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

March, 2014 Weekly Photo Assignments

DPS 9  "City Lights" Show us an interesting night image with lights. 

Village of Wauwatosa

DPS 10 "BOOKS" 

Words flying off the page

DPS 11 Abstract – Show us an interesting abstract image.

My Round Brush: Watercolor painting - a new hobby

DPS 12 Backlit – Show us an interesting image that uses backlighting.

A glass kissed by the sun

flickr Active Assignment Weekly: "Bodyparts"

Oops

flickr Active Assignment Weekly: "Artificial" 

From Natural to Unnatural

flickr Active Assignment Weekly: "Off Camera Flash"

Lit by candle light

flickr Active Assignment Weekly: "The Beautifying Power of Photography"

Great grandmother's pitcher

Well that was disappointing

Awhile ago we read "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" for our bookclub. A fascinating book in which author Erik Larson writes of incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It read like fiction, but is the nonfictional story of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. So, when the Hart Park Senior Center put out a flyer for a day trip to the Chicago Field Museum to see the special exhibition "Wonders of the 1893 Worlds Fair" my friend Chris and I anxiously signed up.

The flyer indicated we would see a movie first about the exhibition, then we would enter the museum and be on our own. Well, we did see a movie, but it was about "Sue" the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found. Sue is on display in the main lobby of the museum and is impressive, but we were disappointed that the film wasn't about the World's Fair.

After the movie, us "seniors" were directed into the "Wonders of the 1893 Worlds Fair" exhibition. We saw objects on display like a meteorite (yawn) and saw how Field Museum scientists continue to conduct ground-breaking research and how the fair lives on even today, at The Field Museum (double/triple yawn). There were samples of other country's artifacts that had been on display at the fair, like from Java. (more yawns)  We did see some clever large photographs that had been altered to include animation making it look like a few seconds of video.

The trip was disappointing, but hopefully we'll have an opportunity to see a movie based on the book.  It is in the works as the rights were purchased by Leonardo DiCaprio, staring Leonardo and Nicholas Cage. Click to watch a short video about the movie.

One of the photo's on display

Sue