Happy Anniversary

Wednesday, March 23 is the 37 wedding anniversary for Bob and I. 

What a great life we have had.  We had planned on going out for a nice dinner at a jazz club but we are still both sick and coughing and food tastes like sawdust so not a good time to dinner.  Will do it a little later.

Weather is great.  Several times over the years we have celebrated our anniversary in Mexico or the Carribean but it was 84 here today and 81 tomorrow so we aren’t missing good temperatures.   Expect to have a laid back day, maybe a dinner of appetizers and some wine.

Worlds Best Golf/Athletic Sock made right near me

Did you know the worlds best golf sock is made at a plant only a few miles from me here in Pickens, SC?  I’m not a golfer but wanted to share this cool product with my readers, some of whom golf or have family or friends that golf.   Wouldn’t a pair of these make a special Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or birthday gift?  Almost makes me wish I was a golfer.   I bet they are great hiking and  walking socks.  Kentwool.com

Read the reviews.   If you have feet problems this might be a good option to try. 
Check out Women’s Socks
Check out Men’s Socks

Super Full Moon on Saturday night

I can’t wait to see this super moon tomorrow night.   It should be nice and clear here. 

The content below is from: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/03/super-moon-saturday-night-full-moon-nasa-/1
This site  also hase a nice video explaining it.

A “Super Moon” will rise in the east at sunset on Saturday evening. This unusually large full moon — known as a super “perigee moon” — will be the biggest in almost 20 years, according to NASA.

“The last full moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1983,” says Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. “I’d say it’s worth a look.”

Why the “Super Moon” label? “A ‘Super Moon’ is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon,” says James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

It’s so close because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, but an ellipse, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Tim Ballisty.

When the Moon’s orbit takes it the farthest away from Earth, the moon is at its “apogee,” Ballisty says. When it makes its closest approach, the moon is at its “perigee.”

So not only it be a full moon Saturday, but it will also be at its perigee. This month’s perigee will put the moon about 8% closer to Earth than usual, and about 2% closer to Earth than the average lunar perigee.

The best time to look at the full moon is when it’s near the horizon. That is when illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view, NASA reports. Low-hanging moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects.

According to NASA and NOAA, although a perigee moon brings with it extra-high “perigean tides,” it’s nothing to worry about. In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only about an inch or so higher than usual. Local geography can amplify the effect to about six inches.

Don’t be concerned about other natural disasters, either: The Super Moon of March 1983, for instance, passed without incident. And an almost-Super Moon in December 2008 also proved harmless.

“The effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor,” says NASA’s Garvin, “and according to the most detailed studies by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists, the combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its ‘full moon’ configuration (relative to the Earth and sun), should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth, since there are lunar tides every day.”

At its closest on Saturday night, the moon will pass by Earth at a distance of about 221,567 miles.

A quick post

I’ve been sick the last week so that’s why no news from me.  Bad head cold, cough, fever but no chest congestion  Can’t sleep at night because I cough.   Sleeping in the guest room so maybe Bob can sleep.  Smoky keeping me company.   Feeling better now except still have the cough.  Bob has it now.

Volunteer activities

My second year of volunteer activity with the Newcomers Club as the technology person will end in May. I am so glad I did this, with plenty of help from Bob. The board has about 16 people and I got an opportunity to get to know them so much better in these smaller groups. It also forced me to get out and do activities. I’m not beyond needing some extra motivation to get out and about. I have met people from all over the country and from the Greenville area. Now I am ready to volunteer for something else.

Of course I have goals and criteria.

• Meet people that live nearby. One of the things that is hard about Newcomers is that most of the members live 45 minutes away and I know I it is more likely that I will make close friends if they are close by .
• Do something that fits my skill and interest level – business, technology, socializing, animals, history, art.
• Not be a big, regular committment. A few hours a month, not 20 hours a month. For example while these are good causes, I don’t want to be locked into volunteering at the humane society or delivering Meals on Wheels every week at a set time. I know myself well enough that I won’t like it.
• Monthly activities with some special programs would be a good fit
• Be involved in my community of Greenville or Travelers Rest. I grew up in a town of 300, Nicollet MN, and one of the reasons we picked Travelers Rest was for the small town feel. Nicollet now has a population over 1000 and is one of the thriving small towns in southern MN. Travelers Rest is doing the same-a jewel in the rough with a big “can do” spirit.
• A volunteer activity that Bob can participate in sometimes.

 Did I find something? Stay tuned for the next post.

Wood turning

Bob and I are both taking an all day class on bowl turning on Saturday at Woodcraft.  To get the most out of the class the last few days we been turning some small bowls at home.  Even though we have taken a class and done some turning since the early class we are both still intimidated by the bowls.

You have a hunk of wood revolving 1500 times a minute and you are using a very sharp tool on it.  Bob broke his bowl when it was about 3/4 done.   It happens in the blink of an eye.   One little wrong move and tool catches on the wood and you have a mess.   We have both seen experienced wood turners do it so nothing to be ashamed about.

I finished my bowl, no photo yet because the finish is still drying.  It is African mahogany and about 5 inches across.   I would give it a grade of a C.   It looks ok but the sides and bottom are a little too thick because that’s what scares me about turning, when it starts to get thin.  I hope to make another one before Saturday.

We have 6 pieces of exotic and laminated wood for pens and I am almost finished with the 5 steps of prep work on those so soon we can turn pens.   Can’t wait to see how they turn out, especially the laminated ones although the wood cracked on one piece when I was drilling it.  Bob glued it together so now we will just have to see if it holds when we turn.   I would expect that is a common problem with laminated wood.  We have some new products to try for a finish on them.  Bob and I both say we forget how satisfying it is to work on these projects.

He is nearing completion on the second of my two shadow boxes so should finish that project tomorrow.

Show and Tell

I haven’t shown you lately the craft things Bob and I have been making.

I went with a girlfriend to a card making get together and I made these two cards.  There were four of us students and the teacher and it was a very fun, creative morning.  The one on the right was tricky because of the weaving and the pinwheel.   The frog was just plain fun to make.

Bob is continuing his box making.  The box on the right is the first one he made, which I already showed you, and the one on the left is the new one.   Notice the fancier dove tail corners and extra shaping on the lid.

Box close up.

We are taking this bottle stopper to a party tonight as a hostess gift.

Woodcraft, his wood store, had a big sale yesterday and he got some laminated wood for pens.   We are looking forward to turning them.

Sabrina also had show and tell a couple days ago.   She brought home a little mouse.   She is definitely the little hunter.  Smoky sits and looks entertained by the creatures but I don’t think he hunts like she does.   At least we caught it before we let her in the house because the mouse was still alive.  I guess we will have to do “mouth check” with them like we used to do with big black Zeus, who brought things home all the time.

Gardening and Cats

Weather on this Saturday is overcast and rainy which is good because we need the rain.  A good nap day!

Most trees don’t have leaves but flowering trees are blooming their hearts out.  Bradford Pear, which can be a huge pear shaped tree, is in full bloom and they are a very popular tree so I see them all over.

Whatever the small trees are with pink blooms are nice and the forsythia is blooming along with daffodils and lots of pansies.   Haven’t see any blooming tulips yet.   The Biltmore starts its spring flower show April 2 to May 15 and I already have it marked on the calendar.  I think we will go a little later this year so we can see the azaleas bloom.  We missed those last year.

Since the cat photos seem to be very popular here are a few of Smoky and Sabrina.   They love the little brown bed.   It is very, very soft and at least a couple times a day I catch each on of them kneading it if not sleeping in it.  Smoky is so funny because he is really too big for it and he pushes it around the floor.  He definitely fills it up and is so pleased with himself when he curls up.

Smoky and Sabrina sleeping in the office. You can see Smoky has more room to stretch out in his bed.   Nice life.

Now that it has gotten a little warmer I moved the scratching post/perch on screened porch.  Definitely Sabrina’s favorite spot.  She likes to sit there and watch the birds.

One last “cat tail”.   Did you know there is a web site that has calendars only of tuxedo cats like Sabrina?vhttp://www.cafepress.com/+tuxedo-cat+calendars

Southern Horoscopes

I thought this was cute.   Bob is a collard and I am an armadello.  I have to say it does sound like me.  I couldn’t find the author of these signs.

Some Southerners are pretty skeptical of horoscopes and the people that read them. If we are to ever fully understand all the star signs and the people they represent, we need symbols that all true Southerners understand:

OKRA (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try.

CHITLIN (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated and has lots of seasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful they may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with Catfish and Okra.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 – March 20)
You have an overwhelming curiosity. You’re unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don’t worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 – April 20)
You’re the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. It’s not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.

POSSUM (April 21 – May 21)
When confronted with life’s difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don’t-bother-me-about-it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you’re dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems to work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business.

CRAWFISH (May 22 – June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you’re hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be particularly attractive physically, but you have very, very good heads.

COLLARDS (June 22 – July 23)
Collards have a genius for communication. They love to get in “the melting pot” of life and share their essence with the essence of those around them. Collards make good social workers, psychologists, and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you are Collards, stay away from Crawfish. It just won’t work. Save yourself a lot of heartache.

CATFISH (July 24 – Aug 23)
Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one’s whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

GRITS (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and a good time. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that serves you well. You are pure in heart.

BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop for you.

BUTTER BEAN (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
Always invite a Butter Bean to a party because Butter Beans get along well with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean, should be proud. You’ve grown on the vine of life, and you feel at home no matter what the setting. You can sit next to anybody. However, you, too, shouldn’t have anything to do with Moon Pies…and Never take YES for an answer.

ARMADILLO (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
You have a tendency to develop a tough exterior, but you are actually quite gentle and kind inside. A good evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some roots, fruit, worms, and insects. You are a throwback. You’re not concerned with today’s fashions and trends. You’re not concerned with anything about today. You’re almost prehistoric in your interests and behavior patterns. You probably want to marry another Armadillo, but a Possum is another somewhat kinky mating possibility.