11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
indonesia new car sales forecast 2012
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Indonesia stock info indonesia new car sales forecast 2012, indonesia auto market share forecast 2012, Toyota market share, honda market share ; Gaikindo record sales in the first quarter of 2012 reached about 250 thousand units and memperikirakan second quarter 2012 sales reached 250 thousand, so the sales figures in the first semester reached 500 thousand units.
After the policy of minimum down payment car loans and the issue of rising fuel prices at the beginning of the year, vehicle sales in the second half of 2012 could be dropped to 375 thousand units," Sudirman said.
Gaikindo, according to Sudirman, the previous estimate of motor vehicle sales in Indonesia in 2012 about 940 thousand units, but estimates it will decline to approximately 875 thousand units.
According to data GAIKINDO, 65 percent of new car sales in Indonesia carried out with credit. Especially for middle-segment products under such a low MPV (Avanza, Xenia, APV, Gran Max, Ertiga) the composition of credit to 75 percent.
"Segment (lower middle) is the majority of DP was only 10-15 percent. With the rise in the purchasing power of the DP is reduced, the price of Rp 120 million cars a minimum of Rp40 million needed money to buy a car," Johnny Darmawan beber, President Director of PT Toyota Astra Motor
After the policy of minimum down payment car loans and the issue of rising fuel prices at the beginning of the year, vehicle sales in the second half of 2012 could be dropped to 375 thousand units," Sudirman said.
Gaikindo, according to Sudirman, the previous estimate of motor vehicle sales in Indonesia in 2012 about 940 thousand units, but estimates it will decline to approximately 875 thousand units.
According to data GAIKINDO, 65 percent of new car sales in Indonesia carried out with credit. Especially for middle-segment products under such a low MPV (Avanza, Xenia, APV, Gran Max, Ertiga) the composition of credit to 75 percent.
"Segment (lower middle) is the majority of DP was only 10-15 percent. With the rise in the purchasing power of the DP is reduced, the price of Rp 120 million cars a minimum of Rp40 million needed money to buy a car," Johnny Darmawan beber, President Director of PT Toyota Astra Motor
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Apple stock prices jump 25 2012
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Indonesia stock info - Apple stock prices jump 25 2012 ; Apple’s stock shot up more than $50 a share Wednesday after its quarterly profit blew away Wall Street expectations. The surge propelled the Nasdaq composite index to what would easily be its biggest gain of the year.
Apple climbed more than 10 percent in early trading, enough to make back most of what it lost during a two-week slump before the earnings announcement late Tuesday.
The company turned a profit of $11.6 billion from January through March, or $12.30 per share. That is almost double what it made in the same quarter a year earlier and far above the $10.07 that Wall Street was expecting.
Apple sold 35 million iPhones during the first quarter. One possible reason for the two-week slump was an analyst’s suggestion that Apple could not keep up the momentum in its iPhone sales.
Stock in Apple, the most valuable public company in the world, hit $644 in intraday trading on April 10. It slid as low as $579 a share a week later. On Wednesday, it was up $54 to $614.53.
The gain in Apple stock helped power the Nasdaq to a gain of 67 points, to 3,029, just after 10 a.m. EDT. Apple makes up 12 percent of the Nasdaq, by far the biggest component.
The Dow Jones industrial average, which does not include Apple, was up 84 points at 13,085. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which does include Apple, was up 16 points to 1,387.
European markets also rose. Benchmark stock indexes were up 2.5 percent in Madrid and Paris, 2 percent in Frankfurt and 0.4 percent in London.
Apple may not be an economic bellwether, but it is ‘‘an important confidence indicator for the market as a whole, so these figures will help sentiment today,’’ said Gary Jenkins, managing director at Swordfish Research in London.
In the United States, Apple helped technology stocks in the S&P to a 3 percent gain as a group, easily the best-performing industry in the market. Materials stocks and consumer discretionary companies were also having a strong day.
The dollar and U.S. Treasury prices fell as investors moved money out of safe assets.
Among other stocks making moves:
— Boeing rose 4.3 percent, the best performer among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow. Its first-quarter profit soared 58 percent. Airlines around the world are updating their fleets with more fuel-efficient planes.
— US Airways climbed 1.9 percent. It raised fares to offset higher fuel prices and beat expectations for earnings. US Airways has won the support of unions at American Airlines, which is in bankruptcy protection, for a merger.
Apple climbed more than 10 percent in early trading, enough to make back most of what it lost during a two-week slump before the earnings announcement late Tuesday.
The company turned a profit of $11.6 billion from January through March, or $12.30 per share. That is almost double what it made in the same quarter a year earlier and far above the $10.07 that Wall Street was expecting.
Apple sold 35 million iPhones during the first quarter. One possible reason for the two-week slump was an analyst’s suggestion that Apple could not keep up the momentum in its iPhone sales.
Stock in Apple, the most valuable public company in the world, hit $644 in intraday trading on April 10. It slid as low as $579 a share a week later. On Wednesday, it was up $54 to $614.53.
The gain in Apple stock helped power the Nasdaq to a gain of 67 points, to 3,029, just after 10 a.m. EDT. Apple makes up 12 percent of the Nasdaq, by far the biggest component.
The Dow Jones industrial average, which does not include Apple, was up 84 points at 13,085. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which does include Apple, was up 16 points to 1,387.
European markets also rose. Benchmark stock indexes were up 2.5 percent in Madrid and Paris, 2 percent in Frankfurt and 0.4 percent in London.
Apple may not be an economic bellwether, but it is ‘‘an important confidence indicator for the market as a whole, so these figures will help sentiment today,’’ said Gary Jenkins, managing director at Swordfish Research in London.
In the United States, Apple helped technology stocks in the S&P to a 3 percent gain as a group, easily the best-performing industry in the market. Materials stocks and consumer discretionary companies were also having a strong day.
The dollar and U.S. Treasury prices fell as investors moved money out of safe assets.
Among other stocks making moves:
— Boeing rose 4.3 percent, the best performer among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow. Its first-quarter profit soared 58 percent. Airlines around the world are updating their fleets with more fuel-efficient planes.
— US Airways climbed 1.9 percent. It raised fares to offset higher fuel prices and beat expectations for earnings. US Airways has won the support of unions at American Airlines, which is in bankruptcy protection, for a merger.
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Asian stock markets higher april 26 2012
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Indonesia stock info - Asian stock markets higher april 26 2012 ;Asian stock markets were mostly higher Thursday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke left the door open for more stimulus measures ahead.
U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday on news the Federal Open Market Committee remained committed to keeping low interest rates at least until late 2014, while Bernanke said the central bank was ready to ease monetary policy further if needed.
But some analysts cautioned against being overly bullish for a next round of quantitative easing in the near-term.
"Although the Fed has expressed a willingness to embark of further stimulus, in essence the central bank would need to see a deterioration in growth and weaker inflation to feasibly embark on another round of quantitative easing," said Melbourne-based Christopher Gore, a currency analyst at Go Markets in a note.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.3%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6%, South Korea's Kospi Composite gained 0.3% and New Zealand's NZX-50 was down 0.1%.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down three points in screen trade.
Cyclical plays such as resources and exporters broadly rallied across the region after the Fed reiterated its decision to maintain a low interest rate environment for the next two years.
Rio Tinto gained 1.2% and Santos added 1.6% in Sydney, while Sony climbed 1.1%, Inpex rose 1.0% and Sumitomo Metal Mining tacked on 1.1% in Tokyo. In Seoul, Hyundai Motor rose 1.6% while SK Innovation gained 1.5%.
Some Korean technology stocks also received a boost from Apple Inc's sharp gains Wednesday on its stellar second quarter earnings.
Samsung Electronics added 1.4% while SK Hynix rose 0.9%.
Earnings season was in full swing in Tokyo with Fanuc falling 6.1%, despite posting solid fiscal year earnings, as it stayed cautious over the near-term business outlook. Advantest however, gained 2.9% on continued expectations for an earnings recovery, with the firm due to report fiscal year results after the market's close.
The U.S. dollar remained rangebound against the euro after falling on Fed Chief Bernanke's remarks of more easing measures for the U.S. economy if they are required.
"Although the immediate reaction to the Fed announcement has been muted, we think it is consistent with our view that the (U.S. dollar) will strengthen against lower yielding currencies over the medium term," said Barclays analysts in a note to clients.
The single currency was at $1.3222 against the greenback from $1.3228 late Wednesday in New York, and at Y107.60 versus the Japanese yen from Y107.50. The U.S. dollar was at Y81.37 from Y81.35.
With the FOMC decision out of the way, investors will likely turn their attention to the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting on Friday for further cues on the direction of the yen.
Spot gold was at $1,643.90 per troy ounce, down 40 cents from its New York settlement on Wednesday. June Nymex crude oil futures were 10 cents lower at $104.02 per barrel on Globex.
U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday on news the Federal Open Market Committee remained committed to keeping low interest rates at least until late 2014, while Bernanke said the central bank was ready to ease monetary policy further if needed.
But some analysts cautioned against being overly bullish for a next round of quantitative easing in the near-term.
"Although the Fed has expressed a willingness to embark of further stimulus, in essence the central bank would need to see a deterioration in growth and weaker inflation to feasibly embark on another round of quantitative easing," said Melbourne-based Christopher Gore, a currency analyst at Go Markets in a note.
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.3%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6%, South Korea's Kospi Composite gained 0.3% and New Zealand's NZX-50 was down 0.1%.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down three points in screen trade.
Cyclical plays such as resources and exporters broadly rallied across the region after the Fed reiterated its decision to maintain a low interest rate environment for the next two years.
Rio Tinto gained 1.2% and Santos added 1.6% in Sydney, while Sony climbed 1.1%, Inpex rose 1.0% and Sumitomo Metal Mining tacked on 1.1% in Tokyo. In Seoul, Hyundai Motor rose 1.6% while SK Innovation gained 1.5%.
Some Korean technology stocks also received a boost from Apple Inc's sharp gains Wednesday on its stellar second quarter earnings.
Samsung Electronics added 1.4% while SK Hynix rose 0.9%.
Earnings season was in full swing in Tokyo with Fanuc falling 6.1%, despite posting solid fiscal year earnings, as it stayed cautious over the near-term business outlook. Advantest however, gained 2.9% on continued expectations for an earnings recovery, with the firm due to report fiscal year results after the market's close.
The U.S. dollar remained rangebound against the euro after falling on Fed Chief Bernanke's remarks of more easing measures for the U.S. economy if they are required.
"Although the immediate reaction to the Fed announcement has been muted, we think it is consistent with our view that the (U.S. dollar) will strengthen against lower yielding currencies over the medium term," said Barclays analysts in a note to clients.
The single currency was at $1.3222 against the greenback from $1.3228 late Wednesday in New York, and at Y107.60 versus the Japanese yen from Y107.50. The U.S. dollar was at Y81.37 from Y81.35.
With the FOMC decision out of the way, investors will likely turn their attention to the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting on Friday for further cues on the direction of the yen.
Spot gold was at $1,643.90 per troy ounce, down 40 cents from its New York settlement on Wednesday. June Nymex crude oil futures were 10 cents lower at $104.02 per barrel on Globex.
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Astra International (ASII) net profits march 2012
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Indonesia stock info - Astra International (ASII) net profits march 2012 ; Indonesian diversified group PT Astra International (ASII) maintained meaningful growth in the first quarter of the year amid a projected decline in automotive sales due to the central bank’s minimum down-payment policy and the government’s fuel-price hike plan.
ASII booked Rp 4.65 trillion (US$ 511 million) in net profits in the first three months of the year, an 8 percent increase compared to Rp 4.3 trillion in the same period last year.
The growth in net profits was supported by a 20 percent jump in consolidated revenue to Rp 46.35 trillion in the first quarter of the year from Rp 38.69 trillion in 2011.
ASII president director Prijono Sugiarto said the company expected a short-term impact from the implementation of minimum down-payments for automotive loans on its subsidiaries in the automotive business and financial services sector.
The central bank, Bank Indonesia, will implement on June 15 new regulations that demand a minimum down payment of 25 percent for motorcycle loans and 30 percent for car loans.
The Association of Indonesian Automotive manufacturers (Gaikindo) recently downgraded its estimate of the country’s automotive sales to 875,000 units this year from a previous projection of 940,000 units as a consequence of the regulation.
According to Gaikindo, 65 percent of sales of new cars in the country are supported by credit from financing institutions.
Prior to the regulations, customer could take home motorcycles and cars after paying only 10 to 15 percent of the vehicle’s total price. In some cases, down payments were even waived.
ASII, which relies heavily on its automotive businesses compared to other segments, including mining services and agriculture, is expected to suffer from the new down-payment regulations.
The automotive business contributed about 52 percent of ASII’s revenue during the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, financial services — in which ASII has subsidiaries, such as PT Astra Sedaya Finance and PT Toyota Astra Finance, providing loans for various popular automotive brands — contributed about 6 percent to the group’s total revenue.
Nationally sales of cars increased by 11 percent to 251,000 units in the first three months of the year, of which ASII took a 58 percent share with sales totaling 146,000 units.
Meanwhile, the group also achieved an increased share of the motorcycle market to 55 percent, with sales of 1.1 million Honda units, out of national motorcycle sales of 1.9 million units.
ASII also saw an increased contribution from its heavy equipment and mining segments. Its 59.6 percent owned subsidiary, PT United Tractors (UNTR), managed a 17.63 percent increase in net profits to Rp 1.53 trillion, up from Rp 1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2011.
UNTR reaped Rp 15.03 trillion in revenue during the January to March period, increasing by 18 percent from Rp 12.65 trillion in the same period last year.
ASII experienced a lower contribution of Rp 301 billion from its agribusiness subsidiary. Its 79.7 percent owned subsidiary PT Astra Agro Lestari (AALI) suffered a 42 percent drop in net profits to Rp 378 billion in the January-to-March period from Rp 654 billion in the same period last year.
“Although production increased by 5 percent to 289,000 tons, decreases in the average price of CPO [Crude Palm Oil] by 7 percent as well as growing production and operational costs led to AALI’s lower performance,” ASII said.
Another subsidiary, PT Bank Permata, reported a slight increase in net profits of 3 percent to Rp 331 billion, thanks to growing interest income and fee-based income.
Component manufacturer PT Astra Otoparts, of which ASII holds 95.7 percent ownership, reported Rp 263 billion in net profits, a slight 2 percent increase year on year.
Shares in ASII closed at Rp 70,900 on Wednesday, maintaining its position as the largest company by market capitalization with Rp 287 trillion out of the bourse’s total value of Rp 3,921 trillion as of Wednesday.
ASII booked Rp 4.65 trillion (US$ 511 million) in net profits in the first three months of the year, an 8 percent increase compared to Rp 4.3 trillion in the same period last year.
The growth in net profits was supported by a 20 percent jump in consolidated revenue to Rp 46.35 trillion in the first quarter of the year from Rp 38.69 trillion in 2011.
ASII president director Prijono Sugiarto said the company expected a short-term impact from the implementation of minimum down-payments for automotive loans on its subsidiaries in the automotive business and financial services sector.
The central bank, Bank Indonesia, will implement on June 15 new regulations that demand a minimum down payment of 25 percent for motorcycle loans and 30 percent for car loans.
The Association of Indonesian Automotive manufacturers (Gaikindo) recently downgraded its estimate of the country’s automotive sales to 875,000 units this year from a previous projection of 940,000 units as a consequence of the regulation.
According to Gaikindo, 65 percent of sales of new cars in the country are supported by credit from financing institutions.
Prior to the regulations, customer could take home motorcycles and cars after paying only 10 to 15 percent of the vehicle’s total price. In some cases, down payments were even waived.
ASII, which relies heavily on its automotive businesses compared to other segments, including mining services and agriculture, is expected to suffer from the new down-payment regulations.
The automotive business contributed about 52 percent of ASII’s revenue during the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, financial services — in which ASII has subsidiaries, such as PT Astra Sedaya Finance and PT Toyota Astra Finance, providing loans for various popular automotive brands — contributed about 6 percent to the group’s total revenue.
Nationally sales of cars increased by 11 percent to 251,000 units in the first three months of the year, of which ASII took a 58 percent share with sales totaling 146,000 units.
Meanwhile, the group also achieved an increased share of the motorcycle market to 55 percent, with sales of 1.1 million Honda units, out of national motorcycle sales of 1.9 million units.
ASII also saw an increased contribution from its heavy equipment and mining segments. Its 59.6 percent owned subsidiary, PT United Tractors (UNTR), managed a 17.63 percent increase in net profits to Rp 1.53 trillion, up from Rp 1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2011.
UNTR reaped Rp 15.03 trillion in revenue during the January to March period, increasing by 18 percent from Rp 12.65 trillion in the same period last year.
ASII experienced a lower contribution of Rp 301 billion from its agribusiness subsidiary. Its 79.7 percent owned subsidiary PT Astra Agro Lestari (AALI) suffered a 42 percent drop in net profits to Rp 378 billion in the January-to-March period from Rp 654 billion in the same period last year.
“Although production increased by 5 percent to 289,000 tons, decreases in the average price of CPO [Crude Palm Oil] by 7 percent as well as growing production and operational costs led to AALI’s lower performance,” ASII said.
Another subsidiary, PT Bank Permata, reported a slight increase in net profits of 3 percent to Rp 331 billion, thanks to growing interest income and fee-based income.
Component manufacturer PT Astra Otoparts, of which ASII holds 95.7 percent ownership, reported Rp 263 billion in net profits, a slight 2 percent increase year on year.
Shares in ASII closed at Rp 70,900 on Wednesday, maintaining its position as the largest company by market capitalization with Rp 287 trillion out of the bourse’s total value of Rp 3,921 trillion as of Wednesday.
Starbucks Q2 earning estimates report april 26 2012
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Indonesia stock info - Starbucks Q2 earning estimates report april 26 2012 ; Starbucks (SBUX) is expected to report Q2 earnings after the market close on Thursday, April 26 with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET.
Analysts are looking for EPS of 39c on revenue of $3.18B. The consensus range is 37c-43c for EPS, and $3.09B-$3.25B for revenue, according to First Call. Starbucks has announced several new programs in recent months, including initiatives to sell single-serve coffee machines and energy drinks, and offer alcohol and juice in select locations. The company also announced that it expects to open 1,500 stores in China by 2015, and significantly accelerate the pace of its expansion in that country.
Investors will be looking to receive more information during the company's conference call about the pace at which the new initiatives will be launched, and how they are performing so far. Investors will also be interested in hearing about Starbucks' outlook in China, where the economy's growth has been slowing. One important tailwind for Starbucks has been coffee prices, which hit 18 month lows on April 17. Moreover, Starbucks has said that it expects coffee prices to fall further in the second half of the year. Analysts have been mostly upbeat on the coffee retailer, which hit a multi-year high of $62 of April 13, but has since declined slightly.
Analyst Views
On April 18, Credit Suisse increased its target on the company to $67 from $56, citing lower commodity prices. The firm maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs on April 4 raised the stock to Conviction Buy from Neutral. The firm expects the company to grow as a result of emerging market expansion,success in its single-serve initiative, U.S. same-store-sales increases, and a plateau in coffee costs. Goldman increased its target on the stock to $66 from $49.
Analysts are looking for EPS of 39c on revenue of $3.18B. The consensus range is 37c-43c for EPS, and $3.09B-$3.25B for revenue, according to First Call. Starbucks has announced several new programs in recent months, including initiatives to sell single-serve coffee machines and energy drinks, and offer alcohol and juice in select locations. The company also announced that it expects to open 1,500 stores in China by 2015, and significantly accelerate the pace of its expansion in that country.
Investors will be looking to receive more information during the company's conference call about the pace at which the new initiatives will be launched, and how they are performing so far. Investors will also be interested in hearing about Starbucks' outlook in China, where the economy's growth has been slowing. One important tailwind for Starbucks has been coffee prices, which hit 18 month lows on April 17. Moreover, Starbucks has said that it expects coffee prices to fall further in the second half of the year. Analysts have been mostly upbeat on the coffee retailer, which hit a multi-year high of $62 of April 13, but has since declined slightly.
Analyst Views
On April 18, Credit Suisse increased its target on the company to $67 from $56, citing lower commodity prices. The firm maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs on April 4 raised the stock to Conviction Buy from Neutral. The firm expects the company to grow as a result of emerging market expansion,success in its single-serve initiative, U.S. same-store-sales increases, and a plateau in coffee costs. Goldman increased its target on the stock to $66 from $49.
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8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Asian stock markets april 27 2012
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Indonesia stock info - Asian stock markets april 27 2012 ; Asian stock markets made only limited headway Friday as traders weighed positive U.S. company earnings and home sales against growing signs of recession in Europe.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.1 percent to 9,551.12 ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting. Investors are hoping the central bank will increase its bond-buying program to support the country's economy.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 20,876.34 and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.5 percent to 1,972.71.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 4,365.70 amid signs of a weakening consumer market. Retailers JB Hi-Fi fell 5.3 percent and Harvey Norman lost 3.6 percent.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest consumer electronics firm by revenue, jumped 2.8 percent after reporting a record-high quarterly profit.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.1 percent to 9,551.12 ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting. Investors are hoping the central bank will increase its bond-buying program to support the country's economy.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 20,876.34 and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.5 percent to 1,972.71.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 4,365.70 amid signs of a weakening consumer market. Retailers JB Hi-Fi fell 5.3 percent and Harvey Norman lost 3.6 percent.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest consumer electronics firm by revenue, jumped 2.8 percent after reporting a record-high quarterly profit.
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A HealthCentral Collection
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It's been really busy around here lately, so I haven't had time to give you links to my recent HealthCentral articles. Therefore, you get three for the price of one! May is Arthritis Awareness Monthly in the US and we therefore have a lot of things on the go on HealthCentral's RA site.
First, and most importantly, our spectacular, wonderful, fabulous RA Awareness Contest! This runs through the month of May - deadline for entering is May 31 11:59 PM ET. It has some pretty terrific prizes - three Visa cards ($275, $150 and $75) that you can spend a medication, chocolate, books or whatever heals you the most at that moment. Not only can you win a prize, but this contest also has real potential for changing the world! Each entry is an idea for building bridges and raising awareness about RA. We hope that at the end of the month, we will have a long list of doable, practical ways of taking action to create community and raise awareness.
The second post is Awareness and Action with The Arthritis Foundation. It includes an interview with Dr. Patience White, VP of Public Help for The Arthritis Foundation, as well an interview with the mother of this year's Arthritis Walk Youth Honorees. The honorees are Amelia and Liberty Shultz, who both have RA. And they are four and two and a half years old. This article also includes information about some pretty exciting initiatives the Foundation is launching this month.
My most recent post is Show Us Your Hands!: A Story of Hope and Community. In it, I interview RA Guy, Cathy and myself about SUYH and our recent photo book Our Hands Can! Yes, I interviewed myself. It was a little weird.
First, and most importantly, our spectacular, wonderful, fabulous RA Awareness Contest! This runs through the month of May - deadline for entering is May 31 11:59 PM ET. It has some pretty terrific prizes - three Visa cards ($275, $150 and $75) that you can spend a medication, chocolate, books or whatever heals you the most at that moment. Not only can you win a prize, but this contest also has real potential for changing the world! Each entry is an idea for building bridges and raising awareness about RA. We hope that at the end of the month, we will have a long list of doable, practical ways of taking action to create community and raise awareness.
The second post is Awareness and Action with The Arthritis Foundation. It includes an interview with Dr. Patience White, VP of Public Help for The Arthritis Foundation, as well an interview with the mother of this year's Arthritis Walk Youth Honorees. The honorees are Amelia and Liberty Shultz, who both have RA. And they are four and two and a half years old. This article also includes information about some pretty exciting initiatives the Foundation is launching this month.
My most recent post is Show Us Your Hands!: A Story of Hope and Community. In it, I interview RA Guy, Cathy and myself about SUYH and our recent photo book Our Hands Can! Yes, I interviewed myself. It was a little weird.
Ease-of-Use: Rexam 1-Clic Prescription Vial
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The ArthritisFoundation’s Ease-of-Use Commendation recognizes products proven to make lifeeasier for people who have arthritis and other physical limitations. Theseproducts are independently tested by experts and evaluated by people witharthritis. I have been asked to review a number of Ease-of-Use products duringMay, Arthritis Awareness Month in the US. My mother, who has moderate osteoarthritis in herhands, is helping by testing some of these products, as well.
Have you ever get bested by a bottle of prescriptionmedication? Y’know the childproof ones that require you to hold the cap downand turn at the same time. I've never been able to open those. And there youare, pain shooting into the stratosphere, the meds that can help you so near,yet so far away. Wouldn't it be nice if someone invented a bottle forprescription medication that was easier to use?
Well, someone has. More specifically, Rexam developed the1-Clic Packaging System and it has received a Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-UseCommendation. Aside from the audible click that tells you whether the bottle isproperly closed, this brilliant invention approaches a secure prescriptionbottle in another way. To open this one, you press down the tab just below thecap and turn the cap with your other hand.
Lucy was part of the assessment
"That’s easy!" Said my mother upon trying it. Ibelieve that for the majority of people with arthritis, it would be. Very easy,as well as childproof in the same way that the regular prescription vials are.
However, for people like myself who live on the extreme endof the continuum with severe damage and deformity in their hands and verylimited strength and dexterity, it may not be. I had a lot of trouble topressing the tab. My left thumb could do it, but it hurt and as for my rightthumb? Fuhgeddaboudit. My pharmacist gives me this type of caps on my vials,but they could be problematic if you have kids in the house.
Overall, this product is a definite improvement on what'spreviously been available.
edit: there have been a couple of comments remarking on how this tab system looks hard for aching fingers. I want to clarify that I think you have to be very wrecked in order not to be able to use it. My thumb joints are just that: very wrecked and unstable to boot. I think my problem relates more to the instability than the pain and other damage. It's worth giving it a try to see if it'd work for you - once the tab's down even a tiny bit, the cap turns easily.
Other bloggersinvolved in reviewing Ease-of-Use products are Felicia Fibro, Peachy Pains and Dog in the Dorm: Life with Holden.
Have you ever get bested by a bottle of prescriptionmedication? Y’know the childproof ones that require you to hold the cap downand turn at the same time. I've never been able to open those. And there youare, pain shooting into the stratosphere, the meds that can help you so near,yet so far away. Wouldn't it be nice if someone invented a bottle forprescription medication that was easier to use?
Well, someone has. More specifically, Rexam developed the1-Clic Packaging System and it has received a Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-UseCommendation. Aside from the audible click that tells you whether the bottle isproperly closed, this brilliant invention approaches a secure prescriptionbottle in another way. To open this one, you press down the tab just below thecap and turn the cap with your other hand.
Lucy was part of the assessment
"That’s easy!" Said my mother upon trying it. Ibelieve that for the majority of people with arthritis, it would be. Very easy,as well as childproof in the same way that the regular prescription vials are.
However, for people like myself who live on the extreme endof the continuum with severe damage and deformity in their hands and verylimited strength and dexterity, it may not be. I had a lot of trouble topressing the tab. My left thumb could do it, but it hurt and as for my rightthumb? Fuhgeddaboudit. My pharmacist gives me this type of caps on my vials,but they could be problematic if you have kids in the house.
Overall, this product is a definite improvement on what'spreviously been available.
edit: there have been a couple of comments remarking on how this tab system looks hard for aching fingers. I want to clarify that I think you have to be very wrecked in order not to be able to use it. My thumb joints are just that: very wrecked and unstable to boot. I think my problem relates more to the instability than the pain and other damage. It's worth giving it a try to see if it'd work for you - once the tab's down even a tiny bit, the cap turns easily.
Other bloggersinvolved in reviewing Ease-of-Use products are Felicia Fibro, Peachy Pains and Dog in the Dorm: Life with Holden.
Bliss
To contact us Click HERE
How do you describe perfection? Well, there's the smile of my face that's been around since Saturday. It was the start of my and The Boy's anniversary weekend and we started at Cavalia.
What's Cavalia? It's heaven on earth, especially if you're fond of horses. Which I am. I saw the original show (twice) several years ago and remember it as breathtaking, transporting, mesmerizing and in general the best show I've ever seen. Naturally, I've been checking their website regularly to see when they'd next be coming to Toronto. Last week was the premiere of their new show Odysseo (review with video here). And when we saw that now was the time, we immediately got tickets.
The show was amazing! Mindblowing,mesmerizing, transporting, took you into another world. We were as close to the "stage" as you could get and the only way I could've been happier was if I'd been part of the show. Afterwards, we stood around for a while and with others in the audience, got the chance to talk to one of the performers (his person did most of the talking)
The reason we were standing around was that we'd gotten the kinds of tickets that included a tour of the stables. Let me add a few of these !!!!!!!!!!! because that's how I felt. David said the reason the following photo is a little blurry is because I was vibrating with happiness. I could say it was because no flash photography was allowed in the stables, but who are we kidding? I was vibrating. Mor was, too (part of her seen behind me and just as excited)
Photo by David
Signs of the residents got us even more excited
Walking by the tack room and inhaling the scent of leather... wonderful! Imagine that blended with the scent of horses, one of my top three favourite smells (along with ocean and freshly cut grass). The sounds of the stables were the perfect accompaniment, sounds of soft whickering and blows making it feel like home
Very frustratingly, the stalls had very high walls and all I saw was ears. Until a wonderful staff member opened a door and I met this guy
Also said hi to this curious fella
This one named Chief might have been my favourite. Got nice and close (wanted to get closer, but we weren't allowed to touch)
Photo by David
What a gentle soul
Wonderful night and just as the first two times I visited this world, I left a little of my heart in the tents. I'd happily pay money to be allowed to muck out the stables, if only I could travel with them...
Photo by David
If you have a chance, get tickets.
What's Cavalia? It's heaven on earth, especially if you're fond of horses. Which I am. I saw the original show (twice) several years ago and remember it as breathtaking, transporting, mesmerizing and in general the best show I've ever seen. Naturally, I've been checking their website regularly to see when they'd next be coming to Toronto. Last week was the premiere of their new show Odysseo (review with video here). And when we saw that now was the time, we immediately got tickets.
The show was amazing! Mindblowing,mesmerizing, transporting, took you into another world. We were as close to the "stage" as you could get and the only way I could've been happier was if I'd been part of the show. Afterwards, we stood around for a while and with others in the audience, got the chance to talk to one of the performers (his person did most of the talking)
The reason we were standing around was that we'd gotten the kinds of tickets that included a tour of the stables. Let me add a few of these !!!!!!!!!!! because that's how I felt. David said the reason the following photo is a little blurry is because I was vibrating with happiness. I could say it was because no flash photography was allowed in the stables, but who are we kidding? I was vibrating. Mor was, too (part of her seen behind me and just as excited)
Photo by David Signs of the residents got us even more excited
Walking by the tack room and inhaling the scent of leather... wonderful! Imagine that blended with the scent of horses, one of my top three favourite smells (along with ocean and freshly cut grass). The sounds of the stables were the perfect accompaniment, sounds of soft whickering and blows making it feel like home
Very frustratingly, the stalls had very high walls and all I saw was ears. Until a wonderful staff member opened a door and I met this guy
Also said hi to this curious fella
This one named Chief might have been my favourite. Got nice and close (wanted to get closer, but we weren't allowed to touch)
Photo by DavidWhat a gentle soul
Wonderful night and just as the first two times I visited this world, I left a little of my heart in the tents. I'd happily pay money to be allowed to muck out the stables, if only I could travel with them...
Photo by DavidIf you have a chance, get tickets.
Patients' Access to Treatments Act/10 Grassroots Advocates
To contact us Click HERE
The last week of Arthritis Awareness Month had me writing about advocacy in two different spectrums (spectra??).
First, the Patients' Access to Treatments Act.This is an important bipartisan initiative to limit insurance companies from charging more in co-pays for Biologics than for other drugs:
"When you have rheumatoid arthritis, medication can be an essential part of controlling the disease and managing symptoms. This is the moment where those who are insured breathe a deep, relieved breath. At least they won't have to worry about medication cost. Or will they?"
The rest of that post is here.
Also this week, I had the privilege of profiling ten amazing people in the inflammatory arthritis community, talking about what they do to advocate and raise awareness:
"Many people who live with rheumatoid arthritis are engaged in advocacy and raising awareness in one way or another. Many more want to get involved, but have limited energy or don’t know what to do. As part of our celebration of Arthritis Awareness Month, we wanted to profile a number of people who have found various ways, big and small, to spread the word. We hope that these stories might inspire you by showing that there is a range of activities you can do to advocate and raise awareness, depending on your health, energy and time. All of the people profiled do this is a labor of love by donating their time to the cause."
You can read the rest of that post here.
And now: weekend. I hope yours is wonderful.
First, the Patients' Access to Treatments Act.This is an important bipartisan initiative to limit insurance companies from charging more in co-pays for Biologics than for other drugs:
"When you have rheumatoid arthritis, medication can be an essential part of controlling the disease and managing symptoms. This is the moment where those who are insured breathe a deep, relieved breath. At least they won't have to worry about medication cost. Or will they?"
The rest of that post is here.
Also this week, I had the privilege of profiling ten amazing people in the inflammatory arthritis community, talking about what they do to advocate and raise awareness:
"Many people who live with rheumatoid arthritis are engaged in advocacy and raising awareness in one way or another. Many more want to get involved, but have limited energy or don’t know what to do. As part of our celebration of Arthritis Awareness Month, we wanted to profile a number of people who have found various ways, big and small, to spread the word. We hope that these stories might inspire you by showing that there is a range of activities you can do to advocate and raise awareness, depending on your health, energy and time. All of the people profiled do this is a labor of love by donating their time to the cause."
You can read the rest of that post here.
And now: weekend. I hope yours is wonderful.
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
The Sanest Thing I Ever Did
To contact us Click HERE
Sometimes, there’s nothing for it. Sometimes, you try andtry and try and then you try some more, but you can’t get past where you are.Sometimes, the struggle takes on a life of its own, colouring everything elsearound you, making it impossible to have a moment that is free and pure ofworry. Sometimes, it turns you into an modern-day Sisyphus, pushing the rock upthe hill over and over, only to have it roll down again. Sometimes, you get solost in the fight that you lose perspective, instead blindly moving through amorass of futility.
Sometimes, you have to surrender to reality.
Six months ago, I was one of the spokespeople for The HealthCouncil of Canada’s report about people who live with chronic illness and theirchallenges within the healthcare system. My story focused on the cost ofchronic illness – the money. Because having a chronic illness is expensive. Add a disability on top of that and it becomes major money.
We don't talk about the money. It's not polite to talk aboutmoney and it's certainly not polite to talk about having money trouble. And Istruggled a fair bit before I decided to be more open about it. On both the internet and television,no less. As part of the spokesperson experience, I was interviewed by Global Newsand at the end of that interview when the reporter asked me how I managed, Imade a smartass comment about being very grateful to Visa for all their help.
The problem with Visa is that they want their money back.The problem with having a chronic illness and a disability is that the expensesare never-ending and substantial. In the past nine years, I have spent somewherein the neighbourhood of $65,000 on the medications and equipment (wheelchair,automatic door opener, etc) that I need to live. Even with having a part-time job for the past four years,that's a lot more money going out than coming in.
Three years ago, I looked into declaring bankruptcy.Ultimately, I decided against it because I couldn't afford to not have mycredit cards. Credit was the only reason I could afford my meds, random wheelchairrepairs and the like. I took a look at my debt and I took a look at the factthat I had a job and was convinced I could deal with it, sure I could get ahead somehow.
I was completely deluded. I couldn't deal with it, I couldn't get ahead of it. Asthe medication costs continued, as my grocery bill grew because my body becameless cooperative in terms of what food it would tolerate and as my wheelchaircontinued to be a lemon that needs a ridiculous amount of repairs, the costskept rising and so did my debt load.
For a long time now, I have become nauseated every time Ipay my bills. For long time, I have managed to only pay the minimum payment onmy debt every month, essentially just the interest. And for a long time, I haverun out of money around the 18th of every month and needed to use credit to buygroceries.
This is not a recipe for paying off your debt. All this doesis increase it, gradually, inexorably, nauseatingly.
There is a saying attributed to a variety of people (includingFreud and Einstein) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thingover and over again and expecting a different result. Recently, I took a long,hard look at my life and realized I needed to face facts: to continue on thisroad came awfully close to meeting that definition.
And then I wrestled with the shame. Because you're supposedto honour your debt. It's how I've been raised and it's a deeply held value notonly within myself, but in our society. How do you get to the point where youcan admit to yourself - and others - that you need help?
A couple of years when I first looked into bankruptcy, Italked to a wonderful bankruptcy trustee who did much to take away the feelingsof shame. I also have a good friend or two who's going through it and seeingthem get back on top of their financial situation, meet their obligations andthrive made it easier to see the purpose of it. But still, it took months toget there. Intellectually, I could see the necessity, but emotionally, I stillhad trouble.
I tried talking to my creditors about lowering the interestrate so I'd be able to pay off some of the principal every month, instead of just the interest, but they came back with a half of a percentage point. Which would do nothing. And then I finally talked to a trustee and discovered therewere options. I could declare bankruptcy or I could do a consumer proposal. Inthe latter, you set out a budget and based on the numbers, propose to pay off acertain amount of your debt over five years. So I took a realistic look at mybudget, crossed my fingers that I would have a job for that time and sent itin.
On Friday, I got the news that my proposal has beenaccepted.
For the next five years, I will give a certain amount ofmoney to my trustee every month. And I will be able to afford my groceries notjust in the first week of the month, but the last one, too.
And it turns out that there is no shame in it at all. Thereis only relief and the knowledge that this is the beginning of getting back incontrol. The start of freedom.
Sometimes, you have to surrender to reality.
Six months ago, I was one of the spokespeople for The HealthCouncil of Canada’s report about people who live with chronic illness and theirchallenges within the healthcare system. My story focused on the cost ofchronic illness – the money. Because having a chronic illness is expensive. Add a disability on top of that and it becomes major money.
We don't talk about the money. It's not polite to talk aboutmoney and it's certainly not polite to talk about having money trouble. And Istruggled a fair bit before I decided to be more open about it. On both the internet and television,no less. As part of the spokesperson experience, I was interviewed by Global Newsand at the end of that interview when the reporter asked me how I managed, Imade a smartass comment about being very grateful to Visa for all their help.
The problem with Visa is that they want their money back.The problem with having a chronic illness and a disability is that the expensesare never-ending and substantial. In the past nine years, I have spent somewherein the neighbourhood of $65,000 on the medications and equipment (wheelchair,automatic door opener, etc) that I need to live. Even with having a part-time job for the past four years,that's a lot more money going out than coming in.
Three years ago, I looked into declaring bankruptcy.Ultimately, I decided against it because I couldn't afford to not have mycredit cards. Credit was the only reason I could afford my meds, random wheelchairrepairs and the like. I took a look at my debt and I took a look at the factthat I had a job and was convinced I could deal with it, sure I could get ahead somehow.
I was completely deluded. I couldn't deal with it, I couldn't get ahead of it. Asthe medication costs continued, as my grocery bill grew because my body becameless cooperative in terms of what food it would tolerate and as my wheelchaircontinued to be a lemon that needs a ridiculous amount of repairs, the costskept rising and so did my debt load.
For a long time now, I have become nauseated every time Ipay my bills. For long time, I have managed to only pay the minimum payment onmy debt every month, essentially just the interest. And for a long time, I haverun out of money around the 18th of every month and needed to use credit to buygroceries.
This is not a recipe for paying off your debt. All this doesis increase it, gradually, inexorably, nauseatingly.
There is a saying attributed to a variety of people (includingFreud and Einstein) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thingover and over again and expecting a different result. Recently, I took a long,hard look at my life and realized I needed to face facts: to continue on thisroad came awfully close to meeting that definition.
And then I wrestled with the shame. Because you're supposedto honour your debt. It's how I've been raised and it's a deeply held value notonly within myself, but in our society. How do you get to the point where youcan admit to yourself - and others - that you need help?
A couple of years when I first looked into bankruptcy, Italked to a wonderful bankruptcy trustee who did much to take away the feelingsof shame. I also have a good friend or two who's going through it and seeingthem get back on top of their financial situation, meet their obligations andthrive made it easier to see the purpose of it. But still, it took months toget there. Intellectually, I could see the necessity, but emotionally, I stillhad trouble.
I tried talking to my creditors about lowering the interestrate so I'd be able to pay off some of the principal every month, instead of just the interest, but they came back with a half of a percentage point. Which would do nothing. And then I finally talked to a trustee and discovered therewere options. I could declare bankruptcy or I could do a consumer proposal. Inthe latter, you set out a budget and based on the numbers, propose to pay off acertain amount of your debt over five years. So I took a realistic look at mybudget, crossed my fingers that I would have a job for that time and sent itin.
On Friday, I got the news that my proposal has beenaccepted.
For the next five years, I will give a certain amount ofmoney to my trustee every month. And I will be able to afford my groceries notjust in the first week of the month, but the last one, too.
And it turns out that there is no shame in it at all. Thereis only relief and the knowledge that this is the beginning of getting back incontrol. The start of freedom.
Closing the Mortality Gap: RA and Heart Disease
To contact us Click HERE
This week on HealthCentral, I'm looking at good news about Biologics and the systemic impact of RA:
"It’s called the mortality gap. And none of us like to think about it.
The average life expectancy of people with RA is 10 years less than the general population. RA is a systemic disease that affects not just our joints, but also our internal organs. The mortality gap exists because the systemic inflammation of RA leads to a higher incidence of heart attack and stroke.
But there's good news. A few weeks ago at the 2012 meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Berlin, researchers presented a paper showing a dramatic reduction in heart attacks in people taking anti-TNF medication, such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade."
The rest of the post is here.
"It’s called the mortality gap. And none of us like to think about it.
The average life expectancy of people with RA is 10 years less than the general population. RA is a systemic disease that affects not just our joints, but also our internal organs. The mortality gap exists because the systemic inflammation of RA leads to a higher incidence of heart attack and stroke.
But there's good news. A few weeks ago at the 2012 meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Berlin, researchers presented a paper showing a dramatic reduction in heart attacks in people taking anti-TNF medication, such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade."
The rest of the post is here.
Real RA: Thinking Makes It So
To contact us Click HERE
Some time ago, I saw an image on Facebook about RA. Thanks to my fibro fog, I no longer remember who shared it in which group, but even if I did, I wouldn't disclose it. Because I am about to vehemently disagree and there's no need to get flame-y.
This is the image
And I have issues.
So, because I have RA, apparently I have only two options about how I feel on any given day. I can feel either mildly weepy or lie prostrate on the divan drowning in my own tears. It seems that having RA eliminates the possibility of any form of happiness or even just feeling meh. Instead, the diagnosis dooms us to a life of suffering, depression and forever leaking salt water out of our eyes.
Huh. No one ever told me this. Is it a new requirement?
Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness is hard. There's no getting around the fact that there's going to be crying. It is a normal part of grieving the loss of health, the state of innocence in which most people live where they take their abilities and lack of pain for granted. And there's no getting around the fact that living with a chronic illness is also not always a picnic. In fact, there are days where you are mildly weepy and there are other days where are you are a lot weepy. There are days where you hate your new existence, the disease that brought it about, the pain, the medications, the side effects and the fact that there will never, ever be a vacation from RA. Never again will you not have it. You may have remission or low disease activity, but it will always be there, lurking in the wings. Sometimes it pounces, sometimes it lays dormant.
This is a given.
It is also a given that so much of getting on with the business of your life is about attitude. It is about getting up in the morning and deciding that RA (or whatever) is not going to rule your life. It is about realizing that you have RA, RA doesn't have you. It is about remembering that you have a life and it comes first - you may have to live it differently, but it is still there to be lived nonetheless.
We all live with challenges. Some of us have to raise our kids without a partner, some of us have chronic pain and some don't have a job. Focusing on what we don't have, hating the situation that we're in becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, keeping us mired in despair and unable to find a way out. Hating a particular part of your life puts on blinders, makes it impossible to see the other parts that are still good, that can still bring you joy. Hating a particular part of your life narrows the definition of your life to just that aspect, making you just a woeful single parent, just an RA patient or just someone who is unemployed.
None of us are just one thing, just one part, just sorrow. None of us can live in despair all the time - moving on is hardwired into our biology or we wouldn't strive towards it. Sooner or later, the sun shines brightly again, we laugh again and we find a way to cope. And opening ourselves up to this mysterious and built-in movement towards coping is essential. Because once we find a way to cope, what used to make us weepy is now bearable and then becomes just life. And we move on and we become yet again multifaceted and dive into life one way or another. Sometimes we weep, but other times we laugh or think or debate and we get a grip on things and figure out a way to live with them.
What dooms you to a life of suffering is not the disease. What dooms you is believing that having RA leaves only two possibilities: to be sad or to be desperate. Because it closes the door on everything else you are, everything else your life can be. It makes your life about a negative instead of positive, about cannot instead of can.
I remember a handful of things from my first year psychology course and one of them is the professor telling the class that all the psychology you'll ever need can be found in Shakespeare. Could be that he was right, because the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw that graphic on Facebook was a quote from Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Once you know that, the rest comes naturally.
This is the image
And I have issues.
So, because I have RA, apparently I have only two options about how I feel on any given day. I can feel either mildly weepy or lie prostrate on the divan drowning in my own tears. It seems that having RA eliminates the possibility of any form of happiness or even just feeling meh. Instead, the diagnosis dooms us to a life of suffering, depression and forever leaking salt water out of our eyes.
Huh. No one ever told me this. Is it a new requirement?
Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness is hard. There's no getting around the fact that there's going to be crying. It is a normal part of grieving the loss of health, the state of innocence in which most people live where they take their abilities and lack of pain for granted. And there's no getting around the fact that living with a chronic illness is also not always a picnic. In fact, there are days where you are mildly weepy and there are other days where are you are a lot weepy. There are days where you hate your new existence, the disease that brought it about, the pain, the medications, the side effects and the fact that there will never, ever be a vacation from RA. Never again will you not have it. You may have remission or low disease activity, but it will always be there, lurking in the wings. Sometimes it pounces, sometimes it lays dormant.
This is a given.
It is also a given that so much of getting on with the business of your life is about attitude. It is about getting up in the morning and deciding that RA (or whatever) is not going to rule your life. It is about realizing that you have RA, RA doesn't have you. It is about remembering that you have a life and it comes first - you may have to live it differently, but it is still there to be lived nonetheless.
We all live with challenges. Some of us have to raise our kids without a partner, some of us have chronic pain and some don't have a job. Focusing on what we don't have, hating the situation that we're in becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, keeping us mired in despair and unable to find a way out. Hating a particular part of your life puts on blinders, makes it impossible to see the other parts that are still good, that can still bring you joy. Hating a particular part of your life narrows the definition of your life to just that aspect, making you just a woeful single parent, just an RA patient or just someone who is unemployed.
None of us are just one thing, just one part, just sorrow. None of us can live in despair all the time - moving on is hardwired into our biology or we wouldn't strive towards it. Sooner or later, the sun shines brightly again, we laugh again and we find a way to cope. And opening ourselves up to this mysterious and built-in movement towards coping is essential. Because once we find a way to cope, what used to make us weepy is now bearable and then becomes just life. And we move on and we become yet again multifaceted and dive into life one way or another. Sometimes we weep, but other times we laugh or think or debate and we get a grip on things and figure out a way to live with them.
What dooms you to a life of suffering is not the disease. What dooms you is believing that having RA leaves only two possibilities: to be sad or to be desperate. Because it closes the door on everything else you are, everything else your life can be. It makes your life about a negative instead of positive, about cannot instead of can.
I remember a handful of things from my first year psychology course and one of them is the professor telling the class that all the psychology you'll ever need can be found in Shakespeare. Could be that he was right, because the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw that graphic on Facebook was a quote from Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Once you know that, the rest comes naturally.
French Monk's Finest
To contact us Click HERE
When I was teaching quilting a couple of weekends ago at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, a couple of yarn balls found their way home with me.
See a 2 color shawl made out of this color and some purple yarn here (not made by me).
They dye various base yarns in this colorway called French Monk's Finest which is a very interesting shade of yellow/gold with greenish undertones.
I wanted to do something quick and easy with it so I started an extremely simple shawl called Mizzle by Patricia Martin. As I have been knitting here and there on it (often times during story time at night, when my husband reads to the kids or they read to us), I had a thought.
This is an AWESOME super easy pattern. It is super simple, could even be a beginner project, and still looks very smart.
It doesn't take much yarn at all, and goes super fast on size 6 needles.
If you know of somebody who wants to learn to knit, or if you just like knitting while being social at the same time, this project might just be for you.
I have the perfect coat to go with this. From the likes of this weather, I'm not going to be wearing it anytime soon.
When I was teaching quilting a couple of weekends ago at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, a couple of yarn balls found their way home with me.
See a 2 color shawl made out of this color and some purple yarn here (not made by me).
They dye various base yarns in this colorway called French Monk's Finest which is a very interesting shade of yellow/gold with greenish undertones.
I wanted to do something quick and easy with it so I started an extremely simple shawl called Mizzle by Patricia Martin. As I have been knitting here and there on it (often times during story time at night, when my husband reads to the kids or they read to us), I had a thought.
This is an AWESOME super easy pattern. It is super simple, could even be a beginner project, and still looks very smart.
It doesn't take much yarn at all, and goes super fast on size 6 needles.
If you know of somebody who wants to learn to knit, or if you just like knitting while being social at the same time, this project might just be for you.
I have the perfect coat to go with this. From the likes of this weather, I'm not going to be wearing it anytime soon.
Quilt Shopping in Kyoto: Aizenkobo
To contact us Click HERE
On my recent trip to Japan I visited Kyoto for the first time.
I have always wanted to go there, and was not disappointed once I finally arrived.
We stayed at the Three Sister's Inn Annex which is a traditional Japanese Inn where you sleep on futon-like mats on the floor. Our toilet had a place above the tank where you could wash your hands in the water as it was filling the tank for the toilet. Efficiency! We could not have found a better place to stay and already we are wondering how soon we can stay there again. Highly recommend this Inn if you are in Kyoto and want to stay where the staff speaks good English.
There were many highlights in Kyoto that had nothing to do with quilting, but my favorite shop for fabric there was an easy choice:
Aizenkobo!
What: Aizenkobo - traditional indigo dye workshop. For sale are fabrics, indigo dyed garments, threads, and household goods
Where: Nakasuji Omiya-nishi, Kamikyo-ku,
Kyoto 602-8449, Japan
Tel. 81(0) 785 441 0533
When: Open weekdays 10am - 5:30 pm, (please telephone first for Saturday and Sunday visits), note I did not try to visit on a weekend.
How to get there: We took a bus line from the Three Sister's Inn, and walked from the bus stop. They have a really nice map on their web site.
Shopping: I was after fabric by the yard, of course, to use in quilting projects.
A lot of the fabric they have is available for sale by the entire bolt only, for the purpose of making a kimono.
They will allow you to purchase yardage from a limited number of fabric bolts they have. Minimum cut is 50cm and fabric is not very wide (14" or so).
The fabrics are something you'll have to save up for since they are around $85 USD / yd. I got a couple of half yard pieces, because I could not resist their beauty.
I found their fabrics to be the highest quality indigo dyed fabrics that I have ever run into and cannot wait to do something special with them.
They also had some hand dyed indigo sashiko thread, so I picked up some of that. It was pretty affordable.
If you go there, it is slightly cheaper if you can pay in cash (Japanese Yen of course).
A couple of other posts out there have more about the owners, history of the shop and the indigo dye process itself. Read more here and here.
A photo of the inside of the shop below as well as a snapshot of the outside along with the beautiful owner who allowed us to photograph her and was a very helpful and warm shop owner/hostess.
When in Kyoto, add Aizenkobo to your short list of places to stop.
On my recent trip to Japan I visited Kyoto for the first time.
I have always wanted to go there, and was not disappointed once I finally arrived.
We stayed at the Three Sister's Inn Annex which is a traditional Japanese Inn where you sleep on futon-like mats on the floor. Our toilet had a place above the tank where you could wash your hands in the water as it was filling the tank for the toilet. Efficiency! We could not have found a better place to stay and already we are wondering how soon we can stay there again. Highly recommend this Inn if you are in Kyoto and want to stay where the staff speaks good English.
There were many highlights in Kyoto that had nothing to do with quilting, but my favorite shop for fabric there was an easy choice:
Aizenkobo!
What: Aizenkobo - traditional indigo dye workshop. For sale are fabrics, indigo dyed garments, threads, and household goods
Where: Nakasuji Omiya-nishi, Kamikyo-ku,
Kyoto 602-8449, Japan
Tel. 81(0) 785 441 0533
When: Open weekdays 10am - 5:30 pm, (please telephone first for Saturday and Sunday visits), note I did not try to visit on a weekend.
How to get there: We took a bus line from the Three Sister's Inn, and walked from the bus stop. They have a really nice map on their web site.
Shopping: I was after fabric by the yard, of course, to use in quilting projects.
A lot of the fabric they have is available for sale by the entire bolt only, for the purpose of making a kimono.
They will allow you to purchase yardage from a limited number of fabric bolts they have. Minimum cut is 50cm and fabric is not very wide (14" or so).
The fabrics are something you'll have to save up for since they are around $85 USD / yd. I got a couple of half yard pieces, because I could not resist their beauty.
I found their fabrics to be the highest quality indigo dyed fabrics that I have ever run into and cannot wait to do something special with them.
They also had some hand dyed indigo sashiko thread, so I picked up some of that. It was pretty affordable.
If you go there, it is slightly cheaper if you can pay in cash (Japanese Yen of course).
A couple of other posts out there have more about the owners, history of the shop and the indigo dye process itself. Read more here and here.
A photo of the inside of the shop below as well as a snapshot of the outside along with the beautiful owner who allowed us to photograph her and was a very helpful and warm shop owner/hostess.
When in Kyoto, add Aizenkobo to your short list of places to stop.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
French Monk's Finest
To contact us Click HERE
When I was teaching quilting a couple of weekends ago at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, a couple of yarn balls found their way home with me.
See a 2 color shawl made out of this color and some purple yarn here (not made by me).
They dye various base yarns in this colorway called French Monk's Finest which is a very interesting shade of yellow/gold with greenish undertones.
I wanted to do something quick and easy with it so I started an extremely simple shawl called Mizzle by Patricia Martin. As I have been knitting here and there on it (often times during story time at night, when my husband reads to the kids or they read to us), I had a thought.
This is an AWESOME super easy pattern. It is super simple, could even be a beginner project, and still looks very smart.
It doesn't take much yarn at all, and goes super fast on size 6 needles.
If you know of somebody who wants to learn to knit, or if you just like knitting while being social at the same time, this project might just be for you.
I have the perfect coat to go with this. From the likes of this weather, I'm not going to be wearing it anytime soon.
When I was teaching quilting a couple of weekends ago at A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, a couple of yarn balls found their way home with me.
See a 2 color shawl made out of this color and some purple yarn here (not made by me).
They dye various base yarns in this colorway called French Monk's Finest which is a very interesting shade of yellow/gold with greenish undertones.
I wanted to do something quick and easy with it so I started an extremely simple shawl called Mizzle by Patricia Martin. As I have been knitting here and there on it (often times during story time at night, when my husband reads to the kids or they read to us), I had a thought.
This is an AWESOME super easy pattern. It is super simple, could even be a beginner project, and still looks very smart.
It doesn't take much yarn at all, and goes super fast on size 6 needles.
If you know of somebody who wants to learn to knit, or if you just like knitting while being social at the same time, this project might just be for you.
I have the perfect coat to go with this. From the likes of this weather, I'm not going to be wearing it anytime soon.
Applique on Clothes: Chanin Style
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What could be better than applique on quilts you might ask?
How about applique on clothing? Well, at Verb, where I sometimes teach, they are getting quite into the work of Alabama Chanin.
I will confess that I am a sucker for an Applique Opportunity like this, and I'm thinking of trying my hand at making a skirt. Ok, and a tank top too. Ok, maybe with a jacket.
Project Chanin-Way, here I come.
I have never tried to make clothes before. This ought to be....interesting!
Maybe I should take a class...here's to hoping she's teaching near me soon.
What could be better than applique on quilts you might ask?How about applique on clothing? Well, at Verb, where I sometimes teach, they are getting quite into the work of Alabama Chanin.
I will confess that I am a sucker for an Applique Opportunity like this, and I'm thinking of trying my hand at making a skirt. Ok, and a tank top too. Ok, maybe with a jacket.
Project Chanin-Way, here I come.
I have never tried to make clothes before. This ought to be....interesting!
Maybe I should take a class...here's to hoping she's teaching near me soon.
Quilt Otaku Modern Objects: Danish Pot
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Modern Objects Block 2 is finally available!
Partner blog Wee Wonderfuls has been kind enough to host this pattern. Please head over there to get a link to the free pattern.
I have been a huge fan of Hillary's work over at Wee Wonderfuls for ages, so give her a big thank you for hosting the pattern this month. Her plushies are out of this world.
This second block is designed to represent a Mid-Century modern pot. Complete with bulb-shaped wooden handle. Inspiration from Danish enamelware.
There are many many photos of pots like this if you do a google search for images.
Enjoy the new block, and add your photo to the flickr set when you finish it!
See past blocks in other posts:
Modern Objects Block 1
Modern Objects Block 2 is finally available!
Partner blog Wee Wonderfuls has been kind enough to host this pattern. Please head over there to get a link to the free pattern.
I have been a huge fan of Hillary's work over at Wee Wonderfuls for ages, so give her a big thank you for hosting the pattern this month. Her plushies are out of this world.
This second block is designed to represent a Mid-Century modern pot. Complete with bulb-shaped wooden handle. Inspiration from Danish enamelware.
There are many many photos of pots like this if you do a google search for images.
Enjoy the new block, and add your photo to the flickr set when you finish it!
See past blocks in other posts:
Modern Objects Block 1
The Perfect Gift for a Quilter: Needle Case
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My mom created the cutest needle case on earth for me with this Japanese ladybug fabric.
I think it turned out just perfect. Had to share it.
Do you ever photograph your needle cases? I would love to see how you store them. Email me a photo of something unique you have come up with.
There's a story behind the needles I'm keeping in this case, but that one deserves a post of its own I think.
My mom created the cutest needle case on earth for me with this Japanese ladybug fabric.I think it turned out just perfect. Had to share it.
Do you ever photograph your needle cases? I would love to see how you store them. Email me a photo of something unique you have come up with.
There's a story behind the needles I'm keeping in this case, but that one deserves a post of its own I think.
K-kinda Busy
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I've been a bit of a jet setter lately, and I'll confess to have spent more time moving about the planet rather than hanging out in front of the quilt hoop.
I have made use of several very long flights to do a bit of sewing/hand piecing and also some knitting.
So many stories to tell you about the adventures.
For tonight, I'll leave you with the above photo. You can probably guess where I went.
I've been a bit of a jet setter lately, and I'll confess to have spent more time moving about the planet rather than hanging out in front of the quilt hoop.
I have made use of several very long flights to do a bit of sewing/hand piecing and also some knitting.
So many stories to tell you about the adventures.
For tonight, I'll leave you with the above photo. You can probably guess where I went.
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