Hello!! Long time no post!

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. I have just been so busy since the last post. I finished mom's quilt and gave it to her when I went to Oregon in early June for Jessica's graduation. I have not really made anything since then. I have lots of things to start working on but haven't quite had the motivation. I started my new job on 11 July and it just makes me tired sitting all day, I just come home and lay down on the heating pad after work. I am trying to get more done on the weekends. I have a quilting retreat coming up in October so I need to get some things cut so I can sew while I am there.

David and I went to the Pork Festival in Eaton, OH today. We paid for the smorgasbord and got sausage, pork chop and ham with potato salad, beans, roll and slice of pie. It was delicious! They had tons of craft booths but we didn't buy any of that. I got Beryl a table runner for Christmas.

David finally quit working and is now a full time "househusband" he is doing a really good job. He takes the dogs for a walk in the morning and then does some housework, in the afternoon he works on his Jeep. He is really enjoying it. We went to the cooking school and had a lesson in how to cook beef it was really good. We go again next month for how to cook pork. We are having fun planning and doing different things now that he isn't working. Next weekend we are going to the comedy club to see Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live). I took him last month to see Stevie Nicks down in Cincinnati. I am hoping we can go to Niagra Falls on a long weekend, we have always wanted to go but haven't quite made it. I'd also like to go to Gettysburg (he's already been) but we will see about that, not sure I can do all the walking involved in that.

Jack is working at the local grocery store bagging and stocking. He is using work as school credit so he goes to school in the morning and works some afternoons and evenings. He is really enjoying this new schedule. We had his senior portraits taken over the summer and he just brought home the package to order announcements so the expenses are starting to rack up for senior year...LOL.

Mark is staying in Lompoc instead of going to Cal Poly, he didn't finish up some of the credits he needed to start this Fall. He is going to get a house with a couple of his friends and take some online classes to get a management degree in hospitality/restaraunt management. Beryl is selling her house and going to get a 2 bedroom apartment, she is tired of taking care of the big old house. She had quite a few offers but they all wanted a new roof so she had one installed and raised the asking price. I hope she gets a good offer soon.

That's about all the news for now. I'll try to post more often.

Getting Ready

Hello,
I've been really busy working on this quilt! Having the thumb surgery has been a handicap, I had to take some time off to let it rest. I am trying to do the binding today and it is just driving me crazy. I am hoping to get it done today so I can mail it.

I am also trying to get ready for my trip to Oregon. I am so excited to go! Rachel and I have some things planned and I am also going to help Jessica with a dress. Mom and Dad are coming down too so it will be really nice to see them and I am sure we will be taking Mom out shopping and for lunch plus whatever else she would like to do. Britney is coming down too so that will be great since I won't get to see her at the reunion because she will be working. Jessica's graduation is on Sunday so it is going to be her special day. I can't believe she is so grown-up already!

I am starting to plan projects for birthdays and the holidays. I will be glad to get out of this brace so I can get a little more done. I have two more weeks to go. The Dr. was very happy with my progress so far. I got my brace remolded yesterday to hold the thumb further back and it is hurting some today from the new positioning.

We have gone from freezing to blazing hot! We didn't really have a spring! It is nice to finally have the sun out. I will be happy with no rain for a little while. I think my tomato plant is going to be okay. I thought I saw a few flowers on it yesterday. I had put two in there but I think only one is going to survive.

Rachel and I worked really hard to get a complete obituary done for Grandpa but there are still some grumblings about it so we are pretty much done with all of that. I think the video turned out good but someone thought that someone else had too many of her children in it and I was thinking you're supposed to be looking at Grandpa not who's children are in it but whatever. There are always people that won't be happy so I am over that too. We are going to compile all the information we gathered to develop a family tree for the reunion and put some pictures and other stuff together to hopefully make a little book to give everyone. We will work on it a little while I am in Oregon.

Oh, I am supposed to start my new job 11 July. They agreed I could start after I returned from California so that is great! I've got to start making the list of things to do for David...LOL. He is going to give his notice when we get back so he will be done about 2 weeks after we return. Jack finally got a job at a family grocery store called Lafino's. He has some training requirements to finish up and will start probably after school finishes (June 10th). He is also going to take his physical education requirement in July so he will only have two classes next year and the work program in the afternoon. He is very happy about that!

All right, back to work on this quilt!!!!

Quilt Retreat

Hello! Sorry it has been a long time again. I had my thumb surgery about a week and a half ago. It is going pretty well, feels better each day.

I went to the quilt retreat this weekend with Melissa. I was a bit handicapped so I did not get that much done. I worked on a quilt that is going to be someone's present so I won't be posting any pictures. Melissa got about 4 quilt tops done, she is a very fast sewer. There were about 30 ladies there and they all had some really amazing quilts and completed some really nice ones too. We were at a spiritual center in the middle of no where...LOL. No TV, no internet or phone reception. We sewed until about midnight Friday and 2 am Saturday night...there wasn't much else to do! We worked up until 3 pm Sunday and stopped at Jo Ann's fabrics and Cracker Barrel on the way home. It was a really good time. They are having another one in October and I think we will be going again.

I received my offer from the government and I am filling out forms and getting all the requirements done in order to begin. I have told them that I don't want to start until after 7 July, which is when we return from Lompoc. I decided that I will be going to Jessica's graduation so I will be in Oregon for that June 12th. I am enjoying my time off!

I will try to post some pictures real soon.

Dave's Doors

Dave bought extra doors for the Cherokee and cut them out to make half doors. He is now make vinyl snap on coverings for them. They are looking pretty good. I will get a picture of them once he puts them on the truck.

My Current Point of View

I've been working on the quilt all afternoon. Here are some pictures of it looking up which is how I've been looking at it most of the day. Also, a few pictures of how to tie it. I am not sure how many little ties I have done but it is a lot!!

David didn't go on his trip it was really nasty down where they were going to be. He is still waiting to see if they will go next weekend. We spent most of the morning shopping. We got up early to go to the commissary since they will be closed tomorrow for Easter. Then we had to go Jo Ann's and Hobby Lobby to get David some more snaps for his doors and I of course found several things I couldn't do without! I did plant the tomato plants in the topsy turvey but I will take a picture tomorrow. I think you are only supposed to put one plant in it but I put both of them in there so we will see how it goes. I got one Beefsteak and one Mr. Stripey (just because I liked the name)! I can't wait to eat the first one and get enough to make tomato pie.

I didn't work on the dolls today. I need to take them outside to spray the clear coat on them but the weather isn't cooperating. Maybe tomorrow.

I will post Dave's door pictures in the next post. That's it for today!!

Clothes Pin Dolls II

Here is the picture of how they are supposed to look. And pictures of me working on them.

I have also been working on the Pink Quilt. I am busy tying it and then I will bind it and it will be finished. I am hoping to get the tying done this weekend. It is supposed to rain all weekend so good time to stay inside and work on it.

We finally have some tulips coming up and I will try to take some pictures of those tomorrow if the weather is nice for a few minutes. I also bought a couple of tomato plants to plant in one of those topsy turvy planters. David hung me a hook to hang it from so I will also try to get that hung up tomorrow weather permitting. David was supposed to go 4-wheeling this weekend but of course the weather is not cooperating. He may go tomorrow depending on the weather or next weekend if everyone who was going this weekend decide to go next weekend. He has been making vinyl covers for his doors and I got a picture of him sewing on my old machine.

I got another shot in my hip for my bursitis and it is feeling better. The orthopedist wanted me to go back and see the neurosurgeon for my back pain so I have that all set up but have to get an MRI first so I will be doing that May 11 and see the Dr May 12. The orthopedist thought maybe I should try getting epidural shots, I did that once before I had my surgery and didn't get any relief but maybe it will be different now that I have had the surgery. In the mean time my primary care Dr wants me to increase my neurontin to 2000 mg a day. I am not sure about that, I already feel like a zombie all day on 1500, I think 2000 is going to knock me out. Hopefully when I see the neurosurgeon we will be able to figure all this out.

I also saw the hand surgeon for my thumb pain. I have had this going on for two years now and have had at least 4 shots in it and the last one didn't do anything for me. So, now I am going to have surgery on the joint to add a piece of tendon that they will take from my arm and roll up to put in the joint so there will be a cushion in there instead of rubbing bone on bone like it is now. I am going to get that surgery May 5. Next week is my last week at work and I don't have the start date for my new job so I am going to get this surgery done before I start the new job. Supposed to be in a cast for 6 weeks.

So, that is all the news for now. I will try to get some outside pictures tomorrow and hopefully some pictures of finished dolls!

Clothes Pin Dolls

I have been quite busy with my crafts lately. I am making these clothes pin dolls. I have four started, one blue, one green, one pink and one purple. I am still working on the faces on two of them and then I have to lacquer them and dress them and they will be all done!