I did it again!

I just got a phone call from my daughter. The way she says "Hey Moma" with that sing song voice just makes me smile. Anyway we are talking and she says "what are you doing?" I answer, telling her I am still in my gown, looking at my sewing room while working up the nerve to work on a top I don't want to work on. Then the question...."do you know what day it is?" I stand there kinda of stunned trying to get my brain to unfreeze and calculate...nope, I got nothin'.

Me: "What day is it?"

Kari: "It's my birthday!"

Oh man! I did it again! I have her birthday card all ready and stamped but forgot to mail it! I should have gone with my first thought and mailed it with her Christmas letter! UGH!

Me: "Oh Kari, happy birthday!"

I am so glad my children understand I do not ever remember special days. EVER! I forget my own birthday and anniversary if no one mentions it. I am one of those "live in the moment" kind of people. Either that or I am too cheap to buy a calender! LOL

Anyway just a note to tell you how special my daughter is. She can make you smile just by the way she says your name. God has blessed her with a beautiful voice. She is the best nurse anyone could ask for when you are sick. Many times she has cared for me after surgeries. She is the funniest person I know. When we go to dinner she will keep you laughing the whole time. You usually have to tell her to stop so you can eat. She has more crazy stuff happen to her.

Twenty four years ago I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Still to this day when I think about her birth I get tears.

We lived 70 miles from the hospital. My dearest friends were visiting and Linda told me I was probably in the early stages of labor. I called the doctor and he said I might want to come to the hospital when my pains were about 15 minutes apart. No problem! My friends leave and Ray and I get in the car. My pains have been 15-20 minutes apart so we are all good to stop and get gas. The INSTANT he pulled in the station for gas my pains hit HARD!

I tell him in no uncertain terms that we have enough gas. Get in the car!

Knowing we have 70 miles to go he starts driving pretty fast, but only about 5 miles over the speed limit. Then the next pain hits and it was only about 4 minutes since the last one. He speeds up more and turns on the flashers. Yep, Mr. Texas State Trooper turns on his lights. Ray says he has to stop and I give him a really UGLY look. After just a few seconds of the officer talking to Ray and then me, he says..."I can't tell you to speed...but please be careful"

As we are racing down the freeway we pass and I mean PASS no less than 3 police cars and all of them wave as we go by.

We arrive at the hospital at 7:58 pm and Kari is born at 8:27 pm. The doctor didn't even have time to get his gloves on. He caught her bare handed! LOL

She has lived her life in overdrive since then. She could never wait to be old enough to do anything. She wanted to do everything that life had to offer with no fear.

Still does.

In my sewing room

Today I am in my sewing room...lets see how long I get to stay.



On my last foray into the deeply loved and seldom visited sewing room I was working on the hexagon blocks. I made more until I have a size I like. Now I have to sew them together into a top. There in lies the rub...I don't like sewing them together. I was fine with it until I got to this part.
I can see much playing of the guilt card to get this into a top.

Like:
1. You already have too many UFOs to put this in a box
2. Why work so hard to make these if you just want to put them away
3. I remember when this was started...in Mobile...TWO moves ago!
I talk to myself a lot.

Ok, enough procrastinating, let me see if I can get anything accomplished.

Later,
Diane

****Edit***
I didn't get to spend any time at all in my sewing room. I was a bit aggrivated when Ray came in and said "let's go". I wanted to stay home, but he will go back to work next week and I can stay home then.
I did get to do some much needed shopping...more on that later.

Recipe - Chichen Spaghetti

I have been neglecting the blog, I know. Ray has been home for the past week and will be home for another. My life tends to revolve around him when he is home so I have been away from the computer.

I got a request for the Chicken Spaghetti recipe I made the other day so here it is:

2 c. cooked chicken
3 c. dry spaghetti broken into about 2 inch pieces
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup ( or 1 cream of chicken & 1 cream of mushroom)
2 c. grated sharp cheddar
1/4 c finely diced green pepper
1/4 c. finely diced onion
2 c. chicken broth (either from can or strained from the pot you boiled chicken)
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
pepper to taste
1 c. additional grated sharp cheddar for the top

*I cut up and cooked a chicken in a pot of water with an onion, two stalks of celery, a couple of carrots, several cloves of garlic and salt and pepper, but you can get your chicken from where ever you like. Of course if you don't cook your own chicken you will need to buy chicken broth.*

Cook your spaghetti in the same broth as the chicken but just until it is barely cooked. Do not cook it all the way or it will be too soft in the casserole.
When the spaghetti is cooked throw all ingredients (except the reserved 1 cup of cheese) in a bowl and mix well. Put mixture in a casserole dish you have sprayed with Pam. Put the reserved cheese on top.
Now you can either cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or cover with foil and freeze.
I recommend covering with foil for the first 25-30 minutes, it keeps the edges from drying out.

More cooking

I spent the whole day cooking again. I tried all new recipes with mixed results.
First I made cinnamon sugar muffins that my guys loved. They turned out great and I know I will make them again.
Then I made cheese puffs like we had at Fuego De Chao. These didn't come out so great. I noticed while making the muffins that the temperature was off (too cool)by a few degrees but I just let them cook longer. The cheese puff didn't work the same way though. After emailing Judy L. a couple of times I think we might have come up with a solution. If we are home tomorrow I will try again.
Then for dinner made a chicken spaghetti casserole. I have never made this before can you believe it? This recipe came out really good. Fortunately it made a lot so I was able to freeze a casserole for another day. I love it when I don't have to plan a meal in advance.

Another day not spent in the sewing room, but it was a good day anyway.

Diane

Today and the next two weeks

I cooked all day. I have been thinking about Italian Wedding soup ever since we had some at a little diner in Clearwater last weekend. It was amazing! So, today I gave it a try. I followed a recipe that sounded similar and I made something that was really good although it needs some tweaking.
Then I decided to make some bread. Note to self...always check expiration date on the yeast! It bubbled up when I proofed it, but the bread fell. Oh well, I ran to the store and bought new and have a new loaf baking now. Nothing like fresh bread at 11pm! LOL

With Ray taking the next two weeks off work my days are going to be different. He has something planned for us to do almost every day until his return to work, Tomorrow we go to the movies. We have tickets to Busch Gardens and there is at least two visits to Disney planned.

OH, the bread is ready!
Later,
Diane

A good day

I had a good day, a productive day!

I woke up with energy and started redoing my pantry. I got it all organized a different way and I hope this way works better. Every day is still a struggle in the kitchen. I just can't get the layout right, but I'm working at it.

After the pantry was finished I started lunch. I made a huge pot of bean soup and a lemon icebox pie. Then I had to clean the kitchen because I am a messy cook. I tend to use every surface, bowl and utensil in the place. It makes me crazy. My mom can cook and so can my MIL and when they finish you can hardly tell they had been in there working because the clean as they go. I have never been able to do that.

Then I hit my sewing room that looked like a tornado had hit it. No exaggeration! I worked in it for over two hours just to be able to set up my sewing machine. I remembered I had been wanting to make myself an iPod carrier thing so I found a piece of scrap fabric and played around and made this. It has a hole for the earphone jack and a long wide strap so I can wear it a long time with out it hurting my neck. Now I just have to figure out something for the long earphone cord...it may get tangled on something so I have to wrapped around the strap right now. It's a work in progress.

Remember seeing this project? After cleaning my sewing room I put my hands on the box this was in and decided to work on it. After doing a lot of sewing on blocks I remembered I was suppose to put it together a different way. UGH!
So I have spent more time unsewing all of the seams I had just put in. I could blame it on the fact I was so interested in the book I was listening to on my iPod I wasn't paying attention. Actually the truth is if I had just stopped and looked at the project closer instead of trying to go from memory I wouldn't be ripping so much. And I was doing perfect 1/4" seams too!


Gotta rip some more...
Diane

Another company Christmas party

Last night we attended another company Christmas party. We went to Clearwater to a hotel on the beach that had a Tiki Bar with a live band. The weather was pleasant after several days of hot and muggy. The sunset was beautiful!
Nothing says Christmas like a Reggae band on a beach, and dancing in shorts and flip flops! LOL
Not that we danced, but lots did.
After listening to the band for a few minutes Ray and I decided the lead singer of the band must have owned the microphone and the amp because he really didn't sing that well. Actually the guy on the keyboard sang better. LOL

Later,
Diane

A few of my favorite things...

Behold, the Lamb of God... who takes away the sins of the world.

Since we married in 1981 I have collected Precious Moments figurines. I loved with the way Sam Butcher was able to make figurines that captured the simplicity my new found faith in Jesus Christ. I loved his everyday figurines about marriage and relationships also and I have several of those, but my absolute favorite is the nativity set I have collected over the years.

Jesus the Savior is born!


This is Harold who sings "Hark!"

I'll show more later,

Diane

I told you it hurt!

Pygmy date palms have the sharpest and longest thorns! Not only that they seem to be mildly toxic. All three of us have been stuck by the thorns and all three of us end up with very sore and very red blisters. We have all learned if you mess with the palm tree to wear gloves. No problem.
When I work in the yard though I wear shorts. I am fat and I get very hot. After working in the yard for a couple of days I noticed a spot on my leg that looked like a bug bite but hurt like the dickens. Ray looked at it and said it looked like a splinter but I wouldn't let him touch it as it put me in orbit if he got within an inch of it.
Finally after over a week of this I was getting myself ready to go to the dermatologist as it was still super tender to the touch and not getting better and Ray said let me look one more time. LOOK what he found!

Yep that is my ruler and yep it measures the thorn at 1/2 " long. No wonder it hurt!

I didn't even work with the palm tree the day I got the thorn so it must have been in the grass where I was sitting pulling weeds. Note to self...wear long pants when working in the yard!

Christmas has come early!

Look what I won!! Well, not really won...I paid for it. There was a silent auction to raise money for the local food pantry and one of our retreaters offered one of her Featherweight machines. It was a white knuckler for a while but I was victorious and the food pantry got a good donation. Everyone was happy...maybe not the ones who didn't win, but I was! :)

This beauty is a Singer 301. It is in PERFECT condition and one of the retreaters had it for sale in the country store for $50. You tell me, could I pass that deal up? NOPE! So I have a little sister and a big sister, how cute!
more later,

Diane

What happens at the retreat....

Beautiful quilts abound! These were some of the gifts in our goodie bags. We also got a T-shirt (we get one each year, I'll make photo later) and magazines. This is the BEST retreat!

Ho-Ho-Ho it's Santa Jo!

What a pretty smile! From a pretty (and sweet) lady.

More later,

Diane

Grandma Emfinger's Pecan Pie Recipe

(This isn't a picture of my pie, I found this here, but it is similar...as soon as I make one I will take a picture)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark Karo Syrup

1/4 stick of butter

3 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

*****Pre cook the pie shell*****

Put the sugar, syrup and butter in a HEAVY pot. Cook on about medium to medium low temperature until it comes to a rolling boil (stirring the whole time). Beat the eggs and add some of the boiling syrup to heat them up, then add them to the pot of boiling syrup STIRRING FAST AND HARD so you don't get too many scrambled eggs. (You will get small flecks of scrambled eggs but it won't taste like scrambled eggs I promise!)

Add the pecan and let them cook a few seconds before adding them to the cooked pie shell.

Put on a cookie sheet, in the oven on 375* for 40-45 minutes. (Don't forget the cookie sheet mine boiled over in the oven!)

Moma said if you don't like it that firm the next time you make, it reduce the oven temp to 325* for 40-45 minutes.

I think I am going to make this for the retreat but put it in a rectangle pan so I can cut it like brownies.

Let me know if you try it and if you like it.

Diane

Home...what a beautiful sight!

I am home again! Oh how happy I am to be home again! LOL
Laundry is washing away in the laundry room.
Now I need to figure out what I am taking to the retreat...yes another road trip...LOL I am not sure I get to claim a home address anymore! LOL

I have been looking forward to this retreat since last year, but my hind side is starting to talk to me about all the riding in cars.
Ray actually wants to go to Disney tomorrow, but I think I am going to tell him I will stay home this time.
Actually all of the travelling isn't over for either of us.
Joseph and I both are headed to Mobile on Thursday. he will head to a friend's house and I go to the retreat. We will get home on Monday and Ray leaves on that same day for three days. UGH!
Hopefully after that we will all be home for several weeks.
Ray's dad just called and asked if he had anymore vacation time for this year. He replied he had two weeks. FIL actually said, "good, you can come spend a whole week!"

UH...NO!
He is staying home with me! We still have boxes in the garage. The front bedroom is full of boxes, and the middle bathroom is not finished.

Enough of that..I am tired of thinking about that stuff.

I made my FIRST pecan pie last week! It turned out really good too! My grandma used to make the absolute BEST pecan pie and she taught my mom how to make it. This year I asked Moma to teach me how to make it. I am so glad too! What makes this pie different is it doesn't have a gooey center and pecans on top. This is like a piece of pecan candy in a pie shell. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ok, the dryer is going off...

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving...and I was (and I still am) thankful for so many things. I learned in church to count my blessings to remind me to be thankful so here goes a short list...

1. Some relationships are mended after years of neglect
2. A mother-in-law who really does love me
3. I have the BEST husband
4. I was able to talk to all of my children yesterday even if I was unable to see all of them.
5. I don't live in Houston any more!
6. I live a pretty drama free life.
7. God continues to provide a good job for Ray and I am blessed by that.
8. I have friends who miss me (that may not sound like a blessing but really it is!)

There really are too many to count but I won't bore you with them all.

Now to get ready for Christmas!

Travelling again

I am on the road again! We arrived in Malvern AR. last night and will be here a couple of days. We head to Houston either Monday or Tuesday to spend Thanksgiving and do a little bit of work on MIL's house.
I will be home a whole three days and I leave again to head back to Mobile for a quilt retreat. I was super excited about the retreat until this trip, now I am not sure how fun the drive will be! LOL
No, I know I will have so much fun, and the drive will be no big deal.

Right now my back is aching, I have a bite on my leg that is killing me (I did some yard work before leaving and got bit by something), and my allergies are raging. My FIL's wife's grand-daughter is on her way over with her two lovely children so I need to take some drugs so I can put on my smiley face.
There is a quilt shop about 30 miles from here I wanted to go to but may not get to go since they are only open a couple of hours today.


Oh well...all's well that ends well...
Pray for a happy ending!

I haven't got lost....

I have just had the worst Internet connections so I have been unable to post.
After 12 days of travelling and visiting I am T-I-R-E-D! But it has been great!!
Just today we have had the great chance to bless a police officer and his family. We happened to be eating in a restaurant and noticed a police officer (in uniform) eating with his wife and two young sons. Ray and I were able to get the waitress to bring us their bill so we could pay for it. Now it was not expensive maybe $40, but the blessing we got from being able to do for someone who puts his life on the line everyday for us. I didn't want the waitress to tell who paid for the bill, but she did and so they all came over to us to thank us. The wife had tears in her eyes.
God has blessed us so much with good health and a job with a good salary and most of all Ray has been blessed with a giving heart.

Then tonight we arrived at a hotel and was unloading our luggage when a nicely dressed woman walks up and asks if we can help her. She said her car broke down and she needs just a few more dollars to pay a cab to get home. Ray (smart man that he is) says he will be happy to pay the cab fare, but will only give it to the cab driver. She says thank you and steps aside saying she is calling the cab and then that he will be here in 15 minutes. We finish unloading our truck and look up and she is gone. Ray said he thought she was going to get her stuff from her car. So we get in our truck and drive in the direction she walked. Guess what, no broken down car, no lady and no cab arrived after 40 minutes. We waited and waited and then went inside the hotel to ask the clerk if she had seen the lady or the cab.
According to the clerk it was a scam...but my smart husband didn't giver her any money so no skin off our nose. But how sad!

Tomorrow we head back to Florida. I am glad to be getting home. I love travelling, but I love getting home.

Later,
Diane

Too much fun!

I arrived in Houston and surprised everyone...which proves who doesn't read my blog!! LOL

I played in fabric and quilts almost the whole time. Monday was the monthly meeting of Monday Bunch, a group from the Azalea City Quilters who makes Linus quilts, Quilts of Valor, and a couple of times a year quilts for a local Children's home. It was so much fun meeting each one at the door and surprising them! :^)

Right before I left I was telling Nancy how I needed to make a baby quilt while I was in Mobile since my husband's former secretary ( that is not what she is called, but I can't remember the correct term) just returned that day from maternity leave. So we found a top I had made from the last trip and I took it to quilt. She had a scrap piece if batting she had pieced together and already used what she needed from it and we laid it on the top and it was PERFECT! Then we found a pretty blue piece of flannel and put it on the back. All spray basted and ready to go. WOO HOO!

Tuesday was the monthly meeting of the Old Sew and Sews ( I do hate the old part!) and once again I got to surprise everyone. So after visiting and laughing and eating I got serious and started quilting on that top. Between me and several of the ladies it finally got quilted. I did the straight quilting in the ditch and Susan Wray my Aussie friend did the border in a large meandering stitch. Then we scrounged around and found a piece of orange that was JUST big enough to make the binding and I sewed that on.

Here is a link back to the picture I posted previously...my connection here at the hotel won't let me upload a picture.

So much happened in Mobile I will have more to blog later. Now I am in Houston waiting on morning rush traffic to die down so I can go see my friend Linda.

Later,
Diane

Surprise!

I'm headed to Mobile!!!
I will arrive some time this evening so I might just show up on a few door steps while I am there.

I just found out I get to visit so I am just as surprised as anyone.

See you soon!
Diane

Trick or Treat!!

We are headed to Disney World today!

I LOVE Disney on Halloween! Last year was our first time but it was so much fun seeing all the wonderful costumes. Whole families would dress up. We saw at least 50 of the 101 Dalmatians (all one extended family), all seven of the dwarfs, the whole cast of Little Red Riding Hood with the daddy being the big bad wolf dressed in Grandma's gown! Too cute!

I wonder who we will see today.

Later,

Diane

Houston we have a problem...

This looks like I am organized doesn't it?
Slightly...I could use some work in here, but I am pretty well organized...

I thought! Do you see the clear box below with everything all neatly arranged?

I have NO CLUE what I was suppose to be making! There is no picture, no instructions, nothing! Do you see the blue piece of paper? It has writing telling me I need 160 wide triangles (note no size just wide), and 256 narrow triangles (again no size just narrow). It goes on and on with no sizes. The real kicker is, it isn't even my hand writing! LOL It is my sister-in-law's writing! At least I think it's her writing.

So much for organization!

I did have a thought...if it is what I think it is, it is a project I started when I lived in the panhandle of Texas, over 12 years ago! Oh man! If it is that project I will NEVER finish it because that was before I understood 1/4" allowance.

Why did I even open the box? Now this is going to drive me crazy until I figure it out.

Later,

Diane

Are you thinking about it?

Christmas

Can you believe it is so close? I am having a hard time believing it is almost here.
I have been thinking lately about what I would like to buy my family for their presents.

I hate giving gift cards but I think at the stage of life my children are in they would appreciate and could use that more than anything. Not so fun, but useful.

My husband on the other hand I have thought of several things I would like to get him. Of course I can't put it here since he sometimes reads my blog.

My list...I have some things I would like. I have wanted a Digital Velocity Iron since a my friend Joanne got one. I love to iron, but only when my iron has lots of heat and tons of steam.
Joanne has the DV 95 and I tried it last year. It has both!

I would love to have a sewing table that is sturdy and heavy. Right now I am using a 2' x 4' adjustable height table I bought for my business. It is great, but if I am sewing fast it bounces. I would LOVE to find an old teachers desk and have it fitted for my machine. That would be perfect! I have looked at sewing tables sold in the local quilt shops but man they have a big price tag.

What is on your list?

Later,
Diane

What's this?

I'm actually in my sewing room working!!!
And if you look closely you will see I am drinking...a Pepsi Max. I know, I know, never did you think you would see me, Diane, drinking anything but the "real thing", Coca Cola, but when your husband is losing weight like crazy and you are eating the exact food he is eating and not losing any you do crazy things! I have two Quilts of Valor tops cut out and ready to sew together. I am using the Bricks & Stepping Stones pattern by Bonnie Hunter. It is so fast and easy and really looks nice. I am making it with all blue bricks and red and white stepping stones. I hope they turn out good.
I have also been listening to one of my favorite preachers, Chaplain Jim Fisher, Ph.D. on his church's website. He was our Pastor when we lived in Alabama, then he left to finish his doctorate and pastor in Indiana then go off to be a Chaplain in the Army. I sure love that family!I would like to finish the tops and quilt them and send them to Bro. Jim. Since he is one of the Chaplains on his base he knows many soldiers who could use a quilt. I really need to get organized and get more made.


Night before last I could not sleep to save my life! So I ironed a bag of scraps so I can cut them into usable pieces. Well I did the ironing....the cutting is not interesting me though. I really need to cut them so I don't put them back in the bag and have to re-iron. I am really bad about that.

As you can see I still have stuff I have to find a home for. Ray said he was going to look at the closet shelf situation and see if he could remove one of them for me so I can get my other black shelf unit in there.

I want to head to Lowe's and price the stuff I want to put up for my design wall, but I want to sew. I have had this discussion going on in my head for a week! I want to go to Lowe's, but I want to ______ (fill in the blank). It has been everything from sleep to cook to unpack a box to work in the yard. I tell you I am getting really bad! I have left the house ONCE by myself since we moved in. When Ray is home he takes me to run whatever errands needs to be run; groceries, library, bank, I'm trying to think of anything else I do but can't think of any. I am a BORING person! LOL But I love it!

Later,

Diane

P.S. I'm making my Christmas list!

Finally!

I was able to get some work done in my sewing room. As you can imagine even though I have the same square footage in the room, nothing will fit like it did in the lease house. The closet is smaller and has these shelves that are meant for clothes (of course) and so not much good for my fabric. Ray said he could take the one on the right down so I can fit the other black shelf.

To the left of the closet is a recessed area that I am using now for my dyeing supplies.

I only had to load and unload and reload the book shelves a total of four times to get them in the best places. Oh my aching back! I really need to get rid of some books.

I replaced the lights with my daylight bulbs and everything is so bright and cheery. The way everything is laid out now I will have one whole wall for a design wall. That may be overkill, but I have always wanted a whole wall so I will give it a try.

More pictures when I get the quilts on the walls.

Later,

Diane

Still no sewing...

There is still no sewing going on around here. there isn't even a sewing room for that matter. I'm getting closer to getting my room set up though.
Today was hazardous waste day. Our county offers this once a month (how cool is that?) so you can get rid of stuff you can't put in your trash. What a blessing to be able to get rid of old computer monitors and old paint and stuff like that, since I have been holding on to it for such a long time.
Now I just have to find a storage area for my Christmas decorating stuff and I will have enough space in my garage for my truck! WOO HOO!
This is a big deal. I have had the garage FULL to over flowing. But slowly Joseph and I have gotten boxes unloaded and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I hope before long I will have some sewing room photos.

Later,
Diane

Today was a good day...

even though I got NO sleep at all last night. I finally saw the dawn coming and laid on the couch and fell asleep for a few hours until my friend called.
While we talked I worked in my bedroom doing more unpacking. Then after we ended our call Joseph and I worked in the garage for a couple of hours until we couldn't lift another box. The heat is the worst. It just zapps all your energy. I heard on the news we might get a cool front this weekend. I hope !

I didn't mean to be so grumpy yesterday. I really am thankful for my house and I love it.
I really would like to get to my sewing room though! :)

Later
Diane

I'm still alive!

But barely! Nah, I am fine, just still working night and day trying to unpack everything and fix things we are finding that are broken.

I tell you, that Mr. that we bought the house from sure was sneaky. We paid for so much stuff that was good enough to pass inspection, but really needs to be replaced. GRRRR!

We have already had the kitchen faucet replaced, the bathroom shower needs a new shower head, the instant on water heater is flaky, the dryer (that I didn't really want, but he wouldn't sell the house without it being included, the washer also) only works on two settings, high heat and fluff. UGH! Two ceiling fans MUST be replaces ASAP since they make so much noise you can't sleep in the same room with them.

I'm only telling this because I think people should be aware that not everyone in the world is honest. I think Mr. was afraid we were going to try and steal the house from him so he tried to cover all of his bases to keep as much money as possible. I understand him and his fear, but I am upset I am having to foot the bill to repair things I will be paying for in my mortgage payment each month FOR YEARS! No one item is a whole lot of money, but you put them all together and it is a chunk of change.

ENOUGH OF THAT!!!!

Do you remember when I said we were starting to have cooler weather? Well I lied! We have been having record breaking heat for over a week now. UGH! It has been anywhere from 92* to 95* everyday and NO rain.

Oh well I can't do anything about any of the things I have fussed about today so I might as well hush!

We (Joseph and I) are going out for pizza tonight. Ray had to go to West Palm Beach for a meeting in the morning so we are able to eat whatever we like and not feel guilty.

Later,

Diane

I knew it would happen...

I knew this day would come, but didn't know when. For the first time Ray actually realized how much "stuff" I had in my sewing room. Oh man!

Since this was not a company move but a personal one we moved ourselves. Which means every box that was packed and removed from the house Ray handled. On about the third truck load (all from my sewing room) he said to me in his most authoritative voice "If you ever ask to stop at another quilt shop or fabric store I am going to just pass on by." Then he said " I used to think you had enough stuff to open a quilt shop, but now I KNOW you have enough, this is ridiculous."

I just kept my head down and kept on packing.

Now in my defense I had a whole truck load of stuff that is the remains of my business. Tables, dyes, fabric, dyed fabric, patterns, books, thread, etc. I have just absorbed all of that into my sewing supplies since I won't be in business any time soon.

The rest of the stuff, well there is a lot, but some of it is BIG stuff like sewing tables (2), ironing/cutting tables (2), books shelves (2) and need another one, sewing machines (6, what? when did I get so many?), three shelf units of fabric and approximately 25 plastic boxes in various sizes of projects. This doesn't include the plastic drawer units of various sizes and boxes of batting...you get the picture.

He hasn't said anything else about how much I own, but I have been smart and started unpacking the kitchen and bedroom first instead of my sewing room.

WOO HOO! Ray just came in from checking the mail...I got the FIRST piece of mail! From my friend Karen in Mobile, she sent me two patterns that I LOVE! Thank you Karen!

How appropriate...they both have something to do with home. What a wonderful surprise!

OK, I have to go get some more work done the plumber will be here in a bit to replace the kitchen faucet...more on that later.

Later,
Diane

October 1st

Finished! We are completely out of the lease house. Ray said we had until midnight last night to be out and we finished at 11:04 pm. Goodness we were tired. Ray had some men from work come help him move my giant armoir from the livingroom and than one came back last night to help him with the washing machine, but other than that we did it all. We made about 50 trips in our truck (not exagerating) to get everything over here. I am so thankful it is finished.

Today we are doing absolutely NOTHING! Well we are going to go get something to eat in a bit, but other than that I am not moving from my recliner!

We have noticed this house has more square footage, but it has almost no storage space. I think the difference is the bedrooms are larger and there is an office. We all three talked about it and decided we are going to cull again. We still have too much stuff and we are not using everything we have, so off to Goodwill or Free cycle.

Hooked up, but still in moving mode

The cable company came out and got my Internet/cable/phone hooked up so I am able to check my email and post. YEA!!!!

BUT...we are still working at the old house. We have the remains of Joseph's room, he has TONS of stuff in a very small space. We have a few light furniture items and then I have to clean.

I will be SO glad to get back to normal. I need to get my sewing room set up. I want to get my kitchen together. I am so ready for a home cooked meal.

Today we woke up to much cooler weather and we are so thankful! Come on fall!!! I love this time of year.

Later,

Diane

It is officially ours!

Finally! It only took over 2 hours to get all the paperwork signed. I tell you one thing though if you ever buy a house make sure you have a real estate attorney. We always have and it always goes without a hitch. This time the attorney was going to cost a lot more and we waffled a bit but went ahead and hired him. I am so glad we did! There was "posturing" as the attorney said. I called it being a horses butt, but in the end everything was signed and we are happy.

The front of the house already looks different. While I was at a stand still in the moving due to the carpet cleaners in the house we all attacked the three palm trees on the left of the front door. It looks so much nicer and you can actually see the house.

We had our first meal in the house. How nice! Can you tell which ones are paying attention to their diet and who aren't? Ray is still being VERY good, I am good, but with a coke, and Joseph is just eating what he wants most of the time with the occasional good meal.

Speaking of being good, Ray's blood work came back after 60 days of dieting and the doctor said all of his numbers had vast improvements except his sugar. She said to continue exactly like he has been doing and she will talk with him in a month. His sugar was never very high, it was just on the edge of high so she wants to keep an eye on it. I am so pleased about his cholesterol!!!!

I can't remember what he said his weight was.

Back to packing!

Diane

We are homeowners!

Finally! We got all the papers signed and everything is official, we are homeowners once again.

We spent the last 8 hours cleaning the house, too much fun!

Tomorrow we are able to start moving some of our things over although we have a plumber coming first thing and I need to get a carper cleaning service asap since the cream colored carpet needs help. We didn't really notice it as being so bad when there was furniture but without it it looks bad. Oh well, I guess that is to be expected.

12 more hours!

Can you say...stress? Excitement? Tired? Frustrated? Mad?

Stressed

Because you would think the mortgage company would be doing their best work to get this house in our name. You would think they would have all their i's dotted and their t's crossed since we are closing in the morning at 9am. But would you believe my husband has been on the phone ALL day with them just so they would get the papers faxed to our attorney, releases to the title company, an email to us with the amount the checks needed to be, before the bank closed at 4pm. Can you guess when we got the email? 3:20 pm!!!

Frustration

We had the final walk through at 4pm and the sellers agent called to say she would be late because she was spending time with her grand children. So being nice we said no problem what time would be better for you? 4:30, she would be there by 4:30. Now mind you she has known about the time of the walk through for a week, since she is the one who set the time to begin with!

UGH!

Tired

Well you know how it is when you have a lot going on in your life sleep tends to become a scarce friend. I have been going to bed at a decent hour, 10-11 pm but waking up around midnight or 1am and not able to go back to sleep. Oh well, maybe it will all be over this time tomorrow. I hope anyway.

Mad

While we were doing the walk through I noticed that things just didn't look very clean. I was paying a lot of attention to the walls and door facings because they had an estate sale over the weekend and we were afraid they might have damaged things moving the furniture. The walls and door facings looked fine, but the kitchen was dirty. I don't mean just not swept I mean sticky stuff in the drawer, the fridge just cleaned out of the food, but not cleaned. Sink not even scrubbed out. I opened the dishwasher and found he had left it loaded with dishes!

The sellers agent actually said this to me, "poor man, he tried, but you know it is harder on you when you have to sell and move at the same time" (insert sound of crickets) I looked at her and said, "Isn't that how most people do it?" "Isn't that what I am doing?"

So now I have to clean the house I am buying (which I expected to clean some, like bathrooms and sinks, etc ) and also the house I am leaving.

In every room there is stuff he left. The carpet in the master bedroom and formal living room is a light color and needs to be cleaned. He even left bars of used soap in two of the showers! So needless to say I have to scrub the house top to bottom.

UGH!

Oh well just as soon as I watch The Big Bang Theory I am going to bed and pray I sleep!

Tomorrow everything with look better I'm sure.

Later,

Diane

I almost forgot!

We have had such a busy day I almost forgot to do my countdown.

Four days until Tuesday!!!!

We went looking for some living room furniture today. I guess I must be strange but out of five furniture stores I found one sofa that I liked. Nothing else. No end tables, no lamps, no dining table, nothing! I must have strange taste. I could go to one of the furniture stores where you basically build it to suit you, but I really didn't want to spend that much.
I don't like a sofa that you have to have a crane to help you get out. I don't like deep seats so your feet can't touch the floor, either that or your legs stick straight out like Edith Ann. All of the fabric choices were so hot looking too. Not hot as in nice either, hot as in turn up the A/C. I couldn't sit on many of them to even try them as they looked like they would make you sweat and itch if you did. On top of that it was 97* today, UGH!
We came home and turn the A/C to freeze your butt off and took a nap. NICE!
It looks like my old sofa will show up at the house after all. Oh well, it could be worse...I could not have a sofa at all.

I have found a couple of quilt tops I thought I had already finished and gave away. Apparently not! LOL
I have so much to add to my To Do list.

Later,
Diane

Five days to closing...

yippee!

I was doing some blog surfing this morning (like most mornings) and saw on Judy's website she is doing a Quilt in an Hour. I will be in the middle of the move, but I will plan on doing that one!
Go check it out! You will love it...well at least I do. It looks like it would be a very versatile design.
I guess I will print it out and work on it as soon as my sewing room gets set up.

Speaking of sewing room...That is the first thing I plan on moving. I figure I will need to have something to help me relax during this. As a matter of fact...I have already thought I will pack my truck with a lot of my sewing room and have it ready to go as soon as we return from the realtor's office on Tuesday morning. SMART! LOL

Later,
Diane

PS. have any of you ever heard of the game Animal Crossing for the Wii? Well my youngest son played it on the Nintendo DS and when we bought the Wii he bought the game for that system. I am ADDICTED! It is the only game I can play and not die! Actually no one dies on this game so I am pretty safe. LOL
I plant flowers and fish and give money to the town for improvements...I know silly but it is fun.

it continues...

Six more days...

the house is COMPLETELY upside down.

If you have ever moved you know exactly what I mean. I have 3/4 of the middle bathroom packed but stopped because I wanted to test the electric blanket control things first...no need to pack them if they don't work. Plus I found I had the twin controller with the queen blanket when we were trying to put them on the beds this winter. I never found the queen controller.

I have the room scrubbed and clean except the floors which we will do the last day we are here.

I have about 3/4 of the master bathroom packed, but had to leave out essentials until next week. I scrubbed the shower all the way to the top (about 9 feet of tile). But of course can't clean it completely until the last day. Well I can, but why?

Since I couldn't do more with that room and my ADD kicked in I went to my sewing room. Can you say DREAD? I have been dreading this room more than any. I had the room perfect! I was able to lay my hands on anything I wanted almost with the lights out. Now it is complete chaos in there. I can't find all of the boxes I had my fabric in before we moved here. Everything fit perfectly. I am wondering if my stash has grown. Surely it couldn't have. I have been so careful. I have really REALLY controlled my buying.

Ok Karen and Linda you can get up off the floor...really you shouldn't laugh at me like that! It isn't funny!

On top of everything else I am dealing with (as if) Ray has lost quite a bit of weight. YIPPEE! I am so happy for him, but I think I found it. Seriously, I think I have gained! I was doing so well and could tell I was losing since my clothes were getting loose, but now they are back to pretty snug. And it is hot outside. Hot and fat does not mix when you have to move. I am ssssssssssssooooooooo hoping this is the last move for us. I HATE moving.

OK, that is enough whining... I am through

Back to work...man I'm such a slave driver!

Diane

Seven....

Seven more days!!!! (can you hear my excitement?)

Counting down

I'm in the counting down mode....eight days and we close on the house!

Later,

Diane

I woke up...

on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Literally! Not only was I way on the other side of the bed I woke up HOT and THIRSY and MAD!

I turned the A/C on high, I got a cold glass of OJ but can't seem to kick the anger.

I hope the day gets better or I may hurt one or both of the men in this house today.

GRRRRR!

Diane

Home...

We finally arrived home last night. I would have blogged more, but for some reason my computer decided it didn't want to send emails or let me blog. It showed everything was connected correctly, and it would let me receive email, but nothing else. I hate being not so smart about computers.

I worked on my "Welcome" applique while I was there.

I am making it similar to the pattern cover but think I may give it away. It looks too dark for the new house. I have never made quilts to match my house, but I am not sure this will go at all. We will see.

In two weeks we close on the house so I am in full pack up/clean up mode. We are working on this yard today to get all trimmed and weeded. The weeds are at a minimum (thank you mother in law!) but I have one tree and one huge hedge that has to be trimmed up. Things never stop growing here in central Florida.

Later,

Diane

I'm getting too old for this....

We left home at about 7am on Thursday headed to FIL's house in Malvern Arkansas, arrived about 1am. I am sore! I am exhausted! I am too old for this length of a drive in that truck! I feel like I have been beat! Hopefully the next time we head this way it will be in an airplane.

I brought some applique to work on so I hope to feel like working on it this afternoon. Right now we are headed out to eat lunch. No one cooks around here, and with Ray HAVING to eat carefully I am going to go to the store and buy stuff for a big pot of vegetable soup.

Later,
Diane

How did it get to be September already?

Man, what is going on? Didn't this year just start like 3 months ago?

I know I have been a bit busy looking for and buying a house, but what happened to the year? Do you realize it is just over 16 weeks until Christmas? Christmas was just here!
I have a feeling this Thanksgiving and Christmas will be like last year's. We had just moved in the first week of October last year and this year it will be the last week in September. If nothing I am consistent! LOL

I am so glad I went to the retreat because I am sure I won't get any sewing time until after the move. And everyone knows once you move it takes forever to get the sewing room set up since the other members of the family don't seem to understand it's importance. The husband seems to think the most important room is the kitchen and living room and the son will probably agree. Oh well, I can't help it they are ignorant. :^)

It's all good!
Diane

Rain...dead things...new dishes

I think we are about to float away. In the past 3 days we have had over 5" of rain. I'm not complaining but there was a river between my house and my neighbor's. There is more water standing than dry ground in my neighborhood. I hope it has helped in the drought situation. I know the rainy season is suppose to be drawing to a close so I am sure we will be missing this rain soon.

I have learned over the years I am not good with house plants. I ALWAYS kill them, usually by watering them too much. Once again I have killed plants. My mother in law tried to help me, but apparently she was too little too late, because they are DEAD. Man! Why didn't I get my dad's green thumb? He could throw a plant out in the yard bare roots and all, and in a few weeks they would be blooming and beautiful, honest. He has always been so successful with growing things, me, not so much.

Today we went to Kohl's and found my new dishes. I am so cheap I only looked at the clearance dishes. See the plate in the back of the picture? That is the dinner plate. Then I also chose the small bowl on the right as the dessert/soup bowl. I want to then add Fiesta in coordinating colors to fill out the place setting.

My new kitchen has white cabinets and a red back splash and a neutral counter top so this will be just the thing. I have had the same dishes since we married so it is time for some color!

Later tater,

Diane

Home sweet home...

I'mmmmm baaaccckkkkkk

It only took 2 frappuccinos and 2 VERY large cokes and needless to say many rest stops to get me home, but I made it.

By the time I made it home I was so wired from all the caffeine I couldn't stop talking, but Ray and Joseph seemed happy to see me so they listened.

The retreat was GREAT fun.

The class we took was working with striped fabric. It was kind of like kaleidoscope and stack and whack but without the precision needed. Perfect for a retreat!

wanna see more?

This looks like flowers but it was actually dear, how neat is that?

This was not made at the retreat, it was a mystery that I taught a couple of years ago and Lamoyn brought it to show me how it turned out. Looks great doesn't it?

More later....I need a nap!

Diane

Retreat...

Do you remember the line in To Kill A Mockingbird where the kids were just attacked in the woods and Boo rescued them and Scout says, "It's OK, you can pet him...if he was awake you couldn't..." If Joanne didn't love me I couldn't put this picture on my blog. Just anyone couldn't put this on their blog, but...she loves me.

I LOVE THIS GROUP!!!!!

I am having so much fun. So much that my head is POUNDING and my stomach aches and I am having a HUGE sugar rush. Ain't life good?

Later,

Diane

One more linus top

Actually this was typed and posted last evening, but for some reason Blogspot didn't get it posted and I had to go and repost this morning. I am headed to Alabama!!

I have another one made! WOO HOO! So far my goal for the year of making a Linus quilt for each month of the year is going well. Yes, yes I know I have made all eight of them in the last month, but it still averages out to one a month! Now when I get back from the retreat I will have to work quickly to get any more made before we move. I know I will have a hard time getting any made for a while after the move.

I have a question...how many quilts do you have to make before you notice a dent in your stash? I know not everyone has a stash as big as mine and many have stashes much larger than mine so that is a relative question. In the past month I have made 8 count them EIGHT Linus tops plus a couch quilt (fully finished) for my youngest so I have sewn a LOT but can I see any reduction in the stash? NOPE! Not even a reduction in the bright fabric which I own the least. I am amazed!

I was telling Judy L. from Patchwork Times that I think some funny business is going on in there! Honestly I wonder if my son or husband is playing tricks on me by putting fabric on my shelves after I leave the room.

HMMMMM.....

I am packing tonight so I can leave in the morning. I don't know if I am just tired from today or what but I am not so excited. I am sure I will be all excited again in the morning.

Today I spent most of the day in the doctor's office with Ray. Then we had to have an Xray, then go pick up the rental car, then arrange for lunches to be delivered for some meetings he is in charge of next week. Now I am home and need to cook dinner but am just too tired so I have been on here. Sounds like a solid reason to avoid work huh?

Ok, I MUST do something...pack or cook...cook or pack....maybe a bit of TV first.

Later,

Diane

A day to get out and about

Normally I don't go out much. I like to stay close to home. Usually I end up going to the grocery store on Friday's when Ray is off work and we run all errands on that day. That is just about it. I know, I know I am getting to be a real homebody in my old age, but I am happier than I have been in years. I find my life is peaceful and I am very content to stay here and take care of the house.
Today though, I needed to get out for a bit. I think it was because I have had the new house on my mind and wanted to look at new "stuff" for the new place. I need new living room furniture and a dining table and chairs. I have not had a new dining table and chairs since I married 28 years ago and then it was a little kitchen table and 4 chairs that cost less than $100. I definitely have got my moneys worth from it, but it is time to buy something new. My living room furniture has been with us for about 11 years. Eleven years of kids jumping, eating, wallering,(good southern word) and terrorizing the dog on.

So I left the house headed to the furniture store. I ended up at Lowes...
I looked at plants, ceiling fans, rugs and door knobs and drawer pulls. I bought a book on Florida gardening.

I left there and went to an antique shop that had a great secretary the last time I was there. I found a quilt from the 1930's. I left without it, but I plan on taking Ray with me in the morning to look at it because as I walked out the door I saw a sign that read "everything 20% off". I looked at the quilt the last time I was there and it looked like there was only one block that had the slightest bit of damage to the fabric. I think it would be well worth $80 to cover one of the beds.

As I drove past Wal-Mart I remembered that George Strait's new album Twang was released Tuesday and so I wheeled right in.

I stopped at the library and borrowed some cook books to help with our heart healthy cooking, and a couple of gardening/landscaping books. I LOVE the library.

Later,
Diane

Another finish!

I made the blocks last night and then got up today and put them together and the border. Really cute! I think some boy will really like this!

Diane

Once again,

Ray is out of town and what is my norm when he is gone? I don't sleep! What do I do when I can't sleep? I sew! This is what I made this time.
I like it.
I do believe I will need a nap today,

Diane

And now we wait...

We just heard back from the real estate agent, and the gentleman agreed to the contract. Only 24 hours after it expired! Goodness I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

So now we wait. We wait on the mortgage company to do all the stuff they do. We are already approved for the mortgage, but they have to do stuff that I don't know all the details and don't really want to know.

I will start packing up the rooms we don't use on a daily basis. One thing I learned from the last move was to have everything that belongs in a room packed together. It makes it SO much easier to unpack. Before we left Mobile I had a sewing house, meaning I had sewing stuff in EVERY room of the house. I worked hard to get everything organized before the move, but we all know you never get everything done. But I have continued the organizing thing the whole time we have been in this lease home. I pretty much have everything in the rooms they belong in and in their correct place so when we pack we can label them by where they go and what they are for. Since we are doing the moving ourselves I hope I can keep it that way.

You know how movers are, they just want to fill a box. I had stuff from the bathroom put in with kid's room stuff because they space. I hope to not do that this time.

Ray had to make a fast trip back to Mobile unexpectedly. Last night he came home and said his boss was going to Mobile, I asked if Ray was going with him and he said no. This morning I get a call saying throw me some stuff in a suitcase I have to go with my boss. UGH! Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but I had not been to the pharmacy to fill his new medications. We had been using the samples so if he had a reaction (Dr. said he could) we would not have spent tons of money on Crestor. So I rushed to the pharmacy, waited in line, waited in line, waited in line ...do you understand where I am coming from?

Finally I get the meds and head back to the house to find Ray REPACKING his suitcase I had so meticulously packed. UGH!

I fix his lunch since we all know there is no place you can eat fast that is heart healthy. I shove him out the door....AHHHHH!

Now I am in the sewing room and I refuse to come out until I am stress free!!! LOL

Maybe I can get another Linus top made. I hope so!

Later,

Diane