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.

December 1, 2008

The big Thanksgiving week has passed, was a big success and all survived! It was fun and interesting to have so many house guests. Once everyone had left on Saturday afternoon I was truly exhausted and slept from 11 pm on Saturday to 11 am on Sunday!
Now onto the Christmas portion of the holiday season. Today I'm getting all my fall decor quilts and other items and preparing to put up the Christmas ones. This year I am going to do my decorating a bit "finer", not quite so much of traditional greens. Will see how it comes out.
Back to the sewing room, get some of those things back up and running.

Out of the Mouth's of Babes.....

I had an interesting conversation with almost 7 year old Jillian today. She said something about Barack Obama becoming the new president and I said yes, that was right. And I thought he was a very good man. She asked me if John McCain was a good man and I said yes he was too. Then she asked me how I felt about Barack Obama thinking it was okay for babies to die........After I picked my chin up off the floor, I asked her where she had heard that and she said from a friend in her class. First grade. Stunning. I took about 10 minutes and talked to her a bit about babies growing and that most of the time they come out around 9 months after the beginning of growing (that was all I said about that, and she didn't ask anymore about THAT part of it!!) and they are totally fine and healthy, just like her cousin Carter. But that sometimes something happens that makes a baby not grow correctly or be able to stay inside long enough and they come out sooner and they die. That it is no body's fault. Will see how that's interpreted in days to come.
Had my second day in row visit at the gym. Two in a row is good! When I came home I again spent time raking leaves in the yard, so bonus exercise! Plus cleaning up the recycle stuff that had blown over the yard before it got picked up this morning. More bending! The key is to keep going. Somewhere I need to find the place where I can NOT go EVERYDAY and yet then not quit going all together. I still have a half a bottle of water to finish for my daily total, and my food intake today has been good.

November 10, 2008

The sun is shining today, the air is a bit crisp. Just spent a nice weekend "south" as we shall call it. Got to cuddle baby Carter a few days and spent a day with sister Carol. We just can't seem to stay away from a casino when we are together....
Did some Thanksgiving planning. Looks like everyone will be coming for dinner this year. I'm thinking about doing the food buffet in the kitchen, but still having the table set so we can all eat together. I'm going to have to buy another table, and some more chairs though.
I was joking with Carol about how I think I am going to have to start "journaling" daily things like my Mom has done for the last many years. My parents will come up for a 5-6 day visit over the holiday and I would like to remember what I cooked for them last year. They appreciate whatever I place before them, and there have been a few meals I've made in the last several months that I thought would be good to cook for them, but now I can't remember what they were!!! So Carol suggested using my blog here for that. So we'll see.
Off to gym now, as I work on my "52 weeks, 52 pounds" program! Carol and I are flying to Rome in just over 52 weeks. We are planning to go a few days before the scheduled cruise departure and "roam around"...we both know that losing some weight will not only be healthier but make the long flight from Seattle much more comfortable!
Will keep up to date here on that too.
I WILL post some current photos in the next few days of quilts, kids and so on.