dh & dd at the great wall in their band shirts
a glimpse of the near 2000 performers on the great wall- it was truly amazing. i only wish i could have gone with them

about the band shirts: amazing stuff this new fabric that is being used for sports clothes. the band spotted for 2 for each band member and chaparone- they are amazing - a quick rinse in a sink and hang dry! considering that Shanghai was about 90% humidity that was really imperative- everyone seems to have found them really comfortable.

personally i think we should make them apart of our regular uniform set up= in future trips it might be a good idea to have the kids only take these shirts! (its just a thought)

oh wow - its been awhile since i last posted!! (couldnt remember password for awhile & been BUSY!!!
dd#2 & dh made the trip to china and OHG!! what a trip - it was fabulous!! and the pix they brought back!! there is supposed to be a website set up for all the members of the band/flags and all the adults to add to. (we have 500 just on our own) admittedly MANY of them have other band kids in them so we will post them to the band's site for their parents- of the ones for we will keep for ourselves we still have at least 300+ (this is NOT counting the blurry/back of heads type pix LOL!) 1st pic is band in parade- 2nd pic is dd#2 in Tienamen Square.


The 3rd pic is a welcome at one of the hotels- they stayed in and performed in Shanghai (at the children's museum) then visited Suzhou and the silk factory where many had A LOT of fun shopping!! then flew to Beijing- in Beijing they went to Tienamen Square and the forbidden city and performed in the 'parade' (their parade set up is a bit different than ours but our kids Wowed them!!!) then a sit-down performance that apparently knocked the socks off the audience - this one was definately on the china national tv. Apparently our band was voted #1 of all the Olympic Music Festival's entries (Go PSHS Spirit of the Sands Band!!!)


when the went to the great wall for their performance there, it turned out the were not going to perform at the base of the 'wall" the performed ON the Great Wall!!! all 14 groups (about 2000 performers) they were stretched between 4 Towers! absolutely awesome-- as the #1 band, ours was directly in front of the dignitaries!! afterwards they had lunch on the roof of a nearby restaurant that had an incredible view of the wall. then they got to go SHOPPING again!!!
DD says she had SUCH fun with the bargaining and would just about want to LIVE in Silk Alley!!! LOL!!! (she did bring back some DELIGHTFUL goodies.

well things have been seriously busy recently. its less than 3 weeks till dd and dh leave for china- i may 'just' survive this (i think) we survived the move and i love the new house !! dont you just love our new security door?? i love being able to leave the regular door open and still have privacy!

we are still (slowly) unpacking a few boxes at a time (it seems like forever to get done. :( oh well its got to be done. i had no idea i had so much 'stuff'!

the biggest news around here is Letha is expecting!!!she is due in november. we dont know if its a boy or girl yet. the biggest surprise tho is even tho she was showing when she thought she was less than 3 months (i showed with both girls at 2+ mo since we are both very short waisted) - turns out she is already 16 weeks~ and no morning sickness. thank goodness she was NOT like me in that!! she did scare the crew at work last week tho... tried to pass out on them... now the know the news!! LOL!! oh my! am still not to sure about being called grandma- and mom is certainly not so sure about great grandma!

We are waiting to find out if the house next door might be coming available- the kids lease is up and they need a house... keep your fingers crossed they can get it!! :o)

craftwork- not much time for a lot but am looking at making a baby quilt for the new one and for a friends upcoming grandbaby. am also looking at making a christening gown... not sure what it will look like yet...... i have not done much sewing with really delicate fabrics - i would love to do an heirloom type gown tho.... we will see.

Have discovered a really neat blog- involves cooking! and canning!! yea!!
Its called Mom's Cafe home cooking; promises to be interesting reading;

http://momskitchencooking.blogspot.com/

The most exciting things have been happening :

We MOVED! i put that in capitals because we were moving w/about 3 weeks notice and moved 2 households into one AND 2o + yrs of 'stuff' without the time to sort/toss that we should have. yikes!! but we survived and love the new house~~ but OMG the reality of going back to paying regular rent!! ACCK!!! its like loosing one whole paycheck a month. oh well back to the real world.

THe china trip!! they took the passports last nite to get the visa's OH MY its getting close now and i think some moms are starting to have panic attacks - i do understand. this is the third time a family member has gone on one of these and i STILL have a problem with "my baby!!! going so far away!! LOL!! sigh........................
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If you live in the Palm Springs AREA or near enough to visit the band will be having their SEND OFF CONCERT (i know its not july- but most of the snow birds are leaving and we want a good audience for the kids) i know that most people think - high school band = iiiish! must i?= but these kids are GOOD!! the Dallas Brass was one of our guest groups and the kids got to perform with them- the DB were DELIGHTED with them!! and our kids play all over the valley- a lot of them are pursuing professional music as careers !!!!

any way off my soap box (grin) The concert is FREE so if you are nearby on May 23rd 2007 come on in and enjoy the music (its at the Palm Springs High School Auditorium) its an 1100 seat auditorium with amazing accoustics!!
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my mom and i are genealogists and do quite a bit of research- just by chance(?) we connected with a GREAT AUNT we didnt even know was Still ALIVE!! its amazing all the family information she has and is sharing that we Knew NOTHING about! turns out my gr gr grandfather and his kids were musicians like my grandmother (they even made their own instraments!!) have you EVER seen a harpguitar!??! see pic above!! very very neat. AND in researching Them discovered that a modern harpguitarist might even be a Very distant relative to the two men in the pic (& to me too!) very very cool
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i also got a quick note from a long not heard from friend from high school!! :o)
am hoping to hear from her again!! Diane if you read this PLEASE let me know :o)
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and to top it all off my 15yr old Turned into an OFFICIAL TEENAGER this week!! ACCKKK!! (she went prom dress shopping with a friend!!! ROFL!!!) fun but a bit scary at times!!

just came across a new site with video's on using the knitting looms. i have little problems with them but its hard to explain to someone sometimes - the videos are quite nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pclJ7gUvEAY&mode=related&search=

I am considering trying to sell some of my civil war reenacting pictures as both ATC's and Postcards. am not sure if there would be much of a market tho.
one of my thoughts was the different ladies books of the civil war period and pictures of actual dresses of the time would be a wonderful way to study the clothing styles colors and trims.

this is an example of one of my bits & pieces
its a suplice (sp?) bodice & sleeves ca 1859

since MOST people either cannot afford to collect those books and the few books that have a 'collection' in them are limited at best. my thought is to offer cards of everything i have photos of with data on the back (what data i have that is) like regular trading cards they would be very easy reference materials.

i am struggling to learn how to manipulate photos and its really hard with out lessons. but i have made a beginning.. i started with photos of pictures from godey's ladies books- its neat to see them cleaned up- i want to continue cleaning the images but am not doing well with that part- is frustrating!!!

here is one i started with.

as you can see i was able to remove the worst of the yellowing from age, brightened and sharpened the focus. the process affected the colors some. and a couple i even removed the color for a b&w image. i wonder if others would enjoy the results.

one thing have not learned how to do is remove age spots, stains or tears. that will come next (I hope).

some of the pages i have are fairly badly damaged. but they are beautiful even so. it would be really cool to see them at their best tho.

I have been having way too much fun with a new program that makes kaleidoscope images from my photos. i have decided that they make Great Digitally altered Photo ATC's and PostCards!!!

Sometimes you can see the original other times you cant even begin too. that part of the interest

here is an example - what do you think?

I am soooooo computer challenged.... i just now figured out how to access comments i was supposed to moderate-- sheeeeeesh how embarrassing- my apologies to EVERYONE!!!!!!!
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The Price of Children
This is just too good not to pass on to all.It's really really nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into: * $8,896.66 a year, * $741.38 a mo nth, or * $171.08 a week. * That's a mere $24.24 a day! * Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last! * Glimpses of God every day. * Giggles under the covers every night. * More love than your heart can hold. * Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. * A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate. * A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites * Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day. For $160,140, you never have to grow up.

You get to: * finger-paint, * carve pumpkins, * play hide-and-seek, * catch lightning bugs, and * never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to: * keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, * watching Saturday morning cartoons, * going to Disney movies, and * wishing on stars. * You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay on Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for: * retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, * taking the training wheels off a bike, * removing a splinter, * filling a wading pool, * coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history to witness the: * first step, * first word, * first bra, * first date, and * first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!! Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren

AHHHH@!! have survived the holidays :o) sort of anyway... getting back into the daily routine. have discovered a new craft form. they are called ATC's (Artists Trading Cards) and are delightful! i love and collect trading cards anyway and now people make art trading cards whoohee! sounds like fun to me. i am especially intrigued by Photo Trading Cards. in going thru my stored photos (you know the kind- subject good but picture not quite 'right'? well believe me when you crop a photo to a trading card size it gives the pic a whole new perspective
as an example


an ok picture but not the effect i was aiming for.
but cropped


well you get the idea-- it makes one concentrate on essentials and i like that
i also like the fact if one makes these on certain themes they could easily be fundraiser items for kids at school and scouts etc, maybe even for any kind of group= after all trading cards are Fun!

most of the yahoo groups are all about trading = i am not ready for that level of work yet but later would like to try.
should be fun

Post Thanksgiving ponderins: the days rant

am feeling like an old party pooper this weekend. Totally non-holiday mode. had the choice to work on turkey day and did, we had nachos for dinner!

am not sure if i can really explain the the problem (if it is even a problem-)it just seems like such a travesty. On the morning news there were shots of the govenor, & movie stars are out feeding the hungry. aren't they nice? yea right, out there in front of the camera on a holiday is good pr but where are they the other 364 days of the year!@???

same thing happens at christmas. all these do gooders & all their hype about 'giving' to the poor and less fortunate. of course they are doing this from their fancy $150 plate fundraising dinners. heaven help them if they actually did anything that made sense the rest of the year. and yes am sounding sour. the same people who are going on ad nauseum about help out the poor and doing their 'christian' duty are driving around in their shiny bmw's amd mercedes and wouldnt know a day without food (unless they're anorexic).let alone how to really make a difference to people who really need help.

i think i will be less pessimistic when i see things like

(1)the pharmacutical companies be less worried about their millions in profits and start making sure that people on fixed incomes can get their life supporting medications

(2)when i see see BIG oil actually encouraging & pushing 'green' fuels because they KNOW the long term petrolium is limited and to continue as we do will ONLY help destroy the planet. (THEY ALREADY DO KNOW they just refuse to acknowledge it)

there is more but most of us already know the problems. i just get so discouraged at the lack of improvement- this time of year just makes it so much more obvious.
sigh...

an example of my 'problem' with things as they are: a lady at work was all excited about what her church group was doing. their 'good deeds'- they were taking garage doors (rejects from the factory) down to a small village in the interior of mexico and building one room houses with them. on the surface this seems nice. people have a roof over their head.... on the surface.....

my problem with the scenario you ask??? first their attititude of "aren't i so generous,so "christian" ?? for Giving you a house?- (doesnt matter to them if the villagers even like the things as they dont seem to have ever Asked. then there is the problem of the materials. how on earth does a garage door strike anyone as a practical medium to build an entire house out of? and what if there is any damage to it? does the villager again do without? they cant repair it (no tools or materials to do so) they cant replace the parts (no money to import more) they cant duplicate the houses (supposing they do like them)because the manufacturing is beyond their villages skills. - at no time did the group appear to have asked some vital questions:such as what did the village REALLY NEED?? i can think of a few things more important - like a clean water source. nor did the group appear to bother to "teach" anything.like how to build a house quickly and effeciantly and cheaply (like strawbale or cob or using tires like the earthship houses.)thereby not only getting new homes and skills to be used over & over. they could have taught how to build effeciant fuel burning stoves for cooking instead of open smoke causing cooking fires.

the thing that strikes me as sad & scary is the group sees nothing wrong with their methodology or attitudes.they are probably decent folk who mean well(in spite of their insistance in preaching their possible unwanted doctrine)there are so many groups like them, but its no wonder so many 3rd worlders resent and hate the gringo yankee. we come off as know-it-alls who really dont take the time to learn or care.

on a more family level i just cant 'get' into spending 2 out of 4 days off traveling to see a huge family group while probably exhausted from said traveling then overeating on one day and turn right around and spend hours traveling back home- somehow i just dont see the fun in it. and why does this "Have" to be on the same weekend as millions of others. there are afterall 11 other months and at least 361 other days. shouldnt we spend more time WITH the family instead? with out the stress?? ok we cant get out of the overeating thing... at least if your family is anything like ours. the first thing the all do is cook a feast :o)

enough ranting for the day - i hope however you all spent your holiday weekend it was fun and safe

found a really interesting and uplifting blog today. apparently she had a stroke in her 2nd trimester of pregnancy & Survived!! wow! she is making remarkable progress as well. a real inspiration. she's at http://bethhanley.blogspot.com/

WOW - its been ages since i posted and a lots been going on. today tho all i am going to mention is the blog i have just recently found Daycreek.com
i was so fascinated that i went back and read every posting. he has been building a cordwood home. The blog is very well written and the writer goes into amazing detail. the kind of things that a potential self builder wants and needs to know. and on top of all that he is a very good photographer! i do hope you take a minute to check his site out. its a delight.

Had a GREAT research day!! www.Ancestry.com has the BRAND NEW 1930's census records on line for the FIRST time!! YEA!!! actually found info on Grfather - confirmed he was born in Ireland (family "Thought" he was but...) also confirmed grmother from Ireland as well AND we found aunt 'Babe"s" first name!! found bunches of stuff on other family lines as well. SOOOOOO COOOL~!! i was having so much fun i totally forgot to watch the fireworks!!LOL!!!

Hot Diggity!

Did i mention am a genealogist?? i love researching- wish i could make a living doing it. am doing several friends family lines, KNYVETT, ESCHETE and KARSTENS. Still digging on grandfather "CROFT" too.

AM SOOO EXCITED!! a good friend (who i MISS a lot just let me know her website is up!

CHeck it OUT on my favorite links= Sue's Old Fashions i KNOW for a fact she is an incredible seamstress and a VERY PATIENT teacher!! :o)!!! the pictures dont even begin to show how lovely her clothes are!! if you need ANYTHING in period clothing = she is the Person to check with!!

WhooooHooo! i finished one with OUT major booboo's! LOL!! the only thing i may have goofed on was how many rows of plain knitting at the top. Is a pretty swan- is such fun to finish AND it looks like its suppossed to!!

Did u knit in public today? 10 June 06=National knit in public day!!
YES I did!! LOL!!
went to DH's High School Alumnus Picnic in Garden Grove. LOTS of people came but few from his grad class :( so while we ENJOYED being there and the GREAT weather (its been averaging 108 at home) i had very few to really interact with. so..... :o) i got time to knit. (Yea!) was nice sitting in the cool breeze with all the different people wandering about (i am a bit of a people watcher) i finished a previous KAL from MonthlyDishcloths = i think it was april or march - its a darling garden watering can! the ONLY problem i found with it is that i am STILL having pattern sequencing problems. i had to frog a bit twice. but am even getting better at frogging (i dont have to start over every time now! LOL!!)you can see that i do have that problem on the border.... is frustrating as am NOT SURE what i am doing wrong there tho i suspect i am forgeting to switch back to knit those last couple of stitches.
THANK you to those who wrote suggestion=- the crossing off line by line is helping ALOT more than i thought it would.
we DID refind an old friend this weekend so all in all was a GREAT day yesterday.

the "almost finished' funky color ribbon purse (i still have to complete the handle) its cuter than i expected. :o) and the fuzzy stuff seems to suit it. even my 14yr old says its OK. (high praise indeed from a picky teener!)

I actually DID IT!! i finished my first KAL and my first dishcloth. the pattern is from the yahoo group "Monthly Dishcloths"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/?yguid=185460809

its such a cute little fishy= i used some cotton i had stored (funny thing- it was sun faded in spots but the resulting varigation is kinda pretty) i already see all my mistakes tho.....:( but i am still having problems following a pattern and the size of dishcloths is great for practicing and learning. i LOVE the feel of the cotton too.

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds.You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life.Also nostelgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?