What the Point of a Pin?

     Have you tried explaining Pinterest to a guy?  They really don't get it. Fantasy football and such no problem however the idea of you sitting in front of your computer looking at food, clothes and crafts that other women have pinned, cause let's face if most pins aren't from the original creator, they just don't get. Well you have to admit when you think of Pinterest through that perspective what is the point???
     Ok I was quite enthralled with Pinterest when I first discovered it.  The idea of so many wonderful resources in one place.  Seeing what my friends were pinning.  Who liked my pins.  Creating different boards.  Oh Pinterest was so much fun.  It reminded me of when the Sears and JC Penney Christmas Catalogs would arrive.  We'd fold over corners to which items we hoped to get for Christmas.  Even into my teens I remember folding over many more pages than I could ever expect to see under a forest of Christmas trees.
   
OOPS~ Sorry I realize not everyone uses pinterest ~ For those of you who are unfamiliar with pinterest the easiest way to explain it is like this~ imagine having a bulletin board for every specific interest you may have.  Then any time you run across something that you would like to "save" you pin it onto your bulletin board.  Now those boards aren't hanging on the walls of your house for just you to see but on the walls of pinterest for many to see.  And you can see the boards of others as well.

     So why are so many not only drawn but addicted to Pinterest?  I think the reason is we can live out many of our fantasies.  What kind of wedding we want (or wish we had).  What's the latest food craze.  We can like things we might be too shy to actually pin ourselves.  Plan vacations without worrying about a budget We can build our dream house and even dress our dream children.

     I don't know if it is something everyone on pinterest goes through but I think I've passed into a new Pin phase.  Instead of pinning just about everything that caught my eye I now actually give more than a moment's consideration.  I have a couple of boards in different categories that have nagged at me.  What's the point of pinning menus/recipes or crafts/dyi items if I am never going to do anymore than just compile boards of pretty picture?  Haven't I done enough wishing/hoping/dreaming without any action?

     So I have created a new board on pinterest and I've called it Real Life Pins.  Everything on that board is something from pinterest that I have cooked, cleaned, worn or tried.  All right I know this isn't a life shattering declaration.  I also know that I am not going to successfully achieve everything I have pinned.  What I do know is this~ we are going to try some new recipes, Meg will wind up with some new headband (whether she likes them is NOT the goal), I am going to try some new crafts and organizing tips.  AND lucky you will be able to see them as well!

     You can find me on Pinterest as Lady Bren (ohh big surprise)!.  If you are not a member of pinterest and need an invitation just let me know and I will be glad to send one your way.

  ~~~Just moved some items around and I already have 6 pins on my new Real Life Pins Board.! Come check it out

Not laughing at me now are you !!!

    Every generation of parents does things that just drive their kids nuts.  Today's kids are probably the most vocal about their dismay as opposed to their elders but let's be honest if it has happened to every kid.
     Growing up it was my Dad ~ oh how he used to drive me nuts talking to complete strangers in the stores.  Asking them this or that, sharing his opinion as if it truly mattered, just horrible embarrassing things. Well I can assure you that MY kids Never Ever complain about me doing that one.  My Dad also had the habit of actually talking with the sales clerks.  Making eye contact with them, sharing a smile.   But he'd also think nothing of showing those baby pictures in his wallet when we were shopping with him as teens. 
     As if that wasn't enough my Dad had this insane habit of tinkering on things.  Now our house wasn't full of unfinished "stuff" as he would be singularly focused on his treasure until he finished it.  We had some pretty cool things around the house that he brought back to like.  BUT OOHHHHH how embarrassing was it when he asked a neighbor what this thing was in their trash and would they mind if he tried to fix it.  UGGHHH DAD..... of course the child of that family would have to share with everyone at the bus stop how Brenda Fender's Dad (see why I go by Bren) dug something out of their garbage.  It didn't matter that the thing was on top of the garbage for all to see. My Dad was a trash picker!!!
     Well dear friends I have also inherited that trait.  Now let me specify..... I only take what I can see.  A few years ago we were trying to kill grass in an area and so whenever I saw large pieces of wood/paneling I'd throw them in the van and then laid them on the path..... NO Grass.  Like most families with kids in the 90's we have the Little Tykes table with Yellow chairs... found extra chairs.   Emily loves large bags for school and they were lying all over her room..... Now they're on a Hat Tree.
     Regardless of the good intention that I may have with my Treasure Troves from Trash my family loves to pick on me.  In fact recently I decided that I want to create a drip watering system for my garden.  This is going to require a lot of hose.  Well I don't know why but on one Wednesday 3 different families in a part of our neighborhood had hoses out for the next day's trash.  One even had a large hose storage container THAT works.  We now have approximately 150 feet of hose and we haven't found a hole yet!  Why this seems to work so well is that I drive Meg home from Youth on Wednesday so I get to see everyone's trash out for the next.  The boys now know when I call the house at 9pm or so and say meet me in the driveway I have found one of my Treasures.... and the teasing and fussing about carrying out my treasures commences. 

WELL NOT ANYMORE!!!

Patrick like most teens his age wants workout equipment.  However a bowflex isn't happening anytime soon in our budget.  Patrick leads the teasing I usually get when I share the latest treasure find as well as the fussing about carrying it out back. Can you guess where this is going....

Today while driving to church I barely left my driveway when I had to pull over.  

There in a neighbor's drive way sat a weight bench with stack weights!!!

Boy would my Dad be proud!!

Old Meets New

     100+ years ago village women gathered for a quilting bee....40 years ago moms had their coffee clutches.  Then it was taking Jazzercise classes together followed by going for frozen yogurt.  The new millennium brought the coffee clutch back but instead of meeting in some one's home after they get the kids to school they meet at the local Starbucks.  Well tonight I have seen it come full circle.
     When we need to kill some time on "the Island" (Fleming Island for all you not in the know lol) we drag our laptop and hang out at Panera.  Well tonight we did change our routine up a bit. After we dropped the kids off at church (woo hoo all 3) we parked our cars and took a nice 45 minute walk around Eagle Harbor.  Applause please considering I did PT today this really was an accomplishment.  After our walk I volunteered to hang out on the island while Michael went home.  Settled in at Panera I planned on spending the 2 hours playing games and reading blogs but here I am sharing these precious moments with you because this is too cool not to share....
     There is a group of a dozen + women sitting together at Panera.  They've had to pull tables together to fit them all.  So what would this varied group of women with ages ranging from what I would guess to be young 20s to 60+ be doing???? Knitting!! That's right here in the middle of  2011 a group of women are knitting.  This is where it gets even better.  I figured maybe they were from one of the communities around here or possibly one of the churches.  NO these ladies found each other on the Internet.  I kid you not.  So in my lame brain I'm trying to envision a yarn lover's version of match.com.  Couldn't you imagine those ads.. Knit one pearl two WE'LL find a new friend for you!! (Obviously advertising is not one of my fortes) 
    They met through a website called meetup.com  This website is devoted to helping people meet up with others of similar interests!! To show you how out of it I am there are 389 groups with over 40,000 members in 13 countries around the world simply devoted to knitting.  Who knew!!
So have you been to this site?  When the home page comes up it gives you multiple options...where to you live, what are you interested in?  So I decided to have some fun and found myself wanting to join more groups then I could possibly really participate in.  Granted the more rural you live the less choices you have but still I advise a gander.
    So what do you think our grandmas from the 1800's would think of this group here at Panera?  I think they'd order the Broccoli-Cheddar soup and swap out their favorite sweater patterns!

     (Secret: I may have seemed a little stalkerish as I keep staring over at their table absolutely amazed at what they're doing.... Oh how I have always wanted to learn to knit)