Poohza's Ponderings

Still Posting

only Here

Great Contest!

There is a great contest going on here

Changes

Hello, I have started blogging over here now. just a fresh place, something a little different.

A peep from me

Ok, so I have not done as well with the entries as I hoped to! But I did want to take the time to add a quick note about this movie that I watched a few nights ago. I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone who likes a nice, neat package at the end...but for me I found it very enjoyable. One point I found out after watching was that the two main women are played by the same actress. It certainly adds some interest to the plot. It is also subtitled so if that isn't your thing you might want to give this one a miss. I would love to hear what other people think after seeing this so let me know!

The New Year

has officially begun and so have my resolutions. One of which is to be more attentive to this blog. Another of which is to be "truer" to my first intension here. And also to add others. if that makes sense.

I started this blog to belong to a crafting community but in the process I discovered a writing one. This last year has been so crowded and full that writing has really been shoved to the backseat. I am hoping that this year it can be pulled to the front.

One of my new years resolutions is to use each month to further my education. Since my hubby is the one attending school right now I have put education on the back burner. So, self education is the way for another year. For the month of January we have Shakespeare. I would say that I want to re-read all that he wrote but that would be a lie on two counts: one, it would be more than a book a day and two, I haven't read all of his work in the past. So, "open" university is me! I will be hitting the library and the Internet the month to learn all I can. I will be writing an essay to sum up what I learn, I will post a reading list, and whatever else I can think of to share with you.

So, for this year, welcome to my crazy life. Sorry for the crazy post but this is how it is. there will still be crafting but there will also be a lot more writing. Or at least I hope there will. And keep your fingers crossed for me. I have  couple of nibbles for books and I am just hoping they follow through!

Happy New Year to you all. Thank you so much for sharing your lives with me and for caring about mine. I look forward to the year ahead and all it holds.

This is what happens while I am posting:

(he is currently in the "freeze" position. He feels that if he is motionless I will not notice him there, covered in the double-roll of toilet paper that once sat innocently in my bathroom. I won't even mention the paper towels.)

How goes the remodel?

What we wanted to do:

cover the old, ugly (and did I mention pink and white) plastic-looking (but asbestos) siding with something that at least looks like something that should be on an old, stylish house. (Did I mention our neighbors had a house made of brick that they covered with beige siding. She was so excited about "looking like every other house on the street" I didn't have the heart to cry in front of her.)

Enlarge the front porch and put in french doors.

Landscape yards.

Fence back yard in.

What we did:

New water heater.

New heating system. (but still no heat upstairs. and I live in NH people!) (what, you don't know about old houses in New England? a lot of them don't have any heat that runs to the upstairs. Most houses have special doors built in so that large parts of the house can be closed off and the family live in only one or two rooms for the winter. and we have long winters around here. We don't do that. we just crank up the heat downstairs and buy really good down comforters and insulation. the insulation was our year one expense.)

New water heater.

new potty. we had to buy this because the seat was broken. Yep, just the seat and we had to buy a whole new toilet. the bolts were rusted on. and they also don't make the type of seat that our toilet takes any more. I guess that means it was time for a new one anyway.

bathroom re-do. all our pipes needed to be brought up to code. new bathtub and floor repaired.

New counter top. we wanted to remodel the kitchen but it is so way out of the budget this year.

tested all the flooring for asbestos so we can get to ripping it up and refinish the hardwood underneath.

why am I telling you all this? I am not sure. This kind of thing is what has been occupying my time lately so I needed to vent. I have been complaining a lot about cost and repairmen and how we seem to have such good luck. Then I read on some other blogs about the Kim family and I figured it was time to stop complaining. My most heartfelt thoughts and love go out to that family, and to all the people that are loving and supporting them. There is a fund raiser in the works and I hope everyone will keep an eye on that. In the meantime, I will keep remodeling my house, paying all the workmen (grumbling about it) and try to remember to hug my hubby and my kids a little more and complain a little less. 

It has been so long

since I have posted that I forgot my password for typepad. I had to try it twice before I got it right. Geez. Well, I burned my arm on the door of my new oven and it got infected. If you learn nothing else from this blog then learn this one thing: if you burn yourself then go to the doctor. It has been a pretty long recovery. I have not felt much like crafting because it is on the back of the bottom of my arm so it rubs on everything. The only thing that has been completed around here are some felt leaves for my son.

oh, and did I mention my camera is acting up? I haven't even had a chance to ask my husband look at it. hopefully I will be getting a new one for Christmas. I think I have been pretty good!

I am feeling much better now and hopefully will still have time to complete some of the Christmas things I had planned. Pictures soon I hope!

I hope everyone has received their charm squares. Please email me if there are any problems!

I am not dead

I just feel like I am! I had two accidents one right after another. first, I fell down my stairs. We have an old house with a narrow stairway. oh, and one bathroom. I am sure that I have mentioned (complained) about that! I was headed there one night, half asleep still, and I tripped over something one the stairs. down I went. fooo, that is scary. I wasn't hurt too bad but I managed to sprain one ankle fairly bad and I got some horrible looking bruises. Then, once that healed, I managed to burn myself pretty badly by shutting the oven door on my arm. New over= no old, squeaky door that stays wherever you let it go. So, there has been some recovery around here.

I did send out the charm swap fabric so you ladies should be seeing it soon. I drove myself crazy sorting it all out. I hope everyone has their due. There are really great fabrics in there. a nice selection. Some are a little bit country, some a little bit rock-n-roll if you know what I mean. Let me know if yours doesn't show up. I can't wait to see what everyone makes with these. Let me know, too, if you guys would like to do another round after the holidays!

oh, and I just wanted to add that I am done all of my shopping. I still have some items to make but the shopping is done. Thank goodness my son didn't want the PS3 system. I can't believe how crazy people get about that stuff! Toys-r-us was sold out of nearly everything they had on sale but I had much better luck at Target. I hate the fact that Christmas shopping seems to really bring out the nasty side in most people so if I need to get stuff at a real store and not online I tend to do it in one shot. like ripping off a band-aid, best to get it over with quick. Then I enjoy doing things with my kids and making cookies, watching corny Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate with peppermint schnappes. Let me send a heartfelt message of pity to anyone out there who works in retail. You all deserve a medal. I saw some lady screaming (actually screaming. whole hog, red-in-the-face, yelling) at some poor sales girl today who was doing her best to remain calm and help her. poor thing.

Update

Just a quick note to let you know I have a big pile of charms waiting to be sorted and sent. I have been contacted by one person who let me know hers are in the mail (they should be here very soon.) So far I have received four packets. these are from

Melissa H.

Shelly R.

June S.

and one package that looks like it is from the UK. The package got a little wet and the mail lady shoved it into my tiny mail slot so the address was pretty mutilated. If this is you could you please send me your address, etc? Don't worry, the fabric was just fine!

The fabrics are really nice. I was going to do a teaser photo but then I decided not to ruin the surprise!

There were a few other people who emailed me to join but I have not heard from them...so if your name isn't on the above list please let me know to wait for yours. otherwise as soon as I receive this last bundle I will be sorting them and sending them out.

I would have to say that in my opinion this has been a great swap. the fabrics are just great. I hardly ever buy holiday fabric. I don't know why, I guess it is partly because when the fabric is out it is too close to the holidays to get anything done...and when there is time to prepare you don't really feel in the holiday spirit. who wants to make a Christmas quilt in July? Anyway, this has really opened my eyes that there are some really great seasonal fabrics out there. I am really going to try to use these for some special projects. Of course, they might be for next year...