Taking advice is hard. Yet, there are times I just need to open a blank page and get started.

I like to participate. So, when a few days go by and I don’t participate; even I miss this bloggy thing.

As spring tries in vain to come to the coast, I’m in the sewing room, cutting up fabric and madly sewing it all together again.

As I sew, I’m listening to the book, My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk.

This book is one I will check off my 2017 reading list, as a book that has been translated from another language.

The book is complicated. And it is certainly as bright and jarring as the quilt I’m working on.

Yet, the more time I spend with the book and the fabric, I’m moving from, what the hell… and how horrible… to WOW.

Both are complicated. Both are hard to follow. Neither is my usual, or my preference in colour or tone. Yet this quilt, and that book are fast becoming personal favourites.

An era is coming to an end.

90 Manhattan Loop is on the market.

This is the house I grew up in. It was built the same year as me, and the Hudson family were the first people to move in.

I had my own room, my brothers shared a room, as did my parents. I don’t remember when the second bathroom was added, but it must have been when “the addition” went on making the shared bedrooms bigger.

I have no idea where company stayed!

I had the same room for the first 18 years of my life.

I was told Bill and Alice paid $2400. for the 3 bedroom, one bath, house, with a huge backyard. Plus, location, location, location.

When my parents divorced, dad sold the house to mom for $7500. — She was then a single mom with three kids.

When mom and Jack moved to Colorado, she sold the house back to dad for $14,000. (Dad thought she was ripping him off.)

Dad moved in with his wife and their son Ty in 1972. I would stay in my room for another year.

When dad died in 2015, he left the house to Art.

Yesterday a For Sale sign went up in the front yard. Art is selling and moving on.

The price has gone up yet, no one will say they are getting ripped off. $315,000. in Los Alamos is a good deal.

I hope it all goes well for Art. I also hope this gives him more freedom and flexibility, and he will come visit us more often.

It will be weird knowing someone other than a Hudson will be in that house. The walls certainly hold a lot of memories, a few ghosts, and loads of laughter.

I think a few stories may be triggered by this sale. Stay tune!

Today is the “big cook.”

Cooking for the shelter has been such a good experience for me. I’’m practiced enough now, to know, I will deliver a fine meal tonight.

I’m making, chicken with rice and veg, green salad, and chocolate cake for 20.

Also, I’m told by the folks in charge,  this will be my last cook “for the season.”

Apparently, the people who need shelter and an evening meal, do not have the same needs during the summer months.

The shelter will close it’s doors at the end of April, and if needed, will re-open next winter.

I’m sure those with more knowledge of the situation than I, have their reasons and are not just being mean, but…

In this house, we haven’t changed seasons enough to even take the flannel sheets off the bed.

And for what’s it’s worth — Ken and I are lucky to be able eat everyday, no matter the season.

She would have been 88 today.

When Ken and I first got together, I remember going through family photos with him.

We came across a photo of my mother standing with her mother. My mom was in her late 30’s when the picture was taken. Her mother probably in her 70’s.

Then, we came across a photo of me standing with my mom. I was in my late 20’s, mom in her early 60’s.

I didn’t think much about it at the time, but I did hear Ken say, as he looked at both photos — “Can’t say I wasn’t warned.”

Today, I’m around the age of my mom was when that one photo was taken. Most days, especially since I cut my hair, when I walk past a mirror, I usually call out, “Hello Alice!”

Saturday is yard sale day on the coast, and we like to hit them.

While we were at one sale, a friend, told us of another that wasn’t advertised. “You should go to the one in Selma Park Jan, they have fabric!”

Okay.

Sure enough. At this sale, among other stuff, was a box of fabric. The sign on the box said, “Fat quarters — 25¢”

I didn’t even dig — “How much for the entire box?” I asked.

I was given a stupid price that included a lot of batting as well. I gave the lady $20. ($6. more than she wanted) and we were on our way.

If I had been set loose in a fabric store, I would have chosen the exact same fabric, that was in that box at the yard sale. The difference; I would have dropped at least $300. — not $20!

Batiks, batiks, batiks! Oh, happy days! Fat quarters and more. All of it delicious.

Oh, the quilts I will make!

I spent the rest of the day in the sewing room, sorting, pressing, organizing, and ogling my haul.

Ken walked by once or twice, and we both laughed as he called out, “Hello Alice!”

Can’t say he wasn’t warned!

I’ll give you ten dollars if you__________.
(Fill in the blank if you’ve heard these words come out of my mouth!)

You know that person in school, who streaked across the gym during assembly?

That wasn’t me.
I was the one who offered them $10. to do it!

I also like to ask people, if they want to “make the paper,” or “tonight’s news.”

Of course I’m kidding — always kidding.
Still, I have some great ideas of things we/you could do to get our/your name in the paper.

Some of my big fat ideas, are the reason, I will never ascend.

Now, while most of the people in my life are way to smart to fall for the $10. offer, almost every one falls for cookies!

I find people will agree to a lot, for a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Cookies are my go-to bribe.

I brought a plate of cookies to a job interview once.
I got the job, and there were several reasons I was not the best candidate. But… cookies.

For years, I’ve use cookies to get what I want.

Today, I made a deal with the workmen who are employed by our neighbour.

I said I would make them a plate of cookies every month, if they would find another place to park during the work week.

Young men are easy.

Having this bloggy site back is great.

Once again, let me publicly thank heather for the fix. It feels good knowing that the five people who read this won’t have to worry about any shenanigans happening, that is not of my doing, when they come here.

Now, with the fix there was one thing heather left for me to work on. (And I willingly take it on.)

In each of the 946 posts, every time I used an apostrophe, quotation mark, or em dash — it has now been replaced with €™

Here is a random example from a post written in 2012
…. It’s hard. He is the type of man who is best when he is “doing something.” Right now, what he’s doing is the same as my friend, only he stands on the other end of this cycle.

See all those  €™!
I’m going in for the fix, one  €™ at a time.

It will give me something to do and keep me off the streets for a while, and I’m in no hurry.

My goal, is to tackle 10-20 stories a day. I don’t meet too many of the goals I set in life, so if it takes me all year to go back through the stories – I’m good with that.

Who knows — when I go back in time, I may or my not see what else I can fix from the past!

Yesterday was a finishing day.

I finished sewing a quilt, that I’m quiet happy with. I will now add it to the pile of quilts to either keep or give away.

I finished knitting a scarf, that doesn’t suck. And I finished reading a book, that for the most part was good, but could have ended sooner.

The knitted scarf has given me a bit of confidence in my quest to learn to knit. Linda sent me some lovely needles, and I used a home spun yarn. I did a knit 2, purl 2 pattern the entire way. It is warm, soft and well, like I said, it doesn’t suck.

Now, I want to knit a sweater. A simple one. I did sign up at Ravelry. I will need to spend time there looking for something easy I can try.

In the mean time… I was at the Sally Anne yesterday, and looked through the section of crafty books. In the knitting section, I saw a picture of a fairly simple sweater, exactly like I want. And though I cannot read knitting directions yet, I thought I’m teachable, so I opened the pattern to see what the knitting directions looked like.

I can’t read music either, but I can tell when the notes go up or down on the page. I know which notes are held longer than others. My brave singing teacher, did her best to help me count. But, make no mistake — I can fake it, but I cannot read music.

I thought, maybe I could figure out a simple knitting pattern, the in same way I read music. If I saw directions with a K23 or P14 and repeat… I thought perhaps, I could figure out some of the other codes, like cast on, or cast off.

So, as I was looking at this particular sweater pattern, at the Sally Anne, and before I paid the 50¢, I wanted to be really sure I could decipher at least some of the directions.

I studied and studied. Nothing. I could not make out any part of the dang thing. NOTHING! I kept looking, for anything familiar in the English language that I could grasp onto.

Is reading knitting really so different from English?

Well, it is if, by chance, you happen to pick up a sweater pattern, written in French.

I saved 50¢ yesterday.

I am one lucky person.
I have people in my life that love me and know how to fix things!

As you may know by now, this site was hacked and to those in the know — it wasn’t pretty. (Thanks to Laura B for the heads up.)

Why, people are so mean, I will never understand. I mean really — what purpose other than malice, could there be to pick anyone’s bloggy and cause damage?

I’m assuming this was a random act of hacking. I don’t think I have anyone pissed off at me. Although I did leave a bad review with a locksmith in LA, after he messed with my brother. But, that was after the hack job, so… who knows.

What I do know, is heather Gardner-Madras is a friggen rock star!

All credit, deep bows, and salutes for the fix goes to her. I will also send presents, when she least expects it and they won’t suck!

First off, this sight wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for heather. She is one of the first people who encouraged me to write well over 900 posts ago!

This web site began as a way for Jim and I to get our JanJimJam qigong and push hands work into the world. Then heather set it up so I could blog out of.

Anyway – like I said, I’m a lucky person in all matter of techie stuff.

I have no idea how to fix or create any of this. If it were left to me — we’d be left out.

However, I do know and love those who do have the skills. I’m grateful they love me. I have benefited ten thousand ways from their generosity.

The men at Arkion gifted me an entire web site in the hay day of Jan Parker Arts. Allyson did all the techno stuff for Today’s Step, and helped me with numerous techie problems over the years.

And heather… I cannot say enough good things about heather. Her life is full, she is busy. A lot of people count on her daily. Her skills are in such high demand. She does good  and important work on the world stage. Yet, she moved this bloggy thing to the front of her “fix it” queue.

Now, once again, heather has made it possible for me to blog it out, and more importantly, it is now a safe and secure place for you to come visit.

Salute!

This sight has been hacked.

Close up now.
Somehow I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come back .

Thanks for checking in. (not you hacker)

Jan