Why in the world does it take some much time and effort to stay up on the blog?????

Max and I went to see Duane and family for Thanksgiving. We went down on Wednesday and had a nice long visit. We did leave Saturday night to make the drive home with the intent to miss the heavy traffic on Sunday. The traffic was pretty heavy going down and was heavier coming home than we expected - I guess we came back with all the people we went down there with.

Max and Duane had some time to take some pictures and I got to spend some quality time with Denise, which was VERY nice. Max ended up taking pictures of Duane taking pictures and that was kind of fun. I was helping Desirae to perform the way Duane wanted her to. Denise and I got to go shopping for fabric while Duane and Max herded the kids. We met up at the park and the kids enjoyed some time to play and run free (that would be Deanna).

Thanksgiving dinner was the greatest, but that kind of goes without saying when it comes to having meals prepared by Denise. However, I did get to share in some of the preparation as we spent time in the kitchen together. We stayed in the "guest house" and it was very comfortable.

It really was a nice visit and we are looking forward to going back for Christmas. The kids are growing so quickly and they are so much fun to be around (Denise and Duane are fun too).

Later . . .

Max's new lenses arrived today and she is a very happy camper. She bought a new camera case/backpack in preparation for their arrival. We are going to the grandkids for Thanksgiving and she will be able to play with Duane and hopefully they will get to do some photo shooting.

I have been working on some embroidery for quilts that I have planned for the kids and have not been working on the dog quilts. I need to get them at least sandwiched together so I can get them finished.

I will post a link for the designs of the embroidery that I am doing later. There are ten separate designs for each set and it is easier to just post them on Shutterfly.

Later . . .

Kodi's Quilt

Kodi's Quilt
Originally uploaded by msdrae

I finally finished the tops for the dogs quilts. Now comes the part that I am not that crazy about - batting, backing & binding! The one pictured is for Kodi, as it has the red border. I have started cutting denim squares for quilt projects I have in mind for the grandkids. As usual, I am a bit overwhelmed with all the projects I have stacked up - not to mention things I still need to learn how to do. I guess the only way to tackle the situation is - one thing at a time. Unfortunately, I get so easily side tracked and then end up scattered with many things started and nothing finished. I am hoping that I will build some confidence with the quilting and embroidery and then things will move more smoothly - ha, and that could be wishful/magical thinking on my part (which I am known for).

Later . . .

Dog quilt #2

Dog quilt #2
Originally uploaded by msdrae

It is hard to see the actual designs of the materials, but this will have a blue border and it is for Darci.

Later . . .

Dog quilt #1

Dog quilt #1
Originally uploaded by msdrae

I finally finished sewing the blocks for the dog's quilts. This one will have a red border and it is for Kodi.

Later . . .

Wild Fabric

Wild Fabric
Originally uploaded by msdrae

I stopped by a couple of Thrift Stores will I was out yesterday and found 4 yards of good denim and 2 yards of this WILD fabric. I also picked up several hard bound books - if I ever find time to read again.

Later . . .

Flickr Test

IMG_0040.JPG
Originally uploaded by msdrae

I am thinking about using the new Flickr site for some of my photos and it has a direct blog link. This is just an old picture of Joy and I at a gargae sale when she was here visiting.

Later . . .

I decided to tackle a little embroidery today - as I am feeling at least well enough to think. Kathy had asked if I might be able to work on her favorite pair of jeans that had a couple of thread bare spots. It was a bit of a challenge to work around the rivets, but I think I did an okay repair job and she will be able to wear them for a bit longer. Actually it turns out to be a pretty cool way of darning.

Later . . .

Well, this is what 21 pair of jeans looks like after I have cut them up into 6 1/2 inch squares. There are some pockets and a few 4 inch squares in the mix. Wish I could say I was finished with all the jeans I have, but that would not be true. This time around it did not seem to be such a tedious task, but it sure does make a mess. There seems to be little pieces of jeans everywhere. It probably does not help that Darci has to be under foot and not only does she track things out of the room she also carries them on her body!

I had my colonoscopy yesterday and it came out fine. The procedure itself was not bad, but the preparation was not much fun.

I do have a full head/chest cold right now, but I hope to get back to sewing the beginning of next week when I feel better. I really do want to get the dog quilts put together. We don't really have any plans for the weekend - rest and relax.

Later . . .

I thought I had messed up my sewing machine last night because I could NOT get the bobbin thread to catch. Luckily I called my dealer and the repairman knew what the problem was and I was able to fix it myself. I then did another four USA coasters and cut out denim squares for the majority of the day. I really would like to get all the jeans I have cut into squares because they will not take up near the room they are taking now. I also am thinking of making more denim quilts, but would like to add some embroidery to some of the squares. I think tomorrow I may sew on my dog quilts and see if I can get them finished.

I still am feeling a bit under the weather with this cold, but so far it is just a throat thing with just that overall "sick" feeling.

Later . . .

The weekend passed quietly. We caught up on our Tivo programs and nothing much else. We went out for pie at Baker's Square with Kathy, Paul and Michael. I came down with a bit of a cold on Sunday and did not feel so good. It seems to be a throat thing and I am only hoping that it does not develop into a head/chest thing.

Since I was not feeling 100%, I decided against doing any quilting. I messed around looking for designs and decided to do some more denim coasters. There really is no precise measurements when doing the coasters and I just did not feel on top of my game to try to do any precision placing. I thought I would do several of the designs and then sew, cut and wash them all at the same time. I am thinking I might try putting some on eBay and see if I can sell them. I will be doing some Christmas ones, but I just liked the USA designs.

Later . . .

We ventured off to San Francisco today to go to CALUMET. Max has been wanting to take a trip over there and check out the store - yikes! That place would be a Professional Photog's dream. I must say there was little to be offered for the likes of my little camera (they did have a really cute "purse" to carry your camera in). Max picked up some lens cleaner, some background paper and back drop stand. I swear, between electronic toys and camera equipment, we are going to have to STOP talking to Duane! Actually, new toys are always fun. At least this way Duane will not have to drag his stand down here if he wants to do a photo shoot.

Later . . .

I made the switch from sewing quilts to doing some embroidery. I had a couple of blouses for Desirae and a pair of overalls for Deanna that I wanted to put something on. I had a hard time sifting through designs to come up with something that I thought they would like and that would look cute. I think I managed to pick out some cute designs. I doubt that Deanna will care and I am sure Desirae will be happy with the puppy.


Later . . .

We had a pleasant, relaxing weekend. Max's parents came down on Saturday for a visit and we had an excellent dinner (Fillets, roasted potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms). We played catch up with our Tivo on Sunday - too many programs that we are trying to watch. Max had ordered some stuff from B&H for her camera, which she received on Monday. The big disappointment was the tripod she ordered, which had a broken lock and had to be returned. I ran off to JoAnn's yesterday and picked up some material to do quilts for the dogs. I have the pieces cut, but have not started any sewing as yet. Once I get the pieces to the design board I will post pictures.


Later . . .

I wanted to shift gears and do some embroidery, but as I was getting started I managed to break the auto thread feeder for my machine. I called an ordered one, but it will probably take a week to ten days. Since I did not want to be doing bunches of thread changes, I decided to do some tea towels in "redwork". That way unless I broke the thread there would be no thread changing. I guess until I get the new part I will go back to the quilt making - that also uses one color of thread. I did do a BUNCH of laundry to wash a lot of the material that I want to use in my quilts. Whew - that was a job because then I had to iron all the stuff! JoAnn's is having a sale right now so I might pop in there and pick up some material for the dog quilts and I also need to find some border material. I am thinking I will have to make an order at Christian Lane Quilters to get the backing for the wild and crazy quilt I just finished. I do have two other quilt tops that I could finish, but I honestly think I am going to ask for some help with my "Heart" quilt. I might go ahead and tackle the Celtic Circles one myself. Of course whatever I do, I will keep everyone posted.

Later . . .

I finished my quilt top this morning - now the really hard part starts! The border went really well with the wild and craziness of the quilt. I think it is a "happy" looking quilt - makes me smile. I really love the quilt making process and I love quilts, but the actual batting, backing, quilting and binding process is still VERY overwhelming for me. I do have a friend who has a long arm machine and said she would be happy to do the quilting for me. I do want to learn to machine quilt, but I think I will start on something a bit smaller. I think I am going to make a couple of baby quilts to use for covers on the dog's beds and I will do the quilting on them. It is easier to take a towel or blanket off the dog beds and throw it in the washing machine than it is to try to take the covers off and wash them and get them back on.

I think I am going to work on some embroidery before I move on to my next quilt. I still have SO much about my software that I do not know how to use.

Later . . .

Max was VERY happy this weekend when Paul rented a digger to work on his backyard. She has ALWAYS wanted to do some digging and scooping and there was much to be done. We spent the majority of the day over there helping him pull out trees and get rid of rocks, dirt and cement. He is redoing his backyard and Max was only too happy to volunteer to help. We spent Friday in our own back yard getting things cleaned up - removing old plants from the garden and pulling some weeds. It was a great day to work outside because it was not hot.

We had a good weekend and I was VERY happy to be able to do some physical labor. The pain that I felt at the end of the day was from sore muscles that have not been used much in the past year. It just felt really good to be able to be active and capable of moving freely. I am convinced I am on the mend and that I can postpone my knee surgery for a while. I am going to give exercise a shot and see how I hold up. Since I have stopped the Arimidex, I seem to be doing MUCH better in the joint area and am capable of moving around more freely. I am sure there is a knee surgery in my future, but just not in the near future!

Later . . .

Yikes! How is that for bight colors? I am in the process of sewing the blocks together now, but I do seem to have a problem with the sequence when moving the rows from the garage to the sewing table. I guess the really nice thing is that it really does not matter how the blocks go together - it is a mis-match, random placement anyway.

This will be a nice sized quilt once I add the 6 1/2 border all around. It will be nice to have something that we can actually put on our king sized bed and have it cover the top.

I will admit that I amaze myself connected to the mistakes I make - I am the only one that will really know I made it, but nonetheless, I would like to actually do something and have it right from beginning to end. I guess it is all about the learning curve and I should not be to hard on myself considering I am just beginning the quilt making journey. The border is a very bright and wild pattern of small colored circles. I am excited to have it done, but I also don't want to get ahead of myself and make any of the mistakes I made last time.

Later . . .

I have been sewing and having a wonderful time in my "NEW" sewing room. I guess there will come a time when I stop gushing about my table, but I am truly amazed at how much easier it is to work when you have the space and a flat surface. I have all my 9 1/2 inch squares (80) sewn together and tomorrow I will take them out to my design board in the garage. This is going to be one WILD quilt!

I will take some shots of the design board tomorrow and get them posted so you all can see the bold, bright, crazy colors that comprise this new quilt.

Later . . .

I started working on the quilt that I wanted to make and OMG I LOVE my new table. Sewing with the machine dropped to a level surface is something I had never experienced and it is really MUCH easier to piece quilts that way. I am looking forward to trying my hand at actually doing some machine quilting with a table that will be big enough to support the quilt and also having a flat surface to work with. As you can tell from the picture, I still have plenty of room to have my cutting table and ironing board set up and still have access to my machine. What does not show up in the picture is I still have the four foot card table set up with my serger, another sewing machine and a lamp. For sewing purposes, I think I have died and gone to heaven!

I still need to do some organizing, but right now that can wait.

Later . . .

This is the finished project - right down to the Koala bear hugging my lamp! We bought and put together another set of drawers that is in the right corner with the printer sitting on it. The left corner is my receiver, DVD player and TV. We purchased molding to cover the speaker wires (in the left corner and coming down the middle of the wall for the center speaker that is sitting on my cabinets. I still have a lot of rearranging to do as far as what goes in what drawer, but it is actually DONE! I have a small white stand behind the portion of the table where my notebook is sitting that my external drive and USB hub is sitting on because the wires are not long enough for them to sit on the floor. With them sitting on the stand, I can actually swing that portion of the table around to the front and all the cables will reach. Each of the swing extensions can be completely moved with the way the room is set up now. The whole room is actually AWESOME!

Later . . .

There are changes that are going to be made - considering how big the table is. We have to get a longer cord to attach the woofer for the surround sound. I think I am going to get rid of the metal/plastic drawers and buy another one of the white ones. We have to get the cords and wires taken care of, but this is what the table looks like! The first picture shows the table where you can see the drawers. The second one is with my computer, chair and sewing machine. The last one is with the machine in the down position. It is going to take some getting used to - being so high and the chair is high too. Seems like all I have been doing is preparing - now I want to put the finishing touches on the room and be DONE and let the sewing projects begin.

Later . . .

Well thank goodness I received THE phone call for my table. I am expecting delivery tomorrow between 8 and Noon. I must say I am really excited about getting the table and seeing how it is going to fit and just how cool it is going to be to sew on it.

I did manage to do some sewing today on some blankets that Joy and I had done when I was at her house. I will be sending hugs and kisses to the grandkids in their own personalized fleece throws. They are warm, cozy, a nice size and hopefully they will think of me when they are wrapped up in them. Too bad they will not have them for their camping trip coming up this weekend.

I want to make them quilts in the near future - but one thing at a time. I have so many projects that I want to tackle, but one day at a time.

I will post pictures tomorrow after I have my table. Max and I know that we will probably have a bunch of little things to do this weekend to whip the finishing touches on my sewing room. It has been a long time coming, but I truly am really excited!

Later . . .

Go figure it is October 1st already. This last weekend Max and I did little tasks around the house and then went to see the new Jodie Foster movie "The Brave One". Pretty intense movie, but I really liked it and it was nice to actually go to the movie and have popcorn. She really is an incredibly good actor. Spent Sunday catching up on TV shows (life is back to normal now that the new season has started). We are trying out some new programs and have not decided what we will keep watching and what we will let go of. My brother Don came down Sunday with some friends of his to play golf at Poppy Ridge and he has been spending the night with us - not getting much visiting in, but we did just see him when we were at Avila Beach.

I had an appointment with the audiologist tonight and ordered some new hearing aids. I am not really enthused about wearing them, but I will at least give it a try. These are the new "state of the art" digital hearing aids (Resound Metrix). The really nice part of this is I can try them out for 60 days and if I don't like them I can give them back and try something else and if I don't like those I can just give them back and get a complete refund. The insurance will pay $1k toward each aid so that brings the cost of $5k down to $3 - still pricey, but if they work the way they are suppose to it might be worth it.

Still no table! A new one was shipped and I can only hope to receive it the first of next week. I did receive a "sorry for the inconvenience" gift of an Incredible Threadable Box of rayon thread - which is VERY cool.

Max received 1 of 4 photography books she just ordered from Amazon. "The Digital Photography Book" by Scott Kelby. Makes her happy to have something else to read about taking pictures. She really is having fun with her new hobby and has taken some really nice photos. The book must be good because she is laughing in the background - always a good sign.

I made a label for my denim jean quilt and plan to sew that on tomorrow. No picture at this time.

Later . . .

Wow - how do I let time slip by? We had a great vacation and traveled home all the way on Highway 1. We stopped in Santa Cruz for some of the best Indian food I have had in a very long time. We were very pleased that driving the coast we ended up with 29 MPG on the Vue. Considering the ups and downs and twists and turns, that is really good mileage.

I was very excited on Monday for the arrival of my new sewing table - which did not happen. I called the people at 4:50 to ask were they still going to show up and they were clueless. As it stands right now, no one knows where the heck my table is. I talked to the people in Oregon that I bought it from and they are going to just ship another one - which I will not get for at least 7 days. The table that I was sewing on is gone because we were making way for the new one. I really am disappointed, but I guess I will just have to make do with the dining table or a card table.
I finally found an embroidery I was looking for and did a quick one on my shirt at a spot that was frayed. I am thinking I should make a nice white shirt and place several of these things on the back. Might have to add some red for effect!

After a trip to the vet and $260, Darci is feeling somewhat better. I swear I had the same conversation with my Ortho doctor just before I had my arthroscopic surgery on my knee. She seems to have torn a ligament in her knee. After the x-rays it was nice to know that her hips are not as bad as we thought they were. Hopefully the pain/anti-inflammatory mediation will do the trick and she will be all better. Sure would be nice if we had dog insurance to cover all the medication and such for both the dogs. I actually was happy that the bill was under $500!

Later . . .

Thursday

Well today turned into a bit of a surprise for us. As we were lounging around watching TV in our room, we received a phone call from the desk asking when we were planning on checking out. Max’s response was TOMORROW! Unfortunately, we were only booked for six days instead of the seven I thought we had. We were planning on a lazy day and watching the free movie we won playing bingo. We gathered our stuff, showered and got ourselves out of the digs. Not to be discouraged, we went to lunch at the Old Port Inn (delicious fish/shrimp and chips) and then headed out for a leisurely drive up highway one. It was a really nice drive and we ended up in Monterey to spend the night. We went to the beach and took some pictures and are now settled into our room WITH free WiFi! Actually it has turned into a nice change of pace and we will head home tomorrow.

Pictures will have to wait.

Later . . .

Monday

Well crap - I did a post and loaded some pictures and proceeded to have it all disappear. We came down to the Custom House so we could connect to the internet and I am now losing battery power and no place to plug in. I guess the pictures are going to have to wait until another day (possibily tomorrow).

We had a fun day today. We slept in and then went into Pismo for fish and chips (shrimp for Max) and a bowl of that famous Splash clam chowder - yummy good! We went down to Oceano to see if we could catch any wind surfers, but the wind was actually not blowing. Don called and he and Sharon came down for a visit and we spent a fun afternoon with them.

We did find a place that was ever so YUMMY on the way back from Pismo. They had everything fresh that you could imagine - pies, scones, muffins, cinamon rolls, ice cream and candy. They also had a bunch of animals that we had fun playing with and taking pictures of. We ended up with a child's portion of ice cream ($2.50) which was the biggest ice cream cone I have ever purchased ( I can forsee more trips to that place).

Darci is having some real problems with her hip/leg and has been in pain and won't use the leg and has not been eating. Kathy finally got her to eat today and if she does not get better she will be taking her to the vet. Poor baby - I hate it to happen when we are not home and able to take care of the situation ourselves. We have known from the gate that she has hip problems, but hope it will not be anything really serious.

Still having a wonderfully relaxing time!

Later . . .

Sunday

Sunday
My brother Don came down for a visit and we checked out the golf course after we had a “long awaited” breakfast at the Custom House downtown Avila. It was a very relaxing day and after Don left we ventured out around the complex in search of a WiFi connection. We were not successful, but did hear that the Custom House restaurant had a free connection. We took a walk down there and did get to connect, but I was not really prepared to upload pictures. I will do some work on that and get organized so I can get some pictures uploaded. We caught some amazing shots of Pelicans, sea gulls and sea lions fight for pieces of fish that were being thrown off the pier while people were cleaning their fish.

We were really disappointed this evening because they cancelled the “bond fire at the beach” because one of the employees called in sick. We were really looking forward to the experience AND the smores. We ended up hitting the vending machines for candy and just settled in the watch the Emmys.

The one thing to be said about this place is it is really kicked back and relaxing. The weather is beautiful and I love the coast – the cool breeze off the water is great. Since we are right on the water side we get this incredible breeze that combines with the crashing of waves to make for a really nice night’s sleep.

Later . . .

Update

We are sitting on the sidewalk outside one of the local cafes to be able to get a wifi connection. I was not really prepared to do any uploading of pictures, but at least we got connected instead of using the dial up that is provided in the rooms. At least now we know where we can connect and will be able to do a bit more in the coming days - if we choose to come down here.
We are off to the bond fire on the beach.

Later . . .

Avila Beach

Saturday

We had a nice slow day and did some driving around checking out the area. We drove the coast and stopped to take pictures when the shots called to us. I think Max got some good shots and so did I. We stopped in Oceano and had lunch at the Rock & Rock Café. It was a quaint place and the food was excellent (way too much, but excellent). We continued our excursion and picture taking until we returned to our digs. We signed up for the “Bond Fire on the Beach” (smores fixings provided), the “Ice Cream Social” and Root Beer Floats and Bingo”. It is way cool how these Resorts put together special events. Don is coming down tomorrow for a lunch/brunch and hopefully we can convince him to hang around for the whole bond fire on the beach thing. This is proving to be just the relaxation that we both needed and this is a really awesome resort.

Pictures to come later . . .

Avila beach Vacation

Friday
Well we ended up in Avila Beach, but it was a long delayed start. We waited for the gardener to show up because he had missed the back yard on his last unexpected visit and we really needed to have the back yard mowed. He was to do the back yard first so we could put the dogs in the house and be able to split. We slow played it because we could not check in until 4:00 PM anyway. We let the dogs out in the back because the gardener said he was done in the back (he always is aware that we need to have the gate closed because Kodi will take off given half a chance. Well unfortunately, the gate was open and of course Kodi was gone. Darci was roaming around the front looking for Kodi, but there was no Kodi. After an hour and a half of driving around the neighborhood, we regained possession of Kodi from the “friendly Animal Control Officer”. Someone had called about Kodi running down Concannon! Max ran into her and let her know we were also out searching for him. When we finally left, we had a nice drive down to Avila Beach and I ended up with 245 miles on a half a tank of gas! Considering the Xterra has always taken almost a full tank of gas to make it to Atascadero, I was very happy with the mileage. The Vue drove very nicely and I am pleased with it and its comfort. After we settled into our BEAUTIFUL accommodations, we attended the local street fair for some sights and a tri-tip sandwich for dinner.


The picture was taken from the balcony of our room.

Later . . .

What's Happening

I have been busy cleaning and rearranging my sewing room in preparation of the arrival of my new Koala Treasure Chest Plus III Studio. I had to do some serious changing and moving to get the table to fit. I am very excited about it because this is the first time I have found a table the does not make me feel like a big person sitting at a little person's desk. The table is 35" high and has a high chair to go with it. It should be arriving right after we get back from Avila Beach. We are taking off tomorrow and spending a week at the San Luis Bay Inn. Will get to relax and hopefully spend some time with my brother, who lives in Atascadero. We plan on relaxing and doing some exploring and picture taking.

In anticipation of my new sewing table, I have all the pieces cut out to make a WILD new quilt. I picked all the bold and bright colors I could find and plan to do another quilt similar to the one I did before (The bright colored Brick Road). I have many projects in the works and am ready to come home and get busy doing sewing. With winter coming, it will be fun to be working on projects.

BTW - Max has had her time extended - so she will be employed with the new company until at least December 2008. That takes some stress off and once the new company takes over there should be other jobs opening up that she can apply for that are CAREER positions. Of course, she may get hired as career in her present position, but at least we know we have insurance and a paycheck coming for another year.

Later . . .

TaDaaaa

Well here is the new car! It is really a very cool ride and the more I drive it the more I like it. I have around 60 miles on it and the needle has not moved from full. I am anxious to see just how many miles I will get on one tank of gas (16.6).

We had a nice relaxing weekend. Went out to dinner and comedy at Tommy T's last night with Kathy, Paul, Michael and Debby. We had a really nice time and the show was good. It has been a long time since I actually went to a comedy club.

Our satellite went out yesterday and that has been a pain. We have been having some problems with a few stations and then NOTHING. Both Max and I spent many hours on the phone with DirectTV and someone is coming out tomorrow. We tried to explain to them that when we check our information it indicated that our account was closed and that both satellites were disabled. However, they continued to tell us we were in good standing and that could not have anything to do with our problem. Huh, about three hours later the satellite was working and our account was in good standing and both satellites were enabled. Go figure, they must have disabled our account by accident. We still have them coming out tomorrow and hopefully we will get the scrambling problem taken care of - one of our favorite channels is TNT and is often comes in scrambled.

We had a BBQ at Debby's this afternoon and now the long weekend is over. It is time to get back to a regular routine.

Later . . .

New Vehicle

I guess some things just come upon you, but honestly I have been giving this car a lot of thought since Max bought her Saturn. I am the proud owner of a 2007 Saturn Vue Hybrid. I am hoping this will make traveling and visiting a little easier considering the price of gas. The car is a trip - it does not have a spare tire, but has an air compressor with a sealant canister. Driving it is weird cause when you come to a stop - the engine actually stops and it is then running on battery power. I actually don't have the vehicle at home - I will pick it up tomorrow when Max comes home. I will post a picture of it when I actually get it. It is Silver and gets 32mpg on the road! I thought I had decided to keep driving the Xterra until it died, but I guess we will try to sell it and recoup a little money. I always liked the Xterra, but the gas mileage was not great.

Later . . .

Long Time

Hmmmmmmm I do not know why I have not posted in such a long time. I certainly have been busy doing things and even have pictures to prove it. The week after the grandkids went home
I drove down to Ventura to visit with my sister. We had a good time sewing and messing around and then she came back with me for a week. We continued to sew and have a good time until I put her on the train to go home (actually, bus, train, bus). Max and Kathy are headed off to Reno for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I am sure I could say a lot about what I did in Ventura and what we did while Joy was here (Debby's for dinner, Jo Ann's Super Store in Concord, Hortatio's for dinner, Kathy, Paul and Michael over for chille rellenos, garage sales on Saturday, etc.)

Max finally has her new (my old) computer working properly - finally.

My knee surgery has been postponed until January. I did not want to be laid up over the holidays so am going for it the first of January (provided nothing changes - there is a tremendous backup for surgery slots and since I can actually walk - well you know how that goes).

Later . . .

Quiet on the Home Front

We took Devin and Desirae back to their parents yesterday. It was fun to see where they were actually camping. The kids were terrific in the car for the four hour ride and very happy to be reunited with the family. We did not stay long because we were headed back over the hill to visit and spend the night with my brother Don. We did stop in Shell Beach and have dinner at Alex's BBQ. Brought back many memories of all the times I have eaten there in the past and the food was as good as I remember. We had a nice visit with Don and Sharon Friday night. We went out for a good "country" breakfast and then headed home. We popped over to highway 41 and Morro Rock and then took highway 46 across to take highway 101 home.

It is strangely quiet in the house and the kids are missed. Kodi was a bit upset when we came home without the latest addition to his pack. I think Darci was relived that there was no longer competition for our affections. I guess things will be back to normal tomorrow, but I think we will be a little sad that we don't have the little ones around. Who is going to play video games with me on "Do Nothing Sunday"?

BTW - Deanna was VERY happy with her "Bob Bob" shirt.

Later . . .

Time Flies

Hard to believe that the time of having the kids has come to an end. Max decided to have one last "pool party" with them yesterday since the temperature heated back up. I was glad to fill the pool back up and give them one last swim. I am glad that Max is able to play with them in a way that my knee will not allow me. It used to me in the pool with the kids and crawling around on the floor - hopefully after the knee surgery I will be able to be more interactive (I am the champ when it comes to video games though).

Max got a recipe from one of her friends at work to make "ice cream cone cakes". We decided to make a little baking project for the kids on their last night here. They helped with the whole process and Devin learned how to crack an egg - that was after the first attempt that ended up in his face. He learned the art of tapping and cracking instead of forcing the egg apart. The project turned out fun, interesting and yummy.

Now that the kids are ready to be reunited with their parents - they are starting to present the sad pouting face because they are going to miss me, Max and the dogs. Maybe next year we should try a vacation somewhere in one of our Condos and share time with the kids. Duane and Denise could have some quality adult time without the kids, but they would be close at hand for the Mommy/Daddy fix.

Later . . .

Jacket for Desirae

Desirae loves her denim jacket and wore it around the house all day the day I showed it to her. We picked a flower combination for the back and it turned out really well. She was very happy with the outcome. I did a t-shirt for Devin,, which turned out well. It is hard to do a heavy design on t-shirts and I did a horse for Desirae that is really cute. Desirae's t-shirts are really hard to get in the machine because they are so small - something that opens is preferable. The kids are actually enjoying watching me do the embroidery - they like seeing the design come to "life".

The darn weather has been windy and cold so the kids have not been able to spend time in the pool. Needless to say, the video games are keeping them happy and occupied. We have devised a system for who gets to go first and it is working quite well (colored chips in a bag and whoever gets the green one goes first - and no complaining).

The time is whizzing by, but everyone seems to be having a good time. Max wants to keep them forever and Devin decided we could keep Desirae and that would be alright with him, but he would miss Deanna. Desirae is completely over her home sickness, but Devin has started to feel the strain of not talking to his Mom.

Later . . .

Embroidery

I managed to find a little time to do some embroidery and did this shirt for Deanna. Denise gave me the shirt some time ago and I was kind of waiting to see what would be good to put on it (the shirt belonged to Devin). Since Deanna is a "Bob Bob" gal, I thought Spongebob and his house would make her happy. I hope to be able to work on some other stuff for the kids, but time is somewhat limited.

Desirae and I worked in the backyard a bit yesterday - feeding the birds, cleaning the birdbaths and transplanting some plants. The weather has turned cold for the least few days and swimming is not happening right now.

Later . . .

Friday Fishing

We went out to one of our local fishing spots to let the kids do some fishing. Unfortunately we were all skunked. There is the possibility there was a bit of lack in the patience department. You can pretty much tell the difference in enthusiasm from the first picture to the second. Nonetheless, they both said they had fun. We fished for several hours and the park people were good enough to come and pick up Devin and I so he did not have the long trek back to the Exterra. He had to descend MANY stairs to get down to the lake level or descend a long gravel path (he did the stairs). Everyone was beat by the time we finished (sun and wind). We stopped for fast food and ended up falling into bed around 10:30.

Later . . .