Handmade gifts

Pictured are six macramé hangers and gift bag.

Summertime seems to bring more weddings and therefore wedding showers. Most brides have a registry at several stores where gifts can be selected. But we prefer to give gifts we make when possible. We like the more personal thought put into a gift made just for us.

One gift we like to make for brides are covered hangers. Covered hangers are good to hold things that tend to slip off regular hangers, like those made from silky fabrics or with a wide neck.

We start with wire hangers. First we spray paint the top of the hanger in a color to complement the color of the macramé cord chosen to work on the lower part. This time we did six hangers, three white and three brown. We used green for the paint color.

Each hanger needs about eight to nine yards of cord to cover it. Folding the cord in half, center it at the top below the hook. Tie half-square knots, going all the way around and back up to the top. Cut off excess cord and melt or glue ends to secure them.

To dress up the hangers ribbons can be added to the top. This time we used nine 6-inch pieces of quarter-inch ribbon in green and white. First we tied eight pieces onto one piece, which we then tied that piece to the hanger creating a fringe. Larger ribbon can be tied at the top in a bow or a pom-pom can be made and fastened at the top.

Wrapping the gift can also be personalized. Instead of regular wrapping paper we made a fabric bag out of a piece of green fabric about 25 by 30 inches.

To make it a little fancier we first sewed a piece of white and silver lace fabric on the bottom which was about 18 by 30 inches. Then we sewed a white ribbon across the top of the lace to cover the edge. To make the bag sew the top and side together, leaving about four inches open on the top of the side. Then fold over and sew the top edge to make a casing for a cord to go through. The cord of about one yard in length is then threaded through the top to close the bag.

This bag held six hangers. Fabric bags can be made in any size to fit any size gift. Then the recipient can later use the gift bag for holding other items such as lingerie or toiletries.

Boxes can also be covered with fabric to hold a gift, which can then be used again for another use instead of being tossed out like regular wrapping paper. We use craft glue or a hot-glue gun to secure the fabric to the box. Lace, ribbons and appliqués can be glued on to make it fancier. Lining the box with a contrasting fabric is also a nice touch. Shoe boxes make good choices to cover and fit many size gifts.

Then to complete the package a handmade card is the finishing touch. We use rubber stamps, scissors that cut fancy edges, color markers, card paper and other accent paper. We have collected rubber stamps over the years and have a selection that includes the alphabet, upper and lower case, animals, hearts, teddy bears, trains, planes and more. Cards can be customized for any occasion and they are always one of a kind. Next week we will go into more details on making cards.

We always treasure gifts and cards others custom make for us and hope others like receiving gifts made just for them. They are always fun to make.

Lan Party

Pictured are Craig Love, Suzanne Love, Aaron Peterson, Josh Paul and Jim Faggard. Players not pictured are Curtis Love, Scott Miller and Dillon Mendenhall.

It was party time at our house this week. We had a computer game party called a Local Area Network, or LAN for short. Our computer friends came over with their computers and we connected them all together to play games. They come with all sizes of computers from large desk top models down to lap tops.

All ages from teenagers to parents come over to play. Most players are guys, but occasionally one of the girls join in too. The rest of the girls hang out in another room, watching a movie or making snacks for the group. A lot of times parties have from 12 to 15 players, but this week we only had eight.

One of the favorite games to play is “Battlefield 1942,” published by EA games. This is a World War II simulation where the players compete with each other using the various weapons and equipment available at that time in history. The game is rendered in 3-D which makes for very realistic and almost TV-like quality. It takes a fairly up-to-date computer to play these games. They generally require 512 MB ram memory and a 64 MB video card.

One of the fun aspects of “Battlefield 1942” is that it is open to being modified. The game mechanics and operation stay the same but the time period, soldiers and weapons can all be changed. The original game must be purchased, but most modifications are free. All you have to do is download them from the internet. The modified games, usually called mods, are numerous and represent historical periods from the Middle Ages to WWII to current Middle East conflicts. There is even a Star Wars-like mod called “Galactic Conquest.”

Each mod includes a number of maps, each map having various objectives that must be captured. At a LAN party there are plenty of maps to last us all night. People come and go when they want, most arriving around 6 or 7 p.m. and leaving around midnight. The real hard core players stay until 3 or 4 a.m. The more players we have the better the game play.

Some of the maps can accommodate computer players, usually called computer robots. That way, even if there are only four or five human players, it is still possible to have as many as 40 or 50 total players on the map. While the computer is never as good a player as a real person, it is still entertaining to have a reasonable number on each side. In fact, sometimes we play a version of the game called “Comp Stomp” where all the human players are on one side and the other side is made up entirely of computer robots. The object then is to see who can rack up the highest score of robots eliminated.

We also play a game called “Battlefield Vietnam.” This is a follow up game to “Battlefield 1942” also published by EA games and is about the Vietnam conflict. The game mechanics work about the same as the original game but there are many added variations. One interesting addition is the helicopter, which was not around in WWII. They are fun to fly and with a little practice can be very devastating to the opposite side. There are also many mods available to play, one of the favorites being “Dice City.” This mod pits the police against the gang in a modern city, sort of a computer style “Cops and Robbers.”

The games reflect times of historical battles to science fiction to life on the streets. The games spark many discussions about why conflicts happen and what we can learn from them. It gives added prospective to history that some just read about.

Fruit is ripe

Pictured is the juicer kettle used to process fruit into juice.

Payoff time has begun. The fruits of our labors in the garden are happening. This is the best time of year because our favorite fresh fruits are finally ready to eat. We have been picking and eating strawberries and cherries for a few weeks now.

The strawberries were first. We’ve enjoyed strawberry shortcakes, muffins, ice cream and have cut and frozen bags full for later use. They have slowed for now, but will produce again later this summer.

Cherries were next to ripen and this year the crop was bountiful. There were so many we could pick them by the handfuls instead of one at a time. We have had cherry crisps, pies and ice cream. The rest we have either been pitted and frozen or juiced. Frozen ones can later be used to make more crisps, pies, ice cream and more. The juice we later use for drinking, making jelly and in other recipes.

To juice fruits we have a special kettle that has three layers plus a lid. The fruit is placed in the top which has holes in it for the juice to drip down to the middle layer. The middle has a funnel shaped hole for the steam to come up from the bottom layer and a hose in front where the juice can be drained into the canning jars. The bottom is for water that steams the fruit. Processing the fruit to juice is easy with a set up like this. While steaming the fruit we set a timer to check it about every half hour and then drain the juice into canning jars.

The old method of making juice was to cook the fruit, then put it in a cloth bag and hang it up with a large container placed under it to catch the juice. After the juice drained from the bag it had to be placed in canning jars and processed in a canner to seal the jars. With the juicer kettle the jars can be sealed immediately after draining the juice into them. This makes the process faster and easier than the old way.

Kumquats are also ripe now. We eat them fresh but don’t process any for later use. In the past we have made marmalade with them but that was not one of our favorites.

The boysenberries have produced just enough so far to make boysenberry shortcake. More will soon be ripe and the raspberries are not far behind. Also, apricots and early peaches should be ready in a few weeks. So far this year the apricots look really good. Last year we didn’t get a single apricot so we are more than ready for some fresh ones.

The vegetable garden looks good too. We are keeping ahead of the weeds this year, which can be a hard thing to do. Some years we almost loose the plants among the weeds. It is a never-ending battle.

Gardening is a lot of work but the results of great tasting foods are worth it all.

-----

Monday we remembered all the United States service men and women who have served and are serving our country. We appreciate all they have done and are doing for our country.

Computers

The computer has come a useful tool for many.

In the world of technology change is always happening, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Computers are one item that has proven to be more useful as time goes on. Personal computers were more like toys than necessities back in the 1980s, but today they are useful in many ways.

When our children were younger we choose to home school them and found many software programs to help do the job. From drills, exercises and tests to research and writing, the computer proved to be of great help. It also keeps records on spreadsheets and in data bases for finances and tax purposes.

As the internet developed, more information and services were available and at faster speeds than other methods. Booking hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises, airfares and more are now something you can do in your own home without a travel agent.

Shopping for anything from books and clothing to furniture and cars can all be done on a computer hooked up to the internet. Comparison shopping is fast and easy as well as finding reports about the performance of products. Bargains can be found on auction sites as well as other sites selling used or clearance items.

How-to’s can be found for just about any hobby, with many sites offering free patterns, recipes and more. Hobbyists share their latest projects and ask questions of other hobbyists. Magazines also have sites where you can read their articles.

We even found a place in Maine that was able to repair an engine part for one of our farm machines. After being unsuccessful in locating a local place that could do the repair we were delighted when we discovered that there was indeed a way to get it working again.

Computers are a great place to store pictures, music, recipes, documents and other useful information. Backup systems are also available should something happen to the computer. It is easy to retrieve stored data and takes less space than books, paper files, records and tapes.

There are even programs that block unwanted materials from coming to your computer via the internet. Being able to say what we do and don’t want to show up on our computer is important to us.

Our son and his friends like to play certain computer games. What they do is to connect up eight to ten or more machines together and play head to head in real time. This is called a Local Area Network, or LAN connection. The gathering is called a LAN party. Most everyone has a great time and they last until 2 or 3 a.m. Board games are good but they can’t compete with the computers for fast action and realism.

Computers these days are powerful and easy to use, and unlike gasoline, their prices keeping coming down. Many small portable machines now have the speed, memory capacity and even the screen size of the larger desk computers of a few years ago.

Once our column is written on the computer, we send it via email to the Daily News. It then goes into their computer system to be processed for publication in the print edition. Then every Friday we also post it on our blog site listed below. Some new technology has proven to be useful and the computer is just one example of that fact. The internet is another, which allows us to do so much more from our home than in the past. That adds up to a savings of both gasoline and time.

Trip to coast

Pictured are the docked boats and the Carson Mansion as viewed from the Marina Café down on Woodley Island.

Last week we decided it was time to take a break from work, so we went to the coast for a one night stay. It was on the warm side here in the valley and even on most of the drive across Highway 299, but it was cooler and slightly overcast on the coast. Just cool enough for a light jacket.

It was about noon when we arrived. We made a quick stop at the hotel we had reservations at just to confirm our room then headed out to find lunch. We drove into downtown Arcata and found a parking spot. From there we walked several blocks until we found the Arcata Pizza & Deli. They were bustling with business from local customers who looked like they were enjoying their lunch. We placed our order and claimed the last unoccupied table. The serving portions were large, but we managed to finish every bite. Then it was off to see what the local shops had to offer.

As we walked around the main downtown stores, we stopped in a few to see what they had to offer. Then a few blocks away we found several thrift stores, our favorite shopping places.

Next we were off to Eureka. Again we walked the main downtown area, stopping to buy a few gift items in the stores. Then it was off to the thrift stores in that area where we spent the rest of the afternoon.

Our thrift store finds included four puzzles, one book, four blouses, two dresses, one skirt, two silk plants, computer software to design landscaping, and a scissors that cuts decorative edges on paper. We were quite pleased with all our finds and the prices were very low. The total for all our items was under $20.

It was time for dinner by the time were finished shopping. All our walking had worn off the big lunch we had eaten, so it was time to find a fish dinner. We chose the Marina Café down on Woodley Island. The specials were halibut with four cheeses and salmon breaded lightly with basil seasoning. We ordered one of each and both were excellent. The view from the café was of the boat docks with the Carson Mansion on the shore across Humboldt Bay. While eating dinner we watched the boats coming and going, the pelicans and seagulls flying about and one seal that was swimming around, poking his head up now and then to see what was going on.

The next day we went to Patrick’s Point State Park, just off Highway 101. We had fun hiking the trails, taking photos of the rocks and waves along the coast as well snapping photos of the many wildflowers that were in bloom. There were even sea lions taking a nap out on the rocks. By noon we decided it was time to start back home even though it was tempting to stay longer. It was hard to put the camera away and start the drive back, but we are enjoying the pictures we did take and are talking of another trip when we can take some more photos.

Yard sale finds

Pictured are yard sale findings: saw blades, pistachios, movie, puzzle, game, jars, iron, bath mat and free pen.

This last Friday we decided to shop at yard sales. The Daily News has a great list on-line where you can click on the ones that are of interest and make a list to save and copy. There were few advertised out in our area along Highway 99E so we almost decided to go in to town for those sales. Then we happened to pick up another ad paper and found there were quite a few out by us. So we planned our shopping trip to go between our place and Los Molinos.

Friday started cold and cloudy but we set out anyway hoping for the weather to improve. It did. By the time we reached home again the sun was shining and things were warming up.

Shopping at yard sales is a lot like shopping in thrift stores, but they usually only happen on weekends. Our weekends usually seem to be filled with other activities so we don’t get to yard sales too often. On the other hand most thrift stores are open Monday to Saturday and seem to fit into our schedule better. This yard sale trip did prove to be quite successful though so maybe we will make the effort to plan future trips to yard sales.

Our purchases included two decorative glass jars with plastic lids, one short and one tall, for 25 cents each. We like containers that we can see into so we don’t forget what we put in them.

Findings at another stop included a Rowenta iron for $5, one circular saw blade for $1, a set of dado blades for $7 and the video cassette movie “Schindler’s List” for $1. The Rowenta iron is considered very desirable by those who sew and is usually on the expensive end. It is a very good quality iron. The one we purchased is in good condition except for the button that is to make a burst of steam. The saw blades, especially the dado blades can be quite expensive when bought new, but the ones we purchased are like new for a fraction of the new price. We do not watch many movies, but “Schindler’s List” is based on history and was given good reviews so we decided we would try it.

A big sale at the Methodist Church yielded a bath mat for $2 that we plan to use on top of our washing machine to keep the dirt the cats leave on it when hopping up to eat. We also found a 550 piece puzzle with a cute picture of many whimsical birdhouses for $1 that will be an interesting project to build. Puzzles are always a fun project to do with the family. Another find there was a game called “Rate Your Mate” for 50 cents. In the instructions the players are asked to take the Rate Your Mate pledge: “I promise to care for and respect you (your spouse) no matter what the outcome of the game.” When paying for our purchases at the church they also included a free pen with their name on it.

Our final stop on the way back home yielded flavored pistachios for sale. We got two flavors, one with honey mustard and one barbecue flavored, for a total of $6. We usually prefer raw, unseasoned pistachios, but have not found them for sale that way much. We were told most people only buy roasted and salted or flavored ones.

Our grand total for our trip was $24. Not bad for a morning treasure hunt.

Thrift store finds

Pictured is thrift store findings including: Mouse Trap game, airplane books, jeans and craft items. Not pictured is the floor lamp.

Shopping in thrift stores is great fun for us. We go with the challenge to find great bargains on clothing, craft and hobby items or anything else that catches our eye. This last week we spent Friday afternoon going to the three main thrift stores in Red Bluff.

The first stop was the Hospice Thrift Store. A Mouse Trap game was the first thing that caught our eye. It was only 50 cents and was complete except for the two balls. Since writing our column on games we were wishing we could get another Mouse Trap game to replace the one done in by our cats. We also found two pair of jeans in good condition for $2 each. Clothing is always half off at the Hospice store on Fridays so that was a real bargain. We left there spending only $4.50 plus tax.

Next we visited the Hope Chest Thrift Store. They had a half price sell on everything except things in the glass cases. We found a book on airplanes called “Modern Attack Aircraft,” a detailed examination of the aircraft, weapons and tactics used in ground attack today, by Mike Spick and Tim Ripley, published in 1992. It was only 50 cents plus tax.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store was our last stop. Our findings their included another book on airplanes called “Octopus Color Encyclopedia of Aircraft,” published in 1980, for $1.99, a spool of 2-inch silver craft ribbon for 49 cents, a bag of silver sequins for 49 cents and a white floor lamp for $7.99.

The jeans were a great find as tall sizes are hard to find. Books on airplanes are always great to have on hand to see how to paint models that we build. The craft supplies will come in handy for decorating at the up coming wedding of our son and his fiancée. We also needed another floor lamp and the one we found just fit the bill.

Shopping at thrift stores allows us to stretch our money, get things we could not otherwise afford or just have some fun buying something we really don’t need but enjoy having. It has always been a family activity that we have all enjoyed. When our children were little we were able to purchase them many books, games and other fun items. Clothes are also something that can be expensive, but in thrift stores many items are still in great condition and some are even new. Baby clothes were always easy to find in good condition as they were only worn for a short time.

Once we attended an event where the challenge was to purchase a complete outfit for under $10. It was great fun seeing what everyone came up with.

All in all, shopping at the thrift stores not only helps our dollars go further, it helps the charity groups running the stores to raise money for their projects. All three above stores provide many great community services to those in need. If you are not already a thrift store shopper, give it a try and have some fun.