The Friday Five

A new project I'm working on:

1. Rowel

2. Ordinary

3. Wreath

4. Field

5. Charge

Any idea what the project is?

Wordless Wednesday

There Was A Time

when the sight of a bent hair pin would fill me with dread. This was The Brother's weapon of choice. The short end would be pulled back. Touched to a target the end would spring with the swiftness and pain of a bee sting. The infamous story associated with the hair pin came when The Brother was in eighth grade, and I was not the unfortunate victim.

Sister rang the hand held school bell signalling to the  students to line up by class to enter the building. Boys in one line and girls in another.

Sister stood in front of the eighth grade boys waiting for all the students to come to order. She was a very pretty, young woman. Such a shame her beauty had to be hidden behind a wimple and a long black habit. Sister What A Waste. All of the eighth grade boys had a crush on her.

The Brother was the sixth boy in line Waiting became tedious.The Brother loaded the hair pin and pressed it to the ample backside of the boy in front of him. The fellow yelped and leaped forward. The boys in line went down like dominoes. The force of the tumbling boys caused the first boy to jump on Sister knocking them both over.

The Brother was sent to Mother Superior for a suitable punishment. I don't remember the punishment that was meted out, but The Brother was told he had to bring a note from Dad explaining why The Brother "was so bold."

The following morning as the students filed pass Mother Superior's office, she caught a glimpse of The Brother.

"Mr. T," her voice thundered. "Where is the note from your father?"

"He's on his way in."

End of Summer

Deep sigh. Forlorn look.

The Friday Five

This was a big week for The Eldest. She got her braces off. Five things I remember about getting my braces off.

1. My teeth felt so smooth.

2.  I could finally eat forbidden foods: corn on the cob, pretzels, popcorn, carmels

3. Didn't have to carry a blob of beeswax around in case a wire sprung loose.

4. Didn't have to discreetly try to remove or replace tiny elastics

5. Could smile for pictures without blinding the photographer. I got my braces on a week before high school senior class pictures were taken. Got the braces taken off during my junior year in college.

Did you or do you have braces?

Wordless Wednesday

From The Daily Dalek

Internet Explorer Could Have a Huge Security Hole

Beware Internet Explorer has a new security threat. Read the article and then download a more secure browser like Chrome or Firefox.


Internet Explorer Could Have a Huge Security Hole

Fall...

Back to school. Cooler weather :-(  New shoes just for fun.

The Friday Five

Five surprises that happened this week:

1.  The red high tops I ordered arrived earlier than expected.

2. The company I hired to do the final cleanout of the old homestead, said the job would take three days to complete. They finished in two.

3. Because the cleanout went so quickly, the real estate agent was able to list the house earlier than expected.

4. Minutes after the listing went live, an offer was made on the old homestead.

5. The Eldest gave me and her sister a gift. No reason. Just because. The Young One received a cool, bat cuff bracelet. The Eldest gave me this fun shelf sitter.

How was your week?

You're Invited

to the Worcester Art Museum Open House. Tonite from 5:30 PM to 7 PM. Meet the faculty, watch demonstrations, and enjoy some light refreshment. Sign up for classes.

Can't take classes during the day, and don't want to go out at night? No worries. Signed up your kid to take a class on Saturday mornings?
Don't sit in the lobby waiting for two hours. Treat yourself to a class.

I'm teaching Practical Calligraphy, Saturday mornings, 10 AM - Noon, 6. October 2012 to 10. November 2012, 6 sessions.

Wordless Wednesday

In Memoriam

Old Friend

When I pulled the tome off the shelf, I should have listened to the small voice reminding me not to bring any more sh stuff home.  With absorbing some of my parents' things from the old homestead, my poor little dollhouse is starting to look like a tribe of hoarders lives here. I should have listened. No one would want a dictionary that was 50 years old. Especially a dictionary with a broken cover poorly held together with duct tape. This book was well loved and well used. I spent hours in the attic (before my dad turned the room into a home office) lying on the floor and turning the pages. I'd randomly read a page from here and a page from there. So many words. So many cool things like how to properly address a letter to a duke.

I carried the book downstairs. I should have put it in a trash bag, but I couldn't. I just couldn't bear to let it go. The duct tape holding the binding together had dried out. I carefully pulled the old tape away. Before I knew it, I had a roll of duct tape and was carefully measuring, cutting, and applying new pieces of tape. The old book will have a new job.  It's big and heavy. It will make a perfect weight to flatten paper. That's what I'll tell Himself if he asks.

Are there any items you're so attached to you can't bear to part with?

The Friday Five

Today's to do list:

1. Fill out and sign contract for cleaning company.

2. Scan contract as PDF and send to company via email.

3. Prepare out of pocket expense report for lawyer.

4. Write thank you note

5. Write condolence note.

What's on your docket today?

Wordless Wednesday

Tools, Gadgets, and Widgets - AppGuppy

Scan the QR Code with your smartphone to download my app

Have you ever been out and about your day away from your computer? Did you ever wish, "Gee, I wonder what CJ blogged about or tweeted today?" Well, wonder no more. There's an app for that. And you can make your own app, too!

I found out about AppGuppy from ArtsyShark. And you know me and widgets, I just had to play.

AppGuppy is an easy and free way to create a mobile app to promote your business or yourself. You don't need to know any fancy programming and in five minutes you'll have your own app. AppGuppy steps you through the process. There are several templates to choose from. Customize the content from your social media sites, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr. You can test the app using your browser or phone. When you're happy with how it looks, AppGuppy generates a QR Code and a URL so you can easily share your app with all your friends.  Go to http://CJKennedy.appguppy.com from your browser and you'll be given prompts to send my app to your phone. You can go to the URL from your phone and download the app directly. You can also share you app from Facebook and Twitter.

My app tabs include an RSS feed for my blog and Twitter (because I wouldn't want you to miss the scintillating things I blog or tweet about), Tumblr (I'll be uploading some of my work to be used as an electronic portfolio), a tab with my teaching schedule, and how to contact me. Wicked cool!

The app is very easy to use and tech support is just an email away. Excellent tech support, btw. There's a small bug with my About Page on Facebook, and my email was answered quickly to help resolve the problem.

So what are you waiting for? Go make your app! Don't forget to share it with me.

Tumblr

I can hear you. Your saying, "Isn't Tumblr another blogging platform?  Help me, Lord, she isn't starting another blog, is she?" Wait, wait, she is...I mean I am, but I need to use the site. Well, I don't really need it. It just goes along with something that's way cool though a little bit of hubris is involved. More on that tomorrow.

Do you use Tumblr?