Hi,
Tomorrow is the birth day of hall of fame basketballer Phog Allen (185), poet Marianne Moore (1887), artist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887) and Nazi field marshal Erwin Rommel (1891). Tomorrow is America Recycles Day, Brazil’s Republic Day, Belgium’s Dynasty Day (celebrating their monarchy) and the Nazi Gypsy Condemnation order, ordering gypsies to concentration camps where about a half a million perished.
The holidays are rapidly approaching. Yes, I will be decorating this week so I’m ready for Light Up Night on Friday.
Here’s some suggestions for you crafters to learn from the pros. The Fairmont Hotel will have a ginger bread house class for adults from 6 until 8 on December 10 (cost $75) and a children’s class on December 13 from 10 am until noon (cost $59 for one adult and child and $15 for each additional child). More details on their website.
The Frick will be having their second annual cookie decorating class on December 6 from 10 until noon (cost $30) and the same day from 1 until 4 they will have a holiday greens workshop (cost $70). More info on their website.
The Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip will be holding a series of classes including ceramic steins November 21 from 10 am until 5 pm (Cost $120), wood turned bottle stoppers on November 29 also from 10 am until 5 pm (cost $100, holiday cards on December 9 6 to 9 pm (cost $45), plates and platters on December 12 from 10 am until 4 pm (cost $200) and slippers and mittens December 19 from 10 am until 5 pm (cost $105). More info on their website.
The Pittsburgh Glass Center is offering on December 5 from 10 am to 4 pm a class on glass blown or infused ornaments that range from $25 to $35 and on November 21 Make it a Hot Date for $70 per couple and a Girls Night Out on December 11 for $45 for this cocktails event (probably a cash bar). More info at their website.
Lets talk credit cards for a minute, some offer benefits many people don’t know about. Some offer price matching, if you buy and item and find it on sale a few days or weeks later they arrange with the store to give you the difference, you need the original receipt and a copy of the sale with the date on it. Theft and damage protection, frequently for things damaged by fire, smoke and water (usually not theft from your car). Again you need the original receipt. Car rental insurance, generally you need to put the entire car rental on the one card (also you normal car insurance also covers rentals, so check first and don’t pay the rental company for insurance). Frequently you credit card will offer an extended warranty for large items after the manufacturer’s warranty runs out for a year or two. They can offer assistance on returning unused items after the store’s normal return policy, you have to pay shipping. Read the entire article for details.
Big banks are pushing their “Rewards Card” they are sometimes referred to as Affinity Cards. First of all, the credit card companies do not provide the bonuses, merchants pay for them through higher processing fees. Some of these cards charge a yearly fee for the card in the neighborhood of $70. Also, the credit card companies frequently charge a higher percentage on balances, if you have one of these cards watch this closely. We’ve all heard about the large amounts of points needed for free travel and so many black out dates. Many cards cancel you points if you don’t use them within the specified time period.
Good news for chickens, the $10B industry of 270 million hens is listening the people fed up with hens being confined to a pen the size of an 8 x 11 sheet of paper. Because some of the big chains like Costco, McDonalds are trying to clean up their images, they are insisting on this. The new “free range” concept isn’t exactly what you would imagine free range means. As they need to replace hen raising facilities, the new concept is open barns, where the hens have free range within the barn. But there is a down side to this form of free range, some hens are getting killed flying into beams and other obstructions and some hens are actually cannibalizing other hens. Some organic growers are actually letting the birds out in the air to forage.
Well the window project is finally well underway. Both window seats in Chenille and Oleander were completed this past week (and the two big windows in Chenille looking our into the Courtyard. Here’s Chenille’s window seat completed (the stained glass is out being rebuilt):
Here’s two before pictures of Oleander’s window seat windows, the four solid west facing (non opening) window and both double hung windows on either side have been replaced:
Here’s the new windows in Oleander, the stained glass just came back from being repaired. Also, the leaded glass panel on the right was falling out of the frame when I bought The Parador and I’ve had it in storage in the basement and just got it repaired and both doors are installed:
The Sausage we are affectionately calling Rayzette because of her size. These days I really have to look hard to distinguish the two of them when they are both out in the Courtyard. Here’s the latest:
Funny RJ story, he still doesn’t allow squirrels in his yard. The other day I was walking over to the Office and he was accompanying me. One of the squirrels was on the shed roof with a peanut. When the squirrel saw RJ, he tried running away. But he couldn’t get traction and ended up falling right in the front of RJ, luckily for the squirrel, RJ’s a good boy and comes when called. Not before I saw in the squirrels eyes, Oh, I shouldn’t tease him by chittering at him from the tree. The Sausage learned a new trick, she can open latched doors. Any new construction I always use those handicapped bar door latches. The other morning, I was awoken to the sound of metal. When I got up, I saw her by the door. When I went over to let her out, the door was already ajar. She’s been found several times in the Mansion, because of this, Dee has been sure the pantry door is latched and I was working with the contractors and came down the the public space on the first floor and who was out in the Mansion? Sausage herself and Dee swears she made sure the door was latched.
The window project continues Monday, Mike assures me he will finish by week’s end. That’s the four dining room windows, five Parlor and the front five between African Tulip and Bird of Paradise as well as the two living room windows in Allamanda. That means all the large windows and all the kitchen windows will be replaced. Bringing the total of replaced windows close to 100!
Well keep warm and enjoy this warmer than usual week,
ed
