feng_shui_house

2 videos to brighten your day

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:59:17 GMT

Today's boring chores -Laundry, scrubbing floor, weeding, sorting out stuff to trash or give away, then I took a break and found two videos that uplifted my spirits.

John Oliver and Cookie Monster Out-takes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H916EVndP_A

The Robot and the Whale (CGI robot who helps living things. It's very ASMR, I got the nice neck tingles while watching it.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-aaUwiacxY

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Adult workout program, maximum stress relief in minimal time

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:13:34 GMT

Today I discovered a very short video where a lovely Irish lady demonstrates a simple and effective workout program for adults to relieve the stress of modern life.

https://www.threads.com/@mohu/post/DUdwlGKD3-q/media?xmt=AQGz070GUpr0ILI2cjNrXTDU-JjCPoc5treU0QH1XklHlQ

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OMG, maybe the package will be delivered?

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:35:52 GMT

I just checked tracking and it says it went out for delivery a few hours ago.

FINGERS crossed it does get there intact after the epic journey.

Jan 6 to Feb 2. Florida to Puerto Rico to Florida to Arizona to Colorado to California to Arizona.

The spirit of Benjamin Franklin is weeping over what's become of the postal service he created.

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Package continues its random tour

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:23:27 GMT

The parcel I mailed from Florida to Arizona (Priority more than $68 postage) on Jan 6 first showed up on Jan 16 in Puerto Rico. On Jan 19 it wound up back in Florida (nowhere near me) on Jan 26 it got to Arizona (nowhere near the destination, but I had a moment of hope).

Jan 28, it was scanned in Aurora, Colorado.

Jan 31, it was scanned in San Francisco, California.

It's like they're just tossing it on the nearest vehicle heading out.

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Mailing Children

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:52:52 GMT

I went back to the USPS webshite,
https://www.usps.com/

but this time I went looking on all the bottom links- one was to the National (Smithsonian) Postal Museum.
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/

From there I went to photos (a post talking about a collection made 2006-2008)
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/about-postal-operations/photographs
It had a link to the Flickr album of 199 photos of ’People and the Post’ looking for a photo I’d caught a glimpse of on the si.edu page. Really old, interesting a lot of biplanes and pilots, etc. AND then on page 2 I found the pic I was looking for.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/albums/72157605338989538/page2

Once upon a time, the USPS parcel post mailed CHILDREN. The photo is a joke, but it really happened at least twice.

After the parcel post service was introduced in 1913, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples.

Good thing they stopped doing it. The kids would starve or die of thirst before they got there if sent today.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/2584174182/in/album-72157605338989538

A commenter added "With the advent of Parcel Post in 1913, after some adults sent their children in the mails— with postage affixed to clothing— the U.S. Postmaster General issued regulations barring such shipment. The theory was that children were under the 50 lb. weight limit, and that it was a lot cheaper to mail them than to pay rail fares. In part, the regulation followed a letter inquiring as to whether parcel post would be appropriate, and the Postmaster General was of the opinion that children were not within the definition of "bees and bugs" which were the only fauna permitted to be mailed.[13] Nevertheless, several children were actually mailed. On 13 June 1920, sending children by Parcel Post was officially forbidden. Thereafter, a mail bag stuffed with a child was prominently featured in a humorous photograph to illustrate the prohibition."

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Postal saga update, also Cockatoos

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:49:35 GMT

The USPS sent me email asking me to give feedback on the customer service several days ago, and again this morning. The first time I ignored it because I was hoping the package would miraculously arrive.

It hasn't arrived, but about 2am it was tracked to the destination STATE, so that's something. So, 20 days and counting for a service normally expected to be 2-3 days.

You can imagine the feedback I gave. It was nice that they had 2 text boxes I could fill in a LOT.

So maybe it'll get there, and maybe the contents will be intact. *fingers crossed*

Last night I managed (ow, my mousing/keyboarding hands) to finish the recreation and extensive repair of an Art Nouveau Design. Very tricky-there's a book full of what SEEM to be seamless repeats, but actually the artist had made them I think as showcases to get jobs, so they ALMOST repeat and anyone trying to just copy them without paying would soon realize it would be much easier to pay the artist to do it.

The partial design has been used for products (posters mainly)for sale lots of places on the internet. I don't think anyone else would do what I stubbornly fixated on. Drawn entirely by mouse, each color in a separate layer, changed the non matching parts to fit in, using a lot of judgement where the original was more of rough blur.

This is as close to the original intent as I could make it- the bird with folded down wings was pretty much my extrapolation.

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/21295284-art-nouveau-cocktoos-magnolia-stripe-by-eclectic_house

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/home-decor/bedding/pillow-sham/21295284-art-nouveau-cocktoos-magnolia-stripe-by-eclectic_house

Then I fought even more to make the stripe into an allover. I quite like the way the new background color works with this version.
https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/21298591-art-nouveau-cockatoos-and-magnolias-allover-2-by-eclectic_house

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In which I ramble about a disappointing murder mystery.

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:14:18 GMT

I've been trying to recreate an Art Deco design for several days now, and in between resting my hands I've been watching Midsomer Murders on TubiTV. I'd never heard of them, and got hooked into binge watching.

They were all excellent UP UNTIL the 18th one, season 4 episode 5'Dark Autumn'.

The first few I thought were the best- based on novels. Then they went to screenplays, and were still very good, but occasionally played a little less 'Fair Play'. The Mystery Writers Guild? back with Dorothy Sayers, I believe, felt a mystery should give the readers a feeling at the end, that they had all the clues to reasonably solve it themselves. I suspect they also felt the characters as well as the plot should make sense.

( ramble here, read at your own risk )

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Post Office Package Peregrinations

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 03:56:46 GMT

The Priority package I sent from Florida to Arizona on Jan 6 (supposedly usually 2-3 business days- but no guarantee)...

First tracking update was Jan 16 at Puerto Rico.

I got nowhere with USPS help. Finally I tried doing a 'missing mail search' on line- filled out all the form, got photos of the items reduced to fit the form requirements, added all the details and descriptions--- and clicked confirm which... gave me a flash fraction of an instant view of a text box which never lasted long enough for me to read it, so I don't know if it said 'confirmed' or 'error' or 'where's Waldo?'

I kept trying to check the tracking and repeatedly got

Moving Through Network
In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late

Finally, YESTERDAY, Jan 23 It got back to Florida.

Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
JACKSONVILLE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
January 23, 2026, 7:14 pm

and again Moving Through Network

In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late
January 24, 2026

I miss the days of the Pony Express. At least then, you could use the horseshit to fertilize your garden...

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ARRGGH. US Post office...

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 02:27:26 GMT

On Jan. 6, 2026, I sent 2 packages by US Priority Mail, one package got to California in a few days. The second one, sent to Arizona, sat for 4 days with no tracking. On Jan 10 the tracking just said it was late but it was moving.

It didn't say where it was. On Jan 14 I complained on line & the automated said I had to wait for a response before I could issue a missing mail report or file a claim for lost mail.

On Jan 16 the tracking said the package sent from Florida, destination Arizona, was at Puerto Rico.

On Jan 17 I got an email saying my customer service request was RESOLVED because they don't know when it will arrive, and insurance is included with the Priority mail. They gave me a URL to file a claim, needing proof of value. Normally I don't HAVE any proof of value because I send hand made gifts. This time, though, I had made a throw blanket from Minky fabric printed with my design, and a mug, and a jigsaw puzzle printed with my photos, so at least I could DL invoices for the fabric and the mug and puzzle.(nothing for my time or the backing fabric that I had no purchase proof for).

So I tracked down the purchases at the site and printed invoices (they don't SEND invoices, so you have to DL them) and then I started to file the claim. I put in the tracking number and the date, and it came up with an ERROR message saying

This claim falls outside the acceptable time limit to file a claim for Insured Mail including Priority Mail® and USPS Ground Advantage™ of 15 - 60 days. You may continue with this claim, but it may be rejected.

BUT when I went to check the times for submitting a claim it said 'MUST be submitted immediately- and for Priority mail no sooner than SIX days if submitted by going to the post office website. WHICH IS what I WAS Doing.

And I don't think they'll let me claim the postage cost--which was $68! I thought by spending that much they could at least get it to Arizona without a 3,000 mile detour to Puerto Rico.

I gotta look into United Parcel Service next time I want to send something, this is infuriating.

The CuSS Disservice rep replied immediately- which was nice- and said, oh, file a missing mail search (which is NOT what they said the first time- the first time it was file a claim request).

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TIL ASMR

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 21:13:59 GMT

Today I Learned there's a name for the physical experience I often have.

I'd been watching the Hercules Candy videos for a while and this one made me google ASMR.

ASMR Making Ultra Thin Ribbon Candy by hand (with explanations & minimal talking)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHWUXVGaVp4

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Warning for Word Play Lovers

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:34:09 GMT

I followed a link about Uncleftish Beholding-a short scientific story/article published by Poul Anderson in 1989 in which he uses word play to replace most French/German/Latin derived words with Germanic words (inventing a lot of them).

That link led to other links, etc. Eventually I wound up on a Facebook group of glorious wordplay convos with punsters galore. It's one of the few Facebook links I tried that allowed non-Facebook me to keep scrolling- so the novelty of being able to look FOREVER kept me going until my right hand went OW!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/waywordradio/posts/10153722438023584/
*sample from very far down the DoomScroll*

Witnesses were quick to ascertain that the man who fell from the rooftop bar was not a bouncer.

He fell to the street below and was run over by a mass transportation vehicle. Turns out he was a busboy.

I knew a guy that fell from a three story deck into a large rubber plant and quickly rebounded. He got a new nickname, Basketball Jones.

He had recently ended a long term romance and was on the rebound.

With a twist, he fell on the rocks - there was a cliff below. You could call him quite a tumbler.

The bartender identified him as Tom Collins.

When they found him he was flat broke.

No but he was a well grounded person

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Handmade Candy videos

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:16:54 GMT

I get sucked into these things...

Hercules Candy Company

Rainbow candy Canes
Long and full of ads, but I was mesmerized. All hand made. At around 20 minutes it’s getting really cool. You could prob. jump ahead when you get bored. The colors mix differently as it progresses, so no two candy canes are the same.
39minutes and 19 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkGHLMjralA

Turning all the broken pieces into molasses ribbon candy, everything from melting and stirring and cooling enough to work it to stretch it and cut it and bend it by hand and package it.

about 40 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGME7j7MM_U

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This is so cool Ephemeral pebble art videos

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 15:26:29 GMT

Distracting myself from ReaLife I google wandered and found this.

Cat Portrait made from Pebbles (a commenter noted that they thought it was actually reversed film of deconstructing the portrait, which makes perfect sense. But thinking it's actually built up this way makes it magical.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGZnIiPePoI

Then I found more about the artist. I now want to make art from rocks. For some years I've been tumbling rocks I salvaged from landscape rocks I removed because I wanted GRASS, not rocks to trip on and skin my knees. On my 3rd tumbler now- I've spent more on tumblers and grit than even semi-precious rocks would be worth and mine are just rocks in various shades of white, gray and brown. BUT they are shiny. :^)

The artist creates ephemeral art from pebbles.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_3pEBVIFnK/?hl=en

https://theinspirationgrid.com/pebble-picasso-incredible-stone-mosaics-by-justin-bateman/

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Some New Year’s Day superstitions

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:28:21 GMT

These I can do.
Don’t do laundry. Don’t sweep floors. Avoid chicken and lobster. Eat something pig based (pigs are lucky because they root forward, chicken and lobster unlucky because they scratch backward). I have SPAM.

These I can’t do.

Nothing should leave the house, including trash (Sorry, but cat litter waits for no one).
Wear something new. Hmm… the only clothing I’ve bought in years are bras and shoes. I put the new bras at the bottom of the dresser drawer.

Have full cupboards (empty kitchen cabinets is considered a sign of impending poverty). I don’t have *food* in my kitchen cabinets, but they’re full of Tupperware, kitchen tools, spices, etc. My food is either in the fridge or the pantry…mmm… and neither of them is exactly full. Ok, poverty impends. *shrug* What else is new? :^)

Let’s cherry pick a few from around the world—Puerto Rico- throwing pails of water out the window drives evil spirits away. Does it count if you throw out the water in yesterday’s cat bowl into the yard? I’mma gonna say yes.

-South American Countries – wear colored underwear to determine your fate. Red will bring you love, gold will bring you wealth and white will bring you peace. (Peeks— white. Ok, peace is good.)

Estonia – you should eat seven times on a New Year’s Day to ensure abundance in the New Year. (Does snacking on peanuts count?)

Panama – burning the effigies of everyone and anyone famous is a popular tradition. (I’m so tempted…)

https://www.thevistapress.com/traditions-and-superstitions-of-new-years-eve-and-new-years-day/

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Hidden Treasures are everywhere

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:49:19 GMT

I am trying to slowly sort out stuff. I've had several major purges over the years, throwing out, donating, repurposing, using up, etc.

But much remains.

Today, feeling the need for distraction on the throne, I grabbed a dusty magazine that was lying on top of a bunch of needlework, etc. magazines.

Dusted it off and leafed through it. Printed in 1946, full of photos of actual houses and building plans, the preface cheerfully burbled about the new and clever materials and design methods in architecture and how everyone in the post war days was going out and buying and custom building new homes.

I really doubt everyone was able to afford these. The homes are huge, situated on landscaped lots five times the size of my home, which my parents bought in the post war years after saving up because before that they were living in a trailer with 2 kids and another on the way (not me, I was later than that). I expect mom bought the magazine just to dream on.

I thought it would be nice to share- and I did find it on line at Archive.org.

https://archive.org/details/HouseToChoosePlanAndBuildYourOwnHouse

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Mood Elevating Video.

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 17:01:48 GMT

This is so cool. 4minutes 19seconds- I was happily bopping along to it. Great mood elevator. It’s very accurately titled:

Minecraft, but I soar through 1,000,000,000 blocks with NO LAG (Music Sync)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XiJxSQiHVU

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US cost of the 12 Days of Christmas gifts...

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:55:09 GMT

The PNC (US) consumer price index for the gifts in the 12 days of Christmas. (Note: the people are paid for their services. No human trafficking involved.)

https://www.pnc.com/en/about-pnc/topics/pnc-christmas-price-index.html#gifts

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Yay, my mousies arrived.

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:04:31 GMT

During a free shipping promo, I ordered 2 mouse pads from Shutterfly with my photos, then I thought about it and ordered an extra of one of them a few hours later, and then the next day I realized I'd missed a chance to do another one I'd been thinking of doing.

They arrived today only 2 days later than estimated, which is pretty good for free and this time of year.

They look good. Smell a bit plasticy, so I left them on the back table to air out before I put them into 'gift storage'... ok, back to other work.

Currently have the sewing room in a jumble- going to make a fake fur/plush rug to cover up a bare cement patch of floor so I pushed aside the bags and bags of sorted by length strips of fabric I'm cutting for a log cabin star quilt in order to reach the sewing machine.

Feels good to use up stuff. While looking for plush found more stuff to throw out. I'm trying to unhoard at least SOME. :^)

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Spam can be inspiring.

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:17:48 GMT

Along with all my other hoarding, for some years I've been compiling a collection of the results a Google search gives me for an unknown phone callers. If my phone says spam risk, I just block, but if it's a mystery number I feed it to Google.

At first a lot of results were web pages registered in Turkey. Mmm, Turkey Spam, less fattening than Ham Spam? The results are usually so weird I think they're good starting points for writing.

( Some S.F. alien name possibilities? ) ( Then it went on to weird word groups and sentences ) ( Went back to odd names for a while. And then it began inventing weird businesses )

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Cat Herding Day

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:32:54 GMT

Sally https://sallymn.dreamwidth.org/ said today is cat herding day, so I had to repost the old (2009?) cat herding Super Bowl commercial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE

(I have totally forgot how to do things on Dreamwidth. Please excuse the formatting? what formatting?)

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The Pony Express is Gone...

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:31:31 GMT

But the horseshit remains.

I paid on line and scheduled package pickup for today. I spoke to my carrier in person on Saturday to confirm it. No problem he said.

( those words always make my blood run cold )

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The Capital of England...

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:47:56 GMT

is E, isn't it?

But to solve a puzzle today I had to put in LONDON.

https://www.monkeyhappy.com/1006.html

It hurts in my pedantic writer's soul. :^)

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So beautiful, so much work.

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 19:47:05 GMT

An amazing silk quilt with awesome quilting as well as patching. Someone spent 25 years piecing and quilting this amazing work of art. There's some close ups to help show just how many many many many tiny stitches were put in by hand.

https://www.si.edu/object/1825-1850-silk-quilt:nmah_556181

I've been 'Harvesting' public domain images from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian on line collection. Mostly for inspiration and to admire, but I've also recreated a few of them for my Spoonflower shop. It takes a varying amount of fiddling and sometimes it's impossible. They're often missing bits or warped or skewed and always age has done things to the colors.

I like to think I'm honoring the artists of the past by giving them new life.

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Celebrate with Robbie the Reindeer

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 19:05:34 GMT

Got my couple packages of Christmas gifts sorted, paid online and arranged pickup on Monday, so I'm relaxing a bit. Wandering around the internet looking for the words to the Night before Christmas with the reindeer names led me, as usual, to something entirely different.

Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire (BBC stop motion for Comic Relief benefit- 1999, I think). Satirical and a riot. Omitting spoilers is hard because there’s so many fun moments. Definitely not for children- you'd spend way too much time explaining things that went over their heads. :^)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UWPFnUfFzw

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Firefighters Poll

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 16:10:37 GMT

View Poll: Firefighter Suspenders Opinion

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