</span> from <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Fresh Network</span>:<br /><br />"When Jimmy Carter was president he installed solar panels on the White House. So he personally was making an effort to live more sustainably but more importantly everything that happens in the White House is a statement to the country. Reagan took the solar panels down, and Bush senior kept them down. Under Clinton, Gore put them back up but when Bush Junior arrived he took them down again!"<br /><br />You can read the entire interview here:<br /><a href="http://www.fresh-network.com/acatalog/how-to-live-sustainably.html">http://www.fresh-network.com/acatalog/how-to-live-sustainably.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-5987982395360086218?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-66880045975743978632009-01-21T14:47:00.002-05:002009-01-21T15:05:09.938-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/auIMG_2347.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br />I designated myself as an unoffical photographer of the presidential inauguration. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/auIMG_2301.jpg" width="600"></a><br /><br />See all the photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/">my flickr page</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6688004597574397863?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-71650069401201421992009-01-15T08:54:00.001-05:002009-01-15T08:54:29.492-05:00<a href="http://www.dorothyainsworth.com/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/dasite.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br />There was a wonderful flurry of activity in my inbox the other day when some readers notified me that Dorothy Ainsworth now has a website (thank you: these are my favourite news flashes). And then I received a note from Dorothy herself.<br /><br />I first wrote about Dorothy <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/dorothy-ainsworth.html">here</a>. She has built the home and life of her dreams, all on a waitresses income of $12,000. When she says, if she can do it, you can too, she's not kidding. It is possible.<br /><br />See for yourself:<br /><a href="http://www.dorothyainsworth.com/">http://www.dorothyainsworth.com/</a><br /><br />and may you be inspired.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7165006940120142199?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-9059470034974516562008-08-11T21:13:00.004-05:002008-08-27T19:46:01.969-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/summerreadingaug.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/summerreadingaug.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Garden That You Are</span> by Katherine Gordon<br />My favourite new gardening book.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">A New Earth</span> by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Eckhart</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tolle</span><br />The most straight forward and helpful self-help book I have ever read.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Open Road</span> by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Pico</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Iyer</span><br />A behind the scenes memoir by a friend of the Dali Lama. Lots of new and interesting tidbits about both the practicality and mysticism that comprises Tibetan Buddhism.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Other Boleyn Girl</span> by Phillipa Gregory<br />I'm always in favour of a good bodice ripper.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inventing Niagara</span> by Ginger Strand<br />The wacky history and manipulation of this once natural wonder.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Slocan</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">: portrait of a valley</span> by Katherine Gordon<br />The first book mentioned, The Garden That You Are is written by the same author. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Slocan</span> valley has a very interesting history. And ridiculous beauty.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Gilean</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Douglas: Writing Nature, Finding Home</span> by Andrea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Lebowitz</span> and Gillian Milton<br />Notes by a feminist pioneer.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-905947003497451656?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-76694228996059964962008-08-10T14:39:00.001-05:002008-08-10T15:24:07.731-05:00My cat photo is on the front page of I Can Has Cheezburger today! Long live Shariyat! She was my mom's cat and had quite a face!<br /><br />Someone took my photo and added the caption, but then someone noticed it was my picture and they gave me the photo credit. Small world!<br /><br />I'm not all that fond of the caption but I'm rather fond of the photo. <br /><br /><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/08/09/funny-pictures-duz-not-undrstd-techanogoly/">Vote for her here</a>. :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/08/09/funny-pictures-duz-not-undrstd-techanogoly/"><img class="mine_1585449" src="http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/funny-pictures-an-elderly-cat-may-not-understand-technology.jpg" alt="cat" /></a><br />more <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com">cat</a> pictures<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7669422899605996496?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-55650855355060193382008-07-25T08:14:00.002-05:002008-07-25T08:21:19.366-05:00<span style="font-size:100%;">This article in the New York Times [</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="Griping%20Online?%20Comcast%20Hears%20and%20Talks%20Back">Griping Online? Comcast Hears and Talks Back</a>]</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> describes how an employee at Comcast watches online for anyone with complaints about the company, contacts them, and tries to resolve the problem. It mentions that the one man can't keep up with the volumes so he's got staff assisting him, watching feeds and alerts to identify customers who need help.<br /><br />Yes, that's better than nothing. But wouldn't it make a lot more sense to actually run a customer assistance office where a person could just actually phone or email directly and get a problem resolved? You know, like those things that used to exist years ago before voicemail and the internet enabled companies to put big barriers between themselves and following up with paying customers?<br /><br />Just asking. I mean, in this case, the guy has the human resources....<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-5565085535506019338?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-44419289567598311272008-06-16T13:37:00.002-05:002008-06-16T13:40:31.130-05:00<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="390" height="320" id="Redlasso"><param name="movie" value="http://media.redlasso.com/xdrive/WEB/vidplayer_1b/redlasso_player_b1b_deploy.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="embedId=436dae06-dc13-411e-81d5-9e7f948e8332" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://media.redlasso.com/xdrive/WEB/vidplayer_1b/redlasso_player_b1b_deploy.swf" flashvars="embedId=436dae06-dc13-411e-81d5-9e7f948e8332" width="390" height="320" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="Redlasso"></embed></object><br /><br />I've always been a big Meet the Press fan. Funny to see so much of Tim in his son in this interview with Matt Lauer.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-4441928956759831127?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-32644689628862856312007-12-25T19:47:00.001-05:002007-12-25T19:47:40.157-05:00<object width="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ySv1LP25n78&rel=1&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ySv1LP25n78&rel=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="373"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-3264468962886285631?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-38700575655835191002007-12-17T09:28:00.001-05:002007-12-17T09:54:14.959-05:00Here's some favourite documentaries:<br /><br />Family Life:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">All Aboard</span> (2006)- A documentary on the maiden cruise of R Family Vacations, the travel company founded by Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell<br /> [<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_aboard_rosies_family_cruise/trailers.php">watch trailers</a>]<br /><br />Governments spinning fear to suit their agendas:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Weapons of Mass Deception</span> (2004) [<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/weapons_of_mass_deception/trailers.php">watch trailers</a>]<br /><br />These two tell the same sad story:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The U.S. vs. John Lennon</span> (2006) [<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/us_vs_john_lennon/trailers.php">watch trailer</a>]<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Shut Up and Sing</span> (2006) - The Dixie Chicks - Freedom of speech, where art thou? [<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shut_up_and_sing/trailers.php">watch trailer</a>]<br /><br />In case you're not certain that there's such a thing as planned obsolescence:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Who Killed the Electric Car?</span> (2006) [<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/who_killed_the_electric_car/trailers.php">watch trailer</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Supercharge Me</span> (2007) - A documentary showing what happens when Jenna follows a raw food diet for 30 days. [<a href="http://www.30daysraw.com/">link</a>]<br /><br />And new in theatres (I haven't seen it yet):<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What Would Jesus Buy?</span> (2007)A film by Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame. [<a href="http://www.wwjbmovie.com/">site</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">And thumbs down to:</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Grey Gardens</span> - the documentary. I'd heard so much about it, but I was truly disappointed. It felt like an invasive exploitation of two women, one who just seemed to want to be on camera....[<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grey_gardens/">link</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-3870057565583519100?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-11671884122831956292007-11-19T21:10:00.000-05:002007-11-19T21:12:45.835-05:00What is it with eBay seller who send messages soliciting for feedback when they themselves have not left any?<br /><br />As far as I'm concerned, if I buy an item and pay for it, that's when they should leave feedback. It's my turn to leave feedback when the item has been received and assessed.<br /><br />Any seller who won't leave feedback until the buyer does, is chickenshit and doesn't deserve positive feedback.<br /><br />End of rant. <br /><br />Though there's lots more where this one came from.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-1167188412283195629?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-39263812409285031262007-11-04T08:07:00.000-05:002007-11-04T08:11:25.123-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/goat1.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br />I've been trying out hypnosis each night for a month. This first month focuses on <span style="font-weight:bold;">Clearing Emotional Blocks</span>. Next month will be <span style="font-weight:bold;">Intuitive Eating for Weight Release</span>.<br /><br />Right now I'm ten days into it. It all started because I was fed up with insomnia. My journal entries start here: <a href="http://returntoeatingintuitively.blogspot.com/2007/10/insomnia-and-hypnosis.html">Hypnosis Night #1</a><br /><br />I was both scared and skeptical when I started....<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-3926381240928503126?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-79294683077902030882007-10-30T13:58:00.000-05:002007-10-30T14:01:05.260-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/hobbyfarm2.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/hobbyfarm2.jpg" width="370"></a><br /><br />Fall is going past in slow motion. We're approaching November and there's still some leaves on the trees, warm afternoons, and a few flowers reblooming in the garden.<br /><br />I dropped my girl off at her morning piano lesson and stopped to photograph the reflections in this pond. This little hobby farm will soon be surrounded by houses....<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7929468307790203088?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-88027471914564914122007-10-28T17:43:00.000-05:002007-10-28T17:48:19.463-05:00Meet my man, Norm:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm5.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />He's many pounds of hungry bull:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm6.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />Between feedings at the petting zoo, he kept coming over and winking at me. Or trying to impress me with his tongue:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm1.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />He was convinced this was the way to my heart:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm4.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />But I was having none of it. He even tried to make me jealous with this girl:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm2.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />In the end, I left him to munch on his corn, and he gave me his best, Please don't go look:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/norm7.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />Good-bye, Norm! See you next time.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-8802747191456491412?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-64590931810084570842007-10-23T08:38:00.000-05:002007-10-23T08:40:34.851-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/72157602626564033/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/DSCF0318.jpg" width="370"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/72157602626564033/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/DSCF0305.jpg" width="370"></a><br /><br />see more pics from our walk <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/72157602626564033/">here</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6459093181008457084?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-86527393052920280432007-09-25T15:45:00.000-05:002007-09-25T16:12:04.155-05:00I really like to keep a record of books I've read, particularly the ones I've really enjoyed because, quite frankly, if I don't, I can't recall them. Yes, at all. Which wouldn't matter except I often want to revisit them and it will drive me nuts for days unless I can find them here.<br /><br />Here's some favourites from the summer:<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2xqx6s"><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/41fYEFg3P3L._AA240_.jpg" width="150" align="left" vspace="7" />Between the Bridge and the River </a>Craig Ferguson<br />Confession: I have a major crush on Craig Ferguson. I heard he's dating Sharon Stone. That doesn't please me one bit.<br />I'm still reading this one. His comedic truths make me laugh out loud.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/yodtn4"><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/51y63t5paaL._AA240_.jpg" width="150" align="left" vspace="7" />The nine lives of Charlotte Taylor: the first woman settler of the Miramichi</a> Sally Armstrong<br />A fictional story based on the life of Charlotte Taylor, the first woman settler of the Miramichi (eastern Canada) in the 1700's.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/25lgyh"><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/4151G25TSQL._AA240_.jpg" width="150" align="left" vspace="7" />Ride the rising wind : one woman's journey across Canada</a> Barbara Kingscote<br />A memoir of a 20 year-old woman's journey by horseback across Canada in 1950. This book comes to closest to anything I've read that truly captures what is so brilliant about a great horse. Not your typical girl meets horse story. It's much more than that.<br /><br /><strong>More:</strong><br />Want to see a wonderful hollyhock garden? [<a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2007/09/tour-07-08-beside-wheat-field-pt-1.html">link</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-8652739305292028043?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-25338790498145420932007-09-20T06:31:00.000-05:002007-09-20T08:19:17.756-05:00This quote is attributed to Ghandi:<br /><strong>You can judge a nation’s moral progress by how it treats its animals</strong><br /><br />These days I'm thinking,<br /><strong>You can judge a nation’s moral progress by how we treat our breastfeeding mothers.</strong><br /><br />And if this is a valuable yardstick, things aren't looking so hot out there right now. <br /><br />Imagine a day when it's as simple as, whereever you are, your baby is hungry and you feed your baby. Like breathing. Imagine.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-2533879049814542093?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-75805488486428959582007-09-15T21:06:00.000-05:002007-09-15T21:07:15.710-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/IMG_2290.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/IMG_2290.jpg" width="370"></a><br /><br />We had the beach to ourselves today.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7580548848642895958?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-41670964520536141162007-09-11T19:54:00.001-05:002010-04-12T06:45:21.519-05:00Craftsanity podcast with Amanda Blake Soule [<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://soulemama.typepad.com/">soulemama</a>]<br /><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.craftsanity.com/files/a31a8c4179a7ac4030749fa17c68f109-59.html">http://www.craftsanity.com/files/a31a8c4179a7ac4030749fa17c68f109-59.html</a><br /><br />Just One More Book podcast with illustrator Alice Priestley [<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_ss_b/702-3197382-1554440?initialSearch=1&amp;url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=%22alice+priestley%22&amp;Go.x=0&amp;Go.y=0&amp;Go=Go">see some book covers at amazon</a>]<br /><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/05/28/interview-with-alice-priestley/">http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/05/28/interview-with-alice-priestley/</a><br /><br />CBC radio - Tapestry archives - <i>pick a show, any show: I always enjoy it<br /></i>"Tapestry is a weekly exploration of spirituality, religion and the search for meaning."<br /><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/archives.html">http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/archives.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-4167096452053614116?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-24757786231245524342007-08-06T20:43:00.000-05:002007-08-06T20:46:06.133-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/sea-turtle-deformed.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7">Our oceans are becoming landfills....<a href="http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/travel-leisure/Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plastic_are_we.shtml">link</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-2475778623124552434?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-84957077459729032922007-06-26T19:49:00.000-05:002007-06-26T19:54:22.116-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog2/IMG_0327.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />My sweet neice is a very observant girl. During her visit she showed me numerous patterns in flowers and rocks, and later inside discovered that weight lifting gloves can look exactly like duck feet.<br /><br /><strong>Sort of related:</strong><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/08/funny-chronicles.html">Here's some funny things that have happened in my garden</a><br /><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/pioneerwomanwithcellphone-20">Lots of my favourite books</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/search/label/thelamb">My girl, aka the Lamb</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-8495707745972903292?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-48551292282165560592007-06-06T20:47:00.001-05:002007-06-11T08:42:22.794-05:00<a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/533904650/"><img alt="Victoria Park Bridge" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/533904650_61b5d657cf_b.jpg" width="370" /></a><br /><br />We stopped by the park tonight. Yes, it was this beautiful.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-4855129228216556059?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-25213684630638427862007-05-28T16:17:00.000-05:002007-05-28T16:22:17.220-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/27965950_63aedbc1ab_b.jpg" width="370" /><br />Ruby is 20 years old today. I've known her longer than I've known Manley or the kids. She was once a jaguaresque beauty with remarkable hunting and climbing/jumping abilities. Now she's skin and bone, has no inclination to hunt, and kind of ditzy, but still my buddy. And, given our history together, all I can say is, thank god cats can't talk. ;-)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-2521368463063842786?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-77339639283041345272007-05-14T06:41:00.000-05:002007-05-16T06:18:11.239-05:00<img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/nancycrow.jpg" align="left" vspace="7" /> There's a good article on Nancy Crow plus a couple of photos <a href="http://tinyurl.com/28aoxg">here </a>in the Columbus Dispatch online (no registration required).<br /><br />The piece also mentions Jean Ray Laury's definition of art quilt- making. I wish I had had this quote to provide the last time the 'what is an art quilt?' debate heated up on one of the quilting discussion lists I belong to.... That discussion always swirls into 'what is art' and, quite frankly, I tune out. Call me when you're done exploring your inner children.<br /><br /><span style="color:#666666;">'...the art-quilt movement, which writer Jean Ray Laury differentiates from much of traditional quilt- making as "<strong>personal expression -- not a mimic of the ideas or designs or color preferences set down by someone else</strong>."'</span><br /><br />There, she said it. Now we can get on with the making of quilts. Or obsessing over those who make them.<br /><br /><strong>Other entries chronicling my obsession with Nancy Crow:</strong><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/search/label/nancy%20crow">Nancy Crow</a><br /><br />This blogger describes taking a workshop with Nancy exactly how I imagined it would be:<br /><a href="http://denacrain.com/blog/?p=116">Dena Crain</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7733963928304134527?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-57859134484941096812007-05-13T08:57:00.000-05:002007-05-13T09:14:16.294-05:00These two things appeared in my inbox this morning:<br /><br /><strong>A House Gone Mad</strong><br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3654962565270561705&amp;q=compulsive+hoarder"><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/mymothersgarden.jpg" width="250" align="left" vspace="7" /></a> <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3654962565270561705&amp;q=compulsive+hoarder">My Mother's Garden</a><br />The trailer for this documentary is, in itself, really intriguing and rather painful to watch. I've always been interested in hoarding and obsessive compulsive disorder because I see degrees of it in myself and others. I can't tell from the trailer if the woman in the documentary actually manages to set herself free or not....[<a href="http://www.seethrough-films.com/mmg/trailer.html">source</a>]<br /><br />and<br /><br /><strong>A House To Enchant</strong><br /><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/hobbit01_ld.jpg" width="250" align="left" vspace="7" /> Someone commissioned an architect to design his very own Hobbit House<br />[<a href="http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/inside-hobbit-house.aspx">source</a>]<br /><br />Quite the contrast.<br /><br />Which begs the question, how much does your house reflect who you are?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-5785913448494109681?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-74876856533854960602007-05-06T07:46:00.000-05:002007-05-06T08:07:04.865-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/elmer3.jpg" width="370"><br /><br />Elmer was telling me about the restoration of his '65 Ford. At one point I was distracted by the lines in the sky. Three of them all pointed down to the lines of the car. My camera batteries were toast so I borrowed a camera. My itch for a good camera is turning into poison oak levels. I feel this must be remedied soon. Pictures as fine as Elmer should not go untaken.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7487685653385496060?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-56971296085757549142007-04-28T20:04:00.000-05:002007-04-29T09:40:26.181-05:00I remember hearing last year that 2/3 of patients who visit a family doctor have asked for treatment for depression. That's a staggering number.<br /><br />On the flip side, there's a lot of talk about happiness going on lately. What is happiness, how to we experience it and what is known about the science behind it?<br /><br />I admit I've always cringed at happiness. Specifically, how people misuse the notion of it. For example, I was recently watching a show about new parents. There are Sue and Bob on the sofa, holding their beautiful, plump new baby Hannah and, they inevitably say, <em><span style="color:#666666;"><strong>We just want Hannah to be happy. Whatever she wants to do that makes her happy, that's what we want for her</strong></span></em>.<br /><br />Phooey, I say! Parents don't' really want that. They want the child to get and seek happiness from things that they, the parents, feel comfortable with. I mean, come on. Think of all the outrageous and destructive things that Hannah might be attracted to her in teenage and adult years. Hannah will swear these things make her happy. Hannah's parents will swear they brought the wrong child home from the hospital. They don't want Hannah to want what Hannah wants, they want Hannah to want what <strong><em>they </em></strong>want Hannah to want. Though they could be blinded by the assumption that any sane child of theirs would most certainly want what they want. But if you ever had parents yourself, and that means everyone, you know what makes you happy may never be what makes your parents happy (for you).<br /><br />So what about happiness? Where is it hiding these days? Can you make conscious efforts to experience it on a fairly regular basis? A few writers have been hunting it down, and in some cases, taking it for a test drive:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0676978584?ie=UTF8&tag=pioneerempress-20&amp;linkCode=as2&camp=15121&amp;creative=330641&creativeASIN=0676978584"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/21AQQ9DZGWL.jpg" border="0" /></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" hspace="7" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.ca/e/ir?t=pioneerempress-20&l=as2&amp;o=15&a=0676978584" width="1" vspace="7" border="0" /><strong>Stumbling On Happiness</strong> by Daniel Gilbert<br /><span style="color:#666666;">"Why do we fail so often to know what will make us happy?<br />Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had presumed. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward.</span><br /><span style="color:#666666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#666666;">Using cutting-edge research, much of it original, Gilbert shakes, cajoles, persuades, tricks, and jokes us into accepting the fact that happiness is not really what or where we thought it was...."<br /></span>[<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/gilbert/">Daniel Gilbert at Random House</a>]<br />[<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/gilbert/about.html">see Gilbert's site</a>]<br /><br />I think the next one is a great idea:<br /><br /><strong>The Happiness Project</strong> by Gretchen Rubin<br /><span style="color:#666666;">"A memoir about the year I spent test-driving every principle, tip, theory, and scientific study I could find, whether from Aristotle or St. Therese or Martin Seligman or Oprah. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT will gather these rules for living and report on what works and what doesn’t. On this daily blog, I recount some of my adventures and insights as I grapple with the challenge of being happier."</span> [<a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/">see Gretchen's blog</a>]<br /><strong><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0465028020?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=pioneerempress-20&linkCode=as2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=15121&creative=330641&amp;creativeASIN=0465028020"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/2115210MJTL.jpg" border="0" /></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" hspace="7" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.ca/e/ir?t=pioneerempress-20&l=as2&amp;o=15&a=0465028020" width="1" vspace="7" border="0" />The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom</strong> by Jonathan Haidt<br /><span style="color:#666666;">"This is a book about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world’s civilizations -&shy; to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives. It is a book about how to construct a life of virtue, happiness, fulfillment, and meaning."</span> [<a href="http://www.happinesshypothesis.com/">link</a>]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0192805592?ie=UTF8&tag=pioneerempress-20&amp;linkCode=as2&camp=15121&amp;creative=330641&creativeASIN=0192805592"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/112N8XNXTGL.jpg" border="0" /></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" hspace="7" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.ca/e/ir?t=pioneerempress-20&l=as2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;o=15&amp;a=0192805592" width="1" vspace="7" border="0" /><strong>Happiness, the Science Behind your Smile</strong> by Dr. Daniel Nettle<br /><span style="color:#666666;">"The pursuit of happiness has long been recognised by everyone from poets to politicians as what makes the world go round. The world's largest and fastest-growing industries -- alcohol, pharmaceuticals, mind altering drugs, self-help books, counselling, travel and tourism -- all profit heavily from our intent to become completely happy with our lives. Surprisingly, despite its central importance, there is no single book that comprehensively addresses this most basic of human desires.<br /><br />In Happiness, Daniel Nettle will give a global perspective on the subject, showing the various ways it is interpreted in different cultures. He will include statistical information from the National Child Development Study, a project started in 1958 that collects social and emotional data from thousands of people, to show how definitions and sources of happiness change over time. Unlike most books on the subject, the science and the philosophy behind happiness will be linked together, and the author will illustrate the relevance of happiness to people who have had too much (manic), too little (depressed), and the fortunate few who had just enough. "<br /></span>[listen to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/05-06/may27.html">Interview on Happiness </a>with Dr. Nettle, Dr. Gilbert and others]<br /><br /><strong>How Happy Are You?</strong> was a topic recently on Oprah.<br />[<a href="http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200704/tows_past_20070411.jhtml">see clip here</a>]<br />It's not the most convincing thing to have someone on the other side of a couple of billion dollars trying to tell you that money does not improve one's experience of happiness, but there were a few interesting points on the show. I thought it might be nice if she sent me a few million so I could test out that idea for myself.<br />There's a life satisfaction/happiness quiz <a href="http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200704/tows_past_20070411_b.jhtml">here </a>if you're into that kind of thing.<br /><br />I say, if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad.<br /><br /><strong>Today's Question:</strong><br />Are you innately happy, have to work at it, or don't much experience it at all?<br /><br /><strong>Related:</strong><br />-Books on happiness at Amazon [<a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/pioneerempress-20">shop</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-5697129608575754914?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-67881033729499267202007-04-24T20:24:00.000-05:002007-04-24T20:46:51.655-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/IMG_9415.jpg" width="370" /><br />Despite the fact that I am <strong>my mother's favourite child</strong> (the sixth one's the charm), my mother has never been able to remember when my birthday is (after five kids, it's all a blur). She tends to come bearing gifts and good wishes exactly <strong>one day early each year</strong>.<br /><br />This is why I have to thank the inventors of Earth Day. Earth Day is also my birthday. April 22. Carved in stone, not to be changed. Though some may argue that every day should be Earth Day, and given my circumstances, I certainly wouldn't argue with that.<br /><br />Back to my point: once you tell someone 'my birth day is earth day', they tend to start getting it right each year.<br /><br />And this year my mother did bring her good birthday cheer on the correct day. However, my <strike>goofy</strike> dear brother Steve, managed to trump my mother by wishing me Happy Birthday not one, but two days early. I appreciate his competitive / backwards spirit.<br /><br />In summary, I think having Earth Day as one's birthday is a good thing. There's a lot of those declared dates that you wouldn't particularly wanting people remembering you by [e.g. <a href="http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/May/lumpyrugday.htm">National Lumpy Rug Day</a>], but Earth Day: it's a beautiful thing.<br /><br />The Lamb and I went to the big park to fly her kite. It took all of the string into the sky and just sailed around up there.<br /><br />Hope you had a happy Earth Day too.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/IMG_9411.jpg" width="370" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6788103372949926720?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-83443428694947866242007-04-14T15:07:00.000-05:002007-04-14T15:22:13.577-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/speaker-callwood.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7">June Callwood died today. She as a writer, activist, civil libertarian, humanitarian, pilot, and a most thoughtful and beautiful woman.<br /><br />When I read a while ago that she knew she had cancer and had no desire to have it treated, I was both scared and understanding for her. If you're at all familiar with June's work and life story, her choice seemed absolutely right for her.<br /><br />I also remember her saying (in an interview somewhere), that she had no fear of dying: that there was no pain greater than losing her son, so death would be fine with her. That's a profound way of expressing what she and her husband experienced.<br /><br />I know June was also a glider pilot. I hope she glides freely now.<br /><br />R.I.P.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-8344342869494786624?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-13150850577648100522007-04-07T10:58:00.000-05:002007-05-14T18:08:24.474-05:00This past week Robin of <a href="http://www.quiltantics.blogspot.com/">Quilt Antics </a>and Cynthia of <a href="http://fabricfanaticsantics.blogspot.com/">Fiber Fanatic's Antics </a>--I sense mischief in both of those blog names--were both taking a workshop with Nancy Crow. It's been fun to see what's they've posted about the workshop. I can only imagine what hard work it is, and what it would be like to work under the cracking whip of the Master of Colour.<br /><br />I'll be interested to hear how the workshop affects their own <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">quiltmaking</span> in the future: how what they learned influences their choices in their own unique quilts. While I don't always love the quilts Nancy produces, I am completely in aw of her sense of colour, value, balance, form and so on. My heart still jumps every time I see a picture of March Study (I can't find an image of it online), her groundbreaking quilt that marked a huge change in the quilting world.<br /><br /><strong>Related:<br /></strong>-<a href="http://www.nancycrow.com/">Nancy Crow</a><br />-what I've written about Nancy Crow [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/search?q=crow">link</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-1315085057764810052?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-75255988106823924912007-04-03T15:02:00.000-05:002007-04-03T15:30:36.020-05:00<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743289684?ie=UTF8&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;linkCode=as2&camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743289684"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/infidel.jpg" border="0" /></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pioneerwomanw-20&l=as2&amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;a=0743289684" width="1" border="0" /><strong>Infidel</strong> by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ayaan</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hirsi</span> Ali<br />You can read it simply as an intriguing life story. And you can read it as a sad statement on the risks associated with free speech and free thinking. It's one thing to disagree with an opinion, quite another to believe one's disagreement is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">justification</span> for trying to destroy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">another person's </span>life (as many have set out to do with this author).<br /><br /><strong>From the inside jacket:</strong><br />"In this profoundly affecting memoir from the internationally renowned author of The Caged Virgin, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ayaan</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hirsi</span> Ali tells her astonishing life story from her traditional Muslim childhood in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, to her intellectual awakening and activism in the Netherlands, and her current life under armed guard in the West...."<br /><br /><strong>Listen to interviews:</strong><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5382547">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5382547</a><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2007/200703/20070305.html">http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2007/200703/20070305.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7525598810682392491?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-10265383615358368142007-02-26T13:47:00.000-05:002007-02-26T12:46:25.652-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfoodblog/IMG_8772.jpg" width="370" /><br />It took six tries to get this right. Who knew it would be such a struggle to find a good recipe for fortune cookies that both keep their shape and taste good?<br /><br /><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfoodblog/IMG_8771.jpg" width="200" align="left" vspace="7" />I tried recipes from allrecipes.com and other recipe sites, and one from a popular blog that recommended heating them in a frying pan (mine turned out like a thick kind-of pancake--that weird thing pictured here--and it certainly wasn't going to form a fortune cookie). The ones with sugar in the recipe tasted pretty good but didn't bake right for folding. Eventually, I came up with my own recipe (they're all so similar and just needed tweaking) and I clued in that it's not just the ingredients that count but how quickly you work when they come out of the oven.<br /><br /><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfoodblog/IMG_8770.jpg" width="200" align="left" vspace="7" />Fortune cookies are time-consuming because you bake them in flat circles in the oven (just a few at a time unless you'll have help with the folding) and then--here's the key--you have less than one minute after removing them from the oven to add the paper fortunes and shape the cookies. If you wait any longer, the cookies crack apart. Less than one minute, you get the great shape (and burn your fingers, but what the heck).<br /><br />I also figured out that it helps to place the freshly-shaped cookies into muffin tins to help hold their shape. Without that step, some of them open up again.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfoodblog/fortunecookiediagram.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br /><strong>Fortune Cookies</strong><br />(makes 16ish cookies)<br />1 cup melted butter<br />6 egg whites<br />pinch of salt<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract if you prefer it)<br />1 1/2 cups flour<br /><br />1. Type out some fortunes, jokes, riddles, whatever on paper and cut them out. If you know who will be eating them, make some fun personal messages using names. We made ours into a game where each recipient had to do something kind for someone else in the class at school. Kitschy, but fun.<br />2. Preheat oven to 325F/163C. Get two cookie sheets ready with parchment or silicone sheets. Add vegetable oil spray. Have two 12x muffin tins ready for forming cookies out of the oven.<br />3. Beat egg whites until frothy but not firm. Blend in butter, salt and vanilla extract.<br />4. Gradually add flour until batter is runny like pancake batter and not lumpy.<br />5. Spoon batter onto cookie sheets forming 4" circles, not too thick. I find I can manage about 6 cookies at a time (over two baking sheets), keeping in mind that you have one minute to form the cookies when they come out of the oven. If you have help, do more at once.<br />6. Bake until the edges are slightly golden--approximately 3-5 minutes. I find the time varies within the same baking session so you have to just watch them.<br />7. Remove from oven and flip cookies over on baking sheet(s). As shown in diagram (above), place one fortune paper in centre of cookie. Fold cookie in half over fortune paper, to form a half moon. Take the two corners and bring them together. Place cookie in muffin tin to set. Within an hour, they are firm and ready, though they never get rock hard like the awful commercial ones. They stay somewhat chewy and kids seem to love them.<br /><br />If you try making them, let me know how it goes. <br /><br />Enjoy!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-1026538361535836814?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-61185676733682980232007-02-22T20:37:00.000-05:002007-02-22T20:49:39.301-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8921.jpg" width="370" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#666666;">This was the how it looked on our walk to school today</span><br /><br /><img hspace="7" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/walktoschoolanimation.gif" align="left" vspace="7" />In three separate emails this week, friends mentioned how much they love where they live (places very different than here). I feel the same way. When I moved here it took a long time to feel at home, and then, as I slowed down and payed attention, what used to seem like drab Ontario landscape began looking so beautiful to me. In every season. Now, I feel so attached to my surroundings, that I can't imagine moving far away. Just perhaps a few miles up the road into one of those cottages on the little lake that no one ever puts up for sale.<br /><br />Do you love where you live? Have you always loved it?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6118567673368298023?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-41139225843715544892007-02-18T12:39:00.000-05:002007-02-18T12:40:31.481-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/mosaic934852-1.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/mosaic934852-1.jpg" width="370"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-4113922584371554489?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-87862136286944484482007-02-14T10:24:00.000-05:002007-02-14T10:27:30.975-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kinsnowvday.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kinsnowvday_370.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Why we should have stayed home today:</strong><br />-26C windchill<br />-4 feet of snow on our driveway<br />-the roads have not been plowed<br />-our beds were very warm<br />-school buses are cancelled<br /><br /><strong>Why we walked to school today:</strong><br />-Valentine's Day<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-8786213628694448448?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-14302355830873408622007-02-10T08:26:00.002-05:002007-02-10T11:05:43.151-05:00<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/pioneerwomanwithcellphone-20/detail/0143038419/105-2533108-1471629"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/eatpraylove.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Urgent notice to those of you who love to read books before they are made into movies (which then implant in your head certain images and events which are much better left to one's imagination):</span><br />This book is optioned for a movie staring Julia Roberts. While I'm sure it will be a perfectly lovely movie, do yourself a favour and read it soon so you get to have your own way with it first.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">[I'm forever battling to get Nicole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kidman</span> out of my head when I think of certain scenes I enjoyed while reading Cold Mountain, even though I read the book <span style="font-style: italic;">before </span>I saw the movie....<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ARG</span>. See the movie first and, well, good luck making elbow room for your imagination.]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat, pray, love</span> by Elizabeth Gilbert was mentioned to me so many times in the last year before I finally reserved it at the library and read it. It was so hyped I didn't think I'd like it, but I really did. And since I completely suck at writing book reviews, and do not even want to attempt summarizing the events that take place in the book, I'll simply mention a few favourite bits instead (which are more like good sound bites than central to the story):<br /><br />It's a memoir. The writer spends a year in Italy (<span style="font-weight: bold;">eat</span>), India (<span style="font-weight: bold;">pray</span>/meditate), and Bali (<span style="font-weight: bold;">love</span>/sex), trying to get her life back into balance. Or into balance for the first time.<br /><br />The first page to receive the honour of one of my post-it notes is from a passage discussing the history of the Italian language (which traces back to Dante):<br /><blockquote>In the last line of the Divine Comedy, Dante is faced with the vision of God Himself...<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Dante writes that God is not merely a blinding vision of glorious light, but that He is, most of all</span>,<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">l'amor</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">che</span> move <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">il</span> sole e <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">l'altre</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">stelle</span>...</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The love that moves the sun and the other stars.</span><br /></blockquote>That's about as beautiful as it gets. But not really about the book, so let's go on.<br /><br />Long overwhelmed by the underbelly of life, Gilbert writes:<br /><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The goons of Depression and Loneliness have barged into my life again... </span>Not wanting to take more medications, she resorts to writing a dialogue between her higher and lower selves. The higher self is, of course, all knowing, all loving. In exploring the potential bizarreness of such a practice, she concludes: <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">...the very fact that the world is so challenging is exactly why you sometimes much reach out of its jurisdiction for help, appealing to a higher authority in order to find your comfort.</span><br /></blockquote>Easily charmed, perhaps, I do love that use of <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">higher authority</span> and the idea of <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">reaching out of one's jurisdiction</span>.<br /><br />On keeping your shit together:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">My guru once said that you should never give yourself a chance to fall apart because, when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again. You must practice staying strong instead.</blockquote>I have often thought of that when I see people who indulge in huge emotional outbursts or think you must bottom-out before resurfacing to find your footing again. All it really seems to do is establish a new dark place for oneself to repeatedly return to (and find comfortably-familiar discontent in). The proposed one-time punching balloon becomes the new recreational pursuit.<br /><br />I think the line I've heard most quoted from the book is by Gilbert's friend Richard in the ashram in India (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">when's</span> she's tormenting herself with certain wishes and desires):<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">See, now that's your problem. You're <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wishin</span>' too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">oughtta</span> be.<br /></blockquote>On faith:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The search for God is a reversal of the normal, mundane worldly order. In the search for God, you revert from what attracts you and swim toward that which is difficult. You abandon your comforting and familiar habits with the hope (the mere hope!) that something greater will be offered you in return for what you've given up....<br /><br />The devout of this world perform their rituals without guarantee that anything good will ever come of it. Of course there are plenty of scriptures and plenty of priests who make plenty of promises as to what your good works will yield (or threats as to the punishments awaiting you if you lapse), but to even believe all this is an act of faith, because nobody amongst us is shown the endgame. Devotion is diligence without assurance. Faith is a way of saying, 'Yes, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">pre</span>-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.' There's a reason we refer to 'leaps of faith' --because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable, and I don't care how diligently scholars of every religion will try to sit you down with their stacks of books and prove to you through scripture that their faith is indeed rational; it isn't. If faith were rational, it wouldn't be--by definition--faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be...a prudent insurance policy.</blockquote>It's too complicated to summarize the context of this quote, but I still want to plunk it in here:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The wise man is always similar to himself. -- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Sextus</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Pythagorian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">philospher</span>)<br /></blockquote>This was said by another friend, Sean, an Irish dairy farmer also at the ashram:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Imagine that the universe is a great spinning engine. You want to stay near the core of the thing--right in the hub of the wheel--not out at the edges where all the wild whirling takes place, where you can get frayed and crazy. The hub of calmness--that's your heart. That's where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you'll always find peace.</blockquote>On happiness:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">...people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descent upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, you strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">maintaining</span> it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">forever</span>, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">soul</span> hold tight in its good attainments.</blockquote>But, as I said, it's best to read the book to go for the entire wild ride. These are just handsome trinkets I found inside that I wanted to remember.<br /><br />On my other favourite topic, Writers on Writing [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/search/label/writersonwriting">see more here</a>], I found this on Elizabeth Gilbert's website:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thoughts On Writing(, or fear of writing, or fear of success or failure)</span><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"It has never been easy for me to understand why people work so hard to create something beautiful, but then refuse to share it with anyone, for fear of criticism. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Wasn</span>’t that the point of the creation – to communicate something to the world? So PUT IT OUT THERE. Send your work off to editors and agents as much as possible, show it to your neighbors, plaster it on the walls of the bus stops – just don’t sit on your work and suffocate it. At least try.... "</blockquote>Gilbert goes on to make the brilliant point that as the artist or writer, it's not your job to criticize your own work, it's the world's job, so keep making the art or writing the stories, put it out there, and see what happens. This is a reversal of the usually blather we tell ourselves: that no one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">else's</span> opinion really matters but our own, but when our own opinion is dousing our flame before we even get the damn thing made/painted/written/expressed, it seems rather prudent to squash the inner critics and just create. [<a href="http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm">source</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BONUS: </span>You can listen to an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert here: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/archives/2007/010707.html">CBC radio/Tapestry</a>. I found it thoroughly enjoyable.<br /><br /><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/pioneerwomanwithcellphone-20/detail/0143038419/105-2533108-1471629"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/eatpraylove.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="75" /></a>eat pray love at <a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/pioneerempress-20/detail/0143038419/701-0946093-2985962">amazon.ca</a> <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/pioneerwomanwithcellphone-20/detail/0143038419/105-2533108-1471629">amazon.com</a> <a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/pioneerwomanwithcellphone-21/detail/0143038419/203-5186311-4918310">amazon.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">uk</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-1430235583087340862?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-31008514209033897622007-02-04T09:57:00.001-05:002007-02-04T10:10:46.036-05:00<a href="http://www.focus.it/Fotogallery/Foto_del_giorno.aspx?idc=59170"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/focusit.jpg" align="left" hspace="8" vspace="8" /></a>Someone wrote to me recently through my flickr account asking permission to use one of my photos as the photo of the day on an online Italian science magazine, and lo and behold, it has happened.<br /><br />I'd say <span style="font-weight: bold;">cool!<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> in Italian right here but I think they just say <span style="font-style: italic;">cool!<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><br />[Sources:<br /><a href="http://www.focus.it/Fotogallery/Foto_del_giorno.aspx?idc=59170">Italian science magazine: focus.it</a><br /><a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.focus.it%2FFotogallery%2FFoto_del_giorno.aspx%3Fidc%3D59170&langpair=it%7Cen&amp;amp;hl=en&ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8&amp;prev=%2Flanguage_tools">the google translation</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/803650/">my flickr set with more of these photos</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-3100851420903389762?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-23686551446024274232007-01-29T12:29:00.001-05:002007-01-29T12:35:30.456-05:00I like to snoop around the winter garden every few days to see what's going on. There's always a few cat, mice, and rabbit tracks here and there, leaving clues about current favourite sleeping and hiding spots.<br /><br />While the garden mirrors add interest in summer, during the winter they tend to be one of the main features. Which inevitably leads to some gratuitous self-portraits.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8571.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/372693722/">See it here on flickr with notes identifying what the heck is in the picture</a><br /><br />There's always more like this on <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com">my gardening blog</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-2368655144602427423?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-72481231652528780802007-01-19T15:57:00.003-05:002007-01-19T16:10:07.525-05:00<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="2"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8498.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8498.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8495.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8495.jpg" width="180" /></a></td><td><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8494.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8494.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />What's more difficult than photographing a black cat with a point and click camera? Photographing a black scarf.<br /><br />Years ago a friend of mine had the most beautiful winter scarf. It was a cream coloured linen and embroidered with about a hundred different little dolls and houses all over it. The embroidery was wildly colourful and totally charming. I wanted that scarf something fierce. She had bought it in Columbia from a roadside vendor.<br /><br />Each year I intend to make myself a scarf like that. I thought this black one might be a good candidate but after a few trial runs, I could not adequately disguise my stitches on the back side, so I abandoned ship and beaded it instead. Black embroidery floss vanishes nicely on the black scarf and I like how the beads add a little glitz to its plainness.<br /><br />I think if the doll scarf project is ever going to work, I'll have to line it after embroidering it so the back "engine room" knots and loops won't show. I'm still thinking it over, twenty years on....<br /><br />Man, I wish I'd gotten that scarf. I don't think she even liked it very much. Sigh.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-7248123165252878080?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-60560696650630226912007-01-17T16:23:00.000-05:002007-01-17T17:06:47.202-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8485.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200" />I love the Swiffer mop (no buckets, no mess) but loathe the idea of having to perpetually purchase refill cleaning fluids (which I find both expensive and stinky) and disposable cleaning pads (which seems wasteful and unnecessary).<br /><br />Here's my workaround/hack:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free Refills</span><br />1. When you've used up the fluid in the container that came with the Swiffer mop, <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT </span>remove the empty container from the mop handle. Keep it just how it is or liquid will leak out when you get to Step 3.<br />2. Drill a hole in the top of the plastic fluid container. I used a 3/8 wood drill bit because it's just slightly bigger than the tip of the the funnel I use for refilling.<br />3. Fill the container with the cleaning solution of your choice. For my laminate floors, I like a simple mixture of tap water plus a few drops of liquid dish soap.<br />4. Make sure the container surface is dry and cover the hole with a piece of duct tape. (The duct tape won't stick so well if the surface is wet.) Use the same piece of tape over and over again. It just keeps the liquid from splashing out when you're using the mop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mop Sweeper Vac Pads<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">I use the same homemade pad for both the mop and the sweeper:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8488.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200" /></span>1.The pads that come with the Swiffer mop stick on with a velcro-like action. I work around this by wrapping a thick terrycloth washcloth around the base and securing it with strong office "bulldog" clips on top. The washcloth is absorbent enough to dry the floor as I clean, and goes in the laundry when I'm done.<br /><br />2.The dusting sheets that come with the Sweeper Vac are lighter with a textured surface. Despite this, I find terrycloth washcloths work great (though they don't flow on the floor as easily). I also like to use cotton cloth diapers or rags cut from old sweatshirts (cut them big enough to fit around the vac head with enough excess to clip in place).<br /><br />I've also noticed knock-off dusting cloths in the dollar store, with as many as 500 sheets for $1. That's probably comes close to the cost of washing the rags/washcloths and costs far less than purchasing the brand name refills, though rags and washcloths are my first choice.<br /><br />It's not pretty but it works great and the price is definitely right.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-6056069665063022691?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-38445947264319978482007-01-11T19:41:00.001-05:002007-01-11T19:45:00.434-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8464.jpg" border="0" width="390"><br /><br />Snow is a rare commmodity these days. I keep thinking it will be pay back time in the summer when we get some freak snowstorm. It did happen once here in the 1800's so ya never know....<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-3844594726431997848?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1167064950569238282006-12-25T11:38:00.000-05:002006-12-25T11:42:30.600-05:00<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8258.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8258.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116706495056923828?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1166546003433587182006-12-19T11:21:00.000-05:002006-12-19T12:09:26.663-05:00<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6118.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200"></td><td>Ring the bells that still can ring<br />Forget your perfect offering<br />There's a crack in everything<br />That's how the light gets in.<br /><font style="font-style: italic;">— Leonard Cohen</font> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Had enough of the ads, the last minute gift ideas, the crafts, the plans, the parties, the traffic, the crowds, the noise, the noisemakers, the red suits, will it snow? will it not?, the clutter, the recipes, the sugar, the stockings, the wrapping paper, the horizontal surface of something so much more?<br /><br />I have. But I do enjoy how that light still gets in.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116654600343358718?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1166235653031762412006-12-15T21:10:00.000-05:002006-12-15T21:23:49.883-05:00Probably because there's no snow these days (our little burst of winter quickly melted) and the temperatures feel like early spring, I've not been doing our ususal xmas preparations. My head is not in the game. Just today we put up the snowman christmas countdown calendar that usually makes its appearance on December 1st. I made it a few years ago with wool felt, embroidery floss and beads, under the artistic direction of my youngest girl:<br /><table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/snowmancal.jpg" border="0" width="370"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The santa hat moves from snowman to snowman until the big day. It was fast forwarded to the 15th today:<br /><table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8159.jpg" border="0" width="370"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The girls probably haven't grumbled about my seasonal neglectfulness because they still have their chocolate advent calendars to pull them through.<br /><br />If these extreme weather patterns of recent months haven't convinced more people of the inconvenient truths of today, I don't know what will. I think I'm beginning to understand what it would be like to have xmas in the southern hemisphere.<br /><br />tag: handwork xmas<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116623565303176241?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1165411005799110572006-12-11T09:05:00.000-05:002006-12-11T09:57:03.166-05:00I sent my girl out for fresh air yesterday and a while later she came back in to get the camera to take photos of her snow girls. If you look closely, the little middle one has a very funny look to it:<br /><br /><table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8137.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8137.jpg" width="375"></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Recently I was thinking about all of the influences in my girl's life and then comparing the list to those from my childhood.<br /><br />For my girl, all of these influences are female. When I was her age, every single one was male:<br /><br />school principal<br />vice-principal<br />dentist<br />family doctor<br />eye doctor<br />veterinarian<br />pharmacist<br />outreach police officer assigned to her school<br />class teacher<br />swim instructor/lifeguard<br /><br />My parents always told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I didn't see many female role models but their encouragement was very strong so I never fell prey to the idea that I couldn't take on a particular role or career because I was female. Today, my girl gets the encouragement and the living examples.<br /><br />The doors are wide open. Snow girls are just the beginning, I'm sure.<br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116541100579911057?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1165596840057430872006-12-08T11:42:00.000-05:002006-12-08T13:22:55.146-05:00I mentioned recently that <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/12/you-wont-believe-what-happened-list.html">my father was professional writer</a>. My mother is also a writer. If you apply this to the dinner table situation in childhood, you realize that your use of the English language will indeed be corrected on a regular basis. And now, as an adult, I find myself mentally correcting the daily blunders of others.<br /><br />Yesterday, I had the radio on in the car. A man mispronounced both <font style="font-weight: bold;">zoology</font> and <font style="font-weight: bold;">dissection</font>. The proper pronunciations are rarely used. [It's zo-ology. And dis-section.]<br /><br />Later in a department store, a voice came on the overhead speaker and said, <font style="font-weight: bold;">I can assist anyone with 10 items or less at the customer service desk</font>. <font style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Fewer</font>, I mumbled to myself, ten items or <font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">fewer</font>.<br /><br />In conclusion, my parents made me a language freak/geek despite my childhood efforts to tune them out and roll my eyes a lot. Except for the fact that it makes me talk to myself when alone in public places and overhearing grammatical errors, I guess I'm glad they were vigilant in their efforts.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116559684005743087?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1165441672596365092006-12-06T16:39:00.000-05:002006-12-06T16:49:40.293-05:00<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8099.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8099.jpg" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" width="390"></a><br /><br />When I arrived to pick up my girl after school today, it was like a scene from a movie--where we are itty bitty people in a land occupied by giants. There were dozens of enormous snowballs all over the field. Apparently it was an excellent day for packing snow. It must have been quite a scene to see the kids rolling them as big as they could manage at recess.<br /><br /><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8102.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8102.jpg" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" width="390"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8103.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_8103.jpg" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" width="390"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116544167259636509?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1165368102627811412006-12-06T08:23:00.000-05:002006-12-06T15:00:56.650-05:00<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/nelsonmandela.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/nelsonmandela.jpg" align="middle" width="150"></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/MotorolaCooper1982.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/MotorolaCooper1982.jpg" align="middle" height="149"></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/berlinwall.gif"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/berlinwall.gif" align="middle" width="150"></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kayproii.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kayproii.jpg" align="middle" width="150"></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I've had this particular list in my head for many years now. It's a list of all the incredible things that have happened in the world since my father died in 1989. I'm going to start it here now and add to it as I think of more things.<br /><br />Occassionally I have a dream where I meet up with my dad again and he asks me what's new. It really has been an incredible time of change and upheaval (some good, some disturbing). I know my dad would be amazed.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">The You Won't Believe What Happened (Since You Died) List</font><br /><li>the Berlin wall came down (November 1989--my dad died in August)<br /></li><li>Lech Walensa became President of the Republic of Poland (1990)<br /></li><li>Nelson Mandela was released from prison (1990) and became the President of South Africa (1991)<br /></li><li>the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)<br /></li><li>The O.J. Simpson case/trial (1994)--marking a huge turning point in the invasiveness of the media</li><li>Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997), Michel Trudeau (1998), and John Kennedy, Jr. (1999).<br /></li><li>9/11 (2001)<br /><br /></li><li>changes in technology: improvements in personal computers, cell phones (no shoulder straps!), digital cameras...My dad was a professional writer. He spent many years pounding out stories on his Underwood with stacks of carbon paper and extra copy pages layered together. I wrote my essays for University the same way.<br /><br />I remember him first showing me Liquid Paper and pocket calculators (so expensive and amazing in the 1970's). He was thrilled to get his first computer in '80's: a KayPro. Before he died he had upgraded to a P.C. with WordPerfect. What a difference the internet would make to a researcher and writer today.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></li><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116536810262781141?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1165246003512479502006-12-04T10:26:00.000-05:002006-12-04T10:26:43.553-05:00<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/walktoschoolmosaicdec4.jpg"><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116524600351247950?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1164117461154519522006-11-21T08:45:00.000-05:002006-11-21T08:57:41.426-05:00<table><tr><td>The announcement came during a lull in conversation at the dinner table. Of all the things the girl might tell us, I can't say I ever saw this one coming. But she was so sure of herself and did not waver one bit in her conviction.<br /><br />Mom, Dad...my favourite colour is now blue.<br /><br />Blue.<br /><br />Wow. I didn't know what to say. She's been enchanted with red as long as she's walked this earth. Always gravitating toward all things red. Even <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/43645159/in/set-1132171/">her bedroom is red</a>. Red tops are her favourite. Red cars. Red, red, red. She was very loyal to her colour.<br /><br />And now, as if yesterday is yesterday and today is today: it's blue. She loves blue the most.<br /><br />I smiled and nodded but secretly I was very pleased that she'd come over to my side of the colour wheel.<br /><br />And so blue it is.</td></tr></table><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116411746115451952?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1163425724034097572006-11-13T08:41:00.000-05:002006-11-15T18:26:26.833-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/2006/11/story-of-my-hand-dyed-fabric-business.html"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/screencap101handdyebus.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" /></a>Over at <a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/2006/11/story-of-my-hand-dyed-fabric-business.html">fabricdyeing101</a>, I'm writing a short series on the hand-dyed fabric business I used to have. I'm always dreaming up new business ideas (which seem increasingly realistic as the kids gets older), and I thought it would be helpful to conduct an autopsy on the old business to help me make some key decisions about any new one I might start.<br /><br />For those of you who have your own art/craft-related business, you'll understand the amount of work involved, and how the concept of actually paying yourself a wage for the time spent is often a far-off concept replaced by the satisfaction of doing something you love and pulling in enough money to simply keep things afloat (with a bit left over, perhaps). That is, until it becomes so all-consuming that the love gets misplaced...[<a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/2006/11/story-of-my-hand-dyed-fabric-business.html">read about it here</a>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116342572403409757?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1163033838007802522006-11-09T19:55:00.000-05:002007-05-14T18:08:46.262-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td align="left"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fo%2FASIN%2F1933308036&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/nancycrownew.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" /></a>Following years of book and magazine addiction and hard won steps to reform (both for the sake of frugality and voluntary simplicity), I did my best to resist the temptation of buying Nancy Crow's newest book, aptly titled, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fo%2FASIN%2F1933308036&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Nancy Crow</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. I'm a total Crow fan but the list price of the book is a lot of money. My first step to avoid purchasing a new, and potentially fabulous art book, is to see if the local library either has the book or will buy it so I can preview it and decide whether I do actually wish to own it.<br /><br />The library declined the purchase but Amazon also dropped the price, so I went ahead and ordered it for myself for xmas. (Manley and I don't really exchange gifts, preferring to treat ourselves to the exact right thing instead.)<br /><br />I picked it up from our mail box today and fully intended to put off looking at the book until xmas. Until I had it in my hands today. And I saw how big it is. And how beautiful the photos are. And how it's filled with pages from Nancy's sketchbooks. And a zillion gorgeous quilts. No one does colour like Nancy Crow.<br /><br />I thought I'd just have a quick look. I ended up reading it from cover to cover as I watched over my girl at home with a fever. Savoring every single page, opening up all the fold-out pages of quilted splendor.<br /><br />And it was totally worth it.<br /><br />Merry early Christmas to me!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116303383800780252?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1162989532542805962006-11-08T07:28:00.000-05:002006-11-08T07:52:01.533-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/rootchildren.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/rootchildren.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This year's top prize went to a <a href="http://www.quilts.com/webcast0325/JudgedShow/Best%20of%20Show_Master%20Awards/Mother%20Earth%20and%20Her%20Children.jpg.html" title="see the quilt here">lovely quilt</a> that immeditately reminded me of books like<br />The Story of the Root Children<br />By Sibylle von Olfers<br />ISBN: 0-86315-106-X<br />Publisher: Floris Books.<br />[<a href="http://www.ghbooks.com/Showbook.cfm?code=20293">see it here</a> ]<br />I wonder if the quilter has a connection to Waldorf schools (where these books are very popular) or simply enjoys books by Sibylle von Olfers? Just curious. I'd love to see a better photo of the quilt. It's done by hand and adorable.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE: </font>I see the quilter names the book as her influence in <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4304663.html">this article</a>. Ah-ha! I just knew there had to be a connection. She did a wonderful job capturing the idea behind the book since I got it at first glance.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;">New</font><br /><a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com">fabric dyeing 101: step by step instructions for creating your own hand dye fabrics with procion mx dyes</a><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /></font><font><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a></font><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /></font><font><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a></font><font style="font-weight: bold;"> and </font><font><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a></font><font style="font-weight: bold;"> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116298953254280596?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1162702108762106232006-11-04T23:37:00.000-05:002007-01-11T11:45:14.440-05:00<a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfabricdyeing/fdbanner_455.jpg" align="middle"></a><br /><br />Years ago when I took up quiltmaking with a vengeance, I quickly realized I didn't want to work with commercially printed fabrics to create my quilts. Books about Procion MX fabric dyes started appearing in quilt shops and I soon started dyeing my own fabrics to get the colours and textures I was searching for [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/965021/">my quilt photos at flickr</a>]. The fabric dyeing experiments produced so much fabric I soon (kind of) had to start a business to justify the volume. That fabric dyeing business kept our home very busy and very crammed for a few years.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfabricdyeing/odetoclaude.jpg" title="logo from my online fabric shop: circa 1999" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200">During that time I started teaching fabric dyeing to other quilters. I wrote a manual for the students so they could continue fabric dyeing at home on their own. All these years later, I still hear back from those workshop participants, showing off their fabrics and sharing best practices learned along the way. I have always wanted to put the expanded manual online and now I finally have: <a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com">Fabric Dyeing 101: step by step instructions for creating your own hand-dyed cotton fabrics using procion mx dyes</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melfabricdyeing/46.jpg" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200">It's specifically designed for the newbie who wants to try fabric dyeing without dealing with huge volumes of dyes and mess. While my fabric business required dyeing thousands of yards of fabrics, all lovingly bundled into fat quarter groupings, the new home dyer can produce individual sample sets to decide if s/he wants to make more. My methods allow for cost-effective low-volume dyeing and easy replication of results. In other words, if you create a colour you love with one of my recipes, if you work in the same environment again, you can make more of it. This is fantastic when you have a specific quilt or sewing project in mind.<br /><br />I hope those of you who make quilts, love fabric and/or experimenting with color, will enjoy the site and <a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com">give fabric dyeing a try</a>. You'll be amazed at what beautiful fabrics you can create at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them.<br /><br />As I continue to play with fabric dyeing and painting this winter, I hope to add more <a href="http://fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com/2006/10/14-other-techniques-sky-painting.html" title="painting with fabric dye and shaving foam!">short videos like this one</a> which demonstrates how easy it is to paint with fabric dyes to create unique fabrics. And the fabric dyeing 101 blog has all the information you need to buy the right supplies and get started. Have fun!<br /><br />~~Melissa<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116270210876210623?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1162345451411828122006-10-31T20:37:00.000-05:002006-10-31T20:44:11.606-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/285180458/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/105/285180458_00cb9b2663_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/285180458/">Halloween Dream</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>One beautiful cool evening, one girl dressed like a cheetah girl, and many miles covered trick-or-treating.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116234545141182812?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1162127529457737112006-10-29T08:07:00.000-05:002006-10-29T08:12:09.480-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/IMG_7628.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/IMG_7628.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><br />These three cats showed up at our door last night. Early for Halloween but never late for supper.<br /><br />I've been working on a new blog project which will be unveiled here when it's ripe and ready. Blogger has had a lot of hiccups lately. I hope it's cured soon. Posting has been a painful process, working around all the error messages.<br /><br />Happy Halloween.<br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116212752945773711?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1161380606996525432006-10-20T16:36:00.000-05:002007-01-11T11:34:43.982-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td>When we first moved to this area, I always thought about moving away: that one day I'd figure out where I really want to live.<br /><br />Now I find myself very attached to certain places that I can't imagine loving another area like I do this one with all its scrubby charm. Some things just strike me as so beautiful, despite the grotesque subdivisions filling in all around.<br /><br />This swamp is a prime example. I have the urge to photograph it almost every time I drive past it. It can look so different each day:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_7327.jpg" width="390"><br /><br />Here it is from September 2005:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/swamp01.jpg" width="390"><br /><br />And here's the same spot today. It looks like I tinkered with it in PhotoShop but I did not:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_7337.jpg" width="390"><br /><br />I'm hoping those developers don't find a way to build on top of swamp.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</font><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a><br /><br /><b>Most popular pages from my gardening blog:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></font></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116138060699652543?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1160779155868696912006-10-16T15:27:00.000-05:002006-10-16T15:19:03.550-05:00There's a very enjoyable interview by Shelagh Rogers with Alice Munro in the CBC Sounds Like Canada archives <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/soundslikecanada/">from October 12 here</a>. If you like reading or listening to writers on writing (and life), have a listen.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?t=pioneerwoma0e-20&o=15&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0771085141&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" hspace="7" vspace="7" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Last year I enjoyed the biography of Alice Munro by Robert Thacker. But listening to this radio interview, the same stories seemed much richer when told by Alice in her own words. It reminds me of Maya Angelou. I enjoy her books but there's something extraordinary about her speaking her words.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?t=pioneerwoma0e-20&o=15&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0771065264&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" hspace="7" vspace="7" align="right" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Munro's new book, <a href="http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?t=pioneerwoma0e-20&o=15&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0771065264&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">The View From Caste Rock</a>, is a collection of stories from her life and family history, told in a fictional or dramatized way. But, as she says in the interview, memoirs are about facts, and fiction has more tools to get at truth. So she told her life story in this fictionalized way, with changes in events and characters, to form a truth about it, as she experienced it, rather than being bogged down by the bare, known facts. In other words, this fictionalized way of writing captures a truth that a memoir would not, and neatly masks the question of what really happened and what was embellished or invented, thereby retaining some privacy.<br /><br />Munro has this way of describing things that is both focused and cumulative. She can describe clothing with a few words so you know what it's like, but she can also make an observation about an entire era and you also know what she's talking about. The example that comes to mind was from the interview where she said that today, the onus to seems to be on the adults to be 'good' parents and spend 'quality time' with one's children, whereas, in her childhood, the onus was on the child to behave and be a 'good' child. I'd never really thought of that until she said it. It's an intriguing flip-flop that has taken place in the past fifty years or so.<br /><br />Another book on my nightstand these days is <font style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2FWriting-Life-Celebrated-Canadian-International%2Fdp%2F0771076258%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1161025006%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&amp;amp;amp;amp;tag=pioneerwomanw-20&linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&creative=9325">Writing Life<img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1"> Celebrated Canadian and International Authors on Writing and Life</a></font>. <font class="sans">It's a big, beautiful collection of what it says it is: writers talking about writing. It's in the piece by Alice Munro that she mentions that Castle Rock will mark the finale to her writing career.I had to buy it so I could devour it properly and carefully, page by page, in my own time.</font><b class="sans"><br /></b><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116077915586869691?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1160690749162165922006-10-12T17:00:00.000-05:002007-01-11T11:39:34.863-05:00It was whiteout conditions by the time I arrived at the school to meet the kids:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_7272.jpg" width="450" /><br /><br />The walk home was very windy. Very beautiful. Very cold.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_7277.jpg" width="450" /><br /><br />Every leaf on the road had these big bulging drops of water:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_7278.jpg" width="450" /><br /><br />By the time we reached home, the ground was covered in snow and the storm had passed.<br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Entries:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Life in the Mother Hood</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations, and Excursions</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Most Popular Garden Blog Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/garden-shed-hall-of-fame.html">The Garden Shed Hall of Fame</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual Garden Tours</a><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">My Garden Art/Junk Page One</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-garden-artjunk-part-two.html">Page Two</a> and <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-garden-artjunk-part-three.html">Page Three</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/mirrors-in-garden.html">Mirrors in the garden? Don't they break?</a></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116069074916216592?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1160332104568663512006-10-08T13:18:00.000-05:002007-01-11T11:42:26.862-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td>I cannot remember it ever being this beautiful on a Thanksgiving weekend. Sunny, clear, warm.<br /><br />On my first Thanksgiving/Oktoberfest in this town, I remember walking into a festhall tent and seeing an elderly man in lederhosen playing accordion alone on stage. His legs were blue from the cold and great puffs of steam came from his mouth with each breath. It was snowing and I was the only one standing there listening. I remember thinking: What the heck is Oktoberfest anyways? I still have no idea.<br /><br />We stopped at this little lake yesterday to play:<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_2635.jpg" width="450" /></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_2639.jpg" width="450" /><br />The girls discovered just how much fluff is to be found inside each cattail and proceeded to break open dozens of them.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><b>Related entries:</b><br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons and celebrations</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116033210456866351?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1160010011362979732006-10-04T19:53:00.000-05:002006-10-04T20:00:11.530-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/261064286/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/85/261064286_af9f428992_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/261064286/">Look</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-116001001136297973?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1159631778033706542006-09-30T10:54:00.000-05:002006-09-30T18:07:19.230-05:00I overheard two conversations in the grocery store this week that I came very close to inviting myself into. Which wouldn't have been criminal, but I for whatever reason, I kept my thoughts to myself.<br /><br />First I heard a woman telling her friend that she was anguishing over whether or not to marry her boyfriend. He was going through the same thing. What I wanted to say was, if it's that hard to decide, the answer is clearly <font style="font-weight: bold;">NO</font>, don't get married. I think the green light to get married comes with a <font style="font-weight: bold;">burning yes</font>. That <font style="font-style: italic;">yes</font> that doesn't anguish. Just a clean, crisp <font style="font-weight: bold;">yes</font>. If it's that hard to decide, cut bait and move on. Things will not become clearer.<br /><br />Then, I heard another woman telling her friend that she was seriously thinking of yanking her kid out of school and homeschooling instead. She too was anguishing over it. She was clearly disenchanted with the public school system (though it didn't sound like her concerns were anything really alarming) but put off by the thought of forming a home school. My unexpressed opinion was this: I think the best reason to homeschool is because you really want to, not because you really don't like the other options. You've got to want it for what it is. Again, a burning yes would be dandy. But maybe some people take this like an election where they strategically decide to vote <span style="font-weight: bold;">against </span>a leading candidate instead of <span style="font-weight: bold;">for </span>another one.<br /><br />And, on a funny/weird note:<br />Two kids came by to call on my daughter. They knocked on the door and hid. I opened the door, heard the kids giggling around the corner, looked down, and there was a large praying mantis on the doorstep. They hadn't put it there: it had just wandered up to the door on its own. It's the first one I've seen in years and years. This whole experience gave me one jumbo deja vu. As soon as I saw it, I thought I'd even written about seeing it before. Weird. Thank god the kids giggled or I would have been committed for thinking the praying mantis knocked on the door.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115963177803370654?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1159480033290052802006-09-29T10:26:00.000-05:002006-10-04T08:34:55.206-05:00For my own amusement/cathartic therapy I will record everything that's needed repair in the last week and a half:<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Update: </font>I knew I forgot a few things. Here's one more. I found my ideal/perfect throw at a store. This is essential equipment for a woman married to a man like Manley who likes his house cool and his woman hot (couldn't resist that one). It was knitted, natural/cream coloured, not too heavy, lovely to touch, and perfectly warm. Brought it home only to find...it shed like a gigantic dog. Tons and tons of fibers. Every hour on the hour. Day after day after day.<br /><br />To remedy it, I followed the washing instructions, lay it flat to dry, thinking maybe that would help settle it down. No way. More shedding and shedding and shedding. I found myself vacuuming up after the throw every day. Nuts! I phoned the store to enquire about a refund. <font style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><font style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Sorry, it's day </font><font style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">15</font><font style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> and items have to be returned within </font><font style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">14</font><font style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> days</font>.</font> Nice try, Lady. The 'our policy is' game went out the window years ago. This isn't a simple return. This is a defective product. After more conversation, she agreed to a refund. When I took the throw back to the store, giving its lovely softness one more fond farewell, I asked if others had had this problem. <font style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Well, yes</font>, she admits: <font style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">every time we put more on the shelf we're covered in the stuff</font>. Hhrrmmmph. And they keep trying to sell them because....???????<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Update on my update:</font> the Dalai Lama: <font style="font-style: italic;">--gently--that they believe that when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born--and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be born as perfectly as possible.</font><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Here's my initial list of headaches:</font><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Car</font> Manley's car suddenly blew two tires and needed new brake lines.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Telephones</font> The household phones both died at once (did they phone each other first to plan this?). The first set of replacement phones had to be returned because one of the extremely odd <font style="font-style: italic;">features </font>included automatically ending a call if more than one phone is in use. So if you answer and the call is for someone else, they have to come get that phone or the call is cut off. Dumb.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Washing Machine</font> The 20+ year old washing machine finally died. The delivery guys bringing the new one wouldn't help carry out the old one so instead, Manley and I rented an appliance dolly and I damn near died when we tried to haul that zillion pound sucker up the basement stairs.<br /><br />At one point, after several lifting attempts which got the machine half way up the stairs, stuck and back down again, we had the machine just a few steps from the top of the stairs and got <font style="font-weight: bold;">Majorly Stuck</font>. Manley had nowhere to hang onto it from above and I was below, with all the weight on me. I envisioned my daughters telling their friends their dearly departed mother had met her demise from a washing machine crushing her to death on a stairway. I refused to have a funny cause of death, we somehow managed one last hoist, and survived. With a lot of pulled muscles.<br /><br />Remind me never to try that again.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Cell Phone</font> Two of our cell phone batteries gave up. It costs more to buy a new battery than the new phone (<font style="font-style: italic;">hello world, what is happening to us?</font>). I didn't want the bells and whistles camera/video phone. Just a simple flip phone advertised online at a very reasonable price to go along with my very reasonable monthly cell phone bill ($10). <font style="font-style: italic;">Good luck</font>.<br /><br />After my online orders didn't go through and I talked it over with tech support (again and again and again), they took my order over the phone and I was told it would take <font style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 weeks</font> to be delivered. What did the UPS guy bring <font style="font-weight: bold;">one day</font> later? <font style="font-weight: bold;">Six phones</font>. That's four more than I ordered. Great. Can't wait to see how much I get billed for those and then spend another ten hours on the phone getting it straightened out.<br /><br />On a good note, the old cell phones have been donated to <a href="http://charitablerecycling.ca/CA/home.asp">charitablerecyling.ca</a> which refurbishes phones for donation to women's shelters.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Domain name</font> I renewed a website domain, the renewal didn't go through, the site went down, the tech support at the renewal company said, <font style="font-style: italic;">Oh, our autorenewal system hasn't been working since <font style="font-weight: bold;">January</font></font><font style="font-weight: bold;">. </font>And, we ask, then <font style="font-style: italic;">why the hell do you keep the autorenewal option on your site and take money through it</font> in <font style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">September</font>?<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Credit card</font> I noticed Manley hadn't received his copy of a credit card we applied for. I called to enquire. They said they sent the card to our bank branch and the branch destroyed the card. <font style="font-style: italic;">Why did you send it to the bank and not us</font>, I asked? <font style="font-style: italic;">For security reasons,</font> they said. <font style="font-style: italic;">So what do I do now to get a card for him?</font> Oh, they say, <font style="font-style: italic;">we'll just send one to your house</font>. Apparently those security reasons are invalid upon second request.... Dumb.<br /><br />I also noticed a small (unexpected) charge on the card. Service person says she'll just remove it. I want to know why it's there at all since we have used the card. Service person doesn't care. This is the third unwarranted charge on the card since we got it two months ago. I fear I will have to babysit it every month to make sure we are not taken for charges that are not ours. It drives me nuts how every service needs such constant scrutiny.<br /><br />This is much like the way the phone company charges interest on payments that go through <font style="font-weight: bold;">on the due date</font>. I'm sure most customers don't have time to phone in and question a 32 cent interest charge so they just pay it. Smart phone company. Add up all the customers doing this and they phone company is taking in a good chunk of extra change. But not from me because I can't stand stuff like that and stop it whenever I see it. Even if it means a lot of phone time.<br /><br />Which brings me to my next point. I think it should be legislated that if a company offers a product or service <font style="font-weight: bold;">online</font>, it should be as simple to cancel that same order <font style="font-weight: bold;">online</font>. The example I'm thinking of is the phone company which enables you to order any extra services you want easily online but to cancel any of them you have to get through their very slow phone service and cannot do it online at all. That sneaky business cost us a lot when we tried to cancel a phone service two years ago and couldn't get through to customer service on the phone at all, trying a few times every billing cycle, and ended up paying for way more months than we should have.<br /><br />All this electronic <font style="font-style: italic;">convenience </font>just offers fragmented service where no one customer service rep can ever totally manage one customer's account. When I was trying to get my cell phone order straightened out (after almost being crushed to death by the washing machine), I went through four departments who each declared that the other should have just stopped and placed my order. <font style="font-style: italic;">Bleck</font>. And duh. They're all very pleasant but the service is just as frustrating and useless as ever.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Fridge </font>Our fridge door started spontaneously popping open at whim any time, day or night. We ended up propping up its front feet to tip it back and keep its door shut. It's now dripping too much water from the bottom but, frankly, I'm ignoring that.<br /><br />And in another comedic twist, the <font style="font-weight: bold;">shower curtain rod</font> decided it would no longer stay in place and kept surprising unsuspecting showerers. Apparently tension spring action has a lifespan and we reached the end of it. At least now I know <font style="font-weight: bold;">how to drill into glazed tile</font> to install a fixed rod:<br />-put two layers of masking tape where you want to drill. This keeps the drill bit end from slipping when you start drilling.<br />-use a carbide masonary drill bit and a multi-speed high power drill. If you use a regular drill bit, it will snap. If you can't change drill speeds while it's drilling, the drill will go bananas and shift around.<br />-start slow, drilling through the tape and then add speed and pressure<br />-as soon as you can feel the drill bit going through the tile, slow right down and complete the hole.<br />It took all the strength I had to press hard enough to get through the tile.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Internet and cable</font> These went off and on for many hours over the course of the past week. Each time the repair guy would arrive to check it out, they'd mysteriously go back on. Finally, we got a guy who just rewired everything and bipassed what were presumably fickle/damanged cables buried in our walls.<br /><br />Number of hours spent on the phone trying to sort out these problems: approximately 8.<br />Numbers of hours spent online trying to locate customer service help needed: 2<br />Number of pulled muscles in my back: unknown/many<br />Number of times I told the cell phone tech support guy I'd jump off a bridge if he didn't just take my order and stop passing my call around: 3<br /><br />I'm sure there were more headaches. I'm just too comatose to recall them just now.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115948003329005280?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1158964404509465312006-09-24T14:32:00.000-05:002006-09-24T14:38:19.213-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><font style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic;" size="4">Now that <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com">the gardening season</a> is slowing down, I can finally get back to restoring more of my old archives from my old pioneer woman with cell phone blog.</font><font style="font-weight: bold;" size="4"><br /><br />Recommended Art / Quilt Books<br /><br /></font><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0891459448&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Quilts & Influences</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Nancy Crow</font><br />I had noticed this book at the library for years and never even took it off the shelf because I assumed it would just be a book full of harsh and geometric- looking quilts (a style I'm not fond of). When I had finally worked my way through the rest of the quilt book collection, I finally went through this one. My assumptions were so wrong. Her use of colour is perhaps the closest I've seen to meeting the mastery of the Amish quiltmakers of 100 years ago. Nancy's quilts bridged the beauty of the old with the artistry of the new. I was hooked.<br /><br />Nancy Crow is both an extraordinary quilt artist and photographer. This is a type of autobiographical work that I cherish: detailing in photos and words many of the people and things that influence her work -- her family, childhood books, visual patterns, trees.... There are numerous photographs including her studio, completed quilts and works in progress. It is intriguing to study the photos and see how her design choices change as each piece evolves. Nancy is candid about emotional struggles in her life, including familiar shifts from restlessness tots to periods of tremendous productivity.<br /><br />I treasure this book. One major influence it had on my own work was the encouragement to think of quilts as works in a series. This approach allows a lot more play in quilt design instead of pressuring myself to make each quilt the ultimate one -- something it can't be. The series approach facilitates capturing great ideas that come forth during the design process and noting them for future works if they don't best suit the piece at hand. I suspect a number of quiltmakers get tripped up in their work for this very reason -- they want each quilt to be the ultimate, instead of allowing the art to unfold one quilt at a time.<br /><br />In 1989 when the book was written, Nancy's studio was a renovated out-building on her farm property. Today, <a href="http://nancycrow.com">(Nancycrow.com)</a> her barn is renovated to provide larger work space and classrooms for teaching quilt design. There are also groups trips to inspire quiltmakers.</td></tr><br /><tr><td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1571201033&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">The Quilted Garden</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Jane Sassaman</font><br />A wonderful journey in photos and words through Jane's unfoldment as a quiltmaker. Also included: instructions for making quilts using Jane's unique techniques. I love this book and have reread it many times. She's a deeply insightful artist.<br /><br />also see: <a href="http://janesassaman.com/">janesassaman.com</a><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0976692813&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Thread Magic</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Ellen Anne Eddy</font><br />Break out those hand-dyes and threads and let's go! Ellen's quilts are whimsical, charming and beautiful. Includes instructions for making hand dye-painted quilt fabrics and lots of thread painting how-to's.<br /><br />This book went out of print for a while and some people paid some amazing amounts of money for copies of it on eBay. Then it went back into print and, well, now the price is very reasonable.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1579901263&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><b><br />Fiberarts Design Book Six </b><font style="font-style: italic;">edited by Nancy Orban</font><b></b><p>A wonderful selection of works of art in fiber, including quilts. As you can tell by the name, there's lots of these books.<br /></p></td></tr><tr><td><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=B000AMPHWE&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">The Twentieth Century's Best American Quilts</font><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">edited by Mary Leman Austin</font><br />The name says it -- these quilts are a breathtaking selection of favourites from the 1900's. There's also a video of the quilts and some of the artists discussing their work.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0914881930&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">The Visual Dance</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Joen Wolfrom</font><br />A great selection of contemporary quilts are shown and discussed in these books.<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=157990677X&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Quilt National 2005</font><br />These catalogues are always are treat -- check out used book sellers for catalogues from previous years.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1571200185&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Kaleidoscopes & Quilts </font><font style="font-style: italic;">by Paula Nadelstern</font><br />A most-enjoyable and easy to understand instructional book for creating kaleidoscope quilts. I am so impressed with Paula's writing style. She has a lovely sense of humour and her concise instructions continually anticipate the reader's questions. For those of us without a sewing studio or even a sewing room, the photo of her working on her Singer featherweight at her tiny kitchen table in her Bronx apartment is quite inspiring.<br /><br />Also see <a href="http://www.paulanadelstern.com/">paulanadelstern.com</a><br /><br />Paula spoke at our quilt guild last year and she provided a most enjoyable funny and quilt-filled presentation.<br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=157120041X&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Piecing </font><font style="font-style: italic;">by Ruth McDowell</font><br />Ruth is a very determined quilt genius. My favourite part of this book is the grizzly bear quilt (page 112). Ruth developed the pattern from a basic log cabin -- you have to see it yourself to witness her incredible talents in design, piecing and fabric selection. What I love in Ruth's books is how she documents the artistic process showing not only how she develops ideas but figures out how to make them work.<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1571200150&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Art & inspiration</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Ruth McDowell</font><br />After reading this book I will never regard plaid fabrics the same way again. Ruth's quilts remind me very much of impressionist paintings -- looking up close you can't believe that there's a picture in there -- stand back and it all makes sense. Ruth is a master of pieced trees. My favourite is Leah's Tree.<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1571200916&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Pieced Flowers</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Ruth McDowell</font><br />I have to admit that occasionally as I follow Ruth's quest to piece images I'm thinking, ok, please just applique this one, it will be ok. She boldly goes where most quiltmakers do not (standing back cringing at the idea of sewing a 'Y' seam). She is a piecing genius and shares her knowledge in very easy to understand way. When you see what she readily achieves you may well be tempted to venture into new quiltmaking territory. Hand-dyed fabrics are perfect for these pieced flowers.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1564771644&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Color </font><font style="font-style: italic;">by Christine Barnes</font><br />This book offers lots of strategies for choosing colour and pattern in a quilt. There are lots of pictures of both fabrics and quilts from a variety of artists. The colour workshop on value, intensity, texture, and luminosity proved invaluable for helping me develop an eye for selecting fabrics in shops packed with thousands of choices. I like any book that nudges me to step out of my usual selections into new territory, and this book achieved just that.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0967298504&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Westminster Patchwork and Quilting</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Kaffe Fassett</font><br />The man (and those who work with him) is the master of colour. The quilts are just beautiful. Peaceful, elegant, charming....and simple. Wherever Kaffe goes, his brilliant use of colour comes along. I love it.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=0517708531&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Glorious Patchwork</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Kaffe Fassett</font><br />This is where Kaffe started with the quilts in collaboration with Liza Prior Lucy. Say yes to colour!<br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pioneerwomanw-20&o=1&amp;p=8&l=as1&amp;asins=1571201025&fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&amp;bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" align="left" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><font style="font-weight: bold;">Free-Style Quilts</font> <font style="font-style: italic;">by Susan Carlson</font><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Free Style Quilts</font> presents a refreshing way of thinking about quiltmaking or fabric art (outside the traditional piecing mindset). When my eleven year-old daughter first looked through this book and saw Susan's techniques (first lightly gluing the fabric in place to a background and then stitching over top with decorative threads, instead of piecing or appliqueing), she said 'Hey! That's cheating!'. Then she kept reading and said 'Hey! This is amazing!' and she was ready to get going on her own cat wallhanging.<br />Susan's focal subject in the book is tropical fish-- which didn't sound thrilling to me until I examined her use of fabric -- sometimes quite humorous, and always outstanding. Throughout the book Susan encourages the reader to embark on their own creative quiltmaking venture. There are lots of pictures of work by both Susan and some of her students, as well as a very good critique of an underwater aquatic scene, following it from concept to completed piece.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><b>Related entries:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Index of Favourite Books</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115896440450946531?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1158959507448390392006-09-22T15:20:00.000-05:002007-01-15T10:01:40.405-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/sets/732316/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/flickrfavourites.jpg" title="see my favourite photos at flickr" width="370" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/canon_drebel.jpg" valign="top" title="canon digital rebel: yes please!" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="200" />If I was <strike>empress</strike> queen, I would own a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Rebel-XT-f3-5-5-6/dp/B0007QKN22/sr=8-1/qid=1158956874/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-5756694-4282324?ie=UTF8&s=photo" title="see one at Amazon.com">Canon Digital Rebel (35mm EOS)</a> camera.<br /><br />I am truly photo-obsessed and take a few thousand photos a month. I can go out without even thinking to look in the mirror or brush my hair, but without my camera, I am naked!<br /><br />I was thinking recently about the whole switch from film to digital.<br /><br />I remember when digital cameras first came on the scene, lots of photographers were outspoken about how inferior the quality of the images was and how they would never overtake film as the professional's choice. Yada yada.<br /><br />While I have no opinion in the great artistic debate regarding the quality, I think it's safe to say that many of those outspoken people have since overcome their qualms and joined the digital revolution. How liberating it is to be able to take as many shots as you want without worrying about cost of the film or developing. Or whether the shot even turned out.<br /><br />The big obstacle for me was letting go of the perceived security of having printed photos. When I got my first digital camera, I continued to take duplicate shots with the film camera and get them developed along with storing the digital shots. Just in case. I two-timed it for about a year before deciding to put my trust in the digital alone.<br /><br />It's a strange feeling to rely on the computer and disks to safely store the image files. I'm still not really thrilled with the idea. I do keep backup DVDs, send favourites to photos sites, and print some photos out, but there's still that nagging feeling of <span style="font-style: italic;">what if</span>. There's also a lot of discussions indicating that CDs and DVDs may have a very short shelf life (as little as ten years). And with the way technology changes so quickly, who knows what format we'll be using in ten years?<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/canon_a75.jpg" title="canon powershot a75" align="left" hspace="7" vspace="7" width="220" />If I ever do get myself a Digital Rebel, my big concern will be the size. My little current camera (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Canon Powershot A75</span>) fits very nicely in the back pocket of my jeans and I take it with me every where I go. While I'd love to have a lot more manual shooting features to get the exact shots I'm after, it would seem rather cumbersome to lug around a bigger camera and worry about protecting it. My powershot has been thrown, dropped, crushed, stomped, soaked, and jostled, without ever failing me. Whenever it decides to call it quits, it has more than earned its keep.<br /><br />What do you do to ensure the safety of your digital photos?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><b>Related entries:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115895950744839039?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1158670323574095632006-09-19T07:43:00.000-05:002007-01-15T10:06:24.552-05:00This is top secret. If you go to Marineland on a school day in September, there's just about no one there. You get *this close* to the whales. You can go on any ride you want at any time, with no line ups, and ride it as many times as you want. It's quiet and peaceful and the way we socially introverted, crowd-phobic, quiet types wish the whole world was all the time. But please don't tell anyone. It's our beautiful secret.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6789.jpg" title="beluga whale" width="370" /><br /><br />There's a few more photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/">on my flickr page</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115867032357409563?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1157927866820701102006-09-10T17:31:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:05:24.638-05:00<table><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/gradesonetwothree.jpg"></td></tr></table><br />The Lamb is changing so fast. It's hard to tell in the photos but from Grade Two to Three she grew about 4". Not to mention how her entire appearance seemed to transform. It's a good thing I see her every day or I wouldn't recognize her from last year until now!<br /><br />She's just at the age where she still takes my hand when we're walking somewhere and then thinks about it, lets go, holds again, and back and forth it goes. I had to tell her, <span style="font-weight:bold;">after age 8, the hand holding is for the Mom, not the child</span>. With that, she firmly took my hand again and didn't let go.</td></tr></table><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Entries:</span><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">The Mother Hood</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115792786682070110?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1157576287677974742006-09-06T15:56:00.000-05:002007-01-12T21:14:31.677-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td>The school board has wisely decided that I could use a lot more exercise and consequently cancelled the Lamb's school bus service this year. So now, we walk together to and from, which takes me approximately two hours each day (since I have to walk both ways twice). It's fun now but ask me again in January when the roads aren't plowed and it's -15C and I may have another opinion.<br /><br />Today we are under <font style="font-weight: bold;">a severe hail storm warning</font> which is my cue to bring the camera on the walk since wild weather tends to be rather photogenic. I captured these wonderful rays of light while waiting for the school bell to ring:</td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6564.jpg" width="450"></td></tr><tr><td>There's some deep grumbling in the sky now but it will probably be a few hours before the hail arrives.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115757628767797474?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1157409002987113082006-09-04T17:15:00.000-05:002007-01-15T10:09:39.555-05:00The girls convinced me to take them to the beach one last time today before school starts tomorrow. I'm glad we went. It was quiet and beautiful.<br /><br />We saw the oddest sky on the way. Look at the way it divided into white and blue. Fortunately, the beach was on the blue side:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6504.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br />We parked our beach chairs close to the water and watched the Lamb swim in the icey water. There were sailboats way, way far out and occasionally motor boats and small airplanes went by, making their noise and then fading away.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6524.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br />Each time we went to the beach this summer, there was a man (wearing a Speedo-eek!) by himself working on sand sculptures. Last time he made an excellent castle/kingdom. This time he worked for a long time (far too long) on an odd-looking face:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/IMG_6511.jpg" width="370" /><br /><br />It looked much better from this side view than <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/?action=view&current=IMG_6508.jpg&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;refPage=&amp;imgAnch=imgAnch1">from the top</a>.<br />I loved this summer. I'm totally not psyched for fall, probably because it seems the girls are growing up so fast.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115740900298711308?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1156945803348309242006-08-30T08:40:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:10:36.406-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td>It seemed time to show the Lamb how to manage her own email after monitoring it for her for a few years.<br /><br />Now I get lovely notes in my inbox a few times a day. Instant cheer, they are.<br /><br />Here's a few snippets:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/kemail1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/kemail1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/kemail2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/kemail2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/kemail4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/kemail4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/kemail3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/kemail3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td><b>Related entries:</b><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">The Mother Hood<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115694580334830924?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1156563584563197952006-08-25T22:41:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:11:55.731-05:00<embed width="400" height="120" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://wmg.photobucket.com/widgets/BucketStrip.swf?url=http://wmg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/&amp;name=Summer2006"></embed><br /><br /><embed width="400" height="120" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://wmg.photobucket.com/widgets/BucketStrip.swf?url=http://wmg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/&amp;name=MoreSummer2006"></embed><br />The photos won't tell the story of what a good summer we've had. Just places we've seen. I loved having so much time with my girls. I don't miss the homework routine or making school lunches or appointments or anything else. I just like having everyone home: late breakfasts, goofing off, lots of gardening, trips to the beach, drives with endless farmland.<br /><br />We've got one more week to soak it all in.<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#c8c8e2"><b>Related entries:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, Celebrations & Excursions</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115656358456319795?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1156033965266516102006-08-19T19:27:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:13:03.825-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/219525114/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/72/219525114_89c63c964b_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/219525114/">Cheers!</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>In just ten days my girl found herself swimming in three different Great Lakes. She's just how I was when I was little: ready and willing to swim anywhere any time.<br /><br />This was taken at Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario around 6 pm. It was very tranquil and so beautiful.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115603396526651610?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1155511598646754272006-08-13T18:21:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:15:00.479-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/214472984/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/68/214472984_1efcd18407_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/214472984/">Beach</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This was one of those times when there was nothing more perfect or beautiful than sitting in my chair watching the water and sky and my girl at the beach.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115551159864675427?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1155358826083760722006-08-11T23:55:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:15:42.410-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/211256424/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/57/211256424_039de911df_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/211256424/">Big Old Willow Tree</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This brilliant tree is next to the homestead of Alexander Graham Bell in Brantford, Ontario. I can only imagine how far the roots reach.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115535882608376072?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1148765213585045412006-07-31T14:26:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:16:51.014-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><font style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">From my archives in 2003:</font><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/1550024620.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 57px; height: 87px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/1550024620.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><b>To Experience Wonder</b><br />I recently read the new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwoma0e-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=15121&creative=330641&amp;path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1550024620%3Fv%3Dglance%26n%3D916520%26v%3Dglance">Edna Staebler: A Life, To Experience Wonder</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.ca/e/ir?t=pioneerwoma0e-20&l=ur2&amp;o=15" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1"> by Veronica Ross (2003). Edna is a very well-loved writer in these parts. Much of her life she has lived on a small lake just ten minutes from my house. I had never actually seen this lake (which sounds ultra-crazy if you know I would love to live beside water and think I know this town) until two weeks ago. Following the directions in the book (which are there to tell a story), I drove up our main road, made two lefts and a right, and found the lake. It is indeed a little piece of Paradise that I'm sure half the people around here would love to live near. And like half those people, I'm now watching the real estate ads (dreaming).<br /><p>Edna is famous for her Mennonite cookbooks (or more accurately, cookbooks that started as an assignment to write about Mennonite cooking) but her creative non-fiction writing is most impressive to me. Life pulled her into the cookbook writing (which are rich with stories of the people) as a means of supporting herself but she still longed to write a lot more other things. She's 97 now and living in a residence in town following a stroke last May. <font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Update: July 2006--she's 100 now!</font><br /></p><p>Probably most inspirational is the way she lives her life--*very rich* in friendships. Here's a few favourite bits from the book about Edna:<br /></p><p><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"></font></p><blockquote><p><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Being a loving person is like having a light inside you and as you look at people it shines on them and helps you really see them--so loving is not a part time thing or a personal thing--but something that which you are. <i>--Edna Staebler, page 104</i></font></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Why does he [the writer] do it? They ask. What has he got to show for it? Well God knows and a few people on earth know why the artist starves himself for the joy of painting, why the poet writes poetry that doesn't pay, why the composter continues to compose even though he is never performed...The spiritual face behind each of them is the same face--a face which common sense will never know, or if it did know, would profane.<br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><i>--Thomas Burke, page 65<br /><br /></i></font></blockquote><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Put everything into the first sentence and don't lose any of it.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">-- </span><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Pierre Berton [on writing]</span><br /><br /></i></blockquote><i></i><blockquote>Writing fiction is like 'stepping off earth into space'. <i><br />--Edna Staebler, page 146</i></blockquote><i></i></font><p></p><p><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><br /></font><b>Shattered Illusions</b><br />I've read a few things recently that shattered some illusions I had about people who have strongly influenced me. First, there's a new biography about Carl Jung that shows him to be quite the cad. I neglected to write down the book details, but I think it's this one: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0316159387%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1154373061%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8">Jung, A Biography by Dierdre Bair</a>. I haven't got the review in front of me to accurately list his failings (probably a good thing), but suffice to say, there was a significant gap between his words and deeds. There was also a biography by Frank McLynn in 1997 repeating much of the same information.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/0679723951.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 101px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/0679723951.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>When I was a teenager, I read Jung's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0679723951%2Fsr%3D1-1%2Fqid%3D1154373151%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks">Memories, Dreams and Reflections</a> and it had a profound (positive) effect on me. I'm thankful I didn't know the dirty details about his life or I may not have been open to the powerful spiritual insights in the book. This got me thinking a lot (again) about how the media scrutiny today crushes a lot of careers or aspirations before people even get out of the starting gate. I wonder what we're missing out on today by condemning people when some of their behaviour is imperfect. We shoot a lot of messengers because of their flaws before we ever hear the message.<br /></p><p>In the book about Edna Staebler's life, there is mention of Edna meeting Brenda Ueland (author of classic book, <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/brenda-ueland-if-you-want-to-write.html">If You Want to Write</a>). If you've read this book, you know how Brenda is wonderfully supportive of the reader as an emerging writer, very caring and maternal. Edna was excited to meet Ueland and was not disappointed by their meeting, except in one area. Edna was divorced (after enduring a long, hellish marriage with an alcoholic husband who eventually left her for one of her best friends) and Ueland essentially blamed Edna for this. <font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><blockquote>They [Edna and Ueland] 'hit it off' but Ueland wasn't helpful, saying any woman whose husband left her for someone else deserved it: it was her own fault.....Ueland told her that four men had divorced their wives for her." [page 190]</blockquote></font>It was a startling detail to encounter after recently reading Ueland's book. And the point I'm getting to in my round about way here is that I think it's my own thinking that needs improving--not the lives of these people who influence me. Everyone can be described in unflattering ways. They're just being their human selves. And certainly that doesn't change the value of the message?<br /></p><p>I'm still reading <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/stephen-king-on-writing.html">On Writing by Stephen King</a>. There's a passage where he says, essentially, that <font style="font-weight: bold;">writers are born, not made</font>. And if you are a writer and you are a good writer, you'll never be great. Just good or very good. It sounds callous of him to say (in contast to all the lovey-dovey gushy how-to-write-books I've been reading), but I actually found it empowering. It gave me the impetous to write a lot more this week, knowing that I'm an ok writer and it's ok to write. Not with dreams of greatness, but just because I feel I was born a writer and now it's time to write. More on Mr. King's musings when I've finished reading the book.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li>About <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/stephen-king-on-writing.html">Stephen King: On Writing</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/brenda-ueland-if-you-want-to-write.html">Brenda Ueland: If You Want to Write</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">Artists and writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Books & reading</a></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-114876521358504541?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1154299903518091152006-07-30T17:17:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:17:40.395-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0865477086%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1154297772%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 71px; height: 108px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/0865477086.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0865477086%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1154297772%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8">It Hit Me Like A Ton of Bricks</a> by Catherine Lloyd Burns<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(published April 2006 ISBN 0865477086)</span><br /><br />This is the way to write a memoir. This is also a great way to write fiction: with an economy of words yet no meanings lost.<br /><br />The book contains many scenes from the writer's life, focusing on her relationship with her mother and her young daughter, and somehow she manages to keep the reader oriented to time, place, and mood, with the most economical use of words. I read one review which said, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There is not a word out of place in this book</span></span>, and I agree. I kept thinking of all the fiction I've read where it would take too many pages to figure out where the scene was taking place and why. Intentionally or not, that drives me bezerk. In this memoir, just a few succinct sentences and I'm comfortable in a whole other place and time. I like that.<br /><br />Here's a few passages that I enjoyed:<br /><blockquote>Motherhood isn't very forgiving. You are very judgmental about other people and very tough on yourself. Plus it is lonely. Even though you get a lifetime membership into The Motherhood Club, it doesn't guarantee companionship with anyone you actually want to hang out with. The Motherhood Club is worse than any clique you thought you had managed to escape. Family-bed mothers aren't welcome at the Ferber's mother's club. Stay-at-home mothers don't like working mothers with full-time nannies. Attachment parenting, wooden-toy-from-Vermont-no-Disney-crap mothers can't hang out with mothers whose idea of a healthy snack is Doritos before a Happy Meal. Everyone may give everyone the wave on the street but it's a &^%$ jungle out there....<br /></blockquote>And who hasn't thought their spouse is much better off than they are?<br /><blockquote>In my next life I'm coming back as a man. I will have sex with my wife and come insider her until she gets pregnant and then I will stand up or sit down next to her in the hospital while she figures out how to get it out of her. I will play with my children when I'm in the mood and stop when I don't want to play with them anymore and I won't get all psycho about it. I will throw them up in the air super high and get them wound up right before they're supposed to go to sleep and then I will let my wife, their mother, put them to bed. I will have the best body I've had in years because having children means that I get up so early in the morning I end up going to the gym on a regular basis for the first time in years. I won't worry if they don't eat or sleep or move their bowels for days or weeks on end. "Would you stop worrying, " I will tell their mother, my wife. "What do you get yourself so worked up for?" And then I will go out. I will enjoy life more than I did before I had children because fatherhood has shown me dimensions of my heart I could never have imagined, and everyone I know will agree, it's made me a much better man. At night I will sleep like a baby because I am a man. I know it is my wife, their mother, my daughters will hate in 14 years. Not me.</blockquote>There's another funny passage which is too long to type out where she contrasts her day with her husband's. He breezes through some activities, doing what he pleases, while she is breaking her back juggling all the demands of motherhood plus tending to a sick friend. After a long description of everything she had to go through in her day, she declares how she would very much like another baby. I had to laugh as I've had that same neurotic thought in the middle of the mayhem.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0865477086%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1154297772%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 71px; height: 108px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/0865477086.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0865477086%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fqid%3D1154297772%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fie%3DUTF8">It Hit Me Like A Ton of Bricks</a> by Catherine Lloyd Burns</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Books & reading</a></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115429990351809115?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1154272717937459442006-07-30T10:15:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:18:23.011-05:00<table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/gpondbeforeIMG_4446.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/gpondbeforeIMG_4446.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>When I'm not here, you can pretty much always find me <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/">in the garden</a>.<br /><br />Right now, there's a new pond to dig....Bring your shovel. </td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115427271793745944?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1153968945405342372006-07-29T08:17:00.001-05:002008-09-26T18:36:33.844-05:00I'm gradually gathering all my posts into index pages. These ones are any about any books I've read and written about and a few shows/movies/documentaries:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog3/cov134.jpg" vspace="7" width="100" hspace="7" /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Garden That You Are</span> by Katherine Gordon [<a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-book-garden-that-you-are.html">read more</a>]<br /><table><tbody><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/09/favourite-quilt-books.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/nancycrow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/09/favourite-quilt-books.html">Favourite Art/ Quilt Books</a> A bunch of favourites for not just quilting but art inspiration as well.</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilted-garden.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 70px; height: 93px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/quiltedgarden.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Something else I love about this book (besides the inspiring and straight forward discussion of her approach to art) is the way... [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilted-garden.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/enter-time-machine.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 75px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/22_pioneerquest.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My all time favourite remains the Canadian classic, Pioneer Quest...and other historical reality shows.... [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/enter-time-machine.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/edna-staebler-carl-jung.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 61px; height: 92px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/1550024620.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I recently read the new book, Edna Staebler: A Life, To Experience Wonder by Veronica Ross (2003). Edna is a very well-loved writer in these parts. Much of her life she has lived on a small lake...Also mentions <span style="font-weight: bold;">the biograhpy of Carl Jung by Dierdre Blair</span>....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/edna-staebler-carl-jung.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/recent-intake_113408421144508769.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 86px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/edgeseasons.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Edge Seasons by Beth Powning (a memoir). This book instantly pulled the rug out from under my feet for a funny reason. It is essentially the book I have been working on. How odd to find myself reading the very book I was trying to write....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/recent-intake_113408421144508769.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/it-hit-me-like-ton-of-bricks.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 90px;" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/P/0865477086.01._SL110_SCTZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It Hit Me Like A Ton of Bricks by Catherine Lloyd Burns<br />This is the way to write a memoir. This is also a great way to write fiction: with an economy of words yet no meanings lost....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/it-hit-me-like-ton-of-bricks.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 81px;" src="http://ca.geocities.com/melinwloo/crow.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Books by Nancy Crow, Jane Sassman, and Thomas Hobbs [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/quilt-influences.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/summer-reading.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 82px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/cummingsbiopic.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Biography of <span style="font-weight: bold;">ee cummings</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doris McCarthy</span>: memoir, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Francine du Plessix Gray</span>: memoir....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/summer-reading.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Louise Dickensen Rich: We Took To The Woods</span><br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/we-took-to-woods.html">Read more...</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Stephen King: On Writing</span><br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/stephen-king-on-writing.html">Read more...</a>]<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books &amp; UnCollecting</span>: learning to let go of the compulsion to buy and hoard books and magazines.<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/books-uncollecting.html">Read more...</a>]<br /><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/find-books-at-amazon.html">Find books at amazon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:<br /></b><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">Artists and writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115396894540534237?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1153969185284706482006-07-28T21:59:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:20:23.123-05:00Since Blogger doesn't have categories yet, I'm creating my own. These are all my posts pertainig to the greatest 'hood of all, Motherhood:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/pox-pegs-and-rain.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 72px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/pegdoll.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The wait is over. My girl finally has the chicken pox.....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/pox-pegs-and-rain.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/backgammon-girl.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 89px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/42/84625289_050fcb4576_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Ya sure she looks cute, but she's also turning into a backgammon shark....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/backgammon-girl.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/i-went-down-stars.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 49px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/39/76700488_a16b99e3a8_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I love getting notes from my kids, particularly when there's a poetic misspelling....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/i-went-down-stars.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/day-off.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 68px; height: 91px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/20/71837354_4be8414313_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We finally got time to get the Lamb's blog up and running. She could have written about a hundred entries if we hadn't....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/day-off.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-blogger.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 50px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/IMG_2865.0.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We finally got time to get the Lamb's blog up and running. She could have written about a hundred entries if we hadn't....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-blogger.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/halloween-2005-6805.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 65px; height: 48px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/25/58292825_dc25e055fa_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Mommy? <font style="font-style: italic;">Yes?</font> You're not going to braid my hair today are you?....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/halloween-2005-6805.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/bubble-girl-6628.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 48px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/54682329_8380d970c1_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>These nights are getting very cold but the afternoons are perfect. We found a bunch of 'bubble syrup' ....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/bubble-girl-6628.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/mask-6318.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 66px; height: 88px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/29/52830846_645a8dead4_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Our town is getting too big and weekend shopping is too crowded. But when my girl asked to go to the thrift shop Halloween party....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/mask-6318.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/swim-lessons-6107.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 47px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/30/50539586_79ff8d5775_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Here we go again. I think the Lamb must really like Level H in swim lessons because this is her fourth or fifth time doing it....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/swim-lessons-6107.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/porch-locusts-6083.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 65px; height: 48px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/32/49510999_83aef436f3_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>They look harmless enough but they're really locusts who sense every time I've baked something ....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/porch-locusts-6083.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 63px; height: 47px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/25/43316808_fb487b60a9_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>In some ways these two couldn't be more different yet they've been unstoppable best friends since they met in kindergarten....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/best-friends-5377.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 61px; height: 81px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/42838623_ad6651590c_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>It's offical. Kristina is now part of the secret construction lot fan club....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/beast-unicorn-5373.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 60px; height: 81px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/32/42489366_cefa767008_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Tonight's hike to the construction lot was a rite of passage for the Lamb....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/feather-collector-5312.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/difference-of-year.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 60px; height: 46px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/26/40927868_b332b0c7eb_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I found the picture I took last year for the first day of grade one and put it next to today's Grade Two picture....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/difference-of-year.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/shadows-and-freezies.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/shadows-and-freezies.html">Fever and nightmares....</a></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 61px; height: 63px;" src="http://photos25.flickr.com/38381063_dec0ff8e05_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>It's almost time for school to start up again and all the colourful locals are gradually returning from their summer vacations. The cowboy and the devil weren't getting along so well today, but the princess....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/cowboy-princess-devil-4879.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/blastoffclub400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 60px; height: 45px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/blastoffclub400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>After listening to much cutting and taping and colouring, an invitation landed on my desk early this morning for the Blast Off Club....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/blast-off-club.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/knock-knock.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 62px; height: 88px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/peterpan400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The Lamb was so excited about today that she got up around 5 am, got dressed and waited on the couch for the day to hurry up....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/knock-knock.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/art-shows-long-waits.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 50px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kkhoppyartshow400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Last evening, Manley and I were invited to an art show on our deck, hosted by 'the 2K Art Club'....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/art-shows-long-waits.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/dragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 77px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/dragon.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>James is seven. He's a new friend for the Lamb. He says he's a professional dragon hunter. He can't weigh more than 40 lbs and he's short for his age....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/james-dragon-hunter.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/canadaday4002005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 79px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/canadaday4002005.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/canada-day.html">Canada Day....</a></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/58x58white.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/can-you-hear-it.html">The 'sweetest singing voice in the world...'</a></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/thebeatles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 48px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/thebeatles.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/fab-five.html">Mommy, ever heard of a band called the Beatles?</a></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/58x58white.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The change over from picture books to chapter books....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/book-gap.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kmiddletoothout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 79px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/kmiddletoothout.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a> <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/05/dear-tf.html">Dear Toothfairy...</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists & writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds & ends</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Books &amp; reading</a><br /></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115396918528470648?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1154135573962182742006-07-28T20:11:00.000-05:002007-01-11T12:22:04.798-05:00Misc entries from the archives including home improvements, home decorating, decluttering, organizing, rearranging, getting rid of stuff, getting more stuff, celebrity look-alikes, favourite things and some favourite people:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/engaging-other-side.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 79px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I am sure my evil glee about this story of someone taking a Nigerian scam email writer for a wild ride....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/engaging-other-side.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/less-toxic-products.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 72px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/lesstoxic.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This is very helpful: Guide to Less Toxic Products....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/less-toxic-products.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/this-just-in.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 80px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/gba01.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Brad and Angelina stopped by today while I was was working on the front garden.....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/this-just-in.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/dovely.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 75px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/gdoveframed.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I finally hung a birdfeeder in front of the kitchen window. It's neat to have them not two feet from me while I wash dishes....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/dovely.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/ports-of-charm.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 68px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/liquidblog.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Some more link love...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/ports-of-charm.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/author-jane-jacobs-dies-at-89.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 94px; height: 96px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/janejacobs.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>'Celebrated urban thinker and author Jane Jacobs was remembered Tuesday as an "intellectual warrior" whose ideas changed the face of North American neighbourhoods...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/author-jane-jacobs-dies-at-89.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/favourite-landing-spots.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 85px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/bevsykes.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Some link love...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/favourite-landing-spots.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/things-can-always-be-worse.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 61px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/bunnythief_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I was just about to file my annual complaint on how evil little wabbits like this one are...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/things-can-always-be-worse.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/school-room.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/42/121007712_c5f2ae6d97_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I love this little school room...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/school-room.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/badge-factory.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 65px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/badgefactory400.0.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Badge Factory is very inexpensive (compared to other home badge makers) and easy to use...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/badge-factory.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/looking-up.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 64px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/50/110497687_c945d5ba14_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The fishtank seems less confining when....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/looking-up.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/dana-reeve.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 76px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/danareeve.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Rest in peace.[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/dana-reeve.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/icedrops.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 134px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/39/83976190_68ab61540a_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>One of the Lamb's friends eats copious amounts of snow and icicles. When my girl told her she was also eating acid rain and other air pollution, the girl swore up and down that snow 'falls clean'....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/01/icedrops.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/catastrophic-failure.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 66px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/32/64596409_7929a3d675_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I think the computer was feeling melodramatic with this one.......[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/catastrophic-failure.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/flooring-done.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 79px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>New Flooring: Carpenter Steve arrived Monday. We got to work Tuesday morning. We finished on Sunday. We not only installed 600 square feet of flooring-...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/flooring-done.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/say-no-to-catnip.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 60px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/30/54355578_78fff56ad9_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I also sorted the pantry and came across an old bag of Super Catnip....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/say-no-to-catnip.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/sports-field-at-school-6404.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 60px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/24/54120790_f5ce4550b3_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I went with D1 to meet her teachers at Parent Teacher Night (a.k.a. Meet the Creature Night)...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/sports-field-at-school-6404.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/powder-room-walls-6372.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 59px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/24/52969005_1f62e22973_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Now I am fully aware that red and blue make purple, but when I ragged the powder room walls yesterday....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/powder-room-walls-6372.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/livingroom-walls-6311.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 109px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/29/52177011_09336667ea_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I've been saving up for wood floors for several years (with other crises sucking up the funds along the way) and finally had enough this month to purchase the flooring.....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/livingroom-walls-6311.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/out-of-closet.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 85px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/31/45400535_807b5f55fe_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I'm gradually sorting my sewing area in anticipation of some quilt making. Today I found this wallhanging I had forgotten about....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/out-of-closet.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/bedroom-now-red-5418.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 61px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/43645159_367f371909_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>It was time for a change in the Lamb's bedroom so I surprised her by painting it red while she was at school....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/bedroom-now-red-5418.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/look-like.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 103px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/dustin.gif" alt="" border="0"></a>Verification of my sanity lies in your hands. This photo is from a classm*tes.com ad that I keep seeing online. This is some woman's high school yearbook photo. I think she has a strong resemblance to a famous person....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/look-like.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/web-cam-ad.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 66px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/31/41176651_daba550d32_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Look at what it says in this ad below the price. That's one amazing webcam. Imagine being able to see whoever you want just like that! ....<font style="font-weight: bold;"><font style="font-style: italic;">Update:</font></font> I don't think the advertiser ever clued in that what they've written is impossible![<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/web-cam-ad.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/portraits-of-crazy-girl-her-mom.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 59px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/mefromabove2_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Portraits of a girl and her mom....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/portraits-of-crazy-girl-her-mom.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/peacockfront400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 60px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/peacockfront400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We went to a park with the girls yesterday. There's a splash area, playground and lots of animals. This beautiful boy was playing with a goose egg shell....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/shake-your-money-maker.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/58x58white.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 79px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/58x58white.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>When the meter-reader noticed all the mirrors in my garden....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/whats-in-name.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/amulet-love.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 62px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/thaiamulet_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>For many years I have worn no jewellery other than my very small, simple wedding band. But I now....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/amulet-love.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists & writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">The seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Books &amp; reading</a><br /></li><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115413557396218274?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1154133217476379572006-07-28T19:30:00.002-05:002010-07-28T08:25:55.332-05:00An art-filled life is a life well-lived. Beauty. Creativity. Making things. Transforming spaces. Seeing. Photography. Toymaking. Quilting. Knitting. Gardening. Games....<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/05/dorothy-ainsworth.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/ainsworthhome.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 39px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>Dorothy Ainsworth is an amazing woman. I cannot believe a publisher hasn't scooped her up to write a book....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/05/dorothy-ainsworth.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/easter-guest.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/1/130141629_9e062a7e0b_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>I made this stuffed rabbit in honour of a black and white one we had living in our back garden a few years ago...[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/easter-guest.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/red-paper-clip.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/redpaperclip.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 54px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 81px;" /></a>By now much of the world knows what that one red paperclip was traded up for...[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/red-paper-clip.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/charming.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/flickrfaves.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 52px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 73px;" /></a>Sometimes I wish I could have all my flickr favourites printed on little charms for a bracelet...[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/04/charming.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/03/on-roll.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/vegsushi_400.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 56px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 74px;" /></a>I am unapologetically and irreversibly addicted to vegetarian sushi....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/03/on-roll.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/03/photoshopped-goose.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/56/117209325_aafda2897d_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 68px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>I love how the curleque in the photo program....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/03/photoshopped-goose.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/03/photoshopped-goose.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/39/79112378_97999c91be_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 102px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>The Lamb made this design while she was playing today...[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/12/mosaic-maker7890.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/12/all-sewn-up.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/IMG_7825.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 56px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 74px;" /></a>I have been wanting to make bags for a while so I decided on a piano book bag....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/12/all-sewn-up.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/12/angel-on-tree7309_113397685947187583.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/18/71215554_05a49ebe12_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>Now that both girls use the internet, I can't mention gifts I'm making them for xmas here.......[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/12/angel-on-tree7309_113397685947187583.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/lambs-desk-today.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/26/64596410_7543fcb2cb_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 57px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>Sometimes the answers seem to be sitting right before our eyes....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/lamb-desk-today.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/doll-and-bird.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/stardoll1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 57px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>The Lamb and I had time alone last night so we made this Star Baby doll from a Little Joys Dolls kit. [<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/doll-and-bird.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/knitting.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/poncho1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 113px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>Here's some early work from my very short-lived handknitting adventures in 2003....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/11/knitting.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/do-you-see-ghost.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/56569059_982e973836_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 99px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 74px;" /></a>All I know is, I heard the scramble of scissors and paper and markers and I turned around to see a....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/do-you-see-ghost.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/goodbye-scraps-goodbye-past.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/55985656_e03e812906_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 57px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 77px;" /></a>In the ongoing quest to get the house in order, I am leaving no stone unturned and no fabric scraps untouched.<br />....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/goodbye-scraps-goodbye-past.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/framed-art-6087.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/33/49768744_c448290035_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 60px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>I've been wanting some new art for above the sofa in the livingroom.....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/10/framed-art-6087.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/09/toys-i-made-5480.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/30/43887811_b1a49a8464_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 57px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>When the Lamb was younger she was always asking me to sew toys for her....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/09/toys-i-made-5480.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/09/greater-good.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/flickrfaves.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>I love how my favourite photos (by other people) on flickr look right now....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/09/greater-good.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://static.flickr.com/23/39300388_73657d3b72_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://static.flickr.com/23/39300388_73657d3b72_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 57px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 76px;" /></a>Sometimes the clutter on her desk looks remarkably beautiful to me....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/09/desk-speaks-for-itself-4955.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=13732707&amp;postID=115413321747637957" html="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos22.flickr.com/38939004_daf9553e1e_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 97px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 75px;" /></a>I think there should be a rule that if Mommy loves the artwork, it cannot be given away to the best friend....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/dragon-for-kristina-4936.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=13732707&amp;postID=115413321747637957" html="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos32.flickr.com/37441780_3ae1af5f66_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 89px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 72px;" /></a>Beautiful woman playing violin in a long gown on stilts = my favourite part of the busker festival each year....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/violin-lady-on-stilts-4440.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/my-girl-in-sunset.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos24.flickr.com/36676509_d8da39f2f5_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 53px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 71px;" /></a>The obsession with the construction lot continues (the Lamb and I co-conspire in our love for it). Amongst all the dead seagulls (eek!), there are also thousands of live ones to chase into the sky. She runs, I click....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/my-girl-in-sunset.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/cat-yawn.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/e268ea57.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 53px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 71px;" /></a>The Lamb went on another photo-taking spree....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/cat-yawn.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/scientistatwork400.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/scientistatwork400.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 52px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 70px;" /></a>She said: I can be a scientist and invent great things that will improve the world and make everyone's life much happier and healthier, or....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/ultimatum.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/must-create.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/lambgoofyeyes_400.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 51px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 69px;" /></a>She took a few hundred pictures on the digital camera (including this self-portrait)....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/08/must-create.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/bulletinboard400.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/bulletinboard400.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 98px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 69px;" /></a>I receive a few new drawings each day for the bulletin board above my desk....[<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2005/07/sale-on-pickchers.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115413321747637957?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1154131237615453002006-07-28T18:57:00.000-05:002006-10-20T08:02:17.876-05:00These entries indulge in the seasons and celebrations and excursions:<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/jumbo-delphs.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 124px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/44/180288184_ee4641fd6c_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The delphiniums are fantastic this year....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/jumbo-delphs.html">See More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/canada-day-carnival.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 122px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/56/179359032_94a6c0f9fb_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Happy Canada Day!....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/canada-day-carnival.html">See More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/garden.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 69px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/72/177028402_e6ca78f1ae_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I took this photo on a local garden tour last weekend....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/garden.html">See More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/weekend-photos.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 91px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/owl-03_1514.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This weekend was one long (wonderful) photo op....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/weekend-photos.html">See More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/soccer-sky.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 94px; height: 66px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/soccerskyfr.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Soccer Sky[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/soccer-sky.html">See More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/holy-magnolia-batman.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 115px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/gmagnoliaandkframed.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>My girl and her stuffed baboon. I took this a few years ago but thought I'd lost the...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/holy-magnolia-batman.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/spring-thaw.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/34/116910966_e866d82c46_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This photo looks so serene compared to how noisy the geese were....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/03/spring-thaw.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/wonders-of-winter7914.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 122px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/38/79565403_e23a1355cd_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We went to the winter light show tonight....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/wonders-of-winter7914.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-girls-on-xmas-day.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 119px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/39/77591250_66f98af7c5_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>It was a fine, quiet xmas day[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-girls-on-xmas-day.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/lights-behind-us-7739.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 66px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/38/75913884_1506b31694_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The winter solstice is here.....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/lights-behind-us-7739.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/house-of-ginger.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 118px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/35/73501587_64d58b3518_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The girls made a gingerbread house (i.e. sampled candies, made a mess, disappeared before clean-up time). The roof continually slid off until....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/house-of-ginger.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/view-from-my-bedroom-window.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 68px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/34/64596411_6a4718f097_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This is what I woke to at seven a.m. this morning....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/view-from-my-bedroom-window.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/burning-bush.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 68px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/IMG_6818.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I use flickr. I use Photobucket. And now I use Hello and Picasa. This might call for a photohost intervention. I'm writing this post from Hello to see what it's like....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/burning-bush.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/almost-empty-trees-6812.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 120px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/59068504_1ad48f3785_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I have birds on the brain as opposed to being a bird brain. Recently I listened to an episode of Quirks & Quarks on the radio...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/almost-empty-trees-6812.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/from-her-window-6702.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 66px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/27/57492325_3cae0fcc1c_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This is the view from the Lamb's bedroom window. Each morning I help her tidy her room before....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/from-her-window-6702.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/waiting-for-school-bell-6314.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/52544999_dd1f943a86_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This is the Lamb waiting for the bell to ring at school this morning.<br />....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/waiting-for-school-bell-6314.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/oktoberfest-parade-6181.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 65px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/26/51242938_a83418611d_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>After a few years of attending the annual Oktoberfest Parade, we started to catch on that the same men go by each year wearing very short shorts.......[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/oktoberfest-parade-6181.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/yellow-tree-6086.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 121px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/24/49768743_a1fcf5860e_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>You can't please all of the plants and trees all of the time. Each summer, depending on the sort of weather we get, certain plants thrive while others just do ok......[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/yellow-tree-6086.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/sunrise-after-windstorm-6001.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/47969342_65134ff03a_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We had 24 hours of switching between sunshine and dark clouds, pounding rain and overbearing light, power outages, and high winds (up to 100 km/hr).....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/sunrise-after-windstorm-6001.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/niagara-falls-5784.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/27/46235865_77e869f4da_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We spent the day at Niagara Falls. It was 326 km of driving, round trip. I always find it so disconcerting/odd to go to such a gorgeous natural wonder and find the adjacent town filled with crass, commerical oddities....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/niagara-falls-5784.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 66px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/22/41580747_9e3f8cc5b8_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The only thing that can make up for the end of summer is fall. Great invention, if I do say so myself....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/corn-maze-5243.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 67px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/27/39689113_eaaed59d6a_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We went to the Paris Fair. It seems to be our annual thing now, marking the weekend before we say goodbye to summer holidays and start school again....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/paris-fair.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 68px;" src="http://photos25.flickr.com/38016673_eb39bd390a_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The Lamb took this photo at her Gramma's pond. That's her hand holding the lily. Radiant photo luck, that was....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/water-lily-light-4829.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 112px;" src="http://photos32.flickr.com/37441780_3ae1af5f66_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Beautiful woman playing violin in a long gown on stilts = my favourite part of the busker festival each year....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/violin-lady-on-stilts-4440.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 40px;" src="http://photos32.flickr.com/37218273_2a843f64ae_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>A few months ago we visited the local butterfly sanctuary and[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/butterfly-0508.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" html=""><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 127px;" src="http://photos29.flickr.com/36370838_b67a4a7f09_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We spent the day at the Science Centre....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/human-digestion.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-trail.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 114px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/longsidewalk_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I had an afternoon to myself (ALONE!) and, after some procrastinating, went for a long hike....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-trail.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/babydino_400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 96px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/babydino_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We went to an Earth Sciences Museum and the Lamb met her ideal pet: a baby dinasaur....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/earth-sciences_19.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/uncle-jacks.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 63px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/unclejackscones_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Ya sure, I love the drive the Lake. I love arriving at the Lake and all of the sounds. The water. The gulls. The voices. The wind....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/uncle-jacks.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/monarch-bee.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 81px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/monarch02_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I came in from the garden to put on some sunscreen and get some water. There was an email from Alice. I started thinking about her chemotherapy treatments....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/monarch-bee.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/garden-without-me.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 64px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/backgardenaug05_400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I promised myself I would finally get some weeding done today whether it was raining or not: a few quick trips to the backyard to pick raspberries recently had confirmed that it was becoming a jungle back there....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/garden-without-me.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/hopperflower800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 70px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/hopperflower800.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>While the other ten million grasshoppers were leaping about, a few kindly posed for me....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/hoppers-puffs.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/seagullrunning400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 66px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/seagullrunning400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I am obsessed with a bare field near our house. It used to be a corn field. Now it's going to be....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/seagone.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/lake-huron.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 117px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/lambinlake.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We spent the day at Lake Huron. The water is always quite cold until late August....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/08/lake-huron.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/after-rain.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 54px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/thistlebee400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>It was a cool, dull day outside but things were hopping in the garden.[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/after-rain.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/save-dirt.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 68px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/lagoon400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Yesterday didn't work out as planned. Kristina became ill just as they were setting out on their trip, and everyone returned home....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/save-dirt.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/listen.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 86px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/gyelllilywet400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>In summer, the song sings itself.<br />--William Carlos Williams (1883 - 1963)....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/listen.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/hissing-of-summer-lawns.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 117px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/gsidejuly400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>We're in a heat wave and need rain. The old plants are hanging in there. The newly planted ones are fading away. Everywhere but this quarter-sun side lawn, the grass is brown....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/hissing-of-summer-lawns.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/canada-day.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 117px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/canadaday4002005.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/canada-day.html">Canada Day...</a></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/day-trip.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 68px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/lambtrippics.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Manley has a few days off before a summer full of work, so we've been taking day trips....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/07/day-trip.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/dear-summer.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 66px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/strawbs400.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a> <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/dear-summer.html">Dear Summer...</a> homegrown strawberries, the beauty of early morning, hot-air balloons, and a turtle crossing</td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists & writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">The Mother Hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">Books &amp; reading</a><br /></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115413123761545300?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1153795128529975692006-07-24T21:21:00.000-05:002006-10-14T20:01:56.423-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/fruitflies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/fruitflies.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After a week of consuming copious amounts of fruit, we found our kitchen suddenly overrun with fruit flies.<br /><br />I remember hearing about a clever way to trap them a few years ago on the radio but I could not find the source online. So I resorted to trying a few common suggestions since I will not use any poisonous or toxic sprays.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Banana Trap</span><br />1) put a piece of banana in a cup, cover it with plastic wrap, punch a few tiny holes in top and leave it out near the flies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vinegar Trap</span><br />2) same thing but with an inch of vinegar in the cup.<br /><br />The idea is that the fruit flies will be attracted to the cup, find their way inside, but not be able to find their way out again.<br /><br />Well, in our case, we have fruit flies with high I.Q's, because for both methods, no matter how tiny I made the holes in the plastic wrap, a few managed to find their way out. But more stayed in, so that's ok.<br /><br />Most advice said the vinegar would be most attractive to the fruit flies, but I found the banana won hands down. One advantage to the vinegar is that once you've trapped a bunch of them in there, you can simply place a hand over the top of the cup, turn it over and drown them. With the banana in the cup, you have to figure out another way to get rid of them (let them outside or whatever).<br /><br />With both methods, you also obviously have to remove the sources that attracted them to start with and keep open garbage to a minimum. I put my kitchen compost bin outside during this time and kept all garbage and recycling bins empty. Dishes were rinsed right away and put in the dishwasher so they wouldn't hang around there either.<br /><br />It takes about three days to get rid of the fruit flies if you've removed what was attracting them in the first place.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summary:</span><br /><ul><li>Both methods work.<br /></li><li>The banana in a cup attracts more fruit flies sooner.<br /></li><li>Vinegar in a cup provides instant drowning method. Either way it takes a few days to catch them all.<br /></li><li>The more cups you can put out, the better.</li><li>Put away anything the flies are attracted to like fruit, dirty dishes and garbage.<br /></li></ul>If you have a better method (that doesn't involve any poisons or toxic sprays) that you've tried with good results, PLEASE let me know.<br /><br />Now, if I can just find a remedy for head lice, I'll be a very rich woman.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related entries:</b><br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/volcanic-hair-solution.html">An inexpensive, easy alternative to buying shampoo and conditioner</a><br />See <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">my home &amp; garden projects here</a>.<br />See <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-2003.html">a tour of my garden here</a>.<br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html">Make garden art from trash and thrift store finds</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115379512852997569?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1148765362729491562006-07-20T06:29:00.000-05:002006-07-21T12:47:19.180-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/bakingsodavinegar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/bakingsodavinegar.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A few years ago I heard rave reviews about the use of baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner and I had to give it a try. I'm frugal by nature and detest the whole notion that we have to spend a lot of money on all these grooming products (not to mention everything else in life!). I can't stand to hear the ridiculous promises made in the ads. Also, so many consumer tests show that the cheap ones often out-perform the pricey ones. Better still, mix your own at home and stop buying and tossing all those plastic containers.<br /><br />I admit I was very surprised to find how well this combination works. The key is to use both the baking soda <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>the vinegar, <span style="font-style: italic;">one after the other</span>. The baking soda alone will leave a gritty paste on your hair. The vinegar alone is too acidic. Together, they are da bomb.<br /><br />The baking soda and water mixture does a fine washing job, and somehow the release of carbon-dioxide caused by the diluted vinegar not only leaves the hair very soft, but it makes for some wild fizzy action in the shower (get your thrills where you can!).<br /><br />I posted this recipe on my old blog a few years ago and many people tried it. Only one wrote back to say it tangled her very curly hair. The rest gave it a big thumbs up.<br /><br />After many experiments with amounts, here's my preferred recipe. Make sure you use warm water so it feels nice going on. I keep a big box of baking soda and a jug of vinegar in the bathroom and some containers so it's ready to be mixed each time I shower. Once you know how you like it, no need to measure anything: it's not that fussy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. CLEANSE:</span> 4 heaping tablespoons baking soda mixed in a small amount of <span style="font-style: italic;">warm </span>water to form a thick (not runny, not too stiff) paste. It doesn't take much water. Some people prefer it runny. You'll figure it out.<br /><br />Apply baking soda paste to <span style="font-weight: bold;">dry hair</span> and massage in. Leave in for a minute or two and then shower it out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. RINSE:</span> Mix 1 part/1 cup vinegar to 3 or 4 parts water. Red cider vinegar is often recommended and I don't really know why. I used a natural white vinegar (costs a bit more than regular vinegar which is chemically manufactured, but costs much less than cider vinegar).<br /><br />Wet hair in shower again and then slowly pour rinse solution over it. When your hair is rinsed, it will feel very soft.<br /><br />If you try it, let me know how it goes.<table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html"><img style="width: 102px; height: 139px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/gstonebirdhouse.jpg" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="5" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Like to Make Stuff?</span><br /><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">See my Home & Garden Projects Index here</span></a><br /><br />Want some garden art/junk ideas?<br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-garden-artjunk.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I've posted of my trash-to-treasure creations here</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-114876536272949156?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1153276781160393782006-07-19T09:39:00.000-05:002006-07-19T09:26:48.350-05:00<span style="font-style: italic;">This is an old post from two years ago. It's the story of losing and finding my husband's wedding ring in an amusement-type park. We were remembering this incident the other day so I decided to find this write-up and post it again. I wish I had photos to go along with the story but I don't.<br /><br />Manley is my husband. My girls are known as The Duchess (teenage) and the Lamb (age 6 at time of story).<br /></span><br /><b>August 2004</b><br /><b>The Bridge Between Us</b><br /><br />A few weeks ago we spent a day up north at Georgian Bay, doing some sightseeing and goofing off. Manley can rarely take even one day a week off in the summer because it's (for reasons unknown to humankind) his best time to get lots of freelance work. So a day off is good.<br /><p>At the end of the day when it was time for the long drive home, we stumbled across this silly Kiddie Land kind of place with a castle, dungeon, and outdoor storybook playland. The Duchess and I spent a long time in the dungeon. It was really good, stupid fun. There were all these dark rooms filled with strange scenes -- vampires, ghosts, headless people and so on. It was very dark and the sounds and lights would go on just as you passed by a window. Our enjoyment at having the beejeebers scared out of us left Manley and the Lamb with a lot of time to play in Kiddie Land. They went through all these treehouses and forts and play-stores. Through woods, and sand pits, over bridges, to see all seven dwarfs.<br /></p><p>Just as we're about to leave, Manley realizes his wedding ring is missing. It must have fallen off while they were running around. This is where we were classically US (as in, he-me, we, us). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hell would freeze over before I could leave without that ring</span>. Not because of the dollar value of course but because as soon as I think of that ring, I think of day we married, and the way Manley looked at me (once just before the ceremony, alone in a room, and also during the wee ceremony--it was a lovely, unexpected feeling of I-can't-believe-a-man-this-fine-could/would-ever-want-to-marry-me). He, on the other hand, scanned his eyes around the entire park, with all the kids dashing about, yelling from treehouses, playing store, and said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">There's no way we're going to find it, it could be anywhere</span>.<br /></p><p>We started to walk around, trying to retrace his steps. Sadly, he had been everywhere: the Lamb ran around, he followed. Our eyes scanned the ground like rakes. It did seem futile.<br /></p><p>After about ten minutes, Manley was ready to give up. I was kind of intrigued to see how strongly I felt about that ring. Something just went PING (an intuitive ping) in my head and I said, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Did you go across the bridge?</span> There was a suspended bridge over a pond. It was about thirty feet long. Yes, he said, but the bridge was so shakey he never went the whole way across with the Lamb.<br /></p><p>I ran over and walked half way across the bridge. There in the still water of the middle of the pond, about 8 feet from the side of the bridge, laying on the bottom just beside the water lilies in about two feet of water, was his ring. It glimmered slightly in the sun. The water made it look bigger than it was but I knew that was it.<br /></p><p>I was going to wade in to get it but the pond bottom was <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> slimey and slippery. It was also about two feet deeper than it looked. I knew if I waded, the water would become instantly murky and I'd lose sight of the ring. I left Manley at the bridge to keep an eye on the ring, and went and spoke to the man who ran the Dungeon. I was hoping to borrow waders but he happened to have a fifteen foot pole with a hook on the end (<span style="font-style: italic;">funny</span>).<br /></p><p>Standing on the wobbly bridge with this ridiculously long wobbly pole, it took only two tries for Manley and I to maneuver the pole and pick up the ring with the hook. We had one brief annoying interuption where some moronic woman was trying to let her two year old "assist" us (the toddler came running out onto the bridge, making everything wobble more) but besides that, it was quite magical how it all worked out.<br /></p><p>We have this funny dynamic where I'm a bit too optimistic/flighty and Manley is very pragmatic and realistic. I admit it pleased me to no end that my optimism (and psychic ring-locating powers *hee*) paid off. I also probably sounded like a complete dink as we walked around the fun park looking for the ring and I was saying, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Well, once on Oprah I saw a couple who lost a ring on their honeymoom fishing trip. Some time later they were out to dinner at a friend's house and the man cut open his piece of fish to discover the long-lost ring inside (the fish had swallowed it)</span>. (I really did hear this story on Oprah.) Cool things happen, what can I say?<br /></p><p>The man from the dungeon, who turned out to be the owner of the whole place, told us that several rings are lost every week but none have every been found. His wife lost a valuable diamond engagement ring there too but it's never shown up. I'm betting it's in the belly of a fish or quietly shimmering under a lily pad.</p><p>Next time we go there, I'm just going to look for rings.</p><p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115327678116039378?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1148765433732174102006-07-18T14:30:00.000-05:002006-08-01T21:06:14.926-05:00<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=pioneerwomanw-20&amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325&amp;location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1571201033%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1153165274%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2%3Fie%3DUTF8"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/quiltedgarden.jpg" alt="" valign="top" border="1"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571201033/sr=8-2/qid=1153165274/ref=sr_1_2/102-2160477-6697734?ie=UTF8">The Quilted Garden</a> by Jane Sassaman<br />I've mentioned this book before. It's one of my favourite art/nature/creative-process books. I was just rereading it. It still holds up. I think about the following passage whenever bloggers, artists, whomever expresses doubt about one's own motives for self-expression.<br /><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">I believe our creativity comes from a divine source; it is a gift. We are meant to use these gifts and their use becomes a form of praise. We should accept that this creative impulse is God's own plan; therefore, we are obligated to recognize and nuture our own talent. Consequently, I give priority to my imagination even when attending to routine daily chores, and I am quite willing to drop daily maintenance altogether when the muse strikes.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">I am only able to pursue these things freely because I claimed my position as an artist from the beginning.... [page 15]</span><br /></blockquote><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">and</font><br /><blockquote>One of the most important ways of maintaining the muse is by allowing yourself to live in an environment (both mentally and physically) that promotes excitement, interest, and most of all, productivity. By this I don't mean having the perfect home and studio. However, it is a true measure of your desire to make the most out of what you have. You must be willing to do the best with the cards you have been dealt and not keep waiting for that golden day when everything is ideal, as it may never come. [page 17]</blockquote><br /><br />Something else I love about this book (besides the inspiring and straight forward discussion of her approach to art) is the way the reader is walked through Jane's progression as an artist. Each time I read it, I experience these wonderful AHA moments where I see what it is she was trying to achieve with a particular piece. But most importantly, I now stand firm in the idea that art, writing, and other creative expressions are not an indulgence but a responsibility. If we enjoy it from others, it only seems fair to share from ourselves.<br /><p><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Resources</font><br />[<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571201033/102-2160477-6697734?n=283155">See The Quilted Garden at amazon.com</a>]<br />[<a href="http://www.janesassaman.com/">Jane Sassman's website</a>]<br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-114876543373217410?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1153101903205009592006-07-17T09:04:00.000-05:002006-08-01T20:35:21.623-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td>I'm trying to keep index pages of my blog entries on various topics. This one is for all quilt-related entries:<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/simplicity.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 179px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/400/hughes_1448.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>This was my favourite quilt from a recent quilt exhibit...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/simplicity.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/begin-somewhere.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/54/136896668_94b0a94769_m.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>New quilt blocks finally underway...[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/begin-somewhere.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/lost-in-decision.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 130px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/46_200.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I was going through my hand-dyes today to figure out the next quilt project....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/lost-in-decision.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/mangle-love.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 99px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/IMG_7917.0.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>As I am too much woman for one sewing machine so I use three. My el-cheapo Singer (early 1990's) is, very surprisingly, the best free-motion quilter I have....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/mangle-love.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td>I'm trying to keep index pages of my blog entries on various topics. This one is for all quilt-related entries:</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/new-site.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 116px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/320/blogfrontpage.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>I spent the past two weeks creating a new website and blog for my friend Renske Helmuth....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/12/new-site.html">Read more</a>]</td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/32/44103612_bcdf1242ed.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 95px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/32/44103612_bcdf1242ed.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="1"></a><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/my-quilts-5513.html">My Quilts</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/11000-quilt.html">$11,000 quilt co-ordinated by Renske Helmuth</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/waterloo-county-quilt-festival-2006.html">Waterloo County Quilt Festival</a> Lots of photos of my favourites.</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/royal-city-quilt-show-guelph-ontario.html">Royal City Quilters' Show - Guelph, Ontario (2006)</a>. One quilter in particular knocked my socks right off....</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/iqf-houston-winners-2005.html">IQF Winning Quilts</a> (2005)</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/11/more-photos-from-houston.html">More Photos From the International Quilt Festival in Houston Texas</a> (2005)</li><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/quilt-influences.html">Quilt Influences: Nancy Crow and others</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/quilt-guild-meeting-6401.html">Quilt Guild Meeting</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/raspberry-parfait-6061.html">Raspberry Parfait Quilt</a> by Renske Helmuth</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/patchwork-bag-6064.html">My <font style="font-style: italic;">BIG </font>Patchwork Bag</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/09/quilted-landscape-unfinished-5970.html">Quilted Landscape</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilted-garden.html">The Quilted Garden by Jane Sassman</a> One of my favourite books.</li></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists & writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115310190320500959?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1152982679459361682006-07-16T07:37:00.000-05:002006-07-28T22:25:29.473-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_18_empressofspring_archive.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/EnglandMay11/IMG_0941.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our trip to England (May 2005)<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_18_empressofspring_archive.html">Part One</a>] Flying from Toronto to Heathrow and taking the Gatwick Express<br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_20_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Two</a> Money, shopping, and hunting (figuratively speaking) for something to eat<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_21_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Three</a>] Taking the tube and double-decker bus tours<br /><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_22_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Four</a> Architecture and art<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_22_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Five</a>] Big Ben, Parliament and the Tower of London<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_05_27_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Six</a>] Victoria & Albert Museum<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/england-7-cotswolds.html">Part Seven</a>] The Cotswolds<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_06_18_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Eight</a>] Windsor Castle<br />[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005_06_25_empressofspring_archive.html">Part Nine</a>]Hampton Court Gardens</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists &amp; writers on the creative process</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115298267945936168?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1152986811292333492006-07-15T12:57:00.000-05:002006-07-31T14:39:00.690-05:00I love reading anything about writers on the process of writing and artists on the creative process.<table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Here's the artists & writers I've written about:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/maud-lewis.html">Maud Lewis</a> Canadian folk artist who did so much with so little.</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/05/dorothy-ainsworth.html">Dorothy Ainsworth</a> Brains, beauty and determination.</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/anne-dillard-writing-life.html">Anne Dillard</a> The Writing Life</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/anne-lamott-bird-by-bird.html">Anne Lamott</a> Bird By Bird</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/brenda-ueland-if-you-want-to-write.html">Brenda Ueland</a> If You Want to Write</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/stephen-king-on-writing.html">Stephen King</a> On Writing</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/anna-quindlen-and-margaret-atwood.html">Anna Quindlen &amp; Margaret Atwood</a> How Reading Changed My Life and Negotiating With The Dead</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/06/dorthea-brande.html">Dorthea Brande</a> Becoming A Writer</li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/06/scott-young.html">Neil Young speaking about his father, Scott Young</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/edna-staebler-carl-jung.html">Edna Staebler</a></li></td></tr><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/oh-no-na-no-wri-mo.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 62px; height: 93px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/melinwloo/melblog/2005_participant_trans.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ok, I did it. I signed up again. I did this in 2003 and managed to write my 50,000 words....[<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/oh-no-na-no-wri-mo.html">Read More</a>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115298681129233349?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1152818411937556962006-07-13T14:15:00.000-05:002006-10-21T15:08:29.680-05:00<table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/1600/PioneerQ101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5945/592/200/PioneerQ101.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I keep getting emails from new Pioneer Quest [<a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/enter-time-machine.html">I wrote about it here</a>] fans asking if I have any idea where Frank and Alana Logie are now. (No.)<br /><br />Since they've done nothing to capitalize on their Pioneer Quest experience, I imagine they are happy to fly under the fame radar and carry on their everyday lives.<br /><br />However, just about everyone googles their own name, so if you want to leave them a question or comment, feel free to use this comment box. You never know who might read it one day....<br /><br />[See blog post about <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/enter-time-machine.html">Pioneer Quest and other historical reality shows here</a>.]</td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115281841193755696?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1155044219519412842006-07-08T08:35:00.000-05:002006-08-08T08:58:55.103-05:00The seasons and celebrations index <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">is here now</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115504421951941284?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1152313525962903682006-07-07T18:00:00.000-05:002006-08-01T20:56:51.143-05:00<table><tr><td>I was just looking at feeds in my bloglines subscriptions and there's a post from <a href="http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_oneredpaperclip_archive.html">One Red Paperclip</a> dated July 5 saying Kyle has traded the movie role for a house in Kipling Saskatchewan Canada. And the world's biggest housewarming party will take place on Labour Day weekend (Sept. 1-4/06). But when I click through to the site, the post is not there. Perhaps it was published in error and then put back in draft mode until all the details are set? <br /><br />So, is it true or not true? Did the wonderful Kyle really manage to pull off trading up from one red paperclip in exchange for a house in exactly one year's time?<br /><br />I guess we'll have to wait and see. No matter what, I completely admire his determination, humour, intuition, hard work, and the way he navigated the uncharted path from the one red paperclip to the house. I am very happy for his success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update: <span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>Kyle posted links to two <a href="http://www.1redpaperclip.com/news/Page01.pdf">pdf</a> <a href="http://www.1redpaperclip.com/news/Page02.pdf">files</a> that reveal the same news. I'm believing it's true. Kyle has an excellent sense of humour but is not one to mislead.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update on my update:</span></span> Yup, the leaked feed was right. He got the house and gets the keys on Wednesday. I can't wait to see what happens next. You know there's going to be a whole lot more to this story.</td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115231352596290368?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1152190247851780122006-07-06T07:49:00.000-05:002006-07-06T13:58:08.770-05:00Wee <a href="http://www.linkiewinkie.com/">linkie winkie</a><br />in his nightgown...<br />What the heck is this<br />in blog town?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115219024785178012?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1151892243730517232006-07-02T21:00:00.000-05:002006-08-08T08:41:00.703-05:00<table><tr><td><div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/180288184/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/44/180288184_ee4641fd6c_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/180288184/">Jumbo Delphs</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>. </span></div>The delphiniums are fantastic this year. Just had to share.<br /><br /><br />The one you see here actually has a conjoined stem. You can read more about it on <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/weirdness-chronicles-super-delphs.html">my garden blog</a>.<br clear="all" /></td></tr></table><br /><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds & ends</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, &amp; excursions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/book-reading-index.html">books and reading</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artists-writers-on-creative-process.html">artists and writers on the creative process</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115189224373051723?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1151796096826906582006-07-01T18:17:00.000-05:002006-08-08T08:42:55.663-05:00<table><tr><td><div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/179359032/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/56/179359032_94a6c0f9fb_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/179359032/">Canada Day Carnival</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>. </span></div>Happy Canada Day! I'm thankful for every year my girl still enjoys the annual carnival.<br clear="all" /> Though she didn't want her face painted like she did <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/36694539/in/set-732309/">last year</a>. That's for the litte kids.</td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115179609682690658?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1151581943679530372006-06-29T06:49:00.000-05:002006-07-02T09:07:15.576-05:00I am sure my evil glee <a href="http://www.419eater.com/html/john_boko.htm">about this story</a> of someone taking a Nigerian scam email writer for a wild ride connects to my ongoing quest to have telemarketing, door-to-door solicitation, and spam (both the emails and the food product) banned from the planet. <br /><br />Look at the <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/06/28/nigerian_letter_scam.html">Boing Boing write-up first</a> to see what I'm talking about.<br /> [via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/06/28/nigerian_letter_scam.html">Boing Boing</a>]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115158194367953037?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1151504283455096962006-06-28T09:14:00.000-05:002006-08-08T08:43:37.686-05:00<table><tr><td><div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/177028402/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/72/177028402_e6ca78f1ae_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" > <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/177028402/">Garden</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>. </span></div>I took this photo on a local garden tour last weekend. The plant selections are almost identical to the ones I chose for my new front bed. In a couple of years I hope it too looks this good.<br /><br />I think of nothing but gardening these days. One more day of school and the girls are free birds. We have to squeeze every bit of life out these summer days.<br /><br />See more of the garden tour <a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com">here</a>.</td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding="30"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><b>Related Entries:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/seasons-celebrations-index.html">Seasons, celebrations, & excursions</a></li><br /><b>Other Categories:</b><br /><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/artful-life-index.html">Living the artful life</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/mother-hood-index.html">Motherhood: It's the ultimate 'hood</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/index-of-trip-to-england-posts.html"> My fantabulous trip to England (lots of good pictures)</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/quilting-index.html">Quilt-related entries</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/virtual-garden-tour-round-up.html">Virtual garden tours including my garden</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/04/home-movies-vlogs.html">My home movies/vlogs</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-garden-project-index.html">Free home and garden project instructions</a></li><li><a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2006/07/odds-ends-index.html">Odds &amp; ends</a></li></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115150428345509696?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13732707.post-1150897780971892982006-06-21T08:46:00.001-05:002009-09-16T20:01:05.868-05:00<table><tbody><tr><td><div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/27965950/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/22/27965950_63aedbc1ab_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0pt;" > <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/empressofdirt/27965950/">Ruby the Cat</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/empressofdirt/">empressofdirt</a>. </span></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Ruby recently turned 19 so I thought I'd repost this old entry from a few years ago to celebrate this milestone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cat Tales</span><br />My cats were born in 1987. They were adopted from the Humane Society. They've had some nutty adventures in their lives. Spangles died in 2003 at age 16. It took quite a while for the black cat, Ruby, to adjust to the loss. For a number of months she would search the house meowing for her lost buddy. Today she's showing weird/annoying signs of aging (howling relentlessly when I'm out of the room) but she's also still quite silly and playful. And extremely clingy. Most blog posts are written with Ruby sitting on my shoulder.<br /><br />These are some of the crazy things these two have done:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kitten Jail Breakers</span><br />When Ruby and Spangles were kittens they managed to sneak out a 1" gap under a window, (apparently) drop 8 feet to the concrete below and (unhurt) stay there waiting for us to get home from a walk. I realized early on that they were going to be master escape artists. I still can't figure out how they wedged their way through such a small gap.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Back to Life</span><br />When Spangles was about 2 years old she was run over by a car and left for dead. The dear woman who found her and took her to the Humane Society wanted to pay all her bills and keep her. It sounds hideous (and it was): poor Spangles was flattened. She spent a week at the vet and they couldn't get her to rally and said she should just come home to die. We took her home and nursed her back to health. After a few weeks she was a spunky, healthy cat once again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Look Up, Look Way Up</span><br />Ruby is a great jumper. Even now at age <strike>17</strike>19, she can jump from the ground below our kitchen window up about 8 feet to the window sill. When she was a youngster, she loved to sleep on the tops of doors. Dozens of times I would go into the bedroom to get something and realize (too late) that she has been sleeping spread out along the top of the door and was now falling down onto me.<br /><br />When she wasn't up on doors, Ruby would try and ride around on my shoulders (head on one side of mine and her feet dangling at the other). She was quite a good neck warmer but it would get a little achey after a while.<br /><br />Early on Ruby clued in that I would take the same knapsack to work every day and began trying to hide herself in the knapsack so I'd take her with me. If she was lighter, I probably wouldn't have noticed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">On the Road Again</span><br />When the cats were 4 years old we lived in the suburbs next to a farmer (he lived in town and had a farm outside town). One day Ruby went missing. A week later we received a phone call from a woman who lived in the country about a 15-minute drive away. She said there was a black cat in her barn and it wouldn't let her approach (that didn't sound like Ruby!) but it's tag fell off during a fight with a tom cat and it had our phone number on it.<br /><br />We drove out and sure enough it was Ruby. She came running right over to me and we took her home. At home I discovered she had an enormous bite out of her skinny behind. We assume the Tom did it. We nursed her back to health and she was fine.<br /><br />A few weeks later I noticed Ruby sleeping in the warm sunshine in the back of the farmer's pickup truck next door. We can only guess that she got to that barn by accidentally hitching a ride in the back of the truck one day. She doesn't like car rides so I can only imagine her displeasure at that! Though it obviously didn't stop her from napping there again....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's Not a Toom-a</span><br />Spangles developed a huge growth over her right eye. Finally she had surgery to remove it. It was some sort of cyst that wanted to take over the world. For a few weeks she looked like Joan Rivers because the stitches made the skin around her eye really tight and pulled back. I have photos of it but it was so gross I'll spare you. You're welcome.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I Sleep Therefore I am</span><br />It is said that cats sleep 20-22 hours a day. Spangles probably clocked in at 23 hours and Ruby at 18 hours. When Spangles was dying, she didn't seem to sleep much. She'd just sit and stare. She loved sleeping in dark, little places so we made her a comfy hut, just her size. In her last 2 weeks she would stay in her hut and either face in or out. She was such a loving little buddy. It was so sad when she was dying but at the same time she had a very good death. She was so sweet and tender and wanted to be held during her final breaths. I don't want to be afraid of death and dying and being able to hold her during her time was really valuable for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Provider</span><br />Over the years Ruby has brought me all kinds of lovely gifts: birds, mice, moles.... Once she came up from the basement of an old house we were living in with a live bat in her mouth. The wings were flapping on either side of her head! I immediately chased her back downstairs with the bat still in her mouth so the she wouldn't release it in the livingroom. A few minutes later she came back upstairs without it. I spent many hours looking for that bat (dead or alive) but never did find it.<br /><br />Spangles, on the other hand, was the ultimate lounge lizard. Once several birds were nesting in a nearby tree. Spangles would sleep under the tree on windy days and wait for the babies to fall down! She could have written a guide book on how to successfully hunt without lifting a finger.<br /><br />Except for an occasional supervised stroll in the fenced garden now, both cats became indoor cats permanently about 10 years ago.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Boss</span><br />When we lived in downtown Toronto, little Spangles would chase dogs out of our yard. It didn't matter how big or aggressive the dog seemed: when she wanted them out of the yard, that was final. Our fearless protector!<br /><br />One afternoon I came out on the back porch to find Spangles curled up next to a sleeping raccoon. She'd do anything for a warm sleeping spot!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't Leave Me, Mom!</span><br />When I had my first child, Ruby was exceptionally jealous. She'd try and sleep anywhere I'd put the baby hoping I'd confuse the two of them and cuddle her instead. Once she got out of the house as I was taking the baby to visit friends. I heard a thud on the hood of the car. There was Ruby, spread-eagle across the windshield. It was the sweetest, funniest, most desperate thing I'd ever seen her do. <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't leave me, Mom!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amazing Cat Factoid</span><br />In the last year of my cat's life (Spangles) she had two distinct meows that both sounded like English words:<br /><br />1) Hello (pronounced 'He-lll-o-o-o-o') in a long painful sounding cry that she'd only do when alone in another room. I wish I had tape recorded it. It was both weird and very funny. Visitors to our house could not believe it was really the cat talking/making that sound. It sounded more like an insane parrot.<br /><br />2) Snowcone. I'm not kidding. She'd stand outside our bedroom door and do this meow that sounded like 'snowcone'. It still makes me laugh when I think of it. She never did get to tell us what flavour she wanted.<br /><br />These days Ruby is on her own but still going strong. She's not the hunter she used to be (doesn't even notice the hundreds of birds at the feeder outside our window), but occasionally notices an invisible/imaginary something that she chases around the house.<br /><br />More: <a href="http://empressofspring.blogspot.com/2005/10/say-no-to-catnip.html">Why I'm ambiguous about giving a cat catnip....</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update:</span><br />Ruby died on December 31, 2008 at the age of 21 years and 7 months. RIP, sweet girl.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/13732707-115089778097189298?l=empressofspring.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>~~ Melissanoreply@blogger.com0