New Laptop and Finished Socks

Yes, after all the angst and indecision, I am happy to announce that I am typing this on my NEW laptop! I will brag because I think I got an awesome deal!!

--Acer which gets pretty good customer ratings, Aspire 5517
--15.6" HD LCD screen
--250 GB hard drive
--3 GB memory
--AMD Athlon duo core processor
--Windows 7 (which I can attest is soooo much better than icky Vista)
--runs smooth and FAST!

And the best part???? It was on sale at Staples for $350. Yes, that is not a typo. At that price, I could not resist giving it a try. Maybe someday I will have a Mac of my very own, but I could not justify paying 3 times as much to get a Mac...I'm not on the computer enough.


And I recently finished my "Schroon Lake Socks."


Cast on, back in June during a road trip to upstate New York, they languished in a basket much of this summer. And even when I picked them back up, I was not very project monogamous. There were prayer shawls to knit and other things to do! But I did finish them. The cooler autumn weather motivated me. One can never have enough hand-knit socks when things start to get chilly. Especially someone like me who gets cold feet!

Computer decisions.

I need a new laptop. Remember, my Sony Vaio was stolen by the dastardly thieves who broke into my house. I can not decide what to do. I want a Mac. But do I need a Mac?



I hate making major decisions about spending money. I get this paralyzed feeling. I think the root of the problem is this: I don't have a lot of money. In fact, we live on a very, very, very small income. (I am not complaining. We may be "technically" living below the poverty line in rich American standards, but we live very well compared to most people on this planet. I have a nice home, food, clothes, shelter, running water, etc.) Back to my point...I don't often have discretionary money. Spending more than $50 is a big deal to me. When I have to make a major purchase (appliance, furniture, etc.) I want to be absolutely certain that the money is spent wisely. Whatever I choose is going to have to serve me well and last me a while. It is not as if I can replace it a year from now if I hate it, or it turns out to be a lemon.

So, back to the big decision...what's a girl to do? I have never met a Mac-user who didn't love their Mac. As one of my son's recently said:

"If you have a PC you are more likely to have repairs, you are more likely to have problems, you are going to have to deal with viruses. These things can be dealt with. Keep in mind that most PC have terrible inherent problems where they just crash for no reason and certain things won't work at all or whatever.

If you get a Mac you have a piece of equipment that you know will be useful for 4+ years. So you are making an investment. There are still nice functional macs from 2000 that are great. PC's from 2000 are delapidated and hideous. I would not get another PC to save my life at this point. I vote mac for reliability and peace of mind. But I am not the one to say that spending twice as much is a good idea."



And there is the rub...is it really worth twice the price to get a Mac? You know, if I bought a cheaper PC, I could use the money not spent on a Mac and get a spinning wheel.



But, if I buy a PC, am I buying a headache? Argh!!!

Oh, and just to tempt me further, yesterday Apple announces updates and improvements to the Macbook...all without raising the price! http://www.apple.com/macbook/

In which I complain (again) about aging...

Ack! I am more and more having to face the fact that my body is aging. I don't think of myself as old, but sometimes when I look in the mirror, I wonder, "Who is that person looking back at me? That's not my face!" Recently, I hurt my back and I walked around for days like a crotchety old lady. They think it is a bulging disc and it has pretty much put an end to my workouts...bleh. Another constant reminder that the old grey mare just ain't what she used to be is my eyesight, my perfect eyesight! It isn't perfect anymore. Distance vision is great, but it gets harder and harder to read and distinguish things up close. I have glasses that I used to wear as needed when reading or doing needlework. I am finding I need them now for just about everything! The world is getting blurry! What is even more frustrating is when I need them and I can't find them. Grrrr. Once, a few years ago, a friend of mine posted a photo on her blog of a lovely beaded chain she had made to hang her glasses on. Maybe that's what I should get? However, it must be a young, hip-looking eyeglass chain lest my ego be totally crushed by the fact that I am reduced to looking like an old spinster librarian!

Okay, so my whine is over. I haven't posted photos lately, so here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Progress on my current sock project:





A prayer shawl I am knitting for a lady I know who is battling cancer:



Here is the lovely view we had a week ago at the river.



Daughter sitting on the pier.



The end of the day.

Sanctuary violated!!

"Home." It conjures up images of family, laughter, baking bread, refuge. It is a place where a person can feel safe. There are some things we tend to take for granted until they are taken away...health, life, safety. While my family was away form home Sunday night, someone smashed in our back door and robbed us! I still can not effectively put into words how this makes me feel. "Violated" is as close as I can get.

They stole some money and my laptop. Yes, my laptop with all my files, downloaded patterns, bookmarks, addresses, and many photos. (((sigh))) However, the thief took away a lot more than some cash and a computer. They stole from me and my husband the illusion of peace and safety. I know that it is a bad world OUT THERE. But here, in my home, I am supposed to feel safe! I can not tell you how creepy it is to think some stranger was wondering through my home, going through our stuff.

Ah well. What is a girl to do? I can tell you what this girl is doing...first, I am counting my blessings:

--No one was home when it happened
--No one was hurt
--Although they got away with some stuff, there was much they did not take (it truly borders on the miraculous...one can not help but wonder if God intervened and blinded their eyes so that they did not see certain things)
--The thugs did not go through my home and trash it

I am doing my best to remember that God is my refuge and my strength. Ultimately, I have to trust in His protection.

I am also sleeping with a big baseball bat under my bed!

Thinking about minimalism.

Been thinking a lot lately about stuff. How much do we really need to be happy? I can remember when my kids were little. The more "stuff" they had to play with, the less content they were. Clutter really makes me feel mentally agitated and unable to be productive or function well. I certainly have a hard time being creative with my artistic endeavors when surrounded by clutter. Don't even ask me to cook a meal or bake something unless the kitchen is clean! Truly, I get great pleasure from a tidy closet, an organized drawer, an uncluttered flat surface (counter top, coffee table, dresser, etc.)

The irony of all this??? I have a hard time letting go of stuff. I think a lot of that stems from being on a very tight budget. "What if I need that later? I can't afford to replace it!" I am not an obsessive hoarder, like some folks. However, I will admit to having clothes in my closet that don't fit nor do I really like. I have yarn stash that I am not using, and I don't know if I ever will. Ditto on fabric. I have bottles, jars and tubes of beauty products and skin-care items that I don't use, but I hate to throw away because that would be "wasteful." We won't even talk about the kitchen.

What to do? Well, for starters, I am going to read more inspiring articles and books on the subject. I have Leo Babauta's book The Power of Less on hold at the library. I am going to look around my house and ask myself, "What do we really use? What do we really love? What makes us happy?" The rest is just excess cargo and can go! I am going to go on a crusade with my closets, cupboards, and drawers, mercilessly purging the unnecessary. I am going to stop and think long and hard before I bring anything else into our home. I am going to encourage my children to do the same! The advertisers are wrong. "Stuff" does not make us happy. It just weighs us down! I want to feel FREE.

Freedom is not having everything we desire. Instead, it is being able to be without the things we desire and remain truly content.

REAL Food.

Have you noticed how much of what we Americans eat is not really food? I mean, look at the ingredients on a loaf of bread in the grocery store...what IS all that stuff??? I make bread. It's simple and easy...whole wheat flour, water, honey, oil, a little yeast, and a little salt...like I said, SIMPLE. The ingredients are real. Not a lot of chemicals, preservatives, colors and flavorings. I am amazed at how much junk, mass-produced and manufactured stuff we put into our bodies. Don't let me get started ranting about the sodium levels and evil high fructose corn syrup!

And I find that REAL food is more satisfying. Tonight for dinner we had grilled chicken kabobs (seasoned with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper), fresh corn on the cob, fresh picked green beans, baked potatoes (with real butter) and a salad. We were all sitting around afterwards saying to each other, "Man! That was GOOD!" My body feels like it has not just been filled, but it has been truly fed.

Oh, and for dessert? I've got some homemade scones baking in the oven to go along with fresh strawberries and whipping cream (not the fake stuff). Good old fashioned strawberry shortcake. Yum!

Another Quote

Kids were watching "Martha Speaks" on PBS this afternoon. Apparently a character in the show had been severely embarrassed and was now afraid to try anything new and her friends were trying to help her snap out of it. As I walked into the room, I heard the following:

"You can't let a little thing like public humiliation come between you and a good time!"

The truth of that statement made me laugh! Some people take themselves too seriously and worry too much about what others might think. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good thing.

Quote(s) of the Day...

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.


The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.


My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

--Thomas Jefferson