September 13, 2008

Meet The Jilly Bean

I’ve always been a country girl at heart. Maybe that’s why I’ve liked The Jilly Bean since the first time she wandered in for a visit at skeet’s stuff. The Jilly Bean is a country girl and blogs about her life over at The Post-It Place. How country is she? Well, she knows that a tractor and overalls can make a man incredibly sexy. She’s recently started raising chickens and even brought in a chicken whisperer to help her out. She blogs a lot about the doings in Hick Town, which sounds like just the knid of place I’d have liked to have raised my son. Her son and daughter make appearances on the blog from time to time and are just the sort of wholesome and well-rounded kids you’d expect in such a nurturing environment.

Things have been a little rough for Jilly Bean and her family just lately. Like me, she recently lost her computer and all of the archived information it stored. Her mother’s fiance is approaching end stage with Renal Cell Carcinoma. Living out in the country, though, they’ve been really blessed with lots of help from some good neighbors. I’m sure she’d appreciate a neighborly visit from you, too, with a few encouraging words. Just don’t mention the Maytag man while you’re there, unless you want to jump on her Maytag-bashing bandwagon. They picked on the wrong woman when they mistreated our Jilly Bean. Take my word for it: you dont ‘t want to get on her wrong side!

Despite recent and ongoing events, Jilly Bean is an upbeat gal and likes to share her wit and humor. Go visit on a Thursday and join in on the Treasure Hunt Thursday fun. I’m thinking that Jilly Bean should be looking at jobs in logistics. She lines up a series of facts and writes very clever riddles for each treasure hunt. I think you’re supposed to visit several blogs and collect puzzle clues as you go, but I couldn’t find post that explains exactly how it all works. Maybe she’ll do one soon and make it easier for everyone to join in. There are no categories or tags to help with navigation either, but just scrolliing through the posts is a rewarding experience. Don’t limit yourself to just Thursday visits, either. There’s a little something worth smiling about in almost every post at The Post-It Place. Jilly Bean is warm and welcoming and her blog reflects that. I’m predicting you’ll all feel right at home from your first visit. Check it out and let me know, okay?

Technorati Tags: blog reviews, blogs, country living

September 12, 2008

Tuesday Teaser gift card drawing for August

There were three Tuesday Teaser winners in August. Y’all did notice, didn’t you, that I no longer carry the prize over to the next week when we have no winner? I’m constantly backlogged on linky-love posts, so this move has eased that burden a bit.

I’m not a Starbucks fanatic like some folks I could name (yeah, I’m talking about you!) There’s been a Stabucks on our coast for about a year now and I’ve been there maybe three times. I went there today because I figured I could try out my laptop in wireless mode (didn’t work - I’ll figure that out later) and because it seemed like a good place to release some books and to find someone to help with the prize drawing.

Barrista Blossom did the honors this month. Congratulations to Megan! She’s won a $10.00 gift card (from Starbucks or Amazon) or ten dollars in spending cash from PayPal. Mahalo to all of my players from August. You bring a lot of fun to my blog!

Since I was there anyway I decided to try the seasonal special - Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. Meh! It was okay, but didn’t excite me much. I probably won’t buy one again.

Technorati Tags: contest, contest winner, photo puzzle, Tuesday Teaser

September 10, 2008

Four Foods on Friday #46

The week is drawing to a close, so it’s almost time for Four Foods on Friday again. You’re invited to play along. Answer the questions below on your blog then go to Val’s post and leave your link in the comments. She’ll do a roundup post on Friday and throw a little linky love your way.

#1. Egg salad or deviled eggs. How do you prepare?

I never make either for myself. In years past when I made them I always took the easy way out: add sweet pickle relish to chopped up eggs (for egg salad) or to creamed, hard-boiled yolks (for deviled eggs.) Chopped onions can be added too, if desired. For egg salad, add mayo to create the right texture and spreadability, salt and pepper to taste and you’re done. For deviled eggs, add a little garlic powder, salt and pepper before stuffing the egg halves with the yolk mixture. Finish off with a sprinkle of paprika.

#2. French fries. Do you make homemade or frozen?

I don’t fry much of anything anymore. My digestion can’t handle the fats and I hate dealing with a greasy kitchen (a lot of the kitchens I inspect have a greasy film on cabinets and even walls, and they smell of stale grease. Yeeeech!) I buy frozen fries, usually the Ore-Ida Texas Crispers, spritz them with my olive oil sprayer and bake according to directions. All of the crispness and texture of deep-fried but without the mess and the excessive amounts of fat.

#3. Gravy. What do you use - homemade, jar, can or from a package?

Homemade, always. None of the pre-mades have ever tasted right to me.

#4. Share a recipe for a hot (temperature, not spice) dish.

I made my easy au gratin potatoes last night. Peel however many potatoes you need for the bunch you’re feeding. Slice thinly. Place a layer of potato slices in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish. Dot with butter, splash with a little milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Last night I added a sprinkle of dehydrated onion flakes. Fresh onions and/or garlic work well, too. Continue layering until all of the potatoes are in the dish. Cover with a layer of grated cheddar cheese. If you’re using a deep dish you might want to add a layer of cheese about halfway through, too. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the potatoes are done and the cheese is brown. I use a small (two-serving, three layers of potatoes) dish and it took about thirty or forty minutes. A standard-sized dish to feed a family will probably take about an hour.

Technorati Tags: food, food blogs, meme

September 9, 2008

Furniture for my office

I need to go furniture shopping soon. The desk that I bought when I started my business nine years ago is falling apart. I had some start-up money, of course, but investing in good furniture wasn’t real high on my list at that time. I’m actually a little surprised that my cheap desk has lasted as long as it has. I’ve been looking at new home office furniture for while, but now it’s time to get serious about my search. The pull-out keyboard tray for my desk (which I’m using for my laptop right now) is trying to fall off. Since I’ve just been through the nightmare of having to buy a new computer in a hurry I don’t want to have to do that again any time soon. I found the desk shown here at Max Furniture and I really like it. I have a little rolling cart at my elbow because my current desk doesn’t have any drawers. Would you look at all the drawer space on this beauty! My current desk has about the same amount of hutch space, but the L-shape of this one gives it more desk surface, so maybe I can get rid of the printer stand in addition to the rolling cart. That would make my office much less cluttered and - well, you know about me and clutter!

Once I get my office squared away I’ll be ready to start looking at living room furniture. I like my sofa, media center and book shelves, but I don’t have any end tables in my living room. How am I supposed to hide clutter from unexpected guests if I don’t have any drawers to shove stuff in when someone comes to the door? First things first, though. Getting my office in order is a top priority. I’ll have some fun with the living room once that’s done.

Technorati Tags: furniture, home furnishings, living room furniture, office furniture

Tuesday Teaser photo verification

Well,well! Either Jennifer is a pretty smart gal or she’s just a lot quicker than the rest of the Tuesday Teaser players. Since a.) She’s won the contest many times before and b.) No one else posted the right answer, I think she’s won again because she’s one sharp cookie. Congrats Jen on yet another Tuesday Teaser win. She’s won a linky love post (I think that makes a dozen or so!) and will be entered into the monthly drawing for a ten dollar gift card. Before you ask - no, I haven’t forgotten to draw a winner for August. I haven’t had the magic mug with me when I was around someone who could do the drawing for me, but I promise I’ll get to that soon! Mahalo to you all for playing. I hope you’ll come visit me every day. I know you’ll all be back next Tuesday!

Technorati Tags: contest, photo puzzle, picture frames, Tuesday Teasers

Tuesday Teaser for September 9, 2008

Can you identify the item depicted above? Take your best guess and post it in the comments below. If your guess wins, you’ll get a nifty prize. Here’s how it works:

1. Write a comment giving your guess as to what the item is. Be as specific as you can. For instance, indoor “lamp” would be too general as an answer if you needed to identify a lava lamp. Sometimes the brand will need to be specific, as when you identified the Enregizer Bunny and auto company logos. Guess as many times as you want, but put each answer in a separate comment, please!
2. First person to identify the item wins. If more than one person provides the correct answer, time and date stamp will determine who was first.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer. Sorry - no hints will be given. I will attempt to respond to your answers at least every few hours, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
4. The contest will end in forty-eight hours, whether or not a correct guess has been submitted.
5. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.

What will you win?

1. The author of this blog will write a LINKY LOVE POST (review) about the winner’s blog (commercial sites ineligible.) The LLP will contain the url for your blog plus at least two deep links and will be posted here on Skeet’s Stuff, a PR4 PR2 PR0 (bah google!) Ha! PR3 blog. Skeet writes good reviews.

2. The weekly winners will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon or a ten dollar payment through PayPal so they can start saving for those sexy new shoes or a gallon of gas.

3. Drawing for the monthly prize will be held on or about October 1, 2008, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are five Tuesdays in September, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is five.

Comments submitted with commercial links will be deleted. If you would like to market your product, service or website through skeet’s stuff I’ll be happy to discuss your needs and my prices. Please submit your request via email.

Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, photo puzzle

September 8, 2008

The Clan McLeod

The Clan McLeod chronicles the daily life of a homeschooling, Christian family. Like most homeschooling bloggers, Gina is generous with her experience. She blogs about the lessons she’s doing with her girls, about the study materials they use and the field trips they take. She also does an excellent job of reviewing some of the tools and training materials that help her stay on track as a teacher. If you’re homeschooling and haven’t discovered The Clan McLeod yet, I recommend that you check it out. You’ll probably want to add Gina to your blogroll of online homeschooling resources.

Gina first appeared at skeet’s stuff a couple of months ago - I think she found me through Laura Williams’ weekly contest listing (button in my right sidebar.) She’s become a weekly regular for my Tuesday Teasers and has won several times in the last month or two. In addition to being smart enough to crack my brain teasers, she’s got a sharp wit and compassionate heart. She sometimes donates space on her blog to worthy causes. She had a donation button up right now for a family that recently lost their home to fire. If you have a couple of extra bucks in your jeans this week, this would be a great place to spend them.

There’s almost always a contest or giveaway going on over at Gina’s place. Her current contest closes today so you’ll need to check back soon to see what her next giveaway is.

I’d like to see Gina add some categories or tags to the blog to make it a little easier to locate contests or homeschool posts or whatever you might be looking for. Her posts are well written and flow smoothly from topic to topic, but right now you have to do a lot of scrolling if you’re interested in a particular subject. The Clan McLeod has a lovely custom theme and is attractively arranged. The real treat, though, is Gina’s easy style. Many of her posts read like a conversation you’d have with a friend over a cup of coffee in a country kitchen. Her welcome mat is always out, so meander on over and get to know her.

Technorati Tags: blog review, blogs, bloggers, homeschool blogs

September 7, 2008

Self Portrait Sunday for September 7, 2008

I don’t suppose I’ll get lucky enough to have Arrington or Calcacanis get in an uproar about my self portrait this week. They gave Ted Murphy, CEO of IZEA, a hard time when he persuaded postie Robyn to give PayPerPost a little banner space on her forehead a while back. Robyn got paid $1000 for complying with the request, so they had some harsh words for her, too - something about selling her soul, I think. Maybe I should have held out for cash, but, what the heck. It cost me five minutes of my time & the Sharpie ink scrubbed right off. Ted and I were on Twitter at the same time and he asked so I decided to play along. Wonder if he’d have paid me $1000 if I’d asked? Guess I’m not much of a businesswoman.

I don’t usually use a recycled photo for Self Portrait Sunday, but I’m in the midst of a cleaning frenzy today. If I stop long enough to shower and get all prettified I’ll lose my momentum and not get anything else done. I’ve got all of my floors swept, the kitchen is tidy and several loads of laundry have been done. I’m going to give Lancie a bath after I finish this post, then mop all of the floors while he’s out on the lanai drying off. I’ll probably have to vacuum after the floors dry. Sweeping tends to leave as much dog hair as it removes. Maybe I should look into Sebo vacuums - my cheapie vacuum from WalMart doesn’t work much better than the broom. I’ll worry about that another day, though. Right now I need to get this posted over at Midlife Musings and get back to work or poor Lance will be wet and freezing when the sun goes down!

Technorati Tags: meme, photos, self portrait

Posted by skeet @ 4:37 pm • Photos, Meme • 9 comments  

September 6, 2008

Call to duty

I got a knot in my stomach when I saw it in the mail. I’ve never tried to avoid jury service. Despite whatever deficiencies it may have, I believe in our justice system. I believe it’s a right, a privilege and a duty to serve when called. I’ve been called on several times in the past. Several times I spent a few days waiting at the courthouse but never being selected to actually sit on a jury. Once I was selected, but the civil case was settled just as the trial was supposed to start. Then there was last time. Last time I was seated on a jury hearing a criminal case. The man on trial had already been convicted and had already served some of his sentence. There was a question of the constitutionality of his conviction, so he was granted a retrial. As jury members we knew little of this. We didn’t know that the man had been convicted and were told only that this was a retrial and we were not to be concerned with why.

I watch a lot of crime TV. The first adult books I read were detective novels and police procedurals. While there’s a lot of realism in such fiction, it does nothing to prepare one for involvement with our real-life justice system. The proceedings of the court may have a familiar feel - how many times have you seen the same thing on Law and Order? - but the awareness that you are involved in the lives of real people lifts it to a different realm. The case we were hearing involved a murder. The wife of the victim testified early on. She was not allowed to sit in the courtroom once she had testified, but we saw her each day. The prosecutor made sure we did. She sat on a bench right outside the courtroom door. I have no doubt that the peacock blue jacket she wore each day was a device recommended by the prosecutor’s office. They wanted us to see her each time we entered and left the courtroom. They wanted us to be constantly aware that she was a woman who was alone because her husband had been brutally murdered. We all knew that we were being manipulated, but it worked anyway.

It doesn’t bother me when Gil Grissom collects insect specimens from a body on CSI. It makes me a little squeamish sometimes, but I watch anyway. It’s only fiction. In real life, I almost passed out when we were looking at photographs of what was left inside a man’s skull after several days of exposure to insects and the elements. I don’t know if I gasped out loud or if it was something in my face, but the judge asked me if I needed some time - should he give the jury an unscheduled break? It did not feel right to inconvenience the jury or any of the others involved, so I said no. Later testimony and evidence was equally unpleasant, but those first photographs prepared me and I was able to control my natural inclination to react or look away.

I was selected by the other jurors to serve as foreperson once we retired to consider the verdict. It was a no-brainer. The murderer had confessed, so the only thing we needed to consider was whether he was of sound mind when he committed the crime. He claimed it was a momentary loss of control due to emotional distress, but I reminded the jurors that he came to the scene with the murder weapon- a machete - hidden inside a lawn chair. We took less than an hour to reach our guilty verdict.

That was my last involvement with the justice system. Despite my feelings about duty, I had hoped it would be my last ever. I still do. Since I don’t have a doctor I can’t provide the court with a medical certificate, but I’ve written them a letter asking them for special consideration. My medical condition would make it extremely difficult for me to serve. That’s legitimate, but I’ll admit that I think I would be reluctant even if I were in perfect health. I think the courts should make a special allowance for people who have served as jurors for cases involving heinous crimes. Once in a lifetime should be enough.

Technorati Tags: criminal justice, jury duty

September 5, 2008

Creating a comfortable work environment

I told y’all two days ago that using my new laptop has already caused a bad flare of the tendonitis in my hands and wrists. I’ve been gripping tools and using them to bang on the structures I inspect for almost thirty years now. That led to a condition called DeQuerveins, a repetitive motion injury to the thumb. Trying to accommodate the DeQuerveins caused me to grip things awkwardly and I developed carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow. I then tried to work left-handed for a while & the result is that I have all three conditions on both the left and right sides. I work carefully these days and my hands and arms haven’t been giving me trouble until this week. Right now my new laptop is sitting on my desk. I don’t have a wireless setup yet, so I’ve had to place it where I can plug into my cable modem. The top of the desk is too high for keyboard placement, so my hands are giving me fits once again. I bought a wireless mouse and a slant board/cooling fan yesterday, hoping they would help. They haven’t. I need to get myself set up with some truely ergonomic computer accessories that will allow me to return to proper posture and hand positioning. Going wireless will help - I’ll be able to use my laptop at a more comfortable level - but what I’m most concerned with is supporting my wrists and positioning all of my equipment in a way that will reduce risk of injury. I’ve found several solutions at iShopErgonomics.com. That’s the Bakker Elkhuizen Ergo-Q 330 up there at the top of my post. It will pack up and go wherever I take my laptop so I can always have a wrist-friendly ergonomic workstation, no matter where I use my computer. It’s a thing of beauty. I like it. I want it.

You may not have any repetitive motion injuries that require special accomodations. Good for you. Now you need to do something to insure that you stay injury-free and pain-free. Check out iShopErgonomics for all the accessories you need, for your home or office work station and for portable comfort when you’re on the go. It’s the smart thing to do.

Technorati Tags: computer comfort, computers, ergonomics, ergonomic work accessories