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.

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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.)

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!!!!

Hiccup in quilting process...

First of all, what am I doing watching a scary movie, just before bed, during a rainstorm(Yeah, and WHEN will it ever stop raining!!!!???) , when my husband has left to spend a few days in KY (pinewood derby race)??? NUTS!! And I can't NOT finish watching, as I'll have nightmares over the ending. And since he's gone, I really should empty out the house of 'stuff" ( a Peter Walsh thing), because we are having work done on the interior next week. I just wish my daughter and her son were occupied so I could REALLY have the house to myself and clear, clear, clear!

I guess I'm gonna have to clear out MY stuff and get Julie to do hers... It will be nice to have room in my closets.... oops, back to the movie.

Ok, I'm back ... commercial. Anyway, I will have to bring home a few boxes so Julie can pack up some things that will either go into the garage for a tag sale or store them at her dad's house (he has three bedrooms and lives alone- we have two bedrooms and have four persons here).

Plus Oprah, had an episode of 'what can you do without?"... and even though some of the things they were doing without were things like the tv, computer (God forbid!), excess groceries, clothes (not a problem in this house! LOL- since I hang on to everything!!), but it gave me some good thoughts about all the 'clutter' that can accumulate over the years. I think it will make us all feel better and live a better life. I also want to go back to eating at the kitchen /dining room table. Yikes! What a thought!! Usually, we're in front of the computer (Lee) or the news (me).... BTW, the movie is over, now I can sleep better.

I also , have to balance my checkbook (I'm not divulging how many statements need to be balanced...blush). And get rid of the piles of paper...mail, magazines, papers to read, etc. THAT'S part of the clutter.

I thankfully don't have to babysit this weekend, but it's hard to try and work on stuff I have to stick with when this cute adorable face is peeking into yours asking to "play, Grammaw"...

What a Fun way to spend a day NOT sewing...

Today was just plain HOT! Hey, 90 degrees in the northeast in April is HOT!! My grandson, Kai had a squirtgun ready for Gramma (Thank you Kai)

It was a day of babysitting for my daughter, but I also needed time to do some small 'touch ups' in the dining room (we're renovating). See the last post... It was nice to see the garden is coming along. I have MOST of last year's leaves off the beds, but haven't put any mulch down. We're thinking of cutting down a few trees and that may be what we use the 'wood chips' for.

This is the view of our house from the back lawn (think it needs to be cut?? --no, really, I'm on the ground--think 'ant'). I have so many of these violets, that the birds have been 'depositing' them all over the lawn.

This is a bleeding heart that mom gave each of us kids as we bought our own houses. She split them all from the original plant.

All along the rock edge I have these things (anemones?) that spread too....

One lonely tulip ... this bed was FULL of tulips before the squirrels got them over the years.

It was fun to sit at the picnic table and watch Kai play in the "sand pit" that I made with the leftover sand from last year. I usually put it down in the pathways, but I'll let him mix the dirt with this pile.... He was enjoying it.

He even washed a few toys...

I finally decided it was hot enough to have him wear "Papa's" hat! Too cute!!

This is my favorite picture of him.....

Thanks for a fun day.... (should have taken a picture of him taking a LONG nap after lunch!! That was the ulterior motive...heee,heee)

New photos!

Finally, a recent picture of me! I decided to let the gray come in, and I don't regret it. Maybe if I have to look for a job, I'll reconsider, but so far, so good. Maybe 'cause I don't have wrinkles yet, I am okay. But hey, I've been resisting the white hairs as they've been coming in since I was 25! (Thanks to my paternal gram...)

This is my selvedge quilt, up to the top stage.... at least the first one. I'm working on a pieced backing to put with it. I got the inspiration from Karen Griska's "Quilts from the Selvedge Edge", but I decided to not make small diamonds in the centers. Even after making the 16 foundation blocks, I still didn't like the 'large-ness' of the florals (foundation blocks). It wasn't until I found the sandy-colored border fabric, that I decided I loved it. The cornerstones were actual 'tests' of the selvedge process made out of 5" scrap foundation. I had to cut the borders (beige) in half so I could add the center diamonds in the borders.

This is the Bingo quilt, finally finished!! Mom added the gold binding (good job mom) and Julie helped hold it up for the photo. Not sure where this quilt will go, but it's ready for our charities. Laura M. quilted our 'angel wings' in the quilt. (Looks great, Laura!)

My grandson, Kai, finally let us finish 'buzzing' his hair!! I never saw a bot squiggle and squirm so much in a barber chair. Mom, Julie is relieved too! You are SO CUTE, Kai!!!!

What a little Devil!!!????$#@!

Okay, I know he's only 2 (we're talking about the cute little grandson in the last post), but I'm glad he's so 'sweet'.... here's the story.

I came home from work on Wed last week, and as I walked in the door, my dear hubby asked me to go up to our bedroom and "see if you can stand it, honey"... (I can smell trouble already). Since I knew he was home all day and my daughter and grandson were home all day, I wasn't sure what I was walking into. Well, I got to the 3rd step on the stairs and the smell HIT me!

WHEW!!

"What did he do??" I said loudly...

Does Papa look upset?? Well as the story goes, my grandson, Kai likes to go up and jump on (our) Gramma/Papa's bed and since it's old, it's no big deal usually. I guess when he first went up his mom called him down (but being a typical- or NOT- 2 yr old, he didn't mind her). She called again, but by now, Papa (who is under the bedroom on the computer) can hear him jumping, then heard a 'crash'! They both run up the stairs and there he is.... jumping on the bed...

Papa's 'special after-shave' (hidden, or so we thought, in the bedroom end table) was in his hand as he was jumping, but now is on the floor....in the meantime, it's been spilled all over the quilts on the bed (old ratty ones), on the carpet, on the floor, on the dresser (old ratty one) and I'm sure all over him!!

Since I get deadly Migraines (especially from strong perfumes), my dear hubby wanted to make sure I could stand sleeping up there. He'd had the carpet, floor and dresser (with it's new white stain) wiped up, the bed changed and the two quilts hanging outside to air out. I guess he aired the room out all day, too (good thing it's good weather)...

Well, I slept in the bed, but couldn't roll to one side (smell was still too strong on that side), and managed not to wake up with a massive headache.

Grandkids.... gotta love 'em!

Leslie's Housewarming!

Just got a chance to post a few pictures of Leslie's party. As you can see by the photos, most of what I did was keep an eye on Kai (just my mom, Kai and I went from CT... as Lee and Julie were working). I did get to visit with Leslie and Scott, but I didn't take any pictures of them. Now I wish I had....It was fun, but I wish I'd gone with Lee and we would have stayed longer....into the night maybe. Here's Kai and his friend he made, Ian.

Back to Blogging and quilting

Oh my Gosh, it's nice to be quilting again...

This was me at our last Peace by Piece Quilters meeting (I've since cut my hair VERY short!). We did get some great things accomplished. We got 4 quilts back from our quilter and have the bindings for all of them cut and in the process of being sewn on, then labeled. That should be done by next month. We checked out over 100 Christmas stockings that our ladies worked on at home (made some repairs), that are going to the troops, via Fran B in IL. We tried to plan our group's agenda for the next few months.

Mom got a chance to come up to my 'new sewing room' to play, too. I say 'new' because my design wall (behind mom) used to be laid up against a twin bed and box spring (Murphy-bed style), but now my little two-year old grandson, Kai, needed a "big-boy bed". (He was crawling out AND back in to the crib WAY too often!)

Here he is in his first real bed, though let me tell you, he STILL gets out of it and comes stomping upstairs to visit everyone a few times a night (He and his mom are in the basement).

On to quilting things..... Since I had to move things around in my sewing room to get Kai's bed out, I figured I had to clean it up major-ly before I could sew again, so I started moving furniture, had to go out and buy a plastic drawer set to put all the things that my Murphy-bed edge (on top) held. It was a great shelf while it lasted....

Here's the new shelves (already filled with UFOs and ophan blocks (in the upper three drawer section)... projects in the individual boxes...

The ironing board and cutting table have a window to the right of this picture (not sure how I like the placement of the table yet... we'll still see....

The sewing machine and design wall are easily accessible to each other and it feels like there's more room, even though you can't see it in these pictures.

So now that I've made the room neater, I've been playing with a new book I got recently... Quilts from the Selvedge Edge, by Karen Griska. Great selvedge quilts! I've been making them on the sly (before I got the book)... little 5" blocks. Some day I'll put those together and post a photo.

Here are my very neat selvedge (see I'm getting organized with everything!)

Of course, these are my selvedges when I'm using them....

Messy, huh?

Here's a take I put on one from her book. (I used very large florals and HATED the first 4 blocks I'd covered, but kept going.

I think I like it now. I've decided to call it Lisiere de Garden (Selvedged Garden). I've since put it together, but not finished yet.

Oh, and just some 'eye candy' .... one of the ladies (Dot G) in our quilting group, showed off her large queen-sized quilt at our meeting, that she had just finished! Beauty, eh?

Fall Fairs and the Quilt delema

I took my grandson, Kai to the first Fall Fair of the 'season'. We went early, since his nap time comes around noon and we had a blast!

This is us at the top of the Ferris Wheel!

He loved the animals (of course, he's only 2 1/2 yrs old) and was fascinated that he could 'tickle' the sheeps ear! He just didn't want to leave the HUGE, full-fluffed turkey who was doing the 'dueling gobbling' with his buddy in the next cage!!

The rides were a GREAT idea from the ground. This is inside a 'spinning dinosaur'....

Once he was on them, he was either very good on them or he was a little apprehensive.

We cheered for the oxen pulls, and the go-karts, had the 'healthier side of the foods (is there such a thing at the country fairs??)-- Hey, we did have some tabouleh, fruit cup and, oh yeah, a chocolate milkshake...and since I knew he had his fill of stuff, I ventured into the 'crafts building'.

I always wonder whether to enter a quilt in the crafts building, but my fear of it being damaged, stolen, etc. overrides my curiosity on how it would be judged. I've entered a crocheted christening gown and hat once, but it never occured to me until I heard the 'scary' warnings of other quilters about making sure you are RIGHT THERE to pick up your quilt at the end of the fair! I've never entered one, and I should (just for HA-HAs)... maybe next year. I guess I really enjoy just looking at them - eye candy!

At the end of the day, we left with our 'spoils' and he was asleep before we went 3 miles.

It gave me a chance to get gas in MA (we were only in Woodstock, CT --a few towns away from the state line) at $3.50, cash only! Not bad, when gas in CT was at $3.65 a gal.