Living in a knitters paradise

Occupy

2012-01-25T01:32:00.000-05:00

And then there was the suggestion that meetings on Saturday be held earlier in the afternoon to accommodate some people who can't be out in the cold and dark of night this time of year. I have heard lots of people express this concern. All of a sudden there is an issue with the Jewish occupiers and the sabbath. Why was this not a issue in the park back in Sept when it didn't get dark until 9:30 or ten at night. I don't think it is much to ask to have one afternoon meeting in the week. Ok, maybe Sunday then, oh no, no more meetings on Sunday.

Eff you spellcheck

2012-01-20T10:27:00.002-05:00

It wasn't so much an epiphany but more like giving birth to a nine pound stillborn emotibaby because it took me nine months to come to terms with the situation. Peaceful acceptance and forgiveness are still on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon but at least the donkeys are packed. I really didn't know how long it was going to take and I was beginning to wonder if it would ever change. Life is change. And I came up with a new word in my head too. Emotibaby, an emotibaby is a whole bunch of emotions all wrapped up in a bundle. Do with that what you will.

Ode to the Young

2012-01-19T16:26:00.002-05:00

I curse you, 56 year old body
You betray me daily
Piles of pills
Herbs and supplements
Why did I not rebel
When I was young
It would have been so much easier

And so on....

2012-01-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

So, late last night in a very cold park after a lot of people left, the GA passed a proposal that freezes all the money in Accounting for WGs... Really? Because y'all didn't monitor a couple of posers that stole money from the movement, now we all suffer? Our working group never abused the system. We were doing good things and only went to OWS for help when our donations of yarn dried up after the eviction. We just want to keep working and representing the movement with a peaceful and welcoming face.

All over again

2012-01-12T07:17:00.004-05:00

Well the barricades are down but the tomfoolery continues. I went down to the park Wednesday with my cart full of knitting supplies and my chair ready to resume my activities in the park and I was told that there is a rule against chairs in the park. Are you kidding me? This has been settled. The lawyers told me there is no such rule. Well the "green shirts" persisted and after over an hour of talking and nagging, they finally convinced the police to try to get me to move out of the park. What a scene. There were occupiers, press, security and cops all over me. Me who was just sitting there knitting and teaching a young lady how to make an i-cord. No one was able to show me the "rule" but under threat of being arrested for "trespassing" I moved my chair a whole 12 feet onto the sidewalk and out of the "public" park. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzreTpt94g8&feature=youtube_gdata_player I found this video on twitter this morning. I hope there will be clarification on this matter very soon. When I go downtown with my cart and chair, it takes me about an hour to get there because I have to find the very few subway stations that have elevators and then walk much longer to get to where I want to go. Once again the lawyers have been called, waiting to see what happens now.

When life bites you in the ass

2012-01-08T06:16:00.000-05:00

Life can take some strange turns. I never thought that I would become an activist at the age of 56. I found a simple place in the movement, sitting in the park and knitting. Knitting things for the occupants of the park and talking to people that would pass by. It was simple and peaceful. Then all hell broke loose when the "powers that be" (at least for the moment) decided they didn't like what we were doing. Now my park is gone and things have changed. Now, for reasons that I don't really understand, people are looking to me to be in charge, to handle things, to lead. That's not really what I signed up for. I just want to sit and knit and chat. Simple.

A New Year, here it comes

2012-01-01T01:16:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wish I was still asleep. Asleep in the sense that now I know what is going on in my country and in the world right now. It is so disheartening to see what we have become. Things started out in a way I admired, so peaceful, so welcoming. Now, through what I suspect are infiltrators, all I see and hear is hate speech and anger. What happened to the people who were so nice in the park? What happened to my peaceful and nonviolent movement? I want it back!

Writing this is one of the hardest thing I have ever done

2011-12-27T17:01:00.001-05:00

To whom it may concern,

I know that I have always put on a happy face and I say that everything is fine. Guess what, it isn't. I have been made to feel that when I had money, I was useful and now that I don't, I am not. I always worked hard, lived frugally and I gave generously. I have never been one to covet the latest gadgets or fashions. The fact that I feel like I have been thrown aside may surprise some people but that is why I am writing this post. I have looked for work but now I have given up on that. I thought I had a lifemate but now I know that was all a lie as well. I am truly alone.

Maybe I have too much pride, or maybe I am just to ashamed to ask for help. I know that if I don't tell anyone that I need something then I can't expect to get it. You can't read my mind but you could open your eyes.

Here is what I can't put into words on the phone or in person. I will use the written form to say what I can't say to your face. I need help. Plain and simple as that. I am depressed and I find it hard to get out of bed everyday. I am crying just trying to type this. I won't be able to pay my rent next month. I have trouble eating because 75% of my teeth are gone and I have one tooth that is infected and oozing green puss. It has been like that for months and I had heard that such an infection can get in your blood stream and kill you. I have been waiting to die. This seems like a better way than walking in front of a bus. Since that has not happened I am starting to think maybe I am supposed to be here for a while longer for some reason even though I don't know what that is.

"You should apply for state/federal aid". Yes, I know and everyday when I get dressed and think about going out and facing that bureaucratic staredown I go back to bed. I just don't have the energy to try.

"What about your family?" My family doesn't understand the depth of my depression. All they saw was the physical mess in the house and not the mental/emotional mess I (I am a good actor and I do most of my crying in private) had become and they threw me out. When they do reach out to me it feels like a hollow chore they must perform to make themselves feel better or a scolding about how I don't keep in touch. Somewhere in the back corner of my brain I know they love me. I just can't feel it right now.

Over the last three months I found something to do that did make me feel a bit better. Knitting for Occupy Wall Street. I felt I was making a contribution. I met some nice people that seemed to like me. I learned a lot about my country that surprised me and made me want to help change things. The problem is, that until I get better, I don't think I can do much to help. A 'cause' can't cure me.

Words hurt. Actions even more. I'm glad that you have a ...game/toy/coat/shoes/hairdo/house/job/car/vacation/dinner/dog/high score/opinion... but right now I just don't care. Seeing all those things posted on facebook and twitter are just a slap in the face to me right now.

I didn't write this to get attention. I just needed to say things that were in my head the only way I knew how to get them out. I suppose it should make me feel better. I will wait and see.

why bother

2011-11-24T02:08:00.001-05:00

I mean really, why bother when you only get a call when someone wants something from you. If they get it, fine, buh bye. If they don't get it, buh bye too.

Occupy Wall St.

2011-11-20T00:40:00.001-05:00

Oh boy has it been hard these last few days down at Liberty Park (aka Zuccoti park). I have been discouraged but today so many people came up to us and thanked us for being there. It is good to hear but even better than that was the number of people that are coming back to be there and participate.

2011-11-15T22:20:00.001-05:00

Robotic lobotomised stormtroopers are not human

2011-11-11T08:47:00.001-05:00

Overheard at the OccupyWallStNYC kitchen last night, while lady is serving yet another spoonful of orange sludge, "would you like some roadkill?"

what a great day

2011-11-09T00:39:00.001-05:00

I got down to Occupy Wall St. this morning a little early. What a beautiful day it was. It really warms my heart to see the good in humans. Two mothers and three little girls walked by where I was knitting and the little girls were just facinated by what we were doing. One of the girls noticed my donation can and asked her mother if she could put some money in it. All three put a bill through the slot in the lid and they just glowed with pride, it was so sweet.

There are some really good people in this world and in NYC, they are starting to outnumber the bad. Yee haw! for humanity!

2011-11-07T08:41:00.001-05:00

Well, I am ready to start another week knitting for Occupy Wall Street. People have been so generous with yarn donations and monetary donations that I will be going to smileys yarns this morning to buy some more yarn. I have also been able to give other knitters yarn to use to make garments for the occupants to help them keep warm. Day 39, here I come

2011-10-27T00:12:00.001-04:00

Well hit me in the face with a humble pie, yummy. I guess I needed to get put down a peg or two. Eight people in line to talk to Micheal Moore and seven get their turn, who turns out to be number eight? Little ole me. It's all good. I had a good day at Liberty Plaza today. finished a scarf and started leg warmers. Hope the rain isn't too bad tomorrow.

2011-10-26T01:07:00.002-04:00

long hard day today doing OWS business, very tired, need to blog tomorrow

#ows, occupy wall street

2011-10-12T08:26:00.001-04:00

Near the end of day 12 I encountered my first police officer harrasment. I was standing, by myself, near the big red cube sculpture waiting for a working group I joined on Sunday. Many had held meetings in this area because it was a quiet space and the noise in the park sometimes made it hard to hear others in your group. He approached me and said I couldn't be there. I tried to ask him a question about possibly staying there long enough to redirect people to another meeting spot and he just kept interupting me saying I needed to leave. The situation kept changing as people arrived for our meeting and at one point he said stay. Within 10 minutes of our group finally getting together, about 8 officers and 3 white shirts showed up. At this point I just walked away, confrontation tends to make me nauseous so I fled leaving the others to deal with them. I wish I had the guts (literally) to stay and defend the rights of the people to assemble but there was a lawyer there so I think it was handled.

I believe that this is just another example of how "they" are trying to discourage the movement. For the last 2 nights in a row, a construction crew has been using a jack hammer during our GA. It feels like it is very calculated. We have to stay strong and stand tall in these times until EVERYONE wakes up.

2011-10-10T01:46:00.002-04:00

Finished day 10 at Occupy Wall Street and I am tired and somewhat frustrated. Lots of college age people there yesterday and today, some serious about the cause and some there to party. I know I don't live in a perfect world but I wish it was better some days. Some days you just have to walk away and start fresh tomorrow

2011-08-11T16:16:00.001-04:00

emotional revelations, it's a good thing

news?

2011-07-28T08:30:00.001-04:00

Listening to NPR this morning really made me mad. They were talking about how it is illegal in France to ask a persons race for statistical purposes. They are looking to the USA as an example of how to document percentages of different races in the country. Why would you look to a racist society on how to deal with race relations. I want that law implemented here so people can be just people instead of white people or black people or yellow people or brown people. WE ARE HUMAN, people get that into your heads please.

hope

2011-07-20T20:52:00.001-04:00

Had a very successful (I hope) interview on Friday, tonite I go to "the Cattle Call" at therapy, fingers crossed.

Just the way I see it

2011-06-07T13:38:00.002-04:00

I was watching PBS and the kids on the show were afraid if they said "Mom, Dad, I am gay" that they would be kicked out of the house. I said, "Family, I am a hoarder and mentally ill" Guess what, they kicked me out of the house. I had finally gotten up enough strength to ask for help and I was told, too late, so sad, too bad, GET OUT!

2011-05-25T03:36:00.000-04:00

starting the book tomorrow

2011-04-29T00:19:00.001-04:00

So wrong, what more can I say

2011-04-23T11:28:00.002-04:00

I wish it wasn't raining today, would love to go out and take a long walk. I didn't realize just how out of shape I was in until I started walking again. I need a lot of working out. It just isn't the same as it was 15 years ago, much harder to get it going at this age but once I start it I hope it will get better.

2011-04-18T20:57:00.001-04:00

really? I mean REALLY?

2011-04-13T01:10:00.002-04:00

so here I sit all broken hearted.... Why do people think that they can do whatever they want and there will be no consequences for someone else. Or do you even think about what you do. I really don't think you do because if you did you would not do what you did. That sounds like I am rambling doesn't it? Well, maybe rambling is what it takes

2011-03-22T11:20:00.000-04:00

Because you are "family" you get to screw me????

2011-03-06T05:03:00.000-05:00

research tires me out

2011-03-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am very dissapointed in the Supreme court today

2011-03-01T01:14:00.000-05:00

Oh how I hate this weather, on again off again headache for 4 days now

2011-02-18T23:22:00.001-05:00

And so it begins, I am knitting a sweater for my Focus

2011-02-16T23:56:00.001-05:00

slowly pulling out of my winter blues...knitted/finished 2 projects today...pictures taken...tomorrow ad to shops online...progress

2011-01-16T11:55:00.001-05:00

headache

2011-01-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

New Year, new goals, new worries

The Power of One

2010-07-04T00:15:00.002-04:00

The other day while I was watching TV I saw a very disturbing commercial. It was part of a major ad campaign for a major insurance company. I felt a visceral gut reaction to this commercial and immediately sent an e-mail to their customer service department. It only took a couple of days for them to respond. I was very pleased to read that they were going to modify this particular section of the commercial and they had immediately taken it off the air.

There are definitely some companies out there that really do take customer service to heart. I sent another e-mail back thanking them for their kind reply. If I am ever in the need for car insurance I would probably first consider using this company.

2010-05-15T19:26:00.000-04:00

I am sick and tired, literally

2010-04-03T19:27:00.000-04:00

Ah, this is getting good

2010-01-31T23:37:00.001-05:00

Hello New Year.

I need to do this more often. I like words and this is a good place for them

2008-07-30T18:54:00.001-04:00

I like using a beer bottle for scale since most everyone knows what size they are. lots of yellow squash are getting ripe now and this is my biggest pumpkin to date.

How does your garden grow

2008-07-25T17:52:00.002-04:00

Like crazy lately. I can hardly keep up with all the squash and weeds.

Too Busy or Too Lazy

2008-07-12T15:04:00.003-04:00

That seems to be my problem when trying to update my blog

garden looks real good now

you say tomato and I say tomaato

2008-06-07T17:07:00.000-04:00

I finally got the tomato plants in the ground

Hot stuff

2008-06-01T17:29:00.001-04:00

Today the pepper seedlings went into the garden and 2 days ago I planted presoaked bean seeds, I hope they sprout!

Emagine if you could get your moneys worth

2008-05-19T16:59:00.003-04:00

I am using a different color today because what happened last night made me see red.
My son took me to a movie. That part was good.
We went to the Emagine theater in Novi, Mi. That was bad.
We saw the movie "Iron Man". That was good, very good.
He paid 30 dollars for 2 tickets. That was bad, very bad.

Here is the story. We got to the theater and I looked around the ticket booth to see what it cost per ticket because I had not seen a movie in a theater for about 4 years. There were no signs or indications what it cost, not a good thing. MDS asked for 2 tickets to the 8:40 show and the agent said, 18 dollars. Okay, right along the lines I expected. Then when he rang it up, the register said 30 dollars. Well, we questioned that of course and the blond guy behind the counter said, oh, that movie is in the luxury theater and you get a 6 dollar voucher for refreshments added to the cost of the ticket.

When you go to the refreshment stand to get the stuff you didn't even want in the first place, if you don't spend the whole 6 dollars, they don't give you the change. I think that sounds illegal.

Now we get to the theater with the special seating and the tables in between the seats to put the drink you didn't want and the "usher" tries to tell us where to sit. There is assigned seating! First, let me say that it was not crowded, there were about 8 other people there in the whole place. My eyesight is not the greatest and we wanted to sit near the front. When the usher gave us a hard time I said that considering the movie was going to start in about 2 minutes, if anyone showed up and wanted our seats I would happily give them up and we proceeded to sit where we wanted to.

Well we did enjoy the movie (if you see it, wait to leave till after the credits roll, there is a surprise) but it would have been a more enjoyable experience if not for the shady business practices and rude people we had to deal with there. I will not see a movie there again if you paid me.

Watering the Garden with tears

2008-05-14T01:56:00.000-04:00

Some days it just gets to ya

I'm just a Dandylion

2008-05-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

When I mowed the lawn yesterday, I purposely didn't mow a section with lots of little dandelion plants. Today, for lunch, I had my first salad with dandelion greens added. It was tastier than I thought it would be. I learned a lot about which leaves to pick.

Shake shake shake your dirt clods

2008-05-09T14:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, sat in the dirt and shook out many root systems that the tiller dug up. Don't know how I got so many bruises on my legs. Carpal tunnel is really bad now. Seems like everything I do is a repetitive motion that irritates my wrist. Raking, shaking, dishes, knitting, sewing, vacuuming, everything. bummer

No Yellow Brick Road

2008-05-05T19:32:00.004-04:00

Here are a few pictures of the progress we are making with the garden. I have a scarecrow up and one hops plant planted along with some yellow squash. And the lilacs are starting to bloom!

I see the light

2008-05-05T02:32:00.003-04:00

It is really looking like a hop yard now that we got the posts of the trellis up, and quite a few of the strings. We planted one of the rhizomes out there and now I am waiting to see if the rabbits or deer bother it. I put up some stringy deterrents, we shall see.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2008-05-02T13:33:00.000-04:00

Well, no raking today, thunder storms instead

Tales from the Garden

2008-05-01T16:26:00.005-04:00

Another day, another blister. I can't remember when I last had blisters on my hands. Found some gloves in the garage so I hope that will help. Still raking and raking and raking. looking a little better today. My dearest son did almost all the tilling.

My garden, oh garden

2008-04-24T18:27:00.003-04:00

Well, on day 7 I raked and raked and it seems like it is going to take forever to get all the soil tilled properly. lots of roots are still embedded deep in the ground and hard to pull out. Time for some beer and an aspirin. oh yeah, and I baked bread

Gardening, day 6

2008-04-23T14:59:00.002-04:00

The day after Earth Day should be a good one. Just a sprinkle this morning and now in the low seventies and partly sunny so out to do more raking. The first year in this garden location will be a lot of work to get the soil just right but next year I expect smooth sailing.

The Power of Positive Gardening

2008-04-22T13:10:00.002-04:00

Day One

Actually it's more like day 5 but I will catch y'all up. I got the riding mower charged and started last week and the blades were set at the lowest level so I went into the back yard and 'shaved' the grass down where I wanted my garden to be. When MDS came over he said it wasn't big enough, so I doubled it. Remember that for later!

On this last Sunday, my ex (MDS's father) let us borrow his tiller and edger and we took full advantage of the nicest weather lower Michigan has had this year. We tilled, we stripped sod, we raked and we hoed. Yes, you can sunburn this early in the year. I think I will be taking advantage of the herbal goo I got on Etsy from Tamarasherbes for aches and pains a lot.

We didn't expect any rain for a few days so on Monday I let the garden dry a bit so it will be easier to get the root systems raked out of the soil. I decided to mow the front yard and now that I know how to adjust the height of the mower bed, I did. I got my stakes and string together and did some spring cleaning in the house. I have pretty much abandoned my crafting while I get things going outside.

I just don't know what to do

2008-04-16T16:05:00.002-04:00

I worked one day last year for an agency that was handing out promotional material. I still have not been paid for that days work. They say they sent a check, I think they are lying. They won't send another check and put tracking on it which is all I asked them to do. It has been 4 and a half months and when I sent an email to the company saying that I was going to contact a lawyer and the better business bureau, this is what they wrote back. (note the bad grammar). Is this shady or what? It seems that they are just trying to get me to stop bugging them for my check.

Contact whoever you want. We gave you options and that's all we can do. We mailed your check and once we put it in the mail, it is out of our hands. You can either choose one of the options that Mae gave you or you can sit back and wait for the check we sent arrives.

Also, please note, we have saved your email and don't take threats lightly... be careful of who you make threats to.....

The sun is shining

2008-04-02T16:28:00.001-04:00

Well, finally. Here comes spring. I hope the good weather helps put me in a good mood. I am tired of the cold, snow, rain and general nasty weather we have been having.

I am a bad blogger

2008-03-01T16:25:00.003-05:00

I know I have been neglecting my blog for some time now. I really have been stressed about a lot of things going on in my life. I push myself daily just to get the basic needs of life accomplished. My mom (God rest her soul) had a plaque in the kitchen that said "The hurryder I go, the behinder I get". That is an understatement. I have dug myself into such a deep hole, I don't know if I can ever climb out.

2008-01-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

I need to do this more often.

Going out of business

2007-12-11T18:02:00.001-05:00

I have been trying for 2 years now on Etsy to sell and make some money from my crafts. I don't think it's working. Going out of Etsy business sale going on now in my Etsy shop. HelloKnitty.etsy.com

Two things

2007-12-08T19:13:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the M.I.C.E. craft show in Royal Oak. Met Killtaupe and firechicktick and so many others. After my sis, son and I went to lunch and the strangest thing happened. When the waitress came to clear our plates she said "what a good job you did". Like we are what, 5? We cleaned out plates, whoopee! She must have been channeling her kids or something.

Then, after lucking out getting a good parking spot at the mall sis was driving me home when the traffic started backing up. I said, must be an accident or something up ahead. She immediately turned on the all news station to see if we could find out how much of a backup there would be. About 2 clicks later, in the middle of 696, scattered all over the road we spotted the carnage. First all I saw was the white plastic bags from the store, then we started to spot the bodies, Mickey, Elmo, Teddy, they were all over the place. Oh the humanity, it was horrible. Just after we passed the scene of destruction, the radio announcer came on the air to tell us what had transpired. Seems someones shopping some how got scattered all over the highway and I woman had just called in to say she had run over Elmo, but he should be ok. We pretty much split a gut the rest of the way home.

BAD SANTA

2007-12-05T16:34:00.000-05:00

I made this hat while dreaming of Billy Bob

I just noticed that I got tagged by http://sewnfreshdaily.blogspot.com/ . I didn't know what that was so I went to see her blog.

the rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

carless

2007-12-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

I don't know how anyone would expect you to live in Michigan these days without a car. It was fine during the warmer months, I road my bike to the post office and the store once or twice and even the seven and a half miles to see my grandkids. But it is cold out there now. What's a girl to do?

Outside is great

2007-12-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well, I was able to get out of the house today and I handed out promotional coupons in the front of my local JoAnn Fabric and Craft store. I got 15 dollars an hour for smiling and pointing the customers in the direction of the new card display. What fun. Who says theres no work in Michigan :)

2007-11-27T11:13:00.001-05:00

I love the snow coming down in big flakes like this

2007-11-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

I heard once that the definition of a fool is someone who repeats the same action over and over expecting a different result. I hate the fact that I have been made a fool of by one of my own family. I just kept trusting and trusting and I thought they would change but no. Now I have no job, no money and no car.

Stay or Go

2007-11-10T19:42:00.000-05:00

I need a business plan if I am going to stay in Michigan. I need to figure out how I can make money without any capital and without a car. ENIGMA!

Adopt ME!!

2007-11-07T14:52:00.001-05:00

I need to be adopted because my foster mommy is getting too attached and it is going to be so hard to let go of us. update, Saturday. Two of us are gone now

Halloween and Grandkids

2007-11-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

I love making costumes for my grandkids. Chloe likes hers so much she wanted to wear it to bed.

After dinner surprise

2007-10-12T19:29:00.000-04:00

Got home from a wonderful dinner with Dad and CJ and this was in the back yard.

Then got the chance to take Kassie her birthday gift, what great model attitude she has

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-10-12T07:19:00.000-04:00

52 years young and I don't feel a day over 48, LOL. I really can't take a day off though because I have so much packing to do. I know I keep waffling but I am still packing to go back to NYC by the first week of December. Re-listing a bunch of stuff on my Etsy hoping some will sell and help pay for the move. Dinner tonight with Dad and CJ, I think I want seafood.

To list or not to list

2007-10-10T18:22:00.000-04:00

I am torn between listing everything I have and closing up shop so I can pack to move. It will be so much work to update photos and list newer items and then shipping if I sell. I need the money to move so I think I have to list. Oh the perils of being a "business owner".

Torn between two cities

2007-10-08T19:11:00.000-04:00

What to do, what to do. I am being torn apart by wanting to stay near my family and going where I know I can get a job. All the lists of pros and cons are not helping this decision. Snipes (my sons cat) bit my leg again and I don't know how long it will be before he adjusts to this house or me. It seems that he is only happy when I am at his level. When I stand up, wham! he attacks my leg (owie).

2007-10-06T17:26:00.001-04:00

It's not a dog eat dog world, it's a bug eat bug world

Sell it all

2007-10-02T11:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I am cutting prices and trying to sell as much as I can right now in my Etsy store. First, to have some money to move and B, to not have to move so much inventory. Even at half off I haven't sold anything since I have been home from NYC. This is getting real discouraging.

Moving on up

2007-10-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

Yep, I will be moving back to the Big Apple, land of opportunity. I already talked to a union rep and I get the impression that a job will be no problem. And the fact that I don't have a car will be a moot point. New York, New York, a hellava town. I might miss stuff like this though

2007-09-30T21:05:00.000-04:00

Spending too much time in the forums on Etsy will make you forget you have food in the oven!

2007-09-30T14:52:00.000-04:00

Friday Sept. 21st 2007 and every Sept. 21st is the United Nations International Day of Peace and Ceasefire. This year I was in NYC so...

Here is my story.

I made my flag to honor the International Day of Peace and I walked from 9th Ave and 45th street where I was staying to the United Nations building. Along the way I got many thumbs up and smiles from most of the people I passed. When I arrived at the UN building I did not see any signs that prohibited me from walking up and down in front of the building, which I did until some guards came and informed me I had to go across the street to demonstrate. One of the guards said to me "Peace, who cares about that?" and when I asked him if he knew that today was the United Nations, officially declared, Day of Peace and Ceasefire he replied that they had been briefed. This lead me to believe that he didn't know about it before he showed up for work that day. Many other people in the street asked me about it and I explained what the day meant to me. On two separate occasions someone started singing "All we are saying, is give Peace a chance"(by John Lennon). I watched two men walk by that had tags on indicating they also worked in the building and one said to the other "Oh yeah, it's Peace Day" in a tone of voice that was very dismissive. Just as I was about to leave the area and continue my walk around Times Square I met a woman who was kind enough to take the pictures you see on Flickr. She said she knew the creators of the movie that had inspired me to make my commitment on the website "Peace One Day" and carry my flag all around midtown Manhattan last Friday. Thank you Donna for the wonderful conversation we had. I hope to go back next year and do it all again.

2007-09-29T17:53:00.001-04:00

Here I am with my Peace One Day flag outside the UN on the International Day of Peace. I almost got arrested for being peaceful, go figure.

2007-09-28T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back from my trip to the Big Apple. It was hard not to have a computer for 3 weeks. I have stories to tell and pics to up load. More later

2007-08-25T14:49:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged. Time can certainly get away from you.

Well the sirens went off yesterday but we didn't get much storm damage. Friends and family across the area are safe as well. Mother nature can be a real bitch sometimes though as seen in the Fenton area. The storm damaged the local fire station and one of the schools. Only minor injuries were reported so my next thought was the kids thinking that they don't have to go to school next week and in my minds eye I could see them dancing in the street.

HelloKnitty in NYC

2007-08-15T16:15:00.000-04:00

I get to go to the Big Apple next month and teach a class at the Etsy Labs on my techniques for reusing plastic grocery bags. Here is the link to the listing.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6762514

I hope anyone in the area who can come will check it out. I am excited to meet some of my fellow Etsians and see the Labs for the first time. It would be great to have a full class. Hope to see lots of you there.

More Wonderings

2007-08-14T01:59:00.000-04:00

I am always wondering about something and today I began to wonder what I should do with all the stuff I didn't sell last winter. I listed some of my baby and toddler hats on my websites but if they didn't sell last year, why do I think that they will sell now? At the end of the season last year I gave away a lot of hats to a charity but I really need to sell some. What makes one item sell better than another? I have a bunch more hats and some scarfs and I know I shouldn't just make more like them if they are not going to sell. I need something new to give family for the holidays this year too. They all have more knitwear than they will ever wear as it is. Time to do some polls and some brainstorming.

I wonder...

2007-08-12T02:11:00.000-04:00

Where is the line? I need to spend time on the computer to help sell my craft, but I need to make stuff to sell. I don't know where the line is when I spend too much time at the keyboard or not enough. I have one special order to do and I am trying to start making the stuff I want to push during the holiday season. I have some great ideas for my mitten pets but there are none as of yet to feed. I guess it is time to get back to work and stop drooling over that new avatar guy.

The Show

2007-08-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

So here I am with Carlos Mencia and my Etsy dress I made special for the occasion. There are more pics on my flickr link. We had loads of fun, my son and I. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

Late night doings

2007-08-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you live Etsy day and night. I was up late last night trying to figure out what I am going to wear to the show. I wanted to advertise Etsy and this is what I came up with, after all it is a comedy show.

Karma keep it coming!

2007-07-31T14:33:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it! No really, I can't believe that things are finally turning around for me. I have had 2 Etsy sales in a week after none since Jan. I made almost 200 dollars on eBay this month. I got featured on TalentDataBase and (drumroll please)............ today I won 2 backstage passes for the show I am taking my son to see this Saturday. I never win anything! I mean it, NEVER, ANYTHING!! I feel like singing that song from the Sound of Music, "I must have done something good". And Sponge Bob is in my head singing "Best Day Ever". Here is a link to the show we are going to see, I won the passes by putting them in my top 8 on myspace. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=89259281&MyToken=95e55bc9-254b-4ed1-b96e-467bbe19063a . These guys made me laugh during a very dark time in my life so even though they are controversial, I love 'em. I am so geeked right now I can't stand it. :) :) :)

You try to be so careful

2007-07-30T13:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I got got. I ordered those "free" cards from VistaPrint and I didn't 'UNCHECK' the box where they take 14.95 out of your checking account each month. The super nice lady at my bank said she would take care of it, thank God, but now I see other charges I don't recognize on my online statement. I have to wait until they are posted before I can see where they came from. I am really hating technology today.

Fusing for fun and protest

2007-07-26T05:41:00.001-04:00

So I decided to try to fuse some more plastic bags today and I came up with the concept of the "Messageboard" hand bag. I rearranged the letters from a 'malwart' bag and this is what I got.

recipe adventure

2007-07-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

I was craving the cheesey garlic buttery thing you get at that seafood place so I decided to make my own. What I did - beat an egg, added some garlic powder, added about 1 cup of pancake mix, added water, added grated sharp cheddar, stirred it up good, put it in the sandwich cooker. That didn't taste too bad, refrigerated leftovers and went to bed. The next day I took them out of the frig and cut a slit into the triangle shaped biscut things and stuffed in more cheese and put them back in the sandwich cooker. Now they tasted really good.

First attempt at fusing

2007-07-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

OK, spent most of last night trying to fuse plastic bags together like I saw them do in the Etsy video. I was hoping to add to my list of materials for my upcycle projects. What I ended up with was a kind of hybrid of 2 methods. I used the fused piece to be the stiffener in the bottom of this purse and for the bottom of a soap dish I am going to use to hold the soap I bought from smellygoodsoapy.etsy Oh, and here's a link to my treasury, hope you like it http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=3401

Another something to maintain

2007-07-20T19:22:00.000-04:00

I found a new place to showcase my talents. It only took me about an hour or so typing and uploading to get this far.http://www.talentdatabase.com/channels/18-Unique/profiles/382901-HelloKnitty . Another etsy seller turned me on to this site. Thanks mLee for the link. Take a look if you like and let me know what you think. Peace and Love y'all.

I just got any email from them saying I am going to be a featured talent on my genre page, which is "Unique". Yay, my first feature, I just wish it was on Etsy :) I had posted a thread in the forums on Etsy asking for suggestions on what I could do to generate business and I have been spending hours and hours on the computer trying to network as was suggested, I guess it finally paid off.

I am really starting to miss my car!

2007-07-17T02:43:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been weeks now with no car. I have 2 feet and I have a bike but sometimes you just want to get in a car, crank up the radio on the oldies station and drive. It is much more gratifying to resist that tempting midnight run to the store for ice cream if you could actually go and get the ice cream.

Starting to have fun

2007-07-15T18:29:00.000-04:00

Ok, I am starting to have fun with this blogging. I found a new feature, the Poll, and added one just for the fun of it. I am going to do what I voted for now because it truly is a perfect summer day here in SE Michigan. Have a great day everyone.

2007-07-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

In keeping with my ever expanding green lifestyle I went cleaning out closets and destashing some item I thought I would never use. Among the items now up for sale on Etsy and eBay are a book, magazines, clothes and sewing notions. Here is the rub, I listed a book on eBay and all of a sudden, chaos. I only want 5 bucks for the darn thing and someone ebaymails me that they want to pay 150. Well right off the scam alert bells started ringing in my head. After exhausting research, taking down the listing, putting it back up, ebaymailing, and half a migrain, I now believe I should have took the money and run. Yes there are similar books out there selling for much more than my reserve price but I did another search and if he is smart he can get it for half of what mine will cost him. I hate being new at something and losing. Makes me wonder if friday the 13th has anything to do with this. Later... I guess all the hard work payed off, the book sold for the price offered, thank to all those etsians who helped me with links.

Plastic Yarn

2007-07-12T12:27:00.000-04:00

Trying to knit with the plastic yarn is hard to do in the summer. If your hands get the least bit sweaty, you have to put it down. Please check out some of my finished products in my Etsy shop. You can find the link to your left. Thanks for looking!

Ya gotta start somewhere!

2007-07-12T03:11:00.000-04:00

It's not easy being green or trying to live a green life. I am going to try to relay what I am doing in my daily life to leave a small carbon footprint and maybe along the way, we will all learn something.