Project 52 - Week 9

Today is Project 52 report day.


I've said before that I'm not very goal-oriented, but Project 52 is really keeping me on track. I guess it's a process. Last year, I participated in "Face it Friday", which was the brain child of Jennee at Cheap Therapy and Karen at A Peek at Karen's world. I could barely keep track of my goal list. This year, Jennee and Karen came up with Project 52, and it's on my mind all the time. Maybe it has helped having my list posted on my blog--I can't lose it and I'm more aware of it.


So, how am I doing? I'm making progress on my jeans blanket. The squares are cut out and sewn together in rows. I hope to have it all in one piece sometime this week. 


I gave blood today (#48). I used to give blood on a regular basis, but it's been several years since the last time I gave. Maybe I can get back in the groove again. There's always an urgent need, it seems. 


But, a few things have changed since my last time. Either I've lost my female identifying marks, or the nurses have lost their eye sight, or possibly their common sense.


I sat down, and gave her the papers. She looked at them and said, this has you listed as a female. I sat there, and she waited for my response. I'm not one to flaunt, but I wanted to say, "Hello! I'm not exactly flat-chested. Do I look like a man to you?" But, instead I said, "Yep, last time I checked". (These people also have no sense of humor.) So, after we established the fact that I am, indeed a female, it was time to take a little blood to check for iron. I'm expecting that very soon, these people will be wearing the white hazardous materials uniform.  They already wear latex up to their elbows for a tiny pin-prick. Now, they actually use a plastic shield, to keep one drop of blood from spraying all over them. It makes me feel like I'm some kind of freak, but I do have something they want, and they will risk their lives to get it. Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but, seriously, doesn't this seem like a bit much?


I also fully completed another book (actually 7, but they are children's books, so I'll only count it as one.) The Chronicles of Narnia series. I really enjoyed reading every book. As I read each book, I couldn't help but see Aslan the Lion, as a picture of Christ. I believe that is what C. S. Lewis intended, because the references were too obvious to be anything else. I have a hard time picking a favorite, because as soon as I say "this one is my favorite", I immediately think of something else in another book that I really loved... That being said, I think my favorite is "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, and maybe seeing the movie has a lot to do with making that one my favorite. 


I'm working on finding 365 "Do not fear" verses in the Bible. I've gone through the entire Old Testament (that speed reading book helped), and have only found 76. I'm pretty confident that there are not 289 more verses in the New Testament. I will share more on that later.


I'm trying to become more informed on politics, but sometimes, the more I learn, the less I can sleep. So, I have to get information in small doses. 
We live in scarry times.

Well, that is how my list is coming along. Can't wait to hear about your list.

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Serendipity

That is such a fun and happy word.


As I write this, more snow is falling. Snow is not a fun and happy word. I'm very tired of this word, and I do not want to say it an-y-more!! And, I do not want to see it anymore. Yes, I know I complained about it in my last blog. Will it never stop? The snow started yesterday, and continued, and continued. I thought about taking pictures, but that would mean having to go out in the stuff. Besides, I could just pull out the pictures I've already posted. They look the same.


Anyway, back to the fun and happy word, serendipity. Here is a serendipitous moment that I wanted to share.

The Nutcracker

Eifel Tower

You can see how they lined the street

Eagle close up

The eagle

Statute of Liberty

   
We saw this several weekends ago, when Hubby and I went to visit his mother. The little town we drove through, must have had some kind of ice festival or something, because all along the main road, we saw all kinds of ice sculptures. Some melting had already occurred, even though I don't remember any warm temperatures at this time, but, most sculptures were identifiable. 


Here are a few ice sculptures that formed on our bushes.

This is what it looks like now---again.

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Project 52 - Week 8

It's that time again. If it wasn't for Project 52, I wonder if I would have anything to blog about. We had a small reprieve from all the snow and ice, and it was so wonderful seeing the green brown grass, because, it was in fact, grass that we could see, and not a glaring white covering over the grass. The temperatures were warm enough to melt all the snow and the 2 inches of ice covering our driveway. But, alas, it is still February after all, and the snow is back, along with a winter storm warning for tonight. 


I have been working on my list, although nothing gets crossed off, yet. My big stack of jeans has been converted into a small stack (actually two stacks) of 6"x 6" squares. I've got my design all figured out, and "everyone" is in their proper order, anxiously awaiting the day they will all be joined together.


I've also been working on reading through "The Chronicles of Narnia", by C. S. Lewis. The book I have Jennee has, has all seven books combined into one large book. I've read five and a half books so far, and hope to finish before Thursday. (Because Jennee plans to take the book to Florida with her for the week.) 


My exercising has fallen by the wayside...already! But, I will get back to it. After doing a few P90X workouts, I couldn't walk for nearly a week. (Yes, I am that out of shape.) I know that I need to keep at it, but I'm having a hard time  staying motivated. 


So, there is my little progress report. I can't wait to see what I accomplish this week. How are you coming with your goals?

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Project 52 - Week 7

Another week has swept right by, and spring is getting closer every day! We are supposed to have temperatures in the 50's this week, and I am looking forward to seeing some ALL of this white blackish-yucky stuff go far far away! Oh to see something green again!


While I haven't seen much green, I have seen a lot of blue. This week I started going through all the jeans I have been saving for years and years and years. Thanks to the encouraging comments I got about finishing the jeans blanket, I am now cutting them up to make my jeans blanket.

When I started digging through the trunk where all the jeans were being kept, I found this:

Directions to make a very cool quilt, in the Log Cabin design. I don't know what possessed  me to think that would be a good idea. I won't deny that it will make an awesome quilt, but it won't be made by me. Look at all those pieces! No, no, no. My quilt will have six inch squares. My goal is to finish all the cutting this week. 


As you can see, my work area is the kitchen table. When I was much younger, I cut everything out on the floor. However, I wanted to be able to walk again when I was finished, so I've moved up to the table. I hate to set everything up, take it down, set it up, so it's going to stay like that until I'm done cutting.  We'll just have to find somewhere else to eat.

So, that 's what I have been working on this week. How are you coming along with your goals. The year is still young. There's plenty of time to start on your list of 52 (and you don't even have to do 52!)

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A New Look

I came home from babysitting today, and Jennee called out to me..."Mom! Come here and see what I've been doing all day...on my day off."


She's been working on sprucing up my blog page. I have a new, cute picture, and she made me a button. I think she did a great job. (Except for the fact that those people look a little old! But, I guess it's time to face facts. I just wish Hubby's hair would start to gray-up a little.) 


What do you think of my new look? I think she did a great job. So, feel free to grab my button! But, only if you want to! 

<a href="http://enelrad-darlene.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b178/cheezysmilegal/mom-1.png" /></a><br />

Have a great Friday!

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Project 52 - Week 6

Wow! Week 6 already! I've made a little progress on my goal list. Mostly, I've been trying to just stay warm and hoping to see melting snow. My ideal way to get through the winter would be to eat about 10,000 calories on January 1, then hibernate until about mid- March or mid-April, depending on when spring actually arrives. (I would hate to miss the lovely blooming process!) And, naturally, the 10,000 calories would not be nearly enough, and I would wake up a good 30 pounds thinner. Just a thought.

Now, on to my goals:

I can cross two more books off my reading list.
Since I have a heck of a time remembering things...my blog title isn't really a joke!... I thought it would be wise to start with this book:

It's an Evelyn Woods speed reading course. It will take lots of practice to get up to reading, say, 1000 words a minute, and that's how fast the "flunkies" read. But the way to remember what you read, that's accomplished by taking weird looking notes like this:

Yeah, I don't see that one happening.

On to book 3:

Yes, I am a fan of that crazy kook, Glenn Beck.  This is also part of #16 - becoming more informed. This is an excellent book if you are interested in the hows and whys we are now a country that is something like 16 Trillion dollars in debt. Our Founding Fathers were not fans of debt. We have done a great disservice to our children and grandchildren by not being vigilent and allowing our politicians to spend us into oblivion.We have a debt that is so large, it can never be repaid. This book is not about Democrat bashing, because, in fact, the Republicans have been just as guilty. And, let me take this small opportunity to say that we are waaaaaay past the "D" and the "R". We need to know if our "representatives" (I use the term loosely, because many of them are NOT representing us), are Socialists or Constitutional Conservatives. If you're not sure what the difference between the two are, look it up in the dictionary, and by that I mean, "google it". Who uses a dictionary anymore, for crying out loud? And, if the words "Marxist", "no private property", and "government owned" don't scare the living daylights out of you, then, you need to learn more about our the Founding Fathers.

#7. I've been thinking about making the jeans blanket. I think it's something I need to get started on while it is still cold outside!

#10. I hosted a Stampin' Up party last week. The original date had to be cancelled due to a wonderful winter storm. Another storm came in the day after I had my party. I had my best party ev - er. (Thanks, Mom, for bumping me up to the next level. Love You! )

#31. I get to cross this one off my list thanks to Sweet Hubby. He spent the day cleaning and organizing the basement. I intended to help him, but I think he was able to get more done without my help.

#45. I know I have houseplants (plural) on my list, but I really only have one plant that I'm concerned about, and that's my Christmas Cactus. It was loaded with blooms at Christmas, but only three actually bloomed. Maybe next Christmas, it will be loaded with blooming blooms!

That pretty much sums up my accomplishments for the past two weeks. I hope you are making progress with your list. What? You haven't got a list? The year is just getting started, you have plenty of time. Head on over to Jennee's blog  or Karen's blog to find out more about it!

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Snow, Ice, blah blah blah

We have been having quite a lovely week here in the Land of Snow and Ice. The temperatures have warmed up to just below freezing. The snow is falling ever so gently onto the already snow-covered land, and the ice-covered driveway. Ice cicles are hanging like daggers off the snow and ice covered gutters. Large, ice covered tree branches are littering the yard. And, now those lovely little snowflakes are suddenly getting larger. And heavier. And denser. 


YUCK.

I've heard rumors that another storm is on its way. That crazy groundhog was said to have not seen his shadow. So, I was expecting melting snow, not more snow. I think he's lying!


We had a lovely ice storm on Tuesday. We had bought a generator for those rare occasions when we might lose electricity. (Back in '05 we were without electricity for an entire week!)  Hubby had just returned from the gas station with gas for the generator. He said, "If we don't lose electricity tonight, it will be a miracle." So, we started locating all the candles, matches, flashlights, and extensions cords (for the generator), just in case. 


I started making a batch of popcorn. (I don't know why, but we always want to make popcorn when the lights are out. I guess we think we're going to the movies!) I put the pan on the stove. The lights flickered once. The lights flickered twice. Total darkness. No popcorn!


It did give me an opportunity to play around with my camera:

We didn't rush right out to start the generator, because it was getting late. We had a gas stove (not the cooking kind) for heat. Amazing Daughter made her bed on the couch, and we used the generator long enough to get air in our lovely air mattress. We stayed roasty-toasty all through the night.

In the morning, still no electricity. We heard that the transformer exploded and burst into flames, so we figured it would be a while until the electric came back on. Hubby got the generator going, and we started unraveling extension cords and plugging in the freezer, fridge, and most importantly, the coffee maker!

Hubby gave me special instructions to "Look down" when I'm walking, because I have a tendancy to forget about things, and he didn't want to be scraping me off the floor. 

All in all, we weathered the storm pretty well. The electricity was off for 17 hours, which seemed like a walk in the park compared to a week. 

As I look back out my window, I see that the snow has stopped. At least for now. I think I see a robin hiding in the bush. Even though I now know that those little critters stay here year round, I still look at them and say, "Spring is just around the corner!"

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