"Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator"
Refrigerator"
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
It's Been a While...
RESURFACING
It looks as though I kinda fell off the face of the earth some time in late August.
That sounds about right, time-wise, given the fact that, in early September, my cardiologist started talking to me about open-heart surgery (a septal myectomy, to be exact) as the next step in trying to get a handle on the severe symptoms—shortness of breath, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and lack of stamina—I'd been experiencing for the past couple of years. Seems as if my heart condition (a genetic one, called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM) was getting worse and worse, and seriously affecting my quality of life.
Well, long story short, after a roller-coaster of an emotional ride trying to figure out what I should—HAD!—to do, I underwent surgery in early November, and am now recuperating—slowly but surely. I hope to post more on my experience in the weeks ahead. Until then, please know that it's good to be back (to be alive!) and I'm looking forward to all the possibilities the future might hold.
Here's to a healthy and happy 2010!
It looks as though I kinda fell off the face of the earth some time in late August.
That sounds about right, time-wise, given the fact that, in early September, my cardiologist started talking to me about open-heart surgery (a septal myectomy, to be exact) as the next step in trying to get a handle on the severe symptoms—shortness of breath, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and lack of stamina—I'd been experiencing for the past couple of years. Seems as if my heart condition (a genetic one, called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM) was getting worse and worse, and seriously affecting my quality of life.
Well, long story short, after a roller-coaster of an emotional ride trying to figure out what I should—HAD!—to do, I underwent surgery in early November, and am now recuperating—slowly but surely. I hope to post more on my experience in the weeks ahead. Until then, please know that it's good to be back (to be alive!) and I'm looking forward to all the possibilities the future might hold.
Here's to a healthy and happy 2010!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Busy Work
AND SEW ON, AND SEW FORTH
Now, we are a crafty, creative bunch for sure. As I type: my step-mom is making a quilt; my sister is "crocheting like a madwoman" as I understand it, working on a little oufit; my brother, cabinet-maker extraordinaire, is working on a wooden box which I'm sure will be a treasured family heirloom some day; a couple of my neices are working on blankets; and my other sister (the grandmother-to-be) is sewing everything under the sun—except for baby bibs, 'cuz that's what I promised to make. (She is a professional seamstress, and costume designer, and has the most amazing fabric stash I have ever seen! But since she's in FL and I'm in NH, I had to hit up the fabric store...)
My goal was simple: I had eight weeks to make seven bibs, one for each day of the week. But then, after drooling over all those "quilter's quarters" at the fabric store, and having a tough time narrowing my selection down to only seven prints, I decided I'd make the bibs reversible, and picked out 14 instead. I figured I could mix and match the left over scraps for appliques, ruffles, and such. I didn't have a pattern, so I bought an 89 cent bib, scanned it into my computer, and traced it in Illustrator. I added a seam allowance and printed out a template. I was ready to roll....
My head was swimming with ideas, so I dove right in. Now, I am no professional seamstress, and sometimes my creativity gets the best of me on projects. On the first bib, I got totally carried away making applique flower petals at the neckline (so when it's on, the baby's head looks like the center of a flower). It is so-o-o cute, but it took me three weeks to complete! (I don't have a whole lot of spare time between running a business, chairing a non-profit, planning a remodel of a second home, and basic family & household obligations....)
Okay, so three weeks for one bib meant I only had four weeks to complete the other six! My weekly bib quota had suddenly gone wa-a-y up! No problem (as long as there are 24 hours in a day, I still had plenty of time...). I dragged those bibs cross-country to LA with me last month—and down to Long Island, too—and they've been back and forth to the Lakes Region several times. By the time I ship them to FL, and then my sister carries them to Africa, they will be some well-traveled bibs indeed.
Down to the Wire
Baby Bibs!
My niece, who just moved to Johannesburg, is expecting her first baby, a girl, Liliana Grace. She's asked her relatives stateside for homemade items for the baby; something small and easy to stuff into a suitcase. (It's really expensive to ship stuff to South Africa!)
Now, we are a crafty, creative bunch for sure. As I type: my step-mom is making a quilt; my sister is "crocheting like a madwoman" as I understand it, working on a little oufit; my brother, cabinet-maker extraordinaire, is working on a wooden box which I'm sure will be a treasured family heirloom some day; a couple of my neices are working on blankets; and my other sister (the grandmother-to-be) is sewing everything under the sun—except for baby bibs, 'cuz that's what I promised to make. (She is a professional seamstress, and costume designer, and has the most amazing fabric stash I have ever seen! But since she's in FL and I'm in NH, I had to hit up the fabric store...)
My goal was simple: I had eight weeks to make seven bibs, one for each day of the week. But then, after drooling over all those "quilter's quarters" at the fabric store, and having a tough time narrowing my selection down to only seven prints, I decided I'd make the bibs reversible, and picked out 14 instead. I figured I could mix and match the left over scraps for appliques, ruffles, and such. I didn't have a pattern, so I bought an 89 cent bib, scanned it into my computer, and traced it in Illustrator. I added a seam allowance and printed out a template. I was ready to roll....
My head was swimming with ideas, so I dove right in. Now, I am no professional seamstress, and sometimes my creativity gets the best of me on projects. On the first bib, I got totally carried away making applique flower petals at the neckline (so when it's on, the baby's head looks like the center of a flower). It is so-o-o cute, but it took me three weeks to complete! (I don't have a whole lot of spare time between running a business, chairing a non-profit, planning a remodel of a second home, and basic family & household obligations....)
Down to the Wire
Well, there's only one week left now, before my sister flies off to Africa with her second suitcase stuffed with baby gifts, and I am still not finished with the bibs. (And I still have to ship them down to her in FL, too!) I have been pulling all-night sewing sessions this week, staying up into the wee hours of the morning. Last night, I was finally able to pack away the sewing machine, and finished slip stitching all the openings. All that is left are the embellishments and Velcro closures. (I continued to get carried away on a couple of other designs—adding embroidery, ruffles, bows, etc.—but the last four are decidedly PLAIN. Such a shame, as I had SO many more ideas!) I found some nifty buttons to dress the last ones up a bit, so they'll look nice, too. Of course, four bibs actually means eight sides because they're reversible—me and my brilliant ideas!—so I've still got a lot of hand-sewing to do, but I think I'm going to make it.
People just better not look too closely at the handiwork (as I said before, I'm no seamstress). I'm hoping that they won't fall apart in the wash! But I figure, I'm sending seven of them, so the odds are with me that a few will withstand the test of time anyway. And one thing's for sure: Baby Lily will be the best-dressed little drooler in Jo-burg! :)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Can I Get Bacon with That?
YES, YOU CAN!
Who doesn't love bacon? (Well, I know a couple of people who don't, but I always tell them they're crazy….) I even wrote a short story about bacon once—actually bacon and religion, if you can believe it. It was an excercise for a writing class I was taking. (Sorry, but I'm not quite ready to share that here, folks. Maybe some other time…)
A Virtual Side of Bacon
Anyway, when you visit bacolicio.us, you'll see how easy it is to add a rasher of bacon to your favorite website—too much fun! (Go ahead, give it a try. It only takes about as long as zapping a strip or two of that pre-cooked stuff in the microwave does.) Now if they could only capture that smell somehow…mmmm, bacon!
PS: For you true bacon enthusiasts, check out Bacon Today! :)
Who doesn't love bacon? (Well, I know a couple of people who don't, but I always tell them they're crazy….) I even wrote a short story about bacon once—actually bacon and religion, if you can believe it. It was an excercise for a writing class I was taking. (Sorry, but I'm not quite ready to share that here, folks. Maybe some other time…) A Virtual Side of Bacon
Anyway, when you visit bacolicio.us, you'll see how easy it is to add a rasher of bacon to your favorite website—too much fun! (Go ahead, give it a try. It only takes about as long as zapping a strip or two of that pre-cooked stuff in the microwave does.) Now if they could only capture that smell somehow…mmmm, bacon!
PS: For you true bacon enthusiasts, check out Bacon Today! :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Those Were the Days...
(UNFORTUNATE) ADVERTISING THROUGH THE AGES
Oh, the Irony!
This morning I came across an interesting online article at The Consumerist, heralding back to the simpler times of yesteryear, and remembering some of the ad campaigns which ran, toting life's most modern conveniences: Mother's Little Helpers? Lead Paint? Asbestos? It's all there—and more…read on.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer in the City
TOTO, I'VE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS…
I've just returned from a long weekend in Los Angeles, CA, which is, pretty much, located on the exact opposite corner of the US from where I live (and similarly, is an exact opposite to the type of place I call home, here in New Hampshire).
Despite claims by folks we chatted with, that "they were everywhere," I didn't see a single celebrity all weekend. (Of course, I'm not much of a "star gazer" anyway, so it is entirely possible that I could have bumped right into one without having any idea who they were! :) And, admittedly, we didn't actually spend any time in Hollywood itself—nor did we go anywhere near Burbank….
This was my first visit to LA (other than passing thru LAX on journeys elsewhere). My SO had business to attend to the first two days, so I mostly relaxed poolside at our hotel (or hid away in a spare office in Century City) and caught up on some reading. When the work day was done, we drank Mai Tai's at Trader Vic's and enjoyed a delicious meal at Wolfgang Puck's at LA Live one evening, then dined on sushi and took in breathtaking views of the city from the famous Yamashiro Restaurant, perched high in the Hollywood Hills, the next. We took a spin down Rodeo Drive and Sunset Boulevard, then left Beverly Hills to head down the Pacific Coast Highway to Manhattan Beach. Checked out Harbor Boulevard and the pier, then ventured further down to Redondo Beach, where we sat oceanside at Joe's Crab Shack for some fresh shellfood and cold beers after strolling the ocean walk. We were just in time for an outdoor concert on the boardwalk (featuring Open Wide, an "all-dentist band"), followed by a gorgeous pacific sunset.
It was one of those whirlwind trips, and just as I was getting used to West Coast time, we were flying back east, only to confuse my internal clock all over again. All in all, we had a wonderful time on our brief tour of LA, and I'd love to return some day to see more of what the City of Angels has to offer.
I've just returned from a long weekend in Los Angeles, CA, which is, pretty much, located on the exact opposite corner of the US from where I live (and similarly, is an exact opposite to the type of place I call home, here in New Hampshire).
Despite claims by folks we chatted with, that "they were everywhere," I didn't see a single celebrity all weekend. (Of course, I'm not much of a "star gazer" anyway, so it is entirely possible that I could have bumped right into one without having any idea who they were! :) And, admittedly, we didn't actually spend any time in Hollywood itself—nor did we go anywhere near Burbank….
This was my first visit to LA (other than passing thru LAX on journeys elsewhere). My SO had business to attend to the first two days, so I mostly relaxed poolside at our hotel (or hid away in a spare office in Century City) and caught up on some reading. When the work day was done, we drank Mai Tai's at Trader Vic's and enjoyed a delicious meal at Wolfgang Puck's at LA Live one evening, then dined on sushi and took in breathtaking views of the city from the famous Yamashiro Restaurant, perched high in the Hollywood Hills, the next. We took a spin down Rodeo Drive and Sunset Boulevard, then left Beverly Hills to head down the Pacific Coast Highway to Manhattan Beach. Checked out Harbor Boulevard and the pier, then ventured further down to Redondo Beach, where we sat oceanside at Joe's Crab Shack for some fresh shellfood and cold beers after strolling the ocean walk. We were just in time for an outdoor concert on the boardwalk (featuring Open Wide, an "all-dentist band"), followed by a gorgeous pacific sunset.
It was one of those whirlwind trips, and just as I was getting used to West Coast time, we were flying back east, only to confuse my internal clock all over again. All in all, we had a wonderful time on our brief tour of LA, and I'd love to return some day to see more of what the City of Angels has to offer.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Olympic Park Ampersand Sculpture
SHOW ME A SIGN...
I've always wanted to visit Seattle (almost made it in May, when my SO was traveling there on business, but one of those pesky paying jobs I get from time-to-time got in the way....). Anyway, now that I know Seattle's got a rotating ampersand sculpture (how awesome is that?!?), I figure getting there has gotta be my destiny now!
Click on the photo or the link to enjoy a "short long photo" of the ampersand by Striatic, found on Flickr. (Note the beautiful lighting and red-against-gray colorscape—very nice.) See you in Seattle some day...look for me by the neon red ampersand!
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