Sharing Christmas photos

Finally got a chance to download some photos of the holidays in CT.... enjoy.

 First fire in the fireplace in years...... Now all we need is the glass doors, so we can close it at night.

 Three of my favorite people...daughter, Amber and son Zachary, and Malakai

Can this family photo ever get taken without some of us fooling around?

 Probably not.

Great shot of Malakai and Anaka playing.

Ompah and Papa

Emma and Jason opening our "dinner and a movie" (they got movie tickets with the pizza stone)

 Morgan in her new pjs... surveying the other gifts.

 Julie, Amber and Ann in kitchen...hanging out before dinner.

 Hamming for the photographer....

 Okay ... on to my brother, Bill's house for Christmas Eve....

 Here is my mom and her friend, Amby.

Hmmm..... I'm not sure I have enough pie on this plate.... 

And here's the real dessert table. Have a little milk with that, Bill...

Cousins get to catch up with each other.... Scott,(future son-in-law), Leslie and Kathy.

 What's your favorite present Kai....? well, Grammaw, my scooter, but I need my cookie (in hand) and my water.

Don't you even doubt I busted a gut, when he came in the den one morning and wanted to show me his 'stuff' (tucked in his pants). It was the hat and glasses that had me in stitches!

 Come on, Grammaw, take my picture.....

 Isn't he just the cutest???

This was one of our trees..... It was so crammed in the dining room, we couldn't be in there to open presents. The living room gets too crowded with the bed for Les and Scott, so we put up the spiral one in there, and this year, we tried this in the dining room. (Last year for that thought).

Change of Plans--sewing!

Yikes! Well, the quilt in the last post never even got touched...Why, you ask? Because I couldn't find it!! I may have left it at church or it's in another bag brought home from the last meeting, but I wasn't wasting time looking for it, when there are so many other things to do up there.

First things first, ... I needed to de-Christmastize the room; get the box of tags and ribbons boxed up, store the wrapping paper, put away the leftover gifts --they'll be used for someone's birthday or such-(I always buy more than I need in case of emergency) and...well, what do we have here?...A few pieces of clothing that needed mending/repairing. I can do that quickly! (And I did)

The table looks much better than it did, but it still has a long way to go.

Okay, I found a couple of quilts, already tied needing to have binding made/found etc. (I'll put those aside).

Ah! I keep moving this partial heartstring block, out of my way(the one on the left)... why don't I just finish it. Done! (Ok, it's done, but not used in a quilt, you say...not a problem. We have other HS blocks at church to be joined at some point. It will go there and be joined with others like it.)

 Here are the two that needed to have bindings pick out, put together and sewn on them. They have it just at the pinned over, then my mom can hand sew them to the finish (she' loves that part). The one on the left (Blueberry HS) is going to a lady at church who has cancer, the one on the right (Easter Eggs) has no home yet, but it's always good for a child.

This is the pillowcase that never got made for Christmas (I use them to give to the grandkids and put their birthday/Christmas gifts in...). This will go into the stock pile (of 1). I have to make 10 a year, but in a few more years I'll add another to the list (Lee's son Jason and wife Emma are expecting, but the pillowcases only start coming when the grandkids are in their own bed).

This is the design wall in my room at the end of the day... I added some solid brown to two sides of the leftover blocks from Shattered Tiles and cut them to 12.5". Then I threw a few things up on the design wall to piece together for a backing. This is for the quilt "Shattered Italian Tiles". The medallion at the bottom is just a test run of something else, but I like it.

I also added some side borders to my Black Rose Panel quilt (not photo-ed yet) and it made a great quilt top.

Damn, do I feel great!!

In all this producing, I also started saving bags of crumbs (I had a few small bags that I consolidated into one) and strings to donate to my hearstring quilt project group (a yahoo group).

Aftermath.....

Well, the house is finally quiet...
Daughter Julie and son Kai are off to visit friends before the big snow storm hits later today/tonight/tomorrow, ... Papa is watching tv (probably snoozing) from the couch, ... and I mean to get my piles of papers that I never get to organize, organized/tossed out/taken care of, ... and bills paid to the end of the year.

Then, when no one is here to interrupt me (I'm hoping the kids are still gone), I intend to attack the sewing room!!!! Yes, and maybe quilt!

I do have a top that was hurridly 'bordered', before it was squared (oops!), so maybe I can rip that apart and square up, in front of a good movie-- one that I can't watch with a 4 yr old in tow....

I used the sewing room as Santa's wrapping station and it's in need of a good going-through before it serves it's purpose as a sewing room again. (Although I did sneak up there and take the 7" square pieces of fleece (corners cut off from a tied blanket for GS,Kai) and made him two blanket/sleeping bags for his Zhu-Zhu pets this morning.

Merry Christmas to all....

We'll be heading out later to my brother, Bill's house for the holiday. I still have wrapping to do, but my appetizer is done and in the frig. Really should get the house cleaned as Leslie and Scott are coming to stay the night. They'll open up gifts and then leave to have breakfast with his folks around 10am.  I'll add photos as I can.

Great news!!!!

In all the panic of Kai, I forgot to blog about the best gift card we got this year!

Lee and I have 6 kids, collectively, of which 3 are married and one to-be. Of those kids, I have 5 grandchildren, but one couple has not had any (and I truely didn't expect them to have any). This couple tends to give us restaurant gift cards/movie passes and we do the same with them. I think it's getting to the point where we're waiting for the year we give each other the same restaurant (we've done it before), then we'll go with each other.

Well, this year they gave us our card at Lee's oldest's Christmas party (last Sat), and when I opened the little envelope, the card's front had this on it..."6<>26<>11". The <> is a rinestone. It puzzled me only because my oldest is getting married on the 24th.,,, but of July. Still puzzled, I opened the flap to see the most precious wallet-sized ultrasound picture!!!! All I could do was inhale sharply....and almost forgot to exhale, until someone else (other gramma), yelled! Wheeeee, yippee!

Second best gift..... after thirteen yrs of not being able to have my car even 'breathe in ' the air in the over-sized two-car garage, I now have a space in the garage for MY car. (We've always had antique car(s) in there, but since he sold the 1960 Falcon, the 1954 Ford Customline... I share the space with the 1948 Willy's

Night terrors in a 4 yr old...

It's a reasonable time now, (5:50am.., well, maybe not for some), but I've been up since 1:10am  with my grandson, Kai as he's dealt with the struggles of night terrors and hallucinating. He's been diagnosed with Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and impulse control issues (slight hint of ADHD) and was recently put on medication (Concerta) for it. As in yesterday evening. They told my daughter, Julie (who still lives with us) that he may have some symptoms of sleeplessness. Well, I gotta say (pardon my language, but I've had 2 hrs sleep), No shit, Sherlock!! I 'felt him leave my bedroom and head down to the first floor. I followed. The back door was wide open, he was talking about being afraid to go back to bed (they sleep in the basement), so tucked him in with us in our bed. He kept fidgeting and lifting his head up. Since Lee is a light sleeper, I took him downstairs to tuck him in and lay with him.

Then the 'sky opened up' and all he did for 5 hrs was talk about 'bats coming out of the hole', and 'do you see those eyes, Gramma?'... "There is a cow over there (pointing to the cellar window) and he's blocking our way. He's going into space."...." this story is just coming out of my brains!"... "Did you see that? There was a ghost flying by!!"... "But I caught him, See Gramma, he's sitting in my hand."... There's a crab/spiders on my leg/in my bed/ on my hair!! Get him off!!!"... and so on. He would sit up, and then lay down for seconds, then "Did you see that spider? There is his shadow!"...By 5am, he had all his clothes off and his mom was talking to the doctor on call (but he still wouldn't sit down in his bed- he was standing there). She is now at the Manchester ER hoping to have them tell her what she can do for it (was it a reaction? a side effect? a poisoning of his system?...).

Now how do I get through the rest of today. Probably with a lot of coffee...Pray for us all.
****
Update on Kai,.... doctor said to cut pill in half and give to him on Christmas eve (I say go one more day since we're going out that evening- in case we have a bad episode), and Christmas day and see how he is on Sunday. If fine, then give full dose on Sunday and after that. Julie wants to only give 1/2 dose all week then see how he is. (He was fed crackers and orange juice in ER, then allowed both of them to get some sleep before discharge from hosp). He still talks about the crabs/spiders in bed, but I sang him to sleep with Christmas carols and stories of Goldilocks.

Can I sneak in a sewing weekend?

Yes, I know it's close to Christmas and I should be buying/wrapping gifts, but there has been a 'silver lining' that came in with this dark cloud at our house...MY SATURDAYS ARE FREE!!!

If you read my last post, my 24-yr daughter (who lives with us, along with her 4 yr old son) lost her job at a veterinarian hospital. I used to give up my Sats. to watch her my grandson and that was okay (I actually told her that I'd give her one day of the weekend to watch him for work- it just ended up being Sat almost always), but I guess, since I spend the morning at church on Sundays , I really ended up with a half day for ME on the weekends. And at this time of year, my busy time, that pretty much sucks, since I can't get a lot done for me. He's very active (has issues with ADHD and impulse control), so I spend most of the time loving him and having fun (yes, I'm the entertainment committee).

But NOWWwwwww, I'm free!
...to sew
....and soon I'll have a shortened work schedule (maybe no Fridays), so that's even more time to sew. YEA!

Soon,... very soon, my hubby will be off to work (works every three Sats), and daughter and son will be off to an annual Christmas party at a social club in town, and I'll be alone. Yeah,...alone. I have so many things to do, but I should do the things I can when they aren't around. Like wrap my husband's present (I got a ...well, I can't write it here since he's sitting next to me on his computer), and a few other things I've gotten. Then I can see where I am with buying. I also have to make 3 more pillowcases (I use these for gift wrapping for my grandkids presents). I need to pick out fabric for them and I should call and ask them what they want; dogs, cats, fairies, cars, etc.

I should just make the list here, then cross it off as I go..
1. Wrap gifts already bought
2. Buy/mail MIL's giftcard
3. grocery shop (sometime this weekend)--need milk
4. make and add label to quilt for Darrell
5. write letter to go with quilt with correct spelling of name
6. write letter to go with Betty B's quilt
7. make 3 pillowcases... made two
8. make purple binding for Easter egg quilt
9.buy blue fabric for blueberry quilt
10. Make binding for Blueberry quilt
11. go see if DIL needs help moving into new house(rental)
12. go to http://www.theknot.com/ site to check out what daughter needs for wedding.
13. rip out borders on lasagna quilt that it wicked off-skewed
14 Write to Anna with records keeping of PBPQ; Betty, Darrell, Erk
15. Contact Lelia for delivery info for Erik's quilt --quilt delivered
16. Write annual report for St Mary's- PBPQ
17. Write announcement of upcoming quilting event and send to Noreen for newsletter.
18. ...
I think that's it.

If you wish to see some of the projects that I may be working on at home, this blog is where I posted the photos....(Boy, see how many are getting done?....)

not a good day....Julie

Well, my daughter just informed me she may be losing her job on Thurs....her boss is an idiot, but that's besides the point. Says she can't do her job without others helping her out (then why did they give her a promotion, and raise a month or so ago?)...AND he's offering her a 'good recommendation' if she wants to transfer to the E Hartford branch (veterinary clinic) or she can be 'let go'...(How does that work? You thought she was worth a 'good recomendation', but she doesn't do her work well???? As a boss, I even know that doesn't really make sense!).... I say, take the 'good recommendation, tell him he'll have to 'fire you, get a pink clip and collect until you find another job. Call all the people (car payment, school loan, ins.... those you'd owe money to) and arrange payments considering your circumstances. Better to approach them, then repo the car.

She really has gotten through life the hard way. Mostly by her choices, but she must look for every rough road!

Let's hope she doesn't:
1. lose her car (due to lack of $$ to make payments),
2. lose her insurance on that car (ditto)
3. lose her patience with her son (and the rest of us),
4. lose her mind.... (or ,... maybe that's ME).

Maybe it's like Elizabeth Edwards (RIP) says... that you will find that the winds around you will change often in your life. You just have to remember to adjust your sails. Keep moving forward....everything that comes to mind...
This could be a blessing in disguise, this will be something you learn from, it's actually a blessing for me. I now get my Sat.s back...(I was always babysitting Malakai on Sat.s).

ps... her 'good recommendation' that was typed up, sounded more like a work 'verification' to me...and yes, she's done.

New Pages Feature

I'm not sure I have the gist of it quite yet, but I posted a tutorial up there (at the top bar), and maybe that should have been in my normal posts. Oh well,... I hope you get to enjoy the process anyway.

Never a Dull moment....

Well, it's been an interesting two days. All I've wanted to do was sew. Granted I knew there would be work to contend with, but I knew that with no more overtime being allowed (thank goodness!), I'd be getting out at around 12-1pm on Friday....and I had plans...........
1. Go home and have a quiet cup of tea and lunch (ALL BY MYSELF)...didn't happen.
2. Go through a couple of boxes of stuff from my late aunt and send things to people who sent them to her... didn't happen.
3. Sew (I have a lasagna quilt in the machine on the dining room table, still waiting to have me play with... didn't happen.
4. Get ready to go to the MGM Grand theater at Foxwoods Casino to see America's Got Talent (with my hubby),... okay, that DID happen, but only after my daughter called me at work to see what time I could pick up her son, Malakai from the sitters....(damn!)...
Well, there went my afternoon.
And the fact that my hubby ran out of work early and was home when I got home at 1:30pm.... well, we could have gone down to the casino early and played the penny slots. Oh well....

We did have a blast at the theater and did get some shots of some of the contestants on tour (not great since I took them with my cell phone and downloaded them...). I also found out some interesting info regarding the show. Those who don't get first place really get no monetary compensation other than $1000 a week while on tour (5 wks), but I never found out if that was per person or per act. Hmmm. I never asked details, it was just told to me by Taylor Matthews when I told him I hoped the top ten got some kind of monetary compensation for being in the top ten. I got a few signatures of Anna and Patrik (ballroom dancers, 12 yrs old), a few members of Fighting Gravity, Jeremy (bike trick act), Taylor Matthews (songwriter and singer), but I really wished I'd seen Michael Grimm (FABULOUS singer) and Michael Grasso (magician)...oh well.

-----------------
Okay, Saturday came....
Now, Lee went to work (an occasional thing) early- 6:30am- and when I woke up (7:48am), I noticed the back door opened....I looked out and saw Lee's car gone, but realized == NO MALAKAI! My grandson was nowhere to be found!! I woke up his mom, who usually has him in her bed. We looked outside, and called him. I suggested going next door, where his newly acquired friend, Alex (8 yrs old) lives. They have a slider onto a porch, but their back door was locked, so I didn't think he was there. After double checking all the possible places he might be (garage, back yard, Alex's backyard, Calling Alex's house by phone, banging on their doors- they were asleep, looking up or down the street, calling him, repeatedly, ... my daughter resigned herself to call the police. She just got off the phone calling work to say her son was missing and she couldn't find him and wouldn't be in until she did, and he came walking in the back door with Alex's Hess tanker truck in his hands....!! She wanted to kill him! And just seconds after, the two police cars came flying to a stop in front of the house. We rushed out and told them he just showed up, saying he'd been at Alex's house playing in Alex's bedroom (unbeknownst to any of them as they were all sleeping-someone left the back door unlocked, but Malakai probably locked it after going in, "so mommy wouldn't come in after him to take him home" --this is my guess). He said he went in through the "curtain", we realized that he called their screen slider door  'the curtain' and was playing in Alex's room when Alex woke up and asked him what he was doing in his room, and did Malakai's mom know he was there, (Yup, says Malakai). We found this out after Alex woke up and brought Malakai's fleece jacket over. Apparently, Julie had plopped him into bed fully dressed, since he'd fallen asleep in his clothes...but he didn't have his shoes on, just socks.
Once we took the truck back to Alex's (over major protest by Kai!!-oh well), and tried to tell him how scarry it was for my and his mom, and how it was wrong to go into someone's house without them knowing it or mommy knowing it (I don't think he got that part), and DEFINITELY wrong to take someone's toys home, just because you want it!!!, I heard my daughter say ...something about being grounded for life, and I wanted to laugh (since that's what I used to say to her often...not that she got that either (and she was a teenager). I'm not sure what this feels like to have it happening to her like it happened to me, but I hope she just lets this go lightly, since he's only 4 and he won't understand it like we adults do.
She went off to work and our day continued....
Until my hubby came home and told me he forgot to set the brakes on a used car at  work and he drove it into the garage door and broke some plate glass windows in the door. He and the owner will talk on Monday, but he's upset. He's never done this in 19 yrs of being a auto technician. He's very upset and I feel so bad for him. He's only been with this place for a few months, although I think the owner really likes his work so far. Well, until today. Poor guy...
I hope I sew tomorrow....(remember, .. I really wanted to sew sometime this weekend.)

Sewing weekend...? This is it!

I think I'm gonna set up my sewing machine in the dining room... ON the table.... and put a project in the seat of the chair next to it. THEN I'll be ready to just sit and sew.

What will I be working on? I've gotten back in the habit of checking the Heartstring quilt group to get my juices flowing and it's working. I'll put out a lasagna quilt that our church group (Peace by Piece Quilters) has started - the strips are sewn, end to end. Now for the layering.

And there is the envelope blocks that are pinned in columns, but not sewn. That could be a good job. I could even do that by hand at work, but I like the sturdiness of the machine sewing. I want to make one of these blocks that are actually an envelope and use it as the label for the back and put the washing instructions in the envelope. I'd like to call this ..."PS I love you". Maybe I'll have to applique a heart somewhere....

Good start, don't you think?

--------------------------------------

Update: I DID get to sew... even if it was in-between commercials of the Amazing Race and for a little while in the afternoon on Sunday! I have the lasagna quilt strips sewn together and the layers have started. It's been folded in half twice so far...Let's see if I can get any more done before the very busy weekend! (ps. it's not a good idea to leave your sewing machine in the dining room for too long, even with the cover on it. I found it with a bunch of fabric crunched up behind it, ... my 4 yr old granson was 'sewing, Gramma'. Good thing I taught him to sew correctly. still......

An aside...

I thought I would sew today... I have a lasagna quilt I'd like to put together... and I still may. However, I absent-mindedly went through a box in the den that was tucked under a table (off to the side) as my hubby and I were watching a movie on the computer.

This box was just 'papers' which I always seem to have around to 'go through'...LOL I never want to throw out stuff unless I at least look through it, but there's the rub. They seem to pile up. Those who know and love me know I always have a few 'piles' to go through. Someday, I'll unclutter my life.

This box, come to find out.... was things from my Aunt Jessie-Jean's house when we cleaned out her stuff after her death in 2005. ... or was it 2004?

Anyway, I found a newspaper of the 1938 Flood of Hartford, CT...and her last evaluation and 'fight' with administration at her long-time employers, The Institute of Living. Interesting read. Quite a few photos and negatives (threw out the ones with no people in it, and I'll send some things to my siblings that they must have sent her... And I also found a framed poem by her Aunt Jessie (Russell), entitled, "Devotion". She apparently used the pen name, Jessica English. I'll send this to my cousin Dinah Coleman, since this Jessie is HER grandmother.

Devotion

Little son o'mine with eyes of blue

And the smooth, soft hair of brownish hue,

You cannot guess how great your power

To make me love you more each hour!

Let other ladies have their joys

In silken gowns and puppet toys,

And pity me who needs must stay

At home and care for you each day.

How can they sense a mother's bliss

The wonder-joy of your sweet kiss?

How can they know when the day has fled,

The fun of tucking you (in) bed?

Your rosy lips, your chubby fists

They see them not as joys they've missed;

So pitying them as they do me,

I turn to kiss your dimpled knee.

Jessica English

Boiler coming on Friday

This is exciting because not only will we be getting a new boiler, but I'll be home for the day and that means I MAY get in some sewing!! This is such a busy time at work that I never 'plan' to sew unless it's for my quilting group at church. I really need to update their blog, too.

This is "the old Beast"... It's been there forever. We've had the house since 1997, but it was built in the 1940's and was an oil burner. It was converted into gas before we bought the house, so I'm sure it will be a bear getting it out. I've been told it probably weighs 700 lbs. and the new one coming in will be half the height and closer to the back wall. We'll keep the expansion tank since it's pretty new.

This is the water tank that we AREN'T replacing at this time... She's beast, too, but she's still plugging along for what we need, so as the old 'New Englanders' say.... "if it aint broke, don't fix it."

Of course, that doesn't apply to boilers, because as the gas co. told me, there are two obsolete parts on our boiler and if they suddenly go (and you KNOW it's gonna be on the coldest day of winter with 4' of snow on the hatchway), they would condemn it. Then we would be without heat until we put a new one in (and that sounded like an instant decision on a boiler -whatever isn't a special order, just what they have available- and instant money coming from the bank acct-which we may not instantly have).

We've been saving for a little while, so we could replace it now. And besides, we can use our energy rebates for this year and last year up to $1500, so let's do it!

Almost quilting....

I haven't been doing much quilting as of late and I miss it. I even kept my sewing machine in the trunk of my car, since my last mtg at church ....until today. It's in the house. Hopefully to be used this week. Granted not in the next day or two, I have too many appts. for tomorrow, but just taking the thing OUT of the trunk, gets the juices running.

I do have a quilt for charity that I've been waiting for an updated address to send it along, but I'll have to go with the one that's been on their caring pages. This isn't the whole quilt. I've added borders to it, so I'll post a finished photo of it as soon as I unload them from the camera.

Sad sister news

Have to wait for Tuesday of next week to find out results of my sister's biopsy. She found a lump under her armpit while applying deodorant in mid Aug. this year. Had a mamo and an unltrasound, met with a doctor who said they wouldn't know anything definite until after the biopsy, but it didn't look good. (I'm pissed that a doctor would tell my sister something so negative without knowing. You want to work with hope, not just 'possible' reality. Yes, I know she works with this all the time, but ...)
My prayers are with you.... especially, since she is having issues with her husband right now. She doesn't feel loved.
I love you....

New Chapters

Well, I'm glad my daughter has turned a new chapter in her life, even if it means she stays with us a little while longer. She has sold her dog, Snoopy, even though he hasn't lived here with her and Malakai. She's been keeping it at a friend's house in New Britain. I wouldn't allow a dog here, and she knew it. It was a birthday gift (?) from her 'former' fiancee when they were engaged...but that ended with a text message on Labor Day weekend. From him. Sad, but not...She is doing well with it, but it certainly changed the way things were going for her.(Transfer of job/Kai's school/doctors/child care/med ins/etc... to FL, and plans to save money for the move - $1300 for moving van). He wasn't ready... being in FL makes it easier for her. It's easier on Kai, too... He's so in cinque with family and Sheila (day care) ....It will be a better Christmas for us, too.

Hello Nelson...

Well, it didn't take him long to replace old Bess... here is the new occupant of the garage. Nelson from CA. He came on a double tandem trailer and rode with some pretty impressive occupants; jaguar, rollsroyce.... He looks at home in the garage, doesn't he?

He seems to be in good condition. Lee likes him. And by the window decorations, he seems to have ahd some interesting history at the Bonneville Flats, racing.

Malakai enjoyed that he could sit on the tail and not scolded that he couldn't be there...

In fact so much that he decided to 'help Papa' with the tires...

gave him a better seat!

Of course, that means the hands are FILTHY!! ...(come on, Gramma, he's a boy! He can get dirty!!)

At least I got ONE hand clean!!!!

Bye Bessie...

Okay.... I haven't been on my blog since before our vacation and I miss it. SOOO much has happened that isn't getting written about and documented. But today is a really big day. My loving husband and I went to a very large car cruise (Cruisin' on Main) in our town on Sunday. It usually pulls in about 10,000 cars along a one mile strip.We haven't gone in a few years, but this year we went... and this year, he decided to make the hard decision to put a "For Sale" sign in the 1954 Ford Customline's window. It sold SO fast we couldn't see straight! The photos are when we first got it in 1996...Julie was 9 yrs old.... (she's now 24).

He's been looking for something to work on (think, giant model car to build) since we've had this one for about 15 yrs and it's really done. Maybe a few tweaks to do, but basically done.

He got so many phone calls about it, he's still spinning. This one guy (Bessie's now proud owner), Scott, REALLY was looking for JUST this car. He's been looking for a few years. The minute he saw it, he told his wife, "This is the car I want!"

Well, it's his.... I'm kinda sad.... I think Lee is, too. He may regret it later, but he's glad it's going to the guy it went to. ..... bye Bessie...Love you.

Genealogy- brush the dirt off those roots!

I was asked by one of my co-workers to help her find her grandmother's side of the family. Since I do this as a hobby and have freelanced for others out of state, I agreed to be hired by her.

I have been a member of the CT Society of Genealogists, Inc since 1983, although I've done it sporadically. I have my family done on some branches all the way back to 1590's....

I LOVE the process of the search, whether it's on my family or someone else's....It's like putting together a puzzle, and hope to get certain sections connected, then bringing the whole thing together is a gift. I love just getting a section at a time done. Even if it's not MY family. Sometimes, I end up knowing their family better than they do. Such a mystery.

Thankfully, they are mostly in CT at the moment, but all the resources online, make it great for branching the tree out. After my vacation, I hope to use a half-day Friday at some point to go to the CT State Library (Archives) to do some serious looking.

Lots of doings...and planning sewing too!

I have to plan what to take to Maine with us..... sewing-wise, too, since my dear hubby said to bring the sewing machine (we're going for two weeks). Something fun! Maybe a UFO or two. I should stock up on pillowcases for the grandkids birthdays and christmas (I use them for giftwrap)...

Another 'doings', is that after 18 yrs at a local dealership, my dear hubby gave his notice. They took it fine, mainly because he didn't say he was moving to their competition. He just said after 18 yrs he thought it was time to 'move on'... after all he is 63 this year. They asked if he was retiring or working parttime somewhere and he said "I don't know.... I just know it's time to move in another direction in my life"... That was SO well put. Didn't burn any bridges and hopes all goes well for the last two days.

After our vacation, he'll be starting at another Toyota place in the state. Working for someone he's worked with before and really likes!! It will be a 'flat-rate' place too, with potential to make lots of money. Hope so.... Good luck, honey. I support whatever makes you happy.

Now, what to pack for Maine?..... guess I need to check the laundry. I'll have the car packed by tomorrow night, since we're leaving at 5am. Sat. I hope to hit the Marden's in Ellsworth, ME for supplies (;-)  just love to get a bargain. Maybe I'll actually look at the rest of the store (not just the fabrics)!

Dan's First Naval Leave- May 2010

Dan, in the center, came home after naval school in Pensicola, FL for a 10 day visit before deploying to his permanent ship, the USS Carl Vinson, stationed in San Diego, CA. It was so nice to see him. Here he is with his friends, Kyle and Melissa and cousin Julie (my daughter).

Here he is with  his friend Melissa, his Uncle Bob (the builder) and his two nephews, Jonathan (in his lap) and Malakai.

His cousins enjoyed themselves,Kathy and Jenny and my stepdaughter, Amber.

Here is some of my brother Bob's family...Jonathan and wife Paula. Nice photo.  

We would have stayed longer, I'm sure, but there was a power outage 5 mins. before we got there, so we all were in the dark shadows for the party (we stayed 2 hrs). The kids built a bon-fire in the back yard, but the winds were REALLY whipping, so it may not have been a great idea to do THAT!! Hope we see him before we leave on vacation and he goes back. He certainly has grown up.... nice to see that.