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| Name: | Michelle |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | snowy |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Cool site. |
| Name: | Wendi |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | 23 and windy |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | I was rather distressed tring to care for my baby and toddler at the same time when someone gave me your site for helpful nursing "aids" i have made the nursing pillow, the first time I've ever had one "fit" my bigger body and am very excited about making a sling. I wanted one with my oldest but could not find one that fit me that i could aford. So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart as your site has made it possible for me to have the things smaller people take for granted. I also apresiate the fact the patterns are free as being a stay at home mom means money is beyound tight.
Thanks Wendi |
| Name: | Brenda Skinner |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cool, overcast and damp |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | Just about to begin the tour! Thanks to BJ for inviting me to your site to view the pictures of your newest darling!
Congratulations, Jan and Dave! Happy Holidays, Brenda |
| Name: | Mandy |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | grey but lovely |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Found this site while perusing the catacombs of babywearing. I'm so excited about your instructions for an asian carrier... thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge!! An amazing thing to find the (creative) support of a community of moms on the WWW!!! |
| Name: | amy simmons (dye) |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cold and snowy |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | sophia is perfectly beautiful! congratulations, you have gorgeous children! hope you are enjoying every second. i realize now how fast it goes by... check out evelynmae.com- we just started it and will be adding more pics soon.
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| Name: | Kathryn Arseno |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Cold 55 degrees |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Ha, ha for us Las Vegas, Nevadan's 55 degrees is freezing to us! I love your patterns. You see we are on our 6th child. I want to save more money knowing that I can have more Disneyland trips in the future. I loved your patterns and links to other patterns. Boy if I knew all this with my first we would be rich! Ha, Ha! I feel it's wonderful knowledge investments for my childrens children. PS I'm a new sewer. I hope someone could show me websites to "learn" how to sew. Thanks amillion (kathryn5kids) Looks like I'll have to change my naem to kathryn6kids. |
| Name: | Emma |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | It's been awhile since I visited here (about two years), and I'm impressed with all the new things you've added. Great info, a lot of it I was considering adding to my own site, but now I can save myself the trouble! Thank you!
Very, very nice. A real labor of love. And congrats on your new baby! She's beautiful! Emma |
| Name: | Shannon |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cool and clear |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | Rev. Jan,
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful ideas that you have posted on your page. I am using quite a few of them! I am due with our first baby in a few days, and this time of waiting and watching has been made more bearable with the projects you propose.I especially love the regular bra/nursing bra conversion idea. I too am blessed with a "big front porch" as my Grandmother says, and the prices for nursing bras in my size almost sent me into early labor!Not only has your suggestion worked beautifully, I have also applied it to some nursing camisoles. No naked tummies this winter!Thank you from the bottom of my slightly crowded heart! |
| Name: | Uncle Glenn |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cold and rainy (nice!) |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | Hi Jan (and David and Stephen and Sophia)- I've been to this page before, but never took any time to peruse it. After a few minutes of looking, I thought I'd better say hi. I'll be going to your mom's Nov 8-10. I hope we can get together somehow- would like to see everyone, and am glad Nana could do that this summer.
I too, am amazed to see how many supernaturalists (believers, theists) think that belief in one or more dieties is a prerequisite for being a moral, ethical human. Great site! From your naturalist uncle, Glenn |
| Name: | Heidi AGAIN |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | rainy |
| Homepage URL: | http://geocities.com/cesarheidicruz |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | It's me again! I just wanted to sign your book AGAIN to welcome wonderful little Sophia into the world. I knew you were expecting the new baby sometime around now (well...more like two weeks ago, I guess, huh?) and I just had to check back to see if there was any information! What a wonderful bundle of joy! Your birth experience is so inspiring! I can't have anymore babies, but still! lol I wouldn't have been brave enough for a home birth with either babies and I am SO SO SO happy that everything came out all right. What a beautiful little baby with lots of love from her wonderful family! Congratulations, Jan. You're beautiful, you have a beautiful new baby, and a beautiful family! (The perfect set!)
Sincerely, Heidi Cruz, again. |
| Name: | Karrie |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | sunny and cool--perfect fall weather! |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | I LOVE LOVE LovE the grammar page. Will you please consider adding two rules to it?
My biggest pet peeve is people (SOUTHERN people,even!) who misspell the contraction for "you all." The correct spelling is "y'all" -- NOT "ya'll." The two words being contracted are "you" and "all." Therefore, the apostrophe clearly should be placed at the site of the missing letters, "ou." Feel free to view the related article and letter about this problem at http://www.bdb.co.za/items/how_yawl.htm . The second rule of grammar that no one seems to follow is the one about using "less" and "fewer." For example: I should use fewer words to describe my pet peeves. I should spend less time surfing and more time reading literary classics. There are tons of commercials and written material (by supposedly educated people) with these words used incorrectly. Something else I've noticed that is bothersome, though not grammatically incorrect, is how people in the media respond to direct questions. They are asked how they feel about something but answer like this: "you just do what you have to do to make it in showbusiness." No one seems to use first person to respond to questions anymore. Could this be a symptom of America's epidemic refusal to take responsibility for our actions??? Karrie |
| Name: | KoldKadavr |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | very mild |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.reddINK.com |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Why do you call yourself a Rev if you're a woman? Don't you know Jesus only picked males to do His work? While women can be a part of the salvation of souls, they need to be quiet and let the man do the speaking. That's written in the Bible. The Roman Catholic church, which is the Truest Way, doesn't have any EGADS! women clergy. God flagrantly bless you with massive discernment, friend. |
| Name: | Aliris |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Perfect. Again. |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Hear; Hear!
Amen. |
| Name: | Marissa Vignali |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | beautiful today! rainy in the winter... but not as much as people think! |
| Homepage URL: | http://faculty.washington.edu/mvignali/ |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | Loved your site! I followed a link from a quilting newsgroup on how to make a baby swing (I quilt and I am 16 weeks pregnant, in fact getting my amnio today!) and I was interested by your title: the happy atheist? Sounded like fun! Then I followed your link to Links (loved to see you have the water one!), and definitely your definition of religion as inherited and contracted in childhood applies to me as well! My husband and I are both scientists and probably share many of your views.... he wants me to forward your URL :o) |
| Name: | Heidi Cruz |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Too HOT! |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.geocities.com/dulce_eidelweiss |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | Hi - I have signed your guest book before, but everytime I return to your page I am still amazed by you! I am so puzzled as to how you maintain a toddler, a successful web design bussiness, and continue to do these things that you enjoy doing!? (Hobbies, Experimental Space Plasma Group, Symphony, etc...) How DO you do it!? No, I'm serious! I am technically a teen mother and I never got to go to college (yet) and I am barely able now to begin fitting in things I can enjoy doing in my own home while maintaining a toddler and an infant. I don't regret my situation, I'm just always beating myself up saying that I will never be able to go to school now because I have kids but YOU are an inspiration! Your guest book is full of messages from women/people thanking you for your help,insight,etc... You really are one woman who is changing the world - afterall, we can't all be politicians and famous people. I hope someday I can be, or at least feel I am, half the woman you are. :) Great job on maintaining a family and your life! You are one unbelievable woman and a true role model!
~ Heidi Cruz |
| Name: | Emily |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | night time...starry sky |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Hey, your site is fabulous! I'm adding it to my faves and sharing it with all!!! I wanted to share with you that my friend makes and sells podegis. You can visit her sight at http://www.onmamasback.com
They are great! Hope I can make that hands free bra thingy, looks handy :) Emily |
| Name: | Edith |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | dark |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | I was interested in your grammar page. One problem I always have is with s'
when is it appropriate to place the apostrophe after the s? You would use an s' for a possessive where the possessor ends with an S -- like "That is Charles' balloon." Or "That is our families' decision" (where more than one family is involved). |
| Name: | Terri Lynn |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | rainy and warm |
| How did you get here?: | Followed the link in your signature file/tagline |
| Comments: | Here's another suggestion for nursing t-shirts made out of store bought ones.Purchase two identical shirts that are slightly loose or stretchy on you. Cut the neck and arms out of one. Then extend the armholes, I cut halfway to the hem. It would vary depending on your bust size and the length of the shirt. Surge or zigzag around the neck and new armholes. Sew the cut shirt to the other shirt at the shoulders on the original seam only. Your shirt is doubled, descreat, and can be done in less than 20 minutes. Have fun! |
| Name: | Ann Blachly |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | summer hot and dry |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | http://slingrings.com/patterns.html and this was a link from http://www.mayawrap.com/sewSling.shtml
I wanted a visual pattern for making a Maya-style ring-sling. I believe your instructions will produce a more accurate sling (the pleating) than the one I recently made from guesstimation for my beautiful zaftig daughter-in-law Stephanie and grandson Jakob to use...he's just over one month now. Then to discover you have instructions for a nursing pillow, bra modification and Korean baby sling with a link to how to photos. You haven't forgotten anything. Printing them all out to send to new mama and for my sewing patterns collection. A few years ago I had sewn a Korean baby sling from sweatshirt fleece fabric when I was caregiver for a neighbor's infant son, but could not figure out how to use it. (it was winter but it was still too hot to use inside even if I had figured it out) Spent most of the day reading your clear, Athiest writings. The best I've ever read to help put my own beliefs/non-beliefs into words. If anyone ever challenges me, I'll have the words to support my views. Thank you for your study and courage. |
| Name: | Aster |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | hot and dry |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | Hi, i just wanted to tell you that i made a sling using your instructions and it's awesome. I love the way it feels on my shoulder and the way it fans out so easily. I'm actually revisiting your site right now to reread the instructions so i can make a summer sling out of lighter-weight fabric that we can use at the beach.
Anyways, your site kicks! Thanks!! |
| Name: | Amy Waldrop |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | warm and rainy today |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | I was looking for instructions to convert a reg bra to a nursing bra. And then followed the link to your new site. I loved your instructions!! I was able to salvage the hardware from another nursing bra - loved the hardware, hated the bra fit. To wear one of my old pretty bras again was jus the pick up I needed today. Thank you!! |
| Name: | Wendy Panero |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | sunny and warm! |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Thank you for the great sling pattern! I used 45" fabric, and made 2 36" long slings for toddlers (15" wide). They make fantastic "big sister/big brother" gifts. My niece uses hers to carry her doll around when her mommy has her new baby in the sling.
Thanks! |
| Name: | amy simmons |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | sunny :) |
| How did you get here?: | Followed the link in your signature file/tagline |
| Comments: | congrats on the new bean sprout!! looking forward to more pictures. stephen is beautiful as i'm sure his new sibling will be! |
| Name: | Laura Figueroa |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | HOT and humid |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Hi Jan, I just wanted to say that this is a GREAT webpage. I love all of your creative ideas for nursing wear. I'll have to try some of them! If I ever learn how to make a webpage, I will link to your site!
I also want to say that I am a Christian, and that I am ashamed at the comments I read in your guestbook from other Christians. It is embarrassing for me to see Christians who are so harsh and so close-minded and so NOT loving, simply because you are an atheist. I am sure you know that all Christians are not like that, but I just wanted to send a nice message your way from someone who believes differently than you but appreciates you. You seem like an amazing, fun, and creative person, and I am sorry that there are people who would let their religion cloud their opinion of you or your website. As for myself, you sound like someone I would want to be friends with! Ok, I will get off MY soapbox now...and continue surfing your website! Thanks for all this great and entertaining info. -Laura |
| Name: | sonja |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cloudy |
| Homepage URL: | http://home.austin.rr.com/babyzoe |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | i absolutely love the baby crafts you have posted. thank you for making them available to everyone.
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| Name: | Tine |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | dark |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | I just read your (you're? :-)) grammar page.
I'm Danish - I only learnt English in school (I admit - several years of it), but even I know the difference of all your examples. Are you telling me that most native English speakers will not be able to use their/there/they're correctly. Shocking! The lie/lay problem also exists in Danish. Best regards, Tine |
| Name: | Maria |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | foggy |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Thank you very much for your babystuff! I am going to make the BF pillow.
Maria Holland |
| Name: | Heidi |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Not too cool, a bit windy |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | I can't remember how I got here. I do know that I have used your nursing pillow pattern (thankyou) and am going to attempt to use the sling pattern - but I do all this without a sewing machine! And - since I don't do a lot of sewing, I don't understand a lot of the instructions for making the sling and I picture my new baby (2nd due in May) falling out! Could you maybe email me some tips or something? Maybe I'll get brave and try out the nursing shirts thing too, TOO EXPENSIVE otherwise!
Sincerely, Heidi (PS Thankyou again and you are so witty and funny!) |
| Name: | Cheryl |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cold, but still above freezing! |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | Can't wait to get sewing some of your great ideas! I'm happy just to find a bra that fits & is comfortable, much less a nursing bra - so glad I found your site & see just how simple it is to convert! Gotta love that plus-sized nursing pillow, too! I have a question for you. I plan to make some of your easy nursing t's - just the sort where you use 2 identical t-shirts, etc. I, too, am large-breasted (and, well, large-everythinged), and wonder which of the styles you found to be the best for you. Would greatly appreciate your advice on this before setting out to sew! Thanks so much! PS: Love your site, if this isn't already obvious! |
| Name: | Tashina |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Sunny, FINALLY! |
| Homepage URL: | http://monstermom.diaryland.com/index.html |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Hi. About 7 or 8 months ago, a woman posted a link to your page on a messageboard for instructions on turning a regular bra into a nursing bra. I explored your site, and have been an avid reader ever since! I just made a sking using your pattern, and I *LOVE* it, as does my 9 month old. Thank you so much for posting so many useful things! |
| Name: | loraine |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | cool but unseasonable warm for the next four days, again- florida; global warming, perhaps? |
| How did you get here?: | Saw it in or was invited by an email message |
| Comments: | Came here from the All Crafts 4 Charities discussion email group. There was a link to your nursing pillow pattern.
Have looked a bit and will look more later. My kind of site- free thought (watch out) and "different" ideas, from the "norm." Very interesting, Jan. |
| Name: | Lady_Moonwise |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | Feb 26--tonight it's 28 degrees |
| Homepage URL: | http://groups.msn.com/MagickalVillage; http://www.geocities.com/ladymoonwise/ |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | I was looking for magic wands.... and I love yours. I am also known as Caitlyn Wordsmith, a freelance writer. |
| Name: | Melissa |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | New Mexico Feb 03 Where's the snow?! Dissapointing winter. Not much snow at all! |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Looking to sew nursing pillow and found your web address. Pillow came out perfect with your instructions! Thank you! thank you! thank you!
Melissa Khan Ira Khan is due 4/25/03 |
| Name: | Kristen |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | drizzly |
| Homepage URL: | http://littlepig.com |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | Was looking for Korean Baby Slings - thanks for the recipe! - and ended up laughing at your Grammar page. Your a hoot! No... You're REALLY a hoot! Frames annoy me - I can't send the url directly - but that's OKAY. My own grammar hangup is I always want to write "kindof" as one word, but I know it's not. Oh well. My bigger pet peeve is the affectation of all the Republican presidents I've ever known. wouldn't you think SOMEONE on their staff would have the balls to show them the word "nuclear" and ask them to sound it out? Seems the Leader of the Free World ought to show a little more respect for the rules of engagement.
Anyway, I think you ought to find more hobbies, Jan. I'm concerned you might get bored with life at this rate. Kristen |
| Name: | Irina Niemela |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | snowy and cold |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Those nursing bra´s are so goodlooking system. I think I am going to test and sew one. Though my daughter who I am nursing is already 14 months old...
Thank you for making these pages! |
| Name: | Paul |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | sunny cold |
| How did you get here?: | Fate/Divine intervention |
| Comments: | I was looking up th chords to Hurt by reznor and you were somewhere in the mix. I was raised RC and have been atheist since 15 many ex catholics become atheists and i consider myself a humanist. i do not eat meat or even fish/poultry. i served in the Army and was drafted. I am deligted when young people free themselves of the entanglemnt of myths I read fantasy but do not believe in a supreme being. My father was a simple factory worker at the GE he hated war and told me Viet Nam was a horrid war when my brothrs were stationed there. Education does not necessarally prevent one from becoming a godbot. Keep up the good work my other E-mail is godizaconcept2aol.com Good luck Paul |
| Name: | Judy |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | bitter |
| How did you get here?: | Search engine result |
| Comments: | What a relief to find a sewing and parenting page that is religion-free. Someone amazingly posted your link on a sewing board that regularly includes xmas, christening, praying, etc.
Please check out the Atheist Families board on Parent Soup at iVillage, I think you'll be surprised. http://boards.parentsoup.com/messages/get/psatheist75.html |
| Name: | Angel |
| What's the weather like where you are?: | winter |
| How did you get here?: | Followed a link on someone else's page |
| Comments: | Hi! I am still abit stunned to actually come across a site in which the topics "Baby" and Atheist would be on the same site.....At first I thought it was some kind of joke but soon realizing that there is nothing funny about Atheisism.
I don't understand how anyone who loves Babies would admit that they are Atheist......God created us and to Him we give thanks for these blessings....Babies...... Um! And then the word "Reverend" whats up with that?? Why is it so shocking that atheism and babies are not mutually exclusive? I think you'd find, if you read some of the pieces in my "philosophy" section, that atheists are not at all different from Christians, except that we believe in one less god than you do. I am personally an ethical woman. I donate to a number of charities; I feel sad when I hear about people who are less fortunate than myself, and do what I can to help them. I am a good mother to my son; I stay home with him, read to him, don't spank or verbally abuse him, and love him very much. My husband, also an atheist, is an excellent father. What I guess it comes down to, for you, is that you have a very biased perception of atheism. Perhaps you have heard from your church or from friends that atheists are immoral, unethical, hedonistic, communistic... or any number of the other epithets that have been slung at atheists over the years, because we do not believe in the god that you believe in. It's no different from other kinds of religious bigotry, though the current political climate has made it more "acceptable" to denigrate atheists than Jews, Muslims, or Buddhists. Maybe you've never known anyone who's admitted to being an atheist before -- perhaps because they were afraid that your reaction would be precisely as it is in your statement in my guestbook. (I have had friends drop me after learning of my lack of beliefs, but that was back in high school, and most of the people I encounter in my adult life are a bit more mature than that.) But the truth is, it's not only possible to be moral, ethical, intelligent, and compassionate, and also be an atheist... rather, I think it's a little more likely. Atheists, for the most part, do not blindly accept the faith of their families or their community. Most come by their lack of faith through a difficult process of thought, reason, and introspection. It's not easy to be an atheist, as your attitude confirms; in a recent survey, about 80% of respondents said they would *not* vote for a political candidate who was an atheist. Imagine if they had said that about a Jewish, Muslim, or Catholic candidate? There would be quite an uproar, don't you think? Anyway. I didn't mean to step onto the soapbox. But I do hope that you will take the time to think about what your statements in my guestbook really mean. Kind regards, Jan A., atheist and mother PS You can read about the "reverend" part of my nickname here. |
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Previous guestbook entries: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 1997-1999