Making Seek & Find Bottles

Sort of a tutorial. There are others out there -- I linked to at least one when I did Crafty Fun Fridays (old blog) -- but I've been in a picture-taking mood, so you get my version as well. I've been meaning to make some ever since I first posted, and have been stashing small items with the project in mind, but never got around to it. A few weeks ago, I went to a baby shower where one of the games was a bottle like these (except it was a giant baby bottle and filled with baby-themed items). Long after the time was up, the guests were turning the bottles back & forth, trying to check everything off the list.

For Christmas, I wanted to give these to my niece and nephew, hoping that I hadn't waited too long and that K, my 10-year-old niece, wouldn't think them too childish. They actually enjoyed them, and I have a few lessons learned to share along with the photos I took during the making.

Gather Materials
Clear plastic bottle with wide mouth. (I used a large Aquafina bottle.) Drink the water, remove the label, rinse and make sure it's dry as a bone -- bottle and lid.

Cheap/stale rice. No sense using the good stuff; it's not going to be eaten later! (I got 3-lb. bags for $2 ea. at Big Lots.) This size bottle took about 2 lbs. each.

Small toys (more on that later).

Glue (I used Gorilla Glue, because it's what we had.) You don't want the kids opening the bottles and spilling rice everywhere! (Plus, many of the toys are choking hazards.)

Tools: scissors & funnel

Optional: Permanent markers to color-code bottles, if desired; cards to list items; rubber bands; hole punch (for cards)

About the toys
Gather a bunch of smallish non-perishable items (Close-up). Some regular household items will also work.

Lessons learned: the tiny diary-size key was too small and couldn't be found in either bottle, by children or adults. The bee bead turned out to be the exact color of the rice and was also not found by children or adults. Truly white items (like the dice) worked out okay. Too long items (like the huge paper umbrella) aren't a great idea (but the flamingo was fine). I don't recommend foam items (like the leaf).

If you're going to make a list, make sure all the items fit through the bottle opening first. The monkeys had to be forced in (because I'd already made the lists and laminated them!). Keep toys away from tiny tots until they're safely sealed inside the bottles!

Snip a corner off the rice bag, and using a funnel (plastic or an improvised paper one), pour a few inches of rice into the bottle.

This picture shows another lesson learned: rather than stopping at one point and shoving all of the toys into the bottle like I did, add one or two every inch or so. You'll have less work trying to get things redistributed.

The amount of rice in the bottle dictates the difficulty level. I wouldn't go higher than this point, but if you wanted to make it easier, you could stop about an inch earlier.

Glue the cap onto the bottle. As mentioned previously, I used Gorilla Glue. To do so, I moistened the outside of the bottle, where the lid would screw on, with just a bit of water on my fingertip, and applied 3 tiny drops of glue on the inside of the lid. When the lid was screwed on, it distributed the glue enough so the bottles couldn't be opened. (The kids were trying to do so within minutes!)

You could simply say "there are twelve (or ten, or fifteen) items in this bottle; find them." I went a step further and made up little color-coded cards and laminated them (using some old ID tag sheets), attaching them to the bottles with rubber bands.

Finally, I used permanent markers to make dots that matched the stripes on the cards so the kids could match up the bottles to the cards if they became separated. I didn't designate a bottle per child; I figured they could just swap them back and forth until they were tired of them. As it was, my niece grabbed the red one, and nephew J. grabbed the blue one, and they were perfectly content to each "own" one, and share later.

Want to try? I'll send this bag of ten assorted items to a commenter. I usually only get one response, if any, but just in case there are more, I'll draw a name from the comments on Wednesday afternoon. You'll just need to find a bottle, rice, glue, and any additional items you want to add.

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Oh, Yum.

Putting a pair of Christmas gifts to work.

Directions for the acorn pan:
3-egg, "cakey" version of Duncan Hines Family-style Brownies (chewy fudge).

Spray cups with no-stick spray. Add roughly 1 T. batter to each indentation.
Bake for 15-17 minutes at 325º.

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Gifts by Request

Occasionally, I receive thinly veiled hints or direct requests for Christmas gifts. I like this very much... as long as what's being requested is something within my scope of experience (and the person is someone I would be giving a gift to). I would much rather give someone a gift I know they want! A couple of years ago, Jdub asked for bouffant-style scrub caps, and I delivered. A few months ago, she told me that her husband needed some too, but a different style. She said this would be an ideal gift for him, because he was sick of using the paper ones, so I asked her to get me a sample to work with.

She delivered a single paper cap, similar to the one pictured here (pulled from online; I have no idea who this model is).

I very carefully took apart that paper hat and traced the pieces onto the backside of some sturdy gift wrap, then made a prototype.

After a lot of trial and error, I finished two scrub caps last night. It was close -- after the prototype, I was sure I had it down, so I cut out pieces for two hats, only to find that the resulting hats were too small. Back to the drawing board! Luckily, the third hat worked out okay, so I cut the final one and it was perfect. I don't think there is enough of this fabric left for one hat. Whew! (So, I made four hats, not counting the prototype, but only two will work for this gift.) On the off chance that someone who knows Jdub's hub sees this, please don't say anything to him. He won't see the hats until Sunday afternoon!

I sent a quick camera-phone pic to Jdub last night and she is sure he'll love them. Double whew! Christmas with that group is this coming Sunday. I have most of the gifts done, but only one is wrapped. Two more gifts to make. I'd better get to work! (One person is getting a picture (she can't make it to see it in person) of a single sock (socks by request) and an IOU.)

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O Christmas Tree

I posted the picture John took of Neo at the tree, but I still felt the need to formally announce that we put up a tree this year. I think John put up one our first Christmas together, and I believe I had one up when my goddaughter lived here, but otherwise, there has been little in the way of Christmas decoration around since my mom died eleven years ago. New house = new attitude (I hope). I still miss my parents, obviously, and mourn them, but am going to try to find some joy too.

A few days ago, I joked about being done with decorating, but last week, I decided that I definitely needed a tree. My old tree was damaged and discarded awhile back, so I had to go out and buy a new one. I don't remember them being this expensive - even on sale the big ones were out of my price range. As it turned out, I had just enough ornaments for this 4-footer, so it's all good. Since it's been something like ten years since any of these ornaments were out of their packaging, it was a nice trip down memory lane.


Big pic: Maggie under the tree. I am so very proud of all of our kitties. I don't even know if Cass and Charlie have even seen a tree before, but several days after it was put up, it's still standing. As far as I can tell, only one ornament was dislodged, and it wasn't put up all that well to begin with. Mostly, they're content with sitting under it or next to it, and loving on it a little. (Neo has been caught chewing the (fake) branches.)
Right top: One of 3 glass balls that survived from my childhood.
Right middle: There used to be a pair of angels - this pink one (for me) and a blue one (for my brother), but his didn't make it. As it is, I had to glue a ring on this one's wing so there was something to hang her by.
Right bottom: Christmas 1973, I was eight. (So glad my mom added initials and dates!) I have a feeling I just didn't want to do this project, because this is terrible! There are a bunch more that my mom painted; a few years ago I gave my brother the one he painted.


A few more pics, from left to right:

1. A fake bird, sitting atop a tiny nest. Must have been my homage to Mary Ellen's nest in The Homecoming.
2. Acorn light cover. I would like a bunch more of these... and a string of lights that they'll fit over. (Next year, I promise.)
3. One of my Emergency Yarn Ornaments.
4. I have a few of these snowflakes, crocheted by my great-grandmother.
5. Another one of the glass balls from my childhood.

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Christmas Strata: a Photo Essay

We have this every Christmas morning, occasionally for Easter brunch or house party breakfast, but typically it's a Christmas thing. (Download with only 1 image at Google Docs.)

Ingredients
• 12 slices bread (I use multi-grain)
• 6 eggs
• 1 lb. bulk sausage (not shown)
• ½ stick unsalted butter (don't melt it yet)
• 2 c. shredded cheese (lowfat okay; don't use fat-free)
• 1 can evaporated skim milk
• ¼ t. dry/ground mustard
• ½ t. salt

Also: 9"x13" glass baking dish, large mixing bowl

Brown the sausage and break it up well. While it's cooking, follow the next few steps.

Note: you can use other meats, or go meat-free, but may need to adjust the amount of butter used. The original recipe called for ¾-1 stick of butter, plus the amount used to butter the dish, but we've found that it's far too much when using sausage.

Butter the dish using the amount set aside for the casserole, then melt the remainder.

(I've used this same casserole pan for at least ten Christmases.)

Cube the bread & toss it into the large mixing bowl.

(I just got this bowl, and love it!)

Drain the sausage and add it and the cheese to the bread.

Toss the bread, cheese and sausage.

I use my hands because it's not nearly as messy as an upcoming step.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add evaporated milk, salt and mustard; mix well.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture.

Thoroughly mix.

Wow, that is a very unflattering angle for my hand (which is fat, but not really shaped like that).

Dump mixture into buttered pan and pat mixture into corners.

Then, wash your hands.

Pour butter over assembled strata, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, or at least several hours later, preheat oven to 325º and bake for one hour.

We usually serve it with canned peaches. Not sure why... we just always have.

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Christmas Morning

I'm probably lucky that my brother doesn't read my blog...

So, Christmas is here. At this second, I'm not in the mood, but that's because I took something to help me sleep and now feel that sluggish/hungover thing that OTC sleep aids leave behind. But in a few minutes, the smell of the traditional Christmas strata should begin to fill the air, and in 45 minutes, it will come out of the oven; around which time we will need to decide if we'll be able to make it down the driveway toward my brother's house. (Rained all day yesterday, now it's below freezing and snowing.)

I did a kind of photo essay for the making of the strata, which I'll post in the next day or two, mostly to show off my new bowl. It's missing a shot of the finished product, but I left my camera on the kitchen counter so I wouldn't forget. I only make this once a year, for going on about twenty years now, so if I don't get the picture, there won't be another opportunity (until next Christmas).

My brother's family came here yesterday afternoon for an early Christmas Eve celebration (we usually do it in the evening, but distance and weather are bigger factors now). They brought take-out chicken, so I only had to worry about beverages and desserts. (We had s'mores, cookies and a chocolate-peppermint (store bought) cake that was rather yummy.) I think everyone had fun. We played a few rounds of Dutch Blitz before they left; that was a blast from the past! (Back when I was at a certain college, playing cards were not allowed; only games like Uno and Dutch Blitz were. SIL's (stricter) school had similar rules.)

Ooh. Off to open stockings! (Only gifts we're exchanging this year.)

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Christmas 2008 Playlist

I stayed up way too late putting this together!

1. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
2. Happy Holidays - Andy Williams
3. Christmastime (Oh Yeah) - BNL
4. In the Bleak Midwinter - Bert Jansch
5. It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
6. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
7. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
8. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
9. Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters
10. Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea
11. Saviours Day - Cliff Richard
12. Let it Snow! - Dean Martin
13. Baby it's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
14. The Christmas Song - Diana Krall
15. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Diana Krall
16. Count Your Blessings Instead of Sleep - Diana Krall
17. White Christmas - The Drifters
18. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
19. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Ella Fitzgerald
20. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
21. Ring Out Solstice Bells - Jethro Tull
22. Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
23. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
24. Christmas Vacation - Mavis Staples
25. Don't Need a Reindeer - The Moody Blues
26. Scrooge - Muppet Christmas Carol
27. Good King Wenceslas - Muppet Christmas Carol
28. One More Sleep 'til Christmas - Muppet Christmas Carol
29. It Feels Like Christmas - Muppet Christmas Carol
30. Bless Us All - Muppet Christmas Carol
31. Thankful Heart - Muppet Christmas Carol
32. All I Want for Christmas is You - Olivia Olson
33. What Are You Doing For New Year's Eve? - The Orioles
34. We Need a Little Christmas - Percy Faith
35. Thank Got it's Christmas - Queen
36. Santa Claus is Watching You - Ray Stevens
37. Snoopy and the Red Baron Christmas - Royal Guardsmen
38. Silent Night Holy Night - Sinead O'Connor
39. Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio
40. All I Want for Christmas is You - Vince Vance & the Valiants
41. Christmas at Ground Zero - "Weird Al" Yankovic

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Happy Christmas!

Photo by John Shaw.

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Crackle

On Thursday night, we broke in our fire place. I don't know about John, but this is my first home with a fire place. We had a wood-burning stove, but I've never been a fan*. It was just lovely.

John picked up some kiln-dried oak, which burned great and smelled so good. I picked up marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers, and we enjoyed s'mores, sitting in our desk chairs in front of the fire. (We don't have all the furniture we need -- it will be a slow process.)

*When I was around 8 or 9, while chasing my little brother, I fell onto my grandparent's wood-burning stove, burning the left side of my face, my left arm and left hand. My dad packed me in snow and drove the hour or so to the hospital.After weeks in bandages, I emerged with no scars. The only scar I have on my face is a shallow one - what the plastic surgeon couldn't fix after I tried to shave when I was 3.

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Snow Day

We kind of had a lot of snow dumped on us (along with a good portion of the country) today. Luckily, we were somewhat prepared. We ran out late last night to get a few emergency items (I keep thinking of the ice storm in the late 70s that had us all trapped in our homes for a week. I was a kid, so it was great, iceskating on the road, but it was still frustrating), and planned to just hang out all day (it's my work-at-home day).

The worst thing that happened was our internet went out for a few hours (cable too, but it's limited basic, so we didn't miss much). Turns out the snow is really heavy and too deep for our snowblower, so I joked that maybe someone would come by with a plow and offer to dig us out for a reasonable price. Doncha know, round about 7 PM, there's a knock on the door: it's a young boy who wants to know if his stepdad can plow our driveway for $20-or-so. I said, "$20? Do it." It would have taken us hours, and we would have been in a lot of pain. The guy did a great job too. Good thing, because the plow that went by earlier had piled a 4' drift across our entire driveway.

We had fun watching some cardinals go after the red berries on this bush. I don't know what it is, but they like it, so we'll keep it. I was hoping for some close-ups, but a certain monkey/cat leaped onto the divider and knocked a bunch of stuff over. They heard enogh and took off. John spotted blue jays in the back yard earlier in the week.

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New Tutorial: Gift Pouches

I finally finished the Thorpe hats. I think the original knitting pre-dates this blog; this picture was just taken in September, but I actually knit the hats back in the early summer. I have so many kids on my Christmas list that if a hand-made gift is an option, I need to start early. (Plus, I was actually in the mood.) I confirmed that the boys would like hats, and kind of goofy would be good. I got a list of their favorite colors and was warned not to spend too much on the yarn because, well, they're kids. Thorpe is decidedly not goofy, but earflaps are fun and certainly not your standard watch cap, so I settled on that pattern using Jiffy Thick & Quick since it happened to come in all 3 of the suggested colors. This week, I finally got the contrasting edging done -- it called for crochet, but I finally decided to pick up & knit stitches all the way around, then bind off. It's pretty close -- and braids (easily cut off if they don't like them).

On my mind for several weeks was how I was going to wrap all these hats (there are 3 more). I figured out a plan, but wanted to wait until I could photograph all the steps (in case it worked). I wanted to use materials I already owned, and the stack of Christmas-themed scrap-booking paper (that I bought to make these garlands) was perfect. Without further ado, may I present

Gift Pouches Tutorial
(Click any image to embiggen)
Materials:
• Scrap-booking paper in preferred size (12"x12" shown) - 2 sheets per gift
• String or twine
• Scissors
• Tape
• Not shown: materials for closing. You can sew the edges, use 2-sided tape, use packing tape, etc.

Oh, and a present to wrap. This method of wrapping is great for odd-shaped objects like this dog toy, or a knitted/crocheted hat.

Select a sheet for the front of the package and turn over. On one edge, cut a short slit about 1" long.

Cut a length of string or twine a few inches longer than the width of the paper.

About 1/4-1/3 from the top of the page, tape the twine to the back of the paper, using regular desk tape. Only tape an inch or two on each side. If you tape all the way across, the recipient will have to deal with tape either still holding the package shut or just getting in the way.

Turn the sheet over and pull the string from that edge over into the slit.

Align the top sheet (with the string) back to back with another sheet of paper (right sides facing out). Using preferred method, close 3 sides of the package, making sure that the twine in the slit is free, and the twine on the opposite edge is secure. (Note: if you sew the sheets together, make sure you use a needle that's reserved for this purpose.)

Place gift in package, then close up fourth side.

If you like, make a little tab on the end of the string, along with ribbons, bows and gift tags.

Give gift.

Recipient should grasp an edge, grab the string and pull across the paper. (You can see here that I attempted to sew the sheets together, but my machine refused to cooperate (unrelated to the project*), so I switched to tape, at least for the purposes of this tute.)

Oh, what's that?

Ta-dah!

*The machine was damaged, ever so slightly, during the move. We learned that the piece that holds on the foot is called the ankle, and that was the piece that was damaged -- just bent enough to prevent the spring from doing its job.

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Retired

Many years ago, I was invited to a Renaissance feast. It was explained to me that I needed to bring my own tableware. I knew nothing of accuracy, so I went to World Market and bought a pretty plate with a dragonfly motif, a bowl and a set of flatware. It ended up being a lot of fun, and I became slightly obsessed with collecting period-appropriate feast gear.

I started looking for things at thrift stores, and found so much stuff that would pass that I started selling it online. I even put together a little booklet that I sent free with orders. Of course, all the choicest stuff went into my basket!



After attending a total of maybe four feasts in roughly 6-7 years, and nothing since before the wedding, I have retired my feast gear basket. There are stories connected with many of the pieces; some I received as gifts, others were obtained when wait staff nudged something toward me with a wink after I asked about buying one. Most were either purchased or tracked down at thrift stores. Either way, I love them all, but keeping them in a basket makes no sense. Many items went into my kitchen window (above), a couple went into the cupboard. The now-empty basket went on top of the cabinets in case we go on a picnic.

This stack, I'm not so sure about. I'm hoping to set up some kind of bookshelf on the kitchen side of the divider between the kitchen and entry-that-is-supposed-to-be-a-dining-room. This is the kind of thing I'd put there.

These, on the other hand, were not in my basket, and will be sold at the next opportunity. I found them when I packed up the kitchen; they must have been purchased in one of my thrift store tours when I was focusing on feast gear. (Three-tine forks aren't "period," but are less modern than the four-tine version, and people usually want forks. There's a limit to how historically accurate people want to be. Two-tine forks would be period, although not for lower classes.)

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Okay, I'm all decorated for Christmas

Maybe not. If we can get the boxes out of the attic at the old house, I would sincerely like to put up at least a small tree. If that plan fails, I have at least put up some decoration, more than I've done for many years. (Sometimes I hang stockings... that's it.)

A Christmas Story was my dad's favorite Christmas movie (it was his era), and probably one of his favorites overall, so for several years, I got him themed gifts. One year was a Red Ryder BB gun (which, sadly, disappeared from his house) and another year, I found this desk lamp. I couldn't afford the full-size version, but he got a big kick out of it just the same. (After Christmas, it will go on my computer table.)

Here's a small image of it from the outside. (Click to see bigger.) It's not my all-time favorite Christmas movie, but I usually watch it once a year. It makes me feel close to Dad, for one thing, but I get a kick out of it regardless. Watching this movie has also helped me vow to never become "that aunt," the one that doesn't know what age her niece & nephew are, who sends wildly inappropriate/stupid gifts.

I like that they enjoy hand-made gifts, but I'm watching for the time when it just won't do. Actually, this year, my niece is getting a stack of used books (Trixie Belden, most of which are out of print in any form) and a scarf. My nephew, J, is getting one of the toys or games he wants and a snowman nightlight - nothing hand-made. The boy loves snowmen and he loves Christmas. Someday, he might want this lamp. And I'll consider giving it to him (no promises).

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Home, again

It doesn't feel right, having a post about the move without pictures, but what can you do? It didn't cross my mind once to get out the camera during the process. Saturday night, after everyone was gone and everything was dark, John called me back to the living room and bade me sit on the couch and look out the window. We could see all the stars! That was the first time I thought about a camera, but was too tired and sore to go get it.

How about a recap, of sorts?
Things went as smoothly as they could for a Michigan day with snow showers and low temps (in the 20s, not counting the wind chill factor). Several people came to help, which was great. They all couldn't make it for the unloading portion of the day, so that half was a little tougher, but we persevered. John and I were still sick. We filled U-haul’s biggest truck, front-to-back and top-to-bottom, plus a few carloads and had to leave a lot of stuff behind. It’s about a 90-minute drive each way, so we won’t be making daily trips to get the rest of the stuff, but maybe a couple a week. (We have a lot of books and DVDs!)

HerdingMoving Cats
I got some confirmation from Steph that my original plan was pretty good, and used a couple of her suggestions as well. JDub had offered to transport all the cats, so when it was time to start packing the bedroom (where most of them were hiding (it would have been better to trap them all in one room, but that wasn't possible)), we grabbed carriers and, eventually, found the six regular residents. We already knew that getting Lily, aka Basement Cat, was going to have to be done separately.

We set up the master bath as the cat room, with litter boxes, water, food, baskets, blankets and cat nip, then let them out to wander while we unpacked the truck. A couple of them were traumatized by both the capture and the 90-minute trip and didn’t want to get out of the carriers for awhile, but I didn't rush them. After everyone was gone, I made the bed and tossed a couple of our blankets over it (the ones the kitties sleep on a lot), shut the bedroom door and opened the bathroom door so they had two rooms to explore.

None of the cats like traveling, but Sheldon, who is the oldest, has had more experience. When he first came to live with me (about sixteen years ago), we visited my parents' house pretty frequently; plus he's moved once and gone on a couple of road trips. He was rarin’ to go, wanting to explore, immediately, but we were resolute (plus, there were some complications that required the bedroom door to stay closed -- more on that later). On Sunday morning, after we caught up on some sleep, we opened the door and let them explore the main floor (none of them are getting into the basement until it's been swept clean).

Each at their own pace, they've been roaming and exploring, and, in some cases, ripping up and down the entire length of the house. (Our old house was much smaller.) Neo, who has been with John since she was a couple of days old, isn’t exploring, but she’s ecstatic because she gets to sleep with him again.

One little hitch (of course there's a hitch)
The furnace wouldn’t stay on, so it didn’t get above 60F degrees all of Saturday. At first, we thought it was because the door was constantly open. Finally, around midnight, we got dressed and took the long drive to Meijer to get a space heater. (Why the bedroom door had to stay closed.)

Thankfully, due to a couple of issues, our real estate agent had purchased a home warranty for us (we would have done it if he hadn’t), so there was a repair truck in the driveway by late Sunday afternoon. Took him five minutes to fix it! (We couldn’t have done it, and it turns out the previous owner, who thought he knew what he was doing, had been repeatedly replacing the wrong part! (Condensation line was clogged.))

Basement Cat
John went back to the old house Saturday night after he returned the truck, and Lily wasn’t in the trap we'd set for her (humane trap, of course). We went last night, and it was still empty, so we went on a little hunt. We cornered her twice, and almost had her, but she got away. The third time, I got a sheet over her and got her wrapped up quickly. Not before she bit me, but she didn’t break the skin (she got the nail, so it felt like I’d jammed my finger in a drawer).

She’s set up in the guest bath, now that we have the master bath back. She’ll have to stay there for several days so they all get used to each others’ scent, and she calms down. We’re going to try to keep the basement blocked off, hoping she’ll consider staying up with the family. (The two youngest cats are hers - we couldn’t find a home for her, and didn’t want to put her back on the street after living with us for a few months, so she became the basement cat.)

Technicalities
Our stove won’t work in this house*, so we’re stuck with microwave, Foreman grill and crock pot until we can buy a new one (already ordered, due Wednesday). I have my first ever crock pot meal going right now, and SIL C. is providing recipes for future use. We couldn't bring our washer/dryer with us, and can't quite afford new ones right now, so I'll be going to a laundromat for the first time in my life (not counting the machines in the dorm at college). Should be interesting.

Next
I have to make curtains and continue unpacking. Kitchen first! I love my kitchen. Even without a stove.


*Silly me. I knew there was a gas outlet, so I assumed we could have either gas or electric (this is only my second move - I’m not “up” on appliances). We couldn’t afford new appliances right away, so we brought our old PoS appliances with us, including our electric stove. There isn’t an adequate outlet for the stove. Oops.

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Offline for a Few Days

We're moving today, and won't be online until Monday at the earliest. Have a great weekend!

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Slow Cook Thursday

There is so much to do today, and I'm really sick, but I couldn't stay away from the computer to check out Mrs. G's Slow Cook Thursday, which is about me today! Go check it out (unless you just came from there), and then keep reading, because it's one of my very favorite blogs!

If you have come here via Derfwad Manor, Welcome!!!

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On Thrifting

(We're closing on the house "today," so I've prepared something in advance. I'll probably be back at least once before the move, then off for several days.)

Welcome to visitors via Derfwad Manor! I think I'm up for Slow-cook Thursday.

Back in the day when I made a little bit of mad-money selling feast gear (for SCA & Rennies*), I used to go to thrift stores frequently. I had a whole route that I traveled, looking for wood and (new, food-grade) pewter tableware. (Pictured here: sorting buttons on my miraculous acorn plate, a total random find, which I adore.) That hobby is long over, although I still collect wood and pewter. I still like visiting stores, although I haven't lately (with the move coming up, the more stuff I buy = the more stuff I have to move). When we are all settled, I'm hoping to find some stores to hit on a regular basis.

I used to look at thrift stores with a mixture of dread and horror. Once I finally figured out how cool they can be, I gave them a chance. There are some things I won't buy (socks, underwear, hats), and there are things that I don't bother with (clothes, usually, because of the sizing). However, they can be great sources for things like sweaters to felt and/or unravel, some kitchen ware, etc. One thing I started noticing, though, is how crazy-high some prices are! Even when thrifting, one has to be an alert consumer, because sometimes the prices are better at the regular retail stores.

I really don't get the justification for the high prices I see so often. The product is free. The facilities and utilities are not, nor is some of the staff. But still, I see things that still have the dollar store sticker on them priced at a thrift store for $2-$3. I don't think they understand that if they priced things more reasonably, they'd sell more of the stuff they didn't pay for in the first place: moving more product = higher profit. (It doesn't stop me from trying, but I frequently walk away, shaking my head.)

I'm looking forward to seeking out a new set of thrift stores once we move, and see how my luck fares a couple counties away.

Completely unrelated
I'd love some tips for moving cats!

*SCA = Society for Creative Anachronism; Rennies = Rennaissance Faire folks. SCA more than the other has regular "feasts" where participants have to take their own table setting, and many like to get as close to authentic as possible.

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Where do you knit?

Disclaimer: I'm a knitter, so that's where my focus goes naturally. Feel free to replace "knit" wherever it appears with "crochet." (Photo #1 is a couple of years old -- me knitting at the Michigan Renaissance Festival (I don't have many pictures of me knitting, as evidenced by photo #2, me in costume/makeup for a student zombie film).)

It seems like a fight breaks out an any knitting forum/community every time someone asks a question about when and where it's okay (or not) to knit. Some people totally freak out at the thought of someone knitting at the movies. Others think nothing of pulling out their knitting at the symphony.

I've found that, over time, my opinion has changed in some areas; in others, it's the same as it ever was. Most of the time it depends on how formal the environment is and how the knitting might be received by people around me. For the latter, it totally depends on the people. I've heard/read horror stories about controlling spouses insisting that no knitting be done in their presence, parents who suddenly decide that knitting isn't allowed on Sundays, and people who are humiliated because their friend is knitting at a bar. That's not what I'm talking about. There are bigger issues at stake in those cases. coughcontrolfreakscough

At my old job, I was on the business side of things -- giving requirements -- and I took my knitting to all manner of informal meetings. I left it behind for anything where someone higher level than me would be in attendance. Still, I had my knitting at most of my meetings, and it saved my sanity during long conference calls. In my current job, I'm on the IT side -- frequently gathering requirements. Plus, the overall feel of this place is more formal. Since I don't think knitting at work is a right, it stays under my desk until lunch, unless I'm on a boring conference call (and am not officiating).

I absolutely knit at movies. My needles don't click-clack, and I take simple, mindless projects like washcloths and can knit in the dark (if it's simple and mindless). Someone that has a problem with that is just going to have to deal.

I don't always get it out of my bag, but I almost always have some knitting with me when we do go out to eat, in case the service is slow. This would be at mom & pop establishments and chain restaurants; we don't eat at fancy restaurants very often. When we do, or if it's a business function, the knitting stays at home or in the car.

Anyone visiting my home should feel free to bring their knitting. Once we've settled down in the living room to chat or watch a movie, my knitting is going to come out -- you may as well get some rows done! Going into someone else's home, I have to gauge the situation. It depends on the hostess and the formality of the event. In addition:

• Doctor's waiting rooms, in line at the Post Office, etc.: yes
• Job interview: no
• I don't go to school anymore, but knitting in class would depend on the instructor. If s/he said no, then it would be no (and I'd have to find something else to fidget with).
• Weddings and Funerals: Totally depends. I'd err on the side of civility and leave the knitting behind. However, please feel free to bring knitting to my funeral.
• Church: Well. I have knit during certain programs where the lights are out and there's no way I could disturb anyone. I don't attend regular church services, but the ones I used to attend would probably frown on the knitting, and as much as I'd be itching to get some stitches in, I probably wouldn't, considering the environment. I have, however, heard of ministers that welcome and encourage quiet, contemplative, charity knitting during services.

The bottom line is that I don't think it's my right to knit anywhere I want, whenever I want. I used to think that people were totally out of line who said things like "if you can't put your knitting down for an evening, you've got bigger problems than not knitting," but have come to realize that my problem was more likely with how the statements were phrased.

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Sheldon Has a Thing for Yarn

Many years ago, I bought two burgundy cardigans, in two different sizes. One fit correctly and was worn with skirts and slacks. The other was too big and was worn around the house for warmth. I've never been a great housekeeper, but I was frequently confused when I came home from work to find my too-big sweater on the floor, nowhere near the chair I'd hung it on. I'd shake my head, confused, then pick it up and lay it over the back of the chair again.

Then one day, I caught a glimpse of something interesting: my cat Sheldon, who was around three years old at the time, dragging the sweater off the chair, clutching a bit of it between his teeth, and walking away. He loved on that sweater, if you catch my drift, and it immediately became Sheldon's sweater. For a couple of years, that sweater was his best friend. We brought it with us when we moved, and he continued to love that sweater. Finally, it had to be washed. And he lost all interest in it.

All this meant was that he no longer limited himself to loving the one sweater. He started adopting any garment of mine he could pull out of the hamper, and added a new trick: hollering while he dragged whatever he'd snagged throughout the house. When John came, he got a whole new wardrobe to love. If we are home, but not in the bedroom, it begins, and goes until he's hoarse. (He no longer looooves the garments; they're more like security blanket relationships now; he just carries them around, the excess material dragging behind him, yowling through the cloth in his mouth.) Once, he dragged a heavy, full-size blanket off the bed and brought it halfway down the stairs.

Well, recently, he''s decided that clothes are okay, but yarn... now yarn is where it's at. This is not okay with me, as he's dragged brand new, somewhat expensive balls of yarn out of my knitting bag/basket if I'm careless enough to leave them out in the open while I dare to use the bathroom or run downstairs to check my email. He leaves my knitting projects alone, unless they're attached to a ball of yarn. He doesn't chew on it, or damage it in any way, although there have been tangles. I learned pretty quickly that yarn could not be left out anywhere.

Finally, I gave him his own skein, some cheap acrylic that he pulled out of a basket. I took the loose piece from the outside and wrapped it several times, then tied it off, so there are no loose ends to chew on. We finally captured a picture of him doing his routine. Getting a video would be tough, because he doesn't usually let us see him (if he can see us, he's not upset).

Once we move, I plan on getting something else on video: Cass (behind Shel in this picture) likes to be spanked. It's the one of the funniest things I've ever seen!

Other news
We close in two days (Thursday) and move Saturday. We are nowhere near packed, and we are both ill (bronchitis). At least we don't have to move everything.

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