Fifth Place... out of 9

This is "Sleeping Beauty".... She didn't win, but she didn't 'lose with style'... not completely. (That was my plan- to Lose with Style!). It was set up in our church basement and Dave ran the computer that posted everyones times (and who was 'on deck'), etc.

Actually, I guess I didn't win, although I came in first on the last run (where my front wheel- that wasn't on the track- fell off at the end). Although I came in second in this photo above.

Here are a few of the cars that were entered. The winner of the Novice (that's our church group) was the yellow one on the far left of the first photo (#4).

The second place was the dark blue on the far right of this next photo

some more...

These below were some of the the 'pro cars' ( meaning 'fast')...

These were my dear hubby's... "I Dunno" came in with the fastest time, but another car sent in from TX won the fastest average time, out of 6 runs!

My step-son (who's autistic and has had his dad's old derby car -#4- for a couple of years), entered his 'toy' and WON! How about that!

HE was pretty happy and he ended up winning all kinds of tools, give-aways- although I'm not sure he knows WHAT he has. His dad will have to sit with him and see if he wants to build his own this time.

My co-worker and her hubby raced... she tied for first with the winner, Josh, but he beat her out with the tie-breaker runs. She's still happy she came away with a trophy. (The pre-race joke at work was, how big of a space did she have to clear off on the mantle for her trophy?)

We had a great pot luck supper, too ...

What I didn't tell too many people was that I had this great hamburg/rice/beans/corn/tomato casserole in a crockpot to bring over and it sat on my back seat (in the middle) just fine, all the way to the church. On the last turn to go into church, the left turn caused the crockpot to tip over (and I mean TIP OVER!!). All over my back seat! I pulled over real fast, stretched as far as I could to grab the crockpot by the edge, including the lid and yank it back, hoping that most of the concoction stayed in the pot. Well, let's just say half was left in there. I proceeded to scoop it up with my hands and plop it back in the pot (thankfully my seats are pretty clean, and I didn't get all the way to the upholstery with my scoops). But WHAT a MESS!!! I had melted cheese on the top,so that's what was on most of my seat. In the crease of the seat, too!!! YUCK!! I brought it in and snuck it into the kitchen, then cleaned up the pot and lid (so it looked presentable-- not bad, huh?). I had more cheese I had brought with me, so I could make it look pretty again. Whew!

and took a bucket of hot soapy water out to the car and cleaned the upholstery.... I did get 'caught' in the parking lot by someone who was coming to the event, but thankfully they laughed about it and said it would taste fine. (Thank God I don't have a dog or anything that would shed hair in the back seat!) It actually did turn out just fine... it was delicious! So really, a good time was had by all.

Quilting tomorrow, but 2 days until race day!

I hope to work on KL's quilt (Moose Goose) tomorrow as I have it off (last vacation day off before our busy season- Sept -Dec). I hope to get it sandwiched and pinned... then take it to the next Peace by Piece Quilters mtg and have the girls put Prayer ties into it. I figure if we can get that done, then I can sew the binding on (it's already made and pressed) and see if my mom wants to hand sew it to the other side (she likes doing that). I also should see if I have a label for it, since we're making it for Charlotte's Garden. It's for a 15yr old girl with brain cancer.

In the meantime, I have to go to my son-in-law's to test my pinewood derby car... the race is on Sat. along with a pot luck supper!! (Hmmm.... what to make to eat?...). I'll post a picture of it.... (my car). I'm thinking of naming it "Sleeping Beauty", but my son-in-law calls it the "Boob Car" (I have clay breasts under that quilt).

Relaxing (?) vacation?- NOT!

This is the slideshow of some of the photos I took of my trip to VT. You have to realize it was almost 4 straight days of rain!! With a 3 yr old! Come on, look how sad he was...and my mom... and her friend who just liked to rib the crap out of me ANY time he could, until I truely got pissed. No amount of come-backs could keep him from the tormenting complaints or 'teasing' as my mom said. Well, you know what? sometimes, teasing is teasing and sometimes it's like a mosquito trying to tag your elbow just one time too many! REALLY irritating! But he's mom's 'guest', and she likes him, and he's 89, so I tried to make my come-backs as 'kidding remarks', but I'm afraid it didn't always turn out that way.

He tried to goad me into losing it (occasionally it worked!), by having occasions to have my mom 'wait on him'... like him sitting on the bunkbed (lower) and having her 'tie his sneakers' (!??). Pretty degrading for me to watch my mom do that. Even though she likes to wait on 'everyone'! She raised me pretty damned independant and now I think she regrets it, since I don't like to have anyone do something I can perfectly do myself (even her)! Believe me, it's not like he's an invalid! Just a little hard of hearing and is rather 'persnickity' about his habits-- everything has to be 'just so'. And nothing can change or diviate from his routine without him commenting on how 'he's used to this, and 'he's used to it being done that way, etc. Hey, whatever floats your boat! That's his issue, not mine.

And then pointing out that I'm doing my grandson's shoes (well, he's 3 YRS OLD!) when I rolled my eyes at my mom doing his ("I don't mind, dear" says mom).... I told him I would have done his at 3 also, but that I thought he was perfectly capable to do his own! Hey, when I'm up at the cabin, I like to 'relax'. Not that I COULD when I'm in charge of an active, bored (in the 4 days of rain), one room house-cabin fevered 3 yr old!! But I don't like to have someone kiddingly (as my mom said) ride me constantly.

Truely... I mean, I'm sweeping the place out (much to the shagrin of my mom who thought I should have vacumned the place), really well, and as I'm doing the last half of the room, he's mentioning that there are two specks on the floor on the porch! (Now this is from the 'guest' who isn't doing any of the cleaning up of the cabin, yet even my grandson wants to 'help'.) I immediately leaned over towards him, broom outstretched in my hand and said, "here you go... anyone who complains, gets the job!" (with a smile)... Believe me, the cabin doesn't have to be THAT immaculate! Just swept up. (he didn't take the broom).

Another example was every morning, he has a banana and cereal- no deviation-. Not a problem, ... I was making a bunch of pancakes (I really should have halved the recipe), and after giving my mom, and Kai and myself a couple of pancakes each, before I sat down to eat mine(I'm still cooking the rest of the batter up), he says, "How come nobody made any pancakes for ME??"(pouting). Maybe he WAS kidding, but this was CONSTANT! Any chance he could. (I DID make him a 'mouse' pancake- special- and gave it to him right then.) I can be critical, but this was over the top.... Even my mom asked him to 'behave' and not 'pick on me'. ( I told her "I could take care of myself, thanks, Mom"... "Oh, I'm sure you CAN,dear!"...). I think he was disappointed that I 'catered' to him, so he couldn't complain that I wasn't 'catering'.

And to think it all started after I reminded him of a 'rule' in a card game we were playing on the first night...once you lay down the card in the discard pile - it ends your turn. You have to stop laying down cards in your piles in front of you...(mom doesn't make him do this, although it's a 'rule'). I'm a serious card player about rules. He was really 'put-out' and started to make his comments. ... from then on...all weekend long. Although he did start to see the errors of his ways on day 3, and agreed to behave, but that lasted all of 10 mins.

God, am I glad I'm home.... where I don't get picked on, just to get back at. (How childish from a grown man).

I must have been tired, cuz I'm pissed that I reacted to ANY of it (I stopped reacting by day 4- I was too tired!)...

ps. obviously no quilts got worked on.... (see post below).

Off to VT!

I have today off and since I didn't plan on needing the WHOLE day off, I figure I'll cook a roasted chicken for my daughter and my husband, do some laundry, pack and go. It's a beautiful day, but I know the thunderclouds are coming (probably won't see Hurrican Bill's winds and rain until Sunday when we're packing to leave VT!).

Got the moose quilt scalloped earlier this week( just the geese-red- are scalloped), so I'm taking the Moose Goose quilt with me to pin-baste, and I may get to sew the remaining machine stitiching into Father Chip's quilt (then I can have the girls do the ties at the next PbPQ mtg (Sept 1st). It's been requested by someone who has seen my Moose quilt to make another moose quilt only with different colors. We'll see how much we can do in a short time. Maybe I'll have to email the group and have them start working on blocks.

VVV in 4 days!!

At noon time on Thursday, I'll be leaving work to head up to VT. Look at the photo at the top of this blog... that's it! These above are the views off the deck in the back...Vermont Venison Villa (VVV). It's owned by family (2nd cousins), and we've been going there since I was little!! Our family usually goes up the 3rd week in Aug. and since my dad died, my mom will only continue this vacation up there if someone comes up at the beginning and the end of her week to help open and close the cabin. My sis goes up with a bunch of people (family and friends) and I go up with my hubby and/or my grandson (if I have to babysit him over that weekend).

This year I'm going with g-son, Kai. My younger brother and his family may some up overnight, but not sure. There will be room for us all, but you have to realize this is a one room cabin! ONE ROOM! two sets of bunkbeds and 4 cots on the screened in porch (in the back).

Where I'm standing to take the photos is in the doorway of the sliding doors to the deck.Sorry the photos aren't great! I'll take some good ones this weekend.

Painting is done!- bedroom anyway.

Here is the first stage of the bedroom renovations. I wish I had taken a photo of the ugly paneling that covered the 'pitch' on the ceiling, and along the walls (notice that's still there). It also was on each end of the room, where we enter and the windowed wall.

In this photo, they took off the paneling and put up drywall. It's now finally ready to paint (three coats later of spackle).

Sneak peak at the color...

I've now got primer (gray) on the pitched ceilings and the entrance wall. Somehow I thought it would look 'cottage-y'. Not sure that it does, but I hated the darkness of the room with all that paneling!

The green is creeping in... (anyone who knows me is probably wondering "What is she doing with GREEN in that room?"- I'm not fond of green)

These photos make the room look really grass green, but it's more 'sage' than that. They still have to add the 'molding back at the ceiling part (but I'm gonna have them leave the ones I'd like to make green. The only ones I want them to add back as wood molding are the ones that were at the top of the 'wall' pieces. I would have done them already, but with my luck I'll paint the wrong ones!

It certainly did warm up the room! We'll see how it is to sleep in it and wake up.... Now I just have to make curtains for it. or maybe I'll buy them. I'll see how much money I have left.

Lost checkbook!

I thought my day was gonna be stressed... hubby not joining me at church and I was taking "Mr Active" (my 3 yr old grandson I was babysitting) with me. I was meeting a lady there to see some quilt blocks she made, so I headed out around 9:20am (church starts at 10am) with two large totes (to show my mom some quilting things) and the tote with Kai's stuff in it, and my purse and my checkbook (with various bills/receipts hanging out of it). Oh, and I did have a hold of my grandson's hand! Can we say "loaded down' here?

Ok, so I put down my two bags, and his bag and put my checkbook on the trunk of the car so I can undo the back door of my car. I get him strapped into it, put two of the three bags in the back, close the back door, open the front door, toss the third bag on the passenger seat with my purse and jump in.

I get to church and grab two of the three bags, my purse, and my grandson and head to the nursery area of the church. Now, no one is there yet (to do babysitting), so I wait and realize my check book must be in the car (didn't I stuff it in one of the bags with my quilted stuff?? Nope...) Okay, I meet the lady who is two doors down ( and doesn't get the idea that MAYBE we could talk near the nursery, vs. me running down the hall, around the corner, and back again to see what she needs me to see, AND keep an eye on my grandson... Whew! Okay, I finish with this lady (and we can't find the box in the other room that we thought was there), run back to the nursery (yea, the babysitter was there!)... oh, forget the checkbook, I'll write a check and drop it off tomorrow (my vacation day from work). I left aq message for my hubby to see if the checkbook is on the counter, since I didn't find it when I got in the car. Hmm.... where did I put it?When I got home, I tore EVERYTHING apart... looked in the frig (hey, you never know), both bags I brought, Kai's bag, my purse was spared since it's too small for this checkbook, the car, drove BACK to church and scoured the route I took...NOTHING! I didn't realize that I'd left it on the trunk of my car at this point... I sat down and cried at the bottom of the cellar stairs, wondering what I had to cancel in this checkbook (remember, I said there were various papers/receipts/bills, etc...?).

Lee took a walk and came back with two church envelopes, one which had been run over already... NOW was when I slightly remember where I put it. Damn! I must be getting Alzheimer's or I just have WAY too much on my mind. I finally decided to take a walk around the block to see if any other 'stray' papers are on the road. nothing... when i walk in the door, my hubby said some lady dropped it off after church (she saw it on her way to church and knew JUST what it was!)Nothing looked missing.. thank God!

Quilt show 2009

While the "Main" event in town was the Main Street Cruise , I chose to go to the LQG's quilt show at CCSC. I'm posting a few pictures on this, but if you want to see all the ones I really liked, click here. I thought the design on this string quilt with appliqued autumn leaves was very clever.

And I loved this origami crane quilt...

I took a photo of this one, with the thought of all the orientals I have to play with....

Glad I didn't go to the car cruise, since the sky opened up and POURED where I was!

Renovations continue...inside

While some of the renovations in the house this year will be done by me, these won't be! Since I don't have the ladders/equipment, I'm paying to have this done! I wish I could have taken a before picture, but I'll describe it.... picture dark brown woodgrain contact paper. Over some textured wallpaper, ... yeah, I know. I thought that was all they had to contend with. WRONG!

This is the hallway going up to the bedrooms with the contact paper off and some of the wallpaper stripped.

Oh, WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?? More wallpaper?? Oh yes. In fact, it's three layers of awful stuff and over a section of number 2 wallpaper, someone must have spackled something... THAT was a mess. My guys finally steamed it off and it's to this stage right now. They will prep the walls next week and paint them a soft gray.

This is the walls in our bedroom (the pitch of the cape ceiling) which had paneling on the walls up to the pitch and the pitch. I had them take off the paneling on the pitch and put up drywall so I can paint it.

This is the drywall on the pitch almost ready to be painted a soft green.

They also are stuffing the rafters in the ceiling of the cellar with insulation. (They haven't finished yet), and installed some 4' florescent lights--- the better to see you with, my dear!) Julie's is thrilled since she can see down there now! No more cave people!!