Kaylets, can't wait to hear about Toastmasters! Yes, very classy and brave to hang in there.
The monsoons seem to have abated here too, I hope. 4 straight days of rain made me feel so unmotivated, the kind of weather that made me just want to sit down with a bucket of macaroni and cheese and watch soap operas--but I didn't, tempting as it was. Actually, I've been decluttering the house and that's been glorious--I love doing that!

Cerise. want to hear more about the voice lessons and the women's circle!

Missing Ceara already. And where's Wildfire lately?

Anagram and Empress, I adore HC praline ice cream! We don't buy it very often because we blaze thru a carton so fast. Have you tried the Healthy Choice caramel ice cream sandwiches? they're excellent and help me with portion control 'cause it's incredible how much ice cream I can cram into a 1/2 cup meaure!

Oh, yum! will have to check out those i.c. sandwiches. I prefer to have something premeasured because I also like the amount dh can squeeze into a 1/2 cup. I do pretty well at it too but then my conscience bothers me and I'll ease off. But if HE gives it to me, well.......

Glad you're feeling well, Empress. Agree, Kaylets, a classy and QUEENLY act not to ditch the competition. Weather here much better too. Still debating yard sale Fr/Sa. Got my balloons for the mailbox (I pay neighborhood assn for advertising, etc. - they give me balloons). It's so much easier if I do it as part of the group. But I've done no prep, wouldn't have a whole lot and have a sleep deficiency the last two days.

Went through a lot of clothes, etc. with moving from closets, etc. this a.m. Feel good about that. Have a small box for yard sale. Now must tackle shoes, etc. Bought a navy skirt yesterday. It fits well but had to "suck it in" to use belt. So said belt is now my official measurer. First I have to get this first notch to fit better - then there are four more to go. More crunches needed.

Hello,
Kind of a quick check in. The trial thingy is over. We did the typical settlement-on-the-courthouse-steps thing. Now, mid you, the court house steps are 1 1/2 hours away from here. But it all ended up for the best I guess.

Little old ladies - officially safe for as long as they want to stay in the building.

I have officially given up caffinated beverages. I found that I was having very bad insomnia, so I have given up on coffee (otherwise know as the elixir of life). It has been very hard and I am very crabby. On the other hand, I have been sleeping like a log.

Not doing too well with the eating. Have not weighed myself recently, but it is not going to be very splendid.

At any rate, now I get to go back through and check and see how everyone is doing.

Happy Friday eve!

Got on the scale this morning for the first time in *ages*. I'm getting back in the right direction, but it's a slow U-turn...

I will say it because in stating it, it is now the END of my gaining - I gained 19 pounds after my friend lost her son. Why the death of that little boy demolished me more than my mom's cancer is beyond me... maybe because with my mom I could DO something (for her, or working a sweat up outside, etc.) and with my friend I was completely helpless - there is no busy work to take away from loosing a 9 year old. I was stuck inside during a miserable hard winter with no want or will to FIND something productive to do. It sucks, but I've lost it once, I'll loose it again...
I'm focusing on the 40 pounds I STILL HAVE OFF!!!!

Cerise, you go right ahead and brag on that voice girl! I have a phobia about singing in public, unless there's enough other voices that I'm not heard. I don't think I have a bad voice (IMHO that is, I can keep in tune with Roxie on the Chicago soundtrack anyway) but I also would never dare sing in front of someone the way I belt it out in the privacy of my own home in the middle of 5 acres! I remember once in school I was goofing and did a Taylor Dane impression (eee-gads, remember her??) and my friends didn't laugh - I quit singing out loud then!

Amarantha, yup, would shoot that plumber too... why people who are in YOUR home feel they have the right to speak like that, or make stupid assumptions, just baffles me... Perhaps some of us have crawled further from the primordial pond?

Kaylets, your sky's clearing huh? Not so here! Matter of fact, I woke up to 1/2 an inch of SNOW!!!!! Of course it didn't last long, but it's getting ready to storm again.... I love the wet spring storms, it's the dry summer lightning storms I can pass on. Go get 'em at Toastmasters! We wanna hear all about it!

Eydie, de-clutter , I am your loyal servant and shall do as you do this weekend... We're getting ready to have a yard sale and I've got oodles of collector plates to Ebay.

Anagram, thank you for the great idea! We're new to yard sales and didn't think about using balloons to help people find us! We're almost 400 feet back from the "street" (dirt court) and the markers are awful so we'll use balloons!!!! If you do yard sale this weekend, hope you do well!

Q o' the day ~ I get my newspaper every morning. I figure if I'm going to #%& about things, I should at least be moderately well-informed about it first! Besides, I gotta get my Get Fuzzy cartoon fix every day!

Oh, here's a picture of my sculptures! On the left is the offering bowl (what my mom calls the "bowl with boobs") and on the right is the free-style Goddess sculpture. Hopefully it doesn't come out like a billboard!

Toooodle-oooo for now,

Terri

Hello all!

Punkin! I see why your Mom calls the bowl what she does..... but the figure.... is breathtaking....I wish the photo was larger... in fact, please, may we have a larger shot??? And in case you're wondering, YES you do have a real talent for sculpture! The hair looks so real I want to comb it!
Amazing!

Zadie! Thanks for rescuing the old ladies... you will be rewarded... in ways you don't expect...

Thanks all for the boost for the speech. I will share it here as asked although I am warning you, this speech has props so you will see in intalics the stage directions.....

"On a rainy night spring night in 1935, weather just like we'ev been experiencing, a good looking man nervously knocked on a door. He was nervous because he knew this was his last chance. He was nervous because ..............................
he was hung over. Again. 20 years of drinking had bankrupted a brillant securities business, put enormous strain on his marriage and his family were ready to wash their hands of him.

Within less than a month, after 20 yrs of failied attempts,Bill became sober. Within a year he and other recovering alchoholics began Alcholics Anonymous. Within 5 yrs... there were thousands of members worldwide.
Since its an Anonymous organization, its impossible to know the real numbers but this was the birthplace of the explosion of 12 step programs : Smokers Anonymous, Overeaters Annonymous... etc etc...

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, in Santa Clara, CA, Dr. Frank Smedley was just incorporating Toastmasters. The first group in British Columbia had begun which officially made Toastmasters an International Organization. Although Dr Smedley had begun speech clubs at each YMCA he worked, it wasn't until he was able to nuture a club for an extended period of time that Toastmasters caught fire and today now has nearly 200,000 members.

What is the secret of success of these two groups? What do these two orgainzations know that has such universal appeal??

I think the answer is best explained with a third story.
Many of you may be familiar with this folktale, as there are many versions all around the world. This version is one of my favorites:

A small town has been devastated by war, and the people were afraid and suspicious of what might happen next. A group of soldiers come through town, tired and hungry. They come into the town square to the well and try to talk to the few people there. But no one even wanted to talk to them, much less give them any food to eat. In fact, the soldiers were told, " Just keep moving on, there is nothing for you here."
But one soldier pays no attention to the cold shoulder from the townspeople and starts talking loudly to the other soldiers...
" What we need to find is a big soup pot so I can make some Stone soup... I could really go for a good Stone Soup."
Now the townspeople at the well were convinced these soldiers were trouble...here they were talking about stone soup like it was real food!

But one resident finally said to the soldier" If you go and look under that tree, you'll find a pot. But that's all I have to give you. !"
So the soldier went to the tree the man had pointed to and found the pot in a box.
( [I]Goes to box under table and pulls large soup pot out. With a ladle.)

The soldier takes the pot to the well and fills it (gesturing manipulating a pump handle) and then puts the pot on the fire.
(Places the pot on a small table about the size of a typewriter table )

Soon, the pot of water was bubbling. The soldier than very carefully,took a stone from a very deep pocket in his coat. The stone was about the size of his palm and very clean. (Takes a faux stone from pocket and shows to the audience and then places in the pot)
Obviously, the soldier had taken very good care of the stone. He then dropped the stone in the pot. Soon, the pot was bubbling again and the soldier stirred the pot with glee.
"This is going to be the best stone soup ever!" the soldier said.
Now, the townspeople were convinced the soldier was crazy.

But again, the soldier ignored what the townspeople were saying and said loudly " This is going to be a great stone soup...the best I've had in a long time.... but you know what really makes stone soup? ....Onions... They just add a flavor that makes stone soup the best".....and when it seemed as thogh the soldier would never stop, someone finally offered " I have two onions but that's all I have ...there is nothing else I have to give".....

When the onions started cooking, the smell of the onions filled the town square. And folks began to get interested in the soup.
Then the soldier began to talk about how carrots really adds to stone soup...
and someone found carrots to add...
and then some beans...
and so it went...
Until what the little bits from each person made was a great stew .......

What the soldier taught the townspeople , what AA and Toastmasters are teaching people is that even though we may not think we have much to offer.... we have more to offer than we realize.
What my contribution of a few carrots or as a speaker may not seem much to me but the ripple effect of my actions goes far beyond myself.
What the soldier taught the townspeople was that their contribtutions to the soup pot made something greater than themselves....that all of our contributions to a group make something better than us all... that the sum of the all the parts is made greater.....
But better still, what the soldier was teaching the people was that when we work together, what we are really creating is......

( speaker reaches into the pot and removes the stone, picks it up and shows it to the audience .... and the audience realizes that stone is engraved in white with the word ....)

.................................HOPE............. .................


**************************
**************************

Hello all!

Sunny Friday! Very, very kewl!!

Ohhhhhh my.... community yardsales...! Let me get my road map... Punkin, Anagram, I would LOVE to be there....except I'd want to just stay and talk with you! The rest of it would be just frosting on the cake!
(Notice how its always food!)


****
Thought of the day :

"Give the next person you see a kind word."
--Life's Little Instruction Book

Question of the day :

"Do you have a favorite shampoo?"

****

KETTLE IS ON!

Excellent speech, Kaylets! As I was reading it, I 'saw' it and when you got to the end, I swear I got chills!!!!!

And Punkin, your sculptures touched me too. You have a gift! Makes me want to give it a try.

And Zadie's keeping the world safe, and Cerise's fabulous voice---what a talented group we are.

You're all so inspiring to me! Makes me want to discover or dust off talents of my own!

Happy Friday!!!!!

I am SO ready for the weekend!!! Painting my bathroom.... more work, but it'll be soooo nice when it's done!

Kaylets, your speech was *wonderful*!!!!! 3FC wouldn't let me send the picture any bigger, but I can enlarge it a little and send it to you if you'd like?

Eydie, dust off those talents!!!! I have more Sculpey, come on over!

Off to price some of my collector plates (spent an hour writing everything down last night). Still very torn about selling something my grandmother gave me, but I keep telling myself that I have *oodles* of other things of hers that mean SO much more to me than 20 puppy and kitty plates! Just gotta figure what to do with the money - it's got to be something special...

Q o' the day ~ Favorite shampoo, without a doubt, Aussie Moist. Love it...

A blissful Friday and weekend to one and all!
Terri

It seems so much like Friday with the Queen of Friday declaring it so. You do have a real talent. The Goddess sculpture does not look like the work of a newcomer.

Hooray for old ladies being safe from eviction. Thanks from all of us, Zadie.

Kaylets, the yard sale went off without me. Never got it together. Neighbor said she'd put some of my stuff out with hers if I want. Didn't but probably should have. She said sales were very brisk this a.m.

I was thinking I might take some stuff over for her tomorrow but we've apparently had a communictions glitch in the family. Came home to message from DD about what time we're coming down to birthday party tomorrow. Didn't know we were. Had a leisurely day today, working, gardening, walking, etc. and were anticipating two more of the same. After next weekend's do, it will be five straight weekends w/princesses and parentals. Now, I love them all but.....DH does not want to go and said he'd call and tell her so but my maternal heart is saying she needs me (and she does because another Mom who was going to help has backed out). If timing would work that we could come back tomorrow night, we would and that would be better. But timing doesn't work that way. Plus if 8 thinks we're coming and we don't, she'll be upset. He'll do whatever I want, I know, and he said so but I feel in the middle somehow. And that's not fair to him because this is short notice, for sure. But I know I'll go even though I'm here fighting myself.

So, decisions, decisions. And who am I kidding? I've never been able to NOT go when one of my kids asks. (Or dh, or siblings, etc.). But we can't get there for the soccer game... no, we can't (but I'll bet we could if we tried), no we won't. No, no, no, no. DH needs his leisurely lunch that we'll have at a fave place along the way (always food). Rambling, raving. Hungry.

s, I have gone mad!!! After spending $1100 on car repair and a big chunk on a minor surgery procedure, I bought a loom yesterday ... not really an expensive one but expensive enough. Then, because the thing is in pieces (I once built a loom in the distant past but discovered I no longer have the patience and I've forgotten everything I knew about weaving), I went back to the dealer and bought a stand for the loom (it's a simple, rigid heddle model but quite large) AND signed up for a class AND bought more books AND because I don't want to put that thing together yet but want to get back into weaving, I bought a small (but expensive) starter loom that happened to be already warped (not very creative but at least I've started to actually weave).

I must explain that I've been in love with textiles for the whole of my life ... moving here, I basically lost a lot of that because the sweaters I used to design and knit are impractical except for maybe one month a year, if that. And it's usually too hot IMO to knit (some people do it, though, but they're nuts, no offense to them!). I've been messing around with a lot of crafts but totally given up the idea of weaving because it's a) expensive, b) takes actual skill, c) is messy, and d) is a lot of trouble.

But the wanting to weave remains, so I shall follow my bliss ... if I can afford it.

I also am happy that the o' Friday is here to declare it officially Friday ... except I'm working a festival tomorrow in the south part of the state and it is ruining my mood ... a lot of times people tell me how much fun my job is because of stuff like this, but believe me, it's hard work!

Oh, was that a whine? How crass!

Anagramatic, you are a fantastic person!! I loved our recent crazy pm correspondence and I want you to know that amongst all the love you have for your family and wanting to be there for them, you have to realize that you have to take care of YOU, too! After all, if you aren't there for you, how can you be there for them?

Sorry, unsolicited advice there. It's a bad habit of mine ... pontification ended!

Punkin, I hope your sale comes out well ... I'd bet your grandmother wouldn't mind! Congrats on getting back on track with Demon Scale. I am reading about people seeing your sculptures but I'm not seeing where you posted a link? I'm always so confused!

Eydie: I second that about cooking being a wonderful talent ... although I'd put money on the fact that you likely are very artistic in other media as well!!! Go for it!!! I've seen the HC caramel ice cream sandwiches ... I'm sort of afraid to have 'em in the house, though!

Kaylets, I love the speech!!! It's excellent. The stone soup folktale is one of my favorites and I love the way you've put a fresh spin on it and linked it with your point about Toastmasters! Very good job! You seem to be really getting a lot out of your participation with this organization. It seems a great venue to hone a lot of your talents at once ... speaking, writing, socialization, confidence.

Zadie, congratulations on the settlement for the ladies!!! Your career is a very exciting one ... I think I've said this before but my favorite thing to do as a journalist is cover trials ... unfortunately I don't get to do it much (too many festivals and school boards)!

Cerise, I would love to hear you sing on a demo ... would be willing to pay ... I say go for it!!!!

We all seem to be following our bliss these days! That was pretty dang good advice Joseph Campbell left for the world ... at times I think it's the only advice I've ever heard that's important.

Rambling now s, need to go rest up for this festival gig!

Echoing the check-in requests from Cerise ... we also need to hear from Wsw, Dollar and some other s!!!

May I also ask whatever happened to Seattle Jo? She brightened up the palace for awhile, then moved to a new dom ... hope all be well with her.

Ok, bye!

QOD: I use whatever shampoo is on sale!

Hello all!

Yes, Empress, you have touched a subject on my mind as well....
Dh is now starting a geographic sort of this mornings yardsales.... and I sit next to a pile of boxes ready for my own yardsale/ the opposite pile for Ebay sales....As Anagram pointed out yesterday, these yardsales take some doing....sure, DH and I have fun tracking them down and often too when we are selling but there is so much preparation involved.... Very much like the perception of your work Empress, the detail work involved with reporting accurately..... makes the final presentation "seems like its so easy and fun" yet, its the excellence of your presentation that makes others think what you're doing is effortless...
A good example of how "never letting them see you sweat" gives the "audience" the impression you are "having fun" instead of "working".....

Same as getting ready for a yardsale.....its again, so much in the presentation details....

Guess its really again just all about MARKETING...

Oh my!

Anagram-- I envy you your bond with your Dear ones.... and am glad to hear that it they don't take advantage of you. Some would take advantage knowing you can't take say no....And I have a feeling, that in the long run, that you are the life of their party!


And Empress--I have always lusted after a loom....somehow weaving is like gardening or making bread to me... just seems so natural and basic...
and perhaps some small wall hangings depicting sunsets or sunrise or whateveryouthinkbest would be lovely??

*****

Thought of the day :

"Wherever you go, there lies the opportunity you've been waiting for. The place to begin again is always right where you are now." Bob Perks

Question of the day :
"Is growing vegetables cost effective?"

****

KETTLE IS ON!

I think growing vegetables is very cost effective--especialy if you're talking organic produce. If you use the right techniques you can even cut down on weeding time, etc. the only thing is when the garden's really popping it can be overwhelming to process it all!
And thanks for the comments about my cooking---yes, it's true that I'm a fabulous cook [and modest too! ], but I want to branch out and be known for something else too. Maybe I should throw my bellydancing into high gear?

Amarantha, that's exciting news about your loom. You're so talented! And just for the record, a 'warped' loom is a good thing, right? We have a weaver's guild that meets at work and they make such amazing things.

Anagram, I also envy your closeness with your family. I was unclear about whether you're going or not though---a birthday party would be hard to pass up!

Okay, I've got to get started with the day. Nice to have a day with no particular plans--would be so easy to squander it without a plan though!

Oh, Eydie, I'm going. The only conflict was that dh wasn't feeling really up to it. He's had a cold and a lot of sleepless nights on top of his other difficulties. But he slept well last night. I could probably go without him but.... We actually did a family b.d. party for her last Sunday. This is a movie (Ella Enchanted) and then pizza & cake at a pizza place. 'Twill be 13 high energy kidlets mostly in the 8 range. So this one I think I could have skipped - until I talked to the birthday girl last night and her contagious excitement got me.

I have been lucky w/my family and enjoy them immensely and they've sure been there when I've needed them. This is also the daughter who asked me to walk her down the aisle as well as her father and who put in a full first floor bathroom when she built her house so Mom could have the current playroom as her bedroom and her own bath when she can't do stairs any more. And I do love seeing the princesses.

I think this whole group seems talented and also seems to be reaching out and "putting themselves out there". Good for you Empress - it's only money and spending this money PROBABLY made you happier than spending for the car repairs, etc. did. I remember vaguely a large rug loom my parents had when I was a kid. LARGE being the operative word - that's all I remember about it.

About all packed and ready to go. Lovely day again here today. Yard salers seem busy again today.

Ah, but K, I DID let 'em see me sweat ... had a terrible time doing the festival and one of the townsfolk/officials was giving me a hard time and I'm afraid I lost my temper back at him, something that just isn't worth it on a job but I'd been walking around for hours and hours carrying equipment, a cooler of food and a chair because I haven't been feeling well and events weren't where they were supposed to be and, etc., and when someone started giving me a hard time for no reason, I just lost it!!!

Anyhow, back to weaving, in a typical fit of over planning, I've listed the steps necessary to accomplish the goal of "becoming a weaver!" One step is to continue practicing on the baby loom (which is what I call the smaller warped one I bought). I'm also going to build/assemble the big one (in pieces) after I oil it because they tell me it has to be oiled. The class will be taught on this type of loom and I can mirror the projects at home until I reach a point of more creativity in designing at will ... then I'll be a weaver!!!

I once actually tried to get a job as a weaver in a historical village in the midwest ... don't think there's much call for that out here, although we have lots of history and lots of weaving!

Anagram, I'd love to have one of those big ol' rug looms ... an elderly neighbor lady when I was a kid had something like that in an upstairs room but she never used it ... hopefully she left it for someone who wanted to use it.

Kaylets, I really admire you for all the selling you do ... in point of fact I've NEVER sold anything (except Campfire Girls candy with a group of other kids long, long ago). They wanted me to sell advertising at one of the mags I worked for. I did try but it's not me ... but it's a talent I admire and yes, I think yardsaling (is that a word?) on the scale you do it is an art ... there was a woman a few miles from here who used to have a permanent yardsale set up on her front yard ... that was what she did for a living ... she just kind of moved the more valuable stuff under shelter for the night and kept rotating the items as she acquired them ... people always drove by and checked the lawn if they were looking for something ... I thought it was a neat idea ... she stopped about a year ago, dunno why. Maybe she sold on the internet also, I didn't know her that well, bought a few items, though.

I agree with you about weaving being in the whole strata of baking bread and gardening, etc., I'm picturing me, the aging flower child, sitting at my 8-harness giant loom (which I will eventually acquire as my skill grows) set up in my weedy yard, finally having found the craft that is my bliss and connecting with my ancestors ... sigh ... we'll see ...

In the meantime, I'd have to say that in the part of Arizona I live in, it's not cost effective to grow vegetables as they tend to fry in the sun before you can pick them!

Although there are people who do grow lots of 'em, so what do I know?

I'll be back on the weigh-in thread for the challenge!!!! We need weigh-ins this week for all who posted a goal, according the the jolly weight loss/maintenance elves who are running the challenge/sprint!!!! Up, down or maintenance, it's all good and the inquiring elves wanna know!!!! Report, report, report!!!