Streaming

My guess is our Panasonic 42" HDTV will last longer than I will. I say this because it is so rarely on anymore. You'd think now that I'm retired that it would be on all day; but I don't find much worth watching to bother. And, I've become use to the sounds of silence. When the weather is nice and the doors and windows are open, the sounds of birds and children fill my ears. I'd much prefer picking up a book or taking a power nap than listening to nonsense on TV.

There are some television programs though that I do enjoy but prefer to record on the DVR so I can watch it when I want to; and quickly bypass commercials. American Idol; Madmen; Downton Abby; Call the Midwife are a few programs I DVR.

The DVD program through Netflix has been my source for most movies and lately, a few TV programs I don't subscribe to on cable. I've been utilizing my laptop computer more often than the TV. I pop in the DVD, plug in my headphones; sit back in the recliner and get lost in the stories. I know Netflix has streaming, but I haven't heard much good about what they offer.

Thanks to Amazon Prime though I've started streaming a marathon of "The Good Wife". Two seasons down and three more to go! I've setup the Sony Blu-ray player to stream too so perhaps the TV will get a bit more use. That's assuming both of us want to watch the same thing - a rarity in our household. I may cancel Netflix soon.

If you stream, tell me what you've particularly enjoyed. I should be finished with "The Good Wife" in a week or so!

April 2014 - Weekly Photo Assignments

DPS 13: Conceptual Photography: Show us an interesting image that depicts an idea.

DPS 14: Monochrome: Show us an interesting monochrome image.

DPS 15: Get Down Low: Show us an interesting image shot at a low angle perspective.

Flickr's Active Assignment Weekly:

 

 March 31 - April 7 Repeating Patterns

April 7-14, 2014 - Natural Reflections

April 14-21, 2014 Preparation

April 2014 - Change

What should I do with this check?

About six weeks ago, I accepted an invitation to join friends on a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Their flights were already booked through Frontier Airlines. They flew Frontier last year, and because they signed up for the Frontier credit card, this year they had enough points to fly free.

I booked myself on the same Frontier flights; and decided to also apply for the credit card as it offered a $75 credit if I did it right away. The next day I changed my mind and booked on Southwest instead because it was a direct flight and I could check two bags for free. Because it was less than 24 hours, I was able to cancel the Frontier reservation and I also canceled the credit card. I really do not need another credit card.

Recently I received the monthly credit card statement in the mail indicating I had a $75 credit. I wrote on the return slip reminding them I had cancelled the flight, and credit card and requested they remove my name from their data files.

Today in the mail I received a $75 check to settle the account. The check is valid for 90 days. I guess I'll hold on to it awhile and if I do not hear anything else, I'll cash it.

Recycling National Geographic Magazines

Our craft class instructor showed us how to alter paper and reuse it. We started with a solvent/cleaner called "citra solv". I was able to purchase my own bottle at "The Outpost" store in Tosa. Either put it in a spray bottle, or just poke a few holes in the top and sprinkle it on the inside pages of a National Geographic magazine. (Best to do this in a well ventilated area.) Close the magazine and leave it alone for 20-30 minutes.Then start to open the pages and see the magic! What was there, is either fuzzy, or totally altered into a beautiful abstract. Tear out the pages you like and place them on newspapers to dry (or outside on the grass if it is warm and not windy). Once they are dry the papers can be used for a number of crafty things. I used it for my "iris folding" as shown in the leaf below; I ripped it into smaller pieces and decoupaged a wooden frame and a boring flower pot. There are many more things that can be done with the papers - check it out here:

Citra Solv's Artist Site

Skrobanki: Traditional Polish Egg-Scratching

Another new craft recently learned is "Skrobanki" which means scratching in Polish. My son and granddaughter joined me on a Sunday afternoon at a coffee shop in Bay View to give this a try.  We made decorated Easter eggs by scratching designs into eggs dyed with onion skins.

The class instructor, Kasia Drake-Hames provided supplies and some history about Skrobanki. She cooked the eggs in a solution that has already been treated with red onion peels so they end up with a dark, rich brown color. We used exact o type knives to scratch our decorations. These eggs are not meant to be eaten, and can be saved over the years - but because they are cooked, they should be kept in a cool place. We were also warned to be very careful to not crack them as they will smell quite bad! One of the pre-scratched eggs Kasia passed around had a noticeable "rattle" which she said will happen over time as the inside dries out.

After scratching, I brought all of ours home to add a glossy mod podge and acrylic spray to shine them up. They sure did turn out pretty!

See Kasia's website for more fun crafts she teaches.  Kasia Drake-Hames

These are Julia's eggs

Nic's rose egg

Another view of Nic's rose egg

All of our eggs, mine is on the bottom