Our youngest granddaughter, Cory Dainelle will turn 16 tomorrow-so last year she had her parents bring her up to our house for her birthday. So, I made this shirt for her - just in case she arrives.

I have decided that I need a "clone-machine"-as there is just not enough of me to go around. DH is first on my list and I attempt to keep his clothes clean to keep up with accidents. Then I have washed his feet in a little foot bath because they are SO swollen it is pitiful . Not to forget those blasted shots in his tummy that he says I do a good job with.

Then cooking , cleaning (doesn't look like it though)- having visitors -doing outdoor chores morning & afternoon. Yesterday I had lessons on learning how to operate the riding mower. ( I am scared to death of the silly critter) I made a good trip to the road and back and then managed to hit a big strap that was hidden in the tall grass and it locked the mowers blades up tight. Poor DH came out and I fixed him a chair and he walked me though finding out what it was & he told me I could try to cut it off . Well, I hacked and hacked at it -but it was just too tight and strong-SO- my next lesson was taking the mowing deck off! Now That was a JOB! I know it took a good hour & I was covered in sweat & dirt from my head to my toes. Then had to put the thing back on! Let's just say - IF I have my way - that dern deck will not come off again. I need Super-Man eyes so I can see through things! LOL

He has been talking about me learning to drive the slightly bigger John Deere tractor that is a four wheel drive as he says it is much safer to operate. Was suppose to do that tomorrow , but our neighbor came to see if he could borrow it to cut his pasture -since he knew DH was too weak to do it and it had a dead battery - so he went & bought a new battery for it . How sweet was that!  I will be glad to let him have the first lesson. LOL

I took the grass clippings and put them on DH's 3 tomato plants and my little chard plants. The garden is now Hard , after DH worked so hard to get it tilled, so I am attempting to chop me up a row .  Every where I look there just something to do & here I am at the puter - at 1AM in our morning. I am bushed!

So, I will bid you "Good Night " - OR " Good Morning" to all!
Love - Linda

My first two crochet chemo caps- after this week of challenges I have been trying to find time to do something for others. When DH went to the doctor on Monday -they put him straight in the hospital.He was in Really bad shape.

According to the tests and Xrays he has really big tumors in his tummy & along with them giant blood clots. All of this is putting extreme pressure on his organs & he was in excruciating pain -plus a headache that they just could not get a handle on for two days. They even throwed morphine at him and gave him the little pump to give him a little extra hit.

His bowels had locked up and they poured fluids to him night and day. He was also nauseous & they put medicine in his drip to help with that.  He was so weak and it just broke my heart to see him suffering so much. Being burnt when he was 25 was bad enough -but here we are once again living with doctors and pain.  

That is why I have not been able to post -there have just not been enough hours in the day . Plus, putting him in the hospital throwed me back in the drivers seat and I am not comfortable with that AT ALL. It is not only my fear -but something with my eyes. One morning when I went out my eyes were so fuzzy that all I could see was the shape and colors on road signs . But, hours later -my eyes cleared up and I could gauge things much better.

It is bad enough watching for my mistakes -but- there are some real IDIOTS out on the roads. I almost got run over by a van coming into me from the right hand side -which was not even a lane there! I slammed on brakes so he could Shoot over in front of me -which caused the car behind me to slam on his brakes not to plow into the back of me!

Or going down a steep hill and I knew there was a road at the bottom of the hill coming into this one. I always slow down just in case - and thank goodness I did because another van pulled Right Out in front of me -with me not 10 feet from him. If I had been driving the normal speed limit of 55mph -there would have been No Way I could have missed him. I think that was what he was hoping for because IF you hit someone in the rear - it is automatically your fault. Then he kept driving on all sides of the road swerving every which way. I slowed down and backed off because I knew IF he met someone Head On on one of the hills that it would throw him back into me and I certainly Did Not Want That. I was SO Miffed at that idiot!

This is the first day that I have found a little bit of time to myself. DH is home and I am thrilled. The one thing we are not thrilled about is I have to give him a shot in his tummy everyday that they hope will help dissolve the blood clots. He said I do better than some of the nurses & I appreciate that.

I want to learn how to operate his John Deere tractor -it is a small version . So , when it needed to be moved I borrowed his sister's camcorder and made a video of all the things you have to do. I hate machines and I think they know it . Then he talked me through putting the mowing deck on. It was HARD work & I told him that it would never come off of there If I had my way.  LOL

Of course he was exhausted and made his way back to the house. Next I got the bright idea to test out my memory on using his John Deere lawn mower .Of course the tires were flat so I had a lesson on putting air in the tires -that was not easy either. There was a trailer that was sitting in the way that was filled with litter -so I next tackled how to hook it up. It was terribly hard for me -but I finally accomplished that too and got the trailer moved. I brought the mower back and parked it right at his compressor so I can pump up the tires when I get brave enough to try that again.

He wanted me to see about mowing the lawn with his bigger tractor , but it was SO HOT today that I wiggled out of that. I was So hot when I got the morning chores accomplished that I took a shower and was so exhausted that I was just trembling. I grabbed a drink and sat down with him to watch tv while I cooled off.  I could not help but noticed that he is swollen from his waist down TWICE his size. It is horrible , but they said that is just part of his disease. Something about the tumors pressing on the organs and the blood & fluids can come down -But- cannot go back up. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime & I hope I never do again. If I could "squirm out" of watching his suffering I wish I could -but - what do you do ? Love bears all things -good or bad.

I did manage to get my yellow squash seeds and some marigold seeds  & cantaloupe planted -right at dark -when it was a little cooler.  I also fixed a pot of lentil soup but DH does not like lentils so I ate it and fixed him something different. He has trouble with food tasting bad anyway.

So, Dear Blog family - I have not forgotten about any of you - there just has not been enough time in a day to slip you a note-but I think of each of you daily and am So grateful for you. I hope each of you is having lovely weather . Also that the ones in American have a lovely holiday!

I Might have to post sporadically depending on  how I manage DH's care & support & also manage a house out of control also. It does not mean that I have forgotten about you  because I carry each of you in my heart and am so grateful for you.
Love to all - Linda

Babies - aren't they just the cutest ,most precious gifts on Earth.  This little bundle of  joy is now 5 months old and he is such a sweet ,funny little character. I have never seen a baby so full of joy. He laughs all the time and will carry on a running conversation with you the entire time. Of course it does help to know how to speak "baby" -but you still get the point. This is the youngest of the great grand babies & he is a doll and he came to visit today.

This is his precious Dad , who came up today and put that fence back up for us -the one that the flood had taken down. He was dripping wet with sweat from the work. DH went out with him but was unable to do much. He is so weak and so sick at his stomach. Sometimes he throws up and sometimes he just suffers from the nausea . His next doctor visit is tomorrow and maybe we will find what the tests show and Maybe we will find out where this terrible pain in his stomach is coming from? That's a lot of maybe-s , isn't it?

I was working on a pair of knit slacks to go with that shirt for my sister-in-law , but had to stop.

I better run -too much to do and not enough "me" to accomplish all I want to do.
Hugs- Linda

Sister-in-laws shirt that the embroidery machine messed up on! Darn it - IF ONLY!  I did try my very best to pull it off after the machine's visit to the machine doctor. I worked hard attempting to re-line the design and for the most part it was turning out perfect -UNTIL - it came to the outline -then it broke bad on me.

That was when I asked her if I should trash it -or- sew it together for her to use working around the house & she said she would wear it any way.

I was disappointed because I HATE to waste fabric and also because I had intended to "test" it out on Ebay like I am the kids outfits. I know some larger size gals who say it is hard to find clothes that fit -and- since my favorite sewing is large sizes -I was still searching for that way to support myself.  Searching being the key word !!! LOL

DH has been sick all day. He started out with a migraine headache which ended with him throwing up. These terrible migraines are something new & I am wondering if they have something to do with that chemo treatment he had on Monday? He is scheduled to have another one this coming Mon. I HATE to see him in pain and suffering.

It was very pleasant here today so I worked outdoors for half of the day. I had picked up 6 plants yesterday . They are called Peter Pan and they are a green squash.I told DH it was a good thing I asked because I would have thought green would have meant that they were not ripe and they would have rotted. So, sometimes it does pay to ask questions. I got them all bedded down in the garden.

I fixed DH some fresh fish soup and he said it was good. That is the first thing that he has said was good in a long time as his taste buds are being affected also. Then I fixed a rhubarb cake - I had never had one before and it was really tasty -except - it had WAY too much sugar. I had even cut it down half - and it was Still Too Much Sugar.

I hope you have had a lovely day also-if you managed to catch it as it flew by you! LOL

I finally accomplished something constructive. Another little size 4 little girls outfit. This knit fabric was a piece from the one where I had started Sister-in-law that shirt and then ruined it. I did ask her if she would want it for a house shirt and she said yes.There was just enough left over for this little outfit.

DH had his CT Scan this morning & it was not easy to accomplish because he is so claustrophobic,move so than he has ever been in his whole life time. This machine just looked like a giant hoolahoop -standing upright. They even took my advice & put a cloth over his face. That flunked because he raised his arm and bumped the machine and he was up from there and gone before anybody knew what happened.

The next technique was to find him a sedative & the cloth and that time it worked. Then they moved us to another place to have Xrays of his chest and he did good with that. He said he wished all machines could be that easy.We will not find out anything until next week when he goes back for a chemo treatment.

After we got out of there DH was a zombie! I was forced to drive and it was scary for me . I have not driven but this is the 3rd time in 4 years since a car wreck-but this was the best way to be forced to test the waters & in my opinion it was a failure. Yes, I did get us home and it was only a little country road from the hospital to our house-but ????? I think the roads are not as wide  now as they were  4 years ago????

Plus, I was driving 30 MPH & it seemed like 60 to me as far as being able to control the car. ???? Plus I had this inclination that I wanted to just drive right off the road-I Don't Know Where That Came From-but it definitely would not have been a good idea. To have squished our little vehicle would have broken my heart.

But we did make it home and I think DH was asleep before he hit the lounge chair. I fixed us a bit to eat and woke him up and got some of that in him and he has slept all day & still sleeping. I know how he feels because sleep has tried to jump all over me all day long.It has been a constant battle. I know IF I were to go to sleep -then I would not be able to sleep tonight . We both are just having trouble sleeping at night & IF you do not get your night-time sleep-then you feel ROTTEN the next day and flunk at everything you lay your hand to. So, that was Why I was so thrilled to pull  off a project-Yea!

This was suppose to be a real treat for me. I had purchased this brand spanking new Shark iron on sale about a year and half ago. I put it up for the next emergency to have on hand. Well since then I have gone through one and almost another one irons. The one that is the half is the little one I have been using that sometimes heats and sometimes does what it wants to-no matter what I think.

SO, I pulled this baby off of the shelf and when I took it out of the box I said -OOOOOOOOOOO! It is So pretty! I filled her up with fresh water and plugged her in while I sat up the ironing board . Got the little outfit and used the lint roller on it because of Miss Rosie's hairs and checked the iron out and it was dead as a door nail. ????? I wiggled it a little bit -then checked the cords and could find NOTHING but a Dead iron! I was so miffed -but too tired to have a conniption , so I carried it to the kitchen  and it spilled water everywhere ???? Can ANYBODY tell me why irons do that! My ironing board is drenched.

I plugged it in the kitchen and sat it down in the sink . When I turned around the little light was on. I almost fainted -but not to enjoy that long -when it saw me checking it out - it doused that little light -and NO MATTER how hard I begged -it just would not turn back on again.

 A LEMON ! Yep - that is what I am calling it! Companies should Pay me to locate all of their lemons because I sure could do that job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs-Linda

DH will have a CT Scan in the morning.

Hi blog family,
I hope you have had a lovely day-everything seems to be springing to life once again. It seems to me that Spring works so very hard to bring about all of this beauty that I wish it could be this way all year long. Well- a friend once told me that IF I was going to wish for a watermelon then wish for  a BIG watermelon in life. LOL

These days are just going too fast. I just do not recall anybody telling me when I was young that the older you get - the faster time goes??? But, It Sure Does. LOL

DH goes bright & early in the morning for a CT scan . He really does not like those things but the lady who gives them always works hard with him. She is just a little tiny smidgen of a gal. I wish I could give her some of my blubber. LOL- sorry could not help myself.

We went this afternoon to visit with his sister & hubby in the city as they did a CT Scan on her for her back. She has another ruptured disc & they are making plans for another surgery. It really does amaze me how So Many people have back problems. ????
But, driving home DH was so exhausted . He made the comment that back when he was younger he could drive day and night and not get tired. It always seemed to enthuse him. It was always me the one that driving just plum wore out?  I sometimes wish we had come to earth with some kind of a owners manual.

Well, I better hop off and get things in order. But I read an interesting article & I thought I might share it with you!

 Scientists Warn: Too Much Sugar Harms the Brain

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:48 PM

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Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.

One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.

Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared.

"The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

"Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."

A closer look at the rat brains revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates brain function.

"Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said.

In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions.

"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," Gomez-Pinilla said.

"Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new."

High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks.

The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

While the study did not say what the equivalent might be for a human to consume as much high-fructose corn syrup as the rats did, researchers said it provides some evidence that metabolic syndrome can affect the mind as well as the body.

"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Gomez-Pinilla.

"Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."

The study appeared in the Journal of Physiology.

Life Upside Down Life

I am sorry I did not post last night. I had DH back to the doctor and his prostate cancer is back and stronger than before. They took him in and did a chemo treatment on him that took two hours.

Next he goes on Thurs. for a CT Scan to see what is going on inside his tummy that is causing him almost unbearable pain & that is with pain meds. It is very hard to see someone you love suffer and not be able to fix it.

I think we both were in shock as we both had our hopes up high.

I did a lot of work outdoors this morning  and it was afternoon when I had enough sense to head inside. I caught DH in tears a couple of times . Drats.

I did work on my machine embroidery project -trying to save it -but in the end it messed up bigtime on the outline-so I might just trash it -or -see if my sister-in-law would still want it to work around the house in?

I started on a little girls shorts outfit. I have it cut out and the front embroidered.
We have had rain the last four days-they are calling for some sun tomorrow.
Hugs

Happy Mother's Day to all - regardless of age. It was an idea lovely day for me. I got to see both boys & their families.

This is PawPaw giving our very youngest grandson a ride on the tractor-his very first & it seems he was rather smitten with it. LOL

 His poor little Mom had ALL of her teeth removed this past Tuesday and she is still in so much misery. I hate to see any of the kids in pain. You know - I cannot figure out WHY in the world IF you have something done that requires pain meds-the pharmacy will NOT fill it for you IF you have a different pain med already. They did that for our youngest son when they cut his wisdom teeth out here lately  & they refused to file one for Meagan with this tooth surgery because she already had a prescription for something for her back.They tried to explain that the two different pain meds were for two different things -but they refused to give them to her and she is really suffering . I think it STINKS!I wish I could "wish" the pain that Meagan is in -ON- the people at the pharmacy! I think that would only be fair.(Shame on me-an old meanie) But you know yourself that One pain medicine does not cover ALL types of pain-If it did then they would not have invented any others.

My youngest granddaughter brought me this lovely dahlia & I made sure to plant it as soon as they went out the door, as it is calling for a lot of rain -I am hoping that will give it a good start.

  This lovely rose came from our next youngest granddaughter & her sweet hubbie and their 1 1/2 year old little boy. Her hubbie and our oldest son helped DH set the posts from where the flood took out our fence last week. I am glad that they did not attach the wire because they are calling for serious rain tonight into tomorrow. I would not have wanted for them to put all that work into a fence and then have it all tore up so quickly. This way the posts are set and we can do the wire later , as I have the animals fooled because I took the plastic that had washed down the creek and laid it on top of the wire and they think it is a full fence. LOL  Plus, the sheep and the donkey are getting old and they do not have as much wander lust as if they were young. LOL

So many happy stitches to each and all!
love- linda

Sewing Guild - yep, today was our Sewing Guild Meeting with lots of interesting information.  We had a visiting speaker -Ray Cumbee. I hope I am spelling her name right ,but she had her own pattern for a jacket that she had designed . It had square sleeves and she used that pattern and made jackets for Spring, Summer , Fall & Winter with just the use of different fabrics and it was amazing how different they all came out. She even made one from Alpaca that was felted and she knitted sleeves for it.

One thing I liked about some of her projects was Big Buttons on the front and if the main fabric was not stable enough to support the weight of a big button -she was use a band of upholstery fabrics. Then one lady in the Guild showed off her jacket she had made and it LOOKED like 3 buttons clustered together in a group and there were 3 groups of them . They were beautiful buttons and she pulled a neat trick. She sewed the two smaller buttons on the outside fabric and then made one button hole that she pulled the main button through -so - it might look like three buttons -but there was only 1 hole. I thought that was neato. Saved you from making 9 button holes and narrowed it down to 3 .

Then there was Sew and Tell with lots of neat projects and lots of funny stories.I did meet one lady who loved cats & that opened up a new line of conversation. She had the cutest little purse with Laurel Birch designs all over it.

I picked up 5 Sew News magazines at 20 cents each -that was my big catch for the night. I am good and tired as DH and I tore up half of the sewing room today looking for something and I am in the process of putting it back together.Tomorrow is critter day and then our youngest son and his family are planning to come for a visit tomorrow afternoon. So, I better bid you adue!
Love to each!
Linda

One of my favorite quotes has been: A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever & that is how I feel about all the beauty that surrounds each of us.Sometimes we get So hung up in just the Busyness of everyday life that some of the beauty slips by us unseen. And then you come up with : One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure - so IF that beauty slips by one of us and the next one of us captures the moment and lets that beauty inspire -what a treasure it becomes.

Today was such a wild day -so I needed to snitch a little beauty along the way for strength to persevere. I did get up early and get all of the chores accomplished and we grabbed breakfast and we took the trash down to the road as we left for DH's doctor visit. I also grabbed my embroidery machine to see IF we would make it to the city.I even "Hog-tied" her to the back of my seat with a belt so that she would not get jostled around on the trip.

 His doctor visit went well but his crazy body???? As soon as we arrived at the office and into the little room -all of his painful things - Stopped! Entirely! No pain -not even when she poked and prodded . I did tell her about it but that is not like seeing it for real. She said something is going on with his stomach , so she scheduled him for a CT scan on Monday. We were running a little late-as we had to wait for them to make the appointment with the hospital.

But as soon as we were out we hopped in the car and headed to Roanoke to where ALPINE Sewing is located . This was why I wanted a Janome -because I have seen their work and they are honest and kind and KNOWLEDGEABLE!!!!!!!!!! Instead of having to leave the machine this time -the main lady that I always see had it fixed in approximately an hour and we were back on our way-With my baby in tact. This time it was the bobbin case !!!! New case - works like a charm-now IF I can just get that booger lined back up and save the project??????  HOPE, HOPE< HOPE!

Time was slipping away because I had hoped we could come back through the mountains of Floyd where  The School House Fabrics is located. We also wanted to go that way because they were blasting on the Interstate and we did not want to get hung up in that backed up-re-routed traffic that holds you back for an hour.We do not have much Patience for being stuck in traffic so we took the country route and I did get to stop at the School House and I did find the perfect gray knit that I was looking for ! Yea- that was a fast trip in & out in about 20 minutes.

So, off once again and headed back to the Same town we had left the doctors from because I was hoping to pick up my meds , but was worried about the time because of my counseling session. We stopped at the clinic and they said I could not pick up my meds UNTIL Friday. I was disappointed and thought it would have been even worse IF we had made a special trip and wasted gas?????  But we were in the area -so that was not so bad and we do have to be back in town on Friday Anyway -so Hopefully I Might get my meds ??? After counseling we headed home - so we had driven all day long in ONE Big Round Circle and we were both pooped. DH has even gone to bed  - so you KNOW he is beat.  I am beginning to wonder IF anybody really knows before they reach "the Mature years" - how really challenging they can be?  You just do not have the energy that you had before. I know this is because IF we did not have bodies that we wear out -then we might just want to stay here forever . But -still - it is challenging. LOL

I am just thrilled to be home and all the chores are finished and bed is looking GOOD. Partly because the night BEFORE I know that we have an early morning appointment that I Just Can Not go to sleep???? I do not have any idea WHY-but it is a big ole pain in my "betoosia"! LOL
I do know IF I am still alive &kicking in the morning that I hope to prewash my knits to get them ready to "make some magic"! Yea! But first I will attempt to save my almost ruined project???? I will try for the last time to remove that monster thread nest and AIM for the right position. Hope,Hope, Hope! Time will definitely tell!

So, Love to all and to all a Good Night ----OR ---A Good Day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trouble ? Sometimes I just wonder how in the world I manage to get myself into so much trouble.
I thought I was making a good start because I got to the sewing room about lunch time and picked out the design I preferred and started working on it. The right stabilizer - the right topper and I pulled it nice and tight.
I was about half way into it -with my mind racing ahead to what I could do next to accomplish my goals-when that loud racket that the embroidery  machine has been making   stopped -and there was dead silence?

I think I was stunned -and then the project in the hoop started jumping and lurching up and down and back and forward & I hit the stop button. I peeked up under the project and I could see a big nest of thread , so I pulled out the kitchen knife I Used to use on the Brother machine -then pushed it up under to the tangle and gently sliced it loose.

Disappointment -disappointment. I carefully cleaned off the design by cutting one thread at a time and then restarted it -hoping - only to meet disappointment once again. I did try it one more time and the same thing,even through I took everything apart and cleaned down in the race . I did not want to turn it off and quit because then I would lose my place - so I took a break and worked on the computer for a while.  I did some much needed maintenance on the computers and am now eyeballing it one more time as it sits here beside me. I HATE to lose my place because that was to be my sister-in-laws shirt and I do not have any more fabric that I could cut out another front for it-dag gone it.

I think I will try one more time and then if that is a failure I will load her up in the car , as DH has an early morning doctor visit and then we could take it Back to the machine doctor in the city after that. We both just felt too bad to try to make that trip this afternoon. So, maybe tomorrow?

It was a damp , dark , cloudy day-drizzled off and on  & normally the embroidery takes my mind off of the weather?

I had called the cell phone company because our service has steadily gone down hill & they wanted me to try out something called an extender and it came today. So, far - it has not worked either-it is sitting in there blinking it's lights saying it cannot connect and since that is suppose to be a hundred dollars I need to pack that booger back up and send it on its way too.

DH has felt bad today to , and he has slept most of the day .
Now it is getting late and I need to go tackle my evening chores and tell my critters all of my problems and "let them fix them for me"! LOL
Have a great day to all!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cowboy & flowers for my day. This is Cowboy -my DH's cat & he is a big talker-worse than any child following you -yack-yack-yack! You ask him and he will give you an answer and sometimes it is much better than a "human" answer. LOL

The weather here was beautiful ,very warm and sometimes sunny and sometimes cloudy. Just enough for you to appreciate both. After I got all of my chores finished I made it to the sewing room. But, I was in danger of having "Sewers Block"??? I had finished all of my projects and could not decide which direction I wanted to head in now???? Well, I did not have the right fabric for what I wanted to tackle so I started plowing through my now dwindling stash to see what I could come up with???

I ended up finding a mauve colored double knit and the same color single knit  and I spent the after noon cutting out a pair of slacks from the double knit -and moved on to cutting out a tee shirt from the single knit. They will be for my Sister-in-law for Christmas. I have also already picked out the embroidery design to put on the tee shirt-Yea!

I had some scraps leftover and it was just enough to cut out a size 4 tee shirt and a size 4 shorts to make another outfit. They are not selling -but they will make excellent Christmas gifts for the grands and the greats. Plus - they are excellent practice for me.

I know it did not seem like a lot -but by the time you spend hours searching for embroidery designs and also checking out the knit fabrics online -time really does run off and leave you.

DH went to the building supply store and picked up bags of premix concrete that he will use to set new posts where the creek took our fence out the other day. He tried to find somebody to help him -but everybody is busy.
While he was out he bought the older son and his family the fixings for a cook out .He called me to see if he needed to come get me -but I was having too much fun having a couple hours to myself.

Just as dusk was coming I did take my walk & gather the eggs  and lock the chickens all up. Darn it - I just realized that I lost the pictures I had taken of the little hens . Drats- I will have to try again.

I hope you have had as lovely a day as I have!
Love to all!

Black slacks - yep , that is all I wanted to learn today -was how to make a pair of black slacks out of a Very Stretchy black piece of fabric. YEA - Right - I wanted a comforting day doing something I love that is useful-BUT- what did I get ? Another day with Drama in it and this time I cannot blame the Embroidery Machine. Nope - this time he is in the clear!Now, I DID get my blacks slacks-but also a few lessons on the side that I did not call for?

That little white thing in the back with the green handle is a lint roller-but I did not need it for lint - I needed it for Miss Rosie's white hairs. Yep- I made the mistake of turning my back and Miss Rosie "Showered" on it. The thicker hairs I could pick off -but those small ones were EVERYWHERE . They were even entwined into the fabric making it look like it was Sewn into it. So, I kept the lint roller busy for the duration of the project.

AAAAHHHH - the magic Pink bottle ??? It is filled with vinegar and I keep it in the bathroom and also one in the kitchen and they are in use constantly. This particular time I had read that using vinegar to spray on folds to "Set" a seam and make a more permanent fold. So, I decided to test it out and see how it behaves.

And of course I had to have some Unplanned drama. I was sewing down one of my last seams and I stopped and cut my thread and was easing the seam at the end of the legs  when all of a sudden the SEWING machine took off running like a wild colt!????? Then it quit as quickly as it had started. I had to finish one last seam and I was concentrating very hard because this stretchy fabric was giving me some challenges. I had just got every thing all lined up nice and neat and started down the final stretch of my foot hem when Mr. Sewing machine tried to run over my fingers-on its own . I squealed and jumped back out of the way???? This time I studied this evil machine & it's pranks and wondered what was going on?

I pulled the pants off of the machine and was easing those stitches out when the silly thing just took off one more time-I hollered for DH & he did not hear me - it kept on and I hollered for DH again- still he did not hear me over his tv -still the machine kept on so I hollered one more time -this time he heard me and came to see what I wanted. Just as he hit the door - IT STOPPED!  I knew it - now he would think I was some crazy lady when I told him it was sewing on its own. He looked at me quirky and as he turned his view to the machine - it took off all on its own -one more time! That time I was tickled because he would see for his own eyes. After it had its say -it quit and silence was in the room. So, what have you guys been up to?

But at least I completed my project and I did not get run over by a sewing machine -so I am happy.

It was a crazy day & just when I thought I could see light at the end of my tunnel- This stuff had to hit.

This was what our driveway turned into-this is water running Under our car and joining the creek which we normally drive through to get on that mail highway down there.

This is the next view to the right of the one above. Where those two trees are is suppose to be a fence-wonder where it disappeared to.

Here is a car on the main street slowly rolling through the water that has overrun the highway because a pipe on the other side of the road is stopped up.

If you can make out those hilly lines out there - that is DH's potato patch that we Just planted this week.

On top of thunder and lightening and hail and high winds -I still managed to make another pair of bloomers and I have improved my technique. Yea!

I hope you have had a wonderful day minus all of the excitement I have had.
Love to all!

O, it is truly a magical time of year-there is beauty just about everywhere you look . I managed to do all of the morning chores so we could get ready and take off to Roanoke to catch up with DH's sister and B-I-L . Eddie had to come all the way over here to have shots in his hips that hurt him so bad-it is a Veterans hospital.

 They were kind enough to take us out to eat with them and since the restaurant was not busy we spent the rest of the evening there just catching up with each family.Katherine had on one of the tee shirts I had made her and that made me SO happy.

 We were so blessed that we have air-conditioning in the car. It was 89 today . We came on back home and  DH dived into the television and I have run around like a nut re-doing all of the chores and making sure everybody has water. Whew!

This is my two beautiful flowers that have just started blooming  and you can tell it was almost dark as I HAD to have a picture of them-didn't want them to sneak away and me not appreciate them.  Dear B-I-L gave DH the rest of his birthday present and it was a lovely bird -house . Eddie makes the nicest bird houses. When we left them I asked DH, "WHY is it that YOU get all of the bird-houses - and not ME! LOL I will try and post that tomorrow.
So, another beautiful day has flown away . I have just read a funny tip - It says to read a book for ten minutes with your et
 turned on and the volume turned up. Then put the book down and watch tv for ten minutes . Do this for 3 times to help improve your memory!

So, love to all! catch you tomorrow!
Hugs, Linda

BLOOMERS! Yep-that is what I worked on today. You might remember the last time I attempted bloomers-but they defeated me -But - I have been known to have a few stubborn bones in my body -so I tackled my own challenge again.

I think I have learned that the fabric I experimented with the last time -I thought it was that silky stuff that you see they am made of in the store-but It did not have Hardly any stretch to it -so that got me in trouble right off the bat.

So, I waited until I had some very thin -a lot stretchy -knit. I do not really know what type of fabric it is because I got it for a dollar a yard when the Walmart got rid of their fabrics.

I had some white elastic to experiment with this go round and I had white thread on the serger so I decided to use that to be able to see what is going on.
I think I have the measurements about right -that is one nice thing -IF you get the measurements of your body about right -they sure can fit well enough to feel good.

I did sit and study a store bought pair and I just Could Not Figure Out -how in the world they had sewed it??? So, I finally gave up with that idea and just decided to sew the elastic on the wrong side of the pieces with the serger and then fold that down  - and top-stitch on the opposite side.

I can see I would have a LOT of "Customizing" to do IF I wanted them to look like store-bought. But I have to admit that it feels good to make something that you use every day of your life-and it also made me wonder How in the world did our ancestors manage 150 years ago? They could not just up and run to the fabric store for fabric and needles and threads? For some reason I had never wondered this before?

I am finding it amazing to create something in your own home and it leads a trail back in history and makes me appreciate how they managed . We never think about what would be "small" things to us -but they seem like REALLY BIG things back in history?If any of you have any knowledge of how they would manage this - please let me know?

Hugs, Linda