New Years Eve

Midnight is rapidly approaching so I am going to type quickly.
The internet was still out this morning, so I read the newspaper Faye sent, a book that I borrowed from a friend, and made a baby quilt top. I was listening to a meditation session from the Neurotransmitter software and fell asleep. When I woke up, Chris went to post to check the mail. He returned with packages! One had two printer cartridges (apparently they duplicated my order), and one had Christmas presents from my mom. Thanks Mom. I just ran out of cacao nibs, so your timing is perfect! Michele liked her scarves, and Chris was glad to get coffee and fruit cake.
And gee, my 2009 calendar runs out today so the quilt calendar is perfect!
Michele was bored without internet so she suggested Monopoly. That can be a long game but I figured it wouldn't last past the fixing of the internet. The guy showed up as we were passing out the money, but it took him awhile to diagnose and fix the problem. Then life was back to normal.
I opened my e-mail to find 60+ messages waiting for me. So I started digging. I learned that tires should be considered expired after 6 years - whether they have been used or not. Some stores are selling 12 year old tires. You can check the date by reading a 3 or 4 digit code which is the last number on the tire. See "aged tires - hidden danger" on Youtube.
I also learned about the dangers of flouride. Yes, that stuff they put in toothpaste. Read the back of the tube, all of it. It accumulates in your bones and is bad for your thyroid. Google the MSDS on sodium flouride. I now brush my teeth with baking soda.
Its midnight - gotta kiss my husband. Happy New Year, everyone!

Wednesday

I had thought about going to the South Post chapel to cut fabric to make pillowcases, but it was cold so I stayed home to clear out e-mail and clean up clutter in the computer room. Normally I only get a mess cleaned up to the point where it is less of a mess than the other messes. But today I did really well, and got it all organized. Notes scribbled over numerous piles of paper have now been entered on the computer. Other papers have been sorted and filed. In the process I found letters, addresses, tlelphone numbers, and checks. Too bad I didn't find my purple bracelet. I also taped bubble wrap over the open window and made a long rice bag to sit on the window sill.
I was very productive today, and only partially because the internet went out in the late afternoon. I even wrote this blog post on paper 'in hopes that the internet soon would be here'.

The Mushroom restaurant - good to the last drop

Chris gave me a lift to the thrift shop. I wore my "Treble-maker" t-shirt but it was so cold in there I couldn't take my coat off. My hands were cold too because I couldn't wear gloves while processing books and videos. So when Chris called to go to lunch, I was happy to go. We drove to the other side of post, where we were met by some of his coworkers. The three of us followed them off-post to the mushroom restaurant, as it has become known. We sat on the floor and 2 large bowls of soup were cooked IN the table top. It was full of veggies. We also were served kimchi. AFter the veggies cooked and we ate them, large noodles were added to the broth. After that was cooked and eaten, they added rice with seaweed and stuff. Amazingly we ate that, too. It was all very, very good. Then we walked back, in the snow and my feet got wet and cold. We stopped at the post office to mail the Christmas cards. While standing in line, I discovered that the envelopes were not pre-gummed. So no lick and stick. Fortunately the clerk had a roll of tape. Our next mission was to stop by Tina's house for the bags of fabric scraps. And we stopped Chris' office to pick up the mail. I got Christmas cards and printer cartridges. Now I can print in colors other than red and yellow. We came home. I took a nap and made two more pillowcases. After supper I got on my e-mail to clear it out. I am way behind. Too many links to follow.

Post office is open, but my mind is closed

It snowed last night and froze, so driving conditions were hazardous. So I walked to post. Guess what? Walking conditions weren't any better. Cathy picked me up at the gate and we drove to the SPC. I brought fabric for four pillowcases, but didn't get any made. I spent my time helping others and making binding for two quilts. I got the binding machine-sewn on one before we left. (Here is a quilt top one of the ladies made.) Chris came to get me. I guess driving conditions improved. We went to the post office and mailed all the packages, but forgot the letters. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. We had more ham for supper. Oh, it's so good. Unfortunately the commissary no longer sells German mustard. That would have been REALLY good! I spent part of the evening hand-sewing the binding, and part writing a letter to a friend. Then I stayed up until after midnight looking for that friends address!

I saved a life...

We woke up at 9:22. Church starts at 10, so we had to hussle. But we made it. When we went up for communion, I noticed that the pointsettias needed watering. So after church I asked one of the pastors about it. He said no one does that and he expects they will die and be thrown out. I offered to water them, but he declined. He did however give me one to take home. So that is the life I have saved. For now.
Nancy was in church and not feeling well, so I gave her a spinal flush. She is flying to the states tomorrow so I won't find out if it helped. But I wish her the best.
At home I noticed that my tomato plant that I thought was dead from frost, has finally ripened its small fruits. What a surprise!
I made another pillowcase, a purple one, and picked out fabrics to take along tomorrow so I can work on them at the weekly meeting. I don't expect much turnout because most people are on holiday AND it snowed today so the roads are expected to be slippery. I also chose my binding fabrics for the tops I quilted. I figure it'll be easier to sew them on using big tables, than to do it in my sewing room.
Chris and Michele went to see Avatar. I stayed home and checked links on my computer. I learned more about how inundated we are by toxins in our food, air, water, household cleaners, cosmetics, etc. Some baby products are especially bad. On the good side, I learned that most medicines are potent long past their expiration dates. Expiration dates have more to do with marketing and the price of having to do the tests for longer periods of time.
Then I watched a video on Dr. Mercola's site about supercharging your immune system. There are lots of natural ways. If you look for the video on Mercola.com, plan to spend 90 minutes watching it.

Post Office still closed

I was working on another pillowcase when I decided write a few more Christmas cards and then take a shower. That was when Michele wanted Chris to drive her to the subway. But he told her to walk, so he could wait for me. When I was finished, we took all our packaged gifts to base, to the post office. But it was still closed!!! Then we went to the bank to deposit checks. At least they were open. We stopped by Tina's house to pick up some bags, but she wasn't home and the bags weren't outside. Then we parked at Gate 19 and walked to E-Mart to buy eggs and kimchi. The walk isn't bad, but waiting at the stop lights is very cold.
Back at the apt we took a nap (Chris isn't feeling his best) and then I finished the pillowcase. Same base fabric (Christmas flipflops), but I put a green band on it. After supper we drove to post to see Avatar, but it was sold out. Home again, I got on my computer. There is a neat site called ALTUSE.com. It gives alternate uses for different things. I also read about SuperOxideDismutase. It is supposed to be the greatest antioxidant ever. It is present in 2 forms in the cell and one outside it. I also read that what's under your fingernails might be the greatest threat to your health. So I ordered a special soap for that. They also sell a formula to soak your face in that kills germs in your nose and eye ares, but I wasn't ready to try that. Then there was the salt water detox process - some people swear by it, but it sounds like a bit drastic.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is supposed to be special, right? What makes it different from any other day? Let's see, we had a dusting of snow this morning. Then we opened our presents. Didn't take long with just the three of us. Our cards from Faye included holiday music CD's so we put one on. Chris talked to his parents over SKYPE (and his sister was there, too). I made some oatmeal facial scrub and then some mayonaise. Chris pu a ham in the oven for supper. I worked at making a pillowcase. I started with some dolphin fabric, but it wouldn't play with any of my other fabrics, so finally I cast it aside for the Christmas flipflop fabric. After I finished that one, I sat down to write Christmas cards. Doesn't that seem like an appropriate thing to do on Christmas Day? Then around 10:30 we called my parents on SKYPE. I have been staying away from the computer all day so this wouldn't be like every other day. Tomorrow I am going to have a lot of mail to read.