I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head.

Seriously. I have a few holes in my head—one ear pierced twice, one ear pierced three times, my nose pierced. See, I don't need any more holes in my head.

And I have even more hobbies. I knit. I crochet. I read. I make soap. I make candles. I make jewelry. I want to play guitar. I do genealogy. I geocache. I volksmarch. I garden. I enjoy photography. Yeah, I need more freaking hobbies.

It's not like I ONLY do hobbies, either. I have what amounts to two full-time jobs. I am a web designer and a published author. I'm also actively involved in the local writers group, a local business networking organization for women, and three (yes, three) fraternal organizations.

I seriously don't need any more hobbies!!!

BUT, I seem to have two more. I now spin and raise honeybees. Well, in all fairness, the honeybees won't arrive until April, but we've ordered them and the hive and all the jazz that goes with them. It's part of our families commitment to start living off the land more.

So, even if I don't count honeybees as a hobby, I'm now spinning. I mentioned once to hubby that I would like to learn how. I should have known better. There's honestly nothing I've even mentioned I wanted to do or have that (eventually) hubby hasn't gotten for me.

A few months ago, I mentioned to him that I would like to learn to spin. I thought it would be fun. For Christmas, then, he got me a drop spindle and some roving and a gift certificate for the LYS (Local Yarn Shop for those how aren't familiar with the acronym).

So I started with the drop spindle. It was fun and portable and I honestly am not very good at it. Even though I'm not that great with the drop spindle (I haven't even finished the first batch of roving, and I know I'll get better), I was having a great time doing it.

And then came the wheel. It's a Kromski Minstrel and it is beautiful. It's also really easy and even more fun than the drop spindle.

I took it to the spinning group yesterday and the lovely ladies at the LYS helped me get started.

I'm still not done with the first batch of roving on the wheel, but I've made a great start, as you can see. I was even able to spin some last night while I watched television. I don't have any illusions that this first batch of yarn will be perfect for lace socks or anything, but I do think it will be usable for something.

So I've officially added another hobby to my repertoire and I couldn't be happier!

However, I have no plans to add any additional holes in my head.

Me

It started with a gorilla, the need for privacy and cat number 3.

Yeah, that probably doesn't make sense, does it?

Let me explain. A few months ago, the youngest kid was in a rummage sale/thrift shop/garage sale mood. She and a friend were hitting the sales every weekend.

That's where the gorilla came in.

One weekend, the kid came home with a stuffed gorilla. A huge stuffed gorilla. An ugly, huge stuffed gorilla. I mean, this thing is probably three feet tall and fairly realistic looking. Except maybe for the duct tape around the foot.

Being the mom I am, I told her to make sure it got washed before she put it on her bed. And being the mostly-good kid that she is. She did.

Next came the need for privacy. The kid is 17 and a senior in high school. She has a job and does volunteer work. It feels like she's never home! She has a loft bed with a couch underneath and no closet doors, which makes it sometimes look like her closet has vomited into the rest of the room. And she's a bit of a fashionista, so there are clothes and shoes....

So often the door to her room is shut. She's not the kind of kid who freaks out when her dad or I enter the room when she's not home (or even if she is home!), but the door is often shut. Then again, the door doesn't latch really well and is easy pushed open—even if the door is completely closed. Therefore, if the door is shut at 7 a.m., it may be wide open by 10 a.m. and no humans have entered.

And we have cats. Four of them. Yes, I'm aware that crazy people have lots of cats. I still think the cat-to-house ratio should be three. Meaning that at three cats, the people in the house are still sane. At four, they become the "crazy, cat people." That's beside the point.

Anyway, cat number three is somewhere between 8 and 10 years old (I don't remember...must be the crazy, cat woman in me), and was born in our wood pile. The kid was around 8 or 9 the summer hubby paid her $1 for ever stray kitten she could catch. All but one found other homes. One stayed here.

Cat number three has always been tiny. And a bit of a fraidy cat. She very much doesn't like change. So when cat number four was introduced to the mix, cat number three got mad. She took to sleeping in the kid's room, since cat number four wouldn't leave the master bedroom or laundryroom. Of course, that has more to do with dog number three than anything else.

So, cat number three has been sleeping on the kid's bed. The big ugly gorilla has been on the kid's bed. For some reason when the big ugly gorilla showed up, cat number three started pooping on the bed. EWWWWWWWW......

By the time I realized that the cat messes started shortly after the ugly gorilla showed up, this had happened probably five or six times. Now I'm in the process of trying to remove the stink. OK, the kid's room doesn't really stink any more than any other teenage girl's room, but I'm almost positive that the cat can still smell something. And I want that matress disinfected. I considered buying a new one, but she is leaving for college in a few months and I can think of more pressing items to spend our funds on.

Now I'm looking for ways to get the yucky out. I found four "Febreeze-type" recipes at tipnut.com and am looking for comments. Here are the recipes and the URL:

Recipe #1

1 cup fabric softener
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups water

Recipe #2

2 cups water
1 cup fabric softener

Recipe #3

3 cups water
3 TBS fabric softener
3 TBS rubbing alcohol

Recipe #4

2 cups water (warm)
1/4 cup fabric softener
1 TBS baking soda

http://tipnut.com/4-homemade-febreeze-recipes/

Or do you have a better one? I plan to use one today and see if it helps with the kid's room.

Me

Quick note: Check Nichole Bennett's review of Wendy Robert's Dead and Kicking.

I don't do resolutions. No one sticks to them anyway. I do, however, do goals. I have lots of goals. No, really. I have a "you-know-what" load of them. And every December I create ones for the upcoming year.* This year's goals, a little late, are as follows:

• Writing 10,000 words a week. This will finish the current novel and get a solid start on the next. Of course, that doesn't count blog posts, which I also plan to be better at.
• Six new web design clients. This is what allows me to buy all the yarn and books I want.
• Practice a healthy lifestyle. I'm really tired of trying to loose weight, but I do want to be healthy. That means I'll do yoga daily and use my wii for more than just Netflix.
• Homestead my land. Yes, I have land. Yes, I want to do a garden. And hubby likes to hunt. So that's probably going to be among the easiest of my goals.
• Spend time on my hobbies. I want to have a new knit or crocheted or sewn project completed each month. I also want to learn to play the guitar.
• Get serious about my spirituality. My beliefs are eclectic, to say the least. But they are mine and I need to make the time to connect with them.
  

So there you have it. My goals for 2011. Wish me luck!

Me

*Yes, I'm aware of how much that sounds like a resolution. But it's not. Because I said so.

Okay, so I haven't been the most faithful of bloggers. Get over it.

Seriously, though, there was so much going on in my world. And a lot of it frustrated me or just plain pissed me off. I didn't really want this blog to be a bunch of whining, so I skipped.

There's my excuse. Take it or leave it.

But I haven't been a total slacker, either. I did my first felting project. The pattern came from my local yarn shop (LYS), as did the yarn. I think I'm going to do one for the kid to take with her to college next year. It would be a good way to carry shampoo and toothbrush and all the other jazz girls have to take to the bathroom. Or to the laundry room...it would hold a small bottle of laundry soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets. Oh, and quarters. College kids need quarters for laundry...

Anyway, there's my latest knit project and I plan to be a better blogger in the future.

Me

This has got to be the longest hat I've ever knit.

Okay, so I don't knit a lot of hats—I'm more of a sock girl, to be honest—but I've done a few in my knitting days.

A week or so ago, the kid asked me if I would knit her a hat. "A really, really long hat, Mom." So I looked around and found a pattern.

I did find one in Pints & Purls. The name of the pattern is "Snakebite hat," and is supposed to have "googly eyes" on the hat part to actually look like a snake. Yeah, we aren't doing that part.

The hat will be long enough to also be a scarf. I've only been working on it about two weeks (and that's only when I'm trying to catch up on my television shows) and you can see how long it is. I should have it done in the next week or so.

And then? I'll have to find another project.

Me

I woke up frustrated this morning. Maybe that's because I went to bed frustrated last night.

So, I'm going to completely vent today. Anyone who doesn't wish read it is more than welcome to continue on your day. Be Blessed and I hope you have a wonderful day!

If you're still reading, thanks. I do appreciate it.

I've been thinking a lot about relationships lately. I don't just mean the husband-wife relationship, but relationships with everyone. Maybe all parents have the same thoughts as they watch their high school Seniors fill out college applications. Maybe I just needed to evaluate relationships at this time in my life. Who knows.

I also really enjoy a good debate. Don't get me wrong: I can get as heated and opinionated as the next gal. But sit me down with a person who sees things a little differently, who is well informed and articulate, who can debate in an educated, informed manner and I really enjoy it. I like learning different things.

But people who swear they are right because they say so... not so much.

And that was my day yesterday. I was enjoying the debate until the other person decided to make a personal attack. I'm sure the person will say "oh, that's not what I meant" but I don't believe that. You see, this person truly enjoys the "low blow" style of debate. I knew this going in, and it's my own damn fault that I allowed myself to get sucked into a conversation with this person. Doesn't make the result any easier to swallow, however.

Then there are the people who don't seem to value the relationship as much as I do. You know the ones. They are too busy to call/e-mail/text you. You can try to contact them and they are too busy to return the favor. They're the ones who claim they would do whatever for you, but their actions tell you that you just don't rate in their little corner of the world.

So what am I going to do? I'm not sure. I know I should cut those toxic individuals out of my life. I should ignore them and refuse to give them "power" in my life.

It's not easy. I do care for these people, but I guess I need to cut them out. Or at least wait and see if they choose to make an effort for a relationship with me. I hesitate to do that, however, because of the backlash experience has taught me will ensue. And not just in my home, but in other ways.

Yet I don't think I should be the only one working. I shouldn't have to be insulted or demeaned in order to make others feel better about themselves.

Yes, I'm hurt. I'm really, really, really hurt. And the people who did it—people who should be more tolerant, believe it or not—are too immature and self-centered to understand where I'm coming from. I know my reaction to yesterday's drama is a little "overrated" for that one incident. But this isn't the first time that I've been the bad guy in this relationship. I shouldn't have to be. All parties involved should be mature enough to have a reasonable debate. And yet....

So, I guess I will need to purge the toxic people from my life. I'm not sure I can actually start with the ones who were the source of yesterday's frustration, but there are other, less toxic ones I can delete from my corner of the world.

I don't wish anyone ill. I hope they have wonderful lives and find happiness in all they do. I just don't want to be the victim of their attacks any longer....

Me

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you need to trust that the outcome has a purpose. You just might not know it until some time later...

I'm not a superstitious person. I've never done the whole "lucky T-shirt" thing or understood why a person would want to knock on wood hoping something happens.

I don't take a lot of stupid chances, though, either. I won't walk under a ladder—something could fall on my head. I don't care if a black cat crosses my path, I'm just on the lookout for it's friends or whatever is chasing it.

This week, however, hasn't been a good one. My kid was rear-ended on her way to school. The accident actually involved four cars and she was pushed into the car in front of her. Sandwiched between car one and three. It looks like her small truck will probably be totaled. That was our most reliable vehicle, too. Then my nephew spilled hot cocoa on himself and ended up with second-degree burns. As my mother said "This week has not been good to my grandchildren. I do not approve."

If I were superstitious, I'd be wondering what the next family tragedy will be. These things come in threes, don't they?

Or do they? You can make numbers say whatever you want them to. That's the fun of statistics.

Rather than wait for the third shoe to drop, however, I have a better plan. (Or at least a "better for my own peace of mind" plan.) I'm going to figure out what the lesson is. I know that the Divine Creator of the Universe will not give a person more than he or she can handle. Is that a tough thing to remember? DUH! Even Mother Teresa had trouble with that: "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." And trust me, I'm no Mother Teresa.

But there must be a lesson. There must be a blessing within these accidents. I can't believe that there isn't. For my kid, the blessing is that she wasn't badly injured. She was truly in the wrong place at the wrong time and nothing she did or didn't do could have prevented this. Yet if she hadn't been there, a very large pickup (previously referred to as car number 3) could just as easily hit the small hatchback which was stopped (previously referred to as car number 1). And there was a preschool girl in the back of that car. She wasn't injured....but could have been. Maybe my kid was in that place at that time to "bumper" that little girl. Who knows.

Maybe the blessing with my nephew is that he wasn't burned more than he was. Maybe it is that my sister is a bit of a hippy and he was wearing natural fibers that didn't scar his skin. Maybe the angels had to pick between a "small" burn on him or something much more serious. Who knows.

I don't. I just know that there has to be a reason....a lesson. There must be something good to come of these events, even if we lowly mortals can't find it or grasp onto it.

It's what I believe with every fiber of my being.

Me

Ever notice that the Universe has a way of kicking ya in the a$$--even when you don't want it?

I wrote that blog post about how I planned to get healthy, right? Well, now I have to. Turns out my cholesterol is high and I'm borderline diabetic. Sucks.

I think the worst part was that the doc said "oh, and you really need to loose at least 20 pounds." WTF???? Seriously??? You've got to be kidding me!

See, I've already lost 50. Like 2 years ago. And, try as I might, I can't get any more weight off my body. For more than two years I followed the Weight Watchers plan RELIGIOUSLY and I'd loose a pound, gain two, loose two, gain one... See a pattern??? And at $40 a month, in this economy, I couldn't afford it anymore.

Plus, I don't think I'm all that attractive. I mean, my kid thinks I am, and my parents do, and hubby, of course, but I don't see it. So my personal body image self-esteem is low. Like sucky. A negative number on the famous one-to-ten scale.

I think the most crappy thing about the weight is that I was just starting to be okay with how I looked. Now that's been shot out the window because I've been told (however well meaning) that what I've done isn't enough... I have failed.

I'm trying every hard to get over my mental block on this issue. I plan to try and ignore the "if you eat that, you'll be even fatter and uglier" voice that wants to mess with me. I think that means telling the nutritionist the doc had me call that it isn't going to work at this time. I need to like me... I want to like me. I can't seem to do that when I'm reminded of my failures...

Anyway, if you've read this far and have some advice on getting healthy, feel free to share.

Me

I'm not going to be posting everyday, so don't think I will. But today... well, today I will post.

I'm trying to be healthy. I've kinda given up on the idea of being "skinny." But I think I can do healthy.

As part of that mission, I have a few goals:

1. Find 5 geocaches a month. I like to geocache. It serves a few different purposes for me. First, it gets me off my lazy butt. Second, as a mystery author, I've found some great places to put a dead body because of the wanderings I've had geocaching. Don't know what geocaching is? Think of it as using multi-million dollar satellites to find cheap Tupperware in the woods. For a less smart-assed explanation, go to www.geocaching.com
2. Do six volksmarches a year. This is kinda like the geocaching thing, only volksmarches are longer. We're talking 5- or 10-K each.
   
3. Exercise every day. Let me be honest. I seriously hate to exercise. I can think of close to a million other things I'd rather be doing. But I do it. When the weather is nice, I walk to the stop sign and back. Hey, that's a lot further than it sounds... 1.2 miles each way. The joys of living in the country... I am hoping to get a wii soon to help me exercise during the cold, rainy, nasty weather.
   
4. Eat healthy. That means skipping the Whopper with Cheese and going for the Junior Whopper instead. And trying to eat lots of colors. I decided (with the help of Weight Watchers, which I'm no longer doing) that eating colors is good. Red, orange, yellow, green... Just not if the food is also fuzzy.

I've also been reading a great book, "Size Sexy," which is designed to remind women that they can be beautiful and not be a size 2.

So, I've changed my mindset from "get skinny" to "get healthy," which I think it a better plan all the way around.

Me

Damn, it's hot!!!

I'm looking for recipes good for summer. And it they happen to be mildly healthy, even better.

Anyone????

Does anyone else see a problem with all the Lindsay Lohan buzz? Maybe it's because I have a teenage daughter, but I don't care if Lohan has to go to jail. She's been in trouble before and 90 days seems a minor sentence for repeated alcohol violations. I mean, really! This 90 days is because she broke her probation from a 2007 arrest and conviction.

And she's making the news. Give me a break.

Meanwhile, we have oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico and the Idiot in the White House has done nothing about it. Oh, wait. He blamed the last guy in office. Okay, so the actual leak may not be his fault, but the administration's lack of action is. Since this guy didn't receive his early eduction in the U.S. maybe he didn't learn about Harry S Truman and the plaque on that President's desk. It said "The Buck Stops Here." The guy in the Oval Office should learn from history.

But he probably won't.

At the very least, he should force someone to try this:




At least then it would look like he was pretending to care...

If you're tired of hearing about the oil spill, there's always the woman about to be stoned to death for adultery. Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, an Iranian mother of two, has been in prison since 2006 for adultery. Yes, she confessed. And later recanted, saying she only confessed under torture. 99 lashes, to be exact.

Amnesty International is trying to get her released.

Stoned. To. Death.

And we're hearing about how Lindsay Lohan is crying because she broke her parole and has to go back to jail.

You have got to be joking....

Me

This blog has been idle for a very long time. I have decided to revive it. Sort of.

First, let me introduce myself.

I am me. I am a modern woman, who likes to be pampered and spoiled by my husband. I hate women who pull the "feel sorry for me because I'm a woman" or the "I can't possibly do this for myself because I'm just a girl" cards. I believe in equal pay for equal work, and that women can do anything. I also believe that society, as a whole, was better off in the days when women stayed home to raise the family.

I am me. I really like art and crafting things. I sew, I paint, I write, I knit and crochet. I make candles and soaps. I take pictures. I cook. I'm a perfectionist who sees the errors in everything I create.

I am me. I believe that if you can't say something nice, you should keep your mouth shut. But if you're going to ask for someone's honest opinion, you can't get pissy because they gave it to you.

I am me. I believe in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I think this country was founded on Judea-Christian beliefs, but that freedom of religion means freedom of all religions. I don't think all religions are created equal, but I do think all people are. I won't push my religion on you, and I expect you not to push your's on me. I believe most religions have more in common with each other then they have differences. I believe karma will get you and that there are both good and bad consequences to our actions.

I am me. I believe in freedom of speech and spent seven years of my life defending your right to say whatever you want. I believe you don't have to support a war to support the troops fighting it. I believe that talking will get your further than violence every time. But you have to be prepared to stand up for your beliefs and sometimes that means kicking some ass.

I am me. I think people curse too much. I think vocabulary is important and most of the time there is a better choice of words than a string of profanity. But sometimes a curse word is the one that fits better than any other.

I am me. I am lazy. I walk three miles most days. I want a wii so I can exercise during bad weather. I try to remember to do yoga each morning, but often I forget. I like beer and wine and rum. I really like ice cream and chocolate. I'm pretty sure this is why I'm about 30 pounds overweight and not an alcoholic. I think most women have some gene that tells them what clothes look good and how to create a perfect outfit. I don't think I have that one. I think lipstick or lip gloss can go with anything and will make you feel better about yourself. I think my jeans and flip-flops are among the most comfortable things I own and I wear a dress once a week and a formal at least once a month. Almost always with high heels. I think people should be allowed to express themselves, and have no problem with tattoos (I have 2) or piercings (yep, them too), but there is a time and place for everything and people should be able to sit in a five-star restaurant without looking like a freak. Sometimes you have to conform in order to get things done. I don't think you are ever too old for blue nail polish.

I am me. I try to take responsibility for the screw ups I've made in my life. I think we are a product of our nature and our nurture, but we all have a free will. Do what's right. Don't screw up and then blame an event that happened years ago. Get over it and move on. Treat people better than you expect them to treat you. Give them your respect until they prove they don't deserve it. I think everyone should be required to give something back to society. Not just once, but often and forever.

I am me. I believe education is the most important thing in the world. You should learn something every day of your life. Education should be free for everyone. But the public school system in this country is failing our kids.

I am me. I love technology. I am a web designer and just had my first mystery novel published this year. I'm so excited about the novel! I had to use a nom d' plume. I want to raise honeybees and live more "off the grid." I own 5 computers. I want an iPad just because. I love my macs. I have an HP. I love movies but don't watch many of them. I own 100's of DVDs. Some I've never seen. I love candle light and sitting outside during the summer. I am a city girl who loves museums and cute shops. I hate shopping for myself. I love nice things. I hate spending money. I live in the country and spend way too much time on the internet. I read. A lot.

Whew! That was much longer than I expected. But I think you get the idea. I'm "unusually unusual" (to quote a country song). And opinionated. Feel free to disagree with me, but do it with respect.

I won't say I'm going to blog everyday. But I'm going to try to at least a few times a week. I have a schedule of "daily topics," but don't expect me to stick to them. I plan to only use those if I feel like writing and have no idea what to write about. I may spend hours a day plotting murder, but that doesn't mean I can always blog off the cuff.

Leave me a comment if you like. It's nice to know I'm not alone in the world!

Me

Which Fraggle am I?


GOBO! - The Leader


Gobo Fraggle is the leader of the group. He wasn't elected or anything; he just sort of got the job. Red tries to take it away from him now and then, so sometimes they share it, but most of the time, Gobo's the one who decides what everyone is going to do. Gobo is an explorer. He comes from a long line of explorers - his very own Uncle Traveling Matt even left Fraggle Rock to explore the far reaches of Outer Space, the Ultimate Quest. So, being brave and daring and adventurous come naturally to Gobo and are qualities his friends all admire and respect.

FINISHED!!!!!!

Well, at the first draft is.

At a local writer's retreat yesterday, I had multiple, uninterrupted (read: "no dogs to let outside, no children to feed, no husband to ask if he could get me anything") hours to write. And write I did.

Ghost Mountain is now finished. Done. Complete. Well, the first draft is. Now for edits and the new task of finding either a publisher or agent.

I'm so excited I could spit!

It snowed. Yes. Yes it did.

The kid's Halloween costume. Made by me. (I swear it has to weigh 20 pounds, there's SO MUCH fabric!)

I remember when Beaches came out and I saw Bette Midler do this song on Johnny Carson. It's made me laugh ever since!

My lastest completed project -- socks for me!