Regrets: Hobbies

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I think this video is one of the most brilliantly creative things I've seen.

They say on their site:

"As a company that time and time again gets totally excited about shiny new ideas and only rarely see them through to completion, we're right in tune with Hobbies, the fifth film in our SD's "Regrets" series, featuring David Pasquesi."

Some people just blow me away with their ideas. To think they "rarely" follow theirs through to completion is a rather numbing concept to me. There are four more in the series but I think this one is the best one. The music, dude, just the music is brilliant.

I've tried multiple times to upload straight from YouTube to no avail. So you'll have to be old fashioned and click the link. Ha Ha. Old fashioned.

Wreaths

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This holiday season I am obsessed with wreaths.

It all started at Target, where I saw this bay leaf wreath:

Only I didn't like the bow they put on it. Also it was $50 which seems a bit high to me. Of course I did my usual mental routine, "I can make it myself!" Alas, I don't know where to get enough bay leaves (real or fake) to fill a 24" wreath frame.

I see that this wreath is on sale now for $35. That seems a bit more reasonable. I do adore it. I could put my own ribbon on, right?

Moving on to candy ones!


Now this looks FUN! But do you have to throw it away or is there some way to preserve it? Hmmm.

And then there's always the Martha way, I absolutely love this moss wreath shown on that link.


She makes a wreath for every window of her house according to the Handmade for the Holidays video I checked out from the library recently. Luckily I don't have nearly the amount of windows she does!

I just want one ginormous wreath over my mantle!

The Letters are Helping

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Got an update from my Stop NHL board tonight on the Bexxar/Zevalin issue, so wanted to share it with all of you who have taken the time to write and email your representatives.

ACTION ALERT: ALL, Especially NM, OR,IA,UT,ME,AZ,KY,ID,KS,NV residents

RE: The CMS issue that will make two potential lymphoma cures unavailable to patients because of calculation and classification errors.

We have just learned that the Senate bill that will include "our" language to save Bexxar and Zevalin will be marked up on Friday, not (today) as we had originally thought. We understand that this delay is actually encouraging because members want this to happen and they need extra negotiating time.

It appears that Senator Bingaman of New Mexico is close to agreeing with the members who want this. We can all help to persuade him by calling his office at (202) 224-5521. You probably won't get through to his assistant for CMS issues, but you can leave a message that you are calling about CMS-1392-FC as it relates to Bexxar and Zevalin and say that you hope Senator Bingaman will agree to hold the 2007 rates in place during 2008.

Senators are more responsive to their own constituents, so if any of you live in New Mexico, you will carry more weight than those of us who don't live there - so you may be able to get through to his aide for CMS affairs, who is Frederick Isasi. The rest of us can leave messages with the person answering the phone. Every message counts at this point - but New Mexico, we need you more than ever!

Thanks for your continued support! The saga continues and we'll update you as we know more.

Other Senators that have not committed include:

Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Nicole Tapay: 202-224-5244

Charles Grassley (R-IA)
(202) 224-3744

Orrin Hatch ( R-UT)
Pattie L. DeLoatche : (202) 224-5251

Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)
Bill Pewen: 202-224-5344

Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Jennifer Romans: 202-224-4521

Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Holly Santry: 202-224-4343

Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Katie Oppenheim: 202-224-6142

Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jennifer Swenson: 202-224-4774

John Ensign (R-NV)
Andrew Shaw: 202-224-6244


And from Karl's Lymphomation site, here is an idea of what to say if you call, as well as a complete list of contacts to call.

You might tell the receptionist:

My name is ______. Please direct my message to the health staff. I am asking the Senator to amend the CMS ruling to restore reimbursement rates for Bexxar and Zevalin to 2007 rates during 2008. (I/my friend/my loved one) needs this invaluable treatment for lymphoma -- a common, and sometimes fatal, blood cancer. Thank you.

My Little Artist

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I've been working hard lately to offer Jaden more opportunities to paint, draw, collage and create at home. I love how sometimes he'll just burst out and say, "I am an artist!"

Here is a painting from yesterday. He didn't like how the colors were blending towards brown, which I have explained many times happens if you mix too many colors. But when I took a look at his painting, I immediately thought of our camellia (sp?) bush right in the back yard.


I said to him, see your color palette is right outside our door in nature! And sometimes artists keep objects around to inspire them. So I clipped a bud and put it on his easel to show him exactly how wonderful his colors did work together. In my non-artist's opinion!

We Are SO Using This Tip

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Tips for taking good group photos:

You set the camera to take the photo in timer mode, even if you have a spare person available who could take the photo.

Have the group pose roughly the way you’ll want them, so that the camera will be zoomed the right amount. Okay, is the camera all set? Then EVERYONE who’s going to be in the photo should come over and stand by the camera–not just the person who needs to stand there to press the button.

Anyone not able to move comfortably can stay in the pose position, but everyone else should be at the camera. Press the button, and now EVERYONE run to get into position before the 10 seconds is up.

This results in rosy-cheeked, happy-looking groups, though the group gets more disheveled looking with every “one more time, just to be sure we got a good one.”

Coming soon to a holiday card near you!

Hi Toots!

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This is me and Toots in Maui this summer.

Toots was originally TuTu or Grandma in Hawaiian. Also called Marsh (and Smarsh once upon a time according to her old license plate). Toots is the most recent version of her name.

All I know is Toots is one of two wonderful mother-in-laws that I am lucky enough to have in my life. Toots is my white wine drinking buddy. You know she's something special if she's convinced me without even trying to give white wine a chance.

I am also loving this new "antique" finish in my new version of iPhoto (thanks Shelbi!).

On Lunch

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"Jaden, are you getting hungry at all?

"Yes."

"Does anything in particular sound appealing to you?"

"Some shoulders. Or a peanut butter sandwich."

"Some shoulders?"

"I was just making a suggestion for you Mama, whatever you want to make."

"Oh thank you, I'm just not sure what shoulders are?"

"You know any kind of pasta you make would be fine Mama."



Oh! Shoulders! Of course.

How can I stay mad at this boy of mine?

Why?

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Last night, about oh 9 p.m., I heard a funny noise down the hall. I said to Jeff, "I think Jaden is playing with something" and he muted the tv and replied, "No, I don't think so."

I am here to tell everyone to always trust their instincts.

A short while later, I went down the hall to get something in the kitchen and I saw a flash of color out of the corner of my eye in Jaden's room. It was his brightly colored duvet flying over his head as he dove into bed to pretend he'd been there the whole time.

I turned on the overhead light and gasped.

The noise?

Jaden going through my little jar of markers on my desk.

The result?




I can only tell everyone this. These items had been safely stored away in one of my famous plastic bins which I recently took out of the garage and brought into my room. I brought the bin in because the items inside were too precious and I felt nervous having them out in the garage for some reason.

Then I thought, I should really scan these photostrips because I never did and as you can see, the one I displayed for years on my fridge is fading fast. Luckily they gave me two strips, presumably one for each friend, in my case two for Mama who will never have another little baby like this.

So I had the strips and diplomas out, exposed and vulnerable.

I never thought my son would do something like this. I don't understand it and keep asking why. Of course he's four and doesn't know why.

Are you angry at Mama? Jeff says no way.
Were you trying to get attention from Mommy & Daddy? Probably not.

Are you pushing the limits, testing the boundaries of bedtime? Maybe.

Did you just want to do art work? Are you pushing the limits of the media you have been provided thus far in your artistic career? Jeff thinks this is possible.

Is my heart broken? A resounding YES.

A Bright Light

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Right now I am feeling very happy.

My friend Amy in Austin has fairly recently found herself a fine fella to spend time with, and she calls him a "bright light in her crazy world."

I said (err, I typed), "please send me a photo of this Sean guy" and this is what I got, a little happiness from Amy in my in-box.

Amy & Sean, taken by Cedar. :)


Now I have a new thing to be thankful for this Thursday, I'm thankful that Amy has someone to make her smile like this because I'm not sure the last time I saw her smile this way and we go way back to 1987. So thank you Sean and I look forward to meeting you someday and hearing you strum that guitar.

Kind of Neat

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I saw this new book technology this morning on Amazon, Kindle.



Part of me (the B.A. in English part) thinks it's kind of sad, I don't think any device can replace the feel of a book in your hands. But another part of me (the wife of a engineer part) feels hopeful about it.

I have been making time to read a lot lately and was asking Jeff this weekend, "How can I ever get you to read some of these interesting books that I've read so we can discuss them together?"

Not being a geek or a nerd, of course I only thought of audiobooks as a solution.

Guess that's why I'm not a billionaire like Jeff Bezos.

Steel is Real Baby (and Green)

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Since moving to San Carlos, I've been missing my road bike a LOT. But it's okay, I know I still don't have the space for it in my life at this time.

When I shopped for my bike back in 2002, there was not a big selection of stock bikes that would fit me. In fact, there were two: a Trek aluminum frame and a LeMond steel frame. I tested both and without a doubt, steel was a way better ride in my opinion. After I bought it , I learned about the phrase "steel is real" -- apparently, I was not the first person to prefer steel. LOL.

© Vicki Thompson, Willow Glen Resident


Anyway, I checked out The Green Book at the library last time and right there on p. 110 in the "Sports" chapter it says:

Choose a bike with a steel frame over an aluminum frame and you'll conserve at least 25 kilowatt-hours of energy. Steel frames can be made with recycled materials, whereas aluminum frames must be manufactured from new, virgin ore and therefore require more energy to make. Steel frames that are not made from recycled steel, however, still conserve energy over those made from aluminum. If an addtional 10 percent of bicycles sold per year carried steel frames instead of aluminum ones, four million pedals would be put to the metal, saving the energy equaivalent of a year's worth of gas for 2,400 cars.


Who knew!

Now what about carbon fiber?

Made in China

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I picked this fascinating read up at the library last week:


This is an active image, a new html skill for me. :)


Anyway, it's all about a year in the life of a family who vows not to buy anything made in China. With two kids and a husband, the author definitely has her work cut out for her sicne the majority of all toys and electronics are made in China.

Not only was this book thought-provoking, but downright hilarious. I laughed out loud more times than I could count. I finished it today, and wouldn't you know, we were out of diapers so I had to go to Target. I was amazed to find that the author was 100 percent right and the entire holiday section at Target is from China.

All I can think is thank goodness I have bigger issues on my mind and I don't have the energy to take up a boycott. Although I sense it in my future because the low prices at Target and Old Navy have been nagging at my conscience for some time now. But this year? This holiday season? There is a mighty cute snowman I want!