3 Valentines

So I joined another swap. This one is over st Aunt Peaches....here.
All I have to do is make 3 cards, and mail them to random strangers-who also signed up to swap (hush, Dannie!) and some random strangers will mail me 3 valentines. (Hush Dannie!) See DD says I'm liable to have a serial killer mail me a bomb or something. Somehow I doubt there are a lot of serial bombers reading Aunt Peaches blog.
So don't you like superman flying a valentine across the map?! Yes! Nothing fancy coming from this stranger, that's for sure!

Dual Flush, yup I said Flush

 So awhile back I saw this cool thing on Ask This Old House-YAY for PBS-, a dual flush toilet. Now I don't spend a lot of time thinking about flushing, but it did seem like a cool idea. Especially if you live in an area where water is expensive and in short supply.

Ask THis Old House
So then I was at the dentist at the Iowa College of Dentistry, and checked out the new bathroom in the new building they added on, and look.... (and don't think pervie thoughts about taking pictures in the bathroom!)

They have dual flush toilets! I bet a lot of folks have no idea what the deal is, but I knew! Sometimes I'm so darn smart I can't hardly stand it.

Mending....

I haven't been doing much in the way of interesting things, but I have been doing quite a bit of mending for other folks.

Beltloops back on and the hole fixed,

Darn pockets always are a problem,

There that's better!

and the inside is not too bad either!  A few more pairs to go now. Oh I almost forgot a pair of John's!

Target Targets

If you're not familiar with Rube Goldberg contraptions, here's the deal... ANd here's the article about St. Olaf's project!

When Target needed a big Rube-Goldberg-like contraption, it called St. Olaf College.
The Northfield school has a team dedicated to building such machines, which perform simple tasks through complex chain reactions. (Think of the game Mouse Trap.)
Prof. Jason Engbrecht got the call. As an associate professor of physics, Engbrecht teaches the course in which students study engineering design while fashioning one of the elaborate machines. He gathered current and former team members.
"All Target told us was that it needs to be spectacular and it needs to incorporate Target products," Engbrecht said. "They preferred that we not destroy their products... But by and large, we had pretty free reign."
The video begins by following a runaway red shopping cart. Rolling soup cans, tinkling silverware and flying clothing star, as well. The video was originally shown at an employee event last fall. But Target publicly released it for the New Year:
The St. Olaf team constructed the machine in a Maple Grove warehouse. The space was exhilarating. During their competitions, the students build within a 6-by-6 foot space. This time, they had 40-by-90 feet.
But the filming process added its own complexities. The lights heated up the set, messing up the carefully-calibrated tension of the catapults' ropes. "That became very hectic," Engbrecht said.
It took 40 takes to even get to the catapults. During take 41, as the machinery moved toward the finish, Engbrecht yelled "Go catapults!" As they flew, the group cheered.

YES! It's BAAAAck!

I'm so happy to have the new season of American Idol back in my life again!

Randy, I've missed you, Jennifer, you are as lovely as ever, and Steven, well I read your book.......

All Done-To the mail It goes

 

So I finished my recipe card swaps cards, and wanted to include a little thank you card for our swap hostess Lori Jean-she blogs over at

happy birds crafting haven
So here's the card I glued up for her. Oops y-ignore that bit of purple glue that isn't dry yet! I used all paper that I got in a swap on craftster a looong time ago, but it's sweet sparkly paper, and was perfect for this card.

Drive Time

So when it snows I always debate with myself about which way is the best way to go home from work. I could take the Interstate-there should be lots of sand and snowplows there, right? OR I could take state hwys -they should be good and clear for the school buses, Right? This morning I chose I80.   

Ordinarily I don't recommend taking photos while driving, but when one is driving 25mph on I80...the risk is pretty insignificant. This unfortunate person four wheel drove right into the ditch.

 

Mostly pick ups today in the ditches and whipped around in interstate donuts, pointing the wrong way to make the driver wish they had extra pants along for the ride.

 

Oh never a good thing to be on the side for the ride...

 

Yes, you are seeing another person who 4 wheeled it in a big doughnut and WOW-I bet he's glad those cable barriers have been installed-"Phew", I bet he's thinking-"I could have slid into the ditch with no serious damage, but lucky for me these cables have messed me up instead. THANKS Iowa DOT!"

 

As I got closer to my exit I saw more trucks in trouble...

 

and it looked like my exit was a parking lot.

But no troubles for me, just call me "Mrs. 25mph on the interstate" and I got home with no problems-well yes, it took almost an hour but hey, I can sleep when I get there! I wish I'd have thought of taking pictures sooner, this was only the 6 miles from the Tiffin Exit on I80 to the Oxford exit on I80. There were at least 6 others on 218.

Recipe Swap Cards

Occasionally, I join in a swap of recipes on one of my favorite crafty places. Craft sayings
They announce the theme-this time it's cakes. And then you decorate pretty cards with your cake recipe to share. After they're all done you send off the required number of cards to your hostess and when she gets them from everyone, you get a package in the mail of a bunch of recipes on pretty cards!

I'm sharing a cake recipe that I made awhile back for something or other at the church. It came out good and was very tasty too.

I used some more of my old atlas pages for the base, and printed the recipe on card stock. Then added some foo-foo pretties, and now I'm ready to laminate them. I just use the sticky laminating sheets-No machine:-(
I'll have to remember to share the package of cards I get back when they come.

P&G Thanks Mom Campaign

So, If you watch this video and don't at least smile with a tear in your eye...well I dunno, but it's a winner!

Visiting Aunt Sally

At Christmas Eve we wnt to visit my Aunt Sally at the Veterans Home. She doesn't get around on her own these days so a short visit was in order. My OLDER sister works at the home and so she gave us the 25 cent tour of the latest upgrade to the building. They added this day room to each floor of the building. It's beautiful, see there's a computer area with comfortable seating.  

There's a full size kitchen, and a TV area shown here.

This was new to me! Look, these are the dining tables. They are suspended from the ceiling. So that wheelchairs and walkers don't have to tangle with table legs. Plus it's a wonderful wide open space when the tables are up.  The whole area has wonderful huge windows all around with a nice view of the grounds and other building.

Random what?

Random Tutorial

So when you have time to kill...well do it anyways, I say! go to Random Tutorial! Click the link above. Who thinks of these things? It is fun randomness!

Well Maybe...

So I was browsing the shoes at Kohl's today, Do you think they pay much attention to their signage?

No, it IS creepy...

So, it's not just me is it? This is really creepy isn't it.

Yes, yes it is. for twenty bucks you're supposed to hang your jewelry on IT. Yeah I want a headless, armless THING to hold my jewelry......Bet a Target buyer got fired for this one.

I Won!

SO at my work they like to think we are a safe place. Yeah, whatever, anyways to prove to us how much they care about our safety the company trained all of the employees on the Safe Start program. In a nutshell, 4 things-rushing, fatigue, frustration and complacency cause 4 unsafe situations-eyes not on task, mind not on task, Line-of-fire, and balance/traction/grip. Got all that? So anyways when were were done with the traiing-5 2 hour sessions! we got the chance to call the Safe Start company and answer some questions on the phone and randomly have a chance at winning a "prize". OH BOY! A PRIZE!


They have prizes at different levels for you to choose from if you "win", A prizes are pretty cheapola, the Z prizes look pretty awesome..there's a Segway! Anyway I didn't get a Z prize but I did get a J prize! I looked at the stuff you can choose from and I got this...

Pretty nice huh?
Ben took it for a trial run...

Yum! What a good prize! And the price was right...free ninety nine!!
Now if my family watches these...

The Safe Start home DVD's then they can call in and win a prize too maybe.

WOW!

Have you noticed as your kids get older they don't get as excited about their Christmas presents as they did when they were little? Wonder why that is? Maybe because they always know what they are getting.

SO  As they opened their gifts I told them "ok holler WOW!"  and they looked at me and smiled and said,Mom, you're a dork..or something like that.

WOW!!

WOW!!

WOW!!!

WOW!

WOW! I love Christmas!

Well here's a Thinking kind of thing...

10 sec reading: My wife and the burnt light

by Paulo Coelho on December 30, 2011

On Christmas Eve, my wife and I were reflecting on the year that was nearly ending, whilst dining at a restaurant.

I started to complain about something that hadn’t happened the way I wanted it to.

My wife focused her attention on a Christmas tree that embellished the place.
I thought that she wasn’t interested in the conversation, so I changed the subject:
“This tree has a beautiful illumination”, I said.

“Yes, but if you look carefully you can see one burnt light among dozens.
” It seems to me that instead of thinking of this year as dozens of enlightened blessings, you chose to look at the one light that did not glow

New Years Eve Shopping we will go...

We popped over to the Amana Smokehouse meats store so DD could pick up her tupperware order from the very nice tupperware person who happens to work there.

Yum look at all that meaty goodness!

They have pretty unique things at the meat shop, candy, kitchen gadgets, mixes for sauces and cakes, and of course meat & lots of cheese too.

We had lunch at Applebee's and DD showed off her Christmas ipad while we waited for our food.

 Pretty amazing little thing it is.

Pinterest

 Well How About This...I'm moving up in 2012, Pinterest seems to be all the rage, I'll let you know.

pinterest.