Misfortune

Question:

What is worse, a bad fortune, or no fortune at all?

Americana for the modern age?

I’ve lived in a small town for most of my life.  It is quaint.  Some of the streets are cobbled and there are remnants of 16^th century America in abundance.  Yes, as cliché as it may sound, George Washington really did sleep here, and often since he grew up not a mile from the city.

Antique shops, restaurants and specialty stores, have replaced most of the stores on Main Street from my youthful years but one old time drug store still remains.  You can still get a shake, a cherry coke, a BLT, and sit at a counter with twirling stools to consume it all. 

There are still some aged and weathered signs hanging on the walls.  One particular sign caught my eye and gave me a chuckle. It seems things haven’t changed much at all.

Have a great day!

Be Yourself

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest accomplishment.

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Crystallized?

My Carpal Tunnel surgery was on Tues.  While I was under anesthesia he gave me a shot of cortisone for the pain of Tennis elbow.  Honestly I don’t know how that happened, I mean I don’t even play tennis!  Anyway with some people the side effects of cortisone is that it crystallizes and causes way more pain than tennis elbow every does.  Crystallizes!  How is that for ironic?  To add to the nightmare the pain meds made me sick as a dog.

So for the next few days, typing is at a minimum and art is nonexistent.

Crystallized clear signing off.

Mayhem—like him

I don’t watch much TV, but when I do I really don’t like commercials.  That’s what a DVR is for right?  Most of the time commercials are just a waste of time.  The only time (and I know I’m not alone) I watch TV strictly for the commercials is during the Super bowl when advertisers make an effort to make their commercials creative and fun to watch.

Every so often, though, a commercial comes along that breaks the boring rule, and it’s actually better than the program one is trying to watch.  Remember the “Where’s the Beef?” commercials…. oops I’m showing my age here. 

If I could I would like to give a Crystal Clear award for the best commercials.  My fave right now is the Allstate Mayhem guy.  If you don’t have it where you live, you are missing a group of fun advertising magic. 

What to do with Horse Show Ribbons re-visited

Got a lot of Horse Show Ribbons and you are running out of wall space?  Why not make a scrapbook to hold all your horse show photos and mementos?  Check out my other blog Make it Easy Crafts for an easy tutorial.

makeiteasycrafts.blogspot.com/2012/05/easy-to-make-scrapbook-with-old-horse.html

Does this make scents?

Pastel Beach

Well, now that Memorial Day is over summer is in full swing.  So what’s next? Will it be beaches, swimming, sun and fun?  Vacation is this week and I’m going to the beach. 

For me, beaches are sometimes not so much fun.  I am fair and I don’t tan, I burn. For a Greek with black hair I am unusually pale. I guess I take after my father who, when he had hair, was a blond and fair Greek.  When he would don shorts his legs were so white they almost glowed in the dark. 

I don’t have to be out in the sun for very long.  It almost seems as if as soon as my toes touch anything sandy, they start to crisp.  I feel as if I am cooking and I am the main course.  In a half hours time I am usually Lobster red. 

My husband is a beach boy.  Not a real Beach Boy, but he is blond and he loves the beach. He can stay out in the sun for what seems like forever with minimal protection. 

Me, on the other hand needs all the help I can get, but when it comes to suntan lotions, I cringe.  I absolutely detest the aroma of suntan oils and lotions.  I hate smelling as if I should have a little umbrella sticking out of my hair or like I belong on a desert menu. For the record I didn’t like to use cocoa butter after my pregnancy either.

So I search the stores for my sun protection criteria, mainly high SPF and low fragrance. 

I come in the door with my purchase, not the 55 SPF baby lotion, but the 110 SPF suntan lotion…and best of all, it’s unscented!

I’m ready.  Look out sun.

UPDATE:  Tropical storm Beryl had other plans for me and mine so I guess after one day in the un-sunny weather bedraggled and road weary we turned around.  Looks like it will be a stay-cation for me!

Handwriting analysis

Me, trying neat

When I was in grade school I wrote kind of like this and printed everything neatly.  And then the accursed cursive made it’s appearance and I tried my darndest to write neatly.  But try as I might I just couldn’t make myseslf do it. 

Most of the time men, write like me, sloppy.  In my family however I am married to Mr. Perfect and he writes like…this which makes me feel a little intimidated.

I know I’m not alone because there is even a font called sloppy.  Not that I need it, I’m doing sloppy just fine thank you very much.

When it comes to my artwork the worst part is the signing.  I know, I know that is what identifies the art but the way I look at it my signature distracts and totally ruins the painting. 

So I sign it with just my initials.  In my case, less is better.  Perhaps I should just sign it like this:

Crystal

My name in wingdings  J

Hummingbird don’t fly away

Hummingbird in colored pencil

It’s time!  The hummingbirds are back and it’s time to fill all the feeders.  I love watching these tiny little helicopters as they flit and fly around the yard.  Don’t buy the pre-made solutions, though. Honestly, the hummers don’t like that store bought stuff. It’s easy and  cheaper to make nectar right in your own kitchen

Hummingbird nectar:

In a small pot boil 4 parts water to 1 part cane sugar

(This equates to 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar, but until I get a large amount of hummers,  I usually just mix up 2 cups of water with ½ cup of sugar)

Let cool and fill the feeders.

Store any unused nectar in the refrigerator

There is no need to add any food coloring.  The hummers don’t care if it’s clear or colored.  Don’t use honey and clean and refill your feeders weekly.  

A Hint from Crystal-oise

Ever buy something on impulse (yes impulse is my middle name) just because you love it.  Today I bought two of those cool, but a bit overpriced tumblers that are supposed to keep a drink cold or hot longer. I get them home and set about removing the price tickets but after scrubbing and tearing, washing and peeling, all I have to show for it is some gummy, gooky, and sticky residue.   Have I used enough adjectives yet?  No, ok let me add a few more.  The gooey, tacky mess just wouldn’t come off. 

 So I try other methods like nail polish remover with no luck.  The stickiness has spread and I find that I don’t even have to grasp the tumblers to pick them up, all I need do lay my palm on the goop and lift.   Got a visual?

Frustrated, I put both tumblers back in the bag with the intention of taking a trip (did I mention it was raining?) back to the store to return them.  Before I do, though, my husband tells me to Google ways to remove the mess. It figures that he would be logical.

I laugh at the suggested methods, everything from mayonnaise to lighter fluid to toothpaste. It seems this is not such an unusual problem.  Just to appease the logical Mr. Spock I am married to, I try what I think is the most outlandish suggestion—peanut butter.

IT WORKED…IT FREAKING TOOK IT ALL OFF AND I’M NOT KIDDING!!!!

So the next time you get one of those fiendish stubborn price tickets get out the Jiff-- problem solved in a Jiffy.