Wolf's Den

It's that time of year again...

2009-11-30T19:54:11Z

Time for me to start that maniacal holiday baking that I swear to myself I won't go overboard on, every year, and yet, still manage to.

I was going to do 3 different cookies and one candy this year. That's it.

Then the SiL saw a bread in the latest Food Network magazine and it looked nearly the same as Povitica, which I KNOW I made her a mini loaf of last year, but apparently she doesn't remember it. So I said I'd make her one with just chocolate filling in it. Except the recipe makes THREE full sized loaves, which means, she gets one, we get one and I guess I can send one to my parents...

And thus it begins.

That spiral down into overboardness.

So what's on the list, you ask?

Well...

My mom's Capt Crunch Candy, of course, that's a yearly MUST.

Gingerbread cookies- another yearly MUST, for both my dad and the FiL.

Pizzelles- ANOTHER yearly MUST for my mom and the MiL. And only them. Sorry peeps. They take way too long, especially since they get made two at a time.

Hamantaschen cookies- I made 3 flavors last year for the first time. They went over very well, 4 flavors planned this year.

Sugar cookies.

And THAT was it, I swear.

But then I came across these two cookie recipes in weekly King Arthur Flour emails, and well, yeah... now I'm up to 5 cookies and one candy.

Linzer cookies- I actually have cookie cutters for these too! Thinking doing just a chocolate filling though. In my defense, I have wanted to make these for awhile now. So there.

Double-Shot Mocha Chunk cookies- they just SOUND delicious.

So...

5 different cookies with 5 different fillings between them, 1 candy and a bread that makes 3 loaves. Is it any wonder I get started early?

Did I mention that there's 30 people/families on my list that are getting boxes this year? Yeah. Luckily, half won't need mailing.}:P

Somedays...

2009-11-11T22:57:11Z

I have lots of words. Mark says I'm 'wordy', but in a good way. I think. Heh.

Other days, I have very few words. This is one of them.

Thank a Vet today. While you're at it, remember the service animals as well. Many gave their lives for their human counterparts.

Whether you agree with the current war or not, thank the servicemen and service women who are currently serving, who have served, or who will serve.

Count your blessings and thank those who have gone before, who are there now, and who are still to come.

We are the reason you are free. We are the reason you have the rights and liberties you currently enjoy. Without us, you may not have your freedom.

You don't have to agree with the war, past, present, any possible future, but please, support your service people. They need you as much as you need them.

For my part, thank you to those who've served before me, those who've served with me, those who serve now, and those who are yet to serve. Semper Fi.

For the rest, you're welcome.

Today....

2009-11-11T00:15:27Z

Would have been Dante's 16th birth day. It's rained much of the day.

Today is also the Marine Corps Birth Day.

Happy Birth Day, Dante.

Happy Birth Day to my fellow Marines. Semper Fi.

In which I am thoroughly amused...

2009-10-14T19:00:01Z

This is not the entry I wanted to do today.

Today is the reveal day for the Daring Cooks Oct Challenge. Well, mine's going to be 2 days late, so you get this instead.

Be amused with me.

I was checking my emails and received my first scam convo via Etsy today. WooHoo! 3.5 yrs+ on Etsy and only now getting targeted by a scammer! Whee!

Ahem..

As it is MY journal and not affiliated with Etsy in any way, I can show what I want, in my opinion. Besides, I don't expect this shop to stick around long.
This was the convo-

"gapgal1618 profile shop contact

Listing: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14028006
Hello, I saw your beautiful work on the Etsy site and was particularly touched by the fact that some of the proceeds go to benefit an Akita rescue group. I recently lost my own Akita rescue, an amazing dog and a love of my life. I would be interested in purchasing the memorial scarf and would like to know the name I can make a check out to, and an address to which I can send it. I understand if you have to wait to receive payment before shipping the item. Please let me know at this email address (gapgal1618@alloymail.com) at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your beautiful work and contributions to the akita rescue efforts. "

Things to note-

1- Buyer JUST signed up on Etsy TODAY. Has no feedback, no purchases, nothing. Completely empty profile.

2- Classic spam style name. Usually you see this sort of name on, say, Twitter. And they're almost always spammers.

3- Tried to bypass purchasing on Etsy by asking where to send a check, when it's easier to click the 'Add to cart' button and actually BUY the item.

4- Attempts to flatter me and insinuates a 'kinship' that may or may not be true.

5- Saw my work on 'the Etsy site'? Hello, you are ON THE ETSY SITE. You sent me a convo VIA THE ETSY SITE. Duh.

Now, after I was done rolling on the floor laughing my ass off at the audacity, here's my response... Keep in mind, I'm not usually this tactful, so this is a rarity. And yes, it was meant to be a touch sarcastic.

"Hi there! While I am glad you're interested in the Dante-Inu Memorial Silk Scarves, currently the only way to purchase one is via the listing itself.

It's really easy- you click 'Add to cart' and follow the payment directions on the next page. You'll get all the info you would need after you select 'pay now'.

Keep in mind, that if you should chose to pay via check, it will take upwards of 2-3 weeks while I wait for said check to arrive, then for funds to fully clear my account upon deposit, plus a few extra days to ensure it will not bounce.

Once funds have cleared to my satisfaction, only then will the item be shipped out to you. You would then receive a notice stating that your purchase had been shipped at that time.

I would suggest, that if this item is intended as a gift to someone and you need it within a certain timframe, that perhaps a different form of payment would be in order, to expediate the purchase process and the subsequent shipping of your purchase.

Thank you again for your interest and I will await your possible order after you fully consider what payment option you would like to use."

Naturally, I don't expect to hear back from them, nor do I expect to receive an order from them. I am, however, very amused now.

Ok, back to tying a scarf.

Various and Sundry...

2009-10-02T16:01:44Z

Max hates me. He cowers and hides lately. Especially when he knows it's time for meds. I'll be really glad when the Flagyl is gone. He gets so worked up over the mere thought of the meds, that he starts gagging and retching.}:(

Took him down for a weigh in yesterday. I find it extremely difficult to believe he lost two pounds in one week. That's ridiculous and impossible, as he still eats well and in fact, is getting MORE food when I med him. So yeah. Not buying it. Mark doesn't either. Max has another vet appointment this coming Thursday, so we'll see.

Sat is Dogtober Fest. Hopefully the weather holds good for at least that day. Will definitely have photos.

The Parents In Law are on their way down. Coming down to celebrate the SiL's birthday. Not looking forward to this weekend visit, mentally trying to prepare for the third degree and stink eye about us not attending the BiL and SiL's wedding renewal in Dec. But dammit, we can't afford it and with Max still sick, don't feel right leaving him with strangers to care for him. It's not fair to him.

Redyed hair today. Went dark, really dark. Photos eventually. It's 'batching' now.

Need to list that brooch I finished. I have a name for it now, so stay tuned. It won't be very much either, very affordable.

Nearly finished beading the pendent for the next 'Mirror' necklace. Once that's done, I'll have sneak peek photos up.

Neighbor up the hill behind us is having a tree taken down. It's a split trunk type. One trunk leans towards one house, the other leans towards his house. Makes sense to take it down, really. Also means more sun at the top of the hill. Which there is already, and all they've done is top it out and debranch it so far. Also means less leaves to blow down into my yard. Heh.

And that's all the news that I have for now.

wolfsilveroak @ 2009-09-08T21:50:00

2009-09-09T01:50:55Z

Puck
Netherlands Dwarf Harlequin Rabbit
1996?- Sept 8, 2009

Rest easy, little guy. Tell Dante and Nyx hello for me. I'll miss you.

Yes, Puck was 13-14 years old. Seriously.

CaturDay- Max on the couch this afternoon.

2009-09-05T18:48:47Z

Annnddd... now I'm being harrassed for not having a 'resale license'.

2009-09-03T02:29:37Z

Heh.

According to the IRS website, I'm a hobbyist, so don't even need a damn EIN!

Still re-looking up info in my City/County, but from what I understand, only if I register/apply for a business license, would I need a 'resale license'- which as I understand it, would really only do me any good if I wanted to buy my 'supplies' at wholesale prices. Well, most of my bead suppliers are fellow 'hobbyists' or on Ebay, so no reason/way to buy anything at wholesale prices there.

Also- I don't buy things from suppliers and turn around a RESELL it with the original tags/packaging, etc, at a mark-up. Yeah. That would make me a reseller. Obviously, I'm not. I buy supplies (beads, dye, scarf blanks, etc), create something from it, then either list it for sale if anyone is interested in it, or donate it to Rescues to auction off with no monies received by me, or plain give the items I create away as gifts to family and friends.

Good thing I'm not trying to make a living from what I do. I give away more than I've ever sold, heh. As for a profit, what the hell is that? I have NEVER made a profit at anything. I have the receipts to show for it too.

When I DO decide to try to make a living from my 'hobbies', then you bet I'll go get a business license and register my name, etc. Until then, this is my hobby. I happen to be good at it and like to do it a lot, as it's a great stress reliever for me, is all.

All this because I reported someone for reselling shit on Etsy.

Edit to add- It seems, that even though the IRS deems my work a 'hobby activity' and does NOT require any licenses, that my State/County/City do, anyway. Well, and so, that's being taken care of this morning. Yes, yes, I should have double checked a long time ago. Oh well, live and learn. I've not made any money off my items anyway and I have records/reciepts to back me up on this anyway. I'm rather anal about my reciepts. Heh.

Hard Decisions.

2009-08-25T18:30:18Z

No, not about Max. Well, sort of. He was the catalyst anyway.

Right from the start, I had my doubts about being able to afford to go to New Jersey for the SiL/BiL's wedding renewal/10th anniversary thing. After all, we almost didn't go to Michigan, due to finances.

THAT came down to the wire, literally.

So, yeah.

After Max got sick, and we had to call the Parents in Law for help with the emergency vet bills, it became less of an unknown and more of a 'how do we tell them we can't come?'. We already canceled plans to go up in Sept for the Akita Fun Day/Picnic due to not being able to afford it as well as vet appointments.

Between paying them back for the vet loan, having to have more vet trips for Max in the upcoming months to ensure his kidneys/liver are still functioning normally, then having to save up for a rental car, having to buy new outfits for the event as well as having to find a pet sitter, let alone saving up to afford THAT.

There's no way.

Absolutely no way possible. And not getting a rental car is out of the question, as the Banshee Car will never make it there and back. Well, it might, but it'd probably die soon after. So honestly, saving THAT money for a new car is the better idea.

So I emailed the SiL and told her that I'd not be able to make her mini cakes for her, and as of right now, we don't foresee being able to attend in Dec. And opened a can of worms.

I told Mark she'd read it and immediately call their mom. Then I'd get emails from both asking what was up, and his mom wanting to give us money, etc, so on and so forth.

I was right.

Well, sorry, but it's not going to work. I don't deal with guilt trips well, so I forwarded the email to Mark and said YOU DEAL WITH THIS NOW.

So tired of this shit.

Bead Shop adventures... (20 photos)

2009-08-17T23:16:44Z

So while on vacation, we went to 2 different bead shops in 2 different towns.

The first was in Mason, Michigan, and was recommended by my Mom, of all people. She apparently takes my niece Emily, there sometimes. How well she knows me...

The Trellis bead and gift shop is a dream bead shop, really. Name it and they either have it, or will order it to carry on hand. The only thing they didn't have that I could find, was Delicas. They did, however, have half hanks of Czech glass seed beads, semi precious stone strands, lampwork, Swarovski crystals, metal findings, and more.

This is what I got there... The photos aren't the best, but...

Starting with the half hanks of Czech seed beads...

'Olive Solage'... or what I think looks like very pale moss green. I should have gotten several of these, but oh well.

'Chalk'... but who we fooling? It's matte white.

'Bright Silver' Yup. That they are. I snagged 2 of these.

'Garnet Matte' These are absolutely gorgeous in person. Again, I should have snagged more. They're a red tone, matte finish, in iridescent colors.

'Jet Matte' Yup, matte black. Two half hanks. I can never have enough matte black.

'Brown Iris' The name is exactly what they are- brown, glossy with iris/iridescent finish. Very nice.

Several sterling silver clasps of varying styles.

I've not seen FireLine actually marketed as bead thread, let alone used 'crystal'. Heck, I buy it in the fishing section at Wal-mart.

I like Lava Rocks. I got the 4 ovals and the lone square at The Trellis. I have ideas for them, nothing fully formed yet, but ideas.

And last but certainly not least, from The Trellis...

A strand of gorgeous Iolite drops. I looked for singles, or other sizes, chips even, but nope, this was what they had. So I snagged one. Expensive, but worth it.

On the way home, we drive through Marshall, Michigan, where color_full had mentioned seeing a bead shop when she went the wrong way, on the way to the cookout at my parents' house. I spotted it on the way to Mason, and we decided we'd stop in on the way home. I'm glad we did...

Just Bead It is on the main drag through Marshall, nearly directly across the street from Louie's Bakery (omnomnom). They don't have as much as The Trellis did, but they did have a small selection of Delicas, as well as COPPER findings.

I picked up a strand of smaller squares of lava rock. I have ideas for these too.

I also picked up several vials of 2 different sizes of Triangle Delicas in plated sterling. I've not worked with triangles before, this should be fun.

Bright, shiny copper Celtic knotwork beads to use as accents in beadwork...

A couple of interesting skeleton key charms, in antique silver, antique gold and antique copper. Not sure what I'll use them in, but they were neat looking, even if they are only one sided.

And last but not least...

Did I mention copper findings? Real copper toggle clasps in two sizes, and copper BAR CLASPS! Yay! Not too badly priced either! I was thrilled!

Next year, we'll definitely go back to both shops. I could easily have spent lots more than I did in either. Guess I better start saving now...

Caena in Michigan...

2009-08-12T22:34:53Z

My parents have a dog, Cookie, a Golden Mix, about 6 yrs old.

Cookie is a bit overweight, thanks to my dad spoiling her with treats and people food. That and well, she doesn't get near the exercise she really should. Luckily, her most recent blood test results came back clean- she did NOT have Leptospirosis, they think it might have been a severe kidney infection that has now been cleared up. Yayness!

She had a basket full of toys that apparently she hadn't touched in years. That is, until Caena came along.

I saw a side of Cookie last week I hadn't ever seen. Cookie was playing. Mom said she'd not seen Cookie play in years. She started out being rather possessive of her squirrel toy. That is, until Caena ripped the tail off, and started finishing the destuffing Cookie started years ago.

There is a squeaker in the tail. Caena wanted that squeaker. She wanted it bad. Cookie, well, she wanted her squirrel back. Heh. So whenever she could, she take that squirrel and walk away with it. It was funny. Once, she even laid on it to keep Caena from it.

Then Caena met Hondo and Zita, my brother and sister in law's 2 Rat Terriers. I would LOVE to have a large fenced area of yard like they have (they have I think 10 + acres).

Hondo and Zita have a thing for tennis balls. Caena just liked to run. Hey, they were running, so she had to run too.

And run she did. Of course, they would usually out run her, but she did her best to keep up. It was hilarious.

Hondo made friends with Caena right off the bat. Zita took a bit longer, possibly because they're both (spayed) females and well, Zita might have been feeling a bit left out when Hondo would take the tennis ball to Caena and drop in in front of her.

The end result was that Caena developed a thing for tennis balls. Of course Cookie had one, and when we got back to my parents', that was the first thing she went for.

While Cookie and her did end up playing together, chasing each other around the house, even being left alone together with no incidents!, she still wouldn't take a ball out from under Cookie's nose. She would wait until Cookie moved away first. It was funny.

We ended up trading- Caena's bone (a real bone too, raw, one that had been cleaned by Caena within an inch of it's former life) for Cookie's tennis ball. I think Cookie liked that deal.

Mom says she thinks Cookie misses Caena. That she hasn't touched her toys since she left. I KNOW Caena misses Cookie. After all, they spent 18-20 hours together for nearly 8 days straight.
I have a few videos to edit and upload of the two of them playing. Can't wait until next year, when we all go up again, I bet they'll get on like they never parted.

Warning: Tissue Alert: Whomever Gets My Dog

2009-08-10T18:56:23Z

This came from the Akita Rescue list.

Yeah, I cried. I'm willing to bet , you will too.

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie as I looked at him lying in his pen.The shelter was clean, and the people really friendly.

I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to.

And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner.

See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike.

For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls - he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in. But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.

I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name - sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth of fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever. When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.

This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell.

The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff.

I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."

Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter. I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that?? Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction - maybe "glared" is more accurate - and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down. With his back to me.

Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.

But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too.

"Okay,Reggie, " I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice.".... .....

To Whomever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner.

I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different. I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong... which is why I have to go to try to make it right.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls...the more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.

Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones - "sit," "stay," "come," "heel. " He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left.? "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down - I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business. I trained Reggie with small food treats. Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening.

Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He's up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet.

Good luck getting him in the car - I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time.

I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you....

His name's not Reggie.

I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well... well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.

His real name is Tank.

Because that is what I drive.

Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with.. and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter... in the "event"... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.

Well, this letter is getting too downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family. But still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.

And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.

That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that's enough.

I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter.

I don't think I'll say another good- bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time.

Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank.

Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me."

Thank you,

Paul Mallory

________

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.

The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.

"C' mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.

"Tank," I whispered. His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him.

I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me."

Tank reached up and licked my cheek.

"So whatdaya say we play some ball?" His ears perked again.

"Yeah?? Ball?? You like that???Ball? "

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.

And when he came back......he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

Caena learned to play with tennis balls in Michigan last week, courtesy of Cookie, Hondo and Zita.

Home... finally.

2009-08-09T04:02:16Z

Well, actually for nearly 4 hours now. So tired, I can't seem to type straight. Heh.

I need to catch up on my vacation posts. In the mean time, here's a sneak peak...

Vacation, Day 3

2009-08-04T00:52:16Z

Yes, I know, I skipped Day 2. I haven't edited those photos yet. Deal with it.

Sunday we had a get together with a couple friends from LiveJournal- and in one case, from years before LiveJournal as well- who live up here in Michigan.

Casey, aka color_full arrived first. Apparently she's bad at directions, as she turned the wrong way and ended up the town over, before figuring out that she was headed in the opposite directon. But she says she found a bead store even I didn't know about, so it's all good. And hey, she brought yummy cookie bars and a jar of homemade blueberry-cherry jam. Yum.

Annette, aka Zen Kitty on LJ, called and let me know they'd be at least an hour late, due to unforeseen incidents and forgetting of much needed inhalers for another friend. So while we waited for her and her husband to arrive, we went out back and played with Caena. Who decided the dirt back there not only needed digging in, but sampling as well. And the sticks were good too. And that Casey made a good playmate.

After Zen Kitty and hubby arrived (yay!), we stood around for a bit just talking. They brought me a gorgeous speciman of Petrified Wood, from before it was illegal to take any. It's currently hidden from my dad. I has a new ROCK!, whee! They also brought what my mom says is delicious hummus, pita chips and some wonderful pasta salad. Even though everyone was told they didn't need to bring anything.

Caena took right to both of them. I think Zen Kitty and hubby were the first people, other than Casey, she hadn't woofed and growled at upon first meeting. It was amazing!

Dad manned the grill and cooked up the hamburgers and hot dogs. Mark and I moved the picnic table where the food was spread, not once, but twice. Everyone set up chairs in the yard while mom, me, and the kids (my nieces and nephew were here and 2 are still here.}:P) brought out the spread.

Emily brought out cups and plates and such.}:) We had, of course, more food than needed, but oh well. If you're going to have a get together, you might as well do it right and have more than you need- fresh veggies and olives prepped by Allison, Emily and me, deviled eggs, mom's potatoe salad, mom made her beans that morning, unbeknown to me until I came in from the camper, we had Zen Kitty's hummus and pita chips, as well as her pasta salad, Casey's cookie bars, then fixings for the hamburgers- lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and a variety of Michigan cheeses, pickles, iced tea, ice water, pepsi, mountain dew....

After we all stuffed outselves, we sat in the chairs under the old Silver Maple and talked. And talked. And would have talked for hours if Zen Kitty and hubby hadn't needed to get that inhaler to their friend.}:( So it wasn't near long enough of a visit, even if it was great to finally be able to put voice and face to the name. We have standing plans for this to occur next year as well, when we come up again.

Casey stayed for a few more hours, showed mom the sock she was currently knitting. Talked about lace knitting, which had me looking up patterns for mom today. Yeah, thanks, Casey.}:P

Caena was curious about her bag that she carries her knitting in and nearly tried to make off with the ball of yarn. I gave Casey a box of fabric- just over half was hand dyes, for her to use in whatever she wanted. I think that was a fair trade for a jar of homemade jam and evil cookie bars.}:P

The kids' other grandparents came by and picked up Emily and Colin, and took them home. I took Casey with me and we took Allison home, so we could see her ride Zoey, her horse. That was fun. Caena actually got to meet Zoey. The next photo is courtesy of Casey's cellphone.}:)

She wasn't scared of Zoey, in fact, she wanted to play with her. I guess she thought she was just a big, strange smelling dog.

When we got back, about an hour later, it was time for Casey to head home. So we had Mark take a photo of us with an uncooperative Caena. And made plans for Casey to come back on Thursday, so she could go to Binder Park Zoo with us. Apparently, she turns into a 12 yr old at the Zoo. So instead of FOUR kids (Allison, Colin, Emily and Mark), I'll have FIVE kids.}:P

More photos on that day too. As well as Day 2. Day 4 was spent mostly around the house, then running to the store and the library.}:) I do have a few photos of buildings downtown. So I'll edit them and eventually post them as well.

I must say, you'd never know this was the first meeting face to face for any of us. We hit it off right away and it was as if we'd been visiting each other for years. My mom in particular really enjoyed having Annette, Mike and Casey at the house. This will definately happen everytime we get the chance, methinks.}:P

Vacation! Day 1

2009-08-02T00:28:08Z

Made it to Michigan late yesterday evening. Had downpours and lots of rain in West Virginia, for most of the drive through. Then kept hitting traffic and road work the latter third of West Virginia and part of Ohio, until we hit Dayton. Then we had the start of rush hour traffic.

Caena rode reasonably well. she tried playing contortionist when we had her hooked in with the car harness, so we ended up unhooking her after she tried strangling herself with the seatbelt.

She laid right down and was happier. I'm so glad she rides so well.

Just past Dayton, Ohio, we stopped at a 'Bark Park' (dog park) and met up with a friend from LJ- Wolfwyndd, for a quick late lunch/early dinner. The place was HUGE. Caena didn't know what to do with herself, she wanted to see everything and go everywhere at once. It was funny watching her walk the fence line, trying to find a way out, as she just knew there was more interesting things on the otherside.

Meeting Wolfwyndd was great. It's nice being able to put faces and voices to names that you've seen online for awhile and 'talked' to via replies and such, but never really met in person.}:P
And of course, he's a computer geek like Mark. Heh.

The rest of the trip up was pretty uneventful, thankfully.

Mom and Dad got an actual camper trailer awhile back and never told us, so we assumed we'd be sleeping in the pop up camper instead, until we pulled in and saw the big one.
So, Caena is sleeping out there with us as well.

Cookie isn't too sure about her. She's been growly and snippy at the puppy. But then, she hasn't been feeling well either, as well as being an older dog. Julius the cat, hated Caena from the get go. The minute she hopped out of the car, he came racing over, hissing and spitting. Batted Caena upside the face with his claws and actually drew bloood.}:/

This was the first time anyone had seen him act that way, so we've been keeping Caena away from him. Especially since he tried attacking her through a closed screen door earlier today. Yeah.

Today, we went over to the bro and sis in law's, Caena played with their dogs, got to meet Allison's horse, say hi to the goat, Bucky and now the kids are back over here for the night.}:)

Tomorrow, Zen Kitty and Color Full from LJ are coming in from an hour away for a 'get together' here, in the afternoon. Yes, there will be more photos.}:P

Home.

2009-07-31T02:25:43Z

Heading to my hometown in the morning, bright and early. Taking Caena with us. Going to be gone an entire week. I hope to check in a few times while there.

In the meantime, be safe out there.

Wordless Wednesday, brought to you by Max- Almost ready...

2009-07-30T01:05:34Z

Needless to say, this nearly ripe heirloom tomato will be riding to Michigan with us- that is, if Max stops being a crotchety ol' bastard and stressing me out by acting like he's sick.}:(

Wordless Wednesday- First Monarch, First Harvest, of the season

2009-07-22T19:14:56Z

It's the simple things...

2009-07-16T19:44:50Z

Sometimes, simple things can lift a spirit. Like these 6 sparrows giving themselves a dust bath on the back hill, courtesy of Caena digging. Sometimes I think she's trying to bring the hill down on us.

The birds seem to love it though. Flipping themselves around, shaking their wings, burrowing out little wallows in the fine grit that's been dug out of the slate and shale by an exuberant puppy's digging.

Yes, there are six Sparrows. Trust me.

The first time Mark saw one out there, having a dust bath, he thought it was injured. He'd never been privy to these strange ablations by the birds. Usually they do it out in the gravel of the driveway, and while he's at work.

He called me to the kitchen, wanting me to see, thinking Caena had actually gotten a bird.

She hasn't ... yet. But she has cornered one before. Poor thing died of fright, despite my trying to herd it to a save place where it could rest.

Anyway...

Scenes like this can really make a person smile sometimes.

No matter how stressed I am over heading to Michigan at the end of the month, taking Caena on a 10+ hr drive, the longest she's ever been on, to a place she's never been, with a dog I don't even know will get along with her, and persons there that I'd rather NOT know I was in Michigan as they've already bugged my mom back in May about wanting to get a hold of me AGAIN. Look, after 30 yrs, get it through your head that I don't WANT you in my life, ok?

No matter how depressed I am that my sales have tanked, partly thanks to the economy, but mainly thanks to Etsy screwing with the SEO/meta titles and tags and knocking nearly all shops out of search engines due to blacklisting because of tag stuffing. Among other things.

No matter how depressing it is to read that yet another friend has lost a beloved pet. Yeah, really starting to hate this year.

And yes, there's still six Sparrows. It's rather like a seek and find picture, isn't it?

Sometimes I wish I was a bird. Not a care in the world. Dust baths, free bird seed when the squirrels don't eat it all. No bills to pay, no family to want nothing to do with...

And all the free dog hair to line your nest with that you could want when that strange human brushes said puppy of half her fur, because she's blowing coat and now it looks like someone shaved a dog out back...

Only a half grown puppy that likes to run after you and scare you to death. As if she'd ever be able to catch you. She's quick though, that puppy. Well, most of the time anyway.

Sometimes she's just lazy.

Private Swap- Hong Kong to Me.

2009-07-11T22:10:53Z

This is what procrastination looks like. *nods sagely* I meant to post this, what?, 3 weeks ago. Whoops.

My private swap partner was annamosscity, who lives in Hong Kong. She really did an awesome job on filling the box too!

Despite having gotten the box several weeks ago, we honestly haven't tried much out of it yet.}:/

This was not the original packing of the box. I took everything out, then packed it all back in so you could see just how FULL she made it. Yes, I'm a touch insane.

This is a shot of everything. And there was-IS- alot.

I'd wondered what exactly Tim Tams were, having heard numerous mentions of them before. And now, I know. The hubby was estatic to see the coffee drinks, and they didn't last very long either.

I asked for Pocky, and boy did annamosscity deliver! In flavors we'd never heard of too! We love Pocky. It was one of the few foods we really missed when we left Okinawa. The YanYans appear to be Pocky type sticks that have their own dipping sauce too. I've heard of Hello Pandas too, but again, never had any.

I haven't seen Chupa Chups in YEARS. I can definitely say that the blackberry flavored ones are delicious. Same with the Frutips in black currant flavor. When they were gone, I was sad. The Hi-Chew candy is muscat flavor and I've never had muscat before, so wasn't sure, exactly, what to expect. They're good tho.

Jelly type candy seems to be the big thing overseas these days, as there are quite a few different types. Haven't tried any yet though. Surprisingly, we haven't eaten the chips yet either. Or the caramel corn. Hmm. Might be something wrong with us.

Another bag of jelly type candy, and interesting takes on Extra gum. I didn't know it came packaged like that.}:P

These appear to be small pound cake like snack cakes. And I'm a little leery of the 'Baby Star Noodles'.}:P

I'd ask if possible for a rock from Hong Kong. But it being monsoon season and everything drenched there, it wasn't possible. So instead, I got this really gorgeous card, that feels like it was printed on vellum paper. Definitely a keeper!

Thanks for a great swap, annamosscity and thanks to the mods of we_swap_snacks!

(Semi)Wordless Wednesday- From the gardens

2009-07-08T16:23:39Z

Banana Peppers, nearly ready. There's a few more just starting, as well as a few Bell peppers starting. Yes, the near one (left) had to have a rock put against it, as it was getting top heavy.

Not the best photo, but it was really bright and I couldn't really see. Somewhere in there are 1"=2" Green Beans, Bush Type. TONS of them. (Look towards the center)

Maters! Last count, there was 13 Heirloom Tomatoes in various stages. Now? I need to recount, as I think there's more.

Tiny grasshopper on Black Prince Daylily. I've been hand pollinating these, as I've seen few bees lately. There's lots of seed pods started. I'm hoping to get quite a few seeds to share in a few months.}:P

Still no Zucchini or Squash.}:( Need to look uo hand pollinating of both, as I think that's what it's going to take.

Zone 7a in the US.

Wordless Weds.

2009-07-01T18:39:01Z

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T17:36:44Z

I think she was laughing at me.

All taken yesterday morning.

Rain day visitor...

2009-06-16T19:43:47Z

So here I am, sitting at my computer. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something small climbing up through the Clematis (which isn't doing as well as previous years on that end, no thanks to Caena) on the side of the porch towards one of the suet feeders...

I tried to get a photo of him ON the feeder, but I think he saw me in the kitchen where I had left my camera, because he immediately climbed down again and sat here long enough for this shot before climbing all the way down...

Where he again paused to look at me before scampering off to where ever the chipmunks have been hanging out all this time. It's nice to know they're still here and that the 8ft Black Kingsnake a few years back didn't eat all of them or chase them off.}:)

I immediately went out, filled the feeders and scattered lots of sunflower seeds and various other seeds for the birds, squirrels and now, chipmunks. Even if it is raining, they still have to eat after all.

I hope my little visitor comes back again. He was cute.

Maybe next time I'll be able to get clearer shots, instead of through the screen door. Heh.

I hear Carolina Wrens now.}:P

From the Etsy Forums, regarding the Meta title issue... long

2009-06-15T23:20:04Z

My thoughts and what I'm doing at the end.

Meta Tags on Etsy Shop Pages Adversely Affecting External Search Engine Results

June 10, 2009 at 6:03 pm · Filed under SEO, Search, Shop Sections, Tags · By GreenMamba

It has been brought to light that changes made to the Meta Tags on all shop pages may be causing Google and other search engines to bypass Etsy in results. What may seem at first to be an insignificant, single-word change - the addition of the tag word ‘handmade’ to all Esty shop section titles - has in fact resulted in dramatically negative results.

According to this Storque article, a number of SEO (search engine optimization) changes were made in April.

Meta keywords are a less critical component to SEO, and various search engines use them differently to help rank relevancy of a page in search results. For Etsy shop pages, we have automatically pulled the Section Titles for the shop to be used as the meta keywords. We observed that many sellers use basic terms for their sections that translate relatively well into keywords. For example, it’s common for jewelry shops to have Section Titles such as: bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings. To edit your Section Titles, go to Your Etsy > Sections. (excerpt)

While Etsy has downplayed the overall importance of Meta Tags, sellers are discovering that the use of the keyword ‘handmade’ in conjunction with shop section titles - regardless of top-level category - has rendered their shops and items virtually invisible to search engines. Running shop URLs through an SEO checker, such as scrubtheweb.com, has revealed some troubling results, among them ‘keyword stuffing’. This practice, repeated use of the same word in the Meta Tags data line, is forbidden by major search engines and could result in pages being bypassed or excluded from results.

Another issue raised by this overuse of the term ‘handmade’ is the fact that it is being applied across the board in every shop, regardless of whether they sell handmade, vintage or supplies, often causing inadvertent false claims regarding the products being sold. (To check your own meta tags, click on View>Source, or View>Page Source, in your browser’s menu bar at the top of your shop page - not Your Etsy page.) Or just pull up a listing and look at the top of the page, see what it says.

FTC regulations pertaining to the jewelry, precious metals and pewter industries specifically prohibit the use of the terms ‘hand-made’ and ‘hand-wrought’ etc. to describe products

… unless the entire shaping and forming of such product from raw materials and its finishing and decoration were accomplished by hand labor and manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each part of each individual product.

This is clearly differentiated from the hand-assembling of prefabricated finished components into other objects. Both ‘hand-made’ and ‘hand-assembled’ are allowed on Etsy under the ‘handmade’ umbrella, but they are not considered equal and interchangeable terms, according to the law. Forcing all shop sections to carry the ‘handmade’ meta-tag could go well beyond the search engine concerns, and brings up serious legal issues.

This is a very disturbing situation for vintage and supply sellers, as well as jewelry sellers and metalworkers, but also presents a problem for sellers in the other handmade categories. For instance, it is unlikely that a potential buyer would conduct a search for ‘handmade art’ or ‘handmade photography’. And sellers of such items would not choose to tag their listings as such. Experiments conducted by a number of Etsy sellers, representing all three top-level categories, have shown that their listings are no longer coming up in keyword searches that used to feature their items. However, prefacing the usual terms with the word ‘handmade’ will sometimes yield results. But, buyers aren’t searching that way.

Several threads have been started to discuss this serious issue, and to ask Etsy to take immediate steps to correct their meta-tagging errors. Etsy admin stellaloella has been reading along and has provided an official response to these concerns thus far:

stellaloella says:

. . . “Handmade” should not be appearing in the meta keywords for vintage or supplies items. There appears to be a bug or a flaw in the logic for how meta keywords are generated on shop pages.

I have requested that the tech team investigate and try to get it corrected. Like all things, this will need to be internally prioritized and addressed accordingly.

It should also be noted that while meta keywords are looked at by search engines for SEO purposes, they are generally not as important a factor in SEO as page titles, meta descriptions and other factors. SEO is a complex thing, and each search engine is a little different. Google, for example, is continually refining and tweaking how they rank web pages. This makes achieving “good” SEO kind of like trying to hit a moving target. We will also be refining and improving Etsy’s SEO as needed to help keep content optimized for search outside of Etsy.

Thank you for your patience.

For more info, or to voice your opinion, join these ongoing discussions:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6120182

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6180740

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6181465

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6181518

PARTIALLY RESOLVED - 11 June 2009

The keyword stuffing has been discontinued and the ‘handmade’ tag has vanished from all Etsy shop page meta keyword data, unless it was entered into the shop section titles by the seller. Here is stellaloella’s announcement:

stellaloella says:

Hi again. I am happy to say I have a good-news update!

The tech team has released a fix that resolves this issue. As I stated before, this was a flaw in the logic specified to generate meta keywords for shop pages from shop Section Titles. The word “handmade” was being appended in a way that did not make sense. It was inaccurate for Vintage or Supply shops, and was over zealously being used on each meta keyword.

With this fix, no longer will “handmade” be appended to meta keywords for shop pages. Your shop Section Titles will still be used to generate the meta keywords for your shop pages, so you still retain some control over this aspect of your shop’s SEO.

This article from Etsy’s blog, The Storque, further explains how you can control various SEO-related content in your Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/storque/article/3835/

Thank you for your patience while we worked out this issue. My apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Posted at 3:59 pm, June 11 2009 EST

There are still ongoing concerns over pre-formatted source code, including unnecessary and sometimes misleading or inappropriate category words, using up valuable space in Etsy shop and listing titles. For more information, please see this thread. (Many thanks to paperstreet for her literally tireless efforts in this cause.)

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6186413&page=1

JB Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 3:02 am

Etsy has responded to some of the issues today:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6186063
saralouhicks
Etsy Admin
saralouhicks says:
Hi all,

I’ve spent the past few hours reading up on all of the threads regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on Etsy and want to start off by saying that I appreciate your feedback and concerns.

This post is an attempt to offer some explanations about our SEO efforts and provide some insights into our future plans. SEO is very important for all of us and, like on-site search, it’s an ongoing focus area for us at Etsy; in some ways, optimizing the site for search engines is work that’s never finished. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to find your shops, whether they are searching on or off Etsy.

Let me start by offering a brief overview of our SEO efforts to date. In the beginning of this year we introduced the first phase of improvements for all of the category and search pages on Etsy. Once we completed this first phase of enhancements we then launched, in April, the second phase of improvements specifically around shop pages. Prior to these updates none of Etsy’s pages we optimized for SEO.

This article on Etsy’s blog, The Storque, provides an overview of the changes:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-how-to-optimizing-your-etsy-shop-for-search-engines-3835/

On Thursday last week, we released an update that addressed an issue of particular significance for Vintage and Supplies shops. With that fix we acknowledge that our initial “one size fits many” approach wasn’t optimal. Essentially, the manner in which meta keywords were being generated for shop pages from Shop Section Titles included appending the word “handmade” in a way that was not appropriate for all shops on Etsy. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and want to stress that we’re committed to making ongoing improvements and adjustments.

With that in mind, now that we’ve made this update for Supplies and Vintages shops, we’re actively reviewing the logic for the page title for all individual shop item pages. On individual item pages, the page title format currently is:

• For handmade items – “Handmade [Category] on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]”
• For vintage items – “Vintage on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]”
• For supplies – “Craft Supplies on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]”

We think we can improve upon these formats for item pages and thus we’re actively working to identify a new approach. We understand the urgency around this issue and will provide updates on our plans and progress in the next week or two. This issue is important to us, and we want to take the time to get it right.

Thank you for your patience while we continue to make these important improvements to SEO. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience our initial approach may have caused. Thank you for your patience while we continue to refine and iterate our SEO efforts. We welcome your feedback.

Kind regards,

Sara

JB Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 5:32 am

By the way, most of those “ongoing discussions” were locked on Saturday. One thread was left open, but was moved from Ideas to Etc. Then it was later moved to Bugs.
6.
6
cotswolds Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 9:46 am

A number of new threads appeared Saturday night, and will no doubt be locked — depending on who draws Sunday duty. saralouhicks forgot that sending an email to all sellers was warranted based on seller feedback to date. At least it would have spread the word about Etsy’s line in the sand (set in concrete).
Posting a No Comment blurb in the forums at the top of the page doesn’t cut it. In fact, that kind of “communication” smells like “take it or leave it, we don’t care.”
It also encourages some commenters to lash out at each other (again) and employ many of the same bulling techniques that Etsy has encouraged from the start. Etsy loves a good food fight; they wait until the hubbub dies downand go on to the next (don’t tell sellers) site “improvement”!
If sellers are encouraged to snipe at each other, they are too busy to realize that Etsy has pulled the rug from under their feet.
7.
7
morgansilk Says:
June 14th, 2009 at 10:11 am

With all due respect, Sara, the fact that this “first phase of improvements” was initially muffed by putting the same iniital tag on vintage and supplies does not change the real issue: Individual sellers are being usurped in the search engines.
This is Etsy’s plan to get more sellers; seems reasonable until we all realize that it is ruining our individual shops’ traffic.
Sellers’ visibility is being sacrificed for Etsy at large. It’s hard for sellers to find another viewpoint. it appears to indicate desperation.
Instead of burying the competition, this stragegy may very well strengthen it.
8.
8
AliciaMae Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pm

so basically, they didn’t think it through, made the one size fits all change, said oops, and won’t roll it back - they’ll just tweak it live.

Do they not realize that once you’re blacklisted by a search engine it takes months to get off that list? They’ve basically signed the search engine death warrant for every shop on their venue this holiday season

http://etsynews.com/924/meta-tags-on-etsy-shop-pages-adversely-affecting-search-results/

I checked my listings. They do indeed say 'Handmade Accessories on Etsy blah blah blah, then the actual listing title, then by DantesSpirit. For example-

The words between ---><--- are still on my listings.

I did not put that extra wording on my titles. Etsy did. And by doing this, they effectively knocked every single one of my listings on Etsy out of the search engines. No wonder I've not received any Google Alerts with hits on my listings for the past few months. No wonder sales this year have been absolutely dismal and getting worse. No wonder my Google Analytics ranking DROPPED 31.47+% over the last 2 months, from being UP 61+% prior!

They refuse to remove it. In fact, most threads started in the Etsy forums about the issue are closed by Admin with people being redirected to a thread that originally had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the issue.

So, what am I doing about it?

Well, since I'm doing all the work of creating the art, listing the art, promoting the art and PAYING ETSY, while not getting a DIME in return as nothing can be found via search engine unless you know the EXACT name, I will no longer be renewing listings or adding new listings to my Etsy shop.

I've been there 3+ years now, that's a lot of work to just walk away from, which is why I'm not just closing up completely. However, once a listing expires, unless Etsy has fixed their screwup, that listing will stay expired. Eventually the shop will empty.

20 cents isn't a lot, but 20 cents times 43 listings(the number I have there currently) adds up. $8.60 to be exact, if I renewed every listing at one time. Now multiply that by say 4 weeks, every listing once a week- $34.40. Still don't think that's a lot? Ok, imagine if I renewed all 43 listings DAILY. $258.00 a MONTH on a 30 day month. $266.60 on a 31 day month.

See? It adds up. I can't afford that. Especially when I'm not making any money to even pay the renewal fees or listing fees with. But to get possible sales, with things the way they currently are, the ONLY way I'd be able to make anything there, is by renewing daily.

Yeah, really no point giving someone money I'm not even making, now is there? But since I've essentially already paid for those 43 listings, there's also no point in removing them and throwing that money away, on the extreme off chance somehow, someone will find me and buy something from there.

Right now, I'm concentrating on taking my Etsy listings and putting them up on 1000Markets, updating them as I go, making them look refreshed and better. All else fails, maybe my 1000Markets shop will become my new Etsy shop.