Reusing Old Calendars

Did you know that you can reuse calendars from previous years? Sometimes the stars align just right and a calendar year will work out perfectly for using again although the holidays won’t always match exactly.

Source: 1953 calendar for sale at American & Hakes Collectibles

In keeping with the theme, I used the front of a Lone Ranger book to make a list of calendar years that work for 2009 (dates from Time and Date.com).

Fly Fishing Classes

Have you wanted to learn fly-fishing or how to tie fishing flies? Maybe not, but that’s my new adventure this week.

Source: Moldychum

Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department is offering free fly fishing classes and I jumped on the opportunity. Instructors are Joe Fagan from Arizona Game and Fish teaming with Jim Martin, a professor of geography here in Tucson.

Who’d ever think you’d find fly fishing aficionados in Tucson? I looked online and discovered a lot of folks here enjoy fly fishing. There are clubs and even a local fly fishing store such as Dry River Outfitters.

Yesterday we were introduced to fly fishing and the art of tying flies. The class is well organized, and they've kept the student count down to eight which is very helpful. I am the only woman in the class, a bit disappointing as it would be great sharing this experience with fishing "sisters".

Look at the cute Zebra Midge I made, very tiny, about the size of my thumb. It's amazing how sewing skills translate into making flies—I was very comfortable with that aspect. I did manage to snag my finger twice on the extremely sharp barb.

Saturday morning we'll learn to cast at Silverbell Lake. Rods, equipment, and other materials will be provided to us; a good thing since all I can offer is my enthusiasm.

I’m quite enjoying this venture, which is weird on my part since I cannot eat any type of fish (major death-inducing allergy). Now if I can just avoid hooking a saguaro or two on Saturday.

Resources

• Arizona Game and Fish Department
• Dry Creek Outfitters (Tucson)
• Field and Stream magazine
• Fish & Fly
• International Women Fly Fishers
• Moldy Chum blog
• Patagonia Fly Fishing
• Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department
• This is Fly online magazine
• Women's Flyfishing
  
  

Sew Your Own Lanyard

The annual Tucson Gem, Fossil and Mineral Shows begin this weekend,. As buyers for my sister’s stained glass art company, WenchWorks, we have to wear a badge to gain entrance to the wholesale shows.



I made lanyards for our badges using Cute2Carry’s easy tutorial. The hardware pieces are off old lanyards from a Las Vegas casino, the badge laminating pieces were purchased at Office Max, and the fabric is a leftover piece from the Amy Butler Birdie Sling I made last May.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Of the two choices for January’s Finny & Donk's 2009 Adventures Craft:along, I chose to make the Lemon Drop Cookies. The recipe was created by Oh, Fransson and featured on Craft:.

It was rather fun to get out my KitchenAid mixer and food processor, putting them both into action to make these delightful cookies with their delicate lemony fragrance and taste.

Desktop Wallpapers

The generosity shown by a lot of folks online inspires and amazes me. I’m grateful to each and every person and/or company. Most of the time I use my own photographs as my desktop wallpaper, but today I’m celebrating those offered free in the generous virtual world we all enjoy so much.

Safely ensconced on my laptop right now is a beautiful and useful January calendar desktop wallpaper created by Kelly at Purple Lemon Designs blog.

I learned about the calendar at One Pretty Thing blog. Rachel compiles tons of crafty resources from all over the Internet. You’ll never run out of creative things to try and do.

For Jane Austen fans, The Jane Austen Centre is offering two different offerings each month throughout 2009 featuring a specific year of Jane Austen’s lifetime or a fashion plate from 1809. I’ll probably switch over to one of these for the romantic month of February.

This is one of three desktop wallpapers Kate Spade offers. Explore her web site for other fun projects and free downloads. Her “Things We Love” section is brilliant.

This Week’s Reading List: A Mini-Review

Without giving the stories away, here are my brief reactions to the books I read this week (posted here) and my advice on whether to purchase a copy or seek it at your local library. If you prefer a more-detailed description of each book, you can click on the Amazon.com links.

I’ll preface my mini-review by stating my opinion matters to me but may not to anyone else. It’s always best to make your own judgment as each reader discovers something different in a book pertinent to their own frame of reference.

• The Last Lecture: Inspiring; do a good deed and buy a copy, then pass it along to someone else as I’ve done.

• The End of the Alphabet: While the premise was good, I felt a bit let down at the end as though the story was incomplete—which is pretty much the point of the book. I’ve not come to terms yet with how I feel about it. Check it out at your library.

• And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks: Both authors are famous and purportedly amazing wordsmiths. I don’t presume to be as clever as they profess to be but will say this book is just plain weird. Don’t bother buying it or even checking it out at your library.

• 7th Heaven (The Women's Murder Club): When I found this book at the library, I had no idea whatsoever that one of the characters would be named “Junie Moon”. The book is a quick and enjoyable read; look on the shelves of your local library.

• I always end up at appointments or classes too early, so I’m taking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo along to Tai Chi this morning as I’m almost done reading it. Therefore, I haven’t an opinion right now.

Next week’s stack is ready to go and, if I run out, more books are on standby.

Blessings Friday: The Best Gift Ever

Today I want to thank Garmin for their unknowing help during an emergency.



My daughter Lindsay and I both received a Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator for Christmas from our husbands (they got them at Amazon.com). Lindsay takes after me in that we are both directionally-challenged.



One night a couple of days after Christmas, Lindsay and her husband were road-testing her new GPS unit on a dangerous mountain road near Denver.


Source: USDOT

Their car hit a patch of black ice and slammed into a concrete embankment which, thankfully, kept them from going over the side of the mountain. Trapped in the car, they were able to use the Garmin device to access emergency services. Emergency services were able to get a fix on their location because of the GPS unit.



Getting a call that your child has been in an automobile accident is one that no parent ever wants to receive. The fact that Lindsay and Philip are alive and well today is a blessing too huge to describe. My heart is full of gratitude for this gift of their lives as well as the Christmas gift that brought them the help they needed.

Thank you, Garmin!

Grasp Sparrow's Tail

You have to love a system like Tai Chi that incorporates whimsical names for its movements: White Crane Spreads Wings, Swallow Skims the Water, Grasp Sparrow's Tail, or White Snake Sticks Out its Tongue, to name a few. Just thinking about them makes me smile.



Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art using slow body movements and controlled breathing to improve balance, flexibility, muscle tone, core strength and overall health. For me, it’s a moving meditation.

At home, I listen to Tai Chi music when practicing. There’s always a great sense of well-being and calmness afterwards. I feel my balance is restored.

No uniform is required (just loose comfortable clothes), but here are some things I wear when attending class.


Source: Dub Scroggin

This is my cotton Tai Chi uniform. Practitioners really don’t wear the silk outfits you see in videos or on TV, not practical. In fact, a lot of times folks in Beijing just wear whatever they’ve worn to work to do Tai Chi in a nearby park during their lunch breaks—even a shirt and tie. I like my uniform because it’s comfortable and allows me to move without feeling constricted.



Sometimes I wear my dragon pants with a t-shirt. They are simply embroidered cotton pajama bottoms found on clearance at T.J. Maxx about six years ago. People often stop me and ask where they can get some for their martial arts classes, especially guys. It cracks me up to tell them they’re pajamas.



Although I prefer going barefoot at home or doing Tai Chi on the beach during vacations, I wear cotton Tai Chi slippers in class. I’m not comfortable going barefoot in a public facility where who-knows-what might be on the floor. You need shoes with smooth soles that won’t stick to the floor.



This video shows the Yang Tai Chi (also known as Taiji) I’m currently learning. You probably saw it being performed in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.



Dr. Paul Lam designed the form shown in this video especially for people like me who have severe arthritis and fibromyalgia. I took this class through The Arthritis Foundation.


Source: Photo by Dub Scroggin

Off I go to Grasp Sparrow's Tail.

That Pesky Calculator Percent Key: Flawed Logic

A hand-held calculator is quite handy at stores. I’m really nosey about issues such as how much money I need to hand over.

The percent key on a calculator has always been a mystery to me, but I’ve finally figured it out. It would be embarrassing if I cared to feel that way, but I don’t.

This is my calculator—it saves brain strain. I bought it at Office Max as it’s cute and doesn’t bore me.

Basically, the percentage sign is symbolized by a top number (indicated here by “0”) which is divided/multiplied and otherwise mysteriously manipulated (herein represented as “/”) by a bottom number as symbolized with the second “0”.

I want to buy 5/16 of a yard of Amy Butler’s fabric which is on sale for $9/yard. I’m curious what percentage of yardage I’m purchasing because I want to play with the percent sign.

• Push the number 5 on the calculator
• Select the “/” button (my calculator uses a divide symbol instead which means the same thing)

• Now select 1 and 6
• Hit the % key

I’m buying 31.25% of 1 yard of fabric. I’ll leave this number on my calculator.

What will the piece of fabric actually cost?

• Push “X” (for multiplying)
• Then hit 9 (the fabric price per yard)
• Hit the % key

It will cost $2.81 (rounded off) before sales tax is added. Again, I’ll leave this number on my calculator.

Now I’ll figure the sales tax choosing an arbitrary number, say 8.5% (because I never remember Arizona’s state tax figure)

• Push “X” (for multiplying)
• Push 8.5 (again, the decimal is important)
• Hit the % key

The sales tax is $0.24 (rounded off). Once again, I’ll leave this number on my calculator.

• Now push “+” (for adding)
• Then hit 2.81

Although I’m disappointed I don’t get to use the percent key again, calculator magic tells me the total bill is $3.05.

My husband doesn’t think much of my computations, asserting my logic is flawed. “The percent sign is unnecessary,” he proclaims and illustrates a different way. I immediately protest because his solution doesn’t use my precious percent sign.

Then he whips out another formula he declares is even easier. Just looking at it makes me feel sea-sick and there’s still no percent sign in sight.

“That’s not the point,” I inform him. “The point is learning how to use the blasted PERCENT sign. As such, you flunk.”

Now he’s laughing and making jokes about June Logic. That’s okay; I don’t even need the calculator to figure out that 50% of dinner will not be served tonight. Now that’s logic.

Quilting Like It’s 1863

I’ve succumbed to the Dear Jane love and am working on Jane A. Stickle’s 1863 Civil War quilt.

The original quilt is housed at the Bennington Library in Vermont.

Project Organization

I’m using large, cloth-covered, 3-ring binders (on clearance at Target a couple of years ago) as inspired by the Dear Baby Jane: A Quilt Journal blog—an amazing resource of exactly how to make each and every piece of this quilt.

Each block section in the Dear Jane book is copied as I go along. I insert it in an archival-quality page protector along with my finished piece. Since each block is lettered and numbered, alphabetical dividers keep it all tidy.

Fabrics

Reproduction fabrics help me match Jane Stickle’s originals as much as possible. The backing and certain block pieces are natural-colored Kona cotton. My fabrics are purchased at Bella Quiltworks in Tucson.

Tools

The following are some of the tools I’m using for this monster project.

Brenda Manges Papadakis’ book started all the Dear Jane love.

Dear Jane Software from here

Triangle and square tools, purchased here

Freezer paper

Translucent vellum—I learned about using freezer paper and vellum at my foundation piecing class at Bella Quiltworks.

The thread I’ve chosen to use.

You can see how I’m organizing each finished block in my binder.

Naturally I started with simple blocks.

Not all the colors in this quilt are going to be what you see. The blocks I’ve been working on just happen to be pretty close in tonal value.

I’m working on A-5: Cathie’s Campfire today. It’s not right, so I must try again.

Badge of Courage

I can wear this pin when shopping at quilt stores or visiting a quilt show. Everyone will treat me kindly because they know the humongous amount of work involved in making this quilt.

Organizing for Fun

Mah Jongg lessons begin for me this morning. Mah Jongg is frequently called “the game of one hundred intelligences” because of the innumerable variety of play methodologies.

Since all my fun new classes are underway, paperwork seems to be rapidly accumulating: confirmation/receipt slips, class handouts, homework assignments, etc.

I’ve organized it all in labeled folders and arranged them alphabetically in a leather accordion file found on clearance at Home Goods—perfect for carrying in my car.

Whatever file is needed is readily available on any particular class day. It’s much the same system I used in grad school except then a couple of large milk-crate style boxes were necessary to carry everything.

Loosely defined, Mah Jongg means “clattering sparrows”, evocative of the tiles click-clacking together. My set is inherited from someone now gone from this life.

Thank you, dear Leo. The sparrows are chattering that you are always in our thoughts.

This Week’s Reading List

My book selections for this week’s reading are collected and ready to entertain me.

The list (from top to bottom in photo):

1. The Last Lecture
2. The End of the Alphabet
3. And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks
4. 7th Heaven (The Women's Murder Club)
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A book goes with me everywhere I go. I always have a plan for those empty moments in time: a doctor’s wait room, getting the oil changed in your car, or even the extra time before one of my classes begins.

Blessings Friday

Today I’m blessed and inspired by…

happy yellow daisies growing under my breakfast nook window,

and the stalwart courage of a tomato thriving in January.

Check out Free Ebook: Thriving on Less - Simplifying in a Tough Economy

Hi Dear Readers,

I want you to take a look at: Free Ebook: Thriving on Less - Simplifying in a Tough Economy. You can download a PDF copy of the book for free courtesy of the author Leo Babauta who also writes the Zen Habits/Simple Productivity blog.

We can all use a little help during these challenging times.

Hugs,

Get a Crock of This

Do you try recipes from the back of product boxes? I always forget to check for recipes but happened to see one that turned out to be delicious and perfect for my crock pot. Call it a slow cooker or crock pot, they are one of those truly great time-saving devices.



Last Friday I made the Slow Cooker Pot Roast recipe on the back of a Lipton’s onion soup mix box. The only modification was making rice instead of potatoes at the request of my husband.



If you want great recipes and a fun read about a woman’s year-long odyssey (2008) using a crock pot, visit Stephanie at A Year of Crockpotting blog. Her book The Ultimate CrockPot Cookbook is slated for publication this fall by Hyperion.



Although not a crock pot recipe, last night I tried a cloned recipe I found for Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira. When we try new recipes, we discuss whether they’re something we want to repeat again in future. My husband said this one is a yes.

Learn to Play an Instrument

I’m moving right along on my 2009 goals list. My bridge lessons have begun, my new T’ai Chi class started, and so on. Today I’m addressing another of my missions—learning to play an instrument, specifically the flute.

Actually, this is a case of re-learning as it’s something I’ve not done since high school (many, many years ago in a galaxy far, far away).



Accessing an instrument is not a problem as I own three flutes. One is the ubiquitous Bundy flute most students use in school music programs. My second flute is a special edition of Gemeinhardt’s 50 series, a step above the Bundy. It has a solid silver head joint and gold-plated lip plate. Both will do for learning.



My husband gifted with a beautiful hand-painted Hall crystal flute which is hand-crafted using Pyrex® glass and decorated with kiln-fired glass enamels and 22k gold. This flute will require a whole different set of skills to play as it’s not like a standard flute.



Want to be part of a collaborative online international symphony orchestra sponsored by YouTube? You have an opportunity to play at New York City's Carnegie Hall in April 2009 under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas playing a new piece written for the occasion by renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Practice the music they provide and, when you’re ready, submit a video of your performance by January 28. More details here.

I’m not ready for Carnegie Hall. So I talked to a couple of Tucson Flute Club members during a Christmas program at Tucson Botanical Gardens. They’ve invited me to join. My goal is to learn enough to play in their Christmas 2009 public performance programs.



8Notes.com offers free instructional materials for flute as well as other instruments. I’m going to play around with this for a bit at home and see how it goes.

Do you play an instrument?

Knit Some Yoga Socks

Scared to knit socks? I am—although I keep trying and one day will conquer the sock challenge. It’s the heels thing—makes me say bad words.

In the meantime, I found a free knitting pattern for yoga socks that avoids the dreaded heel area that is the bane of beginning sock knitters. The pattern is called Easy Peasy Yoga-Pilates Socks. Visit the Six Degrees Arts blog to get the instructions. These socks really are easy—you can make them without saying any bad words at all.

Namasté!

Free Stuff

Our economy has made me so conscious of every penny I spend that I’m thrilled when I find stuff for free. My Christmas stocking stuffers this year originated entirely from items I got for free or received 100% rebates for buying them.



Here are a few free offers (I’ve already posted about Suzy Orman’s book) that may interest you. Keep in mind that offers sometimes reach their max and/or expire—rather quickly. Snooze and you lose!

• Bausch & Lomb pre-moistened lens cleaning tissue sample offer
• Woman’s Day magazine free subscription (this offer usually taps out really fast and you’ll need to refer a friend—I have a friend who wants me to use her name)
• Forbes magazine free subscription (just like Woman’s Day, you’ll need to refer a friend)
• National Endowment of the Arts offers free publications you can download. Offerings include Imagine! Introducing Your Child to the Arts
• Two free yoga tracks from Yoga Teacher.com to download, part of Shavasana: The Art of Relaxation by Charles MacInerney (each one is 20 minutes long)
• Mark your calendar for Jan. 14 for a one-day offer of a coupon for a free bottle of Suave on their web site (you will have to register—I keep a separate email account for such things).

I’m not ashamed of being penny-conscious as every bit of money saved goes right into our emergency fund. Amongst other sources, I learn about a lot of free things at “Hey! It’s Free”, click

here.

Second Annual Junie Moon Bandage Brigade

It’s time for another bandage brigade effort to knit or crochet bandages for leprosy patients. Would you like to join the effort?


Source: poster by Wladyslaw Teodor Benda, 1918, Red Cross Museum

Leprosy patients are treated so abominably and shunned by others—one of those horrors in the world that most people do not want to think about. I discovered a way to help via Linda at Touching Others With Leprosy blog. Last year the Junie Moon Bandage Brigade made 69 bandages. When laid out end-to-end, we created 276 feet of love.


You can use this badge on your blog.

Bandages are inexpensive and super easy to knit. Making even one bandage will help someone who is suffering and is something you can do while watching a movie.



Finished bandages are hand-delivered to leprosy villages in Vietnam by non-profit, 501(c)(3) veteran organizations such as such as Development of Vietnam Endeavors (D.O.V.E.) and Tours of Peace Vietnam Veterans (TOP). If you do not knit or crochet but want to help in some way, you can go directly to these sites to make a monetary contribution.



Each bandage is a blessing of love for those afflicted with leprosy. Gauze bandages don’t last and can’t be washed. Our knit or crochet bandages can be laundered and re-used by the patients—a “green” effort if you want to look at it that way.

Sign Up


Amanda Cathleen's daughter Corra made this sweet tag to accompany her bandages last year.

Please leave a comment on this post and then email me (link is in right-hand column) with your name, mailing address, and blog or Flickr URL (having an online presence is not required). I’ll post a list of participants and link to your blog—when your bandages are received, I’ll note that next to your name.

You can see the list of 2008's big-hearted participants here.

Pattern Instructions

There are new requirements this year for the size yarn due to climatic issues in Viet Nam. So those of you already knitting away (like me), don’t worry—your bandages are still needed. Click here for the pattern instructions.

Deadline

Bandages should be at my house by February 14 so I can package and ship them to Linda. Please remember it takes about 4–5 days for mail to arrive in Tucson from the east coast and then I need to mail the aggregate out.

Resources


Source: Photo by Dub Scroggin

• Bandage Knit/Crochet Instructions
• D.O.V.E.
• “Leprosy Today” at the World Health Organization Organization
• TOP
• Touching Others With Leprosy blog

Money, Money, Money

Inflation hasn't ruined everything. A dime can still be used as a screwdriver.
~ Quoted in P.S. I Love You: When Mom Wrote, She Always Saved the Best for Last, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. ~

Today I’m working on finances, part of my 2009 goals/resolutions I shared on Jan.1. I don’t want my goals to be just words on paper, they need to be actionable and I need to be accountable for taking action. So I am.


Source: Edmunds.com

Taking a hard look at our finances is an imperative as the economy teeters about like a seasick sailor. We use Microsoft Money to track our checkbook, savings, investments, and all that stuff. I’m updating it all this morning and then am going to read this book I got for free.

Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan



If you’d like a free copy, quick hop over to Oprah’s site and download it in PDF version. Hurry—the offer expires January 15!

Just knowing where we are financially this week will free me to enjoy the weekend. See ya’ll Monday!

The USS Junie Moon

My siblings and I spent an enormous amount of time playing games when we were wee folks.

One game that didn’t require a fancy electronic board like today was one we simply drew using graph paper—Battleship.

Playing around on the internet yielded this simple game in a printable format at Naturally Simple. Click on the link under the picture to print copies for your kids (or yourself).

Source: Naturally Simple

Tonight, the USS Junie Moon is going to see what it can do to conquer enemy ships (aka my husband).

Knit a Reusable Swiffer Cover

The Swiffer concept itself is good, but the associated accessories like the disposable dry or wet-mop covers are too expensive and wasteful. I’ve been stocking a supply of reusable covers by knitting some with inexpensive cotton yarn.



I like projects that have a practical application. See below for links to knitting patterns.



Resources

• Birdy’s Knits
• Green Mountain Mama
• Hakucho
• Knittnfool
• Sheep of a Different Color

Are Pantyhose Required?

Learning to play bridge is one of the task items on my 2009 list of goals. This morning I begin lessons with the Adobe Bridge Club.



What to wear, what to wear—the eternal female crisis.

I do not know any of the bridge club people and figure they’re probably pretty conservative, although I’m sure there isn’t actually a dress code involved in playing bridge.

How about jeans, t-shirt and my flip-flops? No, that won’t work.

A dress? Aarrgh! No way am I going to wear pantyhose; I’d rather go swimming in the nearest sewage pond before resorting to that misery.



A search through my closet gave me ideas and Polyvore enabled me to put pictures of my clothes together. Our weather is cooler this week, so I’ve selected my black wool slacks, gray cashmere turtleneck, red purse, black loafers, and a simple strand of pearls. This ought to be non-threatening to the ladies of the bridge club.

Bridge is making a comeback and becoming popular again in colleges—so it’s not just a game for the more mature population to which I’m a statistical member. Here’s a list of famous players (both real and imaginary).



If these folks can learn to play bridge, so can I—and do so wearing my pearls. Pretty conformist of me, don’t you think? Maybe I ought to take my temperature to ensure I’m not feverish or something.

What I’m Reading

Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Ed. HC) is a literary treatise about those who work hard in the world and those who do not—and the ensuing consequences when the workers tire of the exploitation.



I’m reading the book again in light of the world’s current challenges, having first read it when I was about 14. At that age, I had no real comprehension regarding capitalism vs. socialism.



While I’m not an atheist as is the controversial Rand, my parents did teach me the reciprocity of value to be found in work. Their teachings and this book were instrumental in the formation of work ethics to which I adhere today.


Source: Catalog Card Generator at Blyberg.net

The core of the story is enigmatic John Galt’s radio speech to the nation explaining the rationality behind the strike (“This is John Galt Speaking," part III, chapter VII) and serves as a summary of Rand’s objectivist philosophy.

As we move forward to meet new challenges in 2009, I hope each of us remembers to value whatever constitutes our life’s work—and that it is treated with respect by others.

Resources

• Ayn Rand Institute
• John Galt’s speech, mini-version (read the book for the full text)
• John Galt’s speech on YouTube (a series created by XCowboy2)
• Objectivism 101

Movie Time

The holidays are finally over. It’s been nonstop for us since two weeks before Thanksgiving. While we’ve had a grand time, I’m ready to grab a mug of hot chocolate, a big bowl of popcorn, and settle in for a good movie.

Some great classics are coming up on Masterpiece/PBS—starting this Sunday night. Here’s a copy of the schedule I’ve made.


Right-click on photo to enlarge and print

I’m not familiar with Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit and missed Rudyard Kipling’s My Boy Jack when it aired last April which will make for interesting new movies for me.

Polar Bears to Mummers to My House

I don’t know how you celebrated last night, but here are a few adventures to consider for this first day of the new year.

Coney Island Polar Bear Club


Source: Get your t-shirt at the Polar Bear Club Official Store

If you’re brave enough, join the Coney Island Polar Bear Club at noon today on the Boardwalk at Stillwell Avenue for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a fundraiser for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses.

All I can say is “Brrrrrrrr…”

Philadelphia Mummers Parade


Source: Phillymummers.com

Thousands of folks are lining Philadelphia’s Broad Street to cheer the mummers parade on its way to City Hall. This parade began in the 17th century—isn’t that amazing, especially for America with its relatively short history in comparison to, say, Europe? Here’s the parade route.

I love the idea of mummers; actually, I love the word “mummers”—such a fun thing to say out loud: “Mummers, mummers, mummers.”

Resolutions/Goals


Source: The Vintage Workshop, text added by me

Here’s one activity we either love or hate—I have both feelings. However, these are my goals for the year. Some action items are already in the works. If I don’t accomplish them all, it’s okay.

Junie Moon’s House

I’ve saved the best for last—my house. Hah! Nothing much is happening here today—just as I want it. Our Christmas tree is coming down and that’s all we’re doing.



Whether staying contentedly at home trying to come up with your 2009 goals, prancing down a city street in an outrageous costume, or you’ve completely lost your mind and are leaping into a large body of icy water—I wish you well in this new start to our year!