tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64006140272017863362024-03-19T00:40:58.262-04:00sno-weara personal space to muse about my days because I have never been able to maintain a journalSan-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-12388369032006615892015-03-31T17:58:00.002-04:002015-03-31T17:58:30.377-04:00Back in the saddle<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe it's been so long since I have been involved with "me"-we've had a tough winter in Maryland and the hubs has had a few health "issues" and I have ignored my sewing machine. I have not ignored my crochet hooks or knitting needles, but I've definitely missed my sewing machine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girls are fine. The Blondie is doing well, recently presented both a poster session and a talk at a professional conference. She is definitely a "woman of science" and makes me so proud. The Redhead has found her niche (for now) in teaching. She's been in China teaching English to college students. She's had some incredible experiences, and it warms my heart as a former teacher. She's doing some excellent writing on her own and again, I'm proud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm still working on Ashwathi and Arun's wedding quilt. I am hoping I can finish it by their first anniversary! It's a difficult pattern for me, but it involves a star, and her mother told me her name means "star" so I feel like destiny had a lot to do with this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also have a lot of fabric to sew for CoCo, the wonder greyhound. I'm hoping to make her a few lightweight jackets and have some heavier weight ready for next winter. Go figure, I end up with a greyhound who is not docile, nor does she like to be inside in winter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also bought about 12 yards of Dr. Who fabrics for a variety of projects, fleece and cotton. Spring dresses and fall jackets come to mind first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The apronista is doing a sew along in gingham, one of my favorite fabrics! So, the juices are getting ready to flow!</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-7064442420304437232014-09-17T19:27:00.001-04:002014-09-17T19:27:02.382-04:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once upon a time I thought I could keep up with my blog. That sure was silly, wasn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It served a good purpose in the beginning, and I really felt the warmth of the people who stopped by to read and comment. Then life just closed in on me: health ups and downs (mine and Lou's), work, organizing the wedding, living through the wedding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many people view the fall season as a "shutting down" time when we pull into ourselves and our homes in preparation for the winter to come. Being Jewish, and celebrating the new year in the fall, has always given me a sense of renewal and expectation of things to come. I am hoping that I can extend that sense to my blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have gotten some of my sewing set up in the downstairs and welcomed it back into use by making Sarah a new Halloween costume. I think she is tired of being Madeleine or Minnie Mouse..... This year, she will be Lt. Uhura from the original Star Trek series. The pattern was ordered online, and after two days of frustration with the arm fitting, I finally just changed it to a set-in sleeve rather than the "cut in one" the pattern called for. It looked and fit a lot better, and then I saw that in the original series the Lt.'s dress is a set-in sleeve! Of course, my procrastination gene was in full force, so though Sarah was home for six weeks, I didn't finish it until the night before she left. Of course, I have no pictures of it, either. She will take some and send them. I did order the official insignia and sleeve braiding, and sent along a mini-phaser as I think someone might try and "borrow permanently" the full size phaser I got her for Chanukah last year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, both my children enjoy science fiction among their many interests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To update, the sewing project on the table right now is a wedding present quilt that still needs some stars added. At least the wedding was only last July, so I am not that far behind on it. :) There will be some crocheting in the very near future as two babies arrive in November and one in January. Then I will want to think about holiday crafting. It's a good thing I only work part time....</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-81221574354550114082014-03-09T18:38:00.001-04:002014-03-09T18:38:29.572-04:00Back in the Saddle, so to speakYesterday the grackles arrived to feed at the deck rail. This is a true sign that spring is on it's way. Another sign is that I finally ordered an electric shovel to match my snow blower, and that is a definite sign that no more snow will fall. But, I will be ready for next year!<br />
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I have given up on getting my downstairs sewing area set up in the near future and have spread myself throughout the dining room. Of course, this means my husband, the saint, will be eating and watering his plants around my two or three or more projects going on at the moment.<br />
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Tomorrow I will start on finishing up the blocks from the last Bee Balm round. I know many of the participants have finished their quilts, but I'm hoping my blocks to them can be used as pillows, mug rugs or something. I never realized so much time would be devoted to dealing with the wedding long distance and I really fell off the wagon on this round. But, the women involved are wonderful, and I love reading their blogs and catching up with my online friends.<br />
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As I work on their blocks, I will continue the wedding present quilt for Ash. My friend at work's daughter is marrying on July 5th, and though in the Indian culture one does not give gifts to the bridal couple, in the Jewish culture we do. As we live in the melting pot of America, we each will have to bend a little to respect each other's traditions. I will not embarrass Ash by giving her the quilt in front of a lot of people, and hopefully she will understand that it is something I "have" to do.<br />
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I'm also hoping to start on the spring challenge from 15 minutes play. I need to get into play-after nearly a year without a hospitalization, Louis ended up in GW Hospital overnight. He's fine, we're dealing, and I'm done stress eating, I hope.....<br />
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Another hope I have for this spring is to regularly write on my blog. I'm not that interesting per say, but at least my kids will know what I'm thinking about!San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-89116600306346277142013-11-03T17:54:00.000-05:002013-11-03T17:54:05.038-05:00PlantingI have been away from the computer for a long time. Mostly, it is because my laptop is not functioning properly and I had to find one of the others in the house I could use. We have a lot of laptops around, mostly kept for parts-or so the kids say-but I think they just can't bear to give any of their old computers away.<br />
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I have been away for some very good reasons, and hopefully my Bee Balm quilting friends will understand that beginning this week I will start to catch up on blocks that they are patiently waiting for. The major reason I have been away was Lillian's wedding. Planning a wedding is a major job in general, when the bride-to-be is more than two thousand miles away and wants to have a hand in the decisions, it becomes fairly complicated. Add in the reason she is more than two thousand miles away-graduate school-and we really complicate things!<br />
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Well, first I can say that the Dr. Who themed wedding was wonderful! I can't show you any pictures because I was told my camera was crummy and I was not allowed to take any pictures with it. The kids have all been sharing everything on Facebook, but I don't do Facebook so I don't get to see much. There were many wonderful and heartwarming things/moments during the day: Lillian's tiara had belonged to her great aunt, her bouquet included brooches that represented friends and family who could not be there, she looked beautiful in the dress that was an exact copy of the dress I wore which originally was made for my aunt in 1941, my cousin brought the "the Buick" for the bridal car-a 1940 sedan bought new by my grandmother and never out of our family, Jack's face as he watched her walk down the aisle, the rabbi quoting Monty Python-the list goes on. The reception was fantastic-food was good, people had a lot of fun and played with the coloring books and photo booth. The only minus was that someone took the sonic screwdriver pen from the guestbook table.....but they probably needed it more than I do......but it still pisses me off.<br />
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And the last two notes of worth: Lillian successfully defended her thesis on October 30th making her the latest Dr. Ostrach and Sarah has signed another contract to finish the teaching year in Beijing.San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-37965865973214105992013-05-05T11:54:00.001-04:002013-05-05T11:55:33.271-04:00WWYDD?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">George reverted to his adolescence overnight and woke me up at 3AM to let him out; not surprising, little bladder, little staying power. He then decided that 6:30 (our usual get up time) was fine for a Sunday, too. So, we went out for a nice quiet neighborhood walk at 6:30, and I went back to bed. I slept in until about 10:30 and came out to the living room to hear Lou talking with Sarah as she got ready for bed-Beijing is 12 hours ahead of us so it's pretty easy for me to keep track of the time there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lou's eye was swollen-it turns out there was a "suspect" weed in what we cleared yesterday, and he has poison ivy on his arm and eyelid. I immediately started itching in sympathy, and he video chatted with Sarah about it. At one point he gently rubbed his eyelid and Sarah looked at him, gloved hand and all (it's still cold enough for his Reynaud's) , and said, "Papa, what are you doing? Are you rubbing G-d knows what crap from your computer keyboard into your eye? You know, you have got to start asking, Is that something you would let your daughter do?" then she did about another three or four minutes on it..... she was on a roll, so to speak.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today it's a bit cooler outside and I hope to get the marigolds in and the mulch spread, then turn to in-house jobs. Have a wonderful day, no matter what weather!</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-81122984085810502072013-05-04T23:37:00.001-04:002013-05-04T23:37:56.003-04:00May wishes<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May has arrived in Bethesda with spring flowers and lots of pollen! Every day Miss Lucy's windshield is covered in a delicate yellow haze that needs to be removed to drive safely. Today Lou and I spent a lovely hour or so out in the sunshine pulling weeds and grass out of the flowerbed along the brick wall of the driveway. Then we put Miss Lucy's top down and took a drive to the local Home Depot and bought some marigolds to put in the newly cleaned spots. Sarah's tulips have finished blooming, as have the daffodils and the narcissus. The azaleas are popping, and soon the wildflowers that have no name will raise their pink faces to the sun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have had a rough few weeks with Lou's medical issues, but he is on the mend and hopefully my days off will become "mine" again. I am currently part of an online quilting bee again with participants from all over the globe. I have also entered a scrap swap and I received my bag of scraps from my partner in Hawaii-and hopefully she's received her package by now and has begun to play. I play tomorrow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">George, our rescue yorkie, is slowly coming around. I took him to obedience classes at our local pet shop, and he's about 80% better at a lot of things. He still has a few issues with bicycle wheels, strange dogs, and people leaving-anywhere-our house, their house, the street, etc. Hopefully, as he gets a little older he will get a little better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plans go well with the wedding for October, it decidedly has a Dr. Who theme. Don't know Dr. Who? Google him, and know that "you never forget your first doctor"-number 10's our favorite. You may remember pictures of Lillian's clockwork droid Halloween costume, look up the episode "The Girl in the Fireplace".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sarah is deciding whether to sign another contract to teach another semester in China. It's been an incredible experience so far, but she does miss home-or most likely, her father's cooking!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, George is whining for an outing, so out we will go. It feels good to be back!</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-7545214157460552522013-03-10T18:59:00.002-04:002013-03-10T18:59:53.851-04:00March? Already 10 days in?I seem to be reduced to a once a month posting of late. I'm not sure what I'm doing that's keeping me so busy, but I need to blog more often or I'll forget to record things!<br />
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George has had two obedience classes and seems to be doing pretty well! He definitely has "sit" down, he's about 50% on "focus-look at me", about 30% on "leave it!", 10% on "come" and 0 at "drop it". His breed is not really known for following directions, yorkies are more of a "I'm the boss" protective breed. He's very smart and very good-and he knows exactly what the bark collar means and doesn't make a peep when it's around his neck.<br />
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It's all darling daughter number 2's fault that I bought new jeans and shoes. I had a return of hers to make at Target and got sidetracked by a big "sale" sign. I'd been wanting to try on skinny jeans and see what I looked like in them-I'm not tall enough to automatically carry them off, and I'm not short enough to look "cute". But, the Levi's style I tried on looked pretty good, I thought. Of course, seeing all the posters of models wearing skinny jeans with wedges and heels meant I had to get shoes for the pants, so I thought I'd look there before going off to DSW where serious damage can be done at any given visit. And, lo, to my surprise (and I bet you thought I was going to type "lo, these hundred years"-thank you, Old King Cole) there was the cutest pair of taupe pumps in my size and on sale! Of course, they are 5 and a half inch heels, but what's a little height between friends? So, I bought them and since I worked on Friday and it's casual day, I wore my new pants and shoes. And wow-were there a lot of people I could look at eye-to-eye! Have I complained recently about being vertically challenged? I loved the platforms of the '60s and early '70s because I could be tall. Well, a lot of people seemed to be surprised that I could pull together "that look"-but what do they know? WE know that inside every 60+ year old woman is the 25+ year old hottie that she once was, and that sometimes we can flaunt it all over again......<br />
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The floor goes well. We have finished the first part of the base board work, and after a lovely trip to Home Depot with the top down on Miss Lucy, we have stained the quarter round that goes along the flooring in front of the base boards. We will start attaching it during the week. I do have to say, though, I'm a little surprised at how uneven ALL the walls are and that we did some pretty creative nailing to make it work.<br />
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I'll try and post some pictures next week.San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-12805782691154813972013-02-18T15:48:00.001-05:002013-02-18T15:48:32.316-05:00Catching UpI am taking a little time to catch up as I get used to my new (to me) laptop that I got as a birthday present. I am back to a Dell, with a LARGE screen (great for Dr Who reruns) and a very nice keyboard. I will not be able to upload pictures until I find the disc with the program in the camera box, but I can fill in a few new things going on.<br />
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We have finished the main area of the flooring downstairs in the newly named "pearl room". I trimmed the under-layer excess off and even without baseboard molding it looks pretty darn cool. We will finish the cedar closet this week, and price the molding at good old Home Depot.....<br />
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George is coming along. He still has a few barking issues and following directions difficulty, but we will be starting some training soon and I hope that will make it easier for Lou to live with him.<br />
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Lillian is plugging away on her dissertation. The wedding date has been set for October, and we are organizing the millions of details that go into making a perfect day. My new dress form arrived today and<br />George is freaked out by the box, I think he thinks the picture on the front is a person. I will set it up once he calms down and see how she looks. She hasn't given me a clue as to her name yet, but I think we'll have to work together a bit for that to happen.<br />
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Sarah arrived in China minus one bag. It was finally found 24 hours or so later, and one of the wheels is broken. Big sister is taking a major role in dealing with claims resolution while Sarah gets the last appointments out of the way prior to beginning her teaching.<br />
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My fabric arrived from Australia for the first block in the new Bee Balm online quilting bee. Lizzie has chosen some beautiful fabrics and a variation of the nine patch. I'm hoping to finish the blocks tomorrow evening or so, and get them back on their way to Australia after that. I'm also starting the next section on the afghan that will be Lillian and Jack's chuppah-it's coming along beautifully!<br />
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Pictures to be posted soon-I can still upload on the Mac and then send them out.....<br />
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Happy President's Day to all in the US, happy Family Day to those in Canada, and just happy Monday to everyone else.<br />
<br />San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-11366190204675129722013-01-06T19:33:00.002-05:002013-01-06T19:33:47.849-05:00The new year<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new year is underway and lots of exciting things are going on around our neck of the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The stained, smelly rug was finally removed from the blue room downstairs and Lou and I learned to use a heat gun to remove vinyl tiles (thanks, Big Lou!). We had the walls washed after he did some spackling and sanding, and had a wonderful painter, Carlos, do the room and the stairwell. He did a fantastic job of priming and painting, and spackling and sanding the areas he didn't feel we did well enough..... the room will now be known as the pearl room because the wall coloring is Pearl Drop (Behr from Home Depot). Today we looked at flooring options and will make a decision very soon and get that put down. Then molding, then the furniture returns from its vacation on the patio under the deck. It will probably be very happy to move back in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wedding plans for daughter #1 are proceeding along. The save the date cards will go out this week. We've talked about clothing options for the guys, the attendants' dress style and color is picked, DD1 played with trying on dresses at David's Bridal and all I can say is that I will probably not be wearing makeup the day of the wedding because she was so beautiful in the trying on stage, without hair or makeup done, that when her day really is here, I will most likely be crying most of the day. We're making lists and have lots of friends who are offering help and will be figuring out what they'll be doing as we move along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DD2 will be getting a new computer before she leaves for China in February. She applied for and was accepted into a program to teach English and a course of her choosing at Beijinj Normal University for six months. What an adventure. She'll get to use the Mandarin she's been learning for a year or so, she'll get to sightsee and travel, and hopefully she'll be able to come home through London and visit her friends there for a bit. She'll be back in time to help with the final count down to the wedding and that will be a big help to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am part of an online quilting bee starting in February. The Bee Balm has been around for a few years, the membership changes a little each time, but it's a wonderful worldwide group of women who have come to know each other and enjoy our shared love of sewing. Thanks to Beebee in Louisiana for taking over the current organization, and Liz in Australia for updating the site. I'm looking forward to sewing again, in a sewing space, in the newly redone pearl room! My block is in the summer, but I'll probably decide what it will be sooner and get it organized. As I write, I am leaning against the wonderful quilt these ladies crafted for me last year when I was having such a difficult year between Lou's health and dealing with out of state eldercare. The love just envelopes me every time I snuggle!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, it's nice to be back to the blog, and hopefully it will get an updated look once all the organization of getting DD2 to China has been completed and she's on her way. Otherwise, it will be same old-same old background, but hopefully some new musings and pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-37346923225312086582012-11-01T17:47:00.001-04:002012-11-01T17:47:50.442-04:00November 1, 2012<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To any who have been concerned, we are safe and fine. Thank you for your prayers over the past weekend while Sandy ravaged our area. We are very lucky; we did not lose power during this storm. We had spent Friday and Saturday stocking up the wood, propane, food and other things necessary for when the power goes out. The rain started about 1 PM on Sunday, ahead of forecast, and the winds were bad. The winds continued to get stronger, and we were so glad we'd moved all the "moveable" stuff from the deck. It continued to rain all of Monday and most of Tuesday. The government shut down so Lou was home and my work follows the government so I was home, too. The winds were around 70+ mph. On Monday morning the rain gauge on the deck was full at 6 inches, but as it kept raining we really don't know how much came down. Fortunately, Lou had had a "feeling" a few weeks ago and arranged for tree limbs overhanging our drive and power lines to be trimmed as the absentee landlord has done very little tree maintenance in all the years we've lived here. We are very fortunate and know it. Friends in New York City have not fared as well, many are still without power and not able to get places because the subway system remains partially closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a different note, Saturday was a special day for me as I reached a milestone in my journey of weight loss for health improvement. I have lost a total of 25 pounds in 11 months. I would like to lose another 15, but am happy with where I am now and how I feel. Not too shabby when I realized it's weight that has crept on over the 14 years we have lived here. Previously I have lost weight at a much faster rate, but it has come back every time I "relax" my mindful eating. This time, I'm changing my eating habits and have maintained a steady loss with very few ups and downs. So, on to making it through the holidays!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A big thank you to all who said a prayer for my friend in LA who was recently hospitalized. I'm pleased to let you know she's out! Hopefully, the new meds will keep things under control and there won't be any more hospital trips.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I can blame it on Lou.... we needed to get him a covered wastebasket for his "office" as George was getting into the garbage can and throwing the stuff around. So Sarah and I went to B3 today, and little did we know we walked right past the trash cans and into the store. By the time we finally made our way back to the trash cans, we'd scored some really cool stuff: new sheets for Sarah's bed, lots of Chanukah stuff and hair and skin supplies cheaper than CVS. Best part-using our coupons. The cashier said to give her any $5 ones I had, and she clicked away while the total went down. Grand total discount: (drum roll, cymbals, any noise maker) $45 off the total purchase. Yet, neat stuff and a huge discount, my kind of shopping!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time to tak George on his post wet food walk. Have a wonderful evening, all.</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-11783543436536433192012-10-28T17:34:00.000-04:002012-10-28T17:34:02.598-04:00Life in MdI feel like I have been avoiding my blog for a long time. Actually, I have been avoiding everyones' blogs for a long time. I have not been at the computer to go blogging in ages. Part of it is George. For a little guy, he's pretty demanding-which is our fault anyway. When we got him, the backyard fencing was not Yorkie proofed; there were areas he could get out under the fencing. It took us a while to get to Home Depot to get deterrent materials, and in that time he because accustomed to lots of walks. So, now rather than open the side door and let him out, I have to take him on walks. It's okay but it really can disrupt my computer time.<br />
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I also feel like I haven't had much to share as I have been feeling like I go to work, come home, deal with George, or to bed, get up and start over again. But that's not really true, I have a lot to share!<br />
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Lilli came in for a while after her field trip in Canada and we made the progress we needed to on the wedding. We have a date, we have a place, and we have a party! All else will work itself out now. The date setting has been a major item and now it's clear: Jack and Lilli ARE getting married, it's going to happen in 2013, and we're going to have a blast. Of course, we have already touched on Family Fun Day aspects: the minor theme running through this is Dr. Who, and some of the family will definitely have a problem with that. Oh well..... I guess they don't have to come if they don't want to, right? The "save the date" cards are at the proof stage, and will be printed and mailed out shortly. At present, the list is 30 or so over what the party venue will seat, but that includes people we know won't be able to come.<br />
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I hit a landmark at WW this week reaching a 25 pound weight loss. It feels good, my blood pressure is normal and continues to be, and I'm hoping that a few more pounds can find someone else's hips to adorn. I'm sure all the walking of George has helped, but I like to think it's because I've made some new habits of healthier eating.<br />
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So, in a nutshell not much else is happening. We're all set in case the "Frankenstorm" hits (well, when the storm hits) with wood, food, batteries, and everything else we need when the power goes out. the Powers That Be are also taking this pretty seriously, schools have already been cancelled, trains up the northeast corridor and planes have been cancelled. Sandy promises to be major-if it is, I won't be back on for a while.<br />
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Please send a prayer off to my friend Beebee who is having some problems with platelets at the moment and is hospitalized. She needs to get back to her family, and any prayers can help!San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-10242879240218594702012-08-25T17:55:00.001-04:002012-08-25T17:55:37.472-04:00Where have I been?I'm not sure why, but I have been going through a period of avoiding my computer. (Maybe because Sarah was using it?) So, I decided today to write a little bit about the last few weeks.<br />
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George is doing really well! We have had two little accidents and two marking instances-not bad for three weeks. The vet thinks the marking will stop once he is neutered, and that will happen in the next month. His coat is starting to shine a bit from the wet food, and he's listening much better. He's a lot of fun to have around and I'm definitely walking more since he's come into our lives.<br />
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Progress continues on the blue room. Today I organized space in the yellow room for blue room transfers; then emptied the bookcase of my craft books. Tomorrow I'll pack up the stuff on the top of the bookcase and then move the bookcase out. It's a very cool bookcase that used to be in my uncle's medical office-two little drawers at the bottom, and double glass doors on the front. It stands about five feet high, and it's probably older than I am. Lou spent time going through the VHS tapes deciding what needed donating, what was garbage and what we would keep. We took about an hour and a half and made good progress. I still think we can meet my goal of finishing the room by the end of September, but I may be optimistic....<br />
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Work goes well and I will be assuming some interim duties while interviews for a new senior accountant are conducted. It should be fun, it's always nice to learn new things whether at work or at play.<br />
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Sarah got me involved in this daily diary site online, I was really good for about a week, and then realized that I'm basically writing the same, really boring things day after day.... I think I'm probably unsubscribe pretty soon.<br />
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Oh-George is here to play, so I've got to go.San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-64174563995395092752012-08-03T18:02:00.000-04:002012-08-03T18:02:50.870-04:00To the rescue<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess there are just times "you can't say no". Though we have been talking about greyhound rescue for a while now in terms of getting a dog back into our lives and home, we really had decided to wait a while we got the house in some order. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, that idea flew out the window this week. A friend at work heard of a yorkie puppy that was in a bad situation-mainly he was being fed and brushed occasionally, but not played with or really groomed. So she asked if we would be willing to take him. I really hadn't wanted a dog that little, but once I saw his picture, I knew we had to save him. I mean, look at this cutie pie, even when you consider that he's been shaved in the recent past, and the hair that has grown back in was matted in numerous places. So, today my friend picked him up and I met her to get him. Part of the sadness is that the two adults in his short life (8 months) have always called him by two different names: Taco and Dutch. Being English, we decided "George" was a good name for him. So, we are in the process of getting him to realize his new name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He's had a bath, and I cut the worst matted hair off. Tomorrow morning we'll go to the vet for a well-puppy check up. Tonight, Sarah is going out with her friend Sara to buy the essentials for tonight: a harness, new leash and bed. He already knows "sit" and will go to the door when he wants to go out. He has Sarah wrapped around his little paw already.</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-42950584646012437042012-07-31T18:52:00.001-04:002012-07-31T18:52:38.573-04:00Moving Right Along<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every time I think I'm going to be writing daily I get screwed up. Things are well here in the mid-Atlantic if you enjoy high temps, humidity, and nasty tempers, which I don't. Today should be called Testy Tuesday. It started after I dropped Lou at Metro and some "person" started honking at me because I was letting the people cross the street-a law around here when they are in the crosswalk-while they had the walking figure. Then a few blocks later, someone cut me off so he could get to the red light one car sooner than I did. After I dropped Sarah by the gym, I drove to work and some jerk honked while I was backing into my parking space. What is wrong with people? If that guy was that late for work, he should have just parked on an upper level of the garage and gone to his office.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After work I dropped off the vacuum cleaner which is working fine except for the roller not rolling. It's really hard to pick up dirt and crap when the roller doesn't roll.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thursday my eye surgery is scheduled and I'm really looking forward to having two eyes that see again. Sunday I made manicotti, and filling the shells without depth perception was a real challenge, and not one I want again!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kids are good, KS going to NYC next week and Lill is breezing in after a meeting in Boston for a long weekend. Sometimes I think about these girls and wonder how I produced such wonderful human beings-but I know how it happened: Lou and I decided that they were the priority once they came along, and we did everything we could to make sure they knew it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The blue room is ALMOST empty, and we should be picking out paint this coming weekend. So far, so good on my goal to be finished with it by September. Life is good!</span></div>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-45684387880743139142012-07-27T10:27:00.001-04:002012-07-27T10:27:54.945-04:00Hot! Hot! Hot!We've been experiencing some really hot weather this summer, even for the DC area. Yesterday it was 101, and today is predicted to be in the high 90s but the heat index will make it feel like 105 or so. Reminds me a lot of CA, but we don't have a pool in the backyard to jump into here. Instead, I will work in the cool of the downstairs and hope that nothing comes up to make me go outside!<br />
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I have made major progress clearing the blue room and the first bulk trash haul-away is scheduled for today. the email confirmation I got does not exactly list what I told the guy we had, so it will be interesting to see if it goes or stays on the lawn.<br />
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The question has been raised about putting in a laminate floor as opposed to tiling the floor. I sometimes wish the kids didn't have such good reasons for their opinions because now, in good conscience, I need to read about tiling before I make my final decision.<br />
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The corrective surgery is scheduled for next Thursday on my left eye so as of Friday, G-d willing, I will have two eyes to use and depth perception should return! That will be wonderful.<br />
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If you're going to have heat today, please remember to stay hydrated. If you're going to have rain or normal weather, send some of it to the mid-Atlantic!San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-9309245461433644292012-07-19T12:15:00.003-04:002012-07-19T12:15:50.902-04:00just do itToday I realized that I need to take my own advice and just get on with things! I have been trying to organize the basement and decided that I'm devoting too much time to trying to clean, etc and forgetting that I need "down" time, too.<div>
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Today I am going to work at organizing two bins, then figure out a mending project that has been back-burnered for months. Once I get that done and into the mail, I need to organize some sewing projects that have been frozen-they're too old to be back-burnered! It may drive DD2 crazy, but I may have to start sewing at the dining room table since I will need to clear my sewing corner away to rip up carpeting.</div>
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So, I'm off to bin-ing, be back later to let you know how I did!</div>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-23837357502785980692012-07-15T19:06:00.000-04:002012-07-15T19:06:05.396-04:00Sunday, SundayI'm actually feeling like something got accomplished today! Sarah and I ran some errands and got everything done in under two hours. Once we got home, I started laundry and work on the yellow room as we need sleeping space in there next weekend. <div>
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To clear off one of the beds, I had to go through a whole pile of things that came to us from Lou's mom's house. It's the first time I've looked at some of it since it came 3 years ago. Aside from the pictures and candlesticks, there was a collections of Valentine Day cards Lou has sent her over the years-almost all handmade, including the one from college (I think) that was an anatomically correct heart on the front--geez, what my mother-in-law put up with! I shed a few happy tears.</div>
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I did get that part completely ready, the bedding is in the washer to freshen up, and Lou cleaned the whole bathroom-which I was dreading because we haven't used it in a long time. We used to watch TV downstairs only, but after his stroke and the amputation, it was just easier to watch up here and the blue room etc kind of fell to the wayside in terms of upkeep. Of course, dealing with the yellow room means I didn't get any work done on the blue room, but I'm still setting September as the deadline for finishing its makeover.....</div>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-43264095592853607902012-07-12T16:05:00.001-04:002012-07-12T16:05:27.237-04:00Fall-apart Day?Did you ever feel like you need a fall-apart day? That's what I'm feeling right now. I cannot motivate to pay bills, gather laundry, clean house or anything. The last few weeks have been so full that I need a day to sit with my feet up and a book. I did make two important calls, and I did keep my morning appointment, but other than that I have done NOTHING. I have mentally organized tomorrow, so I don't feel guilty at all about sitting and doing not-so-productive things.<br />
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My friend Beebee has taken up the organization of a new round of the Bee Balm online quilting bee. I'm jazzed, ready to sew and get some cool blocks made. We'll be getting the info soon and it'll start in the new year. It's really nice to have this to look forward to.<br />
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Work progresses in the basement. My goal is to have the blue room finished by September. I hope to move the furniture out under the deck this weekend. Then it should only take a few hours to rip up the rest of the carpeting. We have to choose new lighting fixtures, and then paint. Lou is leaning toward white or some off-white variety, but I'm so used to calling it the blue room I think it needs to stay blue. It may possibly need to be a softer blue, or an accent wall blue, I'm not sure yet. I would love to build in some storage, but that's really not an option right now. It just needs to get finished! I made major progress last Sunday working on the sewing storage in the laundry room-I've got 2 bins of fabric organized and two bags of notions to sort through. I did decide to bag and donate a lot of the yarn I had down there. As Lilli pointed out, every time I start a new project I buy yarn anyway, so why keep all of it? So far, I have one huge bag of yarn set for donation, but I still have 3 or 4 bins to go through and may find more.<br />
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I'm glad to be home after the passing of my father-in-law's wife. Even though it's tough for him, it's a blessing that she is now at peace. Altzheimer's is truly a decimating disease, not only to the patient but to the family trying to cope.<br />
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I'm hoping the weatherman is right and we get a nice cooling off this evening, but I'm not holding my breath. It's hot, it's humid, and I'm glad I'm inside with the fans going!San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-31804257754787158622012-06-09T14:37:00.001-04:002012-06-09T14:37:28.858-04:00Rose colored glasses<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As my friend Robin says, I tend to look at the world through rose colored glasses. I must have had them on when I thought I'd be able to sew one-eyed, what a joke on me! I can't really judge depth without two eyes. So, all my hopes of sewing are shelved until after surgery on July 5th. Yes, I was referred to a retina specialist as he operates behind the lens and that's what is needed to get this bit of fluff out of my eye. Actually, the visit was pretty cool because of all the stuff they have there-who knew you could do sonograms of the eyeball with a little wand the size of a permanent marker?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, with my sewing back-burnered for a month or so, I will concentrate on "binning" everything I keep turning up around the house. I had to go back to Target and buy a half dozen more bins to hold fabric, yarn, books, linens and all sorts of things I'm finding. At least the nice clear plastic ones will make it easyto find things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am doing well with Weight Watchers, too I think this time I've finally decided to do it for myself, not some event in the future or because someone else thinks I should. I've met my first goal, 10% of my starting weight, and now I will will set another short term goal. I'm feeling so much better because I'm eating so much better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I continue to read blogs that keep me excited about sewing and quilting. There is so much out there I don't know and yet I want to really jump in and start something BIG. I know I should start with something small, and I hopefully will, but BIG sounds like so much more fun. Beebee is hoping to start another round of the online quilting bee this fall, and I'm hoping to be a part of it. Last year was kind of a mess because of all the eldercare stuff we were dealing with. It continues to be draining emotionally, but we are trying to be as supportive as we can.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I'm off to drool over patterns I cannot sew at the moment, and fabric I cannot cut at the moment......</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-39991554045573074012012-06-02T18:05:00.001-04:002012-06-02T18:05:38.002-04:00Back to Basics<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I posted because I've been so upset dealing with my eye. My first cataract surgery (yes, old eyes surgery) went without a problem. I'm seeing almost 20/20 out of my right eye. The left....let's just say things always have a way to surprise. The short story is that even having to put two lens in as the first didn't "seat", a small piece hid behind the iris of my eye and is now a fluffy bit of debris located behind the lens. I feel like I'm looking through a translucent bathroom window at shapes. I will need another surgery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah, but why stress, right? Well, two weeks from yesterday I will be standing on the beach enjoying the ocean. Florida, here we come! One week over two weekends will feel like heaven on earth!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But this post is really about all the things I've been finding as we reorganize the storage in this house. I have found skeins of yarn, bags of stuffing, and I can't even calculate the amount of fabric that has been hiding in the most unusual places! So, back to basics: I will be spending a few days organizing color families and deciding what to sew now that I have figured out how to do it one-eyed. I have my Lillies miniquilt to finish up for V, hers is gorgeous (of course) and I want to take it in to work to have in my cube.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would like to try some of the bag patterns in some of the books I've bought over the last year, and I'd like to read with understanding the book on fitting I have. I need to be able to adjust patterns so I can sew for Lilli and Sarah without their physical bodies being here. I have some beautiful lengths of suiting fabric and washable suede for blazers for them, but I don't want to cut into it until I know the garments will fit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm hoping to make some very cute pin cushions with scrapes that haven't gone into made fabric, and I have a sewing room accessory set due to a swapper who has patiently waited for me to finish it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will be nice to get back to basics and see some of my stash go down and my WIPs get finished!</span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-7967273846639622502012-05-09T19:50:00.000-04:002012-05-09T19:50:02.320-04:00Oh, my, how it's changedBlogger has changed. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with this-all the reading to find out how things are now, so it will be interesting to see if this posts correctly.<div>
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It's been an interesting few months around here dealing with old people problems. Both Lou and I are in the cycle of cataract surgery. My first eye went really well and easy, the second is a bit trickier. Due to some difference in my eyeball, the doctor had to take out the first lens she put in and replace it with a second one. This caused a lot of swelling of the cornea. Looking through it is like looking through someone's bathroom window covered in translucent contact paper.... a beautiful haze. It's made driving a real experience this last week. I can now recognize letters through the haze, so I know it's healing. I just wish it was done already!</div>
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Lou wasn't that lucky. The surgery went well, but his drop schedule got interrupted by a two night stay in ICU, and swelling resulted so he's still trying to get normal before the second eye is done. He's got some rare condition where he bleeds into his stomach which then causes a drop in blood pressure and oxygen in his system because of the blood volume loss. Obviously, we are now starting a new count of "months we do not go to Emergency or end up in the hospital" having broken the 2 months we had going.</div>
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The sad news is that we did not go to Paris for our 30th anniversary last year. We went to the west coast for our nephew's bar mitzvah. The good news is that we are going to the beach for our 31st anniversary! Lou was lamenting he wanted a week at the beach, so I called our favorite place to stay in Cocoa Beach and checked availability. I emailed him at work and asked him to request a certain week of time off. When he emailed it had been approved, I called the Wakulla (http://wakullasuites.com/) and made a reservation, made plane reservations and reserved a car. Pretty soon we'll be out looking for turtles at night!</div>
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Another good news piece is that I have now "graduated" to 6 month visits to the oncologist! This month marks 3 years cancer free! I continue to be "Plus 1", one more of the millions of people who have successfully won the battle against cancer. Do yourself a favor, keep your screenings up to date. It's a whole lot easier than going through the surgery and rehab!</div>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-76268599849157444872012-03-04T18:09:00.002-05:002012-03-04T18:17:56.335-05:00Weekend UpdateLike Lake Woebegone, this has been a quiet weekend. Sarah was off to Houston for a wedding, and Lou and I did the usual errands and shopping run. The major accomplishment was organizing the material for the Tax Man, in hopes that this year maybe Uncle Sam will send us back some.<br /><br />I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading, and once again I'm renewed by the exciting things going out in Blogland. People are talking of spring, fabric, new books, fabric, fun recipes, fabric.....can you see a pattern here? Some people itch to get out and get dirt under their fingernails, I itch to get thread snippets all over the floor. I have so many things on my to-do list that really must get done, but I really just want to go downstairs and make coasters or aprons or afikomen bags.<br /><br />What's a person to do? I hate being a responsible adult, but I guess I will put off the stitching urge until Thursday or Friday when I'm off, and spend the next few evenings doing what I "must" do.....San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-64616693867950756292012-02-25T17:35:00.003-05:002012-02-25T17:45:37.932-05:00Feelin' oldThere are just some days I feel really OLD. Today is one of them; my knee is acting up again and nothing is helping-the brace, icing, drugs, staying off it-nothing. I'm being a witch to everyone in the house and that's not me, well, not usually me.....<br /><br />Before I had to retire to the bed to keep my knee on a pillow, I did get a few packages taped up for mailing. I hate to say I still have holiday presents that haven't been sent. Yesterday I was better, I finished a reversible apron to donate to a fundraiser for one of the local elementary schools. Shocked the hell out of me when the mom who recruited my donation told me that the event has an entrance fee-$75.00. I don't think I'd be going to something like a silent auction if I had to shell out that kind of money just to get in, but things are tight for schools now.<br /><br />We continue to have bizarre weather. Though the sun shone most of the day, it was chilly and we had really strong winds. But, the hellebores, crocuses and daffodils are all blooming. This is February-daffs shouldn't be open let alone up! However, the other sure sign of spring around here is the return of the grackles to the feeding rail of the deck. They've been around for three days now, so I suppose I should accept that spring has come to Maryland.<br /><br />Of course, it hasn't come to Cleveland...... we listen online to a '40s station from Cleveland and listening to the weather updates really makes me glad we're not living there now. It's been in the mid-20s, and the station just announced more snow tonight with the lake effect to deal with; meaning they say an inch will fall, but with the lake effect it could be more-a lot more.<br /><br />So, wherever you are, please know that spring is on the way to your neck of the woods, too!San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-51295272666620104832012-02-15T21:10:00.002-05:002012-02-15T21:44:20.582-05:00New Challenge<span style="font-family: verdana;">So I was wandering through some blogs as I have been out of blogland for a while and wanted to see what folks were up to. Notice the new button on my blog? (It's from Quilt Dad-credit given where due....) It should link you to a great idea: A basics charity challenge. In the words of the hostess, Cara Quilts, please read,<br /><br /></span>So what is a basic?<br /><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"> In our daily lives we have a lot of things we think of as basics. </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> This morning you brushed your teeth with a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">toothbrush</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">tooth paste</b>.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> You used <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">toilet paper</b>. </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Had <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">soap</b> to wash your hands.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Put on some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">deodorant</b>.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Ran a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">brush</b> through your hair. </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Maybe took a shower with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">shampoo, conditioner, body wash</b> and a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">razor</b>.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Put some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">make-up</b> on.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> You were able to put on clean <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">underwear </b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">socks, </b>that no one else has ever worn.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> In the kitchen did you grab some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">paper towels</b> to clean up a little spill?</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> At some point during the day you probably grabbed a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">coffee</b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">tea</b>.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: center 234.0pt;"> Used some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">tissue</b> to blow your nose. Maybe <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sanitized</b> your hands after.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> I could go on but you probably have the point by now. We have a LOT of things that we consider basics. </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> In each of our communities there are places that people don’t have the very basic things we all take for granted. Shelters- for abused women/children, homeless, men’s missions, - exist in virtually every community. They are a necessary safety net for people in our communities who for an array of reasons need help. But these shelters are almost always in need of the basic items. Many of the people have had to leave everything behind, or don’t have anything to begin with.</div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div> <div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />Please go over to her blog, http://www.caraquilts.com, and read more information and how to sign up for prizes she will be offering. The idea is to collect a bunch of basics, take a photo to enter for prizes, and then drop off your basics at your local shelter. The biggest prize is the feeling you will have after you have donated. Tell your friends online and off, let's make it a national/international challenge.<br /><br />It is this feeling that keeps me donating blood on a regular basis. I can't always donate material things people need, and we do our share of cleaning out and donating to organizations, but blood donation is different to me. It is something I can do with little worry or thought. Because my blood has certain antigens and other stuff, I was classed as a "rare and uncommon" blood type at NIH (National Institutes of Health)-like we needed proof I was "uncommon"? I get a phone call every 8 weeks to come donate blood, and I go in. About 45 minutes later I'm sitting in the break room enjoying juice and a snack, I get my little sticker that I gave blood, and I'm on my way. We get cool stuff, too, like t-shirts and reusable bags (our county just instituted a 5 cent charge for every paper or plastic bag you use from a retail store) a pocket calendar, and this time we got lanyards with plastic pockets to keep our donor cards in. I know, it's the kind of stuff my kids usually raise their eyebrows at, but I love it. It's STUFF, and some of us can never have enough stuff. And the best one? Next time I go in I can get my own guest photo ID so I don't have to go through the security check every time I go onto the campus. Now that is some serious STUFF.<br /> </div>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6400614027201786336.post-1679511581582607152012-02-12T10:46:00.003-05:002012-02-12T11:02:05.796-05:00Why I bake, not cook<span style="font-family: verdana;">There is a reason I do not volunteer to cook anything other than vegetarian chili, spaghetti sauce and burgers. Take yesterday, for example. Sarah prefers meals without red meat and following Simple Filling on the Weight Watchers' plan makes it easy for me to eat other protein sources than red meat. So, I'd spent some time going over recipes on the WW site and found one that looked good: a vegetarian stew. After the huge success of the veggie chili, I was pretty confident it would be a winner.<br /><br />I gathered all the ingredients and followed the recipe pretty exactly, only making a few spicing changes. When we sat down to dinner, Sarah looked in the pot and asked, "You won't be mad at me if I don't like it, will you?" That should have been my first clue. She sampled it, and though it was very pretty-what with all the different bean and vegetable colors-it was more like cooked veggies thrown together than a stew. She said, "Maybe it needs a little more liquid, it's not really 'stewy"." So, I thought since we generally run pea soup through the blender to make it nice and rich, maybe running the stew through the blender would solve the problem.<br /><br />First error: One does not have a lot of luck if the glass container is not thoroughly seated on the base. Next thing I knew, the glass container is twisting around, and little pieces of black plastic are flying around the kitchen. Not to be deterred, I made the second error: trying to use the food processor. The processor whipped that stew into a mush, and though similar to peas soup consistency, it definitely was not appetizing. I could get graphic, but suffice it to say use your imagination: green, orange, red and white vegetables mashed with red and white beans....<br /><br />Thank goodness I do a mean turkey burger!<br /><br />I have finally made a list of to-do projects that need to go up on the white board I saved from the discard pile at work. I have a few sewing projects and a few crochet projects. With luck, I can clear a decent amount of space from the stash area so I can refill it will new fabric. I'm getting bitten by that sewing bug again, and it feels good.<br /></span>San-Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17847128830354155827noreply@blogger.com0