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 *

Still not 50

If the post from yesterday looked a little odd, it is because Blogger won't allow me to create paragraphs. So I tried to force it with underscores with limited success. _______________________Today I got up at 7 to start on the daily audio list. I exercised a little but not much since the rebounder was covered in skeins of yarn. I scrubbed the crock pot and ate breakfast. As I read e-mail, I wrote events and needed items on my calendar. I found a Christmas tablerunner in the cabinet for the next HQH meeting, but it needs binding. I drank some kombucha from before we went on vacation. It is pretty strong. MaryAnn called me on skype before noon. We talked until after 2. Then I had a bite to eat and went outside to rake leaves. But the leaves were wet and the air was cold, so it wasn't ideal for going barefoot. Since I dare not get my leaf box wet, I only raked leaves that were near a pile. My feet went numb and I went in. I put a few bricks in the oven to heat up for the greenhouse. It was dark when I put them back. I will find out tomorrow if I accidentally 'steamed' my veggie plants. I prepared 7 days worth of vitamins. I ran out of a few and had to reorder. I moved my computer to the dining room so I could use the grounded outlet in there for my grounding wire. That replaces all the barefoot time I did not get today. But not to worry, the weather is supposed to warm up later in the week. I worked on my latest scarf on and off all day. It is almost long enough, which is good since I am almost out of that yarn. I ordered magnesium flakes after reading an article about how it can relax and detoxify the body in bath water. It is even better than epsom salts. Chris made an appearance sometime after 6. He did his impression of a quick-change artist and headed out again for a barbeque place. It was another dinner with the folks from work. I consoled myself with a big salad and some frozen fruit. When he got back, he did not want to watch TV so we sat with our laptops for awhile, then went to bed.

Sunday and Monday

Sunday_________________________________________The alarm went off at 6am EST. We did not get up right away but soon thereafter. We packed up and said goodbye to my parents and were on the road by 7:15. We continued our book on CD, the 11th volume of the Stephanie Plum novels. Before noon we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. We had to wait for a table, but I enjoyed looking at all the ornaments and other things for sale. All except for the orange peanuts. No fond memories there. After lunch we were on our way again. We made good time except for the traffic going into Chattanooga. We arrived home at 5:30 CST. After unloading the car, we went to the grocery store and then made supper. We caught up on some of our e-mail and then watched the last episode of NCIS. Chris was really tired so we went to bed early._________ Monday___________________________________________________ I woke in the middle of the night. But Chris said it was time for him to get up and that the alarm had just gone off. I did not hear it because I was having a bad dream. I was back in school and one of the kids had stolen my lesson plans and role book, but I couldn't tell which one. I must have fallen back asleep while Chris was leaving for work. Still, I was up by 7:30. I read e-mail and exercised a little bit, but reminded myself that I was going for a walk later. It was Cyber Monday and my e-mail was full of offers. The only ones I was interested in were for supplements and superfoods. I placed an order with Swansons. And started on one with Nuts.com. I knew they had a free pie with order offer but I couldn't find it. At 10 I stepped away from the computer and packed a satchel with a quilt that needed binding, some handwork, and my camera and glasses, as well as lunch. Then I walked to the church where the ladies quilt every Monday. It took almost half an hour. I sat and worked on the binding while the others sewed. Several others were doing binding as well. Lunch was on Faye because I had packed a packet of seaweed, some carrot sticks, and a bottle of coconut water. At 2 a lady named Jill took me home since it was on the way to her house. I called the car repair place and asked them if they could deliver my car. They said yes and told me the price. I wrote a check and put it in my pocket. Then I went outside to look at my plants. The tomatos are all dead by frost bite. So were the marigolds and mums. The leafy grens were fine. I ate a red frosted tomato. Then I raked leaves in the front yard for almost an hour. Actually there were not as many leaves as I expected. Then a man showed up with my car. I gave him the check and he gave me the keys. Then he rode off with another man in a green Taurus station wagon. I did a little raking in the back too, but then I felt raindrops, so I went in. I checked out a few more Cyber deals in my inbox and took breaks to sweep the floor, and work on my quilt. I watched the news while I sewed. Back and forth between the TV and my laptop. When I had done as much on my quilt as I could do upstairs, I turned back to crocheting. I started another scarf by combining leftover yarn in green and variegated. Chris came home after his big dinner at work. He read his e-mail and went to bed. I had a lot more e-mail to read, so got to bed a lot later. * pic from party *

50th birthday party

Saturday______________________________________________________________________________ We got up a little late. Cecily, Marie and Becca had already left for the mall. We showered and dressed and had breakfast. We were just starting to pack the car when the shoppers came home. So we were able to bid each family member goodbye before we left. We drove towards my parents house, stopping at Food Lion to pick up the food for my 50th birthday party. We arrived around lunch time. Dad was busy making a grocery list so I fixed Mom's lunch and fed it to her. Then I fixed lunch for me. When Dad finished his list, he ate too, and then went to the grocery store. Soon after he left, Faye arrived with 50th Anniversary decorations. They were not marked "Wedding" so they worked for the birthday celebration,too. I helped Faye dress the table. She set it while I crocheted a scarf. Chris made the food: pork chops, sauerkraut with cranberries and apples, sweet potatoes, and asparagus with onions. Faye brought a veggie tray with carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and red pepper strips. William and Kevin came over, too. Dad was the last to arrive, back from the grocery store. Then we sat down to eat. After our meal, Faye brought in a cake that said "Over the Hill". Ha, she should know, being my older sister. However, she was very generous with her gifts: a large box of seaweed, a case of coconut water, a gift card for Cracker Barrel, and a calendar of origami. Oh, and TWO cards. Dad gave me cash (which will turn into fabric at some point.) William said he didn't have anything, so I asked for a flat screen TV he had laying around. He seemed happy to give it to me. Patrick came for dessert. After he left, Kevin left. Then Faye left. I did not realize that Dad was waiting for us to leave, too. I put Mom in the tub while Dad did whatever evening routine he has. I helped her wash, then got her out, dressed her and put her bedtime splint on. Dad helped her crawl into bed. I kissed her goodnight and climbed into bed with Chris.

A Damour family Christmas

We got up a little after 8 and took a shower. I got dressed and fixed my breakfast. I tried to get on my laptop long enough to post to my blog, but there wasn't time. We left at 9:30 to go shopping. We went to Michaels for bells and something for Olivia. I didn't see anything I wanted. James and William met us there after going to a game store. We all drove home to drop off William and go the the bathroom. Then we went back to the mall. We shopped at Penneys, then went to Ruby Tuesday for an early lunch. Most of us got the salad bar. Back at the mall, we stopped in a variety of stores. I did not find the shoes I wanted. Apparently they are out of season. I did see what I wanted at Radio Shack, but was uncertain Dad would use it if I got it. We were done shopping by 1:30 and went home. I was able to read e-mail and to finish some audios and post to my blog. Chris and Cecily started supper. I took one of my audios downstairs to hear it better. I came up when it was over. Soon it was time for supper. We sat at the table, prayed and dug in. The main course was prime rib. After the meal came dessert, the same two pies as yesterday. Then Olivia brought in the presents and gave them to the people whose names were on the tags. We opened them one by one. I got a pair of black ankle socks with silver ferns on them. They are the national symbol of New Zealand.

I also got a camera, a Canon Pwoershot. Chris got a movie called The Avengers. So most of us spent the rest of the evening watching the movie while Cecily and the kids went to bed. I plan to watch the movie at home with the subtitles on. I missed a lot of dialogue between the men.

Thanksgiving day

At this point I don't remember much about Thanksgiving Day. I woke up around the usual time. We all had breakfast. Mom and Dad were already dressed up. I spent some time handsewing binding on a quilt. We watched the Macy's Parade and the dog show. Kurt arrived after lunch. He was happy to get his laptop and handheld device on Dad's wifi. Then William arrived. Soon it was time to get Mom in the car. William and Kurt drove separately. Dad had a nice nap on the way over to the Damours. It was good that the guard rail woke him up because he did not hear me yelling from the back seat. We took the next exit which was route 10 and went the back way. Chris was there, and helped Dad carry in my stuff. Faye was there, too and took charge of Mom. Marie was there and so were James, Becca and their kids. Olivia came to greet me and the others said she had been asking for me all day. We gathered around the table, holding hands and Chris said a prayer. Then we took our plates to the kitchen to fill them from the buffet table. It was a wonderful meal: turkey, cauliflower casserole, sweet potato casserole, pineapple casserole, cranberry orange relish, peas and pearl onions, rutabaga, stuffing and Grammy's Rolls. I wish I had gotten a pic of the table and us seated around it. I enjoyed the conversation, which lasted beyond the serving of pumpkin and pecan pies. After the food and dishes were cleaned up, we talked in the den. Finally Mom and Dad left with William driving them. Kurt took his own car and soon Faye left too (because they wouldn't let her work any more). Most of us were in bed by 110:30, but James and I stayed up talking until 1am. Then I crawled in bed with Chris, without posting to my blog. * another quilt from the Paducah show *

A new dentist

Mom was up when I got up, but not sitting at the table yet. When Dad finished making his breakfast, he made hers and they ate. I fixed my own breakfast. I helped Dad find some stuff on the internet. I googled a map to the dentist's office. Dad backed one car out of the driveway and left it running for me. I drove it to the dentist's office without any problem. They had me sign some papers and soon took me back to a small room. The hygienist worked on my teeth with a whining tool, and also with a baking soda spray. She used an intraoral camera to take pics of three of my fillings that are heading towards the end of their useful life. The dentist came in and checked my teeth. He agreed with the pics. We talked about my parents and mercury in fillings. The hygienist set me up with an appointment for next November. The receptionist took my money and another one talked about how much she likes Korean food. They told me that my brother had just come in for an emergency appointment. I went back to say hello but he was under the influence of nitrous oxide. I returned to the car. I had to try every key to find the one that fit. Unfortunately I got the trunk key stuck in the ignition. I called my dad and he said to ask William. He said it would take him 45 minutes to get Mom and come over. I tried forcing it out with two keys. I called Chris. Then I went in to wait for William. When he came out, he couldn't pull it out either. Then a group of yardworkers showed up to clear the leaves from the lot. I asked them, and their leader came over with a pair of pliers and was able to wrench it out. Hurray! William and I talked in the parking lot for awhile, then we left separately. I went home to Mom and Dad who were starting lunch. But it was 2pm. I attached a grounding wire to Mom and fed her a bowl of apple slices while Dad fixed her sandwich. We all then sat at the table to eat. After lunch I took her to the bathroom. Faye called and I got a moment to talk to her. Then Mom and Dad and I went for a walk. Dad walked Mom and I followed with the wheelchair. When she tired, he sat her down and pushed her around the neighborhood. I returned to the house to find Faye waiting for me. She and I went shopping at Costco. We found stuff that other people might or might not like. So hard to decide. I found something I thought Chris would love, but it was not a standalone product. Cosco had a good price on coconut water so we got that and a few other things. Faye dropped me off at home and went home herself. Mom and Dad were finishing up supper. I ate too, then started reading e-mail. But all too soon it was time for bed. I helped Mom get ready and put her splint on. Dad came back as I put her to bed. He talked genealogy for some time. Then I kissed her goodnight and returned to my laptop. Dad went to bed and I stayed up to listen to a few audios before posting and going to bed.

A choir from four churches

I was up so late last night that I slept in. Not sure when I got up, but Dad already had Mom dressed and sitting at the kitchen table. I rubbed magnesium oil on her clenched hand. I helped Dad give her her pills, then fixed my own breakfast. Dad was in a state trying to get everything done early in order to make it to church by 6 to practice with the joint choir. I read e-mail while he sorted Mom's pills for the week. Then I helped him make lunch since it was after 12. We did not eat until 1. After we ate, Kevin came over to clean. I was darning Dad's socks. In addition to the holes in the toes, he wanted me to darn the heels for the future holes they might get. Kevin cleaned the house and made two casseroles. Dad fixed 2 plates of food for himself and Mom at 4. It was too early for me to eat. I dressed up for church. Then we put Mom in the car and left. We got there right at 6. Dad sat Mom in a pew and carried off the wheelchair. I sat with her while the choir practiced and the service proceeded. The choir sounded great and the organist was even better. I wanted to clap. After the service, Mom was more alert and responsive than I have seen her in several years. She greeted Ansuya and Henry with a big smile and held a conversation. Dad took her into the main room where refreshments were laid out. Dad helped her put her choices on a plate but he didn't give it to her. I talked to several people in the room and got myself a cup of nuts. I held it out to Mom so she would have something to eat. Finally Dad rolled her to a table and put her bib on so she could eat. When I came back, her food was gone, and Dad admitted that he 'helped' her eat it. He was feeling drowsy so he asked me to drive home. I wasn't thrilled about driving his car, but I needed the practice for the trip to the dentist tomorrow. When we got home, we brought Mom in. Dad fed her and himself whatever foods he thought they should have had earlier. I ate a bowlful of Italian Veggie casserole and some leftover spicy rice. Then Dad allowed me to cut the new casseroles so he could put them in the frig. One had to be cut down the middle and across to make 12 pieces. He gave me a regular ruler. Then next one was in an 8 inch square dish. He wanted it cut into thirds so I asked him if he cut it at 2 5/8 on the regular ruler. But no, he had a triangular ruler and he used the side that measured the dish as 24 units across. So I cut the casserole into sections that were precisely 8 units by 8 units. Then we got Mom ready for bed. She washed her hands by herself. I put on the bedtime splint and Dad tweaked it to fit. Then I kissed her goodnight and came out to the livingroom to write to my blog.

The Mecca of Raking

We got up and took a shower together. The parents were up by then, so we went to the kitchen for breakfast. Cecily had to go clean the church. We read e-mail until lunchtime. After lunch, we put my stuff in the car and went to buy kimchi at the local store. The lady was surprised to get three of her large jars back all at once. She tried to sell us radish kimchi, but I prefer the cabbage one. So that is what we got. Then we went to my parents house, listening to another CD of the book. My dad helped us carry stuff in. He and Mom had just had lunch. Chris reconfigured Dad's wifi and did something with the printer. I sat and crocheted while watching Mom. After Chris left, Dad gave me a pile of mending. The dress pants should be replaced but he doesn't remember where he got them. Mom probably got them for him years ago. I wanted to take Mom to Joanns for elastic and matching thread, but Dad thought it was too dangerous. But I found some used elastic that was still good. I stitched it into Dad's pajama pants. Then I patched the pocket of his dress pants and re-hemmed them shorter to hide the ragged edges where he has been walking on them. By then it was supper time. Dad fixed plates for the three of us. Mom insisted on sitting at the table before he was done. I gave her her pills and fed her spoonfuls of water until her plate was ready. Then we read the Bible and the daily reading. As we ate, Dad was finding more stuff to eat. Mom ate most of her food and two big helpings of kimchi. Then she seemed finished, but Dad fed her the rest of what was on her plate plus grapes and a cookie. I couldn't watch, so I sat and crocheted. Then he sat her in the den while he cleaned up from supper and did other things. I kept offering to help. Finally it was time to take her to bed. He let me get her ready. But the final step was to put on a complicated splint that was so expensive, that it could only be rented ( for $1000 if I understood him correctly). We were up until midnight trying to figure out how to get in on. The splint lady took a photo of it for him, but the photo only showed one side. The problem turned out to be on the other side. Now I am exhausted and looking forward to going to bed. The house is cold so I grabbed some extra blankets from the linen cabinet.

We woke up at 8 and rushed through the shower to get to the breakfast room and eat before it closed at 9. Then we read e-mail for a bit before packing up and getting on the road. We finished the book on CD and started the next one before we arrived in Richmond about 2. We unpacked the car. Cecily and Alfred were at the grocery store. Apparently they did not know we were coming this weekend. They came home with a rotisserie chicken for supper. We sat in the den and talked for hours. Then Cecily made supper and we ate, chatting even more. Finally Cecily went to bed around 9. Al retired before 11 and Chris and I after. One of the audios I listened to yesterday was with the creator of the MacGyver series. He said he had to be really creative in really short periods of time to write the episodes. So he would instruct his subconscious to work on a question or problem which he was very specific about. Then he would turn his attention to something else, like woodworking. After an hour or so, he returned to the question and his subconscious would have an answer for him. Cool, huh? I hope it works with crocheting as well. * Quilt at Paducah *

Halfway to Virginia

I got up around 7:30 and took a shower before eating breakfast. Then I packed my suitcase and some yarn to crochet with. I read my e-mail and then packed up my computer. I trimmed the ends of the binding on the blue quilt so I could whipstitch it sometime during our trip. I raked leaves on the patio for a little bit while Chris did some last minute things. We headed out about 9:30. We listened to a Janet Evanovich book on CD until we got to Bristol Virginia. We stopped at a Comfort Inn. After getting settled in the room, we looked up nearby places to eat. Chris wrote down two of the addresses. The first place was closed so we went to the second place. It was closed too. There was an Amish store beside it so I went in for a look. I bought some raw cheese, and pickled cauliflower. Then we went to Olive Garden, which was inexplicably crowded for 4pm. Our waitress was very nice, but she must have been new. She never removed our soup dishes from the table. There was a breadstick left, but we didn't take it. Maybe we should have because on the way to the gas station we passed a man holding a sign "Homeless, hungry, no work". We could have given it to him. Back in the room, I checked to see if there was a hot tub or sauna here. Nope, all they have is an outdoor pool which is closed. Chris played games on his laptop. I started a scarf in the shell stitch and I listened to a few audios and watched some gymnastics videos. Boy, are those kids flexible!

Preparing for the trip

I slept in until almost 8. I listened for awhile before exercising and having breakfast. William called from Goodwill with a Pfaff sewing machine for $10 AS IS. I might have taken it, but he kept running it to demonstrate the noise in the bobbin area and then the foot pedal overheated. I drained my kombucha jar into smaller jars, then rinsed it out and left it to dry. I saved some of the scoby, but blended up the rest and watered the garden with it. I made a big salad for lunch, trying to use up all the salad stuff. But there was more than I could eat. I fished two kimchi jars out of the cupboard to take to VA to return to the lady who sells it there. I also emptied the one in the frig into a smaller one. She gives $1 off for each jar returned. I finished ironing the fabric I washed, and put it away except for the two that matched the Veggie Tales print. I made another batch of coconut milk. I raked leaves in the side and back yards for an hour. One audio was by Gene Rodenberry's son. He liked the way his father wrote story lines to shift the viewers perspective. Another was by Deepak Chopra. He said you should ask yourself three questions every morning: Who am I? What do I want? What is my purpose? When Chris came home, I was packing up the supplements in daily doses for the trip. I also fixed two bowls of breakfast: one for tomorrow morning and one for Sunday since our trip will take two days. The breakfast food packages then went into a big box for the trip. Chris did two loads of laundry while I cleared e-mail. Then we watched several episodes of NCIS. I think they aired last year so soon we will have to find another series. * Here is a dandelion quilt from Paducah *

Last scarf for shoeboxes

I started my day by finishing one audio and starting another. Having gotten three bags of yarn last night, I went through the bags and pulled out a really thick green ball. I crocheted one scarf and started another. But it ran out before I was done. So I pulled it all out and started over. I found a ball of thick white yarn and threw in a few rows of it to extend the green. That left me with a bunch of hanging ends, so I crocheted around it like a border to hide them. At that point I had 20 scarves, maybe even 21. I put them in a bag for church. I raked leaves in the front yard for some fresh air. I searched high and low for the advent wreath Sunday School project. When I found it, I put it together. I wrote myself a list of comments and tools needed to help with the job. I washed the fabric that I bought on Monday and ironed it while listening to a chi gong audio. The man mentioned that massaging the back of the hands is good for getting rid of age spots. I started massaging the backs of my hands and then realized that I don't have any age spots. Wow, that was fast! Ha, ha. Chris came home at 5. We ate supper and I put everything for sunday school in a box. I went downstairs to iron some more. The audio I was listening to then was about 'Heavenly Hires'. The lady said whenever she needed something, she pretended she had a phone book for angels, and 'hired' whatever specialist she needed. She had one for time management, one for dealing with the kids, one for financial help, etc. She even had committees of them and staff meetings. She said it changed her life because all she had to do was tell them what she wanted handled, and they either did it or gave her advice on what to do. So I decided to 'hire' a garden angel to protect my vegetables over the Thanksgiving holiday. At 6:30 I quit ironing. Chris took me to the quilt guild meeting. They had found the item from the auction that I couldn't find last month. So I picked that up. Some of the ladies from the Monday group were there so I sat with them. First there was a long slide show of quilts by one of the members. Unlike me, who makes quilts based on inspiration of the fabric or a certain design, all her quilts were made for specific people and specific events. After that was show and tell. I wanted to take pics but couldn't find my camera. After the meeting I called Chris to pick me up. I stood on the sidewalk talking to Cindy 'till he drove up. Then we went to our church to drop off the sample craft and put out glue and pencils for the craft. When we got home, we watched episodes of NCIS, then went to bed.

Another day, another scarf

It was a typical Wednesday morning. Sun was out. I was reading e-mail and listening to audios while crocheting the rest of yesterday's scarf. One audio was on brain health. Learning something new is good for your brain. And the worse you are at it, the better it is for your brain. Then I guess my brain would LOVE free-motion quilting. I put a check in the mail. After breakfast, MaryAnn Skyped me. I am not saying we talked for a long time, but during that call I started and finished the scarf in the picture and began a second one. I even had time to eat lunch. After her call, I raked leaves in the front and back yards. I think the rate of fall has slowed. I tested the leaf blower and it worked. I came back in to recharge my laptop. I continued to crochet. Then it occurred to me that I could get a repetitive motion injury if I don't watch out. Chris came home at 5. We fixed supper. Then I remembered about the lady with the yarn. I was supposed to meet her at her church last night while she cleaned the preschool rooms. She does it every day, so Chris drove me over there. She was almost done. Then she gave us three bags of yarn! I can make a lot more scarves now. Scarves for every charity I know of. We finished supper after the trip. Then I took a shower and we watched episodes of NCIS. Chris went right to bed, and so shall I.

More Scarves

It was a fairly routine morning. I took out the garbage, which usually gets picked up on Monday. I folded laundry and thread-marked Chris' black socks. He has three pairs that look alike until he puts them on. I finished the scarf I started yesterday and began a new one. This one uses an alternating single and double stitch. I raked leaves in the back yard. I also cleared them from the carport. I wanted to use the leaf blower, but it wouldn't work. It might have gotten wet because the carport leaks. I'll try it again tomorrow. There is one tree that I named Cinderella last week because it was dressed in yellow. Well, Cinderella is now bare. There were no tomatoes near ripe, so I picked some collard and turnip leaves. I made a new batch of coconut milk. But this time I did not squeeze out the flakes. We'll see out this works. I watched several Youtube videos of gymnastic ball routines. Gee I wish I could do that. They are so flexible. I called my Dad to ask about Thanksgiving and he wanted to talk about my birthday party. He asked me what I wanted and all I could say was for Mom to get better. When Chris got home, he told me it didn't look good for going to NJ. The sunday school leader at church will be relieved. We watched 3 episodes of NCIS before going to bed.

Veteran's Day

Chris had the day off. He took a shower while I ate breakfast and skimmed e-mail. Then we drove separately to Brian's Auto Service. I left my car there, and Chris drove us home. I read a little more e-mail, and then I picked out some quilting projects to work on. I found water on the garage floor and called Bob. The mysterious leak was back. There was no answer so I left a message. With my box of projects and a sewing machine, Chris and I went to First Christian Church. He dropped me off and went home. The women remembered me from last week and greeted me warmly. I set up my machine, and ironed my bargello quilt top. I helped another lady bring in a table. Then Myrna announced that she and some others were going to Jo-anns and Hancocks and did anyone else want to go? So I went along. When I mentioned getting yarn for the scarf project, Myrna said she had yarn she wanted to get rid of, and she would bring it to the church tomorrow. Wow! How great is that? We went to Jo-anns first. I got a couple of greens that might go with the Veggie Tales fabric. If I had known we were going, I would have brought it with me. We stood in line to have fabric cut. Jo-Anns was having a sale but had only one person to cut fabric and only one cashier. They had some great coupons but the coupons were only good on regularly priced merchandise. Most of their stuff was on sale for 10 to 25% off. We were not impressed. Then we went to Hancocks. Most of their stuff was 50% off, no coupon needed. The cashier gave me an extra 15% off my total. And they were well staffed. The ladies wanted lunch so I suggested Jason's, which serves organic food. It turned out to be right around the corner. We had a nice lunch, then went back to the church. We worked for several hours. I sewed binding to the front of my blue and yellow quilt. And I cut and sewed borders on the comfy quilt. Then I called Chris to pick me up. Other ladies were leaving too. The rain had stopped. When we got home, I swept the wet leaves off of the deck. I caught up on e-mail, then put on an audio so I could crochet. I finished the scarf from yesterday and started another. I tried to do a diagonal pattern with two colors, but it just doesn't come off in crochet. I tried it in both single and in double crochet stitches. After Chris ate supper, we went down to watch 3 episodes of NCIS. Then he went to bed. * The scarf you see here is in variegated yarn. That is what gave me the notion to try something diagonal *

The Green Rectangle

I was up by 8, took a shower, ate breakfast and read e-mail. At nine I took my box of Sunday School supplies to church. I went to the craft closet for paint, paper and glue sticks. I sat in on the opening for sunday school. But then I had a 20 minute wait because the craft session was scheduled for the second half. I checked on my group in Storytime to make sure there weren't more than 6. There were only 4. I used the paper punch to make ornaments out of red paper and tinfoil. They came in at 10:05 and I got them started on their rubbed leaf Christmas cards. They used the markers, glue sticks, glitter and stickers. and I had time to get painted handprints of the two kids I hadn't seen yet. The choir started practicing before sunday school was over. As soon as the bell rang, I went into the sanctuary to join them, leaving clean-up for after church. Chris joined me in the front pew. Our intern gave the sermon. After the service, we stood in line to shake hands, then Chris went to the grocery store while I cleaned up the craft room. One of the paint bottles had been opened. I wondered who came in the craft room after I left. I put everything away and passed out the craft for next Sunday, which comes in a kit. I went home, arriving before Chris. I changed my clothes, and then picked up sticks in the yard. Chris came home and we put groceries away. Chris made bacon. It smelled so good that I ate a piece, enjoying it thoroughly. I crocheted while listening to audios. Then raked a big rectangle in the back yard, still listening. I took a pic of the grass because tomorrow it will be covered again. Chris cooked spaghetti squash and sauce. I ate that and a big salad for supper. Later we watched 4 episodes of NCIS before going to bed.

Three more scarves

I was able to sleep in a little bit this morning. Then I had breakfast and read my e-mail. I crocheted to several audios. Then I loaded my laptop on my back and raked leaves to two more audios. Then I cut Chris' hair at his request. I did more crocheting after that. When I finished the teal scarf I started this morning, I started another one. The brown yarn was really lightweight, but I had two skeins of it, so I used them together for a heavier yarn. I tried a new concept, changing colors in the middle of the row. It did not work so well in the beginning, but I got the hang of it later. So after I ran out of orange, I ended the scarf there. Then I cut off the part I didn't like. I thought that would leave me with loops or something but it was just a bunch of ends. I crocheted over it to stabilize it. I finished that while Chris was playing with the voices. Michele's was not one of them. Then I went downstairs to finalize my craft for tomorrow and make samples. I put all the things I want to take to church in a box. Then I brought up another bag of yarn to look through. I found a shell-stitch one in variegated yarn. It was almost finished, so I finished it. I don't remember starting it, so maybe it came from a yard sale. Now I am completely caught up on scarf-making. As it is after 11, I am going to bed now.

Scarf 12

I started my day around 8. I exercised, ate breakfast and skimmed e-mail. I read that a recent study concluded that each hour spent watching television after the age of 25 reduces your life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes. This was part of an article about the dangers of prolonged sitting. I started another scarf. Then I drove to church to clean up from whoever took my class last Sunday. He/she left my glue gun plugged in. I hope it isn't ruined. I also grabbed some green construction paper to prepare for this Sunday. I dropped off 11 scarves. And I went through the kits to find a craft for the following Sunday. I left around noon, thinking to stop at a yard sale I passed on the way over. But I couldn't find it. I stopped at Hobby Lobby to get some yarn and stickers. When I got home, I was surprised to see Chris' car. It is a training holiday and most people were gone, so he left, too. More e-mail had come in, so I read that and crocheted while listening to another audio. My computer acted up so I rebooted it. Then I called up another audio to play while I wore the laptop on my back and raked leaves in the back yard. I mowed the part I raked. I also added to the stick pile in case our neighbor revves up his chipper/shredder tomorrow. Then I went in because it was getting dark. But it was only 5pm. I picked up the scarf in progress and continued to work. It is in three colors. I stopped when I ran out of white. I don't think I 'll do another one like that because having three skeins hanging off of the project makes a tangled mess. Slows me down when I have to untangle it all. FINALLY Chris tore himself away from his computer so we could watch a couple episodes of NCIS before going to bed.

Good news!

I was late getting up this morning, and I am not sure why. My ankle was better so I jumped on the rebounder. I read e-mail and had breakfast. One article says that rats which had access to food for only 8 hours a day stayed lean while the control group that could eat anytime gained weight. So when you eat is just as important as what you eat. I crocheted to the audios that came in last night. I finished the blue and brown scarf. I put it in a bag and then rounded up all the other scarves I made. I used my crochet hook to bury the yarn tails and then they went into the bag too. That made 10. I had time, so I started another one. When that audio was over, I raked leaves for awhile, and mowed the lawn under them. It was such a nice, sunny day. I even ate lunch outside. Back inside, for some reason I was compelled to check out the corner of the base cabinet. There are sliding drawers on both sides of it, so it is effectively cut off from use. But I pulled out the sliding wire baskets to look in there. There was a large, very crude lazy susan, and some potholders, handiwipes, and plastic bags. Oh, and a large flathead screwdriver. And a small can of potted meat. On the top was printed EST 2AD. I had no idea it could be that old. Ha. I threw it away. I emptied the dishwasher and put a few dirty things into it. I washed the sticky baskets. I was crocheting again when Chris came home. He told me he had had an interview with a general in NJ and it went well. We discussed what we'd do if the general offered Chris the job. We should know on Tuesday. I guess it would change everything. Neither one of us is thrilled at the prospect of living in NJ. But let's not count the chickens before the eggs are hatched. I finished that scarf. Chris ate supper. We watched the last MASH episode downstairs. It was very sad. I checked e-mail before going to bed and read that Alfred's surgery went well and he will probably go home tomorrow. That is the best news.

Bob's visit is enlightening

I was amazed to find myself up and awake shortly after 7. My ankle was bothering me, so I did toe-touches instead of using the rebounder. I sifted through my e-mail, and my phone rang. It was Bob returning my call about the malfunctioning kitchen light. He said he'd be over in a few minutes. So I dashed off to get dressed and pick up a bit. He got the numbers from the bulbs and took the ballast with him. I fixed my breakfast and finished e-mail. I started an audio. Bob came back with a new ballast but no bulbs. That was fine 'cause with the new ballast, both bulbs worked. After he left, I crocheted through several audios, finishing a mauve scarf. The ball of yarn was a big tangled mess so I had to untangle as I went. It wasn't all one piece, either. Now I am only three days behind. I took a break to work on Sunday School. The idea finally gelled in my head. I picked up some leaves from the yard. I put one under paper and used a green crayon to rub over it. Then I used markers to decorate the green image as though it were a Christmas tree. It could be the start of a Christmas card. I was pretty sure even a three year old could it. I gathered a bunch more leaves and pressed them in a book so they will be flat for Sunday. I wrote up instructions and a materials list so I won't forget any of it on Sunday. I spent an hour or so raking leaves in the front yard. After dumping the 4th box of them, I started picking up sticks and putting them on the stick pile. I amassed quite a pile before I quit. The neighbor boy came over for a quick visit and was gone as suddenly as he appeared. I paged through my crochet book for a suitable stitch. I found some yarn in blue and in brown so I decided to mix them. Chris came home and we ate supper. Then I went to choir practice. I was a little early so I checked out the craft closet to see what supplies I could use on Sunday. Choir practice let out early because we are running out of Sundays with an organist. She said we might have to go to recorded service music. I came home to find Chris on his computer. I listened to an audio while crocheting until Chris was ready to resume the book on CD. I continued to crochet until the book was finished. He went to bed. I put in another row, then stopped to write this post. I can finish it in the morning.

Election Day

I slept well last night, being thoroughly tired out. So I got up somewhat early. I boiled some water and put dried coconut flakes in to soak. I went through my e-mails and had breakfast. I did not do much exercising because my ankle was a little sore from the dancing. After breakfast I put the flakes in the blender and tried to liquify them. Still, there was a fair amount of solids left after I squeezed out the milk. The milk went into the frig and the solids went into the freezer. There was less cleanup needed than last time. I googled leaf crafts again for Sunday school. Its hard to find something that will keep three year olds busy for 20 minutes. It had rained last night. I swept the wet leaves off of the deck. I got out the quilt that is the basis for the block of the month. I drew out all the blocks in the back of my calendar notebook. I have drawn them before, but can't find that piece of paper now. I drew up a plan to cover all 20 blocks in the next 12 months. Then I wrote myself a few notes for presenting two of them tonight. Chris came home early. I had just started a new scarf using 'the bushy stitch' as the book called it. I put it down so we could go vote. The polling place was a nearby church. The parking lot was almost full, but there was no line. We were handed paper ballots to fill out. The front was easy, but on the back were a bunch of ill-defined referendums. How does one choose 'yes' or 'no' when confronted by a referendum to repeal a previous amendment concerning equality in schools? A little more specificity is needed. I fed my ballot into a box and got a sticker. I continued listening to an audio and resumed crocheting when we got home. Chris made onion soup for supper. I had a bowl, and then packed for guild meeting. I brought the 12 blocks for Deb, and the floral garden quilt for show and tell. I also took my started scarf. Along the way my progress was impeded by two accidents, but I was able to find a way around both. When I got to the meeting, I discovered that my crochet hook was missing. I called Chris, but it was not at home. I hoped it wasn't in the dark parking lot. Gladys needed help carrying in some boxes of drapery samples. We helped her, and then combed through the 5 boxes. Each sample was on a small hanger. I got a few, but really they aren't big enough to do much with. However, one lady said she could make bags and sell them. So she took all that were left. On the way home, I stopped at the Korean market for bean sprouts. They were gone, so I selected some long skinny mushrooms, and some persimmons. I asked about kimbap but he said he ate the last one and told me to call ahead next time (but only on Tuesdays). When I got home, I put the food in the frig. Then I started another scarf while Chris played more of the book on CD that we started on the way back from Augusts. This scarf uses the 'brick stitch'. The pic in the book looks more like bricks than what I did. At 10:30 Chris went to bed. I had to do a few more rows before I could stop. Now I am posting before I go to bed.

New quilt group

I got up earlier than usual this morning, probably because the daylight arrived an hour sooner. There were no audios posted yet, so after I ate breakfast and read through e-mail, I was done. I swept the hall, bathroom and den. I called First Christian Church to find out when their quilting group met and if I need to bring anything with me. The secretary didn't know, but she gave me some phone numbers. I called them and got no answer. So I just showed up at 10:30 with all the stuff I would normally bring to a sewing Saturday. I even grabbed two tomatoes from the garden. The ladies there were very friendly and made me feel right at home. I brought the comfy quilt project to work on. I set up my machine and worked on that. They had irons and cutting boards, so I wouldn't have had to bring mine. Each person worked on their own project. I accidentally took the niacin before I came, and went through the flush, but no one seemed to notice. They ordered lunch from Steak-out. Because it was the first Monday of the month, they sang Happy Birthday to all the people who have birthdays in November - all two of us. They put candles in cupcakes and we had to blow them out. It was all a lot of fun. When I stood on a chair to audition some borders, the ladies brought out a flannel board made for that purpose. Several of them generously donated their opinions on the choices for borders. I made my decision and it included using fabric I did not bring with me. So I packed up to go home. They encouraged me to come back next week, and I plan to. I went home. I had some leftovers. Then I raked leaves in the back yard and mowed the part inside the fence. It was almost time for Chris to come home and it was getting dark. It seemed especially dark because the kitchen light fixture doesn't work any more. I called Bob and his wife, but neither of them answered their phone. After supper I dressed in loose black pants, oversized t-shirt and fuzzy socks. This was the recommended dress for Irish dancing. Chris and I left about 6, arriving before 6:30. We waited for one of his coworkers. We were there at her invitation. She arrived with another one of his coworkers. Class started at 6:45. The room was hot, but ventilated. The instructor kept us busy and kept introducing a lot of new moves. A number of us were beginners, but we did not stay with one dance long enough for me to learn it. So I imagine Chris was not comfortable with it either. It was a work out, but just within the range that I could fake it. After class, we went to eat with Daneen and Art at Cracker Barrel. I wasn't hungry. The men got egg sandwiches and Daneen had fried fish. The conversation was good and lasted longer than the meal. It was raining when we left. We got home before 10 and Chris went to bed. I think we will both sleep very soundly tonight.

Coming Home

The night passed rather uneventfully. I kept rolling over onto my side and letting an arm or leg sneak out from under the covers. Then my fingers or toes would get a cold, wet feeling. This turned out to be the cat's nose. It was funny after the first time. Chris set the alarm for 8. We got up soon after that, visited a little with Neal and April, then took a shower and dressed for church. I ate my pre-mixed breakfast. We visited with them some more until it was almost 9. Then we said goodbye and left for church, which according to their website was at 9:15. But when we arrived, not that many people were there. Now one might say that we didn't turn our watches back, but, being from a different time zone, our watches should have been right AFTER the time change. Anyway, they were having sunday school at 8:15 so we sat in on that. Then for the church service an hour later. We were greeted on all sides with hugs and handshakes. It was so good to see so many old friends. It was like homecoming. I did not recognize the pastor, but he was very good. Sadly he is just there until they find another pastor. After church we sat in the fellowship hall and visited more with people we hadn't talked to yet. There was another sunday school session in progress, same as the first. It used to be two of the same service, with sunday school in between. Now it is exactly the opposite. It was almost noon 'till we left. We headed towards Huntsville with the help of the GPS. We listened to a book on CD. They mentioned cheeseburgers and fries so much that Chris just had to stop. He couldn't find burger place so he stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I did not get anything there. He ate it on the road. I had an apple, an orange and a packet of seaweed that I brought from home. After we got home, we unpacked the car. I found my latest Nuts.com order on the front porch. I picked two tomatoes, had a few glasses of water and laid down for a bit. Then we went grocery shopping. I was annoyed when I saw they had rearranged some of the store. Why do grocery stores feel the need to do that? Knowing where everything is is very important to me. I have half a mind not to shop there anymore. We took our groceries home and put them away. I ate supper and we read e-mail for awhile. Then we went down to watch more episodes of MASH. And now its time for bed. Somehow it feels later than it is... * another photo from Paducah *

Back together again!

I woke up to hear Chris taking a shower. I did not hear the alarm go off. I had taken my shower last night, so I went straight to breakfast, and then got dressed. I skimmed my e-mail, then shut down my computer and packed it in its case, along with all the wires, etc. We were on the road a little after 5am. Traffic was nil. We followed the GPS as best we could south to Anniston and then east to Augusta. I tried to sleep in the car. But even hearing a book on CD did not put me to sleep. Usually the Janet Evanovitch are very good, but this one was not one of her best, a holiday story. From the car I called Mary and she arranged for our group to go to lunch later. We drove to Neal and April's house, arriving just before noon. I talked with April while Chris talked with Neal. But then their daughter almost 3 yr old Emy decided to oust her mom from the playroom while insisting I stay. She was very persistent. Poor April. Good thing Emy was so cute. Then Silvia and Mary came by to pick me up. We went to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. Celeste joined us there. We had a great time catching up on each others stories. But our time was too short. On the way out I took our picture with my deteriorating camera. ( This is us squinting into the sun, huddled in front of my camera. See it before they ask me to take it down.) Thankfully we will have more time to chat in January. Silvia and Mary dropped me off at Neal and April's house. I changed clothes and then the 5 of us went to Carrabba's for Mike's birthday.

We arrived around 5, before they got busy, so we didn't have to wait for a table. Alfred, Cecily, Mike and Kelly joined us there. We ate supper and had plenty of good conversation. Emy enjoyed her spaghetti, too. Kelly ordered a Campfire Delight for the two of us to try. But several others helped us drink it. It had Dutch chocolate vodka in it and chocolate and graham cracker crumbs around the rim. It was surprisingly good. Then we all drove back to Neal and April's house to chat and so Emy could incite Cecily with her fake sneezes. They were both so cute. Mike and Kelly drove the senior Damours back to their hotel. Chris stayed up chatting with Neal, I crocheted and April knitted. Around 10 we called it a night. I skimmed my e-mail again, and composed this post.

My machine needed me

There was nothing unusual about the morning. I finished crocheting the yellow scarf in shell stitch. But it wasn't quite long enough. I looked through my bags to see if there was any more. There wasn't, but there was some gold. It was attached to a partial scarf done in gold and grey yarn. It must be one of Michele's old projects. I thought if I finished it, I could use the gold to finish the yellow scarf. Thankfully it still had a hook in it, 'cause I wouldn't have guessed that it was a different gauge. So I used that hook and completed another band or two, then decided it would be a good one to do while riding in the car tomorrow, that is, IF I can crochet in a moving vehicle. I took a break to get some fresh air. I picked two tomatoes and raked up four boxes of leaves from the front yard. Then I wanted to sew. My machine is sulking due to so little attention. But I knew Chris wanted me to pack. But I hate packing - all the decisions. And my future self is such a complainer. Anything I forget to pack, she'll castigate me for. One of the audios I heard today was about raising your self esteem by finding something to acknowledge yourself for everyday. I hope my future self was listening. I told her she was lucky I decided to go on the trip. I could ground her if she isn't nicer to me. So I did a little tapping, and I packed a small suitcase. I also prepared two breakfasts, one to eat tomorrow before we leave and one to take for Sunday morning. Satisfied, I went downstairs to sew. I had promised Deb months ago that I would make her 12 blocks for some book she plans to write. I was amazed how easily I was able to choose the fabrics. And not long after Chris came home, I finished, pressed and squared all 12 blocks. He did two loads of laundry. We ate supper, and watched episodes of the last season of MASH. We brought the laundry up and Chris quickly packed and went to bed. That was just a little after 8. He plans to get up at 4, so I will be joining him in sleep after I take a shower.

Candied beef?

I had my usual morning routine followed by crocheting. I don't think I will do another longitudinal one again. This brown one has taken all day. Since the yarn is thinner, I am using the densest stitch I know - the single crochet. It is also the most labor intensive. When not crocheting, I took the recyclables out to the curb. I dug two bucketfuls of dirt from the garden and filled in low spots on the front lawn. I picked and ate two tomatoes. The plants are doing fine after their cold night. There have been a number of interesting articles hitting my inbox lately. In one, it seems the price of corn is rising, so farmers are finding it cheaper to feed their cattle candy. Yes, candy. The next time you eat beef, see if it is faintly sweet. Also, there was an article on election fraud. Electronic voting machines are easy to rig and some of the software was created by people not eligible to vote - felons. Trade-secret law makes it impossible to independently verify that the devices are working properly. If you think your vote doesn't count, you might be right! After supper I reviewed the shell stitch on Youtube, then picked up a skein of yellow yarn and put it to use. When Chris could break away from his game, we went downstairs to watch episodes of MASH.