J-Me-ism No. 2

I didn't come up with this one but it is on its way to being a top-ten favorite all time of mine:

I think you are neater than socks on a chicken.

Dreamstorm...What if You Had the Superball...

$360 million! Oh to dream...

Let's go with the standards, pay off all our crazy debt, set up our darling daughter for life, invest enough to live comfortably on just the interest. Now for the dreaming part...

Huh...after spending just 10 minutes writing every crazy dream I could think of (charities, fishing in all 50 states, land and house next to my parents with an ice rink and hockey team, private school, my dream "office", chef, maid, personal trainer and driver), I deleted it all. I think I would live the secret millionaire's life. I might still get the land and build the house next to my parents, but the rest of the time I would spend the rest of my life going out and finding worthy people to whom I would give it away every day. Our population shows to be 313,008,000...That means I could ideally give each person in the US a dollar and still be pretty dang well off! Plus, I wouldn't have to give anything to that 1% who were already taken care of. If I had purchased that winning ticket, I would finally be able to prove to everyone who always tells me I cannot save the world that I really could. WONDER J-ME TO THE RESCUE!

J-me-ism No. 1

Don't say, "I couldn't be more _____" (fill in the blank with a negative emotion) because God will throw a metaphorical mud pie on your misery, and you won't be pleased to know He made it with manure.

The strangeness that runs through my brain before I fall asleep...

There is Only Love...Crochet Hearts

Round 1
1. Chain 4 and slip stitch through first chain to make your standard granny ring.
2. All of the first round are in this ring.
        a. chain 3
        b. three triple crochet (total 4 tcr)
        c. three double crochet
        d. single crochet 1
        e. triple crochet 1
        f. single crochet 1
        g. 3 dc
        h. 3 trc
         i. chain 2
         j. slip stitch

Round 2
1. Chain 3
2. In first chain of round 1's TRC, single crochet three times
3. Repeat in next two TRC
4. Single crochet into each of round 1's DC
5. chain 1
6. Single crochet into next three DC
7. Single crochet three times in next three TC
8. Chain 3 and slip stitch in center

Round 3
1. Chain 3
2. Single crochet in top of chain 3 from previous row
3. Single crochet in each stitch all the way around until chain 3 from Round 2 but be sure the chain one at the point of the heart.
4. On last stitch of this round chain 3 and slip stitch in center of heart.

Thursdays are Happiness Reports: Focus on Marriage Week 1

Welcome to February fans! This month's happiness project leg is focused on dancing a jig with my marriage. As Gretchen Rubin writes in her book, "...my marriage was the foundation of all the other important choices in my life...the atmosphere of my marriage set the weather for my whole life." Hubby Dearest is who he is and that includes some amazingly good attributes and a few not-so-wonderful characteristics. The amazing WAY OVER THE TOP SUPERB trumps the eh's. So why do I focus on the annoyances? I would give this man any major organ of his choosing to save his life, so why get bent over him falling asleep on the sofa? CONCLUSION: I am the only person I can change so I am going to let the petty go and embrace this amazing man for ALL he is.


Let's start with my head. I am adopting Rubin's 12th commandment as my mantra this month: "There is only love." From this moment on, I refuse to think unkind or critical thoughts about my man (or anyone else). I will not even listen or put up with anyone else who criticizes.

Also, to help with this mind set, I will spend the next week complimenting my man for the everyday wonderful he brings to my life. I will not nag him about anything. Also, I will not expect praise for my contributions to our household.

I think I will also hug my husband more. I think we've gotten into a groove of quick pecks on the lips when leaving and arriving home and we've forgotten to hug one another with our whole selves. Don't go pervy on my here; I seriously mean hugging without sexual expectation. Rubin wrote in her book, "We hugged--for at least six seconds, which, I happened to know from my research, is the minimum time necessary to promote the flow of oxytocin and serotonin, mood-boosting chemicals that promote bonding."

Check List for Week 1:
1. Repeat, "There is only love."
2. Don't criticize.
3. Compliment and praise.
4. Don't nag.
5. Do not expect praise in return; do just to do.
6. HUG it out!

Thank you for continuing to support this little bit of crazy each day! Visit my blog each Thursday to see how My Happiness Project is going! Here's the plan by month so far:

• January--BOOST ENERGY
• February--REMEMBER LOVE MARRIAGE
• March--AIM HIGHER WORK
• April--LIGHTEN UP PARENTHOOD
• May--BE SERIOUS ABOUT PLAY
• June--MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS
• July--BUY SOME HAPPINESS
• August--CONTEMPLATE THE HEAVENS
• September--PURSUE A PASSION
• October--PAY ATTENTION
• November--KEEP A CONTENTED HEART
• December--BOOT CAMP PERFECT HAPPINESS

Aloha Mama and Daddy

Well, I finally figured out my funk! Mama and Daddy have been on their Hawaiian adventure for the last eight days. I didn't quite recognize at the time that I was worried for their safety, but after seeing them this morning, I am finally back at ease and the light bulb has flashed. Just like when Gayla spent a week in Mexico by herself, I was worried for my mother and father. Good heavens! Come to think of it, I may be worried most of the time now by the unknown (and probably unrealistic and irrational) future. Craptastic! How does one not spend their life worrying about how it is going to play out? Look out below, Funk! J-Me is coming back around. :-P

Come Celebrate 100 Years of Girl Scouting at Camp High Point

Many of you read my letter to the Girl Scouts USA a month or so ago. It gives me great pride to shout to the world that the persistence and full hearts of a few good women have persuaded the powers that be to allow a volunteer-led camp week at Camp High Point in Mena, Arkansas this year.  READ ON TO GET THE 411!

Packer is the beauty on the left...
she's also my sister BY LAW!

A Special Message from the Camp Director, Packer!

As March 2012 approaches, and we, as Girl Scouts, turn our focus on celebrating Girl Scouting's 100th year in the United States, I can't help but to think how excited Juliette Gordon Low must have been on that day when she phoned her cousin and said, "Come right over, I've got something for the girls of Savannah and all America and all the world and we're going to start it tonight!" Today, I feel that same excitement as I share with you the opportunity to experience Girl Scouting at Camp High Point 2012.

For 100 years, Girl Scout camp has been an honored tradition of the Girl Scout program; Camp High Point has been a part of that tradition since 1946! This year, I invite you to continue the tradition and spend a week at Camp High Point enjoying everything camp! Some of the camptivities (activities you do at camp) planned include exploring traditional camp skills, such as hiking, knot tying, fire building, tent pitching, and outdoor cooking. You will have the opportunity to stargaze, canoe, make crafts, play sports, sing, make S'mores 'round the fire, have a sleep-out "under the stars" in the Meadow or "with the stars" in one of the Sky Houses, and enjoy a campfire at Lone Pine. The pool will not be available, so the Creek that meanders through the camp property will be your source of water fun for the week! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention all the friends you'll make--silver and gold!

The camp staff for Camp High Point 2012 is unique because it is a group of Girl Scout volunteers who have a special place for Camp High Point in their hearts. Collectively, they bring more than 100 years of experience to camp. Many of the staff attended summer camp at Camp High Point as a girl, trained through the Counselor-in-Training program, and spent summers there as staff. Others fell in love with Camp High Point after sending their own daughters to camp. Still others "caught the fever" of High Point just by hearing of the wonderful things Girl Scouting has to offer in the program. The experience and interests of these volunteers will offer a comprehensive camp program--straight from the heart! Each volunteer must pass a background check through Girl Scouts-Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. So no mater if this is your first year, fifth year, or 25th year, come out and join us--let Camp High Point be the camp of your dreams!!! See you in June!

Packer--AKA Dana Moore

J-Me Choos Slipper Pattern

If you liked GoodKnits.com’s doublecrochet Mary Jane Slipper “recipe,” then I hope you’ll like me alterations. The holes in the other patter were too big for my giant little sausage toes so I played around and created a single crochet Mary Jane Slipper. Hubby Dearest calls them J-Me Choos.

Single Crochet J-Me Choos

Round 1: 8 DC into a magic loop [OR chain 4, slst to first chain, 8 DC into circle.]

Round 2: 2 SC into each stitch, slst into top of the first SC, ch 1. (16SC)

Round 3: SC into each stitch (16 SC), ch 1.

Round 4: 1 SC into same place, 2 SC into next st, *1 SC into next st, 2 SC into next* to the end, slst into top of the first SC, ch 1. (24SC)

Round 5: SC into each stitch (24 SC), ch 1.

Round 6: 1 SC into st and into the next, 2 SC into next st, *1 SC into each of the next 2, 2 SC into the next* to the end of the round, slst into top of the first SC, ch 1. (32SC). Note: if you need more narrow slippers, then decrease by increments of two single crochet.

Round 7: SC into each stitch (32 SC), ch 1.

Round 8-12: 1 SC into each st.

ROW 9: 1 SC into first 23 stitches. Ch 1, turn.

Row 10-23: 1 SC into each stitch. Ch 1, turn. NOTE: THE LENGTH OF YOUR FOOT FROM TOE TO HEAL SHOULD DETERMINE HOW MANY ROWS YOU COMPLETE.

Row 24: SC into first 10 stitches, SC 3 tog, SC to end. Fasten off, leaving long tail to seam up heel. Fold slipper in half and seam up the back with hook and slip-stitch OR a tapestry needle and whip-stitch.

Join MC [Aunt J-ME thinks this means multi-colored; I just stuck with one color the first go-round] yarn at center back of slipper, above the heel.

SC into same spot and then SC down the side of the DCs of the slipper toward the toe. At the corner, sc3tog [together?].

DC into 5 DC of the slipper, then sc3tog at the next corner.

SC on the sides of the DCs of the slipper toward the heel, slst into first sc.

Make a second round of SC in MC yarn, if desired. Make sure to sc3tog in the "corners" by the toe area.

Make a third round of SC using CC [?] yarn. You can incorporate the loop closure while you're making the round or simply add a chain loop after you've finished the edging and button placement.

How to be Heard: Plant Some Grass...Follow the Roots

If you haven't heard, I'm MADD AND SADD. Except in this case I am a mother and sister against distracted driving instead of drunk driving (although I am pretty firmly against that too). A distracted truck driver who probably was fiddling with his cell phone, killed my beautiful sister Gayla almost one year ago. I feel more and more anger everyday and, for months now, I have felt compelled to DO SOMETHING to change how we as a society view being distracted by cell phones in the car.

When I printed out the PLEDGE last week and tried to get my loved ones and co-workers to sign it, I was appalled that more than one person laughed in MY face and said, "That's not gonna happen. You'll never get that to go." Well, myMama always says if you want to get something done, tell me I can't do it. DING!

I have no idea what I am doing or where to even begin. Since I am a nerd-by-nature I will start with research, and who better to glean ideas from than the mothers who got in the world's face more than 30 years ago when it was almost a joke to drink and drive a car. To learn more about what I am ranting, Read this excerpt by Laurie Davies from the Fall of 2005:

Twenty-five years ago, a heartbroken mother made a pledge in her deceased daughter’s bedroom. She would do something about the outrage of drunk driving—a decision that quickly inspired a handful of grieving, determined mothers to join in the fight. Though united in cause, they had no office, no money and no clout. In fact, all they had was sorrow, pluck and a picture of a pretty, 13-year-old girl killed by a drunk driver. Yet they initiated one of the great grassroots successes in American history. They were as their name suggests: MADD. As their fledgling organization grew, they stood toe to toe with politicians who knew the stats but did not act. They took on a powerful industry that put profit over safety. They challenged a society that viewed drinking and driving as  acceptable—even laughable. And they caused a visceral reaction. The getting there wasn’t easy. It was tough. It was messy. And it was fraught with obstacles. Yet MADD proved, time and time again, that it would not be bullied or derailed. In fact, MADD blazed a trail that other organizations have since followed. They made hard, cold statistics come to life. They did not just say that drunk driving killed thousands and injured millions. They held up photographs—and described every nuance of their loved ones’ lives—to prove it. As a result, a mountain of traffic safety and victims’ rights legislation has been passed. Annual alcohol-related traffic fatalities have dropped from an estimated 30,000 in 1980 to fewer than 17,000 today. And, perhaps most important, society no longer views drunk driving as acceptable. Looking back over 25 years, it’s an amazing story. A grieving mother’s determination sparked a volunteer movement that swept the nation and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

I may not have a plan, but I have passion, which in my world is fuel. So world, be forewarned, I have planted some grass seeds and am tending them. Watch out! The roots are going to strangle out our society's acceptance that distracted driving is just a fact of everyday life. 

Mary Jane Slippers (Crochet)

I am disgruntled and in shock that so many people feel the need to sell a crochet pattern. Thankfully, there are angels like GOODKNITS.COM who still share the info with us all. Check out her free mary jane slipper pattern). I made a pair last night of 100% wool and will felt them today!

Crochet Mary Jane Slippers
by Lisa Gutierrez

Round 1: 8 DC into a magic loop [OR chain 4, slst to first chain, 8 DC into circle.]

Round 2: 2 DC into each stitch, slst into top of the first DC, ch 2. (16DC)

Round 3: 1 DC into same place, 2 DC into next st, *1 DC into next st, 2 DC into next* to the end, slst into top of the first DC, ch 2. (24DC)

Round 4: 1 DC into st and into the next, 2 DC into next st, *1 DC into each of the next 2, 2 DC into the next* to the end of the round, slst into top of the first DC, ch 2. (32DC).

Round 5-6: 1 DC into each st.

ROW 7: 1 DC into first 23 stitches. Ch 2, turn.

Row 8-19: 1 DC into each stitch. Ch 2, turn.

Row 20: DC into first 10 stitches, DC 3 tog, DC to end. Fasten off, leaving long tail to seam up heel.

Fold slipper in half and seam up the back with hook and slip-stitch OR a tapestry needle and whip-stitch.

Join MC [Aunt J-ME thinks this means multi-colored; I just stuck with one color the first go-round] yarn at center back of slipper, above the heel.

SC into same spot and then SC down the side of the DCs of the slipper toward the toe. At the corner, sc3tog [together?].

DC into 5 DC of the slipper, then sc3tog at the next corner.

SC on the sides of the DCs of the slipper toward the heel, slst into first sc.

Make a second round of SC in MC yarn, if desired. Make sure to sc3tog in the "corners" by the toe area.

Make a third round of SC using CC [?] yarn. You can incorporate the loop closure while you're making the round or simply add a chain loop after you've finished the edging and button placement.