One Thousand Blessings - Day Thirteen

For those of you who've asked what happened to the blessings list - I just needed to take a minute to breathe and ponder.  For those of you new to this blog I recently, well maybe not so recent any more, started a list of one thousand things I was thankful for.  It ranges from the very basic of running water, indoor toilets and toilet paper to the frivolous polka dot fabric.  We take so much for granted in our lives.  Millions of people don't have clean water or indoor toilets, our forefathers certainly didn't have toilet paper and polka dot fabric, well what can I say, everyone should have a bolt or two!  I continue where I left off:

426.  Painter's Tape
427.  Tiny little rollers for painting
428.  Ladders that are too heavy for me to move which means hubby has to do the painting
429.  New cars
430.  Seat warmers in new cars
431.  Separate temperature controls in new cars (can you tell I love my new car?)
432.  Grandchildren who have no doubt that when you pick them up you will have cookies for snacks and Toaster Strudel and PopTarts for breakfast even when you burn the roast for dinner
433.  Grandchildren who understand that when you pick them up in a new car you will not be stopping at Sonic
434.  The sound of leaves when you walk in them in the fall
435.  The sound of acorns falling on the neighbor's tin roof
436.  Temperatures that let you open your windows, even at night
437.  Early morning walks when your hands get cold but the air is sweet to breathe
438.  Swiffer Sweeper Vacuums
439.  Something you ordered being delivered several days earlier than they promised
440.  Windows Live Writer
441.  The picture of my mother-in-law laughing that's on my desk - I miss her
442.  Yarnell's Guilt Free Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
443.  Fresh haircuts
444.  Jergens Lotion, original scent
445.  My daughter's dog not having to have surgery
446.  Hearing the birds outside my window
447.  Early morning phone calls from my sister
448.  Bluetooth in my car
449.  High school friends who still remember my birthday and still send a card
450.  Amazon.com
451.  Finding new blogs to read and love
452.  Remembering how to make the ° sign on my computer (kind of complicated!)
453.  John Wesley's Rules of Life
454.  Finding a good book to listen to in the car
455.  Sleeping in my own bed after being away for four months
456.  Mattress warmers
457.  Doctor's office nurse who sends you a card to give you test results when she can't get you on the phone
458.  The beginning of deer season
459.  The end of the election season (it will end right?  please?)
460.  Mark Harmon - I think I might have said this before - I think I might say this again later :)
461.  Bloggers who are generous with their gifts, their comments, their advice, their time
462.  The U.S. Post Office (yes you heard me right - where would we be without it?)
463.  Moda Bliss fabric

Finally – Potted Geraniums

Do you ever have days when you feel like you’re just going from one thing to another to another?  Me too!  Today was one of those days – it started out with this:

I was there by 8:00 this morning, spent over, well let’s just say over my budget, only to get to the car and find I didn’t have the Diet Dr. Peppers I had paid for.  I went all the way back in to the service desk, all the way to the very back of the store to get another carton and back to my car.  You know the best part?  A good part of my exercise for the day was done – you gotta’ love that.  :)

Back home, unload, put away, change clothes and spend a couple of hours doing this:

The sunroom/den needed to be painted before the new floor is put in next week.  It has really high ceilings that require a ladder.  I can’t pick up our ladder, let alone climb it – it’s really heavy because it’s one of those kind that remind me of the robot toys that you turn this way and that and they become something else…know what I mean?  So I taped all the parts from about my eye level down and my husband did the top.  There’s really not much wall to paint in here because 3 walls are brick and most of the 4th is a rock fireplace.  And on the wall part are 4 windows and 2 patio doors.  Lots of taping.  Lots and lots of taping.  And more taping.  And then he painted while I supervised.  :)  Oh and “we” painted it Faded Burlap.  Really, that was the name of it.  You can see it, can’t you?

Next up:

I got to pick up two of my grandchildren from school.  In my new car.  Sometimes after school we stop at Sonic for slushies.  Not today.  Not in my new car.  I substituted Chips Ahoy and milk when we got home.  Blame me?

Time for supper:

Mexican Soup – this is so good and so easy you won’t believe it.  Want the recipe?  I knew you would:

2 cans Campbells White and Wild Rice Soup

1 can Chicken Broth

1 can Rotel Tomatoes

1 family size chicken – chopped

Heat and eat!  Of course you want to sprinkle some grated cheese on top, and maybe some chopped green onions, a dollop of sour cream and some crumbled chips.  My husband loves this and he hates soup!

Finally I got to work on this:

 

This is Potted Geraniums from Primitive Gatherings.  Aren’t those colors wonderful.  Honestly, their wools are to die for – hand dyed, soft and really spectacular to stitch on.

You know time is almost up for the Fall Into Fall Giveaway.  If you haven’t entered you’re gonna’ want to so go here to do that.

Beauty vs. Functionality – Where Do You Stand?

I’ve been looking at sewing rooms for some time now – magazines, books, online, pretty much everywhere.  I’ve gotten lots of good ideas from the articles and pictures and tips I’ve read.  I’ve seen some beautiful sewing rooms that I just want to clone and put in my house.  I’d love to have a cabinet like this one in Heather Bailey’s Studio. 

And how about a computer corner like this one in Murphy’s Studio?

But I’ve decided I’m just grateful that I have a room to sew in because I know lots of women who don’t.  Lots of you out there are sewing in a corner of the dining room, or you’ve got it all in a closet and have to drag it out every time you want to stitch a little, or maybe you’ve taken half the guest room and have to clean it all up when you have company.  :(

I use the smallest bedroom in our house and I have it stuffed full.  So full that it’s overwhelming to me right now.  I’ve worked several days this week trying to organize and declutter.  It’s getting better and it’s definitely more functional, which has replaced beautiful as my goal.  I started on these shelves and went through everything.  Everything.  I love my old PE baskets because I can see everything but the fabric is exposed to light and that is worrisome.  All of those baskets contain a UFO.  Well, not all because some have fat quarters in them and when I finish all the UFOs I want fat quarters in them all.  And yes, I have enough fat quarters to fill them up.

Unfortunately my design wall is also covered with UFOs.  I stopped counting at 40 because I was too…well, overwhelmed comes to mind and so does embarrassed.  Some of them just need binding, some need quilting, some need blocks put together.  Some will be quickly done but some will be pretty involved.  And I didn’t count the kits I have in drawers.  But I’m focused now.  Right, focused.  I’m determined, yes I am.  Help me out here ya’ll – I can finish those UFOs in 3 months, right?  Four?  Oh my.

I took everything out of this closet and started over.  Those are Christmas wallhangings that are hanging on the right and other seasonal decorations on the left.  I have large pieces of leftover batting in the big basket – they’ll be big enough for small pieces but not big quilts.  I have embroidery things in the small basket, ready to be stitched.  And that’s fusible fleece on the shelf.  I use it making bags – like the one I’m giving away here.

I put my batting up on the shelf next to the ceiling so I could check it easily when I need one, or when I see them on sale.  I mixed a little fabric in there to add a little color.  My feeble attempt to decorate a little! And over by my design wall I put bins with lace, rickrack, ribbon and other notions like that so they’ll be easy to get to.

Have you noticed something’s missing?  Fabric for one thing!  It’s in a closet and I have 4 shelves all neat and organized but the floor is full of fabric spilling over like Niagara Falls!  And where do I iron?  Couldn’t show you that either because I have tubbies under the ironing table overflowing with my wool fabric and my scraps.  And then there’s the cutting table.  It’s really cabinets with a countertop.  I’ve cleaned out two of the four cabinets.  Someday, maybe in a week or two I’ll be able to say I’ve gotten through those too and I’ll take pictures.  For now, I’m ready to sew!

I found this great fabric that glows in the dark.  :)

I prepped it all today and will make Trick or Treat Bags (a smaller version of the Everything Bag I’m giving away) for some very small children I know.  :)

This Is The Day…

This is the day that, 46 years ago, I said “I do”.  I didn’t have a clue what that meant – I was far too young to realize that it meant way more than love.  It meant love for sure, but it also meant days when the dirty diapers, the piled up bills, the unmade beds, the exhausting nights with throwing up babies, the misunderstandings and the crying kids swallowed up the memories of why I was saying I do!  After the ups and the downs of life I’ve learned that love isn’t just a feeling, it’s a decision.  It was the best decision I ever made and I’d make the same one again.  So what do you think we did to celebrate those 46 years?
First we walked.  We walked 2.4 miles to be exact.  He listened to a sports talk show on his radio and I listened to a book on my IPod.  Sometimes we took off the earphones and talked.  Not much talking though.
Then, after we showered and dressed, we went to the doctor.  It wasn’t quite this drastic but it’s a cute picture, don’t you think?  Together we went to the doctor.  Same room, same time.  He said, she said.  No secrets.  It’s too late for secrets after 46 years.
Remember this – that I bought on Monday?  As we left home this morning a light came on.  It’s a new car so it’s bound to have a few glitches.  I know that.  I understand that.  We dropped by the dealers to get it checked.  Three hours later they gave it back to us and told us to come back tomorrow.  It has a wire that isn’t connected or is pinched or whatever.  They have to “follow” it and it’s complicated and they need to keep it a while.  They need to keep it the better part of the day.  And I’m ok with all of that.  But we spent three hours of our anniversary sitting in the “lounge” of the dealership. 
Next – back to the Floor Store where we returned all of the samples I had gotten earlier in the week.  Rejected samples.  Didn’t keep any of them.  I can’t do tile – it’s cold and hard and it’s not me.  I didn’t like the laminate.  We can’t afford wood.  We’re looking at LVT – Luxury Vinyl Tile that looks like laminate to me but isn’t.  It’s really not that important; it’s just a floor.
Outback….dinner…steak…shrimp…good food, good company, just him and me.
Last?  Home, where I baked these for him to take to the deer camp with him tomorrow.  I’m on a diet.  I can’t eat these pies even though I want to.  But I baked them.  Why?  Because 46 years later I’m still saying I do and still having good days even when they’re like today.  And I'd happily say I Do all over again for 46 more years.  :)
 

I Could Use Some Advice!

I have a problem.  I have been for the last two days looking at options for new floors in my home.  I pretty much know I need tile in my “sunroom” because that’s where we come in out of the back yard/lake area.  The grandbabies will have wet, dirty feet.  The salesman, who is a good friend, says porcelain.  My friend says it will be slippery when wet.  Anybody know?  What do you have?  I’ll probably put the same thing in my kitchen so how is it with spills?  I don’t want to fall and bust my bottom!  

 

And for my living/dining/bedroom I want laminate.  I think.   Laminate vs “engineered wood” – any experience?  Dark vs light – opinions?  I don’t really like light wood much but lean toward a medium oak because I don’t want dark either.  What shows dirt the most?  Smudges?  Lint/dust?  Anybody?  Please?

 

I can’t think too hard about this because yesterday I bought this:

And I just want to go for a drive!  With my seat warmers on high.  :)  Can you say warm baby!

And besides, I need to be cleaning out this:

I don’t need to be worrying about floors – I have no time for that.  It’s sewing I need to be doing!  Or driving.  Sewing…driving…sewing…driving.  Help!

Fall Into Fall Giveaway

It's finally time for the great Fall Into Fall Giveaway!  Everywhere you see this little guy:

you'll find a blogger giving away a prize, or two or three! 

I've joined the group and here's what I plan to give to some lucky winner.  :)

This is what I call an "Everything Bag."  It is about 18" x 21" and I made it from some beautiful pink and brown cotton fabrics.  I've made several and given away most of them - they've become a favorite among my family and friends.  One daughter uses hers for her knitting, another for her "everything I need to take to school today" bag (she's a librarian).  My aunt uses hers to carry her tape recorder and audio books (she's blind and reads all her books by listening) and my cousin takes her "stuff" to dialysis in her bag.  I used one recently as an overnight bag but truth be told, they are supposed to be grocery bags!  Since recycle is high on everyone's list it makes a much prettier one than the WalMart bags I currently use for that.  :)

I'm writing this post from a mission in south Louisiana where we've been volunteering for the last four months.  We will be returning home on October 1st - the day of the giveaway - but when I get there I'll be filling the bag up with goodies to make you smile.  I don't know exactly what but I'm sure it will include a little fabric, a quilting/stitching notion or two, a couple of patterns, the kitchen sink.  Oops, not the sink! 

I really, really would love it if you would follow my blog but that in no way will play a part in who wins.  I'm a little old fashioned so I'll just be putting all the names in a hat and drawing one out.  All you have to do is comment on this blog and be sure I have a way to contact you.  International bloggers are invited to participate too - the more the merrier!