GARBAGE WOES

Does a garbage disposal reside in your sink?  yes or no

Over the holidays I was 'taunted' for allowing food waste into the garbage disposal at a family-member's home. (Their waste system must be more sensitive.) 

Anyway it made me curious to look for the 'accepted' waste from a 'more responsible' user of a dispoal.

Naturally, I went 'a-lookin' to find the answers on the internet...here's what I found: 

According to a leading disposer manufacturer...
Do: 

• Grind food waste in a moderate flow of cold water.
• Grind hard materials (such as bones, fruit pits)...a scouring action is created by the particles inside the grind chamber.
• Grind citrus fruit peelings to freshen drain smells.
• Dispose of coffee grounds in your disposer (whether or not you are on metropolitan sewer or septic tank.)
• Flush disposer for cleaning...allowing disposer/cold water to run after grinding or after draining sink of dish water.
• Some detergents are caustic; flushing will pass such material into the drain line without disposer damage.
• Use a disposer cleaner, de-greaser, or deodorizer as necessary. (baking soda is good)

DON'T:

• turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed
• be alarmed.  Discoloration on the face of the grinding disc is normal...surface discoloration will not affect the life or performance of the disposer.

• grind fibrous material like corn husks, artichokes, etc. to avoid possible drain blockage

Remember...watch you fingers. NEVER put fingers down in the disposal unless it's turned OFF.


I don't feel so bad now about my 'disposal etiquette' after I've read these 'plumbers suggestions'. 

THRIFTY THINGS FRIDAY & THRIFT SHARE MONDAY

              

JOINING DIANN AT 'THE THRIFTY GROOVE'...MY 'FIND' THIS WEEK WAS A 'LONGABERGER' POTTERY SERVER...JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

"Excited" is not a big enough word to use for my demeanor when I picked it up, turned it over and saw the 'Longaberger' marking.  I wanted to do one of those 'NFL dances in the endzone', 'high five the lady standing beside me', or sing 'WOOP, THERE IT IS'!


I've priced these on 'ebay' from $39 - 49.00

What has been your most-recent 'find' of the Christmas Season?

Blessings,

SNOWFLAKES a sweet bookmark made

Earlier I had mentioned I would be sharing a picture of the 'giveaways' I made. 
Surprise goodies are always fun...working on the small projects builds the anticipation of giving them to my special friends.


This year I found a SNOWFLAKE BOOKMARK ... (free pattern from Suzies Stuff):

MY SNOWFLAKE BOOKMARK 

MATERIALS:White, size 10, crochet cotton
Size 6 or 7 Steel crochet hookSmall #10 flat zinc washer Needle with eye large enough to accept crochet cotton
GAUGE: Unimportant
SIZE: Snowflake about 2 inches across
INSTRUCTIONS:ROUND 1: Attach thread to washer with a sc. Work 17 sc around washer. Join with a slipstitch in first sc. (18 sc)

ROUND 2: Ch 1, sc in same stitch as join. *Ch 4, skip 1 st, sc in next st, ch 2, sc in next st. Repeat from * around, ending with ch 2, slipstitsch in first sc. (6 ch 4 loops and 6 ch 2 loops)

ROUND 3: *(Sc, ch 3, sc, ch 5, sc, ch 3, sc) all in ch 4 loop. Slipstitch in ch 2 loop. Repeat from * around.TAIL: Ch 85, slipstitch in 5th st from hook. Ch 1, turn, 6 sc in ring. Slipstitch around tail. (I chained 70)...Ch 80, slipstitch in ch 2 loop where cord started. Fasten off and weave ends into back of work.  If desired stiffen snowflake.(I spritzed each bookmark with a little water and spray starch then locked/flattened/stretched/pinned them onto a bulletin board until they dried)

Didn't they turn out nicely as decorations on the little stockings I had leftover from a previous after-Christmas sale?

I stuffed each stocking with Earl Grey and Green tea bags and Butterfinger bites.

WHAT goodies are you making for your friends or visitors?

Blessings,

WHAT ARE WE?

My husband is a TRUE 'baby boomer', and my Skoot is a 'generation iY' for sure (anything Apple gets her attention as well as many new movies...the technology and the sights intrigue her generation to the maximum).
 


Knowing I was on the 'twilight' of the 'baby boom'...and knowing I had given birth to an IY'er, I was curious as to WHAT my generation had become known as.  (I'm sure this probably shows my ignorance of reading a lot of newsprint) so I googled. 

Yes, my generation does 'google'...there is 'lots of information' at our fingertips now.  However, one must remain steadfast and check references because of the 'false writers' placing many untruths onto the net as facts.

While scanning the voluminous writings about the 'babies of 1957-1965,' I found statisticians are calling us "Generation Jones".  Jones because of our trying to accomplish and gather as much or more than the Joneses...you know...that pie-in-the-sky couple who 'want it all' 'wear it all', 'travel to it all' and 'show it to everyone' along the way.

They say we're the "high-spending, influential adults who were raised on television, with our likes and dislikes being heavily defined by the 1970s and early 1980s.  (this explains why my hubs doesn't like 'my' music; he's specifically into 50's/60's).

There are apparently three main groups of us: Mainstream, Conservative and Radical.

Members of Mainstream Jones, 65% largely influenced by The Godfather and Blondie; favourite magazines--Radio Times and Good Housekeeping.  (well, what do you know, I do get Good Housekeeping monthly)

The Conservative Joneses, 20% influenced by The Waltons, glam rock, Saturday Night Fever and Wings.  Favourite magazines--Woman's Own and Sainsbury's Magazine.  MTV was a preferred channel.  (I watched the Waltons a lot...jes sayin')

The Radical Jones element, 15% influenced by Apocalypse Now, Rock Against Racism and punk, particularly the Sex Pistols. Favorite programs include The Office, the Rugby World Cup and the news.  Celebrity Radical Joneses are headed by Madonna, Nick Hornby, Sting, and Bono. (I still enjoy Sting)

The Joneses were promised an easier life by the advent of electronic technology but were scarred by the economic crises and mass unemployment of the 1970s and 1980s. (I was deeply involved in the technology birthing into the telephone industry...I started working there at the age of 20 and saw MANY new technologies brought online while learning just WHAT a computer was.)

 I had been raised using a correcting IBM Selectric...iYers won't know what that means (it was my ELECTRIC typewriter that had a 'correcting' feature built into it...it stood alone and didn't connect to any network or web)

Pieces of all the sub-types describe me, I think, so I'm not going to definitively choose which one is me...(guess that would be that old "having it all" kicking in again, guess once a Jones always a Jones).  Where do you fall into these generational schematics? 

ANYONE feel like sitting with me tonight, sipping decaf cinnamon-bun latte and sharing some reruns of the WALTONS? 
It's almost Christmas and I'm feeling the need to say GOOD NIGHT, JOHN BOY--sweetly bringing some sweet memories back into this 50-something body. 

Blessings,

SURPRISES ARE FUN!

I love Christmas surprises.
Tonight I finished my 'giveaways' for one of my classes...I think they'll like what I've made for them.
It's something they can use throughout the remainder of the class and for a long time.
You can't eat them...hopefully, that won't disappoint anyone.
I'll be able to post a picture later in the week; but until then, they'll have to stay neatly stacked until they get wrapped.
I'll take on that task tomorrow.


WHAT surprises can you give me hints about that you're working on for your friends or family?


Blessings,

CITY PRAISE

We had a night-out last night...it was lots of fun as we decided how and where to meet, whether or not we'd eat before we got there, etc.
We pushed the hustle and bustle of this month aside to take a few hours to HEAR "The Story: A Christmas Spectacular".  Have you heard of it coming to your area?

Driving through all the traffic while talking to my friends is much more stressful remembering back to the many years of driving downtown to my full-time job.  


There's much more traffic on the road these days...and it's only been 10 years since I was working full time.  

Driving through the downtown streets, we enjoyed seeing all the lights and decorations up in their towers.  Their decorations certainly are making this time of year a wonderful time to go to an event down among the high rises.

Motorcycle policemen in their 'furry' leather jackets with toboggans sticking out from under their helmets, street musicians pounding their drums and the homeless greeting all walkers for some help during the season... reminding me of people I encountered on lunch breaks during the Christmas season while working throughout the 80's and 90's.

Back in those days, I would skip breaks in the morning and afternoon, so I could add 30 minutes to my normal hour lunch...then I'd grab a girlfriend to join me...running downstairs to the rapid transit train, riding three stops south and jumping off at Peachtree Center then walking to Macy's or Rich's.  


We'd watch out for each others' belongings while paying cashiers and/or bagging our 'finds' then RUN back to the train for our return trips to beat the clock.

Those were fun times...yet, stressful times.  I don't miss all the traffic and the LONG train/bus/driving issues I ran into throughout the years of working 'inner city'.  

Last NIGHT was not stressful though.
We enjoyed Christmas carols from several known musicians
preaching from Max Lucado and
original songs/written by Nicole Nordeman...

(sorry for the blurriness...these are phone pics from about 100 yards from the stage)

MAX LUCADO                             




                 NATALIE GRANT

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN              

                                                                                                     SELAH  

If you get a chance to see this show...go.

Their talent with word/video/song was awesome...and so was time with with my girlfriends as we sang, praised, listened, cried and prayed.

It gave me a 're-awakening' of the true meaning of why Jesus came to this world...why He loves us and intercedes for us...and that ONE DAY, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess "Jesus Christ is Lord!"

Blessings,

DAY 2...LISTS

JOINING susand @ THIS DAY...(JUST CLICK THE ABOVE TO JOIN WITH US)   Her challenge:Quest for 25 photos even though the calendar is full; let's NOT miss photo opportunities; make sure you're in at least a few photos; may not get every single one; but, give it a try. The list is in the right sidebar:

DO YOU FIND THIS TIME OF YEAR MORE STRESSFUL?  I KNOW THAT YOU DO! 

AVOID TIME MANAGEMENT MISTAKES (and some bulleted 'helps')

1. NOT using “To-Do” Lists...to remedy see bullets

·          Write down needs / goals

o         Have calendar in hand to help in scheduling BIGGER projects/tasks

·          Attach a due date to each item

o         Break large tasks into actionable steps/timeframes – reduces something important being overlooked 

2. Not Prioritizing (i need to get better at this)

·         Identify activities for focus on reaching goals

o                     Assign importance/critical (high-value/high priority)

o                     Assign urgency (low-value/fill-in/low priority) (from http://www.mindtools.com/ )

           

3.  Mis-Managing Distractions (VERY HELPFUL)

·          Two-Minute Rule (specifically handling email)
Peruse emails... Quick-read, and  short-answer messages:  

•   take  care of it right now (those take < two minutes ...reading and storing the task away "to do later" takes longer than it would to just take care of the task now.)

•    emails taking > two minutes to read or respond schedule time on your calendar to handle;  add this as an action on your To-Do List with a due date

o highlight, flag, or star messages needing a response…utilize handy email features

o         NOTE: APPLY the 2-min rule on many distractions:

§          colleagues in a “crisis”

§          phone calls

§          any distractions preventing your achievements

·          gain control / do best work

·          turn off IM chat

·          tell people if they're distracting you too often

·          start with a good breakfast

·          drink plenty of water throughout the day

·          Don't multitask

·          listen to music if it helps you concentrate.

4. Procrastinating

·          Jump on in

·          Start on a project for ten minutes.

o         break large projects into manageable steps (may need to be another item on the ‘to do” list/calendar entry

·          complete small chunks at a time brings better success

DECEMBER 1...RED

JOINING susand @ THIS DAY...(JUST CLICK THE ABOVE TO JOIN WITH US)
Her challenge:

Quest for 25 photos even though the calendar is full

let's NOT miss photo opportunities

make sure you're in at least a few photos

may not get every single one; but, give it a try. The list is in the right sidebar:

So...here's my first crack at it.


DECEMBER 1...red t shirt, red nails..and another Harry Potter Christmas remembered.


She grew up reading the books, ALWAYS reading and noting the 'best lessons' Harry learned, ALWAYS coming out of each movie repeating the 'best-lesson' lines.

Some don't think Harry's story is good for kids...

I challenge them to give Harry a try...

enjoy the 'fantasy of it all', 

get INTO the 'enjoyment of reading' J. K. Rowling.

You might be inspired and CHANGE your outlook on literature and writing techniques (like my girl did), 

You can 'escape real world issues' and join us in flying, laughing, and crying with Harry, Hermione and Ron...and Neville.

You might be surprised at how many GOOD things you learn. :)

Blessings,

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS...yep, got 'em both

joining Mom's Best Nest...just clickit...  

w/ Here come the Girls 

and 

Melancholy...sad, gloomy, blue ... each time Skoot has to depart and return to college; wanting to get in the car and travel with her; thinking of all the 'possibilities' between here and T'town.

Asking her to 'look in my eyes' and 'repeat', "I promise I will pay close attention to the road and drive slower during the rain" before getting into the driver's seat helped a little of my 'motherly concern'...while at the same time beginning the prayers for her safely traveling down the road.

Reaffirming her gasoline tank situation and reminding her to call me when she got there, rounded out my 'normal' discussions after I hugged her 'goodbye' one more time.

Waving as she pulled out, I'm thinking, "Mommies just crave to: "protect them no matter what", "peek in their bedroom door seeing them enjoying their Holiday rest", "feed them their favorite whatever/whenever", "capture their smiles for all times' sake in case they aren't within reach", "talk to them about their heartl-felt concerns" and "hug them whenever/whereever/always".

I'm just cravin' those things noted above, and she just left out the driveway.

Walking back into the house knowing I must get onto other things and keep myself busy until I hear the phone, or get a text, or see an update on Facey-Booky.
Welp...Hubs back to work, Skoot back to school...  

"OK, tree, it's just you and me" :/