MERRY CHRISTMAS MAX

Finally Max got her Canon 5D Mark 2.  OMG I am sure she thought it was never going to happen.  They have been back ordered FOREVER and most of the camera places are not even taking orders or names for a waiting list. I ordered her camera locally from Wolf Camera, but she was surfing the web and found ONE at Best Buy.  She bought it quickly because it was listed as in stock and went to the store to pick it up.  Luckily she was able to get someone on the phone to actually grab the camera and hold it for her.  Needless to say she is one happy camper right now!

This weekend we wanted to get the sprinklers in order since we laid the sod in the back yard and the rain is going to stop sooner or later.  Ha - simple project - NOT!  We had not really looked at the sprinklers since we had the addition and unfortunately we had some pipes that had been cut (the ones running to the garden) and they did not get capped before they were buried under the BRICKS!  Well now two are capped and the other was extended to add a sprinkler head at the corner of the new sod.  The bricks went back in better than was expected - hassle to get them out and hassle to put them back.

On Friday we (Max, Kathy, Paul, Michael and I) took Jesse's car to him in Volcano.  He fixed us hamburgers - which were great).  He was very happy with his vehicle and it drove very nicely up there. Handled the freeway just fine and the mountains equally well. Not bad gas mileage and comfortable.

I finished a quilt top I have been working on (Denise will love it cause it is from purple scraps of material).  It was a new pattern and the border was suppose to be something different, but all the pieces and diamonds and half diamonds were a bit much for me and I decided to throw in the towel and just go with a traditional border.  I really like the pattern of the quilt and it would be fun to do a truly scrap quilt that way.

Later . . .

Busy Times

Wow - where to start . . . I guess with the above picture of my crooked sewing machine. Geez - after getting my old one replaced because it was just not working properly, I then decided to do some quilt work instead of embroidery and found that I could not make a 1/4 inch seam because the foot was crooked on my machine. No matter how hard I tried there was no way to get a 1/4 inch seam with my 1/4 inch foot. Needless to say I was not very happy about that one. It is in the works right now that hopefully I will be able to get it fixed here instead of the need to go to Palmdale! I am keeping my fingers crossed about that. Pretty frustrated with the luck I seem to be having with my sewing machine.

We had a nice Valentine's day - we worked in the back yard most of the day and then went out to dinner. Since the addition on the house we have had a messed up lawn - the grass in front of the hot tub was almost non-existant, so this weekend we decided to do something about it. We (mainly Max, who has the blisters to show for it) scrapped off what was left of the old dying grass and laid some sod. We used some of the usable parts we removed to hopefully plug some holes where the dogs (maily Miss Chloe) had dug up the grass. Hopefully it will all take and thus elimanate the MUD that is in the back yard and the dogs so readily want to track in the house.

The search for a car for Jesse is finally over. Max and Kathy found a very cool '84 Olds Omega with only 44k original miles on it. It runs really great and looks great too. After a bit of work (new muffler, tires, brakes, oil change, head light, wipers, smog and back registration) she is ready to be given to Jesse. He had limited money to spend on a vehicle and this is good old heavy car that should be safe to drive. We are planning to take it to him this weekend. He just finished with his schooling (medical assistant) and can start actively looking for a job now that he will have transportation.

Lastly (Debby will be sooooooo proud), Max finished earthquaking everything in the house. She has been wanting to get the hutch in the dining room done for some time and it is finally accomplished. If we were to have an earthquake the top part of that hutch would surely move - might not come all the way off, but it is full of all the crystal and stuff from my mother and I would hate to have it all broken. Might break anyway, but at least the top is secured to the wall now.

Later . . .

Quilt Progress & Weekend

I finished my quilt top by adding the borders and I am liking it (except that the quilt is almost square and I am not that fond of square quilts). I will have to pay more attention the next time and add a row on the bottom to make it a rectangle. Looking at the top it is going to be a real challenge to quilt it, but I am looking forward to giving it a try - must do some practice before I tackle that job.

Kathy wanted to do some practice embroidery so she brought her machine over and while Max and Paul were tying flies, I helped her with the above project. She wants to add some more snowflakes and she now knows how to do it. The whole embroidery process can be a bit intimidating until you have done it a few times. We had a great day working on projects and then after dinner we all shared playing Rock Band. It was a blast and Mike was "rocking out" on the drums.

We have been having a terrible time with our DSL connection and have not been able to get on the internet - except by chance every once in a while. I called AT&T and they seem to think it is in our line and were suppose to check it out today. For whatever reason it has been connecting with a strong signal this AM - so I am hoping they did their thing - "between 8 and 5". At first I thought it was my modem that was going out, but we could not connect even when we plugged straight in with the DSL cable. It has been frustrating, but it does seem to be working now.

Later . . .

Check it out . . .

I finally finished the quilt top - except I still have to add a couple of borders.  What a challenge and what fun.  This is the first time I have ever done sashing strips, but it seemed to work out okay.  I am anxious to see what it will look like with the borders.  I am going to do different shades of pink (picture will come when I am finished).

Kathy and Paul are coming over today to "play".  Max and Paul are going to tie flies and Kathy wants to do some embroidery.   We are going to have some pulled pork I bought at Costco and Paul is making coleslaw.   I am also hoping I might convince them to play a little Rock Band after dinner.

Later . . .

Struggling along . . .

I am working on a new quilt project, which I must say is quite the challenge.  I am just using some scraps of fabric and can only hope it will turn out okay.  At least it will give me something to put on my quilting machine.  I started to put a "cheater" quilt on my frame to do some practice, but I was having a horrible time trying to get the thing square.  It appears the print on the material is not straight.  I may go ahead and put it on the machine just to get some practice.  I have not had anything on the frame since before Christmas and I need to get in the grove again.  At this point I can't even remember how to thread the thing.

I am having great fun with my new Macbook, but I am faced with a new operating system which is just a bit different from my iMac - I am still learning Tiger and now I am running Leopard.  I guess I need to face the fact I have too many things with which I am still smack in the middle of the learning curve.  

We had a good weekend.  Kathy, Max and I went to Volcano to work on Max's mom's components and DVR as well as hook up the Rock Band that they just got.  We accomplished the task and they were playing Rock Band by the time we left.  Max's mom made a delicious chicken and dumplings along with a wonderful chocolate cake for a late birthday celebration for me.  We watched the Super Bowl with Kathy, Paul and Michael on Sunday.

I had to have my Vue towed to the dealer yesterday as the battery was DEAD!  They checked it out and all is well except for the fact the battery just failed.  They put a new on in and I will get my car back today.

Later . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNA

So OMG how lucky am I??????????? Max took me to Monterey yesterday for my birthday and we had a really great time. Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, Lover's Point, Asilomar - just all over the area. I love Monterey and it was really fun to check it out again. We had fish and chips for lunch after I sampled EVERY clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf. Max bought me the above cozy sweatshirt on the wharf. We also went to one of my old favorite places for dessert and had a "black bottom cup cake". I had mine heated with ice cream and it was very tasty, but Max was not impressed cause as it turned out everything in the place was really "health food" based and without the ice cream it was not that tasty. I forgot that was back in my "healthy era". Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. The Mac book, mouse and carry case was a present from a stop at Fry's on the way home. I am blown away with the new Mac book - and yes I am SPOILED, but loving every little minute of it.

Later . . .

Back to sewing

I am back to my embroidery since I took my machine back and they gave me a new one. I was having TONS of problems with my Creative Vision and I finally just snapped and called my dealer and said it needed to go back to Pfaff because it was basically a piece of crap. She was very good about it and took a brand new one out of the box and gave it to me. Needless to say I am sewing and happy once again. I was doing an embroidery for the holidays and OMG it was the most disastrous project. I finally managed to get it done where the front look pretty good, but the back of the design was crap. Anyway, I have been wanting to do some bags for Max's light stands and I finally found a decent camera design (as luck would have it on sale for $1). I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew what I wanted to do. I am very proud of myself for the way the bags turned out - I have some things I will change when I do the next ones. I did two sets of bags and she wants four. Duane would like to have some too - he thought the idea was awesome.

I am working on a quilt top and am dying to get back to my quilting machine. The holidays forced a long break from quilting, but I am ready to jump back in now.

We had a nice time with the kids for the belated Christmas celebration (picture on Duane's blog). They are growing up so quickly and Deanna is at a GREAT age right now.

Can't say I will keep posting, but I will give it a try. I should be doing this and posting pictures so Debby can access it from Iraq. We are having the family over for dinner tonight as it is Max's mom's 70th BD. Decided to do a little celebration. I did an embroidery for her on a shirt because she is a scrap book person.

Later . . .

Catching up...

I am not sure why it seems so darn hard for me to address this blog.  I just can't see to get around to doing it, but I will keep trying.

The Holidays went off well.  We had a really nice Christmas with the Lawson clan.  Max fixed some tri-tips and a ham with all the fixings and it was an excellent dinner.  Jesse's kids had a great Christmas at our house - they have to split families between their mom and dad.  The whole family had a good time playing Rock Band (go figure what a fun interactive game that seems to be).

Max and I went to Monterey for New Year's with her parents.  We stayed in a condo in Marina and had a really nice time there too.  We walked on the beach and played dominoes and Uno until all hours.

We came home on Friday and took down the lights and got busy fixing up my new "quilting room".  It is ready to go and I was going to do some quilting today, but it has been soooooooo long that I could not remember how to thread the machine.  I decided that I would just put it off until next week and start "new".  We are heading to do our Christmas with the grandkids this weekend - which we are really looking forward to.  I also have to take my sewing machine into the shop AGAIN.  This time she is just taking it back and sending it back to Pfaff.  I have been having WAY to many problems with it and I am generally pissed about the whole matter.  I talked to my dealer and she told me it was not a problem that she would send it back to Pfaff and told me I would go home with a working machine.  I cannot even sew on it right now for fear of ruining whatever I try.

I am looking forward to coming home next week and having the time to settle into sewing and quilting.  I have a quilt top that I want to make from a special tool I bought at the quilt show.  Maybe if I am successful doing some projects I will have some pictures to post and be more enthused about the blog.

Later . . .

Cruise and Kitchen Cabinets

Well I have to say that cruising was fun, but it was not exactly what I expected. But actually I am not sure what I expected. The ship was beautiful and it was very relaxing. It was totally cool to be able to have room service any time you wanted it and be able to get food 24/7. We watched some good movies and caught a couple of comedy shows. We had some really fabulous dinners. One disappointment was a lot of the desserts were soaked, drenched, coated or otherwise alcohol laden. But not to worry, we did manage to have some great desserts. It was a blast to have a five course meal every evening. The way were were eating I was sure I was going to gain 10 pounds, but we did a lot of walking and used the stairs when we could. I only gained a pound for the trip. I also think one of the big factors was portions. The portions were small, but you could have seconds, thirds or fourths and no one cared. A couple of times we had dinner and if the dessert was especially good we would go back later for coffee and another dessert. I did have some problems with motion sickness, but I had medication and bought some ginger pills and some of those wrist bands which seemed to do the trick. Initially, the movement got to me because I was looking out the window of our cabin and but when I turned away I could see it in the mirror. Therefore, we kept the curtains closed most of the time. We spent time out on the decks and that did not seem to bother me. We had some really rough water in the Sea of Cortez, but it was at night and I managed to sleep well. I think maybe if we cruise again we will get a balcony - some fresh air would have been nice. We went ashore a couple of times and it was fun, but depressing because Mexico is so dirty and poor. I did buy a really cool wooden domino set that started at $38 and and I paid $25.

Our new kitchen cabinets are AWESOME. They did an excellent job and I am very pleased. We changed to a microwave over the stove top and it is really nice. I just finished putting everything back in the cabinets - but I am sure I will be changing things around for days. I just needed to get things put together before Christmas. We have pull out shelves in all the cabinets except one. We had planned to get a lazy susan, but the cabinet did not go back far enough - so just shelves. They will be mainly used for storing things we don't use often.

Anyway, I know I am really bad about keeping the blog updated and I am considering not doing it at all. Not sure if I will stop - probably not. I just am not going to be hard on myself if I don't post.

Later . . .

Time passing . . .

Hard to believe that the time has passed and tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  We are all looking forward to Max's arrival for the day - some more than others I am sure:)  Devin continues to do well and is more accepting of his limitations as time passes.  It is difficult to be dependent on someone else to help with all the basic needs.  He is spending more time interacting with the family and using his wheelchair.  He cannot really manage to get around the house because it is a tricky trip because of the extended front for his legs.

I have totally enjoyed my time bonding with Deanna.  She is talking up a storm and it is a trip interacting with her.  She is one BUSY little girl.  Unlike the other two she LOVES to be outside and plays in the dirt and just is always on the go.  If there is no TV or movie to watch she immediately makes herself busy.  She has a great imagination too.

Denise bought Devin the new Star Wars video game which is keeping him very occupied (perhaps too much).  The teachers at school have gotten together and given him a basket of presents so that each day he has a new present to open - something to look forward to.  Very sweet thought and most of the things are something that he can do sitting either on the couch, in his chair or in bed.  I have found an interest in Denise's DS and have been playing a "find the hidden object game".

Max has informed me Darci is mopping around the house and missing me.  She may be thinking that I made the same trip Kodi made and am not coming back.  I have talked to her on the phone, which seems to help.  I am sure she will be very glad to see me when we get home.

Later . . . 

Devin is making great progress and handling it as well as anyone could expect - actually better than some would handle it I am sure.  He does not seem to be in any more pain, which is really nice.  Of course being off the medication brings on the problem of not being able to sleep.  Hopefully it will all even out soon.  His body seems to be recovering and getting back to some normal functioning.  His appetite is picking up and his strength is coming back - wish I could say that my appetite was letting down while my strength was picking up.  I am doing amazingly well with the lifting.  He has to be lifted from the bed to the wheel chair and then to the couch if he wants to go there.  He also has to be lifted from the bed or wheel chair to the potty when he needs to go.  He has a urinal which he can use for that purpose.  I am trying really hard to protect my back and lift with my legs, but my knee is giving me some problems in that area.  Overall I am doing well considering the up and down connected with Devin and then also the stairs for the trailer and just generally keeping up with Deanna is a task in itself.

I am really looking forward to Max coming down on Thursday for Thanksgiving.  I have been gone from home and am missing her - not to mention missing my home and the dogs.  Living in a family with three kids is a BIG change from what I am used to.  Anyway, she will be here for Thanksgiving and then we will be heading home on Saturday.  Denise's niece is coming to stay and help her with Devin after I am gone.  She needs someone to help her with the lifting during the day while Duane is at work and when Desirae goes back to school.

Later . . .

I did it again . . .

Crap - one more time I have neglected the blog.  I am beginning to think I just might stop doing one (I will have to give it some serious thought).  I am not sure where to even start to catch up.

I am at Duane and Denise's with the girls while Devin has his surgery in LA.  The surgery was yesterday afternoon and the doctor said it went very well.  Unfortunately, poor little Devin is in major pain and not a happy boy.  I am not sure when he will be released from the hospital and they will stay down in LA until he is released.  I am getting Desirae back and forth to school and taking care of Deanna.  Believe me this is not something I am used to doing.  I did it back when Denise's dad passed and she and Duane were gone for a week, but I am thinking I am much older now (that would be about a year or so).  I have not spoken to anyone for an update on the surgery and the only information is from Duane's blog last night.

Joy did come up on the train for a week's visit and we had a good time.  She taught me how to cut out a pattern and sew an item of clothing.  I have to say that I am not that excited about the clothes sewing, but I did make a fleece top that turned out really nice.  I taught her how to use the quilting machine and she had a great time practicing.  We packed up the machine and headed down to Ventura and we had a good time there too.   I managed to get some amazing material for an amazing price because a quilt store was going out of business (pricey but well worth it for quality fabric @ $2 a yard).  Joy and I cut out some patterns that we both plan to sew later (fleece tops).  She hemmed and put snaps on two bathrobes she made me and cut out a nightgown pattern to check on style and size.  We got the quilt machine set up for her and James wired lights.  By the time I left on Sunday afternoon, she was quilting.  She is doing quite well and will pick it up fast (I wish I would have had someone to help me when I started, but I feel I am really getting there now).

Later . . .

Spending Money - Economy Be Damned!

I need to be careful about saying we are going to watch what we spend and no major purchased until after the first of the year. Economy be damned - new toys! I found myself knee deep in trouble when I attended the Quilt Show last weekend. I was having a good time and minding my own business when I started trying out the long arm quilting machines. Yikes! Now that I actually know how to machine quilt I could REALLY see the difference between the long arms and my Grand Quilter. Sooooooooooo I now am the proud owner of a Tin Lizzie 18 LS. It has so many advanced features compared to my old set up. 18 inches of throat space and the ratchet system to advance and retract the material is MUCH better. It actually has a larger bobbin! Not to mention that another bobbin winds while you are sewing so you are ready for a change when you run out (no loading a bunch of bobbins in advance and then not needing all of them). I am one VERY happy camper. I have been practicing with it and I am doing quite well. I think because I have been quilting it is coming easier to me, but I actually did a couple of pantograph patterns that turned out well using the laser. There is one small problem with the new set up and that is that it is bigger (deep) than my other one and space is a bit cramped in the garage. The plan at this time is to move the bed out of the extra bedroom and take off the closet doors and that will end up being my quilting room. It will also be nice to have the machine in the house and not have to deal with the heat in the garage. I don't seem to mind the cold, but the heat just makes it miserable. I was very reluctant to give up the day bed, but since we really do not have that much company, it is kind of pointless to not use the space (considering it will be something that will be used a LOT).

THEN . . . Max bought the new Sony notebook that just came out with the 19" screen and a screaming graphics and video card. The color and picture is amazing! She was thinking about the 20" Wacom and debating on the purchase of a Mac and ended up with this one. The new Sony actually has a better everything inside than the new MacPro. After much discussion and investigation, it would appear that 4 or 5 years ago the Mac would have been the best way to go to do photography stuff, but since the Mac's and PC's are both running the same stuff it has become somewhat of a "moo" point (as Joey would say). Interestingly, the new Sony can run all the different operating systems if one wanted to add them. Needless to say, now Max is a very happy camper.

We also just finished getting an estimate for new kitchen cabinets and we are going to have them installed just before Christmas. They will be a medium dark oak. We are getting pull out shelves in some and a lazy susan in the corner to utilize the space that is essentially wasted because you cannot reach back there without taking everything else out. We will have the little pull out drawer in front of the sink and also one in front of the stove (not sure what will go there).

Once we get the kitchen cabinets the only project left will be fine tuning the back yard and getting that extra step out of there. We still need to find the matching bricks to finish off the flower beds. We do need to purchase a new hot tub cover and that will be coming in the next couple of weeks. It needs to be replaced before the rain starts.

Sorry I have been so bad at keeping the blog updated - I just seem to loose track of the time and at the same time I am staying pretty busy.

Later . . .

FINALLY!!!

THANK GOD and WOO HOO! Max was officially hired as a full-time career employee today. The stress of it all is finally over. I had conviction that it would happen, but Max has been stressing about it since they started laying people off. Now we can pretty much start looking forward to retirement. Since the Lab went private, job security is not what it used to be, but it sure beats the hell out of knowing come December 1st she was out the door. This means she is eligible for full medical benefits for both of us when she retires - which means a lot! We went out to dinner at the Fondue Place for dinner tonight to celebrate. We have been wanting to go there since it opened and it was GREAT! Way, way, way too much food, but we did the whole thing - salad, cheese fondue, meat/chicken fondue and chocolate fondue. It was amazing, but no way would I ever do it again - just plain too much food for one sitting.

We were in Cal City over the weekend to visit with the grandkids and family. We had the opporunity to watch one of Desirae's soccer games in which she made her first goal. It was COLD and the wind was blowing like crazy for her 8:00 A.M. game. We had a nice weekend and did a little family "Rock Band" which was fun.

Max took pictures, but Duane posted some shots on SmugMug. Check out his blog for a picture link.

CONGRATULATIONS MAX - WAY TO GO!

Later . . .

Made it to the laundromat

I managed to get to the laundromat yesterday and get the bedspread and the above coasters washed and dried. I went ahead and posted them for sale on Etsy, but I am not sure I will continue with that. It only costs .20 per item to list with them and they take 3.5% of the sale. So it was not a big investment to give it a try and I can always use them for the holidays myself!

We finished painting the kitchen today - so the kitchen project is basically complete. There is some touching up that has to be done on the black wood for the pots and pans rack, but it really looks good and I am very happy with it.

Later . . .

Finished Halloween Bags

So that is accomplished! I think the bags are really cute and I hope the kids will like them. Above in red for Deanna and below in pink for Desirae - same material for both the girls. I think I still like Devin's the best.
Now it is back to quilt making. I am headed off to do some errands and the laundromat.

Later . . .

More Embroidery

I have been working on Halloween bags for the grand kids and the above are the finished embroidery patterns. They were long and tedious designs, but I think they turned out really cute. I have finished Devin's bag and I really like it. Devin's bag has different material than the girls and I really like the way it blends. His lettering is green, which also goes really well with the material. I think I might have bought the wrong "pet mesh" because I am having a really terrible time with it unraveling. The stuff I used before was what my sister, Joy, gave me and it did not unravel like this stuff is doing. It makes it hard to work with because the more you more it around (and there is a lot of that) the more it unravels and the more I have to keep trimming off. Maybe there are different brands or I just happened to purchase one that was not coated well.

Once I get the bags completed, I will finish Chloe's dog quilt. Considering I want the kids to have the bags for Halloween and we are planning a visit the first part of October, getting the bags completed was kind of time sensitive. I still need to make a trip to the laundromat to deal with the coasters I made - simply too many projects and not enough time.

Later . . .

Keeping Busy

I certainly have been keeping busy doing embroidery. Above are the latest sets of four coasters that I have done. I have them all sewn together and just need to make a trip to the laundromat to get they frayed. I have done some in my own washing machine and it is just such a hassle to clean up the mess. I need to wash my frayed bedspread and I will just do them all at once. I cannot even get the bedspread in my washing machine. I did list the other patriotic red white and blue coaster on Etsy. I now have a "shop" so check it out. I plan to put some more coasters up for sale. I will probably put up some of the left over scarves that I did last year. I really don't like the idea of doing stuff for sale because it then adds the pressure factor and I really like doing things for pleasure. I like to do them for myself and friends and family. So the whole selling thing will probably be very short lived. It would be nice to get a little money to replace materials, but I actually have plenty of material to last for a long while (the thread does go quickly when doing a lot of embroidery).

Max and Kathy went up to her mom's for a couple days of doing chores. Max is doing some plumbing work and Kathy is assisting. I decided to stay at home cause I was not feeling all that well. I worked in my sewing room a bit and just kind of relaxed.

Later . . .

Productive Day

We had a productive day today - in the kitchen and in my sewing room. Max made herself a little plastic bubble and sanded, primed, textured, primed and painted the kitchen ceiling while I squared Chole's quilt and added the border and got the binding ready. We made a Lowes run for the moulding (which will be put up on Monday with the help of Kathy).

Max hung the ceiling fan and it actually looks really nice - cute little thing. Must say Max is an expert ceiling fan hanger! It is black and chrome which matches our appliances and cookware really well. It puts out more light than we expected it would, but we still will probably replace the bulbs with some floursecent ones to get a brighter white light.

Later . . .

That time of year again . . . Hatch Chilies

It is that time of year again for New Mexico's great Hatch Chilies. We ordered 50 pounds and Kathy and Paul ordered 25 pounds and we had a chili roast over at Debby's (she is not home but she is the only one with a Weber - the gas grills just take too long to get hot enough to do a good job). Of course I forgot my camera, hence the picture of the chilies bagged and in the freezer. We ordered from a different company this year and have not eaten any chilies yet, but they did come from the same place.

The plans for this weekend are to keep working on the kitchen and hopefully make some progress. It is coming along great and I think will look really nice when it is completed. We picked out a really cool ceiling fan, but have not picked out the molding yet.

I have been working on Holiday themed coasters on my embroidery machine. I just was a bit tired of quilting and wanted to do some embroidery. I have the top for Chloe's quilt done and I just have to square it and then cut the border and binding. I want to get it done so I can get it quilted and on her bed. The dogs are getting along really well and playing and keeping each other company. Darci finally has someone who will actually sleep nest to her and their bodies can actually touch (Kodi was NOT a snuggle guy except with me).

Later . . .