More renovations.... smaller scale

Even though these closet innerds look as though they are a color, they are really a gray... the first one is off the dining room, no window in closet.

The other one is in the foyer with a window... maybe that's why the difference in the shade of grey.

They were painted by a friend of mine (since he was out of work and I was too busy). Well, worth the money I paid. Hey, ... they're DONE! and actually, they are filled partially with the stuff I took out of them. What do I do with the rest of the stuff?? St Mary's May FAIR!

A day for sewing....

Today was a good day for sewing. Actually, I was babysitting my DGS this morning, but he let me sew the binding on my PBPQ's maroon quilt.

Mom stopped over and dropped off the Lasagna for One quilt that she had done the binding on...

I even got the two borders on one of the quilts Pat B started (she hates to do borders). It's gonna look pretty.

Writing my book as a Blog... publish later!

I decided to put my book into a blog and hope to at some point publish it (online or in book form). I had such trouble with an online publisher, that I'll NEVER use them (Exlibris.com) when I do get it published. This is exactly the way I'd like to see it. Click on the title and it should take you to the blog....

Oh, did you want to know what it's about before you get there? Here is a hint.

Pun in Cheek...... Please leave me comments on your thoughts. I know everyone can relate to this. The only question is, should I give exact locations, or GPS coordinates?

Christmas Fair in New England

Our church had a Christmas Fair today... and I had to check it out. They had the most amazing baskets that were donated and put together by members of the parish. Here are just some of them.

Of course there is always the annual St Mary's Angels that get made and I always buy one for each of the girls for their families. I got a red, purple and blue angel.

The baked goods are wonderful, and I had to laugh this year when someone called to see if I'd make cookies for their assorted cookie tins to be filled, I turned them down... Don't they understand, it's my job to PAY for the cookies since I haven't had time to make them in years. They know by now to put aside at least $25 for cookies and I'll add to it when I get there...LOL (silly women)....

They even had some interesting vendors and tables set up to sell different items, some made by women in Africa,

Crocheted items lovingly put together (too bad, I needed 'boy' colors for mittens!) and a potter that had very unique tiems!

They even had a 'brunch/lunch' set up in the Sunday school rooms (that's me and my mom enjoying the chili/carnbread and the corn chowder...the brownie and ice cream wasn't bad either).

A staple for the past couple of years has been the Priest-in-charge, Paul Briggs and his son Caleb at the "Cheese Factory". cutting Cabot cheese from the wheel.  Of course, I caught young Caleb 'resting' in-between the couches in a side room at the end of the day!

 

I had to take my mom home, but I came back for the raffle baskets drawing and ... Hey, WE won!! One of the BIG ones!! The only problem is, mom and I bought tickets (under her name) and we split them-- only I took both sets of our half of the tickets and forgot to mark them, so I don't know whether it was HER ticket or mine that won.... I'll have to ask her when I drop it off. ( I should have asked to look at the ticket, since I always bend mine in half)  All and all.... a wonderful time was had by all. For more photos of the day, click this post's title.

Last rose of summer

This photo was taken on a very windy day, so I had to hold this bud still while taking it. It was after Thanksgiving day 2009....

Three weeks later, this is the last rose of summer (I get to see this out my window as I work on my computer).

Somehow, bringing it inside seemed sacrileious; it even had frost on it.

Quilting again!!

This photo is our initial design... I must say when I was asked to do a SECOND moose quilt (search for 'moose quilt' for my other postings with the original Moose Goose quilt), I knew I wouldn't make it as grandios as the last one ( it took too long and it was very difficult creatively). And besides, the first one was for a 15yr old girl, this one being for a boy. However, I wanted to put some thought into it and work with some moose fabric I had.

This week I got a chance to put the finished top together and took it out to my mom's house (she has a large table) and convinced her that she could help me tie this quilt (she's 81). It's going to a 10 yr old with lung cancer and he likes moose. So here is the almost finished quilt.

I just have to fold the binding over to the back side and hand stitch. I hope to post a photo of the back (ALL MOOSE!). If I try this right, I might be able to bring this with me to work on during a vestry event for our church. Then I can get it Blessed at the church service on Sunday and mail out by next week.

Thanksgiving dinner(s) and Black Friday 2009

Well, I didn't plan to go out this year.... you see, I had a VERY busy two days to start the Thanksgiving weekend, so I CERTAINLY wouldn't have time.. (HA!) Well, my pleasant experience last year at Kohl's made me think I could do this!! And besides, I was home last year by 7am... plenty of time to get stuff done for today.

Well, let's back up.... a little history of our recent Thanksgivings. About 6 years ago, our two daughters were going to respective boyfriend's homes to eat turkey dinner. Well, I for one, wasn't cooking a whole turkey dinner for just Lee & I, so I told the girls we'd have it on Friday when they were home. Worked for everyone involved. Since my dear husband always worked that day, it would give me the whole day to plan and make dinner. (What a treat!) Our church recently started having a 'blessing of the bread' service on Thanksgiving eve, so while I was waiting for my better half near the church doors, I spotted a newspaper article asking for volunteers to work at a bread company on Main St in town. The owner of Great Harvest Bread Co, of Manchester, was baking hundreds of loaves (this year was 500) and turning them over to the director of MACC (local charity) to be sold-- all profits going to them. They would sell coffee, water, cookies, scones (leftovers from the baking on Wed at the bread place), the loaves at $5 a loaf.

There is always a HUGE turnout of spectators and runners on Thanksgiving Day at our local (shall I say international) road race (photo courtesy of the Hartford courant) where the start/finish line is a few stores up from the bread store, and while we haven't ALWAYS run/walked in it, or even watched it every year, this would be the perfect place and the perfect day to help out AND watch the race! (And isn't that what He put us here for? Helping each other?).... Well, let me tell you what a wonderful time we had!!! We met some great people, volunteers and customers and decided right then and there, THAT is where we would spend our Thanksgivings (as long as the bread place continued this).... Six years later, we love it still! And it works out fine, now that one daughter lives out of state and goes to her fiancee's family's for T-day.

Okay, so our Thursday is set... work at the Bread co, come home and relax, work on pies for our dinner the next day, watch Survivor (maybe)... until my mom decided she was able to put on a dinner for all her kids (4) and their families-- now she's 81 yrs old, and of course, we'll all help. Okay, NOW I have to do some prep work for THAT dinner. Of course, I'll bring the bread (helping mom AND the charity), I'll get some cheesecake, and I'll make my cranberry orange relish--easy!

Maybe that's why I figured I'd be able to do the Black Friday thing. And I think I did pretty well.... I automatically woke up at 3:15am. Maybe because I was thinking about it when I got home from my mom's... in any case, I was up, dressed, and out the door by 3:35am (who needs a shower to shop?)! I didn't even grab my tea, because I knew they would have  my friend's lunch truck there. I brought an umbrella, because it was a little drizzly. ...DRAT! The lunch truck wasn't here...a little drizzle scared them away? Oh well, the line was around the store (per usual), but within 10 mins, the doors were open and in we went rather quickly. I got my DEALS (!) and was out in 45 mins!!
Are you ready for the deals? Digital Camera for my mom (and my present from dear hubby), reg $130, BF sale $60; GPS for youngest daughter $200, BF sale $70 ( I bought an extra one at that price- not sure for who!); riding toy for my 1 yr old grandson- reg $50, BF sale $20...a few other odds and ends....minus $5 cpn, plus I now have $60 to spend of Kohl's cash by next week. Saved $501.00!!!! Great!
Now, I thought I'd just be driving home now.... awww, why not go to Best Buy? Hubby wanted a boxed set of DVD's (Firefly) and following movie (Serenity). Found both in BB, not realizing they were both on sale... When I got home at 6:10am, I met my husband Lee coming into the kitchen for his coffee. As I got on the computer in the den, he starts showing me the 'great deal' on Amazon for 'his gift'. "Honey, it's on sale from $49 to $38 and the extra movie is on sale from $20 to $15". Nice.... (I went in the other room to see what kind of a BF deal I got on the receipt). His $55 boxed set (Amazon), which was $39 in BB... on SALE for $13 (even though the online site quoted $10.99-- not going back to store for $2)!! and the additional movie was $9.99!! Whoooo Hooooo! (Damn, I'm good!)

Now I have to go finish MY Thanksgiving dinner making...Hope you all had a great holiday so far (I hope to even get in some quilting!!)