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.

Snow White without a dwarf in sight

No water that I saw

This past weekend my hubby and I decided to drive to Washington D.C. to take in a museum and enjoy the nice weather.  This time we chose to take our car and our chances with parking instead of taking the metro as usual.  And since it was such a nice day on Sunday we stopped and got some sandwiches, drinks and chips for a lunch in the park. 

A very unusual looking pigeon

Now, I know that a lot of people don’t like you to feed the wild birds, but I love animals and when those itty bitty little eyes look at me and my sandwich, well, I just can’t resist.  And besides I wasn’t the first, because they knew just how to beg for the best result.  I must admit that the sparrows, pigeons, starlings, squirrels and ducks in the nation’s capital our very well behaved.  There is no pushing or shoving and they all patiently sat there waiting their turns.  There was none of the stealing and squawking the seagulls on the boardwalks are known to do…. they were sweet.

This little guy had a genetic mutation of coloring 

And while I was sitting there with my husband just shaking his head and not sharing at all I felt, well, just like Snow White without the singing. And seriously, I really didn't need the carbs!

Can't forget the squirrels

Are you a dog person, a cat person, a hamster person…?

I think that most people fall into a pet category, so, what kind of pet person are you? 

There are those who are diehard cat people.  Sometimes, their personalities mimic those of the royal aloof feline.  And when I say royal, I mean royal.  How many of us have someone at our beck and call 24/7 to feed, pet and clean our bathroom? 

The dog people think they are the best.  They are rather loyal and true blue if I do say so myself.  They walk around covered in fur…no not the kind that has PETA up in arms…the ones that come from petting and loving their furry friends.

The reptile people can’t understand why there are those who don’t think that scaly and cold-blooded creatures are endearing.  I mean they are rather useful; rats are a nuisance to humans but to reptiles they are a snack.  And what little boy hasn't used one to attract the attention of a little girl?

The hamster people must be night owls…because seriously who can sleep while that little guy runs on his squeaky wheel all night long?

The fish people are stress free.  Everyone knows that aquariums are relaxing, that is until you have to clean all 55 gallons of it or have a toilet bowl funeral.

The bunny people never have to buy another bunny again, as they scratch their heads and wonder why the buck bunny they bought turned out to be a pregnant doe.

The horse people go broke.  Yes I speak from experience.  What with horse shows, vets, farriers, and feeding a 1,000 lb. animal…well, there isn’t much money left for much else.

And then there are the bird people.  You recognize them since they always sport a stray feather or two, and have to tell you about the ten new words in Tweety's vocabulary.

I won’t even go into the insect realm, but there are those people too. 

Yes I guess everyone fits into a pet category. What am I?  Well, I am covered in dog hair; I have a pooper-scooper in my right hand and my checkbook in my left.  When I walk into Petsmart they greet me by name as I grab some fish food and pick the birdseed out of my hair.  So…. you be the judge.  

Leaves of three, let them be

Even though I am allergic to practically everything in spring and Summer I still love the outdoors. One of my favorite things to do is to go on a daily walk on the rustic trail by my house.  Flora and fauna abound. 

“Ah-choo.” 

Yes, I sneeze and I pump myself full of allergy meds daily.  Luckily, I am not allergic to Poison Ivy.  (If only at the present time because I am told by my doctor that one can develop an allergy at any time in life) Off the beaten path, the vines hang from every tree.  It almost looks as if Tarzan of the apes could just come swinging down…although he might have some trouble holding on while he scratches.  Visual, anyone?

So can you identify poison ivy? 

The saying goes...“Leaves of three, let them be.”

Ten things to keep in mind, before, during, and after:

1.     Immediately wash off all affected areas, heck, take a long shower, but not before you toss all of your clothes in the washer.  It is imperative to get rid of the oils that produce the itching.

2.     Scrub under your fingernails in case any oil is hiding there!

3.     Keep cool, because sweating only makes it worse.

4.     Use calamine lotion and Benadryl at night if only to help you to sleep.

5.     See a doctor if it is severe.

6.     Don’t assume that it is just the leaves…the roots can also give you a severe rash.

7.     NEVER BURN POISON IVY!   Yes you can get it from breathing the smoke!!

8.     Wash that dog if he has been around poison ivy.  Petting him will be dangerous to you health.

9.     Don’t assume that because you are (like me) currently immune that it will remain that way…stay away from Poison Ivy

10. Learn to identify the plant so you will not inadvertently come in contact.

Diary of a klutz

Have you ever watched reruns of the old 1960’s Dick Van Dyke show on TV or  Netflix?  If you haven’t then you have missed some of the world’s greatest klutzy moments.  Dick Van Dyke was a master of physical comedy and the show opens with him tripping over a misplaced ottoman.  His arms splay out and he lands flat on his face.  In later episodes the show opens with him carefully sidestepping the ottoman, and averting his fall.  At least he learns from experience.

I admit that I am a bit klutzy and I fall often.  I have taken rides down my stairs on my bottom and more often than I’d like to admit walk into glass doors face first. (I mean who cleans glass that streak free anyway?) The bruises I have cultivated can be quite artistic and colorful.  My favorite was one that resembled the Aurora Borealis with the blues and greens changing colors daily.

While I manage to steer clear of ottomans, cobblestones on the other hand get me every time.  The other day, since it was a clear and beautiful spring day my husband and I decided to take a walk in the historic part of town.  Yes, the streets are quaintly cobbled. 

It wasn’t long before my bottom and the sidewalk met in a very embarrassing manner.  My husband stared in disbelief as I flew through the air and not so gracefully landed in front of him.  Fortunately the only thing bruised this time was my pride.  I think I will take a cue from good old Dick Van Dyke and just steer clear of…cobblestones.

Have a great Monday everyone...today it's rainy here in the old dominion.

Seri-ously?

First let me get this right out into the open.  I love my Iphone 4S. It helps me do hundreds of things every day.  It allows me to check my email whenever and wherever. It makes available hundreds if apps.

It even comes with a little person trapped inside.  Her name is Siri and you can ask her all sorts of things and she will attempt an answer.  The only problem is that my particular Siri is 16 years old and doesn’t understand my English. 

I’ve tried, honestly I have, to pronounce my words clearly and enunciate each syllable directly into the phone. Still, I find that Siri has a wicked sense of humor and much like an angst-ridden teenager; she hears what she wants to hear.

Example of an actual conversation…

Me: “Text Jen, it’s ok.”

Siri:  “Yes it is.”

Me: “Well thanks for your feedback but I really wanted to let her know that.”

Siri:  “I found two post offices fairly close to you.”

Me:  “But I don’t want to mail it to her.”

Siri:  “To whom shall I send it?”

Me:  “Never mind.”

Siri:  “Ok.”

Last week I was running late on my way home.  So I decided to give my husband a call to let him know.  Since I can’t dial while driving I figured I would just ask Siri to do it.  I pronounced his name as clearly as I could.  She told me she was calling my sister-in-law in Florida.

“No”, I screamed.

 I repeated my husband’s name.  She was mum.  I repeated it again—still mum.  Guess she got mad at me for yelling at her.  I could have sworn I heard a door slam in the distance.