tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40758672024-03-13T23:48:34.585-05:00Carol's random babbleI'm a mom. I work. I play. I read, play computer games, scrapbook, do family history, annoy people, want to do too much and end up doing little.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.comBlogger698125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-29148981842283037482023-09-24T17:49:00.000-05:002023-09-24T17:49:45.336-05:00Aunt Nancy's Green Cake<p> </p><div class="_3cjCphgls6DH-irkVaA0GM " data-testid="comment"><div class="_292iotee39Lmt0MkQZ2hPV RichTextJSON-root"><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">My family calls this Aunt Nancy's Green Cake (it came from my Aunt Nancy, but I don't know where she got it).</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">1 yellow or white cake mix (for 13-by-9-inch pan)<br />five eggs<br />1/2 cup milk<br />1/2 cup oil<br />1/2 cup water<br />1 box instant pistachio pudding</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">I
mix the wet ingredients first, then add the cake mix and pudding mix.
You'll need to use a mixer because the pudding makes it harder to stir.</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">We
use a bundt pan (well greased) and bake slightly longer than the
instructions on the box. (I just checked the cake mix in my pantry - it
says 33-36 minutes at 350F for bundt pan, so I would go 40 minutes and
test for doneness.)</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">We don't
usually frost it. Maybe sprinkle powdered sugar over it. But do what
makes you happy. The cake is very moist (five eggs!).</p></div></div>CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-80238647347563901982023-05-16T15:59:00.001-05:002023-05-16T15:59:34.549-05:00My Memories May blog trainI use
<a href="https://www.mymemories.com/" target="_blank">MyMemories digital scrapbooking software</a>. There is a
<a href="https://www.mymemories.com/store/free_digital_scrapbooking_kits" target="_blank">free downloads section</a>
on the website, and here's the
<a href="https://www.mymemoriesblog.com/2023/05/may-mymemories-blog-train.html" target="_blank">May blog train</a>, with more free stuff. The downloads have two options: formatted for
MyMemories, or a general download that you can use in other programs.
<p>
It would be great if people used the software, but you can still have the
downloads (you just have to sign up for a free account). And you can download
a trial version to try it out.
</p>
<p>
If you decide to buy MyMemories, I have a discount code: STMMMS22597. The
buyer gets a $10 discount and yes, I would get paid. But still, try it out for
free and download the free stuff you can from the website and the blog train.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">*May's Blog Train ends May 31st*</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltRZY0JjBicBVTY3NiL7dmoX1bN0eJ-AxW-c_hKnrt3JR5I9efWgt4KbXD5NM-qLPsTbCi6Kk0vwklmtKi7tyYJK3L5ToQm3QZ1k3ZgeB5LGJ-naIbBtXDz_dm63gmrGcT6VjJ9_Fg0aoqzlpT7V0OLCjRL8cT-dmspfU3D4MksBLVvjI21Y/s400/May%202023%20blog%20train%20Palette.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltRZY0JjBicBVTY3NiL7dmoX1bN0eJ-AxW-c_hKnrt3JR5I9efWgt4KbXD5NM-qLPsTbCi6Kk0vwklmtKi7tyYJK3L5ToQm3QZ1k3ZgeB5LGJ-naIbBtXDz_dm63gmrGcT6VjJ9_Fg0aoqzlpT7V0OLCjRL8cT-dmspfU3D4MksBLVvjI21Y/s320/May%202023%20blog%20train%20Palette.jpg" /></a>
</div><div style="text-align: center;">
The color palette
</div><p>
Each link below takes you directly to the exact page for each designer's Blog
Train entry and opens in a new tab.
<br /><a href="http://kathrynsdigitaldesigns.blogspot.com/2023/05/tuesday-treats-and-my-memories-blog.html" target="_blank">Kathryn Estry Designs</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.adb-designs.com/2023/05/may-2023-mymemories-blog-train.html" target="_blank">ADB Designs</a>
<br /><a href="http://ronimasil.blogspot.com/2023/05/its-may-blog-train-time-at-my-memories.html/" target="_blank">Designs by Lisa Minor</a>
<br /><a href="http://angelwingscrapsblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">AngelWingScraps</a>
<br /><a href="https://franbdesigns.com/index.php/2023/05/16/may-2023-blog-train/" target="_blank">FranB Designs</a>
<br /><a href="https://happyscraparts.blogspot.com/2023/05/botanical-strawberries-and-my-memories.html" target="_blank">Happy Scrap Arts</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.carolineb-design.com/2023/05/16/may-2023-mymemories-blog-train/" target="_blank">Caroline B.</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethsMarketCross/posts/pfbid02W5uExywCVaP7GC414bW4KaemToyTq3PzBNX1kF8WtgDkJAMHrq3WWmo2ZmjJf7Mrl" target="_blank">Elizabeth's Market Cross</a>
(Facebook) <br /><a href="https://aimeeharrisondesigns.com/2023/05/16/may-2023-mm-blog-train/" target="_blank">Aimee Harrison</a>
<br /><a href="http://louisel.eklablog.com/blog-train-my-memories-mai-2023-a214150391" target="_blank">Louise L</a>
(in French) <br /><a href="http://www.cutiepiescrap.com/2023/05/mymemories-may-2023-blog-train.html" target="_blank">Cutie Pie Scraps</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jillianutrup/posts/pfbid02v7RTZ2MSVMgVd3Q2g9769uYTQTVPj28ckznf7coMf9ZzFtpXycfdCeMHBKyU96e4l" target="_blank">ScrapChat Designs</a>
(Facebook) <br /><a href="https://scrapbookcrazycreationsbyrobyn.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-memories-may-blog-train.html" target="_blank">Scrapbookcrazy Creations</a>
<br /><a href="https://lilslittleluxury.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-memories-may-blog-train-all-aboard.html" target="_blank">LLL Creations</a>
<br /><a href="https://scrapinfusions.blogspot.com/2023/05/my-memories-may-2023-blog-train.html" target="_blank">Connie Prince</a>
<br /><a href="https://linscreations.wordpress.com/2023/05/16/may-mymemories-blogtrain-3/" target="_blank">Lins Creations</a>
<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PatEnScrap/posts/pfbid071XrAWZJknjmJTvF2V93kGdyiAK4KXgCHpaDFxVrh8QaR2Wqe1UW6yWYp6JVbSMKl" target="_blank">Pat Scrap</a>
(Facebook) <br /><a href="https://bitsnpiecesofqbd.blogspot.com/2023/05/all-aboard-may-mymemories-blog-train.html" target="_blank">QueenBrat Digital Designs</a>
<br /><a href="https://winksartgraphics.blogspot.com/2023/05/mymemories-blog-train-may-2023.html" target="_blank">WinksArt Graphics</a>
</p>
CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-50858592643939885622023-05-11T00:49:00.001-05:002023-05-11T00:49:28.606-05:00Surprise! I'm still around (and a great sale)<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUoZRZ2-ncZVNNBCQxLUp3uGbB9WWeZAcI3O_XQK37O03EIA444Wpcf1QCckQ3jJ_74zmNxhDWriCzm4coJ0vvlgoNIDRzCZEiY6B6dhnvEx5CAIF5bWtI9jB_-HPmWZGS9B8CX8TOE-3fARpG-ATc8qn3xG-2MHkH9HYIWbC4CcgJcjY_fw/s2200/My%20Album%206-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="2200" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUoZRZ2-ncZVNNBCQxLUp3uGbB9WWeZAcI3O_XQK37O03EIA444Wpcf1QCckQ3jJ_74zmNxhDWriCzm4coJ0vvlgoNIDRzCZEiY6B6dhnvEx5CAIF5bWtI9jB_-HPmWZGS9B8CX8TOE-3fARpG-ATc8qn3xG-2MHkH9HYIWbC4CcgJcjY_fw/s320/My%20Album%206-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My paternal grandparents: Alfred Snyder and Gladys Wartburg Snyder<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p> I used to blog regularly but like many of my favorite activities, it became less and less important. </p><p>But I got an email about a sale on the digital scrapbooking software I use and decided to dust off my old blog.</p><p>To celebrate the software's 10th anniversary, <a href="https://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories scrapbooking software</a> Suite 9 (latest version) is $10 through May 14. That's 75% off.</p><p>That's hard to beat. You can try it for free (export is disabled). But honestly, it's worth getting.</p><p>The website also has a free section where you can download a variety of images. Beginning the 16th of each month through the end of the month, there's a blog train with a couple of dozen designers who have created free items from a common color palette.</p><p>Each week they offer two freebies. This week's options:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=ADBD-EP-2304-215443" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmEFoGC7gWjLBqX9bEcLFcjDJFNEJ0S09D076fjcdZpxpcYSLuxGKnttFRF3egrb2QYMoeWUCQ1_q8CLyHh3Kgj5VZwQrullZIBE3mJ5rN1tTrYbWKqbTzn-MVnR2SkPeTGUx9PyhnibE07Jm11LUjfMJP5-fI3GLN_57tu__iAqm6-4XGhs/s320/adbdesigns_bibliophile_gift_cl03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=QBRK-QP-2305-216130" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUCSBaE2Rua3kA8DkpgwaLpVAFpJvzuuUqUHNEEyV9jIL5AtXFGaV7xG2qWrwGoIuLfnJJ4-MFst6Hf2PiyOVmynxY1D9pcROLLKxYczTHMrka3XVL9ZQwh-ERKhnepbtGSdytE_NoGfMVp5YrI5ryUlZinXZ5_j8qfZFBm9qvOQuUa40CR0/s320/CountryMorning_QP1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>So, at the very least, check out the website and all the free stuff.</p><p>And maybe I'll start blogging again, now that I've rediscovered it.<br /></p>CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-26563770990599896462019-06-30T02:29:00.003-05:002019-06-30T02:29:32.124-05:00You might not want to sit too closeOr, it's time to buy a new bra (or two). <br />
<br />
So we're having a little heat wave here in Iowa. And of course, I choose Friday afternoon for my time to go running errands around town.<br />
<br />
Which meant that when I got home, I was sweating up a storm. I changed into what I like to call pajamas (on Friday, that was a T-shirt and shorts) and hung my bra up on the hook on the back of the bathroom door, like I always do.<br />
<br />
Saturday night I went grocery shopping after work (which was around 1 a.m.) because I hadn't taken the time to do it before and my choices were looking kind of slim.<br />
<br />
So I did my grocery shopping, kicking myself for not doing it during the day when there are actual cashiers available and I don't have to do the whole thing myself.<br /><br />Side note - when there are cashiers available, it goes something like this:<br />
<ol>
<li>I do my grocery shopping, picking up each item and putting it in the cart.</li>
<li>I go to the cash register and unload the cart.</li>
<li>The cashier rings up the items and bags them.</li>
<li>Then commences the staredown, where we are engaged in a silent battle of wills over who will put the bagged groceries into the cart (which I generally lose).</li>
<li>I trundle out to my van and unload the groceries from the cart into my van.</li>
<li>I go home, haul the groceries into my apartment and put them away.</li>
</ol>
<br />
When I have to use the self-checkout, it goes something like this:<br />
<ol>
<li>I do my grocery shopping, picking up each item and putting it in the cart.</li>
<li>I go to the cash register and unload the cart.</li>
<li>I ring up the item, bag them, and put them back into the cart.</li>
<li>The silent battle of
wills is now with my smartphone, with me trying to get it to use Walmart Pay (which I
generally lose).</li>
<li>I trundle out to my van and unload the groceries from the cart into my van.</li>
<li>I go home, haul the groceries into my apartment and put them away.</li>
</ol>
So this gives me the opportunity to handle the groceries <i>at least one more time</i>. Oh, joy. Did I mention that my back starts hurting if I stand too long? Which could start in two minutes or 10. But bending over a bunch of times doesn't help.<br />
<br />
And my coming-home-from-work routine is to come in, lock the door, put my purse down, put my keys (and the garage door opener if I parked in the garage) in a drawer, go to my bedroom and take off my shoes and socks, go to the bathroom and change into pajamas, get my tablet and phone from my purse, and sit at my computer.<br />
<br />
Tonight, though, I rushed my groceries in and immediately put away the most precious thing in all the bags.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI2zPVRVHIm257g20Jn6beHaxHNA-Zl21Tea1VVNSDYX0VCCIiMZh8rusMjiYAXpAHQw81oWQ2ypG5YN1U0QTzTy-gbJZq2QoEclMaTvnHysclux0ilsxxEi7tZ1SWuhB0ILwxw/s1600/Klondike1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRI2zPVRVHIm257g20Jn6beHaxHNA-Zl21Tea1VVNSDYX0VCCIiMZh8rusMjiYAXpAHQw81oWQ2ypG5YN1U0QTzTy-gbJZq2QoEclMaTvnHysclux0ilsxxEi7tZ1SWuhB0ILwxw/s320/Klondike1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But I digress. (That train of thought has left the track and headed for another county.)<br />
<br />
Back to the heat wave and why you don't want to sit too close.<br />
<br />
After I put the Klondike bars away, but before I put away the rest of the groceries, I took off my shoes and socks and changed into pajamas, then sat down for a couple of minutes in front of a fan.<br />
<br />
Before I had left the parking lot with my groceries, I realized I have a problem. I'm down to two good bras. And now both of them were sweaty.<br />
<br />
So I had a choice to make:<br />
<ol>
<li>Go back into Walmart and buy a new bra. (But the Klondike bars would melt.) </li>
<li>Stay up and do laundry. (I know I would be up till probably 4 a.m. if I did this.)</li>
<li>Hand-wash one of the bras and hope it is dry in the morning. (Just in water, as I'm not sure I would be able to get soap out.)</li>
<li>Don't do anything, wear a sweat-smelling bra, and hope nobody notices. (Nope.)</li>
<li>Not wear a bra to church. (Gasp!)</li>
</ol>
I hope you know I picked option 3. But just in case I didn't do a very good job, maybe you don't want to sit too close. Just sayin'.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2ZzeENjBPtWGzTff0eG2IDjBOs1Ab9m5Gw1lsB5ChR5aALz5tQG38l1M_bUH2Xr48NLdVY-1nvfQUl4aY3nllollQKMFh6grfh3qkLcDJ2jV8GALdDpdBiQksKS-w20Qzg_1sw/s1600/Klondike2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2ZzeENjBPtWGzTff0eG2IDjBOs1Ab9m5Gw1lsB5ChR5aALz5tQG38l1M_bUH2Xr48NLdVY-1nvfQUl4aY3nllollQKMFh6grfh3qkLcDJ2jV8GALdDpdBiQksKS-w20Qzg_1sw/s320/Klondike2.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
And the Klondike bar was delicious.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-21135374272665916422019-01-11T11:00:00.000-06:002019-01-11T11:06:19.816-06:00So, it's been awhileWow. My last post was in November 2017. I'm not even going to try to recap the past 14 months in this post.<br />
<br />
A quick update, though. I won a free pass to <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/" target="_blank">Rootstech</a> Feb. 27-March2 in Salt Lake City. I have family in the area who offered to let me stay with them, and a very kind person has offered to pay for my plane tickets.<br />
<br />
My next dilemma - and it's a big one - is which sessions to attend.<br />
<br />
I'm getting overwhelmed with choices. There are more than 300 sessions from Wednesday through Saturday, and I can't decide. <br />
<br />
So I'm going to throw this out there (if anybody's reading this) and say I will attend two sessions picked by someone else. The schedule is posted <a href="https://www.rootstech.org/schedule" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The two sessions must be on Thursday, Feb. 28. One morning session and one afternoon session. If there are multiple submissions, I will go with the most popular. If there's only one, I'll go to that one. Each person who comments can pick one morning session and one afternoon session.<br />
<br />
Look at the schedule and comment below with the time and name of the classes. <br />
<br />
And if nobody comments, that's fine. I have to pick the rest of the sessions to attend. I was just hoping to get some feedback to help me decide.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-78742163331578729602017-11-26T14:18:00.000-06:002017-12-30T01:31:51.864-06:00My Memories digital scrapbooking programSome news here!<br />
<br />
First, My Memories has upgraded to version 9. There are a whole bunch of new features:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">New Project Types</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Social Media - Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Google Plus</li>
<li>Print Products - Canvas, Metal, Posters, Mug, Mousepad, Water Bottle</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;">Photo Enhancements</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Color Pop - Make a photo Black and White except for an area you select in Color</li>
<li>HSB - Hue Saturation Brightness Adjustments</li>
<li>Right-Click photos in the Photo Gallery to see details (width, height, dpi, path, etc)</li>
<li>Right-Click to sort photos in Photo Gallery by Date vs Name</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;">Text Enhancements</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Copy & Paste Text Styles from one Text Box to another</li>
<li>Copy & Paste Text without Style or Paste Special with Style</li>
<li>Text on a Shape or Line can now have Text Styles</li>
<li>Adjust Text Style while Text is Attached to Shape or Line</li>
<li>Set any Text Box Style to Default Text Style</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;">Background Enhancements</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Set Background to Gradient Colors</li>
<li>Zoom Background In or Out</li>
<li>Nudge Background in Eight Directions for Precise Positioning</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;">Calendar Improvements</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Additional Options for Calendar Header Sizing</li>
<li>Set a Specific Day of the Week to be a Custom Color</li>
<li>Calendar Projects from Scratch will Automatically add Calendar Months to pages</li>
<li>Set start Month to Yearly Calendars</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;">Other Enhancements</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Set Objects to Same Width, Height, or Size</li>
<li>Set Mattes to Gradient Colors</li>
<li>Grid to asset with aligning points in Shape Editor</li>
<li>Page Number Feature now allows for Text Before or After Page Numbers</li>
<li>Autosave option for Project with Adjustable Interval</li>
<li>Fast Fill option to insert Breaks which will help to keep groups of photos together</li>
<li>Photo Layouts can be sorted by # of Photos</li>
<li>Word Art can be filled with Background Paper</li>
<li>Search within Templates Dialog</li>
</ul>
<br />
Also, Mags Graphics posted on Facebook that their 2012 Christmas Spirit Combo Kit is free for 48 hours. Link <a href="http://bit.ly/MGX_XmasSpiritSet" target="_blank">here</a>. The post was early Sunday morning, so they might be available through Tuesday morning. There are related add-on packs that are on sale, as well.<br />
<br />
You don't have to have the program to take advantage of the <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/store/free_digital_scrapbooking_kits" target="_blank">free kits</a> at MyMemories.com. They come in a version for Mac, Windows or general, which you can use in a photo/graphics editing program like Photoshop, Gimp or Paint.net.<br />
<br />
In conjunction with the release of My Memories Suite 9, I'm going to be doing a giveaway of the full updated version. This is a sponsored giveaway. MyMemories.com provides the software download and I send the link to the winner.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="74a5560812" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/74a5560812/" id="rcwidget_r9rcll5v" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<br />
<br />
I'm excited about the new project types for social media. I have used the program to make custom Facebook covers, but always had to define the size. This is going to be awesome!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhzwqfTxO1LbS-f3-pLkwdI6PhmvFfeY5bjP4VZpQ-_dbu-LavAjhzhG8mn5k83f4PMf4xZFi_2QF30d56NiMgBLhO9BP9D71NAr5v9Dv5Zh6p_mmMSnmqFfQvfsW0EFgU1mbYQ/s1600/Facebook+covers-new-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhzwqfTxO1LbS-f3-pLkwdI6PhmvFfeY5bjP4VZpQ-_dbu-LavAjhzhG8mn5k83f4PMf4xZFi_2QF30d56NiMgBLhO9BP9D71NAr5v9Dv5Zh6p_mmMSnmqFfQvfsW0EFgU1mbYQ/s320/Facebook+covers-new-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO9vC8p4bT1CHmaFQXlm0clqvSLUmrMePsKX_O8OkQmzE1GcP556eJgGpC1uqPSWZiHQydI_r3-IDD8k-AjfjI5ziRg1Yaqu8OSkMIfhyphenhyphenif6TMH2u7A3HTrTHZsbn0kAkPt-psA/s1600/Facebook+covers-new-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO9vC8p4bT1CHmaFQXlm0clqvSLUmrMePsKX_O8OkQmzE1GcP556eJgGpC1uqPSWZiHQydI_r3-IDD8k-AjfjI5ziRg1Yaqu8OSkMIfhyphenhyphenif6TMH2u7A3HTrTHZsbn0kAkPt-psA/s320/Facebook+covers-new-004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
These are two of the Facebook covers I designed with this program, using only the art that came with this version. I have much more, most of it was free, but it's not on my new laptop yet.<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-80806931355267127292017-11-09T14:01:00.002-06:002017-11-09T14:01:50.758-06:00I'm soooo behindI'm still trying to get the hang of the Pathway experience. Of my two classes, I'm doing better in the religion course. I've got a lot of the general studies assignments that I haven't completed. The best I can hope for is 50 percent of the grade when I do turn them in, so I'm not sure I can even pass at this point.<br />
<br />
But I'm still going to try.<br />
<br />
Let's take Lesson 2 for example. This is a beginning lesson on The Learning Model & The Honor Code.<br />
<br />
The Learning Model embraces five principles:<br />
<br />
Principle One: Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a principle of action and power.<br />Principle Two: Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho understand that true teaching is done by and with the Holy Ghost.<br />Principle Three: Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho lay hold upon the word of God - as found in the holy scriptures and in the words of the prophets - in all disciplines.<br />Principle Four: Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho act for themselves and accept responsibility for learning and teaching.<br />Principle Five: Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho love, serve, and teach one another.<br />
<br />
I need to exercise faith more often and invite the Holy Spirit into my heart more. I need to spend more time (and more often) reading the scriptures. I think the other two principles may be easier - or more natural - for me.<br />
<br />
We have a weekly gathering from 7 to 9 p.m. each Thursday. Although the people in my gathering are not in the same online class group, we are all studying the same thing. One person leads the discussion in each class, and we take turns with it. We are all encouraging each other.<br />
<br />
The Honor Code<br />
<br />
Part of the Honor Code states: <span>“</span><em>You should complete your own work and be evaluated for
that work as you seek to be completely honest in all your dealings.
PathwayConnect students avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all
its forms, including, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and
fabrication/falsification. The most common examples of academic
dishonesty are copying another person's work or not acknowledging a
source of information.<span>”</span></em><br />
<br />
One part of the religion course is called Digging Deeper. There's a set of videos in each lesson - maybe seven or either - and we are required to watch at least six of them. In last week's lesson, I didn't get around to watching the videos before taking the quiz on the material. One of the questions is "did you watch at least six of the Digging Deeper" videos. Since I had not watched them at that point (although I still plan to), I answered "no".<br />
<br />
In the General Studies class this week, part of the assignment was to spend 30 minutes looking at the Provident Living website set up by the church. I missed that before I started the quiz, so I looked at it quickly and honestly answered with how much time I had spent looking at the site. It made my grade a little less, but it was the truth. And I still plan to go back and spend more time looking it over.<br />
<br />
So there you have my lesson 2 "share with a friend". I'm trying to catch up, starting with the earlier missed assignments, while keeping up with the current ones.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-1541294963100981662017-10-14T23:07:00.002-05:002017-10-14T23:07:45.954-05:00Scriptural insights: Book of Mormon - Prepare a wayOne of my Pathway Connect assignments is to share an insight from our Book of Mormon study. I have read through the Book of Mormon once or twice in my lifetime, but never really studied it with appreciation. So now as I read, I'm noticing things I never noticed before.<br />
<br />
One of the common verses that people like is in 1 Nephi 3:7.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall <span style="color: red;">prepare a way</span> for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.</blockquote>
<br />
I started seeing this phrase in other verses.<br />
<br />
<br />
1 Nephi 17:13<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will<span style="color: red;"> prepare the way</span> before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.</blockquote>
<br />
1 Nephi 17:41<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he <span style="color: red;">prepared a way</span> that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. </blockquote>
<br />
1 Nephi 22:20<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And the Lord will surely <span style="color: red;">prepare a way</span>
for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he
spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like
unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto
you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that
prophet shall be cut off from among the people.</blockquote>
<br />
These are a few of the examples if you do a search. The point is, Heavenly Father does what he can to help us succeed. He prepares the way. We have to find the right path and follow it. Sometimes it seems harder than it is, as in the example of the Israelites who only had to look at the brazen serpents to be healed, yet they looked away.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-659496734339351472017-10-13T00:45:00.002-05:002017-10-13T00:45:53.063-05:00Cause and effectIn our Pathway gathering tonight, we talked about cause and effect - or studying cause and effect when studying the scriptures.<br />
<br />
But I'm going to talk about a different cause and effect.<br />
<br />
The person I ride with, Melba, listens to country music. It's not usually my thing, but I listen. One week, on the way home, the songs "It Ain't My Fault" and "Nobody to Blame But Me" played back to back. It was almost as good as "We Will Rock You and "We Are The Champions." ;-)<br />
<br />
Tonight, however, one of the songs that played had some chords that reminded me of "Ghost Riders in the Sky." This is one of my favorite songs that my dad would sing when I was a girl. I don't think he sings it any more because his voice can't handle it. But I loved it.<br />
<br />
So I went on YouTube and listened to about a dozen versions of the song, trying to decide which one was closest to my dad's version. Some of the singers sounded okay, but sang different words or at a different (usually much faster) tempo. One version was by the actor Christopher Lee, but I couldn't listen to it long because the music overwhelmed his voice.<br />
<br />
I didn't find what I was looking for, and now I have to go listen to something else so I won't have mangled versions of "Ghost Riders" going through my head all night.<br />
<br />
If we want to talk about a spiritual cause and effect, here's one that affects me personally. I hear music in my head all the time. Ever had an ear worm? Think about that every waking moment. So I listen to music with the idea that if I have to have music in my head all the time, I get to pick what I listen to.<br />
<br />
This means that when I hear a new song, if I think I like the music, I check out the lyrics. I also watch a video of the song if one exists. That helps me decide whether I want to give "air time" in my head to that particular song. So, after reading the translated lyrics to "Despacito" and watching part of the video (because that's all I needed to make my decision), I decided that is one song that won't go on my play list.<br />
<br />
I'm sure not all my preferred songs are what everybody else will pick, but they have a message that I can agree with or at least understand.<br />
<br />
I'm off to listen to Imagine Dragons now.<br />
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<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-75760439991528577572017-10-12T15:02:00.001-05:002017-10-12T15:08:46.230-05:00Desktop Publishers<a href="https://www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/43-9031.00#.Wd_KFcVe4JE.blogger">Desktop Publishers</a><br />
<br />
<br />
This is what I already do. Which is not a bad thing. I enjoy my job.<br />
<br />
This is also what I do: <br />
<a href="https://www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/43-9081.00#.Wd_LW9toJBw.blogger">Proofreaders & Copy Markers</a><br />
<br />
So the interest quiz I took offered me (as two of many options) things I already do and enjoy doing. Not bad. <br />
<br />
Note: This is part of a Pathway Connect assignment. CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-18009448667247026282017-10-12T13:36:00.002-05:002017-10-12T13:36:42.772-05:00Updates and all that<span id="goog_1284759607"></span><span id="goog_1284759608"></span>So, I go through waves of being active in one thing or another, then not being active. Church, my blog, playing particular games.<br />
<br />
Well, I'm enrolled in Pathway Connect now and part of the assignments require "sharing with a friend." This blog will be my platform for that.<br />
<br />
Also, I can do a giveaway of a copy of My Memories digital scrapbooking software every quarter. I'll set one up in the next few days. I'm not as interested in gaining likes and followers as I once was, so I have to figure out what methods people can use to enter.<br />
<br />
In other news, Cayla is off to college, living in an apartment with two roommates. Amanda is still with me (since March) and we have three cats: Olive, Jock and Lena (Amanda's cat). Right this minute, Lena is trying to catch a bug through a window, Jock is lying on a box and Olive is lying in a box.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-56799880563953919822017-05-17T12:50:00.001-05:002017-05-17T12:50:45.755-05:00Storm damage, and a long night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4MpUS5dLzzlXMqGAa8gUVO-4gN9UNP1wQmVl3ezo1v3sU9g3iaeaG_NXBJ_xCCpd1rNgH3u5MQGNLi5ttDESYHwKo9OV59VHI3e-kxHb_TkZbeLzmQswFYrN6EB0y8EldnzfoQ/s1600/20170516_235059_zpsbwaqofyg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4MpUS5dLzzlXMqGAa8gUVO-4gN9UNP1wQmVl3ezo1v3sU9g3iaeaG_NXBJ_xCCpd1rNgH3u5MQGNLi5ttDESYHwKo9OV59VHI3e-kxHb_TkZbeLzmQswFYrN6EB0y8EldnzfoQ/s320/20170516_235059_zpsbwaqofyg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is what the radar looked like last night some time after we lost power. I took the shot of my tablet with my phone.<br />
<br />
Here's some of the damage this morning:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7-YXLJOFJ0tJdEEGY_b16-V6D08EOVAhFlUI86w_KkHeYUXyM5WVKq-5oTmO3v4fQN1GkNTBeuerMT55gFhRpyXnWe75mtHdzZ51WyhglWdAUqmdJCKUkgttq7V2ZvHzL87-dg/s1600/20170517_105901_zps5zlxxug0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7-YXLJOFJ0tJdEEGY_b16-V6D08EOVAhFlUI86w_KkHeYUXyM5WVKq-5oTmO3v4fQN1GkNTBeuerMT55gFhRpyXnWe75mtHdzZ51WyhglWdAUqmdJCKUkgttq7V2ZvHzL87-dg/s320/20170517_105901_zps5zlxxug0.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree in front of my place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfmTbxxy2iKJsJQhf0lrYoRwzCHGGMu5GmDGQOAATWt4uP3JNnyNH0U1x9MdBbk2g0-C65GxBYogM_e1mBUiN4JeA-HJDTRQt7Zh_2821gnkjRg9JQm094P0LevM0EVqKL21bNw/s1600/20170517_110006_zps5ftd2nns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfmTbxxy2iKJsJQhf0lrYoRwzCHGGMu5GmDGQOAATWt4uP3JNnyNH0U1x9MdBbk2g0-C65GxBYogM_e1mBUiN4JeA-HJDTRQt7Zh_2821gnkjRg9JQm094P0LevM0EVqKL21bNw/s320/20170517_110006_zps5ftd2nns.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree in front of the neighbor's place. At left, you might be able to see a taillight of their vehicle.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_RdTLqkReswuP_ORy0EgsL0l76Myf1AwBdp_gYCfOP-BZiXnN_KI3GWvtBaE3E_2LBgSuiizpcjovWYY8eZrtWCicoe7YN9VRSQIpnofWx7-cU2c0RmtUQ8UjKvVqA29qEcStw/s1600/20170517_110042_zpsmxhh78ri.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_RdTLqkReswuP_ORy0EgsL0l76Myf1AwBdp_gYCfOP-BZiXnN_KI3GWvtBaE3E_2LBgSuiizpcjovWYY8eZrtWCicoe7YN9VRSQIpnofWx7-cU2c0RmtUQ8UjKvVqA29qEcStw/s320/20170517_110042_zpsmxhh78ri.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree by my place again, out into the street.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was at work when the power went out, with five pages left to send. Two of the pages were done, but just needed to be PDF'd and sent. Three of the pages needed two articles that hadn't been written yet, but the computers were unavailable.<br />
<br />
So I went home for my laptop. I parked in back, in the lake that forms whenever it rains hard. Stepped right into about 4 inches of water. My shoes are probably still wet.<br />
<br />
Took laptop back to work, and let Hans use it. Chad was writing his story on his Chromebook, but he had to retype it later on my laptop because we had no internet access.<br />
<br />
Our publisher contacted a company in town and borrowed a couple of generators to get our servers and a couple of computers running long enough to get the last pages done.<br />
<br />
I finally left work around 3:45 a.m.<br />
<br />
I woke up at 10:45 a.m. I'm going to try to sleep now. A maintenance guy was trimming as much as he could from the tree in front, but I think he's done now. I'm also charging all my devices. That was an issue last night. My phone was under 30 percent. I kept running my car to charge my phone, but it was slow.<br />
<br />
More storms are forecast for tonight.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-12628467245190414242017-05-16T00:53:00.002-05:002017-05-16T00:53:40.102-05:00Maybe I should post more oftenNo update since last October? Shame on me.<br />
<br />
I guess this is one of those things that I can check off under "Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports" (signs of depression).<br />
<br />
I spend too much time playing games, and yet have lost interest in some of them. I hardly do genealogy. For awhile I wasn't reading much, but I'm doing that again.<br />
<br />
I was seeing a physician's assistant (Alicia) until she moved out of state. My last appointment with her was in December. I was allowed three months of medications, but had to see a new person before getting refills.<br />
<br />
My meds ran out in March and I didn't see my new person (Jordan) until last Tuesday.<br />
<br />
Now I've got medical tests coming up on Thursday, plus a mammogram on Friday. Joy.<br />
<br />
I need to sort through stuff and get rid of a lot. I've got boxes I haven't unpacked since we moved into this apartment in July 2012. Plus Mom's stuff and still some of Donna's.<br />
<br />
I hope you realize that when I say "Carol's Random Babble" at the top of the page, I wasn't kidding ...CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-5006860562428816182016-10-29T12:49:00.000-05:002016-10-29T12:49:01.004-05:00What's new? A few things, maybeSo my last post was on the second to last day of last year.
I had a good Christmas.<br />
<br />
I expect I'll be working again this year, even though I'm working Thanksgiving. We'll see.<br />
<br />
Donna wants Christmas at her apartment, although it's small (I haven't seen it yet). I'm willing to have it here again, especially if I do have to work.<br />
<br />
I checked last year's Christmas list. I got the pots and pans I wanted. I finally got a haircut last month. The cats have their Drinkwell fountain, but still prefer the bathtub. I bought a "fleece" steering wheel cover, but it's getting raggedy. The raggedy black sweater I was still wearing to work last year has disappeared. Somebody bought the Sims 4 Get Together (I can't remember if it was me or Kevin, but either way, Amanda and I both get to use it).<br />
<br />
I have been president of the Webster County Genealogical Society for several years. This year I'm secretary/treasurer and the former secretary/treasurer is the president now — Susan M. Olson. She's been doing quite a lot for the society and deserves the title.<br />
<br />
I'm still drinking diet Dr Pepper and still need to lose weight. I'm supposed to be exercising, but no. I'm not into outdoors and haven't got the money for exercise equipment. I think I could do a treadmill if I could watch TV while doing it, but again, haven't got the money.<br />
<br />
Still coloring, although not very often. I buy coloring books, take them apart and put into page protectors in binders so I can copy (for my own personal use only) and color. But with a couple of exceptions about a week ago, I'm trying not to buy any more. I've got enough downloaded art to print out, plus the books in binders, to last a very long time. The exceptions are books that were on clearance at Target and Walmart, including tiny books that fit in my purse and can be taken wherever. I haven't started coloring those yet.<br />
<br />
The cats are fine.<br />
<br />
Olive had a vet appointment in July. She doesn't mind traveling in the cat carrier and going places. But when we entered the vet's office, she started growling and hissing and continued nearly the entire time we were there. (To be fair, the last time I took her there, I left her overnight for a spay operation.) She weighed about 10 pounds, 4 ounces.<br />
<br />
Jock will have his appointment in January. He doesn't like traveling in the cat carrier and going places. I have no idea what he'll be like at the vet's office ... should be interesting. And I suspect he weighs twice what Olive does.<br />
<br />
So, just a few random observations. Until next time.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-53648901230816088212015-12-30T21:15:00.001-06:002015-12-30T21:19:08.927-06:00Christmas, coloring and contentmentSo, Christmas.<br />
<br />
It was pretty good.<br />
<br />
I had to work, but when I came home for supper, there were 10 other people in my apartment, eating enchiladas and watching "Elf."<br />
<br />
The enchiladas are a family tradition for special occasions. The last time I had them was when Cayla graduated from high school in May 2014.<br />
<br />
The 10 other people were Cayla, my sister Donna, Donna's four kids: Alex, Jessica, Suzanna and Richard, Jessica's husband Eric and their sons Noah and Eli, and Suzanna's boyfriend Chad.<br />
<br />
We ate, opened a few presents, had some laughs and I went back to work. When I got home, everybody had left except Cayla, who was in bed because she had to work the next morning.<br />
<br />
So, my big Christmas gift.<br />
<br />
There was a box, and it was big. I unwrapped it and the box said Pioneer Woman cookware, which was one of the big items on my Christmas list. But Cayla said, "open it," and when I did, I discovered a bunch of newspapers inside, and a banana.<br />
<br />
On the back of the Lifestyle section from a couple of weeks ago, there are pictures of Messenger employees who rang bells at Hy-Vee one day. By my picture there was a speech bubble that says "I should probably look in Cayla's room for my real present."<br />
<br />
She brought it out - the cookware - in a box I had brought home from Walmart for the cats to play in. Sneaky kid. I approve.<br />
<br />
Coloring.<br />
<br />
Well, I've been collecting coloring pages for quite some time. I get a few each week from Dover Publications. I get an email and download sample pages from their website. I haven't done a whole lot of coloring yet. I did attend a "Color Your World" session at the library earlier this month, which was fun.<br />
<br />
I won a set of gel pens from The Write Dudes and I've been enjoying them. I also joined a Facebook group called Coloring Books for Adults.<br />
<br />
And I've been thinking I should share my sources for free coloring pages. So here's the first one, from ArtLicensingShow.com. <a href="http://redcarpet.artlicensingshow.com/holiday-coloring-book/" target="_blank">A Holiday Coloring Book</a><br />
<br />
It's got 92 pages, mostly Christmas. But there's a few snowmen that don't necessarily have to be Christmas, and some New Year's (also Hanukah, which is unusual, but nice).<br />
<br />
They even have it set up for bloggers to share.<br />
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So, it was a nice Christmas. I got to spend a little time with family. I'm enjoying coloring for relaxation. And I get to share. Contentment.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-20291538584248342862015-12-13T23:45:00.003-06:002015-12-13T23:45:37.564-06:00My Christmas listI have been making a Christmas list, just a variety of things I would like to have at some point. The prices of items vary, and to be honest, I'm expecting that whatever my family chooses to give me will be at the lower end of the price range. That's fine with me.<br />
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So, here's my list:<br />
<ul>
<li>Sweet Stripes (a tub of these candies is about $5.88 at Walmart)</li>
<li>Gel pens (I just won a set of 24 and I'm having fun coloring with them. They are cheaper at Walmart.) Right now I don't need any more coloring books, as I've got enough coloring pages downloaded to last for months.</li>
<li>New pots and pans (I like the Pioneer Woman set, preferably turquoise, but red is good, too. $99 at Walmart)</li>
<li>A Flip-Pal scanner (around $150, online. Totally not expecting this, but I keep it on my list because someday I will have one.)</li>
<li>A gift certificate to Cato (maybe $20-25, enough for one top)</li>
<li>A black sweater (mine is getting pretty raggedy)</li>
<li>A fleece steering wheel cover (I had one of these awhile ago and it. was. awesome.)</li>
<li>A haircut (last time I got my hair cut was in January. It's way past time.)</li>
<li>A Brita pitcher (I've got a coupon!)</li>
<li>Sims 4 Get Together ($27.99 at Target this week, so I've been informed. This would be a present for Amanda, as well, as she plays on my Origin account because I've got more stuff.) </li>
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The cats want a Drinkwell fountain for Christmas. They can't write a letter to Santa, though, so I'm putting it with my list. You should see Olive drinking from the bathroom sink. She loves fresh water.<br />
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Christmas will be interesting this year. Cayla works in the morning. I work in the afternoon. But family is coming over and hopefully there will be enchiladas and one new baby. The other new baby is due at the end of the month.<br />
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We haven't put out our tiny tree because cats. The tree belonged to my mom, and now it's Cayla's. It's got all of Mom's small ornaments and one normal-sized one that I bought for Cayla last year.<br />
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I already know what I'm getting Cayla (and told her, so she knows, as well). I have an idea for Amanda and Kevin. That's about the extent of my giving this year, except I have a gift in mind for someone who is not expecting it (not a relative).<br />
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Oh, and by the way, there's a giveaway on another blog. I just entered. Tracy Horner is giving away a set of slightly used <a href="http://pencilcircles.blogspot.com/2015/12/pencil-tips-these-are-intense-dude.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Derwent Inktense water color pencils</a>. She started with a set of 24, but liked them so much so upgraded to 72. She's giving away the 24 set. I would like to win, but don't want my family spending money on them.<br />
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So, just some random babbling about Christmas. A giveaway on somebody else's blog. New babies coming. There's more going on, but I'll blog about some of it later.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-12141547480398661472015-10-01T00:44:00.001-05:002015-10-01T00:44:32.897-05:00A long dry spell - and ironySo, yeah. It's been a very long time since I blogged.<br />
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And the irony is that the microwave I bought last December to replace the one that quit working ... has quit working.<br />
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Cayla was using it and it made a weird noise or something, and quit (I wasn't home at the time, so my description is vague). The whole apartment smells like burnt metal. I'm not sure at this point if I want to get a new one, as I have my eye on an apartment that comes with a microwave. I just have to enter my life story in triplicate to apply for it.<br />
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Cayla is attending Iowa Central this year. Amanda is living in Ames. We have two rescued cats: Olive and Wee Jock.<br />
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Wee Jock is short for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/622752-that-s-no--as-big-as-medium-sized-jock-but-bigger-than-wee-jock-jock-mistress-said-not-as-big-as-" target="_blank">No'-as-big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock</a>, a character in "The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett.<br />
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Both of the cats have slightly dramatic rescue stories, which I may expand upon later.<br />
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For now, enjoy this video of the cats:<br />
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<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-773152590136657592014-12-19T11:39:00.000-06:002014-12-19T11:39:00.302-06:00Is anybody out there?My interest in certain things ebbs and flows. I get caught up in a particular activity and ignore other things. I've had blog posts in mind but haven't been sufficiently interested to actually post them.<br />
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Maybe later.<br />
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In the meantime, a little catching up.<br />
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I had my first colonoscopy in November. Everything was fine, so I don't have to do it again for 10 years. The prep solution you have to drink was the worst. It tasted a little like salty pineapple, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but when you have to drink 1/2 gallon in the evening and another 1/2 gallon the next morning, the effect adds up. I had to measure out each cup and mark them off as I drank them. I played a level of Plants vs Zombies or a game of Solitaire each time I drank one, as a reward system. In the morning, though, I just couldn't drink the whole thing. I got to a point where if I had taken one more sip, it would have all come back up. :-( So I stopped. But, I feel that as long as the results are there, it's all good (I am NOT giving medical advice to others - your mileage may vary).<br />
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Cayla is home for Christmas. She's set to return to school around Jan. 9 or so.<br />
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Family Christmas will be at my place. We're having homemade enchiladas. It will be the Snyder side of the family (me, my sister and any of her kids and their families/friends who wish to come). I suggested to my girls that their dad can come on New Year's Day, as I'm off then. I do have to work on Christmas Day.<br />
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Yesterday was my 32nd wedding anniversary. Kent and I have been separated since September 2008, but not divorced because neither of us has filed (or neither of us can afford a lawyer). I found out (yesterday, on the wedding anniversary) that apparently he's engaged, but we don't know to whom. He unfriended me on Facebook quite a while back, so I don't get any updates from him. I don't usually go look at his page, so I'm not in the loop. Whatever.<br />
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Our microwave oven died, so I'll be heading out shortly to get another one. I had to wait until payday, of course. Amanda has been making pizza rolls in the oven. I'm not sure if Cayla cares one way or the other, but Amanda and I use the microwave a lot.<br />
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My van has this weird thing where the "communications array" doesn't work from time to time. What that means is the dashboard indicators don't indicate, so I would have no idea how fast it's going or how much gas is in it. Driving in town, that's not a problem, as I can tell the approximate speed by what the engine and muffler sound like. But for picking Cayla up at school, it does cause problems. I'm reluctant to drive highway speeds when I'm not sure exactly how fast I'm going.<br />
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But my mechanic told me there are apps that will calculate speed based on GPS. So on Dec. 12, I tried that - I went down to Ames using the app the whole way there and back. It does work. So did the speedometer for that trip (taking Cayla her birthday presents and spending time with her) and one this Wednesday to pick Cayla up for her break.<br />
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One more thing about the van: I had decided to keep it running as long as possible. I've spent a lot of money on it so far: new starter, brakes, a couple of things in the front wheels (a tie rod for one), new tires (3 brand new, 1 used in good condition). Last week, after having some problems when the van would start (it was either sluggish, or would start, die and have to be started again), I put the key in and turned it and the thing went nuts. It wouldn't start, but the door locks were locking and unlocking rapidly - even after I took the key out of the ignition. I ended up having it jump-started and drove it to the mechanic. It needed a new battery. So I had to pay for a new battery and the jump start. The battery probably cost more than one from Walmart, but I had to get it through my mechanic because it was between paydays and he will hold a check. (I just checked - not quite as much difference as I expected, but a bit more.)<br />
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So now, new battery. That, getting a new microwave, and having Cayla home for three weeks (another mouth to feed) make things a bit tight. So Christmas won't be about what's under the tree (we don't have one, and nearly all my Christmas stuff was stolen by Kent's friends a few years ago), but about hanging out with family. I guess that's not entirely a bad thing.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-57848385480998647182014-10-20T00:07:00.001-05:002014-10-20T00:07:35.754-05:00Headache and heartacheI watched this video this morning before getting ready for church, and lapsed into full-on sobbing.<br />
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Even now my eyes are welling up and I have a lump in my chest.<br />
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I miss my mom so much. All the distracting I did today to get my mind calmer is just not working now. <br />
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This morning, I learned that it's difficult to eat and shower while sobbing. I barely
made it through sacrament meeting - I had to walk out during the
intermediate hymn to compose myself. I had a headache from the crying
earlier, and it's coming back now. After church, I learned that it's also difficult to drive in that condition. <br />
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It's been a year and a half since she died. I've been pretty good throughout it all, but a couple of days ago my train of thought went from me getting some cash at the bank, which used to be her account but she added me to it, then when she died, I took her off of it. I was thinking how handy it is to have an account so close to work, but I would give it up in a second to have more time with her.<br />
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Then I thought that I would shave my head to make a wig for her, if that would help. (She had a type of alopecia and as long as I could remember, she always wore a wig.) I would sacrifice in other ways, if it gave me more time with her.<br />
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But that's silly. I know Mom is beyond all that. There is a purpose to our lives, and she has gone to another part of her existence. Someday I will see her again. There is nothing that I can do to make it happen any sooner.<br />
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So, I will have to miss my mom. I will have to try harder to do what I know is needed to be able to see her again. I know there will be good days and bad days. It will be hard at times. It's hard right now.<br />
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<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-76105528399373631062014-08-14T23:12:00.003-05:002014-08-14T23:12:57.281-05:00Cayla is coming homeCayla has been staying with my dad and stepmom in Illinois, and working to save money for college. She has not been emailing or Facebooking me every day (like she's supposed to!), so it's been kind of weird not knowing what's going on with her.<br />
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Some things I had to find out second-hand, like she dated a guy while she was there.<br />
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But she comes home tomorrow.<br />
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Also, my laptop should be back tomorrow. I sent it away to get fixed, but wasn't sure if I would get it back in time for a family history workshop on Saturday at church. UPS says it's in Des Moines right now.<br />
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The problem was that it's been really sluggish lately, and when I play Flash games, they crash - a lot. I checked to see if it would be able to play The Sims 4, and the site I used to check it said it didn't have enough RAM. That confused me, as it's supposed to have 6 G of RAM, which should be plenty.<br />
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But when I looked at the specs, it was only registering 1.46 G of RAM.<br />
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That's not right.<br />
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So I checked the extended warranty I had paid for, and called customer support, and they sent a box for me to send it in for repairs. I've been waiting anxiously for it to return.<br />
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Amanda has allowed me to use her desktop, but there are times we both want it, so I've been reading a lot lately.<br />
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A few of the books I've read in the last week or so:<br />
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"Peter and the Starcatchers," by Dave Barry and <span class="st">Ridley Pearson</span><br />
"The Last Continent," by Terry Pratchett (and a few of the other Discworld books)<br />
"A Dance With Dragons," by George R.R. Martin<br />
"Imager," "Imager's Challenge," and "Imager's Intrigue," by L.E. Modesitt Jr.<br />
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Cayla will only be home until Tuesday, when she leaves for college. It's such a short time, and I have to work three of those days. But I do have Tuesday off, so I can go help her move in. <br />
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On the educational front, Amanda is nearly done taking the HiSET tests for a high school equivalency diploma. The last test is on Monday. CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-50187474476675512832014-07-02T17:42:00.003-05:002014-07-02T17:42:37.909-05:00Semi-productiveMy normal day includes a morning nap because I was usually up too late the night before.<br />
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Today, however, I spent naptime at Iowa Central Community College, so Amanda could attend the orientation for the HSED program. This included a couple of evaluation tests, which she passed, so she only has to attend classes for 12 hours, instead of 40.<br />
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Which is good, because we have other things we need to do during that time period (besides my naps).<br />
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We then stopped at my work so I could take care of a thing I forgot about last night, then over to pick up chicken fried rice for Amanda and home. I messed around on the computer for a bit, then took a nap for about half an hour before going to the library.<br />
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Normally I volunteer at the Webster County Genealogical Society on Wednesdays. Not every Wednesday, but today the volunteer was on her own for the first time and I thought I would stop by to see how she was doing.<br />
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I brought my laptop and stuff to do, although I didn't get anything done that I had planned. I also brought my lunch, as I hadn't had that yet. (I went to the Hardee's drive-thru.)<br />
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I did get some work done on the genealogy society's website, although I'm not entirely happy with how it turned out. I'll work on that later.<br />
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After the library, I went to Walgreen's to drop off some film. I have 17 rolls of film and a disposable camera that need to be developed (14 rolls of film now). The machine at Walgreen's is broken, so I went to Walmart instead.<br />
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Three rolls of film. Two are Agfa brand and have writing in German, so they might be from when I was in Germany in 1978. Or they might not. I have no idea.<br />
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The other roll is Osco brand, so it's from when I lived in Chicago. We moved to Iowa in 1996. So who knows what's on that roll?<br />
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The photos should be back on Tuesday. I got double prints and the CD. Apparently they do the CD automatically now - you don't get your negatives back.<br />
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So, if the photos turn out, I'll post some when I pick them up, or probably next Wednesday, when I'll be volunteering at the genealogy society again.<br />
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5:42 p.m. Is it too late for a nap?CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-28652741494098950172014-05-25T19:46:00.002-05:002014-05-25T19:47:23.141-05:00Graduation and enchiladasCayla graduated today.<br />
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First was church. Dad didn't enjoy it much because he couldn't hear very well. We do have the receivers for the microphone system, but they are set up for the Spanish-speaking people and nobody knows how to (or if it's even possible) have different receivers on different channels like Spanish and English. So he spent part of the time in his car. He also has back problems, and lying down helps that.</div>
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At Cayla's graduation, we sat on a bench on the track (like in the background of this photo). He went to his car while the valedictorian was speaking, because he couldn't hear. I couldn't either, but I was bound and determined to video the part where Cayla crossed the stage (and I did).</div>
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After commencement was over, Dad took me back to my place. Donna and Jessica arrived right after we did. Cayla went to get Kent, since she couldn't remember how to get to his place before the graduation ceremony and he missed it Suzanna showed up later, with her boyfriend's niece Lexis in tow.</div>
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Donna and I made the enchiladas. She dips the tortillas in the sauce, then in the oil. She flips the tortilla over, then takes it out, lets it drain a little and places it on the foil-wrapped cookie sheet. I put the cheese in and fold the tortilla from right and from left. We made about 1 1/2 packages of tortillas. There were four packages of cheese - which was quite a bit. But there's leftovers for Suzanna's boyfriend Chad and Jessica's husband Eric, and even some for my nephew Richard, who should be stopping by in about half an hour.</div>
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Dad told some family stories - most that I hadn't heard before, and one that I had, but not all the details. Jessica's baby Noah loved listening to Dad talk. Also, I put the movie "Up" in my laptop and played it for Noah, and during the beginning part, he liked it. He was laughing at young Carl and Ellie when they first met.</div>
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Four generations represented here. Photo by 6-year-old Lexis.</div>
<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-67645963523190814872014-05-25T00:40:00.003-05:002014-05-25T00:40:51.567-05:00 Catching up and moving onIt's a little after midnight. I've got potatoes cooling in the kitchen to go with enchiladas after Cayla's graduation Sunday afternoon.<br />
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I've crumbled the queso fresco and cut up an onion. Part of the cheese is still in a block because it hasn't thawed yet. We discovered years ago that the cheese crumbles better if it was frozen first. And the onion might be in bigger chunks than normal because it was nearly midnight when I was cutting it and, quite frankly, at this time of night I don't feel like cooking.<br />
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It's been a long day and there's a couple more ahead. Cayla graduates on Sunday and leaves Monday to spend the summer with my dad and stepmom, and she'll be working to save money for college. Also on Monday, I'll have to go into work pretty much as soon as they leave, as I have a big project that's due Tuesday and it's nowhere near done.<br />
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Some things that have happened lately<br />
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Cayla's last band concert<br />
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What was supposed to be her last orchestra concert was canceled because the teacher/director was ill.<br />
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Cayla's art on display<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2iR2Z9EPh-7_kUARLJTFoKCuEvjuSr2Y07_CO6IjKtqrrmK5uNyUsCYFCWD6hqH6vHX15qVFJi4UIembaMWpsZWejGVIidtInU2j3g2gpEr_tiSo_sCPcO-oYh3WONeX3BakUg/s1600/DSCF4284-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2iR2Z9EPh-7_kUARLJTFoKCuEvjuSr2Y07_CO6IjKtqrrmK5uNyUsCYFCWD6hqH6vHX15qVFJi4UIembaMWpsZWejGVIidtInU2j3g2gpEr_tiSo_sCPcO-oYh3WONeX3BakUg/s1600/DSCF4284-copy.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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A wee visitor<br />
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I got to babysit one day while his mom was working 9-5 last week. There were some not-so-Hallmark moments, as well. It's been awhile since I've cared for a baby for such an extended period, and when it was my own kids at this age, we had milk on tap, so to speak. No waiting for the formula bottle to warm up under hot tap water. Also, I don't think we have any good books to read to infants. I should just read anything - at this age, he won't care much what the content is.<br />
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Senior class night<br />
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She did get an award, something to do with the PSAT/NMSQT, I think. I didn't catch what it was and haven't seen the certificate. It was also her last high school orchestra performance. I wish I had videoed her walking up to get her certificate. From her position in the orchestra, she stepped onto the platform at the right, went up and got her certificate, then came down the other ramp (out of the frame), stepped near the top of the first part of the ramp near the plants, across to where she first stepped on the platform and sat down.<br />
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So now, I've got to get some sleep. Church at 10, graduation at 1:30, and family coming over after that for enchiladas. If our wee visitor comes back, we might get a four-generation photo or two. But I'm sending my camera with Cayla, so there probably won't be any pictures from me for awhile.CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-83903692305355092272014-04-23T15:05:00.000-05:002014-04-23T15:05:07.856-05:00Just because it's on the Internet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Internet is great. I love it.<br />
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There's so much to do, see and learn online. I could spend every waking hour surfing the Web. I play games, read Facebook posts, do family history research and more.<br />
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But ...<br />
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While there is so much available on the Web, that doesn't mean it's okay to take it.<br />
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One issue is truth. Just because it's online, doesn't make it true. I see this all the time with forwarded emails (less so now) and shared posts on Facebook (all. the. time.).<br />
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People see a Facebook post that they agree with - or disagree with - and they have to share it, often with their opinion on the subject matter.<br />
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They rarely check to see if it's true.<br />
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Sometimes these are innocuous things, like faith-promoting stories. But other times it may be health advice (water can save you from a heart attack! Well, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/online-myths_n_3954799.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">no</a>, <a href="http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/misleading-aspirin-email" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">actually</a>.) or stories of abducted or sick children (those two boys kidnapped from their grandparents? They were <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hakken-boys-safe-home-grandparents-article-1.1313980" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">returned safely to the grandparents</a> days later, so sharing their photos now won't help anybody.).<br />
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Let's not even get started on sick baby hoaxes. Just <a href="http://thatsnonsense.com/viewdef.php?article=facebook_babies_hoax" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read this</a>, please.<br />
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Some of those links may be viral in nature. That video that says they found Flight 370? <a href="http://www.hoax-slayer.com/scam-shocking-video-flight-mh370-found-indian-ocean.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wrong</a>. It links to a video streaming website.<br />
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I check things out with Snopes.com, Hoax-slayer.com and other hoax-busting sites. If it's a news item, I check CNN.com or other news sites.<br />
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Then there's copyright issues and plagiarism.<br />
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Would you believe that there are people claiming to be professional photographers who post other photographers' work on their websites as if they had taken those photos? <a href="http://stopstealingphotos.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's true</a>. Ironically, the latest post features a photo taken by the person who has the <a href="http://stopstealingphotos.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stop Stealing Photos</a> website, used by a so-called photographer without permission.<br />
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This type of thing happens to bloggers, as well. Blogger A discovers her text (and sometimes photos) used on Blogger B's site as though they originated with Blogger B. There's an element of creeper here - having your kids' photos claimed by a stranger. Not good.<br />
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There's also been controversy in the genealogy community over a website owned by a particular person with content gleaned from other websites and sources.<br />
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And, lastly, research issues. There are a multitude of places people can put up their family trees: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com, WikiTree.org and more, as well as their personal websites.<br />
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There is temptation when you see a family tree with familiar names to include it in your own tree, but beware. You don't know how good or accurate that person's research is. If you attach it to your tree, but later discover errors, it will be difficult to get the false information out.<br />
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Just keep the link to that tree, so you can access it later, but verify the information before including it in your own genealogy.<br />
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It will save a lot of hassles later on.<br />
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<br />CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4075867.post-88955962408965261642014-04-19T12:08:00.000-05:002014-04-19T12:08:12.203-05:00My poor van<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I went out last night to get something for supper and saw this. Time for a trip to the mechanic. CaySedaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18137313592897679611noreply@blogger.com0