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Conservative or Liberal, Deist or Pagan, Jersey transplant or Lehigh Valley native, we're all in this mess together. Let's talk. Let us do no harm. Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Monday, June 15, 2015
About that $350,000 Bulldog "Bathroom"
Raise Private Funds
"Here's, the crazy part," commented shock jock Bobby Gunther Walsh, who should be an expert on that subject. "You guys could do it for $100,000, maybe get companies to donate their labor, some plumbers to donate their labor, electricians to donate their labor, maybe even get less thatn $100,000 to put up bathroom facilities. No, no, that's put in the budget because we can then comp one of our cronies and charge $350,000."
"The union will get involved," worried Pat Breslin.
"They're going to say you're stealing labor from them," echoed Walsh.
Breslin, who voted against the budget for this year, has never once mentioned, during any meeting, the possibility of using private funds to build bathroom facilities. He has never mentioned that possibility to other Commissioners outside of the meetings either. His statement is total bullshit. But he went onto talk radio to complain that his never-mentioned plan to raise private funds was ignored.
Since Breslin claimed he could raise the funds privately, he should be called on tonight to spearhead such an effort for whatever funds are needed outside of the grant. That's approximately $100,000, and he's already said he could do it. So let him. I hope he is named to lead such an effort tonight.
He can go on Bobby Gunther Walsh's show and have a telethon.
Bathroom Doubles as a Storage Facility
What Breslin, Walsh, Hudak and other critics of this bathroom fail to mention is that this bathroom will also double as a storage facility. It's so much easier for them to make their points without letting facts get in the way.
The Bethlehem Bulldogs currently pay almost $700 a month (app.$8,000/year) for storage of equipment and supplies during the off season. This facility will also provide permanent storage for shoulder pads and other equipment, much like the Steelers' facility in Bethlehem.Because the Bulldogs no longer will have to pay rental, they have agreed to an $8,000 cut in their annual allotment from the Township. That annual savings will probably pay for most if not all of the cost of the bathroom over its anticipated lifespan.
Why Does the Bathroom/Storage facility Cost $350,000?
The Township could rent trailers for eight months along with handicapped port-a-johns based on the 432 people visiting the park at any one time. Over 25 years, that would cost $400,000. The aromas and smell would be free.
Based on the parking lot size (and that lot is over capacity during football season), the 2009 International Building Code and Township Plumbing Code require a facility that includes the following: six women's toilets; two men's toilets and one urinal; two lavatories (sinks) in each restroom; Handicapped accessible facilities for each gender; two drinking fountains (one each for wheelchair and standing persons); A service closet with water heater, mop sink, and cleaning supply storage; and a separate, "family assisted use" restroom. This has nothing to do with unions or cronies, and everything to do with public safety and hygiene.
Name Port-a-Johns
If Commissioners vote this grant down, they'll have to continue using port-a-johns. If that is the case, I have an idea for raising revenue. The could bid out the naming rights to each shutter. There could be a Michael D Hudak shitter, a Pat Breslin job johnny and so forth.
The money raised would probably prevent a tax hike for the next ten years.
36 comments:
Any bets on Breslin being a no-show tonight?
- June 15, 2015 at 7:35 AM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
Whether he shows or not, he should be placed in chaerge of raising the $100,000 he claimed would be so easy to get.
- June 15, 2015 at 8:37 AM
Let me state that I'm 100% for building whatever facilities are needed to service youth activities in the community.
I'm still not seeing how a cinder block building with simple plumbing costs $350K. I'm hoping the majority of that is to dig sewer lines or something. It doesn't add up. You can buy a McMansion for $350K (which means it was built for a lot less).
- June 15, 2015 at 9:01 AM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
I'd suggest you read the agenda with Melissa Shafer's report. I linked to it.
According to her report, "A basic model with the appropriate number of fixtures will cost approximately $250,000. However, with the additional costs of site work, a new water line, and sustainable features that will limit vandalism, that cost may be closer to $350,000."
She goes on to answer your question, as I attempted to do, by pointing out that code requires plumbing fixtures for six women's toilets, two men's toilets, two sinks in each restroom, handicapped accessible facilities, a service closet and a separate family restroom.
In short, there is nothing "simple" about the plumbing.
I looked on the Internet, and see that adding one bathroom to a home can cost $50,000. Here you are talking about nine, and this is without the line work or the storage facility. So though it sounds very ridiculous, the costs appears to be the norm.
If there were $32,000 toilet seat covers, you'd be right on the money.
- June 15, 2015 at 9:20 AM
I think the problem, beyond the fact that certain individuals want to disparage for the sake of disparaging, is that your average person has no concept of what things costs in today's day and age with modern codes and code enforcement. It seems simple enough to erect a cinder building and throw a couple of toilets in it. But it is just not that simple.
- June 15, 2015 at 9:35 AM
One of the reasons for the cost is that this project must pay prevailing wages to its contractors. Public money is being spent, and PA law requires that prevailing wages be paid. That means union wages. If this outdated law was repealed, less public money could be spent, and the quality of the workmanship wouldn't be affected.
- June 15, 2015 at 10:03 AM
9:35, I know that a COMPLETE 3000 square foot house with 2-3 bathrooms, kitchen, HVAC, carpeting, flooring, tile, doors, windows, drywall, electrical, garage doors, lighting, plumbing, fixtures, etc RETAILS at $350,000. I also know what $350K will buy if adding an addition to a home. Seems out of whack.
- June 15, 2015 at 10:36 AM
You are right, but this isn't a house, this is a public building that MUST be handicapped accessible and water and sewer lines need to be brought in, as opposed to tying in off the street or having on-lot water and sewer. Add prevailing wages in and you got yourself a $350k project.
But I agree, if you or I were to get our own contractors and get donations from different professionals to put up a bathroom facility at a park, we could do it for less. The problem is the Township will not let that happen because of the union employees.
- June 15, 2015 at 10:48 AM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
A study done in 2012 for Durham showed that the cost of building just a one-room public restroom was between $82,000 and $156,000.
- June 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
"The problem is the Township will not let that happen because of the union employees."
That is nonsense. Township employees will not be building it. Pat Breslin and you are free to get private donors who are willing to volunteer their labor and finish the job for under $100,000.
- June 15, 2015 at 11:54 AM
$350,000 is a bargain for what they are proposing. That will add maybe $.50 to your tax bill? Those bathrooms will be used by the community at large, not just the families of the Bulldogs. Friends, relatives, etc. will all benefit. Small price to pay for a large benefit.
- June 15, 2015 at 12:38 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
But if Pat Breslin can raise the $100,000 he told Bobby Gunther Walsh he could raise, he should.
- June 15, 2015 at 2:55 PM
$350,000 is outrageous - unless it's something being built for a municipal entity. The same job being bid for a private citizen would be half the price. Knowing the customer is a municipality, the price gets jacked, a lot. Anyone who participates in municipal bidding knows this. When the gravy train rolls by, you jump on and get fed. It pays for all the shitty deals a company has had to endure. Profit is not a dirty word in the business world. And municipal business is very profitable because those who run municipalities are rather stupid about such things. Our current county controller has no accounting or finance background. Who cares? Remember the outrageous cost overruns on the NorCo council chambers? One council member called them "nice," and the named a frickin park after him! Nothing to see here. Just another day of spendthrift ridiculousness and its staunch defenders. Spend on! It's only taxpayers' money. It grows on trees, right?
- June 15, 2015 at 3:25 PM
"And municipal business is very profitable because those who run municipalities are rather stupid about such things."
It would appear to me that you are stupid about MANY things
- June 15, 2015 at 3:28 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
"$350,000 is outrageous - unless it's something being built for a municipal entity. "
By all means, hook up with Pat Breslin and raise the funds to do it all for under $100,000. Maybe you can take care of the plumbing bc you seem adept at handling shit.
- June 15, 2015 at 3:37 PM
Municipal bidding is a sewer. It's a feeding trough for overcharging and overbidding. Ridiculously large homes can be purchased for less than $350K. I don't like Walsh and don't know any of the players on either side of the politically charged debate. And there's the rub. Municipal projects are often so politically charged that price is the last thing looked at. Bust out the cardboard checks and damn common sense. Seriously, $350K for restrooms? Really? Who is the contractor? He should be named to protect the public from being hosed like Bethlehem Twp.
- June 15, 2015 at 4:40 PM
So, in all of the posts, not a word is mentioned about what the cost would be if it did not require prevailing wage. I estimate it would save $100,000. Does anyone disagree?
- June 15, 2015 at 6:19 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
That's not the point. The point is that Breslin misrepresented that he had donors lined up when the reality is he did nothing. Of course it would be cheaper if a plumber or electrician volunteered his time.
- June 15, 2015 at 6:49 PM
Cost of relieving yourself in a crapper named "The Bernie O'Hare"? Priceless. They could charge admission.
- June 15, 2015 at 9:21 PM
Plus... tack on soft costs such as site engineering and architectural fees along with project/construction management and I bet it will exceed $350,000.00
- June 15, 2015 at 9:34 PM
yeah, just got to WalMart and buy the stuff, have Joe the builder do it for 100.000, don't worry about stupid plans and codes and regulations,all that government bullcrap, so what if it lasts two years? fox news tells me to hate unions, and i do. as long as i can continue to complain about taxes, and be right, because fox news, that's all i care about.
- June 15, 2015 at 9:59 PM
Township storm system can't handle heavy rains so who thinks they can manage a shitter or 2?
- June 15, 2015 at 9:59 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
Those storm waters knocked something off the bottom of my car, and I was forced to drive home dragging it. Tomorrow, I will try to get the damage repaired.
- June 15, 2015 at 10:20 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
It was near NCC
- June 15, 2015 at 10:20 PM
Township spends how much on engineering services and one heavy rain storm brings it to it's knees in minutes...
- June 15, 2015 at 10:26 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
It definitely brought my car to its knees.
- June 15, 2015 at 10:29 PM
That suv you own sure could have come in handy
- June 15, 2015 at 10:37 PM
- Lighthouse said...
So how are the Two and PennDOT working together to fix the culvert with the caved in sidewalk? Or does no one still want " ownership" and still pointing at each other? Dangerous enough as it is, let alone if under water. Perception is that both are willing to take the risk that a tragedy won't happen and they won't be sued, and that is cheaper than fixing a known hazard.
- June 15, 2015 at 11:21 PM
- Lighthouse said...
So how are the Two and PennDOT working together to fix the culvert with the caved in sidewalk? Or does no one still want " ownership" and still pointing at each other? Dangerous enough as it is, let alone if under water. Perception is that both are willing to take the risk that a tragedy won't happen and they won't be sued, and that is cheaper than fixing a known hazard.
- June 15, 2015 at 11:22 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
Lighthouse, at this juncture, the twp is demanding that PennDot take responsibility. They are using state legislators to encourage PennDOT to do something. If PennDot refuses, the next step might be a lawsuit.
- June 15, 2015 at 11:25 PM
- Lighthouse said...
State legislators have very little influence with PennDOT, though I wish them luck. As I have written before there is the immediate issue, and the larger issue of the culverts from Butztown to Santee on both sides of Easton, and down Willow Park (wall from the property owner will eventually cave in and impede flow on the open culvert once past the grates on Willow Park). All stakeholders need to be in, most especially the government entities of PennDOT and the Twp. The roads themselves are PennDOT, but beyond is the dispute. The immediate problem needs fixed. But the whole area needs a formal engineering assessment and plan of action. Sidewalks over the culverts between Pub and Butztown showing deterioration. In the end, there is a known problem, with foreseeable hazards (not just with water), and no action.
- June 16, 2015 at 12:08 AM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
Lighthouse, the culvert (covered by steel grating and sidewalk) extending between Willow Park Road and Santee Road, on the collapsed side, is actually owned by the abutting property owners. It is not owned by PennDOT or the Township. In the early '70s, PenDOT pule that all in place. It did so without approval from BT engineer's at that time , Mr. Fraivillig. His contention was that the proposed culverts on both sides of the road were inadequate to carry storm waters. He actually suggested a huge pipe that would go under the highway. He proposed extending that pipe along Santee Road to Willow Park Road for drainage into Nancy Run Creek, He also suggested closing off the Willow Park Road and Easton Avenue intersection and making Santee Road the place where traffic would turn.
In the Leform case, the PennDOT district engineer testified to the work they had done at that side.
So I believe the argument could be forcefully made that PennDOT is responsible and has to fix the culvert.
I realize PennDOT is pretty much a law unto itself, but I think it is in a bad egal position here.
- June 16, 2015 at 12:20 AM
Is it true DA John M. has a small tic tac brain?
- June 16, 2015 at 4:37 PM
@4:47 His is at least 10x larger than yours, whatever size it is. You've made a lot of what you were dealt, but alas you're at your limit.
- June 16, 2015 at 8:26 PM
You must be DA JOHN or a Brown nose
- June 16, 2015 at 9:25 PM
- Bernie O'Hare said...
Mezzacappa, your anonymous and OT slur at Morganelli is noted. It is written by someone who I'm beginning to think is taking a powder. It won't do you any good. But I'll alert pretrial services.
- June 16, 2015 at 9:43 PM


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Deanna Fae Hedrick, age 76, of Murdock
Deanna Fae Hedrick, age 76, of Murdock, died Monday, June 2, 2014, at the North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. A Memorial Service will be held 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 12, 2014, at the Byron United Methodist Church in Byron, Minnesota. Interment will be at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Murdock. Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson. www.zniewskifuneralhome.com
Deanna Fae Hedrick was born March 13, 1938 to LeRoy and Mary Elizabeth (Munden) Giles in Hay Springs, Nebraska. She grew up in McCook, Nebraska and graduated from Boulder High School in Colorado. She then attended the University of Colorado. Deanna was married to Christopher Jones from 1958 to 1974 and this union was blessed with four children. From 1978 to 1995, she was married to James M. Hedrick. Deanna was a devoted mother, Girl Scout Leader and 4-H Leader, she volunteered for Meals on Wheels and at a Homeless Shelter, was a choir director at church, and a foster parent. She enjoyed her hobby farm where she raised dairy goats and sold milk and cheese. Deanna was a portrait artist and loved music and listening to public radio. Some of her favorite things were playing rummy and cribbage, her dogs, the Minnesota Vikings, bird watching, and books on tape.
Deanna passed away on Monday, June 2, 2014, at the North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. She had attained 76 years, 2 months, and 20 days of age.
She is survived by three children: Christopher David Jones of Byron, MN, Burton Peekeekoot Jones of Arizona, and Charlotte Estelle (Anthony) Rosemeier of DeGraff, MN; fifteen grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many wonderful lifelong friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Brown; and brother, Jerry Giles.

subset: commoncrawl


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So, lets start at the beginning! We arrived at the studio's at around 2pm, our slot wasn't until 4:30 but we were lucky enough to be allowed in at early, the tour started in a small room then lead onto the cinema which told you the story of how the books were discovered and created, then we were lead into the great hall! The great hall is the only section that is properly guided, the tour guide told us lots of facts.
By this point, I had lots of tears in my eyes and I couldn't believe where I was standing, it was just as magical as I imagined.
FUN FACT: The great hall was the only set that had a proper floor because they needed something that would stand for 10 years, it was made from durable York flagstone.
Next up in this little series will be...... The Big Room!


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"I thought I'd catch you before I went in for bowling league. Yup, I'm in a bowling league. That's what I've become, that's life after school. After you graduate perhaps you too could join a bowling team."
It made me realize that, as CJane put it, I need to get my spice back.
Bowling league would be awesome if I was legitimately good at bowling and went for more reasons than just to eat the cheesy fries and play Mass Millions (won $3 last night...no one won the big jackpot....I'll let you know). The thing is, I SUCK at bowling, as in bowling a 48 suckage.
I tried to be spicy last weekend. I went to an alum event in Newton to hear the college archivist talk about photography at Smith. I went from this:
to this:
in an effort to be spicy, and really just came out with slightly less insane hair and not enough makeup to look less tired. Oh well, it didn't really matter because I was about the 5th oldest person out of the group. The median age had to be about 70. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but think I am seeking my spice in the wrong places.
I told Jamaal about this sudden lack of seasoning and at first he laughed and said that it was all a ridiculous notion. I was silent for a long while and then I said "but I'm a slave to my job - I work long hours and stress over it, then I come home, work out if I'm lucky, shove some food in my mouth and fall into bed - what the f*ck happened? I'm 27 damn years old, aren't I supposed to be more interesting?"
You know what he said?
He said "But you bowled tonight"
I flipped. I mean it was funny after, but I was like 'I BOWLED? That's your version of excitement? ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Finding a spider in my bed on Sunday night was more exciting!" (and freaky I might add).
I think he figured out what I was talking about finally because he was like "yes I know I know, since I've been in school we haven't done anything, it's true. We used to go out, we used to do stuff when you came down here, but we haven't in a while." Not since I forced him to go to the Statue of Liberty that is, lol. It was hard with us in school - harder for him because he has less flexibility about getting sh*t done. I could do work ahead of time before visiting him unless I had some hideous exam I needed to study for, but he is more "in the moment" with conference calls and group work, etc.
He promised spice when he moves up here (finally. whenever that may be.)
I shouldn't be so down because my life could really blow and it doesn't. It's just surface crap that needs cleaning, organization that needs to happen so I don't have to come home and be bogged down by boring sh*t. It's just that I was particularly complainy yesterday I guess. meh.
Something I did do earlier this week is a little garden photo shoot. You can really see spring happening now, especially with the native plants adapted to this wacky climate:
I also got this totally rad scarf in the mail from my RSE 3 partner.
I noticed how wackadoodle my front teeth look. Damn retainer, I should've worn it like I was told. uhhhhwell.
Alright I'm off to prepare for my big conference call. I feel less nervous about it, an improvement over last month. Sigh. Then I might try and find some spiciness...I will probably just end up watching ANTM in my pj's though, LOL


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But the first match, Jack Evans vs. Matt Sydal (two unknowns to me), was a respectable match that would not be out of place in TNA's X-Division. The finish was weak, as it featured flagrant outside interference that the ref clearly acknowledged. Yet there was no DQ called. If the ref is not going to keep up the pretense of officiating, then make it a no DQ match and get the dude out of the scene.
I really liked the way the main event was designed to set of Wrestling Society X's first championship bout. The battle royal was designed to have two winners, with the goal of the match to reach one of the two championship match contracts suspended above the ring. The winners of the match, who next episode will fight for the chance to be the first WSX champ, are these two guys:
Sean Waltman,
a.k.a. Six-Pac, a.k.a. X-Pac, a.k.a. Syxx, a.k.a. the 1-2-3 Kid,
former member of both D-X and the nWo.
a.k.a. Six-Pac, a.k.a. X-Pac, a.k.a. Syxx, a.k.a. the 1-2-3 Kid,
former member of both D-X and the nWo.
I'm going to be rooting for the Vampire LARPer. Seriously, this Waltman guy sucks. It's not that he's a badguy I love to hate. It's not that I want to see Vampiro beat the crap out of him. I just don't want Sean Waltman on my TV at all. And I'm not the only fan like that. The term "X-Pac Heat" was coined for him. It means heat (wrestling slang for 'crowd reaction') against the wrestler and not his badguy character. Lots of people find this guy annoying as hell and I'm one of them.
Which, in the crazy world of wrestling, means he'll probably win the championship and have a long and glorious reign.


text:
The B-Series Vertical Sleeve is designed to be welded perpendicularly to common grades of structural plates and shapes. Typical applications include welding to base plates, anchor plates and for tying together structural steel members.
Pentair, CADDY, CADWELD, CRITEC, ERICO, ERIFLEX, ERITECH and LENTON are owned by Pentair or its global affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Pentair reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice.
Pentair products shall be installed and used only as indicated in Pentair's product instruction sheets and training materials. Instruction sheets are available at www.erico.pentair.com and from your Pentair customer service representative. Improper installation, misuse, misapplication or other failure to completely follow Pentair's instructions and warnings may cause product malfunction, property damage, serious bodily injury and death and/or void your warranty.


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Against a background of enmity and war, friendships between British and German people still flourished, often in the unlikeliest of places. Here are a few more stories of some of those encounters.
Rolf Göhler, a young man in his early twenties, was unlucky enough to be captured by the British on the last day of the Second World War – 4th May 1945. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp near Exeter where he lived for nearly three years.
He began attending a church nearby and became friendly with some of the locals. At Christmas in 1947, some of the prisoners including Rolf took part in a concert. To show their gratitude for the friendship and hospitality they had received, they made candles, toys and other gifts, many carved by hand out of wood. The church was lit with candles in wooden candleholders carved with each prisoner's name.
After repatriation, Rolf lived in East Germany but wrote regularly to his friends in Devon. After the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, he made regular visits to England, where he found the wooden candleholders still in use in that same church more than forty years later.
Henry Francies was a British man living in Loughton, northeast of London, at the end of the war. Ten years earlier he had joined the Peace Pledge Union, promising, "I will renounce war and will never support or sanction another".
In 1946, he heard of the desperate food shortages in Germany and, despite severe rationing in England, set up a Famine Relief committee and arranged for regular food parcels to be sent to Germany and Austria over the next decade.
This was not all. Hearing of a prisoner of war camp not far away, he led an appeal for locals to welcome German prisoners into their homes on Christmas Day. The two men who spent Christmas with Henry and his family that year became lifelong friends with the Francies.
Michael Betts lived with his grandfather, Mr Walls, in Skipton during the war. Mr Walls was well known for his musical abilities and, hearing of a prisoner of war camp nearby, decided to invite the more gifted musicians among the prisoners to his house to play his grand piano and other instruments.
In the last months of the war, a steady stream of keen young musicians benefited from Mr Walls' generosity. In return, they put on impromptu concerts and gave German lessons to young Michael.
Remembering those evenings, he said, "Over the meals that inevitably followed we got to know some of these young men quite well. We found them very much like ourselves, full of fun and music and in no way militaristic or political."
Although there are hundreds of stories such as these, it's still true that only a tiny minority of British and German people were lucky enough to encounter each other in settings where friendship was possible, where it was possible to encounter the other as a human being, rather than an enemy. Reading these stories only increases my frustration that the majority missed out.
(Stories taken from Pamela Howe Taylor's book, The Germans We Trusted, Lutterworth Press, 2003)


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Friday, November 9, 2012
Melograno by Santa Maria Novella
One thing I can say for certain, regarding this house, is that they make for some strong Eau de Colognes. Their offerings in this format retain more strength and presence than most Eau de Toilettes I sample. That's a terrific quality if the scent is enjoyable and understandably not so good if the fragrance doesn't float your boat. Melograno by S.M.N has me caught in the middle. I don't like it in the conventional sense, but I can't dismiss it either. It's strangely captivating, but it's not necessarily in my wheelhouse for regular wearing.
This potpourri of aroma dissipates just enough after 30 minutes to permit the entrance of a soft, oriental finish. Even after this has been on my skin for over 30 minutes, I still feel this is a masculine scent. I still cannot love this, but I suppose respect is as good as it's going to get.
Sillage is good with longevity being impressive for an EDC. This is easily detected 6 hours later. Neutral rating from Aromi for Santa Maria Novella's Melograno. A sample wear is highly recommended as I find this leans very retro in its own way.
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Oh for God sakes...
President Barack Obamas Nobel Peace Prize is quickly turning from a singular honor into a gold-medal headache, as even supporters call it premature and critics say it proves hes a darling of the international elite.
Obama himself sought to put some distance between himself and the award, saying, "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but a recognition of the role of American leadership" in the world.
"To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures" who won in the past, Obama said at the White House. "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st Century."


text:
I'm having trouble finding time to post these challenge pieces, since the first of the week is taken up by other memes I'm involved in. Additionally, the prompt doesn't appear until sometime Monday. So, for the time being, I'll post my Journal 52 entries on Thursday.
I call this entry "My Neighborhood," following the premise of a simple place. My neighborhood is made up of gingerbread houses on a background that I painted last week when I created my first week's prompt. Since we were told the place could be imaginary, I thought of houses. And there are no better houses that spark your imagination than gingerbread houses.
I'm not sure that painting the background before I have the prompt is a good idea, but I need to paint both sides of my file folder page at the same time. In case you can't read the sentiment I printed on printer paper (since I'm not good at hand writing my journaling), here is:
My gingerbread neighborhood has housesI recycled a piece of gifted washi tape, thinking it might add a bit of interest to the "neighborhood." I don't want these file folders to get too dimensional, since I'm not sure how many I'll be able to get in my binder.
with walls, roofs, doors and windows.
They hold lots of stories, at least as long as
my neighbor abstains from
taking the first gingerbread bite.
The front set of fussy cut houses was applied using thick foam tape, which lifts them away from the back ones. I hope you like my idea of a simple (and completely imaginary) place.


text: Happy Halloween! This week has been busier than usual, so I've been left with little time to do any blogging. Today is catch up day, cleaning house and relaxing. Since I'm done cleaning, as part of my relaxation treat, I decided on a chocoholic bubble bath, face mask and body butter regime. I used Phliosophy Peppermint Hot cocoa shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath, Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask and Jaqua Marshmallow Cocoa Sinfully Rich Body Butter. All together, my bathroom became a glorious chocoholic haven for me to relax in. Jaqua Marshmallow Cocoa Body Butter is so luxuriously creamy, yet fast absorbing. Plus the scent lasts long after application. I urge everyone to try it at least once. ;) Best part is I had a wonderful chocolate filled treat with no calories consumed. :)


text:
2 Bedroom Apartment in Rosebank
R 14 800 Deposit R 29 600
A Marlon Brook
In House Rentals
2 Bedroom Apartment in Rosebank
R 14 800 Deposit R 29 600
Fully furnished Art Deco flat in historic building right on the doorstep of Rosebank Mall and the Gautrain (opposite Starbucks) - perfect for the young executive.
Two bedrooms, one bathroom, 100 sq apartment with pine flooring throughout (say no to laminate!).
As featured in South African design publications.
The last historic building next to the mall.
Kitchen includes oven / stove, microwave, bean to cup coffee machine, kettle, fridge, snac-wich machine, and washing machine.
Bedrooms include significant cupboard space (built in), side tables, cheval mirror and period furniture.
Lounge includes two 3 seater couches, 6 seater dining room table, 43inch tv.
Single bathroom includes combo bath / shower, toilet and basin.
3 minute walk to Gautrain platform, means rapid access to airport, Sandton or Pretoria.
Double garage (fully enclosed and suitable for storage).
Full servicing (Mon, Wed, Fri) and wi fi (4mb uncapped) is available for an additional R 2500 per month.
Key Property Features
Email the Agent should you require any further details.
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Rosebank is a multi-cultural, vibrant and exciting suburb of Johannesburg, with an outdoorsy atmosphere. It is a trendy suburb, business centre and tourist attraction in one of Johannesburg's up-market areas. Although Rosebank is home to many head offices, the district also provides plenty of entertainment to its residents and visitors at its variety of shopping malls, restaurants, markets, luxurious hotels, cinemas, art galleries and night clubs. Parktown is home to many businesses, hospitals, schools, churches and restaurants, whilst still maintaining quiet residential areas. Parktown is an old and established suburb, with leafy avenues and a serene atmosphere. Large mansions are a dominant feature in this exclusive suburb, and new developments are rare.Find out more about Rosebank and Parktown
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GARDNER Stone (front)
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel
This the the front of a GARDNER stone for George A. GARDNER and his wife Margaret. It is in Section 22 of River Bend Cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island.
It is near the graves of George C. GARDNER and his wives so I am fairly sure this is a son of George and his second wife Lucy SCHOFIELD.


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After enjoying a relaxing Saturday morning, a few of us went into town! When we got back, some of us decided we had to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. So we went over to an event being held outside in the Parker Quad. It was called Take Back the Night and was all about prevention and awareness of sexual harassment. When we got there, they had SO many t-shirts to give away. They even had tie-dying materials for us to use on our new t-shirts! We all made 2 tie-dye shirts; it was a lot of fun! After tie-dying, we sat out on the grass and listened to some musical performances which were really great. They even provided Subway for all of us! I really loved attending this event and being outside in such nice weather :)
|One of my tie-dye t-shirts


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The City of Surrey and the SPCA are seeking the public's help in locating the owner of a puppy who was found in a bush with "severe rope burns" around its snout. The injuries are believed to be caused by a muzzle, said a city news release.
Marcie Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations at the BC SPCA, couldn't confirm whether a rope or a muzzle had been placed on the dog's mouth but said an object would have to be placed "exceptionally hard" to cause those kinds of injuries.
"The injuries sustained around the face were absolutely very serious, especially due to the infection that had set in," she told The Huffington Post B.C.
"There is a possibility that the dog has some other skin ailments, given the fact that the poor puppy's only six weeks old and has suffered quite a lot in her short time."
Kim Marosevich at the Surrey Animal Care Centre told CTV that the puppy was brought in earlier in the week by a member of the public who found her lying in bushes on the side of the road near 106 Avenue and 137A Street.
The SPCA is currently investigating an address associated with the animal and considering charges of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals, the Province reported.
"The first step is following up on any potential leads on where the puppy came from, questioning the owner to make a determination as to whether the owner caused it, how did this puppy come to be in the situation that she was," Moriarty told The Huffington Post B.C.
Last month, newborn kittens were found abandoned in a cooler on a sunny sidewalk in Surrey. Some of the animals still had their umbilical cords attached.


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This is a new baby book 12x12 and has about 25 pages. This project was lying in the closet since last 6 months finally I completed it again when I was given a deadline! All the pages have been designed in photoshop and then digitally printed and then worked upon. The cover is inspired by card patterns sketch. I have used a screw file so that more pages can be added later.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
My New Baby Book--Few Pages
6 comments:
wow!! Its awesome!! Loved it! Can you show how you bound the pages?ReplyDelete
Super!!! You sure are a pro with these :-)ReplyDelete
wow!!.. its cute!.. i love the little crochet flower, the big safety pin.. the cute ducky and the bib!.. nyc album! :)ReplyDelete
Oh wow! Such a fabulous baby album! Doesn't it feel great to finally complete it? ;)ReplyDelete
OMG this is lovely...love the little embellishments, where do u get these from?ReplyDelete
Wowwwwwww !!!ReplyDelete
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I was afraid that I can't make a card for Beccy's Place July challenge. I'd hate to miss it because the theme is an easel card with Beccy's image. I love easels and her digis :o) Such a perfect challenge...
I used several Beccy's images: Nell on Bicycle, Pine Grove and Sunflower/Gerbera. I made a little scene with Nell and pine trees and also draw a dirt path and some bushes. I colored path digitally because I wasn't sure how to color it with markers. Nell, her bike and bushes are colored with ProMarkers and sky is made with Broken China Distress ink. I added some grass with Stabilo pens.
Sunflower and it leaves are also colored with ProMarkers. Flower has three layers, each of them is popped-up with foam tape.
Sweet Stop Sketches Sketch #169
Striped paper is digi from Computer Scrapbook Friday Night Cocktails 2 collection. Pearls are from Queen & Co. Easel stopper is made with Heyda border punch. Sentiments are all computer generated.
|To the birthday!!!
I'd also like to participate on following challenges:
A &T Sketch Challenges - DT call
Inky Impressions Challenges - Use dies or punches
Crafts 4 Eternity - Brilliant birthday
Polka Doodle - Summer


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I really am enjoying the versatility of the Digi images. I can make them ANY size I want! They are available at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!
My place of escape - filled with thoughts on LIFE, creations and the things I LOVE.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Sweet Stop #3 FINTASTIC BIRTHDAY!
I really am enjoying the versatility of the Digi images. I can make them ANY size I want! They are available at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!
12 comments:
- bsgstamps4fun: Barb Gault said...
Another wonderful card from your talented hands! Sounds like you have a wonderful day ahead of you with all the women in your family at the banquet! Enjoy your time together! Happy Mother's Day!
Big hugs!
- May 9, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Sally said...
Another wonderful creation. I just love this card.
- May 9, 2009 at 9:37 AM
- Ceal said...
Great card Chris! TFS
Happy Mothers Day!
- May 9, 2009 at 10:35 AM
This is such a fun card, Chrissy! Have a terrific time with your girls today!!
- May 9, 2009 at 11:21 AM
- Christina said...
Wonderful card! Enjoy your time with all the special women in Your life!
- May 9, 2009 at 12:03 PM
- Danni said...
What a great card! I'm loving that turtle!
- May 9, 2009 at 3:33 PM
- Kathy W said...
Dude- reminds me of Crush from Nemo! Have a wonderful Mother's day
- May 10, 2009 at 9:28 AM
- kc_froglady said...
OMGosh this card is so stinking cute! I love how you have him swimming right on thru and the dew drops for bubbles is great - Wonderful sentiment and love the paper choices - Oh I love him to death great card!
- May 11, 2009 at 6:30 PM
- Betty aka ZacksNana said...
oh i love you turtle!!! Colors are great. I have something for you on my blog...
- May 12, 2009 at 3:15 PM
- Becky in East Tennessee said...
WOW! This is simply beautiful! I love it!! And I loooove seeing DeeDees little plant thingies! HOW COOOL!
- May 12, 2009 at 3:23 PM
- Wanda. said...
I just LOVE every element that is going on in this card. From the image cut out to the dew drops!! TFS
- May 12, 2009 at 8:31 PM
- Anne said...
Oh cute cute cute!! Gotta love the digi stamps!! This is such a cute design with fun details everywhere! Great job Chrissy!!
- May 14, 2009 at 3:04 PM


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Par Avion Wilderness Tours invites you to stay for three days and explore the remote Southwest Wilderness. You will be accommodated at our luxury private camp, located in the forest, on the shores of Bathurst Harbour. This camp has no walking track access and is completely exclusive to our clients.
The Southwest National Park is over 4500sq kms, and the Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Reserve is three times the size of Sydney Harbour. You will be able to take a walk in this world heritage listed area, without the usual hardship that is associated with visiting such a remote wilderness area.
Access to the Southwest Wilderness Camp is by a magnificent flight, in a twin engine Islander aircraft landing at Melaleuca. During your flight you will witness the grandeur of this lost world and see some of the icons of Tasmania's world renowned wilderness such as Federation Peak, The Western Arthur Range, Precipitous Bluff and Tasmania's rugged South Coast.
Upon arrival at Melaleuca, you will board a vessel to access the camp and to explore the magnificent waterways of the Port Davey Marine Reserve, with its 800 metre mountains rising from the sea. Your experienced guides will look after you, prepare your meals and give you a thorough interpretation of this spectacular wilderness area.
There will be opportunities to see the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrots, visit Aboriginal middens and caves, explore the remote waterways via your private boat, walk on untouched beaches, see wildlife or even climb a mountain if you want to. All walks are graded easy to moderate.
This ultimate experience gives you an opportunity to see untouched wilderness, in one of the world's last remaining temperate rainforests. You will breathe the cleanest air in the world, while staying in comfortable accommodation, enjoying quality Tasmanian food and wine.


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Join us Saturday for a special bargain at the Debbie Sanders sketch sessions...
We'll be making the layout above in the Debbie Sanders free sketch sessions this Saturday. Your cost to make this layout? Usually the price would be about $4, but in honor of the fourth anniversary of our sketch sessions, we have a special deal for those of you who attend our in-store sessions. You'll be getting 20 percent off the price of your sketch papers, so your cost to make this layout will be closer to $3! Can't beat that deal!
Just call us at 417-886-0440 to register for a session at 10 am or 2:30 pm on Saturday, June 11. Bring basic tools, and we'll provide you with a free computer sketch that you can use over and over!
And don't forget, we'll punch your Studio G Reward Card. Don't have one yet? No problem, we'll be happy to get you started on the way to earning some great rewards like free page kits, $20 gift cards, and other goodies!
If you want a kit, the fee is $5, and is due at the time the request is made. (Sorry, above discount does not apply to kits.)
Super Sketch Club members:
Yes, this layout and sketch will be included in your June kit!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Posted by Debbie Sanders, Scrapbook Generation at 7:54 PM
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We had our monthly co-op meeting today. The girls decorated sugar and gingerbread cookies for their cooking class. And we even have icing left over to decorate some cookies at home! After a simple lunch, we watched a video of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Even though I've read the book several times, I don't know that I've ever seen the movie. It was cute, and the fashions brought me back to my childhood. (Knickers, anyone?) Joy and Grace's class has been reading and studying the book this semester, so it was a fun way to end the co-op semester.
The younger girls were all invited to a friend's sleepover, and Faith and some friends were hired to do hair for the sleepover guests. (It was a spa party.) So Paul and I used our time away to eat some good Tex-Mex and do a little shopping. We ended our date with some really disappointing bread pudding from a local restaurant. Then we picked up Faith and her friend, who is sleeping over at our house tonight, and I brought them to the mall. We had gone so that Faith could decide what perfume she like best for Christmas, but we ended up trying on formals. That's a sentence a man would never write! Now we're home and in our jammies and ready to relax.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4


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I have been home for a few days and having a ball with my embroidery machine and sewing machine. Actually finished that Indian Hatchet top that I have been working on for months!
Taught myself how to do FSL (free standing lace) too. It makes such lovely delicate ornaments!
Also got a wild hair and started to embroider Jacobean flowers on delicate lavendar hued fabric to try to bring a picture in my mind of a floral quilt to life.
And someone call a shrink for me...... started another scrap quilt with 1.5" pieces! Can we say glutton for punishment LOL. I have visions of this becoming a full sized quilt but we shall see how long my good intentions last.....


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Motorcycles, politics, literature, music, philosophy, humour, miscellany, custard
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Back in February, I posted about taking Anna to the National Botanical Garden of Wales. I said there that we were planning a further trip to Aberglasney when Spring arrived (and I needed to be in Anna's good books again). I am going off for the weekend to the International XT Meet, so I reckoned a quid pro quo would be a day going round some gardens. Yesterday, the forecast was for showers only (i.e. at the dry end of Welsh weather arrangements) and I had the day off work, so off we went. Good choice, it was.
Aberglasney is the site of a house which was owned by the descendants of Elystan Glorydd and the grand-daughter of Hywel Dda in mediaeval times and passed to the Rudd family around 1600. Bishop Rudd reconstructed the house in 1603 and laid out some formal Elizabethan gardens. The house was then bought by Robert Dyer, a successful Carmarthen lawyer, and substantially rebuilt in the Queen Anne style. Dyer's descendants got into debt, and the house was bought and sold several times until it was abandoned in 1908. It was commandeered during the second World War as a holding station for US troops in the run-up to D-Day, and was inhabited briefly, but in the 1950s the estate was sold and broken up. The house was neglected and vandalised, but in 1995 was taken over by the Aberglasney Restoration Trust, and work began to restore the gardens and house. The work in the gardens was a combination of horticulture and archaeology, but painstaking efforts led to the uncovering of Elizabethan and Jacobean goundworks which are now revealed and restored to their former glory.
We first visited Aberglasney around ten years ago, when restoration work had only just started, and the gardens were still being excavated and the house only a shell. The gardens now are beautiful, and work on the house is progressing. Most of the house is inaccessible to the public and I don't know to what extent there are plans to restore the whole structure, but one superb innovation is the construction of a 'ninfarium' in the ruined courtyard in the centre. The area has been roofed in with glass and a variety of large and small sub-tropical plants have been installed. It's very impressive. A few photos and comments follow.
The house at Aberglasney - the Queen Anne facade
The Cloister Garden with arcaded stone surround, supporting a parapet walkway, and original Elizabethan chequerboard cobbles
Detail of Elizabethan floor surface - amazing to walk on this and reflect how long ago the cobbles were laid and who has walked there since
View through the arcade to the Pond
Raindrops on a hosta leaf
Upper Walled Garden, laid out according to the archaeology
Delicious lunch in the Tea Rooms
Interior of the Ninfarium
Plaque to commemmorate the Cabots, American benefactors whose generosity allowed the restoration to happen
Preserving the house interior
I reckon it's an Iris, but I am told it isn't. By those what know. It's beautiful anyway.
The visit was enhanced by an art exhibition in the two habitable rooms on the ground floor of the house. Two local artists, Glenn Ibbitson and Carole King (no, not that Carole King) had their work on show and it was fabulous. I got chatting to Glenn and it turns out he is a Leeds lad (like me) and spent a lot of time in Hull (like I have). He's about my age, but the years didn't match, so there were no "ah, that must have been you!" moments. He's another 'ex-biker' - got as far as a Honda Superdream and then moved to London and never looked back. His work ranged from superbly-drawn landscapes to semi-impressionist interiors, and I liked it all. That's from someone who is very wary of 'modern art' - the man can paint, and paint extremely well. His partner's work was more small-scale and delicate, using fragments of maps and collages, and was delightful. I went back in when we had finished the tour of the garden, as it is our Wedding Anniversary coming up soon, and I know Anna would have loved a lavender-coloured interior piece that we had both admired. At £750, it was not even in mad impulse purchase territory, but we took his business card and phone number and we will see if we can find something more affordable at a later time. His work can be seen here.
Aberglasney, highly recommended.
11 comments:
Superb photos!ReplyDelete
"I reckon it's an Iris, but I am told it isn't. By those what know. It's beautiful anyway."
Canna lily or Indian shot..?
Thank you, Julia. It's a cheap camera and cost me nothing (lost property, waited 3 months, returned to finder), so anything is a bonus. It doesn't handle high contrast well (bright sky blows it out) but it seems happy with more evenly-lit scenes.ReplyDelete
Canna Lily: I've looked up some images and you may well be right. I'll check next time we go.
I would have said Iris as well, but then I'm not known for my knowledge of flowers or birds. It's pretty whatever it flower it is.ReplyDelete
I love the old architecture and stonework. It must be wonderful to walk around and explore.
Bluekat, it is. I'm not a fan of gardens, but love old buildings and archaeology, and Aberglasney seems to combine a lot of interest for me. If you are ever over this way, it is well worth a day of your time.ReplyDelete
But is it worth the £750?ReplyDelete
If I had had £750 to spare, then yes, it would have been worth it, to me. (That's about the most definite statement anyone can make about the value of art, IMO.)ReplyDelete
Commenter Microdave has done a bit of research with a panel of experts (his Mum) and appears to have found conclusive evidence that the iris-loke plant mentioned above is, in fact, a flag iris.ReplyDelete
Which was the first name to enter my head when I saw it. Perhaps I should have more confidence in my own (lack of) ability. Thanks to Microdave and Mrs Microdave Snr.
Thanks, Richard - Mum's chuffed to be called a "panel of experts"!ReplyDelete
Nothing is too good for Mums.ReplyDelete
Have just found your blog talking about our exhibition at Aberglasney. We have always enjoyed exhibiting at Aberglasney.ReplyDelete
Thankyou for your positive review
Carole and Glenn.
Carole, good to hear from you, and welcome to the blog. I really did enjoy your work - both of you - and I have kept the contact details. Maybe one day when we are out your way. Good luck with it, whatever.ReplyDelete
Comment is free, according to C P Scott, so go for it. Word verification is turned off for the time being. Play nicely.


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Video content can be found on my personal YouTube channel, and additional footage will be posted in C&C's Facebook group.
Below are some photos from the event. Although I do try to include as many cars as possible in the photo gallery, there are several cars I know I missed, so I apologize if one of them is yours!
First, we met up for the drive. (Excuse the awful audio quality, I messed that up!)


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Lately, I have been listening to a mixed CD while driving that I have named "Women Who Rock." Every time I get to the song "A Change Will Do You Good" by Sheryl Crowe, I must stop, rewind, listen, and sing out loud. I have to remind myself that sometimes change is for the good.
I was so excited over the summer to start teaching again, starting graduate school again, waking up in the morning feeling well, showering and singing of the blessings of life. Unfortunately, six weeks into the quarter, my plans changed. My teaching job suddenly ended, tightening my purse strings once again, losing the new friends that I had made, and regretting the option to start school in financial disarray. But the entire experience taught me several great things: I do have the ability to teach, I know my subject very well, and a little enthusiasm goes a long way.
In retrospect, I should have been teaching at another school at another state at another time. However, life doesn't always work out as planned. That is when I step back and realize all that I have overcome to get to the state in which I now find myself. I am now looking at a prospective job that will allow me to teach from home (or coffee shop), and in turn, it will allow me to continue graduate school. It will allow some independence and keep me at a safe place while I still need it. When I stop and look around me, I can only say that I have learned from the experience, forgive myself for blunders, and continue to seek the road less traveled.
Maybe there is a reason for all of this change. My sister may be moving into our home and need help with her little one during the day. My family may need me for backup. My health may not continue to thrive. My student loans definitely need to be canceled, and it may just be better off for me to be able to teach on my own schedule when I actually feel at my best. I definitely still need time to work on me.
So now, I spend my days in grad school work, cooking for my family, and taking life one step at a time. As we move from one holiday season into the next, I will have something… make that lots of things, that I will be thankful for. Holiday gifts may be slim, but at least we have a loving family with whom we can share more gifts than we can imagine. Baked goodies will be given, and time takes the place of money. Right now, this change has done me good. And I can only hope that it continues to do so as I continue to learn and grow.


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Red in the Face
So, I got old this week. Well, 25. But it's a whole new box I have to tick, people, a WHOLE NEW BOX. And being old, I thought I'd give yummy mummy bible Red Magazine a go. Posited as it is for slightly more mature women, I assumed that this would translate to its content. Yeah. Whatapenis.
Like most women's magazines, Red is mostly just adverts or clothes placed by PRs. Eventually I get to an article about Naomi Watts entitled 'Not just another Hollywood blonde', but I don't read it because fuck, I'm 25, I'm basically dying, and that's time in my life I am just never going to get back. Plus, it opens with the words 'Naomi Watts is the rarest of creatures'. The word 'creature' when applied to a woman (and it's almost always women) is one of my pet hates, along with the phrases 'of an evening' and 'no sugar, I'm sweet enough.' You'd never hear Johnny Depp referred to as an 'elegant creature' or a 'gorgeous creature'. It just gives me the creeps. 'Creature' to me says small and fluffy rodent or insect, or a monster from a 1950s B-movie that lives in the deep and picks off necking teenagers one by one as they dry hump in the back of a Camero near a creek. UGH.
Moving swiftly on, because I need to be at Old Street by 6 'o clock and it's so freaking hot that I'm doing this in my pants. There's a feature about women who knit their own locally produced chutney or some such, followed by a confessional piece written by a woman who feels guilty for not having been very nice to her disabled brother when they were children. This raises my heckles, as I have a disabled brother and was (and am) perfectly nice to him, thankyouverymuch, so I stop reading otherwise today will end up being one of those 'sad days' where I mull over how vile the human race can be and don't get anything done because I'm crying too much. Yeah.
Instead, I turn to a feature called '10 minute relationship therapy', in which a busy woman advises you on how to make the most of your time, which in this case means having a weekly 'couples meeting' involving spreadsheets and endless tedium. Whatever works for you, I guess, but it sort of implies that you don't really have all that much time for each other, which is sad. 'The message to your partner is that 'us' is important enough to clear time in your schedules for', she says, as my girlish dreams of a romantic relationship involving regular face to face communication, not to mention cuddles, die a little. Maybe I'm just not busy enough, but to me having to structure your relationship in such a way, as though it's just another thing to fit in, sandwiched between a six o clock meeting and a perfunctory shag, makes me miss the giddy days when all that occupied your mind was that quick, frisson-charged fingering round the back of Bargain Booze. Spontaneity is the bread and butter of life.
Next up, we have 'Cool, clever and clueless', in which 'savvy women' reveal really stupid things that they have done (e.g. asking questions like 'is a duck a bird?'). It's an exercise in the self-deprecating humour that women often feel the need to engage in to be funny - 'haha look how silly we are!' - and presumably makes the reader feel better about all the stupid shit they do on a daily basis. It doesn't make me feel better so much as dead inside, but hey, ho, it warms me up nicely for: FRIENDSHIP TOP TRUMPS. Like most magazines, Red seems to like turning something that isn't a thing into like, a thing. In this case engaging in a bit of schadenfreude regarding your besties ( e.g. their poor relationship making you feel better about their career success, their gorgeous boyfriend compensated by the recent death of their beloved chinchilla, ad infinitum...) Considering that most magazines are essentially fabricated in a schadenfreude factory (I imagine it as a kind of Orwellian dystopia in which everyone wears grey jumpsuits and laughs when your grandma dies) I shouldn't be too surprised by this article. But it's this writer's sheer 'honesty' about being a complete and utter ladybastard. 'This is something we all do' she is trying to say, probably to make herself feel better about the fact that none of her friends invite her to dinner parties anymore, but it patently isn't. When one of my friends gets an awesome boyfriend or an amazing dream job it makes me light up with joy at the thought of the universe being so fucking wonderful, and knowing our lovely Vagenda readers, I'm sure you're the same.
Some of my extended social group are currently in the process of snogging and/or shagging some of my 14 year old rock heroes. We're talking famous guitar-playing boys I dreamed and lusted over for hours during my budding adolescence. I should technically hate them, but I don't, I just think 'fair play, love', and have another cigarette. So when Ms Worst Friend Ever says 'could you look me in the eye and say you've never done the same?' the answer is, 'yes I could, because I make a conscious effort not to be a dick to people'. 'I can cope with someone's brilliance in some areas, as long as they're not perfect in all of them' says Ms Sorry We Thought We'd Told You About the Party on Saturday But We Actually Didn't. Fuck that. The more brilliant your friends, the more likely it is to rub off on you. Be gone!
I flick through the organic recipes and the feature on how to make your garden into a smug relaxation space until I get to the health pages. This is where the shit gets really fucked up.
'If you only do one thing this month...blow up some balloons' says Red. Appaz, this is an 'incredible exercise for flattening your stomach.' If this is indeed the case, how come the balloon men at children's parties are always tubby? I'm also confused as to why you have to stand in front of a mirror while doing the exercise. Did I miss something? Are puffy blowfish hamster cheeks in this season? WINNER. For more tips in this regard, you can buy the book 'Six weeks to OMG'. The title says it all really. Twats.
Then we have 'Size 12, inside and out', in which Red fat shames a load of women who look perfectly healthy, not to mention hot, by giving them (and I can't believe I'm typing this) a 'Body MOT'. Nice. Natasha, for example, has a healthy BMI of 21.3 yet is told to swap 'chocolates and biscuits for a raw bar.' Katie, who goes to the gym, eats a balanced healthy diet, and has a normal BMI (although her 'fat mass', whatever the fuck that is, is 'over') is told she should also do yoga, probably won't get pregnant unless she loses more weight, and should ditch the biscuits for vegetable crudites and houmous. Basically, anything fun that these women are currently doing should be swapped with Kale. It's a horrible feature which makes me want to hit personal trainer Nicola Addison in the face with a deep pan pizza while dancing around in front of her singing 'I had four french fancies last night lalalalalalala'. Are women just not allowed to have fun anymore, I ask you? All these women are beautiful just as they are, and yet, according to Red, it's still not good enough.
I end my odyssey into yummy mummy land by reading 'eat like a calm person', an article which is more middle class that Primrose Hill baby yoga. 'I realised that I'd eaten two dinners without even thinking about it', confesses Viv. Sounds immense, if you ask me. But not for Viv, who decided to become a 'mindful' eater. It basically involves meditating to help control your food cravings, and is one of the most persuasive arguments for class war that I have ever come across. It's mind-numbingly tedious and saps all the enjoyment out of eating. Don't buy this shit, seriously. This is one of the worst magazines I've ever reviewed. I would recommend that Vagenda readers (that's you), follow my 'mindful reading' plan (TM) instead. Sit with the magazine in front of you. Don't touch the magazine. Breathe in and out. Think about whether or not you really want to read the magazine. Then, when you have reached inner peace, tear the magazine up into a million tiny pieces and either eat them for sustenance or put them in the recycling. There, the only health advice you'll ever need.


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Albers was, for a time, part of the faculty of the Bahaus, along with Klee and Kandinsky, both of whom wrote their own books exploringt the creative process and the use of colour. Klee and Kandinsky's books, though influential, are not particularly analytical and are primarily concerned with how to liberate a freer form of creative expression. In comparison Albers approach is to provide practical experiential and systematic ways for students to discover for themselves how colours relate. Relationships of colours being never so fixed that they comform to a strict series of rules, its to do with quality or quantity of colour. A colours behaviour is dependent on what conditions you place it in. Here he describes how he sees the teacher's role:~
" In the end, teaching is a matter not of method but of heart. Therefore, the most decisive factor is the teacher's personality. Their enthusiastic concern with the student's growth counts more than how much he knows. It is well known that 'the teacher is always right,' but rarely does this fact elicit respect or sympathy; even less often does it prove competence and authority."
"But the teacher actually is right and always will gain confidence when he admits that he does not know, that he cannot decide, and as it often is with colour, that he is unable to make a choice or give advice."
"Besides, good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers."
The book is divided into two sections. The first section consisting of eleven short chapters explaining specific aspects of colour relationship and setting practical exercises to do. The second section giving a series of example pages that are companions to those earlier chapters. These demonstrate the effects referred to, and give a better visual sense for what he is describing. Albers says that his book isn't concerned with encouraging self-expression but providing precise methods for self-exploration and discovery. This style of delivery can present itself as being a bit cold, dry and matter of fact. Nonetheless his colour exercises are very effective, being developed over many years of hands on teaching xperience in Germany and the US. In a sense The Interaction of Colour more readily resembles an artistic version of a 'car manual' than 'a good read.' or a visual feast.
Its clear once you start reading it, just how influential this book has been. Over its fifty years of publication the theoretical underpinning and the simple practicality of its exercises mean its been plundered as a teaching resource for Primary Schools through to BA Art Degree Courses. I've certainly learnt quite a bit I didn't know, its clarified things I knew from experience but never uindestood why, and explained why somethings I've tried would never have worked ~ it was the Weber-Fechner Law ~ apparently! Some of Albers more complex explanations did I'm afraid lose me, I needed more specific visual reference in order to understand what he was talking about. Nonetheless its still quite a special book.


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In today's WSJ online edition, 4INFO CEO Pankaj Shah lists the blogs and websites he reads regularly for wireless information.
I'm happy that he considers The Pondering Primate one of them.
The 32-year-old Mr. Shah, a co-founder of the Palo Alto, Calif., company, says he relies greatly on blogs and other Web sites to keep pace with the constantly changing wireless internet.
-Search Engine Watch "This is the place to go for news on search, Internet and mobile. The blog is a bit Google-centric, but what media coverage isn't these days? It's a wealth of information updated daily."
-Silicon Beat "Matt Marshall and Michael Bazeley offer daily updates on Silicon Valley happenings. It's great to be plugged into the Silicon Valley scene. This site provides daily updates on venture capitalists, financings and other interesting start-up news. Cool thing is they don't let in-progress stories get lost; they'll bring them back and keep people up-to-date."
-Textually.org "Emily Turrettini in Geneva created this site about texting, SMS and MMS. It's the most comprehensive Web site related to mobile-data communications. The site aggregates news ranging from new consumer trends and habits to creative corporate-marketing initiatives, to generally interesting statistics. It's a goldmine for people in the mobile-messaging space."
-Technorati "We rely a lot on word-of-mouth to grow our user base and this blog helps us achieve our goals. Technorati searches more search engines than any other site. Technorati easily tracks our (and our competitors') news and happenings."
-Techdirt "This site has put together a group of highly respected analysts to uncover and comment on news, including the latest in wireless. They cut through the nonsense and give cutting, straight-to-the-point analysis, usually in a single paragraph."
-Pondering Primate "Listed as one of the most important mobile blogs, Pondering Primate keeps visitors apprised of mobile happenings. Insightful contributors make this an interesting read."
-Slashdot "Any tech nerd knows this site and has spent time on the message boards. It covers a broad range of topics and a lot of secrets are unveiled here. I think this site has the most contributors; they're easily the most challenging and thought-provoking. I love the message boards."
The fullWSJ story


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If you're just starting, welcome! I recommend that you catch up with Part 1 and Part 2 before diving into this section. The focus for Part 3 will be all about your video content! Producing, recording, and editing. In theory, it sounds really easy. In actuality, it's a massive time suck. Scheduling out your recording and editing time will be critical to ensure you meet your deadlines for uploading content to your channel. Even if your focus is only streaming directly to Twitch and not post-production, you'll find Part 3 to be useful. This is going to be the tech-heavy section, so it will apply to all streamers in some form or fashion. So let's jump in!
Before you start streaming, you'll need some equipment. If you want to be taken seriously as a streamer, you need to invest in good gear. If people can't see you or hear you, then they will tune out. The gear doesn't have to be expensive, but it needs to be quality that will last so you get the most out of your money.
Web Camera: Yes. You need a web cam. At this point it's become a standard among the industry and it's rare to find someone who doesn't use one when working on their videos. Some early adopters of YouTube and Twitch don't use these as often, but have steadily made the transition over to web cam. Luckily, technology in this area has vastly improved over the past few years that getting a good quality web cam, doesn't require a lot of money. It's recommended that you get one with a minimum of 720P, HD. This covers your basic needs and provides good video capabilities.
If you plan to stream your games in 1080P, then you do need to have a web cam that matches the quality. Logitech is one of my go-to's for web cams. I've yet to be disappointed by their products. The C920 is one that you will hear a lot from streamers as their preferred camera. Not only is the quality great, but the head swivels and it can be attached to a tripod. So you have the ability to move the camera around more freely instead of keeping it tethered to your computer.
Another one to look into is Microsoft Life Cam. I did not know Microsoft made web cams, and this one is pretty nifty. It's got a better frame rate and image stabilization compared to more web cams on the market. While it doesn't swivel as well as the Logitech, it does have a tripod mount as well and has a built in light optimization to help brighten the images in the camera.
Microphone: And no, you can't use the one that came with your web cam. While the audio quality is okay, it's not going to be as clear as you'd want it to be. You have to have a dedicated microphone, with a pop filter (these can run as low as $9.99 and are mostly made of the same material, so you don't have to pay top dollar for this), to get the most out of your streaming.
I personally recommend that you use a USB 3.0 microphone, cardioid/directional to get the best sound. Having not only streamed, but co-hosted a podcast for over 5 years, I've found that traditional microphones with a sound jack just don't do as well as advertised. But with a USB, I've never run into an issue on quality. The microphone seems to last longer and there are less hiccups in the audio.
Blue Microphones have become one of the standards for streaming. The latest Platinum Edition is leaps and bounds one of the best, affordable mics you will find on the market. The cool thing about this mic is that you can change how it records sounds. Directional, omni-directional, cardioid, stereo, it's all there. It gives you complete control in your sound design with little fuss.
If you want to go fancy and get a sound board involved, Audio-Technica is your best bet. They are an industry favorite for theater and radio. Their latest model has better sound quality and it's hands-free. It's easy to install anywhere.
Lights: Yep. This is a thing too! Who knew that you needed so much stuff to run a gaming stream?
A stand-alone light or a 2-3 point light set-up will help improve the quality of your video. Most streamers will swear by a 2-point LED system that sits on each side of your monitor. Now the great thing about lights is that you can also do these on the cheap and use your excess funds to get a better camera, microphone, or editing software.
I personally use a portrait mono light, similar to this one. It's a stand alone and allows me to move it around as needed to get the best lighting on my face. You would want one that has a cord and not battery, so the light doesn't drop during your recording. But if you need something fast and easy to move around, battery is a good way to go. You can also go to a local craft/hobby store and pick up some freestanding natural light lamps. The bulbs used in these lamps are long-lasting and don't have that weird yellow tint some traditional lights utilize. It helps give a "natural" look to your video.
How do you set up those lights? Luckily the internet is full of resources. Here are a few articles to read:
- What is 3 Point Lighting
- 3 Easy Steps to Improve Your Lighting
- Lighting Video on the Cheap for Streaming
So you've got the basics and you've set up your gear. But wait! There's still more that you need to prep.
Video editing software: Even if you are streaming live and not handling post-production, you should still consider editing software. You can use it for more then piecing videos together. You can use it to create intros and exits/outtros to your streams, provide theme music during your recordings, or create a trailer on your Twitch/YouTube page that showcases what your channel is about.
If you plan to turn this into a career, don't cheap out on the software. There is Windows Movie Maker and iMovie that come standard on Windows and MAC. But they are the bare-bones editors. They offer standard transitions, title cards, and the ability to add an audio track, but that's the extent of it. Other free editors on the market will each have their own quirks, but don't offer much else. Lightworks and Shotcut are good temporary editors, if you have a low budget and cant afford an editing program right now. These programs allow you to do some minor edits to lighting and color correction, and a few additional transitions.
The bottom line is don't skimp on the video editing software. Get something that will work for what you need. Luckily, a lot of software has gone down in price over the years and you have more options available:
- Adobe Premiere Pro. The latest version is available on the Creative Cloud for $19.99 a month. You can buy it outright, but there are perks to having the Cloud service if you want to access Photoshop, Lightroom, and other graphic editing software. Premiere was Adobe's answer to Final Cut, which use to be a MAC only based program. Premiere has a lot of the high-end features that Final Cut utilizes, with an easier timeline system. However plugins are kind of a hassle for new content. Adobe isn't very developer friendly and takes their time to answer questions. But if you need access to all of Adobes Creative features for a low price, this is a good option.
- Sony Vegas. I think this program tends to get a bad rap, but it's a great starter software that's easy to customize and add plugins. The current version retails at $79.99. It's similar to Premier by having an easy timeline, allowing you to add in multiple tracks and adjusting the frame size, opacity, and volume for the track itself without having to overlay effects. This makes rendering faster. It is missing some lighting and transition features that you'll find in other, more expensive programs, but the Vegas community is active with plugins. It's easy to find what you need! The only major downside I have with Vegas is that it can be a bit of a resource sucker during rendering, and if you're not accustomed to the types of "cuts" that are available, it can be a hassle to search for what you need.
- Final Cut. Still one of the most expensive programs on the market. Do you need it? As a film scholar and habitual editor, I can firmly say no. You don't need Final Cut. Now if you have the money and you really want it, go ahead. Final Cut is still considered the best on the market. It's got some of the best chroma-key detection, great with lighting and color tweaks. It's robust in that it allows you to do as much fine-tuning of your video as you'd like - more then other editors. That's the only major benefit with Final Cut. Otherwise, Premiere and Vegas can do the same stuff at a lower price.
As far as how to edit a video, that all depends on the software that you use. Each one comes with their own manual, and I highly encourage you to read through them before jumping in. It is a lot of reading, but these are powerful tools that can do a lot of amazing things. It's best to learn early about the limitations then to be halfway through an edit and realize that you can't do the 1 thing you really want to do.
If you need a basic "how do I edit" tutorial, Popular Mechanics has a good overview on the process.
Here are some tips that I've learned over the past 20 years of editing - this is everything from traditional reel to reel films, VHS, and digital:
- Before you start editing your videos, take notes from the channels that you like and see how they edit. Don't watch the content. Instead, watch how the videos are spliced together. Do they use straight cuts, or fancy transitions between segments? Do they speed up videos, slow them down, or provide overlays of web cams? Do they cut between the web cam and the game footage? It's okay to learn from streamers you like to see how they create their work. As long as you don't steal what they are doing, shot for shot.
- For every 1 minute of footage, expect an hour of editing. So if your video is 30 minutes long, anticipate 30 hours to edit. That may seem extreme, but once you dig in and edit your first handful of videos, you'll see just how time consuming it can be. Make sure to allot yourself more then enough time to produce your content.
- Save often. Auto-save is not a good fail safe.
- That time you spent editing? Be sure to add another 2-3 hours for rendering. Rendering is the process in which all of the effects in your video are processed and applied to produce the video. Every time you add in a transition, fade, additional audio or video, lighting or color correcting, it all has to be rendered. The more you add, the longer it will take.
- Watch your video in full before you post it online. It's weird the first few times you look and listen to yourself, but you get accustomed to it pretty quickly. But it's a good habit to get into to review what you're about to post, to ensure you post a product that is clean and error free. As we all know, gamers love to point out bugs and inconsistencies. Don't let yourself fall into that trap! Sit through your videos, and if you see a problem you can edit it before you upload. There's nothing worse then having to go through the re-upload process on YouTube or Twitch after you find an error.
Audio recording and editing software: Every streamer should invest in some form of audio recording or editing software. Luckily, the best one on the market is completely free, easy to use, and incredibly robust! Even the big names like Markiplier and Rooster Teeth use it.
Audacity. You will love it. It's the all in one tool for audio recording and editing. And a lot of people develop plugins for it year-round. If you're looking to add unique sounds to your audio, or do some funny voice tracks, there's probably a plugin for it! Save your money here, and go free with Audacity. I've been using the program for over a decade and it's still the best one out there.
My recommendation with this program after you install it is to play around with the settings, recording a few things, edit, and test it out before you read the manual. You'll find that a lot of the things you need are easy to access. The manual can be a bit dry, and should be used when you have weird questions. Most of what you can do in Audacity, you can figure out in a minute or two. Yes, Audacity does record and edit audio. You can do both. And it can link to multiple video editing programs, such as Adobe, Final Cut Pro, and Sony Vegas - so you don't always have to export your audio and re-import it into your video software.
Are we done with the gear yet?
Not quite. Now you need to think about your Video Capture Software for your web cam and your game.
If you plan to focus on the PlayStation 4 or the XBox One, then you already know that they offer streaming services direct to YouTube and Twitch, thanks to their partnerships with the companies. If you are just doing direct streams and utilize your web cam through your system, then you'll be covered.
But what if you have a web cam running from your PC to improve the video quality, or you're playing a PC game? Then you need software to capture your video, or a streaming service (if you are not doing post-production work).
- Movavi is one of the top software you'll see today. It does include an editing program, which is good for basic cuts but not much else. It will capture your full screen of whatever you're doing on your computer with a few quick clicks. It also allows you to stream in multiple sound sources so it can catch your audio as well as the game's audio.
- FRAPS is my personal favorite, with a one-time fee and a life-time of support and updates. While it won't record your web cam, for game footage it is top notch. It provides very clear visuals and audio, and allows you to tweak the frame rates to get the best quality.
- Snagit is another web cam recording tool. It's not the greatest with game footage when the resources are dedicated to the game. It tends to result in a lot of dropped frames, but with web cams it works quite well. If you have a PC or laptop set to act as your recording studio, you could have Snagit act as your web cam software, and another program for your game.
If you're streaming content, Open Broadcast Software and XSplit will be your best friends. I have read a lot of arguments about which one is better, and honestly it comes down to personal preference. Try them both out, and pick the one you like the most. They both offer the same features, perks, and enhancements for Twitch and YouTube streams. I can't recommend one over the other, so you choose what works for you!
And with that, Part 3 can come to a close! I warned you this was going to be a long post. But now you have your equipment, you are set up to record, and you are ready to game - whether it's to a live audience or in private to edit later.
Stay tuned for Part 4 where we cover some do's and don't on your steam/recording.


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In praise of mothers ...
Feeling tired and sentimental, so I almost shed a tear over The Happy Feminist's paen of praise to her mother. (Excellent blog on many topics, BTW.) Her mother made one huge, enormously brave step, then otherwise fulfilled all of the gender norms.
And of course it left me thinking of my Mum, and how different she was.
Mum, when I was a small child kept the house spotless - and even ironed our underpants, something I finally talked her out of doing when I was in my early teens - but absolutely hated doing it. She did it because she thought she had too.
And she was a dreadful cook, a job she also hated. In my memory - although I'm sure this wasn't actually true - every meal consisted of cheap steak fried to the consistency of leather, lumpy mashed potatoes and frozen corn and peas. It is no wonder Kraft macaroni cheese was my favourite meal.)
What Mum would really have liked to do - at least in my early youth - was drive racing cars. She once, famously, beat a famous Australian racing driver in a hill climb, and I suspect given the opportunity she could have been very good. Of course, however, that wasn't going to happen - indeed I can't even think of a female racing driver today.
And what she gave me, above all, were two things:
1. A determination to do my own thing. She hadn't been able to escape to independence, but she wanted to ensure I had every opportunity to do so. (She was probably five years too young. The middle Sixties in Australian suburbia were still "the Fifties" in cultural terms, and a young woman with little education striking out on her own would have been almost unimaginable - and economicly probably extremely difficult, if not impossible.)
2. She refused to put any burdens on me; to make any claims on me. She consciously and explicitly didn't demand payment for the sacrifices that she'd made for me. Mum thought emotional blackmail was a hideous thing. (An awareness of this issue makes me wonder about these career women who "give it all up for the children" - so beloved by the media. What will they ask of their kids in return?)
P.S. I was reminded in writing this post of a lovely blog I found via Tim Worstall's Britblog roundup this week. Super Woman's Super Blog is written by a manager of a newsagency in "in a desolate seaside town" in the UK. And, reading between the lines, she was the total driving force in it raising more than £1,000 for charity.
It reminds me too of Mum's work in various school Mothers' Clubs. Their members did all the work for fetes, tuckshop rotas and similar, but when it came to visiting dignitaries etc, the males who headed the Parents & Citizens Association would be trotted out to collect the glory.


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|"Paganini" Schnibbles, Version 4 by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co., picture borrowed from her website
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Another Charming Girl's Club Post - September/October
6 comments:
Lots of fun goals to accomplish..:o)) Some of them bery much needed... thinking of the ironingboard... actually mine looks ok now.. recently bought a new one.. so it aint to bad.. but hmmm... but not PRETTY...:o)) so what can be done... well well.. time will tell if the ironingboard will get a new one or not..lol.. Good luck Julia with your goals this month!!ReplyDelete
Diese Art von Dresden Plat habe ich auch schon gemacht. Muss sagen ich sehe ihn immer wieder gerne.ReplyDelete
Good luck. I love the Dresden Plate fabricsReplyDelete
Love and hugs Gina xxx
Lots of great projects...Paganini actually goes together pretty fast...and is so fun to make...hope you get to it too!ReplyDelete
Looks like you have lots of fun stuff to work on in the next few months Julia -- I can't wait to see your results!ReplyDelete
Your Dresden Plate is beautiful, can't wait to see it completed!ReplyDelete
Danke, dass Du Dir die Zeit nimmst, einen Kommentar zu hinterlassen - ich freue mich über jeden einzelnen!
Thanks for taking the time commenting on my blog - I appreciate every single one!


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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Melville in a letter to Hawthorne, June 1851
I am like one of those seeds taken out of the Egyptian Pyramids, which, after being three thousand years a seed and nothing but a seed, being planted in English soil, it developed itself, grew to greenness, and then fell to mould. So I. Until I was twenty-five, I had no development at all. From my twenty-fifth year I date my life. Three weeks have scarcely passed, at any time between then and now, that I have not unfolded within myself. But I feel that I am now come to the inmost leaf of the bulb, and that shortly the flower must fall to the mould.
On being 20
I remember myself at that age, and I think I was a really horrible person— and all my friends were horrible too. It's a really bad age for men.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Art of Fiction
In the old days I knew I had to dredge my subconscious, and the nouns did this. I learned this early on. Three things are in your head: First, everything you have experienced from the day of your birth until right now. Every single second, every single hour, every single day. Then, how you reacted to those events in the minute of their happening, whether they were disastrous or joyful. Those are two things you have in your mind to give you material. Then, separate from the living experiences are all the art experiences you've had, the things you've learned from other writers, artists, poets, film directors, and composers. So all of this is in your mind as a fabulous mulch and you have to bring it out. How do you do that? I did it by making lists of nouns and then asking, What does each noun mean? You can go and make up your own list right now and it would be different than mine. The night. The crickets. The train whistle. The basement. The attic. The tennis shoes. The fireworks. All these things are very personal. Then, when you get the list down, you begin to word-associate around it. You ask, Why did I put this word down? What does it mean to me? Why did I put this noun down and not some other word? Do this and you're on your way to being a good writer. You can't write for other people. You can't write for the left or the right, this religion or that religion, or this belief or that belief. You have to write the way you see things. I tell people, Make a list of ten things you hate and tear them down in a short story or poem. Make a list of ten things you love and celebrate them. When I wrote Fahrenheit 451 I hated book burners and I loved libraries. So there you are.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.
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Day One
Day Two
My friend and I slept in, which means we were downstairs eating breakfast by 8:30. TeenPact really messed me up! I can't sleep in any more! (Seriously, can't I get up on time on a school day when I'm supposed to be up around that time?!) Anyway, we had French toast that my friend's mom made with bread that I'd made the previous Monday. I didn't have any, but I've been told it was good. After that, we walked around outside by their creek and played Follow the Judge to Court. After that, we played Pit, which I'd never played before. Sadly, only about forty-five minutes after that, we were out of their house and off to our friend's house. (It was their daughter/sister/niece/granddaughter that got married.) We had a blast!! We ate a little bit (at The Immature Table!), but that was all the sit-down time we wanted. What we were really there for was to play a practical joke on the groom.
Awesome, right? It was upside-down, so we had to fix it. But then the groom made us un-fix it. (Like, literally, made someone.) Anyway, after that, we went outside and took random pictures of leaves and flowers near The Fort (did we ever actually name it?), then Arwen gave the bride and groom a gift- matching pajamas! The bride got to try hers on and we all agreed the nightgown looked really cute on her! After parting, we visited our old house to check on our renters there. It was my first time meeting them and they all seemed really nice! They really liked the house, neighborhood, community, and their church, so that was good! We visited another family that lives in that neighborhood and it was good to see them again. We then picked up a pizza and took it to our hotel. It was yummy! Then, we watched a movie that I'd never seen before- Megamind. It was so funny! Sure, there was a little bit of the typical Dreamworks potty humor that wasn't even funny and a small bit of language, but, overall, it was a good movie. We went to sleep probably a little past midnight and had a great night of sleep, which was good, because we were going to have a big day the next day... Wedding Day!!
Day Three
We got up at about 8:30 again (well, technically, I got up at about nine), took showers, threw on our clothes, fixed up some makeup (ew), and were on our way with some friends to the reception place by about 10:45. It took us a good hour and a half to set up everything the bride wanted there, but it was worth it!
The Candy Bar- YUM!!
The Beautiful Bride!
After finishing up there, we walked across the street to where the actual wedding was going to take place. See, the best thing about weddings is the fact that all of the out-of-town people get to see all of their friends that still lived in town. That was awesome! I got to see so many people that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to see.
Then there was the wedding. I have to say, it was probably the funnest wedding I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot. The bride just could not stand still! The groom wasn't quite as bad, but almost. We all laughed several times throughout the ceremony. The music was so gorgeous! The bride was a cellist, so she had about five other cellos and a piano play all of her music. I'm not a cello fan (probably because Arwen plays), but let me tell you what... it was so pretty, I think I'm going to have a half a dozen cellos play at my wedding!
The Happy Couple
Fast-forward a few minutes later to the reception. The bride came up with the wonderful idea of having a Candy Bar, which was a huge hit! But guess who got to serve? Me, Arwen, and my younger sister! That's right. It was a ton of fun, but my back was so sore by the time about eighty kids (and a few adults!) went through, I could hardly walk around at the actual reception! I did manage to take a few pictures, though. Have a look!
After the bride and groom left, most everyone followed suit. But not us! We had to tear down and set back up at the banquet place! It was actually better this time, because tearing down is easier than setting up and the people at the place where the banquet was at did most of the work. (Yes!) A few friends and I got to mess around a little bit, too.
Day Four
(Wow, was that all really just a few days ago? And what I'm going to write was just this morning? Time flies by way too fast when you're having fun!) So, this morning, we all packed up our stuff that had accumulated in our hotel room and drove down to Waxhaw to visit our church. It was so good seeing everyone again, because everyone knows that if you haven't seen anyone in a while, you can just talk to them for forever. The sermon was really good and the time of prayer we had afterwards was equally so. (Oh, how I missed it!) After church, we stood around and talked to people. It was fun, because they hadn't seen my little brother in a few months, and he's really sprouted up. He can say quite a few words now, and is very particular about who he wants to hold him! He wouldn't let me take him away from someone until I told him who we were visiting next- the same person we'd seen all weekend. Then, after a few sad goodbyes, we drove a little bit down the road to the bride's family's house. We ate more food, played 'Settlers of Catan,' and just talked and caught up. It was a lot of fun!
All in all, the weekend was a huge success and a lot of fun for everyone. Here are a few random pictures that didn't fit anywhere else.
Ah, yes.... While we were all eating at our crazy table, a friend and I started feeling bad about the groom's licence plate still being upside-down. My younger brother (somehow) located a screwdriver, and we fixed it. We all feel better now.
Our crazy table at the banquet (minus one, because he was leaning back too far)
Okay, so after the bride and groom left, I glanced around, and this is what I saw...
I was like, Kodak moment!!
Concentrating on the game Friday morning...
Oh... I said it could go On The Blog, so here it is, my friend! : )
We are Settlers of Catan!
Until my next random post...