What is it?

see, there's this door knob made of metal....

see, there's this door knob made of metal....
Originally uploaded by wash52121

How did my day start? Well, you could click through to Boo's flickr pic to see how an unnamed person fared this morning.

ESFP . . . changes are afoot

ESFP - "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. 8.5% of the total population.

Free Jung Word Choice Test (similar to MBTI)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Pointed to a set of tests that contained this by Lori.

This bears studying. In previous tests, whether long or short versions, I ended up INFP. Has the big move to the farm made THAT much difference?

Arctic Front

Now you all know how much I love Michigan, but our weather is goofier than all get out today. Most of the day was in the 40's. That's amazingly warm for January (and thawed my dear brother's THREE skating rinks). However, in the last half hour an Arctic Front has moved in, and the temperature is plummeting to the mid-teens. Heck, Boo may have a NEW ice rink tomorrow without all the work!

Place to visit

An interesting collage website here.

I meant to add more to this as I had the day off, but then I got busy!

Finally, one I agree with

I am p Everyone loves pi _

what number are you?

this quiz by orsa

Okay, Quit Laughing!!!

How evil are you?

Kind of an Outdated Quiz

You are a very conservative and introverted person. You live in your own world and you're not very easy to approach. Which Blogging Tool Are You?

Rally of Writers

Note to self: the annual Rally of Writers is April 5.

Cold

Playing at the rentable studio in Lansing.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Booze :: Alcohol
Counter :: Customer
Action :: Movie, Figure
Trial :: by fire
Wheelchair :: Motorized transport
1-800 :: Call Lee (a lawyer in the area. must work)
Chop :: Sticks, pork
Relatives :: Family
Bed sheets :: Flannel this time of year
Funnel :: Cake (but I've never had it)

World Class Karaoke?

I heard a radio advertisement for a downtown restaurant. Does World Class Karaoke sound right to you????

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

President :: of the United States
Stare :: glare
Embrace :: hug
Movie :: theater
Everything :: Goes
Profile :: s in Courage
Satire :: Comedy
Erratic :: that could be applied to me
Costume :: Jewelry
Secretary :: of State

Spelling Test

here.

I did miss one.

Are you Sleeping?

via Gail, an interesting reaction test.

Looking at the Computer Desk Hutch

On the left side of the hutch, there are three shelves, covered by a glass door. There are books on the bottom shelf. The first thirteen titles are:

You Can Make a Collage
The New Graphic Design School
Poetry for Dummies
Webmastering for Dummies
Networking for Dummies
Marketing Strategies for Writers
Codes and Secret Writing
A Patriot's Handbook (compiled by Caroline Kennedy)
Glacier's Grandest
How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
Camping (my dad's book)
The Arrow Book of States (35 cents, one of the first books I bought)
Universal Principles of Design

I guess I should read them sometime, eh?

Stress Reliever

A trip over to Lake Michigan Saturday sure relieved some stress.

Ben Lomond B&W 1

Ben Lomond B&W 1
Originally uploaded by karen6977

Want to go to the mountains? Check out Karen's photo stream, featuring the mountains of Utah. Can you imagine having this in your backyard?

Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

Dream big :: or dream small. but have a dream
Competition :: can get the juices going
Torn :: between two lovers
Modeling :: Clay
Coaster :: Roller
Slut :: Why isn't there a male word that means the equivalent?
Spread :: Bed
Amanda :: Mandy
Romance :: Novel
Paradise :: What we call the farm where I live

A Blurb on Michigan from a Campaign Article

Pre-primary polls show a close race among the three in a state that McCain, as well as Romney, can ill-afford to lose.

"The number one issue in Michigan is jobs," says Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from the area around Lansing, who has not endorsed any of the candidates for his party's nomination. "The number two issue in Michigan is jobs. And the number three issue in Michigan is jobs."

Not a surprise.

Michigan's unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent in November, is the highest in the country by a full percentage point, and about 50 percent higher than the national average.

Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show the state shed more than 76,000 jobs in the 12 months ending in November, a period in which the national economy added 1.5 million jobs.

In a further sign of economic distress, Michigan lost population in each of the last two years, according to Census Bureau estimates, as the auto industry was struck with a series of blows.

Who 's Your Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick ?

Wilma Flintstone
Take this quiz!



Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

those January blues

Hi there. I suppose you notice I haven't been blogging much this week. I've always tried to keep the blog a cheerful place, and this week just hasn't been the cheeriest.

I've dreaded the 56th birthday thing. My dad died of a massive heart attack 16 days after his 56th birthday. He had a January birthday also. Our initials are the same, and I've always identified with Dad a lot. I'm shaped like his side of the family. His 56th birthday was on a Thursday, so is mine. You kinda get the drift. Dark thoughts. Sad thoughts. A bit of a depression running. However, it is a depression that can be worked through, and should start to abate in about a week, getting much better by February's approach. Also, a few sunny days wouldn't hurt.

So, the month started sad, and has taken a turn for the worse, as lay-offs and cut-backs hit with a vengeance at work this week. Five on lay-off, cutbacks in hours for another four. Sheesh. If you've heard that Michigan's economy is in the toilet . . . you've heard correctly. We were doing find until October, when the combination of the shutdown of the State for a weekend and a GM strike just seemed to tear the heart out of things.

So I've been trying to fun things to blog about, but it has been a tough battle. Maybe now that I've blogged this I can get past the block and the depression. Thanks for listening!

Christmas Tree Preference

We'll be planting trees in April. I have a question: if you have a real Christmas tree, what is your favorite type? Thanks in advance!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Mist :: Fog
Eating :: Wayyyy tooo much!
Beacon :: Lighthouse
Speaker :: of the house
Episodes :: Television shows
Conference :: Speaker
Sneak attack :: Pearl Harbor
Medic :: Viet Nam
Web :: Spider
2008 :: The best is yet to be

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

My Christmas party that I host for family and friends was last Saturday. It was a buffet and then an afternoon of "Cut Throat Bingo". I had ten family members and six friends. One of the friends I hadn't seen in thirty years.

Anyway, because I live in a 99-year-old house . . . oh wait, this year we turn 100! . . . I try to incorporate as many old-fashioned things into my parties as I can. As part of the buffet, I had sweet and sour meatballs from this old family recipe:

2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. parsley
1 tsp galic salt
2 eggs
1/4 c. dry onion
1 c. corn flakes
1/4 c. catsup
2 lbs hamburg
salt & pepper to taste

Form meat into walnut sized balls and place into greased pan, after mixing all ingredients together.

SAUCE:
1 lb jellied cranberry sauce
1 12 oz bottle chili sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Pour over meatballs and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 10 people.

Yummy!

January Thaw coming

Heat wave coming. This will all be gone by Monday

Charlie Wilson's War

Saw it last night. I went into it unprepared. I was looking for a movie that was short. I know, I know, bad reason to pick a movie, but the roads are still icy and I wanted to be home at a reasonable hour. I knew the movie starred Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, but that wasn't a real draw. I mean, they're Hollywood darlings, and sometimes that can be kind of boring. (sheesh, i didn't realize I had a bit of rebellious streak in picking favorite actors and actresses.) Anyway, the movie has won five Golden Globe nominations, for picture, Hanks, Roberts, Philip Seymour wazziz name (and dang, is he good), and script (Aaron Sorkin, based on a biography of Charlie Wilson).

The movie's Golden Globe nomination comes in the Comedy/Musical category. That is a misnomer. The movie is funny, but is probably the most thought-provoking movie I've seen in recent years. If you get a chance, go see it!

It was a Lovely Birthday!

Happy Birthday Shirl
Originally uploaded by jsarcadia

Thank you all for your best wishes. For various reasons, this birthday had me down, but with friends like you, we made it through! On to an interesting year!

Meteor Shower Alert

Hmmm. Meteor shower tonight. I've never heard of it, the Quantradids. It's cold and clear here, so I may run out if I wake up in the middle of the night. Furnace is working all right, so I have to have SOME excuse to wander around at night!

Brrr!

Oh the weather outside is . . . cold! -5 degrees Fahrenheit last night. My furnace conked out, due to ice on the outside trap, so I had to make the midnight run to clear it. It was beautiful out! The stars were twinkling, and the trees had started to gather hoarfrost, one diamond at a time. But boy. It is cold!

Happy New Year!

oh yes. Wishing you the best, most interesting, most filled with joy year yet!

2007 in Review

January: I was still blogging at Other Side. Great-Nephew Caleb was born.

Price went up over the year. . .

Your Life Is Worth...

$427,000

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

February: Lynn Rockwell passed away. Lynn was one of my oldest blogging buddies. She had struggled with cancer, and always kept a positive attitude. She is greatly missed.

March: Moved to this blog, the New Era. Aunt N. had major surgery, but I am happy to report she is still with us. She has memory problems, but she usually still recognizes me. Spring did finally come that month. March Madness saw several of us with brackets on Yahoo. Up for it again this year?

April: April found the country stunned by the senselessness of the Virginia Tech Massacre. Easter was in April. This year, Easter is about as early as it can be (first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox).

May: brought peas in the garden and skunks in the back yard. I hosted my first of four shuffleboard parties.

will be working on this post throughout the day . . .