Sorry - no pictures -my day just flew by so fast . I had to go to the hospital to have blood work done and we went to DH's doctor to pick up his cancer medicine to replace the ones that he burned up . One of the gals that worked there told him that she had a glass top stover also and she was forever turning on the wrong eye too. LOL
We ended up making several little stops along the way and it was late when we got home. I ran around doing the evening chores and all of a sudden a real wild thunder storm came -thunder and lightening and wild rain.  I did not get my small load of landry off of the clothes line, but I did get those teenage chickens moved back in the building and everybody locked up for safety.
Now it is dark already and I am Pooped ~so I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know you are thought of.
hugs, Linda

This is my super-dooper new wagon that DH and I put together yesterday. I almost forgot I had it ready and standing by for this morning. I can tell that I have a lot to learn about wagons, as I never had one as a child. I have already learned if you have a full load on it that it does not appreciate slight Hills-as she wants to turn over on you. I guess the wheels need to be further apart to be more stable. That was my first lesson this morning when I loaded her up to make my rounds  I did not turn her over -but I sure did severely "TIP" her .I can tell this will take some caution because we live on hills. I also took a bungee cord and stretched it across to help hold things in place-so my water jugs would quit scooting around and tipping my water.

I even learned " That I Had Forgotten What Day It WAS - I thought it was Monday  I guess I was trying to be Faster than the days for a change-but DH corrected me REAL QUICK!

I got quiet a bit accomplished today -the usual chores -house-dishes - laundry and even Sewing! YEA!

 Yep- I got me a new pair of slacks which I need so bad. I am still "puttering" with my "master - pattern" for my slacks and trying to remember that all different fabrics have different qualities when working with slacks. I have also noticed that I am having trouble when it comes to sewing over Multiple seams at one time . I even used a hump-jumper but it still wants to do the "hootchie-cootchie" and squiggle all over that spot.

Then DH fixed a plow from a riding mower -did some "remodeling" and put it on his medium size John Deer Tractor and he went and used that to cover the potatoes that we dropped last night. That way was so much easier on his back-since the cancer is also in his back , so I am glad to see him use Caution.

While he was doing that job I drug the wagon UP the hill . It took All of my strength -so I fudged and only went half-way up the hill and started gathering tree limbs and putting them in the wagon to take back to the wood stove for a fire tonight. It is calling for rain -so sometimes that makes the house seem chilly - a little heat to take the chill off is a good thing for me.

SO, I discovered :
1. It is Very hard to pull a wagon UP a hill
2. Once you get your wagon loaded - it wants to RUN OVER you coming back down the hill! When I got it back down the hill to the house DH was working on his tractor so I asked him If there was a way to put brakes on it. He said not that he knew.

SO-I told him I knew how -that got his attention - he would Never want to be out-done by his little wife-so I really got his Full attention. I told him I would pull it up the hill and load it and then call him to hook it to his tractor and bring it down the hill for me. LOL-He did say ,"That Would Work" -and that sounded good to me. It really does have a regular handle -but it also has a piece that you can use to hook it to a mower or tractor. I am really sore already - life lessons can be really hard work at times.

I better hop up as dark is falling and I still have to bring the "teenage-chooks" in for the night and check on the other baby chicks in the henhouse and close up the critter building for the night -O-shoot and bring in the laundry! LOL
So many happy stitches to you and a wish for a wonderful new week to enjoy.
love- linda

Today was a lovely day-it was pretty and warm and I hung my laundry out to dry in the fresh air to start with.
That made me a little late getting outdoors for morning chores. It had clouded up so I was hoping not to get caught in the rain.It did start to mist rain , but while I worked in the critter house it soon got that out of its system and the sunshine prevailed.

So, I went out and turned the chickens out and fed and watered everybody . I carried the 5 teenage girl chickens out to play in the run and they had a ball. They would take off running and the others thought that surely she must be running for a good reason so they would take off after her until another one would take off jumping up in the air and kicking her heels together and they would all chase her. It was so funny-and a smile is a good way to start the day.

I decided today would be a great day to put my wagon together . DH had opened the box and left it outdoors and it had rained in it. Then he had carried it in the building to dry off. It looked almost dry so I decided to try my luck ????? I plopped my big rump down in the middle of the floor and had all the parts around me . I studied the instruction manual and made sure all of the pieces were there. I liked the way they had put all of the parts for one section in plastic wrap so you knew which order and what went where. In about 30 minutes I had made good progress and got all of the basic foundation put together-then DH came looking ???He is one of those fellows who has to fix things for you - so I asked him IF I had the locknuts on correctly and that was all it took. OF course Men do things differently than gals normally do. I believe that men spend more time having "men-fits" and while they are doing that -women can quietly get things accomplished. LOL -But, that is just my Humble-opinion"! LOL

Eventually we did get it all together and out the door it went - I was learning how to Steer that booger and singing that old song , "Give Me Forty Acres And I'll Turn This Rig Around" - as I got it hung between the swing and the kennel. LOL  By then I was good and tired and DIRTY -so I headed to the shower. By then I was ready for a nap-but there is no rest for the wicked.

It was a late lunch time so I fixed us both - chili beans -his with burger in his and mine with tvp in mine. We both scarfed them down - so they must have had a passing grade. The bad thing about cooking and eating is that we always make a mess.That required about an hour to clean everything up while DH watched /snoozed in front of the tv. Eventually while he was snoozing I tip toed to the sewing room to play with a different tee shirt. This is one of what we have called a baseball tee shirt-the sleeves are put on different.y. I loved the grey cotton jersey knit and I loved the little design. For some reason the project went fine and I did not make as many blunders as normally. Maybe the meal pumped up my wee brain - what ever -I was appreciative.

By then DH came to awaken and he decided that WE should plant potatoes and we spent the next couple of hours cutting and planting. There were a few spots in the garden where I sank almost out of sight as I stepped on the potato to press it down in the soft earth. This year he had really done a great job tilling it . There were no hard areas -thanks to our neighbor -Mr. Burton , loaning us his tiller that fits on the tractor. Plus, DH used the track of the tire to lay off the rows -making it easier on his back and also very nice and straight. He used to tell me that I could grow more of what ever I had in my rows because they were so crooked and curved around taking up more space than a straight row . LOL

By the time we had almost finished dark was falling on us. He offered to drop the last two buckets while I ran and did evening chores. I locked up the chickens so no hungry raccoon could have a night time snack. I gathered eggs and carried down some wood and stuck in the wood stove.

I needed to carry the 5 teenage chickens back in the warm ,safe building . They had been mad at me the last couple of days because I had put them in a cage to carry them in-so I decided to try a different approach. I still had the large plastic tub in my hands from carrying the wood in -so I went in the run and gently plopped them down in the tub. They immediately sat down and let me carry them back in the building without even moving . All you could see was their little nosy heads  peeking out to see where they were going! LOL

As I headed toward the house I stopped and grabbed my laundry and carried it in with me. My poor feet were SO dirty where the mud in the garden had found a home in my shoes. DH had bought a little used foot bath thingy at the Goodwill so I put water in it and some salt and plugged it up and watched the dirt be set free. It felt so good - I might have to try that much more often - my feet have not been this clean in a a month of Sundays.

It was really a nice day -but what day is not nice when you get to spend some of it SEWING!
Love to all
Hugs, Linda

Well Hello- hope you are well and happy. Today was my 'critter' day and day to go to the mill for critter foods .The drive was beautiful  & we caught a gas station with gas for 3.49 -now that was a DEAL-everywhere else was 3.69 -so every little penny helps.

I called DH's doctor this morning and told them about the burned up medicine and  Deloris called the company and they are kind enough to send more -due to arrive on Monday  and then we went to the drug store and picked up his other bottle of meds that he takes with the cancer medicine. They said that the insurance would not pay for it because it was ten days too early . I asked him to check and see what it would cost (expecting it to be hundreds) and he said it was ten dollars  - so we picked that up. Now DH is a little happier & that makes him feel better.

When we got home  I did all of the evening chores while DH checked the wood stove . I had to be sneaky because he attempts to do too much - but when I caught his head turned I managed to unload all of the feed by myself. I spilled more than usual  on the ground -because I was in such a hurry -but the chooks will help me clean that up in the morning.

For some reason after doing that I got really sick at my stomach. I have no idea what caused that but I have sweet talked it and sipped on a cold drink and it is finally behaving itself.  Silly stomach - just wants some attention I guess. LOL

This little monkey is my next child's shorts and tee shirt project for today. I think he is cute.

I am satisfied with the completed outfit- cute and easy care -sounds like a winner to me. LOL
I better pop off so I am sending you greetings for a happy day.
Hugs-Linda

I wish you could hear the racket here - a thunderstorm is somewhere around and it is really raising cain. This was he design I was working on last night when I had to quit from exhaustion so I would not ruin it. I put it on this blue lightweight cotton knit . This fabric does not stretch much at all and it has been Very interesting using a topper on these knit projects?

Of course the machine kept me on my toes attempting to figure out what it needed to make it happy????Then it has Rained and rained and rained today and all of last night and the way it is sounding it might just rain tonight.

 I like the way the shirt turned out  , it is a size XL. O, I found a way to get into trouble today - I Think it was me that set DH's cancer pills on fire????We had put all of his meds in a square ice cream bucket and set it on the stove to clean . Then I went to make chili beans, but DH came and told me he did not think he could eat beans today because he had an upset tummy. So, we both decided to have some noodle soup . We had carried our food into the living room and DH went back to the kitchen for some thing & went to whooping because the bucket was now melted with all of his meds in it & neither of us could remember which of us might have turned the wrong eye on???? But, If  we could roll that part of the movie back- I would almost bet it was me????  But, this memory thing is the pits normally - maybe it is just best I cannot remember??? I will have to call his doctor in the morning and see if there is any chance of getting him some more -but everybody is so suspicious of meds - they make you feel like a thief trying to steal medicine.  I really hate it.

I had six of those shorts sets -size 4- that did not sell on Ebay -so last night I put them in an Itsy store -just to try my luck somewhere else?
I am going to hop off of here because of the storm. I hope each has had a lovely day.
Hugs, Linda the sewing granny

 Have you noticed that our days seem to be extra large puzzles, where we attempt to fit all of the pieces together in a way that has the least stress  and yet pull off something positive? For me this was one of those days that flew by again.

I was smart last night and put on a crockpot of beans for us to have today and take a lot of the worry of what to feed us off of my shoulders. I fixed cornbread to go with them and then I had the cornbread with buttermilk for lunch. Yummy,then supper was cornbread and beans . That really helped a lot.  I just remembered I have forgotten to put up a load of DH's laundry -drats- it is still on his bed-I will have to take care of that.

DH went out and mowed our yard and our neighbors yard and then her son came & gave DH some money. Money? Drats -that was what I did not have to go to my counseling tonight  But, I did make it to the sewing room & I needed that. This was a piece of cotton knit that I had already made one shirt out of it about 4 years ago . I loved it and only wore it going to town until I noticed a couple of weeks ago that it looked like someone had spilled bleach on it in several places. Since I am the only one who does laundry I should get the credit - only I do not usually use bleach in the laundry - occasionally on loads of whites.

  I happened to have exactly enough to make this one more shirt and Maybe a child's set again?
I have got so tired that I am afraid to work on hemming it tonight as I usually make a mess of a project when I push when pooped! LOL Hum? I can hear the rain -well, at least my flowers will appreciate that.

Besides I have some more work to complete and time is not waiting on me. So, I will bid you  farewell for tonight .
Love to all
Linda  

I would like to introduce you to a little flower that belonged to my Grandmother -who passes away when I was too little to remember her. We live on what was my Mama's homeplace where she was raised.
My Mom told me that she must have loved me a lot because she would walk a mile every day to come see me.

So, now that I am on her land these little Spring flowers show up every year to remind me of her. They start out as what looks to be a clump of thick grass and they show up where ever they want to-no matter what you think or do not think. Then one day they burst into bloom

But, if you happen to not be out in the yard during the day time and you run out at night - here they are hiding from you - they close up and go to sleep making you notice them less as they look more like the fat grass costume they start out as.

But if you tip toe out on a sunny day -they kinda look like a sprinkling of magic.

I am sorry I did not get to sew today as DH needed my help outdoors. We were out of anything to create heat from -the oil had ran out just from yesterday and the firewood had been gone -so he decided to figure out a way to get some heat.
I suggested we use his little tractor and hook our little wagon to it (not my little wagon -it is not put together yet) The one for the tractor is about four feet wide by six feet long. So, he actually agreed with me-but first he wanted to try busting some Big fat longs with the busting mall. He went out and hooked it to the tractor -but it had Flat tires and believe me - flat tires have Always been one of his main pet peeves! So, that immediately put him in a bad mood as he worked to take them off of the machine and had to reinstall them back to the rim and everything. We were both tired by then so we took a 30 minute break.

Then he tried to get the busting machine to run -but for some reason it would not come to life at all. (Another  Husband fit)
So then he finds a little chainsaw that he can get to run and he hooks the trailer to the tractor and off we go. He tried to get me to run the tractor but when I refused we had to have another "Husband-fit" about how he is sick and tired of hearing me being scared of something , ect, ect,  But post tramatic stress disorder is just not something you can turn off and on if you want it or don't want it- it just is.

Eventually we make it back to the field and find two small trees already down and he just cuts them up while I load them on the trailer and pile the brush. It takes a while -but at least now we can have heat for the night and then it is suppose to warm up again-I hope.

So, we will see what tomorrow brings and maybe I can get to sew some thing then.
Love to one and all!
Hugs, linda

O - PS- IF anybody recognizes this little flower -please let me know. For some reason I keep coming up with the name Star of Bethlehem-but I do not know how it got there or if that is even its name. It does have a gazillion little baby bulbs that it grows from -they make me think of tiny onions.

Fishie-fishie! I thought this little guy was cute and suited to another little guy , but this definitely was NOT a day to go fishing because it turned COLD and the wind was whipping like crazy. Out came the Winter chores coat and scarf and gloves .

The five little red hens (teenagers really) did not get to go vacation out doors today-they would have frozen their feathers off . They were not happy to stay in a nice warm building -but that was what they got anyway. LOL

We had to go to town for fuel. DH has somehow fixed our big outdoor wood stove into burning either wood -OR- diesel fuel and we had run out of both of them through the night. You would know this was the day we needed one of them. Br!!!!!!!!!!! As usual I did not want to go to town because it ends up wasting your entire day.

But, go I must so we went to the drugstore to pick up some more of DH's meds and then we went and got a propane tank filled  so IF we were to lose electricity and could not use the woodstove because there would be no fan to run it -then DH would hook up the little propane tank and it would last a day or two.

But we finally did make it home and I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu - that sounds so gross! I did make it to the sewing room and finished this fishie!

Another day has come and flown off to leave me once again. I did spend more time roaming the internet searching for a design for that tee shirt -but still no luck -but time stands still for no one -no matter who they are or what they are working on-or I should say HOPE to work on. LOL

I still have my bed to put back together and the dishes are piled up in the sink-so I know I am needed -LOL

It was another busy day, but a cooler day. I got all of the normal stuff accomplished and a couple loads of laundry and then hit the sewing room. But I just could not figure out which way I wanted to go. I did not want to cut out another one of the fleece jackets until I hear from Meagan about how the double layers works together after you wash it?

So, I rummaged through the fabric stash and ended up pulling out a blue knit that I can use to make me a tee shirt. I had made one from it 5 years ago and it got "demoted" to house use just lately -so it would be nice to have a new one to wear when we go to town.I did get the pieces cut out and started to search for a design to embroider on it when we had company.

Our youngest son and family came to cheer DH up . The little Emmett is a real live wire-once his little feet hit the floor he was in a run and my yellow plastic bowl became what ever his imagination wanted it to be. It is funny when they take the simplest things & get the most out of them.

He is such a sweet little fellow and minds like a dream. I guess he will turn into a typical human baby one of these days but he is so much fun now. He loves his Mama and Daddy to death-as they do him too. Of course this is Pawpaw who grabbed him for a hug.

I fixed us all cheese biscuits as a snack and I think we all enjoyed them . It has been a lot time since we had them.

I enjoyed this picture because he found that purple ribbon that I had tied on the milk can we use as a little table to set drinks on. I received that ribbon when Lynne and I went on the Shop Hop last year and he plays with it for almost half an hour.

He is one of the hardest little fellows to get pictures of because everytime I would snap the picture there is a second or two lull before it actually captures the picture and by then he was always doing something different and I might get lucky to get one of him. But he finally passed out for a few seconds and I managed to snap this one- Busted by the sand man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

What a day! Got up early and tackled the chores because they are calling for rain and I did not want to be caught out in it. We had a nice breakfast together and I cleaned up after it.
Then my brain just went nuts because I just could not figure out what project I wanted to tackle next-so instead of "writers block" - I think I had "sewers block".

But I finally decided to cut out another one of those double fleece jackets from the fleece blankets that my youngest son & his wife had given me.

So basically I spent all afternoon cutting out the pieces to this little jacket. It took four of the small fleece blankets and I cut two pieces from the fleece because I intend to sew them all together to make a warmer jacket.

I did drop my daughter-in-law a note asking her if they had washed the "experimental" double jacket I made for Emmett first. She said no and when she did she would let me know how the two different layers -played together. I am hoping they would co-operate -but I have never tried this before and I am nervous about it.

I also asked her the size of the young man they got the blankets from - I would love to surprise him with a jacket of his very own. He has been so very kind to me.

DH had his 65th birthday today . I did make him that chocolate cake and gave him a new pair of lounge pants made from flannel . They are nice and soft and I really got lucky because they had fire trucks all over them and he has always loved fire trucks plus they are red and that is one of his favorite colors. I stuck money down in the pocket and it did not take him long to find that. I think he is part blood hound when it comes to money! LOL

Even with a pocket full of money he did not want to go out. I was surprised -yet pleased as it gave me a chance to "piddle". You just never know what you will bump into when you are working on something else. I managed to lose the battery to my flashlight and I am miffed at myself for that. I really need that flashlight!

Then I misplaced the charging cord for my little electric scissors that a e-friend had given me! I would never have thought I would use something like that - BUT- how wonderful they are. Since I was working with fleece I have had it give my good scissors misery and even ruined one pair! The people at the fabric store had told me that I should keep one pair of scissors JUST to use on fleece. (But, it was a little too late because I had already ruined my best pair.) Then here comes these electric scissors so I decided to see how they would do? They went right though it like a hot knife though butter. Of course it was hard work for them -so they pooped out on me.I went to go charge them and that was when I discovered I had misplaced the cord. I was SO miffed at myself . Our house is a small one and there is only so much room to lose stuff in and I got very lucky finding them in the living room -plugged up to the one empty plug - in ! It did not take long to recharge them and this time I had plugged that cord in my one empty spot in the sewing room  DUMMY ME!

Then we had a wild thunder storm ! It thundered so hard that it rattled the house under my feet. When that let up I went out and did all the evening chores-gathered the eggs -checked the baby chicks and had to give them more food and water- checked the other little chicken house and discovered the guinea in there giving the chickens grief so I had to run her out . She loves to be evil and chase the chickens -sometimes grabbing them by a wing and flinging them. The bantams are learning to RUN -really fast when they see her coming.

So now here it is , another day almost gone. The boys did call their Dad tonight and wish him a happy birthday -that meant a lot to him-and his sister did too-so he was a happy camper.

I better go gather up my fleece pieces because Miss Rosie wants to customize them with her white hairs and I would prefer that she NOT! LOL
So, love to all  and we will see what tomorrow brings!

Hummmm????? Talk about an Old Dog learning new tricks???? Wonder how many boo-boos I will make learning how to use this?

It was a lovely day here ,but Fridays are always so busy -do the critter chores -go to town and to the mill for critter feed and cornmeal for the humans this time. I love getting my cornmeal from the "mill" because I know it is fresh and I know the people who work there and they are all so wonderful that it is a pleasure to help support a local business.I bet you it has been close to 40 years that we have been doing business with them .

We made it home and both of us were exhausted. I wish you could have seen our little Tracker - it was packed plum to the roof top with all of the feed- And-

DH had stopped at Tractor Supply to replace a bolt he had broken on his tractor.  I really wanted to go home but I needed a bag of cat food for Miss Rosie. The fates were going to play a good trick on DH.
I made a trip to the bathroom and on that isle are the wagons- everytime I pass them I always stop and admire them and think up a zillion uses I would have for one- WELL- my eyes bugged out of my head I know because the wagon that I always look at instead of being its normal 189.00 was on sale for 89.99.

It was one of those LIFE of DEATH moments - I Had to have one- so I went and hunted DH up . He was showing me some spray tanks as I gave him the message- They have something that I want!  Then I told him about the wagon. He thought he was going to catch me off guard when he asked did he have that much money anywhere & I replied yes- there is your birthday money I had saved for tomorrow -which is his birthday-he will turn the big 65. So he went to look at them and said - "Happy Birthday to him - happy birthday to him!" LOL

The next challenge was getting it to fit in the Tracker with ALL of that FEED. A sweet young lady brought it out and a young man helped her lift it and heave it up on top of the feed. There was exactly enough room-not an inch more -just a perfect fit.He said that I looked just like an excited kid as I rounded that corner with the news . LOL

Now we just have to get it put together? Then I can carry feed to all the critters and not have to make as many trips back and forth and I can carry firewood from the woods down . It will be a very busy wagon. I told DH that in years past that kids used to have a lot of fun with wagons & he said when he was a kid that they used to race their wagons .

DH is so tired - I unloaded all of the feed from the Tracker because I had run out of feed this am and did not get to finish. Then it got dark on me and I had a hard time finding my path to the house-one of these days I Might remember to take a flashlight with me.
Now he is sound asleep on the couch and NO Wonder I am tired it is after 10pm!  Wish I could keep him asleep so I could make him a birthday cake?

Love to all!

One Of Those Days

and this time that is not about me-but about the tee shirt I worked on for my oldest D-I-L . Her birthday is not until July -but you know how it is when you wait until the last minute. I just take the opportunity when it presents itself. Today I was checking to see if I had anymore light weight jersey and I ran across a scrap of tye dyed jersey. I had already made Tracy one last year from it -first I thought there was just enough for a child's outfit-but when I laid it out I had EXACTLY enough to make an adult size shirt.

I thought it had gone perfectly until I hung it up and checked it. Something was "wonky" with the back neck line -there was a little "pucker" -so I ripped it out and resewed it.

Today was cool  and since it was I took this morning after chores to transplant some of my daylillies. I only moved a 5 gallon bucket -but my back Complained. I found another bunch that needs it too -but haven't tackled that yet. I wanted to do the ones I did -today-because it is suppose to be cloudy and damp for a few days and I believed that would help they flowers not to wilt down. So far they have not even noticed that they have been moved. LOL

Love to all!

Lil Monkey shorts & tee shirt.

It was cool here today - I guess those very warm days just spoiled us. I was up late last night and thus got a late start this  AM.

I went out to do chores and we had a steady light rain falling and it lasted most of the day . DH had a doctor appointment and I had my counseling . I think I got the better end because DH got a Shot and I got Wisdom.

This is a little set that is very lightweight rayon blend jersey. This has to be the VERY worst fabric I have even had the pleasure of working with! For once I have temporarily Fixed my embroidery problem and the design turned out perfect.* I should have known that was too good to be true!

I had plum forgotten that I used this fabric to make a DH a shirt and maybe some of the guys. The thing that makes it so horrific to use is that you can see the different colors blended into the camo-well each one of those colors SEWS differently. The green, blacks and grays I can deal with -But that YELLOW is a one hundred percent ENEMY of mine. You can be sewing along peacefully -hit that yellow and you think your machine has turned into a wild bronco-it jumps and hops and the fabric starts to pull your needle in all directions and sometimes you end up  hog-tied up -and somethings you end up with holes or you end up being tossed about - you can actually watch your needle and be amazed at the commotion !No matter how hard you try you just cannot get that piece to co-operate. So the hem in the little shorts looks like I rolled it up into a knot all the way around. I even tried ironing it out -trying to set those stitches and make them look more even . It was a hopeless venture. I sat and studied it for a while because the design looks great- but then I realized that I could not chance ruining the reputation I hope to build us with a dysfunctional project.(Yes- projects can be dysfunctional too!) LOL

So, I will end up giving it to some of the great grands for play clothes -as I don't think the little ones will even care!  LOL

One thing I noticed while we were out was that the gas prices were actually down a wee bit - but I will take it no matter how wee they are. We got it for 3.72 and when we got to where I was going it was 3.67. LOL

So love to all !

I Love You Beary Much!

I learned something today - matter of fact I learned two things today. The first is that bad fabric can ruin a project and good fabric can really Make a project even better.

I also learned just when I think I have got myself straightened out - I can make even more Boo-Boo's ! It is very disheartening  at times. I really do try hard to do a good job & you would think from the time I put into it -that my brain would co-operate and just let me do my own thing -RIGHT-But NOOOOOO - it still plays so many tricks on me -it is pathetic.

This little soft knit shorts project turned out nice so I am thinking about running it on Ebay and see what happens.

It was a lovely day here today but I ended up sewing all afternoon and then we had a light rain.
Cheerio Kids-catch you next time.

Little Train That Could

It was another perfect day -I made this little size 4 child's shorts set . I got awakened by DH  who had a phone call at 6:30AM and had to take off. So, I was able to start on morning stuff earlier.I did some inside chores finished and then I went outdoors and did all of my critter chores. I was so pleased to accomplish all of this and then I hit the house and ran a load of laundry and was vacuuming when DH pulled up into the driveway. Our youngest son and his wife had sent up a box of donuts & they were really yummy, even if they are bad for you.I cleaned the dishes up and headed to the sewing room.

OF course I made more than my share of Bo-Bos-but I managed to come up with this little outfit-size 4.

I thought to myself that the little train outfit could be either boy or girl -because I have always loved trains. I even got to ride one when I was 17. I was married and DH's family asked me if I would accompany DH's little nephew on a train all the way to Richmond and they even bought my ticket. I think we had a great time -But- there is one memory that I have never got over. We were 3/4s of the way to our destination when all of a sudden the view before my eyes has stayed with me for a life-time. We were crossing by a beautiful dairy barn and some how the cows had got out and on to the track. There were dead cows scattered all over the place along side of the train track. They were already stiff and some had heads and some did not They were swollen and parts of them lay everywhere I could look. That has really stuck with me.

I am trying out a different type of stabilize with this shirt. It looks just like a clear piece of plastic and it is suppose to make your stitches do better. I used it with this little Train design and I think it did good. It was just a pain to get it off around the design.

As luck would have it about 30 minutes into the project Mr. Janome started to make that horrible sounds once again/ I just could not believe it.

I hope that you had a lovely day ! Many happy stitches to you!

I Didn't Do It-Green Kids Shorts Set

I got my embroidery machine back and I think my sanity is coming back also. We all have ways of dealing with stress and pain -and it seems like mine is creating wearable art forms. 

Of course the bad thing today was that I  was having a fight with "fibro-fog"- I HATE it. It meant I could not remember how do my project and I did EVERYTHING wrong to start with - had to rip it all out and do it a second time. It was very disheartening-but it was just something that I work constantly to overcome.

The weather today was Beautiful - lots of sunshine and very warm temperatures. I even had to turn the air conditioner on in my sewing room window,as this room has full evening sun and it got really warm. Our oldest son stopped by with a friend to change some tires and visit with DH. I know he really enjoyed their company as he has not felt so great today. He said he was weak  and his stomach hurt. The doctor had told him that he has diverticulitis and game him some antibiotics which is suppose to help -but it has hurt every since he started taking it last week. It makes me very sad to see him hurting and not be able to fix it for him. 

I thought I was making good progress so I cut out a lightweight tee shirt for my sister-in-law and found the perfect design for it. It was sewing out nicely and I was happy until I ran out of bobbin thread. Little did I realize that was not my only problem. When I turned it over to snip threads I had left a part of the shirt hooked on the back of the design -so I had sewed the front to the back of the design. GRRRRRR! Anybody with a spare brain out there I could sure use it. LOL

I am still trying to make friends with these False teeth-I wonder if everybody has these challenges when they get them? Of course I believe I am doing better than DH did with  his. I gave it a week to hopefully let my gums get toughened up and then I started gently scraping on the spot that hurts. It helped that was one of the days when we took the Brother machine to N.C. , so it helped to keep my mind busy. There was one spot that was higher on the right side than in the left side -so I gently scraped a little at a time till they looked even and fit better. I am learning how to eat with them -but it is kinda like eating with rocks in your mouth. Where I had asked the lab tech to slightly push the two teeth on each side of your two larger front teeth -she did an excellent job with that . I told her that I was not a perfect person and I did not want perfect teeth-I always enjoyed my slight imperfection as it made me ME. So, that helps me enjoy them more and attempt to incorporate them into being part of me. 

I do enjoy this "grandmaw age" much better than all of those younger ages -but I am finding that you have to get up and "put on your false parts" -it is definitely a learning age.  False teeth -false eyes - what else will be next?????? LOL

O My?

Here is another day gone and I am pooped to the bone. We got up & took off  to Roanoke (hours drive) to pick up the Janome. It cost 80.00 for it  and when I asked what was the problem - they said it just needed a good cleaning?

I told her that it had just started making that threshing machine noise all of a sudden. She said they had another customer bring her machine in for the same thing and that she had told them that she had already had it cleaned once in the year and this would make it twice. They said that she quilted with her embroidery machine almost daily and that was why it still needed a cleaning.????
I am just dieing to get to see if everything works.

Then we stopped to change out an outdated propane tank for a full one to use with our fireplace-we saved it for a time when we would be in Roanoke -not to make a special trip. Here we were and they did not have one to sell??? It sure is hard to get things accomplished lately.

//DH could not bear to go back the same direction because they were blasting on the interstate and traffic was backed up for a 45mintue stall. So we took a side route in the mountain. Got home and grabbed my phone and went to town to pick up DH's medicines for this month. Then back out to where Lynne picks me up for the ride to the Sewing Guild.

Tonight's demonstration was about a beautiful lady who ran her own Home Decorations  from her home on the lake. She was very inspirational=but I was so tired I almost fell asleep as I was so tired.
That would have been So embarrassing !'

Love to all.

How many mistakes can I make????

DH had a early doctors appointment , so we were up and out before the Brother dealer could even email me again. We got out of the doctor's by 11.00am and hit the road for our long drive to pick up the Brother embroidery machine?

I was so tired-my fibromyalgia Hates long rides and let's me know that.We used Mr. Tom/Tom for our directions and at 1:30 we pulled into the parking lot. I was dieing to know what he had found and how he had managed to fix it so quickly?

My hand hit the door knob and ? ?it did not open.I tugged a little harder and then started looking for a gone to lunch sign-ONLY-to discover that they had closed at 1pm. My heart was just broke-My poor old body was screaming in pain and my disappointment was humongous! I had been dieing to discover what he had found to be wrong with it? But I was doomed not to fulfill my hopes.

I could not believe that we had traveled 3 hours -not counting the money for the gas to drive there ?

To top the story - we drag in at home -bone tired -so I hit the answering machine for messages: and there was a message from the Janome dealer and the Janome is ready now also.

I have emailed the Brother dealer and asked him IF he would consider mailing that sucker back home to me?
I would like to go pick up the Janome machine tomorrow and then I would have to make the trip back to Roanoke at dark because we have the Sewing Guild meeting there too?

How in the world did life get so complicated?
Hope your life is not so complicated?
Love to you
Linda

A Full Day

We accomplished a lot today and I am just plain "bushed". We got up early and I contacted a seller that we had purchased a set of tires from on Ebay and he allowed us to come to North Carolina to pick them up at his business. It was a lovely two hours drive . The people were absolutely wonderful so we plan to check with them for our tires .

While we were there I placed a phone call to a Brother Dealer in High Point , N.C. that I had planned to take the Brother Embroidery machine to for repair. I gave it several different attempts before I realized that they were closed on Mondays. I had a small list of Brother Dealers and I started calling them all -and all of them were closed except for the one that was in Greensboro ,N.C. ,which of course was the furthest away from us-but they were the one working . LOL

It was a two hours and a half drive from where we was at and by then we were both so tired. The dealer was a very nice man who said if we decided to do business with him that we would not have more troubles like this? He seemed so nice I did not have the heart to tell him -IF- we got it fixed I hoped to sell it and never lay eyes on it again. But, we will just wait and see what he thinks about it.

I certainly will not get off as easily as I have on the past three places because he said just to look at it would be 150.00 and then all parts would extra.I told DH that it seemed it was like pouring good money after bad. It was a long tiring ride home .Normally time seems to pass more quickly as we return home from a trip-but - because we were tired it seemed to lag on forever for me.The ride seemed to help DH -I think it helped to get his mind off of the cancer. He has always enjoyed driving -I think the distractions help keep him occupied .

Of course when we arrived home I got sick at my stomach. I don't know why except for every time we travel  since that wreck we had I seem to get sick.

I wish I had remembered to take my camera with us today, as we saw some lovely territory.I don't know how long it will take , but we will see how long that will take ?

I hope you have had a lovely day.
Happy Stitches and many more.

End of the Week

comes to all of us. Tomorrow is a very special day for so many people-some for the religious significances  and and for some small ones - the Easter bunny comes to visit scattering eggs all over the yard. But in all parts of it I think Love rules it all, as was our Father's love for all of us-it is a gift and we pass it on.

In my mind this is one reason so many of us sew-we are sewing stitches of love into everything we create.

Today was one of those "off" days for me. I am lost without my embroidery machine and instead of "writers-block  I had "sewers-block" -and it just was no fun at all for me. Plus , I was just wore plum out from all the activities of the week.

I even went in the sewing room and started going through my stash -hoping for inspiration to hit me-but instead I got even more blocked. My stash is shrinking and I am ending up with bits and pieces that I hang onto -but do not think I will find a use for?

I might end up donating them to the Goodwill. I read the other day that the items we donate do not all end up at the Goodwill -part of them are shredded and turned into insulation and part are turned into those car rags and then a small part in the retail stores.

Just when I had found something to work on and was in a better mood- all of a sudden our electricity went off! In the blink of an eye -it was gone!  I was shocked and then miffed!
It is amazing how much we need our electricity for !

So I took myself outdoors to the porch where there was four little rosebushes still wrapped in those tough plastic wrappings they arrive at the stores in. DH had got them for me -even though he Hates rose bushes-it's the briers because he have nabbed him before at his Mom's house. But, I was shocked ! We had cut the plastic wrapping and put them in a pail of water as they were so dry.

I picked one and started walking around the yard -trying to figure out where I could plant my treasure ,somewhere that I could see its beauty -yet out of reach of a husband who would want no contact with it?

Finally I found the perfect spot in the corner of our garden where there is another rose planted. One that makes me mad at it because it turned out to only bloom in the Springtime and only for about a week. I decided I would put this new one there to make it look like the other one was still blooming ? We will see how that works out.

So, back to pick up a second one -I picked the one that said it had the most fragrance ? I am on a "Smell-craze" with my flowers and I can blame it on one of my Asiatic lilies -that smells like heaven when it blooms. It is the first flower I have met that sends the aroma wafting through the air and just mesmerizing me.

I picked it up and the madic once again and headed out to the bed that I walk past each day -hoping that I can have the chance to enjoy this beauty. I was working on digging a hole deep enough when all of a sudden - my madic snapped right in to! Well DARN it!  So I got on my knees and eased her into the soft ground and patted it like I would a small child. She was now in her new permanent home.

I left my broken tool laying on the ground & headed to the house for a break. We used to just buy new handles , but now it is hard to find somewhere that carries them.. I got a glass of water and settled in a chair with a book -and - yep - after two hours the electricity came back on-you would know it -I had planned to enjoy this book for the past two years -and now -well, you know how it is. LOL

I hope that all have a wonderful Easter day!
Love to all!

Almost the end of the week

It is suppose to be very cold tonight and they have put put a freeze warning -so I told my baby tomatoes to "hide under the porch swing". I had to post pictures of my flower -pots that I love so much for another blog-friend , Cathy from followjesuschristalone.blogspot.com . I caught them on special at The Pottery and I am so honored to have them. It seems each year that I am planting more and more garden plants on the front porch. Do you think that means I like FOODS??? LOL

HUM? Wonder if I should go out and cover them with a blanket?  I have friends who do -they say to help keep them warm-but I cannot figure out how a thin blanket could keep them warmer - I just freeze anyway.

Today was another busy day -critter chores all day and then trip to town  and to the mill. The sunshine was perfectly lovely - the wind was chilly.

I came home and steam cleaned the hardwood floor and that makes me feel better. I wish it could just stay clean- yea- I hear you all laughing- that kinda like wishing for the moon. LOL

Another fly away day

I think I hit the floor running this morning-through all the morning chores ,ate a bowl of oatmeal  and then in the car and off for an hour drive to meet DH's sister at her doctor visit.

But, I was smart and had put the Janome embroidery machine and its componetes in the car-so I would not forget anything in a rush.

Our first stop was at the Janome dealer in Roanoke Va. I have done business with them for the last few years and I know they are honest -knowledgeable people.

The mother greeted us and took in the machine - she was writing down all of what we had brought with us . She stopped and checked the bobbin & I saw that something had caught her attention. She gently pulled on the bobbin thread and commented that it was very tight. I told her that I had noticed that the bottom threads had been pulling on the designs-kinda crunching them up.

So she took the appropiate bobbin and showed me the difference. It would Never have occurred to me to doubt the bobbin ,since it had come from a sewing machine repair shop?

I told her that I had also brought the flash-stick that I used with it and told her which design that I was using that gave me all of that trouble and also a piece of knit fabric to test with. I had learned from all of those Brother dealers that they only used cotton broadcloths to test on.

I am excited because IF it can be fixed -they can fix it.

I have also learned some lessons about selling that first set of boys shorts and tee shirt on Ebay. It sold for 5.99 and I had free shipping which turned out to be 2.49 -- --- then there was the listing fee from Ebay and a final fee on the sale price?????? Plus, if this was to turn into a business there would be personal taxes coming out too. LOL
Do you think I am going to get Rich fast? LOL

Hump Day

I did not even have time to capture a picture today. I had got up early and tackled outdoor chores . It had rained and everything had that nice ,fresh clean smell that a rain leaves on the earth.

Then breakfast and I knew we had to leave early today, but I had almost forgot to check to see if that little boys shorts outfit had sold on Ebay - and yes, it had-so I had to learn the process of printing out shipping labels , ect.

Then we went to the Divison Of Motor Vehicles to get DH's drivers license  . He passed his eye exam with flying colors! He was very pleased. We had to stop and look at printers because my printer took this time to die on me!

Time was flying by and it was my counseling time. I had so much to share with her that I was like a kid - all wound up and excited. She was pleased for me and that is such a nice feeling -you know- to have someone in your corner when so many times out in life people get jealous when something good comes your way. I don't think they mean too - it is just one of those challenges in life.

We had a wing-dinger of a thunder storm this afternoon, and all of my raking makes it look like green velvet on the ground.

I did learn how to install that new printer that was 20.00 and I did get that shipping label printed  . Then tomorrow we take that embroidery machine to see the "machine doctor " so I have got to fall in bed. I really need to gather everything up ????

I hope you have had a lovely creative day!
love - linda

It went so fast It's hard to remember where it went

No wonder I do not remember where it went to - it just flew by. DH was sleeping in as he had been up until 3AM with his back pain and shoulder pain .Cancer is such a horrible disease & it carries with it such terrible suffering.

Since he was sleeping I decided to work outdoors and I am so glad that I did. He slept in until 1:30 and I got a Lot accomplished-like all of the critter morning chores and I pulled nice fresh grass for the guinea pigs , which they really appreciated-their first green grass of the year.

Then I moved onto planting two little trays of tomato plants that we had picked up yesterday-one of them being Patio Tomatoes and one of them being Brandywine-yellow. It was a struggle to lug two of my big flower pots back up onto the porch from where I had stashed them under the porch all Winter long.I am so proud of them that I try to take care of them . I had got them about 4 years ago from The Pottery - after wanting some all of my life - I am now the proud owner of 4.

Then I needed planting material. I could now check out my little compost pile from last year. It was covered in some kind of a green runny weed. But, as I scraped that to the side -the compost under neath was so beautiful. I made several trips back and forth. Then I had to fight with the "carpenter bees" which arrive every year and attempt to claim my little front porch. They buzz and threaten and if that does not work they will even run into you  - or get right in your eyesight -right in your face - and that always scares me to death.
The battle raged on for a couple of hours . I could not even knock them down to the floor with my water hose -like I usually do. I guess they have just got smarter -where as I have just got OLDER! LOL

Then I raked up several more piles of trash and put it in the big wood stove. I was slowly making progress.By the time I made it into the house - I was dripping wet with sweat and I was so tired that my body was pulsing .So , I was very glad to see breakfast at 2pm-lol.

You know how it is - then there are dishes and then one of our  grandsons & youngest son popped in for a half an hour visit. I asked Emmett about that fleece double layer jacket I had sent to him?  He said it was nice and warm and just  the right size. I was so tickled -I had satisfied my curiosity - now you know for sure that you can take two layers of the thin fleece and put them together like a sandwich and then cut out your pieces .

I ran across another cute quote today:
The difference between truth and a fairytales e is what you see in the photograph of a seed catalog and what actually comes up in your garden.        Deb from South Dakota

A Rough Day

Do you know what the advantage of having a really rough day is???????????????????????????????
It means that you have a new start tomorrow -if you have the privilege of waking up another day to try once again.

This one started at 4:30AM . I had finally saved the money to go get TEETH for the top! I was so sick of being toothless I could hardly stand myself - I guess I have some of that "Vain-gene" and I wanted teeth. It is almost a two hour drive to the place called Affordable Dentures  and they really do help with the money. I had called locally and for a top denture they wanted over a thousand dollars-which I did not have.

But at Affordable Dentures -the middle grade was 405.00 -plus, you do not have to have an appointment -you just show up at 7:30AM and they sort you out as you come through the door as to what you need. I was So blessed that the crowd was not nearly as long as we have seen it before -plus the tail end of the group made it in the building just as a pouring rain came to visit. When DH had come to get his first set -he got caught in a pouring cold rain for 30 minutes.So, I was counting another blessing there.

While we was standing in line - the rain came to test us -a girl standing with us sent her DH to the car for an umbrella . It was a nice -big umbrella and just as she opened it -the rain quit and the Wind Started and it almost blew her over the railing before she knew what happened. Then she & her DH corralled it and put it at their backs and it helped knock the wind off of all of us.

The wait for the first part was only an hour and then I was in a seat for about half an hour . IF any of you have dentures - you know the process. A young lady who worked in the lab came and shoved what seemed to me to be a hot wad of clay in the top of my mouth and startled me. It was so fast and so hot ??? A few minutes later she yanked that part out and poked in another one . Next that one came out and in went another one on the bottom where I still have teeth(bless their little hearts!) It scared me because the way she was forcing it down on my teeth and tongue It seemed like I could not breath. But I fussed at myself to just remain CALM-this too will pass - and it did! YEA!
Then I was booted out and back to the waiting room for another hour and then called back again to test on a set made from wax-she said just to see the shape of the teeth. Well, they were the general run of the mill set that it looks like everybody gets and they were perfect- so as they flopped in my mouth I dug out a picture I had taken with my camera phone the day they pulled my teeth . I had taken a picture of my front teeth -and on each side of the two main larger teeth my next two had barely poked out on each side. I explained to her that I was not a perfect human and that the teeth represented to me that I was different . So she marked them and sent me back to the front while she worked on them.

Once up front I fretted -maybe I should have just kept my big mouth shut??? Maybe I could have adjusted to them??? About half an hour later they call me back once again for another try in. O Yes- she was an artist indeed. I had never thought about the skills that these technicians have  and she was talented. I approved the look and we were booted out once again to return in 3 hours .

We took in some scenery and came back to wait. Here it was -the big moment - the teeth looked perfect-well perfectly different. She even came back to the room and checked the look out herself . I had to laugh when she said - well it did look more natural!

Then another sweet gal did the fitting. It scared me to try to put that big thing in my mouth-but after I got it through my lips which seemed stretched to its limit (maybe my mouth is not as big as I thought it was???) First  I bit my jaw and she worked on that . Then it hurt where the dentist had left a bone sticking out as the tooth kinda broke off when pulled -so she fixed that. One more spot in the back and it was striking my very back bottom tooth. She fixed that and told me to try them for at least 48 hours and then come back  if need be.  She was very kind & I appreciated that.

So, I was on my own -and there was a nearby fabric store and I needed some elastic for the kids outfits I have been working on. I felt kinda  naked - not wanting anybody to see me . So, made my purchase and then we stopped at the nursery and picked up some greens seeds. That was the only place I have found that still sell seeds and you purchase as much as you want by weight.-plus the lady is a real angel -so I enjoy spending our money at her place.

I was learning how to actually get a sip of water going down the old throat and not strangle .DH was impressed that I had kept them in my mouth all day long -because when he got his -as soon as he hit the car those teeth were out. I was determined that it was not going to be a piece of cake & I would just have to "ENDURE".
As soon as me made it home I got a small bowl of soup-because I had read that you should eat only SOFT foods for a few weeks and it would help prevent sores(which DH had Loads of them).

It felt horrible - I would aim for my mouth and hit those teeth. It felt like a baseball in my mouth-so how was any food suppose to fit in there too???????? But, I was good and hungry , so I did not give up. I did remember to be careful and not bit my jaw again! I was deciding that these artifical teeth were a danger and should be RESPECTED!

I went out and did my chores and that helped keep my mind busy. There critters were glad that I finally had showed up. lol

Next I hit the sewing room -knowing that would definitely keep my mind busy.BUT- I got more than I bargained for.I got the design loaded into the embroidery machine - and it jerked the project up and made a big mess. Now I was trying to be nice so I calmly ripped all the stitches out and replaced it in the hoop with  a second piece of stabilizer-yes-that did help -plus I refigured it to have less stitches and that helped too.

But luck was not on my side- it really yanked the whole project almost out of the hoop. That was it - it was a hopeless mess -plus I forgot to mention that the machine had started to make this racket that sounded like a threshing machine! I mean it was so loud that it scared me.

So that project is in the trash and I have written the gentleman I purchased it from and asked for his guidance. I HATED to because he was such a nice person-but I thought I needed to know what he would suggest. If I do not hear from him by Thursday -then we have to meet DH's sister in another town where she is going to have a back check-up and there is a dealer there ??? It would be easy to get discouraged -but this is something that I love to do and I am just stubborn. I still have to take that other machine to a dealer (3 hours drive) so they can fix it and then sell it to hope to pay some on this 700.00 debt?

Money, money, money - I sure do wish that my money tree would bear for me. LOL

Well, gals -no project to show and I now have to go figure out how to get these MeAN teeth out of my mouth without biting my fingers off! Well, that would be All I need - to have to go to the emergency room to explain to them how I bit my own fingers off with a set of MEAN TEETH!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
love to all!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pink camo kids outfit-Little Princess

Hello, Hello,
I do have something to show for my efforts today..It was another day that passed much to quickly. Since I did not fall in bed till 4AM. and then did not get up till 11AM it really made for a short day.

Still chores had to be done and I raked another small space and filled the wood stove with it . That was nice-then breakfast -err?-maybe brunch since it was so late. After that a load of laundry got hung out to dry in a brisk breeze.Somewhere along the way I made it to the sewing room and worked on this little size 4 outfit.

I managed to kill our supper- it was suppose to be a lentil stew-but I did not have the lentils and I substituted some green split peas & when it was suppose to be ready  those peas were still hard as rocks. So, DH made himself some baloney sandwiches & I had some canalope  , but it tasted like it had been frozen -so I had to give that up too. I finally had an orange and called it quits.

One more neat quote:
One gals grandmother 's favorite weather forecast was:It won't rain if there's enough blue sky to make a pair of pants. Luanne, Pennsylvania