What's up???

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I took a couple of extra days off and spent some time with Evan.  I was extremely lazy. After dinner at my parents' house on Thursday I didn't leave my house. 3 whole days of living in jammies. I did do some much needed house work, but other than that it was football and craft time. I started a project Sunday - one for all the kids in the family. Grinch pillowcases with their names on them. I ordered the material to make a quilt...but I haven't gotten around to it. So 6 pillowcases it shall be. I have finished 2... only 4 more to go!

I think this says it all some days...

Thoughts

Today is a slow day at work. I'm running reports that are taking ages, so I have time to sit and think. A dangerous notion. What I've been thinking about lately is the people in my life. And people who aren't directly IN my life, but have inspired me to DO better. To BE better. To take what is given and do what I can with it. Life is not about being pampered. No one is owed happiness. To quote a friend "The world is not here to make you happy. You have to do that yourself."

The people IN my life:

I'm lucky. I have an incredible family. Wonderful friends. People who supported me and cheered me on when I was going through my treatments. I have a husband that does love me. Yes, I complain about having to keep him in line...but I don't doubt his love. I have a son that I adore. He is growing into quite the charming, responsible young man. Yes, there were times when he was younger that I wondered why I had a child. And I'm sure there will be more of those times when he hits those teen years. But through all of those times and hard work I have to remember that I am the one that brought him here. It is MY responsibility to raise him to the best of my ability.

People who have inspired me to do better:

GB. A former co-worker. We were never close. Wouldn't even call us friends. Co-workers. She was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She isn't even 40. She has 2 small children. She has a blog on caringbridge.org where she has been logging her journey. Reading that has inspired me. Her attitude is incredible. Her family has rallied around her and she is THANKFUL. Her latest entry is titled "Luckiest girl in the world".

MT. E is a nephew of a friend. He is 11. He was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. Cancer. E and his mother, MT, have both been an inspiration. I don't know how they do it. They have spent the last 5 years getting E the treatment he needs at St. Jude. He has been so strong for so long. And now the end of his fight is coming. There are no treatments left. No options. They are just watching him decline. Yet, she holds it together for him, her other son and her husband. She finds the joy in the small accomplishments. Life certainly isn't handing her bon-bons. But she is refusing to sit in the corner and give up.

So, when I'm feeling sorry for myself, when I wonder why I should keep trudging along when things don't go my way... I look to all of these people to find the strength I need. The strength I want. The strength I want Evan to have.

I think I've fallen off the edge of the earth

This summer flew by way too fast. School has started and it feels like I accomplished nothing this summer. That bedroom I wanted to arrange? Still a disaster. Craft projects? Started, but not completed. Seeing friends? Well, THAT I did accomplish, though not as much as I would like.

Sips And Storkes with LW - she is the person that introduced me to my dear husband. She gets a lot of blame when I'm mad.

I also went to see 100 Monkeys again - and they were just as good the second time, if not better. Love, love, love the Monkeys. And they had 2 bands with them that were awesome - so I have new music to listen to. Now, I just need to get ready for the Foo Fighters in Atlanta!!!

One project that I did finish (though not before school started) was getting Evan's hair cut. I've always said that I didn't care if his hair was long - as long as it was clean and neat. Well, when puberty hit, neat went out the window. The longer it grows, the more body it has in it. And by body, I mean giant curls that can't be tamed. And another problem - he has SO MUCH hair that it wouldn't dry. The Before pics are at least an hour after he showered and his hair is STILL WET. It looks like he has gel in it, but no. Just water.

So, I turned to Peter - the most awesome hair guy ever. Evan thinks that whatever Peter says is law, so all I had to do was let Peter know that I wanted it shorter and voila, instant success that Evan is happy with. Excuse the goofy look. He wouldn't quit being silly.

Teenage boys...they will be the death of my grocery planning!

This past weekend Evan had a friend over - one who had never been over before. A sweet kid - Evan has been to his house and we have taken this boy on some adventures - skating, bowling, etc. Anyway, they had been playing video games for a while and came out of the cave for drinks and snacks (oh, how snacks and teenage boys will KILL your grocery budget!). I heard the boys laughing in the kitchen so I went in to see what was so funny. Well, Evan was laughing at his friend because he had never seen ice cube trays before. We don't have an ice maker (we don't have enough water pressure to push the water through the hose - it freezes before it gets to the maker) - we just use trays. It was just unreal to me that he had never seen them before!

I'm ready for school to start back - just a few more days and we can get back into a routine. Since Evan has now quit guitar lessons, we can acutally have a normal Saturday! We can have friends over on Friday night after football games. We can do things on Saturdays that I used to have to get done during the week. We can plan parties for the college (Roll Tide!!!) games!!! I'm already working on my game day menu for Evan and his friends....

Fourth of July Festivities

Over the 4th, we took a trip to Fairhope. We all had a great time - as you can tell by this picture of the guys.

Little G and Big G
My 'other' son, Evan and Mike

The next weekend, I got busy. I started work on my Halloween quilt. I've had the materials for ages, but just got started. I want it complete by the first of October. I think I'll make it. All I have to do is put the front, back and batting together and then bind it. Easy, peasy. Next project?? A Grinch Christmas quilt!!!

Front

Back

My Precious Angel

This was a wild weekend. Since I only have a boy, I have to borrow my nieces from time to time. One, I only have occasional access to. The other? I can get her any time I want - I wish she was mine.

But what I love the most is when she requests me!!! This past weekend was La's very first dance recital. Her Aunt Lara and I had planned to go together. Well, La is 4 - and very much the girly girl. Right now, she and my nephew are staying with my parents. Mom has taken over 'dance' duty - taking her to and from class, making sure she has all the stuff she needs.  Thursday after dance, she informed my mom that Aunt Lisa would be doing her make up for the recital because she does a better job. Good thing Mom's skin is as thick as mine! So, I called Aunt Lara and we changed our plans. She just met us there and acted as photographer! I was in charge of hair and make up, Mom was in charge of costumes. And now, I will indulge in photos!

We wrapped her in a blanket to avoid getting make up on her costume... Do you know how hard it is to put mascara on those little blond lashes?

 And lipstick on those little lips? Especially since she either wanted to pucker or talk.

 Of course, she wanted to give me some color. On my neck.

 Here we are double teaming her... Yes, that's my Mom. Love, love, love her.

 And here she is, ready for the stage!

 And after the first number (theme from Beauty and the Beast) there was a costume change.... This one suits her personality...

 They danced to Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys. She LOVED that one!

 After it was over, she got her flowers from Aunt Lara and Aunt Lisa... Papa brought her some gorgeous roses from his garden, my mom had her a little ballerina figurine and her dad had her a teddy bear wearing a tutu. She was exhausted!



Time

Time is slipping away so fast. Yesterday it really hit me just how fast the past 2 years have flown. So much has been going on, and I've learned so much.

Exactly 2 years ago today, I had a port placed in my chest for chemo treatments. Yesterday I had it removed. It brought home the news that I WILL be ok - after all, if they thought I would need it, they would have left it in. As a matter of fact, I wanted to keep it a while longer - just in case. But my oncologist insisted I have it removed. So, I did. It's a little sore, a little tender. No big deal.

Also, I no longer have a little boy. I have a young man. With body hair. And an attitude. He's 12 - and alrealy taller than I am. He and his dad wear the same size shorts (waist size). His feet are bigger than his dad's. He likes a girl, but he's too shy to talk to her. But he makes sure his hair is done, his teeth are brushed and his clothes look nice before he leaves for school. You know, for her. ACK!!!

6th grade was harder than I thought it would be. It started off really rough. Kids can be cruel. Especially to children who are a little different (tall, short, fat, skinny, smart, slow). Anything outside the 'norm' brings the taunts and name calling. Believe me, things like that impact a child's outlook on everything - especially their self-worth. It takes a lot more to build a child back up than it does to tear one down.

Work has been ... busy. Like most companies, we have seen a little downsizing. That translates into everyone doing a little/lot more with less. But, when things are busy, the day doesn't drag by.

Reading. I've read more books over the past 2 years than at any point in my life. Just since last July (when I purchased my Nook) I have purchased and read 60+ ebooks. Plus a few 'real' books have been purchased and read.

I've learned who my friends are - who I can trust - who I can count on (even if I've never met the person in real life). I've also learned that it's ok to cut someone out of your life if they hurt your heart beyond repair.

I've also learned to ask for help. It used to KILL me to ask for help from anyone. It made me feel weak - like I wasn't good enough. But really, when people know you are going through something, they WANT to help.  It does't just help you, it helps them feel a little less helpless.

I've also learned that you don't have to WAIT for someone to ask for help. Just do something. No matter how simple it seems to you (bringing over a pot of spaghetti) it will mean the world to them.

My favorite quote: “Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” - Henry Miller

We are all safe and sound....and these are NOT my pictures....And this is somewhat of a downer post

Well, it has been a long, stressful few days in the South. Particularly Alabama. Everyone I know is safe - some have damaged homes, no power, etc. But they are alive. Not everyone was so lucky. I know of 3 teenage girls who lived, but watched their parents die. Their Grandmother is taking care of them now.  

The small town where my Dad grew up has been wiped out. It isn't getting much news play just because they haven't gotten to it yet. Right now they are finding body parts. "Officially" they are listing 3 dead. It's more like 50.  In a town of only 600, that's a pretty big percentage. All of the buildings in town are gone - every store, every school, every doctor's office. Here is a video of the damage.

These pictures are from a friend - she USED to live in the middle of the woods. Not so much anymore.  She has trees on her house, but her cars are OK and now that the trees have been cleared to the side of the road, they can get out some. She came over Friday night to do laundry, dishes, shower, etc. They don't have power OR water. But they are all safe. She said that the outpouring of help has just amazed her. Her nephew (who works for the power company in the southern part of the state) came up the day after the storm and started helping get the power lines in order so that when they DO get power back to the area, she will be ready. Several friends came with him with chain saws and supplies. Someone she doesn't even know loaned them a generator - her nephew was hooking that up Friday night. Her daughter was coming home from Texas to help. When she went to pick up her paycheck (she had just been with this company for ONE WEEK) they loaded her truck up with supplies they would need - water, non-perishables, etc. Another nephew works at the local W@l-M@rt. He went to get some supplies for them and the store wouldn't let him pay for a thing - loaded his truck up. I have a feeling that we will hear more and more stories like this.

Finished!!!

Just in time for the baby shower on Wednesday...

Front

 Back

It was a very exciting weekend...sewing and fixing a broken waterline. Yeah. All day Sunday with no water. At least Mike was able to fix it - for that I am thankful. Not having to call a plumber is priceless.

Oh, there was one bit of excitement. Or aggravation. Depends on how I want to look at it. Saturday I was taking a quick shower before Mike and I went to get pedicures. Yes, that's what I got Mike for his birthday. Anyway, I came out of the shower to see little blood spots on a throw pillow. So I investigate. I found Wags and he had a little cut on his muzzle. No biggie. Or so I thought. Then I went to the room where I had sorted the laundry. Of course, Wags had gone to the pile of light clothes to rub his cut. On Every. Single. White. Item. Every. Single. Item. All of Mike's work shirts. Evan's school clothes. Socks. It looked like a scene from a slasher movie. So, I took a deep breath, I treated one shirt with my normal name brand stuff and ran out. So, while we were out, I went to Dollar Tree. They have amazing cleaning stuff. There is a stain remover - Laundry Pre-Treat Awesome. When we got home, I treated everything except the one shirt I had already treated. Guess what got clean?? Everything except the shirt I used the name brand stuff on.

Howdy!

It seems like the only thing I've been blogging about lately is sewing. I guess that's mostly because that's what is going on right now. The only drama is drama I can't blog about because it isn't specifically MY drama. Some of it spills over into my life, and I gripe about it and worry about it, but it isn't really my drama to put out there. Evan is doing great - besides (at times) being a hormonal brat. We are down to the last grading period - soon school will be out for summer! That's really all that is going on.

I DO have a friend that is pregnant - but she doesn't know this blog exists, so I feel pretty safe putting up pictures of the baby quilt I'm making. Can't put it up on Facebook - she would see it and her shower is next week. So, why am I just now making this blanket??? Well, let's just say that Evan gets his procrastination skills honestly.

It starts out as a bunch of squares sewn into pairs....

 Then you pair up the pairs into 4s...

 Then I have to find some semblance of order. See...it's supposed to be randomly assembled. I can't do that. I just can't.

 And pinning part of the inner border is as far as I got tonight.

Tomorrow I add more squares to the outside, then I start quilting!!!

A new dress for my niece...

Just need to get some better ribbon and hem it! Tutorial found here!

Preview

Not the best picture, but I was using my cell phone...

Busy, busy, busy

I've been trying to stay busy lately - it hasn't been that hard. Last weekend we started spring cleaning (gross) and rearranging furniture. I actually reclaimed the bedroom that turned into a craft room that turned into a junk room. It is now back to being a bedroom - with a sewing table. I made a niece a toy bag - it's pretty cool. When you let the draw string out, it flattens out into a circle - a play mat. When you are done, throw all the toys on the mat, pull the string, and the toys are put away. Pretty neat! I tried to find the link to the tutorial I used, but I can't. If I find it later, I'll update this post. Here is the link to the tutorial!

I also have plans to make a pillowcase dress for her! Hope she likes it!

Mardi Gras...

Had to get into the spirit. And by the focus on this pic...I had been into the spirits.

E liked the crazy glasses..

SWAG. Need some beads? This doesn't even include what Mike caught.

More to come later....

Kidney Stones...

are a bitch.

Here is what I've been up to...

Well, I think I promised an update on my quilting. This is just the quilt top. I'll start the real quilting part next week. It's small - 42x42 - baby blanket size. I'm pretty happy with the way it has turned out so far.

Oh, and I don't know if you can tell or not...but I took this picture in the playroom. That I accidentally painted lavendar. It's growing on me. My next project will probably be a quilt to go over the futon in this room. I seriously doubt I'll be finding anything to really go with those walls.

Step 2: Learn how to cut

Well, you would think that since I can already sew, I would know how to cut material. Apparently not. See, the new thing is rotary cutters. Not scissors. So we had a lesson on that. And sewing a straight line. But I did get 8 squares made...only 17 more to do for homework. I'll put pictures up this weekend after I do my homework.

It's interesting, but I wish I was the only person in the class. There are now 2 others in there. One lady is fine. As a matter of fact, she and I discovered we work for the same company. We have seen each other in the hallway, but never actually met. The other lady. Well. It's the lady from the first class. She could do nothing right. She came in late and still had to set up her materials. She couldn't get her machine to sew a straight line. She cut her finger on the rotary cutter (it's like a round razor blade). When the other lady and I were packing up, she was still trying to cut her material. The shop closes at 8... the teacher had her coat on and her purse on her arm. This lady paid no attention to any of that. I have no idea what time they left. Maybe next week will be a little smoother.

Oh, and Mike really helped out last night. He picked Evan up from after-school care, fixed dinner, swept the floors, vacuumed the rugs, cleaned the bathroom floors and changed the litter box.

Step One - Spend lots of money

The first night of class the point was clear: we want your money, and lots of it. I bought my tools and my materials. I can't describe how this thing is going to be put together except the big piece is the back and frame and the 3 stacks will be used to make blocks - green-ish, purple-ish and pink-ish. This week the homework is to wash the material and then iron it. The next class will be 2/1 and I think we will be cutting? Maybe some sewing?

And if I get lucky, I may be the only person in the class. There was one other lady this week, but she was only there because she couldn't make it to the day class. I hope to heaven she doesn't decide to come at night. She drove me AND the teacher crazy, though the teacher tried to keep it from showing. But if she does come at night, I will be nice. For a while.

How old am I?

Lately I've been having a bit of fun. Going to concerts, meeting the band. Keeping one niece as much as possible (she is a 4 yr old bundle of energy!). These activities would suggest that I'm young. That I have energy. That I am not yet ancient.

But. I have decided that I need a new hobby. I have quit scrapbooking and will be selling all my supplies on Ebay. I crochet, but that takes a while to complete anything large. I have decided that I am going to learn to quilt. It's something both of my grandmothers did. The both had me cutting and hand-piecing quilt tops when I was 7or 8. And when I say hand-piecing...that means sewing a billion squares, rectangles and octagons together BY HAND. With a needle and thread. But I never learned the actual quilting part.

I have signed up for a beginner quilting class. The first class was last night. I got all my tools and my material. I am ready to go home tonight and get my material prepped for the first 'real' class. I think I'll even post pictures of my progress... I'll tell you one thing right off the bat - this will not be done by hand. I have a machine and I WILL be using it.

But this hobby makes me feel old. Like I should be wearing a shawl and slippers. And reading glasses hooked to a gold chain around my neck so I don't lose them.  I guess it's because the only women I know who do this are old. But I honestly want it to be an art form that isn't lost in our family. I don't have a daughter, but I can teach my nieces if they want to learn. Or I could teach Evan. He did learn how to sew rectangles together this past Christmas (we made heat packs for the women in the family). But that will be up to him.

I guess age is just a number - but I think I'll stop telling my number pretty soon.