I have just finished reading the most marvelous book. Primarily it centers on the fact that women don't have to be "physically beautiful" or "perfect" to be a beautiful woman. All it takes is confidence in yourself, and inner goodness.
The stars of the book are Cathy, a sucessful and beautiful actress who was severely burned & scarred in a vehicular accident. Thomas, a man who was emotionaly & mently scarred when he lost his wife and son in 9/11. A goat named Banger who has a hunger for cell phones. And two adorable little girls in need of stability and love. And least, but certainly not least, Delta, the lady who owns the Crossroads Cafe.
And the story takes place in the mountains of North Carolina, and written as though by a woman who grew up there.
Here are two quotes from near the end of the book'
“Everything in life leads us where we’re supposed to go. It’s not always easy to see our destination in the middle of a journey.”
“The Lard cooks in mysterious ways.” Delta's motto.
The Crossroads Café by Deborah Smith found on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/
A wonderful read, and I plan to read many more books by Deborah Smith~
Are you prepared?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Snow in Georgia? Time for hot tea and crochet~
When it is cold enough to snow in southern Georgia, it is time to stay home, heat up the kettle, keep the hot tea coming, and crochet all day!
This is my current project -
Mine is in blue Lion Suede. What a delicious yarn! I love working with it, and it feel awesome.
If I had known how much I'd love it, I would have bought a LOT more than I did while Michaels had it on sale for $1.99 a skein. A LOT more!
The pattern for the Cowl can be found here;
http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Hats-Scarves-Gloves/Crochet-Cowl-Hood
I started it yesterday and it's over half finished. So I'll be able to wear it the next time I have to go off in this weather!
Mine is in blue Lion Suede. What a delicious yarn! I love working with it, and it feel awesome.
If I had known how much I'd love it, I would have bought a LOT more than I did while Michaels had it on sale for $1.99 a skein. A LOT more!
The pattern for the Cowl can be found here;
http://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Hats-Scarves-Gloves/Crochet-Cowl-Hood
I started it yesterday and it's over half finished. So I'll be able to wear it the next time I have to go off in this weather!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
New Year's Wishes for All
May the Best of your Yesterdays, Be the Worst of your Tomorrows~
According to Mark Twain - - -
New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Electric vs. crocheted blankets
Electric vs. crocheted blankets
By Green Living Tips
Published 09/1/2007
Keeping warm in bed - crocheted vs. electric blankets
I hate the cold. Let me rephrase that - I really, really hate the cold. I mope around much of winter complaining about it. When I first heard about global warming years ago, like many others, I thought this to be an excellent prospect. Of course, after learning a little more about climate change related to global warming, I quickly changed my mind.
It's still a little brisk here of an evening, but with the northern hemsiphere heading into the colder months, I thought it time to look at the topic of electric blankets in relation to the environment. If you're considering buying/replacing an electric blanket this year, hold that thought for a moment.
I was a little surprised by the electricity consumption of these blankets. Under normal use, they consume somewhere between 60 watts an hour for a single and 100 watts an hour for a double on average.
It mightn't sound like much, but let's do a a couple of quick calculations to get an idea of the carbon dioxide emissions impact created by a coal fired power plant in order to generate the electricity for a blanket over a season:
100 watts x 8 hours = 800 watts
800 watts x 90 days = 72 kilowatts
72 x 1.5 pounds of carbon emissions per kw = 108 pounds
So, around 108 pounds or 49 kilograms of carbon dioxide associated with the use of each electric blanket over the coldest months of the year; each year. Now multiply that by the millions of people who use them and the amount becomes really substantial.
Added to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with electric blanket use, there's also these points to consider.
- The plastic coated wiring and other components that are used
- They are often made with synthetic fibers
- There's some debate as to health issues relating to electromagnetic fields
- The initial cost and then ongoing costs of electricity
- Fire/burn/shock risk
Aside from environmental issues, the fire and burn risk is really disturbing. It's estimated around 5,000 fires are caused by electric blankets in the UK alone annually. Electric blankets also present burn risks for the elderly and very young and others who may have problems registering pain or reacting to it.
When you dispose of your electric blanket, and for safety reasons that should be every 10 years maximum, many of its components will be around for generations to come; particularly the plastics.
I guess that in some areas of the world, electric blankets have their place and it's more earth friendly to use a blanket than to use room heating - but for many of us there are more environmentally friendly options to consider.
In our house we use a feather-down quilt and a crocheted top blanket that my partner made - that's it. Her creation made a huge difference.
Don't let the "holes" in a crocheted blanket fool you :). This has kept us warm and toasty through the winter, even when temperatures approached freezing. It's still a bit nippy when first diving under the covers, but that's only for a minute or two.
The blanket took a while to make, but you can buy these online from many places. Look for crocheted blankets that are made from wool, recycled cotton or perhaps even recycled nylon.
Costing a few hundred bucks for a queen size, these blankets and good quality down quilts are a little expensive, but view it as an item that will be long lasting and over time you'll probably save money through not having the ongoing electricity and replacement costs. A well made blanket like the one my partner made can be a family heirloom!
If you're not quite ready to give up your electric blanket, some folks simply turn their electric blanket on around 30 minutes before snooze time and then switch it off once in bed. You could also consider using a timer so the blanket switches on only during the coldest parts of the night.
You don't necessarily have to sacrifice comfort in order to live a greener life, but these small choices we make collectively do make a huge difference to our impact on the environment.
By Green Living Tips
Published 09/1/2007
Keeping warm in bed - crocheted vs. electric blankets
I hate the cold. Let me rephrase that - I really, really hate the cold. I mope around much of winter complaining about it. When I first heard about global warming years ago, like many others, I thought this to be an excellent prospect. Of course, after learning a little more about climate change related to global warming, I quickly changed my mind.
It's still a little brisk here of an evening, but with the northern hemsiphere heading into the colder months, I thought it time to look at the topic of electric blankets in relation to the environment. If you're considering buying/replacing an electric blanket this year, hold that thought for a moment.
I was a little surprised by the electricity consumption of these blankets. Under normal use, they consume somewhere between 60 watts an hour for a single and 100 watts an hour for a double on average.
It mightn't sound like much, but let's do a a couple of quick calculations to get an idea of the carbon dioxide emissions impact created by a coal fired power plant in order to generate the electricity for a blanket over a season:
100 watts x 8 hours = 800 watts
800 watts x 90 days = 72 kilowatts
72 x 1.5 pounds of carbon emissions per kw = 108 pounds
So, around 108 pounds or 49 kilograms of carbon dioxide associated with the use of each electric blanket over the coldest months of the year; each year. Now multiply that by the millions of people who use them and the amount becomes really substantial.
Added to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with electric blanket use, there's also these points to consider.
- The plastic coated wiring and other components that are used
- They are often made with synthetic fibers
- There's some debate as to health issues relating to electromagnetic fields
- The initial cost and then ongoing costs of electricity
- Fire/burn/shock risk
Aside from environmental issues, the fire and burn risk is really disturbing. It's estimated around 5,000 fires are caused by electric blankets in the UK alone annually. Electric blankets also present burn risks for the elderly and very young and others who may have problems registering pain or reacting to it.
When you dispose of your electric blanket, and for safety reasons that should be every 10 years maximum, many of its components will be around for generations to come; particularly the plastics.
I guess that in some areas of the world, electric blankets have their place and it's more earth friendly to use a blanket than to use room heating - but for many of us there are more environmentally friendly options to consider.
In our house we use a feather-down quilt and a crocheted top blanket that my partner made - that's it. Her creation made a huge difference.
Don't let the "holes" in a crocheted blanket fool you :). This has kept us warm and toasty through the winter, even when temperatures approached freezing. It's still a bit nippy when first diving under the covers, but that's only for a minute or two.
The blanket took a while to make, but you can buy these online from many places. Look for crocheted blankets that are made from wool, recycled cotton or perhaps even recycled nylon.
Costing a few hundred bucks for a queen size, these blankets and good quality down quilts are a little expensive, but view it as an item that will be long lasting and over time you'll probably save money through not having the ongoing electricity and replacement costs. A well made blanket like the one my partner made can be a family heirloom!
If you're not quite ready to give up your electric blanket, some folks simply turn their electric blanket on around 30 minutes before snooze time and then switch it off once in bed. You could also consider using a timer so the blanket switches on only during the coldest parts of the night.
You don't necessarily have to sacrifice comfort in order to live a greener life, but these small choices we make collectively do make a huge difference to our impact on the environment.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Ugg Boots -
If you will click on the photo above, you can enter to win a pair of Ugg boots! I just did . . . Oh boy, my toes can almost feel them already!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Christmas - a Time of Things and the Thoughts of Loved Ones
She makes these in any theme, and they are prettier than my feeble effort at photo taking can show.
Isn't she a darling?
No matter how old I manage to get, I will still want to be able to talk with him and get one of those loving Daddy Hugs~
She had hugs ready when I needed them, as well as a good solid proverbial kick in the butt when I needed that~
For us, the holidays are always a time of happiness, as well as remembering those we have lost. And especially a time to be thankful for those we still have with us~
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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