Tote Progress

I got the quilting done around the strips and sewed around the edges. I put the blue strip down to see if it would work as the tie. I didn't like the other material I picked out so I am going with this plain blue since there is so much pattern going on anyway. I have to cut some things now so I am stopping for the night because my brain doesn't work when I have to measure and cut.

Time for Ben & Jerry's mmmmm

29 March - Monday!

Another cold,rainy day here in Dayton. It was a semi-busy day. I am still trying to get all the paperwork the bank wants. I am getting pretty frustrated with them. I fax them things and then they tell me they are still waiting for it. My blood pressure got up so I went to the gym to swim but guess what? It is their annual cleaning the pool time so no swimming. I walked on the treadmill 20 minutes and biked 20 minutes and then did some stretching.

I am going to try to finish up the tote tonight but I also need to do some cleaning and packing. I will see how David feels when he comes home. I also need to sew up my mom's purse and get all the decoration complete.

I will post pictures of the tote later if I get it done.

28 March - Rainy Sunday

Woke up to a gray, rainy day today. Hopefully it will clear off and we will have some sunshine later. I am up waiting for David to wake up so we can go to the commissary. I cleaned out all of my clothes and drawers last night and have a huge pile to take to Goodwill. I am going through the rest of my shoes today as I will probably get rid of anything with heels since I can't wear them any more. The linen closet is next and my bathroom cabinet. I don't think we will have enough room in the garbage can for all that I have to throw out. Amazing what you collect over 2 years. I don't know what I am going to do when we don't move any more.

Here is a picture of parts of my tote that I worked on yesterday. I am hoping to work on it this week. Also, showing some pictures of material I picked up at Hancock yesterday to make another tote for someone else. I also have Mom's purse knitted but know I have to put it together and add some embellishments. I just have too many projects going on! I need to get a lot done within the next two weeks before school starts again. I am not sure how much spare time I will have taking two courses.

All right, have a good Sunday!

27 March - Happy Saturday Tote Bag

Woke up Friday morning to a blanket of snow on the ground and icy roads. I guess the road crew was caught unaware of this. I drove to work at 10 - 20 mph and the work parking lot was like a skating rink! By the afternoon it was sunny and all had melted. I hope that is our last little blast of winter.

It was a beautiful day today. I went to the tote on the go quilting class which was 10 -1 but we did not finish the tote. I will have to work on it here at home. The instructor is going to see if she can get some time to get back together but I will probably just finish it on my own. My friend and I went together so that was fun. She got much further than I did. Then we went to lunch at Milano's and then had fun at Hancock Fabrics buying more material to make more tote bags!

I am working hard to clean the house up and throw things out or bag up for Goodwill. We found a renter or someone who says they want to rent so hopefully we will get some papers signed soon and a deposit made. They are coming from Texas for attendance at AFIT so that will be one year. They have three young children so I think this will be a very good house for them especially with all the young kids that live on either side of us.

Well, I have to get back to cleaning my room before bed...i would rather be knitting or working on a tote but such is the way of the world. I will post pictures of the tote tomorrow. Hopefully I will have time to work on it tomorrow.

Night!!

Pictures of Inside of the House #3

Pictures of Inside of the House #2

Pictures of Inside of the House

24 March - Busy Day

Well, it was a busy day today. I went to work, then acupuncture, then gave a briefing, then ran home to change to go to an awards dinner and I just got home. I ate way too much but the food was really good. I didn't have any time to knit today and I still have to cut my fabric for the quilt class on Saturday. Tomorrow is the new home inspection so I will take my camera and take some more pictures. There was a problem with the well pump when the plumber went to test the flow so I don't know if they are going to replace it or what, guess I will find out tomorrow. Okay, just wanted to give an update of what I have been up to.

21 March - Sunshine Sunday!

We have had really beautiful weather lately. I think we are expecting one last blast of winter to come through this week but that is normal. I finally finished my paper yesterday and just got the grade this morning...100! So, that is a definite A in that course. I hope I can keep that up taking two courses next term. Well, I have a couple weeks off so I guess I will work on clearing out some of the closets and taking some trips to Goodwill.

Well, I worked on the purse last night and I will continue today. I also need to get my materials ready for my quilting class next Saturday. I have to wash and cut the material. I also have to cut the material for the monkey blanket so, may be spending the afternoon on the cutting table. I will post some pictures of that later.

All right off to get ready to go to the commissary.

March 19 - Another TGIF!

Well, finally got the signed contract from Prudential Relocation services. So, I guess we have bought a new house! I am going for the home inspection next Thursday at lunchtime.

Well, I am going to finish up my paper tonight. I believe it will not take too much longer. I just need to get it turned in. I have 100's on all the other papers so I think I am going to be okay for my final grade.

I really want to get back to knitting the purse. I've been thinking about the handles and the decoration and I really want to get to work on it. I should have it done in time for Mother's Day.

Oh, I had a friend who knows a friend down in Texas where they do the MEBs and the board has just started working on the December packages. I thought mine had gone in 18 Dec but she told me they didn't receive it until 29 Dec. So, looks like it will be about a month before I find out. My friend is going to keep checking for me. It is nice to have friends that know people in the right places :)

All right this paper isn't going to finish itself you know? Get going!

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!

I had a busy week so far having to get ready for a conference next week and organize a bowling event for the Directorate. The bowling was today. Everyone had a great time. I had 48 bowlers and about 30 watchers. We didn't have to go back to work after so that was really nice! I came home and took a nap. :)

I finished one skein of yarn on the purse. I have to set it aside and finish up my paper for school. Yes, I have been procrastinating but it was to do all the paperwork for the new house so that is okay, right? Okay, I am going to work on the paper now.

March 15 - Monday after buying new house

Well, I guess we haven't actually bought it but we have a contract and all the wheels are in motion. We will close next month, 26 April. I will be in Orlando for the contracting conference so David will have to sign all the paperwork (yah!). We will slowly move to the new house in May and get this one ready for rental. I have a few folks at work who have friends coming here for AFIT and need rentals so hopefully it will all work out well. Hopefully, we will get someone in for 2 years and then we can sell it without having to lose any money.

Well, I have completed all my posts for my class and now just have the final paper to write and turn in before Friday. I will be glad to be finished with this one. I need to order my books for the next one and pay the fees. I was hoping to be retired by now since I am going to take two courses this term. Oh well, maybe soon. I read on the blog today that the board is working on the November packages so hopefully they will start December packages next month and I will get the notice in May.

I am doing really well on knitting the purse for my mom. I have finished one side, the bottom, and start up the other side. I don't think the knitting will be taking too much longer and then I have to figure out the handles and the lining. I don't have any other crafts going on right now, I've stopped the dress for now.

All right, off to knit and wait for David to come home and make me dinner. LOL

13 March - New House? Maybe?

Okay, so we went to look at the red house with the barn...wish we could have just bought the barn. The house was awful. Had about 7 cats running around and it was a rental home...yuck. So, we just started driving around and found a house in the neighborhood we lived before with a huge side yard, large garage with a man cave for Dave and a nice house for me. We put in an offer but we don't know if we have it yet. I am adding pictures here.

So, I didn't get any homework done. I got a little knitting done and I am going to get some more done when I finish here. I will work homework tomorrow. Other than that it was a rainy day. Oh, I did get my hair cut and highlighted. It has quite a bit of blonde in it now so I am not quite used to it yet. Maybe once I wash and style it myself I will be happy with it.

All right going to get some ice cream and then knit.

12 March - TGIF

Oh my, I am so happy it is Friday! What a long week. Today we did video taping for the boss' new podcast and that went really well. It was just a pain getting all the video stuff upstairs, set up, and then back downstairs. It went really well though so should be a really good product in the end.

I've been working on Mommy Purse for a day or so now. I showed Rachel the color and she really liked it. I am just making the pattern up as I go along. I think it will turn out really good and that gives me two purses that are my own design. Maybe I can get a book deal! LOL.

I just went to dinner with my future employers. They are very nice and we had a good time. Talked a lot about future projects. Can't wait to get going on them!

Tomorrow I am getting my hair done with color and cut and then we will go look at the house for sale. I am posting a picture of it here. I think the house will probably need some updating as the description says 2 bathrooms but they are both upstairs! What? We may have to put a half bath in downstairs.

Well, I am going to knit now and watch TV with Dave. I got to talk him into watching Project Runway. Wish me luck!

10 March - Wednesday New Craft Room!!

All right! Finally got David to move the table into the living room. I am all set up and ready to go. I am posting the pictures. I finished the back of the skirt last night and now I have to make another for the front and then the tops. So, it is going to be awhile on that project. I am setting it aside for now and starting to work on Mom's purse.

It has been really beautiful the last few days. I am not going to get suckered in though, I know we are going to have one last blast of winter before it is all over. The dogs are staying outside longer too so that is good except for the mud all over my floors.

I got the stitches out from my cheek today and just have some steri-strips until they fall off. Looks like the Dr. did a really good job stitching it up. It was not cancerous but it was like a pre-cancerous keratosis thing. Anyway it is all gone now!!

David and I are going to be looky loo's at a house for sale this weekend. It is an old farm house that has a big barn (shed thing) so it is something that we are looking for so David can do his welding thing. We will see how it goes. I'll take pictures.

All right off to get knitting my Mommy Purse, that is my official title for it. Think Seafoam green.

8 March - Monday after being busy

Well, slow day today since all of the ceremony stuff is done. I tried to get back in the swing of things but the brain just didn't want to go there. I had a Dr. appointment this afternoon and then went to the gym. I did pretty good walking on treadmill for 30 minutes at about 2 - 2.5 mph. then rode bike for 20 minutes at level 3. Came home, showered, laid in bed with feet up and fell asleep as I was texting back and forth with Rachel. Slept about an hour. Felt good and no pain in back so far...knock wood.

Okay, almost done with skirt. I have about 17 rows to go to finish it off. I am posting new pictures in the thread this time. I even have an action photo of me knitting (kind of). I was hoping to have my table in my craft room and all set up to take a picture for you all to see but I used it as a clothes folding table yesterday and now it is sitting in the front foyer because that is as far as David wanted to carry it tonight. So, maybe I will have things set up by this weekend.

I am going to design a purse for my mom. I haven't seen a pattern I like so I will take bits and pieces of what I like and put it all together.

I am almost done with my class, one paper left to write and it is due 19 March. I am going to try to get it all done before that. I know, I know that is surprising for such a procrastinator like me but I am going to do it.

All right off to knit!

6 Mar - Happy Sunny Saturday!!!

We finally have a beautiful sunny day and temperature is almost 50! Time to get some shorts on soon. All the white is slowly melting away. I think David may take the Christmas lights down this weekend. LOL

We had a great time on our little trip to Cincinnati today. Had a great brunch at IHOP and then I was off to IKEA and David to the u-pull it. He spent about $15 and I spent about $200! I got a nice big table to put in my craft room for cutting quilts and blocking knitted stuff. Now I just have to get David to put the legs on. I also got two new pillows, a duvet cover for Jack, two new pillows, a mattress cover and two lazy susans for our cabinet so David and I can put all our medicine on them since we are getting so old that we have enough medicine to put on two lazy susan's. LOL I also got the required 6 pack of cinnamon rolls for $4...$4 I should have got more than one of those!

I am posting a couple of pics. Sorry the store one is blurry.

I am going to work on the tunic dress now. I also have to start looking for a purse pattern to make my mommy a purse. I have the yarn picked out already, I've just never made the purse. So, I will get going on that but I won't be able to post it here because she reads my blog and I don't want her to see it before it is done. So I'll just have to describe my progress on that one.

Okay off to knit and watch TV with David.

5 March TGIF!! Ceremony is over!

Just posting quickly before bed. The retirement ceremony was today and it went very, very well. I had many great comments on the organization and all the gifts. We just came back from the barn dance and there were tons of people there. The blue grass band was really good. Col Hobson was very happy with the turn out. Well, I will post some more tomorrow. I am going to IKEA tomorrow and David is going to the junkyard but we are eating at IHOP first. Talk to you tomorrow!

3 March - Wednesday Finished Shadow Box

Been busy last few days with retirement stuff. The luncheon yesterday went really well and we had a script run through and that went well. Tomorrow we will do a full walk through to make sure we have all the parts right and everyone knows there duties. I finished the shadow box tonight and the memorial frame, they are all wrapped up and ready to go.

I finished homework Monday night so I got to knit for a bit last night and tonight. I am posting my progress in the side bar. The skirt is coming along nicely. I hope to have it done by the end of the week so I can start the back top. I will cut the pieces of the monkey quilt this weekend and get going on that too. Maybe I can give it to her before she has the baby instead of after like the others.

All right, back to knitting for a few little bit. I had a little minor procedure on my face today to remove a "suspicious" area so I am beginning to feel that pain a little. I will get the stitches out next Wednesday and they will tell me the pathology results. At least it is all gone now so I won't have to worry about it any more.

Posting final pictures of shadow box and memorial frame.