Overdue Posting! Getting the trailer paneled, Weeds begone!, Girl Scouts, Paper Dolls

Yes, this is an Overdue Posting, like many lately. But I'm getting back on track, and that always feels good.

I hope to get at least two postings per week done without fail later on, because I will want to feature my items on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy. And that means, ramping things up for sure.

The trailer is being paneled this week. Yay! It really needs it. It has been a long time just getting everything organized. My Aunt is used to doing this, and my Mom had lots of experience, but me? Not so much. I do know that not everyone prefers to work on doublewides though.

Weeds have been cut back to allow the work to start. I'm looking forward to seeing it get done. We also got the wasps and hornets out of the way. No, it was not a big nest, but it was not the tiny kind either. It was in the shape of a round light.

Girl Scout recruitment is on for here and many areas. I have been helping to start a new troop called the International Arts and Adventure Troop for 7th through 12th grades. So far, so good. I can't wait until it gets a number and is official.

Paper dolls... I love them. I have ordered some older ones and hope to scan them and make a package for people like me that love older paper dolls and print them up to sell.

More: It's astounding how nature reclaims itself if you don't keep cutting bushes, plants, etc. back every year. Wow.

The weather here is not as jungle-like this week. That is a good thing.

Next year, will I grow some vegetables? It would be smart. Raised beds? Maybe. A cold frame made with a window? Maybe. I talked about it today.

I almost forgot to mention: Will I finish my books? Will I do those paintings? Stay tuned.

I hope things are going well for all my wonderful readers.

Leave a comment!

Betsyanne

Mobile Homes Vs. Houses - just saying! But I like my doublewide anyhow.

I really like my mobile home.

Seriously. It is a doublewide, and SO much bigger than the older singlewide trailer I used to live in. But still, space is limited.

Plus, it has a real yard too.

We are fixing it up a little at a time. Which it needs a LOT.

Sometimes, I think I would rather have a house. Because... they have basements, and sometimes we have bad storms here. Plus, they sometimes have storage in attics. And keep their value pretty well.

I weathered a tornado that went over my garage once. It was scary! We ran out there and crouched under a table (my daughter and I). Talk about loud! Anyway, we were OK.

Another plus, there is room for a garden here, also also on the plus side (thus: my From the Garden Spot blog that points here) and there is room for raised beds inside a chain link fence.

I like that. Plus, any visitors with dogs have a safe place for them to run.

A dreamy Victorian house. ::::sigh::::

You generally don't hear a lot of good things about mobile homes, but to me, they are vaguely like the new Tiny Homes, generally smaller than most homes, and generally OK on utilities. Trailers, regular and doublewides, have a place, definitely.

I didn't know before, but to put another house on property you own, it must be at least an acre, and preferably larger. Just saying. Storage Units are OK though. And a Little House would also be OK if the law permitted it, which it doesn't. Darn.

I enjoy looking at Little House designs and seeing how much bigger the trailer is! And I like to see photos sometimes of busy streets that don't have a farm on the other side of the road. It is relaxing to look across the street and see farmland. Plus, it's also enjoyable to see the cows, donkey, and miniature horse relaxing over there. Once in awhile you see a possum or a turkey.

There is a soap (?) factory past the farm. At night, the lights are on and if you squint, it looks like a big, very tall castle. And you can see some of the stars here, and are not too far at all from town.

We have many birds, some bunnies, and an occasional possum.

All for today. So the trailer wins against a house, for now. But like the photo above, I do think about them once in awhile.

Onward and Upward!

Musings...and a few vacation photos...

I am busy, busy, busy...

I'll bet you are too!

Today I make sure all my postings get on there already... for Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy.

AND have my two most important blogs posted, this one.... and the Nontraditional Student blog.

Now to post a few of my vacation photos from a short trip to Wisconsin recently. In Manitowoc, there was a print show of some of my grandparents' prints from all over, which are now at the Rahr-West in their permanent collection.

I will fill the descriptions on these in soon. ;-)

The Badger takes off for Michigan from Manitowoc.

A beautiful bridge.

We would love to take this across to Michigan.

One of my favorites! Marc Chagall, "Maternity with Centaur"

My cousins, Andor and David, Rickey, my Aunt, and Val.

A popular dog.

Victor Vasarely print.

Lewis or Clark?

Unhappy trapper, rub his nose for luck.

Beautiful lamp, birdcage.

Beautiful flowers at the Flying Pig gardens...

From last posting: A stop at Paradise Point - a neat store near Barren River Lake.

Onward and Upward!

Grandma's photo and sig. from the exhibit.

A stop at Paradise Point, near Barren River Lake today...

I've been wanting to go here ever since I read an article about it.

Paradise Point is open on the weekends, and has the NEATEST stuff for sale in their shop, besides their famous hot dogs, of course. What reminded me to go was an ad in Fair Magazine, which comes with our Daily News.

Here is that ad:

It shows their dog, who was laying on the floor right at the entrance. He was very popular with the kids.

Their Facebook page is here:  Paradise Point Marketplace.

And here is their official website: Paradise Point.

And they have a Twitter page here: Paradise Point's Twitter Feed.

I took a few photos... <added: my apologies for their extra-brightness. I'm working on getting a new camera, it may be awhile though.>

The Awesome Possum - cool bikes, a bike table inside, more.

Don't Postpone Joy. Noticed the legs later.

Rickey at Paradise Point.

An old truck... other vehicles were for sale here too.

And, from my last posting: Kentucky weather - it's plan hot. Will it be a scorcher later (this Fall) too?

I hope it cools down a little... I would like to come back again and hike around a bit outside.

http://betsyanne.blogspot.com/2015/06/kentucky-weather-its-plain-hot-will.html

Be looking for some Wisconsin travel photos here soon too. :-)

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

Kentucky Weather - - it's plain hot. Will August be a (real) scorcher?

Even though I am outside, it is in the 90's today, I think.

When the weather is very hot here, I think of the beach, a pool, and swimming to stay cool.
 

Of course, if I were on the ocean, I'd be very careful where I swam...

But doesn't this look peaceful here? These people are in Hollywood, Florida.

Just wondering, but will August be even hotter? It will be good for the tomatoes and peppers, but wilty weather for people.

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

 And here are more of my sites and blogs: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

Onward and Upward!


Photo is from Wikimedia Commons, by Barry Haynes.

Welcome, Garden Spot Readers! Three book reviews, and hopefully many more postings now will happen.

I have just fixed my other blog, The Garden Spot blog, so that it comes here.

Welcome, Garden Spot Blog readers!

I have been working on doing this for quite some time.

Don't worry, it's the same me, and same type postings, I just will be able to post more often now! And not worry about the other blog not being updated, since everyone will come here.

I am excited about this.

Here are some more books I have been reading and have finished.

#1. Laurie R. King: The Art of Detection - - want a fun story about a "found" new Sherlock Holmes story? A leader of Sherlock Holmes club is murdered. Who did it? And is there really an undiscovered NEW Sherlock Holmes story?

#2. C.J. Cherryh: Voyager in Night - I started this once, and now have gotten into it to finish it. Wow - - a strange alien ship crashes into another one, and what happens then? And what an one person do to really communicate with more than one alien brain? Will the humans be able to save the last human?

#3. Dan Simmons - Hyperion - (finished it... and now I'm reading the Fall of Hyperion - - it's really good too...) a group of pilgrim travelers searches for meaning, and knows they will encounter the mysterious Shrike, enigmatic being hiding in or near the Time Tombs. Where have the other pilgrims gone? A scientist is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is caught by a tide of time. Her life begins to flow backwards, and she grows ever younger. Can she be saved?

NOW (with The Fall of Hyperion) who is telling the truth? There is a war going on, and who will win?

These were enjoyable. So if you are looking for some good summer reading, see the above.

Betsyanne

Hyperion.... a VERY interesting book, and one in a series.

I can really recommend this book I'm reading right now.

It is Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It is the first in a book series (yay -- love it when I can continue reading).

via Wikipedia.

Here is a blurb about it via the inside book cover.

"On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a voyage to the Time Tombs. They seek the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives . . . and what they find may hold the key to the deliverance of humanity itself."

Right now, the pilgrims are sharing their stories, which are mindblowingly strange. Some of them have already been visitors long ago to the planet of Hyperion.

I will try to find a good photo to put here. Good - found one on Wikipedia. (Warning: don't read the Wikipedia page much - - not until you finish these books, because you won't want to know the series book endings. I know I don't.)

Later!

-Betsy

Recent postings here:

Redbud on the Way to Madisonville - - so pretty!

News, books, suggestions, more. 

 More of my sites and blogs: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

Onward and Upward!

Redbud on the way to Madisonville... it is so pretty.

Sharing...

I took lots of pictures on the way to Madisonville, some more in focus than others.

Here is a montage of them. Click to see it bigger.

I love how these trees make a lovely display next to the highway.

It something I love a lot about Kentucky.

Willow trees are very nice too, but there is something about a Kentucky spring...

Later!

Betsyanne

Other News
Check out my other blogs for more news. (below)

Here they are: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year). 
 
And here is my latest posting before this: News, books, suggestions, more.

More book suggestions/reviews: In Contempt, Beware of the Dog, Byzantium's Crown, Santiago.

Just the same old, same old? Not really.  But I must find another Willow Tree for sure.

But one thing at a time.

  

My latest book suggestions/reviews:
Here are some more great book suggestions. One is an audio book, which are great, because I could do work around the house AND listen to it at the very same time. I am not REALLY suggesting these books, except #1 and Santiago. But the others were amusing at times.

#1. In Contempt: by Christopher Darden. Wow. This book explains how very personally this lawyer was attacked when he was prosecuting the O.J. Simpson case. A quote from him, "...no one is above the law; not the police, not the rich, no one..." Grade: B (some new facts I didn't have before..., I didn't like the way he was treated by the other lawyers...)

#2. Beware of the Dog: A Cliff Hardy Mystery by Peter Corris. Grade: B-. I liked the book, shlogged through to the end with it (which is good nowadays). I liked the Australian words and customs... and the story was surprising to me. I never knew or even guessed what would happen next.

#3. Byzantium's Crown by Susan Shwartz. Interesting story. Grade: B-. (I hate to give a C to a book!) I did want to know what happened in the book. It was an education for a former prince to have to live as a slave... he did escape (thank goodness), and had a new view of the people he was to rule.

Reading now: Santiago by Mike Resnick. It's good so far! Has at least a B+. A jaded bounty-hunter and a no-holds-barred newspaper reporter are both after this fugitive, chasing rumors across the galaxy. Will they find him? And, more important to me right now, does this man even exist? Hmmm....

The Willow Tree
I will keep you posted, loyal readers. :-)

My Books
Writing these. Editing these too. Hopefully they will have a draft copy this year (again).


Other News
Check out my other blogs for more news. (below)

Here they are: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year). 
 
And here is my latest posting before this: News, books, suggestions, more.

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

A link to my News, plus a current and recent book list. Some suggestions...

Good books are GREAT to have, especially if you are snowed in.

And GREAT books are even better. Here is a partial list of some books I have read fairly recently, that (if you can get out to the bookstore) may be good to pick up.

A Red Death by Walter Mosley - all his books about Easy Rawlins, put-upon and street-wise detective, are great, fun to read, and absorbing. This time the IRS is stalking him, and it's hard to tell what is going on with some church leaders and a woman who knows too much. Grade: A

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz - I have almost finished this in tapebook format. Unusual, creative,  worth reading. A bit drawn out though. Grade: B

Kindred Spirits: A Dragonlance book - - explores the friendship between a Half-Elf and a Dwarf in Qualinost, an elven city. Surprisingly good - B+.

The Stand by Stephen King (finally reading this): Liked it! But really loved the miniseries more. I know it's not right to like a miniseries over an original book, but I can't help it. If you can find it (and it's available online) get it and watch it. But it was fun not to know what would be different in the book. -- somehow it was not as immediate as the movie. And knowing what would probably happen was not good, which might have influenced me. But there were interesting differences. And now I compare everything to the Gunslinger books, which I think are among his very best. Grade: A-.B+

I love fantasy books, mysteries, history books, and sometimes a good biography too. But lately I have been reading a lot of horror and fantasy. Hopefully you will see something interesting to put on your Try it Out booklist.

AND (just purchased at ConCave) The Horror at Oakdeene & Others, short stories by Brian Lumley. I have never seen this before, and it's a collection of his early short stories. I just love his awful vampire stories. I say awful, because he writes about the meanest, vilest, most evil vampires ever. Seriously. This book might not have them in it. But that's OK.

I may re-read these all someday. And a heads up, if you want to read something truly scary, and unique, try these: The Necroscope Saga. 

These books explain much about vampires  - - and some of it is "out of this world". You will know what I mean when you read the books. Of course, the environs of Transylvania and the Balkans figure prominently. And the AGE of certain vampires, where they exist, their history, and the powers they have, will give you major creeps. Grade: A

 




AND here is my News (such as it is) this week too, which I have put on my Garden Spot blog this week. It talks about snow today, digging out, I-65, a <handy> snow removal service, a new Songbook, photos, and projects.

Onward and Upward!

-Betsyanne

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year). 

The Betsyanne Moon and Willow Tree News for Feb. 25, 2015

Part of All the News that's Fit to Print on a Betsyanne MW Blog. 

#1. I am NO LONGER snowed out. But that may change in a few days (again) - we'll see.

Repets - - Long story short: Snow was way heavy, roof collapsed.
The RePets store's ceiling fell in, but nobody was around for that. Luckily.
You can catch up with that story here. The landlord (not their building this time, I was sort of glad to hear this...) is already there and fixing at least one side of this up for now.

Repets' Thrift Store Facebook page - photos, one video+, more. 

ConCave was fun - - and I'm ready for next year - almost!
ConCave (the annual Relaxacon Science Fiction Convention in Bowling Green, KY) went great. I hope to enter the Art Show and also have a Huckster Table there next year. Watch for photos and announcements about that later. The band Five Year Mission played again, which was no doubt fun.
Find out more about this fun convention here: The Official Concave Page.

They should have next year's information here soon. The dates for next year are Feb. 26th-28th, 2016. Mark your calendar. Seriously.

Their Facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/ConcaveKy.

An Outdoor Journey Project update

I'm still working on the Outdoor Journey Project - - the most activity is on our Facebook page, but there are people still on the Yahoo group (not as many, but they are appreciated!) and also people are visiting the website. We are working to get more official Outdoor Program back in Girl Scouting. AND helping troops get outdoors on the way there. We have helped bring one Outdoor Badge back to Girl Scouting which should be available in all ways this Fall. Scouts and Scouters, and friends of Girl Scouting, you are welcome to join us. Come help us! #morethan5 - #getoutside #camping.

Also, we are on Twitter as @OutdoorJourneyB.

Much going on - - art projects, writing, etc. etc. Leave a comment and let me know how you are doing too, one of these days.
 
So there you have it.

Here are some more recent postings:

My News for the Snowpocalpyse: Kentucky Style (plus photos)

The Jordanian Pilot (could not watch), Weather, Games and Songs, Art Musings

and

Jan 24: Articles, Saudi Arabia, Frat Party, Greek Tomb, trip to Nashville, more.

Onward and Upward!

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year). 

My News for the Snowpocalypse... Kentucky style. And more. Feb 17 2015

Well, we got snowed upon.

I posted some photos on Facebook. Here are a couple of them.

This car is no longer here. Rickey has it at his job. He barely made it out.

Snowy trees... the farm across the way.

It snowed, and snowed, and then snowed some more. I hear the major roads are passable, but this road is not. Rickey barely missed some other cars yesterday. Luckily, with his job, he can stay there, which is a good thing. A heavy duty truck may stop by to stock him up with supplies and lunches today. We'll see.

I saw a cloud of smoke as the wheels spun when he was caught in a little dip by the mailbox. Ack.

More news
I got some other postings done, AND rediscovered an old notebook, which I used to tape articles in and save websites 10-15 years or MORE ago. I decided to blog about it at my From the Garden Spot Blog. I call this first posting "Discoveries from the Secret (and forgotten) Notebook - Part One." There are some fun sites and thoughts in here. AND some websites have just disappeared or morphed into something else.

ZZ Top is on the way to BG for the Lost River Music Fest on March 28th at the BG Ballpark. Just saying. This should be pretty popular.

Selecting Books from my overhuge collection
I'm selecting books to sell from my humongous stash. It should not be a problem to come up with another box of these and price them today.

More beheadings....
This time of Egyptian Coptic Christians. I can't wrap my mind around it, it is just so hideous and awful. And now (of course) this group has the Egyptians very angry. 

Record Lows tonight?
It may get really cold tonight and tomorrow. Already the cupboards are open, and the water dripping as a precaution. Someone on Facebook said that their chimney was on fire yesterday! But they ( am assuming the Fire Department) caught it before it fired the whole house up. Scary stuff. And someone else's car was snowed into a snowbank and someone helped her shovel out and get on the road. There are also photos of wrecks in Nashville. It MIGHT start to thaw out on Friday.

And here is something I just saw online: It's an article about travel.... if you can, travel EARLY with your loved one. Don't just say "We'll do that later..." Someone I care about told me to do this too. I'm working on it...

Here is that article: Here's How to Avoid One of the Most Common Life Regrets.

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Nontraditional Student Blog and website, GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).
 
Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne 

Jordanian pilot (could not watch), Weather, Games and Songs, Art musings...

This week has been intense. 

I was online and saw a posting by Queen Rania of Jordan today about the killing of the Jordanian pilot by ISIS. I can only imagine what she said on this posting today, but I did notice that there was a plane and also a flag. The plane looks like a bird too. If anyone knows Arabic, I would greatly appreciate a translation.

I would post it here, but I am not sure what it says. The comments are translatable, but not the posting, since it is a photo.

Here is her FB page: http://www.facebook.com/QueenRania. I could not watch the video of the Jordanian pilot... it was too awful.

I was SO hoping they would let this man go or trade for him.  I am devastated by this.

Weather
We here in South Central Kentucky have escaped much of the huge snowfall and power outages on the news last week. So far. Fingers are crossed.

Games and Songs
On the plus side, yesterday I had a great time teaching Songs and Games to a local Girl Scout troop of Daisies and Brownies. How cute and funny they are at that age. They loved doing the action song(s) of the Princess Pat (old, respectful version - - no tree involved) and Pass the Shoe game (a traditional Girl Scout favorite). I did an evaluation at the end. It turns out that the Pass the Shoe game (my personal favorite) was the most popular. It makes for many laughs, which is a fun change of pace for this week.

Art musings
I simply MUST do some art. An artist I know locally is posting her art this week and probably next. I can do that too, but then it will run out because I have not made any NEW art lately. So I will need to do that. Just saying. I an getting up my motivation for that.

So... Back to work - work and never shirk, etc.

-Betsyanne

And here are other recent postings:

Jan. 24: Articles, Saudi Arabia, Frat Party, Greek Tomb, trip to Nashville, more...

Jan. 15: MWT #2, Catalogs, TV Shows, movies, National Hat Day, the Nontrad website, more...

Onward and Upward!

and here are some of my other blogs:
The Nontraditional Student blog - helping nontraditional students (going back to school after a break) find help and advice.

From the Garden Spot - About gardening, writing, online selling tips, and more. 
  
Girl Scout Betsy (A GS of Kentuckiana Volunteer blog for Area 17 and Beyond)- Events, trainings, etc., and

Find Scholarships and Grants - Of all kinds.

Moon and Willow News for Saturday, January 24th - articles, Saudi Arabia, Frat Party, Greek Tomb, trip to Nashville, more...

NEWS - NEWS - NEWS - NEWS - NEWS
All the news that's fit to print, and some not so much. :-)

Well, it snowed.  
Which this winter is pretty rare here this winter in South Central Kentucky. I have to admit that the snow really looked pretty last night, (it was good packing so easy to walk on...) but made the roads a bit less safe this morning, which nixed the Nashville trip. I got used to going to Nashville a lot when I was visiting my Mom, and also got used to being able to buy foods at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, which of course feature natural and organic food, which is SO much better than other kinds, I find. ::::heavy sigh::::

We'll have to reschedule. Darn.

Continuing neat Catalog cataloging.
I have my #3 posting done today. It features the neat catalogs of the Victorian Trading Company, the Caretaker Gazette, the National Geographic gift catalog, and the Vermont Country Store catalog. These are all perfect catalogs to curl up with on a day like today.

The Outdoor Journey Project
This site is still attracting new members.  I am very happy about that. There is LOTS of interest this week, because GSUSA made an announcement about the new outdoor badge they are doing. About the group: we are working towards getting more official Outdoor Program back in Girl scouting. IF you would like to help, and are a Girl Scout, a Scouter, a Boy Scout leader, or a Supporter, come join us here at the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/outdoor.journey/. Our website is here: http://outdoor-journey.com/ if you would like to come and visit to learn more.

Sad News of Two Kinds
I have a relative who is very ill in the hospital, and has stopped eating. This is, of course, her choice, but it is sad because I love her very much. And a friend is coping both with the death of her mother and her daughter. I wish I could reach out to her via phone or mail. I have tried. Anyway, I am sad this week for sure. I would tell their names, but won't because they may not want the publicity.

House Hunting
I look at online houses for sale in the area a lot. They are usually priced over my budget (very small) and there are some projects I'd like to get done on where I live too (first, before moving), but it can be fun to look around and just see what kinds of houses are available. My favorite dream house would be someplace with LOTS of storage. I love older houses, but most times they are expensive. But beautiful. I love it that there are houses listed online, along with photos most times. Trulia is my favorite site to search. I think it's cool that you can check values for houses even NOT for sale there.

News I posted about today.
President Obama is going to the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. I KNOW he is going to love this parade. It is absolutely stupendous. It is good news that he will be talking to India and that our countries can become closer. When I saw this parade, there were awesome uniforms, elephants, and tanks.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/23/obama-delhi-modi-india-us-new-era

I hope that the Saudi Arabian women can become more free in that country in the future. I read a series of books about life in Saudi Arabia for a Saudi Princess. These books were very eye-opening. I found out that the late King, Abdullah, was actually in favor of women's rights. But most men in the country want to hold on to their power, and are not as much in favor of more rights for women. Over there, if you wind up in a loveless marriage, there is not a lot women can do about it. It's a lot more basic than just wanting to drive. Here is a link about those books: http://www.princesssultanascircle.com/trilogy.htm.

I shared online about some Saudi women I recently read about who are under House Arrest right now. I hope the new King there can help. Here is that article too: "Don't forget the late Saudi King's jailed princesses..."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/01/23/dont-forget-the-late-saudi-kings-jailed-princesses/
 
More News
Inside the Frat Party that caused  $75,000 damage.
https://gma.yahoo.com/inside-frat-party-caused-75-000-damage-ski-130900800--abc-news-topstories.html

More Remains Discovered in Greek Tomb That Dates Back to Reign of Alexander the Great
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/mystery-greek-tomb-alexander-the-great_n_6509310.html

Until later,

Onward and Upward!

-Betsyanne

NEWS - MWT #2, Catalogs, TV shows, movies, National Hat Day, the Nontrad website, more.

Moon and Willow Tree News #2. Jan 15, 2015.

CATALOG FUN.
I am posting all about different catalogs I like on my Garden Spot blog. It's actually fun to write about this, because I do love to read catalogs. One is a magazine (MaryJane's Farm) but MaryJane also sells organic towels and things online, so it sort of counts.

AND I have more catalogs to go.

Adding: Here is that blog link The Garden Spot Blog.

MORE ORGANIZING
The thing I like most about organizing is that I ALWAYS find things I have forgotten about when I do it. Some of those things I keep. But mostly I am taking extra things out and donating them to Goodwill. Much left, but that's OK.

THE HOBBIT and a couple of other movies
No, I haven't seen this movie yet, but I'm REALLY looking forward to it. I can recommend a couple other movies, if you get a chance to see them. I have seen both of these. One is Birdman, and the other is The Grand Budapest Hotel. If I had to choose between them, I'd choose the Grand Budapest Hotel, although the other one is great, too. There seem to be a lot of good movies out this year. My favorite part of going to see a movie is most times because of the fun previews. Well, the popcorn is nice too.

THE LOVE BOAT TV show... and other favorites
I used to like this a lot. Now I still do, but it's pretty hokey sometimes, but also sometimes funny and surprising still. It's fun to see all the stars I used to like on there too. There are quite a few! Other guilty pleasures lately are The Bachelor (with "Prince Farming") and also Downton Abbey. Other shows I like (but don't see a lot...) are Call the Midwife and The Good Wife (haven't seen that for awhile). Schitt's Creek (starting Wed. Feb. 11th) might be funny. I might see it and find out.

Older shows I wish I could see again (and will be looking for) are Mannix, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rockford Files, The X-Files, and Magnum, P.I. I would not mind watching Buffy (have seen some of these...) and I would not mind watching the series "Firefly" either, but I know it didn't last long, so of course I will be sad about that. But I hear it was great. They probably play on SOME channels, but since I have "Basic" I don't see them anywhere. This must change eventually.

HAPPY NATIONAL HAT DAY
It was today. I hope some of you wore your favorite hat today. I still like them. I think they are back in fashion, along with gloves, which were recently worn (long white ones) by Amal Clooney. Although Kathy Griffin of the Fashion Police show didn't like them, I did!

THE NONTRAD WEBSITE
Well, I did redo a lot of the pages, but they will need even more work this year. But I'm glad most of the pages at least MATCH each other now. Whew. Next: my Betsyanne pages. It will take awhile... but that's OK with me.

All for today.

Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!

Redoing websites, redoing blogs. Mini-Newsletter #1, Jan. 7 2015.

THE MOON AND THE WILLOW TREE NEWS #1.

Autoquote of the Day:
more Nature Quotes














The Nontraditional Student Website
Work has begun on this website. It is a website for students going back to school after a break. Every page must be checked and redone. It should take another two weeks or so. My question is, why don't webmasters put a "directions" page on pages they decide to get rid of? If you have linked to an interesting page it is a hassle to redo your link. Just saying. It does not have to be an actual redirect page. A page "this page has moved to here..." is just fine. Or redo the page. Just KEEP the LINK. OK? Hope everyone is listening. (har har)

Sink Fun
The front sink was not plumbed correctly when it was first put in, I just heard over the phone. The plumber checked it out and got both cold and wet doing that. Getting this sink fixed/unclogged once a year has been the norm. Plus, it smells funny. Now a new plumber suggests a more direct course (not a sideways direction to a bathroom first before emptying out) and a new direction (down instead of sideways) and a bigger pipe (for less chance of clogs)  for a bit more cost than just a snake fix, which is not working anyhow anymore now so is not really a choice at all. I must now get ready for a dishpan dishwashing process until Friday. It might be an earlier fix, but he doesn't want to promise.

Snow!
There is a dusting today. This is a nice sight. And it was snowing earlier on my way here. But it's not too slippery. It is very cold though, and will get colder. I will be glad to get back home, seriously. It's our first real winter weather here. I wore my double-length purple and grey ruffled scarf, which almost looks like an infinity scarf when I knot it in front. Plus put emergency mittens in my pocket.

Big News Stories of the Day
This has to be the murder of cartoonists in France. They killed them because they didn't like what they said or drew. Crazytown stuff. I hope they catch these murderers. It's really so tragic.
On a sort of related subject, NPR had a story about Guantanemo today. I do hope it closes soon. Now there is the question of millions of dollars being spent on it. I wish these prisoners had had real trials and had not been tortured. Anyway, that was the news this morning, such as it is. Bad stuff.

Changing the subject - good Outdoor Journey Project news
The Outdoor Journey Project Facebook page had a GSUSA Staff member join yesterday. It is Jennifer Alleback, the Chief Girl Experience Officer at GSUSA. I hope to get some great ideas from her about how to get an Outdoor Journey added to the current Journey program in Girl Scouting, plus many more badges. Or some good conversation anyhow. The girls need to get back outdoors, go camping, use the camps, and learn valuable life skills, leadership, and teamwork too. Jennifer is not the only staff member in the group. Also, we have Boy Scout leaders, Girl Scout leaders, and other Scouters helping us with this project.

More Postings
I am keeping up better with my blogs and sites. But they each need to be almost totally redone and checked. It is long past due for this. Next to fix: the Betsyanne website. I have many links to check on it too. All the Teaching pages need to be redone, as well as my Free clipart book.

Quote of the day: Via the Brainyquote site: (which has been redesigned too):

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.

<The> Dalai Lama

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

Join me on Twitter.

Changing passwords, moving blogs around, experimenting.

Today I experiment with my blogs.

I will see if I can point some other ones right here. It's my most popular blog, so that makes sense to do that. Maybe posting more would be good. Right now, my attention is on too many areas at once.

If it does not work I will try to move them back.

It will be easier to post more often on just a few blogs, instead of too many.

And change passwords.

Another hacker group has hacked in to all kinds of sites and published their "findings" today.

Ack.

Here are a couple of links about that in case you want to check it out too:

Anonymous (?) publishes links and credit card numbers too

Hacker News reports a data breach

Onward and Upward!

-Betsyanne

Nov. Update: Discoveries, the Wampanoag Native American Tribe, its history, good deeds, and language project

Update - Update for November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone who celebrates it had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday.

Today I will touch on a couple of discoveries I have made this week.

My Discoveries:
I "discovered" that many of my blogs needed updating. So I updated some of them. CHECK. This is one. DOUBLE CHECK.

Here are some more I updated lately: The Nontraditional Student blog, my Girl Scout Betsy blog for the GS of Kentuckiana's Area 17 and Beyond, PLUS the unofficial Calendar page, The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and My Online Writing Journey page (Squidoo to Hubpages).

My new trick is to write a blog posting, and not make it TOO long (except when I have to, or it is interesting to me...) And this one IS interesting, and I think you will like what I found out too.

Another Discovery: The Wampanoag Tribe Official Website and Language Classes Info.
I had some time to go online and read about Thanksgiving and also about the original Native American tribe that shared expertise and food with the Pilgrims when they arrived in the new world, The Wampanoag people.

Yes, we all know what happened a couple of generations after this... wars, and lots more, injustice, massacres, lies, and injustice. Just think how great it would have been without the wars, disease, and death that came along with all of this that happened later on.

It is important to remember that the Wampanoag Native Americans in the area could have just massacred the first newcomers, but they didn't. And they saved the remaining Plymouth residents from dying of starvation the second winter.

I found out that some people think that the Wampanoag Native Americans are gone. But they are not, they are very much alive today. Did you know that there is a Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe official page? AND that they are working right now to reclaim their language, which is called Wôpanâôt8âôk? I thought that was great.

Did you know that Wampanoag means People of the First Light/People of the Dawn? I certainly didn't know this.

Find out more:
http://www.mashpeewampanoagtribe.com/human_services

What the Tribe is saying about language classes (from their official website): "While students of all ages are welcome in community language classes, WLRP’s Language Committee and Board of Directors have prioritized founding a K-3 Wôpanâôt8ây Pâhshaneekamuq (Wampanoag Language Immersion Charter School), based on widespread community demand for children’s language classes. 

Weekly classes and language immersion camps will continue as well; however, in order to train a new generation of proficient speakers fully bilingual in both Wôpanâôt8ây and English, a publicly-funded regional charter school will teach all K-3 subjects in Wôpanâôt8ây beginning in August 2015, and aim to add additional grade levels annually. 

It is our deep belief that it is through our children and their language acquisition that the long term sustainability of our language can be ensured.

So there is some good news happening today, and I'm glad to hear of it.

This page is also about this Language Reclamation Project. People can donate there.
http://www.wlrp.org/

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

Talking Politics.... what I expected... and what happened. The view from an Independent turned Democrat.

Well, things went pretty much as I expected in the election of Nov. 4, 2014.

Republicans won many races, and I expect more gridlock in Congress and nationally in the next few years. I don't like it. I feel (as many do) that not much is being done nationally, and we are getting way to mired in the "us vs. them" to get much done now either.

Republicans say it's the Democrats who are holding up progress. And Democrats are saying the same thing. And the Supreme Court is handing down some very puzzling decisions - - that don't reflect what I think is fair.

Why is this happening? I don't think the will of the people is being done. People are not voting. Others are being told things that simply aren't true. The balance of power has gone to people with money and to corporations. People are believing what they are hearing on TV, supposed "news" which is often slanted.

But you never know. Things could still turn around later on.

It is good to get semi-back to normal now after these elections and not have to hear more of the popular rhetoric, tall tales, and awful commercials. I fear we will go back to gridlock after this. Some say that is the plan of many Republicans.

It doesn't have to be this way. The way I see it, there is WAY too much money in the elections, being used to spread much disinformation and fear in the electorate. We also don't have as many people voting as we need. And we need MORE, not less, choices. But who can run who is not a millionaire to start out with?

Solutions? I don't see them coming soon, but there are a few rays of hope.

For instance, if you are on Facebook, you may have noticed some groups there  trying to change the status quo.

Here are a couple of those in case you want to join the movement to get money OUT of our elections, whatever party you are in:

People for the American Way

The Other 98%

The Daily Kos (many causes...)

Move On

Occupy Democrats

Being Liberal

Join the Coffee Party Movement

I will list more here later on or in another posting.

What do YOU think needs to be done in the US today to get rid of this inaction and stalemate currently going on? Leave a comment.

Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!