To deal or not to deal

It was a relatively good night except that there were at least three critters trying to get under the tent. They did not worry me, but the scratching kept me awake. I got up soon after 7 and went in the house. I laid down until 8, then turned on the router and read and deleted e-mail. I called Parker but only got her voicemail. I exercised and listened to part of an audio. Parker's assistant called me back. She insisted that we needed a lawyer and right away, that these people had no intention of leaving. She said they were real estate agents not lawyers, if Parker or I wrote an eviction letter it would not have all the right wording and the waiting period would have to start all over again when we finally did turn it over to a lawyer. She did not back it up with any facts, only her repeated assertion. Then I called Denise for her opinion and for eviction letters that she has used in the past. She suggested I call apartment complexes in the locale. So I did. That lady said they used a lawyer but she did not think it necessary. Then I called our health insurance to get help logging onto the site to see our EOB. I called Linda Thompson and set up a time to quilt. It was 11:30 by then, so I skipped the usual Tuesday group and went for gas and kimbap. My tank was lower than I had ever seen it. The Asian store also had dried squid – or so I thought, but it was dried fish and did not taste as good. I came home to eat the kimbap and try the fish. I read e-mail, and returned Jennifer's call. It was about a green powder I bought on Amazon. I laid out in the sun for 20 minutes, knowing that I won't get to do much more of that. I was in my sewing room working on the second red banner when Parker called. She said the tenants came in with a $1200 check and wanted the 'rent until February' deal but would take the cash for keys deal. I told her I would have to talk to Chris. Then I called a random real estate agent in Pinehurst to ask a few questions. He seemed to think that accepting any money from them would reset the clock and it would take more time to get them out. Then I rushed to the Farmer's mkt. I had egg cartons in my car to give to the people who sell eggs. I was happy to get rid of them and she was happy to have them. I bought a pepper and lettuce from the hydroponics man. Because this is the last market of the season, he invited me to come by the farm (J. Sparks) and see the operation. Then I went to Hancocks for pillow forms. I also bought fabric (surprise, surprise), chanting “Honduras” as I swiped my credit card. When I got home, I boiled eggs for supper and ate one. I called Mary and got her advice on which of the three options to take. Denise had called, so I called her back. Her husbands opinion was that we might as well hire a lawyer now because it will come to that anyway. I skyped with Chris and he agreed with what Mary and I talked about. Then I tapped and went to bed.

*  I did not take any pics today so here is one from the Chattanooga show.  *

Driving on the road

I tapped last night until I could sleep, and I did. I woke up before 7:30. I went in the house and checked e-mail. I called our agent and she told me the tenant had not opened the docusign agreement. But she did get a hold of the father and he was going to come visit her today. Then she had to go, and promised to call me later. I laid down until 8, then I started my morning routine. I put Netflix in the mail and put the garbage out by the curb. I listened to an audio while I exercised. I tried to e-mail the lady who left a voice message asking me to chair the fellowship committee, but it came back saying she did not have a yahoo address. I did an extra line of stitching on the banner to support the rod pocket, and pronounced it totally finished. I measured pillow tops to see what size pillow forms are needed. I came up to see what sizes are available, and got lost in e-mail. I listened to a tapping video as I washed vegetables for juicing. I got sidetracked tweezing my eyebrows. I listened to a video on ADD/ADHD/autism by John Gray. He is into nutrition now. He reversed his own Parkinson's. It all comes down to dopamine. He explains in his book more about hydrotherapy, glutathione, oxidative stress, avoiding Tylenol (it suppresses glutathione), etc. I called and talked to Parker at length. Tenants still haven't brought money. The wife didn't know and is in shock. We explored the idea that yard work may be a substitute for the money they owe. I tried to change Chris' dental appt, but had no luck. I packed a lunch, and went to quilting. I talked to the women while they were having lunch. Jodi needed help so Bertha and I planned to do that on Friday. I forgot that I might have a conflict. Lauri offered me a driving lesson so we went to my house and got Chris' car. She drove it to the church next door to quilting. The engine sounded funny when she drove it. I practiced on the slopes in the parking lot. Then I tried it on the road going back into the neighborhood. That road turned left and ended on Drake. So I turned to go home, uphill. The car stalled and the people behind me pulled around me as I re-started it and got underway. I just drove straight home and parked it. Then we came back to quilting in my car. I helped Bertha work on Barbara's quilt. Then Bertha left, to care for a dog she is babysitting. At 4 Carolyn and I packed up to leave. Lauri stayed to wait for Virginia to come back from her doctor appointment. I finished breakfast and ate my lunch. I raked in the back yard to take advantage of the last of the sunshine. Then I read e-mail and listened to an audio. I remembered my conflict on Friday and wondered which activity I should choose. I went downstairs to work on pillow tops. I measured them, and fussed with the extra fabric until I could cut two identical backings. Then I sprayed the tops with water and pinned them to the ironing board to block. I hoped that would make up for some weirdnesses, but it did not turn out as well as I imagined. I checked up stairs thinking I had heard the phone. It had been Denise so I called her back. She was asking where I buy my supplements. Then it was back to work. Leaving the tops pinned, I laid out foundation blocks for the next banner. I pinned and sewed strips on to the center of each block. When I came up, Chris was waiting for me on skype. We talked for a little while, but did not have much to say. So he went to bed, yawning. I stayed up to blog and tap before going to bed.

*  this is the fabric I used to make the kaleidoscope yesterday   *

Not such a great fabric after all

Last night wasn't so quiet. The wind rustled the tarp and there was traffic. But I did some tapping and went to sleep. I woke up before 7 and went in the house to use the bathroom. I laid down on the bed and ignored the alarm when it went off because I was having the strangest dream and my mom was in it. I got up at 8:45 to read e-mail and have breakfast. I took a shower, dressed, and headed to church. The choir practiced the anthem before church. During the children's sermon, two of the boys were playing 'musical chairs' beside the pastor. Then one little boy answered the pastor's question with “I think it was John, because that's my father's name.” He was cute. We had a substitute organist and she did a great offertory. The postlude was good too. I think she chose pieces that would normally be played on a pipe organ, but they sounded pretty good on our organ too. After the service, we had a party for two people celebrating their 85^th birthdays. I did not know what to say to them: congratulations on making it this far? You look good for your age? Hang in there, 100 isn't that far away? Anyway, I found a paper in my box saying that October 19^th is my day to provide communion bread. Well, I left 4 rounds a month or two ago. Do they need more than that? I could not find anyone who would know. Then I went to Publix for groceries. I brought them home, changed my clothes, and put them away. I looked up healthy trick-or-treats on the internet. The church wants to do a trunk-or-treat and asked me to participate. I cannot in good conscience hand candy to kids. Candy is not the limited treat it used to be, and now we know the dangers of sugar. I got an e-mail from my agent that the tenants won't have the money by Monday but will get back to us about when they can get it. I had to think about that. I called Denise for her opinion, which was have the agent file for eviction now. I continued looking on the internet for treats or toys to hand out. I also thought about how I would decorate my car for such an event. I wouldn't mind having a small activity or craft. I made hummus. What would not fit in the jar, I put in a container for lunch tomorrow. I drove Chris' car around the yard, practicing starting on a slope without drifting in the opposite direction. If I do a little every day, then my brain has time to build the new neural pathways necessary to drive under more stressful conditions. I also want to insure that each experience is a positive one so I will have confidence when I go out on the road. I took a pic of some fabric, and imported it to my kaleidoscope program. I wanted to see what kind of stack-n-whack it would make. Since my camera card was full, I deleted most of the pictures on it to make some space. Then I Skyped with Maryann for almost 2 hours. I watched an episode and a half of X-files. Then Chris was on Skype. We talked for awhile. Then he went to bed, and I finished the episode so I could put the DVD in the mail tomorrow. I checked for new e-mail, and wrote to my blog. I plan to do some tapping before I turn in for the night.

Laundry day

It was another beautiful, quiet night. I slept well and did not have to get up to p. I woke up around 7, and went in when I felt like it. Since I went to bed so late, I crawled in my bed and laid there until 8:30. Then I turned on the router and fired up my laptop. I cleared some e-mail and read others. I don't remember exactly how it went now. I did my exercises, listened to an audio, juiced, ate breakfast, did laundry (only one load because there were so few things). I watered the kale seeds. I baked sweet potatoes and a yellow yam. I pulled a jar of fat from the fridge to coat the potatoes, but it smelled bad so I threw it out. I found another jar of fat and broth. I boiled it and found there were pieces of meat and cartilage in it. I ate those and poured off all but the fat. It was hard to tell. All that went in the fridge. When the laundry was finished, I folded it and put it away. I did several Sudoku puzzles. I sat and tapped. When the sweet potatoes had been in the oven for two hours, I took them out.  I figured they had to be done. But the yam was so thick, it might not have been. I laid in the grass as the sun went in and out. I went downstairs to finish quilting the banner. I also did the handsewing. I was going to save that for Tuesday, but the need to have it done and out of the way outweighed the need to feel productive on Tuesday. I noticed the sun going down, so I checked my e-mail quickly and then got Chris' car keys. I drove up and down the driveway, turned around and drove into the back yard. This time I was brave enough to drive around to the front yard, happy not to have hit the fence. Since the front yard is on a hill, I tried backing up from a stop. I stalled the car a couple of times. But that is all part of the learning. I parked the car back in the carport and called it a day. I came in to see if Michele was online, but she wasn't. I finished the binding on the banner. When I came up, I saw that Michele was on. So I responded and we talked for not quite an hour. Then I put in the latest X-Files DVD from Netflix. I had just started watching when Chris came online. So he and I talked for awhile. After he signed off, I watched that episode and another one. They were both pretty scary. Usually Chris watches the scary parts for me and tells me when to look again. But he wasn't here, so I had to peek now and then. It was time to blog and go to bed, but I wasn't sure I wanted to try sleeping with those episodes still on my mind. So I looked through pictures of quilts on Pinterest before going to bed.

*  These are the blocks I finished on Thursday  *

Pillow tops

I drank two glasses of water after I got home, so when I was ready to go to bed, I sat in the den and tapped until I had to go to the bathroom so I could get that out of the way before I went to the tent. All that tapping on the cares of the day really helped because I went right to sleep. When I woke up, I saw that I had forgotten my watch. But right after I came in, my alarm rang so it was 8. I turned on the router, activated the laptop, drank water and started my day. I listened to an audio on our higher self while swishing. I looked up the forms Dad wanted and could not find either. But the phone needed charging so I plugged it in. I started a tapping audio, and suddenly I felt the need to clean the bathrooms – sinks and toilets. When that was done, I came back to the audio. I read e-mail during the non-tapping parts. I exercised, and juiced, I made breakfast, I sent a copy of the POA to Parker. She sent me a cashforkeys agreement to Docu-sign, which then went to the tenants. I went outside to pick up sticks and pinecones. While I was out there, the mailman stopped by. He handed me an Amazon box. I put it in the house. I planted more kale, this time in a flower bed. I added compost soil from the ditch in front of the carport. I propped up the sides of the tarp to let more air into the tent. I came in to check e-mail and there was none. I stacked the dishwasher and ran it. Opening the Amazon box revealed a new shower filter. I put it in a bowl of water to soak. I worked on Cecily's pillows while listening to an audio on the power of laughter. The next audio was on releasing toxic emotions. When they did a visualization, I took the laptop out to the tent. When it was over, I came in. The filter had soaked enough so I installed it and ran water until it was clear. I opened the dishwasher to dry and drain. I drove Chris' car up and down the driveway, and around the back yard. I stalled a couple of times and had to deal with rolling backward while trying to go forward.  I watched a video on what to quilt on your quilt while eating dark chocolate and raspberries. I cleared more e-mail and listened to some delta music. I looked at prices of coconut water on Amazon. Then I made two pillow tops, took pics and sent them to Cecily for approval. I quilted some lines on the banner. I unstacked the dishwasher, waiting for Chris. But because I left my headphones plugged in, I did not hear him when he called. I was sitting down to check skype when I noticed the green popup signifying that Chris was calling. He had been out late, having a few beers with some guy. Chris was in a talkative mood and said some very nice sweet things. I asked him to have a few more beers. We had a very good chat, but it was so late that we had to cut it short (is 45 minutes short?) and go to bed.

Project Runway

I forgot to turn off the router last night before I went to the tent. On the way out there, I also remembered my intention to practice driving Chris' car a little each day but had not done it for the day. So when I laid down, I did some tapping. I tapped for the stress in my jaw muscles that the hygienist says is causing fracture lines in all my teeth. I did one of the gratitude techniques that Jennifer told me about last night. And I asked the universe to bring me a solution to the tenant situation that would make everyone happy. It was a great night, and my best one so far. It was as quiet as it could be considering all the cicadas. The little critter did visit me, but not for long. And I did not have to run inside for the restroom. I slept well.

When I woke up, it was after 7. I remembered that it was Thursday and recycle day. So I went in the house and laid down for a few minutes, then got up to start my day with water and e-mail. I read e-mail, and took out the recyclables. I picked a tomato and noticed that they are looking better now that weather is cooler. I watered the plants. I exercised, and juiced, and meditated. I listened to an audio while making breakfast. I also tapped for how I imagined our tenants must be feeling.

I ate breakfast, and then took my sewing stuff to my car. I practiced driving Chris' car for a few minutes before heading (in my car) to Stitch-its. I finished sewing the blocks from yesterday and pressed them. I helped Pat spread out her quilt to see if the backing she was making was large enough. It was not. I left at 2, came home, and watered the pepper that was planted way out back by itself. I picked another tomato, and ate it. I also had some beef kidney, and the rest of breakfast with coconut oil. I called Parker and we decided that they should pay the rent up front and we will rebate half based on move-out status when they move out. I heard an audio on adrenal stress, and read an article about mites having sex on our faces. I started cleaning up the sewing table. I spread the quilt top on the quilt backing to make sure the backing is large enough. It was. I watered plants and shrubs with a mineral solution. I clipped bushy weeds and discarded them in the compost pile. I planted kale in the seed tray. I laid in the tent and tapped. I nearly fell asleep. I cleaned the vacuum filter with a pair of tweezers. I looked up 'cash for keys' agreement forms and sent one to our agent. I get the feeling that she hasn't done many evictions. I ate something for supper. At 7:59 I decided to join the ladies for Project Runway. I put on pants (in case the night air got cold) and jumped in the car. I drove to Jennifer's house. I thought the target time was 8:30, but I was the first one there. She told me all about homeschooling the subject of history. Finally two others showed up. Jen baked some egg rolls and we talked as the ladies ate. Then we sat in the livingroom and watched the just-taped episode of Project Runway. They had invited me because they wanted to hear my comments on the outfits and sewing. They chatted through the entire thing and I could not hear the TV most of the time and could hardly get a word in. In the middle of it, my dad called, wanting me to find two files online and send him the links. It was kind of embarrassing having my dad call me when I'm out with friends. I promised to call him back in the morning. After the show, we chatted some more, but the evening was clearly over. I'd had a good time. I drove home, noticing how low the gas gauge was, and wondering if I had made a bad decision thinking I could wait until next Tuesday to get gas. I did not want to stop at a gas station so late at night. I went home and checked on Skype for Chris, but he had gone to bed. I glanced at e-mail, responding to the personal ones and deleting others. Then it was time for bed.

*  This is Pat's quilt.  *

Cash for keys

I went to bed in the tent, but woke up this morning inside. In the middle of the night, a critter crawled under the floor of the tent, waking me up. Then nature called, so I had to go in. And then I just laid down in the bedroom and went back to sleep.

I laid in bed through both alarms, getting up eventually. I checked e-mail and swished. I got an e-mail from Parker and we played phone tag. When we talked, we decided to hire the lawyer and pay him out of the funds from last month's rent. I juiced 5 lemons to make lemon water. I have been meaning to juice them for several weeks, so I was pleased to see that they were still good. I did the coffee detox. I listened to two audios, one on brain changing and one on habit changing. I juiced baby kale, sprouts, a pepper, and celery. After I drank it, I laid in the sun, which stayed out for a whole 20 minutes. Then I made breakfast, and ate breakfast. I called Jennifer and left a message. I showered, dressed, and brought in the mail. I e-mailed a bill to Chris. I rearranged the bedding in the tent to make it more comfortable and to be further from where the critter crawled under. While I was lying in it as a test, I tapped. I got the feeling that the eviction would be cheaper and easier if we made a 'keys for cash' offer before committing to an attorney. I came in to call Parker to find out if it was too late. When we finally connected, she agreed to call the lawyer and then the tenant. I read e-mail, then made enough binding for my latest quilt. Jennifer called asking to meet me at the church in 15 minutes. Parker called to say the tenant was floored and in a panic because he never thought we would evict instead of negotiating. I agreed to give them until October 15^th and two weeks free rent if they turned the keys over and left the property in good shape. Then I ran to meet Jennifer. I made it just before she got there. When I got back, there was nothing more from Parker. I wrote her an e-mail confirming what was said on the phone, and suitable for forwarding to the tenants if necessary. I recharged the tablet for choir practice. I finalized the Swanson and Amazon orders. I was on a roll, having completed several things I did not think I would get to.  So I went down to my sewing room.  I wrapped the newly made binding on a piece of cardboard and put it with the backing. I did the math for two blocks that are due on Monday. I exchanged my shorts for pants and took my tablet and music to choir practice. What did I ever do before I had a tablet? It came in very handy since the strong altos were not there tonight. After practice, Pastor brought me a pair of his wife's pants to repair the hem. I told him they would have to wait their turn.  The I talked to Jennifer who told me all the things that were bothering her.  I told her what was bothering me, and we hugged. 

When I got home, Chris was not on Skype, so I went downstairs to work on the blocks. When I realized how late it was, I came up to check. He had texted me a message but not called me on video, so I did not hear the sound. I texted him back, and he called me. We talked for a short while and I brought him up to speed on the tenant situation. Then I presume he went to bed while I posted to my blog.
*  This was a class sample from Tuesday, showing how a quilt can be made with as little as one stack-n-whack block.  *

Free eggs

I got up at 6:30, came in the house and laid down until 8. I thumbed my nose at the alarm for another 15 minutes. Then I got up to read e-mail and exercise, etc. I juiced a large cucumber and three carrots. About 10:15 I drove to the church on Jordan. The group was involved in a stack-n-whack class. It was interesting to see how the different fabrics were cut up. I showed off the red dove banner. At 11:20 I walked out with Beverly, talking about her t-shirt quilt. I stopped at the Asian store for kimbap and sprouts. I rushed home to put the sprouts in the fridge and grab my phone. I saw that Parker had called, but I raced off again to get to the dentist office by noon. They did not take me right away, so I sat and worked on the binding of the banner. Then the hygienist took me back for cleaning. The dentist stopped by for the check up. She explained about how a night guard would help with the pressure of grinding my teeth. She also recommended botox treatments for that. And then the hygienist finished the zinc oxide polishing. At the front desk, I paid and they gave me a sheet of prices for botox and a night guard. The botox was $500 and repeats every three months. Yeah, right. Don't think so. Massage would be cheaper. From the dentist office, I walked to the post office to mail a card to Michele. I could have driven but did not want to make a left turn on Whitesburg. Then I went home. I ate the kimbap and called Parker. We had a nice conversation. We decided to defer using the lawyer until we serve the eviction notice and see if they move out. Then I grabbed all the egg cartons I could find (5 bags worth) and jumped in the car and went to the farmer's market. I gave the bags to the stand that sells eggs. She was so happy she gave me a carton of eggs for free. Then I visited the Wagyu man. He brought a frozen tongue, heart, and liver from the last butchering. I had just paid for it when another woman walked up. She was interested in organ meats, and quite disappointed to hear that I had just bought it all. Then I went to another stand to buy peppers and next to that, apples. I took my purchases home and put them in the fridge. I wondered if I should have given back one of the organs for the lady to buy? Then I read e-mail and listened to an audio about a man who recovered from cancer through special nutrients to support his immune system. I ate an egg, and raked leaves in the back yard. I practiced driving Chris' car in the driveway. I read some e-mail, then swept deck and patio. Denise called to find out the latest on the eviction. I watched a short tapping video. Then I got the proposed eviction letter from Parker. It did not have any 'teeth' in it. So I looked up the statutes to put specifics into it. Chris skyped me. We talked about the cost and benefits of getting a lawyer involved. After he hung up, I bought a Notice of Eviction on-line for $11. It said it was drafted by a lawyer, but I was pretty unimpressed with it. So I drafted my own based on it, and sent it to our agent, knowing that we might go with the lawyer after all. It got late, so I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Learning to drive, slowly

Before I went to bed, I made up 8 doses of supplements for the week. I am experimenting with higher doses of liver detoxifiers. I started an order for supplements that were low and some that curb cravings. I used speaker wire and an old screwdriver for a makeshift grounding rod in front of the tent. The screwdriver would not go all the way in the ground. During the night, the tarp rustled in the wind, which sounded like other things one would not want to be present in the dark. It was hard to filter out what sounds were important and which ones were not.

I got up at 7:30, went in and laid down until 8. I took out the trash, and put Netflix in the mail. I turned on the router, drank water, and swished. I took my morning dose of Vitamin C and read e-mail. I exercised, then remembered to add a new shower filter to the order. I played a CD called “Effortless Efficiency” and folded the laundry. I called Parker to confirm that she got the e-mail, but all I got was her voicemail. I finished exercising and juiced. Howard called to see how things were going. I drank the juice slowly, and made breakfast. I ate most of it and packed a lunch. I rolled my sewing gear out to the car, and drove to the church. Not many ladies there and no one knew why. I showed off the red dove banner and worked with Bertha on Barbara's quilt. I ate lunch with the ladies. Dad called to ask how to donate to ALS. Carolyn gave me some advice on what to do about the rental house. Martha told me to soak my foot in epsom salts to make getting the splinter easier to get out. Bertha drove home with me. She sat with me while I drove Chris' car up to the mailbox and back. I originally thought we would be driving around the block, but the driveway was enough for me. Now I think I can practice that much for a week. Maybe next week we can go around the block. I brought in the mail and the trash can. I finished breakfast with added coconut oil. I sent Dad the ALS link to make a donation. I e-mailed Chris the amount of a bill, and listened to part of an audio. I took my second dose of Vitamin C. I raked leaves in the back yard, mowed, and worked the screwdriver further into the ground. I called Denise to talk about our agent hiring a lawyer to do what she would normally do. She told me to call our agent and ask all my questions because they were good questions. I don't like conflict or confrontation, so I tapped. Then I called, but only got her voicemail. So I sent an e-mail. I tapped some more and then researched tenant-landlord law in NC as well as eviction procedures. I skyped with Chris and shared my day. He reminded me that he will be here in 2 weeks. We hung up and I posted to my blog, not sure my day was over yet.

*  For some reason, this picture is upside down  *

A good performance - Finally!

Last night I went to bed inside because it was so late and I wanted to be sure to hear my alarm ring. I slept well, and it might have been because of all the 5-HTP I took today. I had the window open and it sounded like a quiet night out there.

I got up this morning and checked on the alarm. It was 7:59. So I went back to bed to listen, wondering if the open window would drown it out. But it did not. I turned on the router and the laptop. I practiced my trombone using the one piece I worked on yesterday. I looked at the other piece, but there was nothing to go on to fill in the blanks. I got the laundry up from the basement. I exercised, and took my supplements. I checked e-mail and made breakfast. I read about the benefits of kale and wondered why I haven't planted any yet. I have the seed packet sitting on the counter in the kitchen. I watched part of an X-File episode again, looking for the x at the bottom of the screen that indicated a deleted scene. This time I found it. I listened to an audio designed to put one into a zen state. Before it was over, I realized that my time was growing short. I took a shower and dressed for church. I packed up my trombone and its stand and put them in the car. As I drove, the song “Get me to the church on time” came into my head. I could not remember the original words, so I wrote my own.

“I'm playing trombone in the morning,

ding dong the phone alarm will ring.

E-mail will miss me, neighbors will SHH me,

but get me to the church on time.”

And I did get to the church on time. In fact, it was like being early because the adult Sunday school class had not yet vacated the sanctuary where we (the praise band) needed to practice. When they did, we set up and practiced the first song. It went ok, but the soloist was missing because he did not get the memo about practicing. Then we practiced the second song. I sang but did not play. That went well. Then we all sat in the roped-off section for the service. My trombone sat on its stand next to me. We performed the first song when the choir usually does its anthem. For the first time, my part sounded like it fit the song. I was happy with it. But my heart was thudding afterward. Then we sang the second song during communion. After the service, I got a lot of compliments. Even Art Miller said it and he strongly prefers traditional music. But he liked the glissando at the end. Tim asked me to consider taking over the financial secretary job (counting money). As I handed in my 2015 giving slip to Art Lange, I offered to help him count any time. Then I put my trombone in the car and drove to Publix. I got the usual groceries along with something labeled “Yellow Yam”. As I walked out to the car, I was over come with a feeling of optimism and high energy that I have not felt in years. I attributed it to something new I am doing or ingesting this week. I came home to put the groceries away and change my clothes. I ate some fermented cabbage, and tried the new kind of cheese. It was incredibly salty and I could not eat it. I found a piece of fabric to back the dove pulpit cloth. I pinned it on. Then I auditioned several fabric for binding. I chose one and cut the strips and sewed them together. I ironed it in half and sewed it onto the edges of the quilt. I was taking a chance binding it before quilting it. But it was after two. I packed it with thread and scissors in a tote and drove to the group that meets in a storage building. While I hand-sewed the binding down, we talked and commiserated, and teased. We had a good time. One by one, we packed up and went home. I left with the last of them. I came home to have a bite to eat. Chris sent me an e-mail to go to the rental agent, asking for my thoughts. I sent him my version of it for his approval. Then we skyped for awhile. I got concerned that the rental agent would not have time to approve our e-mail (necessary for legal purposes) so I sent my version to her before Chris sent back his thoughts. She did not respond so I hope she got it. I went downstairs to join the ends of the binding so I can finish the hand-sewing at some point. Then I came up to check e-mail. I got a confirmation e-mail from Chris. I tried to get into our health care site, but it would not accept the data I gave it. I will have to call them tomorrow. Then I called my dad to see how he was doing. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.

*  This is a raffle quilt that another guild made and displayed at our meeting  *

Unusual food

I found a splinter in my foot after I blogged. I dug at it with a needle, but could not get it out. Before shutting down my computer, I completed an Amazon order for a kindle version of John Grey's book. Then I had to boot up my tablet to see if it transferred, and could not tell because what appeared was a page from a previous kindle book I was reading and I did not know how to get out of it so that I could get back in at the same page. I dressed for bed and went out to the tent. Thankfully I brought the mp3 headphones. The wind rustled the tarp loudly and often. I had to get up to secure it with twine so that I would not have to worry about it flying off in the middle of the night. Then I turned on the headphones and tried to sleep. I guess sleep was looking for me in the house because it had a hard time finding me in the tent.

I woke up at 7:30 and unwound the twine so I could get out of the tent. I went in the house to lay down until 8. I stayed in bed a little longer and then turned on the router and my laptop. I cleared e-mail while swishing to detox. Jennifer had e-mailed me which songs she wants to do in church tomorrow. So I spent longer than I wanted trying to make a workable part out of the more familiar of the two songs. I wish I hadn't said I would do it.

I unstacked the dishwasher. I washed 2 beef kidneys a lot, and then boiled then in a pot. I hadn't done this in over 20 years and hoped the results would be better this time. I also washed and oiled 3 sweet potatoes, and put them in the oven. I listened to a David Wolfe video on colors in food while I juiced and made breakfast. I ate breakfast while reading e-mail. There was a short video from FoodGrowingPeople – they said that when bugs eat on your plants, that increases the nutrition. Interesting thought. Then I heard an audio on fermented foods, vs yeast overgrowth. I laid out in the sun for 20 minutes. I clipped the tarp to the tent in a way so as to encourage air flow. There was more e-mail to read. I separated the laundry into two loads, and took them to the basement. While the washer ran, I worked on a backing for a quilt. Same for the dryer. There was some fabric in the wash, so when it came out, I ironed it dry. I came upstairs to look for a picture of a quilt top and got sidetracked reading e-mail. I ate some of the sweet potatoes that I baked. One was a Korean sweet potato and it was purple in the middle, and very sweet.  I had some beef kidney too, and it was much better than last time.  I played videos from marsvenus.com. I looked up Faraday cages and learned about the threat of an EMP. People are building faraday cages for their short wave radios and other electronics in case an EMP wipes out the electrical grid. Then I watched the two remaining X-Files episodes on the DVD. I went back to checking e-mail and soon Michele skyped me. When Chris was able, he joined us. We had a three-way chat. Michele told me that I should feel free to tell people that I am busy when they ask me to do stuff I don't want to do. That conversation ended after 11:30, so now I really must get to bed.

*  This is Elaine's quilt from show-n-tell  *

Supplements for everything

Last night was noisy: cars and planes and helicopters and trucks and things I couldn't identify. What goes on at night in this town? Also, some small nocturnal creature crawled under the tent floor and was scratching around. Why it had to scratch near me I don't know. I took a few whacks at it from time to time to keep it under control. And it rained, but due to the tarp, no water came in.

I woke early, but did not get up right away. When I did, it was a little before 8. I cleared some e-mail, and made a phone call. Then I went downstairs to make the rest of the piping and baste it to the sides of a quilt, all while swishing. I read more e-mail, looking for an audio to play while I exercised. The audio was on ways to boost brain power. Glutathione was mentioned, and amino acids to make cravings go away, and niacin, to name a few. I made breakfast and ate it before the audio was over. William called because he found a sewing basket in his truck. I had to take some of the piping off because it was too wavy. Then I put borders on. I added the cornerstones to the borders. I took a piece of the border and tried writing on it. It was all good. I laid out in the sun for 20 minutes. The tarp had blown part way off of the tent, so I pulled it back into place. Parker called while I was outside so I called her back, but she did not answer. I took a shower, and then she called. The tenants did not deliver a check and signed papers yesterday (which was the deadline) but did come in today to offer another month at the old rent and to start the new rent next month. I said no and we discussed getting a lawyer to start the eviction process. Then I had to run to get to post. But I forgot my badge and had to go back for it. I delivered the quilt. I also agreed to look at Jennifer's old quilt, which she says needs restoration or to be made into something new. I had an easy drive home. I ate the rest of the meat, and took the supplements that I forgot to take with breakfast. I wrote to Chris about what Parker and I discussed. Then a big scratch appeared on my hand. It was the weirdest thing. I put coconut oil on it. I brought in the mail. There was a small package for Chris, so I e-mailed him about that. Kurt contacted me by skype text. I raked leaves in back yard for some fresh air. I listened to a John Gray audio on treating autism and adhd with supplements and other therapies. Then I watched 2 episodes of X-Files. I saved two more for tomorrow night. I checked e-mail until Chris got on Skype. We talked and he flexed his muscles for me. Then we hung up so I could write to my blog and go to bed.

*  This is a comfy quilt top that reminds me of the night sky.  *

From overly-emotional to totally bored

I was tired last night and just fell into bed in the house. I appreciated that it was darker in my bedroom than in the tent. Maybe my intuition was at work, because it rained last night. I could hear the cars swooshing by this morning. I was waiting to hear my phone alarm, but finally got up anyway. It was almost 9, so I missed the alarm somehow. I took out the recyclables. I read e-mail and there was a message from the real estate agent BCC'ing me on an e-mail to the tenants. Finally armed with the husband's accurate name, I looked it up and saw that he was convicted of domestic violence. So I wrote her and she said yes it was him. Then I saw that he was a convicted felon. That threw me into a tizzy. I juiced, and listened to part of an audio while I considered. Then I tried calling people I know who might have some advice. I e-mailed Chris and called his father and our agent in Huntsville. Al called back and we spoke. Then the agent in Pinehurst called while I was outside pulling wet bedding from the tent and spreading it on the fence. We spoke and she assured me that the laws are stricter now and under the new lease, we will have options that we do not have now.

On my way to the car to go to Stitch-its, Denise called. We talked about the situation briefly. Then she had to go, so I went on to the quilt group. I spoke to some of them. One said its too bad I don't 'know' someone who can 'take care of' the situation. Hmmm. Denise called back. After going through the whole thing, she said it sounded well thought out. But I remember last night a voice in my head saying “Get them out now.” After listening to an audio on intuition yesterday, I had to wonder how much weight to give that voice. When I went home, I made breakfast and ate it, listening to another audio, this one on the advisability of dental implants and bone grafts. Then there was one on nutrition for women. I brought in the mail. Netflix had graced me with another X-Files DVD. All the bedding was dry, so I refolded it and put it back in the tent. Then I pulled the tarp over the top to keep out any rain and excess light. I went downstairs to work on piping for a few minutes. Then I came up to check e-mail and get ready for guild meeting. I changed clothes to something appropriate for air conditioning. And put on my name tag. I grabbed two books to donate to the quilt auction next month. When I got there, I stood in line to have my picture taken for the directory. When they mentioned that they had found my picture from last year, I encouraged them to use it and I went to find Jodi whom I was supposed to join for Comfy Quilts. She took my name tag and went to get tickets for both of us. (We get raffle tickets for bringing our nametags.) We sat and answered questions about the Comfy Quilt program for those who stopped by. Then the meeting began with the usual line up. When they got to our part, Jodi asked for tall people to help show the donated quilts off. That left me free to do what I like best – take pictures of them. Afterward the quilts were folded and stuffed in bags. I told her I would help her carry them out at the end of the meeting. I regretted that decision because the program was long and boring. Linda Carlson gave a history of four-block quilts. She said she had 150 slides and I believe it. I am glad I don't snore. I would have walked out early if not for my promise. When it was over, someone else beat me to helping Jodi carry the quilts out. I was so tired it was hard to drive home – only three miles. Chris was waiting for me on Skype. We talked about the day's events. He did not see a downside to the offer. So I guess I will sign it when it comes to me. Anyway, I drank some water, did some tapping videos that I hadn't gotten to yet, and downloaded the pics from my camera – and deleted them since the memory is almost full. I am writing to my blog now and expect to go to bed soon.

Waiting for Chris

There was a lot of noise last night. It sounded like a big vehicle moving slowly around the neighborhood. I could not imagine what that was about. I tapped, relaxed and went to sleep. I did not need a bathroom break in the middle of the night.

I woke up before 8, and swept out the tent, then went in the house. I read through my e-mail. I saw that the tenants have already accepted the new price but they want stove and dishwasher replaced. I listened an audio on Six Simple Things to Balance your Brain, Belly and Booty ” which were broccoli (sprouts), bubbling (fermenting), being (relax and notice thoughts), bronzing (sun exposure), bathing (with baking soda and epsom salts), baking (substituting for flour and other ingredients). I swished with coconut oil, and exercised, and boiled coffee. My second audio was Eliminate Anxiety and Emotional Eating Using Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids. That was pretty good. I finished my detox, and then talked to Parker about the tenants wanting us to do the yardwork because of the higher price. I am not sure what that was about since they don't do it anyway. I laid out in the sun, and this time no clouds interfered. I picked tomatoes, oiled them, and put them in the fridge. I sent a note to Parker about defining their part of cleaning up the yard before we take over it's maintenance. I juiced veggies and some sweet potato vine. It wasn't half bad, but the juicer did not like the fibrous nature of it. I drank the juice and then cleaned up the juicer. I also cleaned the pot and pan from last night, and the kitchen sink and bathroom sink. I took a shower, and made breakfast. Parker and I talked about the new rental agreement that is expected to be signed tomorrow. I raked leaves off of the porch, the patio, and in the back yard. I put them on the garden. I ate some meat that came off of the bones I boiled last night. I listened to a tapping audio while looking at a quilting catalog that came in the mail today. Before it finished, I had to change clothes, and iron my wrap-around pants. Then I took my tablet to choir practice. It came in handy for some of the unfamiliar songs. When I got home, I drank water with ginger. I finished the audio. I spent a few minutes pinning and sewing piping in its fabric strip. Then I practiced my trombone just enough to say I did it. I sat at my laptop, typing up my notes for my blog, waiting for Chris to get on Skype. I sang Disney songs with Youtube for quite a while. I was getting frustrated at how late it was. I packed the recyclables into their respective plastic bags. I tied up the trash. I skype-texted Chris. I took the recycling and trash outside to their appropriate resting places. When I came in, I saw that Chris had replied, so I replied to his reply and went to the bathroom. Then he skyped me and we talked shortly. He was tired and went to bed, and I am more than ready to go to bed.

*  Pic taken at the Chattanooga show  *

Bones

I watched one more episode of X-Files before going to bed, not certain that was a good idea. But it wasn't too scary, so did not keep my awake. I did some tapping in the tent until I was more relaxed. So I fell asleep sooner, but had to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Then I woke up before 7, hearing a small creature trying to get in or under the tent. I got up just after 7 to come in the house and lay down in bed until 8. Then I turned on the router. I vacuumed the laptop fan ports, then fired it up. I put the Netflix copy of X-files in the mail. I played an audio while I exercised and juiced. I made and drank extra juice. Then I grabbed three borrowed books and headed out. When I got to the group, I waved to a few people, then gave the books to Jane. Then Beverly and I spread out her quilt and looked at stitching. I noticed that the top tension was too tight on the sample sandwich she had made. She had started hand-quilting it in 30 degree lines, but found it difficult to go through the t-shirts. Jane suggested that she machine quilt it in boxes instead. Beverly wanted to know if her machine would do it. Since hers is like mine, I offered to have her come over and try it on my machine, but she declined. On the way home, I stopped at the Asian store for kimbap and sprouts. I waited until I got home to eat the kimbap and had some kimchi with it. Then I made fermented nut cheese with the soaked nuts from Sunday. I watered some dry plants and tried to lay out, but the sun went behind a cloud. So I brought the mail in, and mowed. Then I laid out again. Still not 20 minutes though. I watched an episode of TQS. I struggled with g-mail to get the up/down arrows back so I could look at older messages. Beverly called to tell me that she had tried it on her machine and it did not go so well, but that she would try it again. Then it was time to run to the farmer's market for beef bones and tow peppers. I also stopped at the dentist office to make an appointment for Chris next month. When I got home, I left the bones out to defrost. I checked e-mail. I cut red fabric for piping, and cut gold fabric for borders. I even started sewing piping inside the fabric strip – ugh! Then I slipped cardboard in the AC registers to block the cold air so it will go upstairs and not down. I put the bones in a big pot with water and turned on the burner. I talked to Parker. I was all for eviction, but she talked me into giving them one day to sign up for a $400 raise in rent before beginning the process. Then I went out to mow in the front and side yards. I checked the bones. I ate some beef tongue. I put some basil leaves in a small jar and filled it with olive oil. I watched parts of two more TQS episodes. I took the bones out to cool and cut the meat off of them. Then I boiled the broth again to reduce it. I Skyped with Chris, stopping once to turn off the burner before the broth boiled too low. He helped me got the up/down arrows back.  After he hung up, I wrote to my blog and considered going to bed (after I put the broth away).

*  This is an odd shaped quilt from the Chattanooga show.   *

Time's up

I woke up early, hearing the birds sing. My back was less than happy, but I had to admit it had been a good night otherwise. The temperature was comfortable, it did not rain, no dogs barking, little traffic noise, and I did not have to go to the bathroom. It was not as dark as I had hoped since the neighbors back porch light was on all night. And the cicadas were loud, but that wasn't so bad. With a little more padding, it might be ok next time. I stayed in the tent for some time trying to ease my back. Then I got up and went in the house. The grass was nice and dry under my feet. It was almost 8. I laid down in my real bed and promptly went to sleep. Two hours later, I got up, feeling really frustrated for having lost 2 hours out of my day. I got dressed and put some envelopes in the mail. I skimmed my e-mail, and did some tapping. I put on an audio on juicing, and did my exercises, as well as juiced. I packed a lunch of seaweed, cherry tomatoes, apple and quinoa bars and went to quilting. At first only Bertha and Dinah were there. The others were either out to lunch or at a retreat. I showed Dinah the doll with the broken face. She said she could get another head if she knew more about the doll and where it came from. Rebecca and Jody came back from lunch. Rebecca, Bertha and I worked on Barbara's quilt. Melissa dropped by to talk to Jody and then I remembered that I had agreed to help Jody in Melissa's place 'cause she's moving. Sometime after three, we remaining three packed up and cleaned up. I had eaten my lunch. So when I went home, I thought I would have breakfast. But I got the mail and found a box addressed to Chris on the front porch. And then I mowed the sideyard. Then, I was really hungry and the closest food was leftover beef tongue so I ate that. I checked e-mail and saw one from our rental agent. Today is the 15^th and the date the tenants must move out. But she said they had an appt with her over the weekend and canceled it, saying they would meet with her on Tuesday or Wednesday to discuss staying and paying more rent. I remembered buying some mushrooms on Friday and figured they weren't getting any fresher. So I hunted them up and fried them in a pan with coconut oil. While I was cooking, and then eating the shrooms, I thought about how these people never take the rent or our arrangement seriously. And if they hadn't made an offer yet (which has been in the works for at least a year), they probably aren't going to now, so this is just another delaying tactic. I got out my phone to call the rental agent and saw that Beverly had called. So I called her back. She wanted to talk about machine quilting a t-shirt quilt since her machine is like mine. Then I called the rental agent, and got her voice mail. I left a message saying I was upset that they neither moved out nor made an offer. Then I wrote her an e-mail and said I wanted them out now even if it means eviction. They'd had plenty of time to do more than just talk about what offer they intended to make. And IF they called her tonight, the price had just gone up even higher. Frustrated, I went outside to mow again. I made it to the back yard, then put the mower away. I took some more blankets out to the tent for padding, and moved the pile of bedding to another spot (in case the slant of the ground was bad for my back). I also draped a tarp over one side to cut down on the lights. Then I came back in to check e-mail. Mirna called to find out where I get my hair cut so she could get hers cut. I took notes for my blog, and then located the mail (by the front door) and opened it. I took note of what Chris needed to now and recycled the rest. I practiced my trombone briefly as I passed it by. I washed out some intimates, and poured the water on the compost pile. I set up the laptop in the den and watched an episode of X-files. Just as it ended, Chris skyped me. We did not talk for long as he was pretty tired. Then I got dressed for bed and checked my e-mail one more time.

Sunday of the Holy Cross

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I had heard someone rattling the door knob to the bedroom. I laid awake for sometime with my heart thudding. I knew the doors were locked so it HAD to be something else. Later the alarm sounded and I got up. I checked e-mail, and prepared breakfast. I made up new batch of vitamins for the week while listening to an audio on Psychosomatic and Holistic medicine. I took my shower and got dressed. For some reason I chose to wear my red skirt. I found a bowl in the dining room, and washed it. I cut up the quinoa protein bars in the jellyroll pan and arranged them in the bowl. I covered it with plastic wrap, and took it with my folder out to the car. I checked to see if my music was in the folder and it wasn't, so I had to run back in and grab it off of the piano.

Still, I arrived at church in time to practice with the women of the choir. We only had two sopranos, but by the time we sang during the service, there were seven. The intern gave the sermon. She did a great job with the kids, involving them in finding cross shapes in the sanctuary because today was cross Sunday. It happens whenever September 14^th falls on a Sunday. Then with the adults, she had them pair up and make crosses on each others foreheads. Afterward we told her what a good job she did. We all gathered in the fellowship hall then to surprise our choir director with a celebration of her new American citizenship. The Sanders bought a Publix cake with both the American flag and the Canadian flag. Elaine and I each brought something healthy to eat. She brought sliced tomatoes with Parmesan cheese on top. She wanted my recipe for the quinoa bars. I got to take some home. It was very crumbly and she suggested it would be a good topping on yogurt. When I left the church, I went to Publix for groceries. Then I went home. While carrying everything into the house, I noticed the pepper needed watering so I did that, and put a dish under it so it can keep some of the water I gave it. I also watered the tomatoes in the compost pile. Then I changed clothes and mowed part of the front lawn. After I plugged in the mower, I cleared some space under the trees with a rake, and then leveled it with my trowel. I unfolded our cabin tent, staked it down, and then sorted the poles. I wished I had a picture. But eventually I figured it out. I was really proud when I got it up. I used my gauss meter to make sure there were no electrical fields nearby. I put two sleeping bags inside. I found an exercised mat and washed it, to add a layer of comfort to the bedding. I auditioned borders for a quilt, which was easily done - perhaps too easily- and then removed some pieces to get signatures. I remade my wool pillow to be lower and put it in the tent. I put a defrosted beef tongue in a large pot of water in the oven. I mowed again, still not able to finish the front yard. I put more stuff in tent, like sheets and blankets. I plugged in my mp3 headphones in case I needed them tonight to block out sounds. I thought of every problem I could think of and had a plan. I took some pieces off the quilt. The beef tongue was finished, so I ate about half while read e-mail. I called Alfred to ask a question, and we talked about gardening and growing herbs. I listened to an audio on the evolution of autoimmunity until Chris called. He did not share my enthusiasm for sleeping in a tent, but he did not try to talk me out of it either. I put away the remaining beef tongue and juice, then washed and soaked cashews and sunflower seeds for tomorrow. I mixed up some starter for culturing vegetables. I finished the audio and wrote notes for my blog. After I pick a photo, I will publish my blog post and spend the night in the tent.

pf

Chattanooga quilt show

I woke up in the middle of the night shivering. I checked the thermostat and it read 80 as usual. I put my quilt back on the bed and curled up under it. I never quite went back to sleep before the alarm went off at 5:45. I took a hot shower to warm up. Initially I dressed in shorts, but checked the weather for Chattanooga and saw that it would be mid-70's. Add to that being inside an airconditioned space, and pants seemed more logical. I grabbed my lunch bag from the fridge and put it in my backpack. I thought of a few other things which I quickly grabbed. I ate some cashews and put the rest in my sack. I jumped in the car and drove to the church. What should have taken 20 minutes, only took 15 at that time of morning. The bus was idling and people were on it. I checked in with the supervisor and boarded the bus. By 6:55 we were all there and the bus departed. We made two stops to pick up other ladies on the way. We made one rest stop, and the bus driver got turned around. I would not want to be a bus driver with a load of women with smart phones. They all told him he was going the wrong way. When we got to Chattanooga, he passed the convention center and kept going. I guess he saw it but could not stop to let us off because we were on the other side of the street. Eventually he got the bus turned the right way and idled in the loading zone. Our supervisor went inside to get the tickets, and then handed them to us as we disembarked. We went inside to turn in our tickets whereupon our hands were stamped to enter the quilt show. At first all I could see were vendor booths. But eventually I found the quilt displays. I took pics as I went up and down the rows. That did not take long because it was a small show. The National Quilt Museum had two displays, but we were not allowed to take photos there. Then I wandered through the vendor spaces. I bought two fat quarters and a book. We had hours left before boarding the bus, so I went to the other exhibition hall. There were cow quilts, patriotic quilts, island quilts, and 'bad-ass' quilt. Sorry, but that is the word that was used. I took a few pics there too, and had to delete some from my camera to make room. I went out front to eat the rest of the cashews and two apples. Then I went up to the rotunda for some peace and quiet. I could smell barbeque, baked beans, and cole slaw from the buffet being served below. I tried to drift off. I did doze, but the chair just wasn't very comfortable. After more than an hour, I got up and walked around. I explored the terrace outside. I went through the quilt show again, in case I had missed something. My attention was caught by one labeled “Money really does grow on trees”. I could not find anything in the pictorial quilt to make sense of the title. Then I walked through the vendor section again, thinking that they might have reduced their prices so late on the last day. But no. I did buy some blue fabric in a panel and a print. I looked for light reds, but did not find what I wanted. Then I noticed that it was 10 minutes until the bus left. This group likes to meet early and leave early, so I went out. I was one of the last people, but then we waited for two others. When they came on board, we went to a shop called Spool. It was not in a good place for a tour bus. He drove us around the block looking for a place to park. Then we had to walk back to the store. Inside I met ladies from the modern guild. We had a nice chat before they left and I perused the store. Sadly it was too dim in there to really see colors and I did not want to buy reds that were not right for my project. So I ended up sitting outside with a nice lady who has lived in Huntsville all her life. When we boarded the bus, we waited for the same two people. Then we were off to Cracker Barrel. I still had two apples left, but did not see how I could easily get out of eating with the others. So we lined up at the Cracker Barrel counter, and were seated in sets of 4. Everyone at my table got the chicken salad. I ate all of mine except for the croutons and cheese. The others did not finish their salads. We paid and waited outside for the bus. I took the chance to visit the restroom, and when I got back, they were lined up and boarding. I sat with my seatmate, and we talked on the way back. She got off at the second stop. At the third, we all got off. I realized that I had prepared a great deal for getting there, but not at all for getting back. The last part was one-way. So the lady across the aisle called it up on her phone and showed me how to get back to the street I started from. When I drove it, it looked different, but somehow I did make it. I was glad to get home. It was after dark and I forgot to leave a light on. I checked the mail, and brought my stuff in. I opened my laptop to check e-mail. I downloaded and sent Dad the files he asked for. I had a headache, so I sat in the dark waiting for Chris to call. Since he and Michele were gaming, I did not want to miss the chance to speak with Michele. However, when he called, she was gone already. So we spoke briefly, I told him I had spent lots of money and he said I was worth it. Gee, I could have spent more! Then he hung up so I could go to bed.

Delivery day

Last night I looked for places to spend the night in a cave, but it was always paired with a difficult cave crawl, and had a group minimum. Then I tried to sleep downstairs but something that smelled like furniture polish kept me awake. Finally I went back upstairs and waited for sleep to catch me.

I woke just after 7. I listened to an audio that I did not get to last night. I read some e-mail, and cleared a lot more. I exercised, boiled eggs, and put sheets and towels in the washing machine. I took my pre-breakfast supplements. I tried a potassium bicarbonate and diatomaceous earth detox. I finished the Christmas ball while listening to a memory audio. A shipment I had checked on earlier in the week was listed as 'shipped'. I had been checking for it every day. In fact, I sang to myself:

Shipped...but not delivered

Shipped...but not delivered

Its in the mail today

Its on its way they say

Just shipped...and not delivered

Well, today I checked the front porch and there it was!

I stacked the dishwasher, juiced, and made breakfast. I put a load of clothing in the washer. I sat quietly to meditate. Then I took a shower, and put the sheets back on the bed. I filled a water bottle with ginger water, and put some fermented nut cheese in a baggie for the massage therapist. I sent two excerpts to Dad as a prelude to what he really wanted. Then I drove to Ruth's Nutrition. The massage therapist was ready for me. We talked, then she left while I undressed and laid on the table. She worked on my back and my neck and shoulders. We had discussed a facial, but she said my skin did not need it and I had a lot of tension in my TM joint, so we agreed to work on that instead. It was $20 cheaper than the facial. Mostly it hurt as she worked the tensions out, but when she massaged above my ears, it felt really good. After the massage, we talked in her office and I paid her. We talked about lots of other methods that we had read about. She hugged me and I left. I drank some of the ginger water in my water bottle. Then I drove to the Asian store down the street for a young coconut. I also got a Korean sweet potato, and some mushrooms. I took pics of other foods that looked interesting, but I wanted to look them up before buying any. I paid and drove home. I drank the rest of the ginger water and mowed in the back yard. The mower battery did not last long because the grass was high and I stepped it down a notch. Still, I thought I would have gotten farther. I pulled weeds in the squash bed, including the dead squash vines:( I ate the rest of the nut cheese and put the jar in the dishwasher. A few others things went in, and then I ran the dishwasher. While washing my hands, I noticed the UPS truck out in front. I opened the front door and found 4 boxes on the front porch. Some were squashed and all the contents were hot. I emptied the boxes and put the contents (supplements) in the fridge to cool off. Then I sat in the diningroom to listen to another memory audio while taking notes for my blog. I searched the house for a backpack for tomorrow. I found one but did not think it was the one I used at Paducah. So I looked some more. I found a tent, but no poles. I mowed again even though the mower had not fully recharged. Daylight was fading. Then it was time to stuff the backpack: water bottles, and a fanny pack. I put the most necessary things from my purse in the fanny pack. I washed 5 apples and put them in a lunch sack with a container of cashews. I tried to decide which glasses to take. I set my phone alarm for 5:45. I looked up the Chattanooga Convention Center so I can feel less lost when I get there. I emptied the dishwasher. I put on a meditation audio and laid in bed, listening, until Chris skyped. I talked to him briefly but the connection was so bad we ended it early. I posted to my blog and went back to bed.

Making half of a Christmas ornament

I awoke with the alarm. I fired up the router and my computer. I was skimming through e-mail when I came across an article decrying the Ice Bucket challenge and how it doesn't do what it is supposed to do in raising awareness of ALS. In reading the article, I followed a link to a 60 Minutes broadcast about companies patenting human genes such that other companies cannot do research on them without their permission. That was followed by another program on an English stockbroker who saved 600 Jewish children by getting them out of Germany. He is now 105 and there are 15000 people alive now that wouldn't have been if those 600 hadn't gotten out. I had to stop the video before it brought on yet another story. I suddenly remembered that it was recycle day, so I put them in bags and ran the tub out to the curb. On the way back, I watered things close to the patio. I put on an audio about patient involvement while I exercised, juiced, and made breakfast. I tried to finish a video called “Watch Four Corners: Patently a Problem”. It was about company that patented 'junk' DNA and now is charging outrageous prices for permits to do research.

When it was over, I went to Stitch-its. It was a small group today and they had just finished watching a demonstration of how to make prairie point Christmas ornaments. Charmaine showed me how and gave me a kit. She had a bunch of kits made up. Then she left and Pat sat with me as I tried to make one. She made sure I did not deviate from the instructions. Charmaine had left some pins, which was good since the project is very pin-tensive. Ha, ha. I got about halfway done when the pins ran out. The group was breaking up anyway, so I put the project in my box and went to the bank. I got cash to give to church to save on checks. When I got home, it was raining. I quickly grabbed the recycle bin and held it over my head while I got the mail. Then I went in to get an umbrella. I put my sewing stuff back in the house and got out my collection tubs. But by then the rain had backed off and soon petered out. I read e-mail, and opened the mail. One letter was from my dad, looking for advice which he thinks is easily found on the internet. Ha, ha. I looked it up here and there, called him to tell him what I found, and then reminded him that the advice was worth every cent he paid for it. He accepted that. We talked on for awhile, and then we each had other things to do. I made an eye doctor appointment for Chris. I opened and consumed the contents of a coconut. I watched several short videos on EMF, and RF from routers, laptops and cell phones. I pulled the plug on my laptop and let it run on the battery. I pulled weeds and grass at the edges of the driveway. I meditated and then considered what needed doing the most. I opened up my laptop and there was a skype message from Kurt. Then I sat back and watched an X-files episode on my laptop. When it was over, I sat in the dark and listened to an audio on keeping memory and avoiding alzheimers in old age. Dad called to ask me to look up some forms and e-mail them to him. Chris skyped while I was still talking to him. Skype crashed. Chris called back. We talked for less than half an hour. Then he went to bed and I got to finish my audio – in the dark.

Making Quinoa Protein bars

I got up before 8, started reading e-mail, decided to look up “O Canada” on Youtube. I heard William Shatner 'sing' O Canada, (as a spoof) then get roasted by Will Wheaton. I read e-mail while listening to an audio called Beyond Germ Theory. I opened my coffee detox folder and went through that process. When I was finished, I took some niacin, and watched my skin flush. The book “Clear Body, Clear Mind” says that niacin flushes out radiation because the people who took it flushed in a bathing suit pattern as if recalling a past sunburn. But in my flush there were no strap marks, although it did skip certain parts usually covered. Then I dressed warmly, and pulled my car into the sun. I filled three water bottles and brought the book. I read the book, trying to sweat. Then I took a bathroom break, and refilled the water bottles. I went back and this time sweated. When I took a second break, I made veggie juice, and cleaned up. I sweated some more with Sudoku. Then I came in to cool off and read e-mail. I took a shower, and got dressed. I brought in the mail, but there was nothing good. I looked up how to use quinoa and chia seeds in recipes. I put some almonds and quinoa in dishes to soak. I watched Youtube videos on juicing to get rid of parasites. I boiled thin slices of ginger in one pot and beef bones in another. I ate some beef clinging to the bones before I left. It was tough. I put the ginger tea in a jar. I put the beef in a jar but left the bones in the pot to simmer again when I got home. I went to choir practice with my tablet and music folder. My phone rang in the middle of it, but I just whispered that I couldn't talk and hung up. After practice, Doris gave me a list of informal classes at the college that she is taking, hoping I would sign up for one or more myself. Then Jennifer told me about her recent massage and gave me a coupon in case I wanted one myself. Then I went outside to return the phone call. When I got home, I put the bones back on simmer. I drank some of the ginger tea and decided it needed diluting. I rinsed the quinoa in a mesh basket, then drained, peeled and chopped the almonds. I got out my only jellyroll pan to mix it and other dry ingredient in and toast them, but when I put it in the oven, the door would not close! So I put it in sideways at an angle, hoping the mixture wouldn't slide off. Then I boiled some peanutbutter and maple syrup in a large pot. I mixed it with the toasted stuff and spread it on cling wrap and put it in the fridge. I could just hear the bugs begging me not to clean up the bowls and spoons, but I did. I checked my computer to see if Chris was on yet. Then I practiced my choir music and highlighted my part. Chris still wasn't on, so I wrote my blog post. Then I sat and listened to part of an audio, still waiting for Chris. 

*  This is Lauri's quilt top taken on Monday *

Just love those repeats

I heard two alarms go off, one right after the other. They were separated yesterday so I wondered what the difference was. Before I got up, I imagined my day going well. Then I turned on the router, started swishing, and filled out a form that came yesterday. I had to go out to my car to see how many miles I had driven in the last year. It was only 2000. I got dressed and put two envelopes in the mail. I played an audio on disease prevention and juiced. Then I went to the church on Jordan Lane. I talked to several ladies about what they were working on. Jane had some books and sample blocks related to the Stack-n-Whack class in two weeks. I borrowed some of the books. I helped Jane carry her stuff out. Then I stopped by the Asian store for sprouts and kimbap. As usual, I ate some kimbap on the way home, where I added kimchi and finished it in front of the computer while listening to another audio on women's health. The sun was out, so I laid out. I watered plants in several places. I placed three Swansons orders (the deal was for $5 off of $50 so I broke my order in to $50 sections). I looked for quinoa recipes for Sunday. I looked up the church where the bus will pick us up for the trip to Chattanooga and tried to memorize how to get there. Then I went to the farmer's market and got peppers, lettuce and beef bones. On the way home I stopped by the sewing store to get my foot pedal adjusted so it won't switch into high gear so quickly. He opened it up to show me how it works. Now I know how to tweak it if I need to. When I got home, I brought in the mail and there was an X-files DVD from Netflix. I printed out a recipe that looks promising. I finished an audio on the danger and pervasiveness of EMF's. I sent Jane a link to a pic of La Passacaglia.  I raked leaves off of the back deck and patio. I dumped the leaves in the same place as yesterday. I picked up sticks and pulled weeds growing in the corners of the brick line. I read two of the quilt books and in the middle of the third when I heard the skype sound from my laptop. It was Chris and we had our nightly try at making conversation. Then I listened to an audio on women discovering what they need out of life. Just as the audio was ending, my phone rang. The massage therapist called to say she could fit me in tomorrow at noon. But I told her that tomorrow is detox day. So she offered me a time on Friday and I took it. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Another quilting day

I heard the phone alarm go off and thought it was 8. But I stayed in bed and then it rang again with a different tune. Then I got up. I turned on the router and went through the first round of e-mail. I listened to an audio on the evolution of gastroenterology from the EVOMED summit. I did my exercises and took my pre-breakfast supplements. The next one was on the evolution of health technology. I juiced, cleaned up, and made breakfast. After eating breakfast, I took my supplements and got dressed. I packed seaweed, fermented nut cheese and an apple. Then I rolled my sewing stuff to the car and drove to the church. I met Cheryl on her way in. It was before noon, so when the ladies sat down to lunch, I did, too. Joan was not there to give me a hard time about my food. After lunch Rebecca and I marked some of Barbara's quilt. I worked part of it while many of the women had a meeting about bible study and dieting. Then we re-hooped and marked again. Then four of us were able to handquilt at one time: Alice, Rebecca, Bertha and me. It was after three when we finished what was marked. One by one we packed up and headed home. It was a fun day. I drank my water at home, and changed my clothes to mow. I finished the back yard and put the mower away. I brought in the mail. I read e-mail for awhile. Then I went outside with a rake and the wheelbarrow to pick up leaves. I dumped two loads on the small back flower bed. It was getting dark so I retired to my sewing room. I played an audio while sewing red strips onto a foundation. The audio ended and then I talked to myself while I sewed. I finished up the second row about 9. I took the laptop upstairs and looked for Chris on skype. When he was done skyping his father for his birthday, Chris skyped me. We talked for a bit, then investigated Alabama state parks as something to do for our anniversary. Then he went to bed and I stayed up to blog.

*  This is a donation block for Do Good Stitches.  I plan to make two of my own to donate.  *

Rally Day

I woke up just before 7, much to my surprise. I took a shower and went through my closet looking for something casual but not too casual for an outdoor service. I settled on my white reception dress. The elastic around the top has stretched out over the years (it'll be 24 next month), so I got a needle and thread to sew it to my bra straps. I did some tapping for having a fun and relaxed day. I made and ate breakfast while reading e-mail. When I took my supplements, I decided to check the fermenting cabbage jars. I saw mold on two of them. I scraped it off, and pushed the cabbage under the juice. But then I was late. I grabbed my music, instrument and stand, and went to church. We (the praise band) practiced outside under the tent. Between the large fans and the wind, our music kept blowing away. After praise band practice, I practiced with the choir. Then I ran out to the car to get the quilt I am donating to the church to raise money for the intern fund. On the way out, I saw Shannon who moved away in January. When I got back from handing off the quilt, it was time to play for the prelude. My trombone was in place on its stand, so once I got the music clipped to the stand, we were ready. It went passingly well. Then the service started. The choir sang early in the service, which was good. Jennifer introduced me to her husband who goes to a different church. After the service, I packed up my trombone. I followed Jeanne out to her car. She had made a dove to put on the pulpit cloth that I had made. We took it to the sanctuary to hold up in place and discuss binding and hanging. She left it with me to bind. Then I went outside to find out about the game I was supposed to run. I was given a verbal set of rules, and a handful of tickets. I grabbed a chair to sit on under the umbrella that was provided. The intern and a little boy were playing the bean bag game. I gave them each a ticket even though neither got a bean bag through the hole. Personally I thought the forms were too far apart. Two other boys came to play. I gave them tickets just for getting close. Really, the point of the game was to hand out tickets which could be redeemed for prizes. So I found reasons to give them. Mostly I sat there with little to do. Shannon came over and we got to catch up. She might be staying in the area for awhile! When my shift was up, I headed home to change (the remaining elastic in my dress was losing its strength in the heat and sweat) and to get a fresh camera battery, and to pick up a piece of acrylic to hold my music on the stand. I had been told that we (the praise band) were playing at 1. But Jen called me on my way home to say they were ready and where was I. So I rushed to complete the task and get back. By then, Jennifer the choir director was singing John Denver songs and playing guitar. She was done about 1, but then the bingo started. So I went to the food table and made a salad from the hamburger fixings. Then Jennifer and her husband came over with a small plate of something Turkish that he had made. It was a thank you gift because I had sponsored him in a charity run in Canada. It was quite good. I ate about 1/3^rd. Then the praise band was ready. Having the acrylic sheet over the music helped SO much. The three songs went well. And then I was done. It took me two trips to carry everything out to the car. Then I went to Publix for a few groceries. When I got home, I threw the veggies in the fridge and ate the rest of the Turkish food. Then I rolled my sewing stuff out to the car and drove to the church on the corner where the ladies were making Linus quilts. There weren't any spots near the wall to set up, but Bertha said she was done sewing and I could use her machine while she pressed and cut. I worked on the blue quilt pattern presented back in July. I got to pick fabric scraps out of the trash. The ladies wanted to know what I did with the scraps so I told them about the scrap rugs. One lady was particularly interested so I invited her to follow me home. She had come with someone else, so they both came to my house to see my fabric collection and the rugs. We had a great time discussing fabric and other cultures and so forth. They hated to leave, but had a long ways home. I needed to mow, which I did after eating some cherry tomatoes. Then afterward I ate a sweet potato and the rest of breakfast that I left to mix with fiber powder and coconut milk later. I brought up some tennis balls to rest my head on, sort of like a product called the Still Point Inducer. I listened to an audio and wrote notes to my blog. I looked up Canadian recipes and did not find anything useful for an after-church function. Chris came online and Skyped me. After more than an hour, we hung up. He went to bed, and I continued my search for Canadian recipes.