Another Week Gone

It's Friday again, and I'm up earlier than usual. Rod started overtime this morning, he says it will last about 1 month. So, he's gone from home an extra 2 hours each day and possibly 4-5 hours on Saturday. When I whined about him being gone longer, he said, "But think of all the fabric you can buy with the extra money". And that's why I love him!!!

The roof is done, and Jimmy started to "hazel up" last night. When the kids were younger and Mary was working at a photo lab during high school, she used to pay Pat to do her laundry. And if she needed a lab coat ironed, Pat got the call. One day when Rod asked her if she thought Pat was her personal maid, Mary replied, "Yes she's my own little Hazel". Do you remember the TV show (I'm probably telling my age, here) where Shirley Booth played Hazel, the maid? Well, the name stuck, but we don't call her that in front of the kids because the first time Bubby called her "Aunt Hazel, Pat freaked.

All the kids were here for dinner last night, and we grilled a flank steak. I put it in to marinade before 9:00 AM and it was so tender. Here's my steak sauce marinade recipe:

Recipe for: Sassy Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
3 Tbl. Soy Sauce
2/3 C. Steak Sauce
¼ c. Honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed or 1-1/2 Tsp. Minced Garlic
¼ tsp. Seasoning salt

Recipe instructions:
Mix together in a plastic zipper bag and add meat. Marinade several hours to overnight.
Grill or cook as desired.
Note: I just use Walmart's brand of steak sauce, and it's really good.

Try it out. We love it. Last night we also had potatoes in foil with Mrs. Dash lemon pepper and Lawry's seasoning salt, and Mary cooked two zucchini that she brought. She just grilled them with olive oil and kosher salt, and they were delicious. So, we had an all grill meal, and ate on the deck. The sun was coming in, so Rod hung cup hooks and then hung up my Beehive Crooked Cabin Quilt. It looked really nice, and served to block out some of the sun. Have a great weekend. Linda

Oi Vay, What a Day

And I'm so glad it's over. When I said I wouldn't get any sewing done yesterday, I didn't realize how right I was. And the cleaning didn't get done either. When Bubby arrived yesterday AM he wasn't feeling well, and his temp. was over 101 degrees. Mary kept him home from school and we kept a close eye on him as he's prone to febrile seizures. He never touched his chocolate milk (almost unheard of, for him), and wouldn't eat lunch. I tried to get him to take his pills at lunchtime, and he started throwing up. (one of the first signs that a seizure is pending). Kristin was home from her dentist appt., and immediately got down on the floor with him. She cleaned up the floor, removed his clothes, and got him cathed before the seizure started. It wasn't a long one, only about four minutes, but when it was over he wasn't quite right. His speech was slurred, and his eyes still weren't focused. We had called Mary when the seizure started, and then called her to tell her we were afraid it was a shunt malfunction. She called Children's for instructions, called the school to get Krissy an early release, and called Jimmy to alert him that he should stay in Oakland. (he's working across the street from Children's Hospital). Kristin left me with the two kids while she drove to the school to get Krissy, and they arrived back home about the same time that Mary got here. Mary gave him more Tylenol, and she and Kristin left for Children's with Kristin in the back seat with Bubby. At Children's they did blood work, a CT scan, and a shunt series, and determined that the shunt was OK and that he has strept throat, and that the seizure was indeed a febrile seizure. It took nearly 8 hours for that. The twins went to Children's straight from work, and my girls waited together. I have an awesome familyand my girls are an excellent support system for each other. Rod and I held down the fort here, with Krissy and Izzy.

Rod had a dermatologist appt. yesterday, and learned that he has 4 areas of skin cancer, which they will start removing in July. It is completely curable, with no radiation or chemo required. I guess that was good news, although we didn't think there would be so many sites. The dr. told him that it is a classic skin cancer from too much sun. Rod has never been a sun worshipper and wears a hat when out in the sun. But the dr. said that most skin damage resulting in skin cancers occurs before the age of 20. He added that sun block was around when we were kids, and that is why they stress to young parents today that the sun block is critical to the little ones.

Today my arms ache, I held kids so much yesterday. I held Bubby in my arms for nearly an hour after his seizure, I'm so afraid that some day I will lose him, and didn't want to put him down. He just kept kissing me and telling me that "I love you, Grammy". And I held Izzy for her naps - one of them was nearly 3 hours. But, I'm so grateful to my Lord that everything turned out all right and my Bubby came home last night. He was angry that the drs wouldn't allow him to call from the emergency room to tell me he was OK. But I think the saddest part of the day was last night when Krissy was talking on the phone to Mary. She told Mary that she is so sad that Bubby has spina bifida and has all these problems. But she's also glad that she doesn't have all this, and she apologized for having these feelings. Pretty deep for a 7 year old. Mary told her that these feelings are normal, and that she shouldn't apologize for them. She's a great big sister for Bubby, and God loves her for that. We spent part of the evening on the deck with the two girls playing on the floor. Rod told Krissy how nice it was to sit out there with his three best girls, and she beamed. I am so blessed. See you tomorrow. Linda

Wednesday Whine Fest

Geez, yesterday seemed like Monday and I forgot to post my Tuesday Gratitude. Sorry about that. Today the only thing I want to whine about is the cost of gasoline. It's outrageous! Here in PA it's $3.95 a gallon in places. Soon we'll have to choose between gasoline and groceries.

I won't get much sewing done today since duty calls and I have to do a little housework. I can't remember the last time I ran the sweeper in the living room, and today's the day. I need to put away all the DVD's that Bubby has gotten out, and pick up odds and ends. Shouldn't take too long, but Izzy is coming for a while this AM while Kristin goes to the dentist. Usually Wednesday morning is my sewing morning since Bubby goes to preschool, but not today. Yesterday the kids wanted to stay on the deck, but we got a rainstorm and the temps dropped afterward, so we had to come in. While they were playing out there, I got another row sewn on my one sampler quilt. See you tomorrow. Linda

The Holiday Weekend is Over

and I'm so sad to see it go. Rod did manage to get the floor laid, both the plywood and the carpet. When he went to purchase the carpet, they were sold out of what we had picked out, but the brown he choose is really nice and I think I like it better than our original choice. Sunday night, after Jimmy finished helping with the carpet, he and Rod put my new patio set together. Last night, we ate our first meal on it. The lantern was part of my Mother's Day gift from Mary and Jimmy.

Kathy's charm tote turned out really nice. She was very pleased when she opened it. Now her three daughters want one, so looks like I'll be making some more. I have a lot of 30's repro fabrics, which I think would make a great tote. I have quite a bit of Mary Engelbreit fabrics - for number two, and since Paula is a little crazy, I'm going to make hers with all different stripes and polka dots. But first I have to make the pillowcases for a swap I'm in.

This is the patriotic charm tote I made for Jimmy's mom, Joan. Didn't get to her party as I came down with some sort of bug on Saturday night and didn't feel better until Monday morning. I love how it turned out, not bad for scraps.

Tonight I have a class at my LQS to complete the sessions for the sampler quilt. Tonight I'll learn the right way to sandwich, baste and mark a quilt for quilting. I'm using the Slice of Summer wallhanging as my project. Now I'm off to cut the batting and backing for my class tonight. Catch you tomorrow. Linda

The Holiday Weekend is Here

Finally. Last night all the girls were here for dinner with the kids, the guys were both working. We did take out from a local custard stand, and it was yummy. Then Rod unpacked the new firepit that I got for Mother's Day from the twins, and we made S'mores. It was a great start to the holiday weekend. Today he's going to attempt to put the last two posts in for the ramp, and then to start the floor (plywood and then carpet). Don't think he'll be able to do it since he really threw his back out last Saturday, but he has good intentions. I'm going to work on the two totes I started yesterday. And, sit on my covered deck for a while, of course. Have a good weekend. Linda

It's Finally Friday

Boy has this week seemed long or what? I know there were the right amount of days in it, but maybe we were all just ready for a long weekend. Everyone in my family agrees that it was a long week. Bubby has a neurology appt. this afternoon, so I only have him 1/2 day. Izzy will be here all day. She's got two teeth, sorry if I mentioned it before. I got the squares for Kathy's charm tote cut and sewn yesterday, but since Joan's birthday party comes first, I'm working on hers today. I make and sell bandanas to a local kennel, and there are always strips leftover from the way I cut them. I save everything, and had a whole box of patriotic strips. I pulled them out last night, and have so many different fabrics. I can't wait to start cutting today. Just don't tell Joan that her tote was made from scraps!!! Have a great holiday weekend! Linda

Next Project

Well, I did finish my Slice of Summer quilt top yesterday, and I got three patriotic bibs done for Izzy. Mission Accomplished! Now today, I'm starting a new project - just a short one. I got the pattern for the Charm Party Bag, and have decided to start one today. I'll at least get the squares cut. Monday is my SIL's birthday, and her kids are having a surprise party for her (it's her first bithday since the loss of her hubby). I have a lot of floral FQ's and I think they would make a great bag. We've also been invited to Mary's MIL's 60th b'day party on Sunday, and if I have time, I might make her a bag also. So, I'm going to be busy, busy!! Have a great day. Linda

Today is Wednesday - Whine Fest Day,

But, the sun is shining and I don't really have a lot to whine about. Same old rain, But that's about it. So, just for the record, today is National Strawberries and Cream Day. Don't know who creates all these National days, but this one sounds good enough to eat. Doesn't that sound like a cool name for a quilt pattern - done in reds and creams? Hmmm. Needs some more thought. I promised Kristin that I would make some patriotic bibs for Izzy, so that's my project for today. And guess what, Izzy has two teeth. Wow, she's growing up fast. Are you looking forward to the holiday weekend? What's on the menu for this holiday? See you tomorrow. Linda

Gratitude Tuesday

Yes, it's another Gratitude Tuesday. And I'm thankful for so much. The deck roof is nearly finished, Jimmy is shingling the roof now. Rod hurt his back on Saturday AM picking up shingles, so he's a little incapacitated, and not a whole lot of help, right now. We picked up the patio set on Sunday, and got the chairs out of the box, but left the table in the box until the floor is done. Rod hung the new outside light, and my new windchime, and we're hoping to get the floor done soon. Jimmy has done a great job - he settles for nothing less than perfection, and I can't imagine what the labor for this would have cost us had we been paying for it. And so today, as every day, I'm thankful for such an awesome son-in-law.

I have one more block to finish buttonhole stitching, and my Slice of Summer quilt top is finished and ready to be sandwiched for quilting. I'm thankful that I took this class, because it has opened up a whole new world of quilting for me. I would never have considered using so many different fabics for the backgrounds, but love how it's turning out.

Have a great day, and remember to give thanks for all good things. Linda

It's Another Dreary Monday

and I'm having trouble getting started this morning because my blood sugar is really low. I don't feel like writing today. Catch me tomorrow. Linda

Saturday, Yeah

Finally it's Saturday. Last night we went and bought a new dishwasher, and Rod got it all installed. No more handwashing dishes. So, I still needed groceries. This morning Rod woke up at 5:40am and couldn't get back to sleep, so guess who else woke up -- me. Are we crazy or what? At 6:00 we left to go grocery shopping. The store was practically empty, and $284 later we left to load the groceries into the car. Boy, can you believe how prices are going up? But I must have done OK since I had trouble finding room for everything in the cupboards. I bought all the fixings for a hot dog bar for lunch - sauerkraut, chili, onions, cheese-in-a-can, and more. Yum! For dinner I bought half a ham to bake, Mary is going to make hot German potato salad and we'll throw in some mac'n'cheese for those who don't eat the potato salad. The guys are going to work on the roof since the side job Jimmy had planned for isn't happening until next weekend. Tomorrow, we plan on getting the patio set that Rod promised me for Mother's Day. Have a good weekend. Linda

MEME! MEME!

quilting cindy tagged me yesterday.


The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
Okay, seems easy. Here goes:



1. What was I doing 10 years ago? Lots of crafts. I was painting woodcrafts for sale at craft shows and in two stores. Sure don't miss those days.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order): Do some buttonhole stitching on my wallhanging; wash dishes by hand; figure something to have for dinner and then cook it; take care of my grandkids.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Brownies and milkshakes. And you wonder why I'm heavy. Rod has been making me milkshakes with carb-smart ice cream, sugar free syrups, and 1% milk. Hey, they're better than nothing.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Add on to my house. I'd want a huge dining room and my own private bathroom. I'd hire a maid since I hate to clean, and maybe a cook to handle dinner. And then I'd stock up on quilting stuff - you just can't have too much.

6. Peeps I want to know more about: Mary, Upstate Lisa, daughter Mary, Nancy, Mavie.

Please do not feel that you have to play, it is just for fun

This and That

I know that it's not Wednesday, but I need to whine. My poor, old dishwasher died yesterday.
When I opened it yesterday morning, there was still smelly water inside and the soap dispenser was still closed. I tried everything I could think of and it just sits there and hums. When Rod came home, he checked it out, and declared that it had passed into dishwasher heaven. So last night, instead of grocery shopping (which I haven't done in three weeks) we went dishwasher shopping. Found one I really like, but nobody seems to have it in stock and the earliest I can get one is Thursday. Are they nuts? I handwashed dishes yesterday (give me an awww), but I don't think I can do it till Thursday. (Remember me, I'm the spoiled one). Our dishwasher is run at least once a day. Oh, my poor hands!

It's raining, again! Rod and Jimmy got the porch under roof, and Jimmy got the tar paper on, but Jimmy has another job to do this weekend, so Rod and I are on our own. We bought the spindles for the railing, but they aren't angled at the end like the ones we wanted. The guys say they can make a "jig" and we can use it to cut the angles on all the balustrades ( I think that's what they're called). And so this weekend, I will be doing the "jig thing" with my honey. I'm really looking forward to it -- I don't think I've ever been "jiggy" before. LOL. Have a great weekend. Linda

Moving Right Along

Yep, I'm moving right along on the Slice of Summer quilt by Pat Sloan. It's a quilt I started in the class I took from Pat last July in Hershey. Mary took this photo yesterday, but since then I have all the pieces fused, the borders are on, and I just have some blanket stitching to finish and it's ready to sandwich for quilting. I wasn't sure about the backgrounds I had chosen at the class, but decided I needed to finish up this quilt since I have declared that 2008 is my year to "Finish It Up". But the more I do, the more I like it. Pat's quilt had honeysuckle where the bleeding hearts are, but honeysuckle makes me sneeze (LOL), and I love my white bleeding hearts, so I did my own thing. We have a camp near Pymatuning Lake, and I added the campfire and s'mores are to honor camp. The crow and watermelon are original to Pat's design, but have a special meaning for me, too. When the twins were a little over a year old, Rod worked 4-12 one Friday night and then we left for camp. The twins went to bed at regular time and so when we arrived at camp at about 2:00 am, they were wide awake. I tried to keep them quiet, but at 6:00 when the sun came up, the crows started doing their "Caw-Caw" and both twins decided it was a good time to practice theirs. Geez, how do you shut up a set of twins (I still ask myself this question) who have had a full night's sleep. Finally about 7:00 am Rod got up with them, took them outside to "caw-caw" and the older girls and I got some sleep. I'll post the full quilt later. Have a great day. Linda

WAAAAA!!!

The other morning Bubby came in and told me the "Boogie Monster" had come to visit him, cause he had lots of "boogies" in his nose. Well, last night the Boogie Monster's evil partner, "Mucous Man" stopped at my house. This morning, my head is stuffy and my throat is scratchy and I don't want a cold right now. I don't do bad with the flu, but a cold really knocks me for a loop. Geez, it's probably from getting soaked on Mother's Day. So, people, there's the first whine in today's Wednesday Whine Fest.

Just one more whine from me, and I'll say goodbye for today. I have no dogs. Our dogs had to be put down just recently. I love dogs. But, I have three (yes, count them) three neighbors who refuse to keep their dogs tied. The first neighbor keeps a close eye on his dogs, but they still scare the be-jeebers out of me when they come running, barking, and snarling at me when I'm trying to get Bubby on or off the bus. Whoever is out with them yells, they run back, but I'm still offended that they're giving me lip when I'm on my own property. The second neighbor alson has two dogs, which he leaves out unattended when he comes home from work. They're not bad dogs, no barking. But they love doing their business at the bottom of the ramp coming off our back deck. I just want to yell, "Go poop in your own yard!" And last, the third neighbor has three dogs. A rottie, a chocolate lab, and a keeshound and they're all three very friendly. The big problem is that they're out unattended alot, sometimes all night. And they love my garbage cans - not the cans, just what is in them. And so after a night of cruising the neighborhood, they leave nasty diapers and other assorted garbage all over our yard. Finally, the son called the other night (he's 26 or so) to ask me what to feed the baby rabbits he saved from the dogs, ( I guess since my daughter is a vet, he thinks I know these things) and I told him that it wasn't a good idea for them to be in my garbage, and the next time I would call him to clean it up. He was very apologetic, and I haven't seen the dogs since.

And so, people, that's my Wednesday Whine Fest. What do you want to whine about? Linda

Gratitude Tuesday

It has finally quit raining. Yesterday our local weatherman said that we have had rain for 9 out of the total 12 days in May. Today is rain free, but we'll have rain moving back in tomorrow afternoon and continuing through the weekend. So. . . . today I'm so grateful for a rain-free day with abundant sunshine and warmer temps.

The guys have worked hard on the deck roof, and last night finished putting the roof rafters up before quitting. I had an easy cook day yesterday. I put boneless ribs in the big crockpot with BBQ sauce, and in the little one, I put my crockpot version of fried cabbage and noodles, which doesn't involve any frying. Since Jimmy was working on the roof, I invited Mary and family to come for dinner. Jimmy doesn't like cooked cabbage, so Mary raided the pantry for a can of stewed tomatoes, two small cans of tomato sauce, and some beef broth and made her own spaghetti sauce. It smelled sooo good, but I didn't get to try any. Spaghetti sauce is something I've never mastered, probably because I don't really care for red sauce. I only had whole wheat pasta, so Jimmy stopped at the house and brought over a box of theirs. We had a pretty good evening, and I'm always thankful that my kids all live so close (they're all within 5 minutes of my house).

Don't forget to take a few minutes to stop and think about what you're thankful for today. Linda

Rainy Days and Mondays

Do you remember that song by the Carpenters? Well, that's my song for today. Mondays are bad enough, but when it rains, yech!! How was your Mother's Day? We had a good one. The brunch was OK, nothing earth-shattering. The salads were the best ever. But the meat left a little to be desired. Prime Rib - fatty; turkey - little flavor; roast pork and stuffed chicken breast were pretty good. In fact, SIL Jimmy, who isn't a big prime rib fan, said he ate more off the kid's buffet than the adult's. They had popcorn chicken, pizza bites, and mac and cheese. But, what he really said that he did was just eat $25 worth of desserts. Oh gosh, they were good. Chocolate cake, tiramisu, apple and cherry pie, and coconut cream pie and more.




Have you ever seen a stretch hummer? I hadn't until yesterday. I think the regular hummer is ugly, but this takes the prize. There were what appeared to be 4 daughters with mom and grandma who showed up for brunch in one of these. All were dressed up and had on high heels. One lady nearly fell getting out, and the first lady out of the limo stood in the doorway taking photos of all the others as they disembarked. (Well, they should have had a gangplank!) Just as we were ready to leave, the sky opened and dumped the heaviest rain of the weekend on us. I was outside holding the door for two little old ladies with walkers when this gas guzzler arrived, and I was stuck holding the door for the photographer and all her subjects with narry a thank-you. The "limo" was so big that there wasn't room for it to park in the lot, the driver went across the road and parked in the empty lot of the church there. But while the passengers were getting out, the drop-off area was completely blocked, and I'm sure there were a lot of rain-soaked people saying not-so-nice things about this alien-craft (We here in the country don't see thangs like this everyday!!) when they finally got to their waiting cars. But we had a good day, and now there's just 5 more days until the weekend. Hopefully it will be sunny and warm. Linda

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all. Today we're having a special brunch at a local restaurant that is in a castle. It's at a golf course, really close to home and, from what I hear, their brunch is pretty impressive. I know there's prime rib and roast turkey, various seafoods, and great sides. All will be there, and I'm looking forward to not having to cook. http://www.shakespearesrestaurant.com/index2.htm



Now a little about my mom. She moved in with us two years ago, and unfortunately, it has nearly ruined what relationship we had. I was always Daddy's girl, and so when my sister and dad passed within two years, I was left to care for my mom. Living with someone who is critical and constantly complaining isn't easy and the fact that she is here 24/7 doesn't help. She refused to accept that I'm an adult, and insists on treating me like I'm a 10 year old. But even so, she is quite a lady.



My mom is a cancer survivor. In 1968, shortly after I graduated from high school, my mom was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Surgery was performed, and we waited for the lab results. When the dr. called to tell my dad that they had gotten it all, my dad cried. I had never seen that before. In 1990, my dad was diagnosed with an aneurysm and after surgery at a Pittsburgh hospital was in surgical intensive care for 10 months. My mom visited him nearly everyday, and was at his bedside for hours at a time. In early August of 1991, Daddy was transferred to a rehab hospital and in late August, my sister died at the age of 37. Mom was dealing with the fact that her husband was not the strong willed man he had been, and now had to deal with the death of her youngest daughter as well. Daddy was released from rehab in November, and with our help, mom moved to a small apartment, sold their home, and learned to care for Daddy's colostomy. In 1992 Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and radiation therapy. But although her strength was waning, Daddy's care never suffered. She took excellent care of him up to the day he died. And so, in 1993, less than two years after losing her daughter, Mom said goodbye to her husband of 43 years. She moved from their apartment into a senior's building, and was quite happy there until her own health began to worsen. In 2000, Mom was again diagnosed with breast cancer, and this time elected to have a mastectomy. After a period of recuperation, she returned to her apartment and stayed there until she was hospitalized 11 times in a year due to congestive heart failure. At time Rod suggested she move in with us, and so she did. Life for me changed drastically, and it hasn't been easy. But I know that it was necessary. Her arthritis is much worse, and, due to kidney problems, she can't take any type of arthritis medication. Her pain is tremendous, but she insists on unloading the dishwasher every day. I do admire her so much, and wish she didn't have to live with so much pain. I will never forget how she cared for my dad. I don't know that I could do the colostomy care that she did. Each time he had a problem, he would cry and Mom would tell him it wasn't a big deal. But we all knew that it was. And now you know my mom, my mother-in-law, and a little more about what made me the person I am. Have a great Mother's Day. Linda

Mother-in-Law

As we approach Mother's Day weekend, my thoughts are of my dear Mother-in-Law. She was truly a grand lady, and probably the biggest influence in my life. We didn't start out on a solid footing, but we ended at the opposite end. Dee was a stay-at-home-mom, and took her job as wife and mother very seriously. When she cooked or baked, the kids were always welcome to help chop veggies (with plastic knives) and each was given a ball of dough with which to practice. If you told her you needed to talk, she would wipe her hands on her apron, and say "let's sit", and she sat until you felt your problem was well on it's way to being solved. She was very sympathetic to everyone except me. Her answer was always, "Lin's a survivor". How I hated that phrase. All my babies were born prematurely, and each time I left the hospital with empty arms as the babies stayed behind. Her comment was "at least they're alive". She had lost 5 babies, but the suicide of her youngest son in the 90's was what devastated her. The last day I spent with her was in her hospital room, and I was holding Bubby. She was so fascinated with his determination to overcome the odds he had been given (he has spina bifida). She would open one eye an look at me and say nothing. I left her room that evening thinking that she was upset with me for some reason. When I asked my SIL about it, she replied that Dee had told her that her work here was done, that Lin had everything under control and would teach that boy to be strong and to be a survivor. Now I realize that Dee knew that I was a survivor because she was a survivor. It wasn't an insult as I thought all those years, but the greatest compliment she could have given me. She gave me the determination to "survive" all that had been thrown at me. She taught me about love, family, being a good wife and mother, about cooking healthy, comfort foods, and most definitely about Christian living. And, she taught me to be a "survivor". Now, I tell Rod that he is "so like his father". He just kisses me on the cheek and replies, "That's because I live with my mother." Is that not the greatest compliment? I love you, Dee and miss you every day of my life. Happy Mother's Day to all. Linda

Looking on to the Weekend

Just today and one more, and we're at another weekend. We went last night and purchased the lumber for the deck roof, and it's being delivered on Friday. Hopefully the guys will be ready to start first thing Saturday morning. I'm planning on bribing them with donuts from a local baker - they're the best. Jimmy, my DSIL, has been selected to compete on Friday in a Carpenter's competition at the school where he's been taking classes towards his journeyman status. He has already taken his final exam, and will officially finish his apprenticeship in June. We are so proud of him, and can't tell you how much we love him. He and Mary have been together since 7th grade, except for one short stint where they each dated someone else. Seems like he's been in our family forever. I tease him and tell him I raised him to be the guy we wanted for Mary. Next week, maybe photos of the progress on the deck roof. See you. Linda

Wednesday Whine Fest

DD Mary has suggested that since I have Gratitude Tuesday here on the blog, we should also have a "vent day". So I present to you the first Wednesday Whine Fest. Here on Wednesdays you can vent or whine about what's bugging you. But, I'm first.

My biggest pet peeve in the world is when I'm on the phone and the people in the room with me feel the need to comment on my phone conversation. Boy, I hate that. Get your own phone conversation and neb out of mine. Another thing that really bugs me. . . . my 78 year old mother lives with us - my husband's idea, not mine. She's always been a chronic complainer, and loves to play the martyr. But she's a big fan of the twixit clips sold by Pampered Chef and others. I like them too, but geez, draw the line somewhere. I go to get a box of cereal for breakfast - twixit clip. A pack of crackers out of the box - twixit clip. I love them for chips and pretzels, but on bagged candy!!! And last but not least -- I hate being fat. Absolutely hate it. I'm on 1500 calories for my diabetes, but not losing much weight. Dr. says I need to exercise, and I told him not to use that sort of language on me. You see for me, exercise is a four letter word. Part of the trouble is that I hate to sweat- -and I don't glisten or perspire, I just sweat. So that's it for me on the Wednesday Whine Fest. How about you? What do you want to whine about? Please share with us. Linda

Gratitude Tuesday

A few weeks ago Rod went to the dr. for a check-up (his first in about 15 years). They discovered high blood pressure, the beginnings of COPD, and a skin cancer. He was sent for an echocardiogram, and will see a dermatologist later this month. But. . . the echocardiogram was good. So today, on Gratitude Tuesday, I am thankful that my soul-mate still has a pretty good ticker. Hopefully the other appointment will go as well.

I have decided to use ric-rac for the stems on my Slice of Summer quilt, and will proceed with that today. Have a great day. Linda

Monday, Monday - Again

It sure seemed like a short weekend. With the Saddle Up on Saturday, the weekend was half gone. Yesterday I just played lazy and did noth. Rod and I went to Home Depot to pick out carpet and price lumber for the deck. Once the roof is on, we're carpeting with indoor/outdoor carpet. The twins, Mary and family came and we cooked out. Good food, good company. Here are the photos of the Saddle Up quilts, finally.

Here's the Cowboy Boot quilt. Boots were made from leftovers from the Be Attitude BOM I'm doing with This N That Fabric. Kristin and family won this quilt. My first attempt at free-motion quilting of stars can be seen in the cornerstone squares

Log Cabin Quilt from Bandana Fabric

Old McDonald Quilt, probably the most popular this year.

Jar Quilt, which you've seen here before. Mary and her family won this quilt.

This is the backpack I made. They decided to raffle it instead of giving it as a door prize. It gave more kids a chance to win. The little cowgirl holding the bag is Krissy.

And last, but not least, the John Deere pinwheel quilt. The riders are crazy for anything John Deere, so each year I try to do something with a John Deere theme. This was quick, but I liked the look.

And that's it. See you tomorrow. Linda

It's Over

The Saddle Up is over. It rained, it poured, the wind blew and there was some lightening. Gas was high, people were tighter with their money. But. . . . We had over 125 riders, we raised $677 with the quilt auction, and raised over $20,000 for the kids at St. Jude's. Not a bad day!!! I'm home, in my robe and nearly frozen. But I feel so good about what we were able to do. It's a big charity event for our whole family, and although everyone is tired, it's a good tired. DD Mary and her famiy won the jar quilt. DD Kristin and her family won the cowboy boot quilt. It was the first year I've ever taken chances on my own quilts, but I won nothing. My twins have never won a Saddle Up quilt, so I think that may be my next project. They work harder for this event than any of the rest of our family and I want them to have something special. Bye for now. Linda

New Pattern

At the Lancaster quilt show I was drawn to a tote bag that was hanging up at the booth of Epicurean Crafts. It was for a "Charm Party Tote". http://www.quiltsillustrated.com/index_files/Page880.htm

They were selling kits for the bag, but had sold out of the pattern. If you paid for the pattern, they would mail it within 4-6 weeks. I was working on the Saddle Up quilts, so I figured why not. Well the pattern arrived yesterday, and DD Mary was here when I opened the envelope. She hadn't seen the kit, but has now decided that since it's her favorite colors, the new bag should be made for her. She's so spoiled. That means I have to make one for each of the other girls, if they want one. I really love the black/white on the cover, and have pieces left over from my black/white log cabin quilt, so will use that with some red/white thrown in. I also bought a FQ assortment of Pat Sloan's new line, Nikki and I think that would make a stunning bag.

I've gotten alot done on the Slice of Summer quilt, and although I wasn't thrilled about how it looked, it's growing on me. So, I'll continue working on it before I start the new bags. The Saddle Up is tomorrow, and I won't get much done then, but Sunday is another day. Have a great weekend. Linda

Is it Friday yet?

Boy, I think it should be. After a beautiful week last week, this week has been wet and dreary and it's supposed to continue into the weekend. The Saddle Up is on Saturday, and rain and thunderstorms just aren't conducive to horse-back riding. So, ask our Maker for no rain on Saturday here in western PA until after 5 o'clock, please.

Did you get your rebate yet? We didn't. All the talk about getting them early certainly didn't mean us. Do you have something special planned for that rebate? We are spending ours here in the good old USA. We have a deck out back that is 16 x 16, and we decided this would be the perfect time to put a roof on it. The kids and I spend alot of time out there in the summer, and it would be nice not to have to battle the sun or rain. I'm really excited about it. In my excitement one day, I called the roof a lid, and haven't lived it down. DSIL Jimmy says it's a result of my Tupperware dealer days and that to me everything is a lid. Just don't expect to burp it!!, he added. So Rod, the Designer, has been laying out this roof on the computer, and Jimmy the Carpenter will be helping with the design and the building of this roof. I'm sure the twins will be helping, too as they wield a mean hammer. The four of them put on a new roof a few years back, and built the family room in the basement. We probably won't start until after Mother's Day, however. Rod has promised me a wicker set for the new deck, which will be carpeted and I'm making a list of accessories for Mother's Day. I love having mini lights on the deck. We have a canvas gazebo there now, and the lights are around the top of the frame. Have you seen Yankee Candle's new outdoor line? I love the new lanterns. http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/listing.jsp?category=%2fRetail%2fCandle+Accessories%2fCandle+Accessory+Collections%2fLanterns I worked in the mill office of a copper company before we were married, and I guess that's where my love of copper came from. I'm hoping for the copper lantern for Mother's Day. (hint, hint) Holy cow!! I just remembered I have a lantern that the kids got me for Mother's Day years ago. It's distressed metal with a dragonfly on it. Now I'll have to find it. See you tomorrow. Linda