My camera My enemy?

Monday night I decided that we needed to get a new camera, we've had our old one for at least 6 years. It's a nice little digital number. Digital seemed like such a big deal at the time. We payed a little over 200 for it and that seemed like a real bargain. For Christmas I got a really nice little Fugi for my daughter Courtney. It was just under 100 dollars and she loves it. So I was thinking it was time for us to get something that had more mega pixels. And maybe, just maybe, instead of losing the manual, this time, we would actually keep it and read it and for once. . . . figure out just how to use the silly thing. I ran it past Don when he got home Monday evening and he was up for it. I had thought about going to Target since that was where I got Courtney's camera. Don thought that Costco would be a better choice. At first I objected. I had in mind a nice inexpensive, easy to use, little Point and Shoot picture taker, that for all intents and purposes would be pretty much. . . . . umm. . . Idiot Proof? Don won out and Costco it was. I walked right past the BIG cameras. You know, the ones for people that take classes. No, no. None of that for us. I didn't want to end up with a 700 dollar camera that we would need extensive college training just to take a simple birthday picture of someone blowing out their candles. I had to interrupt these two Costco employees who were standing around chatting. (I mean that's not what they are paid for, and I refuse to wait for two employees to finish a conversation so that I can get some help) The guy that stayed to help was actually pretty good. He knew quite a lot about cameras. And got the jest of what we were looking for in no time. I was most interested in the little Cannon Sure Shot Point n Shoot. Unfortunately they were out of stock at the moment. By the time he had finished showing me just how simple a little camera that old P&S was, wouldn't ya know it, Don had turned the corner, and, was looking at the more expensive, tons of features, instruction book an inch and a half thick, gotta have cameras. Crap. I knew that would happen! And right on his heels, is the helpful Costco employee who just seconds before had been showing me that nice little Cannon Point n Shoot Sure Shot, following Don, and saying to him, "now this one is really great!" Great. I speak up and remind everyone concerned that my whole idea, really, was to buy a camera that we don't need to take a math class and pass a written exam to be able to operate. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, NO!" (says the Costco guy) "trust me, this camera has so many great features and one of them is even a Point and Shoot mode". I have to admit, it is a pretty cool camera. In fact that camera does so many wonderful things I'm still not completely sure if we even have to be there. Not only that, it was normally 189.00 with an in store, instant rebate, coupon type thingy that means it's actually only 159.99. How do I argue with that? Don looks at me and says "Well what do you think? I think we should get this one?!?" Notice how he makes it sound like it's up to me? Sure why not. I do stick in the idea that I can always come back later and get myself that little Sure Shot when they get more of them. An hour later. . . . . there I am. . . . in my bedroom. . . . . opening up the new camera. It looks friendly enough. I take out the manual. The first four pages are all of the things that you SHOULD NOT DO. Now I'm almost afraid to even touch the silly thing. I do put the batteries in it. I turn it on. Everything in our room in the view screen looks dark yellow. I knew it. I KNEW IT! Just like that, I know that this camera and I will most likely NEVER be friends. Don comes in and I show the greatly exaggerated yellowness to him. Is he upset? Is he worried? No. But he is also completely fooled by this new (has it in for me already) camera. "Well of course that's how it looks" he says "because our walls have a yellowish tint and everything in here is yellowish like that". Don is one of the biggest, advanced technology enablers I have ever known. If it does something he doesn't understand then he just figures it's doing what it's supposed to and we just don't get it. I'm just the opposite. I know perfectly well that the picture in the viewing window should look just exactly like what the room looks like. I think Don figures that WE are the ones not seeing the great yellowness of our surroundings, that this superior piece of technology can see with one arm tied behind it's stupid back. He decided to look over the manual and figure it all out. I decided to watch TV. Every once in a while he will speak up and say things like. . . "Hey, this is really cool" "You know, I think you are really going to like this camera" "This looks like it will be pretty easy to use. I don't think we'll have any problems with it at all." Ummhmm. Yeah, that's nice. I made a mental note to look into local college courses for Engineering and Pre-Calculus, I think we're going to need them.

Next Stop Carnegie Hall

I have GOT to share this!

These are my two grandaughters Alexandra and Lorelai.

They are incredibly musically talented, but even I was blown away when I saw this on my daughter in law's blog.
Now I have been lucky enough to be the special guest at many of their little spontaneous concerts.
Lex plays the violin, (she's somewhat of a prodigy like her mama) and Miss Lori has been playing the piano for less than two years and at six years old is already in a quite advanced book that kids several years older have trouble with.

The bells were a Christmas present for their sister my youngest grandaughter Elisabeth, who as most of you know is profoundly mentally retarded even though she is a complete joy to all who know her.

So without further adieu, this proud Grandmother presents two of her darling talented little grandbabies!

P.S. I don't know how many remember me pointing this out before but my little Lorelai is the spitting image of that cute little Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame.
Okay, enough grandma bragging for one day.

ENJOY!

Good bye etsy

As most of my long time readers know I am a seamstress, and I have a shop on etsy. You can go see for yourself. TwiddleSticks
I'm afraid though that etsy, while still unknown to a lot of people has strayed away from it's original intent of being a place for individuals (as in ONE person ONE shop) to sell what they make with their own hands.

At least as far as children's clothing is concerned.

When I first joined in Spring of 2008, I had modest success and sold 6 dresses. I kind of lost interest though and let my store fade away. I tried to resurrect it last summer with new dresses but. . .

NO LUCK.

So I kind of lost interest again.

Then I went to a small neighborhood craft show with my little dresses and had a fairly successful time with that, so I decided to try etsy again.

Crickets. . . .

Yup that's right. NOTHING.

I think that the problem is that etsy now belongs to a few large concerns who seem to have the market cornered as far as children's fashions go. Shops that sell and have sold thousands of items.

Now tell me does that sound possible for one person and her sewing machine?

No. I don't think so either.

In the meantime I have been approached by a friend of my daughter-in-law Lisa. Her name is Nancy and she also knows the frustration of competing against the BIG GUYS. So she has gone and made her very own Internet store and wants to sell my dresses.

I figure, why not?

So very soon I will most likely be taking everything off etsy and moving them to Nancy's site. I'm also on the lookout for local craft fairs and bazaars.
In the meantime, I'm just going to keep on making the little girls dresses and tops that I love to make. Some for my beautiful little grandaughters and some to sell.
Will I be successful at last?

We'll see.

Lucky for me, I'm not in a position where I really need the money.
It's just my little hobby and making money is simply a lovely side benefit.
Here are some pictures of some of my latest creations.

Enjoy!

This darling little lady is my 8 year old grandaughter Alexandra.
This is my friend Charlene's daughter Lilly modeling a dress I made for her.
I call this one the Birdcage Dress. Charlene is buying this one for her youngest daughter Tessa.

And here is my beautiful little 6 year old grandaughter Lorelai modeling this sweet little blue and white checkered top I made a few days ago.

I'll put up a link to Nancy's shop when my dresses are on there for sale.

My American Idol Favorite

Even though I'm really enjoying the new judges on this Season of American Idol, I'm not into many of the contestants. Lisa and I have the same number one favorite


James Durbin

He is not only a completely adorable young Kurt Russell look-alike, he is as real and likable as any contestant has ever been.

He has Tourette Syndrome as well as Aspergers, which makes him seem a bit twitchy and jerky but I think that is a big part of what makes him completely genuine and unguarded in a way that few people in the spotlight ever are.

This week he gave an incredible performance and Jennifer mentioned that he was going to have girls swooning all over him.

Without even a second to think about it, he simply pointed to his Wedding Band.
Now with some of the contestants that would be more for show than anything,
but for James it was a completely spontaneous reaction that was so sweet and unconscious that you know this is a guy who would never even consider any other woman than the (in his words) "Angel" that he is married to.

I hope he makes it through to the very end. I predict that it will end up with him and Lauren as the final two.


I hope that's how it works out. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the judges are saving their one save on the horrible chance that either James or Lauren get voted off.

If I was a judge that's what I would do.

Who knows though. Who do you like so far?

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

What does one do at 3:30 in the morning when one can't sleep?

Why gets up and writes a new post for her poor neglected little blog of course.
This is one I've wanted to do for a while and kept forgetting about.

When I'm in my sewing room, well, sewing, I almost always have my stereo on listening to music. That's where my stereo lives, as well as my (also neglected) iPod.

I have a pretty wide range of music that I enjoy.

The other day I was listening to my Carly Simon compilation cd that I burned for myself several years ago. You know? Carly Simon?

You're So Vain

Anticipation ( no, it's not just a ketchup commercial song)

Nobody Does It Better (James Bond. The Spy Who Loved Me)

That Carly Simon. I love her. It's one of my go to cds for when I don't know what I want to listen to.
Anyway, to get to my point. One of my most favorite of her songs is titled,

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

I LOVE this song. It's about fidelity. It's about long time love. It's a reminder that even though the grass may look greener on the other side of the hill. . . .

That when you get there you will find that what you thought was a lot of green are actually a ton of weeds.

I can't usually listen to this one just once, I usually hit replay. There aren't a lot of songs out there that speak to the beauty of being in a long steady solid marriage. That at times may seem old and boring, when in reality is safe, and warm and comforting. With a long history of shared memories.

Shared experiences.

Shared hardships.

Shared joys.

I guess you would have to say that it's. . . . . .

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

I can't hear this song without thinking of my husband Don and how much I love him, and all the things we've been through together in our 34 1/2 years of marriage.

If you've never heard the song or have forgotten about it here are the lyrics.



Take a look around now

Change the direction

Adjust the tuning

Try a new translation

Don't look at your man in the same old way

Take a new picture

Just because you don't see shooting stars

Doesn't mean it isn't perfect

can't you see...

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

It's the slow and steady fire

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

It's your heart and soul's desire

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

So what's this about your best friend?

She's got a brand new shiny boy

And they're moving out to Malibu

To play with all his pretty toys

And you feel closed in by the same four walls

The same old conversation

With the same old guy you've know for years

But use your imagination

And you will see....

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

It's the slow and steady fire

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

It's your heart and soul's desire

It's the stuff that dreams are made of

What if the Prince on the horse in your fairytale

Is right here in disguise

And what if the stars you've been reaching so high for

Are shining in his eyes

Don't look at yourself in the same old way

Take another picture

Shoot the stars off in your own backyard

Don't look any further

And you will see It's the stuff that dreams are made of....

Aaaaah. Perfection. An ode to real love. Real, long lasting love. There just plain isn't anything better.
And since I can't possibly improve on ( and wouldn't even try) what Carly has so beautifully put into words. . . and song, I will close out this post by putting the spot light where it belongs. . . .

Note : Apparently, there isn't an official video of this song but this one is really nice.
Enjoy!

A Helpful Little Tid Bit (of the breakfast kind)

In the interest of making my blog an all purpose, well rounded, little Slice Of Heaven. . . .
I am offering this nice little tip to all my friends out there in Blog Land.

I know, I know, could Non Linear Thinking possibly get any better.

Well check this out and then You tell Me.

How often do you have Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat for breakfast?

I am going to share my favorite way to enjoy hot cereal.

Instead of buying flavored instant Oatmeal, or GAG, that crime against nature known as Instant Cream of Wheat, Here is what I do:

I buy those tasty little, flavored non-dairy creamers. French Vanilla, Irish Cream, Sweet Italian Cream, Caramel Vanilla Cream. . . . You get the picture.

And then I mix a couple of tablespoons into my hot cereal along with the milk. Most of the time you don't even need any sugar.

I never knew that Oatmeal could taste so good.

And, my all time favorite hot cereal, Cream Of Wheat (not the icky instant kind of course) is even creamier and more delicious than I ever thought possible.

Try it. And then let me know what you think.

The Curious Case of the Jumbo Bag of Peanut M&MS

It's no big secret that I am a candy lover.

(Something I'm trying to conquer btw)

I enjoy a wide variety of sweets, but chocolate has been a favorite indulgence my entire life. Nothing ground breaking there of course, who doesn't love chocolate?

Umm, my daughter Courtney for one. But, I digress.

A few weeks ago we received the latest Costco Coupon book in the mail. It didn't have a coupon for the 8-pack-of-300-count-box-of-Kleenex I was hoping for (hopefully next time) but it did have another one of my favorite and most highly valued coupons I've come to expect every third time or so.

2.50 off a bag of M&Ms limit 2

Ahh yes. Nothing like saving five bucks on approximately 120 ounces of sweet, crunchy, candy coated, chocolate heaven.
I got one bag of peanut and one of plain.
I tend to favor peanut slightly more, I have to admit, but sometimes the simplicity of a handful of plain M&Ms can fulfill that craving for chocolate like nothing else on Earth.

Okay, 10:26 that evening.

Two, as yet unopened, nicely discounted, jumbo sized, bags of M&Ms sitting there on my dresser.

Were they calling my name?

Of course they were. And the fact that I was headed in to my bathroom to brush my teeth before hitting the sheets did not escape my mind. I decided that a small handful of Peanut M&Ms before I brushed my teeth wouldn't really hurt anything.

I opened the big, yellow, bag. I took probably 7 umm, fine, 12 of those tasty little morsels.

Chew, chew. . chew. . . . chew?

What the . . . . . .

Something was not right with those Peanut M&Ms.

They were chewy. They were soggy. They were not the same chocolaty treat that I have been enjoying for most of my 53 years.

It was like someone had bag-jacked my newly acquired, jumbo bag of Peanut M&Ms and filled it with, what I can only guess. . . . generic, candy coated chocolate pieces, must taste like.

(I have always wondered about those strange imitators. Who on earth would buy fake M&Ms???????)

I went back to the bag and took out a few more. This time I dug to the bottom. (As if that would make any difference.) Yuck, yuck and

YUCK!!

Going against every natural instinct I've ever had, I threw that handful of those (so called) Peanut M&Ms AWAY.

Needless to say, sleep did NOT come easy that night. I couldn't stop thinking about what on earth had happened to M&Ms. Why would they change a formula that was perfect. Was the M&M/Mars company so hurt by the current economy that they had come up with a new recipe for M&Ms that saved money.

This isn't as ridiculous as it may sound.

I KNOW that the cream inside Oreos has been changed. The truly subversive thing is that it seems every other bag of Oreos I buy, the creamy white filling tastes pretty much like it always has. But then I will buy a bag and there is a definite difference in taste and texture.

I also know that my once loved JUJYFRUITS changed their formula several months ago. I can't describe the difference other than they now taste watery. Needless to say I've kicked my Jujyfruits habit.

Okay, back to my M&Ms problem.

Like I say, I did not sleep well that night. This is slightly embarrassing to admit to but hey, this is for posterity after all. I think I must have spent close to two hours coming up with a contingency plan. I was going to go to Walmart, Fred Meyer, Target and maybe even Walgreens and buy up as many bags of M&Ms as I could.

I figured that most stores had not yet been infiltrated by these new inedible M&Ms. I was going to secure for myself at least a year's supply of the old ones. I was even deliberating over the best methods to make them last. At one point I was almost ready to get up out of bed and draw up an M&Ms consumption chart.

I realized that I would most likely be called upon at some point to share.

I decided it would only be with immediate family. (Yes, of course that included my grandchildren. What kind of a monster do you think I am.)

I don't really remember when or how I fell asleep. But I know that my last conscious thought was that I would call the 800 number on the bag as soon as I woke up.

And I did.

As I sat there wading through all of the different options, (You know, that sweet computer voice that tries so hard to not let you talk to a REAL person) I reminded myself to stay calm. Funny how you can manage calm and rational much easier in the light of day than at 11:45 at night.

I actually got through to someone pretty quickly. A pleasant young woman named Angie. I was a little flustered at first. I realized that I should have planned my strategy before I got to a real person.

What to do? What to do?

Do I start out by demanding answers? Do I ask why on earth the M&M Mars Company has messed with perfection. Or do I take the sympathy, sob story route. Hmm.

I settled for middle ground.

I simply told Angie that I had been to Costco the night before and had bought 2 bags of M&Ms. I described their taste and texture. And then I ended with a short, heartfelt plea, to change the formula back to how it was.

I was asked if I had the bag close by.

I did.

I was asked to give her all of the pertinent numbers on said bag.

I did.

A few moments of silence followed.

Oh Please, Oh Please, Oh Please!

Angie got back to me a few minutes later. With some interesting news, AND some really good news. She gave me the interesting news first. Apparently, the bag of Peanut M&Ms I had in my possession should never have been sent out.

Yet.

They had only been manufactured the week before. They needed time to ripen. Yes you heard me right. THEY WERE NOT RIPE!

She promised me that the recipe for M&Ms had not been changed. There is however a ripening process that takes a couple of months before they are shipped out to stores all over America to be enjoyed by people like me. She told me the best thing to do with my, way too fresh, jumbo sized bags of M&Ms would be to put them somewhere preferrably cool and dark and let them sit for about 6 to 8 weeks.

Who KNEW!?!

Now for the really good news. She told me that she would be sending me several coupons to make it up to me for having been unfortunate enough to have gotten my hands on a couple of bags of unripe M&Ms. The coupons came less than a week later. There were two 5 dollar ones, good for any M&M/Mars products and then two 1 dollar ones.

WOW! Twelve dollars in coupons! Was it wrong of me to feel like I had just hit the M&Ms JACKPOT? I decided. . . .

absolutely not.

I had bought them from Costco in good faith. I had spent a sleepless night. Damn right I should get some kind of compensation.

So that's my story.

I hope that you will remember this if you ever end up with your own unripe bag of M&Ms. As for me, I am almost finished with my last big bag that I got with one of those 5 dollar coupons.

The (sweet) End