Pat's cousin and his wife are coming over for dinner tonight and we are going to work on a photo album in Winkflash or Snapfish - of course Winkflash has a sale that ends today - ggggrrrr - she has tons of pictures that we are going to put in order tonight so I can scan them in and then the next time we get together she can work on the different pages in the book - It is fun when the book arrives to see the finished product.
I've made several books and have learned if it is not a professional picture - you might not be happy with the full page pictures - they tend to get a little blurry. But it is fun to give the books as gifts.
I haven't even thought about what I'm cooking for dinner - YIKES - I better get down to the freezer and takes something out!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Christmas Plates
Pat and I went to Mt. Pleasant yesterday - we found some really cute plates. Snowmen, Strawberries and Holly. Then when we got home Joanna had left us some plates and a cup that she found for us. I was very worried about finding Christmas plates - I sold so many last weekend that I didn't have a good selection left for Midland Antique Show this weekend and Ryder Center in October - we are going to Ann Arbor one day to look some more - then we'll have enough I am sure.
Selling My Wares
What a fun weekend – Pat and I were at the Frankenmuth Keepsake Craft Show selling my hostess sets. We met so many great people. We were setup next to three women selling beautifully hand woven blankets using a technique called Swedish Weaving. I kept telling them they needed to double their prices because I think they get about a penny an hour for their work. They were working on blankets during the show and after they start a blanket they don’t even have to look at the pattern – it was amazing! They were all friends from high school days – two from Flushing and one from Oscoda. They kept us laughing all weekend.
I sold so many hostess sets – it was the best show I’ve ever done. I can’t wait to go sell at more shows. It is most fun when someone keeps going around the tables and can’t decide which set to buy – then I know they like all the work and it just makes me smile. It was very funny – I didn’t sell any in the very early morning and very few in the late afternoon – but from Noon until 3 pm they sold like hotcakes.
Next weekend – the last Midland Antique Festival for the year, I hope the weather is just the same – sunny and warm with a slight breeze. Hope to see you there!
I sold so many hostess sets – it was the best show I’ve ever done. I can’t wait to go sell at more shows. It is most fun when someone keeps going around the tables and can’t decide which set to buy – then I know they like all the work and it just makes me smile. It was very funny – I didn’t sell any in the very early morning and very few in the late afternoon – but from Noon until 3 pm they sold like hotcakes.
Next weekend – the last Midland Antique Festival for the year, I hope the weather is just the same – sunny and warm with a slight breeze. Hope to see you there!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Frankenmuth - Last Day Today - Don't Miss IT!
This is a great show - so much to do - so much to see - it has been a lot of fun - stop by today - the last day of the show!
Lots of affordable dishes with wrapped beads ($10 for a set or 2 for $15) beautiful serving pieces - lots of fun in the park on Main Street in Frankenmuth - If you are a lurker - come to the show and introduce yourself - I love to hear that people read this blog!HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Keepsake Show
Zehnder Park, Main Street,
Frankenmuth, Michigan <-----Click on Green for Mapquest
Friday, September 18, 2009 - Noon to 7 pm
Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 10 am to 7 pm
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 11 am to 5 pm
Lots of affordable dishes with wrapped beads ($10 for a set or 2 for $15) beautiful serving pieces - lots of fun in the park on Main Street in Frankenmuth - If you are a lurker - come to the show and introduce yourself - I love to hear that people read this blog!HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Keepsake Show
Zehnder Park, Main Street,
Frankenmuth, Michigan <-----Click on Green for Mapquest
Friday, September 18, 2009 - Noon to 7 pm
Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 10 am to 7 pm
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 11 am to 5 pm
Favorite Weekend of the Year
We had a really nice time at the Huron House - I posted the history of our going there last year so if you link to that one by clicking on the green "Huron House" for the basics and that post will be right below this one!
This year we just relaxed a lot. Our drive up was fun - we stopped at the casino in Standish and we walked out with $75 more dollars than when we walked in! That usually doesn't happen!
The next morning we started with coffee on the deck watching the sunrise and then fabulous breakfasts - this year some kind of yummy egg custardy mixture with a vanilla sauce on it with fresh fruit, juice one day and the next a croissant with fruit and juice.
As you probably know we love to drive around - this year we drove to Alpena to a deli we like and got lobster salad, great sandwhiches and a bottle of wine - then back to eat lunch on our private deck. That took a couple of hours of driving. We love Lake Huron - there are so many beautiful views when driving up to Alpena.
Then on Sunday we came home. This year our friend that Pat has been helping fix up a house suprised us and paid for one of our nights - such a nice gift and so appreciated!
Back to work today - goodness - the weekend went so fast!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Confession is good for the soul?
OK - ELISE - remember when we used to celebrate Mass with squished up wonder bread? How about listening to this confession? Came home from work - saw the Hershey bar that has been sitting in that cupboard for weeks and weeks - thought about you and the Hershey bars with Peanut Butter slathered all over them and BAM - slathered that PB and ate the whole thing!!!!! What memories of Owosso - thought about all the fun we had when we visited you and you visited Saginaw - some things in life never get any better than the memories. - mmmmm.....goood......
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I love long weekends!
We had a nice long weekend with Memorial Day. We had dinner with friends, did some cooking and freezing of food, went antiquing a bit - just had fun all weekend long. When Paula and I were at the last Midland Antique Festival one of the regular vendors did not come to sell. I stopped to see her today and she told me she had been sick and couldn't come. She has a nice little shop in Vassar and I bought some olive forks from her.
We should have cleaned - but - thank goodness I took my sister's blog advice and didn't give a rat's patoot about the house and we just enjoyed ourselves. As usual - I don't want to go back to work - but I will. Now that Pat is working at the same building I am I love to hear the lawn mower - cause I know it's him! It makes me smile during the day.
We've got some major shows coming up in the next few weeks so I have been trying to get ready for those too. Well - It's after 10:30 pm and I can't sleep - so I better go read and try to go to sleep.
We should have cleaned - but - thank goodness I took my sister's blog advice and didn't give a rat's patoot about the house and we just enjoyed ourselves. As usual - I don't want to go back to work - but I will. Now that Pat is working at the same building I am I love to hear the lawn mower - cause I know it's him! It makes me smile during the day.
We've got some major shows coming up in the next few weeks so I have been trying to get ready for those too. Well - It's after 10:30 pm and I can't sleep - so I better go read and try to go to sleep.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Spreadsheets
Let’s see – what do I like most about work? MMMMmmm….. Excel and COGNOS – I love working in both those software programs. If it is mathematical – you can do it in excel. Many times those same formulas work in COGNOS and if they do not – you can save the COGNOS file into an Excel file – HEAVEN – for a spreadsheet geek.
When I first started working with a computer in 1984 when I bought an apple computer from my brother, Larry, I couldn’t believe how this person who switched to “new math” in 5th grade so lost out on learning so many basic concepts could now do sums and percentages and decimal points to her heart’s content with ease. I loved Quickfile and started doing budget work and financial statements and actually enjoyed doing them.
Then when I started working at the city in 1986 my mentor, Jan, taught me Lotus 123 the precursor to excel. Now I began working on complex spreadsheets that required lots of thought and preparation (like projecting how many people would have to go to the proposed water park in order to come out even – which by the way we never could have possibly had that many people come to the now defunct water park – so it was doomed from the start!)
Then when I went to the Civic Center I worked with a Lotus 123 whiz of an accountant, Sudah – when she left to move to California I had to use her spreadsheets. That is when I learned how to write macros. It was amazing. I relied heavily on the controller, Dave, to help me understand the budget work that I had to prepare for the Board of Directors. The City has always been a place to learn on the job – you can do as much or as little as you want depending on the job you have – I have always been busy at work because I offer to help others with their work when I get caught up with my work. I have learned many things this way and the day goes by much faster if you actually work!
When I came to work at the Police Department we then got Excel – I started doing overtime reports and budget work but it was easier. I love “if” statements – they make me smile. Now with Office 2007 writing macros is a breeze. And I know I’ve stated before that the Internet is the best thing that ever happened to someone writing spreadsheets. Just typing in what you want to do in a search engine will bring you lots of ideas on how to do what you need to do. Conditional formatting is fun and interesting in a spreadsheet. I love using conditional formatting in almost every spreadsheet I write.
I’ve decided not to write anymore spreadsheets in COGNOS for anyone that has a COGNOS license on their computer at work. I’ll help them write it – working one on one with them while they write the filters and insert calculations – but doing the report for them is no help to them at all. When I finally get to retire in 2012 – they will have to know how to write a COGNOS report without any help so I figure they should be able to do that when I leave by starting to help them to learn now.
This is what I will miss most when I retire – the chance to figure out the puzzle part of a spreadsheet – working to make the spreadsheet concise and easy to use.
When I first started working with a computer in 1984 when I bought an apple computer from my brother, Larry, I couldn’t believe how this person who switched to “new math” in 5th grade so lost out on learning so many basic concepts could now do sums and percentages and decimal points to her heart’s content with ease. I loved Quickfile and started doing budget work and financial statements and actually enjoyed doing them.
Then when I started working at the city in 1986 my mentor, Jan, taught me Lotus 123 the precursor to excel. Now I began working on complex spreadsheets that required lots of thought and preparation (like projecting how many people would have to go to the proposed water park in order to come out even – which by the way we never could have possibly had that many people come to the now defunct water park – so it was doomed from the start!)
Then when I went to the Civic Center I worked with a Lotus 123 whiz of an accountant, Sudah – when she left to move to California I had to use her spreadsheets. That is when I learned how to write macros. It was amazing. I relied heavily on the controller, Dave, to help me understand the budget work that I had to prepare for the Board of Directors. The City has always been a place to learn on the job – you can do as much or as little as you want depending on the job you have – I have always been busy at work because I offer to help others with their work when I get caught up with my work. I have learned many things this way and the day goes by much faster if you actually work!
When I came to work at the Police Department we then got Excel – I started doing overtime reports and budget work but it was easier. I love “if” statements – they make me smile. Now with Office 2007 writing macros is a breeze. And I know I’ve stated before that the Internet is the best thing that ever happened to someone writing spreadsheets. Just typing in what you want to do in a search engine will bring you lots of ideas on how to do what you need to do. Conditional formatting is fun and interesting in a spreadsheet. I love using conditional formatting in almost every spreadsheet I write.
I’ve decided not to write anymore spreadsheets in COGNOS for anyone that has a COGNOS license on their computer at work. I’ll help them write it – working one on one with them while they write the filters and insert calculations – but doing the report for them is no help to them at all. When I finally get to retire in 2012 – they will have to know how to write a COGNOS report without any help so I figure they should be able to do that when I leave by starting to help them to learn now.
This is what I will miss most when I retire – the chance to figure out the puzzle part of a spreadsheet – working to make the spreadsheet concise and easy to use.
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