Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Best wishes and many prayers for you Dilu! :hug:
I'm praying that you have excellent doctors who are current with both technologies and their thought processes...too many do not do us justice when we are going through difficult times. 

Shari,
Find new doctors. Any that would tell you that are not competent.  It's not the "crazy-lady" disease that these doctors think it is and for a doctor to make that statement is anti-patient.  Would they say that for cancer, thyroid disease, or an ulcer.  No.  Please do yourself justice and find someone who doesn't think like a caveman.  Year and Years ago when a doctor found that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria the medical community shunned him and called him nuts...now they all agree with the findings.  Find good doctors who are up to speed with treating Fibromyalgia, it's a managable condition once you are diagnosed properly.
~Chrissi

That's so awesome!! First Place and a super selling cheese box!!

Wow GREAT JOB RACHEL and have FUN with some of the funds on vacation!!  That ROCKS!!

~Chrissi

Hi all!

This fellow was created for the Classic Challenge that's going on right now.  I've always made mini bears, only ever a few larger.  This is my first traditional bear, Truman.  He was created to follow the guides for the challenge and even though I was dying to try some shading I'm glad he's without.  He's 12 inches sitting and has a lovely tilt to his head for posing.  Truman will live with my youngest sister, she picked out his Mohair..... and I like to keep the first or prototypes close by

~Chrissi 

Well on one had kinda sorta....this is what bothers me from recent news.  Organic/Natural is becoming what people want and the regular old food companies want a piece of that action. You'll now see Prego Organic and Kraft Organic and big names going organic, which is awesome right?!  Yes, but they also have big dollars and with those big dollars they're now going after the government to "amend" organic food guidelines, or what constitutes organic.  That bothers me.  I want to buy organic knowing that it's truly organic and not just a production or labeling loophole that the big names were able to squeeze through with the almighty $$.  Again, it's about knowing what you're buying and who you're buying it from. 

Tobacco companies never ever admitted to the health issues until the past decade or so.  They had big money all over the place and still do. Just because it looks good and "they" say it's not going to hurt you, doesn't mean its all truth. It's all about knowing for yourself and taking care of yourself and those you love 

~Chrissi 

Aighhhhh.... Tracy your bug encounters are freakin' me out!!!  I would wear a bee keepers suit upon exiting the house just to be sure the coast was clear for the day!  :crackup:

(oh my gosh it FLIES too??  I think bugs like that should have one freak out option...either fly or have 2 foot long pinchers, they just shouldn't get both! )

~Chrissi

I just added my bear to the challenge.  I'm really so happy that I participated!! I really never make larger bears....he's only my 2nd or 3rd, and my first traditional style.  I was so tempted to play with shading, but I wanted to keep with the guidelines     Hope you like him....I think I'll be making more larger and traditional bears now....they have such sweet old souls 

~Chrissi

I pick up a magazine called Veggie Life now and then.  I'm not a vegetarian, I still eat poultry and fish, but with my other diet restrictions (no wheat or dairy) the recipes in this magazine are great.  I can substitute any wheat item out. Last spring they had a whole section on spring rolls and I use those recipes at least 2 times a month..they're awesome!  I also luv the web site www.allrecipes.com.  Choose recipes that have high ratings, read the comments, and you'll never go wrong.  I've found some great stuff out there, esp for the holidays   (www.foodtv.com is good too, that's the Food Network)

Good Luck!!
~Chrissi

Once you start researching all of this stuff and noticing what you eat and how it truly affects you it's amazing what you find!  I really liked the movie Super Size Me and I've since read both of Spurlock's books...there's one bit of info that made me say "WOW!".  A simple potato...or so we thought.  This simple potato was grown to be bug resistent and was used for years by Fast Food and snack manufacturers, until public concern made them stop.  This potato was literally listed as a pesticide with the EPA or FDA, at this exact moment I forget which is was.  Imagine what happened to this pesticide/toxin when it was fried and we were all eating it for years until the late 1990's!! "Launched in 1995, NewLeaf Potato is equipped with a gene from a microorganism to make a toxin that repels a bug called the Colorado potato beetle. "

Who knew. (??)  This is why I try to eat as much organic and non GMO foods by buying sale items, using coupons, and freezing cheaper seasonal produce for yearly consumption.  I'm probably making myself sound like a total granola over here  :crackup: , but I'm really not.  I just have such concern about the chemical laden junk we're bombarded with.  In my area the organic sections of the "regular" food stores are growing larger and I do really see a trend in people wanting more of it and less blue dye #40 and pesticide flavored foods. The prices are getting better too.
It's all about educating yourself and doing what feels right for your own body and mind

~Chrissi

Hi Edie!

This stuff can be maddening, especially when you're trying to get to the truth for your health. I personally believe the plastic thing and don't use it for microwaving at all and I don't reuse plastic drinking bottles either.  Some people (like my husband!) are just not as sensitive and can eat anything and be exposed to anything and never have a bad day or issue.  Then there are people like me who are sensitive to foods, perfumes, medications, etc.  I always tell people why I do what I do, but it all comes down to educating yourself and what feels right for your health and well being.  I personally wouldn't eat one strawberry in summer unless I knew it was organic (non organic always rank #1 for the highest levels and types of pesticides).  Others might just be fine with it and not think it's a big deal.  It's just about what each person decides is best for their health, but always be educated...the "studies" aren't always looking out for the consumer.
~Chrissi

Below is some info from a site regarding "artworks".  When I worked in a gallery (100 years ago  ) the owner always suggested doing what's listed here below and keeping the info in a fireproof safe.  I'm going to do this with my bears going forward;keeping the invoice, descriptive list, & a photo.

" collector provides as much background paper as possible, particularly invoices from galleries and auction houses. "Object ID" documentation can be provided by specialist insurers for their clients. The description covers the type of object, materials and techniques, measurements, inscriptions and markings, distinguishing features, title, subject, date or period and maker. A photo of each work is advised.

Normal household insurance can include art works, but the amount that can be claimed for these valuables is mostly well below the total value of the objects. Works are not itemized according to individual value. And not all risks related to a collection are covered. An enhancement is a policy that lists specific valuables with an individual worth that is guaranteed in case of claims."

~Chrissi 

Renae,
I never use the stuff either...never.  When it first hit the market my mom wouldn't allow us to use it..which was really really hard because it was in everything from children's vitamins to breakfast cereals.  We didn't even have the internet back then, she did all of her research via the library and mom didn't like the phenylalanine (aspertame) PKU connections...so we were banned from it.  Funny thing is years later they took it out of a lot kids products and told pregnant women to stay away from it. (???)
Once I got a little older I figured a diet soda couldn't hurt me here or there, but I found that every time I had aspartame (nutrisweet) I would get a wicked bad 2 day migraine instantly...like hospital ill. I never ever use the stuff.
After having some health issues I'm on a lifetime specialized diet and it works awesome for me, I've never felt better about what I'm consuming. I eat natural foods and liquids so there's no reason to worry about a few calories that natural sugars present.  I don't used refined white sugar and no high fructose corn syrup (good Lord I could write a BOOK about the health concerns of that stuff!  If you're using diet soda to loose weight cut out all products with high fructose corn syrup instead)  If I need a sweetener I use honey,  brown rice syrup or date sugar/ pure maple syrup in baking.
You never think about what the things you consume can really do to your body until you stop and take note of it. Some will roll their eyes and say it's silly and that's totally cool, but I always think of it like this...cars were made to run on gas...if you put something different in the tank it's not going to run.  We technically weren't built to live on chemicals, dyes, artificial additives and junk. 
Oh and here's one more bit of funny info...."Artificial Flavoirngs" and "Natural flavorings" are both made in a labratory.  Natural flavorings only means it had a different creation process than the artificial flavoring process...it's not a "natural orange" that got squeezed into the gum or popsicle! "They are both made in a laboratory by a trained professional, a "flavorist," who blends appropriate chemicals together in the right proportions. The flavorist uses "natural" chemicals to make natural flavorings and "synthetic" chemicals to make artificial flavorings."  !!"Chemicals"!!

~Chrissi 

I'm in Pennsylvania (just updated my user info to show that..I thought I had that done a while ago )
We've had the weirdest storms lately...flooding, crazy high winds, power outages...its been nuts!
My sis was very lucky!  She's got huge old oaks all around her house and neighborhood..huge trees. Her husband is always paranoid about his car getting hit so he was totally freaked out when he watched an enormous  tree limb  nearly land on the neighbors house. They had a limb (looked the a full sized tree to me) only graze the front porch. It just dented and pulled down a piece of gutter.  If that thing had fallen in 3 feet in it would have been inside their home.  They were all very lucky.

~Chrissi

Wow, you did an awesome job, Tammy!!  And this is one of those things your daughter will look back on so fondly.  You could have just done the Mall bound build a bear like every other party, but you took the time, patience and love to make it more special for your daughter...it will mean so much more to her, esp when she's older     
~Chrissi

Kim,
What a good Boxer in boxers you have!!  Such a sweet face and so tolerant....he's got that "oh no, I just know this is going to wind up on the internet somewhere" look on his face. :crackup:

~Chrissi

This is so cool!!  Instant advertising for hundreds to see..you couldn't ask for more.  Thanks Quy, this site continues to totally impress me!!! 

~Chrissi

The gollies so far are SO cute!!  It's great to see what everyone's individual take is on the challenge 

Glady's I read your post a few back...I'm sure I'm not the first to put green eyes on a golly..that would never bother me..no way..use any color eyes you like my dear!

These are so cute. I can't wait to see more!!

~Chrissi

Edie your last photo is GREAT!! What an amazing view you have...waterfalls, little bridges, mountains and wide open space!!  It's just gorgeous! 

~Chrissi

We were ok with the storm, only lost the phone/tv/internet for those 14 hours....I did get a lot of work done today actually!  My sister had the trees down and my folks lost power for a good part of the night.  We're lucky....there was a lot worse damage in the surrounding counties.  It was a really freaky storm...we were walking the dogs out back and within 2 minutes it got black and windy. The temp was dropping so fast that it made me think of tornado weather. 

Renae you have the best animal stories!!     I still can't imagine how they got that eggplant all the way up that tree! (??)

~Chrissi

On Friday my sister called and said she was going to the shore.  She asked if I wanted an eggplant from her garden, she didn't want it to go to waste. I said sure and she said she'd drop it off on her way.  When she didn't drop it off I figured she just decided to take it with and eat down there. 

Monday morning my sister calls and says I'm glad you took the eggplant. I said no I didn't take it I thought you were going to drop it off...is it gone? (I'm thinking she had picked it and it was on her kitchen counter all weekend).  She said yes the eggplant was gone. I said I hadn't been in her house. Now we are both confused and heading towards a version of Who's on First.

She then explained the eggplant was on the vine when she left for the shore and if I didn't take it...it was just gone.  I asked if her neighbors would have taken it, she said no and that they wouldn't be able to get into the fenced yard from the outside. Weird!  We decided that a rabbit must have eaten it.

Last night we had the worst thunderstorms ever. 60-100mph winds.  Trees are down all over and we just got our phones, cable tv, and Internet back after 14 hours of no service. Many are still without electric which is horrible in the current heat. We have electric, thank God!!

My sister had 2 huge limbs fall to her yard, one landing on her vegetable gardens. She and her husband were able to move part of the limb and save her plants. They'll need professionals to move and cut away the rest. While looking up you can see right where the one limb broke off and a squirrels nest is close by.  The nest didn't fall, it's still against the trunk of the tree.  This is way above the 2 story roof lines.

Just a little while ago my sister goes out to water her veggie plants when an eggplant drops from the sky......the squirrels stole the eggplant!!! Do squirrels eat eggplant??!! Maybe they just tasted it now and figure they didn't really like it after all.   I'd like to know how a squirrel got a full sized eggplant up a tree...I'm picturing 2 or 3 of them running up the side of a tree with an eggplant held up over their heads like in the cartoons!   :crackup:  :crackup:

~Chrissi

Daphne, that's funny....we should post pictures of our own most outrageous "would be" ebay post with a mini write up.   :crackup:
Did the lint look like elvis....jay leno...maybe abe lincoln???
:crackup:

~Chrissi

Dilu your machine's a beauty!!  What an awesome, awesome surprise for you!! (and I pin the same way you mentioned above )

Not to sound like a dummy, but is the machine originally electric or was the motor added??  I have an antique singer that was my great grandmothers but I never even thought about "using" it because it's got one of those manual foot pedal/iron wheel tables.
Can that machine be adapted with a motor???  I just have it in my living room as an end table with the machine stored down inside.....

Kim,
The Joanne's fabric near me is always having a sewing class of some kind.  Maybe just one could help you step into machine sewing a little easier. I'd make sure that your machine is working properly too by having it looked at or "tuned up"; if it's not 100% it could be making things tougher for you.

~Chrissi 

:dance: CONGRATULATIONS BRENDA!!  :dance:

The flowers are lovely, and they will be at your new home too 

~Chrissi

In the first shot you can SEE how happy they are!  Lucky Dogs!! 
~Chrissi

Note to selves when selling.....It's never broken, it's "haunted"...ooo ooo aahh aahh  (frightened)

http://tinyurl.com/s5w22

~Chrissi :crackup:

oh gross.... that chicken one just made me gag   a little Judi  :crackup:  :crackup:

When they find something like that...what makes a person think "EBAY Listing!", right on  (???)

~Chrissi  :crackup: