Where was I?

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Travelling around Azeroth…. going to work….. commuting…. waiting for the Muse…..

In a bit – deepest, darkest (only at night I’m assuming) southern Ohio for the Quilt National opening.

Here are my only-inside-my-head replies to the question “so what have you made lately, Mary Beth?”

  • I sent my brain out for cleaning about a year or so ago, and they lost it…..
  • I was out on a walk one day and my brain sort of wandered off….  I
    see it occasionally now on a milk carton….
  • Please come home brain — all is forgiven!  Still love ya!  I promise
    to be less controlling….

hey they could work.  But I’m sure we’ll still have a good time.  If you’re going to be in deepest darkest southern ohio anytime soon,  I’ll be there.

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Sometimes a girl just needs new jewelry!

Posted on May 12, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Sometimes it’s just out with the old, and in with something new and shiny! Wouldn’t it be way cool if the WoW stats applied in real life?

Ring of Fearlessness
Binds when picked up
Unique
Finger
+10 Strength
+12 Stamina
+28 Intellect
+50 Courage
 Requires Level 70
Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 24.
Equip: Increases spell critical strike rating by 20.
Use: Allows wearer to be fearless for shorter and gradually longer periods of time. Imparts courage to party members.

Whatever.  Got a new ring to call my own.

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Gotta love the Minimalist!

Posted on May 10, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

I like this fellow over at the NYTimes anyway – his columns generally deal with very straightforward topics and solutions.  Today’s piece is about equipping your own kitchen and now I know I really like him — he advocates for cast iron pans!  (requires free registration).  I love my old cast iron skillets and my much newer cast iron dutch oven.  Nothing beats them for browning and yet non-stick qualities.  Nothing beats them for heat distribution and retention.

My recommendation would not be to buy a new cast iron skillet but to go to a second hand or even an antique store and look at them.  Don’t pay a lot of money for one.  Look for a nice smooth finish on the inside and no apparent structural problems. Ask if they’ve done anything to them to put them in the decorative-only category.  Take it home, wash it and season it.  Then try it out!
That smooth finish priceless – and  comes with years of use.  Modern, new ones are still good but all come with a pebbly finish.  My dutch oven has that and is perfectly ok.  But the old skillets?  Like using good non-stick stuff, even for scrambled eggs!

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And in the “why is this news?” category….

Posted on May 9, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

This just in, via CNN: big long piece about why TV viewership is way down.

I’m not sure why this is news. And I can only think that it’s too hard for the networks to say “the programming isn’t all that good. OK, and we should at least have a new episode every week for each show that we put on…”

About the time I started muttering about the foolishness of plot lines on shows that I had previously looked forward to, and muttering more loudly about the ads that touted “all new episode this week!” – my attention was diverted by World of Warcraft. I made a clean break from watching TV (or in my case listening to it while doing other things) and found all my entertainment on my computer screen.

Let’s review:

  • Self-directed activity that changes moment to moment and provides challenge along the way.
  • Interaction with real people although with the game interface inbetween us.
  • Hours and hours of entertainment that doesn’t rely on someone else to choose for me.
  • If I’m bored – pretty much my own fault.

I think I was looking for entertainment in TV – sometimes mindless, sometimes funny (funny, not abusive) sometimes sad (sad and touching, not grim and relentlessly scary).  Maybe some relationships that I could relate to (not the “gee, I’m so screwed up that I can’t decide between the equally screwed up hunk or the fellow who seems gee-whiz nice who really likes me a lot, guess I’ll sleep with both sort of thing)….  Oh and for weekly shows?  How about a new show every week?  duh.
If the high ups in the networks are worried maybe they should be.  Not rocket science people.

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Monday in the country!

Posted on May 8, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

The other morning I saw two great blue herons flying together, as I drove to work.

This morning, I saw the neighbor’s rooster, his hen that hasn’t been around in a week or so, and the reason why she’d been away – a flock of maybe 20 chicks!

Tonight I decided to take the “back way” home, coming in over the dirt road you often see in photos here. I didn’t get very far when I had to pull over and leap out of my car!

Mom of the Day

I confess I didn’t take photos right away. I got out of my car when I saw this odd-looking thing near the heifer and sure enough – a brand new calf. Barely taking breaths. While I held mine a bit, mom got to work, licking and nudging and licking some more. She removed all the sac and the waxy coating and started in cleaning the naval area. She nudged and nudged and licked and pretty soon that little black head started bobbing around. Phew.

Mom walked around and around the little one continuing to clean him up and 15 minutes later he had wobbled to all four feet. She wasn’t quite done with him though and she gently nudged him back down. He seemed to have his mind set on something to eat though.

I didn’t stay for that event, but I did have a nice chat with the farmer who raises these. This was the second calf born in two days. The first one, the mother wasn’t much interested in the calf, so the farmer was pleased at how attentive this first time mom was.

So that was my incredible event on the way home from work today. That calf had just about hit the ground when I was going by and so a new life starts.

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