The Holiday Are Upon Us!

I remember back in January, when the year started off so incredibly horribly for us and everyone else, I couldn't wait to see the end of 2013 and here we are again, less than 30 days from another year gone by.

After Russell left for the week, I broke out the decorations and got to work.  It was A LOT of work too, and I can't find some stuff I know I have.  There are enough decorations and ornaments to do every room in the house, but I kept it confined to the livingroom.  It took hours and hours too, although I was trying to clean the house and organize stuff at the same time.  

                                                           

Putz houses I got on ebay that are like the set my parents had when I was a kid.

I really like the way these pics came out without the flash.  I am going to have to go into Sandwich and re-shoot all the 'Sandwich Giants' again.  

Glass blobs on a bottle I made last year.  Yes that's Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo.

Some needlework (back left snowman, center Santa, back right 3D sled scene) and a bowl of glittery bulbs. 

I didn't do the beaded thing in the back, but I did do the beaded candle cup in the front.

The Christmas Shelf I made last year.

Rudolph characters.

Those 2 open scenes play music when wound up and the characters around the center move around.

Outside deck.

Make-It Bake-It kits I made back in the mid-70s.  It's really hard to find these kits anymore.  

Goodies!!!!!

I enter a lot of giveaways on blogs and Facebook and every now and then I hit a lucky streak.  I recently won a strand of beads from Happy Mango Beads .  

Instead of breaking them up to use in separate projects, I decided to string them all into one necklace.

Then I won this awesome strand of Christmas themed bracelet beads from Krafty Max Originals, also on Facebook.

That moment you walk into your fave store and overhear them 

discussing your comment on Facebook

My fave shop in town posed a question on Facebook:  "What do you collect?"  I commented, "the question is really what don't I collect?  Marbles, beach glass, beaded purses, postcards, glass of all kinds, craft supplies...shall I go on?"  The day it snowed, I walked down to that shop and as I opened the door, I heard a woman telling her colleague, "We asked what do people collect and this one person commented, 'what don't I collect' and she listed all the stuff she likes!"  I said, 'That was me! I'm Joanne!'  We all had a good laugh.  

So what did I find this day?  A jar of marbles with a cute store label on it.

A mason jar full of beach glass.  Since I won't use my own stash for crafts, I have to purchase it.

Not too bad!

This bag used to have velour or velvet on it, as you can still see it around the microbeaded designs.  It was really reasonably priced at I think $10.

A ruby red 'chicken in a basket' and a pretty cut glass pyramid that turns all colours depending on the light.

Then my dear sisterfriend Jaime's mom asked me if I would give a home to a vintage German shepherd figurine that she had and I was happy to!

I was given these books by author Pamela Foster in appreciation for using a comment I left on her blog, Wounded Warrior Wife, for her book.  I have read both and they are excellent reads.  Ms. Foster married a a man who suffers horribly from PTSD from his service in Vietnam in the mid-60s.  He takes her on a wild ride through life and as a result, she has done and seen some amazing things, all the while trying to survive her husband's PTSD symptoms and triggers.  

A few months ago I treated myself to this amazing beadwork hairpiece.  The price was so reasonable and I know how much work went into it.

Then Butterflies of Cape Cod posted some butterfly wing pendants they had available on Small Business Saturday.  I was dying to get the Madagascar Sunset Moth one so I jetted down there.  I asked if they'd sold any of my jewelry and she had $79 to give me! I was so excited because now I could also get a Blue Morpho butterfly pendant too!!!!  These are real wings, harvested from insects that have already passed away naturally.

Russell & I stopped by McDermott's Glass Studio and they had a bargain table outside, which contained 2 large marbles that aren't quite perfect.  One is a beautiful cobalt blue.  It's so dark it looks black.

And another unusual marble with a hole in one side where you can see inside.

It, too, is very dark but in the bright light there are lots of cool colours in it.

Recently I was looking around for some Victorian house design stitching patterns.  I didn't mention it to anyone, so imagine my utter surprise to receive this in the mail from my dear friend Debby out in Washington! Along with pretty window crystals to add beads to!!!!!!!!!

But the absolute BEST gift of all, that my sweet amazing man got me...and us....is a generator!!  We fell bass ackwards into a really good deal on a Champion brand one and I am so relieved that we don't have to cope with a multi day power outage this year.  As long as I can have a space heater, a light and the fridge plugged in, that's all I need.  It kind of looks like this one I snagged off the internet.

How lucky and blessed am I?!  VERY!!!!!!

If I Had One Moment To Do Over Again

When I look back over my life, I see a lot of moments that I'd love to do over again.  But there is one that really sticks out in my mind because if I had just one opportunity to do something over, it would be this.  It should also be noted that this event became a source of great mirth to my dad, and now Russell, because all they had/have to do is say the man's name and I go into my ranting tirade: Police Chief 'Weirdy' (name changed, obviously, and a nod to my bff Liz for coming up with the awesome pseudonym).

In the summer of 1981, my cousin Diane purchased a red Yamaha Chappy moped.  She'd saved up all her money to get one.   The one pictured below is like hers except she didn't have a milkcrate on the back of it.

She purchased it from a Yamaha dealer in Hyannis, who gave her all of the needed instructions and so forth prior to taking it home.  Mopeds don't have to have a license plate because they don't drive in the middle of the roads like cars and motorcycles, nor do they require a driver's license. In those days, most mopeds looked more like this:

Like a bike, with pedals, just with a small motor and larger seat.  On those, you pedaled the bike to start the engine.  Hers didn't have the bike pedals, and had a kick-start, like motorcycles have.  I couldn't wait to ride on it too!

That was my first summer working as a chambermaid at some summer cottages in East Sandwich.  My dad dropped me off in the mornings and my employer took me home when we were done.  One day, Diane offered to pick me up on the moped when I got off work.  I jumped at the chance.  She was at my aunt & uncle's (her grandparents) house, and it wouldn't take long to get to the cottages.  We were on our way home  on the side of Rte. 6A, well out of traffic, and had just about reached the bottom of Old County Road.  We heard a loud siren behind us and I turned around to see an unmarked car with blue lights flashing in the grill.  We were being pulled over.  I muttered to her, 'Oh what the fuck?' Diane, being a very even tempered and non-confrontational person pleaded with me, 'Please don't say anything that will get us in trouble...PLEASE keep your mouth shut....just let me handle it?  Promise?  PROMISE?'  Annoyed, I said, 'Fine!'  which really came out more like, 'Fine-ah!'

She stops and we get off the moped.  I turn around to see the shortest little man get out of that police car.  He couldn't have been much taller than me, and I top out at 5'2".  His chest was all puffed out and he had a swagger about the way he approached us, hand on his gun.  Seriously?  Two high school girls?  We were 16 for crying out loud!

'LICENSE AND REGISTRATION!' he barks at Diane.  I am fuming, but keep quiet.  She said, 'I don't have a license or registration, sir....it's a moped and...'  He cuts her off mid sentence to yell at her for riding a motorcycle without a registration, plates or license.  I was pissed off but again, kept quiet.  Diane was remaining calm, but I could tell she was scared.  She said, 'I'm really sorry officer....the guy at the dealership said I didn't need plates because it's a  moped, not a motorcycle and....'  The cop cuts her off, 'DO YOU WANT A CITATION FOR BACK TALK?!?!?!'  He told us to get back to wherever we were going and get that thing registered.  We got back on the moped and went home, where we told our families what happened.  

Upon description of the little tiny cop with the swaggering Napoleon attitude, my uncle and dad exchanged amused, but knowing, looks.  'That was our town police chief, Weirdy.'  From that moment on, whenever my dad saw him he'd come home and say, 'I saw your friend today' and cackle.  That usually sent me off into my I Hate Chief Weirdy rant.  

If I could go back in time and do that moment over again, I so totally would.  I would have ignored Diane's pleas to be nice and be quiet.  As soon as that teeny, tiny cop started yelling at her, I would have told him off.  I was never one to throw my dad's name around, but boy would I have told that asshole who my father was.  And my uncle.  

This is how the exchange would go, if I had this moment to do over again:

Him:  'LICENSE AND REGISTRATION!'

Me:   Quiet for the moment but biding my time.  Contempt clearly written all over my face.  Arms crossed across my chest, tapping my foot, over-exaggerated eyerolls, jaw jutted out, nostrils flaring, lips pursed.  Every now and then, an annoyed and loud sigh.

Him:   Yelling at Diane for not having plates.

Me:  Are you fucking serious?  It's a fucking MOPED asshole! You don't NEED plates, a license or a registration for those, don't you know that?  We weren't even riding in the middle of the road, but on the side like mopeds are supposed to do!  Me in a sing song, Mr. Rogers voice:  Can you say 'Moped?'  I know that choo can.

Him:  DO YOU WANT A CITATION FOR BACK TALK?

Me:   Fine! Do it!  Please! What's wrong with you, you tiny little man?  Can't catch real law breakers so you have to try and intimidate and threaten high school girls?  Go ahead! Bring me to the fucking police station and call my father, John Mendonza.  And her grandfather is Bill Marganella, so call him too.  I'm sure they'd LOVE to hear from you, you fucking loser cop.  Seriously, asshole, don't you have anything better to do than pick on a couple of kids who weren't doing anything wrong? And with lights and sirens no less?  DICK!!!!!!!!!

.................

Of course if that exchange had really taken place and my parents had to come get me out of jail, I would have been forced to apologize to Chief Weirdy and I would have been punished. But you know what?  It would have been worth it just to have my say.  

Update!

Update loooong overdue!!

I've been so busy the past few months, preparing for craft shows that took place at the Bourne VFW in mid-November and Upper Cape Tech the weekend of 11/23 & 11/24 that I haven't really updated on what's been going on.  I was a crafting maniac and to be honest, towards the end, I started to get reeeeeeally tired of making stuff specifically for the fairs. So I made some stuff for myself too!

I worked on a craft kit of the month project of cross stitch ornaments.  They really should've sent this kit out months ago instead of November.  They are small but time consuming.  Right now I have the Santa stitched but not outlined, and the Christmas tree almost finished.

Added beaded hangers to the blue and purple window crystals I got over the summer.

Couple bracelets which are a little too big for my wrist unfortunately.

Got the pendant at the King Richard's Faire and made a necklace.

But then it was back to crafting for the fairs.  It was next to impossible to find acorn caps this season.  I hope that means an uneventful winter.  This time I used marbles because I couldn't find beads to fit the caps.

These are so much fun to make!

Memory wire bracelets.

More of these.

Beach themed ornaments.

The VFW show was OK.....the best part was hanging out with Marsha, seeing my school bus driver, Elaine, from the 70s who makes beautiful dyed scarves, and my inlaws were there selling their homemade soap.  I made my table fee back, but my total earnings that day were under $100, which was disappointing.  

The Upper Cape Tech School sale was huge; 150 vendors!!  I had a great spot in the cafeteria and sooooo many friends stopped by to say HI.  That was the best.  Marsha, my partner in crime, was there the first day working the show with me. I think the highlight of that weekend, besides seeing my friends, was seeing one of my kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Winslow!  I probably haven't seen her since the early 1970s.  Sales were kinda slow...I made my table fee back and a couple hundred dollars profit.  My photo cards and glitter ornaments didn't sell well at all which was very disappointing.  Lots of people stopped by and admired my items, esp. the button caterpillars, but I only sold one.  There was one little girl who had $10 to spend and returned to my table after going through the whole school because she wanted one of the magic wands.  She couldn't decide between 2 of them so I sold her 2 for $10.  How could I not?  I've signed up for next year and I am going to have to rethink what I make.  There is just too much jewelry at these shows; I can't compete.

This is the view from UTC.  I'm gonna have to go up there for sunsets!  That's the Bourne Bridge, and behind it, the Buzzards Bay water tower.  It was a less than 5 minute drive from my house.

My birthday was the day before Thanksgiving and the best gift I had was that Russell was home.  It was a very windy, rainy day and I would have been worried sick if he was driving home, especially with an empty trailer.  Tons of my friends wished me Happy Bday on Facebook and that gave me the warm and fuzzies.  I am FB friends with a couple of celebrities, and I was stunned to see this one show up on my Timeline!! I've been a fan of Bill Mumy's since the 60s when I first discovered 'Lost in Space' when I was about 4!!!!!

And because I have blogger and gmail accounts, I had my own personalized Google Doodle!!!

 We visited my mom first then went out to eat at 99 for lunch.  After I got home, I baked a funfetti cake.  

The storm moved through by Wednesday evening and we woke up to a gorgeous crescent moon and sunny day on Thanksgiving.

We visited with our families in the early afternoon, then we came home and finished cooking the turkey dinner for the kids who came over around 3 to eat with us before heading over to their mom's for their second dinner at 6.  All in all a lovely day!