help me name my business update

Today was to be the last day of the contest. Because I received a lower than expected response to my preliminary blog contest I have decided to run the contest for one more week.


I have received more suggestions for a business name from people who do not read my blog than people who do read my blog; that is a sad state for those of you who read my humble little blog!


Here are the suggestions I have received so far: Stitches n Stuff (implies sewing and other stuff), The Rose (not to be confused with a certain children's theatre), Designs by Rose, Creations by Rose (creation to me implies making something from nothing and I think God leads in that department), Crazy Lady Sewing Company (confirmed "crazy" by pulling an all-nighter Friday night to finish a project), and The Mouse House (I have collected mice for a long time but not the kind that scamper around the house as earlier posts explain what I do to that kind of mouse).

I think we should ask the next generation of bloggers what they think I should name my business. They are good with coming up with 4th of July songs so why not business names?

I also have only had one person suggest a prize so that person may get a prize whether or not the entry wins or not!

Put your thinking caps on again and post your comments for all to see.

Have a great week!

iowa state fair update

My faith in humanity has at least been temporarily restored. The voters voted against the idea of including Michael Jackson in the butter cow display at the Iowa State Fair this year. Check out the story.

In an unscientific poll more than 100,000 people voted with 65.24% voting against the inclusion of MJ.

Hooray, the sane people of the world reign! Happy Day!

help name my business

As promised, I am running a contest for all 'ya all to help me name my home business.

Some helpful information:

I sew. I make baby blankets and burp clothes. I make custom-made aprons that have 15 pockets. I have made everything from wedding dresses to winter coats to several quilt tops and everything in-between.

I crochet. I usually make baby afghans but have also made several full-sized afghans.

I cross-stitch. Do you have a favorite photo that you would like made into a cross-stitched picture for your wall? I can do that! Have you seen a cross-stitch pattern/kit that you wished you could make or have someone make it for you? I can do that!

I play with Rice Krispies! I have made two full-sized (3 feet tall/30 pounds) wedding cakes complete with a bride and groom all made from Rice Krispies treat mix (thank you Kelloggs and Kraft). I have also formed "sculptures" such as a giant music note (an 8th note if I remember correctly (thanks for helping with that one ber)), the U.S. Flag (2' x 3'), a United States map, a totem pole, and...well, you get the picture!

Sorry, "you're crazy" is not a good name for a business!

I am also going to let you help me decide what the prize should be for the winner. Post your ideas for the name and the prize in the comments section of this post. I will pick the top three in both categories then set up a formal vote. Spread the word; have your friends and their friends read this post. I value the opinions of my faithful five blog readers but I think this will be more fun if we can get more people involved.

I would like to get my business registered with the state by September 30, 2009 so I have to set a deadline for you to submit your ideas for this contest. The first phase of this contest will end at noon (CST) on Sunday July 26, 2009. You have one week; let the creative juices flow!

iowa state fair

Some things are not meant to be "messed" with, especially things like the butter cow display at the Iowa State Fair ("ISF"). Don't get me wrong, I am okay with some change but don't change long standing tradition (1911).


Every year at the ISF there is a full-sized cow sculpted out of butter . The butter cow has been joined over the years by such greats as Superman and Bill Riley (you have to be an "Iweegin" to know who Bill Riley is)! Iweegin is like this: I wee gin (like the card game) for all of you foreigners!


This year the state fair committee (or someone else who has lost all connection with reality and all sense of what is right) wants to add Michael Jackson (in butter) to the butter cow display. I am sorry, there is no way that any part of that can be right! Are they nuts?

There was a place on the ISF website that allowed you to vote for or against having Michael done in butter. You can rest assured that I voted and I voted for my dear sweet husband too. He is not a natural born Iweegin but he needed to vote too. In case you aren't following along--I voted against Michael Jackson. If I would have had my act together all y'all would have been given an "opportunity" to vote too. The results of the vote will be posted on the ISF website tomorrow. Heaven help us!

If you have never been to the ISF or were not old enough to remember (sorry ber) then you really need to put this on your list of things to do; I am not kidding! I will join you if you want a "local's" perspective. The movie "State Fair" was about the ISF. Check out the history of the ISF. It is the best state fair in the nation!

I'm done now! My next post: help name my business contest--really!

God's timing

My small group is studying the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. We have noticed that the recurring theme is: be in tune with God so you can hear His voice and be ready for an assignment from Him. I think we sometimes miss the little "assignments" because we are waiting to hear the "big assignment". I think God wants us to hear (or experience) the little things so we will slow down and appreciate what He has given us.

I experienced one of those "little assignments" Monday night when we came home from work. I am always in a hurry when I come home from work. I have so many things I think I need to do, I'm usually hungry, and there are other things that just can't wait. Monday night when I pulled into the garage I saw something strange hanging on the bricks on the outside of the house so I went out to investigate. (I am not an outside kind of person so I really was going out on a limb so-to-speak!) I forgot about everything else that I thought I had to do because at that moment God gave me something wonderful to experience.

In all of my years on this earth I have never seen a locust wiggle out of its shell. I have seen the empty shells many times but never the locust and never the actual transformation. God put that little bug on exactly the right brick of my house so I would see it when I pulled into the garage. I was paying attention to God and He allowed me to see something very cool and amazing. I wanted to document the event so I took my phone out of my pocket and started taking pictures of this beautiful green bug wiggling out of an ugly brown shell.

I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome this was to experience. God takes us out of our ugly shells and transforms us into something beautiful. I can hear you saying how ugly you think this bug is but think about it. The greens and yellows were such a surprise coming from the ugly darkness of the brown shell (the bug's previous life).

God blesses us with beauty all around us if we will only take the time to hear His voice and to look at what He wants to show us. I also took this picture on Monday night. This beautiful Stargazer Lily is one of many blooms in my flower bed. From this picture you are not able to tell that this beautiful flower is blooming in the midst of a flower bed full of volunteer trees; so many trees that it is difficult to tell where the flowers are.

God rescues us from ugly brown shells or from forests of volunteer trees and transforms us into beautiful creations if we will only listen to His voice. Take time this week to listen to God's voice and see what amazing things he has in store for you.

helicopters

Many of you who know me know that I have an odd sense of humor. This post to my blog will prove it to the rest of you.

Our neighbors to the east (Bob and Karen) do a great job of maintaining their yard. The grass always looks great! It is too bad their neighbor to the west cannot control their maple tree!

Bob and Karen have always done their own yard work but this past year we have seen a sharp decline in their health. This year someone has been mowing their grass for them. I assume this someone is their son-in-law; let's call him Fred. I really do not know his name but it seems cruel to call him someone throughout this post! Let me just say that Fred does not look like he is used to maintaining a yard nor does he look like he enjoys it very much!

Anyway, this morning Fred was over at Bob and Karen's early so he could get the yard work done before church. I assume that was the reason because he didn't have to try to finish before the heat of the day settled upon us! (We had lows in the upper 30's last night! I had a fleeting thought last night that I should turn the heat back on before I went to bed. I am very glad it was just a fleeting thought!)

Bob and Karen's yard was beautiful when I left for church around 10:45. When I came home from church Bob and Karen's yard looked like this:

This struck me as funny! All of that beautiful, soft, plush grass was now a medium for a massive tree farm!

You see, Bob and Karen's neighbor to the west cannot control their maple tree! For those of you not familiar with maple trees, this is the time of year that most trees (including maple trees) drop their seeds trying to propagate next years crop of seedlings. All of those off-white spots you see are dried seeds (helicopters). The helicopters have been falling like rain the past few days.

God designed these little helicopters to land seed first and take root very quickly. All we need now is a little rain and we will all have rooftop gardens when the helicopters take root in the gutters on our the houses.

The fun part of helicopters is the fact that they make great whistles. If you get the green helicopters (without the seed part) situated perfectly on your tongue you can whistle! The shrill sound from helicopter whistles will drive most sane adults crazy! I am already crazy so I am immune to the effects of the whistle!

top 10 day?

The big weather topic here in the Heartland last night was not about some massive storm or about the terrible wind that destroyed the Dallas Cowboy's inflatable practice area; no, it was about top 10 days. Specifically, whether or not yesterday was a top 10 day. The local weather guys had already declared that Saturday was not a top 10 weather day but they thought yesterday was. They actually declared yesterday as a top 10 day. That officially proves they are paid for being dumb!

Yesterday was not a top 10 day. It was cloudy most of the day, a touch humid, and generally not a very nice day.

Saturday on the other hand was a gorgeous day. Saturday's weather had low humidity, a slight breeze, and a fantastic 68 degrees. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood! The weather know-nothings said it had to be in the 70s to be declared a top 10 day. What do they know?

I even went for a walk outside with my dear sweet husband. Those of you who really know me and who are reading this blog know that I do not spend very much time outside.

What do you think? What is your idea of a top 10 weather day?

i'm back!

I have been reprimanded for my absence. Because of that reprimand I am begging forgiveness from my blog readers! I will try to keep "life" under control so I can blog more often!

I like to have things to do and projects to look forward to but sometimes the list of "things to do" is a bit daunting. Right now I have eight major projects to do between now and June 1. I love my projects so I welcome each new project with open arms. In fact, I am honored to have one of my recent projects featured on a dear friend's blog. Thank you Ashlee!

As I reflect on the craziness of life I cannot help but think about the One who keeps everything under control. Tomorrow is the day that we pause to celebrate our risen Lord. Nothing in our lives would mean anything without Christ dying for our sins, my sins. I thank God for His love, His passion, and His compassion for all of us. Celebrate Easter, celebrate God's love for you, and share that love with those around you.

Have a great Easter and may God bless each of you.

never ending projects

I want to show all of you (my faithful blog readers) the project I completed this week. This blanket will go to an organization called W.I.G.L. which stands for Wrapped In God's Love. We have a "chapter" at work. We make baby blankets for babies leaving the hospital who are going into foster care. As much as I know that there are great foster care homes out there, it breaks my heart to know that there are babies who are not going home with their moms. If you would like to be involved in this ministry please contact me. You can help by making blankets yourself, donating materials (cotton, fleece, or yarn), or by donating $ to be used toward the purchase of said materials.

If you like to crochet, the pattern for this baby afghan was published by the permission of Caron International and can be found at http://www.crochetnmore.com/babysabcsafghan.htm.

catchin' up

I thought I should do a little catching up or clean-up if you will of previous posts that long to be updated.


Regarding goin' huntin', the total score was mama rose 2 v. mooses -2. I still have the traps set but no signs and no victims so I guess that is the end of that saga.


Weather in the Heartland this year seems to be as crazy as every other year. The temps get into the 50s by mid-week then the snow comes on Fridays. What's up with snow every Friday? Two weeks ago we missed the really big snow because we did not get the moist air from the Gulf as expected. If everything would have lined up as expected we would have had to measure the snow in feet not inches. We only got 7.5 inches that round. We were supposed to get more snow last Friday but I was on my way to the land of the creepy crawlies so I am not sure what it did here. Yesterday morning we had a thunderstorm complete with small hail then the snow started. We received about 4 to 5 inches of snow this time. It is beautiful after it snows. This is a picture that someone sent to one of the local TV stations. I am not sure this squirrel enjoys the weather as much as the cookie!

The adventure to the land of the creepy crawlies was great. I got to see my California kids. I did not see any of Raj's eight-legged friends but I did get to see a very cute little snail. I did not stand and watch him very long as I assumed he would soon be someone's dinner and I wanted no part of that!


I volunteered to get bumped for the second leg of my flight home. It was a tough decision but someone had to do it! My layover was in Houston so you can tell it was quite a sacrifice! Amber was a trooper; she drove an hour (with the children) just to spend an hour with me! It was great but a little crazy. I had to apologize to Jared for not being the grandparent that he really wanted to see. Sorry, I am not Grandpa!


I think that is enough housekeeping. Strange, I can hear Raj's voice in my head as I type "housekeeping". Sorry, inside joke though you are more than welcome to ask Raj about it the next time you talk to him.

land of the creepy crawlies

In one week I will be visiting my daughter, son, and daughter-in-law in the land of the creepy crawlies! (Scroll down to the pictures when you get to the linked blog.) I am sure that Southern California has some great traits but it will be hard to overcome the creepy crawlies! Have I mentioned that I am terrified of spiders, especially the ones that can kill you or at least make you very ill? Who am I kidding? I cannot stand any creature that has more than two arms and two legs and even some of them frighten me! Full confession: I am also very frightened by the ones without any appendages.

I must be brave. Isn't the first rule of being a parent to not show fear? Or is that the rule when dealing with wild animals? Either way, I think I failed that test!

weather in the heartland

When I was a child we were always taught that we lived in the Midwest. Several years ago, maybe even a decade or more ago, someone came up with the bright idea that we live in the Upper Plains while people east of the Mississippi River actually live in the Midwest. Will someone please explain to me how that is even geographically possible? I am not too bitter about that; I just feel displaced!

Anyway, I love living in the Heartland, Midwest, or Upper Plains (where ever). Most residents of this part of the country have great core values and are generally pleasant to their neighbors and co-workers.

One great part about this region is the weather. There has been a long-standing joke "if you don't like the weather, stay around about an hour and it will change". The sad part is how true that statement really is. The early part of this week the weather was awesome. We had unseasonably mild (translated warm) temps ranging from 45 to 60 degrees (warm enough for shorts and flip flops). Mid-week we had one day of very strong wind then today, the snow!

For several days the weather geniuses have been predicting the snow but they never really know exactly where it will hit, when it will hit, or how much snow we will actually get. Today they came pretty close to getting it right. They predicted the right path it would take and how much we would get. The storm got in a hurry though so it started sooner and ended earlier than they had predicted. Overall it was an impressive job of forecasting.

The best part about the storm was the fact that the area schools started announcing last night that they were canceling classes for today and the snow was not even predicted to start falling until about 10:00 this morning. All of the Metro schools (except one) announced by this morning that they were canceling classes and we had not even seen one snowflake which usually angers many parents. I am sure that was a tough call for the Superintendents to make. Before 9:00 a.m. we realized that the weather guys/gals were right this time as the snow came in with a vengeance!

I have not heard the weather report tonight but the prediction was for thunder snow today. Thunder snow is an awesome weather phenomenon during which it thunders and lightnings as the snow is falling. I think it is yet another sign that God has a great sense of humor. During thunder snow the snow accumulates at a very fast rate, usually two or more inches an hour. It's awesome! To put that in perspective for those of you who do not get to play in the snow, a normal snow storm may take two hours or more to drop one inch of snow. I did not hear any thunder but the rate of accumulation was consistent with thunder snow.

If all goes well tomorrow I will try to take some pictures of the snow to share with you.

my dear sweet husband

I have previously mentioned and will continue to mention my dear sweet husband in my posts and I want to make sure that there isn't any confusion as to what I mean when I use that term. I use that term sincerely, out of love and respect and never out of sarcasm.

Andy and I have been married for over 30 years; yes, longer than most bloggers have walked on this earth! Each day I am so thankful that he is my husband and consider myself blessed to be his wife. Andy has such a sweet spirit; it humbles me to be his wife. He has a servant's heart and without a doubt has the gift of service. He is incredibly intelligent but does not flaunt it over anyone. He is loving, caring, and very supportive. Andy is my best friend.

He has a way of making those around him at ease. He is almost "Yoda-like" as he convinces people to do things his way without ever saying a word. I stand back in those "Yoda" moments and smile as I know what's coming and the "targeted" person has no clue that they are about to be "yoda-ized".

Andy has patiently loved me while supporting and encouraging me every step of the way. We have been through great times and tough times. We welcomed four beautiful children into the world and mourned the loss of a fifth baby. We had great times with our parents/grandparents and together mourned as each individual passed away. I regret that I never got the opportunity to be around Andy's parents to learn more from them. They had to have been awesome people to raise such a wonderful man.

Andy has an incredible sense of time even though he rarely wears a watch and time means very little to him. Americans would do well to learn something about time from the people of India. We are always in a hurry and for what? We hurry from one appointment to the next so we can move on to the next task at hand in an effort to make it through another day. I think we hurry our lives away. Andy is still working with me on my problem with time!

Andy also has a great sense of direction even though I do not always want to believe him (I am a little stubborn). For example, I try desperately not to drive to our capitol city without him because I know I will get turned around and I will not know north from south or east from west. That doesn't mean that I don't think he's wrong when he tells me which direction to turn (even though he's always right).

He is a great listener. He listens to me ramble on and on, especially after work! We have a unique situation in that we both work for the same company, in the same building, and with the same hours. We drive to work together, share lunch around noon, and at the end of the day we drive home together. I think it is great!

I know that one should not refer to a grown man as "cute" but there is no way around it when I describe my dear sweet husband. Yes, he is very handsome but at the same time he is cute. I think it comes from his sweet and gentle spirit. He is cute!

Therefore, when I mention my dear sweet husband in future posts you will know that I am serious and I only use that description as a term of endearment.

AL, I love you very much.

goin' huntin' part 2.1

Make the score Mama Rose 2 Mooses -2 and possibly no tie!

goin' huntin' part 2

Last night I was in the kitchen as one of our daring little four-legged friends ran from one side of the kitchen to the other and escaped under the dishwasher. It was not a very smart move on his part because I then knew exactly where to set a trap. I am smarter than our four-legged friends who were dumb enough to move into my house.

When I woke up this morning my dear sweet husband told me that I had a present waiting for me in the kitchen. I was so excited! Now, before you get all uptight and think that it should be the husband's job to take care of the present, I am the more experienced moose hunter so I will take care of my victims.

Andy asked what I planned to do with my victim. I am not sure what he thought I was going to do with the little guy but of course I threw my little victim out in the backyard. I have to help the food chain; something will eat the little guy (I hope).

I looked at the trap and thought it had enough bait (peanut butter) so I re-set it and put it back under the dishwasher. Sure enough, when we got home tonight the trap had been sprung but no victim. I quickly decided that I should have put more bait on the trap this morning. I added more peanut butter and re-set the trap. I may move more traps to the kitchen if this trend continues!

Joe, I think I might need some help stuffing holes with steel wool this summer!

So the score stands: Mama Rose 1 Mooses -1 with a tie for the one that got away (this time).

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of Mama Rose v Mooses!

goin' huntin'

I am doing something tonight that I have not done in over 22 years; I'm huntin' moose! Now I know the thought of mooses freak out a lot of women but it is better to hunt them instead of just screaming or doin' nothing about them.

In case you haven't figured out by now, I am not hunting the large four-legged variety with big antlers. We don't have those kind around these parts. No, I am hunting the small four-legged variety; you know, the ones with the long tail. Sometimes they are blind, some run up clocks, some get their tails whacked off by the farmer's wife. Ya' know, mooses; I mean mice.

For as much as I love collecting the ceramic variety of these little critters (I have lots of really cute ones) I do not want the living variety scampering around my house. I have long stated that if the creepy crawlies (bugs, spiders, centipedes, mice) want to stay alive they had better stay outside and not come in my house.

My dear sweet husband (Andy) was the first to see our unexpected house guest. I finally saw the little guy the other night and decided it was time to take action.

Our current house guest is not as friendly as the one we had in our apartment in Kansas City. The little guy down there would come out after the kids were in bed and watch us watching TV. He was quite sociable! Our new house guest is not at all sociable. I sure hope he likes peanut butter!

Stay tuned for the further adventures of "Mama Rose against the mooses". A sneak preview...the mice do not stand a chance!

one nation under God!

This morning on the way to work I heard someone talking about the passage from Romans 13 in which Paul tells us we are to be in submission to the authorities. I know the topic was planned for today because of the inauguration but for some reason hearing that passage again made me really think about what God is asking us to do. No matter whom we voted for or whether we voted at all, now that the election is over and a new president has been sworn into office we are supposed to be in submission to this new government.

Romans is the only book written by Paul without a specific reason. He did not write Romans to a church or group of people as he did his other books or letters. Even with that in mind I feel today as if Paul wrote the first section of Romans 13 just for me, especially for today.

Most of us know that Paul tells us to pay our taxes which most of us do because we are law abiding citizens of this great country. Verse 5 states "Therefore, (or in conclusion) it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience." Paul continues in verse 7 to say, "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." NIV

I guess what I am trying to say is that no matter whom we did or did not vote for we are to show respect and honor to our leaders in office. We are a united nation under God.

Technology!

It seems no matter how much I try to resist changes in technology I eventually give up and for the most part embrace the change. This blog is the latest example of me being tossed into "advancing technology".

I clearly remember stating (not very long ago, maybe 25 years or so) that I did not need a microwave. Because I am not a very patient person I am really glad that my husband did not listen to my protest.

The next leap of technology was our first computer. I learned to type (in high school) on a manual typewriter (look under A for antiques in the dictionary) but I did not know the first thing about computers. My computer genius a/k/a my husband told me I didn't need the manual that I would learn better if I would just start using it. Now I am high maintenance when it comes to computers. I want then to work right and to be fast.

Then came my next stand of not needing a cell phone. I do not need a cell phone; I can use pay phones (also under A for antiques in the dictionary). Who did I think I was kidding with that statement? My newest cell phone is not just a cell phone, very few are these days. My cell phone is also my PDA which I use to manage my busy social calendar, write memos to myself, and of course send/receive text messages!

I not only use text messaging but I am also on Facebook and now I am blogging. Who would have thought it possible? What's next? Maybe I should be careful with that question! Seriously, a big thank you goes out to my family who have painfully endured my advancement into modern technology.

My hope for this blog is that the writings posted here will be entertaining and maybe even thought provoking but above all not embarrassing to those who know me best.