Musings of a Middle Aged Witch

Gratitude Project 2009

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:30:34 GMT

My Gratitude today is that so many people around me are genuinely decent people who will do what they can for their neighbors, human and animal.

Our neighbors lost their house today. The gods had them out of the house- all but the fish. The dogs are safe, we've got one of the two cats and the other has been seen, the kids, and both adults were all out of the house when the fire started. They are fully insured.

No, it won't replace all the things, but things are just that. Things. They don't matter at the end of the day. You lost your Grandma's things, but there she is in your daughter's eyes. You lost Grandpa's stuff, but look at him there in your son's face. You lost nothing that was genuinely irreplaceable.

They'll be alright, once they get things sorted out.

And their neighbors all rallied to do what they can to help. Clothing, food, shelter, they have. Luckily her dryer was broken so she'd hauled the laundry to her Mom's house, so they have clothes!

They had the adult dog with them, the pup was rescued by another neighbor from the yard. We loaned them our cat carrier from the van (Yes, I do carry one at all times. Why do you ask?)

Erin offered baby clothes, since there weren't many of the baby things in the laundry this time. They'll be okay.

Quick Update

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:07:27 GMT

I'm on the library computer, though we should have power back Friday, which will be good.

Tim's surgery on Monday went great. They broke the stone into four pieces and left them in his bladder to pass- none have made it yet, but the bleeding is nearly done with. The stent comes out tomorrow, which he's both looking forward to (having it out) and dreading (having it removed). I'm the lucky duck who gets to do the deed.

Maddy, Gen and Beth's tortie, had her kittens. Six healthy babies, though the last one born could have had trouble if Gen hadn't been there to perform feline resuscetation Maddy was tired by then and the baby had a lot of fluid in his lungs. She got the fluid out and warmed him up and now you would never know. Four males, two females. Two gray, two marmelade, a black and a perfect split faced tortie. Momma is doing a good job.

Not much else to report at this time.

x-posting to LiveJournal.

Day 3 of the process.

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:09:01 GMT

Three days ago I began quitting smoking. From about a pack a day to 5, then two, and now none.

I'm dizzy, thanks to my blood pressure returning to "normal", which is about 85/60. I hate this feeling. I can't think because the blood is quite honestly not making the trip to my head with a full oxygen load. It'll be a week or so before I get used to the lowered bp again, and I'll have to be very careful not to black out/faint for the rest of my life, since I've never found anything that will keep my bp from taking this stupid nose dive when I don't smoke, but not smoking may mean living without as much lung and heart crud, so I'm going to do my damnedest to get rid of them and keep away from them.

Tim and Gen are also quitting. Neither of them is feening so hard as me, but then Tim's never seemed to develop the addictions and Gen's not a heavy smoker. I want her to quit now, while it is possible to do without going through the stuff I'm going through.

A better body fat estimation calculator.

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:49:22 GMT

www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/pi.shtml

I've been complaining for years about the simplistic, and inaccurate, height/weight BFI calculators, because they're simply wrong in most cases., especially if you're naturally muscular. This one is far more accurate. Check it out.

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:13:30 GMT

A soft fluttering
Petals drifting
Scent of spring
Promise of fruit
White on green
Pear trees raining
Sweet blossoms
Warm breezes
Another season begun

Bananas.

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:09:03 GMT

I stopped to pick up bananas at my regular grocery store (potassium au natural) and they had maybe a dozen bananas, period, all brown-spotted and nasty.

So, I stopped at the other store and they charged me too much, but had lots of nice, greenish bananas for me to choose from at least. I got myself 8 big ones.

I don't really care for bananas. They give me indigestion something awful at times. I love the flavor, though.

So, yeah. Bananas.

And this is my meaningless post of the day.

This guy is talented.

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:38:11 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/user/docjazz4

And of course there has to be bad news, too.

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:22:39 GMT

Flare from hell and weirdness with the ticker. Said weirdness followed climbing a flight of stairs. I'm looking it up to make sure "go to ER, do not pass go" is advised when this sort of weirdness occurs.

I feel like crud, but I'm just not sure why I feel so cruddy, you know? My allergies are acting up, naturally, and my hands are hurting, I've got just that generalized crud going on that might be nothing more than the usual, might be something to be concerned about.

The good news is...

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:19:18 GMT

We got the referral to the UofM at Columbia, so now he needs to call and make that appointment.

Doctor Visit Today

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:51:53 GMT

Fingers crossed that this doctor can help Tim.

Fine Weather is Coming...

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:07:09 GMT

And so it is time to remember some basic things about car safety for your kids and your pets.

On a pleasant 73F day the temperature inside of a car can reach 120F in half an hour. On a 90F day it can hit 160F in a matter of minutes. Cracking the window an inch DOES NOT help sufficiently.

If you take your dogs with you in the car, as we do, either get a car leash and strap your pet to the seat belt so that they can't jump out and leave those windows all the way down, or leave your pet at home. Bring water. Always. And if you'll need to leave your dog in the car for more than five minutes with the windows all the way down, just leave them home.

As for your kids. Not even for a minute should you ever leave a child in the car alone. No exceptions.

Not. Even. For. A. Minute.

There's already been one death of a child this year that I know of due to being left in the car. It happens every year, and there's no reason for it.

Recipe from irenejerico for spinach salad.

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:41:39 GMT

Actual quote from the website is: Wilted spinach tossed with prosciutto, roasted garlic and fresh lemon and olive oil. Topped with crispy pan-fried goat cheese.

I'm going to play with the proportions to get it right next week and probably serve it on Beltaine.

For Gen's fangs

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:39:40 GMT

www.youtube.com/watch

Iowa, not so backwards after all.

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:14:40 GMT

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage

Go Iowa!

Okay, now the other 47 states need to get their heads extracted from their anuses and join suit. It is about time that every couple has the right to marry. Marriage isn't just about providing for possible offspring, so there is no reason to limit it to potential childbearers, eh?

Wall patch should dry faster than this.

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:08:58 GMT

But, we did get one more wall done, assembled her rolling island and got more cleaning done. Discovered that we need to repair the shower pipe, but we've got the pipe to do it with, so that's okay. We can deal with that tomorrow. Beth cleaned her bathroom and we're closing in on done with the kitchen and dining room. Also discovered that we don't have the other three boxes of flooring, because Mom took it to repair Uncle Billy's house last year.

So, we got a little done. I'm sore, tired and starving. I have to cook off some chicken tonight, though I'd rather just do ye olde grab-grunt-growl.

Sold!- Oak Burl Bowl

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:25:00 GMT

matrinka69.livejournal.com/387579.html Remember this? Well, if you want to own the first fully finished hand carved bowl by moi, now is your chance! I will be making more, but this is the very first that I finished.

I've comparison shopped to come up with a reasonable price for this piece. Similar pieces are running from $45 on up, so I'm going to price this at $50, since unlike the other pieces, this one is hand carved (save for a little bit of Dremmel work to get the inside bottom nice and round) and not done on a bowl lathe, which makes the process about 90% easier.

The story of this piece: This burl/boll came off of a large old oak tree on our property here in Missouri that needed to come down to clear the space for our future home. I hand carved out the inside of the bowl using chisels and a mallet that was made by my girls' Grandpa George. I removed all of the loose bark, but left what wasn't loose, because it is beautiful. The bottom of the bowl is carved into the shape of an egg, as it was made on Ostara 21 March 2009. It is finished with two hand rubbed coats of tung oil.

Designed to be used as a small offering/trinket bowl.

If you're interested in buying, please email me at matrinka@NOSPAMhotmail.com, removing the NOSPAM, of course.

Thanks!

A leaf from my oaks.

And, just because I could...

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:16:01 GMT

A skateboard. Mostly for the girls, because when I was still young and loved riding board, there weren't any boards for girls. I would've loved this board!

Dark Fae Skateboard by Matrinka
Shop for long skateboards at www.Zazzle.com
Browse other Creatures Races Skateboards

Irish Peace Keds

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:12:33 GMT

Custom Keds, designed by yours truly, just to play with the software. Pretty spiffy, aren't they?

Síocháin by Matrinka
Make custom shoes at www.Zazzle.com
See more Politics Keds Shoes

In memory of Chavi.

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:00:25 GMT

Tomorrow at sundown I will light a 24 hour candle on my altar in memory of a friend.

We never managed to get together in meat life, but we spoke on the phone many times and shared letters back and forth. I made her some silly hats to wear, she shared knowledge from her side of our lineage, and I shared from mine, broadening and deepening our individual paths.

She inspired many. She is greatly missed.

Chavi, I love you, I miss you, and I'll see you when I get there.

Gratefulness

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:55:12 GMT

I am grateful for the resident urologist who overrode the doctor's orders and made sure my husband has a chance to save his kidney. I don't know your name, North Kansas City Hospital resident, but you have my thanks and my respect.

Nalbinding. Because yes I do need another fibreart to learn!

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:19:01 GMT

www.myvideo.de/watch/3570207/Nalbinding_York_stitch_F2_F1_connection_in_rounds
www.myvideo.de/watch/4902271/Nadelbinden_Der_Cross_Dalby_Stich
www.myvideo.de/watch/826936/Der_Asle_Stich
www.myvideo.de/watch/829122/Der_Asle_Weaver_Stich

Before there was knit, there was nalbinding (nal-bin-ding). Next on my list to learn. First though, to make myself a set of needles.

Tim Update

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:03:31 GMT

He will have a stent installed 9am tomorrow morning, then he will be coming home. They're making an appointment for about a month out to have the lithotripsy done at Columbia. There will be no charge for this. If this doesn't work, he'll lose his right kidney most likely.

So. Good news mostly, but with a very dark lining. The stone is now over 7mm in diameter. It has grown significantly since August of last year and will just keep growing.

My first finished bowl.

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:51:21 GMT

This bowl was started yesterday, when I decided that nothing else was going to happen. The base is carved into the shape of an egg (not visible, as it is drying still). I just now finished it and took pics while it is sitting in the sun drying.

The inside actually hollowed out really easily on this one. The first bowl still needs more work, as the inside of the bowl needs more material removed and far more sanding, but I'm rather liking how this one came out. I mostly debarked it, leaving only that which stood up to being sanded. The finish is tung oil. It isn't meant for food use, as it might hold only 1/3 of a cup or so of anything. These are meant as offering bowls for the altar, and for that purpose, they should serve very nicely.

Half a mile.

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:35:59 GMT

We took Leandh and Seamus out for a walk and we did about half a mile round trip. We didn't go very fast, but we kept a steady pace. Hopefully I can work my way back up to a mile a day this year.

Zazzle Poster sale Ends Today!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:22:23 GMT

www.zazzle.com/matrinka* If you've wanted one of my prints, now is the time to get it. Half off is pretty sweet.

50% off posters discount is applied to orders of one or more qualifying posters and applies to the price of the product, not to shipping, taxes, and other charges. The coupon code ZAZZLEPOSTER must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Offer is valid from March 13, 2009 at 12:01am PDT, through March 21, 2009 at 11:59pm PDT. Your order must be placed during that time to receive this special promotional pricing offer. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or discount offers. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only and is not valid on Smilestore.com orders.