Touching base

Things I love: Knowing I got "the photo" and not even feeling a need to double check the viewfinder. Orange soda and french vanilla ice cream floats. Rainier cherries. Long days. Good sleep. Depth of field and bokeh that lasts for days and days. Easy schedules. Knowing I can think of a thousand other GREAT things that make the not-so-great seem insiginificant.

Not-so-great things: People that ask "what are you doing" from about 2 inches behind you. Hello, I don't owe you an explanation. Cavity fillings that turn into root canals with no warning ("you're here now, might as well take care of it.") People so misguided they believe the lies they've even told themselves.

Photos above are: 1. 256 / threesixtyfive, 2. And one meant for me, 3. 245 / threesixtyfive, 4. 248 / threesixtyfive, 5. 244 / like an orange dream in a tall glass, 6. Untitled, 7. 247 / threesixtyfive, 8. 255 / threesixtyfive, 9. Patience

Public Service Announcement

Here's my public service announcement for the day. Many of us have Paypal accounts, right? With Paypal, you often have it tied to bank account, or credit card, as "back up funding" to the account. Well, my tip is never tie your paypal account to your debit card (or a credit card) that has access to (pulls from) your main checking account. I did, and for 8 years, have never had any problem.

Until this weekend. Someone(s) accessed my paypal account and using my information made four purchases. Since I didn't have a paypal balance at the time (I never do), Paypal transfered the funds from my bank account to cover the purchases. So almost $4,000 was taken out of my bank account over the weekend. Since it was the weekend, I couldn't see it "hitting" my account. But this morning, whoa! I am overdrawn, bigtime, in our normal, day-to-day household account, and am having to deal with these unauthorized purchases. Perfect.

And in the background, I am getting angry emails from the people who sold stuff (to the thieves) using my email and bank account wondering why I am trying to reverse the transaction, etc, when they have already handed over the stuff. From what the emails say, it looks like the purchases are for something called "WOW" or "World of Warcraft". I have no idea what it is, but gather it's some kind of computer game? Anyway, I feel bad for all involved, myself included, but most certainly not the scumbags who did it.

Anyway, word to the wise, learn from my mistake and never set up your main bank account as the backup funding of your paypal account. It's a big, hairy mess that I think will be cleared up eventually, but in the mean time (8-10 business days as Paypal says) I am sort of in a bind.

nine again

Head on over to Teresa McFayden's blog for some fun "To be 9 again" declarations. Loved taking a little thought time to remember what it FELT like, to really remember. My post to her blog: This is one of the bestest posts I've read in a long time from all over blogland! I don't think I can remember 9....oh wait, figuring out the year helped, 1976, of course the bicentennial, so now...yes, my green denim watermelon bellbottom jeans. I should get to where those every single day. Which leads to the green faux fur coat. Hate it. Don't want to wear it ever again. Let's go to grandma's house more often. Either one, both are great and fun and awesome adventures. But at Grandma Shirley's house, more ice cream from the downstairs "extra" freezer and no more cream soda. ever. ewww. Sandwiches and chips though, bring it on! ANd Lagoon roller coasters till my legs are wobbly.

Overheard

DJ (my husband): What I want to know is WHERE do fruit flies come from??
Shade (my 16 yo daughter): Well, when one fruit fly meets another fruit fly, they...

Sally's quilt

Today I felt like quilting, but not starting a big project, so I made my way upstairs (the first stairs I've attempted since surgery) and sat in front of my sewing machine with a stack of pre-cut squares. I started putting together this little doll quilt/wall hanging without much pre-formed thought about how it would come out, or much of anything else.

And then, for some unknown reason, I thought of Sally. When I was in fourth grade we moved from Anaheim, CA to Colorado Springs, CO. I remember walking into class, in the middle of the year, the middle of the day and the middle of a lesson. One of those moments when every head swiveled in my direction and I wanted to crawl into a hole. I was sat down in an empty desk next to a tall, willowy blonde girl who became my "first" best friend. Her name was Brenda and in a weird twist of fate, we later discovered in that class (during a geneolgy assignment) that our great-great-great grandmothers were cousins. We were inseperable for many years, even remaining so after I moved to Denver and our parents had to drive us the 1 1/2 hours to visit for weekends. Our families became friends as well and we spent many summer weekends camping together.

When I went away to college, I had no idea that the last time I had seen her would actually be the last time I ever saw her. I thought about her frequently but, as often happens, so much time went by that suddenly we are now as old as our parents had been when we were kids. A couple years ago I found out that Brenda lived in Michagan. I sent her a Christmas card and received one back saying after the holidays she would call me. No call came, but neither did I make one to her. Another year went by, and I sent another card, but didn't get one back. Then I heard from my mom that Brenda's mom was dying from cancer. Her mom, Sally, was a wonderful seamstress. I remember her sewing room, going to FabricLand, where she worked part-time, seeing the wedding dress she made for her son's wife-t0-be. I remember so many random things. She made us "chef salad" with sliced lunch meat and Western dressing (similar to French), she always had a clean house and a little crystal dish with wrapped candies in the living room. She was a good cook.

I assume the connection came because I was sewing and Sally was the best seamstress I ever knew. Although I don't recall her being a quilter and I have certainly sewed hundreds of times since, for some reason today she was on my mind the entire time I was quilting. Last winter I heard from my mom that Sally had passed away and my parents, who still lived nearby, went to her funeral and did see my friend, Brenda. Another year has gone by and still Brenda and I have never spoken. Brenda, if you're reading this, or I should say, when you read this, because somehow I know you will, I want to tell you how sorry I am for not knowing what to say to you when I heard of your mom's passing. And thereby not saying anything at all. Sally was a wonderful mother to you and Jeff, and I know she and your Dad adored each other. I will always think it was her influence that gave me a love for fabric and sewing. So this little quilty thing, which I was kind of calling "Sunshine", is now "Sally's Sunshine" and will hang in my sewing room. Thank you, Sally.