The "build your own bird" project

This is a collection of pheasant wings, given to me by a friend at church who's an (obviously) avid hunter.

They're coated in Borax powder, as this seems to be the way one would preserve them (according to Google).

I once saw a wreath made from wings, and it was so beauitful. You could really see the pattern of the feathers, and the way the colors changed in the light.

So, I'm hoping to make one for myself, and one for the hunter's wife. We'll see ... I'm a tad bit paranoid about getting them preserved enough so as to not smell bad later!

Google seems to indicate that they need to sit in the Borax for 60 days, so look for an update on this project in a couple months. (Or not ... if things start to smell bad around here, and it heads for the dumpster in the dark of night!) :)

Makes me smile every year ...

Coffee break time ...

I love reading memes, but I rarely do them. I found this one on Trixie's blog -- it's all about what we've done. My items are in bold. Put yours in the comments if it appeals to you!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (really want to do this!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Does DisneyWorld count? How different could they be?)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (unfortunately for all involved)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Lake Michigan? How different could it be?)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (crafts, yes ... art? nope)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (never been more miserable in my life)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (gym days in school!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been inside an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (not yet, but I really want to!)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

One of those rambling, full of miscellany updates

Quite a few things rolling around in my head ... but none of them enough for a post ... so I'll combine them. Assuming that only those who know me actually READ this, there might be something in here of interest. :)

I've just finished reading In the Land of Invented Languages. It's a study of different attempts people have made to create a language "from scratch."

While it's not written from a Judeo-Christian perspective, I found it interesting to read from that perspective. The Bible talks about why we have different languages. (in short ... mankind had gotten too big for their britches, and were, as a whole, acting in direct disobedience to God. He thwarted their plans by confusing their languages, so they couldn't collaborate as easily).

In the Land of Invented Languages talked about the way our language ties in with our philosophy of life, and culture. It also lists one after another how people's attempts to create a "logical" language have failed. Interestingly enough, the one invented language that HAS gained a tiny bit of ground (including a handful of "native speakers" who grew up in households where it was their first language) is Esperanto. And that's one of the few invented languages that carried with it its own cultural bias and philosophy (the peace/love/mother earth thing).

Well ... anyway ... that wasn't as well formulated as I'd like ... but you get what you pay for on this here 'ole blog. :)

I've been reading through the Bible this year with Robert Murray M'Cheyne's reading plan. I'm a couple weeks behind already, but not letting that deter me. Fortunately there's no grade hanging on whether I finish on time or not. :)

I guess that's it -- I'd best be getting myself to work.

A video that touched my heart this morning

I thought it might bless you also:



I've been working on getting some painting done - maybe pictures later today.

God provides paint!

I've been thinking of painting my living room, and have had some big splotches of color on the walls for a week or two, trying to decide on a color. The lightest color on the paint chip is the one I picked.

Today I was at Home Depot, and looked at their mis-tint shelf. There were these gallons of paint, in the finish I wanted, in an almost-exact match to the color I chose!

So ... 3 gallons of paint at $5 each instead of trying to stretch two gallons far enough at $25 each! :)

God spoils me sometimes!

One of those Minor Annoyances

However, my gizzard is grinding a bit ... so I decided to vent a bit to the blogging world. :)

There is a group of people who need to be buzzed into the building at random times Thursday afternoons from 1-4, and Fridays from 8-noon and 1-3.

So, during those hours, I try to stay close to my desk, so I'm available to them.

By the time the end of one of those time periods comes, I'm chomping at the bit ... wanting to get things done elsewhere in the building, run errands, etc.

So today ... after doing my 1-4 stint trying to stay within earshot of the door-buzzer, I started tackling the "do elsewhere in the building" pile that had accumulated.

I was met in the building by an irritated man, who had tried to get in, and found the door un-attended, and come around and through the other door to seek me out.

"I am available to open that door until 4:00," says I, "I'm sorry I missed you."

"I was at that door at 3:59" he says, glaring at me ...

Oh. Of course. How silly of me ... I should have synchronized my clock to yours before I attempted to plan my day.

Yikes!

Saw this on Ken Wiest's facebook this morning ....

I am an introvert and Jesus still loves me. It feels so liberating to say that I am an introvert and a Christian. Some people will have trouble with that, but they just need to leave behind their Victorian era views of Christian personality and understand that this is the way that God made me and I'm proud of my introvertedness.
Michael Bird.

A bit of heavy industry hiding out at the antique show ...

Clamp-lamps

A couple lamps made from chains.
My favorites ... they're made out of some kind of part with a gear on one end, and the prettiest blown-glass shades.

A few pictures from the antique show today

There was an antique show in Grand Rapids today, and I went to look. Didn't buy a thing, but pictures are free! So many pretty things to look at, so I thought I'd share.


A funny-looking vase - strange colors and shapes ... can't decide whether I liked it or not, but it was sure different!

Pretty colors all jumbled together in a tool box.

Who knew there were this many old canes in the world?

More pretties ....

I have a couple pins made of these tiny, tiny mosaics. I found a whole tray of them for sale, and was able to ask about them. They're made in Italy. So pretty!










I found this same table at our local thrift store for $6, and have plants on it. Fun to see it in higher-class company. :)






Just thought the colors of this hat, and the cup & saucer were pretty together.



Something about a big basket of thimbles is happy-making, isn't it?

A few more pretties from the antique show today

These are the most amazing doorknobs ... they cost more than $100 each ... but pictures were free. :)














REALLY big, heavy candlesticks ... so sparkly!

More sparkles - pretty bottles all in a row!

Merry Christmas all!

Please take a moment and just enjoy this carol:

I am so in love with this idea, I can't begin to say ...

Airport sleep pods ... a tiny little box where you can be ALL BY YOURSELF while you wait for your connecting flight. It has wireless internet, and ... quiet ... and did I mention you get to be all by yourself, and it would be QUIET?

I know ... I'm the biggest hermit in the world ... but I would pay PLENTY for this!

Difference in Perspectives between car dealers and mechanics

Dealer: You need to have your rear brakes fixed within a month or so
Mechanic: You need to check your brakes again in 8-10,000 miles.

Dealer: You need the 30,000 mile service - change spark plugs, etc. etc.
Mechanic: Pulled the plugs, and they look fine.

Dealer: $700+ for rear brakes and the standard 30,000 mile service package
Mechanic: $40 for having a look at it

I don't believe the dealer is dishonest - they're just going by the book. But I am certainly thankful for honest local mechanics who are free from "the book"!

A few Thanksgiving Pictures

The first picture is my sister-in-law making an announcement. Can you guess what it was? :)

Then we have a demonstration of the powerful influence of the turkey ... 3/4 of the available grandparents appear to have succumbed to unconsciousness.

Happy Thanksgiving

Please vote for Nikki!

A lady from church has been chosen to represent the Indianapolis Colts in a promotion sponsored by monster.com and the NFL. She needs to be one of the Top 8 vote-getters.

Go to www.nfl-monster.com and vote for her. You can click on the Colts logo to find her quickly!! She needs your votes daily! Second, please spread the word. Ask your friends and family to vote for her too!!

Rationed Health Care

60 Minutes is discussing how much money it costs to keep elderly people alive, and debating whether it's worth it. They'd describing it as "waste".

Why do I watch this show? It just angers me to no end. I'm so sick of their political agenda.

Oh, here we go ... now they're getting to their real point. "We need socialized medicine."

grrrr!

A Different Idea for Christmas this Year

If we are an American, we likely have everything we need, WANT, or have ever thought about wanting.

So, if you have anyone on your Christmas list for whom you have no ideas ... here's an idea to consider!

The Heifer Project gives you an opportunity to use what you would spend on a gift to completely change the life of a family in a third world country. You can choose different projects. It's such a neat idea.

And for those who, like me, sometimes feel a bit suspicious of charities. I researched them on Ministry Watch, and their review is here.

Just something to think about!

Heckling the Neighbors

Recently, our condo building's manager came to speak with me.

There had been complaints, you see.

"What," you may ask, "could they have possibly been complaining about regarding Miss-Conservative-with-no-discernible-life?"

Let me enlighten you ...

My balcony is open on two sides, and the third side is a brick wall, that is part of the building.

A few years ago, I put a mirror on that wall, with curtains on either side, so it would look like a window. Like this:



Well ... you see ... this apparently had become a problem. Because, you see ... the curtains? They were BLOWING OVER THE RAILING.

No, really. They were! And this was a serious problem. (please don't ask me why this was a serious problem. I don't know.)

This was serious enough that someone felt compelled to approach the management about their concerns.

So, a sheepish building-manager asked me if I would please contain my rebellious curtains, so as not to distress too-much-time-on-her-hands woman. :)

I took down the curtains ... and I pondered what best to do ...

Following is what I chose, and what I put up last night:

What do you think? They are very long, and tied down at the bottom, so as to contain the offensive curtain-blowing. :)

I am a bad woman. I am a bad, passive-aggressive woman. (Though, for the record, the original passive-aggressive move was made by picky-condo-person who went to the management, rather than speaking to me directly.

Don't know how long I'll be able to stand these curtains. They aren't violating any association rules (nor were the original set!). They are so loud, it's almost difficult to sleep. :) But I thought ... for a little while ... I'd let them stay.