The Jury is Still Out

Happiness is a new Kirby!

2011-08-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

When my mother passed in 2003, she left me her Kirby 2000. Ever since, I have been a cheerleader for the company. Kirbys are like tanks. They can be a little cumbersome if you have to grace any steps, but otherwise, they now come with a "Drive" and "Neutral" feature. Most come with a ton of attachments, videos, instruction manuals and the like. And they come with a mighty pricetag as well: upwards of $1500!
The Legal Adult has become very domestic of late. Apparently, it's not cool to have a dirty apartment anymore. And there are his allergies to consider. He bought a Bissel from Wally World that ended up in pieces after only a few months. So, dear ole Mom has been lugging her machine over to his upstairs apartment, and up two flights of iron steps. (The things we do for our kids....sigh). Anyway, something inspired him to start looking for a used Kirby. Mom thought Craigslist, (the internet version of swapshop) might have something in his price range. And, sure enough, it did. Several, in fact. I found them and sent emails with L.A.'s phone number. A seller called him, and he said he would think about it. In his head, it was just too good to be true. Then he left a message with her. She didn't call back, so he figured it was sold. Just as he was about to go with another seller, she called back. It turned out she lived a mile from my house! So, I picked it up and took it to him. Beautiful machine, all the attachments, manual, and even several bags and spot cleaners. He thinks he hit the lottery....but I know it was a God thing!

Things that have revolutionized my life....... lately

2011-07-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

Now, before I even get started on this short list, please be aware that I am not receiving any compensation for telling you about it. These are only my discoveries, nothing more. Cool?

1. This is the Rubbermaid Reveal. It has a microfiber head that you can throw in your washer. No special fluid needed, just make up your own! With Snips and Fiona constantly underfoot with their muddy feet, this thing is a God send!One caveat: be sure you sweep really well BEFORE you use it. The dog hair tends to cling, making you have to change out the head.

2. Keurig MINI Plus coffee maker. I have one credo that I live by: Life is far too short to drink old coffee. I used to have to drink my coffee in a hurry because I would make a whole pot and not want it to go bad. Now I don't have to hurry....one cup at a time! The drawback is that the cups are kind of pricey, almost $ .75 a cup. There is an attachment you can get to use your own coffee, but apparently, I haven't figured out the right amount to go in it yet.

3. Betty Crocker Oven Liner. I recently chiseled, I mean cleaned out my oven and it took three days! My boys love a recipe of mine, Red Hot Apple Pie, which requires a 1/4 cup of red hots. You heat up candy and it bubbles to the bottom of the oven. Not anymore! I actually picked up the burned candy off the liner. It was so cool!

4. Redken Color Extend Shampoo. My hair is majorly coarse and hard to deal with. For years, I have been trying to use whatever I could find at the local grocery store. The results, not so good. I tried this on a whim, and my hair has never been happier! In the bottle shown, it can run as high as $15, but I get the huge bottle for $23 and it lasts me almost 3 months.

Another birthday bites the dust

2011-06-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

Wow, I had no idea so many famous people shared my birthday.

Birthdays on June 28

Kenny Cunningham	Athlete	1971
Steve Burton	Actor	1970
John Cusack	Actor	1966
Mary Stuart Masterson	Actress	1966
Mike Fitzpatrick	Politician	1963
John Elway	Athlete	1960
Brian Roberts	Businessman	1959
Georgi Purvanov	Statesman	1957
Lalla Ward	Actor	1951
Don Baylor	Coach	1949
Kathy Bates	Actress	1948
Mark Helprin	Novelist	1947
Robert Asprin	Author	1946
Howard Barker	Playwright	1946
Bruce Davison	Actor	1946
Gilda Radner	Actress	1946
Jane Harman	Politician	1945
Donald Johanson	Scientist	1943
Ed Pastor	Politician	1943
Jim Kolbe	Politician	1942
Rupert Sheldrake	Scientist	1942
Muhammad Yunus	Economist	1940
Major Owens	Politician	1936
Major R. Owens	Politician	1936
Carl Levin	Politician	1934
Pat Morita	Actor	1932
Junior Johnson	Celebrity	1931
John S. Bell	Physicist	1928
Hans Blix	Diplomat	1928
Harold Evans	Journalist	1928
Mel Brooks	Comedian	1926
George Morgan	Musician	1924
William Whitelaw	Politician	1918
George Lloyd	Composer	1913
Eric Ambler	Writer	1909
Ashley Montagu	Scientist	1905
Ashley Montague	Scientist	1905
Richard Rodgers	Composer	1902
Esther Forbes	Author	1891
Pierre Laval	Politician	1883
Alexis Carrel	Scientist	1873
Luigi Pirandello	Playwright	1867
Frederick William Faber	Theologian	1814
William Hooper	Politician	1742
Jean Jacques Rousseau	Philosopher	1712
Jean-Jacques Rousseau	Philosopher	1712
Peter Paul Rubens	Artist	1577

Back to the Sewing Machine, well, at least ONE of them...

2011-06-24T11:35:00.000-04:00

Hi. Did you miss me? I've been missing myself lately. We just got back from our yearly jount to FLA. This year we opted to stay at Grandma Hunnybunny's and just go to the beach. We were going to go more than one day, but alas, the dreaded yellow flag was up on the second day. Things have changed with Grandma Hunnybunny; her cast of characters has changed from Aunt Hunnybunny (Hunnybunny's sister) to Mother Hunnybunny, (Hunnybunny's mother). Aunt Hunnybunny has a new little Hunnybunny of her own named Tyler. He is so sweet, and he snuggled me!

We picked up Hollywood for a few weeks this summer. He made the trip to Florida without being too bored.

And he turned sweet 16! His party of sorts was a couple of friends, along with She who must be Obeyed and Jerricho! I had fun with her as She is now almost 11! What did we do for kicks? We sorted fabric! That kid was always organizing so I gave her the opportunity to help me cut down my fabric hoard of scraps. She thought it was great! My kind of kid!

This week, I've been fairly selfish. While I have been working on The Legal Adult's quilt, I took out a little time to cut myself out a dress. Here's the pattern:

I don't even own a dress besides my wedding dress and if I ever had a special occasion, I'd be in trouble. My friend Robin told me long ago and far away to find a simple pattern and start with that, so that's what I did. I also got my little orphan machine fixed.

It was in storage as I used it to make those stitches you see, but then it didn't work at all. I took it back to the Nameless Fix-It shop here in town, and he wanted me to throw more money at it. I took it to a place where I usually just get fabric, but they had fixed my Pfaff Hobby so wonderfully that I decided to see if they could make this little machine stitch again. It's called the Quilter's Square and they totally rock!

Look what I got in the mail!!!

2011-06-05T15:32:00.000-04:00

Debra Spincic made this great quilt for me! ( I hope she doesn't mind that I stole her picture: see the one on the left I tried to take and you'll see why!) It was to commemorate getting into LPN school, but wow....was I taken completely by surprise! She talked about it in this post. The funny part is that I actually read it, and never picked up on the fact that it was for ME! She is a wonderful friend, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank her from the bottom of my heart! Debra gets me, and that is not a great feat! Thank you, Debra! I smile every time I touch this quilt or see it.....I smile because of you!

Life 101- or is there life after 18 months of back to back school?

2011-05-07T18:19:00.001-04:00

I found this some time ago, and thought it summed up the way I feel about things. Apparently, I have a pet peeve: when someone says, "I'm just set in my ways". That seems to really get beside me. Or when someone says, "This is just the way I am". Really?? Is it? For me, that's the coolest part of life, you don't have to be the same person you've always been. You can change, you can grow, and nobody can do anything about it.

Reinvention is a word I really like. As human beings, we can reinvent ourselves in any area of our lives. You want to learn a new hobby? The Net is full of great ideas. The libraries are teeming with books on any subject that you fancy. If you want to change your interpersonal relationships, you can read about it and change them or hang out in different social circles. Bored with your job? There are assessment test you can take at your local yokel community college or even just take a class on something that interests you. As for me, I started in radio, worked in the legal community and now I'm headed to the healthcare field. Am I scared? Oh, yeah....of course I am. But terribly excited, too.

Right now, I'm trying to get out of school mode, and get into family, quilting, and bumming around mode. But I've been slipping. Yesterday, on my day off with Hunnybunny, I found myself at a used bookstore with ISBN numbers of books I will need for my first semester in nursing school! But I have to get back into "normal life" mode. I'm finishing up The Legal Adult's quilt, and heck, I might even do a new quilt, but don't hold me to that.

The guys bought me a bike for mother's day. I got it the day before my finals, last Sunday. It's more "me", being a hybrid of a mountain bike and a cruiser. And truthfully, it's just purty. So, it was decided that Hunnybunny would take The Legal Adult's gift bike to ride. Hunnybunny filled the tires with air, erring on the side of the maximum requirement. I decided to go on a spin before studying. As I came down the hill, I kept hearing a thub-dub. I braked, and then heard a gunshot sound. The tire went down, and I was in a free fall into the pavement. The handle bars went into my chest, and the whole bike landed on my left hand. It caused edema, and my hand looked like I was wearing a purple half-glove like we did in the eighties. For my quilting friend, Kathy, Darlin' I should have listened to you and gotten a helmet! I currently lack the courage to get back on it, but my bruises are healing.

Back to the ordinary

2011-03-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

I've been out of sorts lately, trying to figure myself out. The whole student, mother, employee, thing has been something I've struggled with and I always forget that this is where I work most of it out.:) Aren't you so glad you can eaves drop on my brain?
Undoubtedly, the whole school thing has taken up most of my time this year, and I hate that it has. I have friends that I miss, and blogging friends across the country that have been nice enough to not drop me for my inconsistent postings. It's not that I'm trying to do too much, it's that I'm not a very good time manager. That's a terrible admission for someone who is looking to be in a health field, but true nonetheless. Lately I've looked at that quilt on the wall and wish it were done. Maybe it's not done because I don't know if or when I could possibly start the next project. I've done some pretty lame things during spring break from my school like: watch House, Horders, and pretend I'm watching Being Human with Hunnybunny. (I just don't get that show!) I've also been on Facebook more than I'd care to admit and mostly because it's quick and easy. I've never managed to do the quick and easy for very long without consequences. And I do like Facebook, heck- if it weren't for that I may have no clue what's going on with my family. It's handy when I want to "talk" to Hollywood down in Tennessee as you know that teenagers stay on it. They'll sit for hours instant messaging you, but fall short when it comes to real conversation. I miss him very much so I'll keep on with it.
The Legal Adult has had his share of growing pains this year, and between work, school, and my crew at home, I've been carving out more time to see him. In fact, he and Sweet Thing took me out for a nice dinner last week. Miracles never cease.

And then there's the Dyl Pickle, who's growing faster and faster, and with all that I'm doing, I don't want to miss it. His birthday falls just as school starts, so we bought him an early birthday present..a new bike! He is riding now without training wheels and it's so cute to see. I think I've mentioned before that The Legal Adult doesn't drive? He actually owns 5 bikes and was generous enough to give me one last week so I could "ride with Pickle".

I wonder what I was thinking when I accepted it...sigh. I haven't been on a REAl bike in 25 years! So, it's kind of like we're both learning how to ride.

I'm having trouble figuring out the gears. And I don't have a helmet. Do you HAVE to wear a helmet these days?

Life Compartmentalization at its Best

2011-01-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

This year I didn't make resolutions. I knew I couldn't live up to them. But I did look at how I was spending my time,
First and foremost, as a student. In fact, I have so compartmentalized this aspect of my life that I'm boring everyone with it. To remedy this, and to perhaps connect with other older nursing students, I created a new blog, Midlife Nursing Crisis. Yeah, I can guess what you are thinking: "She hasn't made time for this blog, why create another?" Mostly, I wanted to get back to the "normal person" aspect of this blog. I started this to get some stuff out, and keep a record of what's been going on. I have not made time for it, and many things which could have been addressed in this forum went to the attic of my mind. And there's enough stuff there already. To be honest, I've been compartmentalizing my life a lot lately. It's almost as if I can hear the gears switch in my head when I'm doing it. For example, when in "Wife 101" mode, I try to stick with those things that most wives deal with; bills, husband, kids, laundry, dogs,financial stability, "what's- for-supper-honey?, etc. As a student, it's all about what is on the next test, did I get those transcripts? Am I going to have a GPA that's competitive enough against all these younger students? Labs, reading, red tape....you get the picture.
Basically, I am going to another blog to grouse about school. Don't wonder if I've quit school if you don't read anything about it here. If you're curious, head to Midlife Nursing Crisis. You'll find all the sorted details of that part of my life.
The Jury is Still Out is still my playground for quilting, life experiences, and general catching up, so I'm endeavoring to make this split to retrieve some of that fun while I jump through the nursing school admission hoops. Thanks for listening. Y'all are the absolute best!

Me and the ACT

2010-12-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've made the time to update my blog. Wow, has it really been since September?? Anatomy and Physiology I pretty much took over my life this past semester. But, I got a B, so I'm guessing it was worth it. My psychology class was pretty straightforward, so I got an A in it. Truthfully, I don't know how these working mothers go back to school anymore. Yes, it's true, I did this back in 1997 as a single-parent of two, but even that's a major blur. I remember being exhausted all the time. These days, it's not necessarily a problem working and going to school as much as it is the whole test anxiety thing. Apparently, I'm not the only one who suffers from this, but nonetheless, I'm fairly adept at beating myself up over it. Case in point: The ACT. In order to get into nursing school, (no matter which one), I knew I would have to retake the ACT. So, I ordered the study guide last January and started to go through it. Even that did not prepare me for the anxiety I felt as I walked in to take the test. I was grateful it was being held at my community college only 4.5 miles away, but it did disturb me that besides the proctor, (who was old as Methuselah....the oldest man recorded in the bible), I was the oldest person in the room. When I took the exam almost 37 years ago, I either didn't remember the long list of rules, or basically, we are in a whole new world. The old guy stood and read this verbatim from the test booklet:
"You will be dismissed and your answer document will not be scored if you are found:
* Filling in or altering ovals on a test or continuing to write the essay after time has been called on that test
* Looking back at a test on which time has already been called
* Looking ahead in the test booklet
* Looking at another examinee's test booklet or answer document
* Giving or receiving assistance
* Using a prohibited calculator
* Using a calculator on any test other than the Mathematics Test (Why would anyone do that?? What in the world could they use it for?)
* Sharing a calculator with another examinee
* Using any device to share or exchange information at any time during the tests or during breaks (all electronic devices, including cell phones, must be turned off from the time you are admitted to test until you are dismissed after testing concludes)(And if you were caught using your phone on the break, you would be dismissed!)
* Attempting to remove test materials, including test questions or answers, from the test room by any means
* Using highlight pens, colored pens or pencils, scratch paper, notes, dictionaries, or other aids
* Not following instructions or abiding by the rules of the test center
* Exhibiting confrontational, threatening, or unruly behavior
* Creating a disturbance or allowing an alarm or phone to sound in the test room"
(Ironically, it was the Proctor whose phone went off during the exam!)
I forgot to bring a wrist watch, and after that laundry list of do's and don't's , I was terrified even to look at the wall clock! As a result, I kept running out of time. I will be retaking the test as I was 5 points shy of the minimum to get into one nursing school, and only 2 points lacking to get into the other one.

I think this world is too much like a drive through

2010-08-24T16:43:00.000-04:00

This is just messed up to me. A vending machine for Proactiv? I'm not even going to provide you a link to it because it annoys me so much! I think society as a whole has become "convenient". This one is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee of all places.

We have drive through
chapels, restaurants, pharmacies. What the heck is next? I've even heard of a drive through

divorce court. Although I couldn't find a picture of same, I thought you might get a giggle or two out of this one.

I think I'm too old to go camping......

2010-08-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

So, we try again with the camping. This time, no moody teen to tell us how boring it is, and why we shouldn't have come. We went south, way south. Away from the oil spill, cell phone coverage, and problems. We went to St. George Island State Park. However, it was not without problems, as most vacations can attest to.

First, there was the drive. From Kentucky to The Forgotten Coast was approximately 590 miles. This trip, while we did not have the moody teen, we did have a new puppy, "Snips". We adopted him from a shelter that had a display at Petsmart. Knowing we were going to have to leave, we asked if we could pay his fees and pick him up after. Of course, they were terrified that the little guy wouldn't be picked up, so they said they couldn't do it. After a few pitiful attempts at names that would go along with Fiona, we settled on "Snips" because he was always 'snipping' at our heels.

Because the poor little guy had been locked up in the shelter, I just could shove him in a kennel for vacation. So, that's why we took him with us. He did very well on the trip. We arrived at St. George Island in the late afternoon and set up the tent. At 9:30 P.M. was 88 degrees! With the humidity, it felt like 95. After we spent some time on the beach the next morning, by noon, it was already 92 degrees but the heat index made it feel like 106. I just couldn't take it. My knee had started to swell and I just wasn't fit to be around. We packed it up and headed for Grandma Hunnybunny's. I did get to visit with Hollywood on our way back through Tennessee. He seems to be doing well. Looks like he grew a foot. I don't think his voice was that deep when he left. Time does march on.

A Fork in the Road

2010-07-03T14:22:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears I have reached a fork in the road with my schooling. Yesterday, after being in major pain with my right knee for weeks now, I finally went to a NEW provider. She was a Nurse Practitioner who worked at a facility that helped Hunnybunny with his back sciatica. Very no nonsense, she immediately took me back for x-rays to see if there was anything bone-wise that was contributing to this pain and swelling. They took alot of pictures, and before I had sat down really well back in the exam room, the x-ray guy had already read them!

For the record, this isn't said knee. This is one I got off the Internet with the same diagnoses as I received.
Basically, you are looking at Osteoarthritis and bone spurring. That would explain a great deal of my problem. I've been icing it, elevating it, taking anti-inflammatory meds, all to no avail. She gave me a new Rx for some stuff that was a little stronger to deal with the swelling. I'll keep on doing the icing and elevation and we will keep watching it before I have to break down for the MRI.
The "fork" I spoke of is regarding my nursing stuff. I know how nurses stand on their feet continually, and have to lift a certain amount of weight with everyday activities. Do I pursue this course? I'm wondering.... maybe God is trying to tell me something, like, "Do something else!". And I've been thinking about my other considerations. Pray for me. I need the right answer from God.

The Times They Are A Changin'

2010-06-15T12:34:00.007-04:00

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Come gather 'round people
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Copyright ©1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

How pathetic...my life has turned into a Bob Dylan song. These words hit home as I struggle with the changes in my life. What is it that I've always heard: "The most constant thing in life is change." First, the family dynamics are changing. Hollywood has taken his show on the road back to Tennessee to be with dear old dad. So, we are getting used to life without him.
School is done for the summer for me, and the jury is still out on whether I passed the skills on the state exam. I was definitely having trouble finding the radial pulse.I made an A in the class, however. Supposedly, I'll find out in two weeks. So, since I don't have any exams to study for, I will start making tracks on The Beatles quilt. It has been on my design wall to remind me to get over it and get going on it.

The Inferno

2010-05-21T09:40:00.010-04:00

There are only a handful of people (that read this blog) who remember our days working at the college infirmary. We charted, made beds, cooked for patients, brought them ice water, etc. The place was lovingly dubbed the Inferno. We were basically nurse aides and it was a sweet gig....most of time. I do recall the great "virus" that swept through campus. Every bed we had was taken, and we resorted to checking them into their dorms. Our nurse was making rounds, giving shots, and checking on people in and out of the dorms.
Turns out, it was catfish that was donated by a wealthy do-gooder of the school. It was simply food poisoning.

Everybody had to check in when they were sick if they intended to get their classes excused. It was amazing that the Inferno was full the week of mid-terms and finals. Hmmmmmm......interesting. What I liked is the fact that we saw everybody at their worst, (Sick and in their underwear!) and then saw them out on campus. People are people, some are just a little further up the food chain. I was reminded of the Inferno as I went to class this week. I had decided to take the required nurse's assistant class for the program I was pursuing. Things have changed since I got into the class: now the program I intend to get into doesn't require it. But, none the less, I WILL finish it. The class is one of those mini-sessions, which means, they cram everything into 5 weeks. That means I go to work, come home, change my baby-puked-on shirt, and head to class from 4 pm to 9:00 pm, three nights a week. I'm required by the state to have 75 hours and with clinicals at the end, I will.
Our teacher is a nice lady, and she does go by the book, which I appreciate. Four tests out of the book, working in a workbook, and a whole bunch of skills. So far, I've mastered the blood pressure, aseptic hand washing, making a bed, giving dental care, and transferring a patient.

Mother's Day Movie Review

2010-05-09T11:11:00.006-04:00

My mother's day present was to go see Iron Man 2 with some friends. Usually a sequel isn't much good, but I was pleasantly surprised. Mickey Rouke certainly made a good villain. What I liked is that he was a brilliant physicist with a bent for revenge. And the funny part was that he had no reason for revenge. Don't worry....no spoilers here. If you liked Robert Downey, Jr. in the first movie, you'll like him in this. This movie gives the first appearance of War Machine. I hated that they replaced Rhody,but Don Cheadle wasn't bad, either. Gweneth Paltrow played Pepper Pots, but I didn't find her as interesting as in the first movie. I'm still getting used to Scarlett Johansson as a grown-up actress. She played Black Widow from S.H.I.E.L.D. Samuel L. Jackson is good in just about anything he plays. The Nick Fury character is no exception.
It was so awesome to get to sleep in this morning and have Hunnybunny make me pancakes! I got card from the boys, and the Pickle made me the coolest card!

Right now, I feel like I'm on vacation as my classes are over for the semester. Tuesday, however, I'm doing a mini-session for a nurses aide class I have to take. It's 4 pm to 9:00 pm, 3 nights a week for 5 weeks. I think I'll be okay, but I'm probably going to slack off on blogging for awhile.

Now I understand the hype

2010-04-25T10:02:00.004-04:00

It's a cryin' shame that it has taken me over 30 years to get this done professionally, but I got my first pedicure/manicure yesterday! It's not that we are made of money: I actually won a spa treatment from Mix 94 here in Lexington last Christmas. I also won floor seats to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Their Christmas show was wonderful, but I just never got around to the The Spa at Griffin Gate gift certificate. It had an expiration date of May 1st, so I figured I better get around to it this weekend. Absolutely beautiful, and peaceful, which I expect spas to be, as I've only seen on tv. This wonderful lady, Tameka, made me feel right at home. She absolutely pampered me. I'm going to have to go back for another one, like maybe for my birthday or something special. My tootsies never looked this good! She used hot towels, lotions....wow! I've just never been in that kind of heaven before.

And you know these two jokers....Hollywood wanted more pictures of himself, so he conned The Pickle into taking some outside.

If it wasn't this, it would be something else.

2010-04-07T10:22:00.005-04:00

Well, about school, anyway. So, here we are about 4 weeks from the end of the first semester, and I find that my credits from my first school (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!) did NOT transfer. The accreditation is the problem. My school was accredited, just not from the same organization as the community college I attend now. I actually have an A.A. from the same group of schools that my new school is a part of. But because of the credits, the jury is still out on if they will even consider them.
I've decided to go the LPN route as I'm pretty sure I would be put on a two-year wait list. There are several LPN to RN Bridge programs in my area so I will look into those.
Spring break came and went without a hitch. Now...this week, we have the nice weather! As far as quilting goes, I do miss it everyday. I've got to find time to "schedule it in" . I miss it too much. While I struggle with trying to be all things to all people, quilting is the one thing I don't have to be to anyone but myself. And truthfully, I miss blogging. I miss reading blogs. I've always felt like I could circle the globe virtually by reading your blogs. Priorities, priorities......

Spring Break!

2010-03-29T00:41:00.005-04:00

Well, not for me, but Hollywood is down south in Tennessee this week. The Pickle is home with me for a few days, but I go back to work Thursday. So, three days isn't a bad start.
I have been trying to get around to everyone's blogs, but the algebra demon has been kicking my behind. Just five more sessions before FINALS! Psychology is going well....it helps to have had a crazy life. Everything is within the realm of possibility, psychologically speaking.
Every example I read about is the story of someone I know, or have known. Or me, a psychoses or two ago.
The Legal Adult has turned up a time or two and Hunnybunny took him do his taxes. Wow...he's getting more Legal Adultish all the time! No, I haven't finished his quilt, thanks for asking....I've just been covered up with school. Gonna try to work on it this week while I am off. His milestone birthday, Number 25 is coming up in May. I've told him not to be mad if it's not done. But I'm sure that has fallen on deaf ears. I thought he was going to make me a mother-in-law recently, but he talked himself out of it.

"What a Fool Believes" finally finished!

2010-03-01T16:00:00.003-05:00

Only took me 10 years from start to finish on this quilt. I haven't been posting pictures lately because my memory stick on my Sony camera was missing. Hunnybunny found it under the huge (old) computer monitor, so I'm just getting around to posting this. Everything I learned about quilting, I took out on this quilt. Free motion, using homemade templates (that was before I learned you could buy them!); hand-piecing, which I had to do when I started as I had no machine. Now I have six. :) I did finish this with a machine as I learned that the back has to bigger than the front.
It most definitely was a learning experience. The reason it was named "What a Fool Believes" was because every time I went to the fabric store, that was the song on Muzak.

Death by Algebra

2010-02-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

I'm finally up for air. This class is about to kill me. The computer logs the amount of time I spent working on homework, tests, and quizzes. So far, I'm up to 101 HOURS! I thought this was a good plan, taking a hybrid course, half lecture, all work done through a venue online. My family hasn't seen me in days, except to bring me lattes and call me to dinner. Hunnybunny has been cooking and cleaning...and even taking care of the kids. He is a real sweetheart!
I've been doing some thinking. Given my age, I don't think I can afford to have a big wait to get into the RN program. I'm thinking of going into the LPN program instead. Question is: will I have the same respect from the nursing community? Is there a a big difference between the LPN and RN in duties? I put the question to all who read this.

Update on College.

2010-01-16T17:06:00.003-05:00

Okay, friends, (if anybody is really out there) I met with the very nice advisor this past Wednesday. We figured out that I didn't need to retake Intro to Pysch, (yea!) but I still have to take Developmental Pysch. There was a question of whether or not I'd be allowed to take the Algebra (that I totally made a D in) over. As it turned out, it was all good, and they're allowing me to better my grade. This will be kind of interesting as I had to buy some software, Math XL. My homework is accomplished (and graded) through that means. Pretty cool!
I now know I'm not in Kansas anymore as I made my way to the campus bookstore. Unbelieveable! 2 USED books + the software ran me $286! My head is still reeling from the sticker shock. Then, I find out today that the Math XL has to be accompanied by another piece of software called Course Compass. Going to my Algebra class at 9:30 AM on a Saturday, our class found we couldn't access the software. Upon contacting customer service via chat, I found out I have to purchase $72 worth of access codes. It's all a racket.
Oh, in case you are wondering, I'm still quilting. Just very slowly.....

Sherlock Holmes: A Movie Review

2010-01-10T11:54:00.006-05:00

You're going to hear lots of bad reviews by the classic book lovers, and rightfully so. This spin is more, "if Sherlock were in our time" kind of thing. There are historical references and devices which were not in this period . You have to be forgiving of this if you intend to enjoy this film. The trick is to clear your mind of any preconceived notions of the grand gentleman of Sherlock Holmes in literature, and try to wrap your head around the flawed character of this version. The compairson has been made to Gregory House, (of House fame) and Sherlock's character. Well, since I love House, I find no fault. Highly intelligent, self-absorbed, yeah, I can see that. But as someone with absolutely no frame of reference to a Sherlock Holmes in my mind, I thought the movie was amazing! I hate to admit, I'm not now, nor have ever been, a reader of the classics. My high school never required them, and back then, you couldn't necessarily find them in paperback. So I missed the whole, "Elementary, my dear, Watson," thing. However, this new movie more than made up for the lack in my education. See it with an open mind. Below is the trailer.

Top Ten Reasons I felt like the Grinch this Christmas

2009-12-26T19:14:00.000-05:00

This isn't really like me, but this year, I have really NOT been a Christmassy type person. Here are my top ten reasons I felt like the Grinch:

10. I just wanted to hang out in my cave, (or sewing room!) and not get around people at all.

9. I have tried to get my ducks in a row over the whole school thing. Do I go? Is this what I want, or what God wants? Am I going to be able to keep up with classes, work, home, and church? I have been officially accepted, now I just have to get my classes in January. They are making me wait because I am considered a transfer student. So, it looks like I'm going.

8. Our family has been going through some major changes, basically, the cast of characters. Hollywood is set on moving in with his dad down in Tennessee, (AGAIN!) but he wanted to do it mid-year instead of waiting until the school year ends in later May. I've not received any input from He Who Will Not Be Named, (ex-husband), except to wonder why it isn't easy getting things changed around. He's not offering to make phone calls (gee, he lives down there, how hard could it be?) or getting any information. Ultimately, if it doesn't work out, I will be the one to blame as far as Hollywood is concerned.

7. Hunnybunny was up and down the road for a large bid and it did finally close just before Christmas. As a result, he was pretty exhausted.

6. We did, finally, get brave enough to put up a tree. Fiona only toppled the tree once, and ate several ornaments off of it. They were stuffed ornaments, less you report me to the A.S.P.C.A.

5. We had to drive south to drop off Hollywood for Christmas with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I hate it when my whole family isn't together for Christmas, but I can't be selfish either as much as I'd like.

4. I tried to make my mother's Christmas candy recipe and it majorly flopped. It tasted like it was supposed to, but it sure was ugly. She's not with us anymore to ask what I did wrong.

3. The economy. It reeks when you have to watch EVERY penny, even at the most giving time of the year. I'm one of those people who feels guilty if they don't put something in the Salvation Army kettle every time you see one. The Dyl Pickle believes I'm supposed to put something in as well, and reminded me right in front of the guy or girl.

2. I had two quilt projects that I was trying to get done for presents. I did finish the purse, but not the Beatles quilt.

1. I didn't actually start shopping until the 21st.

The Jury is Still Out on Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T17:25:00.006-05:00

Good old Martha Stewart....she is a life saver. I thought I'd use her turkey roasting method of cheesecloth draped over the bird. Well, I tried, anyway. The idea is that you put a 17 inch square piece of cheesecloth on the turkey and baste it every so often. The cloth keep the moisture on the skin and thus, giving you the juiciest turkey on the planet. However, Wally World was out of cheesecloth. So, necessity being the mother of invention, I improvised by sending Hunnybunny to the pharmacy for gauze strips. Technically, it's cheesecloth with a bit of elastic... it worked pretty well.
The Legal Adult came with girlfriend, and brought a spiral ham. Now, that's never happened before. I had not asked him to bring anything but himself. Wonders never cease. Hollywood had woofed down his plate before any of us, and began gazing at the four pies to choose from. He had his second piece eaten before we had finished dinner.
Grandma Hunnybunny and Aunt Hunnybunny made the trek from Florida to Kentucky, and as if on cue, we actually got a forecast with a chance of snow. Grandma Hunnybunny was not as amused as I was. Nor was she excited to meet Fiona. "That's not a dog, that's a small pony!"
And since a few inquiring minds want to know: I went to the RN meeting at the college. This is where you make sure your prerequisites and paperwork are all good to go before making application to the nursing program. Over 200 candidates were in session. And that was the THIRD meeting. The competition will be fierce with 800 applicants and only 125 spots.
While I was accepted into the college, they had trouble with my high school transcripts. There was no school seal, not signed by the headmaster, my college transcripts were posted with them, etc. So, long story short, I'm accepted pending my high school stuff having the appropriate signage. In fact, I got a grant to go to school! The glitch is that there are very few classes that I need still open. The school is making me retake psychology because it's been longer than 6 years. And I knew I was going to have take college algebra. I'll keep you posted.

As time goes by

2009-11-15T09:22:00.003-05:00

Lately, I've been struggling with the concept of time. More specifically, time passing me by. All I have to do is look around and the evidence is clear: I'm getting older. You may think, "Wow, Beth, you come up with that all by yourself? How profound!" I'll admit to being in denial about getting older. I've definitely got the gray hair, extra pounds, and wrinkles to prove that I've gotten older. Hair color is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure I could dig out the "Buns of Steel" vhs out of our entertainment center and work on some of the extra baggage. Oil of Olay Regenerist has been my friend for many years. That's just the outside, though. On the inside, I'm still that smart-alec, snot-nosed, kid who thought she had the world by the tail. Even that phrase dates me...
When I talk to my kids, it becomes apparent that they are patronizing me to a certain degree. I remember doing that to my mother. Karma, it's a killer.
When I catch up with my junior high, high school and college friends on Facebook, I find that so many are in-laws and grandparents. How can that be? We aren't old enough to have kids that age, are we? (The Legal Adult can take his sweet time about making me a grandmother. I'd prefer he got some of his goals accomplished first.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't really feel any different than I did way back when. Inside my head, I'm am still trying to learn things, and keep up with what's going on in the world. Maybe that, and having a six year old, will help keep me young. At least on the inside.......

Movie Review: UP

2009-11-13T21:34:00.003-05:00

Yeah, to say I'm just a little behind on reviewing this movie would be an understatement. We actually saw this in the theater this past summer. It was so good that we bought it.

The beginning was precious, two childhood friends grow up and end up married. They have a dream that they have crossed their hearts to do one day. But, as we all know, life gets in the way of dreams. Sometimes, you have to pinch hit with new dreams until you realize that your dreams have changed. Waxing philosophical, right? Nothing gets past me, boy...

Anyway, what I loved about it was that the old guy intends to keep his promise, no matter the cost. And to make it more endearing, you have this dog, Dug. Dug apparently has a dream, too. He dreams of being loved. Dug actually talks in the movie with the help of a collar. He talks like I would expect Fiona to talk if she could. Stuff like, "I just met you and I love you!" She seems to be saying that to everyone that bravely walks through our doors.
So, bottom line: if you have kids, rent it. They will love it. You will, too.

Welcome, Snuggles!

2009-10-27T16:07:00.006-04:00

Time flies, here's the new baby I keep, who is celebrating 3 months of life this week. I think I've decided on an internet name for him: "Snuggles". Corny, I know, but that's what he is. He's probably the first baby I've ever seen who enjoys snuggling this young. And he is a doll. Eats good, laughs, sleeps pretty well, and is thinking about rolling over. Idgy (his 2 year old big brother) loves him, and Snuggles watches every moves he makes. It's been hard on Idgy after having Dyl Pickle, Jo-Jo, and Diva all summer to just having me and the baby. We aren't near as much fun, apparently.

Speaking of The Pickle, he's doing rather well in first grade. We just finished a round of the flu in this house. Poor Pickle just couldn't seem to get better, but he did recover. He's been reading alot, and I'm liking that very much. Halloween will be spent with Jo-Jo, Diva, Idgy and cousins going around trick or treating. It will be hilarious watching Idgy knock on doors for the first time. Pictures to come later.
Grandma Hunnybunny and Great Aunt Hunnybunny may be making their way north for Thanksgiving. So that means I got make with the bird this year. No worries: Diva's mama gave me her Martha Stewart turkey recipe from last year! It literally melted in our mouths.
I'm still working on the "Lucy in the Sky" quilt for the Legal Adult. What you see to your left are the piano key borders I'm making out of the scraps. I was going to slap some border on it and call it done. But, too much left over fabric made me feel guilty, so I decided to piece one.
Still have so much to do on this. One block at a time.
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I got accepted into school this week in the Allied Health division! I can't declare the whole Nursing major until I complete my CNA and retake the ACT. My scores in math, back in the day, were pretty bad. I'm hoping the almost 30 years that have passed since I took it will play in my favor this time. However, I am getting a study guide and a math tutor!

My Holy Grail

2009-10-06T19:53:00.009-04:00

Every quilter, seamstress, dressmaker, crafter, or needleworker has a holy grail. "If only I could get a Bernina," one might say, "or the Singer 221 Featherweight". Mine has been neither of those. For me, it was finding my mother's machine for a price I could afford. The machine I grew up watching and waiting for her to pass to me. I grew up a tomboy, and she was very frustrated with my interests. So, she gave it to one of my neices and it's not been seen since. I was heart broken. My mother did not live long enough to know I had become a quilter. I'm sure she is enjoying watching the process.

This beautiful woman on the right is my mother, Mary Ellen, at 19. (How in the world did anyone expect me to live up to that? No wonder my father fell so hard!)

This is a Singer 301. I have been searching for one for about 5 years. Finally, I find one on Craigslist! The very nice lady was selling it for $100 or best offer. She had acquired it from her grandmother's estate. No one in her family has the time or the inclination.

I thought I was never going to get it to turn over. Alot of oil, and alot of elbow grease. Hunnybunny helped me, believe it or not. It cost me $60. The ones I've priced elsewhere were in the neighborhood of $300. This is the "Big Sister" of the Featherweight, Singer 221. Quilters love it because the feed dogs can drop. That means I can finally free motion on a vintage machine.

Thinking about........

2009-10-03T16:10:00.003-04:00

Nursing school! I can see some of you out there....scratching your heads, wondering if I have truly lost it. Just to remind you, that happened LONG AGO, so this isn't a "mental distrubance" as Paulie asked Rocky in the last Rocky film. I've actually been entertaining this thought for a long while, like maybe 1992 or so. Wait, no, even longer than that. My mother BEGGED me to consider nursing school as I was graduating from high school back in 1980. But no, I couldn't possibly do something she thought was a good idea. My best friend in high school, Dee, went on to nursing school and did great. She makes good money, and works her hiney off three days a week as a supervisor. She also has more degrees than you can shake a stick at. In college, I was working in the school infirmary on college work-study. So, some of it will be familiar.
Back in 1997, as a single parent returning to school, I had considered it. Childcare was the major issue, and I was already having a hard time juggling work and paralegal school.
The question has been asked of me: "Why don't you just go back into the legal field?" Truthfully, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Erin Brocovich made it seem like such a great career move as she spent time interviewing people in the movie. As a paralegal, I hardly interacted with the public. Pleadings, letters, phone calls, but no one on one. These past five years at home, well....sort of...have given me time to think about what I'd like to do. I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to do anything where I had to sit still all day.
I'm still praying about it. I don't want to make an expensive mistake. I went ahead and applied at a community college here, and have requested my transcripts to be evaluated. I'm fairly certain most of them from my A.A. will transfer, except for the Algebra grade....I BARELY passed that class.
Classes start in January, and some are online. We will just see how it all works out.

2009-09-18T20:45:00.010-04:00

I don't have anything earth-shattering to report to you this week. Just thought you like to see how the pup is doing. She went from a 20 lb 10 week old, to a 75 lb 10 month old.

Here she is doing what she does best: she's quite the kisser. And no, we haven't done the whole obedience dog school yet. I think they'd kick her out, like they did Marley.

We have found some pictures of lab mixes that resemble her. Mostly Lab-Whippet mixes. That's kind of funny to me. She's smart, a little too smart, and that would be Whippet for sure. Labs are lovable, but too friendly for their own good.

I didn't expect to get this attached this quickly, but I love her to death.

Sorry the quality isn't so great, I just wanted to show you how tall she is up against Hollywood.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds....top done

2009-09-12T11:27:00.007-04:00

I had a few ....mishaps....as you can see. That's what I get for trying to get done in a hurry. Nothing to keep your ego in check like a major mess up.
I did alot of reading on working with diamonds, and the information all pointed to one secret ingredient: starch! I must have used a whole can of heavy starch on this top.

I was going to use fusible, black bias tape in between the diamonds, to give it a stained glass look. I think I'm going to skip that unless you all tell me otherwise. The borders will be pieced with the scraps from the diamonds. I certainly have enough of those.

Pickle turns 6 and everything's a ch-ch-changing

2009-08-08T11:22:00.007-04:00

All kinds of changes going on around here. Here's a big one for me: Jo-Jo and Idgy's new little brother. I haven't been around him long enough to come up with an internet-safe, nickname yet, but that is happening in the coming weeks. He's not quite a day old in this picture,what a sweet baby!

And here is the carnage that is another birthday for the Dyl Pickle. I did the whole Spiderman cake thing again this year, determined to use that character cake pan at least one more time. My fingers and nails are still blue.

I guess it didn't turn out too bad. I really don't like Wilton's buttercream frosting recipe. The picture on the directions makes everything look starry...mine was just sort of "fill in the blanks as best you can".

Then, we have this milestone: The Pickle minus two teeth! I guess I realized that it was all coming, but man, it just seemed to happen so fast this year.

Pickle's 6Th birthday falls the day after school starts, so we had the party yesterday. Jo-Jo came for the party and his pal from nursery days spent the night. Very low key this year...I'm getting too old for major productions.

Art Now For Autism

2009-08-05T23:29:00.004-04:00

Hey, my our quilting/creative sister,Leah over at Colorful Art Girl is sponsoring a giveaway to benefit Art Now For Autism. Go by, enter, and help this mighty cause.

This month, I'm trying my best to finish the Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds quilt for my son. His birthday was in May...so that's how far I am behind. I have sewn the top right corner and now working on the middle. I'll keep you posted.

Freedom of Speech is one thing....

2009-08-05T12:31:00.003-04:00

But setting yourself up to be rammed, flipped off, or a victim of road rage is another. Check out the bumper stickers. While I do agree with some, I wouldn't be dumb enough to plaster my car with them. Someone is going to get offended. If you want to express your opinion on such, go to the polls, write the editor, or even your congressperson. But don't do this.....it's embarrassing.

Okay, I admit that I'm ready for them to go back....

2009-07-26T22:46:00.009-04:00

(*Editor's Note* I apologize for writing this post in such a way as to leave the reader wondering about me being pregnant. This factory was shut down in 2003 after the birth of the Dyl Pickle. I've made the changes below. Thanks for reading!
Beth)

but to be fair, I'll tell you that this summer has been an absolute BLUR! Lots of packing, unpacking, painting, sewing, cooking, playing, etc. have gone on. I've seen more (preschool) drama than daytime soaps. I've learned more about garment sewing than I ever thought possible. I missed my kid so much more than I can say.

The following are headed for kindergarten: Jo-Jo and the Diva. It doesn't seem possible, but they are leaving me. However, Baby Idgy (Jo-Jo's baby brother), isn't quite the baby anymore and turned 2 already. I started keeping Jo-Jo so Pickle could have a friend, and we could have a little extra breathing room financially. Jo-Jo and Idgy are about to welcome another addition to their family coming sometime eminently. I am excited to be caring for such a tiny one again! It's been at least six years! :) The Pickle starts first grade while Hollywood starts HIGH SCHOOL! She Who Must Be Obeyed is being cared for by her 15 year old sister now, so itll just be me, Idgy, and the baby to be nicknamed later.

That's probably the hardest part of being involved with kids: you certainly get attached. And I believe they do, too. It'll be hard letting them go, but I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Haven't Heard From Me

2009-07-15T20:08:00.009-04:00

Every time I sit down for even one minute of me time...bam....I have to get up and see who is screaming; find out if there is blood; and then lose my seat at the computer. But I have missed you all, as you are there keeping me sane. Since Michael Jackson's death, there's been a lot going on. So I'll give you my top ten reasons why you haven't heard from me:

10. The Enter Button is messed up, AGAIN. So, when I push it down, it keeps going, and going, and ...you get the picture.

9. I've been completely mesmerized by the media frenzy associated with the death of the King of Pop. I don't know if it's that I got to watch old videos and reminisce or just hypnotized in the masses. Maybe it was the fact that the guy was all of 4 years older than me and it freaked me out! I even watched the memorial service and blown away that it was on the big 3 networks.

8. I keep falling asleep on the couch every night. With the onslaught of summer vacation, The Pickle has been given permission by his dad to stay up past his regular bedtime. That's all well and good for Hunnybunny, but I hang out with kids all day: it would be nice to know that EVENTUALLY I'll be an adult at least for part of the day.

7. I haven't felt I had anything profound to say. Lame, I know. But awfully true. Some of my old blogging buddies fell off the face of the earth because they felt like they had blogged their last. I didn't want to do that. Technically, blogging is a diary. Maybe I don't have anything profound to say to myself. It wouldn't be the first time.

6. I'm consumed with a wedding. My best friend's daughter is getting hitched in 5 weeks! Guess who's the DJ? Moi. Yes, it's been since 1993, but I think I can do it. The music for this shindig is a little...eclectic at best. Hope I can mix it well enough.

5. I've been kind of depressed. Mostly, because my family wasn't all together. Well, that excuse isn't going to hold water because I picked him up Saturday. A little early, maybe, but I think he missed me.

4. My schizophrenic sewing habits have gotten in the way, too. Okay, I'm most definitely a quilter. But, I've been exploring making my own clothes. Am I doing it to avoid quilting, or just simply need something to wear. Hey, I made pleats for the first time in my life this past weekend! Was I stoked! But I keep wasting time, going back and forth.

3. Exhaustion. Enough said there. I leave the house to go Nanny for Jo-Jo and Idgy at 8:00 am. Sometimes Pickle comes along. Most of the time the Diva shows up. It can be anywhere from 2 to 4 kids in a hurry. I leave around 4:30 or so, but then there's supper to make, or I collapse in a chair, or take out Fiona. See what I mean?

2. So many of my blogger friends have left. This really bothers me. I go to read their blog and read, "Blog not found". Then I worry. Say what you want, bloggers are a tight bunch. We pour our hearts out to readers, and we get into their lives via the Internet. I miss them when they leave. See reason 8.

But probably the biggest reason I haven't been a good blogger:

1. FACEBOOK! How addicting is it to find old college and high school friends and give them a synopsis of what we have been doing for the last 20 year? Or maybe one of those stupid quizzes that we can't seem to stop doing. While I enjoy FACEBOOK, I really love the blogging community more.

Rest in peace, Michael

2009-06-25T23:29:00.004-04:00

And now a message from our sponsors.....

2009-06-22T18:03:00.011-04:00

I am sure you are tired of reading the saga of Hollywood, how betrayed I feel... boo-hoo....I know I'm tired of it. So, I decided to switch gears and focus on positives going on. One such positive is an invention called a DVR. When it first came out, I didn't just hop on the band wagon. One, because of the expense, and two: I just don't go with the trends initially. The cost at the time was $100, shipping cost, and a renewed contract with Dish Network. I'm so cheap, I just couldn't see paying it. But Hunnybunny never gave up his dream. And finally, the price was right: free with a two year contract. We had our old receiver for 5 years upon moving here. So, the contract thing wasn't an issue.

In fact, two years ago, the receiver was struck by lighting, so it was as slow as Christmas. It's nice to push a button and actually GO to the station.
Now, I can download all the sappy, estrogen-laden, girly movies I want to and then play them back while working in my.....sewing room! I took all that pain and ick about Hollywood leaving and totally took his room over with all my quilting stuff. It's grand, I can spread out, watch TV, and sew right next to a window! He may come back, and I can put it all back on my side of the bedroom, but for now, I get to see how the other half lives...having a sewing room. I am currently working on this pattern and yes, I know it's a little much, but I wanted a project that made me learn some new stuff. Know what I mean?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-05-30T10:09:00.006-04:00

That smile you see is a smile of happiness. He's going to his first dance and Mom let him get his 80's tie. I watched the kids file out of the gym after the dance, and they were all wearing similar things.
Cyndi Lauper's 80's style has come back, but I'm not real sure why. That's what I saw all the young ladies wearing.

Here he is in his true element: playing the guitar. And not to brag, he's really good! He does practice allot and on this particular day was quite the front man. Interestingly enough, it wasn't his band. But he had a blast.

Rude People

2009-05-21T17:56:00.005-04:00

My mother told me that my first words were not, "Mama" and "Daddy". They were "Yes, Ma'am". My mother did her best to teach us that it takes just as much time to be polite as to be rude. When I lived in Florida, everyone used the terms, "Yes, Sir,", "No, Sir" and it seemed like a great lesson in respect. During these times, even though most people don't make their kids, I make mine still say it. The Legal Adult can tell you even though his appearance is tatted and pierced, when he speaks, he still uses these forms of respect. Hollywood has to be reminded from time to time. If I've angered him, he's even tried to call me, "Beth" before, which I think is pretty funny. (Seriously, is that the best he can do?)

Today, I was reminded of why it's important to teach your children respect. I apparently got in the wrong lane to pick up the Pickle at his elementary school. A very angry mother got out of her SUV and walked across the street to where I was. She tapped on my window. I thought, "Is my radiator leaking?"

"If you're going to pick up your child, you're going to have to get in this line here because nobody is going to let you in. We have been waiting 20 minutes." For once, I think I was God-smacked. The human being inside of me wanted to say something just as rude back. But I didn't. I just put my window up. While I wasn't right in being in the "cheaters lane", it just seemed to me that she was going to make someone pay for her very bad day. In case you're still reading, I did move out of the way. Today was one of those times that I like my dog so much better than people.

Making Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

2009-05-14T21:46:00.007-04:00

Here we are so far. Now, imagine this double. That's how big the center is going to be. I'm thinking of adding a wide border, like maybe 7 inches, and machine applique The Beatles characters on it. In between the diamonds, you have to imagine fusible bias binding. That will give it a stained glass effect and reinforce the blocks.

The Legal Adult was gracious as he knows I'm only a month into this quilt. His birthday was yesterday...wow, 24! The cliche is, "But where did the time go?" and it's very trite. Some years went by fast, like when he was learning to walk and talk. Some years dragged on, as in adolescence. But after he turned 22, we really started to talk. I found that I not only LOVE this young man, I can say I LIKE him as well. He's always been a handful, but he's my handful. Here he is at 7 months, and I'm a mere child of 22. I have truly enjoyed being his mother as it has never been boring. Jesse(that's his real name)is a charmer and has been his whole life. Happy birthday, Son!

A Mother's Day Movie Review

2009-05-10T10:14:00.004-04:00

I guess I'm mature enough to admit that I was around when the original Star Trek made it to television. I was three, and we watched it, although it was mostly over my head. I thought the transporter room was cool, and the whole idea of having a telecomunicator to talk to anybody was really out there. We do have cell phones now, so we're at least heading in that direction.

Hunnybunny and I went with The Diva's parents, our favorite movie-going buddies. With our babysitter out of town, we resorted to asking the Legal Adult and his Sweet thing (Thing 2) to babysit the Pickle and Diva. Hollywood wouldn't need babysitting, but leaving him to his own devices wouldn't have been wise. L.A. was going to show Hollywood how to cut grass, but that didn't happen. We left the makings for spaghetti and homemade cookies. The kitchen was a wreck when we got back. Happy Mother's day to me, right?

Hunnybunny was like a kid on a first date, calling me every 20 minutes to make sure I was going to be there on time (I picked up the Legal Adult and Thing 2) . When he called the last time, I answered with,
"The package has been acquired and is being delivered, Captain. We are in route to rendezvous
He didn't find it as amusing as I did.

Honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy this movie, thinking that they would trash the long-standing characters. But that's not what happened. The story was great and believable. And of course, the special effects were wonderful. We finally saw the backgrounds of the officers, and we do get to see glimpses of that. The joke that has made it around to all Star Trek fans was that if you were in a red shirt, you'd be the guy who was going to get pasted. J.J. Abrams didn't disappoint! And that's probably as much of a spoiler as I'm going to give. The bottom line is that if you get a chance to see it, go! Even if you aren't a long-time Star Trek fan, you will enjoy it.

Another Orphan Finds a Home

2009-05-05T20:28:00.008-04:00

I'll admit it. I just can't stand to see an old machine thrown away. I've always looked at old sewing machines like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, "All it needs is a little love." And that is most likely my undoing. Several weeks ago, I found myself at the Legal Adult's apartment. One of the Sweet Thing's had moved out, (Should I call them "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" to keep them straight?) and I noticed a sewing cabinet.
"Did she leave her sewing machine behind?"
"No, my friend thought I could use it as a nightstand since I don't have one." he replied. Upon inspection, I found it did contain a sewing machine!

A Singer 6235, made in 1985-1986.
There's no real special thing about this model, but it did intrigue me. The Singer 6235 is half-iron, half-plastic, all metal components and idiot-proof threading, and self-contained bobbin winder in the actual bobbin case. The foot pedal is one of those pneumatic ones that pumps air into the chamber. I know, y'all are bored. Somethings are made better in the past than they are in the present. At least that's how I'm justifying the cost of fixing this one up.

The foot pedal has an air bulb in it. It triggers a sensor that also has a bulb in it. After I paid for the new pedal, the cleaning, timing, and maintenance work, and then found out it needed a new sensor, it cost me around $130.
The stitches are perfect, and since I've got to come up with a crazy quilt for a wedding present by August, I thought I could use it.

Single Parenting at an end

2009-04-25T10:02:00.005-04:00

And I for one am very grateful it is. I had forgotten just how much harder it is with one parent.

My Hunnybunny went to NAB,(National Association of Broadcasters show) in Vegas this past week. For anybody NOT in the media world, and that's most of the nice people that read this blog, the NAB is essentially the world's largest electronic media show. And for my Hunnybunny being in the video biz, it's like the Superbowl for him. Every new gadget that has been invented to bring you entertainment, news, etc. is featured at this show. Hunnybunny spent the week on his feet, showing stuff to clients and also, getting shown stuff by vendors. It was not without it's perks as the vendors want him to push their products, so he ate rather well. Sleeping, not so well as the time difference did catch up to him. He stayed at the Flamingo, one of the older hotels. The weird contrast was that you could go to a 'burlesque show' and see Donny and Marie all in the same place! He said that no one looks happy there, and it was interesting watching the night life. Apparently, the "ladies of the night" came in the casinos after work and spent most of their earnings. They call that 'low tide'. And no,he didn't gamble. But his comrades did, and lost. The second picture he took to show that he had a television in his BATHROOM. His very pink bathroom at that.
This week reminded me of seven years ago when I was a single parent with a toddler and a pre-teen. While the age difference is a little better, I promise you the drama was the same. Single parents have my heart for theirs is the toughest job ever.

WIP Wednesday: 24.....it's not just a tv show

2009-04-15T14:22:00.007-04:00

It's the number my oldest son will reach on his birthday coming up in May. With "Stars Fell on Alabama" finally out of the way, I have been cutting fabric as fast as I can. No, I don't have a title yet, but I'm thinking it must be a Beatles song since there is so much Beatles fabric. And you know I try to name my quilts after song titles.

So, suggestions would be appreciated for a name. The Legal Adult is big into John Lennon. It's cut into harlequin diamonds, so "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a possibility. I'm planning on doing the stained glass effect and quilt the top of it in between the diamonds with black bric-a-brac.

The Stars Fell on Alabama quilt...FINISHED!!!

2009-04-12T08:16:00.015-04:00

It took me a year of ups and downs to finish this quilt for Grandma Hunnybunny, but it's finally done! I really got hung up on the binding, if you remember. And so many of you came to my rescue with great ideas.
Debra had the best idea: sew it on by machine. While I had considered that, I had never done anything like that. I went on Threadbanger.com to see how to do a blind hem. Jackie mentioned how the blue popped against the white,(everything did, I think!) so I took a crack at invisible thread. That stuff was fine as frog hair, as my mama used to say.

I received lots of written advise as well.
It was greatly appreciated. I think I will try another shot at sewing it on by hand, but with a much smaller project.

I'm not sure if it's supposed to look this way, but it looks as close as I can get it.

Hunnybunny did the honors of holding it up while I got a few shots. I love the colors in this and hope she will, too!

Having put it in FedEx this weekend, I spent yesterday and today cutting out the next quilt. This is for the Legal Adult's 24th birthday. I bought the Beatles fabric way back when, and never could really get into using a panel for a medallion type quilt. He waits until I've bought the fabric to inform me he wants a queen-size! Gee, thanks, Son....
To the left is the rough draft placement of fabric. The pattern I'm using calls for some 4-square type diamonds in between.

But the colors and prints are so bold and busy that I decided on a harlequin type look. In between the diamonds, I'm going to attach some black rick rack to give it a stained-glass effect.

Here's the great label that Debra made for me. (I'm not beyond stealing a picture off of her blog. I don't think she'll mind!;) She did a great job, and I believe in the sentiment: "Finished is better than Perfect." Thanks to everyone for all their input and help! I'm sure I'll be asking again as I've not tried a quilt on this scale before. Just one month until his birthday, so I'll do my best not to be a strict perfectionist. But I make no promises.

Doggie Update and Movie Review

2009-04-05T18:29:00.005-04:00

Here's our doggie, Fiona, playing with the Pickle. She got pretty big since Valentine's Day, didn't she? She's already up to 32 pounds and is about to be 5 months old. The Pickle is having a time catching her, as you can see.

Fiona has this cool marking on her chest. It looks like an outline of an Aztec cartoon or something. In fact, there are two "eye" dots on her fur that I accused Hollywood of putting on with a Sharpie!

Yes, I know. She's gonna be big. But she had to grow into those huge paws.

We decided to rent Marley and Me,
mostly because it was about a crazy Labrador. Or so I thought. It is actually the progression of a family who grows up with the dog. Now, there are allot of funny scenes! The book by John Grogan tells the tale of how the "worst dog in the world" got inside the hearts of a family. John Grogan is a reporter turned columnist and Marley helps him along with content for the paper. Of course, the dog has to get old and die. And, as usual, I cried at the end. Why, I'm not really sure, but it might have to do with Fiona being so young, and we're starting the same journey with a crazy dog. See it with your kids, but keep the tissues handy.

Spring Break: By the numbers

2009-04-03T08:57:00.015-04:00

I had this great idea for Spring Break this year. "Let's save money and go camping!" Don't ever let anyone tell you how "cheap" it would be to go camping. They are totally misinformed. We went to Cumberland Falls State Park. The concept was grand: we would camp, save money, and enjoy family time together. Uh, yeah...that's in that perfect world where I'm still not a resident. We got to the site, (that we reserved online months ago) and there was no grass. Pure rocks, pebbles, and mud. Sigh...then there was the setting up of the tent. It went fairly flawless. The Pickle went wild with all the trees and mud to get into. The skies were cloudy with the forecast, of course, for rain. Picture a listless teenager with no electronics, whining because he couldn't take his flatiron. Don't ask.
Here is a list of our expenses on this so-called, "cheap" trip:
1. Large tent, bought on sale at a sporting goods shop, $130.00.
2. Sleeping bag, bought for me after the first night of sharing with my Hunnybunny. Sharing being figurative. $15.00.
3. Camp grill with cylinders- $26.00.
4. Fleece liner for top of inflatable bed, $10.00. (Temps dropped into the 30's at night!)

5. Camping reservation for 5 days-$69.00
6. Camping cookware- $30.oo.
7. Groceries, tolietries, paper products, etc. -$100.00
8. Boarding for Fiona, (Probably the best money I spent!) $80.00.
9. House sitting-$50.00

10. Tickets to the Louisville Zoo after we came back early from camping-$45.00
11. Eating at the Zoo-$26.00(There's The Pickle tormenting a peacock!)
12. Doctor's visit for the Pickle after we found ticks on him and one broke off in his skin! --undetermined yet.
Total as best I can figure it: $581!

Agnostic Dating

2009-03-29T07:51:00.007-04:00

It's been awhile since I complained, er...I mean, posted anything about The Legal Adult. For the most part, I've tried to leave him alone about his love life. There's always a girl he's obsessing over, or moving on from. (I know, you don't end a sentence with a preposition, but it's early.) Thus, the reason I refer to them all as "Sweet thing". Can't mess up the name that way. However, L.A. got creative and has had back-to-back girlfriends with the same FIRST names. This has created confusion on my part. I can't call them both Sweet thing. So, we refer to them by their last names, conveniently Smith and Jones for this post. Smith is the former and Jones is the current. And the former is his current roommate. (Which I never approved of, but he's a grown man.) Yeah, the plot definitely thickens.
I'm just going to say it, I really like the former one, despite all my efforts to stay unaffiliated. It probably doesn't hurt that she's a seamstress, (although I'm working on getting her into quilting!) is from our hometown in Tennessee, and has been dating him since high school. She's polite, smart, funny, and actually talks to me when she comes over. And yeah, she's beautiful, so if they got married, what beautiful grandchildren they'd make for me. I know we as mothers of sons shouldn't consider that attribute, but I'd love to meet a mother who doesn't! Anyway, this child has moved up here from our hometown and made a new life for herself. But now, it appears my son won't be a part of it. Of course, they'll stay friends....yeah....uh-huh.
Something happens, as something will, and they break up. Enter Jones. She's pretty, brainy, and totally goes along with anything he comes up with. I'm sure that's very attractive to L.A. as he loves to be the center of the world as most college-age guys do. I'm polite and try to engage Jones in conversation, but she is not talker that I am.
The Legal Adult wants me to dislike Smith, just because they broke up. Smith is actually house sitting for me in the near future while we are on vacation, an arrangement we made at Christmas time, when everyone was still in love and the world was a beautiful place.
I've been accused by my son of not supporting him because I don't feel the need to be ugly to her, (or anyone else for that matter). Explaining that finding someone to watch your house last minute is a bad idea did not bode well. So there you have it. The lesson here is: don't get too attached to any one girlfriend/boyfriend of your child. Be kind, but be agnostic. Until there's a ring and a date, just be agnostic about anyone they date.

In a bind over binding

2009-03-17T08:54:00.007-04:00

I'm sure you all think I've fallen off the planet, but I'm still here. And I'm still working on that Stars Fell on Alabama quilt. It's the sewing of the binding that I'm having trouble with. In case you can't tell, I absolutely REEK at hand sewing. Apparently, there's a technique I'm not aware of.
I've searched the net for how-to's on the subject, even watched video tutorials. Either I'm so blind that I can't see the stitches they are presenting, or I'm terribly uncoordinated. My choice of binding fabric was hard to match because it's variegated. So, I went with the most prominent color: blue. I won't even start on how sore my index finger is from doing this.

You can see from this picture here that this is where I started. I'm definitely ripping this out.

So, I pose the question to you all: how do you do an invisible stitch? I'm thinking it's alot like the applique stitch, but I've only done machine applique.
Any help is greatly appreciated!

My life has gone to the Dog....

2009-02-25T18:49:00.006-05:00

Take a good look at my latest time...monopolizer. Fiona has been fun to have around, but much like having a new baby in the house. There's the getting up at the crack of dawn to walk her, (done by me), feeding her, bathing her, (Hunnybunny does that mostly)and the cleaning of the carpets...constantly. Her first week with us, we found her with a U.T.I. I guess I'm an idiot because I wasn't aware a dog could suffer something like that. But she went to the vet, and she's on doggie amoxicillian.

Then there's the chewing, retrieving, eating paper, jumping up on furniture, terrorizing preschoolers and howling she does. The chewing I expected. Some jumping on furniture was expected, too, as she'd never been around any. But the howling...oh, how pitiful! Just like a kid, she knows how to get to you with the crying.
The picture isn't at all as bleak as I'm making it...she is a very loving dog. I'm sure that with time, and maybe obedience training, she is going to be fine. Look at that face...she certainly has endeared herself to us. And despite all of the aforementioned, we all love her to death.

So, maybe I'll be even slower to quilt. At least now I have a valid excuse...an excuse named "Fiona".

Surprise, Valentine!

2009-02-12T10:08:00.003-05:00

I haven't figured out if I'm a softie, or just plain insane. You be my jury:
Hunnybunny and I had been watching the dog show on the USA network last week when I finally said the words,
"If you were going to have a dog, what breed would you pick?"
"Retriever, like a Labrador or a Golden Retriever. They're really good with kids."

I offhandedly told this to my buddy, Jane, (who has the most wonderful Golden Retriever). The woman has the most incredible memory of anyone I've ever met. She and her son were at the store when she heard that someone had a 10-week-old, black Labrador retriever pup that they wanted to give to a good home. And she, of course, thought of me.

My first thought: "Oh, no. Now I have to back this up. I told him we could get a dog."
So, Jane, and her family went with me to meet this family that had this puppy. It was a small, two room house, and the owners knew this arrangement wasn't going to work out logistically. The dog wouldn't have room, they didn't have a back yard, and a new baby was coming on the scene. With two cats already in the house, I was wondering what exactly they were thinking!
I watched the little 7 year old girl as she held on to that big puppy. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. This was the last thing she wanted to do. Thankfully, Hollywood, The Pickle and The Diva had come along. So maybe seeing I had kids made it a little better for her. The family had named her "B.B.". That stood for "Butterball". And she definitely had roly-poly tummy.
"I will at least leave her middle name B.B. Is that okay?" And she shook her sad little head.
The ride from their house to mine was somewhat comical as this puppy had obviously never been in a moving car before. She managed to pry away from Hollywood and get herself in the back window.
Hunnybunny was coming in from Indy from his usual monthly business trip and Jane's family waited with us to surprise him. I wasn't sure he'd love her immediately. But he did, as you can see from these photos. That's what made it worthwhile....that sweet look on his face. Here was something, besides his family, that he's always dreamed of having.
Oh, you know what happens next, right? Carpet cleaner, walking her, and apparently I'm her new chew toy. She has been sleeping with Hollywood, and he just loves her to death.
And no, we didn't leave her first name as "B.B.". After exhausting the laundry list of acceptable names, Hunnybunny settled on yet another Irish name: Fiona.
Named after that beautiful brunette on Burn Notice. We call her "Fi" for short. And she seems to like it, and us.

Stars Fell on Alabama borders quilted!

2009-02-08T18:37:00.003-05:00

Since a couple people have asked, and I'm more than thrilled to have a reason to use my new Sony Cyber-shot, I decided to show you how I marked it. First, let me say that my hat is tipped to those of you who can mark a quilt with chalk. My art teacher told me to stay away from art implements as a child as I just can't draw. What you see here is your garden-variety quilt stencil, although I guess any stencil would work. I made sure there was enough clearance for my binding strip which will be put on next.
What I have in my hand is a Quilt Pounce. It looks like a big eraser, and has dust in it. The dust is a kind of corn-starch material. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it turned out to be just that.
I run it over the smooth side of the stencil so the rougher side can "grip" the fabric. The best part of using a Quilt Pounce is that if you mess up, it's easily corrected. Maybe you move the stencil slightly causing a double-vision: just take out your iron, and it irons completely off! You just gotta love that....

And there you go. And that's not you..I have a little double-vision aspect going on here. So, do not adjust your eyes. This pattern is a little forgiving, so I think I can follow it.

Thanks for asking. Now we'll get into the squaring and binding next.

Pink Panther 2 addicts another generation

2009-02-06T21:41:00.007-05:00

Okay, let me be as clear as I can about this: I utterly HATE slapstick. My sweet Hunnybunny adores it, as most men do. The ads for Pink Panther 2 were popping up on Nickledeon and therefore, seen by the under 6 crowd at my house. When your five year old can do the whole "hamburger" shtick from a movie that isn't even out yet, you know you've lost. You're going to yet another movie that you didn't pick out. But you think you can stall. "We don't have to go on opening night. Surely to goodness we can wait until the reviews are out." But then you don't' know my husband. He had it all planned out and used two little co-conspirators. Hunnybunny briefly mentions that we MIGHT be going this evening, that is, provided MOM is on board with it. Oh, yeah, let's just make MOM the bad guy. You have to give the guy kudos, he knew how to work the room.
Of course I said yes. Two sets of big blue eyes looking at me, hopeful, I didn't stand a chance.
And it is funny, in that warped, man-joke kind of way. I'm sure this movie will be on the top of the weekend ratings as next week the men will (or should!) fork over the choice of the movie to their sweethearts for Valentine's Day. Diva and Pickle were mesmerized by the antics of Steve Martin. It's nice to know that in this age of worrying about what are kids watch, Steve is always around to do what he does best. Make us laugh without being crass or inappropriate. Well, at least the last couple of years it's been that way. (Cheaper By the Dozen,The Pink Panther)
I was thrown a bone....there was some eye candy for me, Andy Garcia. He just ages with fine wine. I wouldn't give it a major thumbs up from me, as I'm not a slapstick kinda gal, but according to my family, it's THUMBS UP!

Working on the Stars on Alabama Quilt...Still

2009-01-31T10:17:00.012-05:00

With all the snow and ice, I've actually had time to work on Grandma Hunnybunny's quilt. All that's left is quilting the borders and binding it. The tension just wasn't right every time I tried to do a sample. I played around with it yesterday and managed to get it perfect, (after a few mishaps and some ripping was involved) so I may be ready to bind it this weekend. Then there's the label to think about. Last time, I wimped out, and had my friend, Debra,do a beautiful label for the Boyscout quilt. I may try to do one, or just get her to help me out again. She did such a beautiful job! By the way, she's working on a special project, the Homeless Teen Project for Willis Independent School District in TX. She's taken it upon herself to provide a twin sized quilt for each teen. If you would like to contribute to the Project, she will gladly pay postage for the supplies or swap embroidery. Just put a note in your box. Email her at debraspincic@yahoo.com. As quilters, we should get behind this very gracious lady and send her some donations of
* Miscellaneous Blocks or Quilt UFOs
* Thread
* Backings like Sheets, Shower curtains, Curtains, Tshirt Knits, Wool blends
* Batting (or Pieces), Bedspread, Wool Pieces, Fleece
* Any Sturdy Fabrics
Debra has a heart as big as the state she's from, and she organized projects where we got Quilts of Valor into soldiers' hands, and quilts for a children's home.
This picture is for laughs. My crazy boys, Hollywood, Dyl Pickle, and the Legal Adult. The Legal Adult and roommate were guests at our house while awaiting their power to be restored. It's always good to see him, and since he's grown up, even more so.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-01-28T13:15:00.005-05:00

I remember that song growing up in Florida, and had absolutely NO REFERENCE. What's so wondrous about walking outside in shorts in January? But since I've moved North of the Mason-Dixon line, I have definitely been educated.

I won't bore you with too many pictures, but if you're my family, check out my flickr.com box to the right. We took allot of pics and for all the dangerousness of it all, it's still very beautiful. Grandma Kim, you should've stayed. You'd of gotten your snowstorm.

I am amazed that this old hickory tree hasn't come down with all the ice and snow on it. And when I heard the word "historic" referring to this storm, I cringed. Seems like since 2004 I have been through a few "historic" storms in this region. When we were moving, like in the moving van, we were speeding our way to a line of twisters without knowing. That same winter, the biggest icestorm on record. Grandma Hunnybunny will never let me live that one down. She comes to see us, and we are trapped in the house.

Well, Kentucky's still nice, just nice and cold. And having four seasons is pretty cool, too. You just have to take the good with the bad. The springs here in Kentucky are glorious, and summers aren't the scorchers I've lived through in Tennessee and North Florida. When the weatherman says it's "gonna be a scorcher" at 87 degrees, I just smile. Everybody has their point of reference, I guess.

Editor's Note: My college buddy, Sandy, mentioned that I was geographically challenged. And she's right. For some reason, I always thought the Mason-Dixon line was a little south of here. I guess my confusion came in when I started going to restaurants in this area that didn't serve cooked grits or sweet tea on the menu. I just assumed I had crossed the line.;)

Time flies when you're .....having fun?

2009-01-23T21:19:00.007-05:00

Our dear friend Bill Engvall would say, "Here's your sign!" if he looked at this. I've been with the Hunnybunny family this past week as Grandmas (Great and Daughter of Great) came to see us. It would have been a good time if not for a family crises, (not our immediate family) and extreme cold temps. Poor Great Grandma Hunnybunny nearly froze her hiney off as she is from Miami. Wouldn't you know it, Kentucky had the coldest temps in 5 years the ENTIRE time they were here!
Oh, and I ended up going to the doctor before they got here. Turns out that the barking cough that I conjured up WASN'T normal. They put me on an inhaler and Advair so I could get the inflammation down. And the doctor suggested that asthma might be the culprit. She correlated the dates on my chart and noticed a pattern. Every November, seems like I come down with some type of barking cough.
"But aren't I a little old for that, Doc? I thought little kids got diagnosed with it." Turns out there is a thing called a "seasonal asthma". Who'd a thunk it? To the left is my RX for myself.

That being said, I'll be by to see you this week. Hope you'll forgive me for not being around as much. But you were always on my mind.:)

Middle School Son's First Date

2009-01-12T12:33:00.010-05:00

When I was growing up in the 70's, the phrase for a couple who wanted to be exclusive was "going together".

Typical language between teen girls of the time: "Are you going with Jake?"
"I can't believe she's going with him!"
Now, the terminology is "going out", as in "Do you want to start going out?".
Back in the 70's, the same phrase referred to dating. Things have certainly changed, I remember while working away from home one summer, a guy MAILED me his class ring and the note attached said: "Will you go with me?" . He was great about letters, too. And a year ahead of me in school. So, he wrote me most of my senior year from college. Anyway, enough about my ex-boyfriend.

Number 2 son now has a "girlfriend". She's as cute as she can be, and also goes to his youth group at church, so that's a plus. He comes to me asking if he can start going out with her. And that's how I got my aforementioned education. Now that I understand what he's talking about, (essentially, he wants to have a girlfriend) sure, go ahead. I know that he can't actually take her out in my understanding of the phrase because the rules are that he can't go out unescorted until he's got a license. So, he gets brave and asks if he can take her to a horror movie she wants to see. Knowing Hunnybunny would be as much fun as taking my mother-in-law on my honeymoon, I volunteered to be the chaperon. But, I didn't want to sit in the dark watching some scary movie. So I suggested roller skating. When his dad and I went out the first time back in 1982, that's what we did. There was a caveat to going: he had to call her dad and ask permission.
That's the southern thing to do and it would let us both know how serious he was about this girl.
I prepped him as best I could.

"It's always Sir, not yes, not no, 'yes, sir" and 'no, sir.' Got it? Even if he says you're pond scum, you say, 'yes, sir'. " And he did. The dad was so impressed according to the girlfriend. And I knew he would be.
"But I was so scared," he later told Hunnybunny.
"Good. Never get to comfortable with the dad." He advised.

We pick her up and meet her dad. After exchanging cell numbers, and curfew time, we head for the rink. Even going to the rink is a lot different. It was nice that I didn't have to pay as I was the chaperon. But I had to go through a metal detector, and they searched my purse and bag. All they found was a bunch of quilting books I had brought to read.
As he skated off with her, hand in hand, I kept thinking of that little baby who gave me kisses at 5 months old. The little boy who thought that Hamburger Helper was the greatest meal ever. I didn't cry, but I certainly felt like it. Maybe it was the bond, but he kept coming over to the table and checking on me. I'm sure she was confused, but I wasn't. He was trying to make it easy on me. ( Wonder what I'm going to be like when he goes to the prom?) I think I might have done something right where he's concerned. Of course, with such great material, who wouldn't have?

Resolution or Revelation? Thinking out loud...

2009-01-07T07:59:00.006-05:00

I'm not really one for resolutions or publicly detailing them. I guess I always feel like if I don't make it, it's right here in black and white. Or pixels. But we've been together a while now, so I'll risk it and let you know what I'd like to change in 2009.

1. More time with God. You know, the Creator of the Universe took out time in His busy schedule to see to it that I walked on the earth, the least I can do is hang out with Him and study His word to hear what He has to say.

2. More family time. This one is actually in the works. Hunnybunny changed jobs so we could actually see him and it's worked out well. Maybe a camping trip would be cool?

3. More quilting time. Oh, yeah, I get the same 24 hours as you, but apparently I'm not using them so well in this arena. It's a crying shame to have FIVE, count 'em, FIVE sewing machines and not use them. I also have every gadget a quilter could ask for so I'm thinking I'm afraid of failure. Ever put off doing something because you're afraid you reek at it?

4. More blog time. Negligent doesn't quite cover it. I've been backing off lately and some of it has to do with the time factor. Some has to do with me thinking maybe there isn't anything else to say. But some of you know that I usually don't EVER run out of things to say...;). And truthfully, I'm writing this blog for me. It's so cool that you all read and comment, (and I appreciate it very much!) but I write to let this stuff out of my heart and head so I don't forget. And sometimes, so I won't carry it around.

So maybe this list isn't as much of a resolution list as it is a time management wake-up call. Perhaps getting organized would make some of this fall into place? I'll give it a shot.

The Highlights of 2008

2008-12-31T20:09:00.007-05:00

...and considering Father Time has been on me all year, I'm looking forward to 2009. I would say, "Can things get any worse?" But sure as I do, things will get worse. And I just don't want to jinx it.

My Top Ten highlights from 2008:

10.The long-awaited Dark Knight came into theaters. Unfortunately,in January, Heath Ledger died. That was really sad. So young.

9. Met Jim Caviezel in April.

8. Got to see my husband more in 4 months (with his new job) than in the two years he was with his other job.

7. Watched as America elected a new president.

6. Finished the Boy Scout Quilt for Chip.

5. Finished the quilt top for "Stars Fell on Alabama" quilt for Grandma Hunnybunny.

4. Reconnected with a lot of old friends on Facebook.

3. Got a Minnesota Treadle from 1904 for $10!

2. Watched The Legal Adult become gainfully employed.

1. Put another son in kindergarten and lived to tell the tale.

By the way, I hope and pray for your family a Happy New Year!

It's a girls' night out.......

2008-12-19T15:55:00.010-05:00

....and honey, there ain't no doubt....blah, blah, blah. Wasn't that a Judd's song? It's not really a girl's night out as much as it's a LONG weekend for me. I'm going to see my best buddy, Robin, down in Chattanooga because I'm drowning in the testosterone ocean at my house. I'm hoping to get a little shopping done for those guys since they won't be around.

I was inspired by my friend,Katie, over at My Sandbox to take a look at Craig's List and just see what I could find. I've always dreamed of owning a treadle. My Grandma Gussie had a treadle in her sewing closet and always told me someday she'd teach me. Well, she passed in 1985, so that didn't happen. Anyway...here's what I found:
This dear lady had this Minnesota "C" and it was on her porch. I nearly had a hard attack! She obviously wasn't a collector.

She threw in the ORIGINAL AD from the Sears and Roebuck catalog from 1904 as well as the pristine attachments still encased in their original, velvet-lined, metal box!

I always look at old machines like Linus did Charlie Brown's Christmas tree..."All it needs is a little love..". And sewing machine oil, and maybe some WD40.

Here she is, all cleaned up. Guess how much I paid?
$10!

Up to Hoosierville, U.S.A.

2008-12-16T22:26:00.008-05:00

We headed north this past weekend. This was due to HB's new job which is based out of Indiana. We were attending the Christmas party, and it was the first time I had met his new comrades. I say new job, but he's been at it awhile now. Basically, he works from our bedroom. He has a business line, laptop, fax machine, the whole works. And he is in sales now. He loves it because he used to do all the research for the equipment he is selling now. We've seen him more in 3 months than in two years. While he loved working at the church doing media for them, the hours got to be too much on our family. So, God is good...all the time.
I guess it's confession time for me. I've been married to Hunnybunny since 2002. This past weekend was our FIRST weekend away without the boys. Wild, huh? If we had the time, we had no money. And vice-versa.
Christmas came early for me this year as Hunnybunny found a Sony store and bought me this Cybershot Digital camera. So, you know me: I went kind of camera happy. Sorry these are taken from the car.

This is the
Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the heart of Indianapolis. It was pretty cool looking. It was only 15 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty.

I wish I could tell you something cool about this church, but I couldn't find anything online. Of course, we were driving through town on GAME DAY! It was a miracle that we could tool around at all.

Conversations with The Pickle: How Old is God?

2008-12-07T19:15:00.006-05:00

"Mommy, did you know that Christmas is Jesus' birthday?"

"Yes, baby, I did,"

"So, Christmas is when Jesus has His birthday?"

"Yes, Baby, we celebrate Christmas to celebrate when Jesus was born."

Long pause......the wheels were turning.......

"So is He going to be born-again?" Pickle looked at me with total confusion.

"No, Baby."

Another long pause, "Mommy, how old is God?"

No response from me as my wheels were turning...

"Mommy, how old is God??" He definitely used his playground voice

So, I did what any other parent who doesn't know the answer: I passed the buck.

"Go ask your dad," I replied.

From the other room I could hear the interrogation,"Where is God? What do you

mean He's invisible?" "Is He in this room?""Oh, God, I'm coming to find you!".

And that's my prayer everyday.

Father Time is whooping up on me

2008-12-05T16:56:00.011-05:00

Coming from the mailbox,I was so excited..three packages, for me for a change. However, the joy was bittersweet. Two of the three were reminders that Father Time has announced his presence.

First, I finally got my glasses! Why I'm excited about that escapes me. Nobody could ever get me to wear them and now I can't read the back of a can or a street sign without them. Remember when I told you about this site, Eyebuydirect.com a while back? Well, I got them. Two pairs for $25.00. The other pair I'm going to use for reading and needlework. I'm just glad I didn't have to pay a fortune just to see.

Recently, I won a $25 gift certificate from Christian Bloggers Online. The gift certificate was for Amazon.com. You'd think quilting books, a movie, something cool like that, right? Nope...it wasn't what I needed. I thought I'd try these:Exciting, no?

Okay, sue me, but I was watching an infomercial about these. I go through shoe inserts so easily I thought maybe they would work. I have that heel spur thing, and translated it means I've been running around barefoot way too long. They feel great, so I'll keep you posted.
It really reeks getting old, doesn't it?

Thanksgiving By The Numbers

2008-12-02T08:48:00.010-05:00

1440 miles NOT driven by me as Hunnybunny wanted to drive.

2 different hotel stays: one down, one up. HoJo's isn't as bad as it used to be. Go and price on Hotels.com. Saved us a bundle!
1 visit with a blogging buddy in Marietta, GA. Deborah is so cool!
25 cups of coffee and/or lattes during that week.
2 Older sons not with me this year....one staying at my house because I had heat, one with his dad in Tennessee.

2 turkey dinners and both were righteous. I even learned to like dressing without cornbread in it.

4 viewings of WALL-E on Hunnybunny's laptop by the Pickle on the way down.

25 or more times asked, "Are we in Florida, yet?" by the Pickle.

3 yards of Beatle fabric (You seriously didn't think I was going to make a trip and not buy fabric, did you?) purchased at Wal-Mart in Hunnybunny's hometown.

7 extra pounds of weight due to the way I ate while gone. Diet went totally out the window.

7 copies of Women's Day read cover-to-cover as Grandma Hunnybunny keeps them until I come to town.

45-15 Florida vs. Florida State, in the pouring rain, no less. Now, that was priceless!

Another year of not making with the bird....

2008-11-24T08:08:00.005-05:00

We are headed to the Emerald Coast, (well, close to it, anyway) for Thanksgiving. Yet another year of dodging the bullet on making a turkey. Oh, I've done my time on that, I assure you. Since I was a newlywed (the first time) back in '84, I've been getting up at 5:00 AM and putting the turkey in the oven. Only one person that reads this blog (Hey, Karen!) can remember that fiasco of my first Thanksgiving. I had to have the directions read to me as I worked on the turkey. I think we had 20 people in that tiny little apartment. And I was preggers with Jesse, so sick to my stomach that I didn't want any part of eating it. Every year, I always invited those without family to join us. Thanksgiving at my house growing up meant that my stepdad would get up at 3:00 AM to put the turkey in the smoker. He and Mom would actually start drinking then, so by the time we ate, they were definitely feeling no pain. And no hunger. My brothers and I ate by ourselves most of the time. So, the whole concept of a family Thanksgiving was lost on me until I married into this family. It blew me away that folks could cook without the inspiration of alcohol. I dreaded each and every holiday as it would start off like this, and end very badly.

Grandma Hunnybunny will be making the turkey, and the rest of us will be taking orders from her. Suits me just fine. Actually, I mentioned to HB that we could go out for Thanksgiving so we could spend more time together. To me, the holiday is about being together, not the food, although that's nice. Of course he pounded his alfa-male chest and said no way. Tradition is tradition. Well, I'm grateful to God that some traditions can be broken. Like the traditions I grew up with.

Kids, Colds, Quilts, and the Winds of Change

2008-11-08T09:51:00.008-05:00

Did you miss me? Well, I stayed away from the keyboard to avoid transferring any cold germs. I keep getting the hacking back, but no fever. Sorry I'm whining. I just don't have time for this.

Halloween was fun as the Pickle and his pals went trick or treating together. The Diva was a different princess this year, Sleeping Beauty, and it was my first time doing little girl hair. The Pickle turned into Batman this year, even though his whole room is Spiderman.

Another reason you've not seen me around is that I'm running out of time on "Stars Fell on Alabama" if I intend to get it quilted before we go to Florida for the holidays. Unfortunately, "Stars" has a ton of white on white. Ever tried to stitch in the ditch when the quilt is white on white? I was/am completely "snow blind". Don't laugh too hard at my solution. Blue painter's tape. Yep. I needed to see where the edge was, so that's what I've been doing. I'm sure there was an easier way, but you know me. A friend told me to use the tailor's chalk, but I still couldn't see it.

I found out that I really should be wearing glasses. It reeks to get old, doesn't it? But I already knew that I should be wearing them. It was 2000 when I got my Rx changed last. I've been getting by with readers from Walmart. But I'm cheap when it comes to anything but fabric. So paying through the nose for frames just didn't appeal to me. I found this site. This guy had enough of paying allot for specs so he created this site to deal with it. My eye doctor is young. When I told her that I intended to fill my Rx online, she actually told me what numbers to put in! Some of the sites actually talk you through your Rx so you can make heads or tales of it. I got a single vision Rx, lens included, for $25! I'll let you know how it works out. There is a 2 week waiting period.

In the meantime, the world theater has changed allot, hasn't it? We have a new President and he seems eager to hit the ground running. This is not a political blog, nor has it ever been. But I will say that I have committed to praying for the President-Elect and his cabinet everyday. Especially in light of the fact he hasn't even had time to grieve for his grandmother yet. That has to be hard.
Hope you all are doing well. I'll be around to see you!

In search of the Great Pumpkin

2008-10-25T12:09:00.006-04:00

I spent many an hour waiting for this to come on CBS when I was young. "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" was probably the coolest thing I had ever seen. Linus always did march to the beat of a different drummer, and maybe that's where I relate.
In all the years that followed, I never made it to a pumpkin patch. The Diva's mother invited The Pickle and I to go and it made for a great outing! Of course, we picked the worst possible weekend to go as the infamous Court Days were going on in the middle of town. But with the help of a local judge, (Diva's mother had interviewed him) we found our way to Two Sisters Pumpkin Patch in Mt. Sterling, KY. (Sorry the link is so pitiful. You actually have to scroll down and search for Two Sisters just to find the address and phone number. I told the owners it would be easier if they had a web page!)
They just made it through the corn maze. I barely did, by the way.

The hayride was a big hit! It had been years for me, and a first for the kids.

And there was pumpkin painting. Diva loved this part.
A pickle in a cornfield! He loved trying to hide from us.
And the old married couple themselves. The way they quibble, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they ended up together. There was also a petting zoo of sorts and they got to pet goats and mules.
More pictures to the right on flickr.com.

Two Generations Share the Space

2008-10-18T10:28:00.007-04:00

Here you have Exhibit A of my Friday: The Pickle, The Diva, and Easter all playing dress up. The Diva is Sleeping Beauty, Easter is getting married, but not to the Pickle. He was really hurt, but I tried explaining that he didn't need to pick a bride at 5.

Exhibit B: The Middle Son, (who is in the middle of this picture) had a sleep over Thursday night, so they were still all here. Mind you, I don't have very much room in this house. The Teens were watching the antics of youtube on the computer in the kitchen, while the little ones were dancing around them in costume. The funny part? Each group didn't seem to bother the other. They just went about their business. I guess that's what I love most about kids, they adapt to whatever environment they are in.
I had to show how The Diva and Easter kept switching dresses. Seeing Diva in a wedding dress might have proven to be too much for her Papa. Both are such dolls!

Here's my favorite pic of the day: Easter in the wedding dress. In 20+ years, this picture may become a reality for her folks. Isn't she a picture?

A Fellow Blogger Needs You

2008-10-16T21:35:00.002-04:00

I'm going to ask you all to do me a favor. Angie over at KEEP BELIEVING got some really bad news about her husband. See, he's had this brain tumor for over ten years. She's been really strong and trying to keep it all together, but we we all need support. I'm going out on a limb here and ask you to ask God to intervene. Just pray. Pray for this family you don't know and go by the blog and tell them you're praying. It would mean alot to me, and everything to them.

Thanks!

"Stars Fell on Alabama " Top Finished

2008-10-16T20:40:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the fuzzy picture, y'all... seems my picture-taking teen broke the zoom button, so I'm stuck with crummy pictures until Christmas. Anyway...

I probably wouldn't have chosen the blue border, but Grandma Hunnybunny did, so she can definitely have what she wants.

I picked up backing material tonight. Nothing special, just white, Wal-mart variety fabric. And of course, I forgot to pick up batting, so hi-ho, hi-ho, it's back to the store I go.

The goal is to get-r-done BEFORE Thanksgiving. We're making the bi-annual Mecca down to the Emerald Coast to see her. Sort of early Christmas for her.

Hey....I won, too!

2008-10-15T19:50:00.000-04:00

It's nice when you win something, isn't it? I gave out prizes today for our Fall Into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway, Sheryl from Scraps from Sheryl informed me that her DH drew out my name today! I won a pack of I Spy squares suitable for a boy's quilt! Thank you, Sheryl!

Winners of my Fall Into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway

2008-10-15T19:48:00.000-04:00

Here are the winners of the Fall Into Fall Quilters Blog Giveaway. I thought you might want to see who the lucky recipients are.
This 1 yard piece of fabric is from Caryl Bryer Fallert's Gradations line is going to none other than Terry from Terry's Treasures! Congrats, Terry!
The fabric that "called" to me was won by Rose of Quilted Hills! I hope I don't freak her out with the wildness of it. I haven't heard back from her, so if you know her, tell her to email me so I can send her fabric.
This book by Jan Krentz, Lone Star Quilts & Beyond is going over to Fiesta at Quilting Fiesta! So there you go. Thanks to those of you who entered. It was a blast having that many comments and seeing so many new blogs! Thanks allot!

Progress on Jericho's Project

2008-10-08T07:57:00.004-04:00

You remember I had my own student the last two summers? And despite me, Jericho put this top together? She was very happy...I, however, was over the moon! Someone created something and I taught them how. She made every stitch, cut and ironed every piece of fabric.
About a month ago, she had a day off from school and finally put on the borders to this quilt. Very ambitious for a 14 year-old, who had never sewn in her whole life. I know her mom is very proud, but me? I'm just bustin'......

All You Need is Love

2008-10-04T09:18:00.011-04:00

My oldest brother, Jim, was a teen in the 60's when the Fab Four swept the nation. No surprise that he passed on his love for the Beatles to me. I'm sure it was funny to hear a 3 year old try to sing "Strawberry Fields" at the daycare center, but I knew all the words by heart. About the time I bought my first Beatles poster, they go and break up. How dare they do that! So, I've always thought, "If I just hadn't bought that poster...." . Anyway, fast forward to 1985. I am having trouble getting the then infant Legal Adult to sleep. I start singing Beatles tunes to him, however off key I may be, and he goes to sleep. In 1989, the portable CD player came out, and came down in price (still $200!) and I buy the Beatles Cd's.
The Legal Adult hears this music, day in and day out and loves it. He has always been after me to make a "Beatles Quilt". The only one I had ever seen was made by sisters, Pat Holly and Sue Nickels and won Best of Show in the AQS show in 1998.How happy I was to learn that Cranston had come along with Beatles fabric from the cartoon! That way, I didn't have to try to come up with Beatle images and loads of applique, which I completely reek at. Well, I guess I could've done the whole fusible thing, like I did for the Boy Scout quilt. But that wouldn't hold up to the Legal Adults wear and tear. He plans on using this quilt. His Aunt made him a quilt as a child and he's still using it!
This spirally, groovy, funky, 60ish fabric is from
Funtastic Fabrics, and I thought it was perfect!

So, the Beatles fabric is PREORDERED from my favorite online shop, Over the Rainbow. I got it for $6.99 instead of $8.75 that allot of other online shops were charging.
Now, to figure out how to put it all together so he can have it before Christmas! Ironically, I found this picture on my computer....you can tell that John was his favorite Beatle, can't you?

Living with Lambchop

2008-09-28T09:33:00.014-04:00

You remember this wonderful woman, Shari Lewis. She was as much a part of my childhood as Applejacks and Captain Kangaroo. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that any of my kids would be influenced by her brand of coolness. But, I am happily wrong.
I bought this for the Pickle BEFORE he was born. I was working at a hospital, and this was on the shelf at the gift shop. I just knew this was going to be what my baby slept with. But it didn't happen that way. He ignored it for years. It wasn't until I was about to give it to "Idgy", (the baby I keep), that he picked it up and it's been a part of lives ever since.

The Pickle has slept with all kinds of inanimate objects, none of which were anything classified as a nighttime sleep toy. You remember "Toothbrush" from long ago. He never actually used it to brush his teeth with, but it was an action figure of sorts. Pickle has slept with cell phones, computer keyboards, and any type of gadget you can imagine. Seeing him embrace this little Lambchop is really mindblowing. Even the toughest of boys has a special toy that becomes "real", like the Velveteen Rabbit. (I love the story of the Velveteen Rabbit as many of my toys became "real.) Lambchop goes to kindergarten every morning, and has to be in the car when he gets out of school. Even the Diva (who I take care of and isn't quite old enough for school) reminds me that I have to "get Lambchop". And of course, Lambchop sleeps with Pickle every night. I decided to research Shari Lewis and Lambchop to see if I could find some actual programs for him to see. Sure enough, in our generation of Youtube, there were plenty of episodes to view. That's how he spent his Saturday morning. Amazing, isn't it, that the most retro of things can still be the coolest?

My son, the married man

2008-09-08T22:24:00.006-04:00

Oh, you might be thinking, "The Legal Adult has gone off and gotten married?" And due to his consenting age, that would normally be a good guess for the eldest son. But alas, it isn't the eldest who has claimed a bride, it's the YOUNGEST!

The beautiful girl by his side is his childhood friend, Easter. Of course, that's not her REAL name, but that will do. Pickle informed her mother, my friend, Ally, that they had gotten married last year on the playground. These pictures were taken at a recent playdate. He informed me today that he needed to go see his "wife".
"Wife?"
"Easter, Mommy, Easter!"

She has a birthday coming up this weekend and we are going. Easter will all of 4. You know, you wonder how much they pay attention to what we do. Pickle has an old keyboard on his dresser, along with an old cell phone and deodorant container. Before he treks off to kindergarten, he is at the keyboard.

"What are you doing, Pickle?"

"Checking my email, Mommy."

Then he picks up the phone, " I have to check my voice mail." And finally, he "puts on deodorant". It's all pretend deodorant lest I get any concerned emails. I know they grow up fast, but this is faster than I wanted. I guess he's going to be a family man, like his dad.

The Jury is still out...and thinking

2008-09-06T15:53:00.011-04:00

I went to a local quilt history gathering in my town with a quilting girlfriend of mine. One of the speakers was well-known, at least to me, and I looked forward to putting a face with a name.

During her talk, she spoke of supporting our local quilt shops, which I do. More than Hunnybunny would like. And she spoke of her own online shop, which I thought was kind of contradictory, but I let it go. After the meeting, I stood in line to speak to her about my favorite online resource, Quiltshops.com. I guess it's the hormones, but the polite thing to do when someone is waiting to speak to you is to acknowledge your presence. Well, she walked away. My friend and I stared at each other and wondered who did what to her Wheaties. I then followed this woman across the room, where another woman got in front of me and she again walked away. Finally, I caught up with her by touching her shoulder:

"Wow, you're hard to catch!" I laughed. For the record, she didn't.

"I wanted to tell you about Quiltshops.com. You didn't mention them in your resource list." And I told them about the search engine, how you can put a Boolean search to look for this, not that,ect. She proceeded to give me a lecture about supporting our local quilt shops and how using the internet was a way to put small shops out of business.

"I do use them. However, if there's a fabric I can't find, I'll look there next." She again tried to dissuade me against using the internet to find fabric. Finally, I asked her,

"Did I understand you correctly that you have an internet shop?" She nodded.
"How is that any different? Most shop owners are savvy enough to have a site along with their shop's goods. That way, you don't waste precious gas money if they don't have it."

I honestly can't remember what she said in rebuttal, but I remember walking away thinking that maybe I don't need to go to any more of these 'educational' meetings. The sad part is she is part of our local guild, and if I re upped, I'd run into her. I guess I'm struggling with this mentality of "you have to do it this way". The internet has lots of options for people and fabric ordering is probably my favorite. I utterly despise walking into a quilt shop and having to look through all those bolts of fabric.

It's nothing personal, usually I'm dragging some child or husband with me and they are less than enthused. So, what do you think? Is the internet going to be the downfall of the local quilt shop or can they co-exist?

What I've been up to.......

2008-09-06T10:07:00.005-04:00

The Stars Fell on Alabama Last Night

2008-08-23T22:28:00.008-04:00

Moonlight and magnolias, starlight in your hair

All the world a dream come true

Did it really happen, was I really there

Was I really there with you

We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white

And stars fell on Alabama that night

I can't forget the glamour, your eyes held a tender light

And stars fell on Alabama last night

Chorus:I never planned in my imagination, a situation so heavenly

A fairy land that no one else could enter

And in the center, just you and me, dear

My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight

And stars fell on Alabama last night

Chorus:I never planned in my imagination, a situation so heavenly

A fairy land that no one else could enter

And in the center, just you and me, dear

My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight

Ah, stars fell on Alabama last night ...

This quilt is named for this song, made famous by Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. This is Grandma Hunnybunny's quilt top without borders. But at least I finished sewing this together today. It amazes me how much I can get done when I pop a movie into the computer...or in my case, back to back movies.

Birthday Bash with Batman

2008-08-18T09:12:00.003-04:00

The Pickle's huge birthday bash was this weekend. Friends and family were on hand to wish him a happy birthday while eating lots of cake, brats, hotdogs, potato salad, hamburgers, baked beans, and home-grown greenbeans. We will be eating leftovers hamburgers for awhile. Here's the Pickle with one of his favorite presents.
Grandma Kim sent this very cool Spiderman slip and slide. It was a big hit with the Pickle and his buds.
The cake had to be Batman this year as Spiderman is in the background. He got several of the Dark Knight toys, including the Heath Ledger lookalike Joker, which BOTH of his brothers tried to talk him out of! Maybe I haven't told you about this family's history with Batman. When The Legal Adult came along, the Batman movies with Michael Keaton were the rage, along with all the toys. I saved them and put them in the attic. About '95, Sam was born, and the second slew of Batman came along. His grandmother bought him every Batmobile known to man, and even the ones from the Legal Adult's time. Then Sam raided the attic, retrieving all the toys stashed up there. Then Pickle comes along, and raids Sam's closet. So you see, we've been dealing with Batman and the toys for about 20 years. I just never thought it would last that long!
Here's the Kroger version Batman cake. They did a good job, although I was stuck at the store while they finished making it. Of course, I did a little creative editing.
Here he is hugging the Joker toy that his big brothers tried to get from him. I think he had a blast, and I'm STILL cleaning up! There are more pictures in the flickr.com box to the right of my sidebar if you want to see.

Offerings From The Pickle Tree

2008-08-08T11:52:00.007-04:00

How did we get from here at almost 3 to almost 5?? Yes, my baby turns 5 next week...on the first day of his school career, no less. Couldn't they cut me a break with only one milestone at a time?
Well, here you have the Pickle in his tree. And he is all excited about starting kindergarten. We met his new teacher, Mrs. Martin, this week and he got to see his desk. The most precious part was when she tried to reassure me that Pickle was safe with her as she had X number of years as a teacher and mother. That made my day! I mean, seriously, do I come across as a first time mother? I reassured her that this wasn't my first rodeo, but it was still hard since he was my baby.

Initially, he wasn't slated to go to this elementary school. They had us zoned 5 miles away. It turns out that particular school was completely full, so we had to go to the school board to get permission to attend the school 2 miles away. Isn't that crazy? Why didn't they just do that to begin with? Oh, well...
Mr. Serious here. Wow, he looks so much like his daddy, I just can't believe it. It's hard to believe he's ready for kindergarten. This new school is having a "Boo Hoo Breakfast" for parents facing separation anxiety. I am not sure that I'm facing that, but I do know how hard it is letting them become more independent.

I love this shot, too. He's a sweet Pickle, that's for sure!

Progress on the "Stars Fell On Alabama" Quilt

2008-08-02T12:15:00.005-04:00

Okay, here's my progress on the "Stars Fell on Alabama" quilt for my mother-in-law, Grandma Hunnybunny. Someone asked me why I name my quilts after song titles, with the exception of the Boy Scout Quilt. Well, here's the short answer: composers do a much better job of coming up with a name than I do. And truth is I am a huge music fan, so what better way to combine the two?

The only reason I have posted three pictures for you is so that Grandma Hunnybunny can see it. She knows it's not a surprise after all this time. The surprise would be if she gets it this year.
Just F.Y.I., the blocks are complete, I just stuck it up on the design wall to get my placement of colors right. I have yet to sew all the sashing together or cut the borders.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

2008-07-23T13:24:00.010-04:00

Yes, my kid, who now wants me to refer to him by his name, Sam,is missing in action. Oh, I remember him. A sweet, compliant, honor student who said, "Yes, ma'am" when I called his name is gone from our house. In our version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", we find this wonderful child replaced by this venomous creature, who mopes in a millisecond. It appears that there is not enough space in this house to accommodate our family and all his hair care products. While at the pool last week, he kept asking me, "What's up?" all in an effort to get my MIRRORED glasses facing his direction so he could check his reflection.Never having to deal with this before (mother of all boys), I am ill-equipped with this sudden stage of vanity. Last year, we couldn't get him to take a daily shower. This year, he's showering twice a day. And the diets...well, not a real diet, per se, but he went from eating everything in sight, to one helping of the main course and complaining about his abs. Sheesh....

I have been told by my friend Martha to pray diligently and hang on tight. At 13, it's just the beginning. And experience tells me she's right.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T17:14:00.006-04:00

Well, you knew I was going, didn't you? I mean, the whole free world went, according to box office totals. We opted for the Saturday night show. Again, we went with Diva's parents, same babysitter, out to eat later...your basic parent's night out.

Here's the scoop I didn't know: he actually appeared in the movie without The Joker makeup. I guess I never noticed the scars under the red paint.
The story of how he got them changed every time he was about to off someone. That's about it on origins, though. I think two of the best lines were, "I'm like a dog chasing a parked car. I wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it!" and talking to Batman, "You complete me."

Heath Ledger did a great job. The story has enough subplots to keep you busy. It's a shame the guy isn't around for his kudos. He certainly deserved them.

WIP Wednesday: Shirt off my back

2008-07-09T14:18:00.008-04:00

Pickle took this picture, not bad if I do say so myself. Maybe he's going to be the next blogger in the family. Heaven forbid!

So, here's Simplicity 2898

Now, this is what it was supposed to look like:

I will not beat myself up for such obvious mistakes, but I am grateful to have only spent $4 on the fabric. My buddy Robin says make another while the iron is hot. So, stay tuned.

My own personal "Bucket List"

2008-07-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, time to fess up. It was my birthday this past Saturday, and while it's not a milestone, it's definitely a fork in the road kinda thing. Simply put, I'm considered "middle-aged" today. Okay, I know I could have started that clock ticking at 40, but I was too busy having a baby. I was lucky to have my best friend, Robin, and her girls, visiting me last week. The estrogen level reached new heights around here. Robin wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday, and of course, it was something to do with sewing.(BTW: hourglass was curtesy of Steve at Square Goldfish.

This is the book I picked. Mind you, all I have ever done is quilting. Oh, the occasional button, but not a skirt, or shirt, or even a crummy pillow. What I like about this book is that she's passionate about what she does. For me, that's everything. If you aren't passionate about quilting, or sewing, or even knitting and crocheting, WHY would you spend the time to learn??? Anyway, I've got a shirt cut out. Robin helped me pick out a pattern.

I picked up some cotton knit at the remnant part of Joann's, so we shall see how it turns out. Hunnybunny groaned when he saw the book. "Don't you have enough unfinished projects around the house now?" Apparently not.
The Diva's mom and dad gave me a gift certificate to Barnes and Nobles and one for Joann's. Way cool! So I got me some fabric, notions, and this book by Karen Combs that I've been coveting. Jericho and She Who Must Be Obeyed gave me some money, and made me a birthday cake! So much for going to Weightwatchers this week! Hunnybunny got me an Eeyore watch and Pickle got me a teddy bear. I heard from college friends, local friends, and even my exhusband on my birthday, so I think it was pretty great.

No, I've not seen the movie. But I like the concept. So, here's my own personal "Bucket List":

1. See at least one kid graduate high school, preferably college.
2. Make at least one outfit with a pattern. (Well, I'm working on that one.)
3. Enter at least 3 quilt contests. If you enter, they critique and let you know how to get better.
4. Go back to Savannah, Georgia to FINISH the honeymoon. The wedding virus hit Hunnybunny, and we couldn't stay.
5. Live in a house with a finished basement to throw children and their friends in.
6. See the Pacific Ocean.
7. Ride the Beast at King's Island.
8. Read Gone with the Wind.
9. Read through the entire Bible.
10. Lose at least 40 lbs.
11. Ride in a convertible.
12. Camping in Colorado or some mountainous range.
13. Take a walk through a rainstorm with Hunnybunny.

Well, there's a few, anyway.

You always knew I was this snotty, didn't you?

2008-06-20T17:31:00.002-04:00

I'm not beyond stealing something off of someone's blog if it's really cute. So, I stole it from Jill. Feel free to steal it from me.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Most Serene Highness Lady Beth the Hunted of New Porton Wells
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I wanna soak up the sun...

2008-06-13T13:39:00.004-04:00

or so sings Cheryl Crow. But I didn't soak it up. I let The Pickle and his pals do it for me. Please excuse the 'creative' editing. He is having the time of his life.
Here he is with the Diva and She Who Must Be Obeyed. A slip n' slide isn't a bad investment for the hot summer days.
I have enjoyed this summer so far because I know it will be my last before he starts school. Look at him, not a care in the world.
The only major drawback is that he thinks we have to do this EVERYDAY. Only one of them is tan enough that she doesn't get scorched after 20 minutes.
Many thanks to Jericho without whose help this summer, I would be lost.

I still haven't found that 12-step program for

2008-06-08T11:51:00.010-04:00

...sewing machine collectors. Okay, I know y'all think I'm crazy, but I just couldn't turn it down. Here's the scoop:

My buddy, Jane, was looking for a black Singer sewing machine for her sister in law. She found one at the same Goodwill I've been lucky at and showed it to me in the back of her van.

"I'll bet it's a 66. Those are great!" becoming glassy eyed. Jane dug in her bag and retrieved the manual! A 66-18! But, there's always a catch. It was a crinkle finish. Another name is the "Godzilla" finish.

A machine is a machine to me, but the sister in law didn't want it because it wasn't a black shiny one. Now, how could I turn it down? It had to have a good home, didn't it? At least, that's what I told Hunnybunny as I picked it up.

(Oh, and I finally got Jan Krentz's book!)

Sorry the top's upside down. See the crinkle skin?
Isn't this a great poster? I bought it off of eBay months ago for about $10. Hunnybunny had it matted and framed for me for our anniversary. I think it's gorgeous! My grandmother was born in 1900, and she might have looked a lot like the seamstress in the poster.

Work in Progress Wednesday

2008-05-28T10:39:00.005-04:00

Did you think I had forgotten? Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did. I've been working on some separate projects that don't have anything to do with quilting. But I always come back to the design wall.

Here's A little more work on "Stars Fell on Alabama", which should've been done by now, but life does get in the way. Pretty cool design wall, huh?
It's the back of some table cloth material that I got at half price at Hobby Lobby.

To the right, you can see the finished blocks. I have a only a few to finish of these. There's only 25 in the quilt. You'd think I'd have it done quicker because of that, but not me. I'm special.....

Oh, and Happy Anniversary to me! We've made it six years this past Sunday. He's still such a babe!

Beautiful Boy

2008-05-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

The Dyl Pickle graduated today from preschool. I thought I'd be the only mother in the room NOT crying as I've been to this rodeo 2 other times. My past experience didn't help me one iota. And still, many hours later, I can't hardly talk about it. Let's let a picture say a thousand words...I'm tired of boo-hooing.

Happy Birthday to the Legal Adult

2008-05-14T14:28:00.005-04:00

Here he is at 2. You can see the beginnings of the mischievous look. He is still very charming, especially with the ladies.

My little, bald six-month-old. You know, I love that commercial where the narrator says, "Who'd of thought that the love of your life would be short, and bald?"

And here's my grown man now. He can't help that he's handsome! Happy 23rd birthday, Son!

Queen for a "Mother's" Day..

2008-05-13T20:29:00.006-04:00

Most mother's are happy to get appreciated on Mother's day, and as a rule, we don't really expect much. Oh, someone is bound to be little enough for making Mom some type of craft. And breakfast in bed is a favorite amongst us moms. This year was tre' cool for me. Hunnybunny bought me some Lauren Blue, Pickle got me my favorite Healing Garden stuff, lavender; Rock Star bought me a card, (didn't sign it, but it's truly the thought that counts.) and a single red rose and baby's breath. Hunnybunny grilled me a steak and made dinner. Mother's Day is the holiday I hate going out.

The Legal Adult went to church with us, and spent the rest of the day with me. I nearly fell over.

Oh, yeah, the best present was to get to have all my boys under one roof for one day! And they let me take pictures!

A Double Date with Ironman

2008-05-10T09:08:00.003-04:00

From the time Ironman was announced, Diva's dad and I talked about getting our families together to go see it. He is the consumate movie geek. The man has virtually any movie you have EVER heard of. I am an old comic book collector. I taught my then 6 year old (The Legal Adult) to read X-Men. Dick and Jane just wasn't cutting it, folks.

I hired a sitter who I knew could handle the Pickle and the Diva together. The Rock Star did ask if he could keep them and make the money, but ...Plllluuuzzzzeeee.... I can't walk out of a room without the screaming and hitting. He went to his friend's house for the night. I was also thinking that he might ENJOY the company of this young woman way to much, if you know what I mean.

My biggest worry was that they would go into their Honeymooners routine and scare the poor girl off. I promise, they act like old married people. Diva's mom and I kid about them getting married someday.

We got pizza, we gave Brit the Sitter the specifics on what they could and couldn't get away with, and we left. The movie was great! I think I liked the dialogue better than anything. Robert Downey, Jr. was really believable. And likable. But mostly, funny. Afterwards, we went to Olive Garden and had a really nice dinner. Adult conversation is something that I'm completely lacking in these days. The only time the sitter called is when the "Batman and Robin" movie couldn't be found. (I had to hide it in my unmentionables drawer or he would play it everyday.) So, I sent Brit to find it there. How embarrassing....Diva's mama thought it was funny.

My opinion? Go see it...and take a date!

Don't hate me because I met Jim Caviezel

2008-04-27T14:14:00.008-04:00

I mean, just because YOU didn't get to meet him...hey, I'm just going on with you. I had the priveledge of meeting this nice gentleman last night as he spoke at my church, believe it or not. He spoke about stepping up and being a man. His career got off the fast track when he did the role of Jesus in Passion of The Christ.

This is Jim in Deja Vu.

As our Lord Jesus in Passion of The Christ. Hollywood pretty much blackballed him from top roles. I read where he was passed up by Bryan Singer for Cyclopes in X-Men after he played Jesus. Make no mistake, he is a true believer and stands for Christ.

And as the Count of Monte Cristo. I have always thought he was great, but after I looked into his eyes and shook his hand, I have a new perspective. By the way, his eyes? They're green, not brown. And I thanked him for doing Passion and told him I loved him in Count of Monte Cristo. Okay, so I got a little star-struck. But he's the first reknown actor I've ever met.
His latest project is a voicing gig on The Word of Promise.

WIP Wednesday: The Boy Scout Quilt....Delivered!

2008-04-15T22:11:00.007-04:00

Two years is way too long for someone special to receive a quilt! But when you have more ambition than ability at the time, it's totally understandable.

I started this quilt as a thank you to a special scout leader named Chip. He had a great influence on the boys in our pack and now in the troop. What I admired about him was his willingness to give of himself, a trait that is lacking for allot of us in this day and time. And he made time for my kid, the Rock Star. The Rock Star got interested in guitar because of this man.

He's like that with other kids as well, and makes time for his family, too. For those of you who have read about my adventures with Jane, he's her other half.

Here's the label that Debra made. Isn't it grand? Go and see her for your label needs, too!

He looks happy and he was over the moon about it. Chip even took it to his special music room to see where he'd like to hang it.

Words really can't express everything I learned while doing this quilt. Just a few things, machine applique, machine quilting, using a quilt pounce, binding, measuring, and figuring out my creative style. I think I was more blessed by doing this quilt than any so far. I'm just tickled it's going to such a special man!

Quilt Everyday....the Results

2008-04-09T10:50:00.006-04:00

You remember the challenge issued to "Quilt Everyday"? Well, here are my results:

Finally finished binding the Scout quilt! I had never done a GOOD binding before, so I'm at least pleased it turned out.

Debra is making me a label for it and I'll post it when it arrives. I'm more excited about the label than the quilt!

This is for Grandma Hunnybunny, but I'm not sure I'll make it by May. But I've been cutting out the fabric,(my biggest handicap) for a month now.

Spring Break.....By the Numbers

2008-04-05T21:22:00.010-04:00

We took spring break down to the Emerald Coast. It was chilly the first day, but better the second. More pics in my flickr.com box to your right.

Spring Break .....by the numbers.

1. Rode 625 miles from here to the Panhandle with two kids in the back seat.

2. Ate off the value menu at McD's at least 5 times on the road.

3. Drove no more than 200 miles on a 1,700 mile trip.

4. Was waited on by my Sister-in-law at least 50 times. I think I'd really like to have a wife....

5. Broke up at least 20 squabbles by the siblings in the back seat.

6. Reunited one family. Meet The Hunnybunnies!

7. Went to ONE quilt store on the coast. Bought 3 fat quarters

8. Lost 6 pounds on this trip, McD's and home cooking, too!

9. Outran one tornado.

10. Made 3 quilt blocks.

11. Made one Great Grandma Hunnybunny happy....priceless!

Edward Scissorhands has nothing on us...

2008-03-25T19:20:00.008-04:00

If your husband tells you, "Sure, I can trim up the boy's hair." , be sure and distract him. Then, run, take him to Super Cuts, Fantastic Sam's, or Great Clips. But don't turn him loose with a trimmer. Hunnybunny really thought he could do it, but the more he took off, the more he had to take off, if you know what I mean.

I loved Johnny Depp as Edward! In fact, back in Tennessee, someone named their salon, "Scissorhands" after this movie.

It was all smiles at first. Pickle posed for the camera. But as this haircut progressed, he was looking more and more like....an inmate!
See, even Pickle is astonished at the amount of hair he lost!

Here's the smile I love! What a good sport he is! The haircut does make you notice his big, baby blues!

And here's the cheesy one. He does this one when he wants something...followed by a big "PULEEEEEEEEEEZE!"