Observations in October - #31Things - Watch

Watch - I have a love/hate relationship with TV.  I try not to watch too much nowadays because there are SO many other things I'd rather do.  But, there are a few shows that I really like and I could just spend the whole day watching them, one show after another.  Most of them are on Netflix, so I CAN spend the whole day watching them back to back.  I did that a couple of times when my husband was taking extended trips to take care of his mother in Oregon.  He was gone for weeks at a time so there was no question about who would control the remote.  Plus, I could watch it on my laptop and therefore work in my craft room at the same time.  That was heaven...(Hey hon, are you sure your mom is okay?  Maybe it's time for you to go visit her again???) Just kidding (not really) - am I??

I watched:  Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.  I love that show.  You know I am a big Sherlock fan anyway but this series was done so well.  Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch is not that hard to look at if you know what I mean.  Hope they make more!

I watched:  Grace and Frankie.  What a great show.  Love the interaction between the two women and it was hard at first for me to think of either Martin Sheen or Sam Waterston as gay.  I have a few episodes to catch up on with this one.

I watched:  The Crown.  Love the history of the Queen.  I have a lot left to go on this one.  I hate getting behind but...you know, life.


I watched:  Downton Abbey.  I have loved those English series types ever since I was young.  I was able to finish this whole series in a couple of days over a weekend.  The house didn't get cleaned but it was just me so no big deal.  It reminded me of the Upstairs Downstairs series when I was a teen.  This is the one I started with and that's when I understood what binge watching was and why it is so dangerous. 


As far as regular TV goes, Giants baseball tops anything else.  When they are on I'm there.  Sad to say they didn't do as well this year as we had hoped but I never stopped watching.  I'm watching the playoffs now but only to root against the Yankees and the Dodgers.  (Sorry if you are those fans).  The Yankees are out of it now and so I say GO MILWAUKEE!  I also say Joe Buck sucks, but so do a lot of other people.












I like to watch Cash Cab with Ben Bailey.  I think it is good to stretch your mind with these trivia questions.  I like to see the reaction of the people when they get in the cab too.  We've seen Ben Bailey in person a couple of times when he came to Cobbs Comedy Club in San Francisco. 


















If I'm really lazy and bored I'll watch Big Bang Theory reruns and sometimes Family Guy on late night but most of the time I'd rather go to bed and read.  How about you?  What's your "watch" list?  Any other Netflix shows I should put on my queue?

31 Things is an old series from Ali Edwards but it is still available on her site if you think you might want to do something like it.  She also has a 31 More Things which I'm going to give a try in another couple of months.  Ali is really good with helping you to explore your life from all angles.  She did a class I took last year called One Little Word, where you explore your word of the year (if you choose one) in all different ways in order to keep it fresh for you. 

Making Memories in May - 2018

So I finished the A to Z Challenge last month (yesterday), blogging my way through the alphabet as seen in Michaels Arts and Crafts store.  It was pretty smooth sailing this time compared to last year but I'll talk about that next week in the recap post.  For now I'm sure you're A to Z'd out.

In the meantime, one of the other big projects I completed was the Sketchbook Project.  I wrote about it in January but I didn't really get started on it until March when I finally decided to use the theme "People I Wish I Knew."  It took me a while to narrow down the people I wish I could meet and once I did, I set about trying to figure out how to fill up the book.  I decided to include a quote from each person because I they each inspire me in some way.  Fortunately, they delayed the deadline for submission of the books to April 30 so I knew I still had time. 

Then I looked at the book.  OMG it's blank (duh).  I don't know about you but sometimes blank pages are intimidating to me.  I knew the book was going to go into a library and could actually be seen by someone and that was kind of scary.  I decided to look at some of the books that are already in the Sketchbook Project Library.   There were all kinds of different ones on digital display, some very detailed and some really plain.  I decided that I could manage it so I got started.

Here is what I came up with:

The Cover

Introduction page - I used a little washi tape there!

Ms. Stevie Nicks - I've written before about how she is my muse so of course I had to include her.  I found her quote about the fear bringing out the magic in her performances intriguing.

Sherlock Holmes - Yes, I know, a fictional character.  Still, I love his quote about being a conductor of light.

Dame Agatha Christie - "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."  How true is that!  There is a row of washi tape along the bottom of these pages.  See I do use it!

Alfred Hitchcock - I was really happy with the way this page came out.  The top row of birds was actually a mistake!  I stamped the back instead of the front but then I stamped over it correctly and I think it gives a mysterious feel to the image.  

Roberto Clemente - Such an inspiration in a lot of ways.  Lost his life going to help the people in Nicaragua.  Wish we had been able to get his autograph!  

Abraham Lincoln - "The only way to predict the future is to create it!"  I like that.  Fits so well with my word this year.

Lady Diana - She proposes random acts of kindness.  I try to do that when I can.

JFK and Jackie Kennedy - "Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."  "You have to be doing something you enjoy.  That is a definition of happiness."  Plus...Camelot...

Steve Jobs - "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  I am an Apple lover and always have been.  

Stephen King - "Life isn't a support system for art, it's the other way around."  

Ellen Degeneres - "...Find your true self and live that truth..."

Tom Hanks - "...Approach people with an open mind..."  Wish that it was always possible to do that.

Tom Petty - "...Music is magic..."  Ain't it the truth!

Jo March - Okay, another fictional character but she was my heroine in Little Women and I love her strong will.

President Barack and Michelle Obama - I just admire the way these two are together.  

Just in case you couldn't read it from the other picture. 

The ending 

The back - I had to keep the bar code intact but wanted to make sure to add my trademark, the smile.

So cool to think this will be in the Brooklyn Art Library.  They don't judge them so as long as I got it there on time, it will be included unless it was made with something they don't accept, but I'm pretty sure all my supplies were legal.  Also, since I got it in by the deadline, it will be placed in the "traveling library" that makes several stops around the country.  

I know not everyone will agree with my choices and I there are definitely more people than these that I wish I knew.  I wish I had known my grandparents.  Only my mom's mom was alive when I was born.  Am I 100% happy with the way this came out, no.  I can think of a couple of things I may have done differently but all in all I'm satisfied.  It will be very exciting to see if anyone looks at this book.  I'll get an email if someone does.  

What do you think?  Agree with any of my choices?  Who would you like to meet?  I have already ordered the book for the next group.  I think it will be easier for me to start it since I've already done one.  If you would like to give it a try it's not too late!  Click on the link above and order yours.  I'd love to see what you do.