NYE, end of 2012

New Years Eve should be a special day, and yet like most supposedly special days, it started in the most ordinary way. I exercised, read e-mail and ate breakfast. The Monday group was meeting as usual, so I packed up my Christmas tree tablerunner project with 3 packs of seaweed and a container of coconut juice. When I arrived, they were having lunch. So I sat and ate two packets of seaweed. Joan wanted to try a piece, and she thought it was just awful. Oh well.
The group was bigger than I expected for a holiday. Bertha said it was because they had no lives. We all sewed on our own projects. I watched Laurie trim her batik quilt. She threw the trimmings in the wastebasket and I fished them out. Joan worked on a t-shirt quilt. Myrna made placemats. Barbara was working on a block in two solid colors. Dinah wasn't there, which was a shame since she gave me the fabric to start the tablerunner. Not long before 4pm I had done as much on the tablerunner as I could, so I packed up to go home. When I arrived, Bob was getting in his truck to leave. He had put collars on the vent pipes because it was supposed to rain tonight. I pointed out the wooden pole that fell in the windstorm, and gave him a Christmas card that was meant for the home owner. After he left, I talked to Chris who was home early. I spent some time picking up branches and smaller sticks that had fallen in the front yard. Then I sat down to read my e-mail. Chris made organic ground beef for supper and I added a large salad. I unpacked my suitcase and emptied the dishwasher. After a while, we went down to watch the last episodes of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett. Then we returned to our laptops. I heard fireworks and ran outside to see, but the trees were in the way. Although day isn't quite over yet, I don't see any signs of it being special.

Home again, home again

We slept in late at the hotel. The cars in the lot were covered with snow, but the pool was not frozen. I ate my breakfast and skimmed e-mail while Chris took his shower. Then we packed up and checked out. The snow on the car brushed off easily. We stopped at a nearby gas station to fuel up. Then we were on our way home.

We continued listening to the fourteenth Janet Evanovitch book on CD. I had almost fallen asleep when Chris pulled off the highway to stop at Subway. I ordered a vegetable salad and he got an egg and cheese sub. We were almost home when the book on CD ended. After we unloaded the car, we went to Publix for groceries. When we got back, I called my father to let him know we had arrived safely. I watered my greenhouse garden, which was still looking good. I was afraid the lights would have burnt out or the garden would have dried out from the constant heat. The other vegetable bed looked reasonable, too. The collard greens had frozen off, but the Swiss chard was still ok. I unpacked the food box. I ate the rest of my rare steak from last night. I picked up sticks within the fenced area in back of the house. Chris cooked a spaghetti squash for supper. We read e-mail as we ate. I changed from Yahoo Classic to the new Yahoo to see if it was more reliable. Around 9:30 we went down to watch 2 episodes of Sherlock Holmes. Then we retired to bed.

* Here is a pic from our Christmas party. What a gift for Dad! *

Heading back towards home

I turned on the paraffin bath just before I went to bed. It was hot in the morning, a little too hot. So I unplugged it. I greeted my parents. Dad was getting breakfast ready and Mom was waiting in the den. I put her finger splint on for 15 minutes, until the paraffin bath was ready. Then I dipped her hand and sat her at the table. Dad and I gave her her pills. Then she started eating. I fixed my own breakfast and one extra for tomorrow. After eating, I packed up my suitcase and skimmed through e-mail one last time. Then we said goodbye to my parents. We headed out around 10 CST. We started and finished a book on CD. We stopped for lunch. First we tried Cracker Barrel, but there were no parking spaces there. So we went to Subway. No parking there, either. We ended up at Hardees. I got a turkey burger with no sauces and a side salad. I gave Chris the bun. While I was eating the salad, I sneezed with my mouth closed. This forced the food in my mouth into my nose. After we finished eating, I went outside to blow the food out. Most of it came out, but not all. Hours later we arrived in Bristol, and that is when the last piece came out. We checked into the hotel, and powered up our laptops. After a while, I took a shower and we went to the hotel restaurant for supper. I had trouble choosing between the steak and the tuna. Chris suggested the steak. I ordered it rare. Chris got a Reuben sandwich. The hotel desk gave us a coupon for a free appetizer so we also got the spinach artichoke dip. The leftover food went into a styrofoam box which Chris put in the car overnight. It was snowing so we knew it would stay cold. We went back to the room to watch TV. We saw The Big Miracle, a movie about saving 3 whales, and Santa Jr. And went to bed.
* I didn't take any pics today, but here is one of Faye's Amish nativity *

Faye to the rescue

First I helped Mom eat her breakfast and take her pills. Then I fixed mine. After breakfast she sat in the den and tried to read a book. She had her headphones on for a bit, but didn't like the show that was on.
I noticed a rotten green 'cutie' in the pile of clementines. I threw it out and washed all the others. I washed the tray, too, and vacuumed the side table it was on. I moved the diningroom chairs into the livingroom and vacummed the rug really well. Then I did the livingroom and what the heck, redid the kitchen and den. Dad wanted to play a DVD but there was a PVC tube in front of the player to help the stand support the TV. I traced all the wires behind the TV to find out if I can exchange the DVD player with the VCR and it looks possible, but I decided to give William first shot at it 'cause he'll want it done his way. Dad took a walk to the bank and was gone when Mom wanted lunch. I sliced up an apple for her and fed her until her splint time was over. Then I moved her to the diningroom to finish her lunch. After her lunch, I combined bags of used wrapping paper into one bag and one box. I moved the bag, box and box of bows up to the attic. Faye arrived at the backdoor just as I finished. I closed up the steps to let her in.
Chris made liver and onions for supper. He also heated up leftover ham for those who don't like liver (himself and Faye). Dad ate more than I have seen most people eat. And not just liver, but everything on the table. When he finally finished eating, he found a way to print the labels and Christmas letter that he was working on all day. I think Chris helped him with it. Faye and I sat at the diningroom table and addressed all the envelopes, stamping them and inserting a letter. The ones for church friends did not get stamped. But we still had quite a pile for mailing. Faye offered to drop them in the mail on the way home.
In an effort to make a difference, Faye and I examined the chair problem. Dad bought a set of 4 rolling chairs so Mom would have rolling chair in the kitchen. But the wheels have been breaking and the store filed for bankruptcy. With a lot of help from Chris, we were able to redistribute the working wheels so that two chairs had 4 wheels, one chair had two whole wheels and two half wheels, and one chair had no wheels. It may seem like an odd arrangement, but Dad wanted it that way and it will be easier on the kitchen floor than protruding stems. Then we got Dad to agree to let the two vacuums in the livingroom go to Goodwill.
It was nearly 11, so I put Mom to bed. Faye came back to help. Then Faye and I chatted for awhile before she left. Now I am looking forward to finishing this post and going to bed.

* This is a pic of Faye wearing the scarf she got for Christmas *

A neat little video

I am sorry this link isn't clickable, but I enjoyed this and wanted to share it with all of you. Just cut and paste it into your browser.

http://evolutionezine.com/happy-secret/

I committed a neatness

Ok, so still no Christmas pics. Sue me. I don't have to turn over a new leaf until 2013.
I was sore this morning and I remembered that I was watching Kurt do his exercises yesterday morning. Somehow we agreed that I should walk on his back. So I did. Then we both tried doing bridge-ups. He came really close. I couldn't get my shoulders off the floor, but he pulled me up and I tried to hold the position. I guess that's why my arms are sore today.
I got Mom through her breakfast, but it took a long time because she was not swallowing well. Then I ate my breakfast. She had a major oops and it took us a long time to clean her up, but she got an unscheduled bath out of it. Then I dipped both of her hands in paraffin and put the mitts on. Dad started eating lunch then, so I fed her carrots and celery, and a sandwich, and pineapple casserole, and kimchi and raw cheese and an apple. Then while she sat in the den, I hemmed Dad's pants on the sewing machine and fixed some buttonholes (or was that last night?)
Chris went shopping for supper and came home with a large ham. He cooked it along with sweet potatoes and asparagus. We also had pie, cookies and Faye's cake.
Kurt Skyped us with his new laptop. The video was good, but the sound was not quite clear.
Mom wanted to wear the headphones but they didn't work. I called William but he was busy, so called Faye who told me to read the instructions. I hadn't seen them sitting there, but when I did, there was a diagram showing a jack that was almost invisible in the back of the unit. I plugged it in and then they worked. I read e-mail for awhile then I got the idea that the headphones would work with my computer. So I hooked them up (Mom was done with them) and listened to one of my audios while fixing all the chair pads in the diningroom. Maybe they are the solution to the problem Kurt thinks I have. Then again, there are plenty of points of static in this house that interfere with reception.
I started cleaning up the books, magazines and other 'stuff' under the table by Mom's chair in the den. A lot of it went into recycling, but what she wanted to keep went into a box to keep it all together. After I put her to bed, I vacuumed up the dead leaves and other debris. I can't believe how much better it looks. Dad started the dishwasher and then he went to bed. Guess it is that time already.
* this pic is from the guild show-and-tell *

Ok, so I haven't posted any Christmas pics yet. But I will, when I get a chance to download them from my camera. Here is what kept me so busy today.
We stayed in bed until we heard voices in the kitchen. I got up to greet my mom, my dad and my brother Kurt. I don't remember the subject of conversation. Breakfast started late, but it never ended. I remember posting to my blog for yesterday and talking to Kurt again just before he left to have lunch with Patrick. I dipped Mom's hand in the paraffin, and covered it with a liner and a mitt. I sat her back at the table while I fed her broccoli and carrots. Her swallowing was not going well today so eating was a very slow process and it went most of the day. Occasionally I would take a few minutes for e-mail between her bites. I did a lot of tapping for what I imagine she must be feeling; struggling to breathe and swallow without choking. If it helped, I did not see evidence of it today.
Kevin came over to clean. We got out of the kitchen so as not to be in his way. In addition to the regular cleaning, he cleaned the front of the AC window unit. It was covered in black mold or mildew. I did not envy him that job. Chris pulled a bunch of leftovers out of the frig to warm up for supper. He was willing to make something new, but there was no place to put any leftovers afterwards. So we ate leftovers today and we'll have fresh supper tomorrow. After supper I cleared the table and dipped Mom's hand again. I darned one of Dad's socks, re-attached some chairpad ties, and fixed a few button holes on his shirtsleeves. At 10 I took Mom to the back to start the bedtime routine. When I put her bedtime splint on, I noticed that her fingers were less clenched:) After she was in bed, I prepared a pair of Dad's pants for re-hemming. I put some hydrogen peroxide on one of my fingernails because the flesh beside the nailbed is swollen.
* A Christmas wallhanging at the guild *

Christmas Eve

We were awakened early by a loud radio in the kitchen. I thought Dad had turned it on, but it turned itself off an hour later in the middle of a song. We went back to sleep until Dad brought Mom out to the kitchen for pills and breakfast. I gave Mom her pills while Dad fixed her a bowl of shredded wheat. The kitchen table was so full we ate in the diningroom. Then I made my own breakfast. Dad decided to walk to a couple of stores to get last minute gifts. It took him awhile to leave and he was gone for hours. William stopped by to put up the tree and chat. I worked on two jello recipes simultaneously - strawberry sandwich salad and cranberry cream salad. Dad wanted to use up the sour cream and bananas. Mom watched the whole thing. Chris then went to the grocery store for food for tomorrow. I wrapped a few more presents. Dad came back and put clothes and bedding in the washing machine. He fixed himself snacks, thinking the rest of us had eaten lunch. Chris made chili when he got back from the store. We ate the chili for supper along with rice, broccoli salad, and buns. Mom had a very hard time swallowing and did not eat much. Then I dressed Mom for Christmas Eve service and brushed her hair. While Chris get her into our car, I got myself ready. Dad and Kurt took one of the K cars to church because the wheelchair was in the back. We arrived as the pre-service music was in progress: a harpist who played beautifully. The service was mostly hymns and readings. Then we all lit our candles and sang Silent Night. After the service, Bobby, Ken and I played 5 hymns as a brass ensemble. Then Chris and I took Mom home while Dad and Kurt came in the other car. After we got Mom inside the house, she was hungry so I fed her grapes and strawberry salad. She had no trouble swallowing. Kurt wanted to see the tablet he had bought me. He and Patrick took it with them to go looking at Christmas lights. It is almost midnight and they have not returned. After I put Mom to bed, Chris and I read e-mail while Dad did whatever it is Dad does before he goes to bed. And now it is our turn to go to bed. * This is a pic of quilted gingerbread houses at the meeting. *

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, dear readers. I had awakened earlier but got up when I heard Dad walk Mom to the den. Helped Mom with pills and breakfast then had my own breakfast. Kurt was curious what it tasted like. So he tried a bite and thought it tasted like green hay. Guess I'm just used to it. I darned the hole in my sock that cuts off the circulation to my big toe. That was a relief. I read through my e-mail, deleting most of it. Thankfully there aren't any new audios this week. I got out the vacuum to sweep the livingroom rug for gift giving. But I couldn't stop there. i did the diningroom, den, kitchen, utility room, hallway, foyer and two bedrooms. The kitchen floor has a big and growing hole in it and the pieces travel all over the house. I wrapped a few more presents. Dad was looking for some presents that he bought at the mall and were wrapped there. In the process of helping him look, I found a paraffin bath under a chair in the living room (amidst other stuff). It bothered me because that is what I bought Mom for Christmas. William came over in the afternoon, just as I was getting ready to wrap his present. Kurt got him out of the room so I could finish. He told me that Mom used to use the paraffin bath but hadn't in so long that he had forgotten they had it.
Chris put chicken and rice in the oven for dinner. Faye and Kevin came over a little later. Faye and I made corn casserole and it went in with the chicken. Faye set the table. I plugged in the bath to see if it still worked. The corn casserole got started late, but it finished just after we all sat down and did the Bible reading and said the prayer. The eight of us ate dinner together. Mom's glass slipped and broke on the table. Dad's plate of food got thrown away 'cause it might have had slivers of glass in it. There was water everywhere. But no one was hurt. After dinner Dad got out his accordion and played Christmas carols. All too soon the music was over and we started opening gifts. There were a lot of gifts and it took a while.

We got stuff we wanted (as far as I could tell), but the gift of the evening was the laptop Kurt got. It came as a complete surprise. He thought it was a cooling tray for his old over-heated laptop. But this computer is really cool, it has a lighted keyboard and a terabyte of memory. The instructions claimed it had to be plugged in for three hours before first use, so he couldn't explore it right away. Mom got a pair of cordless headphones so that she could hear the TV but Dad couldn't. He finds it distracting. The headphones were beautifully wrapped. It was a shame to open it. But she did, or someone helped her. Faye got it set up with the converter box in the den. Faye got a very nice quilted scarf for Christmas. I won't say who gave it to her, just that the more I saw it on her, the more I liked it. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't part. I checked on the paraffin bath occasionally and the melting was going VERY slowly. Maybe that is why they stopped using it. There wasn't much wax in it so I added one of the replacement bars. I even cut it up with a knife, and tried using a hairdryer to hasten the heating process. Finally, it was 11 pm and way past Mom's bedtime. I put her hand in the melted part of the wax several times, then used a baggie and a mitt from the new one to keep it warm while I put her to bed. When I came out, Chris and I got out the hide-a-bed and went to sleep, without blogging. Kurt told me later he was staying up waiting to read the post.

Mom types the Christmas letter

We slept in a little. Chris showered and went down to breakfast. The toilet overflowed so a repair man came to fix and clean up. He came three times before the job was done. By then I had finished my pre-packed breakfast, so I took a shower and packed up. It was after 10 'till we got back on the road. We finished yesterday's book on CD and started another one in the same series. We stopped for lunch about 12:30. Then we drove through to Chester to pick up some kimchi. We arrived at the Reber's just after 4. The diningroom table was awash in bags of used wrapping paper. So I started wrapping the gifts that I had had sent to the house. Mom and Dad arrived 20 minutes later, but I wasn't finished yet. Al, the neighbor across the street, came over with a tin of fudge for my parents. I did my best to keep Dad on track for getting supper ready. He is so distractable. When he was almost ready to put the pizzas in the microwave, Patrick came over. I am not sure why since he came over yesterday. Anyway, he started talking about kimchi so I gave him the container I bought in Chester as surprise Christmas present. We will probably see him again on Christmas Day, but oh well. Some presents are early. After supper Dad gave me some presents to wrap. Then Mom started doing Christmas cards. She handed them to me to address. Then she dictated a Christmas letter, which I wrote down. She wanted to take it to the typewriter, but there was too much stuff in the way. So I got out my laptop to type it up. I asked her if she would like to do it, and she said yes. It must have been very frustrating for her to use the hunt and peck method when she is a trained typist, but with her right hand permanently clenched, what else could she do? The outcome would have been much nicer on a regular typewriter. Her wrists kept hitting the touchpad and it made the cursor jump around, and activated pop-ups, etc. But she kept at it until it was finished. Then she wanted to go to bed, so I took her back there and went through the nightly routine. After she was in bed, I re-typed the letter and saved it. Now I have to type up my blog and I will be ready for bed myself.

Our trip to Virginia, halfway

We got up around 8 and started packing. I also ate breakfast and skimmed my e-mail. I packed clothes first, then electronic gadgets, then supplements and special foods. We were on the road just before 10:30. Chris had gotten 4 Janet Evanovitch books on CD and we listened to one of the unnumbered ones; Plum Spooky. We ate some food we rescued from the frig and then we stopped at a Burger King for a late lunch. My dad called to see where we were. But all I knew is that it was the exit for The Lost Sea. When we started the trip, I wore my black eyeshades to protect my eyes from the sun, which is increasingly necessary. But after a few hours of this, I began to feel nauseous and had to take them off. But I hung my scarf through the handle above the window and it blocked the worst of the sun. We arrived at the hotel around 4 CST and 5 EST. Once we got into our room, we opened our laptops and read. Around 8 we went to the hotel's restaurant for supper. I didn't get anything because it was so late and I try not to eat after 5. The place was fairly empty but a band was setting up. I think they do an after-dinner drinks type business. After dinner we watched First Contact on SyFy. It was almost midnight when we went to bed. * pic of quilted tablerunners from the guild *

The end of time as we know it

I was awake in the middle of the night, but then slept in much later than I planned. I read e-mail, then fixed three copies of breakfast: one for today and two for the weekend. I opened my box of bacteria which arrived last night. I took out a packet of kefir culture starter and put about half in a pot of coconut water. I heated it and stirred, then added it to the fermented coconut milk that I keep for breakfasts. I placed the jar in a box with a heating pad to keep it warm so that it might ferment more quickly. I unwrapped the gifts from Mary. How did she know of my secret love for gridded wrapping paper? The gifts were lovely too, of course. I listened to a number of audios and one video of a man giving a talk about numbers. He is known as the human calculator. He is one of the founders of World Math Day, and is proposing a new calendar, one with 13 months of 28 days each, and New Year's Day would be Day 0. Thus, the end of time as we know it. I was able to get Linda on the phone. She said they expect a foot of snow and that her mother is doing well. After a late lunch, I went outside to pick up all the branches that fell in the recent wind and rain. Then I proceeded to rake up leaves and debris under the magnolia tree. Chris came home early and started laundry. When I finished raking, I watered my garden greenhouse. The Christmas lights are still on to keep it warm, but I fear they will dry it out before we get back. I came in to read more e-mail. I ate two large salads for supper to use up the salad greens. I finished sewing the third tree block, then auditioned fabrics to replace the background so I can make two more. I got the pieces cut, but not sewn. When I came up, Chris was texting Michele on my computer through Skype. Then he left and I called her because talking is easier and faster. She was wrapped in blankets, sitting in her nightgown. She has one paper left and it is due on Monday. How odd is that? She had not yet gotten the box we sent her for Christmas. I urged her to get it before she leaves tomorrow. We watched several episodes of Sherlock Holmes downstairs. Now we must turn in so we can get up early to pack. * Here is quilt from show-and-tell last night *

Wrapping things up on the day before the world ends

I got to bed quite late last night. I had found a website selling the unlocatable item and an internet search brought me company coupons that would allow me to use 2-day shipping for half the cost. But that all took time, and it was past midnight when I got to bed. So I arose later than usual. I checked e-mail, listened to audios and made breakfast. No grease fires today. While listening, I was able to wrap up the gifts I have so far. I did not have tags to put on them, so we may have a new Christmas procedure this year: hand out the gifts randomly, then open them and guess who they are intended for. It rained all morning. So I did not take out the recyclables. I checked the basement for leaks but did not find any. Because of the rotted collars, the question is no longer 'why is there water in the garage?' The real question is 'why isn't there water anywhere else?' After wrapping the presents, practicing my trombone and emptying the dishwasher, I decided to treat myself to some sewing. I used the fabrics in the quiltsicle to make the quilt block according to the instructions given to me on Monday. I discovered that there was enough for two, so I cut out two and sewed them up. My dad called during this process to ask if there was anything he could buy for us on his weekly shopping trip. I stopped just short of being finished with the blocks because my laptop battery needed recharging. So I read e-mail in the diningroom for awhile to let the battery charge up, crocheted more rows onto the hat I started a day or two ago. Chris came home and fixed himself supper. I went down to finish the two blocks and cut out more pieces. There was enough of everything to make 5 blocks, except the background fabric. It would only make 3. Then it was 6:30. I gathered up the items I had set aside for quilt guild and left for the church. This time the room was set up in rows of tables instead of the usual chairs. I turned in a kit to the raffle table. Hopefully they can sell it. Then I looked around the room for anyone I knew so I could sit with them. I saw Tammy and Rebecca first. I sat with them and then Myrna came over to invite me to sit with the Monday group. But I did not want to offend Tammy and Rebecca. I was going to at least go over and say 'hi' to the Monday group, but the meeting started right then. The president read a quilting version of The Night Before Christmas. Then we had the usual meeting stuff, but it didn't take long. Then 12 pre-picked people sang a quilt version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Following that, each table of ladies had to sing a Christmas song for the group before they could be excused to the refreshment table. My table was full, but the next table only had two people. So I moved over one seat to sing with them. Sadly we each started on a different note so it did not go well. I did go through the refreshment line, picking up nuts and cheese. I should not have eaten anything since it was after 5, but I forgot. Then we had a Christmas show-and-tell. I had my Christmas tablerunner to show. Several people came over after the event to get a closer look. They admired my two-fabric binding. I met another lady who invited me to come quilt with her group one Sunday a month. She and another lady rent a storage unit big enough to house a longarm. Guess what is in it? Their group meets in the same building. She gave me her phone number. By the time I got home, it was almost 9. I quickly got caught up on e-mail then we watched an episode of Sherlock Holmes downstairs. We could hear the wind howl, but were cozily wrapped in two quilts. Then Chris went to bed, and soon it will be my turn.

Getting ready for Christmas

Today was not as interesting as yesterday. I iced my ankle as a preventative measure while eating breakfast. I listened to 2 audios and started a third in the basement while sewing. Chris came home about 11:15. I joined him and we went back to post so he could show me the building where he works. It is a secure building so we had to leave our cell phones and my camera in the car. Chris signed me in with security and they gave me a visitor's tag to wear. He took me up to the third floor to meet his coworkers, some of whom I have met already. They were all very nice to me. I pretended to use one of the Christmas pins on my shirt to take 'spy' pictures. Chris did not find it amusing. We went to a village of shops and restaurants. We entered a place called Connor's. His boss had made reservations for the four of us. They showed up soon after we did. We had a very nice lunch, and a good chat. I had not met Chris' boss' wife before. There was a large group next to us that was having a gift exchange/steal. When we left the restaurant we had to walk quite a ways to find the car. The lunch crowd was huge, but it had cleared out by the time we were leaving. Chris had the rest of the day off, so we headed home, stopping at Wal-mart to pick up a paraffin bath. But they did not have the Revlon bath like their website indicates. I spent quite a while searching online to see who else would have it. Walgreens. I decided to go after supper when traffic might be lighter. I went into the basement to finish my strip project and hem a pair of pants. Then I started scrounging for boxes to wrap presents in. All of a sudden it was 7:45. I drove quickly to Walgreens in case it closed at 8 (like Hobby Lobby). But I needn't have worried. They did not close at 8, and they did not have any paraffin baths. So I tried Target, in the same shopping center. Nope. I tried Bed Bath and Beyond. They were out and suggested Sally Beauty supply. But Sally's was closed. I tried Dick's sporting Goods (sportmen need to take care of their hands, right?) And Marshalls. Still no luck. I came home and we watched one episode of Sherlock Holmes (with Jeremy Brett). Now I am sitting here wondering if I should order the paraffin bath online and hope it comes by Christmas, or continue to look in other WalMarts and Walgreens.

A most interesting day

It has been a most interesting day. It started out normally, but when I boiled water for my breakfast, the burner bowl burst into flame. It was a grease fire. I'd never had one before so I searched my brain for data. All I could come up with 'don't throw water on it'. But I had no info on what TO do. Sand came to mind, but I didn't have any at hand. So I beat it with the dishcloth. It did not put out the flames, but kept them low until the fuel was spent. I did not take any pics for obvious reasons. The fire alarm went off very loudly. It took me a while to find a way to turn it off. The house was full of smoke, but it cleared. I read e-mail for a bit and listened to some audios. Then I cleaned the bathroom, and cleared clutter in the diningroom, kitchen, den and livingroom. I even used the vacuum. At noon I ate lunch and sat outside where I could read e-mail on my tablet. I did more tapping than reading. About 1:20 a van pulled up. It was Julie bringing her serger. She thought she needed help getting it to work, but it was already threaded and ready to go. Bob came over while she was here. He brought me a drawer for the kitchen, then went into the garage to see where the water was coming from. He called me to come and see. He showed me a bowed part of the ceiling in the basement bathroom. When he pushed on it, it sloshed. Apparently when the water comes in, it has to fill the ceiling first and then it runs into the garage, thus delaying the evidence until after the rain has stopped. Bob climbed up on the roof and discovered that all the rubber vent collars are rotten. ALL of them. He left, promising to replace them before the next rain. Now for the bathroom ceiling which seems to be several joined pieces of shower enclosure, IF you made a small hole in the bubble, you could sit on the toilet and shower at the same time. Quite the time-saver, eh? I returned to Julie, who was sewing along in my absence. We got to talking and discovered we had a lot in common. She left about 4:30. I plugged in the paraffin bath to see how long it took to heat today. I tried to get on the internet with my laptop, but it would not cooperate, even though it showed as connected with a strong signal. So I had to use the tablet. I made myself a large salad for supper. Chris came home and made his own supper. Finally my laptop was working again. I read Amazon reviews about the paraffin bath and most of them said it took 2 hours to melt the wax. So I wrote to the seller to ask for a partial refund. After all, I can still use the wax. Later we watched a few Sherlock Holmes episodes. It was a British version, set in old London. None of the actors were familiar to me. When we came up, I checked e-mail one last time and found that the lady who sold me the paraffin bath had issued me a full refund and an apology. I felt sorry for her because she must have lost money on the postage if nothing else. * Here is a pic of the scarf I finished yesterday *

A Christmas postcard

When I got up this morning, it still hurt to put weight on my foot. I iced my ankle while reading e-mail and having breakfast. Around 11 I put on my highwedge shoes, and placed my half-crocheted scarf in a bag. I was able to walk to the car and drove to Monday morning quilting. I wouldn't have made such an effort to go, but I had promised Dinah I would be there because she had some instructions and a picture to give me. It was a good decision. She also gave me a set of scissors. Rebecca gave me a fabric postcard, Doris was handing out seam rippers, and another lady gave out 2-year planners. I gave Dinah the blue and white ornament because she had made the bag that I was given at the party. I used the icepack I brought to keep the swelling down. As ladies arrived, they were greeted by name and I tried to memorize them. As I was crocheting, I kept looking around the room and saying the names to myself. A couple of ladies arrived before I did and I never caught their names, but still, if there had been a quiz, I would have at least passed. Now the question is, will I remember them in two weeks when I go back? It was almost three when I returned. I checked my e-mail. I plugged in the paraffin bath to see if it would heat any more quickly now that the wax was filling all the crevices. I picked some greens and made a salad. When Chris came home I was outside listening to my laptop and connecting with the earth. It was too wet to rake since it had rained for more than 24 hours. My ankle was feeling much better. Chris checked the garage and there was water. I took a pic of it, then called Bob, who said he would come over tomorrow. Chris cooked up organic ground beef with some of his mother's canned tomatoes for supper. After supper I tried to call Linda, but was told she wasn't available. I finished the two-toned blue scarf and started on a hat to match. I e-mailed myself two mp3's so I could download them onto my new tablet. There doesn't seem to be a port for that. I listened to it while working on the hat. Then we watched 'Sharpe's Honor' downstairs. I knew I had seen the main actress before. Chris typed her name into IMDB and she was the Borg Queen in several Star Trek movies. Chris showed me his rash again and it is looking better. * I took the picture in the mirror so you could see both sides of it. The Christmas print is really pretty, but she said she bought all they had, much to the disappointment of the other ladies. *

Looking for Bacteria

I got up this morning, put both feet on the floor and immediately knew that I wasn't going to church. I selected some clean clothes and crawled into the bathroom. Then I came back for the shower chair. I was able to use it like a walker to get back to the bathroom. I sat on it for my shower, then toweled off and got dressed. With pair of high wedge shoes, I was able to hobble to the dining room. I realize I took a bit of a chance, but it felt good to almost walk. I used the rolling chair to go around the kitchen assembling my breakfast. Then I ate in front of my laptop, reading e-mail. Chris brought me my ice pack. Around noon I plugged in the paraffin bath to make sure it worked. I put in the three blocks of paraffin wax. At 2 I ate a large salad and some kimchi. The wax was only partially melted. I worked on crocheting a scarf in two shades of blue. I researched bacteria. From one of the audios I learned that 80+ percent of people are deficient in vitamin K2. It helps Vitamin D3 do its thing and keeps calcium from depositing in the wrong places. There is no known toxicity level. Too much D3 can be toxic without some K2 to balance it. Fermented foods like natto and kimchi are high in K2. It is only certain strains of bacteria that produce it. Gouda and Brie have it but many other cheeses don't. So I tried to find out which bacteria it was so I could order some. Several companies sell a 'starter' for fermenting veggies and another one for milk. The plan was to order the cheapest one that had the right strain of bacteria in it. But the search results were too numerous and mostly irrelevant. It is the bacillus subtillus in natto but which one in the kimchi, or the brie? I put together a Swansons order so I will have plenty of supplements through the Christmas holiday. Chris went to the grocery store without me. But he got what I would have gotten. At 7 I e-mailed the seller of the paraffin bath to say that the wax hadn't all melted yet and that I thought it wasn't heating up like it should. An hour later she wrote back asking how much hadn't melted. I told her 10% (at the 8 hour mark). I dipped my left hand in three times, covered it with a baggie and put one of the mitts on. It felt good, but not something to blog about. After maybe 10 minutes, I took it off and the wax peeled off easily. Then I joined Chris downstairs and we watched "Sharpe's Enemy". He helped me climb up the stairs after it was over. I can walk gingerly now and hope to be even better in the morning. * I don't have any pics from today, so here is another one from the party on Monday *

The not-so-happy hooker

I didn't do much today because there wasn't much I could do. It was very frustrating that my right ankle wouldn't hold my weight. Hopping and rolling got me to the bathroom, the kitchen and the dining room where my laptop is plugged in. Mostly I kept my right foot on the rolling chair with an ice bag on it. I went through all the audios and did multiple internet searches, mostly for a craft related to King Herod and the wise men, which is the story for the next Sunday School block. I came across various ways to depict wisemen, crowns, stars, and the three gifts. Did you know that myrrh is good for skin conditions like stretch marks? I took a break for lunch. I emptied the dishwasher and swept the kitchen floor. Chris helped me prepare a magnesium and baking soda bath for my ankle. I put it in a plastic drawer so my foot would fit nicely. That lasted about 30 minutes. I went back to my laptop because that was all I could do. I wanted to go down and sew, but I am being really careful with my ankle so it will be well enough for church tomorrow. At one point the doorbell rang. It was the postman with Faye's gift. Now all I have to do is wrap it. Chris made bean soup in the crock pot. We had an early supper. Then he gamed with the voices, including Michele. I talked to Kurt on the phone and over Skype. He wants me to sign up for TextNow, but I need a more compelling reason than because it is free. I crocheted while listening to a few meditation tracks and the Ricky Tims Christmas Concert. I created a red hat to go with the red and white scarf I made days ago. With any luck, I will be able to deliver it to church tomorrow.

Here's the hat

I slept in late this morning and I don't know why. My ankle was bothering me so I limped to the kitchen. I suppose it didn't like the exercises I did Wednesday, but it never said a word while I was doing them. I started with e-mail, and then had breakfast. I put ice in a bag for my ankle. It took some of the swelling down. I got the paraffin bath out of the box to find the directions, but there weren't any. I tried to find them on the internet with no luck. So I e-mailed the lady who sold it to me over ebay. Now she is looking, too. I did another internet search for paraffin refills. These things can be quite expensive. After lunch I went outside to trim the grass at the edge of our property. It was good that I could sit while doing it. Later I did some raking to round out an hour. Then I picked some leaves of collard, chard and radish for a salad. Chris came home early while I was fixing the salad. He made himself a burrito and put beans in a bowl to soak for tomorrow. I sat in the den to work on the hat. See pic. Then we watched two Richard Sharpe movies. A roach crawled out to watch, too, but Chris got him. Before we went to bed, I took another pic of Chris' rash so we could see if it is getting better. The consensus is yes. Sorry, I promised him I would not post those pics.

The old Hat trick

I started my day by checking e-mail and listening to the most recent audios. When I realized it was after 9, I stopped to make breakfast and start a loaf of bread in the machine. I took the recyclables out to the curb and a box of beer bottles went into the carport. Soon I shall have to make a run to the recycling building to drop off the glass. They won't take it curbside. After lunch I went down to work on making a long patchwork strip. I quit around 2 to rake leaves. It was warm enough to do it barefoot. We really don't have any leaves right now, but a fair amount of pinestraw has fallen from the neighbor's trees. It was more than enough to take up an hour. I picked some greens from my garden and made a salad. I wanted to finish the strip project, but my sewing table is several layers deep in unfinished projects. I did my best to clean up and make some space. I checked more e-mail, did a meditation, and practiced my trombone. When Chris came home, we had supper. I turned on the lights in the greenhouse because it was so cold. I packed some skeins and a hook in a bag and went to a church just past ours. Julie had invited me. Only one other person came, so it was just the three of us. She showed us how to crochet hats. I had more yarn from a scarf I had made, so I thought a matching hat was in order. It was almost 8 when we broke up. I went home to find Chris waiting for me to watch TV. The selection of the evening was "Sharpe's Rifles" with Sean Bean. Chris had to explain to me the meaning of the officer and uniform stuff. Then we went upstairs and I took a pic of Chris's back. It sure looks like a bad case of poison ivy to me. * A pic from the house where we had the party. *

The Indicator Icon

There were a slew of audios in my inbox this morning. I did not get to them all. I finished the red one started yesterday. About 11 I quit in order to take a shower. As soon as I turned off the water, the doorbell rang. The Fedex man rings the doorbell when he leaves a package, but does not wait for me to answer it. So I wrapped a towel around me and opened the door. There stood the mailman. He handed me the mail, and put a box inside the door. I wasn't letting go of the towel to take it from him. He apologized and left. I proceeded to get dressed. I put my handmade scarves in the car for later. Then I headed to the restaurant to meet some friends. As soon as I pulled out of the carport, an indicator light that I have never seen before came on, and it dinged. I did not know if it was serious or not, but I hadn't time to waste. I noticed that symbol was the same as the one by the gauge that read 0 to 260 F. As I drove towards the restaurant, the gauge needle went higher and higher. I was only going 2 miles so I figured it would be ok. I took the first parking spot I could find and hurried towards Surin of Thailand. It was crowded and noisy. We ordered. Poor Deb did not like fish taste and everything had fish sauce on it. But she found something that had a strong ginger flavor and it was ok. I enjoyed a duck entree. We talked about mostly quilting stuff. Deb googled VW indicator lights and mine was for low coolant system. So after lunch I drove to Firestone, which was just across the street and down a bit. The light did not come back on. A Firestone man checked the car for fluids and air and the battery charge. Took him 45 minutes 'cause he kept walking away. When he was finished, he said there was nothing wrong but the steering fluid was low. There was no charge for that. What nice people they are! I drove to Kroger for flaxseed, then to the bank to cash a check. No light. The gauge read 190. So I went home. It was almost 4. I turned on the Christmas lights in the greenhouse. I read e-mail and put on another audio. When Chris came home, I made myself a big salad. Later I drove to choir practice. The kids were just finishing up play practice. I got Elizabeth to make a handprint for the quilt. I picked up the bag of fabric that was to be made into a dress. i dropped off the scarves. The choir director said they were only practicing for Christmas eve, so I left. I stopped at Hobby Lobby to pick up some doublefold bias binding to match the material. I looked at other stuff, but didn't buy anything else. They closed at 8, so I was home soon after. I checked e-mail again and texted Michele over Facebook for a few minutes until Chris was ready to watch TV. We finished the season of Get Smart. Then he showed me the rash now on his stomach. It had started on his back when he was in Texas. I rubbed it with a mixture of olive and neem oil. I hope it will be better in the morning.

Hooking again

I followed my usual morning routine. I played an audio the whole time. And there were enough for the whole day. After breakfast I made tea for my scoby. It'll need two weeks to properly ferment. I soaked a package of coconut flakes in hot water for an hour, listening to another audio. Then I used the blender to make milk from it. While it was blending, I practiced my trombone. I googled restaurants, culture starter, holistic dentists and Amish doughnuts. Put on another audio. I crocheted two scarves; one from each end of the same skein so they would be equal in length. I went out to rake leaves in my bare feet, but it was too cold to stay out longer than 20 minutes. Besides, there aren't many leaves right now. I kept running the audios. I finished those scarves and started a third one. Chris came home and we had chicken for supper. I used the tablet to look up a location when my windows bar was full. We watched a bunch of Get Smart episodes. Then he went to bed.

Quilters Christmas Party

I rushed through my normal morning routine. I had planned to walk to the party, not knowing that it was going to rain. But since it wasn't raining hard, I put on my rain boots and walked anyway. I took only my blue shoulder bag with the fudge cut up into a bowl. And an extra ruler and fat quarter as a bingo prize. I had googled the distance so I knew that it was only .9 miles away. It was a nice walk. And not much parking when I got there. First we stood around chatting. Then when the hostess and her mother were ready, we lined up at the buffet table. There were places set all over the downstairs. The house was incredibly decorated for Christmas. I sat with some other ladies in the kitchen. We had a nice chat. Later we all gathered in the den to exchange 12 Days of Christmas gifts. It was an event that had begun last January, so I was not involved. But, several ladies had gotten together to make one for me. We opened our gifts in the order we were sitting. It was so much fun to see what the other ladies got. When the gifting was over, we were supposed to play bingo for prizes. But people had to leave, so it was decided that we should go by the prize spot and pick something up. One lady saw me and made sure I got the prize she wrapped because it 'was a good one'. And it was. It was a set of 4 square rulers in graduated sizes. But I already own three of those sizes.

I felt she would be disappointed if put it back and chose something else, so I thanked her. Another lady offered me a ride home and I went. She dropped me off near the carport. Driving is so much faster than walking. Since I did not eat much at the party, I fished some leftovers out of the fridge. I read e-mail for quite some time and finished a long audio that I started before I left. I fixed myself a salad and was meditating when Chris came home. He made a burrito for his supper. i folded two baskets of laundry and put them away. I went downstairs to make a Christmas present for someone. But I just couldn't think of where to start. So much fabric means so many decisions. I returned to my laptop to google examples. This happened several times. Finally Chris was ready to watch TV and we finished another DVD of Get Smart. * The object in the second pic is called a Quiltsicle, or 'fabric on a stick'. It is just enough fabric to make a quilt block. Sadly it does not include a picture of the block it is supposed to make. *

Turning them in

I was late getting ready for Sunday school. But it didn't matter because there was no sunday school. Instead the kids were practicing for the play next week. I turned in the dresses and the ornaments to the director of the play. I pulled out three kids to get their painted handprints on fabric squares. I helped Jennifer bag up her daughter's project to take home. None of the other kids took their project so next week, it all goes in the trash I guess. The choir ran through our piece twice before the service. Chris joined me in church. After church we went to the grocery store. We put the food away when we got home. We ate lunch and read our e-mail. I tried a tip I heard in one of the dental interviews: I brushed baking soda over my teeth, and then swished with apple cider vinegar. It was a real mouthful. But my teeth felt really clean after that. I did a lot of internet searching to find Christmas gifts and order them. I spent an hour outside, ripping out tomato vines, and other dead stuff. Then I took my tablet out to see if I could read it there. There was some glare but the screen was readable, and I didn't need to find the cursor because my finger is the cursor on the touchscreen. Chris was making organic ground beef for supper when I came in. I worked on my Christmas giving list again. After supper, it hit me that I needed food for a noon party tomorrow. I scrambled to make a batch of sugarless fudge. We did not have the exact ingredients called for, so I improvised. Chris lent a hand when mine were all fudgy. When it was done, I put it on a plate, and into the frig to cool. Then we went down to watch several episodes of Get Smart. I was surprised to see Leonard Nimoy in one episode. He wore large dark glasses, but when I heard him speak, I knew it was him.

Sewing Saturday

I got up before 9 to get ready for Sewing Saturday. Seems like we've had a lot of them lately. I took a shower and ate breakfast. I packed my ornaments=in-progress. I packed the kimbap that I have been saving all week. I checked my e-mail. There was a notice on Skype from Michele so I called her. It was the middle of the night and she was feeling lonely and overwhelmed with end-of=term papers and exams. Chris joined us and the three of us had a nice, long chat. Then I loaded my machine in the car and drove to UAH. There were only two ladies there; not much of a turnout. I sat down to finish the ornaments by sewing on the backings and hanging loops. But I could not find the spool of black thread that I was sure I packed. Fortunately there was half a bobbin of black thread in my fanny pack. I used that to make as many as I could - 15! Then I cut some blue fabric into a binding for another quilt. I sewed the strips together and pressed in in half. I wound that around a ruler to keep it flat 'till I got home. Then I folded a piece of pre-quilted fabric in half and sewed around the edges. I folded the top down and stitched it. After turning it rightside out, I topstitched the seams. It fit my new tablet perfectly. Having nothing more to do, I packed up and went home. On the way home, I stopped at the Asian market and bought sprouts and persimmons. When I got home, I used some of the sprouts in a salad. Chris gamed with the voices. I took my laptop downstairs to listen while I finished sewing the remaining five ornaments. I also finished 'quilting' two old washcloths together. Chris' game must have been short because when I came up, he was done. So later we watched several episodes of Get Smart before going to bed.

Finally finished Lucy

I got up at 7:30. I started reading e-mail and listening to one of the latest audios. When I saw that Michele had texted me on skype, I called her. She wanted me to know that she had sent me her Christmas list. We had a nice chat until nature called. I resumed my audio and I found some intervals to exercise in. I finally fixed breakfast and ate it. Then I cleaned up in the dining room, bedroom and kitchen. I found more coconut flakes. I am wondering if they are on the ceiling, falling during the night, to appear on the countertops I just cleaned. I folded my laundry and put it away. I had to reorganize my pants drawer to make room. I practiced my trombone. I finished the Charlie faces, and agonized over how to reliably draw Lucy faces. I'll bet either Michele or Steven could it easily. I googled how to draw Lucy but it didn't help. From two to three, I raked leaves and pinestraw, and then pick up sticks to add to the stick pile. Chris came home just as I finished and stopped to pick some green leaves for lunch. I made a salad as Chris checked the mail and brought in his suitcase. He fixed himself a burrito and read e-mail. I read e-mail too, for awhile, and then there was a thump at the door. Chris opened it and the UPS man handed him a package with my name on it. It was from Kurt. I opened it to find a black handheld device. Chris said it was a computer. I googled it to find out what it was for. It is like an ipod. I plugged it in to charge up. Chris was tired from his trip so he went to bed early, like before 5. So I went with him, but got up about 8. I finished the audio that I was listening to when raking leaves. Kurt Skyped me to see how I liked my new handheld device. It was charged up, so I investigated it while Kurt watched. It was easy to get it on the net. Then it insisted that I open a Samsung account. It had a icon on the touchscreen for Youtube, which brought up videos. But I couldn't find a search bar where I could call up any particular video. Kurt wanted to be sure I could use it to listen to my audios. So I tried it. The first one didn't work, but the second one did. Then he signed off, asking me to let him know tomorrow how it worked out. I put it back on the charger for tomorrow. I called up the latest dental audio while embroidering Lucy's face over and over. This is what I learned: a cavitation is a threat to the immune system. It can be invisible to the naked eye. If not for poor nutrition, there would not be enough business for dentists. Poor nutrition will cause cavities in spite of good oral care. Dental work can affect the structure of the skull and spine. People have recovered from seemingly unrelated illnesses after having root canal teeth removed. When I finished the Lucy faces, it was time to blog and go to bed.

Facing Charlie Brown

The detox bath did not go well last night. I filled the tub from the shower because that is where the filter is. Even though the shower water was hot, the water in the tub was only lukewarm. I soaked in it for awhile, but it got cold so I cut the soak short. I must have gotten to bed early because I woke up early. I got dressed to take the recyclables out. Then I listened to an audio while checking e-mail. I forgot to exercise beyond a few backward pushups. Breakfast was around 9. After breakfast I juiced up celery, green beans and mung sprouts to make veggie pops. Juicing mung sprouts was a waste of time. Most of the sprout went into the pile of solids. I picked them out and ate them. The green beans were probably a waste of juicing too. I went into my sewing room to finish the second green dress. I did not have enough bias binding, so I cut strips off of the green solid and sewed them to either end so that the bias part was in the middle, to go around the arm hole. I did that for both arms. I heard someone at the door, but when I checked, no one was there and no package had been left. The weather was warm, so I raked leaves in my bare feet. I was interrupted by the UPS man delivering a box. It was a one gallon jug of organic sesame oil. Who-hoo! When I finished my hour of raking, I went back to sewing. I sewed felt hair on 11 Lucy's. I had to turn the handwheel manually because the felt wouldn't slide nicely under the foot. Then I sewed on all the ornament tops. That was a little easier. After a bite for supper, I called up the next audio - another dental one - and started the tedious process of embroidering Charlie faces by hand. I was lucky to find black embroidery floss among my craft supplies. I wrote to the lady who originated this project to find out what the back of the ornament should look like. She e-mailed me a pic. Chris called about 8:30. He plans to go to bed early and fly home in the morning. I want to try the detox bath again, this time boiling some of the water to raise the temp. Then it will be bedtime for me, too.

Can't face the ornaments

I was up late again last night, which me late getting up. With Chris not here, I have nothing to wake me up. I put cards in the mail, then settled in to read e-mail. I took some time to exercise and eat breakfast. I practiced my trombone. While listening to audios, I worked on the Charlie Brown and Lucy ornaments for Sunday School. I have all the pieces cut out, but now I need to draw the faces, and I am not looking forward to that. I called my dad and my phone died while talking to Mom. I raked leaves for an hour in the front yard. It was sad how little ground I cleared in that hour. But at least the weather was cooperative. The audio I listened to outside was one in the dental series. They are very interesting audios, and debunk a lot of mainstream ideas. Fluoride is a big no-no, especially in drinking water. It makes your teeth and bones strong but in a brittle way, and calcifies your pineal gland. Sugar in your blood stream can cause tooth decay, even if the sugar never touched your teeth. Your mouth is a picture of the health of your body. Your teeth are alive, and having a root canal is like leaving a dead organ in your body. It becomes a breeding place for bacteria for all kinds of diseases, including breast cancer, heart disease and even leprosy. Up until we as a civilization started farming, most of our calories came from animal fat, and we thrived on it. After having some chicken for supper, I set out 7 empty pill bottles and made daily servings of supplements for the next week. Then I went to choir practice. Mostly we practiced music for Christmas Eve, when I won't be here. There was green binding in my box, as well as two months worth of newsletters. When I got home, I called Dad, who was just leaving his choir practice. I asked what music they were going to play for Christmas Eve, and the choir director gave him a book of carols. I have seen it before and it is easy to sightread. I will be there for Christmas. I called Cathy and we talked about a quilt top that I want her to quilt. She gets her new Statler tomorrow. Its so exciting. I'm a little jealous. She wants to go to Paducah this year, too. So we will have to get a group together and rent a house. It will be so much fun. So now I am going to detox in a magnesium and baking soda bath and go to bed - BEFORE it gets really late.

Too tempting

I went to bed late so it was after 8 when I awoke. I followed my normal morning routine. After breakfast I vaccuumed in the bedroom. While listening to audio I found myself writing a few Christmas cards. I wrote up the plans for the next block-of-the-month. I wrapped a scissors set for the party tonight. I re-did some of the ties on the ornament to make it more even. Chris called around noon to say hello. I raked leaves inside the fence for an hour, hoping the rain would hold off, and it did. I cleaned up coconut in the kitchen. I thought it was cleaned up, but I keep seeing more. The problem with eating really healthy food is that the bugs are eating whatever gets spilled, too. I don't know if healthy bugs are a good thing. I finished one green dress and hemmed the other one, hoping more green bias tape will show up in my box at church. I had a bite to eat, took a shower and headed for UAH. I brought the ornament, wrapped scissors, and Christmas tablerunner. When I got there, they had a table of food. I did not remember to bring food. After the usual business stuff, we had a dirty Santa exchange. My gift was one of the first opened. The ornament was the most elaborate one there and the package was wrapped in fabric. It was cool to see what other people got. Mostly fabric. I got a piece of blue fabric with circuit boards on it and a piece of green with line drawings of flowers. I thought it might go with the little dresses, but it didn't. Deb took the blue fabric and gave me the ornament that came with hers - it looked like a ringbearers pillow. Seriously. Deb really wanted me to taste one of her apple cider cookies. She said I could throw the rest away, but I knew I would eat the whole thing. But I suffered no ill effects. When I got home, it was raining. I started another ornament, this time in blue, just because I always do better the second time. I watched two episodes of Castle. Now its almost midnight, again. I thought I would have more time to myself with Chris gone, but where does the time go?

Sewing Monday

Chris got up in the middle of the night to shower and get ready to leave town. He drove to the airport, but the plane was late. I got up about 7. I checked my e-mail, exercised, and ate breakfast. There was an e-mail from Chris as he waited for the plane. I started an audio on tooth health. I stopped it at 10 to get ready for quilting. I packed the Christmas table runner and the fabric and instructions for the dresses. I packed a roll of kimbap and a persimmon for lunch. I saw the organic beef that we bought a week ago and thought it needed to be cooked immediately. After that, I went to the church. I got there about 11. It took 3 minutes by car today and 27 minutes by foot last week. I finished the tablerunner first. Then, after starting the first dress, I broke for lunch. We each ate separately. The kimbap fell apart as I tried to pick it up. The pieces weren't completely separated. I guess I'm not a very good Korean wife. I worked on the dresses as much as I could until I ran out of green bias tape. It was about 3 when I left. When I got home, I just had time to spend an hour outside. I did some raking and some mowing. Then I picked some greens for a salad and checked the mail. After eating a large salad with the beef and some chicken, I checked e-mail again. I finished the audio started this morning. I researched links for handmade ornaments. I have to bring one to the party tomorrow. I decided on the one in the picture. Not because it was the easiest, or the simplest, or the quickest or even the prettiest. I picked it because I thought I could it a better way than the directions said. I went downstairs to try it out. For some reason I had to finish sewing the green dress first. Then I checked my supply of bias tape for bright green, but there was none. I read the directions for the Charlie Brown ornaments that Julie also wants. I had few questions so I tabled that project for the moment. I traced, sewed and cut out the circles for the handmade ornament. Then I brought them upstairs so I could do the turning and handstitching as I watched an episode of Castle on my laptop. I also e-mailed Julie about the bias tape and the Charlie Brown. Castle ended before I finished sewing, and another show started. I think it was called 666. When the sewing was done, I started this post. Now it is past time for bed.

Crafty Sunday

I got up at 8 to be ready to leave at 9. I wore the fancier of the two watches Chris bought me. But I wore the same dress I wear every Sunday 'cause it is easy to wash if I get any glue, paint, glitter, etc on it. I put my stuff in the car and drove to church. The craft session for this block has been the second half of the Sunday School hour. But the choir director needed some of the girls to practice singing for church later. So we started the craft in the first half. After 20 minutes, the choir director came in to sing the song to the girls and then let them stay to finish the craft, which took more than 20 minutes because they wanted to use ALL the pieces, not just the ones I selected. Well, actually there was one girl who complained about everything and that made it take longer. I told the kids to pick their banners up after church when the glue was dry. I had to leave right on time to practice with the choir women. We sang The Holly and The Ivy when the greens were presented. Chris joined me for church. The sermon was about waiting patiently for the Christ child. I read in the bulletin that Julie was looking for people to make costumes for the Christmas play. So after church I found Julie and volunteered my services. She had already found people to sew, but gave me the job of making Charlie Brown ornaments as gifts for the kids after the play. She also gave me one dress to make. The plan to is to make pillowcase dresses for the play and then donate them to "Little Dresses for Africa". I went back to the craft room to clean up. Chris went to the grocery store. There wasn't much I could clean up because the kids left their crafts and all the little pieces lying on the tables. Since there is no Sunday School next week, I thought I would leave them, hoping the kids will get them at some point. As I was finishing up a wreath left from 2 Sunday's ago, the girl who complained so much came in to work on her banner. When I finished the wreath, I asked her to turn off the light when she was done and I left. The kids were staying after church to practice for the play. Chris was on his computer when I got home. He had two chickens in the oven. I changed my clothes, and got out the rice from Friday night. Chris started polishing his shoes, so I asked him to do mine also. He showed me how he did it. Then I tried to do the same thing to another pair I have that are not leather. It did not work as well, but they do look little better. I beat an egg and fried it in Chris' new frying pan in a long rectangle. I put the rice in after that to warm up with some sesame oil. I made a roll of kimbap with the rice, nori, egg, and imitation crab legs. I ate it with mustard. I wanted to make another one to use up the rest of the egg. I had to cook more rice. While it was cooking, I cut Chris' hair. He wanted it short. Then I went out to rake leaves before the sun set. After an hour I came in, but forgot about making kimbap when I smelled the chicken. Chris took it out of the oven to cool. I made a salad and included greens from my garden. I picked all the green tomatoes, too, in case Chris would fry them for me. I put some of the chicken on top of the salad. I ate the whole thing in front of my computer. Then I used the rice (still sitting on the stove) to make three rolls of kimbap. I only had enough egg for two, so I put kimchi in the third one. I wrapped them in plastic and placed them in the fridge. Chris packed for his trip to San Antonio, and fried the green tomatoes that I picked earlier. Then we watched several episodes of Get Smart before going to bed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I forgot to mention that Chris wanted to play with the voices last night, but not enough voices showed up. Michele did, though, and it was really nice to talk to her for awhile. It was hard not to tell her what is in the box we just sent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I read that seniors who eat the most carbs have four times the risk of mild cognitive impairment of those who eat the least. Just FYI for those of us over 50.

Sewing Saturday

Since I already had my project picked out for today, I assumed I'd get to the meeting place on time, or at least earlier than usual. But I did not. First I had to post for Friday, then skim my e-mail for anything important or relevant to today's sewing session. I packed a lunch and everything I might need for my project and extra stuff in case I finished early. I drove to UAH and met the others in room 204. I did not get much done at first because I was walking around talking to the other ladies. Deb brought some quilting books from the library so I looked at those, too. Then we broke for lunch. Finally I got out my Christmas tablerunner and did some math to figure out how to make a two-color binding. I decided it was easier to cut the red at one inch and the green at 2 inches than to cut to the 7/8ths mark. When it was nearly 4 I packed up to drive home before it was completely dark. I stopped on the way at the Asian market to get bean sprouts. Their bean sprouts are MUCH nicer and MUCH cheaper than at the grocery store. And the package is bigger. When I got home, Chris was on his computer. I ate some supper and watched a long video on my laptop. It was about debunking everything said on a show called Ancient Aliens. But I hadn't finished my ironing, so I took my laptop downstairs to listen while I ironed. When I was finished, I brought the laptop up. The audio was not finished, but I had heard enough and Chris was ready to watch TV. So we did. Get Smart. Really old cars.

A day over 49

A 50th birthday ought to be special, and yet it started out very ordinary. I exercised, ate breakfast, listened to audios. One of my inbox articles talked about being Schroogled. This refers to Google now listing search results in an order based on how much each site paid them. So I tried Dogpile with a search for how to use my laptop as a timer. I tried it yesterday with google but had no luck. But with dogpile I found what I wanted. It was a link to timeanddate.com. I entered 1 hour and went back to e-mail. An hour later, I heard a 'ding'. But I had to leave that window open for it to work. I took my laptop downstairs to listen to while I ironed. I finished all the small pieces of fabric, but only got a few of the larger pieces. I showered, dressed and went to the post office to mail a package to Michele. The lady ahead of me in line said that the priority mail boxes (like the one in my hands) were intended for home pickup. Gee, so I didn't have to stand in line? When I got home, I boiled some water and soaked a package of coconut flakes in it. I raked leaves for hopefully an hour (my watch isn't working) then came in and made a large salad. I put about a third of the coconut in the blender with some coconut water and turned it on. Sadly I did not remember to put the top on, so there was an explosion of coconut all over the kitchen. Yikes! I then put the top on and wiped, wiped, wiped as it blended. Each batch ran for three minutes. It all fit into my fermented coconut jar, which means I lost a significant amount the first time. I did my daily meditation in the bedroom and Chris found me there when he got home. He gave me a birthday card. We both changed clothes, and then he drove us to Mikawa, a highly recommended Japanese restaurant. It is on a side street with nothing else, so I don't know how anyone would stumble across it. But they have a website and word of mouth. I wasn't overwhelmed with the ambiance, but the food was very good. I ordered the sashimi dinner, which was raw fish. Chris ordered the roasted mackerel. Our meals came with tempura vegetables and rice. I did not eat my rice, but saved it to make kimbap. Chris took my picture in front of their Christmas tree. Then we went to the mall to shop for a watch. Dillards watches started at $55.00. They were nice but I did not see exactly what I wanted. Then we went to a jewelry store. Their watches were closer to $400. But the watches were no more appealing than the $55 ones. Then we went to Belks. On the way we passed Auntie Annies pretzel stand. I wanted a big soft pretzel. Chris bought one and we shared it. It was good but not as good as I expected. It could have baked a little longer. Belks had a display of $20 watches. But very few had stretchy bands and I didn't want to mess with a clasp that is disguised as another link. So then we went to Target. I found two, one dressier than the other and they were $22 each. Chris said I could have both. So now I have one for everyday and one for dressy occasions. We watched several episodes of Get Smart and went to bed.

Looking fine for 49

Last night, just before I got in bed, I thought of my greenhouse and how cold it was outside. I got the idea to put some Christmas lights out there to keep the plants warm. So I went into the basement to find the lights. The first two strings did not work, but the third one did. So it went into the greenhouse, just as it was, wrapped around a cardboard wrapping paper tube. When I checked on it the next morning, the plants were toasty warm:) I started my audios as early as I could. I worked on my latest scarf. I put together a box for Michele, but the pie won't fit. I made a loaf of bread for Chris. I raked leaves with the laptop on my back. Sometime next week I will be finished with the leaves. What will I do then? I found an old tumeric shaker to portion some from the large jar. The large jar is too likely to dispense more than is wanted. I made myself a large salad using more greens from my garden. I went into my sewing center to find a binding material for my Christmas tablerunner. I went through all my Christmas fabrics. Then I put them back in order by color. Some of them weren't washed, so I put them in the washing machine. I found a few other unwashed fabrics as I continued to look for the perfect binding to match the front and the back. I gave up and decided to do a double binding. I looked through my box of silks because the back is silk. Then I looked through the Hongkong silks. Finally I decided on the two fabrics I wanted; one silk and one cotton. I turned on the washer. I came upstairs to find Chris home at his laptop. I read more e-mail and turned on the lights in the greenhouse. A box of supplements came and I put them in their places. When Chris was ready, we watched several more episodes of Get Smart. Gee, it's full of old cars.

the cake doesn't make me a year older

I got up around 7. I used the rebounder and the laptop. I read that a new disorder is under consideration - Internet Use Disorder. It's right up there with addictions to alcohol, drugs and shopping. I hope I don't have it. I ate breakfast. I tried to work on the Sunday School project for this week. I finished binding the quilt. Then I heard the doorbell ring. It was the pie...being delivered. I put it in the fridge. There was also 5 lbs of raw cacao in the box. I transferred it into smaller bags to fit in the cupboard. I started another scarf. I started an audio and strapped the laptop to my back so I could listen while raking leaves. It had 40 minutes to go, so when it ended I checked my watch to see how much longer I needed to rake. Unbeknownst to me, my watch had stopped. I paused raking to call up another audio. But I think I raked longer than 20 minutes before I realized my watch was dead. I came back in to check e-mail. I sent a Thankyou e-mail to the nut people. I fixed myself a large salad using the greens growing in my garden. I was taking a shower when Chris came home. He changed clothes and ate supper. He brought in the mail which contained a package for me. It was my order of tooth cleaner, shampoo bar and organic eye pencil. At 6 I left for church. I cleaned up the craft room and set out the craft for next Sunday. Then I joined the choir. The men were dismissed early because the women will do most of the singing in the next 2 Sundays. Still, we did not finish until after 8. When I got home it was really cold. I worried about my greenhouse garden. Chris said not to worry. He showed me a package that was delivered after I left. I guess the delivery people are working overtime. He went down to warm up the Dvd player. We started with Castle, but realized that we'd seen it. Then we tried NCIS, but we'd seen that season too. So we watched the pilot episode of Get Smart which neither of us had seen. I think we watched two episodes before Chris decided it was time for bed. * Another pic from my party *