Spring SU Quarterly

I am getting tired of unpacking - gonna stay home for a while!!

Got back from Quarterly last night.  We had some scary weather in the part of the state I was in.  Our Quarterly got cut a little bit short when there were reports of tornadoes in the area over by Ft. Bragg and we lost electricity at the school where we were meeting.  A lot of the gals went to Becky and Danielle's homes to wait it out before going back to finish the projects.  Not me though!  It was already 4 pm and Sonny was waiting in the parking lot patiently.  He was such a good sport to drive me down there!  So, we got in the car and hauled a** home.  We both needed a potty break but everywhere we looked, the power was out as well as the traffic signals.  The sky looked bad and I was a little nervous - it seemed like we were driving into the storms.  I got a radio station from Raleigh and they were giving detailed weather reports.  Seems a tornado had gone through Raleigh and through Sanford.  I got the NC map out and tracked the counties  they were mentioning.  Luckily, we were traveling west and the storm was moving to the east.  The Weather Channel reported Saturday's tornado tracked across a 50-mile stretch.   A Severe Weather Expert  said that the record number of tornadoes in a year for the state of North Carolina is 67 and that was in 2004. As of 9 pm Saturday, there were 81 preliminary tornado reports setting a record.  Wow!!  Guess we won't forget this quarterly!  Here is a picture that says it all:

This is a neighborhood near Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville.  The flag got caught on the fallen tree.

OK - enough weather.  On to the fun stuff .... the sharing of the great projects!  These are the Shoebox Swaps that we did on Friday night.  Unfortunately, I can't give credit to all the wonderful ladies that created most of these cards because I'm not sure whose they are but I've tried to give credit where I know the designer.

New Four Frames stamp set

 This card uses Strength & Hope stamp set (from Summer Mini).  SU is donating $2 from each purchase of this set to Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  This card was designed by Pat Wilkinson.

Bold Blossom stamp set (Summer Mini)

Priceless stamp

cute little bunny box - holds 1 Hersey Kiss!

Inlaid Embossing technique - I goofed - the leaves are supposed to be embossed also!  Designed by Lynn Creech.

Land of the Free (Summer Mini)

The Open Sea (summer mini) by Janie Murphy

Sew Suite (Alana I think)

Flower pot is Ornament Punch / leaves and petals are from Bird Punch 

Using new 4 Frames set and Awash With Flowers - designed by ME

Easter Cards plus bummed about the Idol Results

Easter will be here before you know it.  Have you made all your Easter cards?  I decided today that I better get cracking and get mine made so I can get them in the mail.  There are a couple of cute little boys in Texas that I will be sending these cards to!

These are not Stampin' Up stamps but some other stamps that I bought locally last year.  I just think these bunnies are so cute!  I used my Copics to color them.  It felt good to just make some fun cards today!

I'm bummed!!  I just finished watching the results show for American Idol and Paul was voted off.  He was my favorite!!  He was an ultimate performer in my opinion.  But he closed the show with one of my favorite songs .... Maggie May!  Love me some Rod Stewart!

American Idol Top 8 2011

Well, I had a marathon American Idol watching party today!  I had taped all the Idol shows while I was gone.  But when I got back, I decided I wouldn't watch them.  Well, today I changed my mind.  I was busy working on my Quarterly projects, so I turned on the DVR and watched all the Idol's that I had missed while  crafting.  I thought that was the best way to "connect" with the contestants and see their growth.  Of course, I already knew about the eliminations and the save.  I was surprised that Pia got voted off.  I really thought it should have been Stefano.  It is really a tough year - they are all sooooo good!!  But, I think it will be a guy winning again this year - especially since there are only 2 girls left.  The guys are so much stronger in my opinion.  My favorites at this time are Paul, Scotty, Jacob, James and Casey ... well, guess that's about all the guys, huh???

The talent this year is unmatched compared to seasons past, that is undoubtable.  I remember years when contestants in the final three couldn’t even sing on pitch.  These guys are uber talented, and it is so much fun to watch them sing and grow. Plus it seems that they are getting better advice from the mentors. But the judging? Leaves something to be desired.

This week is Movie Week or “Songs of the Cinema” and the contestants are choosing songs from the movies, which, basically means anything’s fair game.  Here's my thoughts on tonight's performances -

PAUL - Old Time Rock and Roll -  I was not as blown away with this song as I was with his other performances.  I love his energy and stage presence but felt he could have done more with that song tonight.  I really expected to see him come out like Tom Cruise did in the movie, Risky Business - sliding across the floor.  I think Paul could be in danger tonight, but hopefully he won’t go home yet. I love how you never quite know what you’re going to get with him, and he’s always interesting.

LAUREN - The Climb - Miley?  Please!  Although I do like that song, I think she could have picked a better one.  She was ok but not great.  I could almost hear Simon saying, “I’m sorry, but that was a mess. An utter mess. No, really. When you watch it back you’ll see what I mean.” Can’t you hear that?  But alas, the judges had nary a negative word to say about it. I don’t get it. Are we listening to the same song? Lauren REALLY needs to take it up a notch. She looked cute though.

STEFANO - End of the Road -  Wow!  He did great - best he has done I think.  He pulled out all the stops tonight but is it too late for him or will he knock someone out of the competition this week?  

SCOTTY - Cross My Heart -  George Strait is one of my favorite singers so this song choice was great for me!  I just didn't think he did as well as he has done in the past.  He got lost under the backup singers a couple of times and even lost pitch at one time.  I wish he'd stayed with his first song choice (Everybody's Talking by Harry Nillson) and given his spin on that one.  Instead he stayed safe with a country song.  I didn’t think it did much to showcase his talents. I much prefer it when Scotty takes a non-country song and puts his Scotty spin on it.

CASEY - sings Nature Boy against other recommendations.  I think it was a mistake - it was just WEIRD!  I guess I just didn't "get it" like the judges did.   Although I will admit that this song shows his versatility as an artist and sets him apart from the others who are content to just sing whatever pop number they remember best from their childhood.

HALEY - Call Me - I disagreed with the judges on this one.  They praised all the other contestants but didn't care for Haley's performance.  I thought she was the best one except for Stefano tonight (so far).  She turned up the heat tonight and is getting better each week.

JACOB - He might have hurt himself after his comments last week. I love it when Jimmy says to Jacob, “Don’t preach to people.” Last week Jacob found himself in the bottom three after saying to America, “if I end up in the bottom three it won’t be because I sang the song bad . . . it will be because everybody in America wasn’t ready to look at themselves in the mirror.”   Really? I can’t believe America didn’t send him home after that.  He sang Bridge Over Troubled Waters - He has an incredible voice. I liked his performance but can't say that I loved it.

JAMES - Heavy Metal - Well, he definitely brought his energy to the stage tonight.  I just hope he didn't hurt his chances of America's vote with that song.  I guess he was good - I just don't care for that type of screaming "music".  That high note at the end was INSANE. in a good way though.

Simon, where are you when we need you???  I still find myself longing for Simon’s colorful commentary and his uncanny ability to cut to the chase, but Steven keeps me laughing so at least there’s that. Simon just has that innate ability to separate the men from the boys that I miss dreadfully. I’d do anything to hear one of his zingers right about now.  What is up with the judges….way too much love when it is not deserving.  They just don't give any constructive criticism.  Everyone is great according to them.

This is a hard one to predict as to who will be voted off - especially after the Pia vote last week.  I'm predicting it will probably be Haley even though I like her, she was the only one the judges criticized.  I'm guessing the bottom three will be Haley, Stefano and Lauren but that is clearly a guess!!  I could be wrong and it might be Casey down there.  Who knows???

March Monday Mailers

I received 3 beautiful Monday Mailers today.  These are for March.  Since I was out of town in March, Naomi waited until this week to send me all three cards at once.  They were definitely worth the wait!

This is my favorite one!  I will probably be CASE-ing this one for my stamp club soon. 

This one uses the stamp set, Always.  I love seeing how other people use stamp sets that I have overlooked in the catalog.

Great card using the darling Owl Punch!

Quarterly Rejects

I am going to a Quarterly NC Stampin' Up demonstrator meeting this weekend in Fayetteville.  These are always so much fun.  We have a Shoebox Swap on Friday night where each participant puts the ingredients for a card together in a shoebox.  Then each participant makes a card from each shoebox.  On Saturday we have several people who demonstrate various projects and techniques.  I love teaching others about card making so this is a fun part for me.  I will be doing one of the demonstrations.  We will be making the little Hand Sanitizer holders that I made at Christmas.  (I'll share it with you later this week.)  It is such a fun weekend visiting with friends from all over the state.  The past couple of years, Marianne has gone with me as my guest.  Unfortunately, she has a soccer tournament to attend this weekend so guess I'll be going solo.  I'm still trying to talk Sonny into driving down with me but not having too much luck!!  After being gone for 3 weeks, he is not eager to leave home again so soon.  Plus, he and his brother-in-law are planning a fishing trip the week after Easter.  

We do a lot of different kinds of swaps at Quarterly.  I signed up for a punch art swap, the shoebox swap and a spring/summer card swap - plus I have to get the project that I will be demo-ing cut out and prepared.  Monday I was getting a little worried.   I just could not come up with any good ideas for the card swaps and that clock kept ticking!  Here is one of my rejected ideas:

Card Recipe:

Cardstock:  Sahara Sand; Very Vanilla; Marina Mist; First Edition DSP (winter mini)

Accessories:  Marina Mist Ribbon; Big Shot; Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder; Circle Punches; Sponge Dauber; Distressing Tool

Stamp:  Friends Never Fade (pg 99 catalog)

Ink:  Marina Mist; Crumb Cake

Today though, I got my mojo back after I finally got out of bed!  I took a decongestant last night and just could not wake up this morning.  Once I got up, took my shower and ate some breakfast though, I was ready to go!  Here is the card I finally settled on for my Shoebox Swap.  It needs to be an easy card to make since we just have a few hours to do 19 cards plus visit and eat!!  

Card Recipe:

Cardstock:  Pink Pirouette; Whisper White; Melon Mambo

Access:  Big Shot; Finial Press Embossing Folder; Label Punch; Pearl

Stamps:  Awash With Flowers (pg 99, catalog); Four Frames (a sneak preview from Summer Mini); Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Melon Mambo; Pink Pirouette; Peach Pizazz

So, what do you think?  Would you like to make this card????

I'm Back!

I'm back from my trip and experiencing major jet lag!!  We got back Saturday night.  We flew from London to Detroit with an hour to go through Immigration and Customs.  Then boarded the plane (with 10 minutes to spare!) to Charlotte.  We were supposed to arrive in Charlotte around 7 pm but when we got close, there were severe storms in the area and the pilot announced he was going into a holding pattern for about 30 minutes to wait it out.  The airport ended up closing because of the storms and we headed to Columbia, SC for refueling and to wait out the storms.  We ended up staying in SC for about 3 hours and getting to Charlotte around 11 pm!  My sisters and mom spent several hours waiting for us at the airport - wasn't that sweet of them??!!  By the time we got our luggage, drove home and got in the bed, we were 1/2 hour short of being up 24 hours!!  To top it off, I also picked up a sore throat in the last few days.  I think it is mostly allergies and sinus problems - I start off the day feeling bad but as the day progresses I'm ok.  I haven't had the energy or inclination to go to the grocery store since getting home and our cupboards are looking pretty bare!  Tomorrow Sonny is taking my car and I am staying home waiting for the cable man.  The water pump went out on his truck today and our DVR cable box died while we were gone.  So, guess the groceries willl have to wait another day or two! 

I am working on some projects for the SU NC Quarterly meeting this weekend in Fayetteville and I will be sharing them with you soon I promise!!

In the meantime, here are a few pictures from our trip.

Ashley in Hyde Park

Sonny in front of the pub/restaurant (built in 1364!) where we celebrated our 38th anniversary - April 7

Ashley and me at Trafalgar Square - London

Ashley with the Eye of London in the background

The 3 of us with London in the background

Ashley & I going into Harrod's to do a little shopping (HA)

Good night!!

A Few Cards I Found

Here are a few cards that I have received at swaps. They are ones I keep thinking I will CASE one day. Most of the stamp sets used are retired but other ones can be substituted.

Remember when this song was popular?  The Loads of Love truck set is still available!

This is a square card.  The stamp set is retired but it would be easy to recreate this card with another flower set.

Changing of the Guard

Just a quick post before we head out this morning. Yesterday we headed out bright and early and caught the underground Tube to Buckingham Palace. We took a leisurly stroll through St James Park snapping photos of the geese, swans, ducks and flowers. It was quite lovely. We wandered around the area outside Buckingham Palace where loads of people were "que-ing" up to watch the changing of the guard. We walked over to the Guard Barracks area where the Guards were in the courtyard being inspected and practicing their instruments. Our guide yesterday had advised us where to stand in order to get the best view of the ceremony. And he was right. We got a close look at the Guard as they were marching to Buckingham Palace. I could reach out and touch them!

After that experience, we walked over to the Churchill War Museum. We did an audio tour there and it was very impressive. I am not big on war and that kind of stuff but it was really a good museum. You could experience the bombing of London during WW II as well as listen to Churchill's speeches. The museum is actually in the shelter that Churchill and his staff used during the war.

Last night we took a Jack the Ripper tour and was quite spooky! But it was fascinating. Our guide was definately a Jack the Ripper expert and a great story teller. I was afraid I would have nightmares last night.

The weather has been good so far - no rain although I think we may have some today. It has been cool and windy. Yesterday was the coldest day we had and we ended up having to come back to the hotel for our jackets and a brief rest.

Well, gotta run and get ready for today's activities - Westminster Abbey.

March Monday Mailers

Here are the Monday Mailers that I sent to Brenda last month.

WHY?

Why Is It?

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are a billion stars in the universe, you'll believe him, but if he tells you that a wall has wet paint, you'll have to touch it to be sure?

Why do we press harder on our remote control when we know the batteries are flat?

Deep in the jungle, why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

Why isn't "phonetic" spelled the way it sounds?

If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?

Why is it that people who spend their day sitting down often earn more than people who spend their day working on their feet?

Ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face he doesn't like it, but when you take him for a ride in the car, he sticks his head out the window?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours?

~~Quick and Simple Magazine

The Tower of London

We had a full day today. Started out this morning with a panoramic overall view of London with our own personal tour guide. It was a good way to see a lot in a comfy car and then decide what we have time to see and do the rest of the time we are here. We started out in Hyde Park and drove by Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly, the US Embassy, many museums and statues of famous Brits, over the London Bridge, through an area where Harry Potter was filmed and on and on!! We stopped off and watched the Changing of the Horse Guard which was very impressive. Tomorrow we will go to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. After our 3 hour tour, we were dropped off at the Tower of London. We grabbed a bite to eat before heading into the Tower. We were able to get in free as guests of one of the Beefeaters there so we felt pretty special. This was arranged for us through our Brit / Texas friends!! We took an hour guided tour and then wandered around on our own. The most impressive thing for me was to view the Crown Jewels. Here all the crowns, orbs and scepters from the various royal ceremonies are on display and are really something spectatular! We saw Queen Victoria's diamond crown as well as the crown of the Queen Mother who died in 2002. We also saw the scaffolding site where enemies of the crown were beheaded and heard a lot of gruesome tales of traiters and killings. The Beefeaters loved telling those tales.

London Town

We arrived by the train today in London and have just returned to our rooms for the night. We got here around dinner time and walked over to the Kensington Palace area which was the residence of Princess Di. The palace is undergoing construction so we were unable to get close to it but the garden and park area was beautiful. Tomorrow we are meeting our tour guide early and taking a panoramic view tour of the city. I'm excited!

Here are a few pictures that I have taken along the way.

ENGLAND

England!
We arrived in Nottingham, England last evening. Nottingham is the home of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. It is sooo much different than the towns we saw in Ireland. Nottingham is a pretty big city. We walked around last night and found an old pub for dinner called Old Salutation. It was built in the 13th century! There were 2 Englishmen sitting beside us that we got into a discussion with. One of them was very opinionated about us Americans. They did not agree that we have the death penalty in the US. It turned into a heated discussion as we tried to explain how long it took to actually execute someone and how long we had to pay for them in prison if they were not executed. But there are not near the number of pubs here like there were in Ireland. We can probably go a few blocks before we find a pub instead of a few store fronts!

Today we walked over to the City Centre area and visited St. Mary's Church of England which is where the Sheriff of Nottingham captured Robin Hood. It was a beautiful historic church. After that, we took a tour of the Crime and Punishment Museum where we visited the jail that Robin Hood could have been locked up in. The tour took us through three centuries of crime, punishment and law. We visited a Victorian courtroom, an 1800 prison, the prisoner's exercise yard, a prison from 1833, and a woman's prison facility. In the courtroom, they took people from our tour group to re-enact a trial. Our Ashley played the judge!! There were costumed interpreters that really brought the whole experience to life, showing you exactly how the law has developed over the years. The entire approach is hands-on. In the courtroom, they took people from the tour group to re-enact a trial. Ashley played the judge! After lunch, we walked over to the oldest bar (1189) Trip to Old Jerusalem. Isn't that just hard to believe!!

Tomorrow we are meeting our friend, Margaret's parents and sister for lunch. Then we will be boarding the train for London. Hopefully, I will hav efree internet connection in the London hotel - I am paying for an hour here in Nottingham.

Cheers!

I CAN

The Winner's Creed

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost certain, you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
Since out in our world we find
success begins with a person's will,
It's all in your state of mind.

Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster hand;
But sooner or later
the person who wins
is the one who thinks....."I CAN".

Linda E. Knight

Another Sunny Day!

(This was written on Tuesday night - just couldn't get the pictures to download until this a.m.)

Well, our luck is holding out so far .... blue skies again today.  It looked a little "iffy" this a.m. but the sun came out late in the a.m. and it was a beautiful day again.  We arrived last night in Doolin which is a small little coastal town.  Not a lot of nightlife going on but there are a couple of pubs in the village.  We had dinner in one of them last night and listened to some traditional Irish music - no singing, just instrumentals.  After a few songs, one began to sound like the other.   I did have my first Irish Coffee last night though! 

We made a list today of how many pubs we've visited in our trip.  So far, we are at 28!  But you have to understand that all our meals (except breakfast) have been eaten in the pub except for 2-3 lunches.  My sister thinks we'll need to attend AA when we return!  You know, we have to get the full Irish experience!

Today we took a 40 minute ferry over to Inisheer Island which is the smallest of the Aran Islands.  When we departed from the ferry, there were several locals offering tours around the island.  Luckily, we didn't take the first one we saw - he wanted 10 euros each - but instead took the last one for 5 euros each!!  It was absolutely fascinating!  There are only 200 residents on the island with 1 primary and 1 secondary school and 1 doctor and 1 nurse on the island.  The roads are super skinny with hand-built rock walls on either side.  He took us by a 10th century church ruin where the patron saint is buried; a 15th century castle ruin, a shipwrecked boat from 1960; and  a burial site from 1500 BC.   The land is totally divided up and handed down through the generations to family members.  The whole island is made of limestone.   The Irish (Gaelic) language is the only language spoken on the islands.  Of course our guide also spoke English.  There was a young couple on the tour with us who were from Ireland and only knew a few words of Irish. Only about 9 % of the total Irish population speak Irish.  Our guide stopped and spoke with another man on the tour and it was great to hear them converse in Irish.  The other couple told us that was a rare treat for us.

In between those narrow stone walls are where you drive!  The larger areas are for the residents - gardens, cows, etc.

The inscription is in the Irish (Gaelic) language

Did You Know?

Disney World in Orlando, Florida, covers 30,500 acres, which is 46 square miles. That is twice the size of Manhattan.

In 2003, the personal fortune of J.K. Rowling - best-selling British author of the wildly popular Harry Potter books - surpassed that of the Queen of England.

Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham after his editor challenged him to produce a book using fewer than 50 different words. 

If the minimum wage had risen as fast as CEO pay since 1990, the lowest-paid workers in the United States would have earned $23.03 an hour in 2005.

On average, women utter 7,000 words a day; men manage just over 2,000.

Beautiful SUNNY Ireland

ST STEPHENS GREEN IN DUBLIN

I finally have good internet in my room and don't have to sit in the lobby to type!!

We have had the most beautiful weather in Ireland ever since we have been here.  We haven't seen one drop of rain and the skys have been "Carolina Blue" every day.  I'm afraid we are due for a change tomorrow though but we are not complaining.  I have only had my jacket on a few times - mostly just sweaters and long sleeve tees.

We have seen and done so much that I am keeping a travel journal and trying to jot things down.  (It's hell getting old and not remembering what you did yesterday!!)  I think my last blog post, we had finished our days in Kilkenny and were headed to Kilarney.  On our way we stopped and toured the Rock of Cashel which is a 12-13th century cathedral.  It is just amazing to me how old these buildings are and to think the residents of America were living in tee pees!!  While in Cashel, we visited a (very) local pub there - Pat Fox's.  We had met an Irelander on the road and he told us to stop in and tell his brother hi so we did!  From there, we headed to Cahir where Ashley and I toured a medieval castle.  Sonny had seen his fill of castles and cathedrals so he sat in a park and read his novel.  Afterwards, we met him in a local pub (surprise!!) and had a pint.  When we were leaving, there was a funeral procession going by.  It was very interesting to us - instead of everyone following in their cars, they were walking and flanking the car carrying the casket. 

From there we drove on to Killarney.  Our hotel was ultra modern.  I was not so impressed with Killarney - it was more of a party town and of course, us being there on a Saturday night didn't help.  We had dinner in a small pub (great fish & chips!) and watched a soccer match against Ireland and Macedonia.  Everyone in the pub was glued to the tv just like us watching the Steelers play!  When Ireland won, there was a jovial atmosphere.  We left there and went to another pub thinking we would listen to some good Irish music.  Instead, we could have been in a bar in America with all the young people shoulder to shoulder and the rock music playing.  We did not stay there long!!  Unfortunately, at our hotel there was a bar with live music playing in the courtyard downstairs that was also really crowded and our window overlooked the courtyard.  They partied until about 2:30 AM!  I was not happy!!

On Sunday we managed to book a tour bus (all day) to see the Ring of Kerry which is a 100+ mile horseshoe around the Iveragh Peninsula. The route goes along the peninsula with views of Kells Bay and the beautiful Dingle Bay.  There are lovely mountain range views along the Iveragh Peninsula also.  I got some great pictures!  We made several stops to take photos.  We went through one little village that only has 90 people living in it!  (Molls Gap)  The downside of the tour was our tour driver.  He had a very heavy accent and no one on the bus could understand him.  We tried to slow him down which worked for about 5 minutes!  But it was much better than Sonny having to navigate those narrow coastal roads!  Their roads here (not the major highway) are about as wide as one lane of our highway - with no shoulder and stone fences on the passenger side.   Last night we had dinner (and a few pints) at Danny Manns Bar.  It was quite large but there was a good singer in there singing many Clancy Brothers songs that we enjoyed.

Today we drove to Doolin.  Our first stop was a beautiful little town, Adare in the county of Limerick.  It is  regarded as being Ireland's prettiest and most picturesque village.  Adare's streets are lined with original thatched cottages which have survived for hundreds of years. Some of the cottages are kept by local restaurants and Arts & Crafts shops, but many are still privately owned. We just strolled around town and the Visitors Center.  Our next stop was in Bunratty where the original Durty Nellie's Pub is located.  We had lunch there and took a lot of pictures.  Durty Nellie's is a favorite bar of ours in San Antonio when we visit there so it was fun to find the original.  After lunch, we toured the 15th century Bunratty Castle, the 19th century Bunratty Folk Park and the Village Street. The Castle is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland.  Built in 1425, the castle was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings.

Here are some pictures - in no particular order!

VIEW FROM BUS WINDOW on RING OF KERRY TOUR



POWERSCOURT WATERFALL - NEAR KILKENNY



ST FRANCIS ABBEY AT SMITHWICK BREWERY / KILKENNY





DURTY NELLY'S ORIGINAL

DOOLIE, IRELAND - ATLANTIC OCEAN

SHEEP ARE EVERYWHERE!

 

Answers to Quiz

Answers to yesterday's quiz!

1. (b) On the floor, to the left of the clutch.  Hand controls, popular in   Europe, took till the late '60's to catch on.

2. (b) To sprinkle clothes before ironing..  Who had a steam iron?

3.. (c) Cold weather caused  the milk to freeze and expand, popping the bottle top...

4 . (a) Blackjack Gum.

5. (b) Special makeup was applied, followed by drawing a seam down the back of the leg with eyebrow pencil.

6. (a) 1946 Studebaker.

7. (c) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet colored water.

8. (a) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut. 

9. (a) With clamps , tightened by a skate key, which you wore on a shoestring around your neck.

10.. (c) Eeny-meeny-miney-mo.

11. (c) Polio. In beginning of August, swimming pools were closed, movies and other public gathering places were closed to try to prevent spread of the disease..

12. (b) Taxi , Better be ready by half-past eight!

13. (c) Macaroni ...

14. (c) Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.

15. (a) Princess Summerfallwinterspring. She was another puppet.

16... (a) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get a high.

17. (b) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household items at the Green Stamp store.

18. (c) Ammunition, and we'll all be free.

19. (a) The widely famous 50's group: The Inkspots.  

20. (a) Tony Bennett, and he sounds just as good today.

SCORING

17- 20 correct : You are older than dirt, and obviously gifted with mental abilities. Now if you could only find your glasses. Definitely someone who should share your wisdom!

12 -16 correct: Not quite dirt yet, but you're getting there.

0 -11 correct: You are not old enough to share the wisdom of your experiences.


Guess I'm OLD - I got them all right!!  What about you?

Kilkenny

Having so much fun!  We left Dublin yesterday in our rental car and drove to Kilkenny.  What an experience!  Sonny was gripping the steering wheel all the way while trying to figure out driving on the wrong side of the road!  The roads here are quite narrow and it is pretty scary.  Ashley sat in front to be the navigator.  I started out on the passenger side in the back but quickly moved over behind the driver so I didn't have to see how close we were coming to the stone walls on the side.  We only touched the wall once - only folding the mirror in and only missed about a half dozen turns resulting in us having to turn around and backtrack.  When we got to our hotel, Sonny parked the car and we have walked all around ever since!  It is about a 20 minute walk (about a mile) into the town.

Last night we walked into town and found The Kytelers Inn / Pub that had a couple playing Irish tunes.  This was just the type of pub that I imagined in Ireland!  The Kytelers Inn dates back to 1324, when Dame Alice Kyteler, a Banker-Money Lender, Brothel Keeper and Black Witch first established business on this medieval site. Dame Alice Kyteler was accused of being a witch and sent to the dungeons beneath Kilkenny Castle. But by the political power of the Chancellor of  Ireland, her former brother-in-law Roger Outlawe, her escape was organised. Her guards were beaten senseless and Dame Alice was released from the dungeons and freed from the sentence of death that hung over her. Instead Alice Kyteler's servant, Petronella, was burned at the stake for witchcraft in 1324.  The pub is supposed to be haunted.  There was a couple of local men sitting at the bar who got up and were dancing the Irish jig.  I got up to take a picture .... big mistake!!  One of the men grabbed me and started dancing with me - as if I know how to dance a jig!!  I was able to keep up for a few minutes but thought if the song didn't stop, I was going to have a heart attack!!  By the end of the night, we were quite good friends with Adrian!  He is the local tailor here and is quite a character.

Today we took a walking tour of Kilkenny and learned the history of this medieval town.  It is just hard to believe how old the buildings are.  We also took a tour of the Smithwick Brewery.  The brewery is situated on the site of a Franciscan abbey where monks had brewed ale since the 14th century, and has ruins of the original abbey on its grounds. It is Ireland’s oldest operating brewery, founded by John Smithwick in 1710 on land owned by the Duke of Ormonde.  The Smithwick's unlike the Guiness tour in Dublin is actually at the brewery. You get to travel through and see beer in the making.  It was very interesting.

I am very tired tonight and my battery power on my computer is about to die!   We need to plan out our day tomorrow.  We will be driving again = this time headed to Killarney.

History Quiz

How much of this do you remember?

1. In the 1940s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located?
a. On the floor shift knob.
b. On the floor board, to the left of the  clutch
c. Next to the horn.

2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it.. For what was it used?
a. Capture lightning bugs.
b. To sprinkle clothes before ironing.
c. Large salt shaker.

3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters?
a. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce milk.
b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled.
c. Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top.

4. What was the popular chewing gum  named  for a game of chance?
a. Blackjack
b. Gin
c. Craps

5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when none were available due to rationing during WW II.
a. Suntan
b. Leg painting
c. Wearing slacks

6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going?
a. Studebaker
b. Nash Metro
c. Tucker

7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid?
a . Strips of dried peanut butter.
b. Chocolate licorice bars.
c Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

8. How was Butch wax used?
a. To stiffen a flat-top haircut so it stood up..
b. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing.
c On the wheels of roller skates to prevent rust.

9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes?
a. With clamps, tightened by a skate key.
b. Woven straps that crossed the foot.
c. Long pieces of twine.

10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision?
a. Consider all the facts.
b. Ask Mom.
c. Eeny-meeny-miney-MO.

11. What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s?
a. Smallpox
b. AIDS
c. Polio

12. 'I'll be down to get you in a ________, Honey'
a. SUV
b. Taxi
c. Streetcar

13. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony?
a. Old Blue
b. Paint
c Macaroni

14 What was a Duck-and-Cover Drill?
a. Part of the game of hide and seek.
b. What you did when your  Mom called you in to do chores.
c Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill. 

15 . What was the name of the Indian Princess in the Howdy Doody Show?
a. Princess Summerfallwinterspring
b. Princess Sacajawea
c Princess Moonshadow

16. What did all the really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school?
a. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high.
b. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window.
c. Wrote another pupil's name on the top, to avoid their failure.

17. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases?
a.. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted like bubble gum.
b. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items.
c. They were given to the kids to be used as stick-on tattoos.

18. Praise the Lord , and pass the _________?
a.. Meatballs
b. Dames
c. Ammunition

19. What was the name of the singing group that made the song 'Cabdriver' a hit?
a. The Ink Spots
b. The Supremes
c. The  Esquires

20. Who left his heart in  San Francisco  ?
a. Tony Bennett
b. Xavier Cugat
c. George Gershwin
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CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR ANSWERS!

Dublin

Having a grand old time here in Dublin!  Got in yesterday at 5:30 - Ashley met us at the hotel around 2 and we were off.  There's a nice pub next door to our hotel - The Bleeding Horse.  We walked over and had lunch - corned beef, mashed potatoes and a brew .... yummm.  Then we wandered around Dublin, walking down to Trinity College, the oldest university in Dublin.  We stopped off in several pubs around town.  I have discovered one thing about Ireland so far .... there is no worry of getting thirsty!  On each city block, there is at least one or two pubs.  I've never seen anything like it.  I'm not a big beer drinker but I do enjoy hard cider and it is on tap at each pub.  Don't want to think about how much weight I'm putting on.  But, we are walking a lot so that will help! 

Today we got on a "hop on hop off" bus and saw the sights around town.  We an took individual tour of Kilmainham Gaol which is a jail that was built in the late 1700s.  Quite impressive!  Then it was on to a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery.  The actual distillery has moved out of the city but again, the building was built in the 1700s.  The tour was interesting taking you through the entire production process.  And at the end, there was a tasting room.  I have a good friend that loves Jameson (hi, Sharon!) but I have tried to drink it and never was a fan.  Ashley and I both had it with cranberry juice and it wasn't bad.  But the best thing is Ashley and I are both Certified Irish Whiskey Tasters!  They asked for volunteers from the group and at the end, we performed a taste test with Jameson, Johnny Walker Black Scotch (yuck!) and Jack Daniels Black.  After the taste test, we were given certificates with our names on them. Our next tour was at the Guiness Brewery - Sonny's favorite!  After a tour of 7 stories, we ended up in the Gravity Bar for our free pint where we had a fantastic 360 degree view of the city as the sun was setting.  Arthur Guiness was a smart man - he signed a 9,000 year lease for the property in the late 1760s!!  The brewery covers 55 acres!

We visited several really old pubs and had lunch at a beautiful Victorian pub, Ryans.  It even had an authentic snug in the restaurant which was an enclosed area so women could go in the pubs and have a beverage.  Several more pubs later, we ended up back in our hotel around 10 pm although Sonny is still roaming the pubs! 

Tomorrow we pick up our car at the Dublin airport and Sonny has to figure out how to drive on the "wrong" side of the road ... just a little scary!  We begin our tour of southern Ireland.  I tried to download some pictures but keep getting an error.

I'm In Dublin!!

Just a quick post to tell you I'm HERE!!  Haven't seen anything but the hotel so far.  We arrived here about 5:30 am.  I didn't sleep as much as I had wanted to on the plane - just slept in bits and pieces.  I took a sleeping pill shortly after take off but I don't think it kicked in until about the time we arrived.  I was so wobbly when it was time to get off the plane, Sonny had to carry my backpack.   And to make it worse, the door wouldn't open so we had to get off the plane on the metal stairs onto the tarmac.  I was weaving like a sailor and holding on the rails.  I even got sick as soon as I got to a bathroom.  I won't be taking those again!  As soon as we got to our room, I went to sleep and slept hard until 11:00 a.m. (Ireland time).  Right now we are 4 hours ahead of EST but they will "spring forward" this weekend.  I am sitting in the lobby now watching the doors for Ashley.  According to Luftansa, her plane arrived at noon (it's 1:30 now) so she should be here any minute!!  Sonny & I are both starving and anxious to try out a local pub!!

March Stamp Club

My Stamp Club met last Thursday and we made three cards. 

This one uses the reinker technique that was so popular last year.  I let them choose their colors and do 4-5 flowers.  We used two of the flowers on this card and they took the other two home to make another card (I hope!!).  This just makes the most elegant card.  I was surprised that no one order this Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set.  I think it is such a versatile stamp. 

Stamps:  Fifth Avenue Floral, Cute By the Inch
Cardstock:  Pumpkin Pie, Barely Banana, Always Artichoke, Shimmery White
Accessories:  Orange Ribbon, Bird Punch (leaves); Scallop Punch; 1 1/4" square punch; Manhattan Flower embossing folder; Big Shot

This card was CASE'd from Brenda at QBee's Quest.  This turned out to be a little bit too much for my gals even though I did most of the work before they got here.  I had the all the cardstock precut and scored; even stamped the owls so they just had to punch them out.  The middle fold uses stickers from a retired Scrappin' Kit.  They just had to stamp the "celebrate" on the back and the Take a Spin on the front plus the arrow.  It's just hard for me to "dumb it down" sometimes but I'm learning!!

Stamps:  Take A Spin; Party Hearty; Punch Bunch (SAB)

This is the third card that we did.  I gave them a choice of this card or the next one.  Most chose this one.  Again, I precut all the squares for them so they just had to glue them down and stamp and emboss.   It was a good one to use up a lot of scraps - some retired and some current.

Stamps:  Fifth Avenue Floral, Warm Words

Cardstock:  Concord Crush; Melon Mambo, Dusty Durango, Kiwi Kiss; Bermuda Bay; Whisper White

Access:  Corduroy Button; Silver Embossing Powder, Versamark

Aren't these little birds just the cutest?  This is one of the stamp sets that you can get with Sale-a-bration for FREE!  Actually, my daughter got this one last month and is letting me use it.  The flower in the corner is also from Sale-a-Bration - it is a sticker from the Ice Cream Parlor kit.

Stamps:  Happy Together

Cardstock:  Whisper White; DSP (In Color pack, pg. 175)

Accessories:  Corner Punch; sticker from Ice Cream Parlor Scrappin Kit (SAB)

Mom's Brownie Recipe

 Remember these days - or maybe you are still in this era of your life!  God Bless You! I had a very precocious little boy who loved to explore and get into things when he was a toddler.  Oh ... to have those days back!!   Cherish every one of them.  I don't think my Jeff was ever as bad as "Billy" in the recipe below but I thought it was funny!  Enjoy!

Mom’s Brownie Recipe

Remove teddy bear from oven.
Preheat oven to 375. Melt 1 cup margarine in saucepan.
Remove teddy bear from oven and tell Billy "no, no."
Add margarine to 2 cups sugar.
Take shortening can away from Billy and clean cupboards.
Measure 1/3 cup cocoa.
Take shortening can away from Billy again and bathe cat. Apply antiseptic and bandages to scratches sustained while removing shortening from cat’s tail.
Assemble 4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour.
Take smoldering teddy bear from oven and open all doors and windows for ventilation. Take telephone away from Billy and assure party on the line the call was a mistake.  Call operator and attempt to have direct dialed call removed from bill.
Measure 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup nuts and beat all ingredients well.
Let cat out of refrigerator.
Pour mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake 25 minutes.
Rescue cat and take razor away from Billy. Explain to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn. Throw cat outside while there’s still time and he’s still able to run away.

Frosting
Mix the following in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup margarine

Take the darn teddy bear out of the @#$% broiler and throw it away—far away. Answer the door and meekly explain to nice policeman that you didn’t know Billy had slipped out of the house and was heading for the street. Put Billy in playpen.
Add 1/3 cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Answer door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden hose in man’s front door mail slot. Promise to pay for ruined carpet. Tie Billy to clothesline.
Remove burned brownies from oven.

-Author Unknown