Fiddlin' February - 2018

Just finished the book Act of Love by Paige Mitchell. 

It was a book I had had on my shelf for 42 years!!! For the life of me I do not remember reading it before.  I know that I belonged to a book of the month club when I was younger and this was probably one of the books I got then but forgot about?  No wonder my husband complained every time that we moved that I had too many books!  Now that I've read it, it's going to be donated to make space for more books...happy honey?

The story is true and is really thought provoking.  George Zygmanik was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.  He begged his brother, Lester, to kill him.  He didn't want to live that way.  George had a wife and a son.  He reportedly told his wife not to interfere.  The book tells the background of this family and the brother's close relationship.  Their father had recently died as well.  

Euthanasia, mercy killing, goes back to Ancient Greece and Rome but is not legal in most countries.  The attorney for Lester Zygmanik needed to try and find a way to make the jury believe that there was no other course of action for him to take.  I won't give away the ending.

I am wondering if I would have the courage to do something like that.  My Catholic upbringing would definitely come into play here as well as the illegality of the act.  Hopefully I will never have to make that decision.  

Tastefully written and not too legalese, it was an easy book to read, even if the story was hard to hear. 

 My next book is going to be something a lot lighter:

As I was entering it on my Goodreads list I read some of the reviews.  Not very many stars were given but it seems like some people were looking for specific techniques on how to think like Sherlock.  In the book there are quotes from the Sherlock stories and quizzes to take.  After reading "Act of Love" I'm not looking for anything heavy, just a lighthearted bridge to the next book.   

Just Jot January - 2018

Today's #JusJoJan is the word "Prediction" as suggested by Dar at Darswords. 

I have been known to use my Sherlock Holmes Tarot cards to peek into the future, but since I am the one reading the message, it is easy for me to make things fit into my world/expectations and make some predictions.   

One time I did have someone else read my cards as I was pregnant with our last child and at age 42 I was apprehensive about it.  There was a woman where I worked who offered to read my cards for me.  She said that the pregnancy was going to be fine (which it was) and asked me if I knew anyone named Aaron.  At the time I did not but many years later a family moved into the house next door and the husband's name was Aron.  She didn't actually predict that that would happen, but you have to admit that Aron is not as common a name as Mike or Joe, right?

Today, though, I am going to talk about a different kind of card and make my own prediction.  In this blogging world I've participated in several different "challenges" like the A to Z (coming soon!) and December Reflections and this #JusJoJan.  I have found many different blogs to read and have "met" some very interesting people from all over the place.  One of them was doing a 365 challenge of his own, James J. Cudney IV at This is My Truth Now and that of course caught my attention since I was doing my 365 picture project.  Jay and I started commenting on each other's posts and we really have a lot of things in common, although I am old enough to be his mother. 

Anyway, I try not to be too "markety" when it comes to talking about my Etsy shop and the cards and things I make but I do have the link on my site and do mention when I put up a new batch of cards or something that I am particularly proud of:

Recently Jay took advantage of one of those "nudges" and found some cards that he liked and purchased them.  Fortunately for me he liked them enough to make me/my shop the subject of one of his 365 posts!  Even though he recently experienced the loss of his dog, Ryder, he still took the time to communicate with me and get this blog out there.  You can read his kind words here.

My prediction from this card reading?  At least for today, I'm going to get a bit more traffic on my site, both here and Etsy.  That's kind of an easy prediction because he has a whole lot more followers than I do and even if only a handful of his followers take a look, it will be more than I usually get in a day :)  Thanks again, Jay.  I'm happy we connected. 

Side note:  Jay is an author and has written and published his first book, Watching Glass Shatter, which I read as part of my reading challenge last year.  It is a terrific story of a fractured family and I am looking forward to his next book and the short stories he is writing about the characters in WGS.  You should check that out too!

How about you?  Believe in Tarot?  Make any predictions?  Like to send cards?  Leave me a comment or "like" this post so I can see if my prediction comes true :) 

December Reflections - 2017 - Best Book of 2017

I've done pretty well with my reading challenge this year.  I follow the categories in Pop Sugar's Reading Challenge (here is next year's list). I am just starting book 21 right now.  I'm hoping to be able to finish it by the end of the year.  Since I usually only read at night before bed, sometimes it takes me a while.

I have to say that my favorite book so far this year has been We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter.

This was one of the "mystery books" that Bill brought home from one of his trips to Oregon.  They come wrapped in paper bags with just a snippet of description of the book and are actually drafts which haven't been published yet.  It was a very interesting true story about a family of survivors of the Holocaust.  It was well written and very easy to follow, even though the family was separated for most of the time.  It was nominated for a Goodreads book award this year. 


Here are some of the other ones I have crossed off my list:

Another of the "mystery books."  This one was about two sisters and a secret they unknowingly share.  I used it for my "book with a red spine" category.

This was interesting about the experiences of Frankie Presto, a musician.  I have read other Mitch Albom books and they are good.  I used this one for my "story within a story" category.

Had to read this book about Sherlock Holmes.  It filled my "book with pictures" category.

This one was interestingly told from the baseball umpire's point of view.  It filled the "book with a subtitle" category.  Now I know why they do some of the things they do.
 

I bought this book to use in making a junk journal but had to read it first.  I remember Al Jolson from "The Jazz Singer" but had never read about his life.  Another interesting read.  It filled the "book with a title that's a character's name" category.

This book was a tough one but I am stubborn.  It was letters and notes written by some famous people in history, going back to the beginning of America.  The first few centuries were hard going because of the style of language they used back then and the periods in history.  The last few centuries were easier going because it was something I was more familiar with.  "Book of letters" was the category I used.

Of all the courses I've taken by Susannah Conway, including this December Reflection, I figured it was about time to read her book.  I am certainly glad I did.  It takes us through her process after she lost a significant other unexpectedly.  She is a wonder.  It was a "book that's been on my to be read list for a long time."

I was a bit disappointed in this Mitch Albom book.  I thought from the cover that I would learn "life's greatest lesson" but I'm not quite sure that was true.  "Book with a month or day of the week in the title" was its category.

Andy Andrews never fails to enlighten and inspire.  Since it involves time travel, I used it for my "book involving travel" category.  Stretching it a bit maybe but I think that's okay.  If you've never read or heard Andy Andrews, you should definitely check him out.

When I saw on the Goodreads site that this book could be used as a "book with an unreliable narrator," I had to read it.  I read it so long ago that I forgot most of the story, which made it even more enjoyable.  Love my Dame Agatha.

This was another one that I was just a bit disappointed in, although there were a few of the authors that had some interesting dreams.  Some I felt just liked to talk.  It was my "book with multiple authors" entry.

I am not sure I got any real "career advice" from this book but that's the category I used it for. 

And there you have it.  I can't say anything yet about the current book:

because I haven't really started it yet although I did preview the first couple of chapters through James' website.  He is a blogger friend I have discovered through the A to Z Challenge and is a most interesting gentleman.  He is also doing a 365 challenge for himself and that is another one of the things we have in common.  I'll let you know how it is when I'm done.

Okay, how about you?  How many books did you read this year?  Take any challenges?  Any suggestions for my reading for 2018?  Love to hear about them!  

July in Janetville - Channeling Sherlock Holmes

As you may be aware if you've read any of my recent posts (please tell me you read my posts), I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes and all things detective.  I just had to have the newest Graphic 45 paper called Master Detective:

I plan on using it for the pages I do from our Big City Hunt in May.  Perfect, don't you think?

I've also been looking for a way to make some extra money because business is slow lately and I came across a description for the smartphone app Mobee, "Make Money Mystery Shopping."  Years ago (like 35 years!) I was a mystery shopper at Mervyn's Department store.  It was a lot of fun.  I was given some money up front and I had to go in the store and buy certain things in certain departments at different times of the day.  I had to return some things too and then I had to write a report about it.  I remember that when it was over, I bought a trenchcoat with the money I made!

With Mobee, you are given a mission inside a store and you use your cell phone to take pictures and answer questions.  You are instructed not to take photos of any employees and NOT to mention Mobee!  (Mission Impossible??  "As always, should you or any of your I.M. Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape/disc will self-destruct in five/ten seconds. Good luck")!

Sounded like fun to me (and I'm pretty sure they can't self-destruct my phone) so I downloaded the app.  There were a couple of "missions" at Target and Best Buy close to my house so I decided to take a stab at it and see how hard/easy it was going to be.

Not exactly a deerstalker but close enough :)

The first one I tried was at a Target Store.  I opened the mission and was instructed to find the "GoPro" display in the store.  Once there, I was asked a series of questions about the display, what was on the display, if there was a light on inside the display and then I had to take some pictures of the display.  All of this is done right in the app so it gets sent in automatically.  One of the questions was about a BLUE tag somewhere on the display.  I did not see a BLUE tag but there was a YELLOW one there so I took a picture of that, thinking perhaps Target put the wrong color tag on it.  Maybe I'd get extra points for finding a mistake!  There were about 30 questions in total and I had to take about 5 or 6 pictures, all the while watching to make sure there wasn't anybody "following" me or getting in the way of my picture taking (which was tricky since Target can get crowded and it was next to the toy aisle!)  While in that department I found a small tripod that I had been looking for to use on my table so that I can start attempting some videos.  (Maybe that's the deal the stores have with Mobee, to get you to buy stuff - because I'm pretty sure I spent more than the 150 points I was getting for doing the mission - LOL).  I answered all the questions, took the pictures and submitted the results.  It wasn't too bad and I kind of had fun sleuthing.

Feeling confident, I went to the app and saw that there was a similar mission at the Best Buy down the road so I decided to give it another go.

Again I was to find the GoPro display and take pictures and answer questions about how the display was set up.  This time there was a BLUE tag on the display and so I took a picture of that.  The whole thing went a lot faster this time since I knew what the questions were going to be and there were a lot fewer people around so I was able to complete the whole thing in under 10 minutes - and I didn't buy anything - so there!

When I got back to the car I already had an email about the first mission I had done, saying there was a problem.  Apparently it was rejected because I did not take a picture of the BLUE tag, but took a YELLOW one instead.  I sent them an email back explaining that there was no blue tag and I thought Target had made a substitution.  Since it was the weekend, they said they would take it into consideration and get back to me.  Subsequently, I got notified that they were still refusing it, so lesson learned.  Don't submit anything that is not called for!

  Of course there are not always missions around your area, but I have noticed there are generally a new batch every Sunday.  I just wish they would give you a little more information about the job before you start it.  There was one called a "Just Let It Bee" mission at a Home Depot.   The app doesn't tell you anything until you are at the location so I went there to see what it was about.  In this case I was to find a store employee and ask him about some kind of air conditioning unit or something.  I was to say I was doing some home remodeling and was interested in a particular brand and hear what they had to say about it.  I decided not to try that one because I'm a bit introverted and asking questions about air conditioning units is not in my comfort zone.  Perhaps if it had been about scrapbooking, I might have tried it!  Also, there were no extra points for talking to employees and that seemed like a harder job than just taking pictures and answering questions about store displays.  Fortunately the Home Depot was not too far away so I didn't waste too much time on it.

As of right now I have 475 points with 175 points pending for the job I did today.  You get extra points for going to places for the first time and for other achievements, like 750 points for completing 15 missions at Best Buy or 20 missions at Target.  You redeem your points for gift cards or, if you are so inclined, you can use the points to donate to different charities.

While I'm pretty sure I won't make a million dollars doing this, it is fun and gift cards to Barnes & Nobel or Amazon, etc. are nice rewards.  I also noticed there are a couple of other similar phone apps so I'm going to do some more investigating and check them out.  I'll let you know if I come across anything interesting.

How about you?  Ever been a mystery shopper?  Like detective work?  Need to make some extra cash?  If you decide you want to try Mobee yourself, use the referral code HSPW and we'll both get some extra points!

In Tune With June - 2017 - Elementary My Dear Watson

Earlier this year I wrote about getting the Sherlock Holmes Tarot cards.

I will admit that I am by no means an expert in the Tarot, but I am intrigued by it and so I have done a "reading" or two using the deck and the results (or the way I have interpreted them) have been pretty interesting.  I even did one for my daughter that turned out to be a bit prophetic. 

For the last month I've pulled a card at the beginning of the week to use as a "guide" for the week, keeping in mind my vision cards and the things I want to accomplish over this year.  I've had some questions in my mind about getting more into the crafting world and adding more things to my Etsy site, as well as stepping up the weight loss.

The first week I pulled The Ace of Observation.

The book notes on this card say:  "You possess clarity and power and from this new ideas arise.  Truth and ethics keeps you focused...."  The "keys" keys of this card are Strength and Power.  Given that we had just returned from our trip to Reno where we did the Big City Hunt and that I had an idea to make mini-scrapbook albums based on those adventures, this seemed very fitting.  I even thought about trying to collaborate with the Big City Hunt people to offer my scrapbooking services to other people who went on the hunts.  Strength and power speak to the weight loss efforts and being more focused on what I'm eating since we came back from vacation.

The next week I pulled the Peeler card from the Suit of Deduction.  This card talks about seeing things through to the end, taking pride, being patient and determined, trustworthy and methodical.  Okay, that fits with where I am wanting to go.  So far I am being methodical and finishing up some other projects and making lists of things that still need to be done.  I'm a great list maker!  I have lost a few of the pounds I gained on our trip and I am being patient and not expecting results overnight. 

Last week I pulled the Hansom Cab.  It's legend says "Purpose and determination to move ahead in the case.  Mastery of skill or ability brings a successful outcome.  Self-confidence and self-discipline.  Navigate with a clear sense of direction.  Determination and courage.  Leap forward with your hands on the reins.  Success and fame are the rewards.  Victory.  Well, I'm not so sure about the fame part but success would be nice.  Self-confidence and self-discipline are things that I am pretty familiar with so again I'm thinking I'm on the right track.   I'm doing some research and taking some online classes to learn new techniques. 

This week I pulled the Five of Observation.  This was a strange card and talked about theft of identity, slander or loss, thwarted plans, abuse or assault.  A sense of defeat.  Cowardice.  At first I was a little apprehensive.  I checked all our bank accounts and told myself to be really careful when I was using a credit card.  I tried to make sense of this in relation to my goals.  Identity theft is all we need right now!














I've started to take daily walks around the neighborhood to help with getting in some exercise and I find it a great way to do some thinking.  On my walk it hit me...the card was talking about ME, not an outside force!  Words like fraud and phony started swirling around in my brain.  Cowardice!  A sense of defeat!  The card was telling me that I need to stop my "list making" and "learning new things" and actually DO some of the things on the list!  Stop talking about the plans and actually start with some action!  Stop being a coward and take the plunge!  Thinking back to last week's card about taking the reins in my hands and leaping forward made me realize that I've been procrastinating on some things.  What am I afraid of?    

So, action steps this week were to add a few blocks to the walk I have been doing.  I walk a bit faster during some of it so it only takes me a little while longer.  I started making some more cards to add to the Etsy site and I am working on a travel mini-album.  That immediately made me feel more in control of the situation.

I'm still going to keep my eye on our bank account and be careful when using credit cards, etc., but I really believe that the card was telling me to stop talking and take action.  How about you?  Ever use a tarot deck?  What do you think of my interpretations?  

Janet in January - 2017

Catching up with the next series of pictures in case you missed them on Instagram:

#28:

The latest book I am reading for the 2017 reading challenge.  I got this when I got the Tarot cards.  

#29:  

Prepping my calendar as a food journal.  It helps me stay in control if I write it all down.  So far it's working.  

#30:

The moon and Venus as seen from my front porch tonight.  Bill called me out specifically so that I could see it and take a picture because he knows how much I like that stuff.  So happy to have him looking out for me!  Couldn't get a closer picture and keep both things in the picture, but I did manage to get a separate one of just the moon that was kind of cool:

So there we are all caught up.  One more day and January will be done already!  Are you ready for February? 

Janet in January - 2017 Reading Challenge Edition

January 28 -  Finished the book The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom.  It was great.  Makes me want to read more of his work for sure.  I've never read Tuesdays With Morrie so that might have to go on my to read list.  I had planned on using it as my title with a character's name category but after reading it, I think it fits more with a story within a story better.

On to book 4!

Earlier I posted about my love for Sherlock Holmes and my new Tarot Deck inspired by his stories.  At the same time I got that deck, I happened across this book so of course I had to have that too.  It is chuck full of interesting facts and the biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as The Great One. 

There are case notes from a few of his cases and it talks about the different characters who have played Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson, including one of the newest, Benedict Cumberbatch.

It gives a glimpse inside 221B Baker Street and the other areas frequented by Sherlock and Dr. Watson.  I would love to have a room like this in my house! 

This is the description on the back cover.  

This one's gonna cover my book with pictures category.   

I also took the time today to go through the challenge list and my collection of books and picked out 8 books so I am ready to keep going on this challenge for sure!  How about you?  Reading in a challenge this year?  Reading for fun?  Love to hear about interesting books - and ones I should avoid!  

Janet in January - 2017

January 13 - It is Friday the 13th and yesterday was the full moon so I think it is only fitting that today's picture should be about the Sherlock Holmes Tarot cards I found at Barnes and Noble.

Sherlock Holmes has been one of my all time favorites for as long as I can remember.  I loved watching Jeremy Brett play him on PBS and Robert Downey Jr. in the movies.  I also recently really enjoyed the series "Sherlock" on BBC staring Benedict Cumberbatch.  I binge watched the whole series on Netflix while my husband was out of town.  I enjoyed the way they took the old stories and made them new with computers and blogging.  

I've also been fascinated with Tarot cards and have a small deck that I bought some time ago.  I am by no means an expert in how to use them but when I spotted these Sherlock Holmes cards, I just had to have them.  The cards themselves are a nice size and the scenes and people depicted on them are just perfect to represent the main characters and settings of the stories.  

As the guidebook says, there are quite a few analogies to be made between the stories and actions of the Great Detective and the world of the Tarot.  The deck is divided into The Major Arcana, which include of course Holmes and Watson as well as Professor Moriarty and Inspector Lestrade.  Mrs. Hudson is there as well as the Reichenbach Falls, the Hound of the Baskervilles and the 7% solution.

The Minor Arcana is divided into the Suits of Observation, Evidence, Analysis and Deduction.  Makes perfect sense to me!  

The book goes through each card and gives the meanings as well as interpretations for whether the card is positioned right side up or upside down.

It also gives several different spreads to explore, using anywhere from four cards to 10!  I can tell I'm going to have fun using this deck.  How about you?  Do you consult the Tarot?  Have a favorite deck?  Any tips for this beginner? 

   

Observing October

October 31 - Happy Halloween!

Another month whizzed by!  To close it out, here is the full moon from the 16th.  It was kind of a cloudy night and I love the way the moon was peaking out.

Here's my selfie for the month:

Busy in my craft room working to get some more things made.  I am participating in two Holiday Boutiques next month.  The first one is on the 14th at St. Robert's.  I went to grammar school there and I don't think I've been inside Hennessey Hall since I graduated from 8th grade!

The second one is at All Souls:

I'm really hoping that I can make a few sales this time.  I am trying some new ideas for products geared toward Christmas giving.  

The hubby and I went to Reno for the weekend and stopped at Black Bear Diner on the way up.  First time I had been to one.  Cute bears.  Good food too.

And, last but not least, I finished the Alchemist and am starting a new book, Moriarty.  I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan and this author has been approved by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate as someone who is faithful to the memory of the Great One.  

Tomorrow I am starting a project with a Facebook group I'm in for the month of November where we share 30 cherished memories.   I have a list made but I'm not sure which one I'll start with yet.  Hope you'll come read the stories.  

Suddenly September - 2016

September 9 -

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?"

That's a really tough one for me.  I think I'd like to go to Italy.

We've had several friends who have gone there recently and the pictures I've seen are just stunning.  I love the ancient history of it all and I am Italian.  It would be a romantic place to visit with the gondolas and fountains.

However, I don't speak the language and that kind of bothers me.  I mean, I'm sure they have tour guides and some of the people should be able to speak a little English, right?   I could also try to learn a bit of Italian, although the only thing I know how to say now is "Mangia e Statti zitto" which means "Eat and shut up."  That's what my dad used to say if we started discussing something he didn't want to hear about at the dinner table.  Not exactly words to get me very far in Italy.

On a more comfort zone level, I also wouldn't mind hitting England.

 Lots of history there too with Buckingham Palace and London Bridge.

The language is a little closer to ours.  I'm a big Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie fan so it would be cool to try and find 221B Baker Street or some of the other locations they talk about in the books.

So those are my dream places.  Even though I love the beach, Hawaii (which is way closer and easier to get to) does not really excite me as much.  At any rate, not sure I'm getting to any of these places very soon.  How about you?  What's your dream place?  Be sure to check out the other bloggers following Bailey Jean's Blog-tember challenge.