Sunday, February 10, 2013

The sewing room.  I've been working on it for over a week!  This video is of the room AFTER I have cleaned out crap, cleaned off the my desk, have the heavy stuff put where I want it.  This is not complete because the shelves need to be arranged after I get pretty storage containers.  

In addition to getting nice storage containers and other organizers for the shelves, I will be doing some decorating.  I'm going to make a skirt to go around the table, going to change out the room curtains, going to put curtain thingies over the shelves and around the big storage shelf unit.  My dream sewing room will, I hope, end up looking something like this picture.  I am currently looking for the oilcloth to cover the table (my old ratty office type work table up on bed risers.  I will also have to do the patchwork to make the skirt.  I'm thinking that will take me a couple o fdays but I think I have enough leftover fabric to do it.  

I'll post another picture of the sewing room after I'm finished.  

So, what else have I done?  Let me see.  I finally finished great great niece Brynnan's quilt.  Now I need to get it to her.  I've been holding off seeing her because I don't want to make her ill, but I think I'm finally over whatever I had enough that I won't cough on her.  I'm inserting a picture of the quilt I made for her.  The first picture is of the front, the second picture is the back.

The top was made from a kit I purchased at a quilt show a couple of years ago.  The frog fabric on the back was purchased at the Dallas Quilt Show, but I can't remember if that was 2011 or 2012.

In addition to sewing and putting the room together, I've also been going to doc appointments (two more this coming week - one on Monday, one on Tuesday), and I'm becoming active with the United Daughters of the Confederacy as well as my Daughters of the American Revolution chapter.  I've been nominated for membership in the Fort Worth Women's Club and have been enjoying doing exactly what I said I was going to do when I retired!  That is, meeting friends at "the club" for shrimp or chicken salad lunches (there are other choices).  It's been really nice.  This is some of the stuff I refused to get involved in throughout the years because I never felt "good enough" although my families have been rather involved in the goings on of this town since before the 1860's.  Problem is, I find I don't have the clothes to wear to these things!  I'm a retired engineer.  Unless we had meetings we didn't dress up any more - I wore jeans and tennis shoes to work!  

SO, I may have to get out some of the patterns I've got and start making a few things.  

Ken and I went to the stock show - not the rodeo.  We actually found some boots for me!  I wear of boots and boot-type shoes because of my deformed, partially amputated foot.  I wanted some of those cute rubber boots - we found some that fit me.  I also wanted some pink top boots - western sorta - and we found some to fit me!  I won't be able to wear them on days when my feet are so swollen, but I can put them on in the morning and wear them until mid afternoon and that will help stretch out the leather ones.  The rubber ones won't stretch but there's a secret to them.  The vendor put a "sizer" in them so that they are tighter on me when I first get up.  When they start feeling tight I can take out the sizer and the boots will fit my foot when it's a little puffy.  

I am so thrilled with my sewing room.  At last I have a place where the ironing board can be set up - or I can take it down and store it in the walk-in closet.  Ken and I cleaned out that closet yesterday so now I have even MORE space.  I'm going to sell the big board ironing apparatus that fits over the ironing board to my friend Rachel.  She wants one - she actually wants her husband to make one, but she says if I'm getting rid of this one she wants it.  I'm going to sell it to her for $50 because I had to pay $70 for it at the FW quilt show in 2011.  

Today I'm working on a little quilt that has been in my to do pile for at least two years.  I thought it would be simple to do but nothing ever is.  It is a cheater patchwork top made out of blocks that are blues, yellows, light green - baby colors - and the fabric is chenille.  I'm backing it with yellow flannel (because that is what I had on hand and I refuse to buy more).  Not sure I'm goig to be able to part with this one after it is done because it is too stinking cute.  I don't mind giving it to someone I know and love but not sure I can stand giving it to the mission and seeing it dragged in the dirt.  My heart needs to become more "giving."  

That's it for now.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I miss my children and grandchildren and always will.  I long to see them...wish they would come driving in the driveway and ringing the bell.  

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Hmm, trying to remember what's been happening since my last post.  Let's see...I joined a couple of on-line quilting groups - really good ones!  One is Stashbuster - using what we have.  I'm really enjoying the people on that one.  Lots of informative chatter.  

I'm continuing to try to purge stuff from this house!  Especially my sewing room.  On the 18th the Blanketeers visited First Street Mission.  We had a nice thorough tour of the place with a wonderful assistant director.  We liked her and the place a lot.  The Blanketeers took several handmade knitted afghans and baby quilts as a donation.  We gained a lot of useful information about various other items the mission will take and I think our group will be visiting with this mission again in the future with additional donations.  I came home from the mission with a renewed vigor for clearing out stuff and immediately packed a bag with some of the dolls that I do not plan to do anything with - am ready to purge.  Hopefully the children the mission serves will be happy to receive a Dora the Explorer doll along with a couple of American Girl type dolls.  I've also included a couple of other items in that bag.  

After our visit to the mission we went to lunch at Panera Bread and then I went by Joann's.  I picked up only items I need to complete current projects along with the fabrics required to participate in the Blanketeer community project.  Well, I also bought a new 2.5" quilting square!  It was on sale for 50% off, so it was a couple of bucks.  

I've been working on great great niece Brynnan's baby quilt.  Almost have it done.  It's pretty big - about 50 x 42 inches.  It is from a kit I bought at a quilt show a year or two ago.  Cute.  I'll get pictures loaded later.  It is unfinished because I had to stop to clean up the room a bit to have the space to lay out the quilt to trim/clean up the side edges.  Hopefully I will get that done tonight then I can cut the binding strips and get those attached.  I will be so glad to get something done and OUT of this house!  I have a number of unfinished projects and my priority, other than the Blanketeer community row quilt, is to get the unfinished projects completed.  

The NE-TX TOGA will be April 5 and 6 so I'm planning to attend that.  Hopefully we will have the rig up and ready to go by then - I'm planning to take it whether Ken goes or not.  I will need to get 6.5" exchange blocks made for that one.  I'll be in hot water if we have 20-30 people sign up for that exchange - but that would be great to get that many blocks in return!!!

On Monday of this week I made telephone calls and got multiple doc appointments set up for this quarter.  First one is tomorrow with the heart doc.  Just a check up so should be short and sweet. His office called this morning wanting to know if I would be willing to change my appointment from 11 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.  I said no - because folks I'm retired and I don't get up early enough to get ANYWHERE by 8:45 in the morning any more!  I gave that up in December 2011.  For the short period of time I worked for the non-profit this last summer and fall I had to be up at 6 a.m. every day to teach two classes a day...I don't want to do that again.  

Yesterday morning I had to have Bennie to the vet at 11:30 a.m.  Ken was gone when I got up so I had to take him by myself.  Bennie Jo is HEAVY but I managed to lift him.  The hard part was that I couldn't leave Luci at home alone - she was having a fit.  So I had to take both of them with me and that was tough.  Eventually Ken showed up at the vet and that made it a little easier but instead of helping me he got on his cell phone with Medtronics in a discussion about his diabetic pump.  He was still on it when we left the vet and was distracted when Bennie pulled out of his collar.  I'm hoping this is a sign that Bennie is losing a little bit of weight - he was supposed to lose 15 lbs.  I'm thinking he has lost some weight since Maggie died in October - he and Luci are not getting as many snacks as Maggie demanded (her liver/cushings disease made her constantly hungry).  

So, I've set up reservations for both the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Daughters of the American Revolution.  I'm trying to become more active in both chapters.  I've got some paperwork to get photocopied to get to the registrar of the UDC.  She's already got the military paperwork.  I've been a member of the DAR for several years already - just need to get active now that I'm retired.  

FW Genealogy meeting is next Tuesday evening at the FW library...I'm planning to go.  

John Norman (relative) got busy last week and did some digging regarding the family cemetery located out west of here...we were afraid it was going to be included in a development project that is going on.  It is not, but it is located very close by.  We try to pay CLOSE attention since developers destroyed the other family cemetery in 2006/2007 and it took a court case to get things straightened out.  We don't want the same thing to happen to this one.  As descendants of early settlers from here, there are many small family cemeteries located around and we are ever watchful that these are not destroyed.  It would be really nice if we could excavate all of them and move them to Oakwood on the north side of town where many of the other family members are buried.  But the cost would be too much.  So, we depend on the city and county folks to keep us apprised of happenings - often reading about developments in the local newspaper.  

That's about it.  Right now I'm going to do about 30 minutes of picking up/cleaning up in the sewing room to stay in step with getting this room cleaned out, then I'm going to sew for about an hour before bed.  After that I'm going to get some things ready to take to the doc with me tomorrow so I can stop at the post office to mail them on the way back.  Haven't heard from any of my children or grandchldren.  They don't even answer text messages or emails.  I'm very confused.  I don't know what I did this time...

 

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Been holed up here at home most of the time for the past several days because of the flu situation going on in our area.  I've not been able to accept any sub teacher assignments for fear of what I might bring home with me as a gift from the little kids.  And I'm sure they would not want me to teach wearing a mask...which is what I must do right now if I go out.  The one day I ventured out to Walmart to pick up a site-to-store package, I had to not take a shower or wash my hair because I couldn't go out in the weather afterward.  So, I bundled up, took hand sanitizer with me, wore my mask, picked up the package and other things I needed and scurried home.  I haven't been out since.  Ken has been kind enough to stop after work to pick up things from the store if needed.  

I have a lunch date with a friend tomorrow.  Hubby and I have discussed it - may not be the best idea for me to do that but I am going to go.  We are going to an Asian restaurant in her area.  I also need to pick up a sewing machine from her as well as doll clothes patterns and a Scentsy order I purchased back in August!!!

While here in my exile I have continued to try to clear some things out of the house.  I sold two more of my vintage dolls and those have been shipped off...to Maine of all places.  I hope they love the babies and take care of them.  I also managed to make myself throw out some old books from when my own children were very young.  I've been hanging on to them because I can't bear to throw out anything that were remotely connected to my children.  But, I'm determined.  And the books were in really bad shape - written and colored in, dog eared, much loved.  They had seen much better days.  I still have many toys to go through.  I'm quite sure my children do not want any of these old toys.  

At the quilting bee on Sunday I started squaring up some blocks that I had fussy cut from some licensed Disney princess fabric - pink of course.  I'm bordering them with a couple of different pink fabrics, making them come out to 12 inch finished blocks.  At least one of them will be turned on point because the way the princess was cut from the fabric she is corner to corner rather than from top to bottom.  I checked out the internet to see how to calculate the size triangles to cut to make the block on point, and it is relatively simple.  It takes two blocks of the border fabric cut the same size as the center block that will be bordered.  Those border blocks are then cut diagonally across to make two triangles and then sewn onto the center block.  I'll try to remember to post a separate blog showing the process.  

Other than that, I had a couple of over-ripe bananas hanging out in the kitchen so I made a banana cake today and iced it with cream cheese icing -- all from scratch!  Yea, I really can do this!  And it's a dang layer cake, not a sheath cake.  Then, in keeping with our plan to use up what we have and clean out things, I pan fried beef patties for supper, topping each of them with a square of cheese.  I also found a bag of sweet potato fries in the freezer so oven cooked those.  I nuked a can of Ranch Style beans to go with the patties and fries and called it supper.  Kinda hillbilly/redneck, but I am NOT going to the grocery store right now.  I want the refrigerator and freezer cleaned out before we go again.  And that dang pantry.  Ken keeps buying crap food and then doesn't eat it.  I've threatened him and made him promise that from now on if he puts it in the grocery cart he has to eat it.  I'm tired of throwing out food.  

For the past year I've been hanging out at home in my sleep shirt all day because I have no "retiree" clothes.  And I am just not comfortable in jeans.  So, I ordered a pair of those dang pajama jeans.  That's the package I picked up at Walmart.  I haven't tried them on yet - hoping they fit.  I also bought two pairs of cute flannel jammy bottoms, some sport bras, and some leggings.  Now what I need are some shirts/tops.  I didn't see anything at Walmart that I liked - I don't like sweatshirts, can't stand that tightness up around my neck.  I'm probably going to have to go to either Catherine's, Dillards, or Macy's to pick up some shirts.  I'm still looking for some pink shirts as well as some yellow and some blue ones.  

I got the compression socks - they help so much.  I've learned my legs feel so much better when I wear them.  I also got new house shoes.  Cheap ones, but they fit my feet and I can keep them on! I can't wear slip ons, they kick off.  So these are a shoe type.  They feel so good on my stone cold feet.  

That's about it - I've rambled on much more than I planned.  Love to all -  and to my children and grandchildren, you are always on my mind.  

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Nope, did not start the New Year off by going to church today.  Didn't mention it - I've learned not to bother.

Been a few days since I've posted anything here -- not much to post.  Since the day after New Year's I've been beating my brain up trying to accomplish everything the FWISD wants done before this coming Tuesday!  Been attending the online seminars for several hours per day, taking assessments, communicating with FWISD, yada, yada, yada.

Along with all the school work I've managed to list some things on Ebay and some of it actually sold!  So I've been spending time getting shipments ready and sent.

Ken was off work on Thursday, Jan. 3, and he was unable to get the lady at First Street Mission to respond to his phone call or email so we made a day for ourselves out of it.  We've been putting a little bit of $$ aside in preparation of visiting the FW museum to see the Titanic Exhibit before it is gone in March.  We've seen the museum video (not very good in our opinion - Cameron's flick is better) but we didn't want to miss seeing the actual exhibit.  So yea!  We went.  We are both history buffs so this interested both of us.  It is a neat exhibit -- we were disappointed that there were not more of the items found during recovery on display, but the exhibit is still worth visiting.  Some of the display is set up so that visitors actually see what it was like to be in some of the passage ways on the ship.

We cannot remember where we have seen a titanic exhibit previously, but somewhere over the years we have, and there were more of the recovered items displayed.  I think our collective memory is shot!

Friday was a holiday off day for the Lockheed Blanketeers so the ladies met for the January meeting lunch at Gloria's which is located in the old Montgmery Ward Plaza here in FW.  I was not feeling so great when I left the house but went anyway thinking I would feel better if I went on.  I enjoy going to the old plaza area - so much redevelopment has been happening in that area.  It was quite difficult to find a parking place and I waivered between leaving or parking some distance and walking.  I finally decided to park and walk.  I walk very slowly, but the distance was only about a block so by walking slowly and stopping when I needed to it wasn't so bad.  These ladies are so wonderful - so talented, so intelligent, so good to be around - I'm glad I parked and walked.  I always have a wonderful time around these ladies.

My system disagreed with my choice of sour cream chicken enchiladas, no beans, no rice.  But it was good to go anyway.  Therapeutic.  I continued the self therapy by heading to the nail shop afterward for a mani and pedi.  Ah!  Pure heaven.

Ken worked on Friday but left work about 2:30.  He won't be working on Friday from now on...instead he will work Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  That's nice because it will give us 3-day weekends so we can go someplace if we ever decide to!  I don't imagine his working will last too long - possibly a year - but he's enjoying having money to spend.  For instance, yesterday we went to the model/hobby train show and he was able to buy the HO starter train set that he has been wanting plus an additional engine and a few additional cars and tracks.  In the past he wouldn't have been able to do that.  So yea for Ken...it makes him feel a lot better about himself that he's not so dependent on MY income.  (Although he has other income, it mostly goes for bills, monthly expenses, etc.)

So today is Sunday -- wanted to sleep late, but Ken was up early so Luci woke up whining and wanting to get down, too, which woke up Bennie and me.  So, here I am.  This afternoon I'm going to the quilting bee, and after that I go back to studying for FWISD.  I have got to get all this done!  Classes start back on Tuesday (Monday is a teacher service day), and I have to have all these certifications turned in by Tuesday!  They system has already been calling me wanting me to accept class assignments for this next week.  Thus far I haven't.  Since we are off Monday, and I have a lunch and meeting with someone on Friday, that means my work day choices for the week are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.  I'm hoping I can find some half day assignments in either pre-K or kindergarten.

So much for all that - I need to get busy.  Love to all.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Early up - still have much to do around here.  Still cleaning things out.  Met youngest daughter and her children at mexican restaurant for lunch.  They came to the house for a couple of hours spent going through some boxes of old papers/pictures/stuff from childhood.  Daughter took part of the things home with her and we separated some things to throw out/donate and discovered there's a box of CRAP that I need to go through and throw out.  But YEA!  Stuff is still moving out the door!!!  I'm determined to get the mess out of this house and only have what we actually need/use remain.  We need to be using the space we have for the things we really enjoy.

We went to see Barbra Streisand's new movie, The Guild Trip, this evening.  Ok flick, but it would have been just as nice to see it on television.

Ken went to work yesterday but the owner/boss sent everybody home yesterday afternoon.  He was supposed to work today and tomorrow and next Monday but received a call this evening advising not to return until next Wednesday.  SO, no extra $$ for him next Friday.  I think he's quite disappointed, but at least he will have time at home.  In fact, maybe we'll just sneak off somewhere for a day or two.  Wish we knew somewhere to go!

That's about it.  I'm bushed.  It's been a full and stressful December.  Hope everyone is getting some rest.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

This has always been the day to remember a cousin, Nelson Johnson, who was born December 26, 1946.  Sadly Nelson died in 2010 from complications of being sprayed with agent orange while serving in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Marines back in the 1960's.  Rest in Peace, Nelson.

It seems holidays bring both joy and sadness, and Christmas Day was no exception.  Ken and I were up early, enjoyed coffee and a breakfast casserole, opened presents (we got exactly what we wanted - surprising, isn't it?), and then made goodies to take to niece Peggy's house for our Kilgore family gathering.  It was so much fun to see everybody again.  Since we talk to family all the time, one would wonder what we could possibly have to talk about when we see them, but it's just fun.  Even though we all live a stone's throw away from one another, the holidays are still about the only time we get together.

We got back to our house about 4:00 p.m., rested a bit, and then I started cleaning up the mess around here.  Still have a lot to do -- the dining room table is the goal for today!  Gotta get that thing cleaned off!!!  It has been stacked to the hilt for weeks (months?).  What to do with boxes that I may need later for packing things to send to son who lives out of town????  I don't know but I am NOT throwing them away.  I will have to hide them or Ken will throw them out.

So, the horrible thing about Christmas Day -- I received a FB message sometime Christmas evening  advising that a cousin's husband had been killed when the tornado in Louisiana hit causing a tree to fall on their house.  It hit where he was sitting.  So, when one reads the news story about the 53 year old man killed in the tornado in Louisiana, that's my cousin's husband.  Prayers for this family definitely needed.

I "met" this part of our family via the internet - a cousin contacted me because she, too, is involved in family research.  Turns out we're not that distantly related.  The cousin I communicate with is Rebecca Calhoun Allar.  It is her sister's husband who was killed and their home destroyed (trailer).  Unfortunately another sister and her husband also lived in a trailer behind the one where the tree fell.  Their home was also destroyed in the tornado.  Becky lives about 70 miles from where this happened, but all in northern Louisiana.  May the good Lord bless and keep them.

This Christmas was rather strange.  We haven't had our own children and grandchildren in our lives in several years...we had to bow out of the constant drama that was going on for self preservation, and as a result we were disowned by them...shunned, written off.  Therefore it was a bit strange to have communication with one of the daughters throughout the latter part of the month of December even though it was just suggestions as to what to get each grandchild for Christmas.  She thanked us for gifts and that was appreciated.  The real shocker was to receive a thank you message from her sister who lives next door to her and who does not bother to speak to me even if she sees me.  Have no idea if either daughter will continue communication now that the season is over.  I've invited them to brunch at the tea room tomorrow and one daughter has responded in the positive.  The other daughter has not responded at all.  Whatever decision is made is ok.

That's it for now unless something interesting happens.  I need to get busy.  Have a great "day-after-Christmas-Day."



 

Monday, December 24, 2012

Good day.  Started off good - we loaded Ken's Beetle with Christmas gifts to deliver to my daughters and grandchildren.  Managed to make contact and drove to the home of one daughter and dropped off the gifts (daughters are next door neighbors).  It was nice to see the daughtger and her children.  We stayed about 30 minutes - we never stay long.  On the way home we stopped at Mexican Inn (I had not had breakfast or lunch), a decision I later regretted but it was great eating.  We took home some of their salsa, guacamole and pico to use to make pinwheels (tortillia roll ups) for Christmas gathering at my niece's house tomorrow.

Ken dropped me off at home then ran the store errands - I'm making rum balls for tomorrow as well and we were out of rum.  But, he also had to go to the grocery store because no matter how many dang times we go to the store we are always out of something.

We made some stuff for the roll ups that is very good but leaves an afterburn!  Whoo!  They are really good.  But, for the faint of heart we also made some "mild" ones.

I put on the Christmas Eve stew this morning, so that has made the house smell great all day - driving the dogs crazy.  I haven't had any of it - afraid to eat.

This evening we stopped everything and went downtown to First United Methodist - I've been a member there since 1975 and Ken has been since 2002.  The service was beautiful as always and very uplifting.  I'm so glad we went.  (We married in the courtyard garden in 2002.)

Now Ken has gone to bed and I've got to get the breakfast casserole ready to put in the oven first thing in the morning.  It's going to be a good Christmas.  (Then on Wednesday maybe we'll take back all our gifts to one another and get the money back - lol.)

Love to all, have much to do before bed.  Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.