More Swappage

The theme of the latest Rubberswap is local stuff, although I personally took a broad interpretation of that. Fortunately I sent mine off just before receiving mine, because, wow, what a package. The lovely Spirals aka Obsessed with Knitting sent me this package of goodies.

All beautifully wrapped.

And inside...



Contents:
Noro pattern book
Gorgeous bamboo silk wool blend yarn - Argosy's Bonsai Bamboo in Vineyard
Cat treats (which my cat will adore!)
Card Case
Stitch markers (they got their own photo - so cute!)
Cupcake mix (must try!)
Card - that's also a scarf pattern
Flamingo Pen
Lovely Charm
So, thanks so much!

Crunch Berries are not a Fruit

Now, I am poking a little fun, although in this constant discussion about whether potato chips are a potato snack or is a burrito is a sandwich, perhaps the question of whether or not a Crunch berry is a fruit is a tiny bit more understandable.
There are several things that fascinate me. Did the woman think that there was a thing called a crunch berry that happened to come in multicolored cereal balls? Did she think crunch berry was a generic cereal term for a crunchy cereal made with some kind of berry? Did she think the fact that such berry was never named anywhere in the ingredients was so that the secret berry concoction would not fall into the hands of competitors? Did the fact that the box states that it is a sweetened corn and oat cereal again speak to the secretive nature of the berries? And how did she find out there were no crunch berries if the information contained on the box was not enough to convince her? Was she at a cocktail party wondering why there were never signs to go crunch berry picking? And, since she apparently also tried to sue Froot loops for also not being made of fruit - did she discover these two thing simultaneously? Or did she switch from Froot Loops after someone wised her up and think well, they spelled berries right, they must be in there somewhere?
(Answer - judge says no, Crunch berries do not exist.)
(H/T to Faster than Kudzu for the link.)
Edited for spelling.

7 Things: Social Networking Sites

1. The internet is a public place. Some corners of it appear a little more private, but that privacy is generally very limited.
2. This means that if you change your Facebook status to engaged*, people will notice. Your mother may not be on Facebook, but I promise you will discover the how six degrees of separation theory doesn't just apply to Kevin Bacon so fast your head will spin.
3. The same applies to tweeting about your pregnancy or otherwise disseminating information. If you put it on the net, it's kinda fair game at that point.
4. Oh, and it also applies to talking smack about someone. A great (yet hard) rule is that never say anything you wouldn't want to own if it made it out farther into the world than the one person you whispered it to. I know I personally do not live up to that standard, but the deal is, you still have to. Because stuff you say, to anyone other than your cat (can't trust dogs - don't you watch those beans ads?) is going to get out. It may take a while, but it will. And thinking that being on the internet shields you is generally crap. It doesn't. You may think your friends all hate widget making and never hang out on the widget sites, but you will likely end up surprised. I used to read one blogger that in his early blogging days referred to relatives by full name. Well, it took a few years but one day they googled themselves.
5. Using fake names only helps if you have disguised the details so much that they no longer resemble reality. You can use filters and stuff to try and help.
6. Now this doesn't mean you can't ever complain about anyone ever. (It certainly hasn't stopped me.) It just means you have to be ready to face up to whatever you put out there.
7. And the final rule - if your spouse is head of a secret organization, maybe Facebook isn't the right place for you.
*I realize there are people who change their status for "fun", and that is all well and good, but again, you should probably tell your parents. Or wait and see. It's up to you.

Patriotic Stuff

One year I panted my fingernails red and my toenails blue and was chastised for
leaving out the white. (The whites of my eyes were white, okay?)
For this year I worked on consumption (although I did sport some patriotic colors
over the weekend).
Red: Wine (from Maryland even), red peppers, strawberries, tomatoes (which, by the way are from North America, so Spain and Italy - you're welcome*)
White: Sugar, Flour, potatoes, chicken, goat cheese, milk, and ginger ice cream
Blue: Blueberries and blue yarn (I did not switch out my knitting projects to
incorporate more patriotic colors, it just happened like that).

Also, if you have not read the if the founder fathers had email over at ALOTT5MA - I
suggest you head there now.

*Yes, I know other countries use them too.

This is my Butt

Okay, a fellow raveler pointed me to these cat butt towel holders. (They may be funnier if you are well acquainted with cats.) In a moment of daring I did a search on Amazon and discovered that you can also, should you wish to, purchase cat but magnets and coasters. But my favorite has to be cat butt gum. The box declares that it contains eight pieces of kiss my ass attitude. I'm not sure if I could chew gum that came out of a box with a cat butt, but I do know what I'm getting my mother for her birthday.