tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127539382011-07-07T19:26:04.075-05:00The house got rewired, but the guest room isn't a guest room anymore.springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.comBlogger1601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-51366353122526388822009-09-24T21:22:00.001-05:002009-09-24T21:28:14.524-05:00

Tomorrow morning I have what I hope to be the last meeting about the business plan. All the numbers are in place and look good. Keep your fingers crossed that we'll actually make a decent (read: not huge) profit the very first year! As soon as the business counselor and I decide it's done done, I'll take it to be bound nicely at Kinko's. I'll make several of these really nice copies for bankers

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1230052056117213432009-09-19T13:26:00.000-05:002009-09-19T13:29:44.051-05:00

Please read this article.Often I find Bob Herbert a bit far to the left even for me, but his article about racism in the U.S. strikes a chord.My hope is that every intelligent, thoughtful person out there, no matter their political or religious belief, will help restore a respectful dialogue to our society. I am tired of the fanatical rhetoric.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-42042329064299757602009-09-16T13:25:00.001-05:002009-09-16T13:27:44.048-05:00

So some of you know that I've been working like a dog on Green Bambino's business plan the last 3 months. To the detriment of housework, sometimes.Today I just needed to get stuff done, so I went out and sawed off the tree limbs that hung so low they'd get caught in the car door and planted some ornamental grass in front of the air conditioner.Now I'm sweaty and dirty, but it sure feels nice to

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-27876271448993426572009-08-06T19:52:00.002-05:002009-08-06T19:55:35.653-05:00

This morning we were awakened quite early by very bright lightning and VERY loud thunder. It stormed and poured for 3 or 4 hours. I was at the computer around 8:30 a.m. when a clap of thunder hit so close and so loud that itSET OFF THE CAR ALARM!I suppose that I would've said "Sure, theoretically, thunder claps could trip a car alarm like fireworks might," but I've never heard of it actually

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1383869524837828982009-06-05T17:13:00.001-05:002009-06-05T17:13:49.025-05:00

Toys R UsThe highest capacity convertible car seat made, the Radian80 Convertible Car Seat in SuperCool from Sunshine Kids is designed to provide the safety of a 5-point harness from birth up to 80lbs, which makes it the only car seat a child will need. Features a steel alloy frame, 4-panel side impact pro... Radian80 Convertible Car Seat - SuperCoolWe love the

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-20053744612671990762009-05-22T12:39:00.002-05:002009-05-22T12:40:04.365-05:00

Gotta love the giveaways, especially when it's summer and the prize is an ImseVimse reusable swim diaper.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-46037574792133957872009-05-17T17:10:00.003-05:002009-05-17T17:29:38.519-05:00

New Guinea Impatiens and hostas in the window box.We took out all the old lilies and tulips in this section. They used to be glorious, but they've been petering out for years. We were tired of the green forest but no blooms. We put in two Sky Pencil Hollies, 5 azaleas and a bunch of caladiums. There's also an elephant ear near the porch.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-31305207271151032292009-05-15T09:12:00.004-05:002009-05-15T09:17:10.417-05:00

This article in today's New York Times both troubles and angers me. Since when do manufacturers get to wash their hands (no pun intended) of product safety? They can't figure out where contaminants get into our processed foods, so they just say it's the consumer's fault if the product isn't cooked properly. And there are many people in this country who think government regulation is the devil's

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-58347076966666295382009-05-08T10:37:00.002-05:002009-05-08T10:40:24.490-05:00

I love cloth diaper blogs and websites, and I love giveaways. Here's the newest one:Click here to read the blog and enter the giveaway:http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/feed-your-stash-friday-planet-wise-wet-bags

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-66692398021882252932009-05-06T15:14:00.001-05:002009-05-06T15:16:25.494-05:00

For all you cloth diaper fans (of which there may not be that many) check out:http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/2009/05/kellys-closet-wants-to-celebrete.htmlThey are giving away all of this:1-bumgenius One size Diaper in FLEECE 1-FuzziBunz One Size Diaper1-Haute One Size Diaper1-Rumparooz G2 One Size Diaper with 6-r Soaker 1-Wahmies One Size Diaper 1-Happy Heiny's One Size Diaper 1-Planet

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-51198843655679368972009-03-05T09:19:00.002-06:002009-03-05T09:25:48.108-06:00

We had Spencer's one-year checkup yesterday. When the doctor says "You can turn his carseat to forward-facing, switch from formula to milk, and you might as well give up the bottle (if that's what you want)," babyhood is over. We ran out of formula last night, so no more bottles. It will be nice to just pick up a gallon of whole milk whenever we need milk for ourselves and only pay $4 (instead of

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-74060756780776879402009-02-27T16:27:00.003-06:002009-02-27T16:29:35.854-06:00

For those of us with wood floors and wood floor vent covers (I don't actually know anyone else with this combination, but hey), and babies that have discovered how to pull up the vent covers to expose the sheet metal duct underneath, my mom had a great idea: velcro strips between the floor and the vent cover. I bought a giant box of velcro today, so we'll see how it actually works.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-73330774538253950412009-02-27T16:22:00.002-06:002009-02-27T16:27:19.905-06:00

that metal whisks should come with a parental advisory warning: Not For Babies!!I thought, hmmm, this tiny whisk will keep Spencer occupied for the next few minutes while I do (whatever it was I was doing). I came back into the room a few seconds later and he had pulled the loopy things completely out of the handle. Ack! Images of poking eyes out!!I never knew that the loops on a traditional

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-75689050422400834882009-02-17T11:02:00.002-06:002009-02-17T11:08:58.061-06:00

How do you cover every single square inch of chewable crib side? I went in this morning and noticed a half-dollar sized chunk chewed out of the tall side of the crib. The front rail is covered with a fabric rail guard that works well (although one morning I found the velcro that secures it pulled apart and a new chew spot under it.) He has only superficially chewed on the back rail. But the ends?

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-30781049911245476362009-02-06T12:47:00.002-06:002009-02-06T12:50:50.908-06:00

1. As of this week, he's down to one nap a day that starts at about 1 p.m. and last about 1.5-2 hours. Sometimes there's a 15-minute catnap around 5:30.2. Last night he fed himself his entire dinner of chicken, acorn squash and carrots. I still have a bunch of puree and I haven't figured out how to prepare/store large amounts of finger foods for him, so we won't be putting the spoons away yet,

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-84078279417907552332009-01-27T10:39:00.002-06:002009-01-27T10:47:56.121-06:00

I'm not sure that all of the few people who read this blog were aware that Spencer had an umbilical hernia. Typically, an umbilical hernia isn't surgically repaired until the child is three since most of them resolve on their own. But Spencer had a complication called an incarceration that required us to get his hernia repaired now rather than in a couple of years.The surgery was outpatient and

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-87765559653698414852009-01-27T10:34:00.001-06:002009-01-27T10:39:35.115-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-33109630668374933292009-01-18T11:12:00.002-06:002009-01-18T11:14:34.350-06:00

I handed Spencer his hair brush today to keep him occupied during a diaper change. When I picked him up after finishing, he still had the brush, so I brushed the hair off his forehead. He took the brush back, reached behind his head with it, and started "brushing" his hair!I love watching the wheels turn.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-16991812689267442302009-01-09T10:58:00.002-06:002009-01-09T10:59:22.434-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-65079745508818438342009-01-09T10:48:00.003-06:002009-01-09T10:57:38.341-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-82399916869384316482008-12-17T12:03:00.001-06:002008-12-17T18:40:18.427-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-35763749398448620902008-10-27T11:27:00.000-05:002008-10-27T11:28:50.117-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-61263486565293841752008-10-27T11:26:00.000-05:002008-10-27T11:27:26.872-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-69271116872703670152008-09-22T15:44:00.003-05:002008-09-22T15:52:11.981-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-69843051882280629232008-09-11T22:26:00.002-05:002008-09-11T22:32:52.757-05:00

So the Bubby now has two teeth and is almost sitting up on his own. He's also weaning himself off me and the bottle according to the nurse and we're to start giving him milk/formula in a sippy cup after he eats his solid food. I guess we should have known he'd do things his own way :).

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-27718475770788846122008-08-24T12:04:00.002-05:002008-08-24T12:08:03.986-05:00

What did Graham find in the sunroom yesterday? Was it:A. A squirrelB. A snakeC. A frogD. A birdIf you chose B. A snake, you are correct! He went out to investigate what Catalina had been playing with all morning and found a small garden snake underneath the mat by the backdoor. I don't really want to know how it got in, because if it got in, other things probably could, too.Oh, well. It kept the

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-68569333472573122442008-08-22T13:44:00.002-05:002008-08-22T13:48:21.236-05:00

So here's the new crib. I really like the dropside feature. It makes it so much more comfortable to get Spencer into bed. We also got new curtains since the ones we had didn't block much light. Spencer seems to go to sleep faster in a darker room - go figure :).

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-12310719677428585772008-07-18T11:29:00.003-05:002008-07-20T11:54:57.383-05:00

Here's what our first crib looked like:Soon we will have a new crib because this one got recalled due to slats that can break or dislodge. So the little man is sleeping in the pack n play for the time being until we get a voucher for a new crib. We had to disassemble the old one, send in all the hardware and sign an affidavit that we would not reuse or resell the crib and now we have to wait a

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-88690187432988409522008-07-18T11:25:00.001-05:002008-07-18T11:28:58.825-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-83632719812129867332008-07-15T17:46:00.000-05:002008-07-15T17:47:07.563-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-86884000936008965432007-12-18T22:13:00.001-06:002007-12-18T22:23:04.107-06:00

We were lucky enough to keep our electricity (many other people in OKC lost theirs for more than a week) but our wonderful trees suffered much damage. We think the oak tree can be saved, but it will look very different. The pecan tree, which we always assumed would wreck the house in a bad ice storm, survived mostly intact. The Prius did not, however, as the kid down the street backed into it

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-65087662455802475772007-11-18T17:09:00.001-06:002007-11-18T17:23:00.534-06:00

The nursery is nearing completion. The first photo got taken after we had moved the window seat out to the living room and the bed against the windows. We just put the crib together today. We still need to go buy a mattress (and a car seat, and a stroller, and all kinds of stuff :))Here's the dresser Mom and I spent a weekend painting: They ignore the daybed when it's covered with a quilt, but

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-70979421422121176652007-11-18T17:06:00.000-06:002007-11-18T17:09:07.344-06:00

Here it is! The infamous Prius. We love it. It has neat features, plenty of space and of course, outstanding gas mileage.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-62167133216890971362007-07-15T17:54:00.000-05:002007-07-15T17:56:01.971-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-79051658419035409282007-07-15T17:38:00.000-05:002007-07-15T17:53:36.001-05:00

We got a new fridge: (check out the old one first)And here's the new one:We also just spent the weekend putting up new ceiling fans in the bedrooms. This was necessitated by a giant crack in on of the fan blade brackets. Imagine us in bed at 3 a.m. when a fan blade comes flying off the ceiling and whacks us on the head. Here are the old ones after being taken down. Each of these hung at least 20

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1165170841623764812006-12-03T12:30:00.000-06:002006-12-03T12:34:01.623-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1165170613607818662006-12-03T12:22:00.000-06:002006-12-03T12:30:13.623-06:00

We went back to Bartlesville to stay at the Inn at Price Tower for our anniversary. We picked the right weekend for fall color. The drive over was beautiful.We also made it to Woolaroc this trip. Above is the lodge and below is one of the funny animals. Homecoming 2006 Mmm...Pork Chops. Irresistable.Our first grilled pork chops with polenta fries and grilled asparagus.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1160016852603034982006-10-04T21:39:00.000-05:002006-10-04T21:54:12.616-05:00

As some of you know, we are currently having our house entirely rewired. Here are just a few reasons why: This skinny beige wire was all that was powering the vent hood in the kitchen. This was one of the few times the electrician actually sounded worried. It took them quite a while to figure out how it was all connected. We spent 18 months with virtually no cover plates. I can't show you

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1157756397363852552006-09-08T17:58:00.000-05:002006-09-08T17:59:57.383-05:00

I "salute" you, o Hummer owners. Give us back our planet, you selfish jerks.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1157683010131883172006-09-07T21:34:00.000-05:002006-09-07T21:36:50.133-05:00

We have drawer pulls in the hallway!

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1157682843126248232006-09-07T21:32:00.000-05:002006-09-07T21:34:03.146-05:00

On a side note, Catalina just lost her first tooth. I did't know cats lost their baby teeth until one found the bottom of my foot!

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1155593785264495732006-08-14T17:16:00.001-05:002006-08-14T17:16:25.270-05:00

And a new skill I learned on this project: boxing corners. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1155593768658643772006-08-14T17:16:00.000-05:002006-08-14T17:16:08.663-05:00

My latest project... 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1155593742039547262006-08-14T17:15:00.000-05:002006-08-14T17:15:42.613-05:00

Our new, hopefully cat-proof, furniture (the display model at the furniture store). 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1152637877891272602006-07-11T12:10:00.000-05:002006-07-11T12:11:17.893-05:00

Does anyone see a Cingular commercial in this picture? 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1152637772126244782006-07-11T12:09:00.000-05:002006-07-11T12:09:32.126-05:00

 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1152637688092078762006-07-11T12:07:00.000-05:002006-07-11T12:08:08.096-05:00

 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1151862179814214982006-07-02T12:31:00.000-05:002006-07-02T12:52:37.836-05:00

The shed (remember, the one that tried to kill me?) had to come down before the sprinklers could get done.As you can see, it would have been nice for the garage to have been sided correctly, but that would have been the easy way. So for the time being, we just have a shed-shaped gap on the garage wall. We thought the excitement of the old man's innovations was over, but oh no. As the sprinkler

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1148352138941641012006-05-22T21:35:00.000-05:002006-05-22T21:42:18.960-05:00

Above: The queen.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147361761427630772006-05-11T10:32:00.000-05:002006-05-11T10:36:01.440-05:00

I was browsing through my old posts and discovered that it was exactly one year ago Tuesday that I posted the first pictures of the interior of our house. To remind yourself of what our blue baseboards used to look like go back to the post for May 10, 2005.It was inspiring to see how far we've come. I'd forgotten how vibrant the shag carpet was.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147361229061141012006-05-11T10:27:00.000-05:002006-05-11T10:27:09.070-05:00

A nice, crisp line makes a huge difference. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147361208126576912006-05-11T10:26:00.001-05:002006-05-11T10:26:48.133-05:00

See how pretty? 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147361188583910042006-05-11T10:26:00.000-05:002006-05-11T10:26:28.643-05:00

Yea! No more blue baseboards! 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147191858884425472006-05-09T11:23:00.000-05:002006-05-09T11:24:18.886-05:00

As you can see below, the painters have arrived at our house. All of our furniture is in the middle of each room. They sanded yesterday and are painting as we speak. Soon, we will have no more blue baseboards!

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147182864715697742006-05-09T08:54:00.001-05:002006-05-09T11:22:59.273-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1147182876495490362006-05-09T08:54:00.000-05:002006-05-09T11:22:36.806-05:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1145908126364639582006-04-24T14:36:00.000-05:002006-04-24T14:48:46.386-05:00

As those of you who've been in our house may remember, this is what the curtains in the sunroom used to look like. Here's a side-by-side comparison of old and new about half-way through the project:And voila! After about six months of procrastination and a solid two weekends of work, we now have new curtains in the sunroom. As you can see, we've also rearranged the furniture to give us more

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1145659498105330392006-04-21T17:41:00.000-05:002006-04-21T17:44:58.120-05:00

Read it.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1144773227568050242006-04-11T11:10:00.000-05:002006-04-11T11:33:47.586-05:00

Last weekend, we got the nasty leaf-trap open guttering out of the front garden and replaced it with nice, consistently-sloped regular guttering. Our discovery of the moment: flexi-elbow joints that allow you to easily change the angle of the elbow and adjust length. This weekend, hubby worked on the downspout at the far end of the living room above and I gardened. I did this same thing last year

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1144367121003940802006-04-06T18:39:00.000-05:002006-04-06T18:45:21.050-05:00

Well, not everyone wants to learn to crochet, but eventually I'll win them all over. My beginning crochet class tonight didn't happen due to lack of interest, but that's okay. I agreed to teach so many classes because I knew that not all of them would make.Monday was a busy yet slow day. I only had one student in beginning crochet and one student in my crochet wallet class, but it was great

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1142040092772293262006-03-10T19:20:00.000-06:002006-03-10T19:21:32.773-06:00

It's time for a vacation. I stumbled across these cottages on the travelok.com website.http://www.riversedgecottages.com/We're going for a couple of nights in May. Pray for rain, because the cabin comes with a canoe!

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1142039990369219492006-03-10T19:15:00.000-06:002006-03-10T19:19:50.370-06:00

Tomorrow I begin my stint as the crochet teacher at OKC's best knitting/crochet yarn shop, Gourmet Yarn. I'll start with beginning crochet, teaching how to chain, single crochet and make a turning chain, then next month, I'll have a monthly project class as well. First project: Crocheted wallet. I'm not as happy with the version I developed with the Berocco Twist cotton blend yarn as with Sugar

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1142039749169540212006-03-10T19:12:00.000-06:002006-03-10T19:15:49.186-06:00

A friend of mine came into the bookstore the other day, and as usual, we got to talking politics and such. She said she heard some interviewee one of the national morning shows say that "Catholics believe the book The Da Vinci Code should come with disclaimer." At which point I walked over to the book, picked it up, and pointed out a not-so-little five letter word. To all of the people who've

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138899180532440842006-02-02T10:43:00.000-06:002006-02-02T10:54:19.786-06:00

I absolutely have had it up to my eyeballs with the rudeness and inconsideration people show when using cell phones. It's not just people who are rude and inconsiderate without a cell phone, but otherwise normal, polite people.Last night at the store, a man came in right before closing needing help finding an out-of-print book. He said he would come back this morning, but I convinced him that we

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138819022986985102006-02-01T11:47:00.000-06:002006-02-01T12:40:25.183-06:00

This is the masterpiece in progress. My first self-designed work, this bag began as a way to use up some random balls of wool yarn. Of course, I ended up buying more yarn to finish the bag, but hey. I used the same stitch pattern as on the tweed clutches. It's a seamless bag made from this potholder pattern my mom found. I should get the handles finished this morning.Stitch detail. I just got

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138816007759689042006-02-01T11:45:00.000-06:002006-02-01T11:46:47.760-06:00

I whipped up one of these mini-scarves at the last sewing circle. I use a pattern from the book Lion Brand: Just Scarves as inspiration. They're fast, easy and you can get about two of these plus a short skinny scarf from one ball of yarn.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138815639471259952006-02-01T11:39:00.000-06:002006-02-01T11:44:34.400-06:00

These are the tweed clutches I made for Christmas presents. I found the pattern in the 2005 Interweave Press Crochet magazine. I really like the stitch pattern (single crochet followed by double crochet repeated across). It's really dense and doesn't leave any holes. These bags worked up quickly, but the bobbles took a while and were a bit difficult. More Detail. Here you can kind of see how the

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138814959342528442006-02-01T11:29:00.000-06:002006-02-01T11:29:19.350-06:00

And for all you kitty lovers out there...we couldn't find Maddy last night. When she doesn't respond to our calls, I get worried that we've shut her in a cabinet or something. This time, she had just found a really cozy spot to sleep - in the hanging sweater rack in the guest closet. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138769819104507722006-01-31T22:52:00.000-06:002006-01-31T22:56:59.123-06:00

I swear I'm putting pictures up on Wednesday...Speaking of crochet...I've slowly been working on a nice, heavy sweater for myself. It's a simple pattern from Better Homes and Gardens and moves pretty quickly (I get bored quickly, so I only work on it every few days or so).Some people may have noticed the unusually warm weather Oklahoma is having. At this rate, winter is over and I might as well

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1138377956524577112006-01-27T09:41:00.000-06:002006-01-27T10:05:56.553-06:00

I haven't done any blogging lately because the crocheting (and now knitting!) have completely taken over my life. Can you buy stock in Hobby Lobby?I've finished several projects (pictures to come soon) and have several more in progress. Last night at the bookstore sewing circle I stumbled on what might be my favorite project of all - a mini-scarf out of frilly yarn and an L hook (that's big) that

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1136096427279917402006-01-01T00:14:00.000-06:002006-01-01T00:20:27.293-06:00

I like doing different things for New Year's. When we lived close enough to downtown to walk to see the fireworks, we'd do that (I thought it was exciting). I danced the night away in Spain for the millenium. Collecting fun New Year's stories seems to be a habit.This year, we played a hunch that we could see the fireworks downtown from the park around the corner. We live on one of the tallest

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1135371493176278732005-12-23T14:51:00.000-06:002005-12-23T14:58:13.206-06:00

I think we might finally be ready for Christmas. This year, the whole family is coming to our house for Christmas lunch. Clean, clean, clean.We still don't have a tree, but it's coming over from my grandmother's with my family on Christmas. I guess we'll decorate it after lunch. Our presents are gathered in the living room. They are our only decoration so far. Working retail during the holidays

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1134880149836392262005-12-17T22:28:00.000-06:002005-12-17T22:29:09.856-06:00

Another wise one from the NYT...not that anyone ever seems to be listening.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1134618568867072302005-12-14T21:36:00.000-06:002005-12-14T21:49:28.893-06:00

This was a Lion Brand free pattern I found in Simply Creative Crochet. I'd never made a poncho and it looked pretty easy, so I thought I'd try it.The pattern claimed that it was easy, but I'm glad I knew what I was doing, because the instructions left a lot to be clarified. It was also one size fits all, but it seems to me to be a bit large. Any thoughts? Or am I just being too picky? I've never

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1133676535392606352005-12-04T00:03:00.000-06:002005-12-07T11:56:59.440-06:00

Edward R. Murrow speaks from the grave. He pleads with you - the eyes and ears of our society - to remove your blinders and earplugs and once again question, analyze and criticize what you see and hear happening around this nation.It took just one man to begin bringing to an end the fear unleashed upon our entire nation by another man.Who will be the Edward Murrow of this time? Who will be the

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1133497558561796952005-12-01T22:24:00.000-06:002005-12-01T22:25:58.583-06:00

Animal Planet. Our cat watches Animal Planet.I was flipping around and stopped briefly on some Funny Cat Video show. Maddy jumped out of my lap and landed right in front of the TV. She proceeded to watch a good 5 or 10 minutes of the show, right up to the commercials!We should get a video or something to keep her company while we're gone.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1133215569192767452005-11-28T16:03:00.000-06:002005-11-29T19:24:24.953-06:00

My crochet hooks and tape measures tend to float around the house where I can never find them, so I poked around on the internet and got this free pattern.This crochet hook case would make a great weekend project. It took me about 10-12 hours start to finish. It wouldn't be too hard for an intermediate-beginner. Sewing on the pocket on the inside was the most difficult part, and that just

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1133068670938794872005-11-26T23:17:00.000-06:002005-11-26T23:17:50.963-06:00

http://www.plainmabel.comGreat resource for gifts or artistic inspiration.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1133066931651115572005-11-26T22:48:00.000-06:002005-11-26T22:48:51.656-06:00

A Father's Journal

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1132588848591847972005-11-21T09:43:00.000-06:002005-11-21T10:05:35.350-06:00

What an adrenaline rush it was to witness Congress in absolute meltdown on NPR the other day. Finally, some real emotional and intellectual input. Politics as we know it has gotten entirely too pussy-footed to get any real work done.I know the amendment to pull troops out of Iraq didn't pass; as anti-war as I am, I'm not sure it was even a good idea. But it was refreshing to see someone not

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1132080983730684222005-11-15T12:54:00.000-06:002005-11-15T12:56:23.736-06:00

Also taken from Cozy Crochet, these pieces could be Christmas ornaments or pendants. Skip the outermost round and attach earring wires to make matching earrings. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1132071277802640352005-11-15T10:02:00.000-06:002005-11-15T10:19:42.790-06:00

The second of our major projects has been completed (the first being refinishing the wood floors). Osborne Electric came out last Thursday, Friday and yesterday to upgrade our electricity.We got tired of pressing "toast" on the toaster oven and having the kitchen lights dim by almost half. We got tired of not being able to run the dishwasher and the washing machine at the same time because all

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1132029190177003512005-11-14T22:22:00.000-06:002005-11-14T22:33:10.196-06:00

A week after the big day, the hubby and I trapsed all over the grounds of Versailles. Later that evening, he took off his wedding band and noticed a red rash on his finger. We attributed it to dust and sweat that must have gotten trapped under the band while we were hiking around the grounds of Versailles all day.When it itched too much for him to wear, I put the ring on my left index finger and

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131922181746825612005-11-13T16:49:00.000-06:002005-11-13T16:49:41.753-06:00

The Bookstore Tourism Blog

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131902932808712742005-11-13T11:24:00.000-06:002005-11-13T11:28:52.810-06:00

This super-easy pattern is taken from the book Cozy Crochet, the best crochet book I've found in months of searching. These hats involve crocheting a rectangle using the same stitch over and over, then sewing togther one side and closing off one end. I made the band around the green woman's hat because the hat wasn't long enough to fold up properly. It's just several rows of single crochet worked

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131902665758817162005-11-13T11:21:00.000-06:002005-11-13T11:24:25.760-06:00

Taken from the book Learning to Crochet. This one is a good beginners project, but I would amend the instructions: I'm planning to line this bag with a light color fabric to help it hold its shape.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131902503448085052005-11-13T11:19:00.000-06:002005-11-13T11:21:43.460-06:00

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131259434128353032005-11-06T00:39:00.000-06:002005-11-06T00:43:54.136-06:00

I was acting receiving clerk yesterday at the bookstore when this little doozy came across the desk. Before the end of my shift at the sales counter, I had read 40 pages. This lady is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times as she described discovering that she had a brain tumor. I really like creative memoirs. One of my favorites is Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. Suzy Becker's memoir,

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131130026942761252005-11-04T12:42:00.000-06:002005-11-04T12:47:06.966-06:00

Oklahoma City recently featured a buffalo exhibit around town. Once the city-wide show was over, sponsors of each animal could do what they wanted with theirs. Fortunately for us at the bookstore, Pearl's sponsor brought her to Full Circle Bookstore. I might be a bit biased, but I think she's the most beautiful buffalo in Oklahoma City.

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079282964720902005-11-03T22:41:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:41:22.963-06:00

Cafe Marly just outside the Louvre offers the most expensive cup of coffee around. I think it cost about $7! 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079208486821832005-11-03T22:40:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:40:08.486-06:00

The clock in the Musee d'Orsay. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079167375491702005-11-03T22:39:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:39:27.380-06:00

We climbed all the way to the top of Notre Dame. I thought it was a good idea to do it first thing in the morning while we still had the energy, but by the time we got back to ground level, our legs were mush and stayed that way for the rest of the day. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079097062387622005-11-03T22:38:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:38:17.070-06:00

Aww... 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079075665566512005-11-03T22:37:00.002-06:002005-11-03T22:37:55.666-06:00

Yumm...escargot! 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079042472024982005-11-03T22:37:00.001-06:002005-11-03T22:37:22.476-06:00

The streets of Paris. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131079029675411332005-11-03T22:37:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:37:09.680-06:00

Inside Shakespeare and Co. bookstore on the Left Bank. I brought with me Jeremy Mercer's biography "Time Was Soft There." It's his account of a year spent living for free at the bookstore. The guy working the desk when we stopped by thought I was related to Mercer. They stamped it for me, yea! 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131078872606733962005-11-03T22:34:00.002-06:002005-11-03T22:34:32.613-06:00

The interior of Sainte Chapelle 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131078855005165532005-11-03T22:34:00.001-06:002005-11-03T22:34:15.010-06:00

Side view of Notre Dame 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131078841489038892005-11-03T22:34:00.000-06:002005-11-03T22:34:01.490-06:00

I wanted to go back to France for our honeymoon, so Paris it was. Notre Dame looks so much better after its cleaning. They were also cleaning the Pont Neuf and lots of other buildings in the city. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753938.post-1131078697224408302005-11-03T22:31:00.001-06:002005-11-03T22:31:37.233-06:00

More room view. 

springmeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01904775022895434462noreply@blogger.com0