History of houses

When Hunnybunny and I got married, we moved into my two bedroom bungalow in Chattanooga.

It was built in 1958 and I think we paid 31K for it back in 1988, (that is, my ex-husband and I). Fast forward to 1998 when I got divorced: I kept the house with my two boys in it. I was barely getting by on my shipping clerk job at a ministry. Two bedrooms, galley kitchen, no heat source, an AC unit in the wal from 1969- you get the picture. The best thing it had to offer were the two 50 year old maple trees in the front yard. That made it pretty in the fall.
After Hunnybunny and I married in 2002, he moved into the bungalow with us. Crowded to say the least, but it was doable. 

 We added to our family in that house with the birth of The Dyl Pickle. But, life happens: Hunnybunny's job with the local FOX station ended, and we packed it up to move to Kentucky for his new gig. In television, you don't buy the house. So, for about 9 years, we rented this one. And we loved it! 1200 square feet, Hickory tree in the yard this time, and a less than perfect back yard, (all up hill). Finding we needed more room, we went on the hunt for another rental. Hunnybunny was now completely out of television, and I had recently become a nurse.

We find this gem 2 blocks away:1898 square feet! Oak tree in the front yard, super nice landlord, good neighborhood, good schools. And we stayed for 4 years. Hunnybunny was now in sales, working from home. I was still at the hospital I started at, The Dyl Pickle had gone through elementary school, middle school, and this year, had become a freshman. But we had always dreamed of having our own home. Now that moving out of Kentucky was off the table, we began house hunting. No easy feat as we were trying to stay within the high school district of Pickle. We met a wonderful young lady at an open house who was a buyer's real estate agent. She showed us a lot of houses, but we had found this one house in our neighborhood that we had visited the same day we met her: 1710 square feet.

It comes with a large kitchen, (yellow, so it will definitely needed new paint!) granite countertops, private backyard with lots of mature trees, deck, on a cul-de-sac that was within a cul-de-sac, so very little street traffic, and, of course, a tree in the front yard. I have been unable to determine what kind of tree.   So, we are moving here, and it's ours. This is Hunnybunny's first time as a homeowner. The Legal Adult has been helping me while Hunnybunny has been on the road. It's a split foyer, built in 1990.  4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, (they made the downstairs den a bedroom, so the Pickle is loving that he has his own bathroom.
I will keep you posted on improvements, because there will be a few.                                                                                                                           

Quilting news and other stuff

I haven't really posted anything since my brother died, so I guess I'm getting back to normal. 
So, this is my new baby. I actually purchased her last year, but have had trouble making time to use her. She is a PFAFF Quilt Expression 4.2. Recently, I was asked by my quilt teacher/friend of many years why in the world would I pick a PFAFF when I could own a BERNINA? My answer was simple: I love it! Bernina is a great machine, no doubt. But I learned to sew on a HOBBY 1132, so I'm a little sentimental about PFAFF. Also, there is the affordability factor. I mean, for 5 grand, I could make a partial down-payment on a car, or a house.

I love the ease of use as well. Even for a novice like myself, I find that I don't have to work real hard at figuring out what to do to get the effect I want. 192 stitches! It's simply amazing! 

I'm working on a baby quilt that was entirely applique. Let me say it bluntly: not a good plan for me. Not only was I out of my league, I was using a new machine that I didn't fully understand how to use. Here's where I am with it:  

You'll notice that big, bunch of bananas. I'm ripping that out. I tried to make it look like a real bunch of bananas, but found it only confused people. In case you wondered, it's not my design. I bought it off of someone's Etsy shop. Her monkeys were alot bigger, even though I followed the pattern exactly. Won't be doing this again. 

I keep playing with the courthouse steps idea. I did one block that you see below. It was foundation pieced, which was very, very acurate. You'll have to forgive the material I used. I was trying to use scraps up.  This is what I hope to be making it look like without the blue center:

I got this badly taken picture from a television show from the 90's and thought how great would that look in my living room!  Anyway, that's about all I am doing sewing-wise. 

I started working out with a trainer recently. He's a very nice young man who is down to earth. I only started because I was tired of being sick and tired. My body strength was nil and my legs hurt constantly. Not a good thing for a nurse who is up on her feet for 12 hours at a time. He is putting me through my paces. And, of course, I'm hoping to lose weight, so I'm conferring with him on diet issues. 
Work is very busy, which is highly unusual this time of year. Our census is never maxed out in June, but it is this year for some reason. 27 patients is a lot of patients to keep content.

The Legal Adult moved out after having been with us for some time. He broke his leg last year, and now has a new apartment....again. I haven't written very much about him, but he has effectly made an old woman out of me this year by turning 31. 

Hollywood turns 21 in a week or so. He has an apartment across town, but has never invited me over except to pick him up to go somewhere. Hmmmmm......

The Dyl Pickle is 12 now and is sporting purple hair! Yeash......
But he is so very tall now, and he has grown men feet-size 12! Turns 13 and starts 8th grade in the fall. 

Hunnybunny is working for new company as the mid west sales rep. He just got back from Canada. Always happy to get back to southern cooking. We just celebrated number 14 Anniversary by heading to Hilton Head. It was very, very nice!

As for me, two more semesters of school and then I can sit for the NCLEX-RN. I am nearly as old as the teacher, but I like it. What I don't enjoy is going to school 4 days a week and then working every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, better get a shower so I can head to church. Later, y'all.......

The Judge- A movie review

So, Hunnybunny took me to see Robert Downey, JR and Robert Duval in "The Judge".  I had seen the trailers, and loved just about every movie that they both were in. And truthfully, Tony Stark has done wonders for RDJ's career. The role helped him branch out as an actor. And it really shows in this film.

There are no spoilers here, so don't look for me to give anything away. The family dynamics are true to form. Robert Duval plays the perfect curmudgeon. Maybe you didn't know that the title of this blog pays homage to  my former life as paralegal. I did love the law, but lawyers were another story. They were fairly abusive and narcissistic. But courtroom theatrics were not the subject of this movie.

We get to see RDJ as a lawyer, dad, husband, son, and former resident of his hometown. So, while it would have been cool to see JUST the lawyer, the other roles were far more interesting.

Hank Palmer, (RDJ) also has to face his past demons, something RDJ has had plenty of experience with this past decade.  His dad, Judge Palmer, (Robert Duval) has his own problems which come to light while Hank Palmer has been home. 

My favorite line was "I have the work ethic of the Amish!" I think I'll be stealing that one in the future. 

Anyway, go see it and prove that we can enjoy a thinking, feeling movie just as much as a "shoot 'em up". It was awesome!

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

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.

Spring Break!

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.

Top Ten Reasons I felt like the Grinch this Christmas

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.

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.

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

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?

Single Parenting at an end

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.

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

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.

Spring Break: By the numbers

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!

My life has gone to the Dog....

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!

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.

Pink Panther 2 addicts another generation

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!

The Highlights of 2008

...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!

Up to Hoosierville, U.S.A.

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.

Thanksgiving By The Numbers

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!

My own personal "Bucket List"

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.

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

...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.