In the future, remind V that late afternoon on New Year's Eve is not the most auspicious time to begin non-emergency plumbing repairs... because we KNOW that it never goes as smoothly as you hope.
A HAPPY 2012 TO YOU ALL!
May it be peaceful, joyous and fulfilling for everyone.
And may you never have leaking bathtub faucets.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Too tired to look back
I was planning a year in review post for tonight. But I'm too tired to think back about the last year. It's been a busy, sometimes stressful year. Many great things have been accomplished and many more wait to be done Several things have been left unfinished. But now, I'm too tired to think about it. I woke up too early this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. Work has been unusually busy for this time of year and many, many people are in great distress (sadly, a sign of the times, I fear).
I work tomorrow and I've got a great activity planned for my patient groups. Not quite a traditional goal setting activity but looking at taking action to make life changes. I think I'll play along.
But, even though I'm tired, I'm so excited! After tomorrow I've got 8 days off with no definite plans. Woo Hoo! I'll be sure to do a post on my goals and dreams for the new year but I also hope to do lots of sewing, some baking and, gasp, maybe even some reading for fun!!
And, of course, I'll announce the winners of the giveaway.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
150 crazy people read this?
Greetings and Thanks to all my bloggy friends out there! I've been waiting to hit 150 followers. I hit 148 and just hung out for quite a while. Thanks to Mandy (Not our cat!!) and SciFiChick I made it! I have been saving a couple of things for a giveaway to celebrate. I figured I would host this either at 150 followers or 1000 posts whichever came first. Since I've got a ways to go to 1000 posts it's a good thing this is happening now since I've got springtime, garden planning things to give away... A garden planning grid and a magnetic garden to-do list.
There will be two, I tell you, TWO lucky winners of this giveaway. To enter, leave a comment on this post (by New Year's CST) sharing what your favorite garden vegetable is and a tip for helping it grow. That's it, no tricks or links or anything. And, yes, I'm open to international entries.
At the new year I'll draw two names at random from the entries.
Let the fun begin!!
There will be two, I tell you, TWO lucky winners of this giveaway. To enter, leave a comment on this post (by New Year's CST) sharing what your favorite garden vegetable is and a tip for helping it grow. That's it, no tricks or links or anything. And, yes, I'm open to international entries.
At the new year I'll draw two names at random from the entries.
Let the fun begin!!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Disappointment
I spent some time this afternoon comforting my darling daughter. She received disappointing news in the mail. She has had her heart set on one college to attend. Even though V and I have strongly encouraged her to have plan B (and C and D if necessary), she has resisted applying anywhere else. But, today she learned that, while she was accepted into the university itself, she was not accepted into the fiercely competitive art/design program there.
After a few moments of mourning, we embarked on a quest for more programs. She is looking for an affordable (HA!!) program with a BFA in Graphic Design. We found a few possibilities this afternoon and the search will continue. At least she still has time to apply to other places. Of course, we also told her that it would be OK if she took a year off between high school and college. We'll see what happens.
After a few moments of mourning, we embarked on a quest for more programs. She is looking for an affordable (HA!!) program with a BFA in Graphic Design. We found a few possibilities this afternoon and the search will continue. At least she still has time to apply to other places. Of course, we also told her that it would be OK if she took a year off between high school and college. We'll see what happens.
Monday, December 26, 2011
On to the next project
Christmas is past. We had a lovely time. On Saturday, we went down to my parent's home for Christmas dinner and a gift exchange. My sister, BIL and two nephews from Colorado were there, as was my brother and SIL from here in town. My nephew, the chef, also came down. He has recently gotten his own car so it was all very exciting for him to be able to come by himself. A grand time was had by all. My quilted pot holders were well received. (Joyce, I will get yours in the mail soon- oops)
Christmas day, we had a quiet day here at home. The children were up early- amazingly, since I can barely drag them out of bed on weekends usually! I had prepared some overnight cinnamon rolls the night before so just had to pop them into the oven while we opened gifts. Truly delightful. We didn't have an overboard gift giving. I got my serger, a new pair of slippers and a lovely pair of earrings from J17. Oh, and an IOU from V. He had intended to order some soaker hoses for me for the garden next year but time got away from him. That's OK. My serger was a HUGE gift.
V loves his jacket. He does look really sharp in it. Of course, he says his beard is too shaggy to look really sophisticated. I'll get some photos of him posing in it sometime.
Now, I'm onto new things. I do want to play with my serger but I'm kind of waiting until my week off in January so I can really spend some quality time with it. I did read through the manual yesterday. But I need a project. I had thought to maybe work on a wall quilt or two next but I'm not so sure. I found some white shirting fabric (two pieces of the same fabric that I inherited from someone) that should be enough to make a Victorian shirt for V. I've got the pattern, it's another one from Folkwear. I've even got some subtle white on white stripes that I may use for the bib of the shirt and the cuffs, just to jazz it up a little. I've also got plans in the works to make him a brocade vest. It seems that my little side venture is beginning more with menswear than anything else. Of course, lots of sites that I've seen selling Victoriana/Steampunk clothing seem to focus more on women's fashion than menswear. And, honestly, I think menswear is easier to sew... far fewer ruffles!
So, I'll cut out the shirt tomorrow. The cut and construction are pretty similar to the multitude of US Cavalry shirts I made years ago so I'm not anticipating too much trouble with it. I've got one more day of my Christmas break left, I work four days (Wed through Saturday) and then.... I've got 8 days off!! THAT should be glorious!! I've got to get myself organized for all the projects I want to get done. And, of course, I need to find time to peruse the seed catalogues. It is about that time.....
Christmas day, we had a quiet day here at home. The children were up early- amazingly, since I can barely drag them out of bed on weekends usually! I had prepared some overnight cinnamon rolls the night before so just had to pop them into the oven while we opened gifts. Truly delightful. We didn't have an overboard gift giving. I got my serger, a new pair of slippers and a lovely pair of earrings from J17. Oh, and an IOU from V. He had intended to order some soaker hoses for me for the garden next year but time got away from him. That's OK. My serger was a HUGE gift.
V loves his jacket. He does look really sharp in it. Of course, he says his beard is too shaggy to look really sophisticated. I'll get some photos of him posing in it sometime.
Now, I'm onto new things. I do want to play with my serger but I'm kind of waiting until my week off in January so I can really spend some quality time with it. I did read through the manual yesterday. But I need a project. I had thought to maybe work on a wall quilt or two next but I'm not so sure. I found some white shirting fabric (two pieces of the same fabric that I inherited from someone) that should be enough to make a Victorian shirt for V. I've got the pattern, it's another one from Folkwear. I've even got some subtle white on white stripes that I may use for the bib of the shirt and the cuffs, just to jazz it up a little. I've also got plans in the works to make him a brocade vest. It seems that my little side venture is beginning more with menswear than anything else. Of course, lots of sites that I've seen selling Victoriana/Steampunk clothing seem to focus more on women's fashion than menswear. And, honestly, I think menswear is easier to sew... far fewer ruffles!
So, I'll cut out the shirt tomorrow. The cut and construction are pretty similar to the multitude of US Cavalry shirts I made years ago so I'm not anticipating too much trouble with it. I've got one more day of my Christmas break left, I work four days (Wed through Saturday) and then.... I've got 8 days off!! THAT should be glorious!! I've got to get myself organized for all the projects I want to get done. And, of course, I need to find time to peruse the seed catalogues. It is about that time.....
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
As the sun sets
The sun is setting on this, the shortest day of the year. I look forward to the return of the light as we gradually exit the dark days.
Here is hoping that next year brings health, peace, contentment and good gardening to us all.
Here is hoping that next year brings health, peace, contentment and good gardening to us all.
Have a Blessed Winter Solstice!!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Almost...
The end is in sight!!
It still looks pretty rough here. It isn't hanging straight, it hasn't been hemmed and none of the facings or cuffs have been stitched down. That is all hand work. But I think I'll get it done!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Finishing up
I wish I was finishing up V's jacket but I haven't had time to work on it recently :-(
I just haven't been able to find a large enough block of time to tackle the next step of padding and lapels. But, I have been finishing up all the rest of the holiday gifts.
This afternoon, V and I completed our holiday shopping. Except for some candy for stockings, I'm done, done, done with shopping. Why is it that as the children get older, the packages seem to get smaller and more expensive? ... and fewer this year, I think. But, we have managed to get what they asked for as well as a few surprises.
A couple of those surprises were what I was finishing up this afternoon. Since the children have all been getting into role playing games, we decided to get the boys each their own set of dice as a stocking stuffer. And, of course, if you have a set of dice, you need a dice bag. Any self-respecting gamer knows that. So, in seemingly no time at all (maybe half an hour tops) I whipped up a pair of drawstring bags.
Scrap fabric and I had just enough of the gold cording.
Blue for I14 :
It's from scrap flannel backed satin from J17's nightgown that she is making.
And Green for K11:
This is left over velvet from long ago when I made Christmas stockings for my nieces and nephews.
Sometimes, the scrap box is a wonderful thing.
Some of the gift wrapping is done and I'll probably finish tomorrow. And I really hope for some quality time with V's jacket. With the shopping done I should have all afternoon to work on sewing since it's my day off.
It's hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away. The weather certainly doesn't help. It was 50 today and the grass is still green. Go figure.
I just haven't been able to find a large enough block of time to tackle the next step of padding and lapels. But, I have been finishing up all the rest of the holiday gifts.
This afternoon, V and I completed our holiday shopping. Except for some candy for stockings, I'm done, done, done with shopping. Why is it that as the children get older, the packages seem to get smaller and more expensive? ... and fewer this year, I think. But, we have managed to get what they asked for as well as a few surprises.
A couple of those surprises were what I was finishing up this afternoon. Since the children have all been getting into role playing games, we decided to get the boys each their own set of dice as a stocking stuffer. And, of course, if you have a set of dice, you need a dice bag. Any self-respecting gamer knows that. So, in seemingly no time at all (maybe half an hour tops) I whipped up a pair of drawstring bags.
Blue for I14 :
And Green for K11:
Sometimes, the scrap box is a wonderful thing.
Some of the gift wrapping is done and I'll probably finish tomorrow. And I really hope for some quality time with V's jacket. With the shopping done I should have all afternoon to work on sewing since it's my day off.
It's hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away. The weather certainly doesn't help. It was 50 today and the grass is still green. Go figure.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Oh my!
It seems like it has been so long since I have seen the sun!!
It turns out that, yes, indeed, I do need to take vacation time before the end of the month or lose it. So, this afternoon, since it was a manageable day at work, and I worked really hard to get things done quickly, I left work early. Oh, My! The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear and blue. It was such a lovely walk to downtown to catch the bus, even though the temperature was barely above freezing. Being outside when the sun was shining was so wonderful! Last weekend it was rainy and dismal and we didn't see the sun, and it is dark when I leave and dark when I get home so it was great to see the sun.
I'm going to try to take some time off afternoons next week as well, assuming that things are manageable at work. If I can leave a few hours early for a couple of days, I'll have it made. But, I will HAVE to take two days of vacation every month. Oh, the hardship! But, I do feel bad about it. The reason I have so much vacation built up is because it is so hard for us to take vacation. My co-workers and I always feel guilty taking vacation because we know the pressure it puts on everyone else. Working in a hospital, I don't have one of those jobs that will wait until I get back from vacation for it to get done. Someone always has to cover my patients when I'm not there. All four of us have trouble taking time off. We're really good at looking out for each other, but not so good about looking out for ourselves. Who knows, maybe I'll just end up taking every Monday off- two as my 90% days and two as my vacation days each month. Now THAT is a schedule I could live with- never working a full week. Hmmm.... this has possibilities. Or, I could try to leave early a few days a month. Either way, I need to use at least 14 to 15 hours of vacation a month to keep up.
Oh, and no sewing for me tonight either. V has had a stressful day with some legal stuff that has popped up (maybe I'll tell you about it someday when it's resolved). We had some wine with dinner tonight to unwind so definitely no detail work for me!! It doesn't take much for me to be not very functional... It's amazing how many times I've had to correct mis-typings now LOL!!
I work tomorrow, and after work, V and I hope to finish our holiday shopping. Sunday, J17 and I14 have to acolyte at church and the youth group hosts their annual soup and sandwich lunch before going caroling. I've got Monday off so I'm really hoping to spend some quality time with the sewing machine then. I'm excited to get V's jacket finished and get started on other things. Especially since I got a hit here for someone searching for Steampunk Art quilts. I'd better get the supply up!!
It turns out that, yes, indeed, I do need to take vacation time before the end of the month or lose it. So, this afternoon, since it was a manageable day at work, and I worked really hard to get things done quickly, I left work early. Oh, My! The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear and blue. It was such a lovely walk to downtown to catch the bus, even though the temperature was barely above freezing. Being outside when the sun was shining was so wonderful! Last weekend it was rainy and dismal and we didn't see the sun, and it is dark when I leave and dark when I get home so it was great to see the sun.
I'm going to try to take some time off afternoons next week as well, assuming that things are manageable at work. If I can leave a few hours early for a couple of days, I'll have it made. But, I will HAVE to take two days of vacation every month. Oh, the hardship! But, I do feel bad about it. The reason I have so much vacation built up is because it is so hard for us to take vacation. My co-workers and I always feel guilty taking vacation because we know the pressure it puts on everyone else. Working in a hospital, I don't have one of those jobs that will wait until I get back from vacation for it to get done. Someone always has to cover my patients when I'm not there. All four of us have trouble taking time off. We're really good at looking out for each other, but not so good about looking out for ourselves. Who knows, maybe I'll just end up taking every Monday off- two as my 90% days and two as my vacation days each month. Now THAT is a schedule I could live with- never working a full week. Hmmm.... this has possibilities. Or, I could try to leave early a few days a month. Either way, I need to use at least 14 to 15 hours of vacation a month to keep up.
Oh, and no sewing for me tonight either. V has had a stressful day with some legal stuff that has popped up (maybe I'll tell you about it someday when it's resolved). We had some wine with dinner tonight to unwind so definitely no detail work for me!! It doesn't take much for me to be not very functional... It's amazing how many times I've had to correct mis-typings now LOL!!
I work tomorrow, and after work, V and I hope to finish our holiday shopping. Sunday, J17 and I14 have to acolyte at church and the youth group hosts their annual soup and sandwich lunch before going caroling. I've got Monday off so I'm really hoping to spend some quality time with the sewing machine then. I'm excited to get V's jacket finished and get started on other things. Especially since I got a hit here for someone searching for Steampunk Art quilts. I'd better get the supply up!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
An interesting quandry
I made a discovery today. One that has me wondering. Hmm, what to do... what to do...
It seems that I have maxed out my vacation accrual at work. It is kind of hard to keep track of- I have to log in and check my stats and they only have it updated through the end of October- they're just now entering the November payroll stuff for vacations. Anyway- as of Oct 31, I had 331 hours of vacation time available. I didn't take any vacation in November and I now (at 90%) accrue 14.4 hours per month. So, theoretically, of December 1, I should have 345 (approximate) hours. Well, my maximum accrual is 345 hours. Oops. I know I will have 4 hours of vacation time coming out at the end of the month, but, in order to not loose time, I think I may have to take 10 hours of vacation before the end of the month. I need to check with our secretary who does the payroll tomorrow. Hmm, this could be interesting. I HAVE to take vacation or I lose the hours. Good thing I already turned in my request for those two days in January.
No sewing for me tonight. I'm taking a break from clean-up right now. V created a huge mess today and there is dust EVERYWHERE! BUT I'm not complaining!!!!!! We have baseboards and trim in the kitchen and bath!!!!! So I can stand a little dust. Things needed dusted anyway ;-)
So, I finally get my finished room!! The kitchen is DONE!!! The bathroom still needs the trim around the window but everything else is done. WOOT!! Best present ever!!
And now for some random Thursday things.
Chickens are being amazing producers for December. We got 7 eggs today and 6 each Tuesday and Wednesday. We need to eat some eggs!! Maybe I can sell a few at work next week. Or I need to bake up a storm. Ooo, springerle uses lots of eggs. Hmm.....
We've still got a few gifts to pick up for the children but hopefully will do that Saturday when V picks me up from work. But I do need to get wrapping!!
And, of course, all the cookies I baked last weekend are gone. I guess I'm just going to have to make a few more for the holidays.
I'm still not really into the holiday spirit. It seems hard to believe that Christmas is only a few more days away. I've still got lots to do. Of course, the weather isn't helping. It was mid 50s yesterday- definitely NOT winter weather.
I may not be ready for Christmas but I can't wait for Solstice. I absolutely can not wait for the days to start getting longer again. It is so depressing to leave for work in the dark and return home in the dark. V was complaining about having to do chicken stuff since these are supposed to be MY chickens. But, there are things that need to be done in the daylight that I just can't do from work. I need to remind him to give them some treats of scratch grains when he lets them out because he seems to forget that often.
Enough babbling- I'm obviously trying to avoid cleaning up.
It seems that I have maxed out my vacation accrual at work. It is kind of hard to keep track of- I have to log in and check my stats and they only have it updated through the end of October- they're just now entering the November payroll stuff for vacations. Anyway- as of Oct 31, I had 331 hours of vacation time available. I didn't take any vacation in November and I now (at 90%) accrue 14.4 hours per month. So, theoretically, of December 1, I should have 345 (approximate) hours. Well, my maximum accrual is 345 hours. Oops. I know I will have 4 hours of vacation time coming out at the end of the month, but, in order to not loose time, I think I may have to take 10 hours of vacation before the end of the month. I need to check with our secretary who does the payroll tomorrow. Hmm, this could be interesting. I HAVE to take vacation or I lose the hours. Good thing I already turned in my request for those two days in January.
No sewing for me tonight. I'm taking a break from clean-up right now. V created a huge mess today and there is dust EVERYWHERE! BUT I'm not complaining!!!!!! We have baseboards and trim in the kitchen and bath!!!!! So I can stand a little dust. Things needed dusted anyway ;-)
So, I finally get my finished room!! The kitchen is DONE!!! The bathroom still needs the trim around the window but everything else is done. WOOT!! Best present ever!!
And now for some random Thursday things.
Chickens are being amazing producers for December. We got 7 eggs today and 6 each Tuesday and Wednesday. We need to eat some eggs!! Maybe I can sell a few at work next week. Or I need to bake up a storm. Ooo, springerle uses lots of eggs. Hmm.....
We've still got a few gifts to pick up for the children but hopefully will do that Saturday when V picks me up from work. But I do need to get wrapping!!
And, of course, all the cookies I baked last weekend are gone. I guess I'm just going to have to make a few more for the holidays.
I'm still not really into the holiday spirit. It seems hard to believe that Christmas is only a few more days away. I've still got lots to do. Of course, the weather isn't helping. It was mid 50s yesterday- definitely NOT winter weather.
I may not be ready for Christmas but I can't wait for Solstice. I absolutely can not wait for the days to start getting longer again. It is so depressing to leave for work in the dark and return home in the dark. V was complaining about having to do chicken stuff since these are supposed to be MY chickens. But, there are things that need to be done in the daylight that I just can't do from work. I need to remind him to give them some treats of scratch grains when he lets them out because he seems to forget that often.
Enough babbling- I'm obviously trying to avoid cleaning up.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Maybe...
Just maybe I'll be able to finish V's jacket by Christmas. I had a good two hours of uninterrupted sewing time this evening and got quite a bit done. So... the pockets are on, the main body is together and I've got the back 'reinforcement facing' in, the under-collar padded and in place and the first layer of interfacing in the lapels basted in. I'm hoping that tomorrow I can finish the lapels (flannel padding and contrast facing) and maybe move onto the sleeves. These are more complicated sleeves than I'm used to. They have an 'over' and 'under' sleeve.
This pattern, being a historical pattern, also has lots of hand work and tailoring techniques that I'm not that familiar with. But, it's going together well. No photos yet. The biggest pain is that it calls for flat feld seams- with only half inch seam allowances. Have you ever tried to flat feld a half inch seam?! Especially on slippery fabric- it's not easy. But still, I'm having fun working on this one. I can't wait to finish it and be able to move onto something new.
Today was a much calmer day. Work was much more manageable and things at home went smoothly so I had some time for myself. It was much needed.
J17 came home early from school not feeling well. There is some nastiness going around in the schools. I'm feeling better but am still just tired. I think it's a combination of being overloaded, not enough sleep and having dreary weather.
It looks like I'm going to be able to have the entire first week of January off. Woot! I work on December 31st. The second is our official holiday but should have been my usual day off. So, I get the holiday on Monday, my day off is shifted to Thursday and I've got Friday off for working the weekend. That leaves me only scheduled to work on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, I'm trying to arrange having those days off as vacation days. Taking two days of vacation will give me 8 continuous days off. I can DEFINITELY use that. The children return to school on the 4th. I've also got some extended time off over Christmas. I work this Saturday so I've got Friday the 23rd off. Monday and Tuesday are the university holidays so I've got 5 days off for Christmas. Pretty sweet. I'm hoping to have that time in January to figure out my new toy tool. I'm hoping also to work on a quilt and maybe a little something else. Some extended down/me time will be much appreciated.
This pattern, being a historical pattern, also has lots of hand work and tailoring techniques that I'm not that familiar with. But, it's going together well. No photos yet. The biggest pain is that it calls for flat feld seams- with only half inch seam allowances. Have you ever tried to flat feld a half inch seam?! Especially on slippery fabric- it's not easy. But still, I'm having fun working on this one. I can't wait to finish it and be able to move onto something new.
Today was a much calmer day. Work was much more manageable and things at home went smoothly so I had some time for myself. It was much needed.
J17 came home early from school not feeling well. There is some nastiness going around in the schools. I'm feeling better but am still just tired. I think it's a combination of being overloaded, not enough sleep and having dreary weather.
It looks like I'm going to be able to have the entire first week of January off. Woot! I work on December 31st. The second is our official holiday but should have been my usual day off. So, I get the holiday on Monday, my day off is shifted to Thursday and I've got Friday off for working the weekend. That leaves me only scheduled to work on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, I'm trying to arrange having those days off as vacation days. Taking two days of vacation will give me 8 continuous days off. I can DEFINITELY use that. The children return to school on the 4th. I've also got some extended time off over Christmas. I work this Saturday so I've got Friday the 23rd off. Monday and Tuesday are the university holidays so I've got 5 days off for Christmas. Pretty sweet. I'm hoping to have that time in January to figure out my new
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Is it only Tuesday??
It really seems like it should be much later in the week than that. Ugh. And I've still got 4 more work days to go. sigh. Things have just been so hectic and with unexpected crises throwing wrenches into my plans.
Saturday's furnace fiasco messed up my weekend plans. Sunday was a day of catching up. Yesterday work was brutally busy and then my evening plans got thrown off by a car accident right outside the house.
I was sitting on the couch while the soup was simmering- watching a bit of news on PBS when I heard squealing of brakes, crashing and thumping sounds outside. Definitely NOT the sounds that one normally hears on the highway. I looked out the door to see headlights nearly in the yard. NOT good! I grabbed my coat and ran outside to see if everyone was OK. Fortunately, everyone was able to walk away from this one but it could have been BAD, BAD, BAD.
A teenage driver wasn't paying attention when pulling out onto the highway from across the road and pulled into oncoming traffic (moving at highway speeds or faster). The other vehicle (an SUV) swerved to try to avoid the teen in the pickup. They clipped bumpers and the SUV lost control, leaving the highway and going briefly airborne before hitting a tree just outside our fence. We could tell he was airborne because the impact mark on the tree was several feet above where his vehicle was resting on the bank of the ditch. Luckily, the driver of the SUV was wearing his seatbelt and the airbags deployed. He was dazed and shaken up but eventually decided he was OK. I even got to call 911. Oooh, the excitement. We had two county sheriff patrol cars, an ambulance and a fire truck show up.
The SUV, in my non-expert opinion, is totaled. The front of the vehicle is rather V shaped (probably almost foot deep!) where it hit the tree, the passenger door barely opened, the frame looks bent and the front airbags both deployed. Still, that the driver could walk away is a testament to the safety technology in place. Truly amazing. When I first saw that SUV, I imagined the worst!
The whole ordeal ended up taking about 90 minutes of the evening that I really didn't have to spare. But both V and I felt it was important for us to be out there, helping where we could. So, I didn't really get anything accomplished.
PLUS!! I ended up leaving work a little early yesterday because I was having an allergic reaction to something (still not sure what!) and was feeling itchy and wanted some antihistamines. I've got a line on my left shoulder that looks like a scratch of some sort but is blistered and itchy. Later, I started breaking out in other places and itching all over. It's much better today but I didn't sleep well last night, even with drugs on board. I've still got absolutely no clue what I got into.
Add all of that to another really rough day at work today, and I'm exhausted. I really, really want to go sew something tonight (I never made it down there last night!) but I'm not sure I've got the energy or concentration. I hate to sew when I'm really tired- I tend to make stupid mistakes that end up taking more time than if I just left it. especially when working with brocade and velvet I don't want to mess up. So, maybe I'll turn in early tonight and see if tomorrow will be a better day.
Saturday's furnace fiasco messed up my weekend plans. Sunday was a day of catching up. Yesterday work was brutally busy and then my evening plans got thrown off by a car accident right outside the house.
I was sitting on the couch while the soup was simmering- watching a bit of news on PBS when I heard squealing of brakes, crashing and thumping sounds outside. Definitely NOT the sounds that one normally hears on the highway. I looked out the door to see headlights nearly in the yard. NOT good! I grabbed my coat and ran outside to see if everyone was OK. Fortunately, everyone was able to walk away from this one but it could have been BAD, BAD, BAD.
A teenage driver wasn't paying attention when pulling out onto the highway from across the road and pulled into oncoming traffic (moving at highway speeds or faster). The other vehicle (an SUV) swerved to try to avoid the teen in the pickup. They clipped bumpers and the SUV lost control, leaving the highway and going briefly airborne before hitting a tree just outside our fence. We could tell he was airborne because the impact mark on the tree was several feet above where his vehicle was resting on the bank of the ditch. Luckily, the driver of the SUV was wearing his seatbelt and the airbags deployed. He was dazed and shaken up but eventually decided he was OK. I even got to call 911. Oooh, the excitement. We had two county sheriff patrol cars, an ambulance and a fire truck show up.
The SUV, in my non-expert opinion, is totaled. The front of the vehicle is rather V shaped (probably almost foot deep!) where it hit the tree, the passenger door barely opened, the frame looks bent and the front airbags both deployed. Still, that the driver could walk away is a testament to the safety technology in place. Truly amazing. When I first saw that SUV, I imagined the worst!
The whole ordeal ended up taking about 90 minutes of the evening that I really didn't have to spare. But both V and I felt it was important for us to be out there, helping where we could. So, I didn't really get anything accomplished.
PLUS!! I ended up leaving work a little early yesterday because I was having an allergic reaction to something (still not sure what!) and was feeling itchy and wanted some antihistamines. I've got a line on my left shoulder that looks like a scratch of some sort but is blistered and itchy. Later, I started breaking out in other places and itching all over. It's much better today but I didn't sleep well last night, even with drugs on board. I've still got absolutely no clue what I got into.
Add all of that to another really rough day at work today, and I'm exhausted. I really, really want to go sew something tonight (I never made it down there last night!) but I'm not sure I've got the energy or concentration. I hate to sew when I'm really tired- I tend to make stupid mistakes that end up taking more time than if I just left it. especially when working with brocade and velvet I don't want to mess up. So, maybe I'll turn in early tonight and see if tomorrow will be a better day.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Chickens...
can be incredibly stupid! I do think I may have the dumbest flock of chickens on record... really!
I went out this evening to close up the coop. It has been a lovely day here, a bit overcast but up into the low 40s. It's still 38F at 530 pm. Not bad for mid December. So... the chickens had been enjoying the day outside. But, silly bird brains... they were enjoying it outside so much that they didn't seem to notice that it was getting dark inside. By the time I got out there, they were all huddled in a mass OUTSIDE. Because, you know- it was DARK in that coop!
To get them in, I had to turn on the light inside. Silly birds. Then, of course, I turn off the light and they're all floundering around in the dark. So, softie that I am, I got a flashlight to give them enough light to find the roost.
Yup, chickens can be dumb. They've never done this one before so I do hope it's not a new pattern. I hope they learned their lesson.
I went out this evening to close up the coop. It has been a lovely day here, a bit overcast but up into the low 40s. It's still 38F at 530 pm. Not bad for mid December. So... the chickens had been enjoying the day outside. But, silly bird brains... they were enjoying it outside so much that they didn't seem to notice that it was getting dark inside. By the time I got out there, they were all huddled in a mass OUTSIDE. Because, you know- it was DARK in that coop!
To get them in, I had to turn on the light inside. Silly birds. Then, of course, I turn off the light and they're all floundering around in the dark. So, softie that I am, I got a flashlight to give them enough light to find the roost.
Yup, chickens can be dumb. They've never done this one before so I do hope it's not a new pattern. I hope they learned their lesson.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Cooking ahead for a busy week
In addition to other things, I spent some time today doing some cooking ahead for the next couple of days. V announced this morning that he really wanted chicken enchiladas for dinner. So I cooked up a package of chicken thighs. Since I only needed some of the meat, I've still got some chicken and broth left over. That will be for Tuesday's chicken and rice.
I also cooked some beef bones/stock for tomorrow's vegetable soup. So, now my fridge is full of stock for a couple of meals ahead. I really need to get going on a couple of sewing projects so I'm hoping to streamline things. I work 6 days in a row this week so I've got to be organized in order to get anything done at home. The whole furnace going out and subsequent cookie baking threw off my weekend plans.
We got a small tree for the basement and decorated that this afternoon. The cats have been having fun climbing the big tree upstairs so we haven't put any ornaments on it yet. They seem less interested today than they did yesterday so maybe the novelty has worn off. Last year, they got bored with it after a bit and pretty much left it alone.
J17 has been working on my new website- although I don't have any merchandise to show or a place to host it yet. She has to do a project for her independent study computer graphics/web design class so she is using my new hopeful business. Two birds with one stone! She has designed a logo for me:
She also created a banner that will be used at the website and that is up at my new blog where I'll be posting about business and sewing projects. I can't wait to get through all this holiday stuff to have more time to focus on sewing... at least before gardening season sets in!!
Now, I've got to see how J17 is doing cutting out her next sewing project and get to work on my own!
I also cooked some beef bones/stock for tomorrow's vegetable soup. So, now my fridge is full of stock for a couple of meals ahead. I really need to get going on a couple of sewing projects so I'm hoping to streamline things. I work 6 days in a row this week so I've got to be organized in order to get anything done at home. The whole furnace going out and subsequent cookie baking threw off my weekend plans.
We got a small tree for the basement and decorated that this afternoon. The cats have been having fun climbing the big tree upstairs so we haven't put any ornaments on it yet. They seem less interested today than they did yesterday so maybe the novelty has worn off. Last year, they got bored with it after a bit and pretty much left it alone.
J17 has been working on my new website- although I don't have any merchandise to show or a place to host it yet. She has to do a project for her independent study computer graphics/web design class so she is using my new hopeful business. Two birds with one stone! She has designed a logo for me:
She also created a banner that will be used at the website and that is up at my new blog where I'll be posting about business and sewing projects. I can't wait to get through all this holiday stuff to have more time to focus on sewing... at least before gardening season sets in!!
Now, I've got to see how J17 is doing cutting out her next sewing project and get to work on my own!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Is it just me?
Or is anyone else having issues with any pages Google related. gmail, blogger and google are taking forever to load and I keep getting messages that "the server where that page is located is not responding'. Ugh! I can't even leave a comment on my own blog!!
Brrrrr--- UPDATED
It is a lovely 7*F out there this morning. And, of course, the furnace stopped working sometime overnight. Brr.. It was 60 in here when I got up at 7:15 this morning. I initially thought that maybe the system just hadn't shifted yet. We've got a programmable thermostat and I'm not sure when V has it set to kick in for the day on the weekends. But, no, it just isn't working.
I woke V and rolled him out of bed. We've tried resetting it, we replaced the batteries in the thermostat, he has done all the diagnostics he can do. We've got a 'low pressure valve fault' whatever that means.
So, we've got a call in to the local heating place. V left a message but we haven't heard back. I'm sure that this won't be a cheap visit.
I baked some muffins for breakfast to fire up the oven. I've been thinking that I need to bake some holiday cookies- maybe today is the day....
........................................
It's just noon and we've got heat. Woo Hoo!!
Originally, the repair guy thought that we would need a new induction motor (think $$$$$$) but it turned out that we didn't. Whew! It seems that somehow the condensation outflow pipe had gotten clogged and water had backed up to the valve, triggering the fault that kept the system from firing. So, no parts needed. But one thing, V found and downloaded the service manual for this furnace model so hopefully we'll be better able to trouble shoot in the future.
Now, back to cookies!!
I woke V and rolled him out of bed. We've tried resetting it, we replaced the batteries in the thermostat, he has done all the diagnostics he can do. We've got a 'low pressure valve fault' whatever that means.
So, we've got a call in to the local heating place. V left a message but we haven't heard back. I'm sure that this won't be a cheap visit.
I baked some muffins for breakfast to fire up the oven. I've been thinking that I need to bake some holiday cookies- maybe today is the day....
........................................
It's just noon and we've got heat. Woo Hoo!!
Originally, the repair guy thought that we would need a new induction motor (think $$$$$$) but it turned out that we didn't. Whew! It seems that somehow the condensation outflow pipe had gotten clogged and water had backed up to the valve, triggering the fault that kept the system from firing. So, no parts needed. But one thing, V found and downloaded the service manual for this furnace model so hopefully we'll be better able to trouble shoot in the future.
Now, back to cookies!!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Ooo... Shiny
Beautiful, tempting things keep arriving in the mail!!
But, I may sneak a peek at the Baker Creek catalogue that arrived today. THAT is the ultimate in Garden Porn!!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Isn't it pretty??
V was hard at work at home today! He put up the chair rail in the kitchen!!
That's a shot of the tall cabinet by the dining room. I didn't show you the garbage can ;)
Isn't it lovely!!?? He does such nice work. Here's a close up:
Now, I think we need a few bits of baseboard in place and the kitchen will be FINISHED!! Two rooms in one week- be still my heart!!!
Things will slow down a little in the next few weeks, he does have some contract writing to do for his employer, and, good news, his other employer (who lost her contract a while ago so no more subcontracting to him) has more work for him. Hooray!! And a writing assignment that's just up his alley. He needs to write an article on how to cut your energy bill without spending lots of money. I do think he could almost write that one in his sleep, not only from our own experience but because his other job is for an energy company and he writes about energy all the time.
Work for me was hectic and now, once again we've got a band concert this evening (I14 this time). At least this concert starts a little later so we're not quite so rushed. But still, I've gotta go feed people.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Random babbling
Whew, what a day. Work was busy and I came home to tend chickens and get everyone fed before we rushed off to K11's winter band concert. The concert was a combination of the beginner and advanced elementary bands. The beginner band sounded like, well, a beginner band, with a mercifully short performance. The advanced band (K11 is in this one) sounded much better. It's amazing what a year of practice can do.
Tomorrow, we have another concert. I14 and the high school concert band will have their winter concert. Now THOSE guys can play!
I woke to snow this morning. And it stuck around all day. Not a lot of snow, maybe only an inch, but it makes things look quite seasonal. Maybe I'll finally get into a holiday mood. Of course, the snow took me by surprise this morning and I was confused. I didn't sleep well last night and was having a weird dream about the chicken coop and shop being on fire when my alarm went off (I think I'm paranoid about having that heat lamp out there on the thermal cube). Anyway, I went to let the dog out onto the deck and when I saw the snow, not being fully awake, I immediately thought it was ashes from the fire. I really need to get into the shower first thing to wake up!!
I think we may be putting up the tree on Saturday. It may actually be a several day affair because Spaz always climbs the tree so we usually give him a day without ornaments to get his jollies out. Although last year he wasn't too bad.
I ordered V's other gift today. Shhh... It's a secret...
I also ordered some serger thread. Not from the same place.
V put up the towel racks in the upstairs bath. NOW we're really living! I don't know if I can stand the strain.
Ok, I really am babbling. I only got a few hours of sleep last night between having a series of coughing fits that made it difficult to get to sleep and then waking up at 2:40 and having difficulty going back to sleep. I think I'm going to hit the hay.
Tomorrow, we have another concert. I14 and the high school concert band will have their winter concert. Now THOSE guys can play!
I woke to snow this morning. And it stuck around all day. Not a lot of snow, maybe only an inch, but it makes things look quite seasonal. Maybe I'll finally get into a holiday mood. Of course, the snow took me by surprise this morning and I was confused. I didn't sleep well last night and was having a weird dream about the chicken coop and shop being on fire when my alarm went off (I think I'm paranoid about having that heat lamp out there on the thermal cube). Anyway, I went to let the dog out onto the deck and when I saw the snow, not being fully awake, I immediately thought it was ashes from the fire. I really need to get into the shower first thing to wake up!!
I think we may be putting up the tree on Saturday. It may actually be a several day affair because Spaz always climbs the tree so we usually give him a day without ornaments to get his jollies out. Although last year he wasn't too bad.
I ordered V's other gift today. Shhh... It's a secret...
I also ordered some serger thread. Not from the same place.
V put up the towel racks in the upstairs bath. NOW we're really living! I don't know if I can stand the strain.
Ok, I really am babbling. I only got a few hours of sleep last night between having a series of coughing fits that made it difficult to get to sleep and then waking up at 2:40 and having difficulty going back to sleep. I think I'm going to hit the hay.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sometimes...
This morning, I painted:
Of course, the room isn't officially finished, we still don't have window or door molding up, or the base trim. But it is SOOOOO much better than when we bought the house. We went from this:
But now, behold:
All in all, a good day's work.
I think today may be the first day this season that it has failed to get above freezing. Pretty amazing considering it is December. But it was cloudy and about 28 all day, with a wind that went through you so it was nice to have an inside task to do.
And, BTW, don't you just love paint color names? This color was called Turtle Dove. Who gets paid to think up these names?! I think I want that job.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Happy Christmas to me...
...EARLY!!
Today, V and I took a trip to Cedar Rapids, 30 miles north, to run some errands. Our local home store, while they had a particular wood panel (that V uses for backing for bookshelves) in stock, the new shipment was a slightly darker shade and wouldn't match the rest of the wood downstairs. So, we ventured off to the sister store in CR with a scrap to see if we could do a color match. Our store was also out of several bath fixtures (towel rods, etc) that we wanted.
Of course, paneling and bathroom stuff acquired, we just had to stop at the Hancock Fabric store nearby. Our fabric store options here in town are rather limited and I refuse to shop for fabric (or anything else, for that matter) at W**mart. While we were there, we checked out a sale that I was aware of. And V got my Christmas present early:
I've been doing my research and this model got very good reviews for the price and a couple of people I've talked to who have this machine really, really like it. A bonus is that it comes with an instructional DVD so I can learn how to thread it! V says I can open it but that kind of seems like cheating. Christmas is only a few weeks away. But can I wait that long?? It's sitting there, on the table in my sewing room, just looking at me!
But, I probably won't be doing much sewing tomorrow anyway. The reason we were anxious to get all the bath bits we wanted is that V finally finished all the drywall work in the upstairs bath. The primer coat is on and I'll be doing the finish painting tomorrow. So, then we can install the towel racks and even a TP holder!! And all this after only two and a half years. It has been SOOOO, nice the past few days to be able to shower without having to go to the downstairs bath. We've got this bad habit of getting projects done to the 'We can live with this' stage and then taking a long time to finish as we work on more pressing things. I guess that's a problem when you buy a disaster of a house with so many things that need done. The upstairs bath was gutted and partially finished before we moved in but we were contemplating putting in a different window so V wasn't in a hurry to finish the drywall. With bare drywall over the shower, we really couldn't use it. But FINALLY!!!! WOOT! Maybe soon I'll have my wish of one room completely finished!! (I'm still waiting on my chair rail in the kitchen so it isn't officially finished) THAT would also be a fabulous gift!
Today, V and I took a trip to Cedar Rapids, 30 miles north, to run some errands. Our local home store, while they had a particular wood panel (that V uses for backing for bookshelves) in stock, the new shipment was a slightly darker shade and wouldn't match the rest of the wood downstairs. So, we ventured off to the sister store in CR with a scrap to see if we could do a color match. Our store was also out of several bath fixtures (towel rods, etc) that we wanted.
Of course, paneling and bathroom stuff acquired, we just had to stop at the Hancock Fabric store nearby. Our fabric store options here in town are rather limited and I refuse to shop for fabric (or anything else, for that matter) at W**mart. While we were there, we checked out a sale that I was aware of. And V got my Christmas present early:
But, I probably won't be doing much sewing tomorrow anyway. The reason we were anxious to get all the bath bits we wanted is that V finally finished all the drywall work in the upstairs bath. The primer coat is on and I'll be doing the finish painting tomorrow. So, then we can install the towel racks and even a TP holder!! And all this after only two and a half years. It has been SOOOO, nice the past few days to be able to shower without having to go to the downstairs bath. We've got this bad habit of getting projects done to the 'We can live with this' stage and then taking a long time to finish as we work on more pressing things. I guess that's a problem when you buy a disaster of a house with so many things that need done. The upstairs bath was gutted and partially finished before we moved in but we were contemplating putting in a different window so V wasn't in a hurry to finish the drywall. With bare drywall over the shower, we really couldn't use it. But FINALLY!!!! WOOT! Maybe soon I'll have my wish of one room completely finished!! (I'm still waiting on my chair rail in the kitchen so it isn't officially finished) THAT would also be a fabulous gift!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
This is help??
Acting as a weight on the fabric is one thing- but I drew the line when he started pulling out the pins.
4 different fabrics later, the jacket is cut out. Velvet for the body, black brocade for collar, cuffs and pocket trim, interfacing and flannel for extra padding in the collar and cuffs.
Paged to the ER
Fortunately, it wasn't bad.
Yesterday afternoon, about 3:30, my pager went off at work. It was a text to call the emergency room. NEVER a good thing!! Our friend Sharon was in the ER and wanted me to get in touch with Roger. She had been at work and had become dizzy and short of breath- bad enough that her employer thought to get her to the hospital. Fortunately, it was nothing serious- well, not bad- serious. She was dehydrated, overstressed, overworked and not sleeping. The poor thing, she has been so stressed, taking on more and more responsibilities since Roger had his amputation.
I did manage to get hold of Roger- he already had gotten her phone message. V picked me up from work and we went to their house, brought in the mail and walked the dog since Roger doesn't have his prosthesis yet and can't walk their energetic big dog.
Sharon was released and we picked her up at the ER and took her to her car which was still at work. I did admonish her that "IT IS OK TO ASK FOR HELP!!!" I'll have to be more diligent about checking in with HER and not just Roger to see how things are going.
Today, I finally got the heat lamp hung in the chicken coop for when the temps get really frigid this winter. We've got spoiled chickens. We've already got the heated water base so their water doesn't freeze. For the heat lamp, we found a 'thermo-cube' with a built in thermostat that will turn the lamp off and on between preset temperatures so it isn't on all the time.
I'm planning to cut out V's smoking jacket this afternoon. I haven't had time to get to it yet and I wanted to prewash the fabric. Yes, even the velvet. I know that this jacket will get thrown in the wash so I want the fabric to be able to stand up to it.
J17 is working to design a logo for me. For one of her computer graphics classes she is taking, she had to design one anyway so she is using my hopeful business to kill two birds with one stone. I'll hopefully be unveiling a new blog soon for the crafty stuff. I have secured a custom domain and may ask our friend Mike if he will host it for me. I do think J17 is at least as excited about this venture as I am.
Gotta go- I've got too much on my list for the day to spend much time with blogger... as tempting as it is. I've already wasted time researching sergers. I'm thinking that maybe I'll ask Santa for one of those. Anyone have any recommendations or warnings?? I've used one before but don't own one.
Yesterday afternoon, about 3:30, my pager went off at work. It was a text to call the emergency room. NEVER a good thing!! Our friend Sharon was in the ER and wanted me to get in touch with Roger. She had been at work and had become dizzy and short of breath- bad enough that her employer thought to get her to the hospital. Fortunately, it was nothing serious- well, not bad- serious. She was dehydrated, overstressed, overworked and not sleeping. The poor thing, she has been so stressed, taking on more and more responsibilities since Roger had his amputation.
I did manage to get hold of Roger- he already had gotten her phone message. V picked me up from work and we went to their house, brought in the mail and walked the dog since Roger doesn't have his prosthesis yet and can't walk their energetic big dog.
Sharon was released and we picked her up at the ER and took her to her car which was still at work. I did admonish her that "IT IS OK TO ASK FOR HELP!!!" I'll have to be more diligent about checking in with HER and not just Roger to see how things are going.
Today, I finally got the heat lamp hung in the chicken coop for when the temps get really frigid this winter. We've got spoiled chickens. We've already got the heated water base so their water doesn't freeze. For the heat lamp, we found a 'thermo-cube' with a built in thermostat that will turn the lamp off and on between preset temperatures so it isn't on all the time.
I'm planning to cut out V's smoking jacket this afternoon. I haven't had time to get to it yet and I wanted to prewash the fabric. Yes, even the velvet. I know that this jacket will get thrown in the wash so I want the fabric to be able to stand up to it.
J17 is working to design a logo for me. For one of her computer graphics classes she is taking, she had to design one anyway so she is using my hopeful business to kill two birds with one stone. I'll hopefully be unveiling a new blog soon for the crafty stuff. I have secured a custom domain and may ask our friend Mike if he will host it for me. I do think J17 is at least as excited about this venture as I am.
Gotta go- I've got too much on my list for the day to spend much time with blogger... as tempting as it is. I've already wasted time researching sergers. I'm thinking that maybe I'll ask Santa for one of those. Anyone have any recommendations or warnings?? I've used one before but don't own one.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
A curious thing
In the past two days, I have found two eggs on the floor of the coop. Yesterday late afternoon, when I went out to check (we got 7 eggs!!) there were no eggs in the end nest box (they don't like that one much- I think it's too exposed) two eggs in the middle box and 4 in farthest box (against the wall). And there, on the floor next to the wall almost in front of the next box, was an egg. Hmm... I wondered if the prime nest boxes were occupied and someone couldn't wait. Ok, no problem.
Then this evening I went out to check. None in the end again, one in the middle and three in the far box. Not too bad for the first of December. But, when I turned to check to make sure they have enough food, there on the floor, right by the feeder, was another brown egg.
Now I'm really confused. Two consecutive eggs on the floor?? Could I have a new layer who is inexperienced? I thought all the girls were laying already (although with almost everyone laying brown eggs, it's hard to tell) but I've never had everyone lay on the same day- the max I've ever gotten was 8. Or could there be something else that is making one of the girls lay on the floor? Anyone with more chicken expertise, feel free to weigh in! Until this, I haven't found any eggs on the floor since September when most everyone started laying. I think most of the girls laid their first on the floor and then figured it out.
Or, maybe, as K11 suggested, someone is just sad because of Buffy and is protesting. Um, yeah.
Oh, and it's snowing here. We're not supposed to get more than an inch and it's supposed to get back near 40 tomorrow. What weird weather we're having.
Then this evening I went out to check. None in the end again, one in the middle and three in the far box. Not too bad for the first of December. But, when I turned to check to make sure they have enough food, there on the floor, right by the feeder, was another brown egg.
Now I'm really confused. Two consecutive eggs on the floor?? Could I have a new layer who is inexperienced? I thought all the girls were laying already (although with almost everyone laying brown eggs, it's hard to tell) but I've never had everyone lay on the same day- the max I've ever gotten was 8. Or could there be something else that is making one of the girls lay on the floor? Anyone with more chicken expertise, feel free to weigh in! Until this, I haven't found any eggs on the floor since September when most everyone started laying. I think most of the girls laid their first on the floor and then figured it out.
Or, maybe, as K11 suggested, someone is just sad because of Buffy and is protesting. Um, yeah.
Oh, and it's snowing here. We're not supposed to get more than an inch and it's supposed to get back near 40 tomorrow. What weird weather we're having.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)