Tagged by Melissa!

I've been on a bit of a blogging break, as you know, but my WTM blogging friend Melissa tagged me for this meme and I am a sucker for memes! Also, as I read over Melissa's list there were so many similarities to me that I just had to do it.

6 Unspectacular Things About Me

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Here goes:

1. I love homemade popcorn with lots of real butter and sea salt.

2. Like Melissa, I startle very easily and my family has taken advantage of that fact. Just ask Julia about the fake black spider...

3. I sleep with one very old, flat pillow and sometimes even push that above my head. Hotel pillows, you know the puffy foam kind, kill me.

4. I snore sometimes. Dh has earplugs in his nightstand.

5. I require everyone to leave their shoes either outside the door, in their rooms, or in the cellar. They often opt for outside because it's easier, then they get angry at me when their shoes get wet!

6. I am a nut for SciFi.

There, everything you always wanted to know about me, right?! I'm not sure I will tag anyone right now, but I reserve the right to change my mind at a later date.

The New Toy

We decided it was time to replace Earle's almost six year old Sony digital camera. It literally has a screw loose, missing even, and the memory stick is shot. No pun intended. He searched the net for a replacement stick to no avail. The Sony had been a surprise 40th Birthday present from me. It will always be special, but now it will take its deserved place in our old camera collection. It will be in good company there with the old Nikon 35mm and the Leicas.

The new D80

First shots with the D80. The semi-frozen pond at the park. The silly birds are lined up along the edge of the ice like they are on the edge of the sand at the beach sunbathing.

The photographer's assistant

The assistant's choice of subject matter.

The silly birds, revisited.

Since we are all equally excited about the new camera, we've decided to conduct a weekly photo challenge. We brainstormed photography theme ideas, wrote them on slips of paper, and relegated them to a basket. Earle drew the first one. All this week we will concentrate our photography efforts on fulfilling this theme. At the end of the week we'll share our best results and critique our photos.

Theme #1

Shawn, balanced on the deck stairs capturing a few of our flying friends which congregate in our yard in great abundance.

I'll share our results over the weekend. If you care to join us, pick up your camera and have fun!

Over the Weekend

The first thing I did this weekend was to come down with a nasty cold. I spared you a pic of my hoard of used, wadded tissues! I figured Earle shouldn't have to suffer alone, so now we are suffering together.

Since we were contagious we stayed home from church on Sunday. Julia and Shawn worshipped with friends at their church then spent the afternoon hiking in the snow. When they all headed back to "the sickie house" we met them with a big pot of homemade beef stew, mashed potatoes, peas, and chunky applesauce with cinnamon. Later that evening we cheered for New England in the Superbowl until their untimely loss at which point Earle, a Maine-iac by birth, decided it was OK for NY to claim a victory as he was officially a New Yorker now. He has actually lived in NY longer than Maine by about a year. I'm thinkin' he'll never really convert though. You can take the boy out of Maine...you know the rest. Anyway, we munched on some other yummy snacks during the game: homemade potato skins (these were a BIG hit!), homemade guacamole with chips, and breaded cheese sticks. It was nice to have an excuse for consuming so many foods of questionable nutritional value! When the post-game chatter died down it was time for a special episode of House. Wow, he may have some redeeming qualities after all. Did you catch the show?

Since I was quaranteened the whole weekend, I actually spent some time in the studio working on polymer clay projects. I am designing an assortment of spoons with decorative clay handles. A friend of mine used to sell these creations for me in her cyber-cafe, but she went out of business last year. My next adventure is to open an Etsy shop where I can once again market some of my wares. I'll let you know when it's up and running.

Wouldn't you just love to dish up some fruit dip at a summer picnic with this spoon?

Also on Saturday, my order came for new Pysanky supplies. I will be holding a Pysanky class as well as teaching a few friends how to make these beautiful Ukranian eggs. New dyes, chunks of wonderful smelling beeswax, and kistkas.

One of my favorite eggs. It is still intact inside though I made it several years ago. I decided not to blow it out, but to let it dry out over time. I think the "wholeness" of the egg helps to symbolize the Easter promise of new birth and a new life in Christ.

What did you do this weekend?

Diversions

Never mind that you we should be shopping. Yes, I know, less than a month of shopping days left. Then there's wrapping and decorating and baking. All this is, of course, in addition to the usual ponderous slew of daily necessities. Never mind all that. We need fun, diversion; we need brain food.


If your brain needs feeding go here:

Free Rice

You can feed your brain and feed others at the same time.

Or, if your creativity needs nourishing go here:

Snow Days

If you click on Find-a-Flake and type percytruffle into the box you will find the flakes I made last year. Let me know if you make any and what your username is so I can ooh and ahh over your flakes!

And, if your soul needs satiating go here:

Advent Calendar

Enjoy your holiday season. Go forth and bake, decorate, and shop. Just don't forget to refresh!