here is another neat giveaway for some custom stickers...follow this link:
http://independentmami.blogspot.com/2009/10/custom-stickers-giveaway-from.html
thanks for your support! cindy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Whew -- got quite a few things done today
Not the wittiest title for my entry, but it will have to do for this late hour.
It felt good to accomplish a number of things today, even if they were mundane duties to maintain the household. I will make up for it tomorrow and let loose a bit when I go to Buffalo for yet another doctor appointment. The weather is good and I enjoy the drive. Put in some tunes and I am in my own little world and on my way.
This new obsession I have for Twitter is ending up to be quite time consuming. I don't mean that in a bad way --- I am enjoying connecting with folks and seeing their shops and talents. Besides the personal aspects of it, I am hoping to get more traffic here on my blog and in my shop on Etsy, as well as eBay.
A few minutes ago I received a tweet from :
http://EcoCreations.etsy.com
--- they have advised me that I was a winner in their quest for 500 re-tweets and I guess that the 500th was me! I won a beautiful chocolate brown wool bracelet! I am grateful ...it made my day.
Please take time to visit their shop and see what beautiful items they have!
Last evening I finally finished the bulk of the work at my
Thank you for taking time to read this entry - hope you will be back to visit!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Finally a night of sleep...
....I certainly have had more energy today. I can't say that I accomplished near as much as I wanted to but it feels good to feel good. Sleep is needed more than every 4 or 5 days, don't ya think!
After mowing the lawn yesterday I decided to take a few pictures of interest to my eye:


Ordinary objects can have such simplicity and complexity at the same time. The air was cool, but not cold, with a nice breeze. The rustle of leaves soft and crackly, those that were left on the trees anyway. The clouds were high and light with a really cool pattern as the weather was changing and a front ready to come in.

After mowing the lawn yesterday I decided to take a few pictures of interest to my eye:
Ordinary objects can have such simplicity and complexity at the same time. The air was cool, but not cold, with a nice breeze. The rustle of leaves soft and crackly, those that were left on the trees anyway. The clouds were high and light with a really cool pattern as the weather was changing and a front ready to come in.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Today is a better day
...except the headache...
here is the link for that free giveaway bracelet that is so pretty:
http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/2009/10/jewelry-by-blue-shoe-studio-review.html?showComment=1256185913569#c74331201100161276
This is what a vicious rottweiler looks like!
No sleep again last nite...thank goodness for Twitter, my latest addiction.
I awoke late and once the cobwebs cleared from my head I got out in the sun today...sun doesn't happen alot in these parts this time of the year.
Got the lawn mowed, my last perennials stuck in the ground and took a few pictures. The dogs seemed to enjoy being out more today. They are such inside babies that even when the weather is nice they want back in to see their people ASAP after doing their business. But if one of us is outside, they will stay out longer. If George, our lab, wouldn't run off so easily he would enjoy playing fetch...his favorite thing in the world, next to jingle balls and human food.
Well, I have a sinus-y headache tonite so I am gonna call it a night early, hopefully can sleep tonight!
here is the link for that free giveaway bracelet that is so pretty:
http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/2009/10/jewelry-by-blue-shoe-studio-review.html?showComment=1256185913569#c74331201100161276
No sleep again last nite...thank goodness for Twitter, my latest addiction.
I awoke late and once the cobwebs cleared from my head I got out in the sun today...sun doesn't happen alot in these parts this time of the year.
Got the lawn mowed, my last perennials stuck in the ground and took a few pictures. The dogs seemed to enjoy being out more today. They are such inside babies that even when the weather is nice they want back in to see their people ASAP after doing their business. But if one of us is outside, they will stay out longer. If George, our lab, wouldn't run off so easily he would enjoy playing fetch...his favorite thing in the world, next to jingle balls and human food.
Well, I have a sinus-y headache tonite so I am gonna call it a night early, hopefully can sleep tonight!
overdue
once again I am overdue for blogging, but I have been busy trying to learn twittering and tweeting! during my learning process I have come across a delightful opportunity to win a beautiful bracelet - hand crafted!
dear readers: follow this link so you too may enter for a chance to win this gorgeous bracelet...
http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/2009/10/jewelry-by-blue-shoe-studio-review.html?showComment=1256185913569#c74331201100161276
read the directions carefully - there are ways to increase your number of chances!
I will be back!
dear readers: follow this link so you too may enter for a chance to win this gorgeous bracelet...
http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/2009/10/jewelry-by-blue-shoe-studio-review.html?showComment=1256185913569#c74331201100161276
read the directions carefully - there are ways to increase your number of chances!
I will be back!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Autumnal winter
It has been a busy and trying week.
It started with an MD appt out of town - he deemed my vision as likely not to improve. So the only thing to do is accept that. I am grateful I can see what I do!
Later in the week
was the estate auction for my Aunt and Uncle's estate. It was a trying day for many reasons. The normal difficult reasons made it difficult but the way the auctioneer company handled the sale was less than adequate for many reasons. The result of this was a nominal return for a lifetime of them both.
I was there to intently bid on a couple family heirlooms. There was a desire to bid on so much more - it was so hard to see it all pass to strangers. I don't know how my cousin was able to hold up.
The following day we spent half the day doing the final clean on the house as the sale closing is pending this coming week. Indeed it was very sad and most difficult for my mother and aunt w
ho were siblings to my uncle, and my cousin - his son. Not that I am without feeling in this regard but having been a nurse so many years, some how I seem to cope with these things a bit more pragmatically.
Thursday morning we woke up to heavy snow flakes floating from the skies. By that evening there was measurable snow! Everything was very pretty - flocked in fresh, heavy snow.
A block away someone built a snowman, but by the time I went to take a picture he was melting.
I have set up a Twitter account and am trying to get the hang of that...interesting.
I have posted a few new items to Etsy and had 2 sales in my eBay store. Tonight I have spent quite awhile in the forums, trying to network. I have been accepted to the Vintage Market Team, which I am excited about; additionally, I have made inquiries to 2 other teams. I love the model of Etsy and am hoping I can grow to success there.
This week I don't have much on the docket and I really need to spend some time creating. While working on the creative process I will try out the lovely "executive" task chair I got from the estate sale, it was my cousin's.
I shall post again soon! Thanks for visiting.
It started with an MD appt out of town - he deemed my vision as likely not to improve. So the only thing to do is accept that. I am grateful I can see what I do!
Later in the week
I was there to intently bid on a couple family heirlooms. There was a desire to bid on so much more - it was so hard to see it all pass to strangers. I don't know how my cousin was able to hold up.
The following day we spent half the day doing the final clean on the house as the sale closing is pending this coming week. Indeed it was very sad and most difficult for my mother and aunt w
Thursday morning we woke up to heavy snow flakes floating from the skies. By that evening there was measurable snow! Everything was very pretty - flocked in fresh, heavy snow.
A block away someone built a snowman, but by the time I went to take a picture he was melting.
I have posted a few new items to Etsy and had 2 sales in my eBay store. Tonight I have spent quite awhile in the forums, trying to network. I have been accepted to the Vintage Market Team, which I am excited about; additionally, I have made inquiries to 2 other teams. I love the model of Etsy and am hoping I can grow to success there.
This week I don't have much on the docket and I really need to spend some time creating. While working on the creative process I will try out the lovely "executive" task chair I got from the estate sale, it was my cousin's.
I shall post again soon! Thanks for visiting.
Labels:
auction,
crafting,
creating,
Etsy,
jewelry,
snow,
Vintage Market Team on Etsy,
VMTeam on Etsy
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Another Nice Day
Today ended up being a special day...It started out an ordinary day with a doctor's appt out of town, about an hour away. We left about 30 minutes early, believing that was plenty of time to find a place we were unsure of - uh-huh - NOT! Between the detours, one way streets, not knowing Jamestown, unsquare blocks and three unknowing opinions, instead of being there 15 minutes early we were 20 minutes late!
The doctor's staff was very understanding as I had called them twice during our trial. The visit was longer than I anticipated, which was ok with me. The lovely testing technician realized our difficulty finding their office so she went on lunch break a bit early to escort us to the edge of town, until we we
re on our way! Who says folks don't care these days!
We stopped at Bob Evans where we encountered a gal in training. Once she finally got the correct items delivered to us she graciously checked on us frequently. We gave her an A+ for trying so hard (and a nice tip).
We knew the expressway was less than 1/2 mile from the restaurant so we started on our way...but then we decided to take the back roads home, since the autumn leaves are peaking. In this endeavor, we did well until we realized by Aunt Kate's auto compass that we were going south west instead of north east. As a group of three, we decided it was fine to go on an adventure and see where we ended up. That turned out to be Pennsylvania!
Our trek off the beaten path took us around much of the Alleghany Reservoir (I have no idea how many miles - but quite a few!). There is no wording to describe the beauty of the hills and mountains with their fiery display of leaves contrasted by the still, smooth reservoir water.
Once we crossed into a larger town we knew of we stopped for a snack and a break, then headed home (we hoped). Although it took us three hours to get lost, it only took us an hour and 15 minutes to get home again. Home Sweet Home!
It proved to be a delightful day, as I was with 2 of my favorite people in the world - my mother and her sister. Giggles were had by all, as well as a few silly puns and jokes. But that is the way we like it and will remember this day for quite some tim
e. We decided not to tell any of the men folk lest we be teased about our jaunt for eternity!
It is my hope that the liberty of the free thought that goes along with a day like this will be fruitful with creativity the next time I sit down to bead - inspiration of contrast and color. Additionally, it was lovely to hear these dear ones share stories of reminiscence about all the little burgs along the way, how things had changed, viewing antiquated buildings and lamenting the loss to these towns and villages that no longer have gas stations, restaurants or grocery stores.
The doctor's staff was very understanding as I had called them twice during our trial. The visit was longer than I anticipated, which was ok with me. The lovely testing technician realized our difficulty finding their office so she went on lunch break a bit early to escort us to the edge of town, until we we
We stopped at Bob Evans where we encountered a gal in training. Once she finally got the correct items delivered to us she graciously checked on us frequently. We gave her an A+ for trying so hard (and a nice tip).
We knew the expressway was less than 1/2 mile from the restaurant so we started on our way...but then we decided to take the back roads home, since the autumn leaves are peaking. In this endeavor, we did well until we realized by Aunt Kate's auto compass that we were going south west instead of north east. As a group of three, we decided it was fine to go on an adventure and see where we ended up. That turned out to be Pennsylvania!
Our trek off the beaten path took us around much of the Alleghany Reservoir (I have no idea how many miles - but quite a few!). There is no wording to describe the beauty of the hills and mountains with their fiery display of leaves contrasted by the still, smooth reservoir water.
Once we crossed into a larger town we knew of we stopped for a snack and a break, then headed home (we hoped). Although it took us three hours to get lost, it only took us an hour and 15 minutes to get home again. Home Sweet Home!
It proved to be a delightful day, as I was with 2 of my favorite people in the world - my mother and her sister. Giggles were had by all, as well as a few silly puns and jokes. But that is the way we like it and will remember this day for quite some tim
It is my hope that the liberty of the free thought that goes along with a day like this will be fruitful with creativity the next time I sit down to bead - inspiration of contrast and color. Additionally, it was lovely to hear these dear ones share stories of reminiscence about all the little burgs along the way, how things had changed, viewing antiquated buildings and lamenting the loss to these towns and villages that no longer have gas stations, restaurants or grocery stores.
Monday, October 12, 2009
time flies
I can't believe it has been so long since blogging. I have been busy I guess LOL!
Today I have spent HOURS trying to maximize my understanding of twitter, networking and the Etsy community. I am grateful for all who are so willing to share their knowledge. Not enough hours in the day to do all the learn by trial and error, so folks' advice helps tremendously.
I now pledge to do better about posting and I want to acknowlege thanks to the Vintage Market Team for accepting me as a member!
Today I have spent HOURS trying to maximize my understanding of twitter, networking and the Etsy community. I am grateful for all who are so willing to share their knowledge. Not enough hours in the day to do all the learn by trial and error, so folks' advice helps tremendously.
I now pledge to do better about posting and I want to acknowlege thanks to the Vintage Market Team for accepting me as a member!
Labels:
Etsy,
help,
thanks,
time management,
Vintage Market Team on Etsy,
VMTeam on Etsy
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Peaceful Sunday
Yesterday was a lazy Saturday, had a Pampered Chef party in the evening which was a nice distraction. Met a bunch of really nice ladies. This morning we all went to church. The weather is a bit drizzly with the sun trying to peep thru. After church I took my daughter out for lunch, which we seldom do. We tried a new restaurant that served BBQ - it was delicious.
Lounging around right now, waiting for laundry to finish, to start another load. Plan to work on my work area in a bit - need to finish up my work surface and organizing my crafting/beading materials so that I can be more productive in the coming weeks. I have so much stuff I need to get listed on eBay and Etsy. Tonight I will getting together with my girlfriends and playing "Nerds" (card game).
Hope everyone else is having a peaceful Sunday as well.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The day after
It is with fatigue that I am writing this entry. Down right pooped. Status post system overload. Dead tired.
Arrival in Henrietta occurred around 2:15 and it seems that arriving later, rather than sooner, proved to be a good idea. It was overheard that the place was mobbed at the start of the show. There was a drizzle of traffic when I got there and very few remained at the end. I stayed until "last call". Every penny of my budget was spent (I shall not reveal the amount lest the reader thinks me a fool). Suffice it to say that I could have broken the bank and spent ten times the amount of my budget very easily.

There was a HUGE selection- mostly semiprecious gemstones, all of beautiful cuts and dimensions. Strands and strands of them covered the tables. Every color that you can possibly imagine was represented. The glory of God never ceases to amaze me. A majority of the gemstones are naturally occurring, with man's intervention being the cutting and polishing of them to further bring out their lovely features. Others have intriguing patterns enhanced by coloration,
dying and stabilizing techniques.
It was hard to pass up this opportunity and in hind sight I wish I had tucked away a bit more cash. You see the pricing on almost everything was 50% off the label/retail price plus 15% more off the half-off. This was outstanding considering the prices of many items. The most expensive strands I looked at were over $150 and of course my eye was drawn to some of the more costly items. However, I did not indulge in them or I w
ould have broken my piggy bank of a budget. They were modest choices I had to make so that I could leave with more than a couple of strands!
Traveling was expedient due to the sunshin
e and clear roads. Always I kept an eye out for deer. With so many cornfields between here and there they had many hiding places to burst from. The day started off overcast, followed by a glorious variety of interesting cloud formations, ending with a wonderful sunset.
Dinner was served at the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Hylan Drive. It was mobbed with customers as it was evidently supper time for many others, as well. I had chosen to eat little early in the day so that I could treat myself to a "special" meal and that is how I spontaneously chose this place. A rest was needed and my belly soon was filled with country fried steak (gravy on the side felt less guilty), fried okra, pinto beans and c
ornbread. Iced tea to drink and applesauce for dessert. Briefly, I almost felt like I was in West Texas again.
No road trip worth it's salt is without a jaunt off the main trail, and that is exactly what happened. It was after dark and one wrong turn...the next thing you know I am 15 miles west and I don't know how many miles north, of where my brother and his wife live. I am a hard-headed sort so I was determined to find the place no matter what! I did but it was quite late in the evening, past when it is respectable to visit someone. Their welcome mat was out nonetheless.
It was good to see them both and the puppies, too. We chatted for about an hour, a good cup of coffee, a potty break and then I was on my way.
While traveling to and fro this day, I so fully enjoyed my Ipod. Katy had let me use her "converter" so that I could listen to the Ipod thru the stereo and it sounded so good. There is something about pleasurable music and driving that soothes my savage beast. I could drive endlessly in this state. Recollection of my trip cross country for Taylor's graduation a few years ago occurred, wherein I drove for hours after hours listening to CD's with no interruption. Some how it transports me to a different level of consciousness, no substances involved.
This ends my prattling about my outing, weary body as a reminder. Now it is time to take a quick nap before waking the kids and starting another day. There are distinct benefits to early rising and getting Todd off to work at 5. I can understand why my mother always had her "me" time before we arose in the morning.

A picture of my cache....wait till ya see what comes from this pile of stuff!
Arrival in Henrietta occurred around 2:15 and it seems that arriving later, rather than sooner, proved to be a good idea. It was overheard that the place was mobbed at the start of the show. There was a drizzle of traffic when I got there and very few remained at the end. I stayed until "last call". Every penny of my budget was spent (I shall not reveal the amount lest the reader thinks me a fool). Suffice it to say that I could have broken the bank and spent ten times the amount of my budget very easily.
There was a HUGE selection- mostly semiprecious gemstones, all of beautiful cuts and dimensions. Strands and strands of them covered the tables. Every color that you can possibly imagine was represented. The glory of God never ceases to amaze me. A majority of the gemstones are naturally occurring, with man's intervention being the cutting and polishing of them to further bring out their lovely features. Others have intriguing patterns enhanced by coloration,
It was hard to pass up this opportunity and in hind sight I wish I had tucked away a bit more cash. You see the pricing on almost everything was 50% off the label/retail price plus 15% more off the half-off. This was outstanding considering the prices of many items. The most expensive strands I looked at were over $150 and of course my eye was drawn to some of the more costly items. However, I did not indulge in them or I w
Traveling was expedient due to the sunshin
Dinner was served at the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Hylan Drive. It was mobbed with customers as it was evidently supper time for many others, as well. I had chosen to eat little early in the day so that I could treat myself to a "special" meal and that is how I spontaneously chose this place. A rest was needed and my belly soon was filled with country fried steak (gravy on the side felt less guilty), fried okra, pinto beans and c
No road trip worth it's salt is without a jaunt off the main trail, and that is exactly what happened. It was after dark and one wrong turn...the next thing you know I am 15 miles west and I don't know how many miles north, of where my brother and his wife live. I am a hard-headed sort so I was determined to find the place no matter what! I did but it was quite late in the evening, past when it is respectable to visit someone. Their welcome mat was out nonetheless.
It was good to see them both and the puppies, too. We chatted for about an hour, a good cup of coffee, a potty break and then I was on my way.
While traveling to and fro this day, I so fully enjoyed my Ipod. Katy had let me use her "converter" so that I could listen to the Ipod thru the stereo and it sounded so good. There is something about pleasurable music and driving that soothes my savage beast. I could drive endlessly in this state. Recollection of my trip cross country for Taylor's graduation a few years ago occurred, wherein I drove for hours after hours listening to CD's with no interruption. Some how it transports me to a different level of consciousness, no substances involved.
This ends my prattling about my outing, weary body as a reminder. Now it is time to take a quick nap before waking the kids and starting another day. There are distinct benefits to early rising and getting Todd off to work at 5. I can understand why my mother always had her "me" time before we arose in the morning.
A picture of my cache....wait till ya see what comes from this pile of stuff!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
I'm baaaaack!
Since my last entry, it has pretty much been life as usual with the few variations each day will bring. The weather has been lovely for the most part, unlike the beginning of our summer this year. All around me there are babies being born and others surrendering there lives to eternity. God truly remains faithful through it all when we (I) let Him. He keeps speaking to me about being kind and loving to one another, so it seems that I have been falling short in that area - I ask His forgiveness for anyone I have wronged along the way. I know He is faithful in this as well and peace settles knowing God is the guardian of my heart, mind and soul (again, when I let Him). Surrendering my will can be difficult, at best, on many days - even though it is my greatest desire to do so, that human-ness gets in the way.
The afternoon a
t Cuba Lake on Monday was glorious. It was wonderful to be able to share my dear Aunt Kate's 75th birthday. Grasping the physical age of this woman is difficult for me, she will be forever young in my mind. She has been a second mother to me all of my life and invested a great deal of herself in me. There will never be a way to repay her, except to extend to others what she has extended to me and my family.
Fending off the drive to bead has been unsuccessful to date. I have such a compulsion to do this constantly that I have to discipline myself not to, and when I
give in it is hard for me to stop. The picture with this entry is of a memory wire bracelet I just made and I think it is fun and kind of funky. The randomness of color and the dangles at each end are interesting to me.
Tuffy kitty was lick
ing his chops after finishing off the drizzle of milk left in my cereal bowl. It seemed fitting to capture that moment! He is quite a character - mauling the dogs when he gets a chance and eating dog food along side of them. Dozer is funny ( the rottie) - he will growl at George (the lab) and not let him partake in the food, yet will stand by Tuffy, defending the bowl for him and to keep George away. The dynamics between these animals is endlessly entertaining.
Looks like another nice day today - I am off to Rochester on a day trip JUST FOR ME! Rings and Things (a beading website) has a traveling bead show and I will be attending for the first time! Can you tell I am excited? As I mentioned before, my addiction to beads/beading, may prove to be dangerous to my pocket book. I have set myself a modest budget and will have to shop within my means. Of course, I have my secret stash of cash via debit card from the proceeds of Pampered Chef.....hmmmmm. Stay tuned as I report the outcome of the day. My camera is going along in hopes that I won't be banned from photographing my outing.
Thank you for visiting again - please feel free to leave a comment!
The afternoon a
Fending off the drive to bead has been unsuccessful to date. I have such a compulsion to do this constantly that I have to discipline myself not to, and when I
Tuffy kitty was lick
Looks like another nice day today - I am off to Rochester on a day trip JUST FOR ME! Rings and Things (a beading website) has a traveling bead show and I will be attending for the first time! Can you tell I am excited? As I mentioned before, my addiction to beads/beading, may prove to be dangerous to my pocket book. I have set myself a modest budget and will have to shop within my means. Of course, I have my secret stash of cash via debit card from the proceeds of Pampered Chef.....hmmmmm. Stay tuned as I report the outcome of the day. My camera is going along in hopes that I won't be banned from photographing my outing.
Thank you for visiting again - please feel free to leave a comment!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
My, how time flies...
It has been days since I have blogged - multifactorial...Let's just say today is a much better day than some since I was last here.
Have managed to do some beading this week - trying also to set up my work area in the other room. Trying to get everything set up, organized, close at hand...right at my finger tips...ya know what I mean!
It will be sooo nice to have a little work shop - then I will have to reorganize the ebay/Etsy stock. I already have a nice set up for printing labels and packing items. I have a stack of boxes 6 feet tall...Probably need to start searching for small boxes again.
The weather is drizzly and cooler the last couple days. But I guess after having a few sunny days, I'll take what I get...At least it wasn't snow! That will be coming soon enough.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Today's musings...
These nifty pics were taken by my daughter a few months ago... she has a great eye for photography. For my birthday she had another pic of my jewelry framed ... it is treasured!

Today was a bit of a red letter day, in that I allowed myself to do some beading!!! Yeah!
Now that the fast has broken I won't be able to help myself and will be creating more this evening. The hubby has gone to work on his race car, so it's just me and my beads! I didn't even have to cook dinner --- I used my "don't want to cook" sigh and we went to the Kopper Keg for supper.
This morning I stayed up after Todd got off to work and did a little puttering. The dogs have been needy for some reason today and have required more frequent petting than usual! Mid-day I went and ran a few errands running to Wellsville and Alfred. I had to take Todd's computer to get worked on and it was a blast from the past being on the ASC campus again... the help desk happens to be in the Allied Health building. (ASC is my nursing college alma mater)
The sun has been bright and beautiful, perfect temperature, balmy breeze all day. My only regret for this day was not hanging any laundry out. The weather is supposed to be great again tomorrow, so that will be a good project for then.
Had some folks pick up 6 0r 7 garbage bags of clothes I had weeded out. Freecycle is a wonderful thing!
Well that's it for today... must bead ... must bead... must bead...
Today was a bit of a red letter day, in that I allowed myself to do some beading!!! Yeah!
Now that the fast has broken I won't be able to help myself and will be creating more this evening. The hubby has gone to work on his race car, so it's just me and my beads! I didn't even have to cook dinner --- I used my "don't want to cook" sigh and we went to the Kopper Keg for supper.
This morning I stayed up after Todd got off to work and did a little puttering. The dogs have been needy for some reason today and have required more frequent petting than usual! Mid-day I went and ran a few errands running to Wellsville and Alfred. I had to take Todd's computer to get worked on and it was a blast from the past being on the ASC campus again... the help desk happens to be in the Allied Health building. (ASC is my nursing college alma mater)
The sun has been bright and beautiful, perfect temperature, balmy breeze all day. My only regret for this day was not hanging any laundry out. The weather is supposed to be great again tomorrow, so that will be a good project for then.
Had some folks pick up 6 0r 7 garbage bags of clothes I had weeded out. Freecycle is a wonderful thing!
Well that's it for today... must bead ... must bead... must bead...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Etsy
I am up way too late, especially after recovering from some kind of bug...however I have not spent much time on Etsy in the last few days, so I thought that I would read messages, catch up on forums and join some new forums. I also was getting "advice" about my blog. Part of this was viewing the blogs of other Etsians. This is really interesting.
One of the suggestions is to cross reference other shops on the site to encourage activity. So you will find a link to my friend Laurie's shop, Cutethings6. She and I "met" on eBay (where I also have a store, sweetcindylou62) and we just sort of clicked so we have maintained a relationship for quite a few months.
We enjoy keeping up with each other's lives and when I chat with her, I almost feel like we have always known each other. This is one of the awesome benefits to this type of business - the networking and fellowship that can develop between people that would have otherwise never met.
So take a minute and look at her site...she is really creative and has great vintage stuff...I have been a customer, myself, a number of different times and have always had excellent experiences!
http://www.cutethings6.etsy.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Some days are better than others for blogging
I am not sure that today is a "better", I believe pretty assuredly that it's an "other".
Ever feel like you are in an endless repeating pattern?....the caption for today's blog and this picture. (Thanks to the Carmike Cinema) Who knew, when I took this picture, that it would actually be purposeful some day???
This is one of those days that it is good, that it is intended, that I be at home. OK, so a few salty pretzels feel safe to eat, nothing sounds safe to drink, so the boy child is off getting his Mommy some ginger ale or Sierra Mist or something soothing. Perhaps after a few more wakeful hours my energy will return, my affect will improve and I might get something done besides park my butt.
It is a chillier day today than in a long time. 65.1 F. degrees to be specific. No rain yet today but the clouds look threatening. I would like to think the sun that shines between the clouds might beget a spree of sunshine. Dare we wish for such a thing as this? That lawn out there needs mowing in the worst way and recurrent rain along with conditions prohibitive for causing dryness aren't helping matters any.
Finally finished the Mulvaneys book and for all that was experienced during its' reading I thought the ending would some how have been stupendous. It wasn't. It was okay in an Average Joe sort of way, it certainly tied up some loose ends. There was too much in that book that I could relate to, it saddens me. The turns of events and the subsequent results were too relate-able as well.
I am currently reading a book that is NOT for the faint of heart. What drew me to the book was the fact that it's author was the key character in the movie Running With Scissors, Augusten Burroughs (who also wrote the book of the same name). It is called Magical Thinking and reading the definition of Magical Thinking in the beginning of the book helps to see provide insight to the reader.
Each chapter is a tale of truth from his life, so he says, and they are certainly vivid enough to believe that. If you have seen the movie, Running With Scissors, you are a step ahead of the game when reading this book. However, I, having grown up in a fairly sheltered upbringing in a quiet rural town during the '60's and '70's, still am not prepared for reading some things that I know exist in our world - I have heard of these things and known people who have done these things...still feel that proverbial kick in the gut, blush of embarassment at reading some of these things.
Although these things cause me to feel squeemish, they do make me laugh; but, I do wish some of the details could be left out, if for no other reason than to avoid blushing. I don't know who I might recommend to read this book. I like to recommend books that I have read. This book just might be too much for many or most of the people I know. Would they make a judgement about me after reading it? I would hope not, I didn't create the content. But the fact that I would read it and possibly even finish it, does that speak ill of me? I guess I will just have to throw caution to the wind, because I will be finishing the book. Should you read about it in this blog, consider that the book has been recommended to you. For if you will read my prattlings, this book promises to be a step up for you. Just be sure to be sitting and not standing on that step.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
The day started rainy

like so many other days this summer. It down right poured for quite awhile, then the sky parted and the sun shined.
Had a relaxing day, did a little puttering, some laundry...was saving my energy for something greater to occur in the evening. I even got out of cooking supper as my wonderful husband knew I had an evening out with the girls planned!
We met at Ashley's and drove to Olean for our birthday get-together and hunt for favorite squirrels. Timmy Ho's now has Cold Stone Creamery ice cream and that sounded appealing. I was boring and ate an egg salad wrap with an iced cap. It was delicious, filling and much less fat. Barb and Robin joined Megan, Ashley, Marti and I - we had plenty of giggles. Then began the hunt for squirrels.
Megan decided she wanted the Knight in Shining Armor - so off we went to Armor Building supply. After I drove thru the lawn and parked in the largest puddle available, we bailed out and had our proverbial photographic way with the Knight. Ashley found her "S" but sadly the Knight had lost his heart. Onward and upward...the construction squirrel was just down the road and of course he was fitting for me, especially now that Todd is a Superintendent. Lastly, we went to Community Bank and Marti got her picture taken with the banker squirrel - which was fitting since she works for Community! Ashley didn't get to pick a squirrel as her squirrel hunt was a few months earlier.
Somehow we got the police involved, I can't remember how that came about. Perhaps because we were going to the donut place? We tried a few benign hijinks to capture the attention of an officer passing by and it just didn't work...so we went to the police department seeking one! He wouldn't get his picture taken with us, nor would he allow his picture to be taken (he didn't want to get fired...imagine that!). But he was willing to take our picture in front of a police car. I am not sure exactly why but by then we were all giddy with laughter about numerous nonsensical things, so to us this seemed hilarious! All in the name of good clean fun. And to think I used to have to get drunk or abuse substances to have such a good time. Thank you, God.
Perhaps tomorrow will be a bit more productive. If the sun shines I might get to mow the lawn!
Until next time...
Friday, August 28, 2009
A day of errands and such
Feeling a bit discouraged about lack of sales on Etsy.
http://sweetcindylouwho.etsy.com is my URL. I want to list more items but don't want them to sit stagnant, so I guess my next move is to list some stuff for auction on eBay. I love the philosophy and community of Etsy and would like to be successful on that site. I have read numerous articles about success on that site and am hoping that it will pick up soon, as I try some of these interventions (having this blog was one of the suggestions). I requested to participate on one of the teams and the input I received was to take better pics and need to have more of a presence on Etsy...that is hard to do without selling stuff! I shall keep on keeping on, prayerfully hoping that my work will pan out.
Time management is certainly an issue for me. On the days when I feel great and can get alot of things done, I am encouraged. Then there are those days where I get the basics done and that is it. But I tell myself, and my counselor reminds me, that things got out of sync over the years, it will take more than just a couple of days to resolve it all. Hmmmm, sounds good, eh?
It doesn't look good for racing tonight. It has been steadily, gently raining all afternoon. This morning started cool with sunshine, the overcast appearance moved in and then the rain. Darn, I was going to try mow the lawn today also. Perhaps the rain will hold off for racing tomorrow in Little Valley. I would like to go there since I haven't been there in a couple years.
Palpitations...still having them. It makes me a bit uneasy but no significant sequelae at this time, so I am just monitoring them at this point...nurse heal thyself, right?
I have almost finished the Mulvaneys book, couldn't put it down this morning. Should probably finish it in a day or two.
Met with the counselor at the alternative education academy for Steven today. It sounds like an excellent program and I hope that Steven will grasp this opportunity and run with it. He really is quite gifted in many areas and this is a wonderful venue for him to be involved in. I doubt he would agree to go back to mainstream public school again. It is a shame that his experience was that bad, for him to feel that way.
No profound realizations to share today. Hope you will visit here again.
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
Where do I begin?
Yesterday was such a productive day...it was wonderful. It has been a long time since I have felt so good all day long. I did have intermittent pain but it was tolerable enough to do what I did. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but good days with minimal discomfort are treasured. Probably not even treasured enough.
For those who don't know me, fibromyalgia is something I have lived with for years and have accepted that it will fill my future as well. However, that is not my main focus, merely a statement of fact. It colors each moment of each day and often causes me to lose objectivity, surrendering to subjectivity. Is that such a bad thing?
But today, it is like I paid for yesterday's worthiness. Not in a terrible way, rather, with tremendous fatigue. It almost makes it feel as if I shouldn't be entitled to any good days, not that I should feel entitled to anything.
Now that I have verbalized, I will move on!
It was exhilarating to follow thru with each next moment. The most enjoyable part of the day would have to be my walk. I enjoy my IPOD so very much and I can walk for what feels like an eternity as long as the power holds up! This part of my day lasted for about 45 minutes and encompassed much of the village. I could smell rain in the air and once again this summer we were obliged with further water from the sky. As all things, it is purposed by God, so He knows why we have needed so much. If the precipitation continues we'll sure have a lot of snow to shovel!
I swore I wasn't going to do it, but I surrendered and finally made a few new pieces of jewelry. These beads were in a dish next to "my chair" calling out to me. No longer was I able to hold off. Nothing especially amazing, but was able to stave off further longings to bead. Eagerly I wait for completion of some other projects around the house to liberate the workspace I desire for crafting and creating - soon, very soon.
There go those dogs again - ripping and snorting and panting and jumping, just because someone walked by the front of the house! Yesterday George managed to open the screen door by himself, off for another adventure. When I finally found him (accidentally on my way to Megan's) he was SOAKING wet and stinking. So of course he had to traverse the entire inside of the van, spreading his wealth of malodor.
If the rain holds off tomorrow, it will be back to the races. Theoretically it could be Friday and Saturday. Friday in Freedom and Saturday in Little Valley, with Little Valley running the larger track. It has been a couple of years since my going there. In fact I think it is the first track I ever saw Todd drive at back when he was driving a standard big block stock car. The bug bit me then.
Who knows what tomorrow will hold. Plans include seeing Dorothy in the morning and in the afternoon meeting with the principal at the school. It is my hope that tomorrow will be more like yesterday; additionally, a good night's sleep tonight would be helpful. Another day of household duties gets me closer and closer to the project area being ready. That is encouraging in and of itself.
Time to potty the puppies for the last time today. Thirty more minutes of television then off to attack "We Were The Mulvaneys". It is a great book and has been enjoyable. I am not sure what I will read next, I should probably finish the other book or two I had started prior to the Mulvaney book. Good night all...sleep well.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
It feels like a long day already
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