Monday, June 27, 2011

hoarding no more

it took me
a few
extra attempts...
.
...before i could go in
and really start dealing
with the task at hand
i found all sorts
of other unnecessary
tasks i would rather be doing
finally at six am
the morning the installers were coming
i could procrastinate no more
and so i dug in
cobwebs, mess and all
into the room
we had not touched in years
after several bags of clearly trash
a few boxes for the recycle bin
i discovered some treasures
amongst the junk
last night i went to
the office
who knew
shreading could be so therapeutic
i eliminated
about twenty five years of my life
in six short hours
and some of the painful memories
 that went
along with it
simply by slicing papers and pictures
 into tiny fragments
of fiber
today i awoke with a new energy
ready to tackle the next
set of drawers
in those file cabinets

Friday, June 24, 2011

signs of hoarding...

seems a lot of us
have
at least one room...
.
...i do
the room that everything
you don't want to
deal with
or
 don't know what to
do with
or you just know
someday
you will have another
use for it
and so
the junk collects
dust
and cobwebs
until
the heating & air conditioning installer
 says
we will need access to this
room
yikes...

Thursday, June 23, 2011

stinking machine claim denied

this is long but it is worth reading over to educate yourself if you are an ebay purchaser: this protection does not include smells or breakage if the seller calls somewhere and they are told what you think is broken is really not broken...



Dear Joyce,

Thank you for contacting eBay in regard to item #: 110699526315.

After reviewing your unique case, I see that you recently purchased a Pfaff Sewing Machine from the Seller - buttercreamdreams10. As I understand it, you purchased this sewing machine under the impression that: “it was Used, but worked fine – good working condition/no issues,” however, when you received it, you discovered that it had a strong cigarette smoke odor – This fact was not disclosed in the Seller’s original listing. I also see that you raised the concern that the machine’s faceplate is broken and easily falls off. I understand that this transaction was important to you, and I’m sorry to hear that it is not going well! Reading over the communication, I see that the Seller has called around to local sewing machine repair shops in your area to inquire about cleaning and servicing and was quoted a price of $59.00, which they refunded you. The Seller has also stated that after speaking with a Pfaff Dealer, they were told that:“the part (face plate) is not broken nor needs to be replaced but becomes loose as the machine ages.” I realize that you work with young adults with disabilities as you mentioned: “this (the smell of cigarette smoke) can kill the young adults that I work with on the machines. The majority of them have very bad asthma, respiratory conditions etc. There is no greater trigger for them to go into respiratory failure than cigarette smoke,” and you feel that the Seller did not disclose this fact in their original listing, or willfully withheld this information from you. You feel that the best solution is not a partial refund, cleaning, or repair, but a return of the machine back for a full refund. I can only imagine the frustration that you are going through as we are dealing with a very expensive sewing machine, but I wanted to take the opportunity to explain what our options are, and what actions we are taking to get this claim resolved.

I have evaluated your case, and after doing so, I have determined that the sewing machine was accurately described by your Seller. I came to this decision because as a policy, eBay Buyer Protection does not cover “Smells.” As a guideline to what is, and what is not covered, I have included some points to help you understand why this claim was decided in this particular manner:

-If the smell is part of the item being sold (ex: you purchase a rose-scented candle and you receive a peppermint-scented one), then it is covered under eBay Buyer Protection.

-If the description in the Seller’s listing states, “comes from a pet free, smoke free home” or the item is listed as “New” and you raise the concern that it smells like smoke, then this would be covered under eBay Buyer Protection.

-If the smell is evidence of something in the listing that makes it different from the listing. (ex: if a product is listed as “free of chemicals”, but smells like formaldehyde or insecticide when you it), then this would be covered under Buyer Protection.

In your specific case I have reviewed the Seller’s listing, and it does not make any mention of the sewing machine coming from a “smoke-free home,” nor did it mention anything about a smell of cigarette smoke. In addition to this, I see that the Seller was very cooperative in addressing all of your concern with regard to the broken face plate. I see that the Seller called places in your local area in an attempt to have the machine serviced and cleaned in order to resolve the smoke smell – even issued a partial refund of $59.00. Since this was not satisfactory for you, and because your primary concern was with the way the sewing machine smelled, I am not able to approve your claim at this time.

To avoid this frustrating situation in the future, please remember that bidding is meant to be fun, but remember that each bid you place enters you into a binding contract. If you win a listing, you’re obligated to purchase the item. I would also encourage you to contact the seller via the “Ask a question” link if you have any questions about an item before bidding on or buying it.

In conclusion, we are not able to approve your claim because I have determined that the Seller accurately advertised the condition of this sewing machine.

Joyce, we appreciate your membership since Feb 14, 2002. I see that you have purchased over $xxx.00 this year on our site and we really appreciate you as a Buyer. I see that your previous Sellers really appreciate your quick payments, and smooth transactions. This is the kind of behavior we really want to encourage our Sellers to have, so thank you for being such a great member! I hope that you do not let this one bad experience ruin a great buying history you’ve had with us so far. Please let me know if you have any more concerns.

Sincerely,

Wayne R.

eBay Customer Support

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

an affair to remember...

today i met
michael miller
and fell head...
.
...over heels
in love
the heart pounding
sweaty palms
primal infatuation
kind of love
in reality
 i didn't meet michael
as in michael steiner
or miller
as in kathy miller
but i didn't need to
i love the clean, simple lines
the color stories concept
and the feel of the fabric
the rep
that would be kurt
wasn't bad either
handsome, nice and proudly
showcasing his sarah and matthew
hey those names sound familiar
even more alike
he lives in grand rapids, mi
and so did i
 will be arriving in our house of fabric
but not for a while
sigh...
the waiting is the hardest part

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

mia kareen is home...

this precious angelic
adorable little girl
stole my heart...
.

tucked away in an orphange
far away in the ukraine
simply because
she has down syndrome
mia and i share a birthdate
january 15
last year on our special day
knowing she had just found her
forever family
was a great blessing to me
while sarah and i were away
at quilt market in salt lake city
we were able to
mia's new sister
her new mom kecia and dad chris
were just about ready to leave
to bring her home
they have been gone
over a month
and just this week
with her new loving family
another amazing miracle
made possible by reece's rainbow

Friday, June 17, 2011

smoky pfaff...

on a silver platter
not exactly what i
was expecting...
.

guess that is what i get
for reading my daily
 horoscopes
i bid on another
pfaff 1475
and won
or so i thought
it arrived today
first observation by my friendly ups man
the box is not the greatest
definitely not packed
like the others i've received
still i grabbed the scissors
delicately sliced the tape open
and was immediately
overcome with the disgusting
odor of rank, stale cigarette smoke
damn
 i said over and over with each
item i removed
until
i was nearly sick to my stomach


then once i cut off the bubble wrap
 securing the machine
this piece fell
onto the counter
i picked it up
upon closer inspection
the component that holds it in place
is clearly broken off
in disgust i put it all back into the box
and put it out on the back porch


where it sat
the rest of the afternoon
 and each person who went by
 commented on the smell
i went upstairs to my office
to gather the print out
of the ebay listing
no mention of smoke or
broken parts
i sent a message to the seller
she responded by calling
 our local pfaff dealer
they told her it is normal for that
part to come off
happens with age
if they can't fix it
they will glue it
really???
hmm...
now i am suspicious
of all my other machines
that i have paid to have
repaired there
is glue holding them together
and that got me thinking
is there a greater message here
what am i suppose to learn
then it dawned on me
i will be handed
a golden opportunity
on a silver platter
this old dog
 just needs to learn a few new tricks
break old habits
now i get it
i think i will go exploring
for a new bernina

Thursday, June 16, 2011

speaking of old dogs...

don't ya just love it when your horoscope reads exactly what you want it to...

June 16, 2011

Capricorn (12/22-1/19)
Teaching an old dog new tricks isn't hard when the dog wants to improve itself! You can sense something new starting in your life, so why not go with this feeling and make some personal changes? In order to take advantage of an upcoming transition, you'll have to let go of a few old habits. But one glimpse at your possible future will show you that all the effort will be worthwhile. Today you will be handed a golden opportunity on a silver platter.

It's a secret. I can tell you it is golden.  Our friends are going to love it. Stitching friends that is:)

Monday, June 13, 2011

old dogs learn new tricks...

i have been
quilting
for many years...
.
decades in fact
yet i have never
not one single time
pieced anything
 using batiks
there i said it
hard to believe i know
not sure why exactly
as i love looking at them
finally
 i decided the time was now
it helped that i fell in love
head over heels in love with
a spring 2011
 hoffman bali pop release
i started out small
important for an old dog
learning a new trick
 by atkinson designs was perfect
when i was finished
i had some leftover strips...

another first for me
an intentionally pieced backing
love how it came out
off it went to be quilted on friday
i can't wait to see

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

with the last child...

there is
a greater sense
of finality...
.

...this will be my last
junior high promotion ceremony
the last time of selecting
 an outfit that fits
 and works in a hot gym
the final speech from a
junior high principal
it's the day the 8th graders
officially become high schoolers
a moment of passage
from one level to another
a time for them to reflect
and prepare for
the next four important years
it also has a sense
 of finality for me it seems
my baby
my last child
is growing up
way too fast at times
yet right on schedule
i'm so proud of you matt
you are finding yourself
with each and every day
and your place in this
life we live
i can't wait to see what
you do with your high school years
i know it will be a journey
 one i am happy to be a part of
congratulations son
you're now officially a
brush arc

Sunday, June 5, 2011

our nation's heroes...

i so take
my life
for granted...
.

...often forgetting
the extreme sacrifices
 men and women
 and their spouses and families
are willing to make
for my freedom
today
 dave leaves on a jet plane
not for vacation
that's for sure
as described by his
commanding officer
for our country
for our freedom
i feel so privileged to have
met dave and his bride kim
on our recent trip to utah
kim is our beloved angel friend
 kristen's sister
one of polly's amazing daughters
please help me pray
 for dave's safety
and that of his unit
also for the families
waiting with concern at home
for his safe return

Thursday, June 2, 2011

questions with no answers...

there are times in life
when one must
rely solely on faith...
.
erin gaydos carlisle
2/18/1986 ~ 5/30/2011
...for there are no answers
no explanations
no foreseeable reasons
that such a beautiful
young woman
having just celebrated
 her first year of marriage
her twenty fifth birthday
working in a field
of helping others
would be taken from her loving
husband, parents and family
so soon
erin's mother and i worked together
when my precious sarah was born
marianne was such a support
helping to link me to services
in the community
offering her ears and shoulders
as i needed them
i truly cannot imagine
the pain she must now be feeling
unfathomable to the human heart
i know their strong faith
will guide them through these
darkest of days
my prayers are with you
gaydos and carlisle families

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

the fallin' arches...

i've always been
a flip flop
kinda gal...
.
...whether they're
in style or out of style
i have collected
quite the pile over the years
in as many colors
 as i can find
in a big ole size ten
i used to wear them
 everywhere
until late last summer
when my arches
started to fall
by then i just pulled out
 the winter shoes
we've had just enough
spring now for me to know
it's time
time to head to a store
solely
for finding a pair
of sandals
with dare i say it
arch support
yikes
 the slide on the other side of fifty
is mighty quick
so how do you like my new
purple no less
i'm pretty excited
better than i expected
and my feet seem
 painfreely happy