Trip to Andalusia

This trip was something Mama wanted to do.  It was a visitation and burial of a man who had connections to Daddy's side of our family and was also related to old friends from Andalusia.  He lived in Virginia, I believe, and was buried in Andalusia, only 58 years old.  It was good that she got to go and pay her respects and also to see some of Daddy's cousins from years and years ago.  I ran into one my age, June, whom I really have not seen in around 50 years.  We did have fun when we were kids and would go visit their big family out in the country on Sunday afternoons.  We had only brothers, so we loved getting away from them and talking and sneaking around to listen to the grownups talk.  Hopefully, we'll talk again before long.

After the funeral home, we took Mama around to visit 3 more friends and sit and talk with them awhile.  Mike and I left her different places and drove around some, got Sonic ice cream and a Dean's coconut cake and just wasted time.  It was a gloomy, rainy day, and I could think of lots of things I needed to be doing at home, but she needed the contact with her friends.  I guess it wasn't enough, because she's been on the phone constantly since she's been home - I guess talking to the ones she didn't get to visit.

I saw on Facebook on the way home that the twins we were looking for in Ohio were born, two little boys.  So cute.  Their mom was Emily's first friend, and now they're having their first babies just weeks apart.  Sad to think they probably won't ever get to know each other and play together and have as much fun as those 2 little girls.

Well, I have managed to write something for the first 10 days.  It gets harder when nothing interesting happens.  I'll try to make something happen tomorrow but am not too optimistic.  I like boring.

Wednesday

I'm almost to midnight and didn't say a word here today. 

Short and sweet.

 Turban ministry at church this morning where we enjoyed a new big room to sew.   Good friends, good conversation - and a little sewing.  I took a picture or 2, but it's still in the camera - in another room.

Left there and went to Beth's Heirlooms to buy 2 buttons - and ummm-- other things.  The prettiest corduroy was on sale, so I got a few pieces.  The girl who works there, whom I've never net, was so nice and helpful.  So many beautiful things there.

I'm not even sure about the afternoon.  It was wasted in some fashion.  Emily called after her doctor's appointment and reported that everything is just perfect.  She's not able to sleep now and is finding it rough going to stay alert and physically able to lift and handle patients as well.  We're encouraging her to take some time off before the baby comes and not try to work until the end.

Tomorrow we go to Andalusia so Mama can go to the memorial service of someone she knows..  It think we're supposed to have some rain - maybe a nice storm after we get home.

Ready to Fly

Physically, anyway.  I got new rolling luggage today.  Always, I've just carried a shoulder bag, hanging-up bag, and numerous peripheral sewing and equipment bags for car trips.  Just a mess.  Now I have to hide everything away and not struggle through the airport looking like pack mule.  I believe these will do.

Are they too grape-y?  I originally was going to get just a small carry-on, but the prices at Belk were so good that Mike talked me into getting a larger one also.  I could have gotten any number of colors and was deciding between gray and teal, but I kept liking this color.  Mike loved clicking the big one down the center aisle of Belk (to find a cashier), pretending he was off on one of his important trips.  He had a noticeable swagger as he presented the clerk with my 20% off coupon in the baby department.

The flu shot and the Tdap were painless and didn't even get me any sympathy.  Mike got the Tdap but had already had the flu, pneumonia, and shingles vaccines.  Some people like to be prepared.  I've gone all these years without being sick, so I'd better not get anything now with all this prevention.

So, things are being crossed off, but the list is long.  My daily job was cleaning the ceiling fan in the bedroom.  A taller person than me got that job.  I like to be able to delegate most some jobs.  I got the bedroom cleaned last night before I went to bed and worked about 15 minutes on the sewing room.

This has possibilities for better use.  An empty container is just too exciting not to find something to put in it and label it.

Going to the church to sew turbans tomorrow.  That's always fun.

Monday Chaos

Things looks calm around here.

But it's deceiving.

I went out for the whole morning, and while that was productive, it was the end of any production around the house.

I can check one more thing off my list now, and that's a bag to carry my laptop in when I fly.

ARGGHH.  I hate to say those words.  I hope one day they'll be casual - when I fly.  But right now it just makes me anxious.  I thought buying a new carry on suitcase would help, but I haven't gotten that yet.  But I do have this Target perfectly adequate bag.  It's not easy finding something to fit a 17-inch computer, but I think I have room for a few needlework projects in there too.  And extra Xanax.

I found a half price plus 20% off sale at Belk today when I was looking for something practical -

and got Baby Girl something to wear next Christmas.

What?  She needs it.  It was nearly free!  And everyone need red shoes at some point.

Housecleaning job today is to clean the bedroom and take anything that doesn't belong there into the proper room.  The deadline approaches, and while I work (in one end of the bedroom), I'm seeing this.

A pattern box and various needlework magazines scattered over the bed, a tape measure on the table, and brain dump from last night, not to mention one load of clothes to fold and another in the dryer.

This doesn't even include my work area.  I guess it's possible when I get off work to accomplish that.

Tomorrow I get shots, and I may want to drum up some sympathy, so I might not do my daily job.

Getting in under the Wire

Well, not exactly.  I had things - pictures and words - on the other computer, but when I tried to edit on the laptop, I lost it, and I'm not going to do it all again this late.  Maybe I'll find it all tomorrow.

One thing - my only daily chore today was to have a brain dump and get those ideas out of my head and onto paper.  I made a couple of lists, but that's all.  Those thousands of ideas jumbled up in my brain are just too crazy to put on paper, so they'll just have to stay there for now.

Busy week coming up.  Not sure if it's worth talking about, but I probably will. 

Just Saturday

If I expected today to be productive or interesting or anything, I was kind of wrong.  It was just a nothing day.

I did start the day off with 2 nice conversations with Emily on the phone and one long email from Elise regretting not have gotten on the Les Miserable bandwagon back in the 90s.  I gave her our CDs after she saw the movie, and she's played it every chance she gets.  We have another fan in the family.

I sorted some files on my laptop and answered some emails and worked an hour but without any enthusiasm.  There was not even a good bowl game to interest me.

My organizing email this morning (no weekends off) was to work on the "problem area" and get tax paperwork organized, including setting up files for next year's taxes.  Mike arrogantly said that he was perfectly organized and frankly just perfect with all things tax related and needed no revamping of his way.  So - off the hook again.  Surely Sunday's job won't be too hard.  The hardest thing today was listening to him being self-righteous.

No more organizing of the sewing room today, but I did decide to pick up two neglected projects and work on them.

I finished the little blue OFB daygown some time ago except for the 5 little buttons on the back.  I found 3 pearl buttons small enough for those buttonholes, but I'm going to have to make a trip to Beth's Heirlooms in Wetumpka to match them - what luck!

I can tell this is going to be Ryan's very favorite thing to dress the baby in with those minuscule buttons.

The yellow is the smocked panel I had hopes of putting into a receiving blanket.  The baby is going to be received in about a month, so I figured it was about time to finish it.  Gathering and basting this ruffle is fiddly work, but I think it will be pretty and just like I imagined when I'm finished.  Sure hope so anyway.

I bought Darby a new bed yesterday.  She didn't ask for it and she hates it.  I don't like her having the run of the house when she's inside and have seen pictures of dogs lying nicely on their beds in the house.  How hard could it be to teach her to stay in her bed?

Just about impossible.

I talked it up and got her all excited, and she was properly appreciative - at first.  But when she stepped into the bed, she jumped like she had been shocked and refused to stay in it.  No way on earth was she going to lie down in it.  Even with her puppy and her bone.  Nothing doing.

Even with Stella showing her approval.

We figured Stella would try to take it over like she does Darby's other bed, but even she hates it.

She licked her lips, drooled, trembled, looked pitiful and refused to bend her legs.  We finally yelled at her, and she hates that but refused to go near it.   So she has been sleeping in the sun room or outside.

Today I tried it again and got her to lie down with a little bribery.  Peanut butter on the chew bone.  She's there but still hating it.  She stayed maybe 30 minutes and then jumped out.  She seemed happy enough to go to the sun room to finish her nap.

NOT a happy puppy.

So I don't know.  It's probably a losing battle, and now I can't take it back because of the peanut butter on it.  We think it's probably a nicer bed than any in the house, all fleecy and soft and warm.

Rain tonight maybe and a nice not-so-cold Sunday tomorrow.

Friday - the Usual

Always fun to look forward to Fridays and the possible trip to Wal-Mart.  If I'm smart, I will take the hour Mama is in the beauty shop to run errands or go somewhere I like, but I didn't do that today.  The day was beautiful but really cold, but she needed lots of things and had not been on her usual Wal-Mart once-around in weeks.

I grabbed a lot of groceries while she was shopping and got Darby a dog bed, hoping we can contain her there instead of shedding on the carpet.  Naturally she hates the feel of it.  I guess it's the softness or the fleece - or the lack of garbage smell.  Whatever.  She will try to obey and go jump in it, but it's almost if she's repulsed by it - she jumps out so quickly.

My errand for today was to clean my closet.  Really.  I was spoiled into thinking it was going to be a doable job every day.  I did stand in the door and put up a pair of shoes, but that was the extent of it.  My wardrobe of T-shirts need to be color coordinated, but other than that, my 6 or 8 pairs of shoes are lined up nicely, and the dirty clothes basket is empty.  Some time ago I took out everything not clothes related, so I'm good there.  Throw me another job.

Like yesterday's.  Took me all of 15 minutes.  Mainly because we were out of food.  Mama has to have her shelf or 2 where she can reach things, and Mike has his treasures hidden in the bottom crisper, so it was just a matter of wiping the shelves and throwing away the old mushrooms and moving things around.  Throwing the clementine box out gained a whole lot of space!

After buying some groceries today, though, it doesn't look quite like this.  But there is the addition of this, which Mike made while I was yet again working on the sewing room.  Excellent baked spaghetti!

The good thing about digging around in the sewing room is finding lost things, but there is a problem.

This little useless bib appeared, bought on some occasion years ago when I thought I might need a baby gift.

 The wheels start turning though, and I think about what I can embroider on it, so my granddaughter can wear it maybe once or twice.

Then there is this.  Embroidered as a test.  So soft and sweet and a good design.

I've never had a use for it until today - when my mind registered on this fabric I folded earlier.  Yellow baby chicks.  Yellow baby chick duck.  Made for each other.  Future baby needs another bib, I think.

I also found these started but not finished things that I may or not work on.  Seems they were difficult to maneuver a needle into that little space.

Looks like good busy work for a plane trip - if I'm not too sedated to hold a needle.

Typical January Thursday

Gloomy, damp, and cold - but not very cold - 40 degrees.  Just enough to make going out in short sleeves uncomfortable but not enough for a jacket.

Mike is sleeping still.  He spends hours awake in the middle of the night, so it's good that he can sleep now.  I took the garbage to the street and picked up Mama's paper, emptied the dishwasher and made a protein shake.  He's probably fake sleeping so he won't have to drink any of that.

I pretty much did nothing of note yesterday afternoon, nothing that I can remember.  Probably tried to catch up on emails and Facebook and all the blogs I like to read.  Pinterest has just about overwhelmed me with things I want to read/do/make/experience, and I just have to stay away from it. I still pin things to my board to go back and look at later,

My job of the day is to clean the refrigerator.  I will NOT be taking things to the bathtub to clean them.  I think the refrigerator is pretty clean.  We just need to make decisions on things and throw out a few things.  Another easy one.  Oh and work on my "problem area."  Yes, that.  I think those things are manageable today.  Mama was thinking about asking me to take her to Wal-Mart today but said it looked too cold, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed she'll wait until tomorrow after her beauty shop appointment.  I really don't want to go out both days.

I had an interesting thing happen at work last night, and if anything interesting happened on my job, I need to record it.

Medical transcription used to be interesting, very interesting for someone like me who loves to type and loves to learn new things.  It paid very well, and it was a good 10 or so years.  Until each company I worked for got gobbled up by a bigger, more impersonal one, and we became assembly line workers.  We're expected to keep over 99% quality while churning out an impossible number of lines an hour.  And no typing any more - we just edit what a voice recognition machine has guessed that the doctor said.

Doctors expect perfection while (for the most part on my account) doing a poor job of dictating (eating, yawning, sleeping, etc), and over half of mine are Hispanic or Middle Eastern.  I can understand most accents as long as they give it a good try, but when I bring up a report with an unpronounceable 10-syllable name dictator, I expect the worst.  So it was so refreshing last night to hear this:

This is Dr.  Muhammavaskeriden Perez-Martinez (not real name) dictating a history and physical.  First I want to thank the transcriber.  I wish you a happy new year.  You be wonderful people.  You need a special place in our hearts, and we hope it will be a peaceful year and, most important, gratifying work for you.

Ah, so sweet!  I once had a doctor in North Carolina who would sing (You are my Medical Transcriptionist, my only Medical Transcriptionist) to us sometimes and tell us a joke before he started dictating.  He was a good dictator though.  After this heartfelt message, I was ready to do my best on his 15-minute dictation.  Alas, he was not clear and kept repeating himself and just drove me crazy for almost an hour.  I had many blanks that I had to send to our quality person to give it a try, so now someone else can hear his nice message.

Time to get cleaning on that refrigerator, but I need to check on some people I haven't heard from in awhile.  With my first cup of coffee, that should be good for another hour of procrastination.

I'm not as with-it as I'd like to think this morning.  I went to get my coffee, chose my K-cup, and turned my back only to realize I had not put a cup on the stand.  Such a sinking feeling.  Luckily the reservoir thingy had just been washed this morning, so I transferred the coffee from there to my cup with very little lost - just a little self-confidence.

An Extra-Boring Page of Talk about Nothing

Since Facebook pictures will probably disappear one day (maybe blog pictures too - but we trust - and who will care?), I'll put the red beans and rice pictures here.

Mike is responsible for this whole meal.  I only contributed by eating it.  Twice yesterday and once today.  It's better the second day.(I did clean the stove and whole kitchen.)  

This is what Emily, Ryan, and Karen put together.  They added the black-eyed peas and a better cornbread and tea.  Looks wonderful.

I have to admit I didn't go outside yesterday, but I did get a lot of things done.  A nice rainy day to putter around the house.

Darby is not supposed to be in the kitchen giving pitiful looks, but I let her stay yesterday.  She was so afraid of being made to go outside that she was ultra quiet all afternoon and wouldn't make eye contact.

Her coat is awful, and she needs a haircut, but I'm embarrassed to take her to the vet this shaggy.  I got the trimmer and brush and worked on her some.  She hated that worse than going out in the rain.

I did stand in my sewing room and look at it.  I try organizing it, but my storage is haphazard, which is what it will have to be for right now.  When I sew, I pull down bunches of fabric and patterns and trim and usually have more than one thing going at a time.

So--- this is the sorry state of it yesterday morning.  I decided I would try to change just one thing a day.

I've let yarn and abandoned knitting and crotcheting projects take over this area.

This is a huge old TV armoire than I emptied of the TV and DVD player.  It's nice to hold all that messy batting and stuffing behind closed doors, but it could be neater.  It also hides my started but not finished projects.

The middle drawers are full of embroidery blanks and other things to do with machine embroidery.
The right drawers have - guess what? - fabric - mainly fat quarters.  The small boxes are color-coordinated scraps, which have outgrown that space and will be better off in that armoire.  I need more containers like that wooden CD holder that I found at Mike's parent's house.  It's a little small but perfect for containing fat quarters.  Patterns and books are on the bottom shelf.  (One box of patterns is in the bedroom for looking at.)

 The small plastic containers are embroidery thread and knitting needles and crochet hooks.  Plus all the other odds and ends I've collected.

 I know where things are in this corner, but it could use straightening up.  The saucer on the table is for drawing a curved corner not for the cat, although she did check it out just now.  It's nice to have a big cutting table, but there's just too much junk always on it.

This corner is almost okay - just needs neatening.

After a little despair and then a little work, I made this small improvement.

It's time consuming (but I secretly love it) to fold each piece of fabric around a 6-inch ruler to make them all the same size.  Amazing how much difference it makes.

I'm going to do more of that today and move those scrap boxes to the armoire.

I don't have plans for all that fabric and not sure why I have it all, but I'm ready in case of an inspiration.  With a granddaughter to sew for, the next few years should offer plenty of opportunities.

Mike has gone to meet his brother for a nice lunch at Chappy's.  I was invited but decided to let them have their Reubens and conversation.

My daily e-mail spring cleaning task today was to organize any nightstands or bedside tables.  I was happy to see that because I just did that a few months ago when I moved the ones I inherited from Mike's parents to take the place of my old ones.  Before I had one drawer and a big area at the bottom.  I like the 3 drawers.

Mine.  I'm not sure what Mike has in his --  I went and looked and of all thing, his top 2 drawers are empty.  I need to do something about that!

I'm pretty optimistic about power failures, I guess.  No flashlight but a candle (and no match or lighter).  A cute little travel alarm clock that will never be used since the phone and computer have more than enough alarms on them.

Second drawer is for the rare occasion when I can't sleep and need something to put me directly to sleep - logic problems.

One thing I need is a neater way of storing camera, phone, and laptop chargers.  The basket at the bottom is not doing that great a job.

I won't have much progress to report for tomorrow since I've done nothing today except vacuum the kitchen, den and garage rug and straighten the kitchen.  Vacuuming makes me think I deserve a cup of coffee and a nice rest afterwards.

I have to start work in 3-1/2 hours, so I'd better try to accomplish something.

Oh, more twins coming!  This time in Guatemala.  Dina announced today that they have 2 babies due in July/August.  So exciting.  What is it with twins lately?  So far, 2 little boys in Columbus, 2 more little boys in Cincinnati being born on the 17th (old friends from Thomaston), a girl and boy for our church nursery, and these 2 new little ones.  Makes our little girl seem lonely.

Another Wonderful New Year - 2013

Happy new year thoughts.

I wish I had a compilation of all the January 1st journal entries I've made.

Maybe I should make resolutions for once since NOT making them has not improved things.

Spammers have found this blog.  I hope no one will click on their links until I get them deleted.  I don't check too often for comments, but maybe I should start.  What a bother.

Would it be possible for me to maybe post at least one sentence a day this year?  I did it one month last year.  It was hard.  I like to do pictures, but at one point I had pictures on 2 cameras, 2 phones and 3 computers - and never on the one I was typing on.  I need to work on centralizing my pictures.  And then making things happen worth taking pictures of.

I signed up for this daily email:  Spring Cleaning 365.   Nice challenge right off the bat:  Find your worst problem area and start on it.  Looks like there's going to be a lot of standing in my sewing room and trying once again to make sense of it.  I've organized it and am not going to spend any more money on storage or "stuff."  I think I need to make it easier to put things back when I'm finished with them.

I did do something productive last week.  One Amy Butler Snuggly Blanket and 3 bibs.

I really like the way bias binding looks, but it's a pain to work with.  I keep doing it because I want to get better at it.  It's okay when it's zig-zagged and the margin for error is not so great, but trying to sew along the edge of that strip and then have it sew along the edge of the back of the strip is tough.  My new machine doesn't have the neat edge stitch foot that my Viking has.  I'm sure another foot will work, but I just haven't taken the time to figure it out.  And that still won't stop the problem on the back.  These are good for what they're going to be used for though.

In 5 weeks more or less, we should have that baby here.  It still doesn't seem real.  It very much does to Emily who talks about the "shelf of baby."  Those first few weeks of counting the days until we felt safe even taking about it seem so long ago, and yet time has just flown.  Names are being discussed and rejected.  We're going to have to wait until Emily and Ryan meet her, I believe, before there is a definite name.  I NEED to monogram something though.  Maybe I'll just concentrate on embroidering an Easter bunny or two since Easter is in March this year.  A bunny snowsuit might be appropriate for March in Washington.

Mike has been working on the annual red beans and rice already.  I wonder how many towns we've celebrated the new year with that dish.  I know the first time we had it at a friend's house.  He got it started and left me to babysit it all afternoon while he and Mike went off somewhere.  It was worth it though, and we've served it to many groups of people and in many houses through the years.  Pictures later.

Emily was desperately searching for ham hocks, turnip greens, and black-eyed peas yesterday during her lunch hour.  And she surprisingly found them.  I'm hoping for pictures from her too.  I don't think too many of her friends are impressed by that combination of dishes.  It's so funny to me that she and Ryan are always calling grocery stores and shops asking if they have a certain item.  That's good time management, but I never think of it.  It was ginger snaps and fresh green beans Thanksgiving.  Another time it was cranberries.  It sure did save a lot of gas and aggravation.

Okay, I'll try to write something every day, but my problem is just babbling and using up big chunks of time.  It's already 9 a.m., and all I've done is feed the pets, bring in the newspaper, and have my breakfast.  Now it's time for coffee and reading emails and FB.  It's a pretty warm day with maybe rain this afternoon, and I'd like to get outside some.  I won't say the word "walk" because I probably won't do it, but I'll maybe wander around the yard and throw Darby a couple of toys.  Better than standing in my sewing room, I guess.