Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Stash Busting

I honestly never knew what a 'stash' was until a few years ago. I also never admitted or recognized I had a problem so here is the confession....I probably should NEVER buy yarn again.
I have some leftover, never used yarn that qualifies for the term vintage, if not antique. I also have a load that is under ten years old. A good sale is hard to resist and couple that with over-buying or never completed projects and you have a stash problem!
For the past 3 years I made a New Year's resolution to work from the stash and not buy. One year I made it all the way to February...not good.
I have yarn I know I will never use and have sold some collections to those who need more in their stash but still the bins multiply.
But I think I have the solution to this ever increasing issue with yarn.....create something that doesn't use yarn.
Sound weird? Yes, but hear me out. I have been making unique tape measures and as mentioned in another post, they have been a hit and will be in Knit Simple magazine in the fall. Consequently I haven't been in the stores searching out the next yarn buy. Oh, I'm still knitting and crocheting but have been ferociously attacking the stash. In the past month I completed 3 scarves and 3 sets of hand warmers from my bins.
So that's good, right?
Uh, that would be a no....the tape measures call for fabric. Ask me how that stash has grown!!!! Any suggestions?

Saturday, May 12, 2012

A little rant.....

I am not the most profient computer user. The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know. But, I do know a fair amount and don't understand something that has nothing to do with computer skills. It's manners, plain and simple.
I am talking about business e-mails. In 2012, how can you expect to have a viable, if not profitable business without responding to e-mails?
Why does a business advertise an e-mail address or a 'contact us' link if they aren't going to answer?
I am not talking about huge corporations or even large ones. I am talking about small local businesses and online shops. I am referring to businesses who are NOT so overwhelmed that they cannot devote a bit of time each day for correspondence.
Whether an inquiry is about a possible purchase or just a general question, how are these letters ignored? Who knows what positive event may occur?
And as long as I'm on my soap box....watch your spelling and sign your e-mails when you send or when you respond. 
I just received a 3 sentence (questionable sentences!)
response that was 12 words long, 3 typos/spelling mistakes, missing punctuation and no signature. Think I'll do business with you? That would be no!

Rant over! Off to get more coffee...

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Life,Death and Baseball

For those of you who don't know, my son is a coach for a traveling baseball team on which his son, my grandson, is a player. I love baseball and have thoroughly enjoyed going to the games, watching the boys grow, develop and play. There are 11 boys on the team at each game along with their parents and siblings. At intermittant games are the visiting grandparents. There may be an aunt or uncle except for two couples...myself and DH and the grandparents of another player, also in-laws of the assistant coach.
We have gotten moderately friendly over the past few months as the resident "older folk"!
This weekend there was an out of state tournament and we decided to go. Two hours into the trip, we stopped at a rest area and who is walking out? The other "old folks"! We both traveled on another hour to our destination and over the course of the weekend and four games we chatted many times.
The last game ended at 7:15PM Sunday night so needless to say, we had a long ride ahead of us on winding, mountain roads. We all made it safe and sound.

About 1PM Monday my son e-mailed me that last night, Billy passed away in his sleep..........what? how? why?

We are all very upset about this, needless to say. I cannot not think about him and his wife, who was about to retire so they could 'play' together.
My heart is breaking for Nancy, their daughter, son-in-law and grandsons.
Although I was a new friend, we all connected like old souls. I do believe that 'going' as he did is so peaceful although shocking.
There will be an empty seat in the stands.
The photo is his oldest grandson after a great hit during one game.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Why y?

On April 28 the designated letter for the day was "Y"...not an easy one...yeast, yellow, yearn,  yarn, you!!!
As I started writing I realized after 8-10 words that I hadn't used any words with a "Y" at the start or the end or in the center.
So....the 'trick' in that post is that I did NOT use the letter "Y".
Why not? or   Y? Not!