Two Weeks to Christmas

Life has been occupied with other things lately. My small quilting group Christmas party was two days ago, and any and all energy I had went to working on two projects that needed to be done for that. One was my secret sister project.
This was a bonus project actually. The "wonky trees" are a pattern from a project I did years ago. The trees were pretty big, so I reduced the pattern and made a few small ones. These are 6 " x 8 1/2". I had made 4 of them long ago and they were up on my design wall since then. At the top, where there weren't in the way. I could just enjoy them and they would remind me once in a while that they would like to be in a project! While thinking and searching for a pattern for my secret sister, I looked up and there they were! Thankfully I had the other trees all cut out and organized, saved rolled up in a paper towel and I even knew where they were - LOL! The layout also happened rather "organically"....Our projects were to be under 40" x 40". So I did a free form stack and slash star to finish it off. Came out really cute, I think! Of course I want one for myself now...
The best part of the holiday season has been watching Jillian and Ethan have such fun. At 8 and 5, they are the perfect ages. For the last three years I have gotten them a small live tree for the family room, and they get to decorate it. This year it was just precious. They had such fun. My favorite moment was when Ethan picked up a bell and said "hey look! a bell! but it has lost it's ring a ding ding"......

We have an advent box that is wooden and has a door for each day. Their eyes are bright and merry as they run in the front door and race to the advent box to see what Santa's elf may have left them. Often it is a piece of chocolate or taffy, but sometimes there is a note from the elf directing them to somewhere else in the house. One day they found two adorable stuffed puppies in the dryer. Always important for the elf to remember to get something in the box!!

Next weekend is our family gathering at my brothers house. Krista has Friday off also, so we will be baking and candy making on that day. I have done NO Christmas shopping yet, and for some reason I am not at all panicked about it - LOL! My siblings and I do a stocking stuffer exchange and I have been collecting small things for that all year. Jillian, Ethan and Carter are certainly easy to shop for. Kyle, Genie, Jeff, Krista, Todd have been advised that they are getting their annual Christmas box, and that is it. This is an oversized plastic crate that I fill with "stuff". From razor blades (at $30 a package - YIKES!) to TP to jam to motrin....It's pretty fun to do, and they appreciate and use everything in there. They might find a gift card if they are good boys and girls.

Now to head outside and do my last bit of outside lighting. Then hopefully we can get the big tree wrestled into the stand and I can have Jillian and Ethan help me decorate it this evening when they come over for a couple of hours.

Hope you are all well, and warm.

One more ready to go!

Yep, quilt #4 in the last two weeks, that is now all bundled with it's batting and backing. I will see Carol at our small group meeting this Thursday, so I'll pass it off to her then. She is off for a bit of a vacation after our meeting, so I know I won't be seeing any of these quilts back for a couple weeks, which is just fine! I still have 3 or 4 that are needing binding.
This quilt is for Kyle. Used lots of tone on tones, no flowers. Now he and Genie will each have a snuggle quilt! Genie's was a lovely scrappy red and white quilt I made two years ago.
Carter's "official" quilt has been located and I'll work on that one after I finish up some obligatory sewing that needs to be done.
That is the end of my roll of warm and natural!! Now I need to watch for it to be on sale again, or come up with a good coupon to pick up another roll. I don't usually buy a WHOLE roll, just one that looks like it is at least half full on the tube. I'll also need to order some more of my neutral flannel 90" wide backing from Fabric Depot in the next week or two, so I can continue to move through my huge collection of finished tops!!
Hope all is right in your world.

Twenty Five Years Ago

Twenty five years ago today, my life forever changed. The early morning drive to Tacoma General, telling myself that if I left that place later that day with good news I would celebrate with what was then a NEW thing - a vanity plate for my car. I would order it up to say B-9.
Alas....I never did get to order that particular license plate.
When I arrived, I was directed to put my clothes in the provided plastic bag and climb into the bed to await someone to come and start an IV for me. Task completed, next in was the anesthesiologist. She assured me that her part of the job was purely routine and that I would wake up just fine from the anesthesia. Next in came the physicians assistant. I remember his name was Manny, and he was really short, and really cute! He was very calming and reassuring as he patted my arm and told me not to worry. He should have been patting Lynn's arm as he sat nearby looking like he'd eaten some very bad mexican food the night before....
Soon the OR staff came to roll me out of this room and into the OR hallway. It was really kind of interesting. They placed me at the end of a line of gurneys against a wall, feet to head with 3 other people also dressed in the same hospital gown, with their IV's hanging and the same look of fear and dread in their eyes. Then it was like a bell rang and the person in the front of the line was taken around the corner and through the automatic double doors, which then closed behind her. The rest of us were then moved up one position in our line. Was I at Disneyland waiting for a ride???? Soon it was me at the front of the line waiting for the doors to open. Anticipation, and interest filled me at this point. DING and around the corner, through the doors I went. And sure enough, just like at Disney, I found myself again at the end of the line of beds waiting their turn.....At least I had something different to look at in here. Oh COOL! A big white board just filled with information. OR room numbers, DR's name, Patient Name, Procedure to be done. A plethora of great information to distract me! Until someone came by and took my glasses!!!! How RUDE!!! DING....around another corner I went. Now there was only one person ahead of me....and on my right side, there was a big glass wall, with people on the other side! Looked like nurses and lots of medical "stuff".....I wasn't a nurse at the time, not that I would have been able to tell what any of it was without my glasses.....but in the center of this glass partition was a speaker like object. Made me think of a fast food restaurant, when you would go up to the window and order. So....me, being me.....leaned up to the portal and said "EXCUSE ME!!!" Several heads turned my way in surprise and I said "Could I get a strawberry shake and small order of fries........to go??" Laughter erupted on their side as well as with the people ahead and behind me on my side. A moment of levity for us all.
My next stop on my way to the OR had me in front of a display showing different medical instruments and how much they cost, so staff needed to be careful in the OR not to lose them, or drop them. Yeah....that was reassuring.....
Into the chilly, sterile OR I went. Moved off of my now comfortable, warmed gurney onto the cold, narrow operating table. People scurrying about preparing for my surgery, everyone covered head to toe, and masks on their faces. How nice it would have been to have seen a smile somewhere. The anesthesia doc came in, followed by the surgeon and Manny the PA. A few words of reassurance and off to sleep I drifted.
When I woke up I immediately knew that the news I was going to receive was going to be bad. The reason I knew is that I wasn't in a "recovery room", but in a private room. Lynn was sitting on the window ledge, looking like the bad food had now left his body every way possible and all that was left was a pale, sweating shell. I asked him if he had heard from the doctor yet and he lied to me and said "no"..... a few minutes later the surgeon and PA Manny came in looking very sheepish and reserved. 'Yes', they said, 'you have breast cancer.' At the unbelievable age of 32 years old, with three little boys at home under the age of 8, I was given what I was afraid was a death sentence.
What happened next, I'll cover over the next few days, weeks and months.....keeping in sort of real time to how it happened. I will also back up in time and tell the horrendous story of what I believe to have been medical malpractice, and how I had to fight to get to the OR in the first place.
Get a Mammogram. Follow up on any suspicions you may have. Ultimately it is up to YOU to get the medical care you need.

And Another One!!

I'm on a roll!!! Here is another quilt top now with batting and backing and ready to take tomorrow to Carol. I loved how the border print working on this project. It was a pattern that was a stack and slash procedure, so while it looks like a lot of piecing it really was just nine patches that were cut up and resewn! Easy Peasy. I have a green on in progress. I have a great technique for doing the mitered corners.
Let's see what else I can put together in there. I am really going to have to keep an eye out for batting on sale at JoAnn's again, or fine a coupon! This roll is almost out!

Next Quilt

This is my next quilt ready now to head to Carol the quilter. I'll probably drop it off tomorrow if she is home. This was a row quilt that my small group all worked on together. I think 5 or 6 of the 12 of us actually got it finished. A few already have theirs quilted. I should mention that we worked on this project about.....oh....5 years ago!! Each month we worked on a different row. I took some design liberties, naturally, tweaking and changing a few things. Size wise, it would lay perfectly on top of the Queen bed with no hangover. I've used that "meandering geese" technique on other projects. What really attracted me to this pattern was the village row. It was fun to do, and choose fabrics for the buildings.
I have a bib order to work on, and I use the warm and natural for the center layer and didn't have any scraps hanging around. So I thought I would sandwich a couple of quilts so that I could have some leftovers to work with. This quilt happened to fit perfectly on this piece, so now I'll have to roll out some more batting, choose another quilt top and see if I come up with any extra!!

A Quilt on The Way!

Okay, I chose the next quilt to go to Carol the long armed quilter!! This is my 1" postage stamp quilt. I am showing it laying on the batting, so I hope you can see that the quilt ends with colored squares. Part of me would like to make this quilt larger, but it is amazing the weight already with all that thread! These are all floral squares. It will be a good lap quilt, or wall quilt sized for spring since it is so pink! Loved using up all those 1 1/2" strips I had been saving.
Now that I have my backing and batting out, I might just package up a few more. For those of you who don't know, I always use a plain neutral flannel on my quilt backs. I buy the wide, so my backs are one piece. And most important, require no further sewing to create it!! I do sew some of the remnants together to make another back, but that's it.
Rain, wind, dark skies today. Ethan and I have spent a lot of the day just cuddling, and he is taking a siesta now, so I need to get him up so we can go and meet Jillian's bus.

A Few Random Thoughts

Just to get them out there.....
The story about the big baby being denied medical care because he was obese......a bunch of crap!! Mostly because the chart they are referring too, has nothing to do with obesity. It basically graphs where the baby is at that time in comparison to other babies the same age. 99% just means that this baby is heavier than 99% of babies this age! The importance of graphing height, weight and head circumference is to see that the baby is growing appropriately. All three of my boys were in the 90+% during their growing years. Imagine if they denied insurance because they were too long!! Can't really call it tall, since they aren't yet standing - LOL!
The health insurance industry is only interested in keeping their shareholders and high paid administrators happy. And they will continue to cut services and raise costs to patients until that is forced to change.
I had an insurance fiasco, ended up in collections for a $66.00 bill to a hospital for a mammogram. My insurance covered in full routine annual mammograms. However since I had been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer 10 years before that, the routine annual screen got coded as a "diagnostic" screen instead of "routine" and the insurance doesn't cover that. Imagine.....if you NEED a mammogram because you are a survivor, they don't want to pay for it. It happened again when my husband went in for a routine colonoscopy. Our insurance covers it at age 50. However, during the screening some polyps were found and removed so the coding went in as a diagnostic colonoscopy, no longer "routine" since polyps were found. They were benign, thankfully, but COME ON! So if you have the test and they don't FIND anything then okay, they will pay for the test. But if something is FOUND, forget it.....Can you imagine????? I battled and won that one, thankfully. Yes I am 100% behind health care insurance reform and I believe the public option is the right way to go. I wish there was a public option for auto insurance.
I think Glenn Beck is nuts. He is a showman. But a dangerous one. I get why my conservative female friends like him. He is like a pillsbury dough boy, that wears his emotions (when convenient) on his sleeve. But he is nuts. He is dangerous. He is the worst of snake oil salesmen of our generation. He and Rush Limbaugh are 90% responsible for the incredible divide in our country. They will not be satisfied until President Obama is out of office, and it is filled again with a puppet of the extreme right wing of the Republican party.
Okay, I feel better now - LOL!!

Where do their mates go?????

I've been going through my kitchen cabinets, cleaning clearing and reorganizing. I pulled all my plasticware out of that cupboard and all the lids that live in a drawer out, and matched them up.
Now, you'd think there would be missing lids, right? NO! The photo is the array of leftover lids!
I have Krista checking her collection to see if she can match any of these up.
Life has been pretty good here at home. I'm still meeting with my therapist now every other week, and she has been a great listening ear. I think I'm on the "brink" of making a career decision, still doing a bit of research online, and soul wise with a goal of November 1st to decide.
I've done a bit of sewing. It's a little more cleared out in there. So hopefully I'll be making some progress on getting some more things done! I truly have about 10 tops all ready to go to Carol, awaiting the cutting of batting and backing. And budget!! LOL! I'll admit to a new online game obsession, via Facebook. I've been farming there since June and have pretty much run through those games, but now I am into Cafe World....loving it!!!
And love, love, love my DVR. So nice to record those shows I don't want to miss, and then watch them when I want, zipping through commercials!! Plus I have some GREAT old movies recorded that can be watched on a quiet rainy day.....
Back to the kitchen, one more cupboard to do today.

Jeff's Birthday

October 10, 1978......Jeff's birthday. He was due on the 4th, so like his older brother he decided to prolong the pregnancy as long as he could. He was my smallest birth weight baby at 8 pounds 15 ounces and a pretty easy delivery. His head came out, his shoulders came out his arms came out and before the rest of him delivered he had his pointer finger in his mouth. This was before the days of routine ultrasounds, so I'm sure he was sucking that finger long before he was born.
I think this is the only photo I have of him as a toddler sucking that finger, which probably makes him happy, I don't have more!
He was such a contented baby. Amazing blue eyes which he inherited from his paternal grandfather. Of my three boys, when they were little, Jeff was always the "sweet" boy, and the one my friends wanted to take home with them.
He worked really hard in school and was devastated when we moved just before his sophomore year. He did that year at the "new" school and then convinced us he would be happier at the school the rest of his junior high friends had gone to, so we let him transfer. He admitted years later that it was probably not his best decision.
He decided a year after high school that he wanted to be an Army Ranger. Not just in the Army, but a Ranger. This is a photo of the day he left for boot camp in Georgia.

My family was not a big military family so this was really, really hard for me. Lynn and I did go to his graduation, and he did indeed make it into the Rangers and was assigned to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, so that was nice.
He got out of the Army 2 years later and I was so glad. Two months later he let me know that I was going to be a Geema....shock and awe....
He is a great Dad to two beautiful children. He has a heart of gold. And still the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
Happy Birthday Jeffrey Poodles, You're So Cutells', How's Your Noodles......

Jeffu

Life Lessons

Dear Geema, (that's me...)
I love you more then flowers
I love you more than drawing
I love you more than reading
What would I do without you?
But best of all your here for
me, I love you!!!!!

This was my note from Jillian today. She will be 8 in November. Totally unprompted. She asked brother Ethan what he wanted to write and his side (in her hand) says I love you Geema!!!

For the days I wonder what am I doing.....why am I the one taking care of these kiddos instead of a daycare.....I could be doing so many other other things with my time....
I will take this love note out and read it again, and again and again and know that I matter because "your here"....

Fall, It Is....

I don't remember ever having such an abrupt change of season around here! A few days ago, I was so chilled during the day I had to turn the furnace on for half an hour. Each fall I challenge myself to see how long I can wait to actually turn it on, well, I didn't even make it to October! This morning when I got up, it was 61 degrees in here, so on the furnace went!!
The photo I have featured today is one I took last fall while spending some time at Lake Cavanaugh during a quilting retreat with some wonderful friends. My favorite place to runaway to, with some favorite friends.
My crock pot is coming out today. I'm going to make tapioca in there! Just a recipe I found in one of my Fix It and Forget It cookbooks. You then transform it into a fruit salad, that I think the kids will really like with their dinner. I'm also going to roast some red peppers today and marinate them to make myself a red pepper, goat cheese, basil sandwich for dinner. Lynn has a dinner meeting so this is a perfect meal for me!! Plus I am going to use the last several peaches and make a peach crisp for dessert. Again....ah.....fall......
Down side, after the rain yesterday here came a pesky mole in the yard - grrrr....living in a farming community.....I have great soil for planting, but enticing soil for moles. I'll hope that Rocco the kitty might catch him! No hope for Dutch the King Cat!! He likes the fall too, finds his way up on top of a cabinet in the sewing room where I have quilts stacked. See the orange ball?
That is Dutch kitty. That is about 6 feet off the ground. In front of that stack of drawers is a small table that has some quilts that need binding, so it makes it easy for him to find his way up there. Yesterday I wondered where he was most of the day and finally spotted him in here...
Jillian has early release today, so we will be picking her up in an hour, so I best get that tapioca started.

Happy Birthday Dear Genie!!!
It has taken me almost an hour to figure out how to scan and upload this wonderful photo of Genie with Kyle. This was taken a few years ago, but if one of my favorites of them both.
Kyle went to school with Genie's older sister, even to college together. Genie was the "little sister" who grew up to be quite the beauty! They started dating while Kyle was in college and had an on/off relationship for several years. When they finally figured out that they were MFEO (reference Sleepless in Seattle!) they had a beautiful summer wedding and a year and a half later presented me with the adorable Carter, grandson number 3!!! Genie is the Auntie to 9 nephews so a boy was no surprise to any of us! Everyone is hoping the next baby will be a girl (HOPEFULLY next year), but if that happens I know I'll never get my hands on her!
It is really cool to me that Genie kind of "followed" my path, went to Highline College and got her nursing degree and then got hired at Tacoma General as an RN in the NICU. My job was in L&D, but close enough!!! Now she is working as a charge nurse. I am so very, very proud of her. She takes such wonderful care of Kyle and Carter. Caring, beautiful and smart, what more could you ask for!!!
Sorry I couldn't get the photo to fill the space, but you can click on it and get a close up of them.

Falling Forward!

These are those fall days of "layering"...the mornings are cool and the day just keeps getting warmer and warmer. This quilt was gifted to me as a thank you for serving as guild president. Isn't it gorgeous????
I spent a bit of time out cleaning out the veggie garden. And it really is showing me how out of shape and what diminished energy I have. So I'll do a bit more each day and not get frustrated with what I DON'T have.
Ethan will be here in about half an hour and we will pick Jillian up at school at 3:10 and then come home and bake cookies! I'm going to get out my new Kitchen Aid and make a big batch of what some used to call "Mrs. Fields" cookies. Or Neiman Marcus cookies, or ranger cookies. They have everything in them, oatmeal, chocolate chips, nuts and I add some coconut. They freeze great and are oh so yummy! I haven't make them for decades it seems, they can be tough to deal with using a hand mixer.
I do keep wandering in and out of my sewing room. I have a row quilt round robin up on my wall. I am so behind on this swap, but I'm determined to get this one done by the weekend.
Speaking of the weekend, it was awesome to hear that some TV station has picked up the UW/Stanford game Saturday night, so we will get to watch the game after all! Still feeling the glow of the win last Saturday over USC. Then I saw a great piece on the USC coach on 60 Minutes the next day and discovered what a great human being the man is. But I'm still glad we beat them!!!
Tomorrow is sweet Genie's birthday, so I'll be writing about her and what a blessing she has been to our family.
Back out to pull out more spearmint that has gone wild!!

Fall Surprise

I'm so happy that the yucky pneumonia, bronchitis and sinus infection I was plagued with seem to have finally passed! Just under 3 weeks of that junk is more than enough for anyone. Hoping now to get back to my normal energy level and start getting into the Fall swing, my favorite season!
I started taking down my spring/summer quilts and get into my stacks of other quilts to find the fall ones I like to put up and I came across something, folded nicely and when I unfolded it, this is what I found.
This was a sweet wall hanging that I designed and created about 5 years ago. I do remember last year getting it together with batting and backing and then it got folded up for later quilting. So guess what I'll be doing this week? Yep, some machine quilting and get this up for display.
I think I have more fall/halloween quilts than any other!
Now that I am feeling so much better, more posts will be coming.
Thanks for following along.

Magic Shoes....

The fact of the matter is, almost any shoes will work! I have discovered that if I PUT ON MY SHOES, I get so much more done! On the slow, lazy mornings that I stay in my cozy slippers, the morning becomes the afternoon and slides into the evening and I haven't gotten much done at all. The good part of that, is I don't leave the house which always seems to involve spending money!
But on those days that I know I have things I really need to tend to, putting on my shoes seems to be the final message to my brain that work will now be done. Which is what I need to do now. Put on my shoes and get into my sewing room and get some things done that have been waiting! Will post a photo later today to show my progress.

Labor Day, Looking Back

That photo was taken in about 1967. That's me in the green dress (age 15) and my parents standing behind me. My grandparents on the right side, and my siblings, and cousins, and aunts/uncles from my Dad's side of the family. He is the oldest of 4 boys, and my Grandfather (who I mentioned in a previous post) was a well known, well loved family doctor in West Seattle. Their house was on the beach in West Seattle on the south side of the Coleman ferry dock, so the opposite side of Lincoln Park (for those of you who know the area). For as long back as I can remember every labor day (as well as Memorial day and most 4th of July's) we would spend "at the beach". I remember LOVING to go there as a kid, dreading it as a young teen, tolerating it as an older teen and finally appreciating it as an adult. It is a very cool spot, you have to traverse down a beautifully landscaped hillside to get down to the house and the beach. There was an "easy" path down and a "hard" path down. As kids we were not allowed to go on the hard path until we were at least 10!!! My grandpa and the "boys" put those steps in down that hill and my grandma did the landscaping. My first experience of picking huckleberries was on that hill. The beach was so awesome. A beach where there were logs and "walking the logs" all the way around the point is a wonderful memory. Also rowing, rowing, rowing the boat out on the sound. Watching the ferries come and go. Having hot dogs, hamburgers EVERY time. Actually we did the bury the salmon in the ground thing a few times . Digging in the sand. Throwing, skipping rocks. After having grown up on those holidays at that house, my boys too spent their first 10-12 years going to "the beach" for Memorial Day and Labor Day. My Grandparents ended up building a house up on top of the hill, and living their elder years up there. The photo was taken on that patio. My Uncle Dan and Aunt Mary and their 5 kids moved into the house on the beach. Aunt Mary still lives there, Uncle Dan died several years ago. It is sad that the extended family has fallen away from those traditions. My kids and grandkids now have nothing they traditionally do for these summer holidays. I'm thinking I need to do something to change that next year.
Hope you all had a peaceful weekend.

Another Sign.....

I've been really struggling with a few issues around here lately, as some of you know. Part of it is "what do I want to do" with myself. Ethan will be in kindergarten next year so my role as day care Geema will be drastically reduced, which frees me up to do other things.
Before moving to Lynden, I had a dream job. Working with, helping, supporting, loving birthing women and their families. When I moved with my husband to this area, my only option to continue working with these people was at the only hospital in town. I did NOT want to work night shift again, which is where new employees usually have to begin, and my husband assured me I didn't need to work at all, if I didn't want to. After 5 months not working, and finding my normal social self spending more and more time at home alone, I applied at the hospital for a "per dium" position in the birth center. So I work anywhere from 4 to 24 hours a month. The first few weeks I worked, I would cry on the way home. I hated the way women were treated, how their birthing experience had NOTHING to do with THEM and everything to do with hospital policy and procedure. I seemed to be alone in my belief that birth is a normal function, not a disaster waiting to happen. But I persevered because I felt I was making a difference for some women when I was there working with them. My frustration has grown over the past 9 years, I see the hospital preparing itself for an expected over 50% surgical delivery rate in the next 5 years, with the chance of women having a baby spontaneously diminishing rapidly. It's harder and harder to go to work, knowing I am expected to monitor machines, push drugs on women who may not want them, manage labor and birth to the doctors schedule instead of the womans body. I've been there 9 years, and there are maybe 3 co workers that I would consider "friendly" with me. This is probably mostly my fault, being there so infrequently. But I'm not there for them, or the physicians, but the birthing families. And every once in a while.....
Last night I had to take Jillian into the after hours pediatric clinic as she was expressing complaints that made me think she may have a brewing bladder infection. She had been running a fever now for two days. So I called and they said, sure bring her on in.
When we got there, the receptionist was very nice in telling me that since I was not a "parent" of this child she needed to call and get verbal permission from a parent to be able to treat her. She did that and then escorted us to the bathroom so Jillian could leave a urine sample (a 7 1/2 year old, with geema holding the cup - LOL). As she asked Jillian her first and last name to write on the cup, she suddenly looked up and exclaimed "YOU are Sharon Templeton!!" I said, yes.......and she gave me a huge hug and told me she has thought me of constantly since I helped her birth her child TWO YEARS ago!!! She went on telling me how I had made such a difference from her previous birthing experiences. That I was so supportive, educational and that I hadn't "abandoned" her as past nurses had when she was laboring. She said she has told everyone of her friends having a baby that they should hope that they could have me be their labor nurse.
It was an amazing feeling. I was so happy that her memory of that birth was so very positive.
The photo I chose for this post says so much to me. I took it after missing a turn on that roundabout and only because I missed my turn did I spot that rainbow. My camera just happened to be right on the seat next to me, so I had to pull over and snap a photo. It says to me, that even on a rainy, wet day, when I may be going "round and round and round" that if I take a good look around me, at what I might be missing, there is true beauty. No matter what happens to me, that woman will have a beautiful memory of the birth of her baby. And I helped her create it. What could be better than that?

Ahhhhhh......

Did I mention here yet how much I LOVE my new coffee maker? Unless I have company over, I am the only one here that drinks coffee. I've tried a few different coffee makers, one of which would grind the beans just before the coffee was made, but since it was set on a timer in the morning, I found that the sound of the grinder was waking me at least 15-20 minutes before I wanted to be awake - LOL!
This is the Keurig and it makes my coffee just one beautiful cup at a time. I pour my cream in as it is dripping, so it is well blended. So simple, so fast and so yummy! Usually I only want one cuppa coffee in the morning, so again, perfect. And in the evening I do a cuppa tea. The K Cups that you use have different teas, several grades of coffee and even hot chocolate. Yes, they are more expensive, but if I think of all the coffee I threw away because I made too much, it balances out for me. I have found the K cups most readily available at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Fred Meyer has a place on their shelf for them, but it was empty when I was last there. The shelf, not Fred Meyer....
I spent some time cruising through the Etsy site last night. There were several quilt tops listed there for sale. I wish there was some way to find out how often these actually SELL. But I'll give it a go, and even list some of my baby bibs on there. They do charge a very small fee for items to be listed for four months. A little more investigation is warranted.
I soaked some chicken in the brine last night and today will cook it along with some mac and cheese to take to the kids house for dinner. It was Jillian's first day of second grade! I'm going to meet her bus at home and spend a few hours over there, since Jeff has football practice. And I'm going to take my sewing machine and the Barbie princess fabric over and make the curtains for her bedroom that I promised her long ago......so I'm expecting a GOOD day!

Living Alone, Together

This is what my life at home has become. After 35 years of marriage, my husband is no longer interested in being a "couple". That is hard to say. But true. He does not want a divorce, or to be divorced, he just would like it if we could figure out how to maintain two households. How sad is that? I think it is a major male midlife crisis. He is in a pretty high stress (mostly self induced) job. People he works with have noticed his depressions too, but he doesn't think he has a problem. No, there are no drugs or alcohol involved, maybe there should be!
I am going to see a therapist starting on Thursday to help me figure out what I want. Ethan starts kindergarten in another year, which will free my time up considerably. I'm actually doing a bit of research on travel nursing. But again it would be a year away.
In the meantime, I have also decided that I am going to search out the Etsy site to see about selling some of my quilt tops. Since I do my quilting "by check" I can't see investing anymore money into them, if I could possibly sell them as tops. I'll also list some of my quilting books on Amazon, and see about another fabric sale sometime this fall. I'm not quitting sewing, or quilting, just paring things down a bit.
I promise my blog won't be morose and blue and pitiful, at least not everyday - LOL! I've been through two battles with cancer, birthed and raised 3 boys, went back to school when my kids were little to get my nursing degree. I know I am a strong and capable and loving woman who will find her way through this storm. I have wonderful friends and great kids. And a keyboard with a send button........

What is it, really?

So I found my digital camera. I do have some topics in mind to post about, but I'm in a quandary of really how to use this tool of the blog. Must each blog be topic related? I'm thinking, not. In our daily lives we address many different crisis', joys, frustrations, questions. So rather than choose an "area" of my life to blog about, I'll just blog, because I think it makes me feel better. Not sure than anyone out there cares, but I do. So it may be about quilting, cooking, kids, grandkids, home life. I'll attempt to make it clear in the Title for anyone who might be following along. When I first started this blog I titled it "Looking Back, Moving Forward" and I think that really still fits for me. So it may be a bit about the past, a bit about the future, and whatever is happening in between.
Buckle your seat belts, we may be in for a bumpy ride.......

The End of August

Goodness, where has the summer gone! Jillian and I had her special "Back to School" shopping day for some clothes. And then dinner. We ate at the Mall food court, then she went home with Krista and I went to the movies and saw Julie & Julia. I thought it was wonderful! Inspiring, motivating, some great laugh out loud moments! Made me want to come home and get my blog back up and regular.
I have had lots of topics run through my mind, but they haven't seemed to make it to the keyboard. That darned Facebook doesn't help! And I can't seem to locate my digital camera. Kids are here early tomorrow, and here ALL day so I'll really dig in and do some searching.
And get back to blogging.

I Know, I Know

It's been way too long since my last post. I admit it freely and openly I do have some OCD tendencies. Right now it is a time consuming game on Facebook called Farm Town. Any of you who know about this game, know what I am talking about. It has consumed every available computer time moment I have had for the last three weeks. Sigh....but I love working on my farm. Enuf said about that, unless any of you would like to play along - LOL!
I've run a few blog ideas in my head over the last 3 weeks as well. One of them was about my very first "real" job. I was just 16 and got hired at a buffet restaurant called The Jolly Troll in Burien Washington (before it was a city it was still Burien). My job was to work the salad bar. So make the jello salads look pretty (imagine what you can do with unlimited cans of whipped cream) and keep the salad area clean and filled. Was fine and I did a pretty good job and for some silly reason they decided I should learn how to be the cashier at the end of the food line. That didn't turn out so good, I was so busy being ultra careful and pleasant that the line was backing up too far. So back to the salad bar I went - LOL! One of my few vivid memories of working there was quite sad....
My Grandfather (my Dad's Dad) had kidded me that he and Grandma were going to come for dinner at this silly restaurant one night. This particular night I could have sworn I kept seeing them in the food line, but when I looked again, it wasn't them. Happened a few times and was kind of freaky. Enough that I called home on my break to tell my Mom about it and before I could get the words out, she told me that Grandpa had died, massive heart attack......I'll never forget it....he did come to see me, just as he said he would......

Remember when.....

As I was dashing from the grocery store on Sunday I noticed a lovely little family heading in. I'm assuming it was Mom, Dad and two little boys. And the Mom was expecting a third. Just enough to go ahead and wear that maternity top. It kind of stopped me in my tracks. Here is was, Father's Day and I had gone to the store to pick up a few things for the dinner I was preparing for my husband and two of my three boys, with two of my three grandkids. And suddenly I remembered EXACTLY how I felt when I was expecting my third. I don't know about any of you, but my pregnancies were very simple, easy. Conceiving AND carrying. The birthing part became enough a part of me that I went on to become a labor and delivery nurse. My third pregnancy was with Todd, my Reno baby. He knows this story so I don't worry about sharing it with you all. We had two little boys under 3 at home and my Mother consented to watch them so that Lynn and I could get away with a couple friends for a weekend in Reno. My Mom didn't offer to do this very often, so we jumped at the chance. It was our first time away from both boys, AND our first time to Reno. I have since gone many, many, many times with my sisters, but Lynn ONLY goes if he has to, like for a conference. Anyway.....we had a wonderful time! And you know....in Reno, night is day and day is night and did I take my birth control pill? I don't remember, but whatever, we are having a grand time. Then when we packed to come home, our instructions were to leave our luggage in our room and the travel agency (Doug Fox, are they still around??) would pick them up and get them to the plane. Well.....NOT! They didn't pick it up in time so my luggage didn't find me for another two days, and yes my package of pills was in my luggage. Nine months later (well actually 9 1/2 months, but that's another story) here came Todd. So he will always be my Reno baby. He is also the baby who provided my freezer, but that's another story too!
I really loved being pregnant. The hope, the dreams, the goals, the future. Sigh.........

FINALLY!

After many years, and many attempts I have mastered - grilled baby back ribs!!! LOL! Since I have tried many methods and never had this success I thought I'd share. Here is what I did. I used baby back ribs from Costco.
Small amount olive oil smeared over both sides
Liberally season with salt, pepper, garlic
Place as ONE LAYER in pan
Slice one large onion and spread over top
COVER with foil
Into HOT oven - 425 and bake for 45 minutes
Turn oven off and leave them in the oven for another hour
Heat your grill and place the ribs on using indirect heat
Brush on your favorite sauce and grill about 30 minutes

I'm telling you these were fall off the bone tender and just delicious.
I tried really hard to get a photo of some ribs to add here, but I have yet to figure out that feature of using web images. Anyone have a clue about this???

A Sunny , Fun Monday

Today was Jillian's first day of summer day camp, so Ethan and I got to have another long day together. One of our most fun things was to water the pots and then check the veggie garden. While there I peered into the weedy strawberry patch and was surprised to find TONS of lovely red ripe strawberries hiding in there!
So we did some weeding and some picking and then some yummy snacking!!
We'll do some more each day this week, so that will be fun. The sunny weather is really helping my lettuce and tomatoes and it looks like a banner year for zucchini, but then, when isn't it??
Anyone paying any attention to the Letterman/Palin "drama"? I wish that she would just go away. Go home, take care of your family, your constituents Sarah. He made a bad joke, he apologized and she is running with it, because it keeps the camera on her. Her poor kids.
I admit to being a Bachelorette follower. It feels like she is a neighbor since she lives just across the border from me, and I am only 4 miles from the Canadian border. Right now I'm rooting for Ed, Kiptyn (what kind of name is that?) and Reid, the guy who looks like Chandler Bing. And Ed looks like Denny Ducaine!!! I never thought I would be a reality TV fan, but I am! Lynn and I watch Survivor together. I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance, Amazing Race and right now Next Food Network Star. Again, happy happy happy with my DVR. I would give up many other conveniences around here before I would give that up!

What's on my design wall Monday June 15th

This was an easy and fun project. I had taken a big stack of 10" squares that I had cut from a bunch of different fabrics to my last retreat. While there I pulled them out and decided to make these cool, rather old fashioned blocks. This is my latest passion with quilting, working with old block styles but with new vibrant types of fabric. I'm auditioning the black along the top for a stopper border. Not sure what might happen after that! It's not terribly big, I find myself more likely to make what I call "lap" quilts rather than bed quilts. For one thing they are more affordable to have quilted! And I think this size is nice to use as gifts for special friends. It doesn't presume to live on someones bed, but can be used by everyone and anyone while watching TV, reading and actually a great size to have in the car during the colder months of the year. I don't know about the rest of you, but like many other things with my husband, we like to be in the car with totally different environments. He likes the window open, I like the air conditioning. If I am hot, he is cold. So by carrying a small quilt in the car, it makes it nicer for the one who is cold!! It has been nice since I got him an XM radio as we can always find something compatible to listen to....and when he wants no music, I pop my iPod on and use my headset! Compromise.....

Two weeks of USE IT UP!

Those of us in the quilting world know all about UFO's. Well I have another kind. Unknown frozen objects. It seems I fill my freezers (yes, two. I have one in the garage as well) with freezer bags and bowls. Now I declare a two week USE IT UP process. So the only groceries I am allowed to purchase are fresh dairy and maybe produce. Or a staple item, like this morning we used the last of the maple syrup on the french toast I made with the last of a loaf of french bread we had with dinner a few nights ago. so I will get another bottle, if I find one on sale. It is a nice challenge. For dinner I am using a pound of hamburger which was the first thing my hand grabbed in the freezer last night. Going to make the infamous tater tot casserole! And some cooked carrots, probably with some dill. And have the last of the cottage cheese and some fruit. With a rhubarb crisp for dessert. I have about two more pickings of rhubarb out there. I think I will be harvesting some lettuce next week so that is cool! This rhubarb is very special because it was sent to me by a dear friend. She posted online one day that she was being overwhelmed with rhubard and did anyone want some. I raised my hand and a few days later here came a box in the mail with two rhubarb plants! Love it!
The house next door to me has been vacant and for sale for over two years. The couple who owned it became quite elderly and had some developing health issues which required them to move into assisted living. They had a lovely rhubarb patch in the back yard that they would always share with the neighborhood. Last year I went over and helped myself to some, since no one was harvesting it. A few weeks later the son in law (who really is an SOB) came and dug up the whole clump and dumped it!!! Luckily he missed a root, so I moved it over so it could join my little family of rhubarb.
I'm "on call" today from 3-7 and it is almost 2 :30 with no call, so I am probably safe to get my weeding clothes on and head out to do some more of that. Plus fill the bird feeders and miracle gro the pots and hanging baskets. Tonight I hope to spend some time in the sewing studio.
Tomorrow is the beginning of my Women's Health 30 day running program, so wish me well.
I figure if I put it out there it will help me to be accountable. Plus I have no where I have to travel to in the next 30 days so I ought to be able to accomplish it, if I don't kill myself in the process!!

Saturday Wrap Up

The ballet recital was precious as always last night. They don't allow photos during the performance but I got a couple nice photos of Jillian in her make up afterwards holding the flowers I gave her. Krista got some nice ones of her in her costume so I'll post those once she is able to load them in my system. Her class performed first so we then enjoyed other classes performing. Besides Darling Jillian, I love the little bitty girls. They look like they are about 3 or 4 and are adorable following their teacher around the stage in their costumes.
Brother Ethan struggles a bit during the performance but overall did pretty good. I was able to get a shot of the two of them afterwards actually sitting quietly! I still can hardly believe how quickly they are growing up.
Ethan was actually born here 4 1/2 years ago at my house with the aid of a lovely midwife. She nearly didn't make it! We had 10 minutes to spare was all. She reminded me that "you know what to do", and I said I know, but that was not the plan!!!
My husband was seriously freaked out about the placenta being in a tupperware bowl on the kitchen counter! Jeff and Krista are talking about another baby next year, and Lynn says "Not Here!" But I'm pretty sure he'll come around as it approaches. Krista labors so quickly and pretty easily (the filipino culture seems to do that) so as long as the pregnancy goes well, there is no reason to NOT birth at home. And my house is closer to emergency care than theres. Anyway...
I was able to do a fair amount of weeding today which felt really good. I'm planning to call and order up a few yards of compost/mulch to fill the beds next week, so I need to get them all weeded. My veggies are coming along nicely too. Not much sewing was done, other than my mandatory project. I plan to do some sewing tomorrow and at least one evening next week. I'm currently watching season two of "30 Rock" in my sewing room. Hilarious! Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

No more pencils, no more books!!!

Today was Jillian's last day of first grade....how is it that the time is going by so darned fast! Her Geepa is so proud that she won the "cleanest desk of the year" award..... I went to the school so I could get a photo of her with her first grade teacher so we can have it for a journal for her. Her teacher does a fabulous job. If you click on the photo it will blow up and you can see the cute pink stripes in Jillian's hair. It was "crazy hair, crazy hat day". I guess these are little clips so no real color in there, which is good since she has her ballet recital tonight! Next year Ethan will be in preschool and Jillian into the second grade. OH and her exciting news was that her pesky second bottom baby tooth finally came out! Her new permanent tooth was already up behind it so it was kinda funny looking. After school we went over to dear friend Junes' house and had some strawberry cake to celebrate the end of the school year. June and her husband did not have children so it can be a challenge to have these two energetic youngsters in their beautiful home. She is always so gracious and they truly do love her. Thanks again June.
Tonight is the spring ballet recital so I'll have another photo to share. In the meantime, it is out to the yard for me, so spend some time with the miracle grow feeder and some weeding.
Hope you are all planning a nice and relaxing weekend.

Mission Accomplished!

It's done! My lovely small quilting group is celebrating it's birthday tomorrow. We have been meeting since June 2001 at least once monthly in each others homes. There are 12 of us so we each get a chance to be the hostess once a year. Half of us are the original 12. Our newest member has been with us for just a year now. Anyway, we decided we wanted to make a small gift for one of our "sisters" so we drew names. The task was to make a "tank topper" for the person whose name we chose. Secret drawings of course. So about the size to go on your toilet tank cover. I drew my dear friend Shirlene. She is a Thimbleberrie queen! I don't know what inspired me to do the embroidery in the center, but that is just what felt right! And of course the borders are pieced from some older Thimbleberrie fabric I had stashed away. I hope she likes it.
Right now my husband and I are watching a fabulous show on channel 9 (our PBS station). It is American Masters doing a feature on Neil Young. This is an artist that my husband introduced me to when we were in college. Well, not physically, but musically! We have seen him in concert many times and I have owned all of the albums and CD's that he did with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as well as his solo CD's. And I've added much of it to my iPod. Amazing artist. Every song brings such emotions out for me. When we saw a reunion tour with CSN&Y at the Tacoma Dome about 10 years ago, I spent most of the concert in tears. This was the early to mid 70's for me. Out of high school, into college, getting married, starting a family. Man......
We just recently "heard" that he has a yacht that he keeps up in Roche Harbor in the San Juan islands and occasionally even comes into Bellingham. I would definitely invite him to dinner!

What's on my design wall Monday

Actually this has been on this wall for a few weeks and I need to get it finished and put together. These are "strings" I guess most people call them. Random strips, around an inch wide, that I sew together and then cut into squares. Now trying to find a way to make them into something! I figure by posting some things like this it might motivate me to get them done! This being on my wall has to be addressed as it has so many pieces, I can't just take it down to put something else up there!

Monday Madness

Monday actually isn't terribly "mad" around here today. Ethan was here bright and early and has had fun finding some older toys to play with. I got a fair amount of gardening done yesterday which was nice. Finished with 4 more hanging pots and got them up. Filled the bird feeders and did some weeding. Also some work on my sewing project that must be done by Wednesday night.
Speaking of sewing, I haven't done much since my last retreat! One of my ongoing projects is something I call "Dear Me". There is a large group of women across the country who are doing a historical project called "Dear Jane". They are 4 1/2" blocks in the style of a woman from long ago times. The colors are not my fave, and many of them are paper pieced (ICK!) and use templates (YUCK). I am a piecer first and foremost. So I decided to do a similar project. I am using the three Around The Block books by Judy Martin and making each and every 4 1/2" block offered. There are 174 of them. And I am doing them in order! Here is a photo of what I have finished so far Aren't they cute? Now remember these little guys are only 4 1/2" square!! When I'm not motivated to be working on something else, I can almost whip out a couple of these and it gets me sewing again. I need to choose one of my recently completed quilts and it will be donated to the Ferndale Boy's and Girl's Club auction that is being held at the end of the month.
Ethan wants me to play trains with him, so CHOO CHOO!!!!!

Aren't they beautiful? The wall color isn't very complimentary though is it?? Still very overcast out there. Jillian and Ethan have arrived and are patiently waiting for us to go to the park. I'll get some photos there of the kids and add them here in a bit.
We are enjoying watching an inventive bluejay at one of my suet feeders. He can't quite reach the feeder from the pole so he leaps over, grabs some suet and falls to the ground to enjoy it! I don't like what a bully he can be, chasing the smaller birds away, but he is nicer to look at then that pesky crow.
Jillian only has one more week of school and she will be onto second grade, amazing! She is signed up for several weeks of daycamp this summer and so Ethan will take swimming lessons those weeks. Off to the park we go.

Some catching up

I spent some time this morning cruising through my list of saved blogs in my bookmarked list. It was very refreshing and again encouraged me to open up a bit and let my blog address be "out there" for anyone who might like to read along. It doesn't have to be just about quilting, or kids, or work or whatever. It can just....be. Right? So I'm going to do it. Welcome to anyone who has decided to join me.
Lynn is gone in the truck to get it's oil change (he is OCD on car maintenance) and I'm hoping my camera is in there. I want to post a few photos here today, plus take one of the incredible bouquet of peonies I picked yesterday. I love it as I sit at the computer and for some reason a little breeze must come from somewhere I get the most glorious light scent from them.
Lots of things "to do" around here. Not much desire to do them unfortunately! I have a couple of MUST DO things that I ought to attack first. The first of which is to get dressed, so off I go to do that. More later.

Sunny days are here again

I spent the Memorial Day weekend on beautiful Lake Cavanaugh. The sun was out everyday so it was just lovely. A nice retreat with a great group of quilting friends. I don't have another "runaway" event until late August.
Lynn is spending the night away from home tonight, so I can stay up late and catch up on my TV viewing. But first lunch with friend Carol, and a run to Van Wingertan nursery in Blaine. Just what I need, more stuff to plant. Actually, I have all but a few perennials I bought just before leaving town planted so I'm not so far behind. I'll also turn the sprinkler system on today and see that they are all running. I'll take some photos and some good garden spots and post them here soon.

Hooray, hooray.....wait, is it really May?

Every spring I sort of challenge myself to have my furnace turned off sometime in March. This spring has been so cold, that I have had to turn it on a few days in the morning or the evening for a couple of hours. Weird. Lynn keeps saying we are destined for warmer climate for his retirement, he can't take these winters anymore. Sigh.....they don't bother me much as I am lucky enough to usually not HAVE to go anywhere in bad weather. And if I do, I have the mondo 4 wheel drive truck to take me there.
Not working much lately, doesn't hurt my feelings either. I have a big bill for my hospital visit last month, but no house payment until July 1st due to the refinance (that was a nightmare, but now done). Plus we are going to be paying $600 a month less on the mortgage so that will help.
Dr Burden says I really am right that I need to get some poundage off or I will be facing diabetic issues next year. So I'll definitely be working on that.
Lots of yard work to catch up on this weekend, plus house cleaning before Lynn gets home tomorrow night.
Oh Goodie!! Friend Shirlene just dropped in for a visit.

Happy Easter

My family has never celebrated this holiday in the religious sense. It is a chance to gather, share a meal, catch up with each other and have the little kids hunt for plastic eggs that are filled with little treats.
Ethan will be with me everyday this week. My plan at this moment is to go to the gym at least 3 times, and he can go to the child care center there. Also we will make a run into Costco one day. He pretty much is done with his naps, so the afternoons will be better spent out.
I feel like Todd is melting away here in the house. He has been on his own for so long that to have our roof to be under, even in this short term is pretty uncomfortable for him. Hopefully he gets everything in order and can move into his new spot by the end of the week.
My allergy/cold seems to be improving. At least I have more energy today. Less sneezing, still some stuffiness.
No hours schedule for work. Will try to get at least one 4 hour shift picked up.
Hoping for nicer weather so more outside work can be done.

Another tearful farewell tonight

I remember watching ER when it first started. I watched Chicago Hope as well, would have liked to see it stick around a bit longer. Tonight another long time character bid their farewell, and again the tears were running down my cheeks. I truly hope that somewhere in the last two episodes that they feature the few nurses who have been on the show from the very beginning. As sad as it is to have it end, I think it is time. And very nice to have a show have a chance to say "goodbye" to it's viewers. I was not happy that Judging Amy was canceled during the off season. I hear now that a fairly new show, Life, which is on NBC is probably not going to make it to next season. I had told myself I wasn't going to get invested in any new TV series, because it seems I just get into it and away it goes. I probably watch too much TV anyway.
It has been a very peaceful few days with Lynn out of town. I can leave my stitchery out and not worry about it getting "put away"......I do have dishes in the sink, the dishwasher is cleaned and still full. I do like that he calls everyday, so I feel like he does give us a thought during the day!
Tomorrow, Ethan is here early and we'll pick Jillian up after school and she'll come to play for a few hours. Saturday morning I am meeting "the girls" and we are going to Monroe for the quilt show there, and out to lunch. Should be nice!
I bought some seeds today and will have the kids plant them in some little pots next week and see them sprout!

Monday, Monday....

I always liked the Mama's and the Papa's. I wonder what happened to all those 45 records I had. Actually sister Carol does have a box of them in her study. Not like there is anyway to play all those records though! I had a box record player. And yes, I did tape a quarter on the arm to keep the needle in the groove of the record so it didn't skip all over the place! I guess buying a new needle wasn't an easy fix in those days. Maybe that is why I still use my sewing machine needles until they break!
No kids today, though I am scheduled to work 7-11 tonight, unless they cancel me again. I do have to go to the grocery store today. I am actually out of flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, only have two eggs left. I don't remember ever running out of "staples" at the same time before. Will also go to the dairy, the green grocer and get my corned beef on cooking so that we can have it for dinner. I need to have it done early enough to eat it in case I do leave at 6:15 for work.
Taking Lynn to the airport tomorrow morning for his week away. Then right back to receive Ethan. Meet Jillian's bus, then get ready for the guild meeting. I do have some paperwork to produce for that. Guess I better get started with my day.

A Rainy Saturday

After days and nights of extreme cold and frost, it is kind of nice to have a bit warmer, though wetter weather today. I had the last meeting of a lovely group of women taking a Block of the Month class with me at my Local Quilt Shop (LQS). Then home to finish up a project I was showing them today. It is nice to get that last border on there. I'll post a photo here if I can figure out how to do that. Waiting now to see if I am actually going to work a

scheduled 7-11pm shift tonight. Just as happy if I don't. It seems I've been busy "catching up" on different projects lately. And I'll admit to being several hours behind on my regular TV watching! Love that DVR! Lynn leaves Tuesday morning for a week in California/Arizona. I think this is the longest he has been away from home without me. I've been away longer, with him home, so this is an interesting reversal. Last year he was gone for several days and I did lots of painting and furniture moving. This time I'm planning to move our bedroom furniture and paint the guest bedroom.
Here is a photo of a typical Saturday afternoon at our house!m Everyone likes a nap.....but don't let go of that remote!

I've been cruising some blogs that I check in on occasionally and came across one today that just made me shake my head. Someone who was praising Glen Beck, actually called him a modern day Braveheart. I just about threw up. Isn't it good that we all have a place like our blog to type our thoughts and opinions! But it did make me realize that my blog doesn't have to be about any particular theme or idea. It is mostly just for me anyway. Politics has only been interesting to me for about the last 9 years....since September 11, 2001. I became almost "addicted" to watching the ins and outs of the last presidential election and was thrilled with the outcome. I am a loyal MSNBC watcher, while DH watches Fox in the other room. Though he will admit that Bill O'Reilly is a blowhard and Glen Beck is an idiot..... That is probably enough to write for today.