Giving ourselves permission

Lately I have spent alot of time thinking about "redirecting" or "repurposing" some of my favorite projects to get them out of the UFO stage and on my FINISHED and ENJOYING LIST.

This morning I ran across this post on Nadine's blog, Friendship Threads. I started working on my GFG in December 1998. There is enough done to say I made a good stab at it, but not enough to be the queen size quilt I had planned for (obviously I had had BIG PLANS!). I love this take along project and have worked on it during several flights, sitting through a few surgery's for my son and husband, and various other times here and there. I really wanted to finish this up and use it on our bed...but I am rethinking what new life this UFO could have. There is enough done that I can move things around and maybe come up with a table topper or maybe a dresser scarf. I really like Nadine's tote bag idea. I could take some of it apart and make a jacket out of it. I could frame some of it and use it as a piece of framed art, it really is pretty and I have enjoyed working on it.

One of the struggles I am having with it is that the color theme is no longer what our bedroom is. We had a pink dogwood bedroom when I started this, now we have a blue and yellow bedroom. Our livingroom is peach and green, the guestroom is wild and bright, and you have seen my new black and white kitchen.

We do have a small hallway that I have been considering putting up a quilt rack to display more of my quilts on, where I could change out the quilts/wallhangings often. I could finish it up and hang it there.

I don't think I am interested in doing alot more on this project so I need to decide what to do with what I have done thus far. I have decided that redirecting or repurposing a UFO is a healthy way to rethink some of my UFO's and most of my mother's UFO's.

Ideas??? Suggestions???

Christmas!!

I am so enjoying seeing everyone's Christmas related projects. Makes me want to dig out a holiday UFO or two of my own. I keep looking back at Bonnie's tree. That is so so so fun!!! I am thinking I will try to do one free hand.

Christmas...it really is just around the corner, I need to get busy on Christmas eve jammies for our oldest sons' family. It is a tradition for me to make them all matching jammie pants and send matching turtle necks. My son is good natured, 2 years ago the print was snowman faces, and yes he wore them!!! This year the print is walruses. Santa's, trees, plaid....each year it is different.

Update on Wonky Wallhangings: Both of my current projects are quilted and the binding has been sewn on by machine, I will take them with me to the care facility to finish the handwork while I visit with momma. As soon as the mystery wonky wallhanging has been delivered to its new home I will post a picture of it as well, don't want to give the surprise away!!!

Why do I not remember about the video setting on my digital

Of course my mother loved her wallhanging ~ and that is what she insists it be, not a lapquilt..nada, no way was she going for the lapquilt idea, she's so funny ~ and she didn't want me to bring it home to finish it up for her either, she wanted me to leave it AS IS I had to remind what stage it was at and what all needs to be done to it to make it a finished project.

She was hilarious, I showed her my finished Bloom, then showed her another wonky wallhanging I am currently working on ~ she really is struggling with the freedom of the wonky letters, which in itself is hilarious!!! Then I pulled out hers and she laughed until she choaked herself!!! Good grief, what a way to get the staff worked up and on my bad side AGAIN!!!

Anyway, I will be finishing up her wallhanging and getting it up in her room ASAP, in fact I am thinking if it isn't finished and with me when I see her on Tuesday I might as well stay home!

On the other hand, it really is time for another lapquilt, she has 4 but like I said she keeps her legs covered all the time and she naps frequently throughout the day so sometimes she pulls it up to cover her shoulders, so the next one I make needs to be a bit larger (longer) for the winter months. I have a BOM from JoAnn's that I found the precut blocks for $1 in the clearance bin and then they were all 50% off so I ended up with 9 blocks for $4.50, then the next time I was in there I checked to see if I could find the other 3 blocks...NOPE, but the setting kit was there so got that for $5.00. What a steal! So, I will most likely get those blocks done up for her.
Niles' quilt is also finished and he gave it his stamp of approval. He didn't even want me to run it through the washer, just wanted to curl up with it as quickly as possible. Funny thing, momma had both Niles quilt and her wallhanging on her lap, she put Niles' quilt on top of hers but kept peeking under it at hers. I am thinking she is doing all she can to try to understand...LOL...I'm thinking she never made a crazy quilt, what do you think?

Here is Bloom....done and on the wall.
I really like it. Sure adds alot of color to that end of the kitchen.

I have been waiting for JoAnn's to have rolled batting on sale. Earlier this year I was able to get 10 yd rolls for dirt cheap, it was just the right width and weight for my WTIL quilts and would be just the right size for a lapquilt....I have a pile of tops (mine, my granddaughter Kaitlyn's and Nancy's) sitting here waiting for batting to go on sale. When it does I will have to go on a pinning spree and then put the pedal to the metal and get these tops finished my son will be home for Christmas and I always try to send 20-30 quilts back with him then.

We are having out of town friends over this evening and I had planned what I wanted to serve and etc. ~~~ did not ck the pantry ~~~ and just found out we are out of Hot Pepper Jelly...hmmm, I know we had some recently - hmmmmm?!?!?! Drats and double drats and now to add hot pepper jelly to next wks canning sessions...ouch ouch ouch..that stuff really burns the eyeballs while we are making it!!! Oh, I just remembered...a blade on our food processor broke while doing salsa, maybe I will have to get a new food processor before making some. We found a food processor that attaches to our blender (Oster) but it is only a one cup, which is fine when cooking for just the two of us but not nearly large enough when canning a years worth of this or that. Anyway, I was able to come up with a quick plan B on what to serve and have things all under control for this evening.

Sad me

I just discovered that my Sage is not updating some blogs!!! I wondered why some who blog daily had not blogged in a while. Seemed like too many were taking a blogcation all at once. Then I discovered that I have missed several posts on many blogs...ugh! So, now I will have to go back and read to catch up (translated: in order to get caught up ASAP I will ck pics and post titles). No sure what happened, but maybe I need to reinstall Sage and see if that helps.

This morning I tried to comment on a couple of different blogs, some comments posted, others would not transmit...looks like I will need to do another "Ring Around The Rosie" post to get caught up, but right now I need to get dressed and ready for church, take supper to momma, watch the final Little League World Series, show her the wallhanging/lapquilt, do some in town shopping and head home to do something (paybills??? nah, peel garlic is more like it!)

Blessings:
Pancakes with homemade blackberry syrup

Dishwasher
Bonnie's "through the alphabet" gratitudes
Hot August nights when we leave the house open all night
and
A safe neighborhood where that is possible

Sad me

I just discovered that my Sage is not updating some blogs!!! I wondered why some who blog daily had not blogged in a while. Seemed like too many were taking a blogcation all at once. Then I discovered that I have missed several posts on many blogs...ugh! So, now I will have to go back and read to catch up (translated: in order to get caught up ASAP I will ck pics and post titles). No sure what happened, but maybe I need to reinstall Sage and see if that helps.

This morning I tried to comment on a couple of different blogs, some comments posted, others would not transmit...looks like I will need to do another "Ring Around The Rosie" post to get caught up, but right now I need to get dressed and ready for church, take supper to momma, watch the final Little League World Series, show her the wallhanging/lapquilt, do some in town shopping and head home to do something (paybills??? nah, peel garlic is more like it!)

Blessings:
Pancakes with homemade blackberry syrup

Dishwasher
Bonnie's "through the alphabet" gratitudes
Hot August nights when we leave the house open all night
and
A safe neighborhood where that is possible

As I was saying...

...I started a new and wonderful wallhanging for my mother....LOL here it is, what do you think? Think she will laugh? Of course she will!!! I am debating just adding a couple of wide borders and making a lapquilt for her, I haven't made her one since her birthday in January. Her lapquilts get washed alot and she always keeps her legs covered up. She didn't "get" the whole wonky letters thing but she will laugh at this and will love it because it was made for her.

I can't wait to hear her laugh when she sees this. She may no longer be able to talk but she can laugh, sometimes I worry that I will forget what her voice sounded like, I miss her beautiful handwritting, I miss how she would tweak one of my boys' ears or call them by their nicknames (Little Roy, Rowdy Ryan, Ryan Tom etc.) (if you are a member of our family either my mother or my father nicknamed you...and some of those names are doozies!!!) I miss watching her curl up with a toddler grandchild in a rocking chair, there are so many things about my momma that I miss ~~ but she can still laugh, she has not lost her sense of humor and it comes out alot.

Anyway...I think I will take this as it is and ask her if she might want it for a lapquilt or just as it is. I'm guessing she'll want a lapquilt but maybe not.

On another note, today we canned stewed tomatoes and continued peeling garlic. I made a quick 15 bucks giving Ed a hair cut (yes, he has to pay me to do it!!!) and I spent time in MCM as well. Did some laundry and made a quick trip to the product market (needed green pepper for the stewed tomatoes). It was really nice and warm today, we started peeling garlic out on the deck but then realized that the Little League World Series was on and the Oregon team was playing for a spot in tomorrows final game so we moved into the living room to watch the game, Oregon didn't win but it was a good game! I called momma so she would be sure to watch the game too since she has watched the series from the beginning and how disappointing it would be to not see the final games. We will be at the care facility tomorrow and watch the final final game with her.

I broke 2 fingernails canning today, best go fix them and then paint them, maybe opal or a light pink??

She didn't "get" it

Last night I took my two new quilts to show momma...first to come out of the bag was Niles' TATW. Ohhhh ahhh...yes, momma loved it: touch - pick - turn - flip....every inch was inspected and scoped out. She loves the colors and the pattern (which she indicated she had never done a TATW ~ infact, this is my first TATW). I told her it was Niles' traveling quilt...oh good grief, my momma thinks I have lost my last marble to make a quilt to send with a traveling gnome all over the world. I love to see my momma laugh!

Next out of the bag was BLOOM. ohh ahh...she loved the colors before seeing the top...then the nose wrinkled up...the forehead wrinkled up and the yabbering started...

"Do you like it?"
yabber yabber aka "mom talk"
"It's for my kitchen. Can you read it momma?"
"No"
"It says Bloom."
"Boom?"
"No, bloom"
"Bloom?"
"Yes, blooom...it is a Mary saying, see right here, Bloom where you are planted."

More nose and forehead wrinkling so I read the sayings to her:

"Bloom where you are planted"
"Well, aint you something?"
"Miss Smarty"
"Too Cute"
"Home is Where the Heart Is"
"That's What Friends Are For"
"Snap Out of It"
"Home Sweet Home"
"Put Your Heart into It"
"Princess of Quite a Lot"
"Nurture All You Love"

OK, she got that part...then it dawned on me...she doesn't like the wonky letters. LOL Ed and I totally cracked up at her!!! She was hilarious! She did not, does not like those letters!!!

My mother was a "match those seams and give those points sharp points at all cost" quilter until the last couple of years before the stroke. She would take a seam out 10 times if it did not match. This I understand, I may not have gotten a full set of organization genes from her but I got a double dose of her "pointy - match" genes from her ~ dang it!! While doing a stack and slash heart quilt a few years ago I actually suffered fits of panic - truthfully!! My friend Diana had to keep me moving on that project for me to get it done, I'm still not sold on it, although I am liking it a bit more each time I dare to look at it!

Anyway, back to momma not liking those letters...nope, nothing I could do or say would convince her that it is ok to do something that far out of her box. LOL she wasn't mad, she just doesn't "get" it.

Now, those of you who know me will not be surprised to know that I came home and started on a new and wonderful wallhanging for my momma....LOL.... stay tuned! LOL

For My Friends Cathi and Tonya

Well, you see it's like this....

...I miss MCM...this summer has been the dryest summer in MCM...and I have longed to be in there creating. Don't get me wrong, this summer has been a busy one, full of fun memories, but little to no sewing has gotten done, I think I have UNcabin fever!!

Anyway, back to my story, upon arriving home from the office last night I informed my husband that he was to forget I was home and I would see him around 7, giving me 3 hrs in MCM...ah...time to touch, snip, and create...and that is just what I did!!!

Boy, I was really in the grove! I was getting so much done and was having a blast! Around 6:30 I came out to show my progress to Ed who held a book infront of his face and asked me what time it was...he is so funny! It wasn't 7 pm and he did not want to interfer with MCM time. But he looked at my project and told me he liked it. He said it was kinda small, and yes indeed it is kinda small, but Niles is kinda small so he would not need anything very big.

This is what I made last night, a Trip Around The World (1" squares) for our traveling gnome, Niles. These beautiful prints were a gift from Nancy when she hosted Niles last spring. Thanks again Nancy, for hosting Niles and for the beautiful FQ bundle. Niles loves his quilt and can't wait for me to finish the binding (which will happen on Sunday while I visit my mother) so that he can be sure to have it when he visits with Norm next month.






Well, I had so much fun last night...I decided I would again head right into MCM after work tonight...so after reading the mail I took a wonderful piece of fabric off my design wall that I have had hanging there for inspiration. I have been wondering how I could best use this piece so as not to break it up too much. Yep, you guessed it, Tonya and her wonky letters and suggestion for using those prints that we just can't cut up to the rescue!! This will go on the one wall in our kitchen that has yet to be finished. I knew I wanted to put up a wallhanging on that wall, had talked about it with LJ and Cher who both know I love all things Mary. They each sent me a different red cherry fabric (my orginal idea for the kitchen) and one sent this wonderful Mary print! I love it but couldn't bring myself to cut it apart.

So, this is as far as I got tonight...then ran out of fabric...oh darn!!! Tomorrow I will run into JoAnn's and see if I can find some more of the black cherry fabric to add another border. The wall isn't too wide so I can't add much and if I have to stop with it just as it is that will be OK too, I'll just bind it in red and call it good.

Thanks Tonya...your wonky letters are so fun! And why is it we struggle NOT cutting up fabric??? I learned tonight I don't HAVE to cut it up if I don't want to!

A friend who lives near me is going to make me some placemats and hotpads, the rest of my cherry fabric will be used that way. I love my Mary kitchen...bright, happy, inviting...

OK, I know there was something else I was going to mention...but it is late and I gotta get to bed, 515 comes early.

Good night!

For all you cat lovers out there....

This site is a hoot...plan on spending some time here and going back often.

Cats in Sinks

Cats in Sinks

Where Have You Been?

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Doing the Can-Can

Tuna Anyone?

We hit the ground running, my sister , Ed and I...and this is what we accomplished in a 24 hr period of time:

Tuna
62 half pints and 32 pints
Salsa
18 quarts and 1 pint
Garlic Jelly
23 jelly jars and 4 half pints
Sweet Hot Mustard
8 half pints

We also managed to peel a half a bag of garlic...not much but we were hopping in the kitchen and only took short breaks in the yard to peel garlic while we were waiting for a canner to finish or for the salsa to cook down.

This is how the garlic....a whole lotta garlic arrived...on the top of her car, they had a 5 hr drive and did not want to smell it the whole way. Ed will be peeling garlic for days, maybe weeks...pickled garlic, minced garlic and garlic oil will be showing up in each of our pantry's.



Not sure how we fit in all that we did but we made these cell phone charms during a "down time"...you know...I think we had more than 24 hrs because there was no way to have done all that we did in just one day. Cell phone charms...what will they think of next? To be honest, I like adding a bit of my own personality to anything that is a must and for me a cell phone is a must.

And the rest of the story...tuna, salsa, garlic jelly, mustard, great time with my sister ~ both the laughter and the tears , towels that stink, hands that stink, a floor that would not pass a health inspectors visit, yellow jackets swarming, cats begging, hot flashes, POP POP POP as jars would seal, I would not trade one second of our day for anything! I love you sissy!

testing

Design Walls

Reading Nancy's blog has prompted me to share my design wall. Simple, easy and out of the way when I need it to be. My mom hung cafe curtain rod hooks (about 5 ft apart) on the wall above the door opening of the closet in MCM.

She then took the rod and duct taped thermal lamb across the rod, rolled it once, tightly slipped stitched it to itself, then hung the rod up and let the thermal lamb hang to the floor (5½ ft) where she cut it off, then rolled it up on the rod, put a decorative border (prairie points to match the valences on the windows) and added a bit of lace. There are 3 sets of ribbon that I use to tie the rolled thermal lamb in place when I am not using the design wall.

This is great for more than one reason.

• I can layer my projects
• I can leave it rolled up or unrolled
• I can roll projects up while pinned to it
  
• I can unroll it if the closet storage area is unsightly (like that ever happens)
• 

I know, I know...it is all clear as mud and my pictures are no help either. Sorry...I am no good at written directions when I am the one doing the writing. The pic of it rolled up is one I just took, the other pic is one I took when LJ, Cher and I were in a cleaning mood LAST August and we had to show before pics....at least that is what I remember about it because there are 4 more pictures of different views and boy-o-boy was MCM a mess mess mess!!! Come to think about it, I am not sure I even showed them my before pics!! LOL

Anyway, it was easy to make, very inexpense and a quick fix for my teeny tiny space. I love it and think that even if I had more space I would still do it this way.

On another note: I think the "free midnight snack" sign has once again been posted in our yard ....raccoons came avisitin' last night and helped themselves to one of our Koi!!! GRRRR. They also decided the best place to eat it would be on the deck, leaving the tail fin and some snail shell...EWWWW! So...we did a major search for ways to keep varments away from the pond and decided the best way to do so was to soak rags in amonia and lay them on the rock around the pond for a few nights...here's hoping!!!

Bubble Boy

Since Ed is not able to bend over to wash his feet I sat the footbath up out on the deck last Thursday evening and washed his feet. Usually you can find me out on the deck a couple of times each month during the warm weather, glass of wine, good book and my feet soaking...but it was Ed's turn to be pampered this time.


After grandpa's feet were nice and clean JJ decided he wanted "foot bubbles" too so I cleaned up the footbath and dropped a couple of drops of bubbles in and turned on the jets....this simple act moved me right to the top of his favorite person list!!! Of course Maddie also had her turn...then rub a dub dub...the three who had been in the tub went off to bed...all 3 of them!!!We had bubbles all over everywhere! He loved it!!! I am sure it was just a grandma thing...not something that would be likely to happen at home but lots of things happen at grandma and grandpa's house that would be nixed elsewhere!!! Isn't that what gmas and gpas are for? I think so!

While Naomi did her feet I poured a glass of SeaMist Cranberry wine (my new favorite), got my book and then it was my turn~last but not least~last by design, just like I had planned all along! I cleaned up the footbath...poured in hot water and filled a pitcher with more hot hot water (knowing I would want this to last as long as possible!!!)...got out my Oregon Rain Lavendar sea salt and lavendar lotion and enjoyed 45 minutes of bliss.

Blessings in my life:

digital camera AKA my memory saver
footbath....ahhhhhh
a nice collection of soothing lavendar skin care products
Maddie's recording on our home voicemail

Shhhh...Part 2

...their gone and the silence is golden. Now, don't get me wrong...I love my grandbabies and we just do not see them often enough. Getting back to a routine is a wonderful thing and they will be happy to get into their own beds tonight. We will also get back into a normal routine (whatever that is) and hubby can relax a bit more and continue to heal.

Having the babies out of their normal routines was a bit of a challenge for everyone, then there is the expectations of who is doing what to help in which fashion. The visit should have waited until Ed was back on his feet a bit more, but it didn't so we made the best of it as it was.

So...the house is quiet...no TV, no radio, nothing but the tick-tock of the clock. Nice. Tomorrow it will be too quiet, but for now it is nice.

BBQ hamburgers were requested for dinner, I shall make that happen as soon as I post this. It will be nice to get back to our normal meal pattern as well....little ones just have different schedules and habits than old foggies like us .

After we eat a quick and light meal I am hunting up the JoAnn's ad, hoping to find rolled batting on sale. I want to start pinning these tops Nancy sent in May. She also sent some kits all cut ready to sew, I might do a bit of piecing, it has been so very long since I have taken the cover off my machine for anything more than some quick mending. I am really looking forward to having those winter days to sew again (I did not say I was looking forward to winter...I said when winter arrives I can then spend more time sewing), seems like I get the bulk of my sewing/quilting done during the late fall through early spring months when the yard and gardens are not calling my name so loudly.

My sister is coming next wknd...to can tuna...YAY!!! With my canning helper out of commission sissy said she would help out, we (Ed and I) usually can for her pantry as well as ours but she said she wanted to learn and help...YAY!!! Somehow she manages to get her tuna to last 2 years, us...no way, we can a minimum of 100# or so each year just for us!! When my sister comes she is bringing me garlic...not just a little bit but tons!!! I asked her to bring as much as she can, and then a little bit more. Sure glad they will have it in their rig in that hot sun rather than it being in mine!!! PHEWY!!! The agreement is: you guys bring the garlic, Ed and I will can it. So...we will be canning garlic for 3 pantry's: ours, my sisters and my niece Mandy's (Mandy and Wayne grow garlic so this will be gleened from their fields - FREE, we like FREE). Everyone provides their own jars, we provide the rest. Pickled garlic, minced garlic, whole garlic.....um um ummmmmm...we like garlic!!!

I am not a big huckleberry fan but hubby is, my sister trades him a bag of huckleberries for a batch of my homecanned sweethot mustard....the berries were picked last wknd (they picked 22 gallons up on Mt. Hood~~WOWOWOWOWOW)...the mustard needs to be made this wk.

Oh I do so love how my pantry looks as the canned goods get re-stocked. Due to Ed being laid up and not able to help as much I will do as much as I can and we will make do. Ed will help in anyway he can (peeling garlic...that is a huge HUGE help!!).

So, there you have it...an update from warm~sunny~Southern Oregon. Now I am headed out to BBQ a burger.

Shhhhh....

....don't tell anyone where I am. The house is quiet and I am alone for a few minutes!

The babies (Jason 3½ and Madelyn 4½) are here for a wk and the wk is almost over! Boy, having kids in your house 24/7 is an experience. Usually our "local" grandkidlets (ages 9-13) are here for a few hours or an overnight but JJ and Maddie live a 10 hr drive away and to be here for a wk without a break is sure letting us know we are gettin' old FAST!

Actually, we are having a great time even though I am working most of this wk as well as enjoying the babies and their mommy. We moved furniture around so Ed can sit away from the traffic flow and be somewhat protected from bumps and too many squeezy hugs. The kids can also be in the backyard but not unsupervised as they are curious about the pond (we had friends who lost their 18 month old son in a pond about the same size over 25 yrs ago and it still haunts me).

Maddie can help me water the baskets and JJ does a great job of watering the lawn. We will at some point make a mini photo album to send to our son (thier daddy) who is a fisherman and currently at the middle point of a 4 month trip to the Bering Sea.

Naomi has been doing almost all of the cooking, nice!!! Sunday morning I made donuts (Grandpa was a baker so you gotta have donuts when you come to his house!). Tonight we are going to make chocolate covered bananas so they will have a cold dessert that is not 100% junk for them (and to help cover my fanny for buying the wrong flavor of icecream!!). Of course we will also make fruit pizza, but I think Maddie and I will do that on Friday since I took an extra day off just to play with her.

Our little break this afternoon is because Naomi (DIL) took the babies in to see my mom and then they plan to go to the beach and play before coming back later this afternoon, early evening....maybe all that fresh air will be good for ALL of us, early bedtime maybe?

Ed is healing well, has even gotten out in the yard for walks now and then which is good for him. I pulled a straightback chair out to the deck for him to sit in a couple of times each day. Goes back to the Dr in 3 wks, should be much improved by then.

I did flip the switch on my sewing machine and sewed a 4" seam in Maddies Easter dress where it had been ripped, (on the seam, easy fix) so now I know my machine is at least still talking to me and might be ready to do something when our house is back to 2 old people and our 4 legged master. Every time I enter MCM I hear Nancy's wonderful quilts calling my name, I have a goal of getting the 7 tops finished up so that I can send them back with Ryan in October. All of the quilts that I finish for WTIL go to AMOR.


More wallpaper for Bonnie hope you like it:

Yay Me!

Even if I was late for "work" this morning, and even if I did take many "coffee breaks" (a.k.a. helping hubby breaks) I managed to get MCM whipped into shape in a few short hours.

Oh there are a few things that are not put out of reach of little ones....my antenna ball collection for one. I have collected antenna balls for years! It is fun to find unusual ones, funny how you get one or two of something and then all of the sudden you are getting them from everyone!! Hubby has an idea of how to display them but hasn't gotten around to getting that done, no problem...JJ will have the touchable ones all over the house within moments of walking in the door...but now I am off topic...back to MCM.

Yes MCM, is nice and neat and the things that needed to be put away are put away, the things that needed to find a new place have found a new place, the things that did not belong in MCM are no longer in MCM and have actually been put where they belong!!! Now, I must say that "put away" and "nice and neat" are MY definition...my mother would have hauled everything out of that room, sorted it all, resorted it all, resorted it again and then moved it in piece by piece. She was a good organizer...I did get a few of her organizational genes but the ones I got only work now and then...usually they are dormant or just work at a simmer... I think there is a missing link.

A couple of years before my mother suffered a stroke she came for a visit and literally everything came out of MCM, was stacked in the livingroom (my to hubby's displeasure) and then she gifted me totes, shelving, tables and every sort of everything to organize my room and make it all match in size and color. All of my mismatched totes and etc were replaced with new - everything "fit". I had no shelving (believe it or not) - she measured twice, cut once and put up a wall of shelves that wrapped around to a second wall. It was too neat and clean and I could not, absolutely could not work in that room, I had to "adjust it" a bit after she went home.

Oh...dang...I am moving off topic again...ok, ok....Pam, stay on task here!!!

Anyway...I did manage to get a few other things done today as well. Kitchen floor has been swept and mopped, 3 loads of laundry washed-dried-folded and put away, freshened up the guestroom for our daughter-in-law's visit, hubby deadheaded baskets ~ I set him up on the deck with a table and etc and then hauled baskets to him, this eveninig he deadheaded on the front porch.

I think my biggest accomplishment was cleaning off the desk...here are a few things I found on the desk:

cupcake papers (for a Valentines craft project)
fabric markers (no Cher...I have not finished my Over the Edge wall hanging)
my granddaughters birth certificate (gee, maybe her mom would like to have that back now that we are safely on the USA side of the border???)
one earring...sad lonely little thing
3 alphabet beads - H - W - I (maybe for my sister?? Hawaii?? we are going next year)
a watch (some people have lots of shoes, I have lots of watches...I did not miss this one)
a letter to my sister (stamped with a .37 stamp~~ it is sealed, do I open it or just send it?)
a magic wand (either KatieBug's or MacKenzie's ~ or both!)
2 shot glasses (my son and his friend made these at the pottery store, why are they at my house?)

and of course there were the usual desky things:

photo printer paper (box is all but empty, need a new box soon)
cd's (too many to count, all back ups of my photo files)
rubber bands, paper clips and etc.

My greatest find of the day was my MP3 player that has been MIA for a while, I found it in my winter purse...along with my favorite pen and nail file. Strange, usually when I switch purses I move everything. I was really glad to find my MP3 player, now I can tell Ed that is was missing (he did not know it was missing *¿*) It has Christmas music on it, does that tell you anything???

All in all it was a great "work" day! I am ready for those precious grandbabies to arrive tomorrow...just bring 'em on!!!

I will leave you with a couple pics of the "deadheader". The first one is also a good shot of our little Koi pond, we did not get the landscaping around it finished before Ed went in for surgery but Ryan and I worked on it (read: Ryan more than me) and I am hoping that Naomi and I can get it worked on more. Angela and I are going to cut the slate to cover the cobble stones, Angela can do anything! She is Ms. DIY!!!

The second one is the front porch, this basket was taking over, we felt like we were in a creature feature movie each time we went out the door, this petunia WAS huge (LJ called it a MONSTER) but now it has been tamed.

Now I am going to spend some time reading....want to get the 3rd book of a series finished so I can send them home with my daughter-in-law, save myself a bit of mailing money.

Blessings for the day:

All of the above

LJ Said This Would Count

My boss has been so gracious to me during this time with Ed's surgery and getting him home and then rushing home a time or two each day to help him when he had needed it. Yesterday morning he asked what the Friday appt schedule looked like, I told him he had this and that going on but I did not have any clients coming in for me. He said "Well, looks like you have a 3 day weekend then." NICE, NICE, NICE!!! What a blessing!

Last night I slept 10 hours...woke up a couple of times but was able to get back to sleep fairly quickly. Ed got up around 5 and sat in a chair for a while to rest his back from laying down but then came back to bed at 7, I got up at 7:30.

Thus far this morning I have listened to Ryan's cat meowing for Ryan, (after Ryan leaves Akira cries for his dad for about a week, it is the most pathetic thing!!) and enjoyed an otherwise quiet time with a cup of coffee. Oh, and I started the dishwasher, which was already loaded last night. Now I am going to enjoy a second cup of coffee, read my email, comfort Akira, and then ~~ are you ready for this?? ~~ I am going to head into My Creative Mind and get busy straightening it up.

I know I do not have time to sew right now but I also know that this is a MUST on my to do list. Our 2 youngest grandbabies (Maddie 4 and JJ 3) will be here tomorrow for a week and that room holds so many fastinating things for little ones to see and touch that I simply MUST get some of those things put away.

MCM is also the room that has been abused over the past few months, getting abused by the "oh put it in there" syndrome while we have done some remodeling. I just hate that! Growing up we had a basement (as do we now) that things got put in (as now) and then suddenly they were lost or forgotten. When my parents became empty-nesters they also had a "guestroom" that took the place of the basement or garage. ***My mother was not a junky house keeper, her home was always neat as a pin, but stuff collects in various places even if it is organized stuff, I wish I had my mother's skill of organization!***

Last night I told Ed that I was going to work today even if Brad did give me the day off. He thought I was off my rocker, but then I told him that I would get up, get ready for work and then he would find me working in MCM, I would come out at lunch time and then go back to MCM (hoping that after lunch I might even be sitting at the machine *¿*).

LJ said straightening up MCM would count as something quilty...a bit of a stretch, but she is such a good encourager.

Oh gosh, look at the time...I am late for work! I'll keep you posted!

Time to Update....

....although I really should jump in the shower so my hair will dry before bedtime (6 hrs from now).

Hubby is now home from the hospital. Surgery was a bit more complicated than expected and what started out as a 3 hr surgery ended up being an ordeal lasting almost 7 hrs.

Once they got into his back and his spine was visible they discovered damage to L-2 through L-5. L-5 was the disk they went in to work on.

He spent extra time in the hospital which was fine with me, he needed to be where he could get the best help and the best start at healing.

When our son called me 5 hrs after surgery began, 2 hrs after it should have been over and he found out that his dad was still in the O.R. he packed a few things and left San Diego at 7 p.m. and drove through the night to get home.

I was glad (and thankful!!) to have him home, he is a great friend to me. He was also a great help to me by spending alot of time with my momma so my time was freed up to spend with Ed or work or other things that needed to be done. Ryan and I also worked in the yard, he hauled some river rock that had been delivered before Ed went to the hospital. He even stayed a couple of extra days when Ed wasn't bouncing back the way we had hoped. We have such good good kids...no complaints from us!

So, Ed is now home. He is learning what he can do for himself and what he needs to ask me to help with. I went back to work but he knows I am less than a 2 minute drive from home if he needs me.

We are thankful for many things:

Skillful surgeons

Safe travel for Ryan (1,000 miles each way...drove straight through coming and going)
Summer weather so Ed can spend time healing on the deck
My office being close to home
Momma's good attitude during this confusing time to her
Our kitty who is always good company and entertainment for Ed
and of course Pain meds *¿*