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!!