AGAIN!

I'm feeling really yucky again. I thought I was fine and getting over the last episode of a few days ago. This morning I get up feeling a little tired. I've tried to do a few things around the house but I just feel too yucky to move much. Aches, chills, stuffy nose, cough, queezy stomach. It's been getting worse as the day goes by so now I'm headed back to bed. Geeze, I sure do get sick of getting sick.

Quiet Christmas

I spent some time making myself some more undies.



I finished putting the pockets on Ladybug's dress.





I got exactly what I wanted from Santa. It's an air compressor. I use it for cleaning the bobbin area and tracks of my machine.




I spent time at the nursing home with my mother. It was fun watching all the residents getting their gifts from Santa.

My mother gave the director of the home a picture she drew. It looks really nice in a frame and hanging on the wall.

Ladybug really enjoyed her gifts too. No tree to put anything under but she didn't mind one bit. It took only one time of Mommie showing her how to rip the paper and Ladybug was off and ripping for herself. Then she would say.... Mommie, opin dis. Next year she should be able to get things out of the box too. She wanted to stop and play with everything before opening the next gift.

I think her favorite is the table and markers.... or maybe it was the toy cleaning cart with broom and mop.

My daughter got money which is what she asked for. She's putting it into her house buying fund. It was pretty nice holiday after all.

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Now it's time for me to get moving on plans for next year.... it's only a week away ya know.

What's up?

I've been playing around with my helpful hints blog today. I learned how to create a Mr. Linky and how to write a blog post but schedule it to show up on the blog at a later date.



During the next few days I'm going to spend time learning more about my photoshop elements software. I want to use it for some quilt ideas as well as create better photos on my blogs. I also need to figure out how I posted a video before. I know I did it but I can't remember how. This time I'll make myself a cheat sheet and put it into my memory tickler file.



I started a $10 a week grocery budget challenge. I've had a $10 a week grocery budget before with no problems. This time the budget will be for 3 people instead of one. My daughter issued the challenge and of course I had to take her challenge. Read about it here.



If there is time I will be updating my webshots albums. I've not had any time for posting photos there for almost a year. That's not good since I pay a fee for webshots. Hmm... maybe I can spend some time learning about Picassa too since I pay a fee for that as well.



Hmm.... I sure do pay a lot of fees so I can be helpful to others. Maybe I should rethink those fees? Ok, That's enough serious thought for awhile...... back to playtime.



Yes, yes, I will get back to the quilting again (for friends).... just not until after I've had my holiday vacation.

Borrowing from Ladybug

When the Mommie got home she cuddled Ladybug while NaNa took a long bath to ease the aches if illness. This stuff really works! I felt much better and ready for a good night's sleep. The meds helped too. Then the Mommie gave Ladybug a good long soak too.

We both went to bed last night without any fuss. We are still resting as much as possible today. It's hard to keep a child still when the fever is gone but the cough and sneezing keeps them home from daycare. We don't want to pass it on to other kids if we can help it. I hope to get more work done when Ladybug can go back to daycare. I have one last quilt I really want to finish before xmas.

What happened to my house?

I spent weeks.... I mean months... clearing stuff out of my house. Now look at it.

This is only the kitchen. You should see the two bedrooms that were empty a couple of days ago. Geeze!






You ever hear the saying.... college students leave home just temporarily, they always return, and they bring more with them.

Mommie and Ladybug now have their stuff in my previously semi organized house. Mommie had to leave town for a business trip so she brought their stuff, set up the beds, packed a bag, and left. Ladybug and I had an adventure putting things away in her room. Ooo whee, that is one very independent thinking child! Put something in the wrong place and I get told where it really belongs. Books go here Na Na. Shoes go here Na Na. Jammies go here Na Na. Pull ups go in the bathroom Na Na. Well, at least she's organized. Her Mommie never was. Her Mommie liked piles of stuff instead. I'm sure glad the floor work was finished before they moved back home.

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Yesterday, after picking up Ladybug from daycare, about two blocks from home, 6 police cars came racing past me. As I got closer to home there were about 20 police cars and a couple of ambulances at the corner where I turn toward home. I didn't know whether to turn around and go someplace else or not. I thought the trouble might be something we should stay clear of for awhile. I kept going though because home was just around the corner. I believed the trouble was at the motorcycle club at the corner but it turned out to be at the store on the opposite corner. A bunch of people had gotten into a fight and several got hurt. No one died that I know of. This neighborhood is going through a bad time again. It comes and it goes.

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I have another quilt on the machine but more stuff needs to be put away first. I best get off the computer and get started.

So much to do.... so little time

Even though I knew there was only two weeks until Christmas... it hadn't sunk into my brain yet. Then Friday it dawned on me. Yikes! The amount of work I need to get done this week. Quilts to finish. Closet doors to paint and get re-installed. New floor to be installed in the bathroom. (It finally arrived at the installer.) Plastic window covers and window quilts to finish and get put up. Christmas gifts to wrap and hide. (But where?) Yup, it's gonna be a very busy week for me. My daughter has "Mom's busy, busy" radar. Somehow she knows exactly when I'm busiest and then needs a babysitter. She had to work Saturday so Ladybug got to stay with me all day.

Sandy, I promised to post about the learning curve of quilting but I have to put it off for few days..... OK?

Here is the next quilt finished. Folded in half it barely fit on the intake table. It hangs off the far end and off on one side. It's 110 X 130.

In the background of the blocks I did a wind meander.

On the outside border and the sashing strips I did holly leaves. On the inside border I did a curly design.

On the Stockings I did a plain meander with mono thread.

Here's a view of the back. The tiny holly leaves are the corner stone blocks of the sashing strips.

This shows the holly leaves around the outside border and the curly design of the inside border.

Ok, now its time for me to get off the computer and get some work finished. Sometimes I have to tell myself to get to work before my brain believes me. Yup, I do talk to myself. Who else knows me better than myself? Myself and I carry on some very interesting conversations when there's no one else around. We have a lot in common ya know. (hee, hee, hee)

You ever see someone get excited over a light bulb before?

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Well now you have. I couldn't wait any longer. Ooo, you gals/guys gotta see this! I HAD to show how bright it is in my studio. These photos are taken without the flash and while it's still dark outside.




It's as bright as the middle of the day.

See how dark the studio is when I turn off the lights and move into the kitchen? Oops! I gotta clean the furkid gate. A Couple of years of dirty paw prints show up much too well now.

Hey! Where did you guys come from? You see, even the dust bunnies are fully visible now.

Lots more work to do so I'm going back to it.

Home improvements

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Ok, the day was filled with MOVING STUFF. I'm so tired of moving stuff! The reward of moving all the stuff is very worth the effort. This had to be replaced.





There were 4 of these replaced.

The stove hood was replaced. It quit working about 10 years ago. I thought it was only about 5 years ago but my daughter said it was a year or two before she graduated high school in 2000.

See how old the masking tape is on the on/off button?

I got started moving stuff. Got all the batting and rollie carts moved.

Rollie carts went into what will be my daughter's room.

I didn't get my groceries put away so those went into the bedroom too.... for now.

Then lower the machine onto it's wheels and move it out of the way.

The electrician started with the light that goes above the machine then went to the kitchen to work while I moved stuff to the other side of the room. Here's the light that replaced the round one. Umm... now I need to paint the ugly spot on the ceiling. That will happen later..... much later.

I didn't take any more photos of the work. I was too busy moving stuff around so he could keep moving. When he was done it was almost like bright sunshine in both rooms. Fantastic!

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It did take all I had saved plus my change jar money but it's worth it. The cost was $250 labor and $375 for fixtures. This guy earns about $100 an hour.... I think I went into the wrong profession! It's still worth the cost.

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Oh gee whiz, now all the dust bunnies and finger prints show up extra well. Cleaning was much easier when it was too dark to see anything. Hmm... I guess I best get started moving stuff back where it belongs... again. I didn't get to it yesterday because my brother and SIL wanted me to go with them to Goodwill and out for dinner. He's doing much better now that he's going to group therapy sessions for PTSD people. He's learning how to cope with the flashbacks and stress.

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More moving of stuff!

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I've been very busy, moving stuff, shoving stuff, cramming stuff, tossing stuff, organizing stuff, and just about every word you can think of that describes putting a house back in order after it's turned upside down, shook really hard, and set up right again. I've also been trying to get ready for my daughter and grand daughter to move in with me by clearing out two rooms and at the same time getting the house buttoned up for winter with plastic and quilts on the windows.

Just when I had made lots of progress and everything is at least functional.... guess what? It's going to be disorganized again.... today. Awww, gee whiz, you mean I gotta move all this stuff AGAIN? Yup, it's gotta be done so the electrician can put in the new overhead lights? The lights I currently have don't work anymore. They quit working one by one over the last few years. It's finally time to get them replaced. Well, I have been saving change in jars for three or four years to pay for the lights ya know. But gosh, I sure am tired of moving stuff around.

My daughter thinks I'm crazy for wanting everything in the house to be on wheels. This includes beds, tables, dressers, cabinets..... absolutely everything with wheels. Now she understands why. I think the "everything in the house on wheels project" will be put on my winter to do list.

Ok, with all the activity going on, I still managed to work on a quilt. This one.




I'm much farther along than this. Actually, I'm more than half way through the first pass on this one. It's just way too dark in the studio to take another picture right now. Yes, the lines are crooked. It's deliberate. The owner showed me a photo of how he wanted it quilted.

Well heck, nothing will get moved around until I do it so I best get started. Type talking on the computer doesn't get the work done. The electrician is supposed to be here at 8:00 am and be done by the end of the day. We shall see.....

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Ladybug and me

Sunday was busy again getting stuff moved, shoved, crammed, etc. A lot got carted out to the alley for junk day which is today. That's one of the reasons for such a rush to get things done over the weekend. The next junk day won't be until spring.

For a little while I had company. Here she is playing with the white board. She still can't make up her mind which hand to write with. Here she has a pen in the right hand with a napkin to erase with in the left.

Then she switches to use the left hand to write with and the eraser in the right hand.

While she was busy with that I took off the dress she was wearing and used it to draw a pattern. Once Ladybug left and the day's junk hauling was done, I decided to start making the dress.

It's made from left over t-shirt backs of course. I didn't quite get it finished. It can wait until next weekend. Adding a decorative stitch really made it pop. The color is bright neon orange.

Today I get back onto the quilting machine for a week of work. I tell you.... it feels really satisfying to have a normal work week again. My stress level is so much lower than it's been over the last few years. I still can't simply sit idle but the enjoyment is back.

Catching up

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The hearts are finished. The color of the photo is not the true color. These are primary red and yellow.



I think they should be auctioned as a pair. Don't you think so too?

I really hope they raise some money for the charity. They might be a little too cutesy among all the rest of the artists stuff. There are some really fantastic and well known artists donating to this charity auction.

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Oh goody! Look what I get to do the next few days.... or is it weeks? It's time to weed through the confusing government medicare stuff for Mom.

I had to test out the machine for level and all that good stuff after the floor got finished so the practice quilt went on for a day. While sitting and waiting for someone to pick up their quilt I doodled a bit testing out some designs to go on it eventually.

By the time I get ready to actually work on this one again I'll probably change my mind and do newer designs.

I did finally manage to get accepted to Freecycle. There was a problem with my yahoo identification. An easy fix and a simple reapplication did it. As soon as I learn the rules of the group I can start putting things on there I want to get out of my house.

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Right now I'm feeling overwhelmed and under appreciated. I can't seem to find time for ME these days. Doing things for my Mom. Babysitting for my daughter. Calming my brother. Chauffeuring my SIL. ETC. Normally none of this would bother me.... but (there's always a but) It's been continuous for several weeks. No restful times in between.

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Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday was for my daughter. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning for my brother. Thursday afternoon for Mom and my brother again. Friday for my daughter again. Saturday day for my SIL. Saturday night and Sunday for my daughter again. Hmm.... did you see a day for ME in there someplace? And this is just this past week.

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Don't get me wrong. I love that I can help. I love all of them so I don't mind helping if I can.

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How do I explain it? I've talked about it before that NO ONE sees quilting as a legitimate business. To them its just a hobby. A hobby is something you do when you have nothing else to do. They believe since I work at home I can just drop everything for them whenever they need something. What they can't seem to grasp is..... if I don't create it, I can't sell it. If I don't quilt it, I can't get paid for it.

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So.... next week, (two weeks if I can swing it) I will not be available for family!!! I'm not answering the phone unless its a customer. My curtains will be drawn. My doors will be locked. I'm not the only person in this family so let everyone call somebody else for a couple of weeks. Heck, call each other for a change. The world will not fall apart if I'm not available.

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I'm gonna have myself an at home retreat. For the next two weeks I'm determined to get my house back in order and also get some quilting done.

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Hmm... I'm gonna get of the computer and get started right now.

Give me a break! Pretty please

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The floors are finished. Well, except for the bath room/laundry room. That flooring hasn't come in yet. It won't be a big problem of moving things around for that though. I'm very happy with the work the floor guy did. It's even better than it was before the flood. Time for me to put everything back where it belongs. Nothing in the studio except the intake table and stuff that happened to land there.




As well as the quilting machine and the stuff that landed there too. Yippie! An organizing clean slate.

The trouble with emptying a whole room and getting new shinny floors is that I started noticing how dirty everything else was. Moving the shelves and tables out of the room let me see all the accumulation of dirt and dust. Oh yes, and the grimmy door too. I have yet to figure out how the door gets so many hand marks when I always.... always.... use the handle. It must be everyone else's hand prints? You ever notice that no one pays much attention when things are clean but they sure do notice when things aren't?

Geeze, the baseboards have dust.... how long has this been there? It was hidden by the shelving unit.

Heck, the dust even clings to the walls.

There are cob webs everywhere! Especially near the ceiling. I swear I never noticed those before the room got cleaned out. You think the fabric fairies were decorating for Halloween?

The skylight has several years worth of dust and cobwebs; but I don't have a 30 foot ladder to reach those. They will remain. No one ever looks up that high anyway.

The things on the walls, clock, business licence, threads... it all has an accumulation of dust. Just look how thick it is on this.

The curtains? Yup, dust there too.

Not just on top either.

So everything is getting a really good cleaning. I started at about 4 am washing the baseboards and the walls. As soon as it started getting light I took down the curtains to wash them. Removed the old window plastic too. The wood got a thorough cleaning and new plastic went on there by the time the curtains got washed and dried. (Sure wish I had those window quilts done.)

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I even spent nearly 30 minutes trying to open the windows so I could wash those. I wanted to wash the inside between the storm window and inside window. I finally gave up because they are painted shut. So I washed the outside. Washed the inside. I'll let the dirt in between remain until sometime in the spring. (but which year?)

I'm cleaning and scrubbing away (on a roll) when I get interrupted. My SIL had her panties in a bunch and wanted the Peddlers Mall booth cleaned out.... today. We had already talked about giving it up. She wanted my brother out of the house and out of her way so today it was. Not Thursday like I had planned. So all the stuff from the booth that is mine gets put into the studio in the corner. (Gosh! I hadn't even got it all cleaned before stuff gets tossed in there again. No matter how hard I try to keep things clean and organized, like a well oiled machine, someone tosses a wrench into the cog wheel.

I made a side trip before coming home though. I bought new floor vents. Can't have nice shiny new floors with ugly vents can I? I also bought the pieces to rehang my closet (bi-fold) doors. Years of use has broken the holders at the top and bottom. Oh shoot! I forgot to get some hooks so we can keep little hands from getting into the wrong closets. Well, I do need to baby proof the house so another trip to the hardware will be in the near future.

I am determined that at least one room will be organized and clean before it all gets messed up again with my daughter and grand daughter's stuff. Ya know, I could have left the dirt and dust and got back onto the quilting machine.... but.... this is my time. One more day can't hurt. I didn't plan this but I'm sure gonna catch the silver lining. I can reorganize and make it better. As Kathi told tell me..... I'm not months behind on the organizing for this year.... I simply have a head start on it for next year.

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Thanks Kathi, I needed that!

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It's late and I've put in a really full day of cleaning so I'm headed to bed to watch a little tv before my eyes get too heavy. Tomorrow is another day.