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| Friday, December 30, 2005 |
| Your wish is granted |
For those of you who have been asking me to put all my hats into one central location so you can use them to decide what pattern you'd like for the one you've been dreaming of....your wish is granted. I have created a website to house all past designs I have created.
http://www.geocities.com/jadvig/HatsForSale.htm
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posted by Jen @ 10:21 PM   |
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| Thursday, December 29, 2005 |
| One day, zero work |
| Finally, a day off tomorrow. I have big plans to clean and cook and make something from a crisper full of apples. I should probably do a load of laundry while I'm at it. Relaxation is not far off. :) |
| posted by Jen @ 10:14 PM |
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| Caroling at Abbott Northwestern |
Instead of a weekly gathering, Solomon's Porch spent the evening of Christmas at Abbott Northwestern Hospital caroling for patients, mainly in the maternity and cancer wards. It was a bit disorganized at first. Just showing up at the hospital and hoping not to get told to go away. The 4th floor patients were mostly unconscious though we found a few to serenade. In the maternity ward, there was one young woman and a large group of her family which opened the door to the room to listen. They gave a round of applause when we were done singing.
Most striking to me was one young woman in the cancer ward. Likely no more than 30, she was a petite thing, and her appearance made more waif-like due to the enormity of her hospital gown. Supporting herself in the doorway of her room, she quietly requested "O Holy Night". We sang (most people nose buried in a songbook). The patient sang along, each word known by heart. The chorus seemed to bring a little light to her sunken, darkened eyes and maybe a little color to paleness of her face. That "thrill of hope" seemed to be inside her somewhere. And when we had finished, a smile crossed her face, and with a clap of hands and a little hop, she said thank you and returned to her bed. Cancer, which is depleting her body is not weakening her soul. And I was inspired. |
| posted by Jen @ 8:52 PM |
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| Thursday, December 22, 2005 |
| What's In The VCR? |
 Current TV selections are less than quality. And as I sit and crochet, I like to have a little something to entertain my ears (and occassionally my eyes when I look up from the yarn). Thus begins a series I entitled "What's in the VCR". First up, I've decided to watch as many Audrey Hepburn movies over the holidays as I can get my hands on without renting. The library is a great resource for the ones I don't yet own (I am a huge fan for those who didn't know). Knowing my weekend will be full of festivities, I picked up only one tonight: Funny Face, a 1957 musical story of a bookworm-turned-fashion model (one of my all time favorites).
I love your funny face
Your sunny, funny face.
For you're a cutie
With more than beautie.
You've got a lot of
per-son-a-li-ty for me.
You fill the air with smiles
For miles and miles and miles
Though you're no Mona Lisa
For worlds I'd not replace,
Your sunny, funny face.
I love your funny face
Your sunny, funny face.
You're not exotic
But so hypnotic.
You're much too much
If you can cook the way you look.
 I'd swim the ocean wide
Just to have you by my side.
Though you're no Queen of Sheba,
for worlds I'd not replace
Your sunny, funny face.
If you've not seen this one and you enjoy 50's musicals with completely unbelievable story lines and some kitcsh and a lot of Gershwin, you'll love this. I do. |
| posted by Jen @ 11:51 PM |
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| Wednesday, December 21, 2005 |
| Winter Solstice |
Photo taken right about the minute the winter solstice commenced. |
| posted by Jen @ 10:39 PM |
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| Sunday, December 18, 2005 |
| Merry Kiss-mas |
I took a series of these for Chris, Kati and Amelie so they could make Christmas cards. I was laughing so hard during this particular frame that it got a bit jiggly looking, so I tweaked it up in photoshop to make it look artsy. The painted look is much more evident in the full sized file I guess. It's still funny and makes me laugh to tears.
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| posted by Jen @ 10:20 PM |
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| Thursday, December 15, 2005 |
| Running on fumes |
Not my car's gas tank just yet, but me. I have been having several boughts of insomnia in a row. It's not that I'm not tired, it's that I just can't shut down enough to sleep. And I'm working lots and lots of extra hours in hopes of getting caught up on some monetary things by the end of the month. This doesn't leave much time for relaxing or for figuring out what to give my family for Christmas. I'm having a "buy nearly nothing Christmas". But I still have no idea what to give. (particularily thrifty and crafty ideas would be greatly welcomed in the comments section).
I did write out a preliminary financial outlook through the first of the year for myself and it's actually looking okay. I always feel like the little boy with the fishes, somehow ends get met even though I'm not particularily good with money and don't yet have a budget (though I plan on writing one out over New Years) and I work several low paying kinds of jobs. Also good news on the money front is that today I crossed the threshold to earning double percentages on my commissions for the next pay period at work. :) I've never done that in a pay period before as the goals are usually astronomically high.
That said, I probably will still have time to make some more crocheted items if anyone wanted something before Christmas. I've nearly got Sarah's mittens finished and have two hats to do (one for a previous Esty customer who loved her hat so much she ordered a second and one for a friend who is giving it as a gift.) So, hats for Christmas anyone?
Other items available for sale if you're looking for a last minute gift:
-One older scanner, perhaps good if you've got an older Windows machine or for a child getting into computers. It works great, but I was given a newer one. Model OpticPro 9636T. [$25]
-Backpack brand external CD writer. Also something I replaced when I got the new computer a year and a half ago. Does work with Win XP. Great for a laptop user, college student, etc. [$45]
-Blonde wood microwave cart. Practically new. Originally from Target. [$20]
-Loads of older beanie babies (let me know if there are ones you're looking for cause I've got a huge box) [$3.50 each]
-Or, I can make a large framed print of something nice for one of your loved ones. I have lots of photos of beautiful places and things which could be enlarged and framed. Price TBD upon discussion of what is wanted. (check http://www.jmadvigphotography.com/Artistic/Art1.htm for some examples, but there definately are more.)
Enough advertising of myself and trying to sell my wares. I'm off to crochet while watching Monty Python's Flying Circus which I have checked out from the library for the week. |
| posted by Jen @ 10:11 PM |
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| Wednesday, December 14, 2005 |
| Dinner |
 For those of you who may be concerned that all I'm eating is dumpster pizza lately, I'll let you in on tonight's dinner. Only one ingredient for this dinner came from the dumpster. The rest I dug out of the back of the cupboard or the fridge. Spicy homemade pasta sauce (good, but a little too much red pepper) made from a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper, oregano, green olive pearls, and a dash of salt. And spooned it over some noodles, the multicolored veggie ones from the co-op that I had stockpiled when they were on sale.
I will admit that today for breakfast I had leftover sample tray at work (we are supposed to throw it away, but it's so much food I just can't bear it, so I ate it. And for lunch I had a bagel with some cream cheese Steph decided she didn't like. |
| posted by Jen @ 10:10 PM |
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| Wanted: One considerate plow driver |
It snowed a lot last night. I knew it was going to. I got up early to scrape off my car before heading to work (opening at the mall at 8:30am). Boots on....check. Warm coat....check. Hat, mittens, scarf....check. Snowscraper accessible inside vehicle....yes I do believe I left it in the passenger's seat so we're good there too. Trudge out to car only to find that the plow driver hates me! Seriously, a huge pile of chunky plow stuff pushed up under the front of my car.
 
No way can I just put it in 2nd and barrel through like usual. Okay, now where did I put my shovel last spring? Ah, in the trunk. Hooray for the shovel! 10 minutes of brushing snow from the vehicle and 30 minutes of shovelling heavy, wet, plowed up snow from in front of and underneath my vehicle and I'm ready to go to work a half hour behind schedule (that's right, I said underneath. I did say the plow driver appeared to have a vendetta right? There was plow junk up and under the vehicle a good foot and a half which had to be scooped out with the shovel just so the car would be able to drive forward). I was not altogether comfortable with the distance the plow failed to keep from my vehicle. It is my main mode of transportation no matter how much work it needs or noise it makes.
It's still snowing, so I will likely have to do this all over again tomorrow morning. And the morning after that they will require us to move our cars by 9am so they can plow the whole lot. That would be much appreciated. It would also be appreciated if at such time that I move my car, someone else does not park uninvited in my space to prevent the plowing of said space (something that happened one too many a time last winter which is why I ended up buying a shovel to get into my own parking space which became the only unplowed portion of the entire lot). |
| posted by Jen @ 3:54 PM |
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Even though Christmas is fast approaching, business has been somewhat slow (at least in comparison to any given summer day. Lots and lots of stuff has been put on layaway for pickup in the couple days before Christmas. So, I have been filling my boredom with projects.
So, yesterday was reorganize cycling clothing day for me. I expected the project would take all day due to inevitable interruptions by incoming customers. Not so. Most of the morning was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. I had clothing spread out all over the place (even selling a pair of shorts from one of my floor piles to a lady for her husband's Christmas gift). By the time our truck arrived, it was pretty much done. Now, let's hope I can somewhat train the boys I work with to put things back correctly so this kind of restructuring doesn't need doing again. :) This photo is to document that it indeed was organized at one time.
