SwimYellowDuck

Moved my blog

2010-06-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

I moved my blog to my SwimYellowDuck website. Stop by when you can stay awhile...

Joe Sestak's Security Blanket

2010-05-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

I don't want to be mean, but it strikes me that Joe Sestak carries his jacket around, over his shoulder everywhere he goes much like my granddaughter at one time carried her blanky.
The cameras are following Joe's every step nowadays since the White House big reveal on the Bill Clinton deal-or-no-deal phone call.
Sometimes when Joe stands before the microphone, he gives a look much like my granddaughter gave me when I was following her around with a camera.
I mean, I just could not put the camera down when she came to visit. I captured her making bunny ears out of her shoe laces to tie her shoes, sitting in front of the TV watching Veggie Tales, watching "grandpa" draw at his art table, etc. If she went upstairs or downstairs, I would soon appear with my camera. Every move she made charmed me. She was no doubt perplexed by her papparazi grandmother.
I can't tell if Joe likes being in the spotlight or not, but I do know he sports his jacket like a blanky, wherever he goes.

Memorial Day Tribute

2010-05-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Darrell was outside today photographing antiques on the patio to list on eBay, and he took this photo of one of my flowers. It's like a miracle flower that blooms regardless of the misfortune of being planted by an occasional gardener.

That flower reminds me of so many Memorial Days and the beauty and strength of the people who serve our country.

First I think of all of the brave Moms and Dads who have seen their children off to today's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I can't imagine carrying around my heart until my child returns home safe from a battleground, and I salute the loved ones of our military and to those serving to keep us safe!

I see the fragile beauty of soul held by those in my life who have served in the U.S. Army—my husband, Darrell, during Vietnam as an instructor in the reserves; my son Brandt in Bosnia and now in bio-medicine with the VA; my brother David, a paratrooper in Vietnam; and my father and uncles during WWII. They are fiercely patriotic. Serving our country isn't something they did once upon a time as their fate in life, but it was a response to a call that defined them.

When David visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, he found the names of his fallen comrads on the Wall. Even before he arrived, he knew his heart would be stirred, but he surprised himself when he wept uncontrollably at the sight of the Vietnam Women's Memorial statue. When he tried to convey his deep sentiments behind those tears and his admiration for the nurses to me, he could barely talk. It was all so overwhelming, even to this day. He saw the same devotion in those nurses in caring for our troops that I see in him. It's this strength and beauty of soul that collides in an individual that we celebrate on Memorial Day.

For those veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, may they rest in peace, sealed by the love and respect of their country. For those veterans among us, thanks for your triumph of bravery, fighting in our stead.

I am the first to say, I am not brave. I could not do that, and I thank you for putting life and limb on the battleground for me and our generation. Those who commit their welfare for others hold strength and beauty in their souls.

Class of 2010

2010-05-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

Our first granddaughter's graduating high school 2morrow, and the family's having flash backs, digging through our film archives. Her life is well documented with film and frame, thanks to her dad and mom and grandparents and aunts and uncles; notwithstanding her own Nikonic moments.
Julie's camera goes everywhere she goes. She has mastered the one-hand, back-at-you shot where she puts her head together with a friend, sticks her arm out, points the camera back--and snap!
She determined early in life to become a doctor. She's not wavered on that until now when her career goal changed to Nurse Practitioner. She's going to earn a bachelor's of nursing, which is ideal for her life's goals of also being a wife and mom and getting on with a career. She weighed her goal of wanting to be a doctor against years and years of medical study and investing $zillions in tuition and found she would be quite pleased to get her bachelor's.
She volunteered in a Neonatal unit during her senior year and loved caring for premature babies. It gives her joy to see these little miracles and to be a part of their young lives. Her eyes light up when she talks about them. She no doubt realizes that she can make a difference in the world and touch many lives through this medical profession.
Julie reminds me of my mom, and I loved my mom dearly. Mom was a strong and caring person, a great manager, and very talented. Besides having a hint of my mother in her, Julie carries my middle name, and she loves Spanish, like me. She's caring, talented with great administrative skills, and she's athletic.
She holds the family record with the most broken bones, which she came by honestly doing things like falling off a trampoline, out of a tree, and having the unfortunate luck of being on the bottom inside a jumping inflatable. She focused her athletic skills in high school on the Kickapoo Swim Team, and won many medals and swam in state competitions, where she earned a spot on the awards platform.
I could babble on about Julie and the delight she is to her family, but for now, I just want to announce her milestone in the class of 2010.

Couldn't Help Myself

2010-05-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

Michael's store launched a Most Creative Mom's contest May 4th with a $1,000 store prize. My daughter Amy forwarded the e-mail saying, "We have to enter Stephanie!" (her sister, my daughter).
Well, I have a bucket of water hanging over my head waiting to dump if I don't get my year-long, to-do list--done, but I couldn't resist 'cause nobody, planet earth, is more deserving.
The contest goal was to find the Most Creative Mom. Wow! That screamed Stephanie! So, I put together three montages of the gifts Stephanie has made for her children and the family tree!

There was an essay required for the entry. Why did we think our creative genius should win? Michael's allowed 5,000 characters to describe her, and we used 4,881.
Just look at the montage. These creations are not from the past year but from the past months. And it's just a fraction of her gifts. And she makes everything in multiples, tailored to our individual tastes, thanks to her generous heart (and we beg her for things, too).
Next, the unexpected came. The number of entries was so huge Michael's FaceBook site had a meltdown. They closed the contest within a week with the promise to pick a winner from the entries on file and to announce the winner this Sunday.
Michael's broke a lot of hearts and they were apologetic. They even added five prizes because they realized it was going to be tough picking ONE winner.
Cross your fingers. I hope to update this blog on Sunday to say Stephanie won!

Of course, Stephanie says "it made me feel like a million bucks!" just being entered!

Good Times on eBay!

2010-05-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

It started with a snafu on eBay last month!
I listed a vintage Rangefinder. I had written the text months earlier and Darrell had taken the photos. It sold on auction, and I went to ship it—but it had disappeared. I turned our house upside down, but no Rangefinder.

I have a work process; regardless, I could not find the Rangefinder. It seemed like only yesterday that I held it in my hand and wrote the description.
Well, I had to cancel the sale, return the money, apologize, etc. I promised to give the Buyer a deal if I found it before he found another. Displeased, the Buyer gave me the dreaded Neutral Feedback. I was crushed, of course, since I have a 100% rating on eBay.

The following day, I went to our other home (yes, we are moving) to further pack. Looked into the top box on the shelf and it contained three items: a MIB Furby, a MIB Sesame Street toy, and the Rangefinder. How random. Now found, I gave the Rangefinder a hug, re-listed it, and sold it again!
The "good times" came next when the shipping address showed my new Buyer was an Arnold Van der Hoeven from the Netherlands (I have some "Braaksma" and "Van Cleve" roots). Sweet. Furthermore, my Buyer collects Leica cameras, and he's a Visualizer/Illustrator!
He sent me a series of storyboards as examples of his work. He creates visuals for proposals to conceptualize an event or a new product reveal. His clients include Mercedes, VW, Audi, and Panasonic Worldwide. I'm impressed.
Arnold stresses that these works are not formal illustrations but "sketches." To me, however, they are wonderful ink and wash illustrations, and I am enriched to enjoy his talent, something that never would have happened had I not misplaced the dratted Rangefinder.

A happy ending in eBay world...
Arnold's sketches for companies in Holland and Germany...

Princess for a Day

2010-05-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

Eric, my grandson, is always catching something that creeps, crawls or hops. His latest triump was a bullfrog. He and his Grandpa Sheldon like to grab a flashlight and go down to Lake Harrison, more like "Pond Harrison," at night and hunt bullfrogs. Last week they caught this cutie.
Eric studies his prize for a day or so, then back to the pond it goes. He took photos of this last one. He had to be quick with the camera he said because the frog would pose for only minutes before it decides to hop away and he would be off chasing it, camera in hand.
This has to be the cutest frog ever! Darrell deemed it a Princess Frog and wondered why Eric didn't kiss it before he let it go...just in case. Eric explained that it was a Prince Frog and needed a kiss from a princess, like his sister Stephanie. Eric's bullfrog photos called for a scrapbooking session!

The "Donald" of Timeshares

2010-05-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

"If you sell your timeshare for $8,000...you'll be the Donald Trump of Timeshares," my son quipped when I told him I had listed our Villa del Palmar timeshare on eBay. I was a believer. I actually thought I could sell it on eBay.
It's located a stone's throw from "The Arch" at Land's End, so the buyer could spend a week or two each year just hanging around Medano Beach on the "Western Caribbean," in easy proximity to all of the fun spots, from now until 2034. I wish it were Darrell and I on the beach we are talking about, but we haven't been back since we bought it.
The purchase price was just shy of $9,000. We have two timeshares, so it seemed wise to sell one since we are not rich and famous, yet.
Deciding to sell and then listing the timeshare on eBay was brave and it was complicated and it cost $100. I had to be certified to sell it. Ebay removed my ad three times because I chose the wrong categories, they said. Then I had to re-list and recap some fees. Listing it on eBay was somewhat a daunting experience, but it would have been worth it all had it sold.
We ran the ad as an auction for seven days and then as a retail ad for 30 days. The ads had over 1,500 views. I was counting my money, but the only responses I received were: "Gee! We have a timeshare and we would like to sell ours, too--any tips?" and "Boy, you sure gave a lot of detailed information!"
We did throw a lot of text and photos into our ad because my timeshare philosophy is that many people sell their timeshare because they don't know how to use it. I wanted the buyer to know how to max the timeshare if they bought it from us. I didn't even amplify being able to exchange it for a cruise or any of the other perks. I related only my experience and how we use our timeshare.
Nobody with quick cash liked what we were selling. We even lowered the price to $7,000.
You probably think, like my son, it's funny that anyone would hope to recoup any amount of money sunk into a timeshare, but I did. Smile and click to see the most expensive item we have ever listed on eBay AND Here's a link to our eBay store.

Can you tell the story of "Uncle Remus"?

2010-04-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of selling on eBay is when you meet a buyer with character. That happened recently with me when "Mimi" from Georgia bought The Stories from Uncle Remus to read to her grandchildren.
When I mailed the book and sent an e-mail with the tracking info, she responded,
"Thanks! I've tried to tell the 'tar baby' story to my grandchildren from memory and I know they will be thrilled to get the real thing!"
Don't you love a grandmother who reads to her grandchildren and shares her life in such a personal way!
"Mimi" is going to sit down with her grandchildren and read a book printed not long after Joel Chandler Harris penned his stories. I'm dating the book with a printing around 1943, although I can't be certain since the vital face page is missing.
This book screams of history. It includes six classic "Uncle Remus" tales that spell adventure:
--Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail
--Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match
--The Wonderful Tar-Baby
--Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure
--Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin
--Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman.

The pages are illustrated with pen and ink and some are splashed with color. The book is rabbit eared, the binding is taped in places, and a child has scrawled on a page or two with a crayon in a spot or two, but it's in relatively good condition considering its age and that it's a children's book.
What a charming "story hour" this grandmother is creating for her loved ones.

Mystery Doll

2010-04-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

I hope some astute antique collector might identify this doll (send an e-mail). It's unmarked other than the number "15," denoting its size at the bottom of the back neck socket. Darrell thinks she was made for the French market because of the style of her eyes and the distinctive contour of her face. The bisque and painting are flawless.
Click here for a page of photos showing details of the doll and the unusual mold marking above the size number on the back neck that could give a clue as to the manufacturer.
The doll probably came from Germany within the past 100 years. We sold her on eBay to a collector in Germany, and it turns out the collector is as amazing as the doll.
The doll was dressed in a gorgeous pink silk dress and bonnet. Only problem, the silk is disintegrating with age.
I thought the dress was beyond repair, and we handled it like spun glass. We sent it as is to the buyer. Darrell wrapped the dress in tissue paper and zipped it in a plastic bag. For the hat, he turned a pizza box inside out and cut a hole in the top so that the flounce at the top of the hat would not get crushed. This box was put inside another flat box that was put in another box.
After the doll arrived the collector messaged me that the dress is too big for the doll, so she found another one. Here comes the amazing part. She is repairing the dress for a larger doll in her collection.
She wrote, "I just started to restore the dress. It is so fragile, but I have a special spray to fix the tears. I cannot sew the silk, but I'll apply small strips of cloth to fill the tears. I love to restore antique dresses and this one will be on one of my larger dolls asap!"
Is that not amazing? As you can see from the photos, hunks of the fabric have disintegrated with age into thin air, and yet this lovely dress will be restored by a skilled seamstress, preserving a little bit of history.

Contest fever

2010-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Distracted by e-mail today from PenScrappers, I designed a scrapbook page for the April contest using their contest kit. It was fun, but the day is gone with nothing to show for it other than a stroll down memory lane and a page for my scrapbook.
Fortunately, I have the most adorable grandchildren on the planet.

Dream Home Dream

2010-04-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

Fell victim to the HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes. I enter nearly every day. Love HGTV. Sigh, so many talented designers and contractors. Yes, my home is in dis-repair. It needs a total makeover.
This is the fourth dream home that I have obsessed over. I thought the Green Home Port St. Lucie, Fla., was made for me and Darrell. Location, location, location. Certain we were destined to win, I peered out my window, waiting for HGTV to pull up to my door for days to surprise us with the keys to the house. Didn't win.
The Arizona home was amazing. I could picture us on the patio. Oh, the kitchen, tile work, the construction, the guest house... an amazing home and a perfect space for the creative mind. Didn't win.
The California home was spectacular--a little lavish for our lifestyle and it would have put us far from our grandchildren but close to Cabo San Lucas, a favorite spot. The color scheme was my first love. Didn't win.
My current fetish is winning the HGTV Dream home in Plymouth, Mass. It's "just right," to quote Little Red Riding Hood. Love the east coast, so mainstream. Haven't been back for years. The home is cozy elegance. And snow and ice would be in my future. I could ice skate and make snow angels again.
Everyone needs to enter, so I posted a clickable. Good luck!

Life Begins at 80! Won't that be fun...

2010-04-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

I enjoy antiques because they speak of history, much like me. Even vintage items bring back memories of the 50's and 60's. Found this old newspaper clipping with words of wisdom on becoming 80 years old in some attic items. It's yellow with age. I know it held some importance to the person who clipped it because she had laminated it. Reading it was like seeing a rainbow, a light at the end of the tunnel. It offers insight into growing old, and I want to share it. Smile.
Life Begins at 80
By Frank Laubach
I have good news for you. The first 80 years are the hardest. The second 80 are a succession of birthday parties.
Once you reach 80, everyone wants to carry your baggage and help you up the steps. If you forget your name or anybody else's name, or an appointment, or your own telephone number, or promise to be three places at the same time, or can't remember how many grandchildren you have, you need only explain that you are 80.
Being 80 is a lot better than being 70. At 70, people are mad at you for everything. At 80, you have a perfect excuse, no matter what you do. If you act foolishly, it's your second childhood. Everybody is looking for symptoms of softening of the brain.
Being 70 is no fun at all. At that age, they expect you to retire to a house in Florida and complain about your arthritis and you ask everybody to stop mumbling because you can't understand them. (Actually, your hearing is about 50 percent gone.)
If you survive until you are 80, everybody is surprised that you are still alive. They treat you with respect just for having lived so long. Actually, they seem surprised that you can walk and talk sensibly.
So please, folks, try to make it to 80. It's the best time of life. People forgive you for anything. If you ask me, life begins at 80.

Kokeshi Dolls and Canada

2010-04-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today, I shipped a pair of silver Kokeshi dolls to Canada, and it reminded me of my long-standing feud with Canada that began innocently with two Canadian tourists I met in Cabo San Lucas. It was a simple thing that brought my ire, but who could blame me.
Darrell and I had signed up for an eco-tour with the promise of seeing fossils on the Baja Peninsula. The promo material had in big letters to wear hiking boots or other well structured footwear.
Well, when the bus stopped to pick up the two prom queens from Canada, they were wearing strapless dress sandals. The tour guide looked down at their feet when they boarded challenging their foot wear, but their comeback was, “It's all we have.”
The consequence for me and the other fossil hunters was that we could only hike so high before it became “too dangerous” for the ballet shoes they were wearing and so we had to turn back. The tour was altered, and I could not fathom their lack of conscience to not buy a pair of suitable shoes for the eco-tour. Why didn't they just explore the mall. Certainly Canada has tennis shoes, I thought.

Flash forward to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and I sat wishing I could have hopped a plane to be there. The beautiful country and lifestyle amazed me as NBC took me on a nightly tour of restaurants and residents.
I was at the point of tears in my gratitude for Canada as I watched Tom Brokaw report on Gander, Newfoundland, where they had welcomed 7,000 passengers, diverted from New York after 911 as the US closed airspace following the attack on the Twin Towers. I had known about it, but never thought about the impact on Canada or knew of the warm welcome these passengers received by this great town and country.
My love and respect for Canada have grown so that I wish I could box myself up with the Kokeshi dolls and wing my way to Canada.

Our eco-tour guide referred to his rig as a Mexican limousine.

Darrell (above), wearing fossil hunting gear, and our guide showing Alvin the fossil test: if the would-be fossil sticks to your tongue, it's the real thing! The guide demonstrated this by picking a fossil off the ground and sticking it on his tongue--sure enough, it stuck!

Of course, Alvin had to conduct the fossil test himself.

A note regarding the Kokeshis: They have been long boxed up, and were part of an estate from a lady who had an antique shop in the 80s. They are Japanese in origin. The taller one is a lipstick tube and the shorter one a perfumer that still holds a rich perfume scent. The outer canisters have remarkable craftsmanship, which makes them mini sculptures of art from a country of artisans.

Antique Kestner Lady 126 - IN THE MAIL

2010-04-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

Selling antiques on eBay is an adventure. First there's the research. Next comes the photography, cataloging, writing, listing--and finally the sale and shipping.
My husband Darrell accomplishes the photography, research, and packing, while I tinker with the rest.
For research, we have an extensive library of antique books, well decorated with those little neon stickers where we have flagged reference text. Also, we research antiques online and camp out at bookstores--thanks, Barnes & Noble and Books a Million!
Over the past two years of selling, Darrell has taken thousands and thousands of photos. He's one of those natural light fanatics. I can find him at one of his studio windows most any time of the day with screens and boards propped to bounce and trap light to capture the essence of whatever antique he is obsessed with photographing at the moment.
Since he has devoted a great effort to photograph our antiques, antique dolls in particular, he has always wanted me to make note cards with the photos as a thank-you to tuck into the packaged dolls to say "thanks" to our customers.
Today we shipped a 16-inch Lady Kestner #162, and I scurried to print a few cards before running the package to the post office. The Kestner is unstrung and needs restoration. The bisque head is beautiful, and I used Darrell's photo of the head to make the cards. I hope I get to see the doll, finished and dressed some day!