The Poodle Says

2009 already?

2009-01-21T08:29:00.003-05:00

Right... 21 days into it, the procrastinator says to herself.

So much to do, so much time, so little motivation.

How does one find the initiative to get it done?

I'd like to blog more this year than last.

I'd like a cleaner home this year than last.

I'd like more there there, if you know what I mean.

This .... this is a start of sorts. It's a new year, a new day, yes we can, and all that.

Claire in HSM

2008-11-27T02:19:00.001-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

a new JibJab Sendable

2008-11-27T01:52:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We had baby birds born on our screened porch...

2008-07-17T16:32:00.007-04:00

... which was NOT the ideal place for a nest, but that's where the silly parents built it.

After driving the dog crazy for weeks of nest building... and sneaking in through the doggie flap Carl installed in the screen door... the parents tended their eggs without bothering us too much.

But, once the babies hatched, we had several days of random pooping, learning to fly, and Weimaraner torturing to contend with. We counted five babies, each learning to fly at a different pace. They've all left the nest now, only a few days of flight school. Mom and Dad seem to be vacationing in Europe, and taking a Caribbean cruise since the kids left home... we haven't seen them.

Aren't they adorable?

This is Bobhead.

Fuzzhead and Emily.

They left us lots of poop to clean up. Sigh. Fun never comes free, does it?

Gas prices are giving me heartburn...

2008-07-14T23:39:00.006-04:00

... and what a wakeup call to see it in a color coded snapshot of the country. I cannot believe how high the prices are out in California, nor how low they are in Texas. Virginia looks pretty good, until you zoom in closer, and see that NoVA is pretty high. And what the heck is going on in Rockville? Yowza... red all over the place. Have to remember to tell Carl not to fill up over there.

Check out the tool... it's not a bad site for comparing stations, without having to go driving around, wasting gas, to do so.

Provided by GasBuddy.com

Click here to add this map to your website.

And now, for the best prices in the DC area.

Lowest Gas Prices in the Washington DC

Washington DC Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

And the averages for Virginia, over time.

Price Trends for Virginia

Virginia Gas Prices Provided by GasBuddy.com

RIP L.L. Bear... sweetest kitty ever to live...

2008-07-03T23:00:00.003-04:00

So... it's been one of the worst evenings to date.

I'm sick. Claire has walking pneumonia.

About 4:30pm, the girls were playing with my kitty, Bear, and called me to help. The dog had gone after her. She was twitching. Turns out she was seizing. Turns out she had been sick for some time, and we didn't know.

We took her to the vet around 5pm. They stopped the seizures with valium. Told us they couldn't make a diagnosis. Told us it could be... a brain tumor.... lymphoma... a fungal infection... a bacterial infection... kidney disease... or several other differential diagnoses.

We'd need to drive her to the emergency animal hospital, where they would do an MRI, full blood panel... a cerebral spinal tap, and a lot of other tests... with no guarantee she could be treated or helped.

She was 16 years old. We aren't financially able to foot the bill for thousands of dollars of testing.

The vet had no prognosis... she said that seizures as Bear was having, in such an elderly cat are NOT GOOD. She offered little hope.

I couldn't get hold of Carl, who was at an appointment with a customer. So... I talked it over with the girls, but ultimately, I had to make the decision.

We had to let Bear go. We had to put her out of her misery. She was suffering so much. They had her sedated, but even so... it was clear she wasn't okay.

They could barely find a vein. They tried in her back leg, and got some of the sedative into her.

They tried then in her front leg, and got a bit more into her. Then they tried in her neck, but her blood pressure was so low, it wasn't perfusing the medication adequately.

The vet and I sat with her for a long while... and then she told me that Bear had nothing going on "upstairs" but her heart just wouldn't stop beating. So... she took her back to the treatment room to give her more of the sedative. She'd already been given 8 times the needed dose, but WOULD NOT GIVE UP. I'm absolutely amazed at how hard her heart kept fighting. She finally passed, and we said goodbye to her one last time.

The vet was very sweet, compassionate, and loving.

This has been one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

We will miss Bear terribly. She was an amazing cat. Since the day I rescued her from the Austin, Texas Animal Shelter in 1992... to today... she has been a loving, brave, strong, amazing friend.

Rest in Peace.... Bear.

GOTR Daisy Dash 2008

2008-06-09T16:16:00.009-04:00

Claire participated in the Girls On The Run program at school this Spring. She has been training hard, with practice every Tuesday and Thursday, from 2:45-4pm. Coach Kori gradually worked the girls up, increasing laps, and building their confidence.

GOTR is more than an athletic program, it has a goal of helping girls work together, fostering a positive outlook, and increasing confidence and a sense of empowerment. I think it accomplished all those goals, at least for Claire.

The finale of the season was the GOTR Daisy Dash 2008, a 5K which drew about 3500 runners.

She was pleased at her performance during the race. It turned out to be a bit more then a 5K, actually measuring closer to 3.4 miles. She came in next to last at the practice 5K a few weeks prior, and on race day, beat out 5 other girls from her school, which was a feat for her. Managing her blood sugar on race day was a bit of a challenge for us all.

She's a champ!

Claire crosses the finish line in full sprint.

Daddy tags along at the finish line, losing by about a second to Claire.

Claire and Coach Kori.

Pics from the Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance

2008-06-09T15:56:00.007-04:00

My oh my, they clean up so girly. Not the hubby, he cleans up manly. ;-)

Meg likes wearing dresses all the time, but this is a rare occasion for Claire. Wish Moms were allowed to go to the dance, I'd have loved to have gotten some candids of them dancing.

Cha cha cha changes....

2008-05-31T02:09:00.003-04:00

I've said it before, and I'll certainly say it again many times before I die... I don't like changes. Well, that's not strictly true. I don't like changes that piss me off. Those that please me? I like those. And since we all know that the world revolves around little ole me... well... it should follow that changes that piss me off shouldn't have been made... right?

Sigh.

The changes to the feedback system at eBay piss me off. There. I've said it. Once upon a time, I had shiny happy numbers. Now, it looks pale and dull. There was a time when the average eBayer wouldn't buy from a seller with less than "body temperature," i.e. lower than 98.6. I just looked up a handful of my own favorite sellers, and a fair number had dropped below body temp... just as I have done. One neutral now brings me to 98.5.

Sigh.

Doesn't seem to be affecting sales much, for which I'm grateful.

Rant over.

Check out the shop!

eBay Shop

2008-05-05T15:02:00.001-04:00

The eBay shop is seeing a lot more traffic, as our little shop grows.

Check it out!

Sweater for Meg

2007-12-06T13:54:00.001-05:00

This sweater took a bit longer than the doll version, but I think it turned out okay. Meg likes it.

American Girl Doll Sweater and Hat combo

2007-12-06T13:40:00.001-05:00

The brown/pink sweater inspired me to do another. The hat was a learning experience, as I've never made one.

Weimaraner Love

2007-12-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

Meg is overcoming her fear of dogs. She was pettting Max, and said to me, "I'm trusting my fear of biting, Mommy." Translated, she meant overcoming her fear. Hey, she's six.

Pink Polka Dot Weimaraner

2007-12-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Meet Max... he's our newest family member. 12 weeks old, with a sweet disposition. He's already learning to walk very politely on the leash when I walk him. And, strangely, after initially being afraid of the fireplace, he now stares at it for minutes on end. Hey, let's face it, dogs don't do much of anything for hours, except sleep.

He's a doll!

Turkey Day Survival Stories

2007-11-26T10:09:00.001-05:00

Just a few snaps of the aftermath of our Turkey Day.

A couple of tired turkeys.

Even the cat was exhausted. Meg decided that Black & White Meow should pose with Tuxedo. Tux was so not amused. I think she may still be carrying that cat around when she's thirty. He's pretty beaten up after 6 years of love.

Freecycle Northern Virginia Rocks!

2007-11-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

Yup, Freecycle in Northern VA is the best.
I got this amazing fabric from a freecycler today. She says it's 2.5 yards all together, but it looks more like 2.5 yards of each.

Perfect colors for pillows in the living room. I can't wait to find some braid trim in my sewing box, and get to work.

Some pics... of the fabric, and of the living room, so you can put it in context.

longhorn sweater

2007-11-21T22:21:00.001-05:00

longhorn sweater
Originally uploaded by
pinkpolkadotpoodle

I made this sweater last year for my nephew, Jake. I thought it turned out really well. Don't think it got much wear, though, because they're in such a hot climate.

Some other views.

The back... he was 5 last year, and this was for his birthday.

Pink Polka Dot Poodle crochets a doll sweater

2007-11-21T16:27:00.001-05:00

doll sweater
Originally uploaded by pinkpolkadotpoodle

For my daughter's American Girl sized doll. I started this during her field trip to the one room school house. Because technology was outlawed, it gave me something to do while chaperoning. I finished it last night.

What do you think?

It's okay to tell me that it's hideous, just try to be polite about it. ;-)

Storque Article ~ Race Car Bed Makes the Big Time!

2007-11-18T23:47:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to finally make a page in something other than a user created treasury on Etsy.

Check out the Storque Article.

Yup, I took screenshots.

Hand crafted Wood Race Car Bed

2007-11-18T23:23:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I'm not holding my breath for this to sell, but I just know someone out there wants a custom, hand crafted, wood racecar bed for their little Mario or Marion Andretti!

And, it made it into a treasury to boot. Vanessa built a lovely treasury for boys. I'm extra flattered, because she works on the Storque for Etsy. So, I guess that makes it extra special. ;-)

Pink Polka Dot Poodle Product Placement Pride

2007-11-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

LOL, gotta stop doing the alliteration thing, I suppose.

Anyway, brace yourself for more bragging, and a dash of shameless promotion of others shops.

Treasury spots are always fun, so here are two...

This was put together by DesignedByLucinda who has a keen eye for manly man gift ideas.

Check out her shop... and this in particular is gorgeous. Black and White Delight

Next up, a nifty compilation of treasures compiled by bagsbyann

Ann offers this tasty tidbit in her shop. Black animal print velvet drawstring bag.

Pink Polka Dot Poodle Products to Ponder

2007-11-08T09:32:00.001-05:00

chrome stock top view
Originally uploaded by pinkpolkadotpoodle

Just a sampling of the stoppers we have in stock.

If you are interested in buying one, let me know, and I can put up a listing for you on ebay or etsy.

another eBay gizmo

2007-11-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

eBay gizmo

2007-11-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

Media Room

2007-11-02T02:23:00.000-04:00

Here it is. A shrine to the 80's.

This is an old photo... there is now a tv, a couch, and a comfy leather chair, instead of a bed and living stuffs.

Giving eBay one more try...

2007-10-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

So, I've decided to give eBay one more try. The first round of stoppers I listed there were viewed many times, but only one was bid on, and purchased. The silly woman who bought it made such a mess of the whole transaction, that it was a very unpleasant experience. Seriously? You thought you were getting FOUR nearly identical handcrafted, exotic wood, bottle stoppers for $9.99? Really? I never cease to be amazed by the level of ignorance in this world.

But, I digress.

I'm going to list several stoppers in my store inventory, rather than pay the heinous listing fees for an auction. To drive traffic into the shop, I will be listing some household items which would either go into the yard sale, or eventually be freecycled. I know, I know, freecycling is better. But better is in the eye of the beholder. Right now this beholder has an empty wallet, and is finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the bills. Yeah, unemployment sucks rocks.

Here is the first eBay listing. I'd love feedback on how it looks, or on my auction listing wording. I've yet to figure out how to link a snapshot thing like the etsy mini... so click the linky...

eBay listing

It's this stopper, btw.

Coupon for Craft Show

2007-10-25T23:08:00.000-04:00

Phototutorial ~ turning a bottlestopper on a lathe (for Dummies)

2007-10-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

I spent most of yesterday afternoon turning stoppers, trying to get ready for a craft fair I'm attending on Saturday.

In the midst of it, I had the great idea (or maybe not) of taking some pics along my journey, to document how it goes.

1 ~ We start with a simple block of wood. In this case, Cocobolo, approximately 1.25" x 1.25" x 2".

2 ~ The block is screwed onto the lathe mount.

3 ~ Tighten carefully.

4 ~ Position of the tool.

5 ~ the lathe spins fast, don't forget to wear protective eyegear.

6 ~ Initial rounding with the large gouge. All flat surfaces from the block form should be gone, and the wood should look rounded now.

7 ~ Shaping with various sized gouges, this is the creative part of the journey.

8 ~ Final detailing - I generally use a small gouge to clean up the details.

9 ~ Sanding is one of the most time consuming, labor intensive parts of the process.

10 ~ I use a fourpack of ascending grits, and then finish up with 600 grit.

11 ~ Dry sanding in process looks like this.

12 ~ The pile of used sandpaper from this stopper, and the one I made just before.

13 ~ This is the end product after paper sanding.

14 ~ On to wet sanding. This stuff smells yummy to me. My kids hate it though.

15 ~ Slop it on. It melts like buttah when you apply it to the warm, freshly sanded wood.

16 ~ Make sure you get good coverage.

17 ~ Back to spinning, rubbing the wet sanding compound with the folded papertowel or cloth.

18 ~ At the end of the wet sanding, you have this look.

19 ~ Next, the polishing stage.

20 ~ And Voila! After polishing, a beautiful, shiny finish.

21 ~ The other sides are beautiful, also.

22 ~ So shiny.

23 ~ Attach to the stopper mount, thusly.

24 ~ And back to where the block started its humble journey to becoming a beautiful adornment for any bottle.

Remember the Before shot?

Oh, one final shot... the cleanup.

That missing wood from the original block? It's now dust. Not all of it ends up in my nose.

To be fair, that isn't from one turning, but several. Still. I wish I could think of something to make with the sawdust. Resin + sawdust = firestarter bricks? Hmm.

Presenting a Pink Polka Dot Poodle Pet

2007-10-20T00:36:00.000-04:00

The Poodle would like to introduce ...

Cody. He's our newest pet. He and his brother, Zack, are dwarf Russian hamsters. They are so tiny and adorable. Pics of Zack will follow another time. Also, we got a gorgeous tortoise hamster, which my eldest has named, Snicker. It fits, as she somewhat resembles a Snicker's bar. Well, if you use your imagination.

Fun fact ~~ the boy hamsters reside in the pink cage, the girl in the blue. Go figure. My daughters don't do gender stereotyping. ;-)

So, here is Cody, in all his adorableness.

Dark and Stormy Night

2007-10-07T21:40:00.001-04:00

Wow, this is one of the most beautiful treasuries I've seen. And not just because Sporkman makes an appearance, though that made me smile a mile wide. Check it out ~ Dark and Stormy Night put together by RunAliceRun

Bring it ON! The bathroom.

2007-10-07T18:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's almost dinnertime, and we've not been nearly as motivated as yesterday and Friday afternoon.

I am setting the clock for 30 minutes, and will do as much in the bathroom as humanly possible.

If you see me so much as post "hi" on the fora... yell at me. :-)

View from my bedroom into the bathroom. And after 30 minutes.

The cat would like a clean bed. She curls up in my hubby's side of the sink to sleep most of the time.

Progress after 30 minutes. Time for dinner and some family time.

Back at it on Monday... starting time was 11:30, shot at noon progress.

This stuff will still need to find homes before I can call it done.

Looks so nice empty...

...so maybe I'll leave it minimalist for a few days, and see if I can take it. That's one of Bradli's soaps on the counter... it's pumpkin pie spice cented. Her shop is Indulging ScentSations I'm waiting on another order ... hooked for sure.

Gotta love my Bear... she follows me everywhere.

The counters look pretty good now. I emptied the *junk* out of the top drawer, and put my brush, deodorant, and random hair products and makeup - stuff I use everyday - in there, instead of in the wooden bin on the counter. We'll see how that works out.

I also realized there is wayyyy too much stuff in the drawers, and in the cabinets. Time for a purge and freecycle, I suppose.

The tub looks lovely without all the kids' sea animals perched on the side. :-) But, I shall miss the dolphin.
See, my bottlestoppers can be used for more than wine!

Newest Art!

2007-10-06T18:20:00.003-04:00

Finally got the newest addition to our art collection hung.

Carl bought me this cute little painting for my birthday last month.

Meg's room

2007-10-06T15:24:00.000-04:00

Some shots of the so-called progress in Meg's room.

This was the *progress* on Friday evening.

Around 1:30pm Saturday. Being Scooby Doo apparently helps the process.

And at 3:00pm Saturday. Sidetracked by playing with the toys is a recurring theme.

Meg is proud of her hard work!

More progress 4:30pm. Getting sidetracked to chat with your sister can be fun. Why be a slavedriver? I'm letting them hang out for a bit.

And they stopped at 5:30pm for the night. Ack, Meg still has to move the junk off the bed, or she'll have to sleep on her sister's upper bunk tonight.

Sunday afternoon. Still have to clean under the bed, where they hid a lot of stuff yesterday. Gotta love the overhanging quilt, it hides a multitude of sins.
And we're DONE!!!

I even pulled the bed out, vacuumed under it and febreezed the whole carpet. Some of the ink stains are just never gonna come out of that carpet. Not all were her fault, of course... it used to be hubby's office, when he was doing graphic design, more than one ink spill happened during the wee hours.

Tackling the Guest Room!

2007-10-06T11:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's Saturday, t minus 56 hours.

I'm about to dive into the guest room. I start the clock at noon. Will work in 30 minute increments, taking 5-10 minutes to hang with the kids, and to play online as motivation.

Guest room at 11:45am Saturday. Next update scheduled for 12:30pm.

Guest room in progress at 12:30pm Saturday. Quick break, find timer, refresh soda. Next break, feed self and children.

Guest room stuff transitioned on its way to final destination.

Argh, the break ran on a bit longer, because, well, it's just so much fun to play with my girls. At 1:55, headed to take a progress shot of Meg's room, both girls are going to work on it for an hour. I'm headed back into the guest room.

The upside to this process is that I'm finding some stuff to sell on eBay. Pink Polka Dot Poodle Project Purge!

Here is the other side of the room, at around 1:30pm.

And at 2:30!

Now, to tackle this section... starting at 3:15 ish. I need a bit of a break, just to regroup.

4:30 pm Saturday...

This side of the room is DONE. Okay, still need to vacuum, but I dusted all the stuff, and organized the bookcase a bit. Moved photos around also, to make a nicer arrangement.

You can see my cat's white belly under the chair. She loves this room, but it has been closed for several months, since the reorg started. Tux is the fattest cat I've ever seen.

This is the other side before shot...

And after.

Okay... 4:30 has rolled around. Note to self... need to adjust guest room clocks to reflect daylight savings time change...

Some humor for those of you who have been following the Pink Polka Dot Poodle Purge Purgatory Performance Art.

Errrr... and the reality of the situation. As good as the room looks, the stuff is only in transition... I still have miles to go before I sleep.

Front page Dad and Granddads gift ideas posters

2007-10-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

I always miss the best treasuries.

So, I thought I'd do my PIF for the weekend. I will be taking screenshots of the front page, as often as I catch them changing, throughout the weekend.

If you made it, congratulations. I hope if you make it, you don't miss it. If you did, I hope I caught it, so that you could see

Here's the first, by knots.

Captured at 10:30 am Saturday ... A lovely selection, done by yaelfran

Captured at 11:30am Saturday ... Really beautiful picks by girlsavage.

Family room

2007-10-05T17:10:00.000-04:00

Starting the clock at 5:10pm.

My goal is to finish in less than one hour!

On my mark, get set, GO!

6:05pm Done! I knew I could do it.

Family room clutter picked up. Not all put where it belongs yet, but I'll do it before bedtime.

Dusted surfaces, vacuumed surfaces, picture frames, top of armoire, stereo equipment, vacuumed floor, vacuumed sofas.

Looks like it usually does, when I'm not stressed out. :-)

Weird, the paintings pop way more in photographs than they do IRL. I may have to reshoot this one. One of my favorite watercolor artists. She does amazing work, IMHO.

Kitchen before and after

2007-10-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

Progress report.

Kitchen cleaned.

Counters decluttered, items put in proper places, not just into a pile in a different room.

Four loads of laundry done.

Meg is about halfway done with her room.

I appreciate all the amazing suggestions, even from those who don't sound quite as positive, to my ear. :-)

I do feel the need to reiterate that my home is, for the most part, lovely. We have an ongoing struggle with clutter. We have a habit of using the guest room as a catch-all. I'm fairly certain this doesn't constitute bad parenting. :-) I deputized you to keep me accountable, and I do appreciate it. Keep it coming. Your support is making me feel much more able to get it done in a timely manner.

And yes, five minute breaks to post and look at the fora are part of the motivation, so I think I will continue to do so.

Photographic evidence takes me seconds, and is helping me to stay motivated.

Different people respond to different methods, I know how much I need positive reinforcement and well, nagging, which is why I asked for it.

Kitchen at 12:30pm.

Kitchen at 2:30pm.

Kitchen counters before.

And after.

I think I may take all the stuff off the fridge, to really clean up the look of the room. But, I have to figure out a way to organize the stuff on the clips. All the paperwork has separate clips, one for me, for hubby, and one for each daughter.

Perhaps folders in the cabinet?

Procrastination and Accountability

2007-10-05T12:09:00.001-04:00

So, my mother is coming for a visit, YAY. She'll be here for Meg's birthday. Meg is excited.

I am a procrastinator. I had a week and a half to clean. I haven't.

I'm posting before photos, and will post again as progress ensues. If you wish to aid in motivating me, check back, feel free to comment, to tell me to stop posting in the fora, and get back to work, UNLESS I can post evidence that the room is done.

I may post more before shots.

Help me be accountable?

Enjoy.

The guest room at noon Friday.

Meg's room at noon Friday. She comes by it honestly, as you can see.

My bathroom at noon Friday. Not the highest priority, because I can close my bedroom door.

Daddy Xmas take two

2007-10-05T04:20:00.000-04:00

What I might buy for Dad at Christmas

2007-10-04T22:09:00.000-04:00

etsy shop idea

2007-10-01T23:00:00.000-04:00

Please pardon my inept photoshopping, I did this in about a minute and a half, just to demonstrate what I have in mind.

Hope someone finds this useful, or if not, at least... interesting or amusing.

I love treasury fun!

2007-09-19T22:52:00.000-04:00

So, another great BIG thank you to a couple of etsyers who were kind enough to like my items enough to include them in treasuries.

First up is KreativeKarryAlls who put my ebony wine bottle stopper in her Fall My Favorite Color Scheme treasury.

Here it is... check out the other amazing picks.

And a treasury full of Etsymoms items was put together by AutumnDaisy. It's entitled Etsymoms make me really sad, and the theme is the blues. She included my Waterlily set of cards.

Right as Rain

2007-09-14T01:27:00.000-04:00

Ah yes, it's as right as rain. Okay, so I'm not waxing poetic, but referring to another wunnerful etsyer, RightAsRainCreations who was kind enough to include one of my items in a treasury.

Here it is... Indulge!!! Upper left hand corner is our Amboyna Burl Wine Bottle Stopper

And that's not all!!!

gemmafactrix praised us with inclusion in her Big Love treasury.

Thanks, thanks, and thanks. It means a lot to be noticed.

Yes, yes, yes...

2007-09-07T01:04:00.000-04:00

...I know you've missed my self promoting, bragadocious posts about other people taking notice of my husband's talent... okay, mine too. :-)

But I just have to mention that we were kindly included in a lovely blogger's blog recently. And I have to thank her.

You can see the blog post here, and visit Anodyne's shop on etsy. She has some lovely stuff there... like this - Autumn Leaves Card Wallet...

And finally, another treasury. It has been far too long, I was starting to feel ostracized. :-)

The lovely and talented Flanders Field, put together a lovely treasury, and was kind enough to select one of my items.

You can see it here Right Back At Ya or look at a screenshot, if you haven't the time.
Why yes, of course, I have one right here for you.

And here is an example of FlandersField's really good eye, entitled "Cling" and available for purchase.

A1C blood test for diabetes.

2007-08-09T12:37:00.001-04:00

I feel like bragging. Claire's A1C at her checkup Monday was 6.6! It was 6.6 at the one previously, so apparently, our somewhat laissez-faire management is working better than her endocrinologist thought it was. Yay Claire! That means her average bg levels are within the recommended range for her; 80-180.

Some helpful links about the A1C.
http://www.diabetes.com/a1c.html
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/a1c-test.jsp
http://www.diabetestoolbox.com/HbA1c-convert.asp

The Curtain Drops Slowly, With Hope

2007-08-08T23:03:00.000-04:00

Please take a moment to read this article, which is available on the American Diabetes Association web site here. We are participating in the ADA's e-Campaign to raise funding for a cure. We'll post more details when they work the bugs out of the pages. :-)

The Curtain Drops Slowly, With Hope
Thursday, April 27, 2006
By: Chadd Wheat

The Curtain Drops Slowly, With Hope
As a 39-year-old diabetic, I thought I was young and invincible.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in the United States. More specifically, a complication from the disease called "diabetic retinopathy" is the cause.

Usually in my newspaper articles, I look at the fallacies of society and the quirks that make life fun. But this week, I have more or less been called to do what will be my first, and possible last, public service message.

Over the last year or so, I've alluded to my failing eyesight in my column. Most of my friends know what I've been through, but I've been bombarded with e-mails and inquiries as to "what's the story." So, in the spirit of public service, and as a way of personal therapeutic confrontation, I present you with "the story."

I've been a diabetic for almost 25 years. I found out, through the help of a health teacher at Lebanon High School, Dave Hedges, that I had Type I Diabetes Mellitus. (The real fun kind that comes with needles, insulin, and lots of blood-letting.)

It was tough growing up with the disease, and I think I did a fairly
decent job of monitoring my condition. But, as statistics show, even the best-controlled diabetes can lead to long-term complications such as heart disease, blindness, and neuropathy of the feet and hands.

Being young and seemingly immortal, I rarely thought about those dark subjects. I figured that I would face them when "the time came," which I estimated would be in my 50s or 60s. I also hoped that before those complications set in, a cure would be found and I would receive a reprieve from any horrible side effects.

And I'm not alone: In the United States, more than 20.8 million people, or 7 percent of the population, have diabetes. The World Health Organization calls it an epidemic.

Flash forward to my 38th year on Earth. It was a bright sunny summer Sunday afternoon. I was upstairs in my bedroom, changing clothes from church. Since there was a wonderfully warm sun spot on the floor of the bedroom (that my cat had already curled up in) I laid down with a pillow to enjoy the breeze and sunshine.

I woke up looking out the window, and knew something wasn't right. A large, dark squiggle was visible in my right eye. It was almost like a small bundle of dark threads. I tried to blink it away, tried some eye drops, and looked in the mirror, but nothing foreign seemed to be in my eye.

After a few days of this dark spot, I contacted my eye doctor, who advised me to come in to his office "right now." That didn't sound good.

The doctor gave me a vigorous battery of tests and announced, "You've got a pretty advanced case of retinopathy. There's some serious damage in both eyes." I was shocked, of course, since I was still young, or so I thought.

The dark squiggles come when the fragile blood vessels that nourish the eye are damaged. The vessels bleed, break, and grow abnormally. The abnormal growth can cover the light sensing tissues on the retina, causing blind spots and eventually blindness.

After a series of laser surgeries, which attempted to cauterize the vessels and prevent more abnormal growth, it became apparent that my condition was worsening. I couldn't drive at night, and my right eye became as blurry as if I had a smear of Vaseline over it.

After weeks, then months, of treatments, my limited vision became wavy -- almost like I was looking in a Fun House mirror. The doctor told me that it was because my retina was detaching. I had a more invasive surgery, complete with doctors, nurses, and an esthesiologist. The surgery was wildly successful, although I looked like I'd gone 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali for several weeks afterward.

My recovery has been slow, but there have been moments of great hope. The outpouring of love and care from my friends and family left me humbled -- no easy thing for such an outlandish, cocky extrovert as myself.

But please hear this cautionary tale: If you are a Type I or Type II diabetic or have even border line symptoms, it is essential that you not only see your diabetes care specialist on a regular basis, but also make an appointment to see an ophthalmologist at least every six months. The earlier that any long-term complications are detected, the better the chance at recovery.

I did follow all these steps (my insurance company hates me), yet I was still afflicted with retinopathy. Nothing is guaranteed, but again, early detection (much like cancer) seems to be the key.

If you have concerns about your diabetes or becoming diabetic, contact your doctor. For more great and non-technical information on symptoms, treatment, and research, see the American Diabetes Association's excellent Website at www.diabetes.org.

As for me, life has taken a bizarre turn that I never anticipated. But this next chapter in life has reinforced and taught me about what's really valuable in life: God, family, and friends. And, as my brother likes to quote, "Pain is only temporary."

These lessons give me an ironically brighter view of life. As Johnny Nash sang, "Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day."

Booklovers, bibliophiles, even decorators... take note.

2007-08-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

I've decided that in the spirit of decluttering our home, I'll be selling off many of my books. Okay, and we are desperately in need of money, so that too.

I've listed a bunch on half.com, which is a sister site to eBay. Please feel free to shop away.

The Poodle's Books for sale.

Girls...

2007-08-04T23:53:00.000-04:00

My daughter thought I should post this on my blog. I cannot remember where I saw it linked... but ended up at a random site, which only credited, megan. I'd love to give credit to the original author, if I knew who she was.

Nothin But Blue Skies

2007-08-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, I do so love being selected for a treasury. Not just because it's flattering, but, let's face it, it can drive traffic. Boy, do I need traffic! Well, not true, I need sales!

So, thank you kjmArt, for selecting one of my new listings for your treasury, Nothin But Blue Skies

Something New Listed!

2007-08-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

I finally got the cardstock and envelopes in, that I ordered forever ago. Started making greeting cards last night, and listed my first batch.

Also, my daughter insisted that I list one of the medic alert type bracelets she got me to make for her. It turned out to be quite cute, with greenish grey beads, and "diabetic" spelled out in alphabet beads.

Oopsies make the world go round....

2007-07-31T13:02:00.000-04:00

So, I only noticed this once I photographed the quilt. The pink polkadot square should be shifted over one, so that it's balanced on the end. I don't know when I switched it out for the other kind of square, or if I just had it wrong when I laid it out on the floor during piecing, but it's bugging me *a little*. Funny how you don't notice things until you see the big picture. That's the lesson for today.

My first QUILT!!!

2007-07-30T23:24:00.001-04:00

I'm so proud of myself. I decided to make a quilt, and I did. From start to finish, it took less than two weeks... and that was with the last week spent dilly dallying on the tying off. Okay, so the piecing only took 3 days, but it was fun. Yeah, it would look better *actually* quilted, but as it turns out, I didn't quite know how to do that.

This is a lap quilt for use in our media room, built of 4" X 4" squares of flannel fabric, and backed with a cotton blend, tied off with black embroidery thread. I'd love to know if you love it, and I think I'm tough enough to hear if you hate it.

I love Treasuries... especially when they feature our stuff!

2007-07-30T19:12:00.000-04:00

A lovely handcarved treasury, put together by DewOnAPetal , who has some cool listings like this necklace.

We appreciate the exposure, thanks! That's my first hand carved box elder heart pendant in the second picture. It took awhile to get just right, but I think it turned out beautifully... if I do say so myself.

Stone quest!

2007-07-28T16:10:00.000-04:00

I'm on a quest for this stone, the purple cat's eye, not the black. If you know where I can find one, I'd very much appreciate an email. I lost the mate to this one, and I adore this pair of earrings. Measurements: 3/8" X 2/8" and looks to be no more than 1/8" thick.

Show Stoppers Treasury! What a great name.

2007-07-25T02:16:00.000-04:00

So, I found one of my favorite stoppers in a beautiful treasury made by shasglasscrafts the other day. Check out their shop, some lovely glass things... I especially like these heart earrings I actually found time to do a prtscrn and capture the lovely treasury for your enjoyment.

New Shop!

2007-07-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

In the interests of expanding our customer base, we've opened a shop on lov.li.com. Please feel free to tell your friends.

Be the first to buy from our new shop, and we'll send along an extra item, of equal or lesser value, absolutely FREE. Just email us after you've made your purchase, and mention the deflowering offer... we'll do the rest.

Our shop is PinkPolkaDotPoodle.

Wine bottle stopper cute as a button - NEW listing

2007-07-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

Here's a brand new listing for you. It is, indeed, as cute as a button.

This cute little bottle stopper is turned from madrone burl, which is also known as watermelon wood. It is designed with refrigerator friendliness in mind. If you have a short shelf, this one should do the trick. The silicone provides a nice, tight seal, allowing your wine to be safe from those pesky fridge smells that accompany leftovers. The stopper measures 5/8" tall by 3/4" wide. Stopper is 1" tall.

You can BUY ME.

More treasury fun!

2007-07-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

I love treasuries!

Some very kind folks have added my items to their lovely compilations. Onegirliegirl added our red box elder wine bottle stopper to her treasury Christmas in July

Here's a screenshot.

And Owlnote selected my hyacinth in blue 5 X 5 inch photograph for her treasury, Lavender's blue

Sporkman Danceth - fork spoon sculpture man

2007-07-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah... more horn blowing you say? Well, hey, if it gets you to BUY something, I say, more power to me. :-)

I'm tickled pink at the amazing compliments bestowed upon my humble photograph, "Sporkman Danceth."

Check out a treasury put together by TheIvyLeaf Some amazing things there in her treasury

A few sample quotes, because they made me smile...

angelfireartglass comments, "The Sporkman Danceth is soooo awesome!!! I love it!!!"
duckduckGoosestuff comments, "sporkman danceth is FABULOUS!"
MangoTango says, "I'd love a hug from Sporkman! :)"
marciamenendez exclaimed, "Thanks for including me! Sporkman rocks!" check out her mini mah johng bracelet, it's wicked awesome!
JanyMarie queries, "How cool is that sporkman?"
kingklaus decrees, "The sporkman is awesome!! Great list!"
bluenoodle says, "...the sporkman is way too funny!"

Uh, yeah, and I did my own treasury featuring things from etsymoms.

Check it out.

A few days late.

2007-07-06T11:50:00.000-04:00

Almost forgot about this treasury appearance, created by PoppyPatch on etsy.com. She has some gorgeous quilted things, you may want to check it out. PoppyPatch's Store

My day wouldn't be complete without bragging on me or my friends and family... apparently. ;-)

A friend of mine just started her shop...

2007-07-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

...on etsy.com. Go check out her bead people, they're cute.

pdpDesigns

Here are a few of her things...

Can you stand the bragging?

2007-06-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, so.

I don't know what I've been doing, but I want to know... so that I can keep doing it.

Got into a few more lovely etsy treasuries.

This one, featured cicadas...

And this one featured etsymoms listings...

Brag, Brag, Brag, I am sooo not humble

2007-06-20T18:16:00.000-04:00

I am sitting here, with my jaw dropping to the floor. Our items made it into THREE countem 3, treasuries today.

I made one myself, and filled it with lovely art, which I covet. You can see it here.

Needful Things Treasury

My photo, Hyacinth in Blue was added to this treasury, by
DaisyChains... Pretty Pretty

Our oops Olivewood bottlestopper was honored by thkeepershouse... Oops! The problem with handmade

And one of my favorites, a Cocobolo stopper, was deemed treasuryworthy by rightasraincreations... DamFAB V.2

etsy treasury excitement

2007-06-18T19:23:00.000-04:00

Finally got a treasury on etsy, with the new system. Honor the wood! Support the woodworking artisans. Treat yourself, buy something.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=308

Etsy Mom * Plus photography listings added

2007-06-15T10:58:00.001-04:00

A busy morning. Joined Etsy Mom, and am excited to get to know other etsymommys.

Am editing some photos, and anxiously awaiting delivery of some photos I had printed at smugmug.com.

It's a bee-like day.

And the mail finally came! Yay Paul the mailman, we love you.

So, the prints of my photography have arrived, and I've begun listing. Hope you enjoy them!

Thank you, Kelly!!

2007-06-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

What a nice surprise the other day, to see a gold star next to an etsy treasury. Our second time! This time, it was a blog neighbor, from the etsysellerswhoblog webring. What a cool idea. Check out something from Kelly's shop, by way of thanking her. www.kellyjohnston.etsy.com

Oh, and of course, I had to immortalize the moment with the screenshot

Front page!

2007-06-12T21:32:00.000-04:00

Okay, well, not really.

There's a lot of excitement on etsy when one gets on the front page. I wanted to taste that... so I took a screen shot of the moment my latest listing was there. It's not quite the same, but it was fun.

June alREADY???

2007-06-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

Can't believe how time is flying.

I was as sick as a dog (are dogs generally sick?) for about a week just before mothers' day. That stank. Finally went to the doctor, and found out that I was incredibly ill from a deep tissue infection, septic actually. Minor surgery, hydrocodone, two weeks in bed. Almost all better now.

We've made a bunch more stoppers, I just need to take time to photograph and list them.

School will be out in a few weeks, so the girls and I will have plenty of time to play and go to the pool.

Now, to actually market the shop.

last day of april

2007-05-01T01:37:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

One of the stoppers I made, all by myself, sold out of my etsy store yesterday. It's all packed and shipped and on it's way to the customer. I hope it is appreciated as much as I did looking at it.

It feels good, validating, even.

Went by the Wine Cabinet, and they are down to 4 of our stoppers, so I need to take another 12 over to them. Just have to decide which to pull from my listings, or which to pull from hubby's secret stash for gift giving. All in all, I think we need to make about 5 more.

I'm ambiening, so I'd better stop. Dog knows what might slip out.

g'nite

one woman's crusade to save Blake

2007-04-25T01:11:00.000-04:00

As Randy would say, what's up with dat dog?

Chris sings... it's nice, his typical nasaly thing, but it happened during a much nicer song this time. He's all cute and Justin Timberlakey... which is so not my thing. Okay, they had nice words for him. I can deal.

Melinda does her thing. A little trick to it... she sings a song I don't know. Many people may know it... I do not. Therefore, I don't know if she missed notes, or flubbed anything at all. But Come ON Simon... a master class? The three of them just fell all over themselves to say something about her. I guess they were worried that America put her smack in the middle of the pack last week.

Blake. Mon petite chou! He's a dollbaby. I think he has a combination of young Sting, very young Bono, before the weight gain, and Christian Slater looks. Well, yes, let's not forget the sortof Elvisy lip action. He sang Lennon's Imagine. Lovely rendition, with a touch of Blake. True to the song. Nothing off key, no messups. It's a quiet song of hope, and Blake sang it with utter sincerity and a lovely tonal quality with the melody. Randy didn't like it. Paula was iffy, but ended up saying nice things... Simon was less than effusive. I'm worried.

LaKisha amazes me. I think Randy and Paula must've been too busy chatting to actual hear her performance. It gave me the little fuzzies in my stomach. I've come to rely on the little fuzzies. Beautiful performance, ripped to shreds by two of the judges.

Phil. I'm sure he's a quite adequate singer, but I can't really hear him. When he's on, if I listen closely, he makes my skin crawl. Can't quite put my finger on why. I think it's the giant caterpillars perched above his eyes. Bald don't work with giant furry caterpillars on your face. Wear the hat. Pluck the brows. Something. It's reminiscent of Clay Aiken, whom I had to close my eyes to listen to, because of the crazy faces he would make during a song.

Jordin was awesome. She threw her whole self into that performance.

I spent three hours speed dialing. It was a one woman crusade to save Blake. The positive spin of tonight's voting is that I don't have to feel stupid for "wasting" time dialing the phone. Each time I got through, it was food in a poor orphan's mouth. Nearly brought a tear to this cynic's eye. Okay, it actually did. But just one.

I'm not happy with the judges. I think they were so gobsmacked to see Melinda in the middle of the pack, that they had to puff her up as much as possible. LaKisha is the other diva, so they had to tear her down. Yes, this means that I subscribe to the "judges don't judge, they promote" the contestants, paranoid theory.

I dialed hundreds of times. I have no idea how many times. I hope it was enough. One woman's crusade to save Blake.

God, I'm pathetic.

...at the end of the day...

2007-04-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

It was a long day.

I started a blog. I pulled my hair out trying to make things work properly. In the end, I'm not sure if they ARE working properly, but hey, I gave it my best shot.

Planted quite a few plants in my front garden, it's starting to look nice again.

It's nearly 10pm here on the East Coast... I'm suitably tired. I think I may go to bed early.

the "first" post

2007-04-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

I was in the mood to put the little "quotey" marks around the word, first, largely because of a funny thread on etsy.com's forums the other day. It made me laugh. Perhaps you had to be there.

Mailing off our first bottle stopper sale to an eBay member right now. I hope it's a sign of good things to come. We had a lot of activity on the eBay auctions that I tested in different categories last week. This sale gave us a break even on that test. Yay for break even.

We've discovered Etsy.com, which offers handmade items from artisans around the world. I like that it isn't riddled with mass manufactured, drop-shipped crap. You may like that too. Please feel free to join us there. I promise, there are gorgeous things to be had, lovely ideas for gifts, in addition to the fabulous products we'll be selling.

Okay, so off to the post office!