tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50404530496782416082024-03-04T21:57:55.627-08:00Instead of making art today, I ......created this blog.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-55597958029302186112011-07-28T14:14:00.000-07:002011-07-28T14:14:53.164-07:00... found an awesome post on happiness...... at "<a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/">The Happiness Project</a>" website. It's an interview with a most amazing blogger, "Mr. Lady." Please read the post! I am going to be re-re-re-reading this post - as well as its title below - as often as I need a dose of motivation. <br />
<br />
Or a kick in the pants. <br />
<br />
Whichever is more necessary. <br />
<br />
Yeah.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="entry-header"><a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2011/07/how-do-you-give-yourself-a-hapiness-boost-i-create-it-doesnt-matter-much-what.html">"How Do You Give Yourself a Hapiness Boost?" "I Create. It Doesn't Matter Much What."</a></h3>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-88526487255123692482011-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:44:13.344-07:00...went on vacation and actually made a little art.I spent two weeks in eastern Tennessee with my retired parents. Darling Babygirl daughter and my own dear dad are two days apart in birthdays, so we got them together to celebrate their birthdays together. Having grandfather/granddaughter birthdays close together seems to be a trend in my family; I am born the day before my dad's father, and Babygirl is born two days after my dad's date. If Babygirl can spit out a daughter a couple of days before or after May 6th (just not too soon - like in 10 or 15 years) we have a definite trend going on here. <br />
<br />
My dear stepmom belongs to a <a href="http://www.redhatsociety.com/">Red Hat Society group</a>, and it was her turn to decorate "Ruby," an odd, elongated soft doll which is part of the group's lunch meeting traditions. DSM was the last woman in the group to dress Ruby before her "retirement", so she decided that Ruby was retiring because she was getting married. So the three of us - Grandma, Mommy & Babygirl - made a bridal gown for Ruby. We worked on Ruby for a good three evenings, spent an afternoon shopping for her at a dollar store and Walmart's - my second trip into a Walmart's ever; we don't have them around our parts - and whipped up an adorable bridal outfit. Her gown was an old blouse of DSM's, turned upside down with the elasticized hem now Ruby's bodice, her veil was an unraveled scrubby bath puff. Her bustle was constructed from a gift wrap ribbon package...<br />
<br />
Here's Ruby, being presented to the Red Hat ladies by my gorgeous Babygirl -<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVR7h2X_iYVbJimoPZ1t4Mq-tgSMOueNLP98HET9w42CeIsd8hIRodMLdf4D9RXcg86MGqVKPDTxe-j991iisk6jxxUwfbhFYEQRIvD7BmXHAlwjZYEHp6IFJOSvOaGBT_3Kxi8XVhx6c/s1600/TN+2011+234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVR7h2X_iYVbJimoPZ1t4Mq-tgSMOueNLP98HET9w42CeIsd8hIRodMLdf4D9RXcg86MGqVKPDTxe-j991iisk6jxxUwfbhFYEQRIvD7BmXHAlwjZYEHp6IFJOSvOaGBT_3Kxi8XVhx6c/s320/TN+2011+234.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did the sewing on the gown, while Babygirl worked on the bouquet, veil and bustle.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojbp7K5HYsuCyCIJQAx1LIDEQjRfDIlWPPbzDf-32Vp700pJF8wM-66kwV263Pr2dwHzY22AbZvHGbkZpumk2kv8lEp0m87_t4lIU9QUWsjKzIrtjuQpOeJAI9Jn-kZSQtXMCdNw1-uqd/s1600/TN+2011+235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojbp7K5HYsuCyCIJQAx1LIDEQjRfDIlWPPbzDf-32Vp700pJF8wM-66kwV263Pr2dwHzY22AbZvHGbkZpumk2kv8lEp0m87_t4lIU9QUWsjKzIrtjuQpOeJAI9Jn-kZSQtXMCdNw1-uqd/s320/TN+2011+235.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I particularly love the bustle. I wish I could have had a bridal gown with a train of ribbon twirls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ruby's tiara was soft pink ribbon roses scoured from the bottom of DSM's chaotic sewing basket. I cleaned it up for her. I'm not sure if she wanted me to or not, but I did it anyway.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-41266175280580316472011-07-18T10:22:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:22:27.648-07:00...got blown away with all the " get off your butt and make a difference" messages in my life....and read this <a href="http://dailyplateofcrazy.com/2011/07/16/apathy-into-action/#more-28413">blog posting</a> from Little Big Wolf's blog Daily Plate of Crazy. This should be me. This could be me. I need to do these sorts of things in my life - pay more attention to my world, make some noise, hold my ground, stand up for my tenets. Damn.<br />
<br />
Over and over I am blown away by the women of the blog world.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-58981624959807547732011-06-23T11:16:00.000-07:002011-06-23T11:28:17.657-07:00... was a busy little beaver yesterday.Yay for Summer Break! I can actually keep my mind on something for longer than three minutes! (Enough sleep is a lovely thing re focus, among other issues.) I cleaned up the dining room table, so now we can easily EAT on it, and rearranged the breakfast nook to make myself an office-y space. My computer is here, as is my sewing machine. I dragged a bookcase from school - and yes, it's mine to begin with, I bought it - and loaded it with my education & science reference books, along with all my binders containing all my hard materials (as apposed to soft, like PowerPoints.) One of my summer projects is to organize each as a workable system, unlike the chaos they're in now. My sewing box and embroidery floss are there, too. My stationary supplies are all arranged in ways I actually use them, and I am as happy as the proverbial clam. My basket of sewing projects sits on a chair next to my computer so I can't do the "out of sight out of mind" trick that is such an important element of my procrastination sequence.<br />
<br />
I'm finally able to articulate a difference, that's bugged me for <i>years</i>, between Hubby and myself when it comes to material goods. When we have to make a choice between style and function, he leans towards style and I lean towards function. I also seem to be more visual in my organizational style while he's more kinetic. Does this make sense?<br />
<br />
OH, and as for art, I'm crocheting placemats for my step-mom. They're striped, with the pattern as prime numbers - 1,2,3,5,7,11 and yes I am that much of a nerd - and then back again until the mat is a proper size. She already has two, with the background in turquoise and stripe in white. These next two are reversed, with white background and turquoise stripe. In cotton. Lovely to work with. Just love it.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-11507966777895465902011-06-22T10:34:00.000-07:002011-06-22T10:46:08.589-07:00...actually did NOT purchase the Sebring.Hubby is concerned about some stuff, so I gave the car back to my lender instead of buying it. It looks like I will have to learn stick shift, which has NOT gone well in the past. A plus, though, is that if I do learn it, I will be able to drive one of the coolest, sweetest rides in the city - a near-fully restored VW Super Beetle which has been sitting in my backyard for the past four or so years.<br />
<br />
Yes, I am that close to white trash. A dead car in the backyard. (Three, actually. Hubby is a Car Guy.) All we need is a dead washing machine in the front porch and we are ON, good buddy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqLERCaG_ByVQ3HaSYU0UtiCZcLZvibhGQVds2YU3TrrQc54dWsOYajV_XszbOppNpNxm726lYmblvUGxsVrywo4QJn9xSzZY5pu_thMfgZuxLvk6YIZGJpaVMG9O5WQM2KYEtUZyxC0U/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqLERCaG_ByVQ3HaSYU0UtiCZcLZvibhGQVds2YU3TrrQc54dWsOYajV_XszbOppNpNxm726lYmblvUGxsVrywo4QJn9xSzZY5pu_thMfgZuxLvk6YIZGJpaVMG9O5WQM2KYEtUZyxC0U/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not this one, but pretty durned close.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-22318343335761896722011-06-21T15:27:00.000-07:002011-06-21T15:27:55.535-07:00... channeled my inner Michael Scott.... and purchased a used Sebring.<br />
<br />
Yes, I know that the brand has a horrible track record. I also know that I drove the car for two weeks on a loan, and it works well enough for my needs, and after a series of "cool" (according to dear hubby) cars which break down, get crashed into or try to eat my legs as I get in, well enough is good enough.<br />
<br />
It's a blessing to have a car to travel farther than I can walk or want to ride my bike or carry on my back or in the bike's basket. When I need it. I've been without a car at will for nearly two years now, and it's nice to have one again.<br />
<br />
What really decided it for me is that now I have a way to get to the doctor's appointments I need to make without throwing the other household drivers into a tailspin trying to get me there & back.<br />
<br />
Oh, and I can go visit my favorite fabric store when I feel like it, too.<br />
<br />
Independence is a lovely thing.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeYT56PM5T3USatZ5JDmYACx91G5ZMjqKySNTE3RcDq_w9RhGC4dkAk6oKbiexVJI657gjoqRbDjDH7KNzY9e881OJMg1LxXO-JCPDZVqOnEAjiEqU8QULqmBrBzaa3bncDQ1oq3QLJ5H/s1600/160_P2180056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeYT56PM5T3USatZ5JDmYACx91G5ZMjqKySNTE3RcDq_w9RhGC4dkAk6oKbiexVJI657gjoqRbDjDH7KNzY9e881OJMg1LxXO-JCPDZVqOnEAjiEqU8QULqmBrBzaa3bncDQ1oq3QLJ5H/s1600/160_P2180056.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not this one.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-74350159406384692142011-06-19T20:53:00.000-07:002011-06-20T21:06:44.586-07:00... thought about obssessive consumption.You see, I really like this new-to-me website called <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/">brainpickings</a>, which is as far as I can tell very much involved in tracking down and reviewing incredibly interesting books on all sorts of subjects in all kinds of areas. A lot of interesting art and graphics books especially.<br />
<br />
This last entry is <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/06/14/obsessive-consumption/">of Kate Bingaman-Burt‘s Obsessive Consumption project</a> - "a wonderfully illustrated visual record of personal consumption running since February 5, 2006." It seems that each time Ms. Bingaman-Burt purchases something she draws a visual representation of it, its price and where she bought it. The pictures are charming and creepy; sometimes flipping back and forth between the two.<br />
<br />
I gots to wonderin' about my own consumption. I live a pretty modest life, or so I think. I watch the pennies and don't treat shopping as a competitive sport. Even so, I still find myself surrounded by Stuff. Clutter. Junk. Kinetic Cacophony. Part of this is because of my admittedly less-than-stellar housekeeping talents, but I wonder just how much of this collection of debris in my life is simply because I'm mostly unconscious about it. I sometimes feel as if I'm swimming in an ocean with a layer of trash separating me from the Sun. And I need the Sun. Every once in a while I can get my head through a crack in the debris and enough sunlight gets absorbed to make it to the next crack. But my mind is never far away from the debris or the next crack. What would it be like to <i><b>focus </b></i>on it?<br />
<br />
An impossibly long time ago I took a class on Art History and Criticism at UCLA extension, and the final project was to create a piece of performance art. We had one week, and I, as a mother of a preschooler and in a troubled marriage thought that in one week I barely had time to sew a button on a shirt, much less put together a piece of performance art.<br />
<br />
So that's what I decided to do. Not to go into the whole insanity of the project (which was pretty danged cool if I must say so myself), but a major part of this project was to keep a running record of EVERY THING I DID. The date/time/length/action. For a week. I got <i>really </i>good at focusing on what I was doing.<br />
<br />
A big part of why I started this blog was to bring focus to my creative life. I very strongly connect my creative life with my organizational life. I wonder if everyone who considers themselves creative does this.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-45721054299218284732011-06-12T12:12:00.000-07:002011-06-12T20:45:58.031-07:00... am attempting the impossible.... which is to complete my grading, complete my astronomy final, rewrite my earth science final, and do a major sweep of the house, especially the kitchen and bathroom. Oh, and laundry.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck.<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh, it's many hours later and I also baked a pie.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-10072844405844724372011-06-11T19:41:00.000-07:002011-06-11T19:41:16.009-07:00... didn't mind my manners.So yesterday after school I was having a VERY serious talk with a young lady who seems to have boundary issues with her fellow students. I had the door open to my classroom - of course - and this young lady's friend - Young Lady #2 - had been directed to sit outside. She could listen but she couldn't come in (as this friend has a way of turning a simple conversation into a piece of surrealist performance art, which is probably quite entertaining but not when one is trying to make a serious point to someone else).<br />
<br />
I'm in the middle of a sentence when young lady #3 - also a friend of LY #1 & 2 - bursts into the room, announcing "MRS. G'BERG I NEED TO TALK TO YOU! (Back story - I had sent this young lady up to the office the day before when I realized her immediate M.O. was to argue with me about every little thing when she couldn't do what she wanted when she wanted all the time... and it's the end of the year, and I'm tired. Very, very tired... The AP asked if I wanted to see her in class on Friday, and I said no thank you, I think we could use a break from each other, so he had taken her a second day.)<br />
<br />
As soon as I saw her in my door I announced - and I admit, quite firmly - "Young lady #3, I am having a conversation with YL #1. You may speak with me when I am finished with her. Go outside and wait." She stopped in her tracks and announced I was RUDE. "SO RUDE TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT." I then told her she could leave and wait until <i>Monday </i>to speak with me.<br />
<br />
I finished with LY #1, walked her out the door, took LY #2 on for being an inconsiderate self-proclaimed idiot, told LY#3 that since she already thought I was rude I would continue to be rude, and then shut the door in the middle of LY#3's re-declaration of how rude I was. And took a deep breath.<br />
<br />
Oh lord. One. More. Week.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-2887405454336028712011-05-29T11:54:00.000-07:002011-06-23T11:18:45.862-07:00...am going all domestic on youse.It's the third day of a four-day weekend. Which is great, except that Friday was a furlough day, which means we teachers don't get paid, and we've lost a week's worth of pay - as well as a week's worth of teaching time - so far this year.<br />
<br />
What I have control over, that being said, is how I spend my time off. Friday I rode the bus with my gorgeous daughter and her gorgeous girlfriend to a local mall ON THE BUS. Which in Los Angeles is a rather big deal. I don't have a car this summer, so this was sort of a test run for me, and for casual errands, joy rides and such it's quite doable.<br />
<br />
Saturday I made an ass of myself by driving Hubby - while breaking down into an emotional, sleep-deprived wreck - to work in Burbank, which is three-freeways away from us, at 7:30 in the morning, attending a bat mitzvah of a young lady who we've known and loved since she was 5, and then after we (meaning daughter and me) got home, essentially collapsing for the rest of the day. I roused myself about 4:45 to get out the door with the car and grocery shop a little. Missed Costco by ten minutes (and its pharmacy by two hours) but got through a small shopping at Sprouts, so we have some produce for meals this week.<br />
<br />
Sunday I slept for 10+ hours and feel nearly like myself again, if only myself still didn't have the aching ankle from my bike crash earlier this month. But even so, it's much better, thanks.<br />
<br />
So domestically I'm -<br />
1. Cleaning the fridge out, and oh boy does it need it.<br />
2. Making a zucchini, mushroom & onion quiche. Why do we have do much squash?!???<br />
3. Tackling the cobwebs that seem to have sprung out overnight in early every ceiling corner of the house.<br />
4. Taking inventory of the freezer, in part to pull out some meat from the husband to grill. Grilling is what Hubby does for relaxation. Personally, I prefer sleep, but who am I to keep a good man from his grill?Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-28188493619721205522011-05-14T12:44:00.000-07:002011-05-14T12:44:58.276-07:00proved gravity always works...<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">... even when you don't want it to.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And it's a bitch.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two Tuesdays ago I crashed landed my bike when I tried to make a left turn a little too suddenly. I bruised & or strained most of my left-side joints, and left my foot/ankle a most amazing visual cacaphony of colors. I'm still living on ibuprofen and in ace bandages. It's amazing how much stamina low-grade yet constant discomfort sucks out of a person.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That being said, I have no one to blame but myself. Isaac Newton wasn't making up stories, he was simply telling the truth.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYlkh_t7OX4AvJJBf9Ovo4mtNEeIyL2gtImkKn825rY9vb70Jyga01GCmUFcQjZ_in_k5c7-1DpFeQBFi1Hi3OjvO3NWh_stn9w_YJ7x1m6Scwhyphenhyphen4yiDVcUhojgPz4Zr5DmYPaUB_Obzg/s1600/461086_f260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYlkh_t7OX4AvJJBf9Ovo4mtNEeIyL2gtImkKn825rY9vb70Jyga01GCmUFcQjZ_in_k5c7-1DpFeQBFi1Hi3OjvO3NWh_stn9w_YJ7x1m6Scwhyphenhyphen4yiDVcUhojgPz4Zr5DmYPaUB_Obzg/s320/461086_f260.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My bike and I proved this guy's Law's of Motion - all of them - and threw in friction for good measure last Tuesday. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Science has no mercy.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I did get a chance to hand-sew the trim I mentioned in a previous post onto my teal patterned skirt and love the way it came out. I also cut out another skirt from the same pattern, this one in a blue/black thin brocade. Hopefully I'll have a chance to sew it up this weekend, and maybe even get (yet another) trim basted to the hem. This trim is machine-sewable, at least.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also started to crochet myself a scarf for next fall, in purples and greens. I like the pattern the variegated yarn took. As soon as I test/compare for length I'll fringe it. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for art in the classroom, we just came through two weeks of block schedule and state testing. At the beginning of this week I announced to my three astronomy classes that THEY were teaching the rest of the chapter on the Sun. Groups pulled topics out of a (Fabric Planet!) sack, got directions and I let 'em at it. The lessons are due on Monday, and should take the rest of the week to get through. They need to have a "means of contents presentation" (PowerPoint, lecture or transparencies), "means of reinforcement" (work sheet, game, cross word or word search), and "means of assessment" (quiz). I can hardly wait for what they show up with! Some of my students are incredibly creative.</span></div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-31863777276377138972011-04-29T15:48:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:14:34.829-07:00...crocheted a whizzbang......which is a twisted, springy rope of a crochet chain, then turned and crochet two single or double stitches into each loop. It twists really pretty. My Babygirl is at astro camp this weekend, and needed an orange string to mark her luggage. I have some screaming and screamingly cheap acrylic orange yarn, and looped her up a twisted luggage i.d. string which of course, since SHE had the camera all packed already, I couldn't take a picture of it. On Sunday, with any luck!<br />
<br />
Today I plan to spend a peaceful late afternoon watching Freaky Friday ghostie shows with my son while hand-sewing on some wonderful trim to the hem of a skirt. ( I basted it on last weekend.)Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-29210434692133297262011-04-19T16:05:00.000-07:002011-04-19T16:05:33.946-07:00need to lose some weight.I need to lose weight. Eating has become a way of coping with stress for me, and when I weighed myself for the first time in a few years I was shocked to discover I was 15 pounds more than I thought I was! Shocked, I tell you.<br />
<br />
It's a challenge to organize a formal diet in a food-centered house, and since this is really the first time in my life I've had to watch what I eat I have no - NONE whatsoever - NO fortitude or will power when it comes to food.<br />
<br />
So I was ruminating about this over the weekend and this is what floated to the cosmic surface:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Sleep 8 hours every day.</li>
<li>Water.</li>
<li>Fiber.</li>
<li>Eat intelligently. </li>
</ul>We'll see how it goes. So far I can do this. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qGJ5gDMu53RH_0xA2HqSJrmAwGYwKDzqP0YeLxZsbbqOd5q4sa3hQ-5xHYVi5CXefrZp_e11p794auLAdPKqAU9rU79xOAft7YAbE6UCW2fKo0-7fyf6UYa9ReJjdT37ScvFJvEgkF9n/s1600/red_delicious_apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qGJ5gDMu53RH_0xA2HqSJrmAwGYwKDzqP0YeLxZsbbqOd5q4sa3hQ-5xHYVi5CXefrZp_e11p794auLAdPKqAU9rU79xOAft7YAbE6UCW2fKo0-7fyf6UYa9ReJjdT37ScvFJvEgkF9n/s200/red_delicious_apple.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love apples.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-53693460026217921012011-04-17T19:16:00.001-07:002011-06-23T11:19:33.097-07:00... graded papers.<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">...and graded and graded and graded....</div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Oh, and had a lovely Passover dinner at the MIL's with Hubby's family.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">...and graded some more.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Grades are due on Tuesday.</div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-15711162804838531072011-04-10T20:22:00.000-07:002011-04-10T20:22:20.947-07:00... got ready for school tomorrow.<ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li>The earth science kids are taking a quiz and then probably watching a video. (Gotta find a video....)</li>
<li>The astronomy kids are learning about eclipses. I really like the PowerPoint I prettified from the original I snagged from our lead astronomy teacher.</li>
<li>I got into my classroom this afternoon and it's all set up. All I have to do is appear and plug in the projector. Whew. </li>
<li>Hey! I think I have time to redo my toenails!</li>
</ul>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-74662507217948000892011-04-06T10:49:00.000-07:002011-04-06T10:50:24.912-07:00didn't just go shopping.I also brought my poor helpless circa 1974 Singer Portable to the nice people at Sewing Arts Center, who will tune her and make her tension all better after I mucked it up.<br />
<br />
I also completed my student's crocheted octopus for our Facebook challenge. It's adorable.<br />
<br />
My darling son, bless him, helped me bring my portable to the repair people and then indulged me in one of my favorite stores -<a href="http://www.insiderpages.com/b/15243607681/fabric-planet-los-angeles"> Fabric Planet</a>, on Lincoln between Venice and Pico. (The link will take you to the FP downtown, but save for the address, the info is parallel.) For five dollars I bought a future scarf, shantung pillow covering and brocade a-line shirt. I DO need to go back and get trim for the pillow covering, though...<br />
<br />
I also brought along some carved stone amulets I've had for years, and bought some suede trim to hang them from. I think I'll re-open <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsstroozi?ref=pr_shop">my etsy account</a> and post these for sale.<br />
<br />
Today I need to tidy the house - I have two larger kids to help with that - and start on the pile of grading I need to do before spring break ends. I also want to sew trim on the ends of my remnant for a scarf and start cutting out a few simple patterns in anticipation of my sewing machine coming home on Friday, all fixed and pretty.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-62210831262647293412011-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:16:36.427-07:00was busy SHOPPING!!!!Dear hubby came into some long overdue money this week, and gave me his blessing to update my wardrobe, which is, like the best birthday-Christmas-Valentine present ever! I haven't really made any clothing purchases which don't replace a totally worn-out essential for about three years, and was pretty much desperate to have a wardrobe that wasn't faded, stretched out or pilled.<br />
<br />
I was very, very careful. First place I stopped at was Target - I've had good luck buying essentials there before, and have learned that if I find something that fits and makes me happy - not a given, as I am neither as thin nor young as I used to be, and Target does not cut its clothing with a lot of "give" or forgiveness to them - buy multiples. This was one of those days where it was Me Time at Target. I bought three very simply cut <a href="http://www.target.com/Merona-Easy-Care-Straight-Skirt/dp/B004DMZLF0/ref=br_1_2?ie=UTF8&node=13161001&sessionID=188-9629325-9983546&searchSize=30&searchView=grid3&searchPage=1&sr=1-2&qid=1302107071&rh=style_name%3AA-Line&searchBinNameList=style_name%2Clifestyle-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1">jersey skirts</a> in black, gray and stone. I also love Target's current fling with patterned cardigans, and purchased <a href="http://www.target.com/Merona-Essentials-Cardigan-Sweater-Black/dp/B004GNGIFS/ref=br_1_27?ie=UTF8&node=2182539011&sessionID=188-9629325-9983546&searchSize=30&searchView=grid3&searchPage=1&sr=1-27&qid=1302107687&rh=&searchBinNameList=style_name%2Csleeve_type%2Ccollar_style-bin%2Clifestyle-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1">this lovely one.</a> I also grabbed two of the lovely draped-collar sweater-style tops, <a href="http://www.target.com/Mossimo-Layering-Top-Drawcords-Back/dp/B0047ETU2O/ref=br_1_2?ie=UTF8&node=1293454011&sessionID=188-9629325-9983546&searchSize=30&searchView=grid3&searchPage=1&sr=1-2&qid=1302108278&rh=sleeve_type%3ALong%7Cprice%3A1500-2499&searchBinNameList=sleeve_type%2Ccollar_style-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1">sort of like this one</a> but without the cords in the back and less expensive, in black and stone. With a couple of $8 tees, all of a sudden, I have nine NEW basic outfits. For under $100 bucks.<br />
<br />
Oh, and the most miraculous find of all - a pair of Target jeans that fit my pear-shaped body! Twenty-five bucks. Comfortable, too. I was nearly hyperventilating when I looked in the mirror. <br />
<br />
A few days later I took my personal stylist - my 13YO darling Babygirl, who has more style instinct in her little finger right now than I have ever had in my whole body in my whole LIFE - to Kohls. With her unerring taste and eye for fashion she outfitted me in <a href="http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/sonoma/womens/dresses/PRD%7E745840/SONOMA+life+++style+Chambray+RollTab+Shirtdress.jsp">this shirt dress, in a dark taupe</a> and a lovely geometric-patterned surplice dress (for which I can't find an image.) Plus two more tees in bright & <a href="http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/brandswomen/daisyfuentes/tops/PRD%7E293034/daisy+fuentes+Favorite+Tee.jsp">dark turquoise</a>, and yet another miracle, a pair of <a href="http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/jeans1/slimming/PRD%7E543196/Levis+512+Perfectly+Slimming+Bootcut+Jeans.jsp">Levi Jeans</a>, which I haven't been able to wear since I was 18 and grew thighs. (In-store purchase was cheaper, too.)<br />
<br />
<br />
I haven't had more than one pair of fitting jeans in six years.<br />
<br />
For this reason and so many others, I love my daughter SO MUCH.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-68660388734323913632011-04-01T13:12:00.000-07:002011-04-01T13:12:24.912-07:00made haiku.Los Angeles spring -<br />
Perched on Japanese maple,<br />
English sparrow sings.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-74471570813567458242011-03-31T10:06:00.000-07:002011-06-23T11:22:34.736-07:00channeled my inner librarian.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I have realized that when I leave things all topsy my brain gets confused. Honest, things go fuzzy and I can't focus, either visually or mentally. So I tackled the "backgrounds" file in My Pictures and sorted them all, into Astronomy, Meteorology, Geology, Landscapes, Living Things, Merely Cool and Simple Walls (a newly discovered website called simple desktops, <b style="color: blue;"><a href="http://simpledesktops.com/">http://simpledesktops.com/</a></b>. I swear I have breathed a little easier ever since. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are a few of my favorites. At least half if not more of my desktop collection comes from the National Geographic website:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYRwVcx-jNJ6IOEggrdHY-N_wQyH0onrVZGO1UxO3w2l-y19tWaY2GMw7YteTfaD5bjcJFvmTv6k4YA-5C2MmpReYu6x88M3RTv6k0wBxRWt9N6RrsOBpKqDi9ERhkrdNKzie9vpQQHky/s1600/blossom-bowl-734015-sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYRwVcx-jNJ6IOEggrdHY-N_wQyH0onrVZGO1UxO3w2l-y19tWaY2GMw7YteTfaD5bjcJFvmTv6k4YA-5C2MmpReYu6x88M3RTv6k0wBxRWt9N6RrsOBpKqDi9ERhkrdNKzie9vpQQHky/s320/blossom-bowl-734015-sw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my perennials. My default choice since 2005.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxoaDOSZVC2oUtPkBnJgKM4Qgs0_b4nVtB8MH3wIr75sIGDramcD6bzI87bOKIxijDRBCEuTM4uyE22mqnZcGzXdRDhBDIN1t4ggaeir8G86oErpfzZFmoZpYp-EsYkZ9Gk1TnIi0kPjT/s1600/anasazi-ruins-edwards-619751-sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxoaDOSZVC2oUtPkBnJgKM4Qgs0_b4nVtB8MH3wIr75sIGDramcD6bzI87bOKIxijDRBCEuTM4uyE22mqnZcGzXdRDhBDIN1t4ggaeir8G86oErpfzZFmoZpYp-EsYkZ9Gk1TnIi0kPjT/s320/anasazi-ruins-edwards-619751-sw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sedimentary rock and weathering, anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQSisd1XQ9xQy6rutzQryNszOs9Q8EegoH0jBSVigBS8tCnxbT4Zv-VeeuHOQoQuKG6hnyf5QrbN7mASlzC_RKs3ST48KFDj-5Wzb2zLFa1JQ2P_ggRbehu1zxIemU-uuX8Ak9-ww1w4F/s1600/hebrides-richardson-storr_10775_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQSisd1XQ9xQy6rutzQryNszOs9Q8EegoH0jBSVigBS8tCnxbT4Zv-VeeuHOQoQuKG6hnyf5QrbN7mASlzC_RKs3ST48KFDj-5Wzb2zLFa1JQ2P_ggRbehu1zxIemU-uuX8Ak9-ww1w4F/s320/hebrides-richardson-storr_10775_600x450.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't remember where this scene is located, but I appreciate how <br />
it represents all three geosciences. <br />
As well as being stunningly gorgous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjny_D93sFsDT6EgmOKB3RZwXKFK4vjlBgV9Cz2KUjzmaPoJQibQW8uA6nFqOvAf5hGS4rmio7lxb9dzPVA8xUx5EKcmsKf8redGazrI5wP7CgarnEGF2NvWdvJbVoo23_c4gPq0YyEimpo/s1600/41-national-parks-1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjny_D93sFsDT6EgmOKB3RZwXKFK4vjlBgV9Cz2KUjzmaPoJQibQW8uA6nFqOvAf5hGS4rmio7lxb9dzPVA8xUx5EKcmsKf8redGazrI5wP7CgarnEGF2NvWdvJbVoo23_c4gPq0YyEimpo/s320/41-national-parks-1600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although it' wasn't taken in Tennessee, this photo reminds me of the <br />
lush Smoky Mountain forest where my dad and step-mom live.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI223khdfoLx0FhE72mBTJlPtH9bWy9oDjcMdjZC1Akpc_C162QMyBuXDRC0wshxm765lgt0OF6bUphn2sSC9W9Z7pfRqTZhtaWG9Nzy3_HeBRYB_lKPZ9qdnu1ZkWvCYdt3JX8Klv08u/s1600/bathing-parrot_17802_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI223khdfoLx0FhE72mBTJlPtH9bWy9oDjcMdjZC1Akpc_C162QMyBuXDRC0wshxm765lgt0OF6bUphn2sSC9W9Z7pfRqTZhtaWG9Nzy3_HeBRYB_lKPZ9qdnu1ZkWvCYdt3JX8Klv08u/s320/bathing-parrot_17802_600x450.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathing parrot. I like to use this one during summer school.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZwdmDxgXKZlpzR2KgQNfKASO5s58qLQdQ-rSFIJvYHXPjAEfc-W1V2sZWxJL75cOzWXKG6NpQtRu_QzvpVyCK8mgzMAW5_J_SUQ0bhYrqVaElcA1dVxJhNQROkEe61iomCiBy40mcYJn/s1600/goldfish-zahl-620603-sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZwdmDxgXKZlpzR2KgQNfKASO5s58qLQdQ-rSFIJvYHXPjAEfc-W1V2sZWxJL75cOzWXKG6NpQtRu_QzvpVyCK8mgzMAW5_J_SUQ0bhYrqVaElcA1dVxJhNQROkEe61iomCiBy40mcYJn/s320/goldfish-zahl-620603-sw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I use this when it's state test time and the kids & I could use to lighten up a little.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQFkBY0LR5kbdKXwXGlcj2q-bsIhGkNLvuMr6B1en9Kc3gUKRPHaEdQEWRqnAtN_y58FfCyNMno6ZRIb2CZBN9PzUlIhVnc-vJV-LaX_RuYQ0r2pmwHzROWDYSyBwvwmL3yEkS3T_uHaS/s1600/surfing-hippos-755896-sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQFkBY0LR5kbdKXwXGlcj2q-bsIhGkNLvuMr6B1en9Kc3gUKRPHaEdQEWRqnAtN_y58FfCyNMno6ZRIb2CZBN9PzUlIhVnc-vJV-LaX_RuYQ0r2pmwHzROWDYSyBwvwmL3yEkS3T_uHaS/s320/surfing-hippos-755896-sw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfing Hippo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigi_WWbSgYcErNoP3QV1FwXVR_dJbr9z1FHF9DSOscnXNJDy-VnNAKd9Yu-iNnr4UDXyNoWI2nappT6Qsa_mts01EZZfOtFYefvkYWA7a_W1L-qAE6NTeI6v4U84WeXkHXwCZ5BZi3Zx3/s1600/zm_zoomin.4.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigi_WWbSgYcErNoP3QV1FwXVR_dJbr9z1FHF9DSOscnXNJDy-VnNAKd9Yu-iNnr4UDXyNoWI2nappT6Qsa_mts01EZZfOtFYefvkYWA7a_W1L-qAE6NTeI6v4U84WeXkHXwCZ5BZi3Zx3/s320/zm_zoomin.4.2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Owl at home in her forest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPBj79onEw1BXChndMMAcwwfkTqPQj6bEwiLxTTDOrwUE-luheXzgltyfy-XPIOC5g2DcVGdnuAGwkra-N0TpwJrSo90WB39mN9himOPfWc36Cah1sBZJYNtRkEoE29LbgVUtsk1jWDjZ/s1600/hyacinth-macaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPBj79onEw1BXChndMMAcwwfkTqPQj6bEwiLxTTDOrwUE-luheXzgltyfy-XPIOC5g2DcVGdnuAGwkra-N0TpwJrSo90WB39mN9himOPfWc36Cah1sBZJYNtRkEoE29LbgVUtsk1jWDjZ/s320/hyacinth-macaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Endangered Hyacinth Macaw from Amazon Rain Forest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSNLThIAexDVBypiFpxVp9GE-gj-Q2SwrweFb8bqa-yXX0s-9ATxT7_lov4fdCQRxLkWmlrHgpDQjYwOV8S_koV7fCABBZI_geWrZ41knuNxdTxHxUNz6eLzcDS4XW8YbZeeKnghzIVEJ/s1600/newfoundland-deep-sea-species-octopus_23992_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSNLThIAexDVBypiFpxVp9GE-gj-Q2SwrweFb8bqa-yXX0s-9ATxT7_lov4fdCQRxLkWmlrHgpDQjYwOV8S_koV7fCABBZI_geWrZ41knuNxdTxHxUNz6eLzcDS4XW8YbZeeKnghzIVEJ/s320/newfoundland-deep-sea-species-octopus_23992_600x450.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly discovered little octopus.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXXNa14PLroOTHII3DJphZroi78TLYiypYtL5QMHQheoL6P4ZTCZZdkSZuiHWQU_WKbNtYF2IJ0ZR7tE033t7Pnjay4gIOhZ3AM7n8PXD6ONhuECFlQkADN6qfVEwtmpeW5DZzU7bzeuD/s1600/stellar+carp+e+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXXNa14PLroOTHII3DJphZroi78TLYiypYtL5QMHQheoL6P4ZTCZZdkSZuiHWQU_WKbNtYF2IJ0ZR7tE033t7Pnjay4gIOhZ3AM7n8PXD6ONhuECFlQkADN6qfVEwtmpeW5DZzU7bzeuD/s320/stellar+carp+e+.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My sister in law Cassie took this exquisite photo at a </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">downtown dim sum restaurant and sent it to me. I have a thing for koi.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenIQECS8Si23ZJOSz0j6Tz2jPCiV_-_SiDkovmgveLfDgAv4hM4dGPeYOu1JAwGmqasVJ-LiQ5VJN6s3Nm8RqS6Q-Imp7tmh13Vq0NjMAvAJYVWCF4V7PLWTkfD7ug_JSGPviCssQyNaE/s1600/La-pieuvre.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenIQECS8Si23ZJOSz0j6Tz2jPCiV_-_SiDkovmgveLfDgAv4hM4dGPeYOu1JAwGmqasVJ-LiQ5VJN6s3Nm8RqS6Q-Imp7tmh13Vq0NjMAvAJYVWCF4V7PLWTkfD7ug_JSGPviCssQyNaE/s320/La-pieuvre.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My current background, from simple walls. LOVE it!</span></td></tr>
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</div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-91087184940019246982011-03-28T17:07:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:18:29.703-07:00... smell like dirt.<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Which means I got off my keister this beautiful spring day -- AND the first official day of our Spring Break! -- and joined my beautiful Babygirl in returning our back patch of weeds into a vegetable garden. We had two thriving tomato plants which survived the winter, and I trimmed them and reset their cages on them, and we should have real live tomatoes in a couple short weeks! Heavens, there's even flowers with a couple of tiny green tomatoes on one of 'em.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last week I also finished the turquoise octopus for my student, and will figure out how to sew strings of beads onto its little head for hair. I will also post a pic of the finished critter.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Two weekends ago I was on the East Coast in DC for a science education conference - thank you UCLA for sending me! - and as a surprise Hubby gave me a beautiful new point-n-shoot camera to share with our daughter. Daughter graciously allowed me to bring it on the trip, and I took some photos I'm very happy with... and it's so easy to actually get them from the camera to the computer I may just actually start to post my own shots here! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRFnDpe7m_WjytGsgmKGpQJGCTEid2v578An3qXq_W4pM8EqV3kRfPDxHYOhxlr0LPNr6q222rK8BKTtjzfI1NCUQm1GrqZJM1Vx_5WpbLFOYAbhXTEhnoiTgWGJo1KKmfFQA9cN_x0Hz/s1600/Picture+198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRFnDpe7m_WjytGsgmKGpQJGCTEid2v578An3qXq_W4pM8EqV3kRfPDxHYOhxlr0LPNr6q222rK8BKTtjzfI1NCUQm1GrqZJM1Vx_5WpbLFOYAbhXTEhnoiTgWGJo1KKmfFQA9cN_x0Hz/s320/Picture+198.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These next few pics are from the "Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef" project, showing at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Created and curated by Christine Wertheim and Margaret Wertheim of the Institute For Figuring. <a href="http://crochetcoralreef.org/about/index.php">http://crochetcoralreef.org/about/index.php</a></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7KJiFlXVBU0DJcLEcDr7KeeSOvQ7Uqg_Amga2e6wJhS3YBVotLqXVV3aErW2ILEfn2rlzEk1pHRco4pcLBL9BRcubgq0ho4sCr5VVk9r5pb6rntV3m3Owj7tfkI_0ezG0a7AUe_-gMjy/s1600/Picture+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7KJiFlXVBU0DJcLEcDr7KeeSOvQ7Uqg_Amga2e6wJhS3YBVotLqXVV3aErW2ILEfn2rlzEk1pHRco4pcLBL9BRcubgq0ho4sCr5VVk9r5pb6rntV3m3Owj7tfkI_0ezG0a7AUe_-gMjy/s320/Picture+190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here is the bleached coral reef, what happens when the tiny organisms which create <br />
the coral structures die. This is happening now all over the world.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkg-5pIoFlhOBW-tvhqQOuVnsGFdfCB8naq6sc00U1L1Lq7zgjIsE7i0ksmyyne2aKtTWG4DwJgJ22_SAjJg5FM-Nu0-fwL9GDHNhqETnPws1FhkX4gW3DRtU5BjMZfKC0haUotWg3m-m/s1600/Picture+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkg-5pIoFlhOBW-tvhqQOuVnsGFdfCB8naq6sc00U1L1Lq7zgjIsE7i0ksmyyne2aKtTWG4DwJgJ22_SAjJg5FM-Nu0-fwL9GDHNhqETnPws1FhkX4gW3DRtU5BjMZfKC0haUotWg3m-m/s320/Picture+197.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fell in love with this little guy, and want to crochet some more of his ilk to hang in my classroom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXassY_F69-NzgXta9P5NzBMtq9zUNVKZ23a1Xqn_9wGUmdHF03tkGC9luo_gcD46jhSGM9a32VrvM-5ztFk4QZR2OY5ohVXGlxA4N0HxpZ759cHJ3JT-fM8CFsbBaUhaTD2W2QW-OQaSa/s1600/Picture+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXassY_F69-NzgXta9P5NzBMtq9zUNVKZ23a1Xqn_9wGUmdHF03tkGC9luo_gcD46jhSGM9a32VrvM-5ztFk4QZR2OY5ohVXGlxA4N0HxpZ759cHJ3JT-fM8CFsbBaUhaTD2W2QW-OQaSa/s320/Picture+181.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this just too much fun or what????</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I forgot to pack my crochet hook and yarn, darn it, or I would have spent the whole flight back making my first hyperbolic coral creature.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I spent my pre-conference Friday afternoon walking the National Mall, from Capitol Building to Lincoln's Memorial and back. Ever since the Vietnam Vet War memorial was completed I've wanted to visit. I finally did, and it is even more moving and ennobling of its Veterans than any picture can justifiably do.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx9d3mB-MXtczrb48UAS-9CViFtac_k2XKrS7GPgYnFatVz0o1OZMoF4C1lTwwdVi56hcyxd1s3Js-QpI8kJyQVTgwf9tCyQCQ4lp83o0m6kDAPAqnteycCUog8ALU0nMzdUP5GNvXKWB/s1600/Picture+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx9d3mB-MXtczrb48UAS-9CViFtac_k2XKrS7GPgYnFatVz0o1OZMoF4C1lTwwdVi56hcyxd1s3Js-QpI8kJyQVTgwf9tCyQCQ4lp83o0m6kDAPAqnteycCUog8ALU0nMzdUP5GNvXKWB/s320/Picture+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Trees about to bud. That isn't trash at the base of the Memorial - those are print-outs from the Memorial database, with info on each deceased soldier. School children bring the bios to the scene, find their soldiers, and lay the bios down in front of the names with a flower.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XzgcojPLpGjs9UzVxBxLcCQ6jdh4SLpSHvoh1IeWsgKqUmhKCunvKpz8cI3cKWfqnim4-XiiKxHh5Q_irzOcCR0NgJxShwWadwyLMUZyYZNecFOaFalJo7X6dkwe-5nGmsWBrZGs-1HO/s1600/Picture+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XzgcojPLpGjs9UzVxBxLcCQ6jdh4SLpSHvoh1IeWsgKqUmhKCunvKpz8cI3cKWfqnim4-XiiKxHh5Q_irzOcCR0NgJxShwWadwyLMUZyYZNecFOaFalJo7X6dkwe-5nGmsWBrZGs-1HO/s320/Picture+038.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3uT75doe_1pmI4ETolciEKAiHkj4Mh69j_avnXUgHwYttI-5Tdtu7CxdxStkyAYuhqzn6gQNBJPId88AJK1L30pzxFIqVx6t5jt4o9srFbsDuiGHb1a-jtHWaTsMDL_EfisUBA9C24V-/s1600/Picture+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3uT75doe_1pmI4ETolciEKAiHkj4Mh69j_avnXUgHwYttI-5Tdtu7CxdxStkyAYuhqzn6gQNBJPId88AJK1L30pzxFIqVx6t5jt4o9srFbsDuiGHb1a-jtHWaTsMDL_EfisUBA9C24V-/s320/Picture+039.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A close-up of one of the blocks. That's me in the reflection. I don't know any of these men<br />
or their families, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't honor them.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG_0ivBO7UBfNMNzJaHWZC1RCh-z7Q8RQhcoJitX6LnfBry7dyrhmmqeywq29CPD3Boz6FEs_KRfinYCGRin55m1ofFbRPxUjUVQP5YG-eF25VTkWJI064q8xDlavsSKOJ-ICk6oPNiRa/s1600/Picture+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGG_0ivBO7UBfNMNzJaHWZC1RCh-z7Q8RQhcoJitX6LnfBry7dyrhmmqeywq29CPD3Boz6FEs_KRfinYCGRin55m1ofFbRPxUjUVQP5YG-eF25VTkWJI064q8xDlavsSKOJ-ICk6oPNiRa/s320/Picture+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't realize that one of the Memorial's arms was aligned with the <br />
Washington Monument until I looked up and saw this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkkDMySQXQEePLNaJZWiXDyVibxRSI6HK0jZZvISrUzrrH-9PbExPBjKa7sKUpkdV3OtsLr2oN_1s6B5DEv5TAu6H7zTFYJqHbVsXdtBcukd20VuMrZSCV0sQCu6Xc8rGMWsjh2r3DK1d/s1600/Picture+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkkDMySQXQEePLNaJZWiXDyVibxRSI6HK0jZZvISrUzrrH-9PbExPBjKa7sKUpkdV3OtsLr2oN_1s6B5DEv5TAu6H7zTFYJqHbVsXdtBcukd20VuMrZSCV0sQCu6Xc8rGMWsjh2r3DK1d/s320/Picture+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camelot for all geeks - the Smithsonian Castle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe_nj1ShrLJ4OFe0xSYWFkrpbIol0bdJhIeUE0VMK5HGIWao07M_pe5ZdK5a250a8rdR323BFYgB7jQde-tXIBaXjAytCR31sZUT6rLBYiEqkt0G-j2Ljeu-ht0zf9ZlSLb9BcAErfMEu/s1600/Picture+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe_nj1ShrLJ4OFe0xSYWFkrpbIol0bdJhIeUE0VMK5HGIWao07M_pe5ZdK5a250a8rdR323BFYgB7jQde-tXIBaXjAytCR31sZUT6rLBYiEqkt0G-j2Ljeu-ht0zf9ZlSLb9BcAErfMEu/s320/Picture+203.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally - the only cherry tree in bloom two weeks ago, although I'm certain the city is awash in pink petals right now. This was taken outside the National Air and Space Museum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-12684156708675090532011-03-04T09:38:00.000-08:002011-03-04T09:43:55.377-08:00have been discovering my inner nerdly fashionista.I was reading one of my favorite blogs in ScienceBlogs http://scienceblogs.com/ - which of course I don't remember which blog, and since I am posting this during my prep period in school I don't have time to hunt down, but whatever - I'll get to it, I'll get to it - and followed one of the author's tags to "Fashion for Nerds," http://geekthreads.blogspot.com/, and fell into a WHOLE NEW WORLD of intelligent, gorgeous women who don't look like fashion models and are not mind-boggling young, but love clothes and fashion. I am so happy. Recently I also read over in Slate.com that fashion for women is like sports for men, and my whole world just went crackalicious! I've been trying to put my outfits together with a different attitude and eye these past few weeks, especially with a great-yet-untouched stash of scarves I collected in the 80s and inherited from my dear departed mother when she passed in 2006. Along with Geekthreads is http://www.alreadypretty.com/. And seemingly scores of others, but these two are the blogs I currently get most of my courage and ideas from.<br />
<br />
Oh, and I am about half-way done with a turquoise octopus I am crocheting for a student of mine who is also a facebook friend. I posted that "first five people get something handcrafted by me in 2011," and she was the only one to take me up on it! I am also planning to make her table-mate and friend - and another FB friend of mine - a pair of earrings, just because she asked me so nicely if I would.Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-29661018674066893092010-12-27T00:40:00.000-08:002010-12-27T00:40:52.495-08:00got tired of feeling guilty for not posting.I know I've gone almost two months without posting, and feel more guilty with each passing day. <br />
So here's a partial listing of what I've done. And I will be honest with you - I have been quite non-creative most days. Self-forgiveness is necessary and then I step back into it.<br />
<br />
1. I sorted through my surprisingly small fabric stash, gave some of it away to my HS's drama department, and have a much better idea of what I have left.<br />
2. I discovered this website: http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/ This organization gives instructions for making little dresses out of pillow cases for young girls in Africa. Easy as it can be. Now, it just so happens that one of the very few items I regularly sewed over the past 15 or so years has been pillow cases. It's a great way to make a unique yet inexpensive gift - buy a yard of cool fabric and sew it into a pillow case. I made them for my son and daughter all the time. My daughter and I went through our stash of pillow cases and sorted them out. Now she has her favorite pillow cases in the linen closet and I have a small pile of pillow cases to turn into dresses.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPGWEIHqrvKfqQijLz3Om1e98OqPV8-gzWKy4QZOYNSVX3lTRz0m3Y5n4MOFdhQSKLNMARhDhgKuhxZ1OjQc74_g3CDzhfhgcyOwpqQPif9J70MwNq5aeRrOKM3duWi6F5Fg1ULShG8Cg/s1600/Mozambique-12-10-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPGWEIHqrvKfqQijLz3Om1e98OqPV8-gzWKy4QZOYNSVX3lTRz0m3Y5n4MOFdhQSKLNMARhDhgKuhxZ1OjQc74_g3CDzhfhgcyOwpqQPif9J70MwNq5aeRrOKM3duWi6F5Fg1ULShG8Cg/s320/Mozambique-12-10-one.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is from the Little Dresses for Africa website. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also did a whole bunch of baking for the holidays, what with gingerbread and all.<br />
<br />
Right now, though, it's after midnight, my son is home from college, and I'm going to sign off and go to bed. With any luck and planning - more tomorrow!<br />
<br />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-47001139184911771222010-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:002010-11-07T19:11:09.216-08:00... went to Fabric Planet and bought some wonderful trim.It's been making me NUTS that I don't have my sewing machine in order - my tension wasn't working anyways, so I thought I'd take it apart, clean it and put it back together again, right? Not right. Oh, SO not right. I had it almost working at one point, but ruined it by showing it off and the machine just put its stubborn peddle down and refused to cooperate. So I went to Fabric Planet on Lincoln Blvd in Venice to indulge in looking/touching at gorgeous fabrics while suffering that I can't do anything with them.<br />
<br />
Or can I? Please, it sometimes takes me a while to figure out how to prep for the future. (It sometimes takes me a while to figure out <i>anything</i>, but I digress.) I realized that even though I probably won't get my machine fixed until Thanksgiving week, I can pin, cut & baste things. Oh yeah.<br />
<br />
I didn't end up purchasing any fabric, but I did indulge in some wonderful trim. My latest Fire Mountain bead catalog showed up a couple of days ago, and I saw some necklace fittings that inspired me to look for cord, braid, ribbon, etc. for potential ornament-holders. I will post pics as soon as I can...<br />
<br />
Here, though is a photo I took last week of my students. My kids were id'ing different types of galaxies in a Deep Space Hubble Photo, and I became enchanted with how the galaxies danced across their backs as they stood at the board. I grabbed my phone, which had been thrown in with my (cold) lunch and was fogged up. I took some pics anyway, and loved the way they came out.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpYhjs1trf_-xMio7amOp19bKFWSbNqhd5XT269WKTpMeKNnF4ut7Qlo_1arfFnf6rw29XRb5peQ_mkCeggVBYymsSNanLIVDm_4hmlK0nXn4k5sfrbNO4mHCs7ae6BLAMbbRvK8a9pu8/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpYhjs1trf_-xMio7amOp19bKFWSbNqhd5XT269WKTpMeKNnF4ut7Qlo_1arfFnf6rw29XRb5peQ_mkCeggVBYymsSNanLIVDm_4hmlK0nXn4k5sfrbNO4mHCs7ae6BLAMbbRvK8a9pu8/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh has dancing galaxies on his back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzY9GGQtm3w4A-l5yV50tQCfV-gMUN_rBTsGqDMhf8KvBI93ub5EKBm4W1m1c0Ea6DyLkB1Ecme330r3L1kGgY4RMzCGYpBlIyfOvsXqGTDgHSWbhhmN2Mzd6Vf-ulpBfcjIQehwSzy42/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzY9GGQtm3w4A-l5yV50tQCfV-gMUN_rBTsGqDMhf8KvBI93ub5EKBm4W1m1c0Ea6DyLkB1Ecme330r3L1kGgY4RMzCGYpBlIyfOvsXqGTDgHSWbhhmN2Mzd6Vf-ulpBfcjIQehwSzy42/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick has galactic mist drifting off his. <br />
We are all made of stardust.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-67228594203844401782010-10-29T21:02:00.000-07:002010-10-29T21:06:22.301-07:00...Took a Well Day off from work.<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">... and it was lovely. I slept in a little, read a little - "The Last Knight" by Norman F. Cantor. I've read his "In the Wake of the Plague," and really enjoyed it, even if it <i>was </i>about how 40 or so percent of Europe died horrible deaths in the 14th century. What can I say? He's a fun history writer. And I am such a sucker for a fun history writer.<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n0rYOea2wN6r7LWnvQAypjNsSZ7GiVloIFsE_zuZJSqzOu95q0IOv88MpFp0Cqt5glJCEmeGpscpn2qwtn1a5H58ixVnvAINJBJuqv2DTVUSYNW4go3LYrdDsjNNM_cFrBoMyn5e9rhS/s320/101878_001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John of Gaunt - the last True Knight of medieval England and the subject of Cantor's book.<br />
I am SUCH a geek.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n0rYOea2wN6r7LWnvQAypjNsSZ7GiVloIFsE_zuZJSqzOu95q0IOv88MpFp0Cqt5glJCEmeGpscpn2qwtn1a5H58ixVnvAINJBJuqv2DTVUSYNW4go3LYrdDsjNNM_cFrBoMyn5e9rhS/s1600/101878_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thomas Cahill is another great history writer. I used his "Hinges of History" concept to talk about Copernicus with my astronomy kids last week. We medieval Europeans were happily following Ptolemy's logical - and insanely incorrect - lead on a geocentric solar system until Copernicus went, "Hey, wait a minute..." and science turned to another path.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LiyeXVKY1NQeA_qQimbUSxi-0FO1F2bq0U32YH6Ygb1lSDu51jPQQU2ZAiMy66zu9kv8i_V83uzJ9wrXVexr1lSjLx9RrR5QkPJKvNDKh7CE1VMbhPjZjMUGfJwrjXhInvtg8BsgyU04/s320/6_e1845fd7cbce79e3af2bb1c39d6ffe63.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Ptolemy's Approved Geocentric Solar System</u>: <b>WRONG</b><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LiyeXVKY1NQeA_qQimbUSxi-0FO1F2bq0U32YH6Ygb1lSDu51jPQQU2ZAiMy66zu9kv8i_V83uzJ9wrXVexr1lSjLx9RrR5QkPJKvNDKh7CE1VMbhPjZjMUGfJwrjXhInvtg8BsgyU04/s1600/6_e1845fd7cbce79e3af2bb1c39d6ffe63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRxHMnu-FT4NhwBoQUgKGhNFHTMO2c2Qse495hHXM_LmhCiSGbd_ht-52bH12u_m84XHKsT2jbbqZ31OBOY4zYVgfH3M0BsbMO8irLdxLwxznTWsOA_Y2Hesn503bg4LXb636YvWJRyVJ/s1600/copernicus2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Copernicus' Heliocentric System</u>: Not quite there yet, but at least it's mostly <b>RIGHT</b>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRxHMnu-FT4NhwBoQUgKGhNFHTMO2c2Qse495hHXM_LmhCiSGbd_ht-52bH12u_m84XHKsT2jbbqZ31OBOY4zYVgfH3M0BsbMO8irLdxLwxznTWsOA_Y2Hesn503bg4LXb636YvWJRyVJ/s1600/copernicus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">At any rate, Cahill wrote one of my favorite books, "How the Irish Saved Civilization." If you haven't read it quite yet, pick it up and give it a shot. Entertaining as all get out, too. Honest, you won't be sorry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyNRkjzc-D9OYZ954g7HoZ4exH52YOYcot446AeCWjFk21qMzY1Lp_67vIpOUgSS4WISx0l_SywZDDxPop9wlkB6MojV1XS6QvgFo75X9O15P0jpnwfZnd2dDEuCMxFKZzvXXDfN8hv4Q/s1600/51sz3zeSZsL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyNRkjzc-D9OYZ954g7HoZ4exH52YOYcot446AeCWjFk21qMzY1Lp_67vIpOUgSS4WISx0l_SywZDDxPop9wlkB6MojV1XS6QvgFo75X9O15P0jpnwfZnd2dDEuCMxFKZzvXXDfN8hv4Q/s1600/51sz3zeSZsL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right now I have such a yearning to paint my nails, something I don't undertake lightly. My hands must be still for way too long to let the polish dry, and I can't stand chipping. since we have no spare nickels to rub together and buy me a manicure I must do it myself, and keeping my hands still for more than five minutes is not one of my strengths.<br />
<br />
<br />
AND>>>> LAST BUT NOT LEAST>>>>><br />
My friend and summer school student Carmen knitted me the most <i>gorgeous </i>scarf, with all my favorite colors. She gave it to me last week, and I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE it! Thank you, Carmen! You are one of the best humans I know.</div>Ms G'berghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08317216539482901419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5040453049678241608.post-47909642155260232010-10-18T09:46:00.000-07:002010-10-18T09:46:04.648-07:00.. thought about what creativity is.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When my son was a HS freshman I took him and a friend to a retrospective of Frank Gehry's work at MOCA in downtown Los Angeles. I was in awe especially of the initial building models - they were built of balsa wood, paper cups, Styrofoam plates, corrugated cardboard cut from storage boxes, Saran Wrap, pencils -- anything and everything. AND they were everywhere, pouring off the walls, flowing down the tables, practically dancing in the halls. And it struck me while I stood there, dizzy from it all - creativity is <i>generous</i>. And joyful. And unselfconscious.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNFm4K3Lq2SKCvPddR2ohbzwDu3eR4pNyiHe3s4FgZFlrjRjbVuvDPrcp-eAztnAx4qYvFy6057NR2Qq1uVosnj6xoArXJrhq6foEj1b7dKRlAQ6TWxJrN4L2TzRstI2tdZAqvb2LPZ-_/s1600/gehry+model.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of Gehry's models.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNFm4K3Lq2SKCvPddR2ohbzwDu3eR4pNyiHe3s4FgZFlrjRjbVuvDPrcp-eAztnAx4qYvFy6057NR2Qq1uVosnj6xoArXJrhq6foEj1b7dKRlAQ6TWxJrN4L2TzRstI2tdZAqvb2LPZ-_/s1600/gehry+model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqixp7C-z0LRE_WxKEHwKnsYjNhoKooCdWm_WdLf9kw_ud-1DSnpnN_RZ0tJegsuEu73DoCIL6mHkLMJLNvPzjKIeUsudBSeTKngaXHou8IO301TrrLA5AbKO17EGguh7UoD5TyhklIuJZ/s320/disneyhall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is Disney Concert Hall - I think that it was just underway <br />
when we went to the retrospective.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqixp7C-z0LRE_WxKEHwKnsYjNhoKooCdWm_WdLf9kw_ud-1DSnpnN_RZ0tJegsuEu73DoCIL6mHkLMJLNvPzjKIeUsudBSeTKngaXHou8IO301TrrLA5AbKO17EGguh7UoD5TyhklIuJZ/s1600/disneyhall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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