MarylandMama

2011-05-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

A large job.....but one willingly done. This is one of the last quilts pieced by Greg. It had been quilted but Pat was not happy with the quilting so she picked it all out and asked me if I would re-quilt it for her. I approached this job with some trepidation. Greg was an expert quilt piecer...such an eye for color and design. I just used a meandering stitch through most of the quilt. Since it had already been bound it was a little tricky. I pinned it onto the frame but couldn't use the meandering stitch all the way to the outside edge of the quilt. When I finished I did a simple freehand of loops and leaves around the outer set of blocks. I never got the full effect of the quilt until I spread it out on the floor to photograph it. Just a label to attach and then it can go home to Ohio.

2011-04-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

CATS are funny creatures. I made this lovely blue satin pillow for Brady...he slept on it a few times and now completely ignores it. I bought him the cushy red furry pillow...he never slept on it, but an old piece of Styrofoam destined for the dump and what does he do?

Anything new in his environment has to be sat on or slept on at least once...sometimes more.

Now, I have read everyone's posts, had my breakfast, drank my coffee...discovered some unclaimed property for DD's in laws, am fluffing the laundry so I can hang it up and move some to the dryer and put in the last load so I have no excuse for not going upstairs and working on the quilting frame. My order of thread came in this morning. Who knew that something that cost so much money could come in such a small box? I always order two of any color so that I have one spool to fill the bobbin while I am quilting but I messed up and only ordered one spool of the grey thread that I needed to do a quit for Pat. Now I have a choice of filling some bobbins in advance or ordering another spool of grey. Since I have three quilts waiting I may opt for ordering another spool. I got the King Tut thread....just love it even though it is pricey....but, it works well on my machine and a spool goes a long way with 1000 yards per spool. No hobby is cheap.

2011-03-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Springtime in Sudlersville. I helped Gary clean a bit in the yard today. I am finding that at my age, I have to do it a bit at a time. We worked on the area that is visible when I look out the window of my sewing room. There was lots of stuff there that had been moved out of the way when they were putting on my new deck and just never seemed to find a home thereafter. These stones were left over when they were removed from around some flower beds that are now covered by the new deck (picture to follow soon). I decided that we could put them around the area near the fence that was never mowed anyway...no grass and too many plants, etc in the way. I particularly like this area...the big chunks of wood in the center are pieces of the maple tree that grew in our back yard but had to be removed a few years ago. We put them to one side so that I could perhaps use them on the lathe....well, they are so heavy that I need someone to come and cut them into smaller chunks with a chain saw but in the meantime the ivy has grown over them and leaves fallen in and around them, then the daffodils came up and I just think this reminds me of a little woodland area so I just leave it as it is. Gary wants to till up the area in the flower beds and 'fluff' up the mulch...he may do that in one flower bed but not this one. I like it as it is.

2010-10-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, Nina, I am slow but I eventually get things done. These are the patchwork balls I made. I really enjoyed it while I was doing it...I made several diffrent sizes and just stuffed them with polyfill. I used a chopstick to stuff it in there and just kept pushing and pushing more and more in until it seemed tight enough.

2010-09-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

For All the Kiddies in the family.

Like Nina, I make my applebutter in a crockpot. I only have one crockpot, but it is a big one. Last year I got lazy and bought some big jars of applesauce to make my applebutter. If the apples grew in my backyard, I might have felt guilty but they do not, so I do not (feel guilty). The applebutter still tastes better than that stuff from the supermarket.

When I was young, Mom used to borrow a copper kettle from a neighbor to use to cook the applebutter. I remember, when I was about 12 years old, standing in the yard stirring the applebutter with the long handled stirrer. The stirrer looked much like a hoe with the 'hoe' part much longer so it would reach down to the bottom of what looked to me like a huge pot. Mom would put pennies in the bottom of the pot and stirring them around kept the applebutter from scorching. I guess she must have counted the pennies that she put in the bottom and made sure that none of them went into the jars of applebutter...wouldn't want to 'can' one of those pennies. After all, in those days you could but a piece of candy for a penny. One summer she went to the neighbor's house to help her make applebutter. I am thinking that several neighbors gathered there to help peel the apples, cook them down into applesauce and then stir the applebutter until it was cooked down. That was before we built the house on the hill so I was less than 12 years old and I was left in charge of the three younger sisters. Andy was older so he took care of himself. I can remember that Mom was gone most of the day and got home just before suppertime. She was more than a little miffed that she has worked all day helping the neighbor make all that applebutter..I think more than 50 quarts and was not offered even 1 quart for helping. When she borrowed the pot to make her own applebutter not a person came to lend a hand. When we lived 'off the hill' there was a cellar dug into the hill behind the house with a smokehouse over the cellar. Three side of the cellar were underground. Daddy had built shelves on three sides and the floor was dirt with a doorway in the front. Mom would sit in there and peel apples for applesauce or applebutter. It was cool and she would tell stories to entertain us while she peeled. I was the oldest but still not old enough to help with the peeling and she had only a knife...no handy little applepeeler like we have now. To seal the applesauce or applebutter, she would use a water bath...now this was not a pot on the stove but a washtub set up on blocks in the backyard with a fire underneath to keep the water boiling. The tub would hold about 20 quart jars at a time and we would have to keep the fire going until the time was up. There were several acres of property along with the little house that we rented and several fruit trees on the property. Mom canned all summer long...either from her garden or from fruit and berries that came from that little farm. Sometimes Andy and I picked berries and sometimes I watched the munchkins so Mom and Andy would pick. She canned over 80 quarts of blackberries one year. I only picked those blackberries near the house...I wasn't allowed to pick in the big patches on the hill because of the blacksnakes that inhabited them. Your great-grandmother was an amazing person.

2010-09-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

A tiny quilt for a tiny person. This is a quilt made in a hurry for a baby shower. I don't think I will use this process again to make tumbling blocks. I strip pieced t and it is not exactly straight. I like those squares that can be cut precisely and the end product is much more to my liking....but it is done. I made it large enough for a newborn but small enough to be used as a doll quilt later. I got up this morning and even created a gift bag because I had no box to fit and all my gift bags were for Christmas.

2010-08-21T06:25:00.001-07:00

Now this may not look like much but you should have seen it before. I spent the entire day sorting and organizing (and labeling) the tubs of fabric scraps in my sewing room. I had this idea in the beginning to put like scraps in the same tub...2 1/2 inch strips, squares, etc. Well the tubs were not labeled and the pieces didn't always get into the correct tub so I took care of it yesterday. Now perhaps I will be more inclined to work in there.

2010-08-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I either heard or read somewhere that 'quilting is not an art, it is a science' and I believe that is probably right. Even though a quilt might end up as a work of art, it requires a lot of math to create it. This is a block from the quilt on which I am working at the present time. It is from Bonnie's Quiltville site and I chose it because of the name of the block "Weedwhacker". DH had lost the gas cap from his weedwhacker for the umpteenth time when I was looking at patterns and trying to decide what to do with the fat quarters that Pat had given me quite a few years back. You can detect the mistakes when you take a picture of the block and look at it on the computer. I am NOT going to take this apart to correct it but will be more careful in the future. I am thinking of creating a design wall since I am a bit too old to crawl around on the floor laying out the blocks.

2010-08-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Fun times 2..... Dear Granddaughter in law has a friend who is expecting twins in October.

DD asked if I was interested in making a couple of quilts for them. I thought it would be good practice for me in using my new friend Lizzie. All finished after quite a few bumps along the way. I am beginning to think all those bumps are just part of the learning curve.

2010-05-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this picture to me. It was entitled 'Snowy Spring'. Quite aptly named wouldn't you say. I am sorry to say that my daffodils and other springy flowers are bloomed and gone for another year...how sad.

2010-03-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

You know how you sometime think you are finished only to discover you are not. I made this little hanging to put at the bottom of the stairs and was delighted to get it on the wall only to discover that I had skipped quilting the upper left corner. Oh, well, the unfun stuff like putting a sleeve on the back and binding is done so I can take it down and finish the quilting at my leisure since it was done on my Bernina and not the Tin Lizzie.

2010-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

Another day, another wall hanging. I really need to get started on making the quilts I would like to make for my grandchildren but these little wall hangings are such fun to do. From start to finish I can have it on the wall in a couple of days. I love the fact that this one just happened to turn out the right size for the hanger I found at the quilt shop. I call this one Buttons and Bows.

2010-02-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

I actually do finish a project sometimes. This one I made for my SIL's grandson. I mailed it out before I remembered that I hadn't photographed it full length. We could do that but DH would have to get on a chair to hold it up for me. I do have a rod upstairs that I can hang quilts to photograph but it involves getting on and off a chair very near the top of the stairs and I don't trust my equilibrium any more.

2010-02-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

This is the little table and chairs on my back deck. Anyone want to join me for a cup of tea?

2010-02-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Judy's quilt

This is the quilt I made for my DSIL since she had never had a quilt of her own. I will find it hard to part with it because it is like one of my babies but since I said from the beginning it was for Judy I will give it to her. I am thinking though that I should make a small quilt for her one and only grandson to go with it since she lives with them most of the time. I quilted this one with a regular machine on my new quilting frame. It is about 60'x66' but I could do a bit longer than that using my machine. I would have made this a bit bigger but I used all the fabric in the jelly roll and had to stop. I was thinking that I needed some plaid fabric so I could so a Lil Scottie quilt but didn't want to go out to get it and then DH wanted to go to Dover. I have been hinting to him to get a snow blower and I think the hint finally took root.

2010-02-01T05:40:00.000-08:00

Crumb Topping

I really like this quilt made of all the little crumbs of fabric left over from other projects. I decided I would do as my BIL used to do and use gray as sashing. I had no idea just how difficult it was to find gray fabric. I guess Greg and I must be the only ones who like it. Nines was right...this is a whopper of a quilt. The quilting is beautiful, Nines. Hopefully someday I might come close to quilting as nicely as you do. Would you believe I got the binding done in two days....most of it in one evening. I love the fact that it is big enough to use as a bedspread. Sometime soon I need to make a new dust ruffle....perhaps white The pillow topper was quite large enough to cover the pillows and tuck under, making it look like a bedspread. Those crumbs are accumulating again in my tableside crate....guess I will have to make another crumb quilt sometime. I have a couple of blocks done....such fun when you want to take a little break from other stuff.

2010-01-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

I needed something to put on top of my jelly cabinet to protect it from scratches when I set things on it. Now I don't want to set things on here and cover up my giant crumb block.

2010-01-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

WHEN WEATHER HANDS YOU WARM TEMPERATURES IN WINTER make your own snowflakes. I am really enjoying the sewing since I can no longer carve. Actually, I am not sure that I can no longer carve. I am just having so much fun sewing that I haven't even tried carving for over a year now and I imagine it will be while yet before I try. I have a LOT of fabric to use up...and lots of patterns I want to try out.

2009-11-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

This one is for you, Nines. Yours is not the only cluttered room in the hemisphere. I have two rooms and the one upstairs is worse than this. Do you think it could have been an inherited gene. As you can see the frame takes up much of the room so I am really going to have to organize this mess. Gary and I started...he helped me move my big heavy took chest and move the TV to the top of the book case then it was up to me to organize. It took the two of us about 8 hours to put the frame together. I tried a sample piece on Friday afternoon. The most difficult part was putting the piece in the frame. I think the best I can do with the machine I have will be some freehand wandering stitching. I can to sprays of leaves and loops and whirls right not. I have to operate the foot pedal and the hand bars at the same time...almost like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. Your Uncle Gary came in this afternoon as I was stitching together a wall hanging and wanted to know if I wasn't going to use the quilting frame any more...told him I need to make something before I can quilt it. I just stuck in the set of shelves to show I had made progress. Actually I got rid of some stuff, exiled stuff to other areas in the house so that I now have room to move around. I think I am going to love it. Next on my list....organize the room upstairs.

2009-11-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

I know this is not my normal Christmassy thing but hey, I needed something more in the fall line for the Thanksgiving dinner. This one was fun to do....just a little paint and some leaves gathered in the park. It was a learning experience for me printing on fabric but I like it. The accents are little copper wire spirals. I may try something else along this line.

2009-11-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS is one of my favorite times of the year. I just love giving things to people.

This is the table runner that I made for my daughter. I will give it to her this week so that she can enjoy it during the Christmas season. It was such fun to do and took only two days to complete which is a record for me. I think it would have taken less time if I had my quilting frame set up,.

I called the store this morning and the frame is in. DH and I will go down and pick it up this afternoon after he gets back from taking his truck in for the recall. I am so excited...hope it is not too difficult to assemble. If so, I may have to draft some of the mechanically talented men in the family to help out.

2009-11-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

QUILT, QUILT, QUILT....the more you sew, the more you want to sew, so YOU SEW MORE, making you want to sew more...get the picture.

Since my hands don't seem to want to let me carve any more I have turned my studio into a second sewing room...this one on the first floor.

This is my Christmas Card holder....wonder if I will get enough cards to fill it this year. I haven't sent any for a couple of years and promised myself I would send one to each and every person who sent me one. I recently had my computer worked on...after a nasty worm or some such thing took over...and in the process lost all my addresses. Oh, well, such is life, right. DH came in as I was putting the finishing touches on this project and wondered how many of these I was going to make....ONE, I think...lots of applique and lots of steps from start to finish.

I have finished a Christmas table runner....almost. It is ready to be quilted and I may just do that this evening because I have the fabric ready for the next table runner....see what I mean, the more you sew the more you want to sew...sort of like feeding a habit.

2009-11-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get started on a project that I really want to do and then decide that I don't like it much at all. That was not the case with this table runner. Sometimes it was frustrating and parts were difficult. More than once I picked something out and began anew because I was not satisfied with what I had done, but I was determined to persevere and finish this job. All while I was doing this I was planning another similar one in my head. I think I could greatly simplify the project and still come out with a pleasing finished project.

2009-07-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

FINALLY finished. I am finally finished piecing the crumb block quilt. I loved doing it but as my son once said about his 4 years at a military academy, "It is something I am glad I did but will settle for having done it once. This particular quilt is about 8 feet wide and 9 feet long and that will be the last really big quilt I make for a long time. I just love it though and the colors (when I get a new bedskirt) will be great in my bedroom so everyone take note, this is mine. Right now I am focusing on smaller projects like table runners which I can quilt on my machine.

2009-04-17T06:23:00.001-07:00

Starry Night

I finally finished the lap quilt I started over a year ago. It was a paper piecing project and I had finished 9 of the 12 blocks before I found a more efficient way to complete a block. The first blocks were each done in a day.... it did not take the entire day but after sewing each seam, then pressing and situating the next piece of fabric, trimming the sections and assembling them I was usually tired of sewing after completing one block. The last 3 blocks I completed in a couple of hours. I think I can quilt this one on my machine...simple quilting in the ditch if I can get it assembled and pinned. Wish me luck. I was considering another border of the blue outside the black border...opinions, anyone?

2009-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

This a picture of my newest gadget. It is a sprouter. I am using it to grow sprouts. Before I grew them in a jar which required that I rinse and drain the sprouts twice daily. With this machine I put the seeds in the trays and it automatically mists them at preset intervals during the 24 hour period. I just need to add water to the reservoir each morning. Then I move each tray of sprouts one place to the left after rotating each tray from back to front. If the machine were smaller I could put it on the kitchen counter and put some sort of splitter on the faucet so that the reservoir would be filled automatically but I really don't have room on my kitchen counter and besides I would have to change my faucet out and I really like my faucet so we opted to put it on a table in my studio. Gary had two aerogardens in there with my sprouter. Right now he is growing mega-cherry tomatoes and green beans. These sprouts are 4 days old and will be ready to be harvested tomorrow. We will eat them either on sandwiches or in salads. What I have growing here are alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts and triticale sprouts.

2009-03-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. My daughter-in-law and I are going to Baltimore to see RIVER DANCE. I have seen them on TV and always wanted to see them in person. DH does not like this sort of thing so I could never depend on him to take me. I mentioned it the last time we had dinner with my son and his family and my daughter in law offered to go with me. Evidently my son is like his father when it comes to stage productions. I know I will be tired this evening but it will be worth it.

I went yesterday to physical therapy for my hands. Lots of questions asked, measurements taken and joints tested. After that I had my hands dipped in hot paraffin which is great. I have one of the machines here at home and use it infrequently. I may use it more after this. I have a few exercises to do at home and will go to therapy 3x weekly for the next two weeks..after that, I don't know...I guess it will be if I still need it. The physical therapy is supposed to help me regain the dexterity in my hands.

2009-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is another day with little or no improvement but I am determined not to let it get me down. I managed to get my shower by myself this morning right down to dressing myself. I felt like this was a good start. I managed to mix up a meatloaf and put it in the crockpot. After that I had a bite of breakfast and started in on the laundry. My fifth load is in the washer and I would imagine the things in the dryer are ready to be cared for. Baked my hubbie some cookies that he requested. By that time the fingers were complaining so I took a break and read for a while.

This afternoon we have to take the cat to the vet for some booster shots...I am sure he will like that. He loves to ride in the car is we let him out of the carrier but I am not up to carrying him so he will just have to go in the carrier todayprobably complaining all the way.

Saw a hand specialist on Friday but my problem was not one that he could alleviate so I will wait until the 11th of March when I see the rheumatologist. I am determined to find someone who can diagnose the problem and fix it.

2009-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday evening and all is quiet here. I have dosed myself with some Aleve so I am feeling pretty good. I sat down at the computer to check my e-mail and found a note from 'America's Test Kitchens'. This is a site that I really like. It is connected with the Cook's Illustrated magazine which I also love. On the web site I can watch cooking videos. I believe the supscription fee was something like $19 per year and I can watch the videos as often as I want to. This evening I learned to make French Chicken in a Pot, French Onion Soup, Garlicky Shrimp, Crispy Pork Chops, and Blueberry Pie (that does not run). I may try the porkchops for dinner tomorrow. I may have to go back and watch the video again...somehow or other I don't seem to retain things like I did when I was much younger, but I don't mind watching it again since they fast forward through the time consuming parts of the process.

2009-01-31T17:57:00.000-08:00

My dear sister has this site listed under her links as "My Sis, the Carver". It has been two months since I have been able to hold a carving knife. Somehow it seems much longer than that. I try to keep busy doing the small things that I am able to do with the limited use of my hands. You never know how much you treasure something until it is taken away from you. I am optimistic that soon we will find a doctor who can correctly diagnose the reason for my problems and find the solution. In the meantime, my dear husband is taking good care of me doing things that I never thought to need help with. He is getting really good at putting on my socks and refuses to let me lift anything....like I could. I am looking forward to being able to carve again.

2009-01-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, the end of another week and I have accomplished very little. Tomorrow is generally the day I go to Weight Watchers but this week will be a bit different. Whatever is bothering my wrists, hands does not really allow me to function until about 11:00 or 12:00 noon. I am quite sure that there is no way I could get up, shower and make myself presentable in time to attend any class. Not to worry, there is a class at 12:00 noon on Wednesday which should be perfect. I had great plans for this morning. Thought I would get up and work on the crumb blocks for my next quilt top but morning brought enough pain to put an end to that notion. We will see what tomorrow brings.

2008-12-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Must be time for Christmas because the Christmas cactus is blooming. I was really surprised because I usually have difficulty with these plants. I have a smaller one that I have had for years that seldom blooms when it is the right season and it has stayed small and has only a few blooms on it. This is a plant given to me by one of the people who were painting out house after the fire. She brought it in and it was quite cold. All the blooms soon fell off the plant within a week or so...possibly it got chilled taking it from car to house. I read up on the care and tried to do what it said but frequently forgot to water it but evidently the plant didn't care because it has lots of blooms right now and lots more buds. Even the small cactus has a few buds.

2008-12-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is another warm day in December...a bit of a novelty for us. We have a rather temperate climate here most of the year but 62 in December is a bit unusual. We did a little of Christmas shopping this afternoon and it was difficult to know what to wear. I opted for a light jacket which was fine outside but I had to remove it in the store. Funny, isn't it...when I was young I would shop and run out of money before I ran out of energy. Now that I have a bit more money to spend I find that the first thing I run out of is energy. I have decided that this year I will give each person one 'bigger' gift instead of lots of little ones....that way I will finish sooner. I am even decorating my tree in stages...hope I finish before Christmas.

2008-12-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

What a way to begin the Christmas season. I am not totally sure just what is wrong but I suspect either tendonitis or carpal tunnel My dear sister tells me that diabetics are prone to carpal tunnel. I do have an appt with my doctor later this month and will either find out from him what I have or he will send me on to a specialist. Either way, I will just deal with it until I see him. I definitely want to remember my bedtime ibuprofen. That makes mornings bearable which this morning definitely was not. Seems about the only thing I can do without a lot of discomfort is to type which is probably part of the present problem.

2008-12-04T03:19:00.000-08:00

CONFUSED is what I believe is the problem for this 'Christmas' cactus. I was given this plant by a lady who was a member of the crew repainting the interior of my house after the fire. This was just before Christmas of 2007. The plant was absolutely stunning when she brought it in to me but within a few days all the blooms had fallen off. I am thinking that getting it from the store to the car and from the car into my house chilled the plant causing it to lose the blooms. I repotted it from the little plastic pot and more or less forgot it. I was afraid I would kill it because I would forget to water it but evidently that is what it liked because it is full of buds now and should be in full bloom within a few days. Does it think it is a Christmas cactus or a Thanksgiving cactus? Whatever, it will be beautiful.

2008-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

A FAVORITE PLACE I guess everyone has a favorite place. I have several but this is one of my favorites.This is my studio where I started the fire last year that completely destroyed it. What you are seeing is the studio after some wonderful contractors finished their work. I love to carve and paint in here. It is such a calm, soothing color and the morning sun shines in one window and the afternoon shines in the other. As you can see my painting table is a bit cluttered but that is just a sign that I have been hard at work. I don't see any time in there until after our family Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday but after that I will be free to return to this sanctuary and create to my heart's content.

2008-11-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

MY HOBBY at the present time is carving. I have been at this hobby for 5 or 6 years now. I have in my lifetime had many hobbies and still putter around in many of them but most of the time is spent in carving songbirds. This is a little black capped chickadee perched on a snow covered pine cone with some evergreen branches. I have finished the carving since I took this picture and in the process of painting the carving. Picture will follow when I finish. Will tell a bit more about other hobbies at a later time.

2008-10-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Long Stemmed Roses?

I have heard of long stemmed roses but this is a little ridiculous. DH and I were pruning the rose bushes and this is the stem that I cut from the plant in my back yard. The 'cut' bottom is resting on the ground and I cannot reach the two roses on the top of the stem. That is those two little pink things above my hand. I only put this picture on here because no one seems to visit this site so people won't see how chubby I have become.

2008-08-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 18, 2008

Creature from Gourdville
I was looking through my pictures and came across this one. This is a 'creature' that I made using a gourd, come beading, wire sculpture and a few beads. Don't you just love it...I really did. It is one of the last few things I had just completed before a fire destroyed my carving studio last fall. I am sorry to say that this little creature was a casualty of the fire. Maybe someday I will create another.
Posted by Isobel at 3:46 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, March 4, 2008

2008-08-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Then and Now
A PICTURE is worth a thousand words and since I don't have time for a thousand words, then I should use a picture. Besides I would rather look at pictures anyway, expecially when there is such a dramatic difference. In just a few months we went from what you see in the center to what you see abpve amd below. This is such a pleasant place to work....when I get back in condition to work in there. In the meantime you will notice that one window blind is rolled up...that is so that the cat can sit and drool over the birds at the birdfeeder outside the window. You may also notice his 'cave' under the table. He loves to hide in some little hole....usually where he is not supposed to be.As soon as I thought I was ready to go back to class the doctor sent me to therapy for tendonitis and bursitis. Now that I am all better, my instructor is in the hospital having a triple or quadruple bypass (this morning) so I imagine it will be a bit of time before class begins again. Guess I will just have to putter along on my own.On Friday (past) I worked diligently to complete the legs on a bird I had carved before the fire so I could put it on a base and enter it in the competition only to find after re-reqding my letter that the competition is not until the first weekend in May...oh well, March..May...I had the first letter right...does that count for something?I am supposed to be making a spreadsheet and writing paychecks but this seemed like a good way to put that off. When I get the spreadsheet done I am off to work in the sewing room for a bit.....soooooo I guess I should get to work.

2008-08-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

YUM!!!

What can I say, even I can bake a decent apple pie. This is actually a better pie for me than a regular apple pie, even if I do go the sugarless way because it has no bottom crust. In this recipe the apples (Golden Delicious and Johathans) are partially cooked in a little butter and then covered with a mixture of 1/2 cup of apple cider (or juice if cider is not available) 1/3 cup of maple sugar, 2 TBS lemon juice and 1 TBS cornstarchand 1/8 tsp cinnamon in an ovenproof skillet (stir to coat apples). The crust is laid right on top of the apples in the pan, brushed with egg white and sprinkled with 2 tsp sugar. Cut the crust into sections so the juice can bubble up in between and pop it into a 500 degree oven for 20 min or until the crust is brown and crisp. Check after about 16 min to see that the crust does not brown too much. This makes one of the best apple pies I have ever eaten. Now I only eat it on the day it is baked, preferrably when it is warm and the crust is crisp.

2008-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Fun For One

Well all you folks out there in Indiana and just having too much fun so I will just have to create my own fun. I went to a wonderful quilt shop when I was in Staunton, Va for my granddaughter's college graduation (No, I don't have any pictures because I forgot the camera at home.) I picked up this wonderful book on patchwork puzzle balls and I have been having fun. I discovered that this is one thing best done by hand. For some reason the pieces all go together a little easier when done by hand. The patchwork part is easy to see, the puzzle part comes in just how the pieces are all put together, rather like fitting a puzzle together. You have to make two halves and then put the halves together. If they are not put together exactly like the book shows, you get some pretty interesting results. I had one that was supposed to be a ball but because I was off just one cut side when putting the ball together when I turned it inside out to stuff it, there was a strange resemblance to 'Sputnik'...one of the earliest space ships for you younguns'. These balls are a favorite of the cat....I try to keep most of them away from him...don't figure the teeth and back claws would be beneficial for the balls. I am still looking for my really big shallow basket that I made, thinking that it would be the perfect place to display the balls. When DH and I were motoring home from VA he asked what I had bought from the quilt shop and I was describing the balls. He asked me why I was making them. For the past 15 years it seems that almost everything I made was for the crafting business but since I closed that business, I was able to finally say, "Just because I want to make them."

2008-05-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Visitor from the Planet of the White-Eyed Cats

Now is that a scary picture or what. This cat belongs to DD...she is getting up there in cat years but a real sweety. She was recently clipped. Brenda is a long haired cat and DD has her clipped a few times per year. I should mention that Brenda might benefit from a few times at the gym or on the treadmill. To say that she is overweight is being kind. I think she must weigh 15 or 16 lbs. Now imagine that with 3-inch hair standing out all over. She literally looks like she is waddling when she walks from her pillow the the food bowl. She actually does not eat all that much...she just gets zero exercise. Something I never noticed before (with hair) is that her tummy literally hangs down when she stands up...from the back looks somewhat like a cow's udder. I try and try to take pictures of cats and I really believe that they do not like to have their picture taken. My own cat squinches his eyes closed when his picture is taken. Brenda usually turns her head. Now I could fix those eyes if they were red eyes, but 'white' eyes. I sort of like it....makes her look a little possessed....suppose she is a witch's familiar?

2008-04-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

A DAY AT THE BEAUTY SHOP would do any female good...don't ya think? This is Linda or should we say 'Little Miss Priss'? No she is not my dog, she belongs to DD. She is a sweet dog but in the spring she starts to shed some of her winter coat...guess she can't just take it off and hang it up like we do. DD is very fond of her animals and takes wonderful care of them. Linda had her day at the beauty shop where she was clipped, bathed and adorned with a sweet pink kerchief. DD said she was so happy and content when she came home. Normally when her fur is grown out she is a strawberry blonde...never knew there was all that white fur under there. DD also takes her long-hair cat to be clipped a couple of times a year. Now Brenda is a little funny looking when she is first clipped. Will search for a picture.

2008-04-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Life is so hard. I have worked so hard chasing toys around dropping balls of hair under the tables and in general rearranging all the rugs, etc that I just need a nap. This sunbeam seems like the perfect place to snooze. I have to be rested up so that when the Mister comes home I can show off again.

2008-03-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

I AM BACK in the business of carving at least a little at a time. This is a bird I has started before the big fire and I managed to get it finished. I love my new work space...it is quite conducive to creativity.

I will be doing all creating on my own for a while. I missed a lot of classes when we were recovering from the fire and then spent several weeks in therapy for tendonitis and wouldn't you know, as soon as I was finished and about ready to return to class my instructor had a heart attack. He has had bypass surgery but will be out of the teaching business for a while. I am using the time to catch up on some sewing and other little things around the house.

Good to be back.

2007-12-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Learn again......that is what one has to do when one stays away from a site for so long. You won't believe how long it took me to finally post this picture. I wanted those of you who may visit my site to see the younger sibling of the table shown on Teelside Mama's site. I am happy to be the owner of this piece of artwork and I truly do consider it that. It is way more than a mere table. Andy has magic in his fingers and in his ability to see what is within each piece of wood. If you look closely you will see that the top of this table is a smaller version of the tabletop DS shows. Don't you just love it?

2007-09-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Volunteers....That is what I call these lovelies. The cantaloupe volunteered to come up in my flower bed this summer. At first I thought it was a cucumber but when the cucumber started getting really fat, I changed my mind. Now for all the vine and blossoms it created, it has only produced two offspring, this one and a tiny baseball sized one. I wonder if there is enough season left for it to ripen. I will let you know if this one is edible. I am really choosy about my cantaloupe.

The raspberries are only partly volunteers. I actually planted one vine several years ago and it was barren for a couple of years but other little vines volunteered to come up each year. The third year I probably had 25 or 30 raspberries. This year I have probably picked 2 quarts. Next year I may actually have enough to make jam....YUM! Course I have to find some of that sugar-free jell stuff. Oh, well, beggars can't be choosers.

2007-06-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

A New Toy

Everyone loves a new toy. Mine happens to be a new Grain Mill. I knew that Nina ground her own wheat and made really wholesome breads for her family. I have been trying to eat a little healthier and keep my blood glucose under control and that means no white bread. I like whole wheat bread but the commercial flour leaves something to be desired. I find that when using commercial whole wheat flour I must add at least half white flour or the bread will not rise sufficiently to make it edible. By grinding my own I can use whole wheat flour totally and make really tasty bread. I am still experimenting with recipes but made some really good bread today using ww flour that I ground, ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ, sesame seeds, sunflour seeds, honey and molasses. I made 4 loaves. One will stay here, two will go to hubbie's secretary is retiring this year and she likes my bread. The fourth loaf will go to carving class with me tomorrow along with a little Smart Balance and some sugar free jelly. Those men in my carving class will eat anything if it doesn't bite back. Today's bread is the best I have made yet.

2007-06-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Summer's Bounty

Now I know that my dear BIL would think of summer's bounty as those things he reaps from a lovingly tended garden, and he may be right. But I love flowers and this year have spent more time in my flower beds than in past years. This particular flower is part of a hollyhock that my mother-in-law gave me before she passed away. It comes back year after year to remind me of her...all good memories. I also have in my garden a hibiscus that came from my dear sister's garden. I think of her every time that is see it and think how proud she would be if she were here to see it. It usually produces blooms about the size of a dinner plate. On the side of the house opposite these hollyhocks is another plant from my MIL. She assured me that as soon as the first frost came the plant would die off and not come back until the chance of frost is past and so far she has been right. It is nice to have such sweet and beautiful things to remind of those loved ones no longer with us.

2007-06-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

What a Joy...

I just figured out that I can post pictures here the same way I do on the pleonast site. How much easier than the other way I was doing it. This is a picture of my half finished porch. I ran out of paint the first day...about the time I ran out of energy. Got more paint the next day but had a bout with hypoglycemia.....then had even less energy. A little more energy the next day but lots of rain....now I am not complaining...we needed the rain, but rain is not conducive to porch painting. Tomorrow I have to teach my class. Now for anyone who does not know, I teach a "Decorative Painting" class at a senior center near my home. I have just about decided that you cannot teach decorative painting to little 80 year old ladies. ( some are 80 some are a little younger) Now I am not too terribly many years younger than those ladies but I have been doing this for about 30 years so I don't have to learn it. After a few weeks I realized they just weren't going to be able to learn this so I relaxed and we have more of a craft class. We have made decorations, paper beads, gift bags and greeting cards...theirs look similar to mine but they are always happy. One little lady just keeps saying "This card is worth a lot of money!!!"
Tomorrow we are going to finish a card we started last week and then we will attempt to paint a gift bag.

Anyway....back to my porch. I hope to get it finished this week and then I can paint a rug on it. My friend says, "Why don't you just buy a rug?" Well there are a couple of reasons" 1. I like to paint 2. It is cheaper and 3. I don't have to move it to sweep. Will post a picture if I ever get it finished.

2007-05-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Spring, Spring, Spring

Don't you just love spring. Guess you can tell that I do. These are the two flower pots that I bought myself for Mother's Day. If you buy it for yourself you are sure to get what you want. I wanted something in big pots so that I wouldn't have to water them every day.

Thy urns on the top step were given to me by my DMIL before she passed away. It is my plan to paint them so that they will be prettier. The mums in them are from last fall. I forgot to water them and they died. I was about ready to pull them out this spring when I noticed that they were coming back. I have to do something so that I don't have to water them so often....I am thinking...put a sponge in the bottom of the pot to hold some of the water rather than just let it all run out the bottom.

There is now some white wicker furniture on the porch...I know..not in this picture. Now I have to make or buy some cushions and get the floor of the porch painted....I have the non-skid paint all waiting....just need to get a long handle for my roller so that it is not a hands/knees job. Then I am thinking....why not mask off and paint a rug right on the floor......big plans...little energy but I will get it all done.

2007-04-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Success is....

Winning a ribbon on a bird that required so much work. I entered my hawk into the Ward World Carving Competiton. I have been carving for about 5 years and never before had the nerve to enter someting in this competition. I have gone to the competition several times to see the carvings that were entered. Most of them are quite impressive. There are several levels of competition: World Divisions, Masters Divisions, Advanced, Intermediate, Novice Divisions, Lem & Steve Ward Competition, Decorative Smoothie Competition, Youth Competition. Because I am still considered a novice carver, that is the division I entered. Each division is divided into different types of birds, such as songbirds full size and songbirds miniature, etc. My red-tailed hawk is considered a bird of prey. There were 8 miniature birds of prey and mine came in third. I was really happy to get any ribbon at all. The competition there is really stiff.

I started this blog last week and just never finished. I have since entered my bird into another competition, on a much smaller scale than world's. In this competition I won first place in my category and Third Best of Show for all the Novice Miniatures. I do think that I am through competing for the year. Onward to new things!!!

2007-04-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

This One's for Lisa

Here you go Lisa. I know you will like this one though it does not challenge the beauty of your photography. THis was one of the daffodils in my yard. I think they are one of my favorite flowers although I always think that of whatever flower is blooming at the time. Some day I will learn how to post pictures on pleonast. I know it involves Photo Bucket and I have that set up, just haven't mastered downloading them from there to the site. Peni will show me how when she comes to visit and I know we can both wait until then.

The class this morning went well. We made paper beads and strung them alternately with pearls on elastic thread and came up with very cute bracelets. The ladies were especially tickled with them. We just finished making a necklace but the bracelets were much better. The small pic above is a picture of the prototypes I made before class. The ladies chose light colored papers, pastel colors instead of the darker paper I chose to make the paper beads and theirs were lovely. They were delighted and that is all that matters.

2007-03-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

TA DAH!

There it is, my first block to my new quilt. Don't you just love it. I do!! I especialy like the fabrics. This will be only a small quilt, I think 40 x 60. Something pretty to cover up with when watching the tube. I should be able to get it finished by the time cold weather rolls around again. I only have to make 12 blocks plus the border for this one.

I an not going to tackle any more of those king-size quilts again unless I make some really big blocks. One hundred and fifty six blocks are a lot of blocks in a quilt. When I finally get the king-sized quilt finished I will try to take a picture of it. I picked out (with a lot of help from a kindly quilt shop employee) a fabric for a border and backing. I got enough Thimbleberries fabric to make the backing---are you ready? 50% off and it is perfect to go with the border that I picked out. Thank goodness for those helpful people. I have been in a lot of quilt shops and I don't think I have ever found a "grump" working there. Either they find really nice people or working around all that lovely fabric makes them really happy. Either way, I benefit.

2007-03-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yum, Yum, Yum

Candy for the eyes. Don't you just love the colors. I found these wonderful batiks today....left DH sitting in the car waiting for me while I browsed the fabric store. Actually I went in looking for an add-a-quarter ruler which they did not have, so I consoled myself with these fabrics for a new quilt.

Now on the downside. I wasted ab out 20 minutes trying to send this picture to my other computer but the shared documents files do not seem to be sharing too well. I wanted this pic on the other computer because it had this gigantic monitor which is much friendlier to these aging eyes but I guess I will just have to make do with the laptop. I am feeling quite technologically challenged at the present moment. Trying to speed up my aging computer I took off the program which allowed me to download pics from my camera and it actually did speed up things a bit but it looks like I have lost all those seconds saved when using the other computer by trying to send pictures between uncooperative machines....BAH...HUMBUG!!!

Now, I am going upstairs and try my hand at foundation piecing. Tried it before and wasn't too impressed but after watching a demonstration on the quilting show, I am anxious to try again.

I am trying it your way Nines, no prewashing!

2007-02-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

Empty Nest

My nest has been empty for almost 25 years and most of the time it is alright....then favored visitors come to see me and when they leave I have to get used to the quite and solitude all over again.

This weekend my house was graced with the presence of two of wonderful nieces and the husband of one. One niece and her hubby live in OH and it seems there was a spazoo craft show in Baltimore that she want to visit so they came to WV to Becca's house on Thurs, visited the show on Fri. and meandered on to my house from there. Evidently the show was worth coming all that way to see, even though they couldn't afford most of the things there.

What fun to have young people in the house again. I had been practicing staying up a little later each night so that I would not wimp out on them shortly after sunset. I have been staying up and sewing a while each evening. Now I will have to reverse the process so that I go to bed at my normal time. DS and his family came to dinner one evening and DD and her family came to breakfast the next morning. This way each family gets more time to talk and someone like me knows the importance of being able to talk.

They had to leave this morning because Becca has to work at 6:00 p.m. tonight and the other two had to return to OH to work and school. How quiet it is here.

As usual I scurried around doing some crisis cleaning before they came. My house hasn't looked this good in years. Perhaps I can keep it this way......I can dream, can't I? Anyone else want to come visit.

2007-02-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

FP..Scarcities in my House

FP or finished project. I tend to start a project before I complete the one on which I am working. This project is complete. It is a miniature (1/8) sized red tail hawk. It took about 5 months to complete....probably because I only worked on it in class which meets for 4 hours weekly. I began with a blank (rough cut out) of the body and wings. After they are carefully shaped, and sanded to perfection, then the feathers must be drawn in and then burned. The wings and tail are nerve-wracking to carve and burn because it is so easy to bread the end of a feather. They are quite thin on the edges. After getting everything burned to satisfaction then the wings are attached to the body and I was ready to paint. I believe the painting took me about 3 weeks worth of classes. The rocks from which the tree is growing were carved from the same kind of wood as the bird. I use tupelo because it is an even grain and works well with power tools. The base is a little hard to see but I turned it on my lathe of mahogany. I had one partially turned and took it to class to see if the instructor thought it was the right height and diameter. When I put it back on the lathe, I guess I was a little careless with the chisel because the next thing I knew I saw a big chunk fly past my face mask. Now if it is big enough to see when it goes past your face you just know that it made too large a gouge to sand out......so as we say back to the drawing board. Luckily I had cut more than one blank. The dirt around the rocks, believe it or not, is made from glue and sawdust mixed together. It looks just like dirt when it dries.

I am going to be really daring and enter this piece in the world's competition in March. Wish me luck.

2007-02-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Happiness is.................

Happiness is being able to see the print on the monitor without leaning forward and squinting. I have been using the same monitor for about 10 years. Now I have not been using the same computer. I have gone through a couple of computers in that time but when I upgraded, I usually only bought a new tower because my monitor was just 'fine'......I thought. I have found lately that I had to lean forward to proofread things and sometimes squint or tilt my head up to use the bifocals.....ahhh the joys of the golden years. After looking at DD's new monitor I decided that perhaps it was time to invest in a new monitor. I have been thinking about it and researching flat screen monitors online. I shopped in DE and found that the prices online were quite a bit less than the stores. I went in Sam's Club today to get some things and thought that perhaps I would check out their monitors. Found this one for $30 less than the online store and I didn't have to pay shipping or tax (DE has no sales tax). DH and I were setting it up. I read the teeny tiny little directions (one tiny paragraph in English), did what they said and everything was fine with the exception of the fact that the monitor stayed black. They then told me to insert the CD and follow the directions on the screen...HELLO here....what;s wrong with this picture. I was just about ready to box it up and take it back to the store when I remembered that little switch beside the power plug in that I had turned when I plugged in the power cord. I reached up under the monitor and fished around until I found it and turned it again...VOILA!!

We actually did not go to DE to get a monitor today...we went to try to match a scrap of fabric. I finally drug my quilt out that I had begun last year (or the year before) and started putting the blocks together only to discover that I had only one little 1 1/2" square of the fabric that I was using in the sashing at the intersection of the blocks. I would imagine that in my zeal to make postcards, I must have used that fabric. I am almost afraid to check the postcards. Well, I did find some fabric that will work. Not exactly the same print, but batik in the same exact shade so I think it will work. Fly lady needs to get in my sewing room and organize!!! I am not sure there is hope for me.

2007-02-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

Fish Chowder
I could call this blog beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, but Fish Chowder is the name that my DBIL gave this quilt.
This has been a very busy Friday for me. Lots of little jobs kept me busy most of the day. Fly Lady and I managed to move a king-sized bed, 15 minutes at a time. Actually it is two twin beds put together to make a kingsized bed so moving it is doable----just time consumable and a little hard on the back. I was actually only turning it's position in the room but that required dismantling it and turning a section at a time. I wanted to do this because I wanted to display the lovely quilt given to me this past Christmas by my DBIL Greg. Wasn't he a wonderful person to give me such a beautiful work of art. Of course turning the bed meant that I had to finally alter the curtains so that they would fit the window. Rather than cut off all that fabric and wonder just what I could do with it, I just folded and made an exceptionally long ruffle at the top of the curtain. Now all this was done after I had emptied the dishwasher and done three loads of laundry. Actually the last loads are still in the washer and dryer so I guess I shouldn't count them. Anyway, when I finally finished and came down to fix a healthy WW acceptable dinner, I was too tired to eat it. DH finished my stewed tomatoes for me--to my way of thinking, they were the best part of the dinner and I just couldn't get them down. Think I will go back upstairs and treat myself to a little work on my quilt.
I did manage to get a load of laundry out of the dryer and another transferred to the dryer before coming back up here. Sorry I couldn't get a better picture of the quilt. These pictures really don't do the quilt justice. The quilt is on the bed in my guestroom, which is small so it is difficult to get back far enough to get a good picture. This is an absolutely amazing quilt and I had to promise my BIL I would use it before he would give it to me.....so there it is on the guest bed, just waiting for the next guest to come and sleep under it.

2007-01-28T12:19:00.003-08:00

A Good Week

I just hate to post,as my DS calls it, a bald post so I am adding a picture of my weekend purchase. I bought several yards of heat bond that I use in making postcards but was amazed at how quickly I came near the end of my purchase. This time I purchased the entire bolt....now that should hold me for a while. Don't gasp, I used my 40% off coupon at JoAnn Fabrics. When I get another such coupon, I will purchase a bolt of the interfacing that I like to use with the postcards....then I can postcard to my heart's content. I find that each evening, I need to clean the dust and lint from my sewing machine and add a drop of oil to the hook to keep the machine from sounding like Grandpa's old puddle jumper. For those of you too young to know about such things, the Puddle Jumper was an old Model T Ford stripped down somewhat that Grandpa said just jumped over the puddles instead of going through them. Perhaps I can locate a picture of it to post at a later time.

I do believe I am totally addicted to post cards. While I don't have as many in my inventory as DN Nines, I am past 50 andf closing on 100 so I feel a need to find an outlet for them. Thought I would wait until I have 100 to begin looking for that outlet. Family members came up with some good suggestions last evening at out family dinner. We were celebrating DH's 70th birthday--a great time was had by all except the youngest granddaughter who had ROTC and was unable to leave the college campus this weekend.

I thought that I had ruined my good Rowenta iron by using it to press on the bonding material. Sometimes a little would stick over the edge and get on the iron. By the time I noticed it the bottom of the iron looked pretty sad. I used my 'Hot Iron Cleaner' which had worked wonderfully before but it did not touch it. I was afraid I would have to get another iron but my trusty "Barkeeper's Friend" came through for me. That and a lot of elbow grease and muscle ( which is in short supply around here) did the trick and my iron is gleaming once again. The ironing board cover is a little brown though. Guess I really will have to replace that. Oh well, I will worry about that another day....or maybe not.

2007-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

MY TOY

Different toys for different people. To each his own...that is my motto. This is the toy that I use to make lots and lots of sawdust. I am going downstairs in a few minutes to see if I can make a base for the tiny little hawk that I carved. Wish me luck. DBIL makes sawdust in an entirely different way. If he were to find a piece of wood in all that wood that he is splitting that does not have knots or limbs coming out the side, perhaps he would seal the ends of the piece and save it for me and perhaps I would be able to make him something pretty out of his tree for a rememberance.

2007-01-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Nothing Like a New Bag.....

I have been going to Weight Watchers for some time---with some success. When I began I purchased the books and the bag to keep all the materials together. Well, let me tell you, that had to be the UGLIEST bag I have ever seen....black plastic with no handle. Not only ugly but awkward to carry. I eventually quit carrying it...just too much to handle with my purse and coffee. Many times I have needed some of the materials in class so I decided...HEY, I could make something pretty to hold all those materials and VOILA!!! here it is. As you can tell by looking at the bag, I am partial to buttons. I have made several purses and managed to put several buttons on each one. Some people go to the fabric store to moon over the fabrics, I always manage to peruse the button rack and come away with some that I do not have in my substantial stash. Don't you just love this fabric. I bought it a few years ago....probably had something specific in mind when I purchased it but that has since slipped right out of my mind. In the fall I purchased lining fabric to reline a qulted jacket I made DD a few years back. Well, of course, I couldn't find the lining fabric when I was ready to do the jacket so I just cut up some of this and used it. I still have well over a yard left.....have been using some of the scraps for postcards. If ever I find another fabric I like as well, I will probably but a big chunk of it.....I guess I should put a codicil on my will to designate who gets the fabric.

2007-01-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

Don't You Just Love It!

I know I just love this birdfeeder that was one of my Christmas presents. My kids surely know me well. I would say that I love to feed the birds but in truth I love to watch the birds feeding. DH does most of the feeding of the birds. This has been a very popular feeder with the birds this year....at least those that like sunflower seeds. When I opened the package it took me a few seconds to figure out just what this was. It is really hard (firm) and looks like a big pair of mittens holding the birdseed. Adds a splash of color to a somewhat colorless yard this winter.

This has been a particularly productive day if not a particularly enjoyable one. I managed to complete the two tax reports (before they were due, no less), balance two bank accounts, make out a bank deposit, do 3 or 4 loads of laundry and declutter two sections of my desk. (Now I just have to keep it that way)

DH called and requested meat loaf sandwich with mashed potatoes & gravy so dinner was a no-brainer since I had left-over meatloaf. I just love those kinds of dinners....leaves my mind free to wander to other things.

Completed a few pages in the scrapbook I am making for some very special young people.

Well, almost time to go upstairs and make a few more postcards. Laundry is drying and the kitchen sink is shining.

2007-01-09T04:29:00.000-08:00

Don't You Just Love a Clean Yard ?
I finally got the person I like to refer to as "my yard man" back to get my yard ready for winter. I use the term "man" with tongue in cheek. This person has not been a man for too long. He is a good friend of my youngest grandson. I believe they went to high school together and are still good friends even though DGS has gone on to college. I met the young man when he and my grandson came to work on my yard last spring. The young man began a landscaping business when he graduated from high school. The first time the boys worked together and DGS sort of showed him how I liked things done since he had been doing it until he graduated. I am afraid that DH and I didn't do such a good job this summer and taking care of the yard this past summer and it looked like things had run amok. I love the clean look of things, and since he took out the old fence and trimmed back many of the wild bushes, it should be easier to take care of next summer. The little evergreen is the one DH and I planted to replace our wonderful maple that had to be taken down this fall. The tree taken out was near 100 years old. I am hoping this one does not grow too slowly, I would like to see it get a little size on it in my lifetime.

I am going to begin teaching my painting class this morning. I set my alarm and then woke up, thought it was time for the alarm, turned it off and began my morning. I showered, shampooed, etc and when I came downstairs, DH was still here. Seems like I had misread the clock and gotten up an hour earlier than I had planned and I had planned to give myself ample time to get ready and load all my stuff in the car. Well, I did that and more. I already feel the need for a nap.

Now I remember why I retired----it was the mornings!!!!

2007-01-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

Oh NO, A NEW PASSION

My dear, dear niece and also my sister sent me a postcard--one they had made. DD also received one. We gazed and gazed at them pondering just how lovely they were. After wondering about it for a couple of weeks, I decided that I should try making one. I do believe I threw the first one in the trash and tried again--much better this time. The only problem is that they are like potato chips----you can't stop at just one. Mine are nowhere near the quality of DN and DS but they sure are fun.

I was just about to walk out the door to hit the JoAnn Fabric store to see if I could find some of the Fast2Fuse recommended by DN when DH came in. Seems he needed a nap. We are lucky that he has a job that will let him nap when needed. I suppose, like his mom, he will work forever. He calls it his hobby so how could I complain when I have so many myself.

I have a new venture in the works. Next week I begin teaching a beginning Decorative Painting class at a senior center near here. I will be working through Chesapeake Community College--that just means I had to fill out a gazillion forms at the college as well as proving that I am a legal resident of this great country and at the end of the classes, the college will pay me. I will work for a couple of hours per week for 12 weeks. If this goes well, I may suggest they try another class in the fall. I really don't want to be tied up all the time. Gotta have time for my own hobbies.

2006-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

WHATAGIFT!!!!!

Yessir, this is a whatagift. You know the gift you get and say, 'what is it?' 'what do I do with it/?' or What a gift!

This is actually a snow shovel/plow. I like to think of it as a senior citizen, city(town)slicker snow shovel. Who but a senior citizen would need a snow shovel with wheels and who but someone who lives where there are sidewalks could use such a thing.

I always look for something for DH that he might use or even need. After helping him assemble it, I promised that next year I would get him something that did not come in parts---many parts.

In out little town, we are responsible for opening a walkway on the sidewalk in front of out house--or at least that is what they told us. We have always done so and I must say it irks me just a little when I see that one of the town commissioner's sidewalk stays snow covered and he is at least 25 years younger than me. DH opined after assembling it that I could use it--now just how am I supposed to do that when he always warns me to stay inside so that I won't fall? He says it always starts to snow before he gets home from work--personally I think one should wait until it stops snowing before plowing/shoveling.

Now--aren't you glad to see me write about something other than food?

2006-12-24T16:56:00.000-08:00

YUM! YUM! YUM!

Now that is a sight that warms even my heart. In an earlier blog, I showed you my newest gadgets--my Creme Brulee' set. Well, I had to purchase a few more ramekins so that I would have enough for all to have their own dessert. This was waiting on the counter to cool enough that I could cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. (Hope Santa doesn't discover it.) This is one of our desserts for tomorrows family dinner. I say only one because tomorrow I will make a wonderful bread pudding using Pannetone (a sweet Italian bread) with warm vanilla sauce and Lisa is bring a pecan pie. Yes! we will eat something other than dessert but after all, it is Christmas. (I will make the pudding sugar free). For anyone out there who has never eaten Creme Brulee' you simply must. It is really simple to make--there is even a 'lite' version of it although this one doesn't happen to be that. Creme Brulee' is a velvety smooth egg custard that had caramelized sugar on top. I had eaten it before and decided that I should know how to make such a scrumptious dessert. Well, I never imagined it would be so easy. The one above has a little surprise--a bit of chocolate at the bottom. I have two grandsons who learned to caramelize sugar when they were working at the restaurant while they were in high school. Both have volunteered to do the 'torching' for me. Luckily, I just happen to have two torches. Now, I think it is time for this lady to say 'good night'.

2006-12-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

NOT FUDGE
I guess those who visit this site must think I do nothing but cook and some days it feels like that. This is the apple pie DH requested earlier this week. I try to accomodate when he requests because nothing tastes particularly good because of the chemo he is undergoing.
He finished what is hopefully his last treatment for some time just this morning. He went in to have his pump disconnected and the nurse said the results of his CT scan looked good. He will talk with the oncologist in early Jan. and I will surely go with him at that time.

I really did make some fudge today. Yesterday I made 18 lbs. to fill some orders. Now all my orders are filled and I have some to mail out and I took the leftovers to the spa where I sell it. I believe I have made about 45 lbs since the beginning of this month. I will make some for DH to take to his office but I am not sure just how much more I will make. I need to do some math in order to know how to make each of the ingredients run out at the same time. That requires a clear mind and I believe that is better left for a morning rather than an evening. I discovered, while making a double batch of fudge that you can't use spreadable stick margerine (Country Crock, I think) I knew when I mixed in the chips that something was not right. Ever the optimist, I beat in the marshmallow creme and poured it into the pans. When it didn't even begin to set up after 15 minutes, back into the pan it went along with another can of milk and several squares of unsweetened baking chocolate and voila', hot fudge sauce LOTS OF IT. I will share some and use the rest to make DH his favorite 'hot fudge milkshake'.

2006-12-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

Fudge, Fudge, Fudge, Fudge....................

Must be getting near Christmas for there to be this much fudge in my house....no,Nines, I do not eat the stuff...I know it would do me in. Actually, I make fudge and sell it. It started out quite innocently when I gave some fudge to the lady who owns the beauty shop that I frequent. I have been making and giving fudge for years. She asked me if I ever sold it and if so, she would put some in her shop. She seemed to think her customers would be interested. And so it began. Last year she sold almost $150.00 worth of half pound packages of fudge, with nuts, without nuts and peanut butter. This year I had people calling see if I was going to have fudge for sale again. One lady ordered 17 packages of fudge to put in the Christmas boxes she makes for friends. I think the funniest order is the one for 6 packages that I got from one of the WW workers. She is so thin that I am sure she is going to give it as gifts.

Last year I had this really great basket that I took to the Blue Room loaded with bags of fudge. It would hold quite a few bags and I put a big festive bow on top. For some reason I could not locate the basket this year--now it is too big to be put away in a small nook. Perhaps in a fit of downsizing, I got rid of it but for the life of me, I don't remember doing that. I did find a really sturdy basket with a liner at Lowe's that looks really festive when loaded with bags of fudge in neat little holiday cellophane bags. I took up the new basket today and found that all but two bags that I had taken on Friday had been sold.

Funny thing, when I was cutting and bagging the fudge, I tasted each kind and found it waaaaaaaaaaaay too sweet.

Well, only about 6 more batches to make. I do believe that when I run out of marshmallow creme I will just cease and desist from fudge making.

I intended to show a picture of the basket all full of fudge but forgot to take the picture before delivering it to the shop--oh well, another senior moment.

2006-12-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

Timberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

For many years this was a very special tree. When I think of this tree I think of a book by Shel Silversteen. I really loved that book and I really loved this tree but like all good things, it had to come to an end. As with Silversteens tree, ours provided us with shade, a place to climb, shelter for many songbirds and in the end a place to sit.

The tree, a Japanese Red Maple was growing in our back yard when we purchased the house some 36 years ago. It was about 40 feet tall and the trunk was so large that one person could not reach around it. The branches were so full that one could sit under it on a rainy day and not get wet. We often had to trim the lower branches so that we could walk under it. Our children climbed in it and carved their initials in it. Our grandchildren had swings on a branch of the tree and a myriad of bird feeders recently hung from the branches.

On Saturday the mighty tree came down, not by choice but of necessity. It was getting rotten and losing more branches each year. We calculate that the tree must have been 90 to 100 years old or possibly even older.

I really would have liked to watch the arborist take it down but we had to make my weekly trip to WW on Saturday morning and by the time we got home the deed was done.

I don't know if we are going to plant another tree or not. I do know that my laundry room (that faced the tree) is much brighter now. I am sure I will miss it mightily in the summer for the shade it afforded the back of my house--besides, I just love trees.

2006-11-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

The Kitchen Santas......are in the window and hanging all around. I just love Santas--I carve them, I paint them and I collect them. I am getting a little more discriminating in the ones that I collect because the collection is getting too large to be displayed easily in my small house. Up untill about 9 years ago, I just collected Santas to be displayed in the living room or dining room during the Christmas season but I visited DS Karen before Christmas one year and was entranced by her collection of Santas displayed on her kitchen window sill, or the trim around the kitchen, etc. Since her death I have been setting up a display of tiny Santas on my kitchen window sill as a small memorial to her. The collection in the window numbers 37 now plus all the hanging ones in the kitchen. I have a few knobs left so I may add a few this year. The total collection of Santas must number more than 200 now. I have slowed down and tend to collect only the ones that I carve but do not sell and those that resemble hand carved santas. I always say, "No more" but I must not say it loud enough because the collection just keeps growing. I love it though. It always keeps me in the Christmas spirit to see them each time I am working in the kitchen and throughout the house. Ho,Ho, Ho out there.

2006-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

I'm Ready (Almost)

The table is set, the ham is slowly baking in the oven (already sliced), absorbing all the flavors of the pineapple and brown sugar, Jess's 'real' mashed potatoes are keeping warm along side the ham, Soon the rolls will join them to warm. (No Nines, I didn't bake them this time-my friendly neighborhood bakery did it for me) Nichol's green beans are done and for those who eat the brussel sprouts, they are in the steamer awaiting a short steaming before being sauteed in garlic & butter. DH, DSIL and both grandsons love them. I know Pat is having brussel sprout envy. The tea is made and the applesauce raisin cake is waiting to be sliced. DS & wifey will bring the turkey, gravy sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pies and frozen fruit cups (I am saving some of my carbs for those--yum!!) DD & family are bring her famous macaroni & cheese, the dressing and a coconut cream pie----hmmmmm do you think we will have enough dessert? DD also has to bring along some ice since DH is always afraid we won't have enough. People who have an under-the counter icemaker should provide all the ice-don't you think?

If anyone notes that there are Christmas dishes on the table and Christmas napkins along with the fall place mats, this is because #1 granddaughter will not be here for Christmas. She and a college classmate leave on Dec. 6 for a month in England---life is hard, right. I believe her classmate had done a sememter abroad before and they are staying with people she knows there. Guess that is the only way they could afford to do this.

The family will be here soon and it will be noisy and wonderful. I am so blessed!

2006-11-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Sew Pretty

Every now and then I get the urge to sew, when I do not have the urge to paint or carve. Somehow I manage to avoid the urge to clean as one could see when looking at my studio. Anyway, I decided that I wanted some placemats. The first ones I made were blue and white Irish Chair (since part of my heritage is Irish). I actually began those using blocks left over from making a baby quilt--you know, plan ahead. Well, I didn't have enough blue and white mats for my table so I added a few colors. To make a long story short (if that's possible) my DSIL admired them and they matched her kitchen so I gave her all the blue ones. That left me with two green and one orange mat. I began adding fall colors and finally finished the tenth mat this morning. Now my family knows they are always welcome to bring a guest but this time anyone who brings a guest has to give up his/her mat to the guest. Actually I believe there are only going to be 10 of us around the Thanksgiving table and I will be thankful for each and every one of them. I am especially thankful that my DD and DDIL are making a good portion of the dinner. I have organized my plastic bags and tubs w/matching lids so all can take home leftovers. DH will be especially thankful if there are not too many leftovers. I believe that I should start over with the green mats as seed mats and create some for the Christmas table.

2006-11-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Creme Brulee

Even the name makes me want to taste it. I have only eaten it a couple of times but it was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. THis is a pic of my newest gadgets.

On Thursday morning I always to to a carving class. Afterward my friends and I go to a place called Chesapeake Gourmet. This is an amazing store. They have a multitude of wonderful things to use in the kitchen---really nice things. There is an endless collection of cookbooks. One week I bought the Creme Brulee cookbook and read almost the entire thing one evening. Well of course the next time I went back I needed the tools to make this mouth-watering dessert. Most of the recipe call for whipping cream but there was at lest one low-cal recipe in the book. I intend to try many of them. These are some of the ramekins setting in their own little rack awaiting the brulee mixture and the hot water bath. The torch is used to caramelize the special sugar that goes on top. The cookbook even told how to dry brown sugar and mix it with white sugar for the topping. I made that last week. It is just waiting for me to get all the other necessary ingredients. Actually I have some fat-free half and half that I may experiment with this afternoon. DH has requested bacon and tomato sandwiches for dinner and I usually try to accomodate his appetite which some days is nonexistent due to the chemo.

Will let you know how it turns out.

2006-10-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Bread Pudding

I happen to be one of those people who have a definite weakness for bread pudding. I also love blueberries so the combination of two of my favorite foods just has to be satisfying. My DD found this recipe in the paper and tried it. It was so tasty that I asked for the recipe and
here it is. (Explanation--the top part of the pudding is missing because I took it to a friend--the bottom corner is missing because we had to test it before giving some away to make sure it was good)

Blueberry Bread Pudding
(with blueberry-ginger sauce)

Blueberry Ginger Sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1 TBS crystalized ginger of 1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/4 cup water

Combiner blueberries, sugar, ginger and water in medium saucepan. ring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduct heat to low and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Note: do not put a lid on the pot and go to work on the computer, lest you forget the time and the sauce bubbles to the lid and then spits out on everything on the stovetop. You lose part of your sauce and have a really big mess to clean up.

Pudding:

1 1/2 cups sugar (or Splenda)
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping creram
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 16 oz loaf challah or French bread cut into 2 inch cubes. (I had a loaf of Panetone in the freezer that I had been saving and used it---it was wonderful.)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan. In large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add whipping cream, milk, vanilla and nutmet beating until blended. Fold in bread cubes and blueberries. Pour into baking pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Place in oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. To serve, top with Blueberry Ginger Sauce and whipped cream, if desired. Serves 8 to 10.

2006-10-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

You Know You Are Getting Old When…………………

You buy a pizza for dinner and there are 6 of 8 slices left over…..
You find a two-year old mending project given to you by dd…as yet unfinished….
You help take up carpet and are laid up for a week with aches and pains…

I began this about two weeks ago and just got around to looking at it again. I must have been feeling a little down when I began this but I am back up again and the reason is the dear person you see right here. This is my baby sister, Pat. She came to see me and stayed the good part of a week. We had such a good time noodling around and seeing a few of the sights in this area. She was supposed to fly back to Toledo today but the airline cancelled her flight and we were able to get a reservation for a flight yesterday instead of Saturday. I believe her DH was missing her more than a little. She arrived in Detroit only to find that her connecting flight was cancelled, so she caught a cab home instead of waiting out a 7 hour layover. I guess we could not call her a seasoned traveler. I know my DBIL is glad to have her home—just as I was glad to have her here for a while. We tried making Nines’ rolls. This is what we came up with. They aren’t quite as pretty as the ones Nine pictured, but they are rally tasty. I guess with practice, I will get better—It sure is an easy way to make rolls.

We also make this wonderful Blueberry Bread Pudding while she was here. Got this recipe from DD, but I will save that for another time.

2006-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

I am a
Sunflower

What Flower
Are You?

2006-09-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

TA DAH!!!!!!!

I finally finished the Santas. I was beginning to get a little tired of this project. The pieces of the pair are turned separately. They consisted of a head, a body, two arms, two legs, shoes, a base and a hat. In the case of Mrs. Santa, her hat was turned as a part of her head. Mr. Santa's hat was partially turned and finished by carving the spiral. The elves on their hats were also turned but I was able to use tiny shaker pegs for the arms and legs. It took me about a week to turn all the pieces and about 4 weeks to paint. Is it any wonder I got tired of painting. The smaller piece will give you an idea of the detail on them. I am going to paint some turned pieces (no I didn't turn them--I bought them years ago) They are sort of shaped like a pine tree and I will turn them into a tree person that is perched on a little box. I found the pieces in my stash of wood that I keep in Grandpa Brady's trunk and thought perhaps I could finish them in time for the show the first weekend in October. I always do this, procrastinate until August and then work like crazy to get ready. I always say that I am not going to do the show another year and then I do. I hate setting up and breaking down but I love visiting with the people who display at the show and the people who come to look and maybe even buy. Hopefully after the show I won't have these Santas any more because there will be that certain someone who likes them as much as I like them. I want to do another turned Santa but slightly different from this one. He will be a bachelor. Pairs are just too much work.

2006-09-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

And So It Begins…..

I happened to mention to DH that I was going to have CL (my handyman) to take up the carpet before our newly ordered furniture arrived…..first mistake. DH decided that this would be a good weekend job for him, and you know who is his go-fer. You got it, lil “old:” me and this morning I do mean old. I couldn’t let him do this all by himself—it would be just too much to expect one person to do (unless they were much, much younger and they were getting paid to do it). So, being the helpful person I am, I jumped right in. It did not take me long to decide that a person my age should never undertake to remove carpet. But like many jobs, once you begin, you might as well finish the job. By the end of the first day, I was so tired and sore that I showered and literally fell into bed. I was so sore that I couldn't even turn over. Would I ever be able to get up the next morning. I was pleasantly surprised to find few aches and pains the next morning. Now any sane person knows that the pain is usually worse on the second day after stress but evidently I am not totally sane.....so I got right up and right back to it. I was so full of vigor that when going to Lowe's I even purchased enough paint to complete the painting of the bedroom. Upon removal of the 20-something year old carpet we found that the floor underneath was in amazingly good shape...almost enough sand to qualify as a beach...a few small white kitty prints...all that remains of DD's kitty who tracked in white paint and seemingly enough staples to hold down a tent in a hurricane. I can tell you right now that if you miss a staple the floor scrubber will find it for you. I had about 15 to remove after DH had finished. Follow the scrubbing with a floor cleaner and finisher 'as seen on TV (carried only by Lowe's and voila, my new floor.
I woke up in the early a.m. (about 3:00 in such pain--how could a truck get up the stairs to run over me....and how dare it run over my new bed?) I got up...staggered into the bathroom for one of those super pain pills the doctors give you after surgery and staggered back to bed. It simply did not work fast enough for me to go back to sleep so I got up and started carving, thinking this would take my mind off the pain. Well, evidently the thing worked because soon I was downstairs at the lathe--they really mean it when they say you shouldn't operate machinery after taking that stuff. I botched up the base I was trying to turn--big chunks out of it to the point of ruination...so I gave up on that idea and used my trusty router to finish the job. Got the bases for my santas made and sealed before the pill wore off and there I was curled in the recliner in a miserable heap clutching both elbows which feel as though perhaps they had been through one of the old-time wringers on the washing maching.
As DS said about his years at a federal military academy, "Now that this is over it is something I am glad I did, but will settle for having done it once."

The handyman definitely gets to do the dining room and the stairs.

2006-09-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

How Quiet It Is
It is so very quiet in my house...My house is normally quiet but seems even more so when company leaves. I guess that I have company so seldom that I really enjoy them when they do visit.

Older brothers are such special people. This is a picture of the display case my brother made for me to showcase my carvings. It is just too beautiful for words to describe and even more special because he built it for me. I don't get to see much of DB because many miles separate us but we keep in contact through e-mail. I think he has a special talent when working with wood (or almost anything). He is a real artist.

The case is built of red oak with inlays and handles of walnut. The shelves are glass, which we picked up after his arrival and thankrully he was here to install the shelves for me. It is amazing how much better the birds look in this case under the lights.

We had a wonderful visit. He and DH had long conversations in the early a.m. and after DH got home from work and DB and I had long conversations throughout the day and into the evening. We sat and talked and talked and talked and watch reruns of Law & Order in the evenings.

As usual for him, he said his goodbyes before he went to bed and when I woke up this morning my hoiuse was empty. When he wakes up, he leaves---no long drawn out tearful goodbyes. Perhaps that is the easier way to part. I will miss him until he comes back again.

Now that he is gone, I must get back to work, trying to finish my Santas before the craft show.

2006-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

REFLECTIONS
You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was a young girl, just married and embarking on my new life with my husband. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all...
And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is...the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...
How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go? I remember well... seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...
But, here it is...husband retired and he's really gettinggray...he moves slower and I see an older man now. He's in much better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not the one I married who was dark and young and strong... but, like me, his age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things. But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...This I know, that when it's over... I will enjoy the Spring in the arms of my loving Father...and wait for my loved ones to come when their winter is over too. So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Our life is but a vapor, it vanishes away... So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember..."Life is God's gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to God. Make it a fantastic one." LIVE IT WELL!!
~author unknown~

2006-08-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yes Sir! That's My Baby!

I can't believe my youngest GC has gone off to college. I really am not that old---honest! Isn't she a cutie?

This is my beautiful baby (Kris) in her BDU's--I think that is the term to describe what she is wearing. Yesterday she was formally inducted into VWIL (Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership). Her dad told me she is wearing this particular uniform because that is the only uniform that all the girls have at the present time that fits them. I guess they will have dress uniforms at some time. I don't believe she has to be in uniform all the time. What she will be doing is part ROTC training and part normal college--except that she has to live in a freshman dorm with all other 17 year-olds. I know that the regimentation will be good for her. She has always wanted a taste of the military and now she can get a taste without getting the entire apple.

2006-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

My Baby? How Can I Let You Go?

There she is, my baby...my 1986 Pontiac Trans Am. I have finally decided that it is time to let her go. DGS has agreed to try to sell her on E-Bay. I finally admitted that while she looks really sharp, my age has advanced along with hers and like me, there are many little things wrong with her--the major one being that the air conditioning is gone. Othe little things that make it irritating to drive are things like the hatchback is almost impossible to open, only the driver's door opens from the outside, the windshield washers don't work, the hood is hard to open....plus it is really hard to get out of---you know, very low to the ground. Now all these little inconveniences and it still starts right up and runs like a top and all this with over 180,000 miles on it. DGS has had success selling things on E-Bay so we are going to try. He called and left me a list of things to do--like find all the paperwork I have on the car (easy), mend the tear in the car cover (not too difficult). I located all the paperwork, like car title, release of lien from finance company, testing that has been done, information on the restoration we had done, etc. I mended the car cover and then decided that it really needed to be washed so I stuffed it in the washer, filled it with hot water, detergent and Oxi-Clean and let it soak overnight. I have decided the spots on it are from being too near the weed whacker--must be grass stains. Now that was the easy part--I decided it would take too long in the dryer so I pulled it out of the washer and staggered out to the clothesline. You should have seen me trying to get it over the lines--yes lines. I spread it over two clotheslines so that it would be off the ground. I almost needed a nap when I was finished. I thought about putting the car cover back on the car to dry but decided that since it had been off the car for a while, the car was dirty and would make the inside of the cover dirty--thus the line.

DGS wants to pick it up, clean it up, fix some of the little problems and then take it from there. Should be interesting.

2006-08-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

WHAT TO DO.........
What does one do at 6:00 a.m. I am up and ready to to to my class this morning. I look forward to carving class, even though I have not done my homework. I could be cleaning off the computer table which is getting a little cluttered again. I could do laundry--the mended car cover is in the washer but transferring it to the dryer would involve hanging up all the khakis in there... I could work on my homework but my toolbox is all pack and waiting to be put in the car. I could go out and sit on the bench and have coffee, but it is still dark out. I could clean off the table in my studio or clean off the drafting table or any number of other things up to and including vacuuming. None of that appeals to me this morning so I thing I will just fix myself some breakfast and get on with my day.

2006-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Turning Hair Cut.....

Now you may ask, just what is a turning hair cut. Well, it is a hair cut that requires minimum care. Cut around the ears because one must wear a dust mask when turning wood and that requires loops that hook behind each ear and hair just gets in the way. Turning also requires some sort of hat to keep the sawdust out of the hair--I am really striking in a baseball hat worn backwards. I think I am going shopping for a 'do-rag' to wear when turning.

Went for my second test in that revolving door of medicine--this one was a piece of cake--only abut 20 minutes. Yesterday a read half a book while waiting between the different sections of the stress test. I should be free for almost a month before I have to see anyone again.

Well--back to the santas. I carved the cutest little feet today but have decided they are not quite small enough so, heigh ho, heigh ho.......

2006-08-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

Unfinished

projects...

He who has the most unfinished projects wins(?) or loses(?) Hmmmmmmmmmm..whatever, that would surely be me. This is the faucet (or is it a spigot) I carved to use in the display of the last two birds I carved. Imaging this painted to resemble galvanized pipe (rusty at that) with a black capped chickadee perched on top and one hanging underneath the faucet trying to get a drink. Well, that is the big plan, I was well on the way but the legs that I made for the bird were a little too short so I have to try to solder a little piece of wire to the leg--an extension, if you will before I cover the legs and feet and texture them. Now in my mind that is much like mending, which is something that seldom gets done around here. It is much easier to begin a new project. That is why there are about 8 to 10 birds in my studio in various stages of completion. If I would just finish the projects I would have a great deal more space on my worktable. Perhaps I will go in there now and clean a little. As frustrated and hungry as I am, I would probably be ruthless in getting rid on unnecessary STUFF.

2006-08-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

SO MANY LITTLE PIECES........
and so many more to go. I know this looks like a lot of pieces but I still have many more to carve or cut before I am ready to paint and assemble the Mr. & Mrs. Santa. These pieces are the bodies, heads, arms and legs a couple of elvesand a hat (the spiral). I still have to carve the little feet, make the bases and all the little ornaments that adorn the folk art Santas. Now the big question is 'When I get them all finished and painted, am I going to be able to let them go if someone wants to but them?' I think the answer is yes but only time will tell. These were as much a learning process as anything else.

It is early in the morning here...I have been up since 5a.m...have to get all stressed out for my stress test, don't you know? Why is it that when a person can't have anything to eat or drink. that is all they can think about. They told me to bring a snack and a something to read so I guess that means I will be there for a while. I would go down and work in the workshop but I guess sawdust might mess up their fine machinery at the hospital....so here I sit. I could go back and work on another unfinished project but I would probably be tempted to pick up a grinder, which only makes more dust.

2006-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

New day leads to success

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I woke up bright and early this morning and actually got up. I took some meds, ate a plum (and thought of Peni) then down to the basement to try again.

Today I mamaged to turn Santa's arms (they are relatively similar but not identical) and one of Santa's legs. I have a pattern when I begin but sometimes the finished product only vaguely resembles the pattern. I figure if I get the size close to right who is going to know. The trick is to make the second one look like the first and that is far easier then making it look like a paper pattern.

I have all the blanks ready to go to make the other leg, the head and the hat, then all I have to do is carve some feet (funny little feet), make a base and carve all the little things that adorn a folk art Santa and I will be ready to paint.

This hobby is lots of fun if you keep your nails away from the wood. Pictures soon, I promise.

2006-08-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Rule # ?

There are so many rules to follow when using power tools that it is often hard to remember all of them. I guess those learned the hard way are those most easily remembered thereafter.

Rule #___ Always know where fingers (& thumbs) and nails are in proximity to turning wood when working on the lathe.

When one forgets that rule one is very quickly and forcefully reminded. No, I didn't lose a digit or even an entire nail, but I believe the nail could have been history but for some very good luck on my part. I was concentrating very hard on sanding a practice piece and forgot about the waste wood that was still attached to the end of the piece. It quickly reminded me when the wood caught the nail on my thumb. It tore the nail about 1/3 of the way in from either side. To add insult to injury, I had just had a manicure on Wednesday. Didn't get two weeks out of that expenditure.

Bet I will remember that--at least until the nail grows out enough that I can finish cutting it off even with the end of the finger. Right now, it is trimmed and covered with a bandage. Anyone want to 'poor' me?

2006-08-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

I DID IT!!!

If you don't toot your own horn, it may never get tooted. This is my own little sneaker, given to me by Weight Watchers for having walked 1000 miles. As you can see by comparison to the key on the ring, it is not a very large sneaker. Seems that for 1000 miles it should be a little showier. They assure me that when I get to the second thousand I will receive another sneaker. DB says it doesn't take much to enthuse me. Do you have any idea just what a thousand miles entails. Well, it is 3 pairs of sneakers worn out and 2,438,390 step. Hmmmmm perhaps that is why my feet are tired.

2006-08-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Bag Lady
Yep, that's me. DD wanted a quilted bag but was not willing to part with the money asked for the popular quilted bags of the day. She asked me to quilt her a piece of fabric and she could make her own. Well, let me tell you, her bag is as nice as any I have seen bopping around the stores. I believe I like hers better because of the soft subdued colors used with the exception of the brilliant orange lining. I think she opened a Pandora's box because I thought,"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, maybe I would like one." I was right. I really like the one I made for myself. The two above are my latest creations. They are a bit larger than I had in mnd when I started out, but sometimes when one just goes off without a real plan, the end result is sometimes a surprise.
These bags are similar but not identical, just like the two for whom they are intended.
Happy Birthday, dear sisters.
THe boxes are in the mail as of today, 7/31/;2006. Some thing are better when aged a little. Just took me some time to complete this project.
I made another smaller bag last evening using pieces left over from 3 previous projects. I really like how it turned out but now my sewing machine has to go the the sewing machine hospits.---just when I was getting a little more interested in sewing. Oh, well--you know Murphy's Law.
Delete It Cancel Cancel

2006-07-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

New Computer--

New Project

Took me a while to figure out just how to get the picture from the old computer to the new one wirelessly so that I could use it here.

Don't you just love it when something comes together? All week I had planned to work on the lathe but by the time I got all the little jobs out of the way, I was tired, and even I know better than to work on a lathe then tired.

This afternoon, I decided that now was the time. Using a piece of pine that I had turned into an octogan per DB's instructions I began. I tried and tried and tried but no matter how I held that chisel or what chisel I held, I seemed to be able to get nothing but rough patches and gouges in the wood. Perhaps, I mused, I can't do this. I turned the lathe off and was turning the wood by hand and looking at it when I discovered it was not stable between the two points. Seems that I had forgotten to turn one teensy little lever---OOPS. Lesson 1: Be sure all levers are tightened and the wood is stable before applying a chisel.

From there I began experimenting and initially it resembled a lighthouse but then with further experimentation the top of the lighthouse became a hat and the base of the lighthouse became three somewhat rounded lumps of a snowman. Since this was just practice I tried sanding it on the lathe and then putting the stain/finish on it while still on the lathe. Sanding went fine. With the finish came Lesson 2: Never stand directly in front of the lathe wearing a peach colored shirt while applying stain/varnish. It tends to spatter..OOPS, I think I just created a shirt for turning.

Anyway, it is finished--or as far finished as it ever gets.

The funny little thing sitting by the snowman is a prototype for a Santa Arm. Envision it turned up the other way, the single bump is a hand and the three bumps are the top of the sleeve of a turned, folk-art Santa. A little carved bird will perch on his shoulder. Now all I have to do is turn two more, alike but slightly smaller than this one and I will have the arms done, that only leaves the legs, feet (usually hand carved) the head and possibly a carved hat. I have until the first of October to get it done. (That is the goal I set for myself.)

If I don't set goals, I find that I tend to do nothing. DH helped me set some goals for this week. One was to work on the lathe, another that he suggested was to ride on my bike (before the tires become flat on one side).

Well, I have accomplished one of the first two goals and the week has just begun. I think it is going to be a good one.

2006-07-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

IF Happiness is.............

a clean desk, than an entirely clean computer room must be what?.................ecstasy, maybe.

Oh, what drudgery! It took three long seemingly endless days to sort through, file, discard, scrub, dust, sort, file, sort, file, clean, clean but it finally came to an end and what a pleasant end it is. My goal was to get it done before the Geek Squad came to set up my wireless internet and to network my two computers and I made it be some 24 hours. My it is nice to sit in here and write a check or blog a little. I don't have to feel guilty about having a little fun because something was accomplished. Had to send pics to DB because he was here to see the before condition. He is the one who helped me organize and clean the basement workshop. I think he may have gone home because he saw a chance to escape before he had to clean another floor on the house. As you can see, the formerly clean table has some things on it. Actually I have set up a scrapbooking center there. Now perhaps I can get those done.

I went to my carving class this morning. Missed last week because of DH's chemo threatment. Actually I was no farther along with my carving than when I left the class two weeks ago. Oh, it is nice not to do homework and not get in trouble for it. Forgot to take the faucet I had carved for the habitat and could do nothing more on my birds without it so the instructor cut me a new blank. I began carving a 1/8 size red-tailed hawk (in flight) A 1/8 size hawk's body is about the size of a humming bird.

I came home, perused the mail and was considering working on the lathe for a while but I believe a short nap is in order. Wouldn't do to work on a lathe when one is tired.

2006-07-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

Happiness is.............

a clean desk. Now you know that I am getting older when such a thing could make me happy. Just imagine what an entire computer room cleaned and organized would make me feel. I am working on it. Is it possible that I have two personalities.....one who really enjoys neat organized places and another who believes that nothing should ever be thrown away but stacked in piles that are always threatening to collapse and sometimes do.

DB says that I have a tendency to hold on to things so I have been working very hard to toss things that I no longer need. I have done well in this room and I am almost finished---now that does not mean that it will always look like this. I know I didn't inherit this from my mother so just where did it come from??????????????

2006-07-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

Big Brothers

I think that big brothers are something special. Of course never having had a little brother, I would imagine that they, too, could be special. My big brother came to visit with me after he learned that I had bought myself a lathe. I guess you could say, "He came, he taught, the went home." Of course we also accomplished lots of visiting somewhere in there. He came on Saturday and went home on Tuesday and those of you who know that is a long visit. He is a wonderful instructor. It is a real loss to the educational system that he quit teaching after a realtively short period to do other things. My DBIL says that I shouldn't forget the apples. I know my DS always makes him an apple pie when he is there. Who had time to bake pies when we were having so much fun fooling around with wood. I went off to keep an appointment on Monday and came back to find him reorganizing my workshop. I now have way more room than I ever imagined was there. He also rigged up a dust collection port for the lathe using materials he found in the shop and little benches for the tools I will use on the lathe so that I will not lose them---WHAT?----me lose a tool? Could happen. I did cut a couple of blanks but have not done anything with them yet. They will probably be practice pieces--just wood wasters while learning. We also managed to watch a couple of videos on using the lathe while he was here. Seems he had never seen such a video before--all he knew was self taught. I guess it takes a pretty smart person to be able to teach yourself.

My house was so quiet when he left.

Now, I am off to work on some small quilting projects that I neglected while he was here.

2006-07-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

New Toy
Well, here I am back again. This is my newest toy. DH always said that he would get me a lathe if I could get DS to give me some lessons. Well, I waited and waited for DS to have some time to spare and it just didn't happen, soooooo, I was having a birthday and just bought one for myself. Not a totally new one but a good one nevertheless.

DS, DH and I went tool shopping on Saturday. I got some woodturning chisels a video and signed up for a class. When I got home I got a call from #1 brother. He was coming to see me and give me some lessons. He actually came on Saturday, arriving shortly after we got home. He brought some of his tools, some inexpensive chisels that he gave me and lots of experience. We worked for a short while that evening and a longer time the next day. I must say, he is a first class teacher. The first day he would demonstrate, then I would try it. We ended up with a small lighthouse. The second day he instructed and I followed instructions. It all began with me installing the new bandsaw blade. I think that I truly understand just how to do this now. It is amazing just how well the saw cuts when the blade is put on correctly. I was more than a little tired when we finally stopped but I did have a finished product. As you can see he followed the rules designed to help one not inhale all the sawdust. He made me wear a dust mask. He put on my facemask when the camera came out--says he is a little camera shy. Anyway, I now am the proud owner of a bowl turned completely by "ME".

I really wanted to put on more pictures of my shop but will have to wait for another day. I hear my bed calling me.

2006-06-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Curls and More Curls

When I was little, I absolutely hated my hair. Now mind you this hatred did not exist before I attended school. I didn's realize that my hair which was not only red, but was also curley would become an object of teasing and ridicule. After all, I thought that my hair, curls and color were just fine until I had to hang out at the bus stop each morning. My very best friend also had red hair but no curls. Perhaps that was why we were such good friends--you know, birds of a feather and all that.

All was well until her older brothers decided it was great sport to tease us, chanting "Red Head, Gingerbread, 5 cents a cabbage head." Now in all my 6 years, no one had ever said a disparaging word about my hair. I was not the most outgoing child at that age and I was absolutely devastated. I ran sobbing all the way home. I wouldn't tell mom what was wrong--just that I had a headache---me who has probably never had a headache in all my life. Well, she simply gave me an aspirin and sent me back to the bus stop but luckily for me, the bus had come and gone so I got to spend the day at home, feeling quite sorry for myself. I guess my DB must have told her what had happened at the bus stop because I believe the next morning Mom sent me on my way with the admonition to just ignore them. I never really felt much pride in my hair after that, always wishing it could be a different color or straight or just anything but red and curly. Well, eventually, I got my wish. As I grew older, it got a little darker and a little less curly. I guess I was an adult before I came to terms with having red hair and even now it is not really red any more but the curls came back with a vengance about the time my kids hit puberty, as if that was not punishment enough. Oh, well, I no longer care and have finally reached the age where I just let it do whatever it wants and evidently today, it wanted to be curly.

These curls are particularly attractive after they have been smashed down for about 20 minutes by a bicycle helmet...but that is perhaps another story.

2006-06-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

There She Is!

Can you believe it? This is Kristyn--the baby of all my grandchildren. Doesn't look much like a baby any more does she. She is driving herself to and from graduation in her father's truck which she has decorated (tastefully, I am sure). As she says no senior wants to arrive or leave with their parents.

I am leaving in a few minutes for DS's house. We are going to graduation this evening, but first we are having dinner. DS has made meatloaf (one of my favorites). Now what more could a grandmother ask. I can't believe that this day is already here. Where did the time go? Actually, I was supposed to have another year to get ready for this day but she had all the necessary credits and decided to graduate a year early. She will be attending an all girl's college this fall with a special program for 17 year-old students. I can only hope and pray that they made the right decision. I would imagine that I am allowed to worry a little but I am sure she will be fine. Her older sister is attending the same college and will be there for moral support and Walmart runs. I guess that I am like all mothers everywhere who hope for the best for their children and then their grandchildren. The good Lord willing, I will be around to hope for the same for greatgrandchildren--just not too soon!

2006-05-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

A Special Lady

What you see here is one very special lady. She was my MIL. I know all the jokes and tales that abound about MIL's but I could only wish that everyone who marries could be as lucky as I was. I have been married to her son for almost 47 years which means that I have enjoyed my association with her even longer than with my natural mother.

DH and I have just returned from WV. This last trip was made because she passed away after breaking her leg. She was not a good candidate for surgery because of heart problems but the surgery was a necessity. She survived the surgery but not the heart attack that followed, slipping away peacefully in the middle of the night.

Now let me tell you about Edna, as I called her. She was all of 4' 10" tall and weighed about 93 lbs. I believe that at one time she was about 5'2" tall but as she progressed through life she "shrank" as she liked to put it. Edna was 88 years old on her last birthday and she had a full time job for 74 of those years. She had just come home from work and was heading for the coffee pot to make a pot of coffee when she either tripped or lost her balance and fell, breaking her leg. Recently she had had a shoulder replacement and was looking forward to getting the other shoulder replaced and recuperating to the point where she could drive again. She so disliked having to be dependent on anyone else. Although I know she was in constant pain from arthritis, etc, she never complained--she just kept on chugging along. Edna worked in a sandwich shop when I met her son. She was using her salary to put him through college. She told me that she began working when she was 14. She made sandwiches in her parent's store and sold them to customers. She eventually owned her own restaurant for about 25 years before selling it. She didn't retire, though, but went to work as an office manager for a wholesaler and stayed on this job for over 30 years more. She raised 3 children and did it 'her way'. She continued to work even after my FIL had a stroke--hiring her older sister to stay with him during the day. After he passed away, she remained in their home and continued with her job. She referred to all the young man who worked with her as 'her boys' and took care of them. In the end, it was they who took care of her, shuttling her to and from work, shoveling her drive, mowing her lawn, etc.

Edna's little postage size lawn was her pride and joy. Until this year, she got down on her hands and knees and lovingly tended her flowers and bushes. People would walk by as she sat on her porch, having her morning or evening coffee and admire her yard. It truly always looked like something out or a magazine. The last thing that I did when we were going to the car to leave Charleston was to reach over and pull out a weed that dared to put it's head up.

Edna never drove a car until she was more than 40 years old. She and FIL always used public transportation. I remember when she wanted a car and FIL didn't think it was a necessary item, so she learned to drive, bought her own car and traveled whereever she wanted. She even made a trip or two to MD to visit us and back in those days it was not the easy trip via interstate highways that it is today.

She will be long remembered and sorely missed by those who were fortunate enough to know her.