Just for Fun

stolen shamelessly from Take life w/ a grain of chocolate...and Costumechick

The things I have done are in bold. Things I haven't aren't.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world many times!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo at a try-out
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch taught myself to knit and crochet
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning even had to go to the ER
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France--the Louvre was closed when I was there because the guards were on strike
20. Slept on an overnight train Vienna to Venice...with our six month-old baby
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise--I get seasick
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors--been to Ireland & Italy
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Holidays

I love the winter holidays. The smells--cocoa, pine, fresh snow (yes, we do get some here once in a while), peppermint...The sounds of carols, Handel, happy children eager to speak to Santa. I love it all.

What I don't love? Stuff. Obligatory gift giving. Plastic toys. Crowds. Lines. Sales that aren't really (i.e. coupons that exclude the only things I want). Sad children. Angry shoppers.

Today, we usually go Downtown to see the holiday lights and catch a peek of Santa. We have hot cocoa at Starbucks, maybe browse a little at the big department stores and perhaps the book stores. See the giant star lit at Macy's. Watch the carousel go 'round.

Letting Go

of the Crock-Pot box.

I bought a new Crock-Pot a few weeks ago. I'd wanted a white one with more features and finally found a good price at a local store. With a 10% coupon, it was an even better deal. Oh, and there's a $5 rebate. Yay!

I keep boxes. And I kept this box for a few weeks. I wanted to make sure the Crock-Pot worked properly and that it fit on my counter.

In the past, I would have kept the box. Just in case, you know. Tucked it in the garage or basement.

Today, I broke it down and took it out to the recycling bin.

Can I get a "yay"?

Drugstore Game: Free Stuff!

I've been playing the Drugstore Game a bit lately. Today, since Walgreens had a special $5 off $20 coupon (good only yesterday and today), I made a couple of trips. They had deals on wrapping paper and other Christmas items--these I stocked up on for the girls' schools' holiday bazaar.

Also, due to a free after rebate item, some manufacturer's coupons and the above mentioned Walgreens coupon, I got all this for free: L'oreal moisturizer, two bags Hershey's kisses, two dozen eggs, and four cans of Progresso soup. I do have to wait for the rebate, but it's done online and is quite fast.

Whew!

Returned the Target pants

And I didn't buy anything else while I was in the store.

So there!

Crossword mania

A few years ago, I got into crosswords. I'd avoided them before that, but for some reason, I started working a Sunday New York Times puzzle and became entranced. Soon, I was doing the daily crossword and reading books about them.

Can you tell what's in the photo below? Yup, a whole stack of Sunday crosswords. Our paper has both the NY Times puzzle and the Merl Reagle (a very punny puzzle). I don't always have time on Sunday to do the puzzle, so I save them. And save them. And before you know it, there's a rather tall stack.

Should I recycle them? Continue to save them? Dear Reader, help!

This old box of junk

It's been hanging around for a long time. There are items in it I've owned since high school. Each time I go through it, though, I am able to let go of more items.

The pile on the left contains the things I was able to say farewell to today. Now, most of the contens of the box are travel toiletry items, such as shower caps, mending kits and shampoo/body lotion.

Donations ready!

I've got five bags of donations in the trunk, ready to drop off at St. Vincent de Paul, my current fave. They have easy drop-off and a poor selection of women's clothing so I'm not tempted to go in.

Still haven't been to Target to return those pants, but I'll go this week and get it taken care of.

The major gift-giving holiday of the year is just around the corner...

After all the Target fuss...

The pants don't fit. I had bought the next size up from the ones that are wearing out because they are too short. The new are the right length, but way too big in the waist. I considered taking them in, but the way they're constructed would make it awkward.

Oh well, now I have to go back to Target to return them!

Costuming: Sense and Sensibility patterns

This is off-topic in most ways, so do forgive me.

I love the Regency era. I love Jane Austen. I have participated in Regency dancing events and enjoyed them immensely.

Regency costumer Jennie Chancey, who has been perfecting her Regency gown and accessories patterns for years now, has just begun releasing them as e-patterns. E-patterns are essentially downloadable patterns. They take up physical space only when printed and can be scaled up or down as needed. Very clever!

I already own the Regency Gown pattern, but certainly would consider buying some of Jennie's other patterns as e-patterns rather than physical paper ones that must be shipped. Her pattern company, Sense and Sensibility, has also created patterns for dresses from other eras including Swing, Romantic, and Edwardian. She's also got an amazing looking pattern for a "Titanic"-inspired gown! (Yes, I hated the movie, but the costumes were great!)

If you enjoy costuming and the Regency era, I'd strongly recommend these patterns.

A Close Escape

Reader, I went to Target. I had coupons, they had Halloween stuff at 75% off. I was tempted. So tempted that I filled a hand-basket.

I'd gone there to get a pair of pants for the Big One. She's very specific about what she'll wear and what she won't. One of her favorite pairs of pants is wearing out; it came from Target's Circo line. Circo pants in that same style are on sale this week, so I wanted to buy her a replacement pair.

Circo stuff is so inexpensive new, I hate to buy it used, especially since it's often priced the same or more (!) at the thrift stores than new at Target.

I found a pair, and that's when I got in trouble. I looked at the Halloween stuff. Gosh, 75% off! And they had these cute little Barbie's little sister Kelly dolls dressed in Halloween costumes. Gosh, I could sell those on eBay. Golly, what a deal.

And those coupons. There's a special going for Glade holiday scent air fresheners and candles. I had coupons, yeah. But I don't need any. I really really don't.

So, I got smart, put down the basket, picked up the pants (what I had come in the store for), bought them. And left.

Old Floppy Discs

We have several boxes of old large floppy discs. These were DH's grandpa's, for his IBM PC. Grandpa was an early adopter and shifted all his letter writing and business to the IBM. We had the actual computer (I think?) for a while, but it's long gone. Still, what to do with the floppies?

I was all for tossing them, but DH hesitated, so we wait.

I'll post a picture when my camera battery recharges.