Happy You Near!!!

No, I didn't misspell my title....This is the way all 3 of my kids said "Happy New Year". I liked the way it sounded then and still do.....

This is my 49th blog and I understand that it is customary in blog land to have a giveaway at 100 posts, so I guess I better get going if I only have 50 days to figure out a giveaway.... Do I give a finished product? a kit? a book? a pattern?
Leave me a comment and tell me what you would like to win...

Have a wonderful HAPPY YOU NEAR!!

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

PS.. My sewing room never got cleaned. I got the creeping crud Saturday afternoon and slept all Saturday night, all Sunday and got up this morning. I feel better, but not perfect. I think I will put off cleaning for another couple of days.

And now on to next year.....

Today I did my first Christmas shopping for next year...hee hee...

I bought the cutest ornaments for the grandkids at Target on the 50% off sale. They are silver wire with clear beads and are fashioned into letters. I got an "A" for Ava and Abigail, "O" for Owen, "J" for Jackson and "G" for Grace.

I decided last September that I am making a lap cuddle quilt for each of the grandkids and my DH next year for Christmas. DH will know about the grandkids, but if I can help it, he won't know about his. I had the pattern decided for me. My quilt guild is making this pattern at our January meeting. We are to have all the strips cut and ready to sew.



It calls for a light, medium and dark of 2 colors and a third solid. In the photo of the book the solid is the black in the largest quilt picture. In my head I have picked black and brown for my two colors and need to go to the quilt shop next week and find them. The blocks are really big, so it should go fairly fast. I plan to have all 6 quilts finished by September 2008.


I have a head start. Last October I made a lime green/hot pink Snapshots for Grace from the book Happy Hour by Teri Atkinson.





I have blue plaids and a pattern by Teri Atkinson called TicTacMo for the boys. Seeing as I live in Missouri I thought TicTacMo was pretty cool. The pattern is named because it is a reproduction of a quilt found in a Missouri antique store.




I think these three will keep me busy for a while. I will post a photo of the fabric I find for Weaver Fever and photos of the quilts as they are finished.

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season...We have one more Christmas celebration to attend this weekend with DH family. It is a small group and only two kids, one is 15, the other 8, so it will be much quieter.

Tomorrow is OFFICIAL CLEAN MY SEWING ROOM DAY. If I make it official, maybe I will actually get it done.. I have to clean it. I have lost a pattern that I need to teach the end of January. I have the fabric all washed and ready to cut, just need the pattern.

Ok, now the plans have changed. Our neighbor just came over and asked if I could babysit his kids tomorrow. SO....from 8am to 6pm tomorrow I will be across the street with 17 mo old twin boys. YIKES!!! Why did I answer the door??? LOL He is in kind of a bind. His babysitter didn't show up today and can't come tomorrow.

So, I am cancelling OFFICIAL CLEAN MY SEWIN ROOM DAY and moving it to Friday...

Happy Sewing Day!!

Nancy

as he drove out of sight.....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.....

The Postlady saved my hubby's butt....

She drove up the driveway, rang the doorbell and saved my DH butt....He had ordered his $10 family gift exchange and THEN found out it wouldn't be shipped until after Christmas....so I did him some emergency monogramming on sweatshirts....

Now, I can give my Mom the sweatshirts to give my step-dad and DH can give his own gift....

I won't reveal what is in the package as you never know who reads this blog, but it is the PERFECT GIFT!!

In the background of the picture you can see the capon thawing, Snowballs are in the big white bowl and you can see some already baked in the way back right side. I still have some gingersnaps to make and then will be done baking, cut not cooking. I hope to make up some tins or bags of cookies. I am responsible for mashed potatoes, dressing, capon, beef roast and homemade rolls. (Yes Carolyn, I am making the rolls too. Karen is on modified bed rest per me)

I did all the grocery shopping yesterday I THOUGHT!! I had a list, I kept to the list. I forgot 3 little gift bags,3 medium gift bags, 3 little bows and trash bags.
So another trip into town tomorrow and I DON'T WANT TO!! But I need something to put the cookies in and don't have tins, ziplocks or any plastic containers I can use.
Oh WAIT!! I know....I have brown lunch bags, sandwich size ziploads a hole punch and candy canes. I will make my own packages. Will show you a photo tomorrow,if I remember....

Happy Sewing Day!! I have to sew on a button today.
Nancy

I Love the Postman(lady).....

Because today she came to my door, rang my doorbell and asked me to sign for a package from AUSTRALIA!! YIPPEE SKIPPEE!! The book that I won from Lynette Anderson's blog came(http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/lynette_anderson_designs/atom.xml)


Even though I was in the midst of decluttering and cleaning the house, I immediately opened it and sat down with a glass of ice tea to look it over.

It is beautiful!! The projects are beautitful!! I will start one of them as soon as I figure out which one will come first. Maybe I will use the random number generator? LOL



And she signed it.......



Thank you Lynette for writing and designing a beautiful book..

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

odds and ends.....

Thought I would catch you up....

Daughter did great with finals. She got A's and 1 B+ in anatomy. She has a couple of weeks off before second semester starts and already has tons of homework assignments.

Cookies are done. Fudge is done. The tree is up. All the presents are bought and most are wrapped. I have the rock guitarist Santa gifts to wrap yet and with only 2 days of school left I will have to do that today or tomorrow. Finals are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday and since he has perfect attendance (and no F's) he doesn't have to take finals and doesn't have to attend classes. I don't agree with the school on that point. I think all students should take finals if for no other reason than to prepare them for other schooling where they don't care if you show up or not.

Still working on Winter Wonderland. I am on block 7 of 11. Will post a photo when done with this block. I am still loving this pattern and can't wait to finish all the blocks and get it into a flimsy. Winter Wonderland can be seen at www.colonialcrafts.com under redwork.

Today I will be decluttering the house in preparation for the Family Christmas this Saturday. I have lists to make, food to buy and dinner tables to cloth...

No sewing room for me today....

Happy Sewing to YOU!!
Nancy

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas....

We are snowed in with about 5-6 inches of the pretty white stuff. We never lost electricity so what's a girl to do??

BAKE!!!!!

I made Oatmeal Crispies yesterday so they are ready to slice and bake. I made Fudge for Dummies, and have Spritz cookies in the oven now. (Santa! if you are listening, I could use a new battery operated Spritz cookie maker. Mine died) They smell so good. They are disappearing as fast as they bake, so I can see I will have to make another batch when everyone is back at work and school.

A couple of years ago, I wanted to make up some trays for friends and family. I can bake cookies, but I am not good with fudge. I either burn it, it seizes up or it just doesn't taste right. I went up to the local grocery and picked up a box mix. It was really good, but way too expensive. It would have cost a small fortune to buy enough mixes for all the fudge I wanted to make. So....I cheated. I bought one box and before making it, I measured all the ingredients. This recipe "Fudge for Dummies" is the result.


Fudge for Dummies -

In a microwave safe bowl put
4 tbles butter (not margarine)
1 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
16 oz Chocolate Chips

Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir to combine and add 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Pour into 8x8 Pam sprayed pan. Cool, cut and enjoy!!

I did do some sewing this morning. I monogrammed two sweatshirts for my step-dad for Christmas. DH drew his name in the $10 family Christmas present. I told him he was in charge of his own gift getting. He surprised me by finding something on ebay that was perfect. Last night I asked him if it had been shipped yet. Our Christmas is this Saturday and it needs to be wrapped. After checking the listing, he nicely told me that the shipper is on vacation until Dec 26th. UH OH!! That won't do...
so I guess I will give monogrammed sweatshirts again this year. Good thing he likes them.

Off to the sewing room as soon as the last batch of cookies is out of the oven.

Happy Snow Day!!
Nancy

Thinking good thoughts......

Today is my daughters last final of this semester. So far she has all A's in her nursing program. Her grade in Anatomy is so good, she will pass the class even if she fails the final today. (but she won't) Tomorrow is her last day of class until January 2nd. She and all her classmates are due for some sleeping in....

At my house today, I will making a master grocery list for Christmas dinner with my family on Dec 22nd. Also need to finish a casserole cover for my sis's birthday.

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

Applause.....Applause.....

Last night I ventured out into the misty rain to watch my niece graduate from Ultrasonography Technician School....YEA MICHELE....
This is a 16 month program through a local community college.
She also got married and had a baby in there....
Today was her first day of work at a local hospital.. I am very proud of her (she is also my goddaughter).

Today I have baked peanut butter cookies and pulled all my cookbooks out looking for other cookie recipes. Suddenly I am in the mood to bake...I don't do this very often so I need to get going before the mood leaves me. LOL My sister is the chef, she loves to try new recipes and bake for special occasions. Me? I only do it if I have to and then try to bake things that I won't eat. I don't like peanut butter, so I am safe making peanut butter cookies. While digging through my recipe books of which I have maybe 10...I found my late mother-in-laws recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. This recipe is very good, uses what you have on hand (if you keep pineapple on the shelf like I do) and makes just enough for 3-4 people.

I share it here with you -

Marions Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass pans) Use cast iron skillet or 8 in round cake pan

Put 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar and put into heated oven (or microwave if using glass pan) to melt butter. Stir to mix. Add pineapple rings (save juice)on top with cherries in middle of slices.

In another bowl mix 3 egg yolks (save whites), 1 cup white sugar and 5 tbs reserved pineapple juice. Sift together 1 cup regular flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Add to egg mixture. Beat 3 egg whites until stiff and fold into egg and flour mixture. Pour into pan over pineapple.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Flip over onto serving plate.

YUM YUM!!

Bake to checking out my recipes.

Until tomorrow....
Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Me vs The Cable Company

This will be a long post, so stop now if you don’t have time to get to the end.

Saturday my sister and I met to do some Christmas shopping. We only went to a few places before I was done. Then we took off to get some lunch. I drove home in pouring down rain and my little bug was covered in ice by the time the trip was over. Of course, I come in and find out that there has been no TV the whole time I am gone. In order to get the full advantage of this tale of woe, you have to know a few things about my DH.

1. He is partially deaf.
2. Technical stuff drives him crazy. Really, really, really crazy…..
3. He hates to talk on the phone. (to anyone except me)
4. Fox News is on all weekend, even if he isn’t in the room

So imagine the horror when the TV went out and I wasn’t home to call the cable company. He dialed the number and got through to a “real person” and immediately handed me the phone. Ha Ha turns out all he had to do was unplug the TV and reset it….LOL My goodness, wonder how much
Fox News he missed for no reason….

So….I took this opportunity to ask the cable guy if they had any upgrade packages to offer. Told him we were looking to change our cable company as we pay too much each month. I really was only trying to see if we could get something free. Hey, you won’t know unless you ask. TIME STAMP - 1:45pm. (remember this, it will come in handy) Cable guy says “sure, we can upgrade you to a DVR for $99 with a $50 rebate and we won’t charge shipping”. Hmmm……sounds like a good Christmas present for the family..
Me - Ok, can you set me up.
Cable - Sure, you are a previous customer so I have to change you over to a different kind of customer and take $18 off your monthly bill.
Me - Ok. (should have asked sooner!!)
Cable - It might take a few minutes so if you will hold.
Me - Ok.
Cable - well, it is taking longer than I thought for the computer to catch up and I go on break in 10 minutes, so let me call you back.
Me - Ok. You have my phone number and we are getting an ice storm, so I will be home all evening.
Cable - Ok…. I will call you back within an hour.
Me - Bye
Cable - Bye

TIME STAMP - 7:30pm
Me- Gee, we haven’t heard from that cable guy. Maybe I should call him back?
DH - Ok…. (don’t we have fascinating conversations?lol)
Me- **calling**
Cable - (it’s a girl this time) Can I help you?
Me - yes, I was calling to order a DVR and this guy said he would call me back in less than an hour and its been since 2pm.
Cable - Hm….let me put you on hold.
Me- ok
Cable - so, you wanted to update to a DVR?
Me - yes
Cable - Hold please
Me - ok
Cable - Did you order it already?
Me - yes, I think
Cable - Hold please
Me - ok
Cable - I don’t find an order for you, lets start over.
Me - ok
Cable - hold please
Me - ok
Cable - Ok, so you want a DVR? Let’s order that now.
Me - ok (I thought we were?)
Cable - can you hold?
Me - ok
Cable - dial tone…………………she hung up on me……………

TIME STAMP 7:45pm
Me - **calling**
Cable - Can I help you?
Me - Yes, I think I have ordered a DVR but the last cable person hung up on me and we didn’t get finished.
Cable - I am sorry, lets see what we have. (doesn’t put me on hold, button must be broken on his phone)
I have your account charged $339.62.
Me - WHAT!!!???? No, no, no,…. it is supposed to be $99 with a $50 rebate and no shipping charge?
Cable - Huh!? Who gave you that information?
Me - The first guy I talked to at 1:45pm this afternoon. I called in to get help fixing the tv and then I talked to him about upgrading to a DVR.
He told me $99 with a $50 rebate and no shipping and then he was going to set me up with an appointment for the tech to run a second line. The DVR takes a dual line. He had to go on break and was going to call me back but never did.
Cable -oh, long pause….. Let me look and see what you have. Long pause….Well, we don’t have an offer like that. Let me see what I can do. Ok, that will be $250 for the HDDVR with $19.99 shipping.
Me - No….it is $99 with a $50 rebate and no shipping.
Cable - We don’t have anything like that. HDDVR’s are very expensive.
Me - What’s a HD DVR?
Cable - for HD TV’s.
Me - I don’t have an HD TV.
Cable - Oh, then the regular (read ol’fashioned) DVR is $129 with $19.99 shipping. But I will give you Cinemax and ShoTime for free for 6 months for your trouble.
Me - I have a 15 year old son and won’t allow either of those channels in my house.
Cable - oh….long pause……how about 6 months free of cable insurance?
Me - no thanks…I want the $99 with $50 rebate and free shipping.
Cable - sorry, I can’t do that. There is no where on my screen to give you that deal.
Me - Can I talk to a supervisor?
Cable - sure, let me get one for you.
Me - Ok.
Wait….wait….wait…..(not long though, I am happy to say)
Cable - I have the supervisor on the line.
Candace - how may I help you?
Me - I called to order a DVR and a gentlemen gave me the offer of $99 with a $50 rebate and free shipping. I want to order that and get an appointment set up for installation.
Candace - We don’t have a deal like that to offer you. I am sorry.
Me - Well, the guy at 1:45pm said that was deal he could give me, but he had to go on break in 10 minutes and would call me back.
Candace - um…the guy said he had to go on break? And he would call you back?
Me - Yes.
Candace - well, that really disturbs me. We have set breaks, but he never should have told you that. I don’t know where he got his information, but he never should have given you that deal.
Me - well, he did and that’s the deal I want.
Candace - Well, I am sorry, but we can’t do that. However, we can do something to help you. I can put in the order for the purchase of the DVR at $129. Then I can give you a rebate of $10 a month for 12 months. Plus I will give you a rebate of the $5.99 monthly DVR charge for 6 months.
Me - ( in my head I am adding up $10 a month/year and $5.99 a month/6 months.) this equals $120+$36 which is $156. The DVR runs $129.…

OK…..order it up….. TIME STAMP 8:30pm

DVR will be installed on Wednesday. I can’t wait…apparently you can stop TV, go to the bathroom and resume it without missing anything….HOLY MOLY….I can now pee during Survivor and Project Runway….

It only took me 7 hours and 45 minutes to order cable.

SOLD !!

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Oh, the weather outside is.....

CRAPPY, and it doesn't look like it will get better soon!! This is ICE, not snow. It started Saturday and continued through Sunday and today. All schools in the area and most of Missouri are cancelled today. We have lots and lots of households without electricity, including my daughter and son-in-law. They are staying with friends until the lines are fixed.(just so you don't think I am heartless, my daughter,son-in-law and grandkids live 90 west of me) Our local town was without power on Saturday as we found out when we slid over there to get some supplies. All was dark.

The Rock Guitarest thought he would be able to play guitar and be on the computer all day. ME? I had different ideas. First he dusted, then he fixed the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed...What a treat. I am doing laundry which is every Monday and after lunch will head upstairs to wrap Christmas presents. I owe someone a birthday present and need to get that done today.

I am on weather watch for DH. If it starts doing anything, he is to be called immediately so he can come home.

Happy Sewing Day
Nancy

Do you think Santa will mind??

When life hands me this....



I want to tackle this....



However, I will have to do this....




Or no one will have these ....



So, I am off to shop today. I HATE to shop...I would buy everything on line if I started early enough. Unfortunately, I hate to shop and put it off until the very last minute and wind up running around like some kind of crazy lady.

You all have a Happy Sewing (or whatever)Day. I will be a grouch this afternoon.

Nancy
PS Please don't leave a comment that says you are tucked in with a quilt and good book. I might have to look you up....

Do not pass GO!! Do not collect $200

Go directly to Pat Sloans blog (http://patsloan.typepad.com/) and leave a comment.
She is trying to get 1000 comments in one day....Hurry....right now.... there will be a random winner of fabric....

GO GO GO ............

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to you....

Happy Birthday to you....

Happy Birthday to my sister Carolyn....

Happy Birthday to you....

Hey, you are still the OLDER sister....lol

I feel lucky...I feel lucky....

Remember that song from West Side Story??? This week, I have been singing..."I feel Lucky, I feel Lucky..I feel lucky cause I won three times"....Good thing you can't hear me. LOL

I woke up Monday, got my cup of tea and started reading email and then my list of blogs. I opened up an email from Linda of AllStitchedUp and she was telling me to hurry over to Lynette Anderson's blog. What?? I won?? YIPPEE SKIPPEE, (read her blog here http://lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/lynette_anderson_designs/ ) I won a copy of her book Rainbow Cottage. I love Australian designers. They are so imaginative.
Monday was also my quilt guilds Christmas Party. I just joined this guild in October, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I started out by getting lost. My directions said to "turn right at the Purple House". Hm....I wrote these directions quickly during the meeting. So was the "purple house" a restaurant? a gift shop? I am not familiar with this little town so wasn't sure. Well, I shouldn't have worried. The "Purple House" is just that...a purple house. Bright purple I might add. I turned right, and then the directions said turn right again. Ok, I did and now am at a dead end. I circled around to try again. OH!! I must go OVER the RR tracks. Ok.. I am just a little bit late... Drop off my quart of Veggie Soup, my wrapped pot holder and sit down.... I had a great time getting to know some of the other members. As the newest member, I was asked to draw the winning ticket for the raffle quilt. HA HA....remember the purple house? Her daughter WON!! LOL I got a wonderful pot holder in the exchange and then they drew names for the centerpieces. I won a little live Christmas Tree. How cute is this??



Got home right before 3pm, sit down and download email....Guess What?? I won again... This blog http://apronista.blogspot.com/ is having a Holiday Apron Giveaway. Designers are donating aprons that they made and you too could win!! I won an apron designed and made by Pat Sloan. Yea ME!! Pat Sloan is my favorite quilt designer. I love her free, whimsical folk art quilt patterns. Check her out at www.quiltershome.com and she has a yahoo group too... She also blogs...

I really should have dragged my b-tt to the store and got a lottery ticket..don't ya think??

Happy Sewing Day!! I am off to my Redwork Club Christmas Lunch. We are trading red/white items.

Nancy

Quiet Sunday....

Today has been fairly quiet. We (ok, I) decided that today would be Christmas decorating day. We get a live tree so that waits until just a few weeks before Christmas. Don't want a fire hazard!! But, I do like to put all the little "stuff" around and make the house look festive.

This is the mantle in the family room -



This hangs in the dining room -



This hangs in the front hall way -



And this hangs -




Oh, this doesn't hang anywhere. I made this in the sewing room this morning. It is a casserole cover made from one quilted scallop edged placemat from Kohls and one same size mat with Insul-brite inside. I put a loop on it and I will find a big button this week to stitch to the top. This will hold a 9x13 pan very easily.

I am glad almost all of the decorating is finished. I still have a few things to do since I didn't have any of the command sticky things, need some green string and some AAA batteries. Then all will be finished.

The coming week is going to be very busy. Tomorrow is the Christmas Party for the Pike-Lin Quilt Guild. We are to be there by 10 am with a quart of homemade veggie soup and an appetizer. We are to have a pot holder swap.

Tuesday is sewing day with Miss Nancy and Anne. It is also my DH and I 36th wedding anniversary.

Wednesday is Dr's appt. and some last minute Christmas shopping. Then dinner with my sister for her birthday on Thursday. She will go out Thursday night also, but that is a LONG story and you wouldn't believe it if I told you.

Thursday is Patches Redwork Club Christmas lunch at the Mother-in-law house. We will have a Red and White exchange.

Friday is OPEN....(right now)

Hope you had a Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Christmas Goodies FINISHED.....

Well here they are...I not only did laundry and grocery shopping today, but got all 10 hot pads finished. AND DH came home early because of a Dr's appt. These will be wrapped and handed out at my family Christmas on Dec 22. I won't put names on these, it will be the luck of the draw. I am willing to bet there will be some members of the family that will trade with others....

And right now, my sister (who is the only family member that has this blog address) is looking very closely and picking hers out... RIGHT Carolyn???

We are supposed to get some yukky weather tomorrow and I have told the "guys" that we will decorate the inside of the house. My guess is that they will bring up all the boxes and then quietly disapear.... any bets out there?? LOL

I had a Happy Sewing Day, did you??
Nancy

Christmas goodies....

I spent this morning in the sewing room cleaning it up so I could start on some Christmas goodies. I needed to make and wrap that pot holder I said I would make on Tuesday, but didn't and needed to wrap a another gift for my Redwork Club.

In the past few years I have made something small for all the women in my immediate family. They have received plastic bag holders. make up bags, pillowcases, and other things I don't remember....

I have been stuggling this year to find something I could make for 10. We range in age from 22 to (almost) 59. Today while making my potholder for my swap a lightbulb went off!! EUREKA!! I will make potholders for each of them. Well, now one of my sisters knows, but she won't know what it looks like.

These are for the swap!!



I used Insul-brite from my LQS, ribbon and rounded the corners. These make up very fast and would be great to give for a little something. Maybe tuck one into a plate of cookies, add one to a great serving bowl, or give one with a GC to cooking class.

I am off to make more.....

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

UH OH.....now what??

Why does this cute puppy look so sad??






What IS this mess on my bedroom floor?? Oh Oliver you are in big trouble now!! When I left him upstairs he was sleeping quite content in the sun. An hour later i head upstairs to get ready for Redwork Group and what do I find? These are Christmas boxes. Luckily the contents are still intact, but the boxes are shot...

Oh, what was in the boxes you ask?? Not telling.....Christmas secrets and all that...

I did go to Redwork Group today and who should call the store?? Pat Sloan!! The bestest most creative designer in the whole world!! I have Vista and can't figure out how to hyperlink names, so her website is www.quiltershome.com She also has a great yahoo group. http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pat-Sloan-Quilts She is very active on her yahoo group, so if you are interested in a fun time with great quilters come and join us and become a Sloanie...

The Redwork club is going to make her Needlework bag at our January meeting. I hope to remember my camera (I am really bad at that) and take photos of us.

Got some Insul-brite for some more Christmas presents today, so off to the sewing room I go.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Busy couple of days....

We have had a couple of busy days in this household. Most of it was spent waiting for the phone to ring...

Monday was my usual every two week appointment to clean my Mom and Dad's house. They had been traveling and this was the first time I had been there for about a 6 weeks. BIG MISTAKE!! I need to go while they are gone no matter what my Mom says. I have a system and some of that includes getting her out of the way. If I don't send her on an errand or downstairs for something, she will follow me room to room and attempt to keep up a conversation. I can't talk and clean. Apparently she can talk and watch me clean. I listen. (ok, sometimes I don't listen). I really must start taking my iPod. I went to get my cleaning products out from underneath the sink and Mom finds about a 1/2 inch of water. So..she pulls everything out and puts it all over the kitchen floor. No Windex. She leaves the water and goes to Wal*mart to get Windex. I start cleaning and am doing fairly well except I know I have to go back and do all the Windex stuff. By the time she got back, I only had to vacuum the living room and scrub the kitchen floor (and the Windex part). I started to vacuum the living room and here comes Dad. He decided at that time to hang the pictures that Mom had tried to get me to bring home until I told her they would really nice in her dining room. :-) So I am vacuuming the living room and he is hammering into the dining room wall. whatever
I decided to do the kitchen instead and moved all the underneath sink stuff onto the cabinets so I could do the floor. Did I mention she had breakfast dishes in the sink? And I can't use the water cause she still has water under the sink.

SO....the phone...remember?? That's where I started...
Ok, our oldest daughter is pregnant and due the middle of Feb. She calls me while I am scrubbing the floor and tells me she is on the way to the hospital. She is having contractions. This is her third, she knows they are contractions. I decide that I better hurry up, leave and get home so I can be ready to pack in case there is no one to watch the other two wonderful grandkids. Now remember, I ONLY said she was having contractions and the dr. was going to check her. I get maybe.....3 miles away and get a call from my sister... "Is Karen having the baby?". "No", I said, "she is having contractions and is on her way to the hospital to be checked".
"OH, Mom said she was dilated to 2cm.". WHAT??? The word dilatation never even came up in the conversation. The word was never uttered!! OH well....Dr. sent her home and told her to come back today at 7:30am. He wanted to monitor her again and see what if anything happened overnight.
So....long..long...story short. She is released from the hospital. No restrictions. She can work... WHEW!! I don't think I am ready to go there and watch the other two until after Christmas... I don't have anything bought and the only decorating I have done is hang the wreath on the front door.

On the home front, the Rock Guitarest has been staying after school to practice driving the Drivers Ed. car. He signed up for two nights this week and the teacher says he is doing great. We will start looking for his car after Christmas. We buy the first car and then if they don't like it they can trade it in. Of course, they don't because it would be their money, not ours. We also make them learn to drive a stick shift. You never know!!

I have been working on block 7 (Candy Cane Clothesline) of Winter Wonderland. Tomorrow is the Redwork group at the LQS that I am in charge of. I am excited to see how they have done in the past month. Both members are new to redwork.

Today was Tackle in Tuesday and I didn't tackle anything. I had high hopes of getting my hot pad finished for a quilt guild Christmas exchange. I have picked out the fabric and even have it on the cutting table, but that is as far as it has gone.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Happy Sewing day!
Nancy

Whew!!

The first of the two holidays is sadly over.

Wednesday started with me taking our son to get his learners permit and ended with me getting some of the Thanksgiving food cooked and ready to reheat on Thursday.

Thursday we had 15 family members for dinner and I think everyone had a good time. We had lots of food leftover that I attempted to send home with others and did manage to get rid of some of it.

Friday - YEA!! Black Friday....yes I am one of those nut jobs that will get up at
5am and be at Walmart by 5:30am. This year I was only on the look out for two items. I bought one granddaughter the Graco Baby Set for her baby doll. I couldn't find the OU sweatshirt for the son-in-law. So we got some cinnamon rolls and came home.

Saturday, our oldest daughter came to work on the the dollhouse that DH made for our first grandchild. She was in charge of painting the rooms. She painted for about 5 hours and ended up with this.... In this photo, she is rag painting clouds onto the ceiling of the blue childrens room.



We will help Santa by delivering it to their house on Christmas Eve. Wish I could be there to see Grace's face Christmas morning.

So, here it is Sunday....DH and I took off for an auction this morning only to find out that it was rescheduled for Dec 15th because of a little sleet...
Then we came home and DH hung the shelf he made me in my sewing room for my CD player and CD collection. Read the Sunday Paper and made dinner.

Hope you had a great Holiday.... I really need to start Christmas Shopping, I only have a few things bought. I also have a couple of gifts to get ready for my quilt guild and a few friends.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Be Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Nancy and Family

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger.....

Everyone in the MidWest be aware....There will be a new "permit driver" on the roads.
It took him two tries, but he did it. Now comes the horrible part where I actually have to take him out and let him drive his Dad's truck....I wll be ageing rapidly in the next 90 days....

Happy Day before Thanksgiving. My Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Pies are cooling and my fried corn is in the refrigerator all ready to reheat tomorrow. The turkey roaster is washed and ready to go. The carrots are washed and ready to steam. The beef roast is thawing. The turkey is sitting in the fridge awaiting his fate.

Here's my hope to you all for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Today is THE day.....

My baby boy has finally asked to take his drivers permit test. They give the test every Wednesday and he happens to be off school today for the Thanksgiving Holiday...

I am not sure how I feel about this....

Some of you may know that the Rock Guitarest is the last baby at home. It was quite the surprise being pregnant at 39. Well, maybe surprise is the wrong word. IT WAS A SHOCK!! My youngest child at that time was 12. My oldest was 17. Just a wee bit of difference in ages....LOL I thoroughly enjoyed having a "late" child and would recommend it to everyone. I was much more relaxed and less fussy about things. He is a laid back kid and always has been. I am sure he has had more advantages than the girls as we had more income when he was little.

So MAYBE after today he will have a learners permit (that's what they called them back in the ol'days) and will start driving. We haven't decided WHAT he will drive. Dad has a 4x4 truck which is huge and I have a VW bug, but it is a stick. I want him to learn to drive a stick, all kids should learn to drive a stick, just NOT MINE!!! LOL I guess if he passes today, we will start looking for a small sturdy car for him. He wants a van...he won't get a van. They are too top heavy for a teenager, too easy to tip over.... I would buy him a tank if I could find one.

Test starts at 10am, so I guess I better get him up and moving. He doesn't know we have to go to Wal*mart afterwards and take back those MP3 players. Then home to start cooking.

Today's chores -

Make sweet potato pie
Make pumpkin pie
Make fried corn
Vacuum and dust
reclean bathrooms
Get out serving dishes
press tablecloths


Happy Sewing Day!!
(wish I could join you)
Nancy

Tackle it Thanksgiving ......

OK, it is Tuesday, but everything I did today was for Thanksgiving...

Went to the grocery store for the rest of the stuff for dinner, and decided to check out Walmart for the MP3 players I am getting two of the grandkids for Christmas. Walmart has the ILO MP3 players on sale Friday from 5am-11am for $34.87. I wanted to look at them before hand, cause you all know that you can't dilly dally on Black Friday about anything as it will be ripped from your hand before you can say Howdy Do!! Anyway.....they had the MP3 player already on the shelf, but no price listed. I asked the clerk to find the price for me and guess what it was?? yea, $34.87. So I bought them today and now I don't need to be there at 5am..YEA!!
Oh wait.. Oldest daughter just called. Um....seems she has been thinking and she now doesn't think her kids want MP3 players... UH OH!!! She found something else she wants them to have and will bring it Thursday and I will write her a check. In the meantime, I need to go BACK to Wal*mart and take these back. I should have just stayed home....

I did get some good stuff done today...
Windows washed
bathrooms cleaned
floors cleaned
sweet potatoes mashed for pie tomorrow
grocery shopping finished


Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

Best laid plans......

I really tried to get the pillow sham done yesterday. Instead I cleaned bathrooms, did laundry and went Thanksgiving Dinner grocery shopping. UGH..... I hate spending almost $100 on food for one dinner. Of course, there is always something you need that doesn't get eaten. My daughter told me I needed a bigger colander. I have a small wire basket kind that works really well for our 3 member family. Of course, this is what I attempt to use at Holidays and I always end up with cooked potatoes in the sink.LOL... So I bought a new colander yesterday and of course I can't find my meat thermometer so I needed a new one of those, and then I had to have the themed napkins....

Today is the surprise birthday party for a very dear friend of the family. It is her 80th birthday. Our families were very close neighbors and we have stayed very good friends through the years. Joe and Jean had kids the same year that my Mom and Dad were having kids. We still try to get together at least one year for lunch or dinner at Olive Garden. I hope she will be surprised today. She even has family coming in from California and I don't know if she even knows they are here.

Tomorrow is the baby shower in Kansas City. Mom and I will leave home at 8am to travel to my daughters house to pick up her and my granddaughter and then on to KC. Shower at 1pm and hope to be able to drive all the way back that evening....I will be so tired on Monday.... I made the t-shirts for Grace and Jackson. This will probably be the last item I do with my embroidery machine. I am thinking of selling it after Christmas. I don't use it and if someone asks me or I volunteer to do some monogramming I put it off as long as I can. I am doing more and more hand redwork and really enjoy it.

Any thoughts on that?? Do you have an embroidery machine? Do you still enjoy using it? Want to buy one?? he he

Happy Sewing Day!!
(I will be eating cake, lol)
Nancy

Thanksgiving Menu

I am a day ahead....I got my Thanksgiving Menu planned out last night during Surviver commercial breaks. I even have my grocery list ready.

Menu
Turkey breast
Beef roast
Mashed potatoes
Fried corn
Sugar carrots
Cranberry sauce
Rolls
Sweet Potato Pie

I think this menu will please everyone. DH and the rock guitarest don't eat Turkey, so will have Beef Roast. Of course, the rock guitarest doesn't eat beef roast and now that I look at the menu it looks like he will be eating rolls for dinner. Which is what he eats at Christmas dinner also. There are no holiday foods that the kid likes. I refuse to make pepperoni pizza or pasta for holiday dinners.

Has anyone else ever heard of fried corn?? This is a recipe that I married into. And no, you don't batter and deep fry each kernel (which is what I am always asked,lol) This is not a healthy heart recipe, but my son-in-law LOVES it and requests it every year...

Today I need to get the redwork pillow sham FINISHED!! Today is the last day I have open before the baby shower on Sunday.

********************

Fried Corn
1/2 lb bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn

Fry bacon til crisp, remove from pan and hide so no one eats it. Add the onion to the pan drippings and cook til translucent. Add the frozen corn all at once. Cook on Medium heat until corn is brown. Add the bacon (if it hasn't been stolen) and serve.

NOTE - When you add the frozen corn to the hot bacon drippings it will sieze up and make a mess. Just keep stirring it.

Recipe can be doubled.

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

Countdown to Thanksgiving.....

Thanksgiving is ONE WEEK AWAY!! I have invited 12 family members to Thanksgiving Dinner. Counting us, that means 15 people to feed and water....

Tomorrow starts the countdown......

Friday - Plan menu and make grocery list
Saturday - Suprise 80th birthday party for a very dear friend of my family
Sunday - Baby Shower for oldest daughter in Kansas City
Monday - Grocery shop and start the cleaning
Tuesday - Iron tablecloths, clean house thoroughly
Wednesday - Start cooking, set tables, get all serving dishes ready, reclean bathrooms and vacuum

THANKSGIVNG - Have a wonderful time with family and especially grandkids.
Maybe I can get all 4 of them to sit still for a few minutes to get some new photos.


What are your plans for Thanksgiving?? Are you cooking? Any good recipes?

And what happens the day after Thanksgiving?? BLACK FRIDAY SALES.... Yes, I am one of those crazy people that actually gets up at 5am and heads out to the discount stores with a list. I have been known to stand in lines, in the dark, in the cold outside of ToysRUs for a certain toy or game. I have waded 3 deep through Target to get that certain sweater or jeans. This year won't be any different. Immediately after dinner on Thanksgiving, I will sit down with the ads and make a list. This is the one thing that gets me in the Holday mood. No amount of decorations, toy commercials or eggnog can do what a good Black Friday shopping day can.

Sewing Update -

I finished the stitching on the Good Morning pillow sham last night while watching the premiere of the new season of "Project Runway". What a great start...love all the new designers. Ihave a favorite, but don't know the names yet so can't say who it is. The one that did the white and turquoise dress....previews show he is going to confess something on next weeks show.....

I still have 2 t-shirts to embroider for the baby shower on Sunday....

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Everything old is new again.....

I am probably the only person in the world that loves to iron. I own 5 or 6 vintage table cloths for everyday use and last year bought 3 vintage Christmas tablecloths for the Holidays. About 6 years ago my great DH built me a 22x60 ironing surface and mounted it on top of wire baskets for fabric storage. Nothing makes me happier (um...well some things make me happier, but I won't get into that here) than standing upstairs in the sewing room and pressing fabric, clothes and tableclothes.

Imagine my surprise when I found this at Wal*mart today. I have been looking for a new iron to use with my fusible applique. This one was very reasonable and looks just like the one my Mom used to use when I was growing up. I remember coming home from school and Mom would have her ironing board set up in the living room. The day before Mom would have sprinkled the shirts with water, rolled them up in a ball and stored them in the refrigerator. This was before permanent press and everything had to be ironed. All of our dresses for school, all of my Dad's shirts.

AH!!! The smell of freshly ironed clothes....

I am still working on the little redwork pillow sham for the baby shower on Sunday and now have two t-shirts to machine embroider. I found shirts for Grace and Jackson and will put "BIG SISTER" and BIG BROTHER" on them for the baby shower.

Gotta go and ice the cupcakes that just finished cooling.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Tackle it Tuesday

Yesterday I had such plans to get things going for the week. On my list was laundry, cleaners, and grocery store. I did not get any laundry done, I did not get to the cleaners, I did not get any errands done...Oh well, I did go to embroidery club and "tried" to learn needle punch. I really did try...more than once.... I have decided that needle punch is not for me... I don't enjoy it. I don't find it easy. I will be selling my hardly used Cameo needle punch tool. And my pattern I bought in Paducah...LOL

Today is Tackle it Tuesday. So far I have tackled the Post Office, the Cleaners and Wal-mart. At home I have tackled the laundry and bathrooms. I have dinner planned for tonight (baked chicken, baked potatoes, veggie) and tomorrow (tacos).

My latest project is still Winter Wonderland. I have 6 blocks finished and number 7 started. I also have a redwork GOOD MORNING pillow sham started. I need to finish that by Saturday night for the baby shower on Sunday. I am at least half way through the stitching. I will post a photo as soon as I can.

Ok, got to tackle the kitchen and the laundry folding...

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

Another Monday Morning....

Another Monday morning means I am doing the laundry, running errands, grocery shopping and this Monday is Tea Time Embroidery at my LQS Patches. www.patches3.com
This is the second class on needle punch and since I missed the first class, I need to really catch up. I have my pattern traced, but don't have any perle cotton so will have to stop at the Thread Shop next door first. I bought my needle punch and pattern early this year in Paducah during the quilt expo. I was drawn to the pattern because it is Red and White. We will see if I actually finish this.


As you can see from the bottom of my blog, my oldest daughter has less than 100 days before giving birth to my 5th grandchild. It has become pretty much expected that I will make a diaper bag for immediate family members that become pregnant. So far I have made 3 for family. Of course, this also extends to non family members(such as the sister of my second daughters hubby) and pregnant women at my DH work.... and that brings the total to about 10.....

This past weekend I finished all the parts to the diaper bag for my daughter. My Mom and I will drive to Kansas City Sunday for her shower. It is a new pattern I used for the first time. Called Bow Tucks Tote by www.quiltsillustrated.com I had to add a personal tissue holder and matching burp rag of course....




I promised directions for the little personal tissue holders so here you go.

You will need 4 pieces of fabric cut 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"
With WST press two of the pieces in half long ways.
Place the other two pieces of fabric WST.
Place the two pressed pieces on top with folded edges meeting in the middle.
Stitch 1/4 " seam around all 4 edges.
Turn and press.

WST = wrong sides together

These make wonderful gifts for any occasion. I made 33 for a baby shower I co-hosted for my niece. Everyone got to pick one as a Thank You for Coming...
Give one to the Mother-of-the-bride packed with tissues for the wedding.

I would love to see photos if you make some....

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

For Me Weekend....

Elizabeth over at http://elizabethssimplejourney.blogspot.com/ has been blogging on getting her house and life simplified. I have really enjoyed reading her posts. Then this morning Pat Sloan on her yahoo group challenged us to have a "For Me Project" this weekend.

SO.....I decided to combine the two and have just finished cleaning all the cupboards and drawers in my kitchen. I am hosting Christmas this year for my side of the family and if my cupboards and drawers are clean it will make it easier for my sisters to help me... Hopefully I will keep them straight for the next 6 weeks.

I also started a pot of homemade vegetable soup. I love vegetable soup and as you can see from the photo it is more veggie than soup....lol



I will be home tomorrow (Saturday) all by myself as DH will be hunting and the rock guitarist will be in someone else's garage jamming.... I guess I will sew and eat soup.

Happy Sewing Day....and I challenge you to do something for yourself this weekend.

Nancy

PS...I promised to upload directions/photos for the tissue pack and I will do that either later tonight or tomorrow. Need to make one and take photos still, LOL.

Hello, My name is Nancy......

and I have imaginary internet friends....

This is what my family calls the various members of my yahoo groups and blogs. Why do they think you are imaginary?? Just because they can't see you? Some blogs have photos of the owner, so I would recognize you in a crowd. My family has never met my quilt guild members, but they don't call them imaginary! Shoot, they haven't even met the two friends I sew with the first Tuesday of each month and they have never met Linda, who I talk to on the phone (and met over the internet)...

So lets break this down.....

Imaginary - the dictionary reads "existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied"

Now listen...I don't think my computer is typing these blogs and/or yahoo messages. Someone somewhere is generating those messages and blogs. These people are responding to other peoples messages. We are listening and reading and responding. We are helping, sharing, laughing and crying. This isn't imaginary...this is real....

Internet
Well I don't think any one reading this needs the definition of this word....HELLO!! you are reading this on the internet..enough said.

Friends
definition? A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement.

Another HELLO!! I know all of you, some better than others. I like you and trust (most of you!!LOL) We are comrades in the cause of sewing, stitching and blogging. We support each other (and our local LQS), we symphathize with each other and I would call us a group.

So There!! Today I am celebrating my "Imaginary Internet Friends".

Take a bow!!

I am celebrating by sewing all day today!!

How will you celebrate??

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Tackle it Tuesday to become.....

Work on it Wednesday....

Anne and I met at Miss Nancy's yesterday for Tackle it Tuesday. This is a regular first Tuesday of the month sewing get together. We are meant to bring our current project and actually achieve something. Never seems to happen... Yesterday I was there on time and Anne wasn't... (OK she was at the gym, she's a good girl, what more can I say..). This is the first time I have been to Miss Nancy's and I was shocked. First off, she has allowed her DH to completely decorate their living room AND dining room in St Louis Cardinal's paraphanalia...there are STLC hats, pins and even cabbage patch babies dressed in STL Cards baseball uniforms.... baseball bats, books and photographs. Balls, pins and more..... Now this is a NICE lady....I don't know anyone else personally that would allow this in their home...
Secondly, her house is the exact copy of mine. We have the same floor plan. I told Miss Nancy it was like a dream. You wake up and someone has completely redecorated your house... LOL

So I took my redwork with me to work on. I am making a new baby pillow that say's Good Morning for the new baby due in February. I am hoping to have it stitched and made into a pillow in the next two weeks as the Baby Shower is Nov 18th.

Miss Nancy and Anne were going to make Lazy Girl Wonder Wallets. The pattern calls for a velcro closure. When I make mine I use snaps and use a snap setter. I told them I would bring it for them to use. When I went to get it all together, I didn't have any of the regular snaps left, so off to the local discount store I went. I needed a few other items anyway... Of course they were out of the snaps I usually use, so I bought a package of Heavy Duty snaps. Now we are 3 fairly intelligent women, 2 of us are nurses and 1 of us has a teaching degree... We each read the directions for the snaps. There are 4 different pieces and 2 different setting tools.



If anyone knows which two parts go together and which way,and which setting tool to use on which part.... PLEASE email me...
We finally gave up after hammering each part to each of the other parts and ruining more fabric than you need to know about.

Today I am heading off to get fabric for this pattern. This will become the diaper bag that I was supposed to have done last week. After looking at that hot pink fabric again, I decided it just wasn't the right fabric... I did see the perfect fabric last week at my LQS, so am going back this morning for it. It is soft pink and green. Will post a photo of the finished bag tomorrow (or the next day).

Here is the pattern...


Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

My shopping finds...and todays project

Good Morning....I think??!! My inner clock is all off. When my kids were little I hated time change weekends. They would get up earlier and be crabby all day as their inner clocks were adjusting to the time change. This past weekend I finally figured out WHY... I was a mess. I got up at 6am on Saturday to help my daughter with her garage sale (she made a whopping $36, grrrr) and froze my tushy off. Got back home around 2pm and just kind of laid around the rest of the day. Couldn't even get dinner going for the family. We each made our own and I had Cheerios..
Yesterday wasn't much better. I woke up way too early, accomplished NOTHING all day and went to bed at 9pm. This morning I am still off. I was up at 5am and showered and dressed by 6am. I have decided to stick to a schedule today. Errands this morning and I get my gray hair colored. Then I will start AND FINISH a diaper bag for my daughters baby shower in two weeks. I have pulled these two fabrics from my stash.



As promised here are photos of my purchases last Friday.

From Homestead Hearth....

Pattern is Atkinson Designs Tic Tac Mo - These are for my two grandsons for NEXT Christmas.....


I can never resist Red and White FQ's -

These came from Stickey Wicket and the Singer Store -



So that's it for today...I hope my inner clock catches up with me today.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

The 3 quilters, the fabric and the tire......

Once upon a time there were 3 quilters who decided it would be a great idea to have a Road Trip. These 3 quilters picked a date and a time and a place....(ok, I picked the place, but they agreed).
So last Friday at 9am we met at a local Wal*Mart parking lot and took off down Hwy 70....well, after stopping at Panera Bread for coffee and tea and the local bank for cash...

First stop Homestead Hearth in Mexico... This is a big store with lots of new lights. I was in search of fabric for two quilts for grandson's for Christmas next year. Homestead Hearth carries a lot of plaids and that what I finally settled on.

I found two backgrounds (2 1/2 yards each) and 12 FQ's that will make the two quilts. My pattern is TicTacMo by Terri Atkinson Designs. I had all my material cut and ready to check out. I was so excited. I had a gift certificate that I have been hoarding forever. Perhaps TOO LONG!?!?!? After pulling it out of my purse and giving it to Delores, she announced that the GC had expired!!??!!! OH NO!!! I got this GC from hubby right before we moved. Homestead Hearth was my LQS and I loved shopping there. I didn't know that there was an expiration date. AND it turns out, it expired a YEAR AGO!!!! I was shocked and Delores was fabulous...she honored the GC. She didn't have to do that and I really appreciate it. THANKS HOMESTEAD HEARTH.... I know they don't read this blog, but they are great so go check them out on the web.... www.homesteadhearth.com


Miss Nancy bought some soup mixes and I don't remember if Anne bought anything there, I was still in shock about the GC.

It's now noon and I remember I left the phone in the car and had told my daughter to call me when she got out of class on Friday. I run to the car and find out that she has called 7 times and left one message. OH NO!! I quick call her back and we took off down the road to meet her and her friend for lunch. Guess what we ate....??
While in Mexico, eat MEXICAN!! YUM....we all had chicken fajitas.

Now back downtown to Sticky Wicket where we found a Friday FQ Sale... $1.69 each and buy 12 get one free.... YIPPEE!! Anne and Miss Nancy pooled theirs to get a free one (who gets custody of the freebie girls??) and I got two red/white FQ's for Christmas gift swap. Back in the car (well, really I brought the truck hoping we would REALLY SHOP). and off to the Singer Store. They carry more than just singer sewing machines. They have fabric, needlepunch, machine embroidery items and some Anchor floss. I found the perfect quilting stencil for a whole cloth quilt I want to do with redwork, and I am sure Miss Nancy and Anne found some goodies also, but can't remember what they were,LOL.

It's now 2pm and we better head home.. we do have families and we have hit all the quilt shops in town. One more to go to on the way home....

Got back on the Hwy heading east and ...what!! is that?? WOMP...WOMP...WOMP...WOMP...
I am in the left lane going 70 miles per hour and what is that NOISE!!???

I pull to the right lane and off to the shoulder. I open my door and get out to see the back tire on the truck is SHREDDED.... I blew out...I did not run over anything. The whole entire side wall blew out... The three of us get out and stand on the side of the road. I call emergency service on my cell phone and after many push 2...push 4... push 6....push 8....what is your problem... they are sending a tow truck to put on the spare. Before that gets there though a wonderful thing happens. A man stops his car and offers to change the tire for us... I am speachless, there are still good samaritans out there?? We were petrified for him as the tire was on the drivers side and that is the side that the cars, motor homes and 18 wheelers are wizzing by at 70 miles an hour. I called *55 and asked them to please send a patrol car to sit behind while he changes the tire so the patrol lights will warn traffic. He changed the tire, THEN the patrol car showed up and he refused any money... I am so grateful to him.. I didn't get his name, don't know where he was going, but if you know a nice gentleman that helped 3 quilters by changing a tire on Hwy 70 near Hwy AZ please thank him for us... We are forever in his debt.

By this time, we decide that the last quilt shop will have to wait for another day.



Anne and her purchases




Miss Nancy's goodies




The nasty tire....doesn't it look horrible??

We best part is we are all safe and sound and got some great fabrics and supplies.

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

PS. Wal*mart replaced the tire for free. I drove to my daughters the same night and helped her yesterday with her garage sale on Saturday. She made a whopping $36, and I came home with a bag of new novels and a new dirty clothes hamper....

BOO!

Don't you just love Halloween??

My favorite Halloween memories -

My Mom making Chili and getting to eat while watching my sisters and brother getting their costumes on.

Finally being old enough to Trick-r-Treat after dark without a parent.

Getting popcorn and candy from the police in the neighborhood patrol cars.

My Mom had two bowls of candy, one was cheap penny candy for kids she didn't know, the other was HUGE candy bars for our neighborhood friends.

Stealing the pillowcase off our bed to hold the candy.

Running from house to house in the dark, sometimes on a SCHOOL NIGHT!!

The kid next door dressed as a TV set and the boy up the street dressed as a GIRL!!

Coming back home 2 hours later with half a pillowcase of candy and then having our Dad go through and steal all the good stuff..

Whether you are the giver or getter of candy, have a great time tonight!!

I will be sitting on my porch handing out Twix, Hersheys, Milk Duds and Peanut M&M's. If you are in the neighborhood stop by!!

Happy Howling Day!!

Nancy

Another redwork project

I finished my tea towel last night while watching (listening) to TV. Seems I can't watch TV without my glasses and can't stitch with them, so I let DH have the remote and just listen mindlessly to what he chooses. Except on Monday night when I watch "Two and half Men" and "Journeyman". Tuesday when I watch "House", Wednesday it's "Private Practice", Thursday "Survivor", "Grays Anatomy" and "ER". Um....the rest of the time he gets the remote. LOL

Today is Tackle it Tuesday over on the RedworkStitchers yahoo group. I had told them last week I wanted to learn to use my Triangles on a roll... so that is today's project.

PS. The redwork stitchery is part of Pat Sloans free stitchery series. www.quiltershome.com

A ticket, A tasket.......

We took a Market basket.....to the "almost, kind of" local(as in an hour away) Farmers Market. Soulard Market is in downtown St Louis and has been there since 1779 (just like the sign says, which is where I got the date, lol). I hadn't been there since forever and after we moved back here we kept telling ourselves we must take the rock guitarest down there. Today was the day. We dragged (drug? not really) the rock guitarest out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6am on a Saturday morning. He wasn't really excited about going, but got his pillow and ipod and slumped into the back seat. We went by and got my sister and took off. After some backsseat (and front seat) driving, we finally arrived and found a parking place in a really not too bad parking lot right across the street. A metered parking lot to be exact, but beings as it is a Saturday, didn't have to feed the meter. Yea! more money for fruits and veggies...

Some great pictures of the Market.....

THE saleman of the day...

My sister's bounty...

A passle of pasta....

A few good tangerines picked out by my sister and my hubby...

Oh, BTW, did you notice the title?? A ticket!!A tasket....That isn't a typo..

When we got back to the truck, we found a parking ticket on the windshield. Apparently we were the ONLY ones that didn't know you have to feed the meter on Saturdays. Oh well, it is $10 well spent. We all had a great time and will return before Thanksgiving for more goodies...

Then we took off about 5 miles down the road to Cherokee Street which is a couple of blocks of renovated old row homes and antique stores. My sister took the rock guitarest to the corner coffee shop and hubby and I took off to some shops. Did a lot of looking, but no buying.

All in all a great Saturday!!

Happy Sewing Day...
Nancy

PS....The rock guitarest said the Farmers market was "way cool".

Presents from Down Under......

Yesterday's mail brought me two presents from Australia. The first was a postcard from a friend that is visiting her son there. Nancy P. tells me that she has walked through a rain forest, held a Koala and has loads to tell me when she gets back. I am so jealous and can't wait to see photos and hear all about it!!

The second was a package from Leanne at LeannesHouse. She just finished the most beautiful butterfly quilt and had a drawing for some of her leftover fabric. I was one of 4 winners. How exciting is that!! Here is what Leanne calls "scraps"!?!?
These wouldn't go into my scrap bucket!! Included was a card showing two of her new patterns (I AM buying that redwork sampler) and a note from her. See the complete quilt over on her blog. (link on the right sidebar). If anyone knows how to make "names" into hyperlinks, leave instructions in a comment. I can not figure out how to do that!!



Today's project is some more of those calendar covers. Dinner out tonight to celebrate the "rock guitars" GREAT report card and tomorrow is another day.....

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

Sneak Peak Revealed

This is the little project I was working on the other day. It covers one of those hideous Dollar Store calendars. The little redwork stitchery pattern came from a Japanese Craft book that I found on ebay and HAD to have.



I will be making more of these calendar covers for some Christmas presents. I think there are some family members that would use them...

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy