Best Gift of 2009

Without Dad's permission, I want to share what he wrote in an email last night, to me, Gretchen and our extended Stahlman family. I've read it three times and tear up all over again every time. I love my family. And they love me. Thanks Dad.

Fifty years ago, I had a job, worked with some great guys, doing work we enjoyed and were pretty good at. Designing office systems using these new computer things. We were all young, smart (imho), driven and close knit. Plenty of opportunities to celebrate triumphs and break-throughs. Also some occasions to bemoan set-backs, managerial stupidity, stolen ideas. Fortunately, right across the street was a pub that was quite accommodating whether celebrating or bemoaning.

On Christmas Eve, we always got to leave work in early or mid-afternoon. Traditionally, it seemed like half the company stopped across the street for a glass of Christmas cheer. Or two. Maybe three.

But not me---never!!! Not once!!!

I knew I had two little girls at home, just waiting for me to pull into the driveway. Excited, babbling, laughing, giggling, wiggling, jumping, both talking at once, hugging, happy, wishful. And why not|? Santa Claus is coming tonight---this very night---to our house---503 Cooper Road.

Can you imagine introducing the smell and effect of alcohol into a circumstance, time, and place as I have described above??? Not me. Couldn't do it then, wouldn't do it now.

The little girls are all grown up now and maybe they have even calmed down a bit. No matter, I am pleased that I never had that glass of Christmas cheer on Christmas Eve.

Martha Stewart Living

PS Just for fun, check Google Images for Santa - such a selection! They run the gamut from ridiculous, sublime, naughty, lots of images with Coca Cola and some disturbing images I don't even "get".

Hot Mama

I wish my hair looked better but LOVE all the green! Thank you, Target.

This is Steve's high school photo - 1975. He asked me to scan it so he can use it for his Facebook profile. He has way less hair now. Don't we all?

Hey look what Bonnie did for me! I should have taken the time to clean up the background but I don't know how to "soften" the photo so it's not so grainy.

This photo is fun as a hoot for his Facebook profile pic for a while. But I'll have to take a decent photo sometime soon to replace it. Or maybe I'll send him to Target! (I'm sure pigs would have to fly before he'd do that.)

Team Stefani Rides Again

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Which photo is the new me?
	A (Top)
	B (Middle)
	C (Bottom)
pollcode.com free polls

Team Stefani, in this case would be Mom & Dad. Dad was the photographer, constantly rolling his eyes at A) Mom's comments as she looked over his shoulder and more importantly B) the fact that one has to hold the button down on digital cameras, which frustrates his old-school photographer mind no end. Mom was in charge of hair & makeup, which since I don't wear makeup and my hair is, well, just there - she was responsible for making sure "I don't look goofy". And cowlick removal.

I'm not totally happy with my hair - it's too flat. I might have Simon or Steve take another photo some morning when I'm freshly shampooed and blown dry. Still, I think one of these photos will do for now - help me choose which one please?

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Cars: 4 to 6

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Simon bought himself a 2001 VW Passat for his 21st birthday today.

This kid has now owned 4 cars in the 5 years he's been driving compared to my 6 cars owned in the 36 years I've been driving.

Obviously I knew my 1995 Saturn was on it's last wheels, prompting the purchase of my Pretty Red Prius. I swear, the very day I gave the Saturn to Simon, it really shit the bed. It's oil usage had increased significantly towards the end but I (and the rest of my family) assumed Simon was over dramatizing the situation. So I had him take it to a shop for a look and yep, it was bad.

When the nice man from the junkyard with the big flatbed tow truck came to our house to haul it away - and Simon's old Probe, white/blue smoke billowed from the Saturn across the front yard. He gave Simon $100 for both cars.

Surprisingly I wasn't sad to see the Saturn being towed down the road. Well, not that I looked or anything. I feel 100% confident that I used up the Saturn to the very last penny. And I'm thrilled with my Pretty Red Prius.

So Simon's car. He was able to get a car loan with me co-signing, which paid off his Spyder, leaving him with reasonable payments for the Passat. He found it online, from an independent dealer on Ridge Road. I took him there this morning to pick it up. The guy is really nice, the car is in great shape and is loaded with luxury features. (Simon and his friend Gershum had already been to the dealer a few days prior, to test drive and check the car out thoroughly.)

I'm a tad jealous of the sun roof / moon roof. It has a refrigerated glove compartment! I've never even heard of that. The side mirrors fold in with a push of a button, for going through the car wash. The passenger mirror automatically tilts slightly downward when you put it in reverse. I can't remember what else. But you know Mr. Status is lovin' all this!

It is a nice car, he paid well under Blue Book. The dealer is one of these guys that has a repair shop and sells a few cars on the side. I was impressed - I'd feel comfortable buying a car from him.

The very best news? I get my Prius back full-time! I've been letting Simon drive it to work and to his girlfriend's house. She lives on the other side of Rochester so Simon says he puts 80 miles/day on his car and I believe it. Now he can put those kind of miles on his own dang car. Keepa your hands of my Pretty Red Prius.

He's been working on the Spyder in the garage, repairing the deer accident damage - but not fast enough for me. Winter is coming so tomorrow is the day he needs to cover that car up and move it out of the garage so Steve and I can park in there again.

(Simon said he wanted his birthday to be, "Just one day, where I don't have to do anything but have fun." To which I pointed out, "Not unlike many other days in your life . . . ")

Simon says he's going to sell the Spyder once he gets it fixed. He has fluctuated on that decision a lot over the past year so I'll believe it when I see it. Talk about being attached to a car! But now that he has his first "adult" car - my word, but he'd agree, maybe he'll put money over status and fun. That Spyder is so turbo-charged or whatever, it's expensive to run, maintain and repair.

And yeah, he turned 21 today. It's a big deal for him, of course, but I really don't feel a thing. I think my big milestone for him was 18 - graduating high school and all.

I got a breakfast pizza this morning, at his request. Then we picked up his Passat and he spent the rest of his birthday with his girlfriend. He and I are going out to dinner one night this week.

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My Mom

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You people think I'm hard working? Check out the honor bestowed on one of my role models! Here's an email from my mom, who retired this past summer, at age 75.

Hey Y'all - lest you think I have just been sitting around since I retired, check this out. Last Thursday the Pittsford Town Board gave me a Resolution of Commendation. It was very nice, most of the Recreation Dept was there.

Here's how the Commendation reads:

WHEREAS, Norma Stahlman has been selected to receive an Employee Recognition Award for service to the Town that is above and beyond the expectation, requirement or responsibility of a retired employee, and

WHEREAS, it is the wish of the Town Board to acknowledge that Norma has received this recognition for her willingness to return to work, following her retirement in May of 2008, to assist in training her replacement as the Recreation Department's Finance Clerk, and

WHEREAS, Norma initially returned to work on a daily basis, generously and patiently assisting in training the new clerk on the necessary processes and procedure, allowing this staff member to accurately and efficiently complete the tasks required of this position, and

WHEREAS, Norma left very detailed notes and allows staff to contact her at home to answer questions, when necessary, making for a smooth transition for the department, and

WHEREAS, Norma continues to return to the Recreation Department once a week to water the plants and to answer any additional questions, continuing to give even after her duties for the Town have been fulfilled.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Pittsford Town Board of the Town of Pittsford express their appreciation and gratitude to Norma for her faithful and dedicated service to the Town.

This resolution was declared adopted by the order of the Town Board of the Town of Pittsford on November 6, 2008.

Signed and sealed by all the Town Board Members and Supervisor and framed very nicely. This is the first time they have ever awarded to a retiree. Oh yes, I also got a $25 Starbucks card. Now wasn't that nice?

Oh yeah, I also worked a week in August, the busiest week of the entire year while Audrey, my replacement went on vacation. I also helped to post some of the minutes of all the boards from the year 2000-2008 onto the website. I did this at home. So after being retired for 2 months, I worked July, Aug and Sept. They did put me back on the payroll and paid me for those months.

~ ~ ~

I'm off work this morning so I can go help set up the Brighton show. It's set up boutique style, all of our stuff is mixed in together, rather than booths lined up. It was definitely an adjustment last year, not having my own personal space that I was used to but it was a pretty successful show for me so they must be on to something. This group was started by 3 women having a sale in one of their homes, that grew into the "co-op" that we are today.

I'm not so good at all that display stuff so I'll mostly help set up the tables and get things ready for the real decorators to take over.

My shift working at the show is Friday 4:00-7:00.

We were supposed to have a system upgrade at work this weekend but the project manager called me at home Tuesday to tell me it has been rescheduled for mid-December. I'm ecstatic! I was going to be at work all day Saturday, running reports and tests, although I'd have to leave around 3:30 to go tear down the Brighton show. My last craft show is December 6 so the mid-December timing is excellent.

The show next week is the Rochester Museum and Science Center - a biggie. So I'm very grateful for gaining a whole day on Saturday to keep making product.

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Congratulations are in Order!

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Heads up to my fellow crafters - Scrappily Ever After is having another 30% off sale until midnight tonight. I just placed my biggest order ever - 17 new punches and a "professional" power punch. Yeah, but I saved over $60 on my order!

I bought a cheap plastic - I think it was $6 - punch helper thing from this place a couple of years ago, figuring if it didn't work that well I haven't lost much money. That thing is worth it's weight in gold. I actually clicked on the tool page this morning, thinking I'd buy another one - I like to have back-ups of the important tools I own. I'd forgotten about this baby shown above. There's also a personal model, but heck, I'm a professional!

The punches are listed in millimeters so in the past I've sort of measured my punches on the fly as I placed an order. This morning I decided to get organized and punch all the circles and squares I own to keep as reference. I pretty much ordered all the sizes I don't have. Uh-oh. I just realized, I'm going to have to reorganize my storage. I have room to grow, might just have to switch around some drawers. No problem.

See that scalloped circle at the top with the flat edge? It was after I placed the order that I wished I'd thought to order a replacement for that one. It punches cleanly if I lean on it just right.

The majority of punches I ordered are circles, scalloped circles and squares that I don't have, with a couple of replacements thrown in for good measure. (I also get free shipping for orders over $100 after discount.) I think the only new shape punch I ordered is a dove, which will be good for Christmas.

~ ~ ~

The congratulations I refer to in the title of this entry, are not for me for placing a big, fat punch order - but for my favorite sister, Gretchen! She ran her first marathon Sunday - the Marine Corps Marathon. She wrote about running their half marathon last year here. I can't wait to hear and read about the full marathon. Our whole extended Stahlman family was tracking her on the website, watching her yellow dot make it's way around the twisty course.

~ ~ ~

So work yesterday didn't suck. How's that for a glowing endorsement? The downsized employee came in and reviewed some stuff with me. It was announced at the Monday Morning Meeting without much reaction but several people within the office told me they wished they'd had a chance to say good-bye. And a couple of friends from other offices emailed me their shocked reactions.

~ ~ ~

I've lost my touch with Birthday Brownies. I sure hope it's not a permanent condition. Another co-worker's birthday was Sunday so I intended to bake brownies for Monday. For people in our department I bake the traditional Birthday Brownies and a special treat of their choosing for a small departmental get-together in the afternoon. I totally forgot to bake anything! I think I was so relieved, after last week, to put work out of my mind for the weekend, that I did too good of a job of it. Since I get up so early, I thought about baking them in the AM but decided against it. I told the woman what I'd done and could I please have a do-over for today, Tuesday. She was fine with it, of course. It was her 60th birthday so that kind of made me feel like more of a heel but she really was okay about it. She even invited me to join her with our manager and the CEO for her birthday lunch. (I've mentioned before, he takes every employee in our building out to lunch for their birthday.)

I got home from a craft show meeting last night around 8:30 and as I walked into the kitchen to mix up the brownies, I remembered we are out of canola oil. I had some oil in a pour spout bottle, which measured out to exactly what I needed. Wow - what luck! Then I tasted the batter and it tasted funny. At first I thought maybe it was olive oil in the pour spout bottle instead. I baked them anyway, hoping the funny taste would magically go away.

It didn't. I tasted them this morning and I was wishing I had some caster oil or something equally as hideous (I've heard) to gargle with to get that horrid taste out of my mouth. I think the oil was rancid. Is that what happens to "old" oil? I have no idea how long that was in there, which surely isn't a good sign. I had baked two pans of brownies because one was the standard Birthday Brownies and the other was to serve as the afternoon treat - with ice cream for Brownie Sundaes.

I put it all down the garbage disposal.

I'll be stopping at Wegmans for brownies this morning since I have to stop for ice cream anyway. It's the thought that counts, right?

Woe is me. I hope this is a temporary set-back. I'm not ready to give up being the Birthday Brownie Fairy just yet.

Our Lady of Mercy High School
4th Annual Art Show and Craft Sale
1437 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY
November 1, 2008, 10:00-4:00

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He's B-a-a-c-k

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Simon moved his bed and major furniture home last night. Steve and I will carpool in my car today so he can use Steve's Explorer to bring the rest of his stuff over today.

Let's just say it's an adjustment for both of us. I know he's grateful, I know he has plans to turn his life around. I know it, I appreciate it, I get it.

"Mom, do you know how hard this is for me - to move home?"

"Simon. Do you think I was born at 52 years old? I totally understand."



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Home Again

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Sticky Notes, $4.50

Simon is definitely moving back home by October 1 when his lease is up. He's been waffling for months. I totally understand. I told him a year ago, once a kid moves out, it's really hard to come back. And he's under the wacky delusion that I want him to move home. This is apparently a common misconception on the part of lots of young adults, from talking to some of my co-workers.

"Mom, I know you're really happy that I'm moving home."

"Simon. Not that happy, really. I've gotten as used to you not being here as you have. I'm happy for the right reasons, the same reasons as you have, financial & educational reasons."

He plans on going to school for auto mechanics and eventually opening his own shop. I could not be more pleased because these are two things I've been telling him for years he would excel at. I've never met someone with such innate mechanical skills.

But.

His room in the basement is in the exact condition he left it - a total mess. I told him he's not bringing one thing into this house until that room is ship-shape. I've yet to see any action, but it's only September 3.

I told him that he & I will have an agreement and so far these are my points:

1. He doesn't have to make life for Steve and me easier - but he can't make it harder: physically, financially, etc.

2. He must turn off lights and TV when not in use. He made me crazy with this when he lived here before.

3. He must recycle. Non-negotiable.

Pretty easy, huh?

He may be procrastinating cleaning up his room, but I'm definitely not procrastinating stressing over it. If he spent just a couple of hours and made the tiniest bit of progress, he has no idea how much better that would make me feel. It will all get done, I know it will. He always comes through - just rarely on my timetable.

In rereading this, it sounds like I'm not at all happy about Simon moving home. But really, I am. I'm glad he finally has a plan. I've seen him grow and mature over the past year. I know it will be stressful in some ways but the ends definitely justifies whatever means it takes to get there.

Deep breaths.


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Vintage

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Straw Flowers from Cathy of California.

This started out as an email to Mom and Gretchen but I found myself rambling my way into a blog entry. See why my blog is called, "And Another Thing . . ."?

Cathy specializes in crafts from the 60s and 70s. She sells these straw flowers and the kits to make them, among other things. I was sending the link to Mom & Gretchen because we used to make similar flowers decades ago, with yarn. (Did I just say decades?? Sigh.)

Side note to local readers - I was reading Cathy's blog and saw an entry about the clock at Midtown Plaza. Btw, I finally heard someone on the radio say the other day what I think every time I hear someone boo-hooin' about the demolition of Midtown Plaza: If it is such a great place and you're so upset that it is being torn down - why didn't you patronize it at least a couple of times in the last 20 years?? Then I calm down and try to think of something that would be relevant to me in that same vein. Some place that holds memories more than being part of my life today. Some place that would be so meaningful to me as to prompt me to write some sorry-ass whiny letter to the editor in the local paper. There must be some place, I just can't think of it at the moment.

I swear I must have been at the end of the line when sentimentality was being passed out. I'm such a big purger and declutterer, that I sometimes worry I'm throwing away stuff that might be meaningful to Simon in the way that I love some of my parents' every day things - like the stainless steel mixing bowls and . . . something else . . . you know, other stuff. I know there's stuff that I've told my parents, "So when you're dead & everything, can I have that?" And they are so shocked that I care, they say, "What?? Take it now. You're so silly."

Sort of like these but not exactly. And there are only 2. I still love them and use them all the time.

Etsy has a whole division, besides the handmade stuff, of "vintage" items. The rule is the items have to be 20+ years old. Twenty years ain't nuthin'! It's been within the last couple of years that I realized I've become one of those people that sees trends come around again and scratches her head at the "young people" getting excited about something we're all been there, done that about.

It's like my friend Mary calls herself seasoned, instead of senior, in terms of her work profile. I like that! At my day job, our CEO has said he doesn't care about titles. "Make up your own!" "Be whatever you want to be!" I know he's told people. Somewhere in the last few years, every sales rep and purchasing agent added senior to their title. It always makes me laugh because - now everyone is on the same level again. I've never seen a junior anything, in our company anyway.

I thought this entry was all over the place but looking back, I actually do have a common thread throughout. What a happy accident that turned out to be.

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The Cousins

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Gretchen and her graduate son, Paul. The last of our boys has completed high school.

I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn't attend Paul's graduation ceremony because we thoughtlessly planned our vacation for that week. But Simon, Gershum and DJ went with Gretchen to the ceremony, which made Gretchen and me quite happy - not to mention Paul! That grin is so big it looks fake but I think it's real.

These are the boys that got me a little choked up the last time they came over, a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't seen Gershum and DJ in many months. These guys grew up together. Sometimes Gretchen's oldest son Nick, was the 5th member of the posse.

Gershum and especially DJ used to practically live at our house, for days & weeks at a time sometimes. This group of boys were often loud and always hungry. I used to laugh at how boys just get in each other's shit, trash talkin' - the whole bit. Girls, to my recollection, do that stuff behind each other's backs. They are much more sneaky and covert.

I have to say that they always did whatever Steve and I asked of them - we gave them chores. For instance, they unloaded the dishwasher with drill team precision. (Gershum always put the silverware away, I remember.) They ate us out of house and home - and we ran that dishwasher twice a day sometimes. They carried in groceries. They helped us move furniture.

They played basketball with Steve in the driveway.

Reggi still gets excited when she sees DJ. Not sure why but they definitely have a special bond - always have.

They joined us for Stahlman breakfast gatherings at the Log Cabin Restaurant - with my parents and Gretchen. We always ate at 8:30 on a Saturday or Sunday morning - and those boys actually got up that early to join us. Even now, my parents will ask, as we walk into the restaurant, "What? No Gershum & DJ today?"

They call each other cousins. They are the siblings that Simon always wished for. That fact alone makes me incredibly happy. Even though life turned out how it was supposed to - for the very best, I carry the usual mother guilt of divorce - and Simon being an only child. So these boys were sent to us. I love that.

These are the boys Gretchen and I took on vacation several times - 3 times, if I remember correctly. The two of us and 5 teenage boys. It sounded worse than it was. The 2nd time, we took Nick's now-wife, Jill, with us too. The last time, Nick was already in the Marines so it was just these 4 boys.

I remember when we first moved into this house 8 years ago. Life was hard sometimes. There was already plenty of adjusting going on between the 4 of us (Steve, Lizz, Simon and me), as you can imagine. I remember one time standing in the kitchen, crying, saying to Steve, "There are always so many kids here. It's too much. How come they all have single mothers at home living a quiet life - and we have all this noise and spend so much on food? I know some day I'll look back on these as the good ol' days, but I sure can't see it today. It's not fair."

I sure can see it today. I love these guys.

You can count on me getting a little teary seeing them all together after all these years. Throw in a big occasion like Nick's wedding or Paul's graduation or just showing up unexpectedly at our house with grins on their faces - and I'm a goner.

Wow. All I meant to do was post those photos and congratulate Paul (and Gretchen!) on a job well done. Where did all that come from??

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Hair Carving

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Look what you can get for just $10! Simon already had the fauxhawk, so the side shaving and carving was $10. He justified the $10 because one of his roommates owed him $10. That's how kids with no money justify spending money - it felt like free money to him. It was not his money, but his roommate's. With keen financial skills like this, thus the kid has no money. In his defense, he's definitely growing up and learning some tough financial lessons this year. Just not in this case. ;-) He's 20. He'll get there.

But back to the fun stuff. It was done with a straight razor (whoa!) freehand. So each side is different. He loves it. As do I. Simon and I went out to dinner at The Olive Garden last week. This was pre-carving. He was dressed all in black (required at the high end sunglasses store he works at). I was noticing how many people stared at him as we walked through the restaurant. He doesn't seem to notice, but I'm sure he does. The boy loves attention. I love that he is who he wants to be and lets his freak flag fly. I love this kid with all my heart.

He wouldn't let me take a photo from the front. Guess he figured it would end up on the Internet. Hmmmm.

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Catching Up

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Sticky Notes, $4.50

Blogger has been unable to upload photos all week - at least for some of us. After a couple of days I checked other blogs, checked the Blogger Status page and looked for other posts in the Blogger Group section. Didn't see anything recent and pertinent so I posted my question with details. I signed up for email updates and almost immediately received 13 other "me too!" type emails. A Blogger employee did respond that they are working on it. One user had a work-around which I was going to use this morning but now it's working. Yay! I can't seem to bring myself to post an entry without a picture. I know, that's my silly self-imposed thing.

My point in telling you all of this is wondering why people think being abusive and immature in a quest for help is going to get them any further along. Do they think Blogger doesn't care if there product works properly?

~ ~ ~

In Monday's post, I showed the beautiful painted box made by Abrianna Adler. I emailed her that I had done this - thought she might get a kick out of it. I also suggested she look into setting up an Etsy shop if she hadn't already. First I got a nice reply from her mom, then I received a nice note from Abrianna. Not only did I make her day - it was on her 16th birthday. I had held that box for 1-1/2 weeks, kept meaning to post about it. I ended up doing it on her birthday! I love when the universe works like that.

It turns out her aunt has an Etsy shop so this weekend she's going to help Abrianna set up her own shop. I also offered to give Abrianna some craft show contacts if she's interested in participating in more shows. I haven't heard back yet but I suspect I will.

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Remember when I posted the before and after pictures of Bruce Jenner? Then someone left a comment that his plastic surgery was due to a tragic house fire? Then I felt bad about poking fun so I researched it further and couldn't find any evidence of the fire story except in the sometimes unreliable Wikipedia.

Yesteday I received a comment from Summer that said:

I don't believe the fire rumor about bruce jenner, there are photos of him here. I also checked wikipedia and it appears that they changed his bio and it no longer contains the fire story.

That link even has a timeline of his face!

~ ~ ~

A couple of weeks ago I posted here and sent a couple of group emails to Internet friends and work friends about my sister Gretchen running the half marathon on behalf of Team Semper Fi, as a fundraiser. She completed the half marathon last Sunday - and hit 220% of her goal! So thanks to all my friends who donated. We both appreciate your generosity!

Her account of the run is in her blog.

In other good news, her son returned home from his second deployment to Iraq on Mother's Day. Best gift ever, huh?

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Team Semper Fi

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Read my sister Gretchen's blog today. I'm so proud of her!

My nephew, Gretchen's son, is finishing up his second tour overseas. There's not a living soul that doesn't "support the troops". Here's a way to actively do just that.

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Saturday, May 10, 10:00-4:00

3rd Annual Art Show & Craft Sale
Our Lady of Mercy High School
1437 Blossom Road
Rochester, NY 14610

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20 Years Ago Today

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Harvest Moon by Hand

Isn't my latest Etsy purchase beautiful? $12 plus shipping. I plan to hang it on my studio window. Here's what the artist says about it:

I make the window stars by hand-folding small squares of paper, overlaying the folded paper, and then gluing them together to create different patterns.

Each point on the star is folded 19 times. With 8 points on the star, that's 152 folds!

This star measures approximately 9 1/2 inches in diameter.

The star can be kept on your window all year round since the paper doesn’t fade.

~ ~ ~

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of my favorite day of my entire life, the day we picked up Simon at the airport, fresh from Korea. Steve will tell you I can't say that sentence without a quiver in my voice and he's right. I love that kid so much.

But. Yeah, there's a but. This parental thing we do of attempting to balance enabling and support in the right proportions, is a bitch sometimes. This week has been full of tough love for me. Simon and 3 buds went to Myrtle Beach for Spring Break, very spur of the moment. Simon couldn't afford to go but he's making do somehow. He calls me every day or so, with wild stories. He would swear he's not asking me for money but sounds to me like he's laying the ground work for me to offer. Not gonna happen. It feels good actually, doing the right thing. I'd gotten a wee bit out of balance in recent weeks and realized I was depriving him of the opportunity to make his own success and be proud of himself.

I know I was the only one concerned about it, but Simon got through his five days of jury duty availability without having to report to court at all. He was in Myrtle Beach for the last 2 days of that 5 day period so don't ask me how that was going to work if he had to report. I don't know how that kid hit the lottery but his jury pool appeared to only be 200 people strong with only the first 50 or so having to report to court. Most pools are 900, I believe. His number was 161 so in the beginning I was certain he'd have to report. As the days wore on, it looked more and more like he wouldn't have to report, especially when they started pulling the next pool of 900 into court. So I wasn't overly concerned but it was on my mind.

Anyway, I really do love that kid to pieces. Besides less money to him, means more money I can spend on me in Etsy shops!

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Simon & Reggi

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This is a 7" framed piece I made a while ago but I need to reframe and rephotograph it before I post it for sale. I'm not happy with the quality of this frame.

I'm hauling out the old stuff to post because I'm on the verge of finishing new stuff. I did finish a framed piece for an order from my friend Pam but didn't have time to scan or photograph it. I'm making another one very similar which I'll post in the next few days I think.

Poor Simon is sick. I did his laundry for him the other night and delivered it to him last night. He's usually one to power through colds but this one has him down and out. I think it's because he doesn't have many hours at work this week, so he can take the time to be sick. The thing is he's up for jury duty this week. He has to look online today after 5:30 to see if his presence is required. He has a relatively low number so I'm sure he'll have to go tomorrow. I'm guessing he won't be picked to serve, but you never know.

Reggi continues to improve. Yesterday and today, she's been stuck to me like glue, following me from room to room. I love her.

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Paul

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This is my nephew Paul.
When Your Child isn't College Bound

Paul called me at work yesterday to tell me. "Aunt Stefani, I'm on the Internet!"
He's a great kid.

My sister Gretchen wrote about this stuff here:

Dreaming the Biggest Dream

Looks Like He's Almost Made It

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Happy Birthday Simon!

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The boy turns 20 today. This photo is from my nephew's wedding this summer. If only I could get Simon to come out of his shell, poor thing.

He works not far from me so I called him as I left work yesterday, offering to drop off his present. (I thought I might not see him on his birthday because he'd want to hang with friends.) All he ever wants is cash, which he spends 4 times over, in his head in the months leading up to his birthday. Steve and I got him a Visa gift card so when I said gift, he started guessing all sorts of wild things. As if. He's been wanting a motorcycle so I mumbled something about a trailer being attached to my car. Prostitutes & porn, he asked? With a side of heroin, I replied. He almost hung up on me when I told him we were getting mother/son tattoos. (I know, sorry about that visual.)

He's always properly sincerely grateful when he receives gifts but a part of me always feels "less than" because his wants (not needs) are so high. Oh wait, there, I'm over it.

I love that kid to pieces.

November 16, 5:00-9:00

November 17, 9:30-5:00

November 18, 11:00-4:00

Holiday Bazaar

Rochester Museum & Science Center

657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY

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Spinning

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Remember I said Friday morning how I was feeling tightly wound? Later that morning I realized what the perfect cure would be - an emergency massage! So I emailed Mary and she had a 5:00 appointment available. It was heaven.

I spent a few hours with Simon on Saturday - his new apartment is very nice. Nick was picking up his stuff that day but Simon had most of his there already because he had taken Friday off. I saw the living room and said, "This is such a typical bachelor furniture arrangement!" They have 2 love seats that came from my work, used to be in the lobby a while back - both are pulled right up to the coffee table in front of the TV, leaving half the room empty.

They both slept at their apartment Friday night, Simon had his bed there but Nick slept on the floor with a couch pillow and a blanket. When I talked to Simon Sunday, I asked him if it felt like the big push was getting the apartment and moving - and now, after 2 nights here, "Wow, I really live here!" He said it did.

We went to Linens & Things where I bought him a shower curtain and a curtain for his bedroom window. He was like a kid in a candy store - we had to circle around twice so he could absorb everything. "Simon, we're finally bonding over one of my favorite stores!"

He called me later to tell me that as he was walking up the sidewalk to his apartment, a guy stopped him and asked him if he was moving in. When Simon said yes, the guy said, "Great, I'm moving out - so maybe we can help each other out." He gave Simon a Surround Sound speaker system, a glass coffee table and 2 glass end tables. Everything works, Simon said. I'm looking forward to seeing the place again when he and Nick have their stuff all set up.

It doesn't quite feel like an empty nest around here yet. That's probably not helped by the amount of mess he left in the garage and his room. He's not done yet but he worked really hard for a couple of days so I gave him a break about cleaning up around here. It felt a little bit different grocery shopping for just Steve & me but I'm not sure why - Simon practically never ate here the past year or so.

Other than that, I worked like crazy on Pine Tree Designs stuff. I feel like I have enough cards made. Enough for now anyway. I'll only have 4 framed pieces at Thursday's show at Casa Larga because I've been concentrating on the things that sell the most - the Sticky Notes and cards. Now I'm in the mode where the more I get done, the more I think I can get done. So I'm making about 100 pins. I'll post them later.

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New Paper

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This is the card I wanted to upload a few days ago to show you. Helen sent this to me with her check for a recent order. She has 3 cats and knows I have 2. This was made by Julia Masseo. I love it's simplicity and colors but what I really love is the way she covered each eye with liquid applique or embossing powder or something to make it shiny. It's a tiny detail that really elevates the card from nice to terrific.

My Bazzill paper order arrived the other day. This is just part of it. I started putting it away but realized that I really need another paper organizer.

I have two. Ideally I would have one shade of paper per compartment but I'm really okay with several shades from the same family in the same slot. But I have so much paper now that I found myself mixing color families and that just doesn't fly.

I bought the two I have at BJ's Wholesale Club. I found them on their website this morning but decided to check the store on my lunch hour since it's near work. As I'm driving there, I thought to myself, "Oh, I should pick up some toilet paper and paper towels for Simon."

No paper organizer to be found, but $200 later . . . I have a cart full of stuff for Simon. Stupid boring stuff they won't think about - garbage bags, dishwasher detergent, soap. With my blessing, I told Simon he should come home to do laundry to save him some money but I know that will get old real fast so I bought him laundry detergent too. Stuff like that.

I'm letting him do this move on his own, I really haven't butted in too much. Being a planner and organizer, that's not exactly easy but I want him to feel the fulfillment of doing it on his own. I don't want to be one of those helicopter parents that sets their kid up in their first apartment with so much stuff that it feels like an extension of home or something. Anything they forget or do without, isn't life-threatening - and their threshold for inconvenience is way higher than mine. They'll be fine.

But let's talk about me some more, okay?

So I went online and found that paper rack for $69.99 - no shipping, no tax! Most places I checked were $70+ plus shipping. It should be here in a few days. I'll have a slight bit of rearranging to do to make room for it but it's sorely needed. I've been making do for a while now, longer than I realized when I tried to squeeze this new paper in the existing racks.

I made a big fat mistake in ordering the paper though - I ordered rusted metallic paper instead of copper metallic. I use copper so much I ordered 2 reams, or so I thought. The company has a $200 minimum order so it will be awhile before I order again. I'll figure something out. And I'll start designing with rusted metallic, apparently.

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His First Apartment

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Simon is moving into his first apartment this weekend. He'll be living with a kid named Nick, who works with Simon. Seems nice. This process has been ongoing for a couple of weeks and they got the final word last Friday. Needless to say they are excited out of their minds.

I can't believe he's moving into an apartment complex! Where have I gone wrong?? I have never lived in an apartment complex - always rented half of a house - or I lived above a store once. His biggest life lessons these next few weeks are going to involve getting along with his neighbors. Lord help the neighbors.

It's been an interesting process for me. I'm 100% excited for him and want him to do this. It's time for him to go. When he first started talking about it, he asked me a few times, "Mom - can you believe I'll be moving out? Are you going to be okay with that?" I've assured him I will be. I kept my voice level but inside I was doing the happy dance, believe me. Then I realized maybe I better dial that back a skosh - maybe he wants me to miss him a little more. So I assured him I'd miss him. And I will. (His apartment is only about 10 minutes from here. And he's never without his cell phone. With our diverse schedules, we often go days without speaking to or seeing each other. It's been a gradual liberation process for us both.)

So for the 2-3 weeks this has been going on, I've been really happy - for me. It was just this past weekend, now that we're on the home stretch that I've gotten excited for him. I've told him several times that moving away from home was one of the top five moments in my life. I had a great home life (thanks Mom & Dad) but it was time to start my own life. I mean, is there anything better than living independently*? I'm so happy & excited for him.

*Note: He won't be 100% independent - I'm still paying his car insurance and cell phone. He'll take those on as he's able. But that kid has so much car debt, with that fancy car of his - and don't get me started on that.

The thing is, I know he can do this. He's ready. Will there be bumps in the road? Yep. Oh well.

I told him this is a big turning point because once you move away from home, you never want to live at home again. Nor do your parents particularly want you to. (Can I get an amen from the empty nesters please?)

The other interesting thing is how many people want to unload their crap on them, um, I mean share their possessions, recycle their furniture and household items. People are so relieved to have someone to give it to - it's coming out of the woodwork! We'll see how it shakes out this weekend but I think they should be set with most stuff.

Simon is very high maintenance, a real material boy. I am pleased to see that I think he's getting it about accepting used furniture and such. I was kinda worried about that, with his high-falutin' taste and all. I knew the reality would slap him in the face sooner or later but like I said, I'm happy to see he seems to be embracing that concept up front.

He says his room is mostly packed but I haven't ventured in to see. I'm the type that packs everything a month in advance, in boxes neatly labeled. I know, that surprises no one. But I'll have you know he does have his priorities in order. He spent a couple of hours this weekend squeezing the fluid out of yellow highlighters. He mixed the liquid with water in a row of empty liquor bottles - that glow under a black light. Other than commenting that I'm glad he obtained those empty bottles from an over 21 year old friend of his, all I could say was, "Finally! My son is crafting!"

It does look pretty cool.

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Gretchen

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I'm very happy to report that my sister Gretchen is blogging again. I know some of you have followed her writing for years and this is her latest incarnation. I'm happy because her writing is too good not to share with us. This latest site only has a few entries up so far but I think you'll enjoy reading about her going nuts over pie.

(Gretchen - Steve loved the slice of key lime. Best he's ever had, he said.)

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