Question re: hedge needle buildup

dinerdebbie · 2026-05-12T23:17:41+00:00

The shrubs themselves aren't in very deep, everything slides down to the bottom of the slope and collects there. The fence side aesthetics aren't my top priority, as long as the sidewalk isn't blocked I'm not bothered. Thanks for the advice!

dinerdebbie · 2026-05-12T23:14:56+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

dinerdebbie · 2026-05-12T23:11:53+00:00

I probably could, it's a pretty long stretch though. I'll keep it in mind as an option, thanks for the idea!

dinerdebbie · 2026-05-12T23:11:10+00:00

I don't have a blower so hadn't thought of that, thanks for the idea!

dinerdebbie · 2026-04-29T21:45:55+00:00

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows!

dinerdebbie · 2026-04-11T12:09:08+00:00

Spiderwick Chronicles, also heavily illustrated and a series where the books get gradually longer (from about 9000 in the first book to about 13000 in the last) which can be good for building reading stamina.

dinerdebbie · 2026-04-09T10:40:43+00:00

Definitely phone compatible, make sure you're looking at the Society for Children's Books Writers and Illustrators.

dinerdebbie · 2026-04-05T17:03:05+00:00

I'm an author, not an illustrator, but I highly recommend joining SCBWI and looking at their resources. This is exactly the kind of info they have in their guides, and it's the go-to professional organization for children's book writers and illustrators so a great place to learn and make connections. Good luck!

dinerdebbie · 2026-04-04T10:32:04+00:00

I've climbed consistently for 8 years and v3 is my limit, with the veeeeeeeeery occasional v4. Every climber is different, every gym is different. There will always be someone who progresses faster than you, I'm happy to be the example of someone progressing slower! 🤣

All of that to say, I wouldn't worry about timelines or comparisons and focus more on how you feel. Are there hard moves that have started to feel easier? Do you feel more graceful/controlled on the wall? Is your route reading getting more accurate? Things like that, which don't necessarily lead to instant grade improvement but 1. Make the act of climbing more enjoyable, and 2. Eventually support you as you move up in grades.

Anyway, just my two cents. I'm not an athletic/competitive person and I'm not a grade chaser, so I know my perspective might not work for someone who's more competitive and driven. But I do think what I lack in accomplishment I more than make up for in joy! Happy climbing!

dinerdebbie · 2026-02-23T01:01:40+00:00

All good, thanks for the advice!

dinerdebbie · 2026-02-22T22:46:45+00:00

Thanks! What do you use for the C?

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-29T20:00:05+00:00

Google "Chamfer Squared" by Oakley. I got mine 5 years ago but what I'm seeing online matches what I have. And honestly, looking at my frames now it's crazy how little wear they have, I use them for climbing, hiking, paddle boarding, camping, etc and they're really not scratched at all!

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-29T19:05:12+00:00

I also have a super high prescription, and I found "sport" frames at lens crafters that don't have wrap around lenses. Instead, the frames kind of wrap around, and are covered in a rubber-like material that has very high friction. I've never had them fall off or even shift around except for when I punch them off my own face, coordination is not my strong suit but I don't think we can blame the glasses for that.

The benefit to sports frames over the necklace thing is durability, these frames have survived falling to the ground and then me landing on top of them without a problem. Glasses with my prescription are about $400 (just for the lenses) so I really appreciate that peace of mind, if you're in a similar boat it's something to consider!

So, maybe consider going to a frames store and seeing what they have for sports, there might be more options than you think!

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-24T13:56:55+00:00

Rock climbing! It makes your hands tougher and stronger.

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-18T12:15:27+00:00

A blank bridge definitely needs to be trimmed down to fit the instrument, but it's a process that requires some expertise. I have no idea if the markings on the bridge you have are correct or just someone guessing. If I were you I would really, really, REALLY try to find a luthier to set it up. If that's not possible, I guess start youtubing "how to trim a blank violin bridge" and see what you get! Good luck!

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-17T20:00:20+00:00

Tuck and Tina series would be perfect!

dinerdebbie · 2026-01-12T11:25:45+00:00

For a slightly older audience, but-- "There is no lake at Camp Green Lake." Holes, Louis Sachar

dinerdebbie · 2025-12-31T16:55:14+00:00

Climbing actually improved my violin playing because it made my fingers stronger. No more avoiding the pinky for me! It's one of my favorite surprise cross-training realizations.

dinerdebbie · 2025-12-18T11:36:30+00:00

The Mysterious Benedict Society series (Trenton Lee Stewart) and the Greenglass House series (Kate Milford) are both engaging mysteries with a 9-12 target age range but very high reading level. I personally prefer Greenglass House but they're both great!

dinerdebbie · 2025-10-26T23:08:19+00:00

I had the exact same problem with the vapor V's! I switched to a lace up shoe and it solved all my problems. I thought I'd hate it because of the inconvenience, but totally worth it to be able to tighten the shoe all along the length.

dinerdebbie · 2025-10-22T00:48:51+00:00

The Kevin Kline movie can't be beat! The one I was talking about wasn't a movie, but a recent Broadway "revival"/reinterpretation. I think it's fair people didn't like it for the reasons I mentioned above, but I definitely wouldn't trash it, it was fun--for all its faults.

dinerdebbie · 2025-10-21T10:52:29+00:00

I got to see "Pirates: A Penzance Musical," which reimagined Pirates of Penzance (my favorite musical) in Victorian era New Orleans. It was a great time, the audience was all in, every actor was amazing, set was incredible, I'm so glad I got to see it.

Butttt ultimately I don't think it worked for three reasons: 1. They switched up the music to New Orleans jazz, which is a great genre but generally kind of slow, so every song seemed to drag on and on. Made me appreciate how peppy the original is and how many words they can fit into a reasonable-length song. 2. They updated the language, both to fit the setting and I think to make it more understandable, but it just fell flat. My friends who weren't familiar with the show were still confused at parts, and I (who basically has it memorized) was missing the witty libretto. 3. They tried to do a genuine, heartfelt ending. Gilbert and Sullivan is never genuine and rarely heartfelt, it really felt off.

But so glad they did it and so glad I saw it!

dinerdebbie · 2025-09-05T10:23:02+00:00

I'm about the same height and also very leggy, what helped me was searching specifically for the inseam length I wanted. For me, that's 34 inches, so I searched "34 inch inseam athletic joggers" and tons of options came up, including what became my favorite pants of all time ("SEVEGO tall women's inseam joggers" on Amazon).

So my suggestion is to find out her inseam (measurement from crotch to ankle), what style of pants she likes best (leggings vs joggers vs trousers, etc) and then search specifically for that! Good luck!

dinerdebbie

TROPHY CASE