July 17, 2008
OK. So daily viewings of Wilbur have made the show grow on me a bit, and I was starting to feel like maybe my old rant was jumping the gun a bit…
We were watching the other day and in the beginning of the part where they read a book they usually show a page or two of the “book” (A digital book)… I thought this was one of the better concepts to encourage kids to read. Unfortunately, the literary bunch that creates the show does seem to have a bit of an achilles heel when it comes to spelling.
The book was being read and the page shown…. What was said was “surprised”…What was written on the page was “surpised”
Yesterday, little guy kept correcting me and telling me that things were a “surpise”….
I like the idea of teaching kids to love reading, but I think proper spelling when doing so is key…
Butt hay, thatz juhst mie oponion.
(and don’t even get me started on their odd need to make every other “fantasy sequence” character faux Italian (complete with dreadful fake accent and putting an “o” at the end of the character’s fantasy double))….
:-p
Posted in kids | Tagged books, children, cow, digital, discovery, error, fake, incorrect, italian, kids, literacy, mock, production, reading, spelling, surpise, surprise, television, TLC, tv, wilbur | No Comments »
July 17, 2008
Logs Logs Logs
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
Like to see my new vintage glass with the reflect-o-matic sterling silver treatment…Glows….
Trying to upload photos and descriptions for a few new pieces….
Anyway, I may be blogging more in the next few days… I have been stuck in bed for the most part all week. While it sucks that baldguy lost his job and our unemployment rate here is pretty miserable, it was good timing as he is keeping after boyo and fetching me provisions.
Something is very wrong in my back and I am trying to figure it out…
I had a big bad emergency spine surgery 12 years ago and the pain is near there…. I fear another infection or that perhaps the vertebrae are finally squashing some nerve… Anyway. It really freaking hurts.
But, I can stand still and type and I feel ok, for the most part….And I’m not a wuss. I have had pain every day for 12 years. But dull, achy pain is one thing, feeling like someone is chiseling into your spine and ribs (on just one side, thankfully) is another.
So here I am…
Had an hour and 15 minute long MRI this morning but won’t know anything until they decide to call me. Medicine is so lax down here it’s ridiculous, so I’m not holding my breath for an answer. When I had the parathyroid tumor two years ago the docs suggested we use a “wait and see” approach. I wound up doing a boat load of research and demanded the scan to see what was going on and then I found my own surgeon to schedule the surgery(Dr. Norman’s Parathyroid Clinic in Tampa- amazing surgeon…). Wait and see. Those things don’t just disappear- they are there and they cause problems until they are removed or you die from the freaking side effects (heart issues, digestive issues, liver issues…yikes!)… So I’m none too confident about my medical care here…If whatever this weird back thing is needs anything more invasive than an alcohol swab I’m heading north for a spell. If this is another bone infection, I’m worried. Last time they didn’t find it until I was in ICU, on all sorts of apparatus, in a coma. No more comas for me, thank you very much. One was more than enough! I have to be here for my little guy.
Anyway. Here I am….Trying to stay as still as possible while my brain wants to run around doing a happy dance because the new issue of BUST magazine is coming out next week and woohoo! one of my pieces is in the Etsy co-op ad. Yay! So buy a copy and check out all of the shops.
Ok. Going to grab some tea and go be as still as a rock in front of the TV.
Sorry for the kvetching. I’m in a good mood really I am!
Hugs, albeit very gently frame-y ones, all around…
xo
b
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged adenoma, back, bed, bezel, care, daphne, dr. nomran, faux bois, glass, infection, jewelry, lee county, log, medical, MRI, mythology, necklace, norman, pain, parathyroid, rest, silver, sleep, spine, sterling, sw florida, tampa, tumor, unemployment, vintage, wood | No Comments »
July 14, 2008
MangoMania!
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
Ahhhh MangoMania 2008…
What can I say? There were mangoes.
Mangoes for sale…Treats incorporating mangoes…Mango preserves… T-shirts aimed at mango humor… Ahhhh yes.
We went. We wandered. We purchased some mangoes and a dwarf Meyer Lemon tree for the lanai (I have always longed for my own fruit tree… more on the new leafy addition to our home later)….
We did a ton of wandering around looking for the Mr. MangoHead competition which promised a mango decorating opportunity for the pee-wee set. Alas, nobody(not even the supposed Mr. MangoHead sponsors) had any clue where or what it was. But that is life in SW Florida…If information about a local event can be gleaned from the internet it is always a year out of date (minimum) or just completely inaccurate…
The only folks who were able to help were the kind librarians from the Pine Island branch…
And boyo got his first library card and is so excited to swipe it through the machine on his next visit…
Turns out we missed the competition entirely by wasting all the time looking for it. They had 3 prizes (great ones, according to one of the librarians) and nobody entered. Probably because nobody knew they were supposed to decorate their mango at home and bring it to enter it in the competition… Oh well. Maybe next year our strategy will be much improved.
Anyway- it was a nice morning out for us… We returned home after 2 hours dodging some of the pushier vendors (of various services and “event only exclusive offers” blech) with 6 mangoes, a meyer lemon tree, and we bought 3 jars of preserves but the gentleman packing them for us goofed and instead of a variety we have 2 jars of mango raspberry and 1 of mango strawberry (and none of the tropical ginger which sounded so freaking tasty)….
Next year, I hope they don’t have such a vendor free for all and they make better use of the German American Social Club’s sprawling grounds…It was a little suffocating and not as tropical fruit festival feeling as it was even last year…
Also, there was a rash of brutish boys terrorizing the little guys. These were kids that should have been taught manners at some point and probably denied entrance to the bounce houses, where they terrorized the younger kids and annoyed their parents.
Also, note to mangomania 2009 vendors: yes, water pistols are fun. It is however unwise to spray strangers with water pistols from your booth if they are not interacting with you at the time. It will not gain you business and you might just shoot the wrong person. People carry all sorts of electronic devices- from medical related things to shmancy iphones. I would not want to short out someone’s gadget or spook the wrong person in this firearm toting, quick tempered region of the world…. It is not refreshing. It is rude. Even the rudest of the brutish wild boys wouldn’t stoop to zapping strangers with water. Even they know better.
Sorry to come off as cranky, dear reader…But for the love of pete those two elements were *that* irritating…
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged 2009, bounce houses, brutes, cape coral, events, family, farmer, festivals, fl, fla, florida, fruit, heat, lee county, local, mango, mango ice cream, mango sorbet, mangomania, mania, mannerless children, pine island, summer, tropical, vendors | No Comments »
July 9, 2008
Woohoo! It’s time for MangoMania again!
Can’t wait to taste some locally grown tropical fruit and mango creations at this year’s festival celebrating that crazy cousin of poison ivy, The Mango.
Mangomania will be hitting Cape Coral, Florida this Saturday and it is being held at the German-American Social Club on Pine Island Road (between Chiquita and Veterans/Burnt Store Road… This year they are having a Mr. Mango Head contest for the kids, various vendors. Last year I scored some awesome all natural spray for my old bones and muscles- called, very cleverly, Snake Oil (and it is a real treat for an aching back and sore muscles)…there were a few folks selling jewelry (some of it handmade, but usually not by the people selling it) and a soapmaker or two. We came home with bags of mangoes grown on nearby Pine Island (which is wear the festival originated… The German American club does provide a slightly more central location with more amenities and space)… We also brought home jars of homemade (by some of the farmers and their crews) preserves, mango bread, and a few other treats…
Adults can get in at the gate for $6…Kids under 10 are admitted free. We wound up spending around $50 total last year- including a couple of carnival game tickets, a light lunch for the 3 of us (the German -American club had their Potato Pancake hut and Weiner huts open, not sure if they will be doing that this year) and a beer for the hubby (the beirgarten was open), and two grocery bags chock full o’ homemade baked goods and locally grown fresh fruit… There are plenty of places to sit and eat and take a load off…It does get hot though- definitely wear a durable sunscreen all over as the event is entirely outside. There are port-o-potties available and possibly regular facilities inside the german club (not sure on that…I’ve been to a bunch of events but I have never been inside!)… Bring a lightweight, breathable hat for everyone. If you go near dusk bug spray is a must. I doubt they are allowing outside beverages (other than kid’s bottles in mom’s handy backpack…) so bring cash for tickets, food, and drinks- especially water to stay cool and hydrated.
Boyo is excited as he is a mango maniac from way back… The kid cannot resist Mango sorbet…
There is usually a fruit tree vendor as well…I’m hoping that they have some dwarf/container trees as I would love a miniature meyer lemon for our porch….We shall see…
Anyway, here’s an article from the news-press on the festivities…
We hope to see you there!
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged 2008, agriculture, cape coral, festivals, florida, fort myers, fruit, german american social club, happenings, lee county, mango, mangomania, pine island, sw florida, tropical, vendors | 2 Comments »
July 8, 2008
Just wound up on the Animas Corp website to see if I could order my pump supplies using their webstore when I found a lovely little press release about the new One Touch Ping Glucose Management System.
At first glance the Ping looks like the old one touch ultra smart meters… On further reading, it seems to be a combination of insulin pump remote and data management system, when combined with the new EZ Manager MAX software.
I spoke to a rep in the supply ordering dept at Animas this morning and found out that when it is released in Mid-August 2008 it will not be an add on to my existing pump, a 2020 (which was brand new in January 2008)… The One Touch Ping is a complete package and not just a shmancy number crunching meter as I thought or a meter and remote- it is an entire pumping package.
While I would love a continuous glucose dealio with all of my heart and soul, but cannot afford one at this time, I am ecstatic that Animas & OneTouch (same parent corp- Johnson & Johnson) are making data management easier.
I really don’t care about the remote feature. I do not need remote access to my pump. I am not a concealer, I wear it with pride clipped to my pants. Some folks have asked if it’s a new model cell phone…Someone asked if it is a satellite phone (it’s a little more chunky and rugged looking than most current cell models)… When I need to use it I unclip it, do what I need to do, and clip it back on…It does help that it has a clip that is attached directly to the back of the pump…Back in my Cozmo and even in my Disetronic H-Tron days I found the various pouches to be helpful but not perfect… And only late in my Cozmo usage did I discover Unique Accessories’ solution which worked beautifully and for me… Also, I’m not quite clear on what sort of screen the PING meter/remote (can we call it a glu-mote?) will have but one of the reasons I chose the Animas 2020 this time around was the clarity of the screen (in color and super bright…it’s like having a little lcd TV on me at all times…OK, without anything that entertaining.)it’s really nice not having to hunt up reading glasses or put my health at risk by doing a squint and guess…
As I have had my 2020 for less than a year the cost of exchanging it (they have a tiered program) is $399. Not a ton of money and for me totally worth it as recording usable data has always been a weak area for me in my diabetes care. But it’s still $399 so I will wait and see what happens with bald guy’s job and kiddo’s school stuff.
The other cool part of this announcement is that there will also be new EZ Manager MAX software and it will be MAC and PC compatible! Woohoo! I do use a Mac but I also have Windows installed just for my diabetes management software. It will be so nice to not have to use Boot Camp anymore…
Anyway, good news all around…
You can read the press release here.
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged 2020, animas, blood, blood glucose, data, diabetes, diabetic, EZ Manager, insulin, insulin pump, johnson & johnson, johnson and johnson, mac compatible, management, MAX, meter, one touch, onetouch, pump, sugar, ultra | No Comments »
July 3, 2008
Custom packing tape…
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
Custom packing tape… Almost a year ago I was trying to find a way to use up my inked gocco screen in a practical way…
Eureka!
Custom packing tape… Ok, it’s not tape- it’s that fiberglass thread reinforced brown papery stuff, but it works like a charm and makes all of the outgoing packages look fabulous…
I am a packaging and branding geek (for those that had not noticed yet!)
I believe the giant roll from our local staples was around $10… I don’t use a whole foot- only about 3 or 4 inches… I did the math- that’s around $0.01 per package (I only use one strip per padded envelope) at most (actually it came out to $0.006/strip, not including the ink and time..but as the ink would otherwise go to waste and it only takes me a few minutes to do a pile of these I don’t think the labor adds up to much in this case)…
Pretty easy, quick, and economical…
And a pretty touch when shipping an order…
I find that running one of these over a dampened sponge (I have one dedicated to this) does not take any more time than getting out the tape gun, unsticking the tape from itself, and changing the roll out… Instead I have a pile of these by my shipping area and before I put my envelopes by the door I slap these on the backs (to prevent pilferage during shipping as well)….
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged branding, care packages, decorative, details, final touches, gocco, graphic design, gummed, handcrafted, handmade, mailing, marketing, packaging, packing, paper, promotion, reinforced, silkscreened, small business, tape | No Comments »
July 3, 2008
Bushel of Boxes….
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
Wonderful utility baskets by Reisenthel in two sizes…
Scored a slew of these from GarnetHill.com
They are on sale (and not just a couple of dollars off, I’m talking *really* on sale) now for $14…They are a polyblend canvas (I’m guessing they wipe down fairly easily) with a brushed aluminum rim…They collapse when not needed for flat storage…Great for holding a large amount of anything temporarily or throwing toys in to get them out of the way for cleaning… I wouldn’t recommend them as straight out hampers (the tall ones have a mesh top that closes with a drawstring) as the cloth part cannot be machine washed…
baskets at garnethill.com
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged basket, canvas, industrial, laundry, modern, organize, retro, stash, toys, utility | No Comments »
July 3, 2008
Best invention ever…
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
I never thought of myself as the sort to wear earplugs. I am the sentry of our home… I am the one who is always on alert, ears cocked for the slightest sound because the boys are pretty oblivious for the most part…
A couple of months ago we started using a dawning alarm clock (a BioBrite one) and the seller sent me a pack of ear plugs with the clock.
Because we have frequent and sudden foul weather here (and multiple tornadoes in the past couple of weeks) I would only wear one ear plug- in the ear facing “up” (I am a side sleeper) so I could drown out hubby’s snoring and obnoxiously loud breathing and maybe grab some zzzzz’s without being woken up by his nightly cocophany. That worked well as I could still hear enough with the unplugged, yet dampened by my pillow, ear so I could hear boyo through the baby monitor. But then I’d flip over and the breathing/snoring/senile moaning would have me wide awake again…
So I did some research and found The Earplug Superstore. Oh yes. Thank you oh wonderous world wide web!
While they do have excellent descriptions of all of their plugs I figured I’d try a sampling of foam plugs, like the freebies I got with that clock… So I ordered their “softest and smallest” sampler… A huge selection of fascinating colors and earplug marketing strategies… I’m not kidding. I have a pair of NASCAR “sparkplug” earplugs and another pair of Camo Plugs! Craziness!
Anyway, I also decided to try a higher end pair of earplugs…. I ordered the “SleepSoft” plugs made by Alpine. They promise a dampening of ambient noise but still allow one to hear the doorbell and children calling… They have open “ducts” to prevent “pressure” differences and they keep one from feeling cutoff.
Well, they arrived and are a miracle. It was mid afternoon when the package arrived and the grass was being chopped outside…. I went into boy’s room where he was playing music and I put in the plugs and had him speak to me… I could hear him clearly (but slightly dampened/quieter) but I could no longer hear the lawnmower or clothes dryer.
If these weren’t so durable I would have ordered the 6 pack! They are very comfortable and come with a little stick/applicator thingy as they are so flexible that you won’t get a great fit just using your fingers. They do come in a handy slider pack/container for safe and clean storage…
As far as using earplugs for ADD/ADHD, I am planning on using my giant sampler pack on the weekends when hubby is typically in charge of boy while I rush to get everything done and in some sort of order. I am so easily distractible by the slightest sound. One of my ADHD/ADD books recommended using noise cancelling ear phones but ear phones are out in our home as boyo would obsess and freak out if he didn’t get to use them and there goes any peace and quiet… So for now, for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, I will be escaping to my quiet little place to focus and maybe finish something for a change. Obviously, I would not wear earplugs while home alone with the kiddo…No way. Too risky, even if I can still hear him a little bit…Also that would be insanely rude and I try not to roll that way…
Anyway, I’m testing my “portable isolation booth” (ha ha) tomorrow morning…. Hopefully, this will increase my productivity and focus in general, so that I can finish the things that require intense focus, and have more time to spend with the boys…
I’ll update soon…
Posted in C'est Moi. | Tagged add, ADHD, alpine, ambient, best, block, crying, distractions, ear, earplugs, filters, loud breathing, noise, parents, plugs, sleep deprivation, sleep hygeine, sleepsoft, snoring, snorting, soft, spousal, spouse, strategies | No Comments »
July 3, 2008
“fordite”
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
More info on Fordite can be found at Fordite.com
This is a beautiful piece of Fordite (aka Detroitite)…
Fordite is composed of a zillion layers of paint that accumulated on the frames they used for spraying the car bodies during production…
The colors and visual texture (sparkly!) are out of this world…
This is my favorite bit of it…This one is drilled lengthwise…. Don’t know what I am going to do with it just yet.. So for now it is sitting on my laptop so I can continue admiring it…
Posted in C'est Moi., jewelry | Tagged automobile, beading, beads, cars, detroitite, different, fordite, interesting, jewelry, manmade, novelty, paintite, rare, stones, supplies, unique | No Comments »
July 2, 2008
Rascal
Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek
Rascal, the ring…
Very, very old Bakelite (older than vintage, younger than antique, by definition)…
Had some scotties and some ring blanks and went to town….
Available in my little shop on the internet superhighway… or zip me a message for more information…
Always Be Clever…
xo
B
ps. I have that song stuck in my head (You Rascal You)…Boyo is forever on a Louis kick (lots of Armstrong and Prima)…Glad he is more into the tune than the lyrics…Yikes! I have to give this another listen! Not the nicest song in the world…But oh so catchy…Perhaps I’ll swap it out on his song mixes with The Music Goes Round and Round!
Posted in C'est Moi., jewelry | Tagged armstrong, assemblage, bakelite, bek, black, bridge jewelry, clevergirl, cocktail, costume jewelry, cute, dog, fun, handcrafted, handmade, industrial, jewellery, jewelry, louis, modern, mold, phenolic, plastic, prima, red, ring, scottie, scottish highland, terrier, vintage, whimsical | No Comments »
