Linda's Bee Hive

I'm Still Here. . .

2012-03-13T08:13:00.000-04:00

Yep, I'm still here. Although the clock says it's supposed to be daylight, we switched to Daylight Savings Time, and it's just now starting to get light. And my body thinks I should still be hibernating - it's hard to wake up before 7:20. I'll have to work on that.

I've been working on blocks for Saddle Up quilts. I have the Steeler quilt cut, and the strips are pieced. And I have started to put the rows together. But it's not done. I have a teddy bear on a John Deere pedal tractor that I started for Jake and pitched across the room because I didn't like the way the quilting looked. I dug it out, and the quilting doesn't look that bad. So, I have to finish the quilting and do the binding. But it's not done. I have the panels and the sashing fabrics for a Queen of the Ranch quilt. But it's not done. And I have 7 blocks for a western sampler quilt finished with only 5 more to go. But it's not done. Are you noticing a pattern here?? But since the Saddle Up isn't until May, I have plenty of time.

And speaking of the Saddle Up, meet my newest grand-horsey. Daughter Pam's mare, Winter, gave birth to this little guy Sunday night at about 9:00. Pam walked into the barn to check on her just after he arrived. Mom hadn't broken the cord yet. Pam stood quietly by, and before Mom had finished cleaning him off, he was on his feet and looking for the milk source. Hard to believe he's a male, he had trouble finding it. LOL. She thinks they might name him Warrior, since he was such a strong little guy. Right now he looks like he's all legs, but he will fill out quickly. Both Mom and Dad are Appaloosas, so the dude should get his spots as he grows.

I'm off to sew.

Happy Birthday Kristin

2012-03-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today is my daughter, Kristin's birthday. I call her my "middle" daughter. Mary is older and the twins are younger, which makes her the middle. Kristin is quite a remarkable woman. From the time she was in 4th grade, she wanted to be a veterinarian. And she worked tirelessly to that end. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class. She graduated from college summa cum laude, and was accepted to veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania with her first application. And she graduated from Penn magna cum laude.

I hated it when she went away to vet school. All my girls had commuted to college while they lived at home. And leaving her in Philadelphia, which was on the other side of the state, was very traumatic for me. Had she just said, "Mom, I can't do this. Please take me home." I would not have hesitated. And although she didn't want to stay, she never let on.

She has been my sidekick at craft shows in the past. We have sat together in the living room and talked for hours. We talked on the phone every day when she was in Philadelphia. And still, we talk nearly every day. I love watching her children, it means I also get to see her nearly every day. And she fell in love with a man who is everything she never wanted. And it works for them. They have a love that most people only hope for and dream of. And when they married, she got a ready made family. It wasn't easy, but Kris has made it work. This photo is of George, Kris, Izzy and two of her four step kids. And now she also has Jake. I marvel at how she balances everything. She works tons of hours each week. Both Izzy and Jake are in swimming classes. She works out on a regular basis. And with George's help, she maintains a wonderful home for her family. I admire her so. Happy Birthday, Kris. I love you so.

I've always felt that my kids were the greatest things that I had done in my life. Who needs riches and jewels when you have the great kids that I have.

March Snow

2012-03-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

Here I am again with my ~~daily~~ ~~weekly~~ whenever post. I wish I could say that I've been really busy in the sewing room, but that would be an untruth.
This photo was taken out of the living room window this morning - just about 10 minutes ago. It's March 5, for Pete's sake. We aren't supposed to get all this snow, especially when it's going into the upper fifties on Wednesday. I'm one of the lucky ones that get to sit inside and watch it snow out of the window. Those who did have to go to work this morning say the roads were horrendous. I always like to have the bird feeder in the snow photos because you can see how much snow we've gotten by looking at the height of the "hat" the feeder is sporting. I admit it's beautiful, but I must confess that I'm more than ready for spring. I need to hear the birds sing, I need to see the flowers bloom, and I need to sit on my deck and watch the fish in the pond. The only good thing about now is that in less than 3 weeks we can make our dining reservations for our September Disney trip. And last week, we got free dining.

I feel like my whole life these days revolves around food. It seems that it's all I think about, internet surf about, cry about, laugh about, and, oh yes, cuss about. My numbers are still fairly high, and I'm about at my wit's end. Making my breakfasts and lunches ahead was a great idea. However, there was no switching it up and I found that I quickly tired of egg cups and pasta salads. So again this weekend, I thought and thought until my thinker was sore (to loosely quote Dr. Seuss) about what to do next. Breakfasts will alternate between oatmeal, Special K, and poached eggs on either toast or an English muffin half. Lunches will be varied garden salads, lean ham and cheese sandwiches, and my favorite peanut butter and diet jelly on Arnold's sandwich thins. Mary made me some homemade salsa over the weekend, and I can use it for snacks, along with some diet jello that I made on Sunday and put into single serving cups.

Tomorrow is Kristin's day off, and I don't have the kids; so I'm hoping to renew my friendship with the sewing room. I'm sure it's feeling neglected.

Musings of a La-Z-Boy Potato

2012-02-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

You can't really call me a couch potato, the couch is Rod's domain. But I am a La-Z-Boy potato. I love my recliner - it's like my throne. Yes, I do go to bed in the bed at night, but when I awake for a mid-night potty break, I return to my recliner and sleep there the rest of the night. It all started after my sister passed away, I was beginning menopause, and had insomnia really bad. Wow, am I glad that part of my life is over. But I spend way too much time with my recliner. My goal for the next month is to spend less time on my throne and more time moving.

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here. Did you miss me? I'd like to say that I've been really busy, but I'm not sure that's the case. Daughter Mary introduced me to Pinterest, and now I think I'm addicted. No matter what I'm looking for, I look on Pinterest. I love seeing all the pictures, I love all the ideas I find there. Do you "Pinterest"? Look for me and click to follow me.

I have been doing some things other than with the laptop, too. I have hand-pieced 5 blocks for a Saddle Up Quilt, and blocks 6 and 7 are in various stages of completion. The last of my baskets are here, and hopefully I can finish putting the fabric away this week.

I had planned on tossing some fabrics that I have been saving for no special reason. But over the weekend, I bought and downloaded this pattern from Carlene Westberg's Etsy shop. I love it!! and can't wait to get started on one. I saved scraps of Pitt and Penn State fabrics, and hopefully these will make a great drawstring bag. Might try to sell them somewhere. I need to decide what fabrics I will use for mine. Wouldn't this be a great bag for Mary, who begins her student teaching on March 5?

Since my first cold this fall, I have had congestion and wheezing in my chest and throat, and I have had shortness of breath when I move around. Don't know why, but it had become really irritating. Yesterday, we made plans to go out to dinner with the twins. As I was getting dressed, I got a coughing spell. It lasted about 20 minutes, it scared me, and when it was finished, I felt exhausted. On the way home from the restaurant, I got another coughing spell. When I got home, I was tired and didn't feel too well. But when I woke up this morning, there was no congestion. . . no shortness of breath. I don't understand it, but I'm thanking God for whatever it was. It feels so great to breathe free again. Hopefully moving more, drinking more water, and sitting less will keep me feeling this great. Have a great week.

Happy Birthday to My "Babies"

2012-02-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

Today my "babies" turn 32. Hard to believe, and today I think back to when they were born. I was only 29 weeks into my pregnancy, and the doctors had stopped my labor twice before. But this time, there was no stopping it. After I had labored for 10 hours, the doctors decided that a C-section was necessary. Because of my diabetes, the babies were large - 3 lb. 4oz. and 3 lb. 6oz. But they were given only a 10% chance of survival. Each time we thought we would get them home, there was another setback. But after 7 weeks, they were ready to come home. They had a tough time getting started, but have had few health problems since. I call them my miracles.

This picture was taken when they were a little over a year old. Pat is sitting with her Pap, and Pam is sitting with her Dee.

These are Halloween costumes we put together when Rod wasn't working. I dyed mop heads red, added red tape to their tights, and they went as Raggedy Ann's. They were not amused, to say the least.

This was the day they made their First Communion. Again, the dresses were homemade.

This was one of their Senior pictures. It's one of the few times that they had seriously different haircuts.

These are two of the greatest young women you would ever want to meet. They love their horses and their dogs. They own cows, drive the tractor, plow fields, cut hay and clean stalls. They are completely devoted to their family. When Bubba is hospitalized, they are there every day to offer support to Mary and Jim. They take Izzy swim class when Kristin has to work. They do all they can to make my life easier and are there whenever their dad needs help. And they are soooo much fun. We are planning a trip to Disney in September, just the four of us. I can't wait. They are great friends to each other and to those who are lucky enough to be called their friends. And so, Happy Birthday to my youngest girls -you are truly my heroes.

Gettin' There

2012-02-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

Just sitting here watching the Super Bowl. Loved Madonna's half-time show. She was always one of my favorite singers, as long as I didn't have to watch her.

I worked most of the weekend in the sewing room, and I am really pleased with what I got accomplished. Rod came in and fixed the one drawer in the filing cabinet that didn't work. I'm just a shorty, and of course it was the third drawer. Wouldn't have mattered much had it been the top drawer. Then he helped me clean up the floor. On Friday, we had picked up the two sets of baskets that I had ordered from Walmart and had shipped to our store. Today, we used all them, and today I ordered two more sets. That makes a total of 7 sets at $20 a pop, but I love the way they look, and my fabrics like them too. (they told me so) And in cleaning up the floor and emptying some boxes, I found the strap for the Tinkerbell dress (can you see me doing the happy dance?), and I also found a quilt that is almost finished for the Saddle Up. I was thinking that I was going to have to order some fabric to put together the transportation quilt that I had started for Bubby; but in cleaning up, I found a two yard piece of fabric with lots of cars, etc. on it. Rod hung up my new dry erase/magnetic/ cork board, and I printed out my word for 2012 onto card stock, attached some magnetic tape and positioned it onto the magnetic board. I have some fabrics left to put away, and need to put away the T-shirts and I'm ready to begin the raffle quilt for Becky's spaghetti dinner. The more I accomplish, the more I want to do. So, move on McDuff!

So Far, So Good

2012-02-02T10:34:00.002-05:00

Do you remember when I showed you this part of my sewing room and what a mess it was? Well, I've been working on it a little at a time, and it's finally starting to take shape. You can see some of my fabric shelves to the left of the buffet.

Here's what it looks like right now. It still looks a little messy, but the stack of books and the books in the plastic container are ready to be put away. To the left of the books is a stack of T-shirts ready to be put inside the buffet (I just need to clean out a space)

This, however, is the area that I'm most excited about. I ordered these fabric bins from Walmart.com, since they are not available in the stores. I ordered three sets (9 bins) to begin with. They are all in use now, and I have ordered two more sets, which I had shipped to my local Walmart and will pick up tomorrow night. I had started to roll my fabric before ~~stuffing~~ neatly putting it into the bins. After seeing some baskets that others use, I just started flat-folding my fabrics like they were on the shelves and laying them into the bins. Believe it or not, I was able to put more fabric in each bin. The pile of fabric on the right side of the middle shelf are extra large pieces that I bought for backings. I'm thinking that I may buy pants hangers to put them on and hang them in the closet in the sewing room. I may have one or two old hangers just hanging around somewhere. Memo to self: look for those hangers. While I was cleaning off the buffet top, I found some blocks that I had started for a quilt for Bubby a few years ago. I didn't care for them and so never finished them. I quickly tossed them into the trash. After thinking about how these blocks were nearly done, I decided to take them back out, finish them, and put them together for a quilt for the Saddle Up. I just hate throwing out anything that might be useful.

While putting the fabric into the bins, I pulled out some nice sized pieces that I haven't used in probably 10 years. I was going to put them aside for Goodwill. And then I found some good pieces that weren't folded and were just sort of thrown around. Aha, said I, the granddaughters have been playing with my fabric again. I've told you before that Krissy is a budding fashion designer. Here's one of the outfits she made for Izzy when they were spending some time here. What I decided to do is to put these fabrics into a special bag for them to use for their fashion design -- with the understanding that they are responsible for cleaning up their mess. Hopefully, they will leave Grammy's fabric alone then.

I did want to get a dry erase board like I had talked about. Unlike my friend Nancy who has a BASR (big ass sewing room), I have a very small sewing room. I'll call it my TTSR (teeny tiny sewing room) So, my empty space is very limited. I also found this on pinterest.com and loved the idea. It's fabric on cork board.

By searching online, I found a board on Amazon.com that I thought could serve both purposes. The dry erase side is also magnetic. And then there's the cork side. I think that I can put on my thinking cap and figure out a way that I can make a fabric cover with pockets for this side. If I ever finish with all that I have planned, I should have a cute and neatly organized TTSR. So, I guess I should get off here and get busy.

So Far, So Good

2012-02-02T10:33:00.003-05:00

So Far, So Good

2012-02-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

YIPPEE!!!

2012-01-30T07:49:00.000-05:00

Today was my weigh-in day, and I'm so excited that I would do a cartwheel if I could. My weight is down another 2.8 pounds, for a total of 8.5 pounds in the last six weeks. Check out my other blog to see what I'm attempting to help me with my numbers and my portion control. My next area of concentration is forcing myself to move more.

Projects on Hold

2012-01-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

All my other projects are on hold right now because I have something very important to make. The Outreach
Group at Mary's church has agreed to do a spaghetti dinner to benefit little Becky. She has to have chemo for the next 12 months, and medical insurance will only pay for one prosthetic eye every 5 years. We all know that a 4 year old is going to grow very quickly, and this seems so unfair. Mary and my niece Becky (little Becky's her namesake) have discussed making some gift baskets to raffle at the dinner, and I have decided to make a quilt to raffle. The dinner is the first Thursday in March, so I should have plenty of time to put something simple together. Since our area is definitely Steeler Nation, I'm going to cut 6-1/2" squares of Steeler fabric and gold fabric with my AccuQuilt GO cutter, and just put them together alternatively. I have Steeler fleece to put on the back, and can just do a diagonal quilting. Hopefully this will raise some good money to help them out.

I HATE QUILTING!!!!

2012-01-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

No, No, don't get the wrong idea. I love sewing, but hate quilting. I love finding patterns, choosing colors and fabrics,and piecing tops. But I hate the quilting part. If I were rich, I'd pay to have all my tops quilted professionally. For me, quilting seems to take forever. Remember when I said I felt the need to finish something. The very next day I finished the Farmer's Market top and pinned it on the fleece, ready for quilting. I don't know if I do too much quilting or if I'm just slow, but it's still not finished. The quilting is finished and all I have to do is the binding. But when I have the kids during the day, I don't like to go into the sewing room and leave them in the living room. And there's way too much stuff for Jake to get into in the sewing room - believe me. Usually I have Tuesdays to sew, but yesterday with Rod home to get the car inspected and Kris and the kids here most of the day (she had a bad migraine), I got nothing done. So now my next chance to sew is Saturday. Do you do all your own quilting? Any tips? I'm trying to come up with a plan to put money aside each pay into a "quilting fund". Any ideas?

We got some really bad news yesterday. My niece learned yesterday that the cancer has spread to little Becky's blood, and she will need to undergo chemotherapy. She starts her first round today, and Friday is her 4th birthday. Please continue to pray for Becky and her mom.

What a Great Idea!

2012-01-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Nancy has just moved into a new sewing room, and today posted photos of that room. My favorite part of Nancy's new room is her dry erase board. Nancy has her word of the year on the board and then has listed the projects she is working on. I think I may need to get a board like this. Maybe not so big, but I think it may help me. If you recall, my word of the year was organize. I had such great intentions, but they seem to have fallen by the wayside. I'm thinking that if I listed small organizational projects on my board, then I could do one at a time and cross them off or erase them. By dividing my overwhelming mess into small projects, it might encourage me to take just an hour at a time and accomplish something, instead of sitting there with my head in my hands wondering where to start. Small steps=large leaps.

Block One

2012-01-19T10:32:00.000-05:00

It's time to start thinking about quilts for the Saddle Up again. I make the quilts about 42" x 54", and usually back them with fleece. If you would like to donate a quilt for this purpose, it would be accepted gladly. The money raised with the quilt raffle benefits St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, a great cause. This is one of the quilts I did for last year's Saddle Up. It was a star made with bandana fabrics.

I wanted something to hand piece, and thought I would do the Dresdan Plate Club as a hand project. It didn't work out, it just didn't lay right. So I decided to do a sampler quilt using western fabrics and use it for the Saddle Up. I have just finished the first block - Pinwheel. I finished it up this morning, before I headed to the sewing room to cut another block. I like to get most of my patterns from Quilter's Cache. If you have never checked out this site, you might want to give it a look.

Wednesday Whine Fest on Tuesday

2012-01-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Bear with me while a whine a little. I have this ringing in my ears - I used to laugh at my mom when she said she heard crickets all the time. But the joke's on me because now I hear locusts. They say it can be caused by too much aspirin, etc., and since I take 4 Aleve each day for my knees, I decided to cut back. I was a little afraid of how much the pain would increase, but so far, so good. Pain is no worse, but locusts are still there. This has been the worst winter I've ever had for sickness. Seems like I have a cold or sore throat constantly. I'm blaming it on the lousy weather. Today the high is 52 degrees, tomorrow 28 degrees. Today - rain, tomorrow - snow. Jeez, it's no wonder I can't kick this nasty cold.

The last couple of weeks, I've been feeling a little out of sorts. I can't seem to put my finger on it. Maybe it's just a form of cabin fever. I have the kids at some point during each day Monday through Friday. Some days it's only 4 hours, other days it's 10 hours. So, on the weekends, I just want to stay home with Roddy. Every Friday I think I will get a lot accomplished, but usually I end up doing nothing but reading and playing games. Rod tells me I shouldn't feel guilty, but some weekends I do. The house is so cluttered with things we hate to throw away but are tired of looking at. This past weekend, we joked that we should buy a new house, move out what we want to keep, and leave the rest for the buyer. No, we're not buying a new house, but it was a thought. The sewing room isn't looking any better than it did. Once I'm back there I don't want to clean, I just want to sew. OK whining has come to an end.!!

Saturday morning I woke up feeling the need to "finish" something. I have so many projects started and don't seem to finish anything. So, Sunday morning, I put the last two border sections on my Farmer's Market Quilt, got it pinned onto the fleece, and cut and sewed the binding. This morning, I began quilting. This photo is only part of the quilt, but you can see that I put the blocks together with assorted bumblebee fabrics. (You do find bees at the market). So far I have quilted all the bee fabrics with a black/grey/white variegated thread in a loopy free motion to resemble the bee trails. I've quilted circles in the tomatoes, cherries, and the apple, some of which aren't pictured. Now I'm ready to start the backgrounds, and haven't decided what to do. I'm thinking I will put on the walking foot and just do some straight stitching in the backgrounds. Just an all over stippling would be faster, and then I could straight quilt the borders. Mmmm, back to the sewing room.

Getting Started

2012-01-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

This morning I began cutting the blades for my Dresden Plates. As many of you know, I love to hand piece and I've decided to hand piece the plates. It gives me something more constructive than playing games on Facebook to do during the day when the TV only displays kids programming. This morning, I cut some of the blades, and marked the 1/4" seam allowances on those. They are in a plastic school box along with my thread, scissors and pincushion. And so, I'm set to get started. I love these little plastic school boxes and use them for so many things. I buy them in August or September when they are on sale for 99cents or less. And the lids are so many different colors. I have one with all my "tools" in, marking pencils, pens, tape measures and my little wooden stick iron. In another is all my rick rack; another holds the moisture beads for neck coolers. In still another are all my fabric markers. Most recently, I started to use one for the pieces that I cut for baby doll clothes. The pieces are so little, and this keeps them all in one place and totally under control. It's just too bad I didn't keep the pattern pieces in one or I wouldn't still be looking for the strap for Tinkerbell's dress. It's supposed to be a cold, windy, snowy weekend. Steeler football has come to an end, so I should accomplish a lot this weekend. Stay warm.

Oh, No - A Speed Bump

2012-01-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

You think that you're moving right along and then, ooof, a speed bump. I started cutting the strips for the Plate Club, and discovered that I have no blue dots. I know, it's unbelievable. I thought I had a lot of dots, but as it turns out, I don't have as many as I thought. I have some fabrics that are ovals and I think they will work. I have also used some that are little flowers and look like dots, but nothing in blue. I promised myself that I wouldn't but any new fabrics for this quilt, but . . . Hmmm. These are the fabrics I've cut so far. The black on the far right is a floral, but I like it. The green two strips to the left is also a floral, but it's a 30's repro and I think it looks OK. The brown is also a floral, the orange on the left is swirls, and the last black on the left is triangles and I'm not sure about it. The hearts look pretty good, I think. But I really think I need some blues. Maybe I can find something on sale really cheap since I've already gone over my quilting budget for the month. See you later, I'm going hunting.

It's a Sunny Morning

2012-01-10T09:33:00.000-05:00

Sunshine always gives me a little boost to do what needs to be done. I don't have the kids today since it's Kris's day off, so I'm heading to the sewing room to start cutting blades for my Scrappy Plate Club. Only problem is that I'm not sure which fabric I'm going to use. I have lots of 30's repro, could use them. But then I also have lots of veggie and fruit fabrics. I think they would make a beautiful quilt. I also have a lot of Disney fabrics, and I have been thinking that if I use them, I could call the quilt "Chef Mickey's". It's one of our favorite places to eat while in Walt Disney World, and you get it . . . plate, eat, Chef Mickey. Well, maybe it is a stretch, but I know right where all the Disney fabrics are and can just reach under the table and pull them out. Okay, here I go and I hope the light bulb comes on while I'm walking from here to there.

Update on Becky

2012-01-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

This is Little Becky, the family calls her "Boo Boo". She will be 4 at the end of this month, and was diagnosed last week with retinablastoma, a form of cancer. Unfortunately, her pediatrician has been telling her mom for about six weeks now that it was either allergies or an eye infection. Her mom was smart enough to realize it was something more serious, and took her to a specialist. This morning Becky and her mom and dad met with an oncologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a biopsy was done. Surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday to remove Becky's left eye. After some time for healing, she will be fitted for a prosthetic eye, and begin chemo treatments. Some of this could have been prevented if her pediatrician had taken a little more precaution with her problems. My heart breaks for this little girl and her parents. I keep thinking about the fact that Izzy is just a few months older, and what this would have done to our family. We are an amazing support network for our family members. Unfortunately, my niece has already lost her mom, her dad, and her older sister. Thankfully, she has her older brother and his wife. She is also blessed to have my sister-in-law Kathy, who is one of the kindest and biggest-hearted people I know. Kathy pretty much stepped into the role of Monie's mom when my sister-in-law passed away. And Kathy's daughters have become like sisters to Monie. Please pray for Becky and her parents as they face this tragedy and all the uncertainty the future holds. We all know that prayers can accomplish so much.

I Could Sure Use Some Advice

2012-01-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

If it sounds like I'm rambling, please forgive. I've been rolling fabric to put into the baskets I bought. I have come across some fabric that I bought years ago for $1/yd. at an outlet store. It is clear that they are not 100% cotton, and are very heavily treated with fabric sizing. If I've not used them, should I keep them? I found some fabrics that daughter Kris bought for me almost 9 years ago. If I've not used them, should I keep them? And if I don't keep them, what do I do with them? I have quilting magazines in magazine holders that take up one entire shelf. I've not touched them in the last four years, only to move them. Do I keep these magazines? There are so many free patterns, free BOM's, and clubs available online. And I have so many kits that I haven't even started yet. Am I taking up precious space with magazine that I don't use? And if I get ride of them, what do I do with them? I'm just so tired of looking for things that I can't find because of all the stuff I never use. I have blocks that one of my grandmothers and an aunt made. I've not done anything with them. Do I keep them? And what about all the scraps that I think I might use someday? I have a problem with throwing things away because I'm afraid that I might need them someday. Does that make me a hoarder? Am I going to end up on that TV show? Please tell me what you would do.

WAHOOOO!!!

2012-01-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today is a really good day!!! I went grocery shopping this morning and spent a ton of money, but came home with many good, healthy items. And I am feeling really happy because I lost 4.8 pounds in the last three weeks. Sticking to my healthy eating plan has become easier. I am most definitely going down the sugar free road, and because I feel so great, the road is happy yellow. I did step off the path the other night when I had a few cookies dunked in milk (my biggest weakness in the whole wide road). But it was sort of like Dorothy ending up in the poppy field -- however, mine was just a short break, and then I was right back on the road again. If I could dance, I would be doing a happy dance. But since I can't dance, I'll just give a big WAHOOO!!!

Scrappy Plate Club

2012-01-05T08:05:00.001-05:00

I've always loved the Dresden Plate block. And while surfing through my favorite blogs, came upon this free Dresden plate club being offered by Bunny Hill Designs. Click on the button on the left to see the post and her blocks. Aren't they beautiful? I also love dots, but I don't think I have enough different dots to do the blocks. Then I'm thinking how pretty a Christmas plate would be, or maybe a farmer's market plate. I could call it "Eat your veggies". Oh the possibilities. Going to dream up some new combinations.

Finally a Spark

2012-01-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finally found a spark - something finally lit a fire under my. . . well you know. I began putting fabric away. The baskets I ordered from Walmart arrived on Friday, I know, something that arrived early. I had asked someone who I know stores fabric in baskets how she folds her fabric. She replied, "who folds, it's just a waste of time." So yesterday, I started to roll my fabrics to go into the baskets. All the purples fit into one basket, and I thought all the green had, also. Then I found another pile of greens, so that will have to be ~~stuffed~~ put in somewhere. I decided to put all my solids into one basket. Usually they are just mixed in and seem to get lost in the shuffle. But it's a start, and now that I see how nice the baskets look on my shelves, I can't wait to get it finished.

It's a Whole New Year

2012-01-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

And I'm hoping to start a whole new life. I'm planning to embark on a journey - one that will change my life forever. I have tried nearly every diet around, beginning with Richard Simmons and ending with the Glycemic Index Diet. And I've not really lost any weight, but rather continued to gain. So, I'm breaking it off with dieting. Yep, going cold turkey. Mmmm turkey. It all started with an article from Diabetic Living Magazine. I think I've read it at least 8 times, and it makes more sense every time. The article advises to concentrate on healthy eating to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and says that weight loss will follow. So, even though I've had a full week off from babysitting, I've done no sewing. I've been making plans for my new life. I've been researching recipes, easy healthy lunches, and yummy yet healthy snacks. I guess it's been like packing for the trip.

For the last 10 days of 2011, I was on a very strong antibiotic which took my sugar levels to an unhealthy high. They are coming down slowly, and that's my main focus now. I need to concentrate on healthy eating so that my blood sugar numbers will return to a healthy level. So, I'm going to make a contract with myself, and document my journey into good health. I've always been a list maker, and I think that writing it down in sort of a journal will force me to look at life and how I'm living it. I need to find my motivation, and have decided to hang a small mirror in my sewing room with a sign that identifies the person looking back as "My Motivation." It has to be me -- not anyone else. And it can't be weight loss, it has to be getting my health back. Forcing myself to move more will be the most difficult part, since basically I'm a sitter. But, it's a new year, and time to find a new me. Would you like to travel with me? I could sure use the company.

Welcome to 2012 and all the promise you hold for me.

2012 Is Almost Here

2011-12-30T12:41:00.000-05:00

At this time each year, many people choose a word for the upcoming year. This year I have chosen the word

I really am the Queen of Unorganized. It's a curse, to be sure. When I worked, my desk was always the most neat in the office. But at home, that's another story. I wish I could explain it, but I can't. Remember the photos of my sewing room that I posted a few months ago. Well, I started sewing for Christmas, did no further work for organization, and now it looks worse than before. Yesterday I ordered some baskets from Walmart.com. I'm planning on putting my fabric in them, sorted by color. The fabric is stacked on shelves right now, but when you pull one piece out, well, you end up with a mess. So, this is one of my planned improvements. Also, I have some fabrics that were given to me that I will never use in a million years. It needs to go, I'm just not sure of how to get rid of it. I hate to just throw it out, but what would I (basically a country girl) do with toille? And it's brown, black and rust! If you're interested, let me know.

And if I don't talk to you before, Happy New Year!

Tis the Day After Christmas. . .

2011-12-26T18:06:00.000-05:00

And I love the fact that Rod got today as a holiday. I will really miss him when he goes back to work tomorrow. He had Friday as his Christmas Eve holiday and today as Christmas Day. Our Christmas was wonderful. Rod and I opened our gifts Christmas morning before we started preparing the food for Christmas dinner. I knew I was getting my Santas of the world, but had no idea I would be getting the other things. I had wanted a new, small purse - one that was big enough for my phone and my cards. I had picked one out and emailed him the link, but he told me he hadn't been able to get it. But when I opened my first gift, there was my little purse.

Isn't it cute? And it has a ton of pockets both inside and out. I will probably take the shoulder strap off and use the wrist strap only. It's so funny. When we got married, I used a really small purse. And as the kids came along and I needed the carry more "stuff", the size of my purse grew considerably. Now, I hate the oversized bag and am returning to the little purse. This little gem is only 7.5" x 4.5".

I love Jim Shore's work since he combines my love of folk are with my love of quilting. Rod also got me this figurine since Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite movies.

And how about this Goofy Marionette, also Jim Shore, that Kristin and her family gave me. Isn't he just the cutest?!! There's a little hook on the top that you can hang him with.

Enough about the presents, now about the rest of the day. Rod and I decided we didn't want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, so we decided to make use of the 5 crock pots that we own. The ham went into the big one, the cheesy hash brown potatoes went in the medium one, and then in the set of three we put the baked pineapple, the picnic beans and the turkey left over from Thanksgiving that we took out of the freezer and added some turkey broth to so we could warm it up. The cake was already baked, so we capped, sliced, and mashed the strawberries, and cut the veggies for the salad. We were set to go whenever the kids arrived. It worked out really well, and dinner was ready when the presents were all opened.

The greatest part of the day, however, was that my Mom was well for Christmas this year. The past few years she has either been in the hospital or has just gotten out. But this year she looked and felt great. And not bad for her 83rd birthday. Her favorite part of the day was when she got to pose for pictures with the four great grandchildren. They all love her so much, and all give her hugs and kisses whenever they see her. The four of them went to Build-a-Bear and made her a pink angel bear for Christmas. Grandma loves angels, and the kids each recorded an "I Love You" message to put inside the angel's paw. (Jake made some noises that were close to I Love You). It was a truly great Christmas and I thank God for my wonderful family and all the other blessings he has bestowed on me.

For Unto You is Born this Day

2011-12-24T17:08:00.000-05:00

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

May you all have a blessed and safe holiday.

Last Minute Gift Idea

2011-12-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

This year we decided to buy gift cards for the daughters and sons-in-law. I made cute little pouches with key holders attached to slip the girls' gift cards into, but hadn't found a way to give the ones for the guys. In an email from Connecting Threads, they offered a free download of a gift card sleeve that I think will be perfect. It looks to be simple and I should be able to whip two of them out in no time. By using carpenter fabric for Jimmy and some John Deere fabric for Georgie, I can really make them personal. Thanks to Connecting Thread for this little goodie.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2011-12-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

Santa made a surprise visit to Mary's house last night, and all my kids and grand kids just happened to be there.

Bubs and Santa

Krissy and Santa

Izzy and Santa

Jake and Santa

Kris and family with Santa

Mary and family with Santa

"Get Out of the Rut" Tuesday

2011-12-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

Here it is, another GOTR Tuesday. And believe me, this is not the way I planned to get out of any rut. I have this horrible habit of planning what needs to be done before Christmas and then wearing myself out trying to do all that I've planned. And again this year, I over planned what I would be able to accomplish. I never figure into those plans that I babysit the two little ones, and that Kristin's schedule changes when least expected. Last week, I decided that the covered composition books that I had planned to do for the kids needed to be pushed back to Valentine's Day. And now, I find that I have to push something else back. There is absolutely no way in Hades that I can finish both of those princess dresses in less than 5 days. Never mind that I've lost one pattern piece, forget that they aren't even cut out yet. The bottom line is that I want these dresses to be so special for my granddaughters, and I had forgotten that bridal satin is so miserable to work with. And so to get out of the rut, the rut of overdoing things and ending up tired and frustrated, I am NOT worrying about finishing these dresses before Christmas!! There - I have said it! And now it can be done!

Now here's my dilemma - I bought these beautiful sparkle-y shoes to go with the princess dresses. Do I save the shoes for when I give the dresses? Do I give the shoes now with a picture of the dresses and an IOU? Or do I just give the shoes and not worry about saying anything about the dresses? Kristin is on vacation next week, so I should have plenty of time to finish the dresses then. I have already bought UGG boots to go with the jeans and fleece pullovers. I have bought rolling pins to go with the aprons, and have bought undies and tights to put into the trunks. It's not like they will miss the shoes. But Izzy wanted pink sparkly shoes for Christmas. I'm leaning toward saving them and giving them later. I think the dresses and shoes will be more special if they have their own day. What do you think?

HELP!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-19T08:32:00.001-05:00

Have you ever prayed to St. Anthony? My mother-in-law taught us to pray to St. Anthony whenever we had lost something. And believe me, I've been praying! I started to cut out the princess dresses for the girls' dolls yesterday. While I was flipping the fabric around (because it kept slipping off the table), one little pattern piece blew off the table, and has yet to be found. And I do mean little. It's a piece for the strap for Tinkerbell's little suit. This stupid cold and cough still have me down, and this missing piece has just sent me into tears. I think it was a piece that is about 1" by 3", but I'm not sure of the size. Rod tells me just to fudge it -- but fudge has never been one of my strong points.

This is the photo of the pattern, and the little strap can be seen here. I'm sure I will eventually figure it out, but right now I just didn't need the frustration. The pattern said to use crinoline for the stiffener for the wings. Mary was going to Joann for some craft supplies, so she picked me up crinoline -- that's what it said on the end of the bolt. Now that I get into the pattern, they keep talking about the "net" which goes inside the wings. Just more frustration. Hopefully the fairy police won't sure up to check on this outfit.

On the good news front, I ordered and downloaded some embroidery patterns over the weekend. They were from glowproduct, about 200 Sesame Street design. Each design includes a copyright from Henson. However, there was no file that showed the color photos or stitch charts for these designs. The only way I could see the designs was to put them on a memory stick and put them into the sewing machine. So, Saturday afternoon I emailed them and asked if they had any color charts available. And in just a matter of hours, I had the color charts in my hand. Great service, and the designs sew up beautifully. Makes me want to buy from them again.

We did finally get our tree up, and do some decorating over the weekend. About time, right? See you later in the week.

You Gotta Try These. . .

2011-12-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Daughter Pat was off today. She went shopping this morning, and then came down to bake cookies. We wanted a peanut butter cookie, but wanted to try something new. A few years ago, Rod and I stayed at a honeymoon cottage at Donna's Premier Lodging in Berlin, OH. When we arrived, there was a small plate of goodies waiting for us. One of the cookies on the tray was a peanut butter sandwich cookie that was so good it left me speechless. Donna has the recipe on her site, and so today we tried making them. You really need to try these. Even if you don't fill them, the peanut butter is the best I've ever tasted. I've added the recipe to the recipe page here on my blog.

Where Was I?

2011-12-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

Wow, I completely missed Get out of the Rut Tuesday. Where was I, you ask. I was busy like an elf trying to get the Christmas shirts done for the kids.

Krissy had asked for this Minnie Mouse gingerbread girl. I think she turned out pretty cute, and I again embellished her with some crystals. The shirt is red, although it looks more like an orange. That's one.

This is the applique that Bubby chose -- the Grinch. Whether you love Christmas or hate it, you have to love the Grinch. His shirt is a bright blue, and I love the way it turned out. That's two!

Kristin has requested Santa Claus for her kids. I have a really cute pattern, and that will be done tomorrow. Pat wants a snowman, and Pam wants the Grinch. Mary is getting a snowman that is Minnie Mouse.

On Sunday, I did two shirts for my Mom -- a Santa and a really cute penguin holding a candy cane.

For "Get out of the Rut Tuesday" I decided to make German Potato Soup. I hadn't made it for quite some time because the twins don't care for it. But since they weren't coming for dinner and I have a nasty cold, I made the soup. I didn't have any ham, but I figured I could use bacon. Kristin was going to Walmart and I had the kids, so she picked me up some ham. Who knew that you could buy pre-diced ham in the grocery store. Not Me! But she brought me a pack and it was big enough that I could put half of it in the freezer. The soup was so warming, and I swear that when you don't feel well, soup makes you feel a little better.

I've decided to make biscotti to give to my friends and neighbors for Christmas. I've not made it before, but all the comments on the recipes I've chosen say it's very simple. I love orange cranberry bread, so I will definitely be making cranberry orange biscotti. Mary has been buying gingerbread biscotti in the market, but now they don't seem to have it. Gingerbread is another type on my list. And then expresso and possibly one with dried apricots and pistachios. I'm hungry now, looks like I better go and get breakfast.

Secret Santa Soiree

2011-12-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

Last week I promised photos of my presents from my Secret Santa. And here they are:

Here's all my goodies. Aren't the bees just too cute?!! I love the Steeler pens - I will have to hide them from the grandkids. Sorry about the glare on the CD.

This close up is the bottom level of the top photo. You can see that the CD cover is personalized with my name,a toy train, and a nutcracker (which I collect). And the label was also customized. I was so honored to think that someone spent so much time in carefully choosing gifts for me.

Thank you my sweet Secret Santa. And Merry Christmas.

And the Day Got Brighter. . .

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

As yesterday marched on, it got brighter. You can see from the sidebar that I am participating in a Secret Santa Soiree. Last week I got a letter from Kris Kringle advising me that I would be receiving a special gift for being so good. It was postmarked from "Santa Claus Station" and from the zip code I determined that it was from Santa Claus Indiana. Curious! And yesterday, a package came. And it was postmarked from "Rudolph, Ohio", which I didn't even know existed. More Curious! The package didn't say not to open, and so I opened it. Inside was a beautiful quilter's Christmas ornament from Bronner's in Michigan - one of my favorite Christmas stores. I know this elf has been following my blog - she told me so. But somehow she seems to have gotten into my head and heart. There was a pack of Steeler pens, so cool. And a pumpkin spice pillar candle. I love any of the fall spices, and pumpkin spice is probably my favorite. There was a poinsettia plate which will look great under the candle, and a tin of homemade cookies. Since it was close to dinner, I fought off the urge to try them. But, there's more. There was a CD of holiday favorites made especially for me, and don't ask me how this elf knew so many of my favorite songs. And with my love of music, it was a generous and thoughtful gift. But my favorite gift of all is a set of shelf sitters that are . . . bumblebees!!!! And you know how I love bumblebees. They will be flanking the TV in the sewing room so that I will be able to see them when I sew. I have to get my package for my Secret Santa packed up and mailed on Saturday. Hope she is as happy with her gifts as I am.

And to Elf Avonna - as she called herself. Thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts. I was truly blessed that you were given my name. I wanted to post photos, but it's so dark this morning that I couldn't get any good shots. I will get some this weekend, and post them on Sunday. I promise.

You Know What They Say . . .

2011-12-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Yep, they say that the night is always darkest before the dawn. And so it was yesterday. I was so bummed, and sat and did absolutely nothing. Well, not really nothing, I did cry a little. The kids all knew how frustrated I was, and being the good kids they are, tried to find a solution. When Pam came down to help with dinner, she got my laptop and took it to the kitchen. And started surfing. We have requested information from a dental insurance company - from what we saw online, we can get a plan for just a little over $100/month. Not bad. So there's a twinkle of hope on the horizon.

The bad thing about sitting and doing nothing is that I still have so much left to do. I have finished the girls' pullover shirts, hats, and jeans for the dolls. I have also finished the aprons and chef toques for the dolls. I used gingerbread man fabric to highlight the white, made a small gingerbread man of felt to stick in one pocket, and ordered mini rolling pins to hide in another pocket. I have ordered snow boots, sparkly shoes, tights and gutchies all to put into the wooden doll cases we bought for them. But I just felt that every little girl should have a fancy dress to go with her sparkly shoes. I found a pattern on eBay for Disney princess dresses for the 18" dolls and could go to Simplicity's sight and check the back of the pattern for yardage and fabric recommendations. So, I ordered the pattern and the fabrics to make Izzy a Sleeping Beauty dress to go with her pink shoes, and to make Krissy a Tinkerbell outfit to go with her silver shoes. Now, I'm just waiting for them to arrive. I think the girls are going to be so delighted with their doll clothes and case.

I did, however, forget that I have Christmas shirts to make for my girls and the grand kids. So, today I am getting my designs ready and put on the memory stick for my embroidery machine. And this weekend, the machine will hum quite loudly. Rod's company Christmas party is Saturday night, but with no Steeler game on Sunday, I should get a lot accomplished. I can't believe that we are down to 17 days. I think the fact that the weather has been in the 50's and 60's makes it seem like Christmas isn't so near. But it will come right on time, and if I'm going to be ready, I'd better get a wiggle on (as my granny would say).

Feeling Down - Need a Little Boost

2011-12-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Today is a dark and dreary day, and for sure it matches my mood. I've been suffering with a bad tooth for quite a few months, and finally decided it was time to do something about it. My family doctor gave me an antibiotic to take in preparation for the extraction. Ok, so far. This morning was my appointment with a dentist. He was a very nice, kind man and the office staff was great. However, he said he could not take care of the tooth today, because I have been on an aspirin regimen as part of my diabetic program. He did take X-rays, and then formulated a "plan of action" complete with 4 options. When I saw the proposed cost, I feel weak and thought I would pass out - he would pull three teeth, do root canal and crown on 2 and make two partial plates for the piddly sum of $4000. I can't afford that, I told him. So, showed me three other options and not one of them is under $2000. And then the office call and the X-rays cost me $140 today. So, I'm feeling like I wasted $140 and have nothing but pain to show for it. And now I don't quite know where to go from here. The bad part of it is that I need new glasses, and although my hospital insurance covers the exam, it doesn't pay for the glasses. Please don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that we have hospitalization and it's a wonderful plan. And Rod's employer pays for it - truly a blessing in today's world. But how, in today's economy, do people afford dental work? If I liked the taste of alcohol, I would probably have a drink right now. But I don't! I could really go for a piece of chocolate (I am a choco-holic), but I would never stop at one piece and more than that isn't good for a diabetic! I thought about having a good cry, but that would just give me a headache and make my eyes hurt. So, I guess I'll just go to the sewing room and shut the rest of the world out.

Since today is "Climb out of the Rut" Tuesday, I need something to shake up my world a little. So, when I came home from the dentist and went to change out of my good clothes, I put my bathrobe on instead. Nothing earth shattering, but my chub is certainly all shaking!! So much for climbing out of the rut.

Climb Out of the Rut

2011-11-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

I have officially declared Tuesday to be "Climb Out of the Rut Day". As the days become shorter and more gloomy, I am beginning to feel like I'm stuck in a rut. I need to "use it up" rather than throw it out; and so to spice things up a little, I'm going to try new ideas to help me climb out of the rut. I don't know about you, but it seems that I cook the same things over and over again. Last night, we were having pork chops (not turkey!) but I wanted something different from the old barbequed chops. So, I looked around the kitchen and found some apples that were a little past their prime. So I searched on Allrecipes.com for a recipe that used apples and pork chops. I found one that sounded really good, but modified it a little to save on dirty dishes. Maybe give it a try.

APPLE PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

2 T oil 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup chopped onionn 2 T brown sugar

4 (1/2 in. thick) pork chops 1/2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

ground pepper to taste 3/4 c. hot water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet. Add pork chops and brown on both sides. Remove and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add onion to skillet and saute for 1 minute, or until tender. Cover the pork chops with apples and cooked onions. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard, cloves, and water. Pour over the pork chops. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

I used the leftover mashed potatoes and made homemade gnocchi and after boiling them, added them to melted butter. Before serving, I sprinkled them with parsley and parmesan cheese. It was something different, very delicious, and is therefore termed a success.

Back to Work

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

The extended Thanksgiving weekend has passed, and now it's back to work. I just can't believe that we have so few days left until Christmas. And there's so much to be done. I continue to work on Christmas gifts, although at this point, it's doubtful that I will finished everything I wanted to do. I've got a few of the doll outfits cut out. It seems to work better for me to cut a couple and then spend the time to sew them. I have a little plastic box that I'm putting them in as I cut them, and so it's less likely that I will lose any of the pieces. I know, it seems too organized for me. But I'm trying to change.

All the shopping that I planned to do is finished. I did not battle the crowds on Black Friday - I did all of it from the comfort of my living room, feet propped up. I got some really good deals, including some free shipping. So, I'm pleased.

Thanksgiving was planned for my house, but on Wednesday I was viciously attacked by a flu bug. There's no way I could cook dinner (not sure if it would have been healthy for everyone else, either), so we rescheduled our family dinner for Saturday. Thursday morning, the twins showed up here with a frozen turkey to replace the thawed one that was in the refrigerator, and all the fixin's for a simple Thanksgiving meal. I was still not quite myself, and so Rod and the girls made the stuffing, stuffed the bird (21-1/2 lbs.), and put it into the oven. Later in the afternoon, they came back with pies, and prepared the rest of the meal. It was so good, but there were a lot of leftovers. We thawed the other turkey (22-1/2 lbs.) in preparation for our official Thanksgiving meal with the family. For this meal, I made cornbread sausage stuffing in addition to the routine sage stuffing. Mary brought baked corn pudding and a pumpkin roll. Kristin brought deviled eggs - she makes the best, they taste just like Rod's mother's. And the twins brought the pumpkin pies and whipped cream. I had bought whipped cream, and according to Rod, we had 114 cans of whipped cream in the frig. But he is prone to exaggeration! It was so warm that the kids were able to pose for a picture in their turkey shirts on the back deck. Hope your holiday was a safe and happy one.

Well, it's time to go back work.

Being Scotch CAN Be a Good Thing!

2011-11-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

I've told you before that I never throw anything out. But, being part Scotch, I also try to save money whenever and wherever I can. The ornaments for my
Advent calendar are quite small, and it just killed me to put only one on each piece of stabilizer. So, I fiddled around with the buttons on my machine, and discovered that by moving the center to each of the four corners, I could put FOUR ornaments on each piece of stabilizer. I was doing a happy dance. And here's a photo of the first four ornaments still in the hoop. It was a good day.

Am I a Glutton for Punishment?

2011-11-11T07:52:00.000-05:00

Just 43 days til Christmas, and I don't have half of what I wanted to do finished. And yet what do I do? Take on another project! As a German major in college, I became enthralled with the tradition of the Advent Calendar. My German professor brought calendars back from Germany for the students in her classes, and I was hooked. I've always had an Advent of one sort or another (the ones with chocolate in them are cute, but the chocolate is horrible), and so when I got an email from Designs by JuJu about her new Advent calendar, I had to check it out.

It's an adorable design, the ornaments are completely finished "in the hoop". The pockets, likewise are made "in the hoop", and are made from felt. Each ornament is made complete with a buttonhole for hanging, and you put the buttons on the tree. Each pocket is large enough to hold the ornament and a little treat. And so, the design has been downloaded, the instructions have been printed and put into page protectors in a report cover, the tree pattern has been printed and is ready to "cut and paste", and I've made a list of things I need from the fabric store. I know, I know, it's a large undertaking at this point in the year, but I just couldn't help myself. So I guess the answer is Oh Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment!

Getting It Done

2011-11-09T07:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I didn't have the kids at all, and boy did I get things done. I've been working on Christmas gifts, and had purchased the pattern for a 1 yard apron. I have quite a stash of 30's repro fabrics, and decided to use those for these aprons. This is the first one, done in blue puppy dog with light blue and plaid pockets complete with eyelet lace trim.

This apron was probably my favorite of all the aprons. Green and orange are my two favorite colors, and this apron showcases both of them. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of the orange gingham to do the waistband, but I liked the yellow. And the pocket is trimmed with an ivory and brown lace.

I really liked the floral in this apron. I pulled the lime green and orchid from the print and used them for the pocket, ties and waistband. The orchid plaid trim is some homemade binding left over from a quilt. As I always say, I don't throw anything away.

And last, but not least is the peach apron. I pulled peach fabrics from my stash and trimmed the pocket with some double layer lace. Now that these are done, they can be put away for use as Christmas gifts. Now I need to decide what to work on next.

Happy Monday

2011-11-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

Yes it's a happy Monday. The kids should arrive in about 1/2 hour, and I haven't seen them in almost a week. Not a big deal for most grandparents who live a distance from their grandkids, but when you're accustomed to seeing them nearly every day, it's a big hole in your life not to see them.

Last week, I had planned on selling embroidered neckties to earn a little extra money. I found some beautiful ties at a really great price on the internet, and ordered 4 to try. This is my first attempt, and I'm not really thrilled with it. You can see that it puckered, and I'm hoping it will iron out. I do think that I figured out what I did wrong. The needle in my machine is the same one that I used for applique embroidery and heat and bond, and I think it probably wasn't sharp enough. So before I try the next tie, I'm planning on changing the needle to a new ball point needle. Hopefully that will make the difference. Have a great day.

The Man Wears Many Hats

2011-11-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, my hubby is my best friend. Over the years, he has worn many hats -- husband, father, caster of ceramics, maker of furniture, train collector, cook, gardener, laundry man, and comedian. But on Friday he took on a new hat - that of an arbitrator. He had an extra 1/2 day vacation time which he decided to take on Friday afternoon. He called Kris and went to her house to talk. Then he came and talked to me. He was a great arbitrator, and the bottom line is that the kids come back to my care on Monday. Gosh, how I've missed them. The kisses, the giggles, the kid's programming - I'll be glad to have them back. So now, many of the new plans that I had in progress will fall by the wayside. There will be no selling on Etsy or anywhere else. But my intent to to something healthy for myself will proceed.

This morning, daughter Mary turned me onto Bento Box lunches. A completely new concept for me, but one I can really live with. She linked me to this Easy Lunch Box page, and now the mental wheels are turning (yes that's the smoke you're smelling) to come up with good lunches for Izzy and I. Jake will be a year old on the 14th of this month and it won't be long until he will also be needing a lunch. Lunch time always seems like a busy time for me, and I end up grabbing whatever is handy. This will, hopefully, eliminate that rush. I've ordered a set of containers, and will start packing my easy lunches as soon as they arrive. Today, the sun is shining and I am smiling once again. Here's looking forward to a bright future and Happy Holidays once again.

An Unhappy Ending

2011-11-03T13:48:00.000-04:00

Today it appears that my days of providing day care for my grandkids has come to an end. It's what I have done for the past eleven years, and I've always been good at it. But this week, an argument, words spoken in anger, and a botched effort to solve the problems are the reasons that Izzy and Jake have been removed from my care and put into a structured day care program. I am deeply saddened, and feel that my life has come crashing down around my ankles. I miss my grandkids, and would give almost anything to have Izzy run in here and give me a big hug and a kiss. But I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. I know what effect this is having on me and I worry about what it will do to them. The holidays are so near, and I don't know how to bring my family back together for what have always been family times.

My wonderful MIL always said that God doesn't close a door without opening a window. I searching for that window. I've never been a quitter, I've always been a survivor, and I'm sure that this time will be no exception. But I need to find something to do with my time. I will go stark raving mad if I have to sit here all day with nothing to do. And you can only use so many quilts. We only have one car and Rod uses it for work. Physically, I am not able to work at a full time job. I used to sell crafts in stores and stopped that when Bubby came into our lives. Yet, these years later, that isn't a realistic solution. I'm debating on selling items on Etsy, and am currently researching that possibility.

Maybe this is the time to concentrate on myself and my health. I'm not an exerciser, but a little movement would be a start. Menu planning and cooking healthy meals are now more of a possibility. For now, I will continue to pray and meditate on what life holds for me as the next act of my life begins.

Happy Birthday, Krissy

2011-11-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

Meet Hines Nerd - not really, it's granddaughter Krissy. She is a big, and I mean BIG Hines Ward fan. Here she is in her Halloween costume - she calls herself Hines Nerd. And today she turns eleven years old. I keep wondering where those years went. Most days she seems so grown up, and yet every once in a while we still glimpse that little girl. Last night when they came to trick or treat, she asked her Pappy in her little girl voice to make her some "noodle soup" (Ramen noodles).

Krissy and I have been special buddies - it's more than just Grammy and granddaughter. When Bubby was born and in the hospital for so long, Krissy spent most of her time away from her parents with Pappy and I. When Bubby had seizures and needed to be taken to the hospital, Krissy stayed with me. It saddened me that when he needed the shunt replacement, Krissy chose to stay with her best friend and not her Grammy. It was a sign that she was growing up, and I understood.

Krissy, like her Mom, feels that Disney is the happiest place on earth. She has loved meeting all the characters, but Chip and Dale are her favorites. Here is a photo of Krissy with Dale during our 2009 trip. Such a happy little girl!

And, dressing as the characters is really special for her, too. Here she is from our 2010 trip dressed up like Mary Poppins. Mary took her by the hand and took her to some other tables to introduce her as "my twin".

And this photo is from our most recent trip in September 2011. Look how grown up she looks in just one year. She is totally devoted to her brother, and last year declined to participate in the Lion King show at Disney because her brother couldn't go with her. Jimmy had taken his wheelchair out, and didn't have time to go get it.

But there is a happy ending. This past trip, Krissy got to participate in the show, and then took her brother for the final parade march at the end of the kids' participation.

I'm so impressed with her. She's sweet, kind, loving, happy and well adjusted. She has fun with her friends and yet is so devoted to her family. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her. Happy birthday Krissy, and I love you.

Wednesday

2011-10-26T14:44:00.001-04:00

Saturday when we had a birthday dinner for Rod and I, the grandkids donned their Halloween shirts and sat for a picture. They love their shirts, and I love them.

It didn't seem that this week had been to profitable, didn't seem that I had accomplished too much. And there's so much to do with less than 60 days until Christmas. Monday, I worked in the sewing room for only an hour and got the sewing cabinet cleaned off and put my embroidery machine and the embroidery thread boxes on top. I had re-positioned the sewing cabinet and now there's an outlet behind it. I don't have to move the embroidery machine to use it now. I think it will be a big plus. Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment and didn't accomplish much. I did get all the remaining fabric pieces folded and sorted. And I started to clean off the sewing table. This morning I woke up with some energy for a change (to see why, check the Chubby Bee blog) and after a good breakfast, went to work in the room. I finished cleaning off the table, picked some scraps up off the floor and deposited them into the trash, and then decided I needed to do something constructive. I hunted up some leftover fleece from quilt backs and cut out two pullovers and a hat for the baby dolls. I broke for lunch, and debated what I should do next. Since the table was still empty, I went back and cut out 4 aprons for Christmas gifts. I was using the 1 yard apron pattern that I have mentioned in previous posts. Not bad for one day's work. I have other things to do yet today, so my time in the sewing room for today has come to an end. Hope your day was as constructive.

And the Winner Is. . .

2011-10-17T09:09:00.001-04:00

Jake's Shirt

ME! All weekend I worked on Halloween shirts for the grandkids. Jake's was pretty quick, Izzy's was easy. And then I started on Bubba's. My goal was to finish all 4 shirts br Sunday night. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. . . I had only 6 minutes to sew on Bubba's design, and the thread broke. I rethreaded and restarted. 4 stitches and the machine stopped and told me to rethread and restart. I did, sewed 4 more stitches, and it stopped. Rethread and restart. Ugggg I was getting angry. That machine needed a time out! I turned it off and we went to get some dinner. I had taken it apart and cleaned it. I had rethreaded about a dozen times. This morning, I changed the needle and when I rethreaded a piece of frayed thread came out of the take-up arm. And voila, it sewed. I always tell the grandkids they can fight all they want, but Grammy always wins! And now the embroidery machine knows it, too.

This is Izzy's shirt. She loves cats. When I did the applique embroidery this time, I used heat n bond light on the back on the pieces. I used my Clover mini-iron while the shirt was in the hoop and fused it before doing the final zig zag stitching. Nothing pulled loose and it lays nice and flat.

This is the shirt I did for Bubba. The design looks crooked in the photo, but I think it's the photographer. I bought and downloaded these designs from Planet Applique. They have some really cute designs, and they are very inexpensive. I buy my tee shirts from Jiffy Shirts. They have a great selection of shirts in all sizes and colors, and they are very good quality (and inexpensive). Usually I have my order in 1 or two days.

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-10-14T08:19:00.000-04:00

Yes, today it's my birthday. I am officially 61 years old. Does that make me a "senior citizen"? Can I get senior discounts now? Or am I just one year older? Aren't birthdays supposed to be great? I thought so, but so far my day as been pretty disappointing. I woke up with a leg cramp at 12:15 this morning. I got out of bed and walked the cramp out, but this morning the leg is still sore. This morning is gloomy, it's raining, The leaf color hasn't reached peak yet, but with all the rain, I'm afraid they will fall before achieving full color.

I've been working on Halloween shirts for the kids. Jake's is done. This morning, I went back to the sewing room to work on Izzy's shirt, and discovered that I hadn't transferred her design to my zip drive. So that went right out the window. I have now transferred that design, so I'm good to go. Except that George will be bringing the kids soon. So the shirts will have to wait til tomorrow. No cheese, please. I just prefer my whine alone! NO MORE WHINE, promise!

And here comes my happy face! After all, the day can only get better - right. Tonight Rod and I are going to dinner with Kris and family, and Pat and Pam. We're going to Harmony Inn, a restaurant that we've always wanted to try, but never have. They have quite an extensive menu, so deciding what to have will be a tough decision. And hopefully, the weekend will be full of sewing!

Secret Santa Soiree

2011-10-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

While reading Pat's Blog this morning, I saw that she is participating in a Secret Santa Soiree. It sounded interesting, so I clicked on the Santa photo and read all about it. And, I've decided to participate. If you're interested in learning more about it, click on the Secret Santa button.

I worked the last two mornings on the quilt that I'm making for the Vet Clinic to raffle for their free care fund. I decided to use the "Simply Charming" pattern, and the blocks are well under way. Will post photos later this week.

Another Monday

2011-10-10T08:31:00.000-04:00

How is it that weekends go so fast, and the week doesn't? We're here at another Monday. The weekend was sort of constructive. I finished the little purses I was working on. And will post a picture sometime this week. I hunted out patterns for other items I want to make. And that made me realize how much I need to get the organization of my sewing room finished. I found patterns that I didn't know I had. I have 4 patterns for fleece hats - for all ages. And they're so cute. I had a great idea for embellishments, and so went to Clotilde's site and ordered a book on making embellishments from zippers. I also ordered the zippers. And then I went to Joann's site and ordered fleece and elastic -- yea about $100 worth. So, maybe I didn't accomplish a lot, but boy did I spend money. Rod's only comment was, "It's OK we'll make more tomorrow." Don't you just love that attitude!

A Wasted Friday?

2011-10-07T16:36:00.000-04:00

There are so many things that I could be doing, should be doing, but I'm sitting on the back deck doing nothing. It's a beautiful day - bright, sunny, and warm. I don't know how many more of these days we will have. One neighbor is cutting hay, probably his last cutting for the year. Rod is on our tractor cutting grass, hopefully for the final time this season. And I love the smell of freshly cut grass almost as much as I love watching my hubby on the tractor. Call me a pervert if you want, but I like watching him and it makes me feel young again, like 35 years ago when we moved into this house. We were so young then and had no idea what life held in store - probably a good thing. Life hasn't always been kind to us, but we've survived all it tossed our way and been stronger for it. When I married this man nearly 37 years ago, I thought I knew everything about him, loved him as much as possible, and had all the answers to life's questions. Boy was I mistaken! I didn't have any idea what the questions were, knew very little about Rod, and didn't love him nearly as much as I do now. I haven't accomplished anything today, but I have spent the afternoon appreciating what I have in life, being thankful for all God has granted me, and anticipating what the future holds. To some, it might be a waste Friday, but to me it was a much needed day of reflection.

Monday Bits and Pieces

2011-10-03T08:08:00.000-04:00

I'm a little put out this morning. Normally I don't turn on the heat until late October or early November. It's a big attempt to save money. But with daily highs in the 50's and lows in the 30's and 40's combining with a cold rain for the past few days, the house took on a chill. Rod took out the window air conditioners over the weekend, which helped some, but last night he got the heaters ready to turn on. I haven't done it yet, every time I go the the thermostat, my hand just won't turn the dial. It's not too bad in here this morning. And by the weekend, it will be back in the 70's.

Isn't it funny how one simple word can make a difference. Yesterday I worked on some little purses. I know the room isn't finished, but I had an itch to sew. And since I'm the boss . . . Any way, I decided to finish one completely before finishing the other 8 that I had started. Good decision. It's all done, and I hate the way it looks. Zippers have never been my strong suit, and this was no exception. However, the pouch just looked wimpy. I reread the directions, and discovered I missed one simple word - interfaced. According to About.com, the definition for interfacing is: a usually unseen interior addition to various parts of a garment which adds body that the fabric alone would not add. Yep, makes a big difference. So now I have to tear the zippers out of the 8 that I didn't finish completely. And add the all-important interfacing. I guess it could be worse. I'm off to rip! Have a good day.

Still Cleaning

2011-09-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

Each and every box of fabric has now been emptied. How did I buy so much that I haven't used??? It's a sickness, I'm sure. All this fabric has been folded neatly (the key word here) and sorted by color. I have one stack left to put away on the shelves. Finally, I can see the light. I found some quilt tops that I had forgotten about, and they have also been noted, folded and put into a case where I won't forget them again. I swear I could sew for the next ten years on projects, kits and quilt beginnings that haven't been finished, and not have to buy a thing! It's a sickness, I know. I cleaned out a shelf behind the large door in the sideboard, and I put my fusible batting and my insulated batting in there. Out of sight and yet well within reach.

I downloaded four books of doll clothes last week. It was a great bargain purchase, but that meant that I had to print them out. That is done, all the pages have been put into plastic page protectors and then into vinyl report covers. You would be so impressed! I took some fabric which resembles interfacing that I had purchased to trace patterns. I have the patterns from one book traced, cut out, and put into an extra page protector that I stuck in the back. One down and three to go. This morning while I was folding fabric, I surveyed the fabric stacks to try and decide which fabrics would look cute for the doll clothes I'm planning to make. I have to make a trip to Walmart this weekend, and am planning on buying a clear vinyl shoe bag to hang on the back of my door. I have a good size plastic box of trims that was given to me by a friend when she moved. The box is cracked and barely holding together. And I have no idea what all is in there. I figure by sorting all my trims into clear pockets, I can see what I have and where best to use it.

My next job will be to sort out my patterns, which are in another plastic container. I can use my label maker and label the hanging folders (which I do still have) and categorize them by subject - aprons, purses, wallets, potholders, doll clothes, baby clothes, and hats. I love hats, have a number of patterns for them, but have never made one for myself. That will change. And so, I continue to muddle through. It's nearly time for a photo!

Making Progress

2011-09-26T07:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday, I put my nose to the grindstone and started the cleaning and organization of the sewing room. My first project was to clean off the table that we brought in to hold the overflow. I folded fabrics, separated them by color and put them neatly away. All my Disney fabrics went into a plastic container, and the fruit and veggie fabrics went into another container. And soon the table was ready to take down. The serger and the Brother embroidery machine that I rarely use went into the closet. And Rod swung the sewing cabinet into position in front of the closet. I have two of these art bin cubes that are stacked and on casters. They hold thread, notions, and projects in progress. We moved them into place under the side window, and Rod moved the filing cabinet into position vacated by the stacked cubes. He made a base for the filing cabinet, complete with casters, so that it can be moved to access the luggage stored in the corner of the room. One of the racks for my GO dies fit into the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet, as I had hoped. There were quite a number of dies that wouldn't fit into the drawer, so the other rack is on top of the filing cabinet and the dies fit there quite nicely. So far, so good. It all came off without a hitch.

Next, I have to clean off the top of the sewing cabinet. My case of embroidery threads will sit on there, along with the Janome embroidery machine. There's an electrical outlet close by and I will be able to use that machine right from there. All the patterns that I ordered for Christmas gifts have arrived, and I'm hoping to start sewing some time tomorrow. I will continue to work an hour or so each week on organization, but the room is finally taking shape. And now, as I stand in front of you with my right hand raised, I say, "On my honor, I will try to clean up and put things away when I finish a project and before I start another. So help me God." I certainly don't want another mess like this one!

Friday Wrap Up

2011-09-23T07:42:00.001-04:00

Although my thoughts have been on Christmas gifts, I have not forgotten about my need for organization. Yesterday, I found the cutest doll clothes patterns at https://www.youcanmakethis.com/. I had been following the blog of "The Scientific Seamstress" and noticed on the sidebar that she had directions for making princess dresses. I downloaded the patterns and now have to print them out. My plan is to put them in brightly colored report covers by use of plastic page protectors. I ordered them online from Walmart.com and paid minimal shipping. Not worth using the gas, and eliminating the temptation to spend more money. I haven't done much physically with the organization, but have been spending a lot of time thinking about it. Hopefully I can get started this weekend. Saturday is Izzy's 4th birthday party and I've been elected to make German potato salad, but I hope to get started on Sunday since the Steelers don't play until Sunday night. I have been organizing the fabric into "piles by type". Some of the piles will go into plastic boxes and others will be put on the shelves. I had looked online for filing cabinets, then learned that my "old" filing cabinet is in the twins' basement -- still in good shape and not being used. So, it's coming back home. I think all the hanging folders are still in the cabinet, which will make it nice for organizing my papers and thin books. Today, while the kids are here, I plan to start printing the doll clothes downloads and maybe tracing the patterns onto some pattern-making fabrics that I have. I have to start doing something besides Facebook and I Phone games.

On the Christmas Challenge front, Nancy posted this site for "pouches" There are some really good tutorials here for some pretty cool items. I'm bookmarking it for sure. Have a great weekend.

Challenge

2011-09-22T14:01:00.000-04:00

As I contemplate making gifts for Christmas, I thought it might be a good time to issue a challenge. Nancy, made a few suggestions in the comment section of my last blog post for things I could think about making as gifts. This posted comment got me to thinking that maybe we could share ideas with each other. You know kind of a "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" thing. So, here's my challenge. Over the next week, search out some things you think might make great gifts, and post in the comment section with a link to these items. If anyone has ideas for guys, it would sure be appreciated.

My first few items are as follows: A great tomato pincushion for your sewing friends from Bee in My Bonnet; I had told you about the 1 yard apron, but how about this idea also from Bee in My Bonnet - put the apron kit into a jar. It would also be a great gift for a grab bag or guild gift. I love pot holders, and here's some of the patterns that I've purchased and hope to make soon: the owl pot holder; the cupcake pot holder, and here's a tutorial for a heart-shaped pot holder.

Well, here's a start. How about adding your two-cents worth??!!

Back to the Real Life . . . almost

2011-09-20T08:38:00.000-04:00

I promised you a picture of Bubby's "Goofy" hat and here it is. Also, a great photo of Krissy with another pair of her "ears". These ones are black sequined with a red bow and go just perfectly with her Minnie Mouse shirt. Mary's family is so photogenic, and the pictures of Disney still make me smile. But vacation is over, and now it's back to the real world.

With having spent so much money on a vacation, there's not a lot for Christmas this year. So, I've been mentally sorting through the ~~bazillion~~ dozens of patterns that I've purchased and done nothing with and trying to figure out what I can make for Christmas. I've got a huge stash of fabrics which I'd like to whittle down, so why not now. Mmmm, what should I make??? Pot holders - I've got cupcakes, owls, and just very sensible pot holders. Perhaps aprons?? - I just ordered a pattern for a one yard apron. If you haven't seen this one, click on the link. Bee in my Bonnet has some incredible photos of this apron pattern on her blog. I hunted out my pattern for the Simply Charming Quilt. It makes use of 5" squares and some sashings. It's a great little scrappy quilt and I can use up a lot of smaller pieces. And then there are the doll clothes patterns. They make great little gifts for the granddaughters. Kris and Izzy still play dolls with each other. And I've promised daughter Kristin a "doggy quilt" for a raffle at the open house at the veterinarian office where she works. So, I'm gonna be busy. I'll post photos of the finished projects. Have a good week.

A New Blog for Me

2011-09-19T09:42:00.001-04:00

Check out my new blog http://lindabee-thechubbybee.blogspot.com/. It's not replacing this one, just adding to it.

Wishes Fireworks Cruise

2011-09-19T07:18:00.002-04:00

This year as a special treat, I booked us a cruise for the Wishes fireworks. Our cruise left from the Polynesian at about 8:00 pm. The boat is a 26' pontoon with seating for 10. Since we were only 8, we were quite comfortable. Bagged snacks, bottled water and cans of soda pop are provided. I had heard mixed reviews about the cruise, and was hoping for the best. Our driver, Juan Carlos, was a very personable and well-informed young man. I had requested that the boat be decorated for Bubby's and Krissy's birthdays, and it was complete with a banner and balloons. We boarded the boat, and settled in for our cruise. After a short cruise around the lake during which Juan gave us the history of several of the small islands, he moved us to a point on the lake where we were directly in front of the train station with the castle in the background. Since I had booked the deluxe cruise, the sound was piped onto the boat. And then the fireworks began. They were more impressive than you can imagine. Just beautiful. We were so sad when they ended.

Then Juan Carlos informed us that we were heading for the Grand Floridian. He showed us the Wedding Pavilion and talked about the cost of a "Disney Wedding". And then positioned the boat so that we could see the Electric Boat Parade. We had heard of the boat parade, but had never seen it. The Parade consists of 7 barges with screens of lights. There is a fire breathing dragon, a whale, a turtle, a dinosaur, dolphins, and King Neptune complete with his carriage being pulled by sea horses. Suddenly the music stops, the lights go out, and when the lights come back on, some of the barges are American flags and others are multicolored stars. And a medley of patriotic music plays in the background. It was a wonderful evening.

What was the cost? I was $346.00, which seems like a lot for a two hour cruise. But we all agreed that it was worth every penny. Juan Carlos was a fantastic captain, with a great sense of humor. He teased all the girls, winking with every tease. He regaled us with stories about Disney, its history, showed us some "hidden" animals in some of the resort lights, and made the time pass so quickly. I had heard that you captain could make or break your cruise. And we had the best! Last year we had done the Wishes Dessert Party. It was about $26 per person. The eight of us were crammed at a table designed for four, the desserts left a little to be desired, and you couldn't see the fireworks unless you stood up. We swore that we'd never do that again. The cruise was a little more expensive, but we got our moneys worth. It's an evening I will never forget.

Ooops!

2011-09-16T14:55:00.000-04:00

I guess that I should have added that Rod figured out what is wrong with the scooter. Seems that there is a wire broken, and he had no tools to fix it. When he "jiggled" (and that is the technical term) the wires the scooter would work. So, now it's just a matter of fixing it.

EMERGENCY!! CALL 911

2011-09-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

My scooter is busted! Yep, busted! It happened at the Magic Kingdom on Sunday, Sept. 11. I hit a big bump, and suddenly it stopped and wouldn't go again. And I was devastated. As a special treat for all of us, I had booked a Wishes Fireworks Cruise for Sunday evening, and without my scooter I had no way of making that cruise or dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Kona. I began to cry, and got off the scooter. One of the kids walked me over to a bench so I could suit down. And then my emergency crew sprung into action. Jimmy sat Bubby on the bench with me, and went to get him some popcorn. Rod and the twins unloaded the scooter and turned it up on it's end to see if they could find out what was wrong, and Mary began making phone calls. Bubby sat there munching his popcorn and telling me not to cry cause it was making him sad.

And then the popcorn spilled. Great, another emergency. Clean up in AdventureLand. And suddenly, the clean up crew arrived and began to clean up the popcorn mess. Bubby and I sat there and watched as this couple made the sidewalk look "just ducky" again. It seemed like an eternity until someone came to talk to me.

Pat came over and said, "OK here's the plan. I'm going to get a wheelchair for you and we're taking you to the car. Daddy and Pam are going to push the scooter to the car. Mary has all the information to reserve a scooter for you. It will only be $120 for the rest of the trip and they will deliver it to the resort within an hour." What they didn't tell me is that we were only allowed to take the wheelchair to the front entrance of the Magic Kingdom. And we were parked at the Transportation Center. I'm glad I didn't know. When we got to the front of the park, Pat went over the the young lady working the wheelchair rental, and explained the situation. Ashlee, that wonderful young lady, told Pat to take me to the Transportation Center by way of the ferry, and leave the wheelchair there. Someone from Guest Services would bring it back to the Magic Kingdom. Disney really does provide the best customer service I've ever experienced. The ferry boat ride was incredible. Mary and her family also took the ferry, and when we arrived at the TTC (Transportation center), Rod and Pam were there to meet us. So far, so good. I called Apple Scooter Company and gave them our room number and my credit card number and we were all set.

The scooter arrived in plenty of time for us to make our dinner reservations for Kona, and the cruise afterward. So, what seemed to be a major disaster was just a hiccup. I'll tell you about the cruise another day.

I'm Back, With a Hat or Two

2011-09-15T21:21:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm back from Disney, and normally I would be sad. But not this time. I was more than ready to come home. We had a wonderful time, but it was so hot that I felt like I was melting. Unfortunately, that is not the case - I don't think I lost a pound. But it was so hot and humid that I think my sweat was sweating!!! This photo was taken on our first full day at the parks. This was at Animal Kingdom, and you can see my "sexy" hat. It probably would have looked better had I turned it inside-out. But if you think it looks funny here, you should have seen it after I got caught in a cloudburst later that afternoon and then sat on the hat. No really. . . not only did it knock the hat out of kilter, but I had a wet bum to boot!

So, I bought a new hat. Not sure it looks any better, but it was cooler. My only worry was that it I got sunburned in this hat would I look like a leopard???!!! No worry -- didn't happen! I'm not sure why I am a sucker for hats. Maybe in a former life, I was a British Royal. But whatever the reason, I love hats. . . big hats, little hats, and, at Disney, there are hundreds to choose from. I know what you're thinking. Surely she could have picked one that was a little more complimentary. Hey, Rod thought I looked good??!!

Kris prefers "Ears". And she has lots! This is the leopard pair she wore in Animal Kingdom, and and Bubby is sporting his "Safari Ears". Kris also had silver sequined ears and black ears with a red and white polka dot bow. During this trip, Bubba bought a huge green hat with Goofy's ears attached. He looked hysterical in it, and loved it.

Mary bought a Disney bucket hat, which she thought looked ridiculous. I, however, thought it was adorable.

There are other photos of our hats, Rod's, Jimmy's, and Bubby's Goofy Hat, but I don't have them at my fingertips at the moment. More on the Disney trip tomorrow. Still, it's good to be home.

Gettin' There

2011-09-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

Remember the wheelchair cover?? This is the wheel chair that I was making the cover for. Not very impressive, huh? But it folds, and that's a big plus because his brand new shiny chair doesn't. So, if you recall, I was given the task of making a new cover. And after much thinking, sketching, and remaking, I came up with a cover that everyone seems to love. Here's the before. . . . .

And here's the after!!! Bubby loves it, Jimmy loves it, and suddenly I'm SuperGrammy. And it's a nice feeling.

The chair is ready. . . the neck coolers are finished and bagged. . . . I have gotten my makeover. . . Rod has cleaned (I guess the new term is "detailed") my scooter. . . and now we're getting ready to pack. So, this probably good bye until I return from a much needed vacation. Of course, if I get bored, I may be able to do some blog posts from my new best friend, my I Phone.

A Great Stash

2011-08-31T07:22:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's great to have a great stash. Oh, yea, sometimes I have trouble finding a place to put everything; but when push comes to shove, I generally have what I need.

Bubby has a brand spankin' new, shiny wheelchair, but unfortunately it doesn't fold and that makes it difficult to take it anywhere. Someone had given them a wheelchair that folds, and that was very kind and generous. This wheelchair is an older one, not shiny and has a very "unattractive" cover. I'm not sure if son-in-law Jimmy thinks I'm Wonder Woman, or if he just doesn't realize what's involved, but he asked me if I could make a cover for the chair. Bubby wanted purple -- Daddy gave that a very adamant NO! So Grammy hunted out her Steeler fabric. I have black and white. Knowing that the black would be too hot for Florida, I chose the white. Rod helped me take the measurements, and I sat down with pencil and paper to make my sketches. Yesterday, I put my sketches to use, and came up with this cover for the back of the chair.

The cover folds over the top of the chair so that the front and back of the chair back are covered. The flaps on the sides have velcro on them. and will be turned to the back and fastened around the side of the chair. My sketches were pretty accurate and the back cover fits pretty well. The seat cover is another matter. I had the seat cover put together, and decided to fit it before doing the quilting. It's a good thing I did. I had planned for it to wrap around the seat at the back and fasten in the front. Unfortunately, I didn't sketch that the back of the seat isn't open. Hmmmmm... I sat and looked at the seat. Pam came down and helped me decide the best way to proceed, and when Rod got home, he added his designer expertise. I needed to re-use the fabric I had already cut, since there wasn't a lot left. So I made another sketch or two and then cut the seat cover in half on the fold. Rod had suggested adding "flaps" on the sides of the seat cover like I had used on the back cover. We measured how long they needed to be and where they should be attached to leave room for the arms. And still another sketch. The way I have designed the new seat cover, it will velcro to the back cover to join the seat to the back. Then it will wrap from the front, under the seat and velcro to the back cover under the chair. Nothing will be loose or dragging, and it should be quite soft and comfy for Bubs. I probably won't get a chance to finish it until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, but will post photos of the before and after when it's done.

My New Best Friend

2011-08-25T07:59:00.001-04:00

At 3:45 this morning, I was awakened by an ignorant bladder. It has no idea how to sleep all night! Call it menopause, call it diabetes, but it just doesn't sleep all night. I could see flashes of lightening and hear thunder off in the distance. So, I went to the living room to sleep in my chair (which I do nearly every night, but that's another story). The storm got closer, and soon was rumbling quite seriously. Suddenly there was a loud crack, a very bright flash, and I screamed. The lightening had hit the electrical transformer on the pole in our front yard. In a blink of an eye, the house was thrown into total quiet and darkness. The transformer sparked for a few seconds, and continued to glow orange after the sparks stopped. And then, the glow ended and it seemed unusually dark. I was tingling. I don't think I was hit with lightening (the kids call my chair "the lightening chair"). But I was scared!! If I had any boots on, I'd have been shaking in them. If I had any bejeebers, they'd have been scared out of me. If I . . . oh well, you get the idea. So, it's 4:00 am, and Rod gets up for work at 5:20. But there was no electric, so no alarm clock. I keep my I Phone on the stand beside my chair, and remembered that Mary had shown me a flashlight app that she had downloaded. I picked up the phone and downloaded the flashlight app and it was FREE!!!! Kristin had shown me how to set the alarm clock on the phone, and so I set the alarm for 5:20. I was feeling pretty proud, let me tell you. Using the flashlight on the phone, I navigated my way back to bed. Rod greeted me with "Hi". "Didn't you hear me scream", I asked. "Yeah", he replied, "are you OK." "Oh, fine, thanks for asking"!!! And he wonders why I worry about him coming to my rescue if it's ever needed!! I explained that the transformer had been zapped, told him about the flashlight app and that the alarm was set. He didn't seem impressed. But at 5:20 when the alarm went off, and I turned on the flashlight app for him to walk safely around the bed, he was very impressed. But, sadly, there was no coffee this morning. Rod lit some candles, got a shower, and left for work. And 5 minutes later, the electric came back on. Just a few minutes earlier, and we could have had our morning coffee. But, Major Kudos to Penn Power, we were only without power for 2 hours.

I've loved the phone since I got it, but was having a little trouble justifying the extra cost. OK, I'm cheap. . . I'll admit it. But after this morning, my I Phone is now my new best friend. I love you, my wonderful phone.

A Constructive Weekend

2011-08-22T08:59:00.000-04:00

Finally I had a weekend where I managed to accomplish something. There seemed to be so much left undone before our Disney trip, and I was starting to panic, not knowing how I would finish it all. Saturday, Rod and I made picnic beans for granddaughter Jessica's birthday/going away party. She leaves on Thursday for Youngstown State (in Ohio). I don't know who miss who more, her missing the little ones, or them missing her. Last weekend, Jessica took Izzy to Build-a-Bear and had her build a bunny - a very pink bunny. Jess built a cow. Izzy's bunny wears an Sleeping Beauty dress, a crown, and . . . hot pink, glittery, high top tennis shoes. And inside, is a squeezie button that plays a recorded message from Jess to Izzy -- "I love you Izzy-Boo". And inside Jess's cow, a button that plays Izzy's voice saying, "I love you Sissy Jessie". What a neat idea!!

Then yesterday, Rod and the twins and I made stuffed cabbage rolls. It was amazing how fast it went with the four of us. After the pigs were in the oven, the twins manned the printer, switching the paper while I used the laptop to print out the Tee shirts that we had all picked. I chose these 4 patterns, top left is for our EPCOT day, top right is my choice for Magic Kingdom. Bottom left is my hero, Mrs. Potato Head. I love her, she keeps Mr. prepared for everything by shoving what he needs (and doesn't need) up his "Oh my gosh I can't print that word". And finally bottom right is my choice for our Animal Kingdom day. Centered is the Tree of Life. If you've never been to Disney you can't appreciate how beautiful the Tree of Life is. It is a 14-story, 50-foot wide sculpted tree, which is the centerpiece of Animal Kingdom.

All around this magnificent sculpture are animals, amazing animals. This is just one photo and you can't imagine how many animals are on this tree. I could look at this tree for hours, but nobody would wait on me. Also on the Animal Kingdom shirt is the Everest Mountain which houses the roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, the safari vehicle from the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, and the dinosaur from the Dinosaur adventure. So, now the shirts are done and I'm a little closer to being ready to go.

I am One Dizzy Broad!!!

2011-08-18T07:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have on occasion been called a "dizzy broad". Yes, me. . . the domestic diva formerly known as "Supermom". I know, it's a shock, but right now those people would be right on. For I truly am a dizzy broad. I have this vertigo problem. Doctor doesn't know what causes it. But some years, especially in the weeks approaching fall, it rears it's ugly head. And this year, it decided it needed to make my life miserable. I can't bend over, lean to the side, or stand up too quickly, or I'm hit with a wave of dizziness followed by a wave of nausea. Here's how the conversation went yesterday:
Izzy: Grammy, bend over so I can see the room spin.
Me: No, Izz. The room doesn't spin, Grammy just gets dizzy.
Izzy: OK, just bend over so I can see you get "bizzy".
Me: No, Izz. Do you want me to vomit?
Izzy: It's OK, Grammy. You could clean it up.

As Rodney Dangerfield used to say," I get no respect".

Howdy Friday

2011-08-12T09:39:00.000-04:00

Wow, another Friday already. Four weeks from today we will be vacationing at WDW. Yesterday I began tracing off character appliqués for my autograph blocks. This weekend I hope to get sone blocks finished. I figured out what new shirts I want make. The transfer paper arrived on Thursday, so that's ready to start. I found some really nice designs, including a Mrs. Potato Head, and you know how I love me Potato Heads. Four weeks!! I'm starting to feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland . . . I'm late for a very important date. As my Granny would say, "I'd better get a wiggle on." Have a great weekend.

Let the Organizing Begin

2011-08-10T07:50:00.001-04:00

I have finished 25 neck coolers, and that will have to do. I did them in an assembly line fashion, so there are still threads to cut before putting each in its own zippie bag. That's a good TV watching job. I still want to make some new quilt blocks before our trip, and have printed off the character photos and am ready to start tracing them onto Heat-n-Bond for applique. Last weekend I really needed to start the neck coolers, and so Rod brought a 4-foot table into the sewing room. He set it halfway in the closet and halfway out, and then picked all the stuff up off the floor and piled it onto the table. I know it probably doesn't make sense, but now it doesn't seem so overwhelming. I can see what needs to be put away and have decided that when I go into the sewing room, I will put away 5 items before starting anything else. And so, let the organizing begin. . .

This is my newest ~~toy~~ organizational tool. I've wanted a label maker for what seems forever. And last week, this one was the buy.com deal of the day. Although it lists for over $50, I got it for just --wait for it-- $15.99. Now, I have to find the time to ~~play with it~~ learn to use it.

I have so much to label - file folders, storage boxes and clear vinyl pockets. Yes, pockets. I have a large box of trims and laces that I rarely use because I can't see them. You understand the whole "out of sight" thing. So, after reading some organizing blogs and looking at sewing room photos on-line, I decided to purchase a clear, vinyl, hang over the door shoe bag. I can sort those trims and laces into the pockets and label them to insure that they go back where they belong.

I purchased these Sterlite 6-quart storage boxes from Target.com. I got a set of 12 for $21.99, and will use them to store my FQ's. I haven't decided how to group them, but I know that I will put all my "food" fat quarters in one box. I am passionate about food fabrics - farmer's market, snacks, drinks. . . I love them all. And I have quite a lot of Disney fabrics which I am planning to put together. One box will be set aside for small scraps to use for applique. And now they will all be labeled. And the blue lids sort of match the color of my sewing room shelves.

I'm anxious now to get the filing cabinet in place. For some reason, I have always had a problem with filing cabinets being top heavy. If my plan works out, that won't be a problem this time. I have all my GO cutter dies sitting on top of my sewing cabinet in racks. Hopefully, those racks will fit into the bottom filing cabinet drawer. I know that the strip cutters won't fit in the drawer in the racks, but the other dies should. But the first, the pile on the table must be cleared off. And so, let the organizing begin.

This n That

2011-08-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

First of all, Happy Birthday to my sweet Bubba-looey. Today he turns 8, and he's telling everyone. If you listen, I'm sure he will tell you too. Because of his seizure disorder, he was eligible for a wish from Make A Wish. It has taken him 18 months to decide what he wanted. First, he told them he wanted to go to Grammy's or to Giant Eagle. They tried to explain what this "wish" was, then he said he wanted to go to McDonald's and eat inside. "Nope, not a wish". So it was put on the back burner until he could grasp the whole concept. One Sunday in early June, he and Mary were sitting at one of Jimmy's softball games, and Bubba complained that he was really hot. He wished that he could go swimming, and then said to Mary, "I wish we had our own pool so we could swim anytime." Suddenly a light bulb came on, and Bubba said, "Mom is that a real wish". Mary teared up, and told Bubba that yes it was a real wish. And so the steps were put in motion for Bubba to have his Make A Wish pool. It was more of a hassle than Mary expected, but Bubba is so happy, and on Friday, Make A Wish will come to the house and throw a party for Bubba's friends and family to celebrate his wish.

I had planned to do so much this weekend. But, yesterday my blood sugar was running really low for me. Seemed like I had to eat every two hours just to keep it above 85. I have no idea what caused it, but will cut my Victoza dosage back for the next few days to see what happens. It's back to normal today, but I'm left with a headache. I do have 30 neck coolers ready to iron and fill. My plans are to iron all 30 today and then finish them 10 at a time. We are only 32 days away from our Disney trip, and I need to finish these neck coolers. So, for the time being, the sewing room organization has been put on hold. I continue to plan and purchase what I think will help out with the room-saving organizing.

I need groceries, but still feel pretty weak, so my wonderful hubby is going to take the list and head to the store. I will keep my I Phone at the ready, and he calls me with any questions. Geez, I love this guy. He's probably my greatest blessing, and I thank God for him each and every day. Talk to you next week.

In My Thinking Spot. . .

2011-08-03T08:07:00.000-04:00

My feeble attempt to organize and clean the sewing room continues, mostly in my thinking spot. One of my biggest bug-a-boos are the shelves of quilting magazines. I have magazines in huge notebooks, magazine holders and just lying around everywhere. So here's my questions:
l. How many magazines do you subscribe to?

2. How do you decide which magazines you will subscribe to?

3. Do you keep all the magazines, or weed out the projects you like?

4. If you clip and toss, how to you store the cut-out projects?

5. How would you divide and label these future projects?

I discovered that I still have a filing cabinet from when I had my business, and it's crying to be reused. If I weed out my magazines, and file my pattern books, I can free up 4 shelves. Four big shelves! In a small sewing room, that's a BIG savings. Rod has told me he will make a platform on casters on which to put the cabinet and that will make it moveable. I have a ~~black hole~~ hidden corner where I store our luggage, my sewing machine trolley, and some other cases full of "only God knows what". But still I want to be able to access these, and my filing-cabinet-on-wheels will make that possible. So, friends of mine, send in those suggestions, puleese.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

2011-08-02T08:46:00.000-04:00

We are just 37 days from our Disney trip, and I've begun to make my lists of things to buy, things to do, and things to pack. I've made cards to carry in my Baggalini, that have our confirmation numbers for dining, snacks for each park, and other relative information. I've designed some envelopes for our tip money for Mousekeeping and they are ready for printing. These are three of the designs, but so far I have 12. Each year I do the envelopes for all of us. Mary usually does all the cards, but this year with her studies, she hasn't had the time. Mom has taken that job and done my own version which is not nearly as detailed as Mary's, but with larger print for old people eyes.

Note the baggalinis in the front and back baskets

This is one of last year's photos of me on my scooter. Disney has made every effort to accommodate the handicapped and their various vehicles, but
unfortunately they can't control ignorant people with bad attitudes. At the various bus stops, anyone with a scooter or wheelchair is boarded first. No problems unless there are already people on the bus from a previous stop. Certain seats are designated for the handicapped because they flip up to make room for the vehicles. And if people are already seated in those seats, they are nicely asked to move to other seats. But they don't always respond nicely. The way the areas for wheelchairs or scooters are set up requires you to put your scooter in as if you were parallel parking -- you pull forward and then back in. Some people are quite impatient if it takes you more than one try, and that makes me nervous and frustrated, and makes more tries almost a certainty. For that reason, we decided to rent a car this year. It will reduce my biggest cause of stress at the parks, give us more freedom to come and go as we please, and will eliminate the waiting for buses at the end of a long day at the parks.

Daughter Mary is our unofficial Disney guru; and if she doesn't know answers to questions, she knows where to find those answers. And this year, the questions were about car rental. Rod and I had reserved a car with Hertz through AAA at a cost of $343.00 for the week. Then Mary learned about a website for car rentals. The reviews that she had read were good, it's a reputable site. So, we decided to give it a try. We booked a full size car with AC and unlimited mileage with Dollar for a total of $233. That's a savings of $110, nothing to sneeze at! But it gets better. Everyday, AutoSlash checks your reservation for a lower rate; and when the rate goes down, they re-book you at the lower rate. You don't lift a finger! Our rate has gone down twice -- we are now booked for a grand total of $191. And we did nothing!!! Don't you love it??

So now, I still have to organize my pins for trading, and decide which clothes I'm taking. It's getting closer!

It's a Start

2011-07-31T21:31:00.001-04:00

I started my cleaning yesterday by folding all those boxes of fabric and all the pieces that I had laying around everywhere. Looked for my book on organizing sewing rooms, but couldn't find that -- and I'm not kidding. How disastrous is it to lose your organizing book?!! Bubby got his Make A Wish pool yesterday, so we quit what we were doing and took the stuff to make burgers to Mary's. And I talked to Mary, who also gave me some good advice. She's not a sewer, but a scrapper. Her first tidbit of advice was to only touch something once. In my case, that wasn't possible since I had to fold it first and then decide where to put it. Her second bit of advice was that she doesn't keep paper pieces smaller than a half sheet of paper.Again, it wasn't something that really applied to sewing, but I took it to heart, and applied it to my own situation. All the fabric has been folded, and sorted by color. And as I put it away, I straightened that pile on the shelf. Two shelves are done, and one is left to go. The shelves that hold the novelty fabrics, which you didn't see in the photos, are in pretty good shape and I will straighten them up as I put the novelty fabrics away. I do a lot of applique, and use a lot of small pieces. So Mary suggested that I put them in clear plastic shoe boxes, using the colors of the rainbow for labels -- Red, orange, yellow in one box, and green, blue and violet in another. I think that might work. I appreciate all the suggestions that you have posted, and will try to put them to good use. I think I need a nagging mother to remind me to put things away when I'm done with them.

Yesterday, Rod and I went through some of the things in the closet. Mom had an entire dishpan filled with old magazines. They went to the trash. Another box had pieces for a seasonal night light, but the night light was MIA. They are now gone. Today, Mom came for dinner and took the rest of the clothes out of the closet. So we did make some progress.

Today, Rod bought a new storm door for the back door as the entire bottom panel was out of the old one. He and Jimmy and George put it on this afternoon and it looks so nice. We kept Bubby and Krissy while Jimmy and Mary were at Jim's softball games. After the door was installed, Rod and the girls made club sandwiches for everyone for dinner. Rod used to make them when he was a short order cook, and the kids have always loved them. So, when they find out that Daddy is making club sandwiches, they all accept our invitation to dinner. It was a great weekend, and I hate to see Monday come. But this week, the cleaning and re-organizing continues. And when it's all neat and tidy, I'll post new photos.

AAAAAAA, I'm Drowning

2011-07-30T14:13:00.000-04:00

Help please, I'm drowning. Drowning in a sea of mess!! A mess that I've managed to create all by myself - well almost! I've said before that I'm really lax in putting things away as I use them. And lately it has been worse than ever. Since I don't have any real deadlines pending, I decided it was time to clean and reorganize. But I just don't know where to begin and how to proceed.

This is the area that I call my "Sewing Cabinet". I originally had planned to store my AccuQuilt GO cutter and the dies here. Inside the large door, are a basket and a decorative milk can filled with scraps of fabric. I never know how large or small a piece should be to be eligible for saving. What do you save and what do you toss? I'm sure that the area inside this door could be put to better use.

This is the closet area. There are still things of my Mom's in here, even though she moved out three years ago We are slowly but surely going through this ~~junk~~ stuff to decide what to keep and what to pitch. My granddaughters played in here for two days, and were trying to help clean. NOT!!! But they had a good time. I want to clean off the shelves to put the two Brother embroidery machines and the boxes of accessories for them in here. I don't use them very much, and could put the space they are taking up now to better use.

This is the front window area. As you can see there are piles of fabric to be put away. The black photo boxes on the shelf are full of fat quarters and other supplies such as binding, zippers, and rick-rack. I have already purchased clear plastic storage boxes to replace these. The photo boxes were a good idea at the time, but I can't see what I have. I think the clear boxes will be a great improvement.

This is what I call the "buffet area". This surface was originally intended to be used as a pressing area - thus the iron. But as you can see, there's no room for ironing. The fabric on the shelves used to be neatly folded and stacked, but that has gone by the wayside also. Inside the doors of the buffet are shelves loaded with boxes, baskets and dishpans of God-knows-what. I am a pack rat for sure, and live in fear that if I throw something out, that surely I will need it and not have it.

And last, but certainly not least, is the area under the sewing table. Another mess! These boxes are filled with fabric to be folded and put away on the shelves. I know what has to be done, I just don't have any idea where to begin. If you have any ideas for better organization, I would love to hear them.

Whew, it's Hot!!!

2011-07-21T07:52:00.000-04:00

With the heat wave that has most of our country in it's hold, I thought you might be interested in the neck coolers we take with us to Disney. A few years ago, Mary found this pattern on a website, and ordered the Watersorb crystals. Then she asked her mom (good ole me) to make these for them. She sent me the directions, and I proceeded to make my version. What a pain they were. I had crystals everywhere! But now she wants more, and as I reread the pattern, I discovered that I hadn't read it right the first time. This time should go much smoother. Here's a link to the pattern. Mary had ordered her crystals online and they are Watersorb, but I understand that you can find Schultz Moisture Plus crystals in the gardening section of Wal-Mart. These really work, and can be used over and over. If you feel like you're melting in all this heat, check them out.

That's a Relief. . . Now Let's Get Busy

2011-07-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

I have just been looking at menus until my eyes are crossed. We always make advance meal reservations for our Disney trips, and the planning was nearly at an end. But we had made a dinner reservation for Crystal Palace for our last day -- our last Disney meal. And the more I looked at the menu, the less enchanted I became. Mary and Jimmy have eaten there, and were not that impressed with it. I had made the reservation there because Pam and Pat are big Pooh fans, and the Pooh characters appear at Crystal Palace. I knew I wanted a sit-down meal, no buffet for my "last meal". I wanted something somewhat quiet and relaxing - no running for a bus like the last day of our last trip. This morning, I decided, I had to make a final decision. So I narrowed it down to four possibilities. One, had no decent meals that Bubs and Krissy would enjoy. Cross that one off. Another was pretty far from Magic Kingdom. Cross off that one - no running, remember. Which left two. Mmmm, one was on the Monorail route. We have a winner!!! One of my favorite things to do at Disney is to ride the monorail. I pull my scooter onto the car. The doors close, and suddenly I'm feeling like Scotty is beaming me up in a Star Trek episode. It's flying fast, and when it stops, I pull my scooter out on the other side. No back-ups for me!!! Let me clarify, the only accidents I have ever had in a car was when going in reverse. So, for me, forward is always better. And now, our dining plan is complete.

Kona has steak for the guys and some of the girls. They have crab cakes for Mary, and delicious duck pot stickers for me. They have some pork or fish taco offerings, a chocolate fondue with fruit that Pam loves, and who can resist their chocolate-banana creme brulee!!! The kids love the Kona Kones, and why wouldn't they??? Ice cream in a huge waffle cone with just a little(?) candy cotton on the side. So Kona it is!!!

And now that that's done, it's time to get busy. I have some neck coolers to make (info to follow another day), and some quilt blocks to make, and in my spare time, maybe I'll make new neck wallets. So, now I'm off and running.

I'm Sewing Again

2011-07-17T16:00:00.002-04:00

Have you seen these Brita water bottles? They come with Brita filters to make your own bottles water. We thought they'd be a good idea to take to Disney when we go in September. It's been our past experience that the water there doesn't taste very good, and in the parks you have to give your first born child to get a bottle of water. So we all ordered them. But we wanted a way to keep them cool in the parks. I'm amazed at all the things you can find on the internet when you Google it. So, I Googled "water bottle covers" and came up with this.

This is the picture of the cover I found a tutorial for. It was posted on this blog from the Pink Chalk Studio. Her tutorial was really great, and I followed it to make the covers that I've worked on this weekend.

I didn't think we would want the strap, however. We don't seem to carry anything that we can put in my basket or the basket for Bubby's walker. We call Jimmy "The pack mule", In this picture you can see how he carries nearly everything his familyt needs. So, I thought and thought, and came up with an alternative using snap clips.

I told Rod what I wanted and he told me where he could buy them locally -- at Trader Horn -- what Rod calls the greatest store in the world. So, after a field trip to Trader Horn, I was ready to start my project. The great thing about having a large "stash" is that you can create projects with what you have on hand. I had bought insul-brite for potholders, and never made them (like so many of my intended projects).

Figuring that two of my favorite men wouldn't be crazy about covers made from Disney fabric, I made theirs out of Steeler fabrics. I love gingham, so this gingham Mickey fabric was a given for me.

These two bottle covers are for Rod and I. Since there's a layer of Insul-brite between the outside and the lining, these coolers should help to keep the water cool.

These are the covers I made for Mary's family. The Steeler fabric is for Jimmy and Bubs, and the pink Mickey fabric is for Mary and Krissy. And you can see the clips here for clipping them on wherever they find a spot.

Pat and Pam (the big party poopers) didn't want Disney fabric at all. I guess since they walk in our local county park every night, they figured they would choose something a little more "every day". But I had bought these fabrics to make Kindle covers for them, and then they bought covers. So, these fabrics were in my stash.

And, so here are the finished products. Not bad for one weekend, and a total of $1.29 per clip.

More News on Vic and I

2011-07-07T07:05:00.000-04:00

I seem to only be able to concentrate on one item at a time these days, multi tasking just doesn't seem to work so well. So the last few weeks, I've concentrating on my eating habits, making changes as necessary, and worrying about what my glucometer is telling me. Mostly it's been good news, but not easy. I was raised in a family that made you sit at the table until your plate was clean -- no wasting food in our house. It's only recently that I've been able to leave food on my plate when I'm full. Since Vic makes you feel full sooner, I find that I've had to adjust the portion size of my food. Food still smells really good, but I'm finding that it doesn't taste as good as it used to and the texture of some foods makes me feel nauseous. I'm eating more vegetables and fruits and craving carbs and sweets less. Potatoes have always been one of my favorite foods, but now, I can take or leave them. And I'm not eating between meals, except for an occasional piece of low fat cheese or a small box of raisins.

One of my very favorite foods is brownies - and if they are the iced ones from the bakery, all the better. Last night Mary and family came for dinner, and Mary brought a pan of brownies, not iced, but with chocolate sandwiched in between the two brownie layers. MMMM so Good. I had a small piece before dinner, and then made the mistake of having another after dinner. And suddenly I didn't feel so good. A snack before bed wasn't necessary. I thought my numbers this morning would be out of sight, but was surprised to see a 109 on my meter - higher than usual, but still OK. And I'm so proud to admit that I asked Mary to take the brownies that were left home with her to eliminate temptation.

So, I think I finally have a grip on this diabetes thing. And, I promise this will be my last post about Vic (unless there is something earth shattering to report). It's time to go back to sewing and quilting. This coming weekend is supposed to be really hot, so I'll be spending most of my time in the house with the air conditioning. And, hopefully a sewing machine.

And finally, a report on Bubba -- he's doing great. Last night he was back to being his old self. His speech is returning to normal. Have a good rest of the week.

Special Needs or Just Plain Special??

2011-07-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

Bubba before surgery

At school they call him James; his mom calls him Hector; his Pappy calls him Tough Guy; but to me, he's my sweet Bubbalooey. Those of you who have been my friends for a few years have grown up with Bubby - my grandson with spina bifida. Society gives him the tag "special needs". He has a seizure disorder, he uses a walker or wheelchair, he has special bathroom needs, takes special medications, his speech isn't perfect, and his right side is significantly weaker than his left. And so, I guess he does have "special needs".

I've not known a lot of "special needs" children in my life. My first experience was in grade school. We had the same last name, but were not related. We met at Girl Scout day camp, and I was her buddy. And it lasted long past camp. While I could walk and run, Betty Lou was in a wheel chair. And although she had trouble expressing herself, she was smart as a whip and had a wonderful sense of humor. But she had another talent - she could write beautiful poetry. Yes, she was special.

During my college years, I did an internship with Mental Health/Mental Retardation. During this time, I became acquainted with a little girl with Down's Syndrome. Although she had a lot of health problems, she was so very sweet and very loving and had a beautiful smile. Oh yes, she was special.

I have a great-nephew who is autistic. For a few years he was almost controllable. But following his diagnosis and subsequent medication, he has become the most wonderful little guy. Again, he has a beautiful smile and a wonderful sense of humor. And again, he is very kind and loving. And yes, Jeramy is special.

Bubba after surgery

But back to my Bubbalooey. Is he sweet? Oh yeah. Is he loving? Oh yeah. And does he make me laugh? Every day! Does he have special needs, most definitely. Most parents never have to be concerned about their child having a seizure and Bubba's have become less frequent. Our merciful God has insured that, when the seizure has ended, Bubba doesn't remember he has had a seizure. And the only time I see him angry is when you continually ask him if he's OK after he's had a seizure, or if there's no chocolate milk.

Yesterday, he had surgery to replace his shunts. He was angry that he couldn't have anything to eat or drink and he called me on the phone to tell me so. And last night, at 10:50, he called to tell me that he was better, and had a funny hat. So, society and the medical community may term him "special needs", but to me, he's just Special.

Update

2011-07-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

My little ones have gone home with their Mom, the twins are at the hospital with Mary and Jimmy, Krissy is with a friend's family, and Rod is on his way home from work. I have a little less than an hour to myself. Precious time, and I thought I'd talk with you. The CAT scan showed that the ventricles in Bub's brain are enlarged when compared to the CAT of 2009. They tried to tap the shunt and got no fluid, so the shunts will be replaced tonight. When I spoke to Mary at 6:00, they were ready to take him up to the OR. And so the waiting continues, as do the prayers. The last time they did a surgery for his shunt , the dr. nicked a blood vessel in his brain which caused a bleed into the brain. Resulting problems and infections caused his hospital stay to last 69 days. According to his doctor, he should come home sometime Sunday evening, providing nothing goes wrong. And therein lies the catch. We had planned a big Independence Day Picnic, which I have canceled. The cake has been canceled, and thankfully no food had been purchased yet. We do have about 20 two liters of pop and two cases of Capri Sun on the back deck, but that won't spoil or go to waste.

At 6:20 Mary sent me a picture of Bubbs labeled "all smiles and ready for surgery". He probably doesn't know that they will most likely shave his head. Right now he's mad because they won't let him have anything to eat or drink. I appreciate all your prayers.

Too Many Thoughts

2011-07-01T01:49:00.002-04:00

are running through my head and I can't sleep. I went to bed almost three hours ago, and was awakened by leg cramps. Now, I can't seem to sleep. Bubby had a seizure earlier this evening. He's been complaining of headaches, and has had some vomiting. Mary has been stumped as to the cause, and tonight it became clear. It's probably been almost three years since I actually witnessed one of his seizures, and I didn't really see this one either. He was very quiet, and Mary asked him to sit at the table and help her get dinner ready, more to keep an eye on him than anything. It's so strange the way it happens. One minute he was in the living room talking to his Uncle George and kissing Izzy goodbye, and the next he was in the kitchen talking gibberish and unable to move his legs. But his hand was jerking, his hand jerks every time. Almost as bad as Bubby's seizures is Krissy's reaction to them. Tonight, she came into the living room with a terrified look on her face, and cried to me, "Grammy, he can't talk. He's just talking gibberish." It scares her so. And so, if I'm around, Mary sends her to me. We've always stayed together when he's had problems, right from his birth. During surgeries, seizures and hospitalizations, it's been Krissy and I together. When she was younger, she would just get very quiet and want to hug. Now, she voices her fears, and becomes almost hysterical. I think she knows how serious they are now.

Mary and family

Mary and Jimmy leave me in awe when something like this happens. As Mary is sending Krissy to me, she is getting Jimmy. He takes Bubby away from the other people and stays by his side, while Mary calls Children's. If he comes out of the seizure by himself, it's a good thing; but if he doesn't, she's on the phone ready to get instruction from neurology. My mother-in-law always said that God gives children with special needs to special parents, and he certainly did that in this case. Mary and Jimmy were probably the last people that you would have thought could handle the stresses of a special needs child; and yet, they do it so well. I'm so proud of the people that they have become.

It's uncanny how life gets in the way. We all go on living our lives and not one of us stopped to think about how much Bubby has grown, how his weight has changed, and that perhaps it was time to get his levels checked. A script for lab work is on it's way, and tonight Mary seemed relieved to think that all the problems with headaches and vomiting lately could be decreased anti-seizure medication levels. When compared to a shunt malfunction and all it involves, the seizure is certainly the lesser of two evils. And so, this blog is dedicated to my daughter, Mary. She is always the same, never down. She deals on a daily basis with the struggles of raising a child with special needs, the decreased income due to her unemployment, and the stresses of returning to school for a masters degree in education, focused on special education. I've always said that a woman is like a tea bag . . . you don't know her strength until she's in hot water. That is certainly the case with Mary. She is a rock, a trooper, a great friend, a loving wife, mother, daughter and sister. But most of all she is a woman with great heart. And she makes me want to be a better person. I love you, Mary and I'm so blessed to have you in my life.

Decisions

2011-06-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

I've made a decision not to do any more Disney blocks. I have so many right now that I made and was not able to get signed. I will take them with me, and hopefully get the signatures I need. Also I have some blank blocks to take so that if I see characters whose signatures I don't have, I can have them sign a blank block and add the appliqued picture when I get home. And I think I will buy or make an autograph book so that if I run out of blocks, I can still get the signatures and then transfer them to a block later.

So what to do next? I think I will buttonhole stitch the Be Attitudes blocks that need that done. And maybe cut and put together some of the background blocks. There is embroidery to be done on most of the blocks. Do you embroider before or after you quilt the blocks?

I did nothing yesterday. In the morning I waited for the FedEx man to bring our new phones. He finally showed up at 11:00, with only one phone. Seems that Verizon entered a zero amount when they submitted my order to the credit card company, and so it was declined. I was livid, and gave both Verizon and the Credit Union a piece of my mind (not that I had a lot to spare). Then Kris and Mary and their kids showed up and spent the afternoon with me. It was a nice excuse not to do anything, since I had a headache, stomach ache, and nausea from the increased dosage of Vic. Today, I feel pretty good, and love seeing the low numbers that I'm now posting. So, this morning I'm off to the sewing room and will hopefully accomplish something before my new ~~toy~~ phone arrives. Hope your day is great.

My Relationship with Vic.

2011-06-27T07:49:00.000-04:00

A week ago today, the doctor introduced me to Vic, my nickname for my new medication Victoza. My numbers had been consistently high, I was waking up with headaches, I was grouchy and hard as I tried, I couldn't get my BS numbers down. So it was time for me to meet Vic. Vic works by slowing down the emptying of your stomach, thereby causing you to not feel hungry. The medical community has had good results with it in weight loss as well as lowering BS numbers in diabetics. So, how is my relationship with Vic going? My numbers this past week have been pretty consistent, but now they're in the 96-l05 area. I haven't been hungry, and find I am unable to finish my dinner. I had one low number of 73 in the early part of the week, but I think that was a result on not adjusting my eating times to Rod's overtime. We normally eat dinner at 5:45, but with the overtime, we aren't eating until 7:15. I now have a snack at 4:00, and that has helped the nausea as well. The nausea has pretty much disappeared, and I'm really glad of that. I have only had a headache one morning, and don't think I'm as grouchy. And, yesterday, I opened the door of the sewing room for the first time in weeks. I had forgotten how messy it was. I was a good girl all week - no sneaking what I shouldn't have, increasing my vegetable intake and cutting back on bad carbs. So, last night, Rod took me to the local custard stand for a treat. I had a small hot fudge sundae on strawberry ice cream. I figured it was a good thing - strawberry ice cream, fruit. Whipped cream, dairy. Nuts, protein. It was so good, almost like a chocolate covered strawberry. Don't know if Vic minded, but this morning my FBS was 106. Let's hear a big WAHOO, and promise it won't be an incentive to start "cheating" on Vic.

Today, Vic and I move on to the next step in our relationship as I move up to the next dosage level. I will be monitoring my numbers very closely to make sure there are no serious lows. And so, it looks like Vic and I may have a long lasting relationship.

What to do???

2011-06-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

Part of Farmer's Market quilt

It's definitely time to rekindle the friendship with my sewing room. It's a certain disaster, but with a little pick up here and put away there, I think I can have it up and running in no time. But will should I do first? Maybe I should work on my Be Attitudes quilt. I was way ahead of my friend Cindy when she started to make her quilt, but, for sure, she has passed me up. Perhaps I should play catch up. But then, maybe I should work on my Farmer's Market quilt. It only needs borders on two sides and it's ready to sandwich and quilt.

Disney quilt blocks so far

Or, maybe I should make some new blocks for Disney autographs since our trip is just about 2 months away.

Sampler Quilt

But there's this sampler quilt that is so bright and that only needs borders and it's ready to sandwich, and it's been calling my name.

So maybe you can help me decide. Vote for which project you think I should work on first.

Day 2

2011-06-22T06:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was day 2 of my new medication. I was a little apprehensive about doing the injection. I had done it in the office under the supervision of the diabetes nurse, but this time was by myself. I had no reason to worry -- there was a pamphlet with pictures and everything enclosed with the pen. I followed my meal plan, and two hours after breakfast, my blood sugar was 118 - a number that I've not seen for some time. Dinner time is usually 5:45, but since Rod started working overtime yesterday, we didn't eat until 7:00. By dinner time, I was very hungry and realize now that, while Rod is on overtime, I will have to have something small to eat between lunch and dinner. Dinner time didn't go very smoothly. Halfway through the meal, I became very nauseated. The nausea just seemed to get worse, and finally I just quit eating. I took my pills, and thought I would really be sick. The nausea subsided about 9:00. This is one of the side effects that they warned me about, and it should disappear within two weeks. I usually have a snack before bed, but last night didn't feel hungry. I did, however, have a small glass of low-fat chocolate milk (one of my weaknesses). This morning, my first number was 118. Hello - I've not had a morning number below 135 in quite some time. Am I excited?? Oh Yea!! The medication changes are definitely something I can live with.

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative

2011-06-21T08:33:00.000-04:00

It's a song that my dad used to sing, but I need to apply it to my life right now. I had such High Hopes (another song) for that 4 hr. body diet. They practically promise a weight loss of about 20 lbs. the first month; the possibility of going off diabetic meds within a few months, and doing all this with little exercise. Suddenly, after my dr's appointment, those high hopes were dashed to the ground. Suddenly, I don't have to worry about my clothes being too big before our trip to Disney. There's no chance that I will be thin enough to ride the Haunted Mansion ride. And I will continue to take all the meds that I take now, but with an injection added. And I won't have one day a week that I can eat whatever I want. All in all, it's pretty disheartening. But, I need to eliminate the negative. So here goes!

What promise does returning to my diabetic eating plan hold? I love warm applesauce, now I can continue to eat it. I love cantelope, I can eat it. I won't be making booty-tooty music constantly since I won't have to eat all those beans! I won't be eating spinach and lentils for breakfast (a somewhat disgusting thought, to be sure). I won't feel deprived when my family is eating a baked potato and I'm eating lentils. I will know in my heart that what I'm doing is the best for my body. Hopefully, if I concentrate on reducing my blood sugar numbers, the slow and steady weight loss will follow.

When I was much younger, I was a Richard Simmons fan. I had every Sweatin' to the Oldies tape that he made. And I remember that Richard used to say that we shouldn't call it a "diet" because it contains the word "die". But rather, call it a Live-t because it will enable you to live a more healthy lifestyle. So today, I am concentrating on the positive. Today will be the first day of my new life.

But then again . . .

2011-06-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

maybe they are. Rod and I both had dr. appointments this morning. His dr. was on time - mine wasn't. As I was going back to the room, he was coming out. He got a really good report, and doesn't have to go back for six months. Lucky duck!

My appointment wasn't so good. My last fasting blood sugar was 175 (way too high), and my A1C was 7.5. It was very upsetting since I had gotten my A1C down to 5.5 at one point. I had gained seven pounds. I had been thinking about using the diet in the 4 Hour Body book, but decided to check it out with my dr. first. With the diet in this book, you eat no carbs, no fruit, no dairy. That leaves only protein, veggies, and legumes. But the weight loss is supposed to be amazing. But with those numbers, the dr. decided to start me on Victoza to supplement my other oral meds. Victoza is a relatively new injectable for use by Type II diabetics. It works with your other meds to lower blood sugar and helps with weight loss. And I received an definite and vehement NO for the other diet. I was told that that type of diet could really mess with my numbers. I was told that I need a well balanced diet to keep my body healthy. And I was given some new books and charts to that end. So, maybe it wasn't so bad. But I know that the time for action is NOW, no more messing around. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Mondays aren't always bad!

2011-06-20T09:06:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you need Monday to recover from the weekend. It was a whirlwind. Saturday morning at 9:15, we had to be at the school for Krissy's performance with Rising Stars. Rising Stars is a drama/singing camp that she has participated in for the past two years. This year's performance was especially enjoyable because they did songs from the sixties and seventies -- just my time. Left there, drove home for a potty call and a cup of coffee, and then to the softball field for Krissy's first game in a tournament. They lost! Back home for some tylenol, and a short nap to help alleviate the headache I had developed, and then to Bubby's baseball game. Gosh it was hot and muggy with no shelter. His team was the away team and so they were in the dugout where there is no pavilion. After Bubby's game, we headed to Costco and emerged $284 poorer. Back home to put things away, and Rod suggested take-out for dinner. Sounded like a good idea to me. Mary and family came to pick up the items we had picked up for her at Costco and the kids (and Mary) convinced Pappy to light a fire for s'mores.

Yesterday, we cleaned up the deck and ran the sweeper on the carpet. Rod cleaned the living room and the kitchen, and Pat ran the sweeper. Pam and I cooked the side dishes to go along with the ham that was in the smoker. Mary brought German potato salad, and Kris brought deviled eggs. Pam and Pat brought a cheesecake assortment for dessert and also made a blueberry pie. Then after dinner, Izzy talked Pappy into a fire for s'mores. My mom came out for a couple of hours, and we had a really nice day.

Today Rod and I have dr. appointments for check ups, and then hopefully we can take some time to just breathe. Have a good week.

Good Morning, Friday

2011-06-17T07:43:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad to see you. Although I'm not sure why. It will be a whirlwind weekend -- not exactly what I look forward to. Granddaughter Krissy has a play/concert at 9:15 am on Saturday (who chose that ungodly hour?) as the finale to her Rising Star drama camp. Then she has her first game in a softball tournament at 11:00 am, and about 20 miles away, Bubby has a baseball game at 2. While we are out that direction, we have some items to pick up at Costco. Then Sunday is Father's Day and we're doing a late dinner. So I should have time to catch my breath during the day on Sunday. I haven't been to the sewing room for a few weeks (shame in me) and it must be thinking that I am a deserter. Don't fret, my favorite room, I shall return.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

It was a Zoo-tiful Day

2011-06-15T21:02:00.000-04:00

After many days of indecision, I finally made up my mind and went to the zoo with the kids and grandkids. The weather was the best - sunny and not too warm. Rod loaded my scooter into the car on Monday night and the twins, Bubby and I left for the zoo at about 9:20 am. on Tuesday. George and Kris and their family were going along, and after loading Bubby's wheelchair into the back of the truck, left with us. As good as I am at reading a road map, that's how bad I am at reading picture maps -- that of the zoo is one such map. We headed to where we thought the polar bears were, but ended up at the sea lions. We made the best of my map reading. I do realize that we are all about natural habitats for the animals, but you don't see a whole lot. I was, in fact, a little disappointed. Our zoo has one camel -- I mean really, we couldn't have two?!! We have one rhinoceros -- ONE. When we were at the zoo a year ago, there was a sign stating that the zebras had been transferred to another facility to "make room for more endangered species of zebras". Well, still no zebras. There were 2 black bears, one spectacled bear, but no brown or grizzly bears.

We do, however, have elephants. An entire herd of elephants. For only $10 (note my sarcasm) you can have a picture taken with the baby elephant -- they take two shots with your camera. And they even let you pet the elephant. And people were really all lined up. But the picture turned out really nice. The tall girl is stepdaughter, Jessica. And we also have tigers, and got to watch the mom playing with three cubs.

The cost of food was outrageous. George and Kris got 3 hot dogs, 3 orders of fries and a small pizza and the bill was $40. We got discount tickets from our credit union, but still tickets for Kris's family was $32. Same price for tickets for Mary's family since Kris's friend Allie went along. But here's the kicker -- Jimmy came at 2:30 to meet Mary and the kids. And even though the zoo closed at 6:00, they still charged him the full price of $14.00. So, it was a nice but expensive day.

It's Hump Day

2011-06-08T07:46:00.000-04:00

We've arrived half-way to another weekend, but it's gonna be a busy one. One of our neighbors is getting married on Saturday, and we'll be attending that. But first, we need to have blood work done and do a little shopping (wedding gift). Sunday I'm hoping to do some sewing. I've been taking a break since the Saddle Up quilts were finished, but I'm ready to dig in again. I don't get the kids until lunch today, so I may try to clean up a little in there. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks! Nope, I didn't put anything away when I was done with it. I try, honest! Mary Poppins would be telling me to make my room "spit spot". So today, Mary Poppins, I will try to put everything in its place.

If I don't come out by lunch time, send in the rescue dogs!!

It's Monday. . .

2011-06-06T08:01:00.000-04:00

not surprising. Bad things always seem to happen on Monday. What happened last night could have been a bad thing. But thanks to my bladder, it turned out OK. It makes you wonder, though, if we're not ready for a home!! You know, one of those so-called "senior moments".

Let me introduce you to two of my best friends in the whole wide world -- our coffee pots. Although we do use the Keurig several times a week, most of our coffee is made in a Revere percolator like this one. Rod's family always used one of these, and we got our first one as a wedding gift. We've had to buy one or two since then, but it's what we like. Rod is in charge of making coffee. He makes the best coffee. I think it must go back to when he worked as a short order cook at Eat-N-Park. Back then, he was called a "grill boy". He was working there when we got married, and I can assure you, he was no boy!!
But I digress. When my bladder demanded that I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to avoid embarrassment, I could smell something strange. Couldn't figure out what it was. My nose followed the smell, and I followed my nose. And there it was. . . our beloved coffee pot still on the stove and the burner was still on. I rushed to the stove and turned off the burner, thus rescuing our "friend". The coffee, however, was not salvageable. It didn't even smell like coffee. Seems that we went to bed last night and neither of us realized that the coffee was still slowly perking. So, this morning, I am grateful to the bladder that makes demands at some of the most inopportune times, and to the Keurig for stepping in when it was so badly needed.

I'm Still Here. . .

2011-06-05T15:03:00.000-04:00

I've just been taking a break from sewing since the Saddle Up. I've downloaded some new embroidery patterns and purchased a ~~boxcar full~~ little bit of fabric. I'm hoping to make some bibs. Jake is on solid baby food now, and someone told him that you are supposed to blow raspberries when you eat. A bib protects him . . . maybe I should make a couple for myself.

This is the latest photo of my little charges. I love this picture - I see these smiles most of the day when I'm babysitting. How can you not smile when you're looking at these two?

Catch you later in the week.

The Saddle Up has come and gone.

2011-05-28T19:56:00.000-04:00

I promised photos of the quilts that I made for this year's Saddle Up Trail Ride. So, here goes.

This was probably my favorite of the four. I called it "Bandana Stars", and it was made from leftover bandana fabrics from previous years' quilts. Daughter Pat was the lucky winner of this one.

This quilt was done with appliqued embroidery blocks. I used them for the center of churn dash blocks. Three of my grandkids wanted this quilt, but Izzy was the lucky winner.

This John Deere was also made from fabrics that were left over from previous years. And grandson, Bubby was the winner of this quilt.

This quilt was made from a pattern called Prairie Sweets. I loved this quilt, as did Daughter Mary. She told every one that came to purchase tickets that this quilt was rumored to "fall apart when it was washed". I told them it wasn't true - that she just wanted to win this quilt. And, she did.

Before you think that the raffle was rigged, you should know that my kids each take $50.00 worth of tickets. No one else spends that much on the quilt raffle, and so it's no wonder that they win.

There were two other quilts that I hadn't made, and all together the six quilts raised $382 for the kids at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. It wasn't as much as previous years; but with the economy and price of gas, we were glad to make that. The total raised by the quilt raffle, the chinese auctions, and the riders contributions was over $18,000. Again, it wasn't as much as previous years, but we are grateful to have made that much.

It's a wonderful day. Texas Roadhouse provides lunch and dinner for the riders and volunteers. Today, the weather was wonderful -- warm, sunny, and breezy. It's a family day - my family, George's family, the Youngs (another neighbor family) and the Hoyles (still another neighborhood family). It's a wonderful day for a great cause. And it's over for another year.

The End of an Era

2011-05-26T08:27:00.000-04:00

That's what everyone is calling Oprah's final show. Wow, 25 years on air. . . some (most) marriages don't last that long. Did Oprah have an effect of your life? Although she's not aware, Oprah saved my life.

Sometime around 1995, I was in a very deep depression. My sister had died, my father had died, Rod was out of work again, bills were not paid, and my Mom seemed to think that I had no life other than driving her where she needed to go. One afternoon, I was on my way to pick her up for a hair appointment, when I got the urge to pull out in front of a semi. It just seemed to be such an easy solution. No more worrying about bills, no more heeding Mom's ever beck and call. No more explaining to nebby, nervy relatives who constantly questioned why Rod wasn't working. No more trying to explain to the kids why they couldn't have what all the other kids had. I don't know what stopped me that day. Maybe it was fate. After Mom's appointment, I took her back home and returned to my house. I never watch Oprah. Never really did. But that day when I turned on the TV, Oprah was on. Her guest that day was Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of a new book called Simple Abundance. I watched that show. I bought that book, and began reading it that very day. And it changed my life. I started a gratitude journal. Although I no longer write it down, I still mentally keep my gratitude journal. And I started my journey to Simple Abundance. I began to appreciate what I had and stopped crying over what I didn't have. And my life began to turn around. I still turn to Simple Abundance when life punches me in the gut. And although I have the hard cover, I purchased the book for my Kindle so that I can take it with me wherever I go. And it all began with Oprah.

Farewell, Oprah. I'm sure you have touched many, many lives. The world is certainly better because you are in it.

I'm Cheesin'

2011-05-25T07:40:00.000-04:00

Just like Bubby in this picture, I'm cheesin'! And here's why:

The sun is shining.
The birds are singing.
The bullfrog in the pond is croaking.
Hines Ward won Dancing with the Stars.
I finished all four of the Saddle Up Quilts.

Life is good.

It's a Beautiful Morning. . .

2011-05-23T08:07:00.000-04:00

but the afternoon and evening are predicted to be ugly, really ugly. If you are the one who made Mother Nature angry, please apologize so that we can get some good weather with no more disasters. Our prayers go up for those affected by last night's tornado.

It was a wonderful weekend. Friday night I decided to begin quilting on the Teddy Bear quilt. I was using my EuroPro machine with a variegated thread from Connecting Threads. I've had problems with this brand of thread before, but not quite this bad. I got maybe 15 stitches, and then the thread would break. So, I would cut off the frayed edge, rethread the machine, and start again. Over and over. Finally I pushed the table aside, and said it just wasn't worth the frustration and would start fresh Saturday morning. Saturday morning, we moved my work station to the back deck. Different machine, different bobbin thread, same top thread. Same problem. I got so mad that I yanked the quilt out from under the needle, and tore a hole in it. So, the teddy bear quilt has met an untimely end. It's now in the pile to finish some day with different top thread.

But that meant I needed another quilt for the Saddle Up (which is Saturday) since I had promised 4 quilts. I went to the sewing room to get the fabric to make a 6-hour quilt in Steeler fabrics. And what did I find, but 14 blocks for a quilt that were already finished. So I gathered up fabric for sashing and cornerstones, and headed out with my cutting mat, rotary cutter, and ruler. By 3:30 yesterday afternoon, I had a quilt put together and quilted. So now, I have 4 quilts to put binding on by Saturday. Since I will be applying the binding by machine, I think it will happen. Photos will be coming next week, if not sooner. Have a good week.

Rainy Days and Mondays. . . . .AGAIN!!

2011-05-16T06:55:00.000-04:00

Is it ever going to stop raining here in western Pennsylvania??? Rain is predicted everyday for the next 10 days. We can't even cut our grass - if it does quit raining long enough, the grass is still too wet to cut. Gonna buy me a cow, or maybe a goat, even a sheep would be nice. But I'm afraid that with all the rain that the sheep would shrink! (get it, wool shrinks when it gets wet).

I have finished the quilting on the John Deere quilt, and am over halfway done with the quilting on the bandana star quilt. The John Deere quilt was pretty simple - just quilted a grid over the square blocks. The bandana star is a little more complicated since I'm quilting inside the stars and then a stipple quilting in the outside pieces. That leaves the churn dash farm quilt (another complicated one) and finally the John Deere teddy bear which is just an all over quilting. I'm just taking it one block at a time. Photos coming when they are finished.

Have a great day, and stay dry.

Linda

Chugga, Chugga, Choo Choo

2011-05-10T08:07:00.001-04:00

And the quilting train moves slowly on. Yesterday I managed to get two of the quilts pinned and ready for quilting. That leaves two to go. When I open the box of fleece that I had ordered, I didn't remember ordering those colors, but will make them work. This panel is one of the pieces that I sandwiched. If you were quilting it, how would you do it? Should I just do an all over quilting, or something more complicated?

Rod took down the baby swing yesterday -- Jake doesn't like it much anymore. That made room for the table that I use to pin my quilts. The kids will be here most of the day as Kristin has two appointments today, and will go to transfer my Mom from the skilled nursing facility to her assisted living home. But by leaving the table up here in the living room, I will be able to quilt in the evenings while watching TV.

Mary stopped by on her way home from school yesterday, and we spent an hour or so on the deck. Then I ended up with a nasty headache. I'm not sure if it was from the way I was sitting to pin the quilts or from allergies, but I will be glad to get the air conditioners in as they help to filter out the pollen. Still, it's so nice to see the sun and have the windows open.

Have a good one.

Linda