Warning! Guard Wasps!

The house closest to us is vacant, and the owner has asked us to keep an eye on it, which we don't mind doing. He has planted some fruit trees that are near our fence, and last year, the fruit went unharvested.
That seemed sad to me, so I went to take a look at the trees today.
The first tree is loaded with pears. The branch shook as I removed one, and that triggered the unintended security system installed by the local wasp community! Really, the kind that fly and have stingers!
I stood still, hoping that they would loose interest in me. No, that didn't work. How about holding the bag in front of my face. The intimidation continued. I tried stooping down in the three foot tall ragweed surrounding the trees. The onslaught followed me down, but still none of them have actually stung me. However, they were sending a clear message.
I am such a wimp. I took off, with the single pear in my bag.

It isn't anywhere near ripe. I don't really like pears that much anyways.

The Lightbulb Burned Out. Time to Replace the Fixture.

Is this an example of planned obsolescence?
We decided to put a stylish new light fixture into our ugly bathroom about 16 months ago, and we were pleased with the lovely pools of light that could be directed into the dark areas. Within about 6 months, the specialty light bulbs began to burn out, and one of the lamps would not stay lit for more than a few days. We thought we had some bad bulbs (which were more expensive than normal incandescent bulbs, of course.)
The thing about the new bulbs though. They were nearly impossible to replace. There isn't any room for your fingers to manuever the bulb into its place so that it could light up your life. The little suction cup tool that came with the fixture won't work because the replacement bulbs have bumps on them where the original ones were smooth.
We finally got to the point that we functioned with less and less light until the last bulb burned out, and today we put in a new fixture, carefully chosen to avoid that problem of not being able to replace a burned out lamp.
This new one shows signs of similar design foolishness. It took three hands to secure the little shades over the, I don't even know what to call the little things that provide illumination. They aren't light bulbs. But it was a two person job to assemble the unit.

The bathroom is still ugly. At any rate, we once again can find our way in it.

Looking for a Homeschool Planner?

I have been a subscriber to The Old Schoolhouse on and off for years and today they are going to give away a homeschool planner to someone from who enters their contest on The Homeschool Lounge. If you want to give it a shot, you can go here, http://dewgin.blogspot.com/2008/08/giveaway-tos-homeschool-planner.html at least until 9 PM on Aug. 15.

This magazine is a great encourager to me and to other moms who endeavor to train and educate their children at home. It is well worth digging under couch cushions to have it come to your house. They understand the challenges, and are living them as well.
http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/

Here is a link to a sneak peak of the planner.

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/schoolhouse-planner-peek.pdf

Am I dangling the idea of organization like a bar of chocolate to a stressed out mom? Hope so!

Coffee and grocery stores

Our family moved to a fairly rural area almost five years ago, and we love it here. We love being able to see stars on a clear night, and having some elbow room around our home. There are a few things that we miss from Jacksonville. Our church is the first thing on the list. We miss you all at CLC!

Another thing we miss is the grocery store. Publix, please expand to the eastern shore! (And not to the east side. We low rent people need you more than the saturated beach communities do!)

A few months ago on the radio I heard a guy talk about how happy consumers are with various businesses, and he mentioned Publix as the grocery store chain that just far and away has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of all. At the bottom of the list is the store affectionately known as 'Wally World.' Moving to the eastern shore took me away from Publix and parked me at Wally World. Ironic, isn't it?

The past year has brought a good number of new businesses to this town with the grand opening of a new Lowes store. One of the new businesses to come here is Starbucks.
Starbucks is a great indicator of urban civility. I like them for a treat, but not as a daily part of life. Guess what! Our shiny new Starbucks is on the list of stores to be closed. Ah well, just as well that I didn't make you a habit. Or maybe that is why it is closing. No urban civility in this neck of the soybean fields.

Norb and I love our coffee here. Our ritual is normally one pot a day, cleaned between brews, (really important, IMHO) Eight O Clock coffee, French Roast, ground just before brewing, made with filtered water. Drink it black.
Sure wish that Wally World would carry French Roast. Publix does.

My Rant About Oil

Has the national debate on oil begun yet?

How often have you heard the phrase, "We can't drill our way out of this problem!"
Does that make any sense?
It is time to stop the foolishness of the talking point crowd.

The energy resources of the United States is not in short supply. Too many years of policy by politicians who, for some unknown reason, consider oil to be evil, (What's the deal with that?) have left this country hostage to other countries for our energy needs. Canada and Mexico are great suppliers of oil to the United States. We share the same continent. Doesn't it make sense that we also have oil supplies? But you wouldn't know it to listen to the anti oil forces.

"Use it or loose it," we hear them say. If oil is in the small percentage of land where drilling rights have been granted, then companies whose business it is to find oil would be all over it. Just granting a lease does not make oil appear there.
Another obstacle is the courtroom. Lawsuits are constantly being filed by left wing groups to stop the drilling and production.

The money that we have showered on the Middle East to buy their oil for decades is being used against us. They seem to have designs on countries that have oil reserves, and are working to insert their ideology and anti US sentiments into the governments where ever possible. It is time to use US dollars to bring US energy to the US market.

I want to cheer on the Republicans in the House who continued last week after adjournment, despite the lights and cameras being turned off. Keep up the good work, Congressmen!

Summer Thoughts

Has summer just begun or is it nearly over?
I always seem to be two steps behind the rest of the world in enjoying the seasons. About the time I am ready to shop for summer clothes, they are racked up on clearance, so with a little luck I find them marked down, just without all of the best stuff to choose from. Hey, I am overweight and middle aged, so who cares!

One early sign of the demise of summer is seeing school supplies on sale, and that is an event in every parent takes note of, although perhaps in a different way to a homeschooling parent.
Like a virus in the brain of a homeschooling mother is the constant question of whether or not we are doing well enough, and I am no exception. The method my family has been employing for the past two years will no longer be available after May of 2009, so evaluating the options has been heavy on my mind for about the past month.

The process has brought me to a book by the name of "Discover Your Child's Learning Style" and the reading is fascinating. It examines the performance of the public (or government) school system and in attempting to serve all, in reality serves very few, even the students who seem to be successful.
And if by some chance a teacher finds a method of teaching that reaches an entire class, the results don't conform to the bell curve, and will be rejected. The system is sick.

Well, our family is committed to the education of our sons, and we will continue to be homeschooling parents.

Ah, This is the Life!

Hi there,
I am reporting from beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania tonight.

Norb had a huge auction to go to today, so we came in yesterday, giving him a chance to preview things more thoroughly than usual, and the two boys and I were at this resort hotel, having a great time while Norb was at the auction.

We worked our way to a corn maze, which surprised me, thinking that corn mazes were autumn events, but this hotel has one ready for the guests, all green and growing. Somehow or another, we managed to make it out without helicopters overhead dropping rescue workers down to us.

And of course, we spent hours at the pool, which is always a favorite for when we are at a hotel.

For once, I was not plugged into a radio or trying to get pictures taken for eBay, or packing things to ship, also for eBay. (Don't worry if you are waiting for something, I tried to get everything out before we left, and will be right back at it when we return.) I just hung out with my boys today.

So what do you all know about bingo? There was a family bingo night here at the hotel, and once again, we didn't win anything, even though one of us actually got a bingo, it was at the same time as two other people, and we did not prevail in the tie breaker. :-( Do some people have good bingo luck and win frequently, or is it always as dismal as every experience I have ever had, which is not very often, but I think the best I ever did was win a water glass one time many years ago.
It was all in fun, and a nice time with the family and that was enough for me.

The Gift Show

Monday was a day on the road!
A friend and I (Hi Becky!) went to the Philadelphia Gift Show. We got up early, and trust me, five years after the murder of our alarm clock, early is not something I do well these days, and hit the road to Reading. I don't know why the Philadelphia Gift Show is in Reading, but that's the way it is.

My friend Becky was just a hoot at this show. She amused many of the vendors with her happy laugh that brought other buyers in to see what was so funny. If you are ever in a hospital gift shop somewhere and see a certain funny calendar,* you can blame Becky.

My goal in going to this show is to be able to expand our offerings on eBay, hoping to find things that we can put up that won't need new descriptions and pictures for each thing. I have some thoughts, but taking the big leap is scary to me.
Now I guess it is time to grit my teeth and act.


*The calendar is called "Life is Crap' which sounds indelicate, but the illustrations are all of funny situations that are not going according to plan, such as a parachutist about to land in a field of tall cactus, or a cat in a litter box with its bottom extended over the edge and outside of the drop zone.
Becky was laughing at it, drawing in another buyer. Becky mentioned that this would be a funny calendar for someplace like a hospital gift shop and then we saw that the new person was there on behalf of a hospital gift shop!

Family Passages

Friday we received the sad news that one of Norb's uncles had passed away. We always enjoyed the few times we were able to be in his company during our marriage. Regrettably, the times were much too infrequent. Apparently, although he was ill, he wasn't in pain or needing pain meds, and he was talking with his wife of over 50 years as he passed away. We don't often hear of such a gentle way of taking leave of this world.
Uncle Ron, you will be missed.

This past week we sent our oldest son and his bride off to Europe for the next year or so. It will be exciting for them to spend their first year of marriage so far from home and we hope that it will be possible to visit them at some point. So we will be back to listing, listing and more listing, and maybe tossing spare change into a cracked cup for our "Visit Andy and Sara Fund." I have always wanted travel to be a part of my life, and would love to do more than I have so far. Now we have a good reason to make some extraordinary travel plans transition from 'unlikely' to 'worth putting on the agenda.'

Here's to bringing back the dreams of youth!

Controversial eBay Fun

Most weeks seem to go by with a normal routine of schoolwork and eBay work and all of the regular tasks of regular folk. However, there are a couple of extraordinary items in the line up that have had our attention this past week.

Norb spent much of this past week, not to mention several weeks before, on a very unusual bit of paper. Blueprints for Three Mile Island. They have been consigned to him to sell on eBay, but you must admit that they fall outside of the normal collectibles or antique piece.

He has spent hours on the phone with the NRC, TMI, and with eBay trying to do the due diligence ahead of time and get clearance before offering them up for auction.

Well, you will never guess where the roadblock is! It is eBay! Gotta love those California types, don'tcha? The NRC gave its permission, but eBay won't. Argh!

Another thing that has been in the works is a chance for someone to get their hands on something that will have a DNA sample and fingerprints from that great guy who was running for first lady, the former President Bill Clinton! Consigned to us was the bottle of water that he drank from at his podium at a speaking engagement a few weeks back. The person in charge of the event carefully removed the water bottle to preserve the fingerprints, and had included a newspaper which had an article covering the event, with a picture of the bottle sitting next to him. He also sent along a letter attesting to the events and what it is.

Maybe we are about 10 years too late, but it seems that there was a time when lots of people were interested in a DNA sample from this man. Who knows, maybe there are one or two people out there who would love to compare with their own privately collected samples.

Even with all of these dramatic consignments, there are still some fun, although less controversial, things that Norb could list without loads of red tape.

"QUIRKY - ECLECTIC "99 Cents" ESTATE SALE ON EBAY"

Local Birds

I love living in an area where there is such a variety of birds to watch.

Both of these photos are mine, taken as the opportunity presents itself.

The eagle was in the field across the street from our home in late March, and the birds in the nest were on our porch this past April.

There are two swallows nests on our porch and we normally have 2 to 3 families of swallows in residence each summer. The second photo is not the normal swallow family. I think they might be pine grosbeak, judging from Mac's Field Guide. At any rate, we love the swallow families and the natural mosquito control they provide, as well as the chance to view nature from our windows.

Bugs

This bug was found in great quantities this week in our yard, and I haven't a clue of what sort of bug it is, or if it is a menace or a benefit.

Does anyone know what this is? It was found in southern Delaware.

Gratitudes

One of my innate talents seems to be complaining, but for once I would like to be thankful.

My husband works very hard to support our family. He loves us deeply and always tries to live up to the example set by our loving heavenly father. He is kind and funny and so very smart that I automatically follow him wherever he leads because he seems to know that right thing to do in any given situation. It is an extraordinary privilege to have a long term marriage and to truly be partners.


My parents are still alive and married. My dear dad has had some health issues in the past year, and they represent a new reality for him and my mother. They are a tremendous example to us of doing the right thing. Thank, Mom and Dad, for your quiet forbearance for so many years.

I am astonished by my sons, and now a beautiful daughter in law. I think that having a child is like having a present that you open a little each day.

We have been blessed in that we have not had terrible times in hospitals fighting for life. There have been difficult times through the years, but luckily in other areas.

This is getting pretty sappy. But sometimes the ordinary things of life don't get our attention when it is so easy to focus on the drama of disaster, but what is it that we want to return to when we are in the middle of a crisis? It is the ordinary good things of every day life.

Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings.

Catching my breath

The past couple of weeks have been just full of preparations to celebrate with family the doctorate that our son received in April. We had family members from Wisconsin fly here to the eastern shore for a party that was originally for graduation, but ended up with a new marriage as well. We have much to be thankful for! And despite all of that going on, Norb has continued to list ebay items and I have been doing my part as well, shipping and taking pictures and trying to keep the rest of the wildly circling balls from crashing to the ground.

It has been a joy to have our new daughter in law in our home with us for the past week. She fits in nicely with this gang with the rough edges.

Being a parent is a funny job, isn't it? I always say that if we only had to tell our children something once, then it wouldn't take 18 years to raise them. And about the time they stop doing the things that make us say, "Why did you do that????!!!" they are about ready to go off to their own lives where someone else reaps the end results of your blood, sweat, and tears. But I got to enjoy a wonderful husband, so the circle turns full around once again.

Coming Attractions!

We were once again at that grueling auction the other day. After searching through the acre of table tops, Norb let me know that there wsa one box on one table that he was interested in, with some old books in it.
He was able to get that box, and they will be going up over the next few days. There is a cookbook from the 1770's and a set of books covering English history, dating back to late 18th or early 19th century, as well as one (or perhaps a pair?) about the French Revolution and the battles that came about as a result. Very nice antique books, so keep an eye on the auctions.

There are also some folk art items that are in the queue this week.

Norb will be on the road on Sunday with a van full of things to go to live auction in Georgia. It is time for these items to find new homes a few states away. He will meet them somewhere in North Carolina so that will take him all day and at least three tanks of gas.

"QUIRKY - ECLECTIC "99 Cents" ESTATE SALE ON EBAY"

ULine Day!

My dear husband will bring home almost anything to list on ebay, and that has left me often wondering, "Where on earth am I going to find a box for THAT?!?"
Somewhere along the line, ULine began to send catalogs to me, and I can't help but be thankful. They have the largest selection of box sizes to choose from that I have ever encountered.
DH likes art, so finding boxes for framed pictures before discovering ULine was a challenge that would occupy me for days, trying to spot good boxes in the back of retail stores, also known as dumpster diving. UGH!!! When I found their picture boxes, it was a glorious day for me.

Wednesday was the day that I got to empty the trusty mini van of all of those things left in it after telling the boys to clean it out, remove the seats, and hit the road. It was Uline day! Of course, it makes sense to bring back a full load, so I ask the guy who packs some stuff for us if he wants any boxes too, and between us, we make the most of the trip.

Actually this is probably my favorite job in our ebay business. Got the car to myself, AC that I can adjust according to the hot flashes, the radio on my favorite programs, a mug of coffee, it's all good! Too bad it only happens a few times a year.

Arriving at the customer pick up area, it at first appeared that it was going to be an easy trip. One forklift with several bundles of boxes. That will fit just fine. But where are those small boxes I had ordered? Oh, there they are on the OTHER forklift, along with lots of other bundles.
ULine is so great. Their employees will load up my vehicle! And trust me, it is a challenge.







Tomorrow morning, I will lament the fact that a ULine employee isn't here to unload all of this stuff. But that's OK. For the next few weeks, I will be able to choose the box that fits almost anything that finds its way into our ebay auctions.
"QUIRKY - ECLECTIC "99 Cents" ESTATE SALE ON EBAY"

The Auction Life Continues

As professional ebay sellers, we are constantly on the prowl for the next great item to list. Norb has come to prefer auctions as his favorite venue for getting the most stuff the fastest. Each auction has its own atmosphere and ways of doing things.

The auction we went to the other day is a fun one, but grueling. There is no seating and very little is set aside as if to stand out. It is up to the auction goers to dig through tables and tables to sniff out treasure from mountains of junk, and at some points will have 4 or 5 auctioneers calling out the goods at the same time. Norb has become really adept at spotting good stuff amoungst the yard sale leftovers, while I have to look a little more closely.
I have seen tables full of glassware go for $2. I guess those flea market merchants are buying at the same auction.

There exists in the world heaps of homeless stuff that goes from yard sale to auction to flea market back to auction, maybe on to another yard sale and on and on. Norb recently bought at our favorite auction in St. Marys, GA, a painting that rang a familiar bell in his head. He knew that he had seen it before, and thought that indicated a well known piece with value. He paid $77 for it and listed it on ebay, even though he could find nothing about it in his research. Sometime during the run of the auction, he realized that the reason it triggered a memory was that he had owned it years before, determined that it had no value, and sold it, putting it into the auction circuit of homeless items. It sold for 99 cents, and I personally hope that I never see it again.

What's it all about?

I think I have the answer to all of life's questions.

Its all about TRANSPORTATION!!!

Isn't it obvious? We all need to get things from Point A to Point B.
Food has to get from the field to the store, to your home, onto your plate and transported into your mouth! Of course, then the utensils have to be transported into the clean up area and back into storage.

If you buy something from me on ebay, it has to be TRANSPORTED to you in a safe and secure manner. The packages have to be TRANSPORTED to the shipping company, whether it is the postal service or a package carrier.

We have to TRANSPORT children to school and people to work.

As the primary season closes, I cannot even imagine the criss crossing of the country the candidates have done to make their cases to voters all over the US.

Yup, it is all about transportation. Of course, with a tip of the hat to Cliff from the old Cheers program, comfortable shoes go hand in hand with transportation. I am all for them, too.

He is really grown up now!

My oldest son was married two days ago on a beach at St. Augustine. We have always been big fans of the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" and the song from the wedding of the first daughter is poignant on several levels.
The line from 'Sunrise, Sunset' that goes
"I don't remember growing older,
When did they?" strikes a strong chord in my heart today.
If you would like to see a picture of Andy and Sara, here it is:


Dr. & Mrs. Andrew Paul N*


Last week I opened a box of photos that had been sealed up since 1997, and there was Andy's childhood in front of me. Those years were a lot of fun with just the three of us when Andy was an only child. However, there were also times when all we could do was to get through one day at a time; when it seemed as if the task of parenthood was long and difficult. Then suddenly, we see that he is ready to begin his adult life.

Was it really as long a time as it seemed durng the battles over food? Or chores? Or bedtime?
Once he went off to college, the parental tension fell away like a heavy backback of schoolbooks. That was a an unexpected development, and a good feeling.

We are thrilled to see him committing to his bride, and his dad and I are tickled to embrace her as a daughter. (Our first daughter.)

We listed some of the items that we picked up at the Amish auction we mentioned in an earlier post. Click here to see them.
"QUIRKY - ECLECTIC "99 Cents" ESTATE SALE ON EBAY"

Auction Day!

We are back from the Amish country estate auction.
Driving to it was food for the soul, even though we had to get up at an hour is normally the middle of the night for us. It was a day of coffee and energy drinks!

The country roads curve up and down and sideways, with well kept yards lined with flowers. You could catch glimpses of family members at work, either in the fields or the barns and yards. Each home seemed to have well laid out kitchen gardens without a weed in sight. There are many closelines stretching from a porch to a post or out building, fluttering with clothes put out to dry. Many driveways had small signs indicating the specialty of the house. Vinyl window wells. Home made root beer. Plants and baked goods. Quilts and Crafts. I wished I could stop at each one.

The location was a home at the top of a hill, with a tent staked outside on the paved courtyard. We parked and walked past many things laid outside to be sold later. A wringer washing machine, old fashioned plows, a bread box, boxes of glass jars and bottles. Furniture and plants.

A thunderstorm rolled in from the north. It was amazing to watch the men working as a team to first cover and then move the furniture, locate a hose to divert the runoff from the rain gutter, place buckets around the perimeter of the tent, and move the stand where the auctioneer and clerk were trying to carry on while rain landed on their backs. No one had to give orders, it all played out as a well trained team did what they saw needed to be done.

We came home with two quilts, three old street lamps, a cuckoo clock, a small box of golfballs, for the boys, and some old Viewmaster items and a number of vintage and old John Deere toys, among other things..

They will be going up on ebay this week. You can see what is there now with this link, and watch as the week goes on as our treasures show up there.

"QUIRKY - ECLECTIC "99 Cents" ESTATE SALE ON EBAY"