Friday, December 31, 2010

Loving December #31

I can't believe I actually did this. I actually found all of those things to like about December!

My creativity knows no bounds!!!

/snark>

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Loving December #30

The BIG semi-annual sale at Bath and Body Works!

K and I get gift cards for Christmas and then have all kinds of fun at this sale.

It's a tradition!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Loving December #29

After Christmas Sales!

(and shopping with my daughter)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Loving December #28

You know, I really like to wrap gifts. I like to coordinate the trimmings and make them look pretty.

(Unless I have a ton hanging over my head that need to be wrapped in the next 20 minutes.)

Monday, December 27, 2010

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Loving December #26

Half-price after Christmas sales!

But I don't shop on Sunday so hopefully there will be something left tomorrow.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Dinner Menu

Honey Baked Spiral Ham
Cheesy Potatoes (irreverantly called Funeral Potatoes at our house)
Tossed Green Salad
Homemade Rolls
Marionberry Cobbler and Ice Cream

The stockings are empty, the presents are open, there is chocolate in abundance.

Kellie made Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast.

All is merry and bright.

Loving December #25

Merry Christmas.

God bless us, every one.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve Menu

Shrimp Cocktails
Ham and Cheese Cheeseball (made by me!)
Schuler's Bar Cheese
Assorted Crackers
Assorted Christmas Cookies

Later we are going to a candlelight Christmas Eve service.

(But I still have some wrapping to do first!)

That is all.

Loving December #24

Giving.

That's what it is all about, really, isn't it?

It is so fun to hit the nail on the head with just the right gift. And so fun to surprise someone who really isn't expecting anything. And fun to deliver a plate of goodies as an excuse to have a long overdue visit. And fun when someone appreciates a small gesture so much.

That's what drags me back from the crazy.

Giving.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Loving December #22-23

  • Favorite Christmas recipes.
  • Ring and Run. Was that you, Melissa?

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Loving December #21

Being able to use all of my fabulous Christmas dishes.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Loving December #18-20

  • K returning from college for a Christmas vacation. Yippee!
  • A Christmas program with lots of music.
  • A beautifully decorated tree.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Loving December #17

A beautiful evergreen that takes up half of the livingroom and makes the whole house smell good.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Loving December #16

Christmas stamps.

I buy them every year.

Now if I could just get them stuck to the cards and in the mail!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Loving December #12-15

  • A church gym turned into a Bethlehem market place
  • Angels with tinsel garland in their hair
  • Little blonde boys dressed as shepherds
  • Excitement of a Christmas party

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Loving December #10

December seems to be the month of soups at our house. Good, hearty, homemade soup. We have tried a few new recipes already.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Loving December #9

I love it that in December I communicate (commiserate) with my sisters a little more often.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Loving December #8

I love watching holiday movies in December. I have already watched two on my must see holiday list: Miracle on 34th Street (the old one) and Holiday Inn. Four more to go!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Loving December #7

There is more of an emphasis on doing things for other people in the community at large.

It is easier to come up with things to do for other people.

That is a good thing.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Loving December #6

The first year I move to Michigan the local paper had a feature on how to survive (and even enjoy!) a Michigan winter. Item one was: Buy good boots. Item two was: Wear the boots. I don't remember what else the article said, but this stuck with me.

I have found this to be very good advice. I found a style of boots that were easy on and easy off, and have made a practice of wearing them whenever conditions warranted. The same wisdom applies to coats, gloves, scarves, and tires. I can't say it has made me really enjoy winter, but it has helped.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Loving December #5

I love those days after a big snow when the sky is bright blue, and the snow is fresh and white, and everything sparkles. It feels like everything is right with the world.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Loving December #4

I love those days in December when I don't have to go anywhere, and I am cozy at home working on a project, and the snow is softly falling, piling up on the fences and the trees.

{In December, it's a novelty. In February and March, not so much.}

Friday, December 3, 2010

Loving December #3

I love hearing from old friends. I received my first Christmas card on December 1st this year from one of my oldest and dearest friends. We went to school together from first grade on. (No kindergarten in Idaho, back in the day.) I may have actually known her from Primary before that. She conveniently lived right next door to the school. She made the 12+ hour journey in her car to come to my wedding. She is 25 days older than me, so she gets to test the waters when we have those big birthdays ending in zero and can let me know how it is.

That's one of the things I love about December.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Loving December #2

Something I love this December is a McDonald's radio spot. It is a woman's voice saying that she can be spontaneous, she has it all planned out! (and she goes on to talk about her list and spreadsheet...ha!)

That is so me!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

I Shall Always Love December...

Ok. That's not really true. Sometimes I despise December. Usually it makes me crazy. At best...well, there is rarely an "at best" in dealing with the month of December, at least not right away; not until about noon on the 25th.

But I decided to blog this month about all of the things I do love about December. Really!

So, to begin...I love the lights. I love that when the year is the darkest, people put up lights...on their houses, in their windows, in their yards. It's like being given lemons and making lemonade! Here, take that, Mother Nature! It is a show of optimism in a dark world. It is a lesson I should incorporate more often: Focus on the light, not the dark.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fabric Therapy

I hadn't been too thrilled about some of the things that were going to take up some of my precious time this weekend (cleaning at the church, accompanying youth to a dance *yawn*, extra errands) but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

So Friday evening, after dinner, dishes, folding laundry, and all of that kind of *fun* stuff, I got out a stack of clear storage containers (clear boxes formerly containing spinach, of which I use one a week, the topic of which is an upcoming post) and all of the little bags and envelopes and boxes of fabric that I have purchased online and in stores in the past few months. I lovingly petted and folded and sorted and boxed all of the pretty fabric. *sigh* Then I pulled out some other scraps and picked out fabrics from both sources for some Christmas present projects (can't tell, in case my duaghter somehow finds my blog {long story}) and made notes on my plans and figured out what else I need to buy and looked up some details on a blog tutorial.

I feel much better now.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Summer Goals Redux

At the beginning of the summer, I made a list of thing to do. Now that summer is officially over, I will report how I did. Or didn't, as the case may be.

I planned to:

•See a musical
•Go to the beach
•Make 2 quilts
•Go thrifting

It was a short list; deceptively simple. Did I get everything done? Not so much.

1. See a musical--Welp, there weren't any, so I did go to a comedy in a nearby town. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but I'm still on the lookout for a musical.

2. Go to the beach. I did, several times and it was great. I will buy my State Park sticker earlier next year and get going right away.

3. Make two quilts. Well, maybe make was too strong a word. I did work on both quilts and did a lot of other incidental sewing. My new, revised, in-the-back-of-my-mind, loose plan is to try to finish the t-shirt quilt by Christmas. (Along with a few other little ruffled goodies.) I also need to have a baby quilt in the works shortly after that. And I do plan to make some progress on the WIPs.

4. Go thrifting. I went twice. It was underwhelming. The first time, however, I found yards and yards of white wired ribbon for pennies a yard, which I used to make my daughter one of these, with enough left over to make another one, if I so desire. But that was about it. But, I wasn't really "on a mission." I just think I need to get into it a little more.

So, that's that.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Time

Last week as I was making plans for my week, I spotted an empty block out of the corner of my eye. I didn't want to stare, for fear it would disappear. As the week progressed, nothing came up that had to go in that spot. The excitement was building! What would I do with three whole, unclaimed hours?

I made a plan for how I would use (code for not waste) the time. I didn't want to lose track of the time or get distracted. I made a schedule, I established a reward system. (I know, what a dork! Brutal honesty here.)

Unfortunately, I didn't work on anything fun, like sewing, quilting, or scrapbooking. I did work on something that I have been hugely behind on at home, that once I get caught up, it will be really easy to stay caught up. I made amazing progress, getting over a big hurdle, so I am thrilled!

This week? No such luck. I have had something every night this week and have gotten behind on everything. That same time block will be used for getting control of the piles of laundry (mostly clean) and all the other stuff that has piled up in the mean time.

C'est la vie!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

A Random Meme

Cause, you know, it's all about mememememe!

What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?
Visit all 50 states.

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go?
Italy. Or Greece.

What are your favorite hobbies?
Sewing, scrapbooking.

Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours.
Quirky? Me? Nah...

If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Buy a house, travel.

What is one crazy thing that you would just love to do?
Ride a zip line through the rain forest.

What was your favorite TV show when you were growing up?
Pettycoat Junction.

Name the most famous person you've had a face to face encounter with.
Robert Redford.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Goals

I work full-time, forty hours a week plus five hours of driving to and from. I have a time-intensive church calling. I am the designated errand-runner and grocery-shopper. I am the designated house-cleaner and laundry-starter and folder. Due to our opposite schedules, I am the weekend-cooker. (I could say "weekend chef" but that would be giving myself way too much credit.) I have a husband who needs a certain amount of attention. (And, granted, probably doesn't get enough.)

The point is, I have a lot of stuff I have to do and not a lot of time left over for big (cleaning, organizing, fun, scrapbooking, sewing) projects. I do not, as a rule, have large chunks of time for, well, anything.

(I should post this disclaimer on the front door!)

Wait, where was I going with this? I got distracted!

Oh, yeah! My point is, while I would rather have long stretches of time for projects, the fact of the matter is that I have to break things down, sometimes into teeny tiny chunks.

Take the t-shirt quilt as an example. I was getting really frustrated that I was not busting through that pile of t-shirts fast enough. I had done one small session, then worked on them some more while waiting for the cable guy (don't get me started on that subject!) and later, cut a few more. Then I looked at the pile every time I walked by it on the way to do something else (something less fun, I might add!)

At that point I decided that I needed to break things down into really small (doable) steps. I set a goal to cut two t-shirts per day for the next week. That would leave seven to cut on Saturday. Just setting that little goal energized the whole process. I knew that no matter how busy my day was, that I could spare enough time to cut just two shirts. It worked like a charm! One day I even had time to cut four shirts, which worked out well because the next day I didn't have time to do any, but at that point, I was still on track. When I got to the weekend, the pile was really small, and I knew I could finish it off, and I did.

In the midst of being frustrated by my lack of project time, I read a blogger that said she only has 45 minutes a week to sew so she has to make the most of her time. I found that comforting. And inspiring. Then I read another blogger who said that she allows herself to sew for 30 minutes a day, guilt free. Also inspiring.

So that is my aim. To carve out those short spans of time and make them count for something.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Unsewing

Saturday I went to the beach. It was a breezy, cloudless day. The water was a dark, dark blue. The waves were rolling, and there was a huge contingent of sailing vessels on the horizon. There were people playing in the waves, and couple of sand sculptors pouring and packing and scraping away.

I love to watch the people coming and going. It is interesting to see what other folks find necessary to bring to the beach. As for me, I bring a chair, an umbrella, and a bag o' stuff.

In my bag I have a towel, (more for covering parts the umbrella doesn't shade than for drying off, because remember, I don't swim and I don't like being in the sun,) a water bottle, my cell phone (for the time, as there is rarely a signal at the beach,) something to read and something to do.

This time I brought both books I am reading and a bag of unsewing.

I have been looking for a "take-along" project for a while, something portable to take along when I may have to wait or have some down time away from home. I have not (yet) been carried up in the hexie craze that has been rampant on the internet this summer, nor have I been to JoAnn's to get the Kona White I need to start a little house quilt (scroll down for it).

I do, however have those red and blue quilt blocks (UFO # 3) that I want to revamp. And a seam ripper and a few quilt blocks are quite portable, in a zippy baggie. So, that is what I did. I brought some nine-patch blocks that need a bit of tweaking and did some unsewing at the beach. I got a lot more done that I thought I would, and I enjoyed it immensely. I am no stranger to the seam ripper, and I don't mind doing it. It is always worthwhile in the end.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Happiness, Day #31

Completing a month-long blogging meme makes me happy.

Especially if I continue posting after it is done, like I failed to do the last time.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Happiness, Day #30

A clean kitchen makes me happy.

(I could say the same thing about the bathroom, but I won't.)

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Happiness, Day #29

Having an optimistic outlook makes me happy.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Happiness, Day #28

Fixing something that is in need of repair/
giving order to something that is in disarray/
creating something nice from what is at hand
makes me happy.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Five Things

So, I've been in the mood for a Friday Five the last couple of weeks, and I have searched all of the usual places (and have, on occasion, been distracted) but, alas, have found no fun/acceptable Friday Five. What's a blogger to do?

Well, I have decided to do a Five Things post.

Here we go:

1-five things I like:
  • Our new fast internet
  • Coming home from work on Friday afternoon
  • Reading interesting blogs
  • Wendy's Homestyle Chicken Fillet with cheese and everything except pickles
  • Sewing for fun
2-five places I'd rather be:
(on vacation, apparently!)
  • Maine
  • Nova Scotia
  • Cornwall
  • A house on a lake right here in Michigan
  • Utah (with my family)
3-five things I'd like to buy:
  • A good leather purse
  • A few choice cuts of Remix by Ann Kelle
  • A frozen strawberry lemonade
  • A good pair of sandals
  • A headboard for our new bed
4-five things that annoy me:
  • Rude drivers
  • Items too high up on store shelves
  • Bad customer service
  • Smaller container, higher price
  • People going in and out and in and out during a movie
5-five things I plan to do this weekend:
  • Go to the beach
  • Cut the rest of the t-shirt pieces
  • Cook
  • Catch up on a few things around the house
  • Call my sister

TaDa!

Happiness, Day #27

Less humidity makes me happy.

Conversely, more humility makes me happy.
I crack myself up sometimes.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Happiness, Day #26

Date night makes me happy.

We tried a new restaurant, went to Ruth Ann's for dessert, (because summer is quickly coming to an end!) went home and took care of an item on our To Do list (together), and then watched a free movie On Demand. Nice!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Happiness, Day #25

Access to modern medicine makes me happy.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Happiness, Day #24

The sweet, peaceful feeling that comes when wise words are spoken makes me happy.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Happiness, Day #23

Fresh peach pie makes me happy.

And, more importantly, makes my husband really happy.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Happiness, Day #22

Declaring housework done (for the day) makes me happy.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Happiness, Day #21

Finding a Jimmy John's sub in the fridge for my lunch makes me happy.

Thanks, Honey!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Happiness, Day #20

Good customer service makes me happy.

Know where I can get any???

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Happiness, Day #19

Reading a good blog makes me happy.

You can find one here,
here,
here,
and here.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Happiness, Day #18

A belated anniversary (us) and birthday (her) celebration with friends makes me happy.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Happiness, Day #17

A report of "Everything looks great!" at the dentist's makes me happy.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Happiness, Day #16

Unlimited long distance makes me happy.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Happiness, Day #15

A girls' lunch out makes me happy.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Happiness, Day #14

Folded laundry makes me happy.

Notice I didn't say folding...

Friday, August 13, 2010

Happiness, Day #13

Going out to get lunch on Friday makes me happy.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Happiness, Day #12

A good night's sleep makes me happy.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Started

This weekend I finished two other projects which allowed me to start cutting up t-shirts for the quilt. Yippee!

I decided to shoot for 12-inch finished blocks whenever possible. Some blocks will have to be longer, which I will accomodate in some way when I get the blocks cut and sewn and start arranging.

What this means as far as cutting goes, is that I am cutting big designs (and lists) 12.5 x 12.5 when possible. The small designs I will cut 6.5 x 6.5 and sew together to form the 12.5x12.5 blocks. Some designs I will cut 12.5 x 6.5 and sew together. I am saving t-shirt remains in *fun* colors to add to odd-sized blocks to bring them up to 12.5x12.5.

I haven't decided whether or not to do any sashing and/or borders, nor have I decided on backing or binding.

My plan is as follows:

  • Cut out t-shirt designs in pre-determined sizes as best I can.
  • Fuse blocks en masse to light-weight interfacing.
  • Sew smaller designs together or to more fabric to bring them up to 12.5x12.5
  • Square up blocks.
  • Decide on a layout and make decisions about sashing, borders, etc.

Wish me luck!

Happiness, Day #11

A visit to the farm makes me happy.

And fresh blueberries and sweet corn...Yum!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Happiness, Day #10

Crossing projects off of my list makes me happy.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Happiness, Day #9

Having sisters makes me happy.

Happy Birthday, C!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Happiness, Day #8

A good book makes me happy.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Happiness, Day #7

An evening at the beach makes me happy.

I had an unusually short grocery list, so I hurried through the store, went home and put away groceries, changed clothes, packed up the dinner S had made as a picnic, grabbed a bottle of water, a book, and a beach towel and headed out. I had a great time eating dinner, reading, and relaxing as I enjoyed the surf, sand, stiff breeze, and people watching from the comfort of my chair and the shade of my umbrella.

Ahhhh....

Friday, August 6, 2010

Happiness, Day #6

Really good pizza makes me happy.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Happiness, Day #5

Bright lights to work by makes me happy.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Happiness, Day #4

A romantic (and yummy) dinner for two, all alone in a beautiful dining room, with views of Lake Michigan on three sides makes me happy.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

A Quilty Summer

Next on my summer list, it says to make two quilts.

It sounds innocent enough, "Make quilts."

Awhile back, before I started posting again but was thinking about posting again, I read about W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesdays on some quilt blogs. "Hey," I thought to myself, "I have some of those!" Delusion, anyone? "WIP" implies progress, as in actually getting something done. Ahem... and therein lies the rub, as they say.

What actually have are U.F.O.s. UnFinished Objects. Yup. Way unfinished.

UFO #1

I have a quilt top done. It is made up of 12x12 inch blocks which are comprised of four 3x12 inch strips. Of velour. (Colors from the 1980s.) Made of scraps left over from several robes and other projects I made back then. Solids. It is actually quite modern looking. I think I was ahead of my time. I started cut the strips during one decade, finished the cutting and started the piecing in another decade, and finished the top in still another decade. When I finally got it put together and put it on the bed to see how it looked, there were parts of it I did not like. At all. And I had no idea how to finish it. I thought about tying it with ribbons. (Like I said, '80s.) But that would totally not look modern. And I had no idea what to back it with.

UFO #2

I have a bunch of different Christmas fabrics and a bunch of squares cut out to make a quilted Christmas tree skirt. This is also a decades old project, but one I am still interested in. It may, however, take a different shape that what I had originally intended.

UFO #3

I have a variety of red and blue quilt blocks that my students made when I was teaching in Washington (the state of). As I recall, it was a group project and it didn't get finished and then I moved to Montana. Some of the blocks are pretty sloppy and need to be redone. (Ok, most of them, well...depending on how well I can rein in my inner perfectionist...) However, there are a good variety of blocks and plenty of fabric left for more. I need to spiffy up the ones that need it and then take stock of what I have and decide what additonal ones I need to make. I am also thinking it will need some sashing. Maybe a tannish color? I would love to finish this quilt and donate it back to the school, or possibly to a charity.

UFO #4

The T-Shirt Quilt. K has saved all of her fun t-shirts from high school, marching band, (and there are many!!!) girls camp, etc, etc, etc. for me to make a quilt. Before she came home the last time, I washed them all, and while she was here, we sorted them and weeded out a few, and I made some notes on what she wanted and doesn't want. I bought a bunch of interfacing, and asked for some advice from someone who had made them for her girls...and that's it so far.

UFO #5

I would like to make a quilt called "The Boxer Rebellion." No comment.

Anyway, the two quilts on my summer list are the t-shirt quilt and the red and blue quilt. I have done a little (very little) on both of them. But I am almost done with a huge list of mending and altering that I have had since we got back from our trip in April. Then I will have more time for fun sewing.

Wish me luck.

Happiness, Day #3

A phone call from my daughter makes me happy.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Happiness, Day #2

A smoothly running morning routine makes me happy.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Happiness Challenge

I saw this floating around on the internet and decided it was a good idea:

“Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn’t even have to be every day if you don’t want it to be. It’s a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.”

I could use a little happiness! But don't get me wrong. If there is a "pet peeve" month or an "official complaining month," I'll be all over that, too!

So, day #1:

Going barefoot makes me happy.

Sometimes I yearn to be at home in my bare feet.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I've always wanted to say that!

I won! I won! I won!

I won a giveaway over at Annette Lyon's blog The Lyon's Tale as part of her four year blogging anniversary celebration.

I won a copy of Alma the Younger, by H. B. Moore!!!

Thank you, Annette!

(Soon I will have to post about the other giveaways ((yes, plural!)) that I have won.)

Yippee!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Beach

One of the items on my summer list is "go to the beach".

I live just minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Lovely white sand beaches as far as the eye can see. However, two things: I don't swim, and I don't like being in the sun. But I do like to go to the beach.

When K was little, I used to take her all the time. Then she got to be a better swimmer than what I could, with my non-swimming ways, supervise, so she started going more with her dad. And then, of course, she got old enough to not need any supervision and started going with friends. Meanwhile, I didn't go. At all.

Last year I went to a few beach events with the church youth. I guess it reminded me of how much I like going.

So, this year, I bought a State Park sticker, put the beach umbrella in the car, and made a vow to have some beach time.

So far I've gone twice. It was delightful. And sooooo relaxing.

Must.go.more.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

I Feel A Meme Coming On...

I found this on the internet when I Googled "crafty meme".

What are your hobbies?
sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, reading, dessert-making
What crafts do you do?
right now, I prefer anything to do with sewing
What sounds do you craft along to?
music, sometimes a movie
First Project You Ever Made:
barbie clothes
Favorite Project:
whatever I just finished
Favorite Items to Make:
quilts

What's your favorite...
Color:
was orange, then blue, now I'm coming back to orange
Movie:
chariots of fire. More recently? lars and the real girl
TV Show:
the big bang theory, the mentalist
Band:
the eagles
Book:
eight cousins (louisa may alcott)
Food:
tacos
Favorite Craft:
sewing

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Search for a Summer Musical

As I mentioned in my last post one of the things I wanted to do this summer is go to a musical. As in musical theatre. Theater? Theatre.

I have fond memories of many a summer musical over the years. I still have vivid memories of seeing The Fantastics at Mack's Inn at Island Park one summer when I was growing up. Of course there were trips to the Pickleville Playhouse for the melodrama, not a musical but summer fun none the less. I think my favorite summer musical venue is the outdoor theatre at Sundance in Provo Canyon. I have been there several times, and nothing says summer like seeing a musical there. (I even saw Robert Redford there once ((he owns Sundance)) walking through the restaurant where we were eating before a play! Good times, good times.) I have also seen musicals at both the old and the new Hale Center Theatre. One summer, long ago, I even saw a musical on Broadway. There used to be a theatre company right here in town, and I saw several musicals there. However, they folded a few years back. Bummer.

There is a small summer theatre offering in a nearby town. I checked their schedule. No musical. Drat! There was a promising looking comedy, however, so I bought a ticket for that. I guess it is the closest I can come. For now.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

A List for Summer

At the beginning of the summer, I made a list of the things I wanted to do before summer was over. We took our "big" vacation for the year in April, so I may have wanted plans to look forward to and some things to accomplish.

Making lists of summer projects go back to when I was in school or teaching and had things I wanted to get done during my time off. I also did this with my daughter.

At the beginning of the summer, we would sit down and revise her chore list and make a list of fun things to do and projects we wanted to accomplish. K is an only child, and with school out and not seeing her friends everyday, I didn't want her to worry about being lonely or bored (although she spent every extra moment reading, so she was rarely bored.) We included weekly visits with friends and outings as well as goals for things to do at home. Everything went on the weekly chart so we could keep track of our accomplishment. (This habit really paid off when it came time to work on Personal Progress projects.) She still plans for summer projects and goals.

Last summer when she came home (those were the good old days!) she had a list: to make a quilt, to play through all of the hymns in the hymn book, to learn to juggle, to learn to write with her left hand, and to perfect the art of making real, baked cheesecake.

The quilt is gorgeous, the cheesecakes (many cheesecakes!) were delicious, she is a pretty good hand at juggling, not sure about the left-handed writing, and she is still working on the hymns.

This summer she had taken list-making to a whole new level.

But, wait, this is supposed to be about me!

This is my Summer List:
  • See a musical
  • Go to the beach
  • Make 2 quilts
  • Go thrifting.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Summer Obsession

McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade.

It is the perfect blend of sweet and tart refreshing frozen goodness!

I am not a habitual patron of McDonald's. They are usually pretty far down on my list of Fast Food Favorites. In fact, I will go to McD's and get the frozen strawberry lemonade and then drive thru somewhere else to get my food.

I am in no way being compensated for this endorsement. Darn!

But if you haven't tried it, go get one! It is just.that.good.

You're welcome!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shopping with my Sister

Today I was shopping with my sister and I saw a little placque that read:

"I'm not bossy. I just have better ideas that everyone else."

I did not buy it.

But I am blogging about it...

Friday, April 23, 2010

Confucius Say

We went to Panda Express for lunch the other day.

My fortune read: "Be direct, usually one can accomplish more that way."

My husband rolled his eyes.

He doesn't think I need any encouragement.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I interupt this blogging break to bring you the following meme:

(Saw this on a couple of interesting blogs.)

1.Do you like bleu cheese? Yes.
2.Have you ever smoked? Well, I've been steamed a few times but I'm not sure I actually smoked.
3.Do you own a gun? Nope.
4.Favorite type of food? Chocolate. And tacos.
5.Favorite type of music? I like a lot of different types of music.
6.What do you think of hot dogs? I like hot dogs.
7.Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life. And Home Alone.
8.What do you prefer to drink in the morning? A green smoothie. And orange juice.
9.Can you do push-ups? I...uh...no.
10.What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? I'm not really a jewelry person.
11.Favorite hobby? Sewing. Quilting. Scrapbooking. Oh, was I supposed to pick one?
12.Do you have A. D. D.? No.
13.Do you wear glasses/contacts? Glasses.
14.Middle name? Nope.
15.Name three thoughts at this exact moment: My feet are cold, I have a lot to do, I need to get this posted!
16.Name three drinks you regularly drink: Water, orange juice, milk.
17.Current worry? The list is long.
18.Current hate right now? I don't hate anything.
19.Favorite place to be? At home.
20.How did you bring in the new year? Sleeping.
21.Someplace you’d like to go? New England.
22.Name three people who will complete this. I have no idea.
23.Do you own slippers? Yes. Several pairs.
24.What color shirt are you wearing? Light blue.
25.Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I don't know.
26.Can you whistle? Yes.
27.Where are you now? At my desk.
28.Would you be a pirate? Probably not.
29.What songs do you sing in the shower? Depends on my mood.
30.Favorite Girl’s Name? I don't really have one.
31.Favorite boy’s name? David.
32.What is in your pocket right now? Nothing.
33.Last thing that made you laugh? My husband.
34.What vehicle do you drive? A minivan. Don't judge me.
35.Worst injury you’ve ever had? A cut on my leg.
36.Do you love where you live? Not really.
37.How many TVs do you have in your house? One.
38.How many computers do you have in your house? Two.
39.If you changed your job, what would it be? Something a little more people-oriented than where I work now.
40.If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? Good health, a happy life for my family, a house to call my own.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Five Thoughts on Friday

  • My Christmas tree is still up, as are all of the rest of the Christmas decorations and accompanying paraphernalia. Putting it all away is my plan for the weekend. That and doing some basic house cleaning. I don't have time during the week to tackle a project of that magnatude. I spent this week trying to adjust back to the regular routine and get enough sleep. And get the leftovers used up in a responsible manner. And celebrate S's birthday.
  • Yes, my dear hubby had a birthday this week. He had to work on his actual birthday so we celebrated the next day on his day off. Some friends unexpectedly joined us for his birthday dinner (at Pablo's Tacos--and they bought!) and movie. Then we came home and he opened his presents. No cake. K made him a cheesecake while she was home and he has cookies in the freezer and we still had pumpkin pie from New Year's Day.
  • Earlier this week a friend called and asked if I was over the withdrawal from having K home for Christmas break. I thought that was the perfect analogy. It is like going thru a withdrawal. It made me feel better having that little bit of understanding. And friendship.
  • So, now it is back to all of the regular routines and responsibilities. I need to gear up and get my church stuff organized and planned and decide how I can delegate and how I can get the girls to do some actual planning and organizing. And I volunteered to be in charge of birthdays, so I need to get that organized and running. And I need to buy fabric for a quilt.
  • The ideas I have swirling around in my head for the quilt include the colors of pink and orange. Squares about 5 or 6 inches of solid pink, solid orange, and a pink and orange print. The other (soft) side would be a pink and orange stripe. How likely am I to find the print and stripe I need? There could be other colors, too. I see a dark color in the patterned fabrics of blue or purple. Hmmm. I am thinking a little outside the box on this one. I don't want it to be a typical baby quilt. It will be interesting to see what I can find to make my vision a reality.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Let Down

Christmas break is gone. Passed by in a blur. Presents are open, cookies are eaten, fun was had.

Speaking of cookies, I always wonder if the goodie plates I give away are really appreciated or if they are something people could just as well do without. Well, two times this past week I had that question answered. Two different families told me how much they enjoyed the goodies we made and let me know in a way that really let me know that they were appreciated. So I felt good about that.

I'm feeling a bit melancholy having just returned from the airport. K is at her layover city now, waiting to board the second flight back to her beloved college town (1600 miles away from here), ready for the second semester of the year. She has tweaked and retweaked her schedule to something "pretty."

Yesterday, after spending New Year's Eve alone (S was working, K was with friends) and New Year's Day morning alone (both were sleeping), I cooked our Second Annual New Year's Day Big Turkey Dinner. Shortly thereafter, after much washing up and pumpkin pie, K and I drove to the city of the airport and checked into a hotel. We went to Applebee's for dinner, Cold Stone for dessert then back to the room to get ready for bed because the alarm was going to ring at 3:20 am. Yikes! It would have been 1:50 am or even 1:20 am if we wouldn't have driven down the night before. I was nervous about the weather, and I would much rather drive in the daylight than at night. So I did. Problem solved. I waited at the airport until her flight left then did a few things and came home.

Now comes the worst part of the year at work and the worst part of the year for weather. I guess I will just take it one step at a time and know that every day is a day closer to Spring and, hopefully, our trip out West and try to get as much done as possible.

Whew! I feel better!

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Day Friday Five

1.What’s something that’s better when the newness has worn off?
Shoes.
2.What’s something you already own that could stand to be replaced by the newer version?
Our television.
3.What’s something that was better before someone made it “new and improved?”
Any of the many products that the amount has shrunk while the price has remained the same. The list is long.
4.Of geographic locations whose names begin with the word “new,” which seems like the most interesting place to visit?
New England.
5.On what date will 2010 no longer feel like the new year?
Some time in March, maybe?