My poor little Lucy the dog is gone. I stroked her velvety head and let her lick my hand and she just went to sleep. It was time. She was so weak, she could barely stand. Rick and I took her late this afternoon to the vet and sat with her. It was quicker than I imagined.
Thirteen years is a long time to have a dog. She was a fixture in our house. She was the queen of our household and she knew it.
I could write a lot about her. There are so many memories. She was so playful and ran so fast when she was younger. She patrolled the back yard and kept it clear of opossums, cats, rats, snakes and any fledgling birds that weren't ready to fly. She was fearless and persistent. We loved her and will miss her quiet presence and her warning bark (she hated the doorbell).
Goodbye, Lucy. Sweet dreams.
10/27/2009
10/22/2009
A Southern woman's plight...
Here's another longish video, but well worth the time. It explains the perils of sending your husband off with a list. Not my husband, of course -- he does most of our shopping, just not from a list. Lists throw him for a loop; he swears they don't have those things at the store. It's always amazed me that men were the "hunters" in our history -- they seem to have a hard time finding things. Maybe it's because they were always hunting for something, since they can't seem to remember where it is -- right there in plain sight, where you told them it would be...
10/16/2009
Worth watching...
This is almost 10 minutes, but well worth the time. Better use of your time than reruns of "Friends", right?
Reasoning it out...
Yesterday, my hubby picked our grandson up from kindergarten. Some other kids and parents were arriving for a meeting of a program called "Mighty Minds". Hubby asked Grandson what it was.
Grandson's response:
"Well, I'm not in the third grade, so I don't know for sure. But mighty means strong and mind is like in your head, your brain. So, they must have strong brains."
Hard to argue with that.
Grandson's response:
"Well, I'm not in the third grade, so I don't know for sure. But mighty means strong and mind is like in your head, your brain. So, they must have strong brains."
Hard to argue with that.
10/10/2009
New black dress ...
Last weekend the community chorus I sing in had two concerts. Well, two performances of the same concert. I was a little perturbed because I was asked to sing alto (I usually sing tenor) since we were short on altos and heavy on tenors. I really can't hit above the B, so some of the pieces were just outside my range. But most of them were ok, I guess. Some Mozart, lots of Latin, then a total change-up into an arrangement of Shenandoah.
I wanted to have a long black dress for the concert. I've been making do in others with a suit I have, but I really wanted a dress. So, naturally, I decided to make one.
I selected a very easy pattern, Simplicity 6866, very loose-fitting, quick to make. 
This pattern is interesting in that the back is a low v-cut (see sketch from pattern back). A little different, but very simple construction. Then I picked panne velvet.
First of all, I didn't get enough fabric. Well, actually, I got enough, but not in one piece. So, I went ahead and cut the front and the back in different directions. Not a good plan. The fabric is hard to work with, and working with pieces against the nap, it was worse. I had planned to make a jacket to match, but I was so frustrated by the fabric, I decided to make the jacket out of something else.
I had the dress made up and ready to hem by Saturday. Unfortunately, the fabric had warped all out of shape. I wound up having to cut it off to get an even hem. I wanted it long; it turned out just above ankle length on me, so it was okay. Since I didn't have to be at the concert until 5:30, I figured I'd have time to make the jacket. That included going to the store, picking out a fabric, bringing it home, cutting out the jacket and then sewing it up. Simple, right. Plenty of time.
I was lucky to find a black embossed lace with a scalloped edge on both selvages. I used the same pattern (New Look 6270) that I used with my brown party dress. I was able to cut out the jacket front and back and the sleeves so that I didn't have to hem them. In about 3 hours, I made the jacket and hemmed the dress and made it to the concert by 6 (which worked out ok after all).
As you can see from the picture, what resulted was a simple black, sleeveless long dress and a rather nice short jacket. Together they made a very attractive outfit, finished in just the nick of time!
I wanted to have a long black dress for the concert. I've been making do in others with a suit I have, but I really wanted a dress. So, naturally, I decided to make one.
I selected a very easy pattern, Simplicity 6866, very loose-fitting, quick to make. 
This pattern is interesting in that the back is a low v-cut (see sketch from pattern back). A little different, but very simple construction. Then I picked panne velvet.
First of all, I didn't get enough fabric. Well, actually, I got enough, but not in one piece. So, I went ahead and cut the front and the back in different directions. Not a good plan. The fabric is hard to work with, and working with pieces against the nap, it was worse. I had planned to make a jacket to match, but I was so frustrated by the fabric, I decided to make the jacket out of something else.
I had the dress made up and ready to hem by Saturday. Unfortunately, the fabric had warped all out of shape. I wound up having to cut it off to get an even hem. I wanted it long; it turned out just above ankle length on me, so it was okay. Since I didn't have to be at the concert until 5:30, I figured I'd have time to make the jacket. That included going to the store, picking out a fabric, bringing it home, cutting out the jacket and then sewing it up. Simple, right. Plenty of time.
I was lucky to find a black embossed lace with a scalloped edge on both selvages. I used the same pattern (New Look 6270) that I used with my brown party dress. I was able to cut out the jacket front and back and the sleeves so that I didn't have to hem them. In about 3 hours, I made the jacket and hemmed the dress and made it to the concert by 6 (which worked out ok after all).
As you can see from the picture, what resulted was a simple black, sleeveless long dress and a rather nice short jacket. Together they made a very attractive outfit, finished in just the nick of time!
10/03/2009
A Book in the hand...
I love books. I have a lot, maybe 300. And maybe that many craft books, too. I read a lot. I listed all my books (except for some that are in boxes in the attic) on Goodreads. Most of my books are anthologies of science fiction short stories.
I've always read a lot, as soon as I got old enough to get to a library. My dad used to get frustrated with me because he said I always had my nose stuck in a book. I guess I wasn't listening closely enough. When I was in middle school, I kept a list of the books I read one year, and it was about 100. When I was in high school, my mom bought a lot of the Reader's Digest Condensed Book volumes second-hand; and I read all of the them.
I'm compulsive about it. I'll even read books I don't like if there's nothing else around. I miss it when I can't read. When I took the review course for the CPA exam, I spent all my time for 5 months studying for the exam. I had no time between work, kids, and study to read. When I took the exam, I walked out of the Ft Worth Convention Center (where the test was held) and straight to a book store two blocks away.
I'm more computer literate than the average person my age. I've had personal computers since the days of my Commodore 64. I was director of IT for many years. In spite of that, I don't want a Kindle or other e-book reader. It's just not the same. It doesn't feel the same in your hand. It doesn't smell the same. What will there be of them in 10, 25 or more years? Sure, books can deteriorate over time, but I know the e-book won't be there. Heck, I personally have media that is only 10 years old that I can't read. Remember 5 1/4" diskettes? Even the 3 1/2" inch ones aren't very accessible (I don't have a drive that will read them).
For years, books had to be written out by hand. Since the invention of the printing press, books have been increasingly available for regular people. I hope the digital revolution does not make hold-in-your hand paper-based books obsolete for the masses.
I've always read a lot, as soon as I got old enough to get to a library. My dad used to get frustrated with me because he said I always had my nose stuck in a book. I guess I wasn't listening closely enough. When I was in middle school, I kept a list of the books I read one year, and it was about 100. When I was in high school, my mom bought a lot of the Reader's Digest Condensed Book volumes second-hand; and I read all of the them.
I'm compulsive about it. I'll even read books I don't like if there's nothing else around. I miss it when I can't read. When I took the review course for the CPA exam, I spent all my time for 5 months studying for the exam. I had no time between work, kids, and study to read. When I took the exam, I walked out of the Ft Worth Convention Center (where the test was held) and straight to a book store two blocks away.
I'm more computer literate than the average person my age. I've had personal computers since the days of my Commodore 64. I was director of IT for many years. In spite of that, I don't want a Kindle or other e-book reader. It's just not the same. It doesn't feel the same in your hand. It doesn't smell the same. What will there be of them in 10, 25 or more years? Sure, books can deteriorate over time, but I know the e-book won't be there. Heck, I personally have media that is only 10 years old that I can't read. Remember 5 1/4" diskettes? Even the 3 1/2" inch ones aren't very accessible (I don't have a drive that will read them).
For years, books had to be written out by hand. Since the invention of the printing press, books have been increasingly available for regular people. I hope the digital revolution does not make hold-in-your hand paper-based books obsolete for the masses.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)