Good Sunday Evening To You All!
I hope your past week was good to you! And that the upcoming week will be a great one!
It seems the 'Christmas Spirit' is in full swing....bad manners, crappy attitudes and just plain old sour pusses. I have to admit that I have fallen prey to the 'ba-hum-bugs'. It seems over the past few years that I have come to the point that I could truly do without the holidays. It never seems to fail that something (many somethings) always happens during what is supposed to be a joyous period. Things breaking down, people becoming ill, just 'bad vibes'. A week ago, I started my usual (as of late) rant.....'Next year Christmas and Thanksgiving is cancelled!' Then I always realize that I'm just frustrated, my fuse seems to get shorter at this time of the year. Soon it will be time to celebrate Yule. The coming of the sun and regenerated growth. It's also nice to see the look on the grand kids faces as well. Part of my problem is that I was not as ready as I would have liked to be this year, so it's making things tighter than normal. But it will all work out for the best. I have my family and friends - the only true thing of any importance. My wife and I were talking and I think that next year we may have a Holiday Party around the fire pit. Something along the lines of a pot luck, I think. So I guess I'll have to really whip the yard into shape this coming spring. Gee, that was a side track and a half. I guess I'm just trying to say remember what's important during this hectic holiday season. Never miss a chance to let those you cherish know how much you love them. :)
You may ask 'what brought on the holiday rant?'
Well, in short, a trip to Walmart.
We went grocery shopping on Saturday. Now, first of all, I absolutely hate going to the grocery store. It's a pain, noisy, crowded and they are out of the things that I normally buy on a regular basis. Yesterday was no exception. People cutting you off, running their carts into you, pushing their way through even though they can clearly see people waiting to get through the isle.
Well, we were nearly done, just a couple more isles to get through. While we were trying to decide on the buns that we wanted, this young man came up and stood next to me for a couple of seconds.
He searched the shelf for what he was looking for and saw it right in front of me.
In a quiet voice he said 'excuse me'.
I responded with 'sorry' and took a step back so he could get to the hamburger buns.
Then came 'thank you', he grabbed his buns and was on his way.
I looked at my wife and said 'Wow, manners'. It was at that moment that I realized how non-existent manners have become. I looked at my wife and said 'I'll be right back'.
I followed the young man down the refrigerated isle and walked up to his father and shook his hand. I then explained how nice it was to meet a young man with manners. His father just beamed and I think I embarrassed the boy.
But I thought it was important to encourage something that most adults have forgotten.
I made my way back to my wife and she simply looked at me and said 'You went and found his parents, didn't you?' I said yes and she just smiled.
We finished our shopping, me with a much better attitude then I entered the store with.
Ok, let's see now....
I finished reading "Making it" by Jack White. The man has a lot of good advice for artists. Now it's up to me to figure out how to incorporate it into my wants and needs. A feat I fear is going to be easier said than done. Mr. White has several other books available that I may acquire as well. He writes straight forward and about things that he knows. He is the first to tell that he has 'never tried something', so he can't say if it will work or not. He seems truthful and genuinely wants to help other artists make a living. It's a good read and I highly recommend it. I will let you know if I get more of his books and how they are in the future. You can find more information
here.
This past week, I posted a picture on FaceBook and got quite a few responses. So I thought I would share it here too! It's a picture of Krampus! It was a simple title...'If you've been bad, you might want to stay in tonight'. Krampus is the flip side of Saint Nicholas' coin. I don't know about anyone else but I think I'd rather have a lump of coal than run into Krampus. Here's a
link for more information. I will let you make your own determinations on this one.
Krampus - as I posted on FaceBook
an alternate view of Krampus
I think more children should know about
this deterrent from bad behavior
A couple of weeks ago I came across a post that I meant to share last time around and didn't. I think it's something that everyone should read. And I believe that it should be shared with everyone else. I know it's not something that people want to think about - especially at this time of the year. But it may be the difference between someone getting hurt or not. I think it's relative to this time of the year since a lot of women and young girls go shopping and are unaware of their surroundings in the parking lot......
Please share this and make as many ladies in your life aware of it as possible. The original post I got it from is
here.
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”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!
It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…
FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.
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POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
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FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….
I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.
LADIES! This is important, please read!
PEOPLE OF ANY GENDER, PLEASE REBLOG THIS BECAUSE IT COULD SAVE LIVES! LADIES, TAKE NOTE OF ALL OF THIS TEXT BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.
*****
Now, more on Moxie.....
Her dress is still aggravating me. Not that that's a surprise. :)
I had to put the dress aside for now and work on something else. So I started her wings. I decided I would try using my
Fosshape. It's taking a little getting used to but I am happy with the results so far. All I have at home is a hair dryer which doesn't seem to be hot enough to 'set' the material. I think I may have to get a heat gun in order to 'solidify' the Fosshape. I think once I get the heat gun these will be a great addition to Moxie. I have been taking some photos of the process so far. Here they are.....
i made a pattern and cut the Fosshape on the fold
(blogger turned my photo sideways for no apparent reason)
i then pinned it on the fold of some cardboard before
applying heat
(blogger turned this one upside down - won't bring it
in any other way)
this is after a few passes with a hair dryer
holds the shape pretty well. i think it will
hold it better with more heat though
(finally right side up)
a little further along
i really think i'm gonna like this stuff
:)
side view so you can see the shape
from the top looking down
not too bad so far!
Last post I promised more on the 'Yule Goat'. Well, now that I have more information, I can share it with you. How many of you went and looked it up after I posted? Hhhhmmmmmm? I know you did. :)
Apparently Father Christmas rode a goat at one time. No reindeer, just a goat. Now keep in mind this is not Santa. Wow, hows that for a mental image? Santa in his red suit on a goat? Wow, I think it's stuck now. LOL
It's a Yule tradition. A straw goat is made and then burned to get rid of the negative 'vibes'. I think I may incorporate this into our Holiday Party next year......bring your bad feelings, troubles and what have you to 'let them go'! I will have to seriously think about this one. Hhhhhmmmmmm.
a small Yule Goat
a really large Yule Goat!
i think that the red on his legs is about the height of
a person. he's a big boy!
And finally an idea for the ever evolving back yard.....
I think that's the end of this post......
She has some wonderful teddy bears, go take a peek.
til next time...
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!
TTFN
