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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Mini things...

Thing 1:  When I came to Campbellsville in late September to work at Amazon during their peak holiday season, I decided that I'd use this 3 months to update my eBook, write more instruction pamphlets, post more videos and finally - by golly - get a a working website.

When speaking with a good friend about possible jobs after this one ends on Dec 23, he reminded me about how I was going to use this time on my website AND how I have been able to sustain my lifestyle with teaching and the book sales thus far.  So, thanks, Leonard, you have lit a new fire under an old kettle.  I've spent the last several days working on a website and getting the final revision of my eBook together.

I'll post links when its all said and done.

Thing 2:  Crunchy eggs.  I like my eggs scrambled, verrrrrry dry.  I don't want them moist, runny or fluffy.  I don't even really like eggs, but because they are a good source of nutrition, have come to tolerate them.  Oh, the crunch - its usually onion and bell pepper.  This morning (yes, I cooked breakfast at midnight) I sliced a small sweet potato very thinly and tossed that in the pan while the onion and bell pepper was cooking.

Then I scrambled the eggs and tossed that into the mix.   Ummmmm ummmm, sure looked (and tasted) good.  How did I know they were done?  When the smoke alarm went off!!!  In my little 18' travel trailer that I full time in, it has a short ceiling and when cooking I usually open the roof vent, but forgot this morning.

Glad no one called 911 when they heard my smoke detector go off.  Or, maybe they're just used to my "foods done" alarm and didn't pay it any attention.  I'm sure they've heard it before!!!

On the Road Again....

OK, sing it with me....."Just can't wait to get on the road again!!!"

Yep, this weekend I'll be moving the camper to Louisville in order to finish out the Peak season working for Amazon at their Jeffersonville location.

I'll actually get to work days - 5 10 hour days - but days regardless.

Went to a local restaurant and had a really nice mean and margarita with some fellow Amazonians last night.  It was nice to get out though there was still a lot of bitchin and moanin about how Amazon works.

I also worked on finding someplace to "land" for several months between Amazon and hopefully a job here:  http://www.beechbend.com/ for most of the summer.

I've been offered a job at a campground in Lancaster County PA (Amish country) but it is beside a shooting range and of all the reviews I've read, the sound of non stop (daytime) shooting is the most mentioned aspect of the campground.  I think working there would be like getting pecked to death by a duck.  Long - slow - process whereby I'd rather hasten the ending rather than wait for it to happen naturally.  So, at this point I'm thinking I won't go there.

I did volunteer to camp host at a Federal park in Virginia Jan - Mar of 2015, but we'll see how that pans out.

Anyway, I'm glad to be venturing off to work in a different location for the last month of my commitment.

Then, I'll store the trailer - drive to MD to visit the kiddos and then drive to OK for some medical checkup and maybe new glasses. 

Life is good.  Hope to meet you down the road sometime.

Peace to you my friends, take care.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

A long way round to an old friend

Several years ago when the iPhone 4 was coming out, I got a sweet deal for my daughter and I on iPhone 3gs for $99.  I bought us both one and we were happy for many years (me and the phone.  My daughter and I are still happy as well!!!)  Anyway, a couple years ago my iPhone just died.  No warning.  It wouldn't turn on, it wouldn't charge - nothing - nada - zip.

After a brief period of mourning - because I didn't download the photos and video's from it, I bought another cheap phone from Wal Mart and life continued on.

A little while after that, my daughter bought a new iPhone and gave her old one to her daughter.  Here was my chance to get an iPhone back.  I traded my granddaughter her crappy old iPhone 3gs for a bright shiney new Android one.  She was happy, and I was too.

(lots of happiness in this blog - huh?)

Well, here, a year or so later my second hand iPhone starts acting up and not wanting to hold a charge, so I ordered a battery replacement from Amazon thinking I would replace the battery in my original iPhone (why was I keeping a dead phone - I should have gotten rid of it long ago) before putting it in the working iPhone.  Anyway, I plugged the dead phone to the charger and lo and behold the danged thing came on.  There was my old iPhone with photo's and video's and apps from long ago.  I was one happy girl.

A couple years ago I had recorded my friend Bob Kuhn singing several of his original songs and put them on YouTube.  I couldn't post any song he didn't write himself, and on this phone was our friend, Annie's favorite and my all time favorite song - Let it Be by the Beetles.

So, here it is 1:30am (I really need to get to sleep), and I've just listened to Bob sing Let it Be.

So, now, my friends.  I truly am one happy girl.

Good night.




Monday, November 10, 2014

The Walking Dead aka Miss Congeniality

Seems like the older I'm getting, the less crap I'm willing to take from others.   Some of you that know me well, would probably wonder if this is something new, because, really, I've never been one to just sit back and take it.  Right?

Anyway, last year at Amazon, my friends and I talked about this cute young blond that we nicknamed the walking dead because if you were a female and said hello to her she would just look right through you and not even acknowlege your greeting.  My friends and I wondered if she had such a sad/bad home life that she just couldn't cope and carried her misery with her everywhere.  We truly felt sorry for her.

And then, one day, my friend Peggy and I saw her talking to a guy.  And this girl was animated, smiled, engaging.  We figured females were not her chosen conversation partners and then renamed her Miss Congeniality.  It was amazing.

Tonight, as I was walking to break, my sweatshirt jacket fell off my bag (it was looped through the handles).  I went the extra few steps to put my scanner in a storage bin until after break, figuring I'd pick up the jacket in just a few moments.  Along comes Miss C.  And She Steps ON My Jacket.  Its not like its easy to miss.  Red, Sweatshirt Jacket.

So, I said, "Really, you just stepped on my jacket?" and in her cute little blonde sing-songie voice she said "Sorrryyy".

I guess I should feel lucky she actually apologized.  LOL. 

Geesh....

TA Dah!!!!

Well, my book, 3 Drop - Even Count - Bead Weaving Gourd Stitch Technique that I've sold for the past several years on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and a few other places has been revised, edited, enhanced and updated.

I've taken a good book and added graphics and 12 easy to follow patterns.  So not only can you learn this amazing Native American Bead Weaving Technique, you can use the book to actually MAKE something with it.

I must admit, the Gourd Stitch is a hard concept to learn.  It doesn't make sense, it seems like there should be an easier way to get from A to B, but really, once the light bulb comes one and you "Get It" you'll want to bead around everything that doesn't move.

Matter of face, Butch McIntosh, the Creek Indian guy that taught me, beaded everything included the antenna on his car!  I haven't gone quite that far, but if you get the book and make something awesome, send me a message and a pic.

(The sales pitch is now over)

Oil Heiress, I am

18 years after the fact, I find out that my mom had inherited 1/4 interest in 4 acres of land in south Dallas.  An oil company contacted my brother Bobby's boy, Michael about signing a 3 year mineral rights lease.  The guy, Chet wanted all kinds of contact information for the family.  Michael called me and asked me about it, but since Chet was misspelling mom's name and had people listed that we've never even heard of before, I decided that we should not give any info and just blow him off and he'll lose interest. 

Michael, in his wonderful, typical Stidham way (I can just hear my dad and brother Bobby saying this very thing) wrote the guy back and essentially said "Dude, you're a fraud, don't contact us any more".

To which the "Dude" contacted him back and asked to speak with me.  I did call him, and for sure he knew enough about where mom inherited it from and even had a copy of the will, that I figured his information was correct and that since mom and dad were deceased, I really was 1/4 owner in 1 acre of land in south Dallas. 

I got the bank draft yesterday and the contract.  Luckily my other brother, Danny's widow, knew enough about oil leases that after she got her copy, she said it was all above board and to go ahead and sign it.

So, now, I'm an oil lease heiress.  I hope they strike it big!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Videos, Classes and More

I am back in Kentucky working at Amazon for their peak season.  This year I'm a "Picker", so if you've ordered something and it came from Kentucky, I might have picked it off the shelf for you.  Boy, that is one fast paced - non stop job.  The first week I knew I would not return to Amazon next year for the 3rd year, but really, its a mindless job.  You go where the scanner tells you, you pick the item it tells you and you sen it one its way on one of the many, many miles of conveyor belts in that 2million square foot building.  If you're feet don't hurt, then really, its not a bad job.  I am, unfortunately, still working on getting my feet not to hurt.  I've bought 2 pairs of shoes and now I've reverted back to last years shoes, that are broken in and worn out - but at least my feet don't hurt AS BAD as with the new shoes.  We'll see in 2 months when the job is through if I think I'll come back or not.  Our interview for the 2015 season begins in February, so that will give me a little time to forget how bad my feet hurt and to tell them YES, I will return for peak 2015!

I just recently completed teaching a basic leatherworking techniques class at Campbell Folk School in NC.  There was also a weekend class where we concentrated on the Cuir Bouilli technique to make leather drinking mugs.

The classes went well and I really have to say this group of people was among my favorites.

We had Cory Marie - a Belly Dancer and Fire Dancer that made a leather Belly Dancing Skirt and Bra out of leather.  I had Ivan the Wonderful that tried every technique imaginable and ended up with a belt bag, arm bracers, a mask and a few other items.  And, then there was Maura - the ICU nurse that spent the week working on a phone holster/belt bag.  I have never seen anyone spend days perfecting leather straps but she did.  I think she used the time to just work meticulously on her project and needed the time away from the daily life and death stress her job brings her. 

Of course I enjoyed Erla, Wendy, Holly, Randy, Steven and Leeanne too. 

I love teaching.

My good friend Leonard reminded me that I had stated I was going to use this time at Amazon to write more instruction books/articles and maybe record videos to go along with them.  And, you know what?  I am - I've lots of ideas running around in my head and I think I will finally get over my reluctance of of not know the "how to" of actually producing a video and just start with the basics and improve from there.  That's how I wrote the book on Gourd Stitch, so really, all I have to do it just start videoing and quit worrying about how it will all turn out.

Thaksfor ready my blog.  There aren't many of you following me, but I do appreciate it when you comment on my posts.

Take care, and I'll have more stuff to read/view soon.