Thursday, September 13, 2012

QUILTS OF VALOR

I have recently become a member of a Quilts of Valor group.  In Franklin, where my guild meets, the local Viet Nam vets in particular and routinely praising the effort every chance they get.  Those vets are so moved by the effort and we are moved by the comfort they seem to bring.  I recently presented one to an 88 year old neighbor, currently suffering from Alzheimer's who had served in the South Pacific in WWII.  He suddenly perked up and understand everything I told him about the QOV effort to honor all vets.  It is a nation wide effort and many quilts are going to rehab facilities and hospitals.

Time to get back to the tax hassle.

Jane

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Our hearts are sad. . .

DH & I have been watching the news about the American ambasador to Libya & other 3 members of the staff who were killed last night.  We are upset and sad about the attack in Egypt on the American embasy also.  For this to be on Sept 11th can't be anything but planned.  The world is full of radical people of all races and tribes.  I will continue to make the quilts for the wounded veterans as my bit for peace. 
Sara in Fla.

HAND GUNS

In my years as a criminal defense lawyer I don't think I ever had a client who had committed a crime that involved use of a firearm, not one of them had acquired the gun legally.  It is not the folks who commit the crimes with guns who are licensed.  Now and then there are exceptions but overwhelmingly the use of licensed hand guns is for sport and self defense.  A vast improvement in the mental health system would go a long way toward curbing violence too.

Change of subject: While I was laid up with the wrist fracture and torn rotator cuff last spring I got an extension for filing my 2011 tax return.  Well, time's up in October and I have an appointment with my tax preparer tomorrow so today is dig out documentation time.  YUCK!!  Add to that a new computer that is still a bit of a struggle and a Quicken program that is way off (says I'm in the red to the tune of $7 thousand.   WRONG!!) The bank has printed the whole year's transactions for me and my yellow highlighter is all warmed up so I'm all set to find all my deductible expenses.  All this after the brats and I have our walk.

Jane in cooling NC

Guns....

Thank you to those who have given information about the ownership, and possible use of guns.  A lot of rural people here have a rifle for shooting rabbits, hares , sick animals etc.  Licensed ofcourse, and supposedly kept in a locked cupboard. (ours is propped up in a corner of the living room, unloaded ofcourse.!..)  The amunition has to be stored away from the gun and the police do a check when the license is renewed. We have one here and I am often woken by gun fire as my DH frightens the rabbits off the garden !!.  The thing which surprised me was the number of people who said they had a pistol in their home,car or handbag.  That would terrify me !! Would you acually use it do you think ?  If you shot an intruder here you would likely get into more trouble with the law that the intruder would..  I don't know if it is legal to have a shot gun or not in NZ (where even our police are not armed..) I don't know of anyone who has one.  No doubt there are plenty around in some circles..

What with guns, snakes and bears on golf courses, I think I'll revue my travel plans..!!

Great to hear from you Jane . It's been a long time and, no doubt, you've been up to all sorts of interesting things since we last heard from you. !!

Our wild weather continues.  We had more snow on the hills last night and there is a frost out there tonight..

Have a good day.
Marion.



Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Checking in . . .

There is a product for dogs who hate storms called  " Thundershirt ".   (<--- click for link)  There is even one for cats.   I don't know if they work for every dog,  but they seem to have a good track record.

Lavinia -  Coyotes,,, well, they ran rampant here for many years.  We have not seen any in the past several years, so now our fox population is booming in the neighborhood.  The foxes are not very afraid of us, but they keep their distance when they see us.  I have seen them laying down in the middle of the street. 

DH and I were in Colorado Springs, CO this past week.  He had a convention to attend and we went out a couple of days early to play golf and have a mini-vacation.   On one of the golf courses, there was not a single trash can.   Very odd, as there is always one on the tee box.   When we were finished playing and returned to the pro shop, I told the young man who handles the cart that I was very sorry about all the trash in our cart (lunch wrappings, water & diet coke bottles) but that I never found a trash can.
His answer:  "That's right.   We don't have cans because the bears raid them."   BEARS?!?!?   AAaaaaack.  And here I thought I only had to watch for rattlesnakes.  Gah!
THEN he showed me (on his iPhone) a photo of the very large bear that was sitting on top of the dumpster that is behind the Pro shop.  He took it  a few mornings ago, when he arrived to work.   AAAaaaaaccccck!

I was very grateful that we saw no bears while playing golf on THAT course.    Whew!

The altitude  (6,000 ft or 1,829 meters)  took its toll on us, and even moreso the dry air (8 - 10% humidity) and different pollens.   Our noses were dripping, stuffy, and I had a few unwelcome nosebleeds.     But we saw NO BEARS, so it was all good.    ;-D

Two of the mornings, we woke up to 45°F!   

Needless to say, it is good to be back home.   I have been doing laundry for two days,   got  all  the ironing done by this afternoon.   Snoopy dance!!!

Hugs to everyone.

Monday, September 10, 2012

WOW

I struck it rich and managed to log in with my old email.  I've tried notifying Eric of my new one but nothing has happened.  I wonder if there is a place on the blog to correct that.  In the meantime I'm tired after a busy day and looking at another one tomorrow.  I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I'm alive and kicking (but not too high or too often.)

Love to all,
Jane

Still laughing

Last Sunday my lot went to a fairy day not too far from here, kids all dressed up, lots of people and the police wearing FAIRY wings.I wish I had seen it. Hugs Bee.

Seeing if this works. . . .

Every day seems different here on the board.
I thought I posted something, but then later find out it isn't there.  Was making a comment about the coyotes in AZ. but again no posting. 
Marion-sorry you are having such wild weather there.  Sounds like you are having Florida summertime thunderstorms.
We are getting excited about our cruise.  DH met me for lunch and gave me some information, which I have yet to read, as I was so tired came home and napped on the couch 1 hr.  The dogs have decided that 4:30AM is a good time to get up and have breakfast.  I, on the other hand, think 6:30 AM is better.  They will go in the laundry room in their den tonight!
We are having a devil of a time getting the annuity check for my Mom.  I think the company has a sticker on the folder saying "give these people the run around".  First they lose things, then they go for a month and don't send anything, then say they need more paperwork.  I FAXed my power of attorney today at DH's office, so hope that is sufficient.  I have to call back tomorrow about noon to see if they have it.  Evidently it takes 24 hrs. for it to get to the FAX machine to the proper file.  If this isn't enough information for them, guess I'll have our attorney send them a letter.  Not that she or I will ever see any of the money, it goes to the government for the Medicade, counted as income.
Finishing up a baby quilt right now.  It makes me smile to work on it.  Bright colors.  Found out that 2 girl friends are going to be first time grand moms in 2013, so will have to keep making them. (quilts, not babies.)
I'm sick to death of the politics on the TV these days.  First was the local elections, now national.  One report even had women dressing up as women's body parts walking around!  Good grief.
OK, with that will go re-boot the laundry.
Sara in Fla. 

Spring has sprung....

and with it has come a lot of wild weather. Gale force winds , hail storms, heavy rain, and some really lovely days in between.

DH and I had the best possible of  surprises last week. DD#2, who lives in Auckland , came down for five days ON HER OWN.....no husband, no children, nothing !  First time we have spent any decent time with her, uninterrupted, for far too long . It was lovely.  She wasn't well when she first arrived but, after a couple of days of pampering, she bounced back to her usual self and we had a great time.  Her husband organised it, so that was nice and the three teen agers cooperated nicely , which is what you would expect and hope for.. She looked and felt so much better for the rest and change of company . I hope that she will do it again. Young families do have to work hard these days, Full time jobs, homes to run, children to bring up.  I wouldn't want to be walking in their shoes.  DD had been anxious about her father , so needed to see him and also helped me sort some things out and get rid of "stuff" in the attic... When we drove her to the airport Christchurch was in the middle of a dramatic thunder and lightening display... The flights were delayed for half an hour but that was no problem .

The garden is looking pretty, lots of colour, the daffodils are beautiful but struggling to keep their heads up in the strong winds.  The trees are greening up and, in no time at all, we will have forgotten the dreary winter and be looking forward to summer !

No quilting being done here these days.  I started some Christmas wall hangings last January (for gifts this Christmas)   thinking that I would finish them in September and, here we are in September already, so I had better look them out.

Have a good day.
Marion .

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Fabric printing again

After thinking about it, it might be just as cheap if not more so to go ahead and get the packaged things to print on.  I just need 20 pictures, and if I put 4 on a page (or more) plus a label, I could do it with one package and not have to search everywhere for the right fabric, etc.  or buy Bubble Jet Set and Bubble Jet Rinse.  Lavinia/AZ