Busy Day

Today has really been busy. I went grocery shopping and household shopping. Then home to put it all away. Sneaked in a new quilting magazine of course. I put all the perishables up first, then left the rest out for a while. I knew I had to clean out the pantry, so why put it all away just to take it all out. I managed to get the top half of the pantry done, so feel like I have accomplished a great deal. Still have the bottom half, but shouldn't take as long. I probably took to the dumpster about $50-$60 dollars of food if not more that had all expired or gone bad from the brown moth infestation that I am plagued with. That was the main reason for the cleaning, then added some moth repellent sachets to chase the little buggers away. Also gave me a chance to inventory my pantry. Could not believe that some how I have ended up with 13 cans of beef broth. After buying groceries and coming home with cans of black and red kidney beans for a particular recipe I want to try, only to find I already had three of each on hand, I was further convinced that this cleaning and inventory was essential. I am also going to make up a menu plan for the next three weeks and challenging myself to see how much I can actually do with just what I have on hand. Which really is a ridiculous amount of food.

We have had an on going problem with mold growing in our bathroom. Hubby has become fearful that the mold is what is making me sick and the reason I can't seem to get completely well, so he mixed up some bleach water and went to work on the walls and ceiling. It looks so much nicer. Discovered that bleach water makes old wallpaper (actually it was former owners great idea to use contact paper and glue) come off very easy.

I went an played a little with some fabric I have. Just had to touch the little sweeties, make sure they are still there and all. Can't wait until I can start slashing them to pieces and then stitching them back up. I have several tops that I am going to layer and finish up before I let myself start on anything else. I have four major quilt projects that need to get done first off when I get started back. First, quilt for co-workers new baby (plan to make up a few extras for future gifts), second is throw size quilt promised for raffle prize to booster club, third is a few quilts that just need binding, and four is quilt that I started for a wedding gift for my son. The wedding was postponed, then called off, then they broke up. I still want to finish the quilt though. Then I have a mile long list of various UFOs and PIGS I want to do. Doesn't everyone? My new year's resolutions include being more organized, so will make a list of projects to mark off. When I am not working 40 hours, not going to the gym, not cleaning house, not taking care of the family that is. Yeah, I know!

Well, off to a warm bath and even warmer bed so I can start it all over again tomorrow.

Finally Back Home

Well, 18 hours on the road and we are finally back home. The kids are ready to go see friends and we are ready for our own bed. Hubby is already there.

We went to TX and back for the holidays, saw all the family and had a Christmas with all my children. Moved the oldest daughter back to Odessa. Her husband has already started at the police academy, she was hired to teach 6 grade math. They will be living with the mother in law until they can get established and find a house. Waiting to see how that goes.

Have so much to do now, unpack and clean house, put away the new gifts, soon it will be back to work. I am looking forward to cleaning up the house for a change and making some positive changes around here. Between working 40 hours, college classes, and football season, the house has kind of gone to heck in a hand basket. I am already planning projects, reminding myself to finish up a few first as well.

Now I am off to catch up on all my emails. Tried to check them at my mom's, but her connection is so slow I just gave up. Besides, the display is set so large that I could only read one line at a time. Oh well, once again, I am reminded how truly wonderful a life God has given me.

Hope everyone has a happy New Year Day and blessings in the year to come.

Just Can't Get Well

I thought I was doing better. Was actually starting to feel like my self, hardly coughing at all, actually making it from the car to building and still breathing easy.

That was yesterday.

During the night I had a bad spell of coughing again, of course am out of cough medicine and waiting for the doctor to answer a request for a refill. At any rate, hardly slept during the night, finally fell asleep only to be awakened by idiotic neighbors blasting the stereo so loud my photos were shaking, at 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning. Now, I wake up and I am tired, my throat hurts, coughing all over again, head feel like it weighs a ton, and the gland in my neck is swollen. This is great news, considering I promised youngest daughter a trip to Build a Bear and still need to finish up a little shopping. Most of it is done thankfully, as we leave Friday.

I am so tired of being sick.

Also, I now refuse to ever step foot in Best Buy stores again. We were trying to shop for Christmas gifts. After standing for the better part of 15 minutes, a clerk finally came over to help. We showed him the item we were interested in (can't say exactly as you never know who may be reading this) and then also showed him the other two we were considering if they were out of the one we wanted. Could he take down those numbers at the same time to go see if they were in stock? HEAVEN'S NO, that would possibly make sense. So, off he goes for another 15-20 minutes while we stand around. Back he comes, they are out of that product, won't be getting any more in. Now he takes the second choice and is gone another 15 minutes or so coming back to tell us they do have it in stock. Gets the keys to the case, it isn't there, gets the latter and checks the thousands of boxes piled up on top of the cases, (Won't even get started on how great an idea that is to stack computers to the ceiling on top of shelving units in the heart of earthquake country) after looking for another 5 minutes or so, he informs my husband that there are no more of that one, but they do have some for the same price that have been optimized so it will be another $29. In frustration to the length of time it is taking, hubby says yes, we get it, go get another item on our list and get in check out line. THIS IS WHERE THEY HIT YOU. There is a fee for this, a fee for that, and would you like this service, or that one, warranty, might as well extend it while you are here, how about some insurance for replacement value, includes replacement of battery. Okay, you get the picture. We had three items to pay for. Now after having been in the store for about 45 minutes already, we are placed in the check out line behind a man that was buying 5, yes five, laptops. Could the cashier just ask if he wanted all the crap add ons for all of them at one time? OH NO, he has to ask him laptop by laptop, then offer up cables, battery chargers, and so forth. The poor guy bought the cheapest ones there ($450) and when we gave up to leave they had only rang up three of them and he was already up to $2,700 and still had two more to go. We had left the two big items just sitting and I went to the front check out with youngest daughter's Build a Bear Workshop video game. She had gotten her newsletter from BB that included a $5 off coupon for the game so she attached it to her letter for Santa. If I had been able to find the game anywhere else, I would have left it there as well. But, up to the check out line I go, get to the checker fairly quickly (should have been a clue) but the coupon is not in her system. Off she goes to three different checkers to ask how to do it, then sent word for a manager to come over, 15 minutes later she shows up. I looked at the manager and told her about having to wait in line at the back, told her that we had been told the item was available, then suddenly it wasn't but could get a similar one for $29 more, told her that they had already lost sales of over$1,000 that we just walked away from in the back, what is $5 going to matter? Was told sorry for our inconvenience and that it is part of their job to make sure we have everything we need to use the items when we get them home.

I don't need insurance for a battery to use the item.

So, we went to Circuit City, an unannounced special started while we were there, got a better one at a significant savings. I still can't believe that we have to be charged a disposal fee for an item we are just now getting to use. But hey, that is CA and hubby loves it here (fees and regulations bleeding us dry are not thought of) so we are here for a long while it would seem.

Okay, now that I vented a bit, am heading back to bed for a little while.

Monday

It is Monday and am home with a sick child. She has the stomach crud. I am still coughing like crazy, but it doesn't last as long or cause as much pain.

We had a wonderful weekend, that didn't last nearly long enough, but it is now over. I got to see my oldest daughter graduate from college. It was bittersweet. Proud that she had accomplished so much, a little guilty that we weren't able to help her as much as she needed. Then there is a little bit of envy going because she has this whole other family that seems to look after their every need. During the meal out at the restaurant, I barely spoke to my daughter a total of 10 minutes. We were there for about 2 hours or so. Then, I had planned a little surprise get together which hardly anyone showed up for. I did get to see my grandson though.

Now, I had mentioned in a previous blog that I couldn't even get to my sewing machines if I wanted to. I snap a photo or two for illustrative purposes.

Like I said, I have a lot of cleaning up to do just to get to the sewing machines and to see just what kind of supplies I do still have around here to work with.

Hopefully we will get our Christmas shopping done very soon, wrapped up and under the tree. It is still hard to believe, but we will be back in Texas two weeks from this past Saturday. It will once again be a quick trip, too quick in some ways, too long in others, but will be nice to see the grand baby again.

Now, I need to get off of this computer and get to work on some laundry and cleaning. A co-worker and his wife just had a baby girl and I want to make a little something for her. Just need to find something to make it out of.

I am off on a mission.

Additional Thoughts

I did it, I have turned in all my assignments so except for waiting for the final grades to be posted I am done with my class. I really did enjoy the class and had so much fun learning all about Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, and Vista. So why then does it feel like a big old weight is off my shoulders?

Could be the pneumonia is starting to clear a little bit and it is finally easier to breathe. Now to just get rid of this annoying cough. It will be just a tad bit dangerous to take a rotary cutter in hand and start coughing in waves of uncontrollable shakes that end in massive "feel like my head is going to explode" head aches while I fight to keep from passing out due to lack of oxygen because I am coughing out all the air unable to take any in.

Okay, enough moaning. I am in that phase where I make myself miserable because I want to be sewing, or quilting, or embroidering, but can't because I have way to much that has to be done first. I really should take a photo of what is supposed to be my sewing corner and post it so it will be totally clear to anyone reading my blog why I cannot sew anything.

By the way, one more positive note. I was successful in making the evening meal totally out of the pantry and freezer, and in a very short time. We had ham, mashed sweet potatoes, and broccoli. Okay, you got me, the ham steaks were fully cooked (hey I did have to thaw them out, then added a little brown sugar and pineapple) the sweet potatoes were an instant mix (Betty Crocker, free trial coupon, surprisingly the family loved as hardly any left over) and the broccoli was frozen (I did have to cook it and of course put a little bit of margarine on it - no trans fats though) but it was a perfectly acceptable meal. The only left overs were just enough to make me a lunch to take to work tomorrow in the hopes that I am able to make it all day.

Time now for more cough medicine, a nice warm bath, and a breathing treatment. Then hopefully some much needed sleep.

I am tired of being sick

I wasn't able to go to work yesterday, just felt way to bad. But, I managed to sleep away the morning then use the afternoon time to finish up my classwork for the computer class I am taking. It feels good to be finished. Don't know if this will work, but am going to try and insert my final project, a power point presentation, on the page. Here goes.

Okay, it didn't work. If anyone knows how I can insert it on my blog, please let me know.

Here is how brilliant I am. I went to the store, saw Shrek 3, bought it and brought it home. Got home, found out we already had it. So, back it went to the store. Thankfully it had not been opened. Instead of a cash refund, they refunded the money back on to my credit card, so I went surfing for quilty things and found the much loved Piecemakers Country Store quilt site. I did it, like the commercial says, I gave in to my inner desires, I bought the Piecemakers 2008 Calendar called Times and Seasons. I just love their calendars, each with a pattern for a block each month with the option to make just the block and really embellish it or make the blocks up for the quilt. Click on the link and see it, along with the other years. I have a small collection of the calendars, always with the best of intentions to make them up. This is the year for this one, I can feel it in my bones.

Surfing the sights was such a mixture of emotions for me. I did a search of the Yahoo groups for various interest and joined several groups, some familiar, some totally new. Then I surfed for free BOM sites, pretty disappointed as the search engine kept listing quilt stores that were selling the block kits. But, I did find some really wonderful inspiration out there which was bittersweet. It really gave me the old itchy quilty work the fabric bug, which was exciting to feel once again. It was so maddening because I know I can't just sit down and start working on something until after the holidays. However, it is something to look forward to.

I also found some wonderful blogs out there. Way too many to list at the moment, but one sight I just have to mention. Go to Sunshine’s Creations to see some great quick and easy little tree ornaments. The simplicity makes them so elegant and charming. I may just have to make some up in the coming months and pack them away for next Christmas.

Okay, I have procrastinated long enough for this hour. I need to go figure out something for supper. It is not a lack of ingredients, my pantry and freezers are packed to near bursting, I just am so tired out from the pneumonia that I just don't want to stand in the kitchen. Not to mention that everything taste kind of off and nothing even sounds appealing, except for the new Banana Strawberry Smoothie Shake from Carl's Jr. which I do not need.

Until next time.

Day One

Okay, I admit it is a bit silly to start a blog at the end of the year, especially for someone that is so busy and so ill at the moment. HOWEVER...I am using my down time, in spurts, to get set up for jumping back in to my beloved hobbies. OH HOW I HAVE MISSED THEM.

I work full time, and brilliant me decided to go back to school for my accounting degree, so have not been able to work on any of my projects for over a year. Insane as it sounds, I have felt really off balance about it and have decided to do something about it. In other words, I am taking next semester off from school to work on my extreme number of UFO's.

I had some wonderful blogs up and running, one for quilting, for crazy quilting, for embroidery, and for crocheting. In a total lapse in sanity I pitched a little temper tantrum and deleted them all. Lost forever they are now. MAN WAS I STUPID! At any rate, I am starting over. Instead of trying to keep up several different blogs, this time around I intend to just concentrate on this one. So, it will be a potpourri of different techniques and mediums.

It will be more active after the first of the year, so check back often. I need to get finished with my classes, through the holidays, and over this blasted pneumonia. Eventually I will have links back up on my blog sight to share with everyone that is interested of all the places I find interesting.

Of course, my first project will be to clean up the sewing corner so it can go from classroom to workroom once again. I cannot even get to my sewing machines, my supplies, or even know what supplies I actually still have.