WTH???

Is it just me or is anyone else tired of "genius criminal masterminds" on TV?

"Bones" last night and now both "NCIS" and "NCIS:LA" tonight.

Add in really forced "cliffhangers", and the annoyance factor totally maxes out.

Enough is enough and too much is definitely too much.

Why are scrapbooking stores closing?

A current thread on a scrapping board I read wants to know why so many local scrapbooking stores are closing. The posts before mine named all the usual suspects, mostly the Internet. So, I wrote this:

Stores are closing because a lot less people are scrapbooking. It's that simple.

How many hobbies and/or crafts did each of you try before you found scrapbooking? How many of those do you still do?

I would suspect that I have been scrapbooking longer than most anyone here- I made my first scrapbook in 1960. In those days cameras, film and developing were expensive and there weren't that many pictures. We scrapped mostly special events- a graduation, anniversary, etc. I did my own wedding album in 1977- all my friends thought I was either crazy or really cheap!

My list of "did it for a while" is long and includes ceramics, oil painting, sewing, bobbin lace and lots of others. I still crochet (50 years), do needlework (almost 30 years), quilt (about 12 years) and scrapbook. As a needle worker before stitching was hot, and one who still does it long past it's most recent peak and decline, I saw the shops, and the magazines, and the conventions and all the rest bloom, flourish for a few years, and then die. I was at a cross stitch festival in the mid-90s that attracted 10,000 women to a convention center in ONE DAY!!!!! Now there are no needlework conventions and only small gatherings for the truly committed, and most of the LNS are gone. Even what was arguably the most famous LNS in the country, the one many people credited with the resurgence of interest from the 80s through the 90s, is gone.

Does anyone still do macramé? Actually, yes! Google it and you will see a small but serious group still at it. I do some tatting, and am frequently told that it is "a lost art". Well, no, it can't be if I am doing it. But I am one of a very small number compared to 80 or 100 years ago.

All hobbies and crafts are cyclic. The Victorians did scrapbooking, although it was somewhat different- but the word has been around for almost 200 years. Quilting comes and goes as a major activity, as does embroidery, knitting, etc. The crafts that appeal most, those that make something of lasting beauty or value, always come back into vogue. Even when they are out of style, there are always the faithful who continue to participate and pass it along to the next generation. So, scrapbooking will survive and depending on our ages, some of us might even see it come back once again as the dominant activity in the crafting world. But, in the meantime, it seems that everyone is beading and making jewelry right now.

The real culprit for the downfall of so many LSS is human nature. All of the many reasons in the posts above cover some of it- we want more for less, we want convenience and ease, we want it now, we want the newest, we jump in where we have no business being. But ultimately, it is our restive natures, our desire constantly to try something new, something else, our short attention spans, that have closed the LSS- and will bring back a 21st century version, whatever that may be, the next time scrapbooking is hot.

Remembering Easters

I am always reminded on this day of two special Easter memories.

Back in the days when the Easter Parade on the Boardwalk was still something really special, my Grandparents invited me to go to Atlantic City with them for Easter 1966. I had my very first pair of high heels, in reality 1/2 inch kitten heels, but I was so thrilled with them that the chance to stroll the Boardwalk in them was irresistible! Unfortunately, the width of those little heels was narrower than the opening between the planks of the Boardwalk, so I spent much of the day tripping. Totally turned me off from the idea of the Easter Parade! We did stop for dinner at a lovely little place hidden in the Pinelands called the Sweetwater Casino. I'm not sure where that name came from as it was years before Atlantic City even thought of opening casinos, but it was a rustic gem hidden in the woods, overlooking a small lake. Many years later my husband and I had a wonderful dinner there and we were saddened when the Sweetwater was destroyed by fire a few years ago.

Another strong and poignant Easter memory is from 1976. My Grandmother was terminally ill, and had last been out of bed for Christmas dinner. She was in a hospital bed in a small room that we called the "back room" as, at 8' x 10', it was far too small to warrant a fancy name like family room.

My Gran had a large family- 6 children and almost 40 grandchildren. It seemed that Easter that all of them came to visit. It started pretty early in the day and the stream of company just continued non-stop until almost dinner time. By 2pm I was making my third store run for coffee, pastry and deli food for sandwiches.

Isn't it funny how some things stick in your mind? One of my cousins arrived as I was leaving for that third store run, wearing the proper hat, spring suit and white gloves. I opened the door to her, to be greeted with " it's Easter- one would think you could at least dress up today!".

Yes, I still remember. I had already run the dishwasher twice and it was almost full again. My mother was kept totally occupied talking to each family member about how Gran was doing so the "entertaining" of the company fell to me. So I made sandwiches, went through 3 pounds of coffee, and was constantly putting out fresh pastry and more plates and napkins.

And the punch line to this story? Why was I, at 2pm on Easter Sunday, in cut-off jeans shorts and a tee-shirt? Because Easter Sunday 1976 is famous for it's heat wave!! It was 93 in Philadelphia that day!

The epilogue to this story occurs two months later when Gran died. She had been through a terrible time and we were happy for her that her pain and suffering were over. My family was all there with her as she breathed her last. Some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins were also there. The funeral was 3 days later. I remember clearly that I never cried; there was no reason. I had many happy memories and the consolation and joy that I had spent her last months with her on a daily basis. I had done my very best for her and there was nothing to regret.

Most of my other 58 Easters are vague memories, if remembered at all, but 1966 and 1976 are still with me and always will be.

The Masters

It has been a LONG time since I posted. Life has been more than a little complicated. So, we will ignore all that.

I really wanted to post today as I have been busy for several days reading project outlines, grading tests, and just everything that is involved with 3rd quarter grades due at 8AM Tuesday. While I sit with papers and grade books and laptop, the TV has been dedicated to The Masters. 

The number of people who have said, and the number of times they have said it,  that they cannot understand why anyone would want to watch a golf tournament on TV, is a very LARGE number. As we have laughed and snorted and AAAHHHHed through these last three afternoons and evenings, I have been reminded many times of why I CAN watch golf on TV and even why I LOVE watching the Masters.

For just sheer auditory delight, there is nothing better than waiting to see what David Feherty will say. Having the smoothness of the golf swing by Spanish golfer Miguel Angel described as "greased by pure virgin olive oil" makes ones both chuckle and snort. 

The commentators take the whole event so seriously. There are no fans at Augusta- there are "patrons". They speak softly, and with great "gravitas". Bad shots will provoke comments like "oh, dear".

There is the shallow fun that mimics watching Miss America years ago, or a "Red Carpet" show now, just to see what is worn, and critique the outfits. Some of the PGA golfers really must be color-blind and style impaired- some of the colors and combinations are fascinating- have you ever seen a picture of Rickie Fowler?

There is the delight, for those who love golf, of seeing the best, some at their best, and some definitely NOT so, on what is, in the opinion of many, the most famous and most storied golf course in America. There is also the sheer beauty of this gorgeous course.

For me, there is the most intense coverage of the men who play this game of any tournament of the year. There are the numerous interviews with greats like Nicklaus and Palmer. There are also interviews with men well known for other careers, who love this game; today I saw Clint Eastwood and Samuel L Jackson talk about what golf, and the Masters, means to them.

In addition, there are the post-round interviews, which illuminate humility, good humor, arrogance, frustration, and much insight into a player's mind.

Ultimately, for me it is the chance to watch this game that I love and simultaneously learn a lot about the men who play it. Why do I love golf?

Of all sports, this one tests a person's character. The rules of the game demand that there are no referees calling fouls, but rather that the player assign penalties to him/her self. It is a game that is played with manners and respect. It is a game with real and strict expectations of how a player conducts himself.

As the intense scrutiny of the coverage of The Masters shows us every exciting or depressing shot, it also shows us how these players react to their shots. It shows us a person's character. 

We heard today a commentator note that on a certain hole Tiger Woods did NOT throw or kick his club after a tee shot. Woods has revealed himself this weekend, for any who did not already know or suspect, to be foul tempered and unable to control his emotions when things do not go his way. 

We also have seen numerous other players who comport themselves with gracious demeanors, no matter how the ball lies. I love watching a player in a difficult situation make an amazing shot because he maintains his cool.

I especially love sharing in the joy of a ball dropping into the hole from a long distance or a terrible lie. I love that there are 18 chances to start over. I love watching players grin, and share their elation at an impossible shot made.

There is no better opportunity for "people watching" and learning about how different people deal with adversity and success than watching golf. I learn something about how to conduct myself, how to approach difficulties and how to be gracious in triumph, everytime I watch a golf tournament. And, the greatest tournament of all, for everything I love about golf, is The Masters.

Flashback

Two years ago the Archdiocese of Philadelphia chose to close Cardinal Dougherty and North Catholic.  That decision was incredibly painful to me and to hundreds of people I knew, and to thousands more I was only connected to through these schools. My years of connection to North, and my years of teaching at Dougherty contain so many wonderful memories; the loss of the physical reality of those schools still hurts.


Now five more high schools and almost 100 grade schools are being closed, or "merged" into new identities. Thousands of peoples' lives will be changed. Students will have to begin their high school lives over again as new students in a new school, many for their senior year. Younger students will no longer go to "their neighborhood" schools, but be traveling to other areas. Teachers will be starting over as well, as many of us will be (again) moving to a new school. Many hundreds of teachers, administrators and staff will be out of work. Parents will have to deal for months with the emotions of their children, and for many of them, their own emotions as well, as they see their own alma maters disappearing. Alumni of these schools have lost their home. A hole has been torn in the emotional fabric of  Catholic Philadelphia.


I do understand the financial need for these changes. Understanding does not help; it does not alleviate pain or sadness.


I have family and friends affected by every one of the high school changes, and by many of the grade school changes. I am heartbroken for each and every one of them. The loss of Cardinal Dougherty still hurts me; although I am happy in my new school, I still miss the kids, my colleagues and the building every day. Like any other death, it is a loss that does not, and can not, change.


I am appalled by those who say "they will get over it". No, they won't! We get PAST it, and move on, but we do not get over it. It is a scar, and one that can still cause pain. I have a friend, my own age, whose school closed at the end of her Junior year, and she is still saddened when she remembers not being able to graduate from her "own" school.  It has not marred her life, but the pain is still there, more than 40 years later. 


I hope that those who are suffering this loss right now will be supported and comforted. I hope that understanding and consideration is given to them. I hope that kindness and caring surrounds them. I hope that strength and fortitude is given to them. I hope they find solace in one another, and in the shower of love that will engulf them.


My prayers and condolences go to everyone affected by this sad time. 

My Memories Suite - Exciting News

For those of you who have not yet tried digital scrapbooking, one of the BEST softwares out there just got BETTER!


My Memories Suite just released Version 3 yesterday and it is even easier and faster than previous versions! I finished the page above in less than 10 minutes!


My style is usually what cardmakers call "clean and simple" but don't let that fool you- MMS can do really sophisticated pages as well. This software is so easy and intuitive that I originally started working with it without referencing the instructions! If you need instructions, there are many tutorials available at the MMS website, and on their Facebook page. There are also active forum communities at both places and when you ask a question, you get an answer, and quickly! 


MMS is anxious to spread the word about their terrific product and is giving regular users codes to offer to their friends for a discount on buying the software. If you want to try out My Memories Suite and save $10, just use code STMMMS49574 in the coupon box on the check-out page at the My Memories website. Or you can just click on the widget box in my right sidebar- but remember to copy/paste the code before you go!


I've been using this software since Version 1 and really like it. If you check it out in online reviews before you buy, you'll find that it is often rated #1 in digital scrapbooking dedicated software. If, like me, you got frustrated with Photoshop or even Photoshop Elements, this will give you similar results without the tough learning curve. 


I still paper scrapbook but am doing more and more with digital. I went on a scrapping retreat weekend last year and took nothing but my laptop. It was the most fun on Sunday while others spent hours cleaning up and packing up- I was still working and when it was time to leave all I did was unplug my computer! MMS comes with plenty of paper and embellishments to start you off, but also offers a shop where you can buy more digital supplies. Imagine buying paper than never runs out! They even offer freebies regularly to add to your collection. 


This is a terrific program and I definitely recommend that you check it out and see if maybe you would like digi-scrapping as much as I do!

What's New

It's been a long time since I've been here. August was hectic- most of it good, some of it not so. 

Our landlord at our beloved "little house" at the shore died. He was a good man and a good friend and I will miss him. We do not know yet the disposition of the house, so we don't know if we will be able to go back.

Much of August was spent in Florida- with Auntie for almost a week, then a week at Disney World. We had a wonderful time throughout. We did some preliminary house-hunting in the area north of Tampa and found a neighborhood we really like- so we are that much closer to my dream of a home in Florida!

We drove home being chased up the coast by Hurricane Irene- it was an interesting trip, lol! I attended the funeral of the father of 3 of my students, who had died suddenly, the morning the hurricane started here. Lived through the hurricane with minimal damage, thank goodness, then as soon as the weather cleared, drove to the shore to attend our landlord's funeral the day after the hurricane.

We were able to spend Labor Day weekend at the shore and it was quiet and relaxing, except for all the packing up. 

Then came THE STRIKE! We, the Catholic high school teachers in Philadelphia, are on strike. The issues are too many to go into here, but it comes down to changes in work rules that would be so punitive that we could not agree. Those changes were proposed in March and in May we had a general meeting where the teachers voted unanimously to strike if certain clauses remained among the demands of the Office of Catholic Education. Well, come the end of August and OCE continued to demand their way. The teachers' union has offered, repeatedly, to work under the old contract with a mediator during continued negotiations, but the Archdiocese refused and closed the schools.

Now we are walking picket lines and kids are at home. OCE officials go on TV and talk to the newspapers and run us down. One of the Archdiocesan negotiators, an assistant superintendent, said on TV the other day that the union members "are not educators"! Parents are calling us lazy, greedy union thugs. How can I go in front of a class of students who have been hearing and reading all this? Needless to say, I am severely depressed.

Those who have read here for any length of time know how I feel about my students and my job. However, after the pain of the closing of Cardinal Dougherty, the stress of adjusting to a new school, and now this, I am so discouraged I don't know what to do. 


For now, I think I'll just go back to bed, pull the covers over my head, and wish it would all be a bad dream.

Quiet time at the shore starts

So, here's what has been, happily, keeping me away from my blog and lots of other things for the last several weeks.


DH has retired from his summer job. For the first time since 6th grade, he has the summer off. We were a little worried (some friends had a pool going with the highest over/under at 11 days before I killed him, lol) about being together 24/7 for the first time for an extended period. 


Well, it was 31 days and we LOVED it. Retirement looks soooo much better now- although it always looked good!


DH, for the first time since I've known him, really learned to relax and slow down. Not that we were totally lazy or anything, but we moved slowly, did restful things like reading a lot, went out to lunch, went to the beach and swam, took long walks in the evening (until this weather arrived- have you seen the picture floating around the Internet of the sign "Satan called- he wants his weather back!"?) and generally just enjoyed being peaceful and together!


The above picture is pretty typical of an afternoon or evening here in the last month.


Now he is off for an adventure. He flies out tonight to go west to meet up with 2 friends from high school. They are going to drive back across the country, doing whatever they feel like, seeing lots of new places, and making a stop in the midwest to meet up with still another high school friend. I hope they have a wonderful trip, but after more than a month, I will miss having him here.


For me, the time will be spent continuing to sleep a lot, stitching on a Round Robin piece, continuing to read voraciously, some visits with family on LBI, and just generally getting stronger and rested. 


A little more than 2 weeks here are left, then 2 days at home before I fly to FLorida to spend time with Auntie. DH and DS will meet me in FLorida the following week for our annual pilgrimage to Disney World. By the time we get home, there will only be a week until Labor Day and back to school.


The time until Labor Day is fortunately filled with fun and good times.


So, I might finally get around to the housekeeping I've been wanting to do here on the blog, and I might get some more posts up. 


Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer- I sure am!

Time to Reorganize

So, I've been away for a while. Getting through the end of a very tough school, and personal, year and then getting ready to get to the shore, kept me both busy and distracted. 

My intentions are certainly to continue my blog- even if only for me; I find it, occasionally, a good form of diary to return to about past events.

But, I definitely need to do some housework around here. There are many links on the sidebar that are not really relevant to me anymore, and lots of new things that I would like to put there. 


So, look for a "new look" in the not-too-distant future. It will take a while- we are, again, "living on the porch" (see last summer posts if interested) and this summer DH is with me here, so while the pace is slow, it is generally quite full.


Hope you will like the changes!

Hand Dyed Fibers Needlework Exhibition and 9-11 Memorial Quilts

I spent yesterday at the Hand Dyed Fibers Needlework exhibition, which for yesterday only also included a display of the 9-11 Memorial Quilts. GREAT DAY!!!!


You can see all my pictures HERE.

Tony Awards 2011 - Hugh Jackman & Neil Patrick Harris - Dueling Hosts

Neil Patrick Harris' 2011 Tony Awards Opening Number

OWH Bloghop Coming Soon!!!

It will soon be Memorial Day weekend. Let's all spend a little time remembering the reason for the holiday- those who gave their lives in the service of our country.

I cannot think of a better way to honor those heroes than to support their comrades currently overseas. It is a small gesture to show our gratitude to those serving and those who have served.

Operation Write Home will again be having their annual bloghop that weekend. Make a card (or several!) and plan on participating in the hop activities.

For more information, just click on the picture!

It's funny.....

Not funny "haha", but funny "weird", "odd", "hard to describe".

My mother-in-law gave me my DH's high school class ring after we were married. DH smashed up his hand senior year in a football game and never was able to wear it again. It spent years in my jewelry box. I put it on the day they announced they were closing "our" school- the one he went to and where I taught so happily for 10 years. I wore it constantly until shortly before I started at my new school last fall.

I took the picture above yesterday. 

Last week I discovered a wonderful group- The American Soldier Memorial Project. They make hand-stitched memorials for the families of service men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I immediately thought that this would make a wonderful project for me for the summer. Sure, I have more WIPs (works in progress) than I can count already, but this one would have meaning.

I joined the group, and Tuesday evening I was emailing back and forth with the Pennsylvania rep about picking a name from their long list- there are way more heroes than there are stitchers volunteering. In between emails I checked my messages- and got a kick-in-the-stomach piece of news: another CD grad had died, this time in Afghanistan. John was from the class of 2009, and still only 19 years old. 

It turned into a long evening of reading messages and posts from the stunned CD community. The question, whispered before, was again asked: "Did closing us down also curse us?" It really is beginning to feel like it might be true.


At some point Tuesday night I emailed to the ASMP rep and told her to ignore all the previous emails- I now had a soldier to stitch for who was very personal to me. 


Since Tuesday night there have been newspaper and TV reports to read and watch, messages to answer and chats to try to comfort the kids. 

Next week there will be a funeral. Until then there is the sadness and the waiting.

I went to bed Tuesday night but was unable to sleep. I don't know what made me think to do it, but about 1AM I got up, went to my jewelry box, and put on the ring. It is large and heavy- a man's ring- and I am always aware of it when I wear it. I fell asleep almost immediately.

It's "just a piece of jewelry" is what anyone would say. I cannot explain. All I know is that I am again wearing "our" CD ring and somehow it has comforted me in the last few days. 

Losing Vince, age 18, to cancer in January was terrible. Losing Mark, age 19, two weeks later, to the gas explosion at which he was a first responder, was terrible. Losing John now, age 19, as a hero who died in the service of our country, is terrible.

Losing our school was an awful experience and continues to cause pain to so many. Not having a "home" as we go through these tragedies makes the pain a little worse and the grieving even more difficult. 

But I know that this wonderful community will again come through, this time for John's family and friends, and for one another. The ring reminds me that although the building may be closed, the REAL CD is in its people and their amazing spirit. As long as any of us are alive to remember and share that spirit, CD lives. And, in our memories, so do Vince and Mark and John.

Where have I been?

Been dealing with a lot of stuff: primarily, but not exclusively, with my mother's recent colon cancer diagnosis. With everything else plus that I've been away from my blogs and too busy to do much of anything else.

The good news is that she had surgery yesterday- it went well, the prognosis is good; now we just have a very long recovery period to get through.

So, just exhausted and running on adrenalin. Hope to be back here soon with the usual stuff.

My Stash Depletion Blog Update

I have added three most posts to my stash depletion blog AKA: LadyDoc is Cleaning Out Her Craft Room.

Make sure you check it out if you are interested in Cross Stitch charts or magazines, Quilting books or Hardanger books.

Time to give a LOT of stuff away!

If we are ever going to move to a smaller house in a warmer climate (or even a smaller house anywhere!) I really have to get rid of a LOT of stuff from my so-called craft room. It is "so-called" because it is so stuffed there is no room to work in there.

So, I have started a new blog:LadyDoc is Cleaning Out Her Craft Room.


I will be listing all kinds of stuff there that I will happily send to a new home for the cost of postage. The first list- a group of old needlework charts- is up. As time goes on, there will be charts, kits etc as well as stamp sets and lots of other crafting supplies.


There is a link to it on my sidebar so you will be able to get there easily.


I HATE to throw away anything that someone could use, so check it out and see if something there is calling to you.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

From a link at AustenProse I found another reading challenge for this year that is right up my alley: the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011.

I am going a bit overboard on this one: I am signing up for the Severe Bookaholism level, which is aiming for 20 books this year! I read more than 20 books just in the summer each year, so it should not be too hard to meet the challenge.

If you are an avid reader, check it out!

Sense and Sensibility 200th Birthday Celebration!

Down on my sidebar you will find a section devoted to blogs that celebrate Jane Austen. There are hundreds of similar blogs and websites but these are my favorites.


One of them, AustenProse.com, is hosting a participatory celebration of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's first publication, Sense and Sensibility. 


I don't know how I missed it before- although it was posted while we were in Florida and Auntie was in the hospital, so I guess I was just distracted and not checking my blogs regularly. Fortunately, they are accepting sign-ups until March 1, so I (and you, if interested!) am not too late!


The goal for each participant is to read Sense and Sensibility related books and/or watch filmed versions of the story throughout the year.


I am signing up as a "disciple" which means my goal is to read/watch 8 selections during the year. I would LOVE to reach "afficionado" status, which is 9-12 selections, but I am not sure so I won't say I'll do it. 


I will begin by re-reading the original, wonderful Sense and Sensibility. My next stop will be the 1995 movie with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. After that, well, there is a long list available the AustenProse to choose from.


Happy 200th birthday to Sense and Sensibility! Congratulations to Jane Austen because her books are just as popular 200 years after she wrote them, and they are now enjoyed and loved worldwide!

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