tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90608052449565815452024-03-18T21:51:02.289-07:00Pickle Lady Farm JournalNotes from the valley.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13952273074290828938noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-76190487058396244422012-01-16T06:30:00.000-08:002012-01-16T06:42:50.379-08:00Someday, I'll make something of this...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V84llmOZUEWD2Xo2iK4A5FunTiQRRM4xuncLNUTf4Z2JE7HbFsfOTjNzGOgNPbSTA5TcE-cRQgL7lK04nTk6XqK_JF0BddxCQHxz_Quf8fL2KFfJJwpZoDRW_BNmFRLBzk_zqFVI59PD/s1600/flyer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V84llmOZUEWD2Xo2iK4A5FunTiQRRM4xuncLNUTf4Z2JE7HbFsfOTjNzGOgNPbSTA5TcE-cRQgL7lK04nTk6XqK_JF0BddxCQHxz_Quf8fL2KFfJJwpZoDRW_BNmFRLBzk_zqFVI59PD/s320/flyer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698240077700683426" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBDQKmSWV1eUnZBf6O_ih_c6d5ql8ptdw7JQEtDJURSu8TfC42q5KZyWpbFayBVck2v5JEIvgulxfGoSOPd7bWN2fJOdUTsKENYWxHu9n-vTQW5_mT6j0ed0Th5YU_SsxpKFvUwY7p5u8/s1600/choices.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBDQKmSWV1eUnZBf6O_ih_c6d5ql8ptdw7JQEtDJURSu8TfC42q5KZyWpbFayBVck2v5JEIvgulxfGoSOPd7bWN2fJOdUTsKENYWxHu9n-vTQW5_mT6j0ed0Th5YU_SsxpKFvUwY7p5u8/s320/choices.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698240079171042834" border="0" /></a><br />I'd like to make this blog nice, and post on it more often. I just don't seem to find the time. I know it's there, I've just misplaced it somehow...<br /><br />I thought I'd at least give a little update on what's going on with the shop. The Etsy shop is doing well, lots of custom orders. I've collaborated with a fellow snarky gal and now make patterns for her shop, HitchedStitcher, and I'm making a pattern for Wend's Hell Devils shop, too. I'm also giving away 100 copies of the new "Regretsy(TM) made me do it" pattern to all the FJLs at the L.A. meetup next week. Hopefully this will help me continue to make sales through these slowest months of the year.<br /><br />At Contempo Artisan Boutique, Staci has readied the upstairs of the shop for classes and supplies. I'll be selling cross stitch kits there, and teaching a series of handsewing classes. First one is February 2. I'm looking forward to doing this, as it will help me further share my love of needle and thread.<br /><br />In designing for myself/the shop, I'm working on finishing a series of eyeglasses that I'm really happy with. I'm also stitching on more wooden boxes and vintage artwork. I'll post pictures when I have them framed.<br /><br />Click on those pictures above for more information about the classes, or visit www.contempoartisanboutique.com.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-76365463250440160362011-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:002011-06-15T07:58:38.773-07:00Samuel L. Jackson reads "Go the F*** to Sleep"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjgV0aACAMc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjgV0aACAMc</a><br /><br />NSFW, of course, but still hilarious.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-2276869893379273102011-05-16T20:28:00.000-07:002011-05-16T20:29:40.396-07:00April's Army<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaExhaSoERjlu2-FQiBwPTTptvvpCJ-D2oOdpqQCnGnaLVKX2nTSpzJhexth1IBTwffu9CrUsiDPA0qgBBje_zssFKJkapIap3yizWM_puYcigG-oMWrbW9YeBjgQ7IWVVDHtogmhsYYU/s1600/love+and+cupcakes+pic.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaExhaSoERjlu2-FQiBwPTTptvvpCJ-D2oOdpqQCnGnaLVKX2nTSpzJhexth1IBTwffu9CrUsiDPA0qgBBje_zssFKJkapIap3yizWM_puYcigG-oMWrbW9YeBjgQ7IWVVDHtogmhsYYU/s320/love+and+cupcakes+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607521931014889794" border="0" /></a><br />I made this for the April's Army Charity shop on Etsy. Gonna start up some more charity snark.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-37064326655600120642011-05-04T19:18:00.000-07:002011-05-04T19:30:02.571-07:0033: a retrospectiveIn just a few hours I'll not be 33 anymore. So what did I do this past year?<br /><br />I finished another 30 credits of college<br />I nursed my Pappy back to health (he's running 5 days a week again!). Well, I helped.<br />Aubrey had her accident, and I became the mother of a burn survivor.<br />I started an Etsy shop for my needlework stuff, and some reselling of vintage.<br />I opened an Alibris shop and sold a bunch of books<br />I created over 120 cross stitch patterns<br />I stitched about 12 of them<br />Both my kids went to elementary school<br />I completely cleaned and organized my craft room/office, then trashed it again<br />I saw my best friend get married<br />I said goodbye to my therapist, who died<br />I said hello again (online) to some old friends whom I had missed<br /><br />And some goals for 34:<br /><br />get my office organized again and keep it that way<br />graduate from college<br />get a job/ get into grad school<br />Remember to be in the now, not in the then or the later<br />fall in love with me again.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-86034632327483662102011-04-14T20:05:00.000-07:002011-04-14T20:10:13.688-07:00It's been a while...... but nobody reads this anyway...<br /><br />I'm in a creative slump. An intellectual slump, too. Doing schoolwork is difficult because I can't concentrate. Doing embroidery is impossible for the same reason.<br /><br />In happier news, the kids have been delightful and semi-helpful and have been getting along very well. Also, Tony came home. Small things, but the most important ones.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-12492914660746620162011-03-31T20:01:00.000-07:002011-04-01T12:44:40.947-07:00Easter Freebie!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgGy4zWr1O0mQRX-owtzu30OooPuxYvfFmVWbx859BPiCd_F6FUJYjWAGLG_GF3sIo9d6VbXCtZO6Vzs_vgzqYg87oNaVJp-vMCsVH_lQ-tID_CVw248AxAAYkG92OpSi8mdShHSehi1/s1600/0002ey.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgGy4zWr1O0mQRX-owtzu30OooPuxYvfFmVWbx859BPiCd_F6FUJYjWAGLG_GF3sIo9d6VbXCtZO6Vzs_vgzqYg87oNaVJp-vMCsVH_lQ-tID_CVw248AxAAYkG92OpSi8mdShHSehi1/s320/0002ey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590447827971167554" border="0" /></a><br />I'm posting my first ever, hopefully not the last, series of freebie patterns here on the blog. Of course, I'd rather you give me money and buy patterns from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shops/pickleladyfarm.com">my shop</a>.....<br /><br />here's freebie pattern #1: a marshmallow peep. Yellow. Chick. Marshmallow. Yummy. It's Easter personified from a secular viewpoint. Personally, I like them best stale. They're also good roasted over an open fire.<br /><a href="http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByJrHlh_yQ92YmU5MzBjMzYtZWU1Yy00NWMzLTg5YjktMmUzYWVlMzllMTkw&hl=en&authkey=CKPigZgK"><br /></a><a href="http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByJrHlh_yQ92YmU5MzBjMzYtZWU1Yy00NWMzLTg5YjktMmUzYWVlMzllMTkw&hl=en&authkey=CKPigZgK">Click here for full PDF</a>PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-43500613966634684502011-03-28T05:19:00.000-07:002011-03-28T05:23:46.360-07:00Making the Jump to Blog world...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRN6iHRDFokPwlRmeZmiIRKBF7-0pcS57rpLbRkSclUVia7n2Nwdy0c76GG6tVuMkO2hI5SK57MTIfIFrnbepo8Vm7EnCSG9UNM1V-ZiGabCncNN4HWR14-pIHhxx6BJHacFjG__B36BG/s1600/fight+like+a+girl+frame+pic.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRN6iHRDFokPwlRmeZmiIRKBF7-0pcS57rpLbRkSclUVia7n2Nwdy0c76GG6tVuMkO2hI5SK57MTIfIFrnbepo8Vm7EnCSG9UNM1V-ZiGabCncNN4HWR14-pIHhxx6BJHacFjG__B36BG/s320/fight+like+a+girl+frame+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589105425623376226" border="0" /></a><br />I (well, one of my patterns, anyway) was featured in Tracey Knits' blog. This is the first time (to my knowledge) that one of my patterns has made the jump from etsy/facebook to a stranger's blog. That's right, I don't know her and didn't pay her or anything! Hooray!<br /><br />Check it out. She's feminist, sporty, geeky, and crafty. My kind of woman.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.traceyknits.com/">http://www.traceyknits.com</a>PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-60277228654247889512011-03-14T06:09:00.000-07:002011-03-14T06:09:38.196-07:00Single Ladies - John Barrowman (HQ Original)<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FEr0BPOfVw4?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" width="480"></iframe>PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-41302978236335093682011-03-04T13:06:00.000-08:002011-03-04T16:25:47.769-08:00half a yearSix months ago today, my darling 6 year old baby (now 7) ran through the campground chasing her sister, tripped, and fell into the fire pit. While there were no flames, there were plenty of hot coals left over from breakfast.<br /><br />I was about 10-15 yards away, trying to figure out a good place to hang a new decoration I had found. I heard the 5 year-old first. "Aubrey fell in the fire!". I'm not sure what exactly happened next, as aderenaline took over my brain, but I got to her, got ice from the cooler, put it in a lunch cooler, and put her hands in it. They were... grey, wrinkled, loose... not really hands anymore. I ran back and forth between my husband and my best friend, trying desperately to think of the best thing to do. Leave Jo at camp while we went to the hospital, or bring her? How long would we be gone? How far away was the car, anyway?<br /><br />Finally, the whole family squished into Scorch's mini cooper, and he drove us to our car. We loaded the girls in the van, and I set the GPS for Hospital. Scorch had broken an ankle somewhat recently, and warned us that the "H" signs were right, not the GPS, once we got close. And off we drove. Aubrey was still screaming at the top of her lungs-- the poor thing was in so much pain, even the fast-melting ice couldn't stop it. Tony drove, and we both panicked and worried the whole way there. 40 minutes later, we pulled up to the hospital ER. Tony took Aubrey into his arms and took her in.<br /><br />I parked the van and went in with JoAnn. I gave the nice man at the desk her name, insurance card, and date of birth. He knew the urgency, and told me to just go back and we'd find her. Now it's not like the ER was empty, but yet we found her directly ahead of us. Nurses were pouring sterile water over her burns into a pail, and the doctor was giving her morphine and cutting off her clothes. ...<br /><br />Cut to 20 minutes later, and she's quiet now, as the morphine has kicked in. Nancy has arrived and told the staff she's my sister (and she is, genetics notwithstanding). I am given paperwork by the ER staff, and the doctor says that because he doesn't have experience with pediatric burns, and he can't be sure how severe they are with all that dead skin attached, he recommends a lifeflight to the nearest burn unit. We opt for Allentown over Baltimore, and the chopper is on its way.<br /><br />There is a 200 lb maximum for riding along in the helicopter. I weigh 217. I am too fat to help my baby. Tony rides with her, and Jo and I climb into the van for a 4 hour drive to Allentown. The helicopter ride lasts 45 minutes. I call my Mom and Dad, who are at a party in Harrisburg, and tell them to get to Allentown. Now. I can't and don't elaborate except to tell them that Aubrey has fallen into the fire and got burned, and it's bad.<br /><br />The next hours are blurred in driving and trying to stay calm. By the time I arrive at Lehigh Valley Hospital, she is in a room on the Pediatric ward, and is scheduled for surgery in the morning. My parents (Gods bless them, so very much) take Jo to a hotel, and Tony and I spend a sleepless night in the hospital. The next room was home to an infant (don't know what was the ailment) who cried ALL NIGHT. Poor thing. Poor us!<br /><br />The surgeon rode up just before surgery, on his motorcycle, wearing his Ed Hardy tshirt, and told us not to worry. It was like a scene from ER. An hour later, after surgery, and she wakes up. The doctor has removed all the skin from her hands and forearms and has sewn onto her this still verrrrry new material called biobrane. Her hands are then coated in sheets of silver leaf, which is anti-microbial. What a relief, after hearing so much about the horrors of antibiotics, and hearing about what the treatment for burns was just 10 years ago.<br /><br />We were in the hospital for 8 very long days and 7 interminable nights. By the time we left, she was able to change her own dressings, and her wounds were a mass of scabs.<br /><br />Cut to 6 months later, now:<br /><br />She was stronger than I could have ever imagined, stronger than anyone can expect a 6 year-old to be. She has no scars on her left hand. You'd never know that anything happened to it, except for slight discoloration if you look really close. Her right hand, her dominant hand, with which she stopped her fall, is not so lucky.<br /><br />She has scars on all her fingers (but not on her thumb) that cause her fingers to bend in. She can't spread her fingers out like a fan. The skin doesn't look very much different, but one touch will tell you that those fingers aren't normal. The skin is thick and rough and looks like an old man's. It is soft to the touch except for on the edges of her fingers where the scar tissue is very thick. This is also where the seam was in her biobrane bandaging, and I'm pretty sure that's not a coincidence.<br /><br />Her handwriting has been affected, as has her self-esteem. Although that's hard to judge entirely, as girls her age are normally very concerned with what their friends think.<br /><br />She amazes me everyday with how fast she grows, how smart she is, how like me she can be, and yet how foreign. She is beautiful and strong and brave and clever and mine. She is mine. My girl. My Aubrey.<br /><br />I love you, baby. You are my little phoenix, always rising from the ashes stronger and more magnificent than before.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-62978211546296085562011-03-02T19:48:00.001-08:002011-03-02T19:50:34.778-08:00Dr Seuss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-pxTFfkzbFYUZzIAfFeSjbZXdPSkcQ1J9JJll61YYUo5xB-I_mAQTiMiaMI39n2XHxMK7_2DQ9u0LvEd7HsEXMJFGyILQsDxhnTs5Bqrb1hqT6UiL0wfjm8soMX7XHZfex_cJCXLYGsH/s1600/seuss+birthday+pic+4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-pxTFfkzbFYUZzIAfFeSjbZXdPSkcQ1J9JJll61YYUo5xB-I_mAQTiMiaMI39n2XHxMK7_2DQ9u0LvEd7HsEXMJFGyILQsDxhnTs5Bqrb1hqT6UiL0wfjm8soMX7XHZfex_cJCXLYGsH/s320/seuss+birthday+pic+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579695905486169602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday, Dr Seuss!<br />available in the etsy shop.<br /></div>PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-70091200501028114652011-03-01T11:37:00.000-08:002011-03-01T11:43:04.448-08:00followthrough FAILI didn't even make it a week of consecutive blog posts! So, what have I been up to the past couple of days?<br /><br />Yesterday I had an exam and a quiz and wrote a paper. The rest of the week includes another paper, a homework assignment, and another exam. Hooray for the week before Spring break!<br /><br />I've also been working on patterns, and stitching up (slowly) a new design for a business card. and I FINALLY digitized some of the Douglas Adams patterns, so I can offer them as professional-looking pdf files instead of scanned hand-drawn patterns.<br /><br />Ok, off to work on outlining notes for Thursday's exam.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-74528103272925566362011-02-26T20:10:00.001-08:002011-02-26T20:14:05.279-08:00I seem to have missed posting yesterday. That's just not right: I wrote a post, and apparently just forgot to publish it.<br /><br />Anyhoo, tonight Aubrey and I tried making a hoop rug out of tee shirt material. it worked at first, but then as it got bigger, the weft was too far apart to make a decent rug. I looked it up on them internets, and it seems I should have added weft threads. So next time, I will.<br /><br />The "not so good" rug we made tonight is nonetheless loved by Aubrey, and she has made it into a lovely babydoll carrier.<br /><br />So all's well that ends well.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-40954525896857073602011-02-24T19:18:00.000-08:002011-02-24T19:31:21.100-08:00Dr Who?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBheS9HCovhDaauN3Q6-mod4tRy25B1cjT6DDtbB2xlAeuTsoaveONsmZHPCL_Wbsqdsp81vnX30B87ww5xdDPBRg6nc6EmL82uC-kVT9gAJWDFQwYktv9L05Io-HUAamsimXkha06D6x/s1600/dalek+left+pic.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBheS9HCovhDaauN3Q6-mod4tRy25B1cjT6DDtbB2xlAeuTsoaveONsmZHPCL_Wbsqdsp81vnX30B87ww5xdDPBRg6nc6EmL82uC-kVT9gAJWDFQwYktv9L05Io-HUAamsimXkha06D6x/s320/dalek+left+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577464606394962258" border="0" /></a><br />I'm still not convinced that Matt Smith is a good doctor. And his hair always reminds me of a not-ginger Conan. Having said that, I finished season 5 tonight. There's some really great stuff in there, including the technicolor daleks, the return of the weeping angels, and the vampires of Venice.<br /><br />Here is a Dalek pattern I'm still perfecting...PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-46395887367220412702011-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:002011-02-23T18:44:09.950-08:00New Designs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDQtn0KmkNWturGGt665QFXAg5vGMkbvZevsWtA28RlGVTMWgee3-VPR0VLL-CItEpjeHCpMQbS5jm8b6TfHXtDU24IaF4N_tonludGCKAMRxkRIA5T29eZJMLi9ZwMPkM7vUf8GEX90h/s1600/scissors+pic.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDQtn0KmkNWturGGt665QFXAg5vGMkbvZevsWtA28RlGVTMWgee3-VPR0VLL-CItEpjeHCpMQbS5jm8b6TfHXtDU24IaF4N_tonludGCKAMRxkRIA5T29eZJMLi9ZwMPkM7vUf8GEX90h/s320/scissors+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577081218609679426" border="0" /></a><br />So I saw one pattern on etsy (came up in my activity feed) for a retro-looking woman, and I got all inspired and made a bunch (8) of retro ladies saying snarky things. I'm digging them.<br /><br />You know, I pictured my shop as much more nature-inspired, but now that I'm actually designing every day, I'm much more into geeky/retro/snarky/macabre stuff. Who would have guessed?<br /><br />Here's a pic of a recent pattern not yet on Etsy (still perfecting it).PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-25186294103679784022011-02-22T06:10:00.001-08:002011-02-22T06:15:23.670-08:00Working on it...I've been posting new patterns to Etsy lately, and joined some teams. I'm spending time on the forums there, looking for help in getting more traffic to the site.<br /><br />One way I know is to blog regularly, and get some followers and suchlike, but I'm REALLY bad about that. Somehow I don't mind sharing my etsy links on facebook, but I'm blocked when it comes to writing actual posts about my work.<br /><br />This is my goal: for the next month, post every day. Even if it's just a sentence, or just a picture of something I like. Hopefully, once I get in the habit of posting regularly, I'll be more comfortable with it, and will get better at it. Maybe I'll even learn how to personalize the look of the blog, and make it somewhere people will WANT to visit!PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-20063697795758426602011-01-15T17:30:00.000-08:002011-01-15T17:33:27.053-08:00worst. mom. ever.I totally just convinced the kids that if they weren't good at being their age, I can hold them back a year. Aubrey was sure she was going to have to stay six for another year till she got it right.<br /><br />Then Tony came in and ruined my little game...PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-12284543030998725962010-12-11T11:27:00.000-08:002010-12-11T11:27:48.998-08:00Blah Blah Blah<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-U7_iNIgGjc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-U7_iNIgGjc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13952273074290828938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-81342851319681570982010-12-11T07:16:00.000-08:002010-12-11T07:16:39.955-08:00Kiwi!<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sdUUx5FdySs?fs=1" frameborder="0"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13952273074290828938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-54292290266319387612010-11-21T19:17:00.000-08:002010-11-21T19:20:49.591-08:00Morgan's Kidney Fundraiser Ornaments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyePMoiib2Xz0Kwu7dm_5oN80cMH1E93zRseGUUychHmVd8AMahNmtwzjF1dKlEYRUebj6WrvjO5zThwWH7HIC6-cikRT6cL81dXZuWEsWLwed_WHDcMZsPmHnrvHVTGPqxG8wppfd0Ib/s1600/share+3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyePMoiib2Xz0Kwu7dm_5oN80cMH1E93zRseGUUychHmVd8AMahNmtwzjF1dKlEYRUebj6WrvjO5zThwWH7HIC6-cikRT6cL81dXZuWEsWLwed_WHDcMZsPmHnrvHVTGPqxG8wppfd0Ib/s320/share+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542208351121814114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tMKAwXhaC186yR3Izs8Nni8RlLAT57gPXK0cL1v8LprJTwUD_zU9J-tm7ebI6tzl7yP9YPyR2CsQhyphenhyphenUQWltPot-4wL9yh23QQu6XUSLvQ_Y34rKnDu0kQvisMmVIkxHpf3nXJkzug8B3/s1600/happy+k+3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tMKAwXhaC186yR3Izs8Nni8RlLAT57gPXK0cL1v8LprJTwUD_zU9J-tm7ebI6tzl7yP9YPyR2CsQhyphenhyphenUQWltPot-4wL9yh23QQu6XUSLvQ_Y34rKnDu0kQvisMmVIkxHpf3nXJkzug8B3/s320/happy+k+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542208332523212194" border="0" /></a><br />they're up in my etsy shop. Already sold one! And I am willing to list more, if I think they'll sell.<br /><br />I'm so glad I'm able to do something, however small, to help Morgan and Dawn.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-84384054532458884812010-11-11T13:07:00.001-08:002010-11-11T13:14:24.740-08:00Christmas Dreaming...I can't believe it's this late and I've just started thinking of Christmas! I'll never become an Etsy seller with organization skills like these!<br /><br />So last year I made a ton of gifts for everyone, and had a great time doing it. This year I will scale that back a bit and concentrate my efforts to one particular charity... Morgan's Kidney. See, I have this friend named Dawn whom I've known for about 10 years. She needs a new kidney, as her old donor kidney is failing. So my friend Morgan, whom I've also known for about 10 years, is giving Dawn one of hers. This makes me tear up every time I think about it.... ahem, it's getting dusty in here...<br /><br />So Dawn lives in PA, and Morgan lives in WA. That means that in addition to missing weeks of work to undergo major surgery and lose an organ, Morgan has to pay for flights and hotels. This is expensive, needless to say. Morgan's Kidney has a facebook page (be a fan!) and is collecting donations to help defray the costs of saving Dawn's life. I've got a plan up my sleeve to help them do this. More details to come!PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-72880151543481370202010-09-11T20:17:00.000-07:002010-09-18T17:54:38.650-07:00Helicopter RideI didn’t really want to ride in a helicopter, in fact I was terrified. But I had to. And I remember thinking, while we were taking off, that if it should crash and we died, my wife Kate and my daughter JoAnn would be watching. But there really wasn’t any reason to think it would crash, I told myself, in spite of the high winds and predicted turbulence caused by the passing hurricane. I believed in physics and engineering. Of course we can fly. The pilot asked if I was okay. I was, and I nodded. And then through the glass bubble on the floor of the helicopter, the ground separated from us and we rose above the hospital. We banked and turned East. He told me it would be a 45 minute flight.<br /><br />The thing I remember most about the flight was that lake on the top of a mountain. The pilot pointed it out, though not to me, to the tech in back. But as we were all on the same channel in our headphones I heard everything they said to each other, and everything the various control towers said to our pilot. If I wanted to speak I had to press a button on the floor with my foot. I never ended up using it.<br /><br />A few miles above Needmore and McConnellsburg is Pennsylvania State Game Land number 53, Meadow Grounds Lake. From the sky it looks impossible. You don’t need to know a lot about the world to understand that water flows down. But in this particular instance it appeared the water flowed up. It made no sense for a lake to be along the top of a long and high mountain. The grades on the two ridges on the sides didn’t seem significant enough to collect enough rain for a creek. But instead here was this big beautiful lake, high along the flat top of a mountain. The highest mountain in the whole area. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. My terror began to transform into awe.<br /><br />The tech kept reporting that she was asleep and her vitals were stable. Before we left he told me that kids always fell asleep, like infants in a car seat. The pilot was passed from tower to tower. We had emergency status, and except for the short period we flew near Camp David, we got first priority and an unencumbered flight path. We headed mostly East at about 130 knots, as best I could tell from the gages in front of us. We were told when we were near another aircraft and the high-tech way that collisions were prevented entailed the tower notifying the helicopter of the other aircraft, proceeded by the tech and the pilot looking for said aircraft, and then pointing it out to each other.<br /><br />We flew directly over the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The pilot turned to me and said, “There’s the Potomac, running through the Capital, Harrisburg.” I knew it was the Susquehanna, but didn’t really want to correct him. “That’s the Mighty Susquehanna, Dork.” The tech corrected and laughed at the pilot. “Crap, you’re right,” laughed the pilot. “After a while they all look alike…Is that Three Mile Island over there?”<br /><br />And we did make it in about 45 minutes. When we approached the hospital, we circled a couple of times before landing. The pilot did this deliberately to look for potential obstacles and anything unusual. He identified all nearby wires and towers. He noted into the mic that there wasn’t a helicopter already on the pad, a procedure that struck me as probably the result of a previous accident.<br /><br />After landing, we had to wait for what felt like an eternity while the blades of the helicopter stopped. And then we went in.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13952273074290828938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-46287194173150746892010-08-30T19:24:00.000-07:002010-08-30T19:26:34.887-07:00Etsy makingsI've been working on a new color for organza flowers (ivory), from a fabric I got from a dress at Goodwill. I saved the corset to re-size for my boobaliciousness. The organza overlay will become dozens of flowers. The 2 layers of polyester lining will become... hopefully peony flowers, but I haven't tried them yet.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-10295734058772741102010-08-18T19:18:00.000-07:002010-08-18T19:25:42.307-07:00August's BountyUp late, as usual for this time of year. Tonight I canned 1/2 gallon of green beans and 1 1/2 gallons of stewed tomato.<br /><br />The beauty of August is that the work in the garden starts paying off big time, and we have more than we can eat. That means, however, that I have to put by the surplus so that it does not go to waste and stays freshest and best-tasting for winter.<br /><br />This week I've also put by another gallon of pickles (bread and butter, since the dill has gone to seed), and Tony harvested the potatoes.<br /><br />Oddly enough, I harvested the pumpkins and most of the winter squash over a week ago. We were set upon by squash beetles in the main patch, and so I pulled them to save them. I am trying to harden them further in the yard so that I can keep them whole through the winter, but if necessary I can cook them up and can or freeze them, too. It was a lovely harvest of sugar pumpkins, and a few butternut squash. The acorn squash has (so far) escaped the bugs, so those are still growing.PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-37873471402276476902010-08-11T19:53:00.000-07:002010-08-11T19:54:31.979-07:00Good AdviceAs I contemplate making this blog a bigger part of my life, and a bigger part of my creative process, I find the following article helpful.<br /><br />http://www.my3boybarians.com/2009/06/10-blogging-mistakes/PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9060805244956581545.post-81108724346982808452010-08-02T18:38:00.000-07:002010-08-02T18:41:39.966-07:00the Douglas Adams Series, continued<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavXFjH_2p1OBs5sRQUko5M5gR0XTlGg1lKxr2jN0fR8tIvBgtZvjR-JYwuSUdoQQ4XTReN8l72CKljqzZtsp4N8MON1PiZarS_Y2kbSHQpLbC-GRzWvH1-LiW1czsUOnmwxv9WM5mniuh/s1600/the+answer+sample.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavXFjH_2p1OBs5sRQUko5M5gR0XTlGg1lKxr2jN0fR8tIvBgtZvjR-JYwuSUdoQQ4XTReN8l72CKljqzZtsp4N8MON1PiZarS_Y2kbSHQpLbC-GRzWvH1-LiW1czsUOnmwxv9WM5mniuh/s320/the+answer+sample.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500992696445588354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYcMzWhSykSEX46RULOMPSKTNzr82Rthvmo2cz_eklIa0ffFDxuLyRwLx3Rfg0MOfW7Tuht2EuCV172MkfMm7-bNijleswsIager6qYbRQKTREG9u38bMk19pjiqCDMjUGczMEsF1Pz0s/s1600/thanks+sample.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYcMzWhSykSEX46RULOMPSKTNzr82Rthvmo2cz_eklIa0ffFDxuLyRwLx3Rfg0MOfW7Tuht2EuCV172MkfMm7-bNijleswsIager6qYbRQKTREG9u38bMk19pjiqCDMjUGczMEsF1Pz0s/s320/thanks+sample.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500992693704175586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOE1tXkW28v0x0YA-mSoTFusSj7oohvJFCGRBwTZ-bPivx2jGXgQ4b7mObxpxn5P0Pp0zogTmENBmpBbsvvHN0ZCN7rd7MLfnD8UKbTrBa8WuSrLhsIDgDkxSGPNi8HCr4E17NwBFXnSM/s1600/Not+Entirely+Unlike.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOE1tXkW28v0x0YA-mSoTFusSj7oohvJFCGRBwTZ-bPivx2jGXgQ4b7mObxpxn5P0Pp0zogTmENBmpBbsvvHN0ZCN7rd7MLfnD8UKbTrBa8WuSrLhsIDgDkxSGPNi8HCr4E17NwBFXnSM/s320/Not+Entirely+Unlike.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500992686104561394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnu0tHjS9xgBa0smUSIMPXQENiS6zPgXd6mDqV3lLkj4vVsJF4YAyQnD18F0qkhoUGvHX7TuTIEOCTrxl9cwHWgW6vJhQynhAoAxXwEGowo5QUHpL0CfX5lU8n1h7LjgjfX18gjJl1Wzg/s1600/mostly+harmless+sample.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnu0tHjS9xgBa0smUSIMPXQENiS6zPgXd6mDqV3lLkj4vVsJF4YAyQnD18F0qkhoUGvHX7TuTIEOCTrxl9cwHWgW6vJhQynhAoAxXwEGowo5QUHpL0CfX5lU8n1h7LjgjfX18gjJl1Wzg/s320/mostly+harmless+sample.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500992682098384258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gT1moSg1cmAGwXZBNQu9GvfDGgVTzohFy3CpJ2LjO5OwIZzLTZWFxB0x5rDTEyZH-3DqnUEjU8iZ8LU7OOZdEiSf4X_jAN6poKPyHl5FFb-4V1TZ8B8i4kB00wu697iGKm0OJxUXCqaF/s1600/towel+sample.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gT1moSg1cmAGwXZBNQu9GvfDGgVTzohFy3CpJ2LjO5OwIZzLTZWFxB0x5rDTEyZH-3DqnUEjU8iZ8LU7OOZdEiSf4X_jAN6poKPyHl5FFb-4V1TZ8B8i4kB00wu697iGKm0OJxUXCqaF/s320/towel+sample.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500992663081653426" border="0" /></a>PickleLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552415821635357497noreply@blogger.com0