Spring Tasks

Now that I've completed the dreaded TAXES there are some follow up errands to take care of.  Once a year I review my 401K status and make sure that I have the right amount of life insurance.  I also make an appointment to see my OB/GYN for the annual exam and mammogram.

IF YOU ARE A WOMAN AND YOU ARE READING THIS, I strongly suggest that you be good to yourself and make that appointment to see your Dr. for an annual exam if you haven't already done so.  Catch anything early!  I do it at the same time every year because my doc doesn't send reminders.  Making the appointment after the taxes are done helps me remember to do it.

OK, getting off the soapbox now.  But seriously, take care of yourself!!

Another spring errand involves buying myself some new 'unmentionables'.  What fun!!  The grands told me that they would not be going with me on this trip.  "Seriously, G, that's embarrassing."  All alone, I trucked over to the mall.  The store I normally go to is moving.  OK, there's about 75% of the store that's totally empty!  But hey, everything is 60% off!!  Lucky me, I found four of the bras I normally buy.  Plus two others in my size that look like they will work.  The lady at the counter says "did you try these on?  ALL SALES FINAL!"  No, I get the same ones all the time, so I know these will work.

But now I need panties, and the bin they had in my size was about the size of my refrigerator's veggie drawer and full of things I cannot imagine anyone over the age of 16 wearing!  Seriously, they call this a pair of panties??  And it was the one with the most coverage.  Do people not want their whole behind clothed anymore?  Huh.

I just cannot imagine what they are thinking... OK I will admit that the part of my body that was intended to go into that garment is too big.  For the garment, and for my size.  But people, that does not look comfortable at all.  And the rest were even worse.

So I took myself over to a major retailer hoping that they had nice, sensible cotton briefs for ladies of a certain age.  They did, but my heart did a stumble when I saw the price for a package of three pair.  OMG when did things get this expensive?  I guess if you only buy once a year, the price can really change!  Oh, did she say 25% off?  Well at least it's the price, not the amount of fabric in the item!

I thought as long as I was out I would hit one of the other major retailers in the mall.  The sales were pretty good and I picked up some sweaters at a really good price.  Also one very nice top in a navy print. 

After lunch of a giant burrito and a diet soda I tackled one more store and found two pairs of dress pants that I can wear to work after I cut four inches off the bottoms and hem them.  I do that even with the petite sizes.  Good thing I sew or I would have to pay someone else to do that. 

All in all it was a pretty good trip.  I still hate the mall.  But my annual errands are done, and barring anything unforeseen I'm good for 12 more months!



Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before...

I have a Susan B. Anthony dollar taped on a card and placed in a picture frame on a shelf in my sewing room.

Why, you ask?  Or why should I care, maybe?

A while ago I was having lunch with some of the younger ladies and we were having a discussion about various books we were reading.  I was at that time reading Anne Perry's series with Thomas and Charlotte Pitt as the main characters.  Farrier's Gate, The Cater Street Hangman, etc.  Look them up on Amazon if you want to know more.

Anyway the discussion centered around how difficult it was for the women in those books to do the things that we take for granted, and how lucky I consider myself that I didn't live 100 years ago! 

The 'youngsters' don't remember a time when women couldn't hold any job for which they were qualified.  That's not too far back in our history, people!!  Women have only had the right to vote in the US for 92 years.  (Although there were exceptions and a couple of pretty progressive places where women voted if they owned enough property.  When they were allowed to own it... but I digress.)

And it only took us about 2/3 of that 92 years to get as apathetic about exercising the right to vote as men are!

The kids have the right idea!

Maybe the only thing we really want is what we do not or cannot have.  Hmmmm....  well, I think it's a good idea for people to think about having a say in what's going on in their world. 

So we're having all these recall controversies in Wisconsin.  We're becoming quite famous for them!  Not exactly as good as being a cheesehead, but you take what you can get I guess.

Seriously, are the gazillion people who signed on for the recalls part of the fraction who voted FOR the elected officials and now are angry about what they did?  Or are they part of the apathetic majority who didn't vote and now are upset that things aren't going as expected?  I'd really like to know the answer to that one.

Anyway, the next time the opportunity arises to vote, think about those who have gone before.  You have a right to express your opinion in the booth.  In Civics Class they taught us about responsibility and civic duty.  And our mothers and fathers taught us that if you're not participating in the process you don't have a right to whine about it.  Of course you have the right not to vote.  But in my opinion not voting equals not whining later.

While you're in the booth making your choices, say a little thank you to Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, Alice Paul, Lucy Burns that you have the opportunity to do so.  They're the ones that marched, made speeches, got arrested and even went on hunger strikes so you could. 

And oh yeah, Woodrow Wilson, one of the original flip-floppers, who was totally against it in 1917 but realized that women were people too when he needed their help during wartime.  Good old Woodrow!  What would he think today??

Your choice, people.  I'm just sayin'...

Easter weekend

I hope everyone who reads this had a wonderful Easter weekend.  DH and I went to sunrise service at 6:30 a.m.  It was a beautiful day, chilly but sunny.  We went out to breakfast after.  There was a breakfast at church but he never will go with me to those things so I went with him to a restaurant instead.

The kids and grands were all elsewhere.  Grands 1&3 dyed eggs with me on Friday, and 2&4 dyed their eggs with me on Saturday.  They took them all home, so we ended up with the six undyed eggs that had cracked in the boiling. 

I bought NO jelly beans, no chocolate bunnies, no marshmallow eggs.  This year I'm putting myself on the austerity program!  See if I can lose a pound or two before my next doctor's appointment!

One of the dye packets had chalk and 3-D glasses in it.  And special stickers.  The kids got a kick out of coloring with the chalk after the eggs dried, but it didn't appear to last very long.  One good look with the glasses and the handling seemed to rub it all off.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

Meanwhile back at the ranch, we read the paper, took little naps, and I did some sewing.  I put together the main portion of the LLA class quilt.  It's too cute!  I have to take a picture of the progress and post that later.  I'm trying to embroider a banner-type header for it with the class year and teacher's name.  I'm looking for cute lambs to embroider.

I actually cut out and sewed two tops for myself.  It's nice to have a stash of fabrics in your own personal colors, that coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe.  You don't have to worry about whether the stores are open, and if you want a new top, in an hour you can have a couple!  Well, one is completed, the other has to be finished up tonight.

Happy spring!  Keep sewing.