Celebrate!

10

10

10

I have officially lost TEN BIG pounds!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!!

HALLELUJAH!!!

And maybe even 11. ;o)

Pain Management

Mama had a doctor's appointment Friday. Remember, she can't take the 'good' pain killers. And she is very frugal with what the doctor does prescribe - as far as pain meds go. She takes everything else the way she's supposed to.

Pain meds though. If the directions are four a day, she'll take two and maybe three if it's a bad day. She's been trying another pain med that seems to be working better. The doctor told her to take them as prescribed and he upped the dosage. Instead of four pills a day...she's to take one every four hours. To keep the level of pain more manageable. He also mentioned that that particular med has a time release formula...it's a once a day pill. She's going to check with the pharmacist about the cost.

She's hit the 'donut hole' and has to pay 100% for her meds until the end of the year.

He also asked her if she'd wear a brace. She kinda hummed-hawed a bit and I looked at her. Anything to not have a surgery that is only iffy about relieving the pain. Helloooo....

She wore it to the car. When I stopped at Hobby Lobby, she stayed in the car...and took it off. Said it was uncomfortable just sitting.

Sunday when we picked her up for church, she said that she had it on while she washed dishes and was able to complete them at one time and not have to go back and finish them. (Dishes are one of the things she insists on doing herself...while she still can.)

I know that several of you have her in your thoughts, best wishes, and prayers. Thank you!

Baptism Sunday

Meet the other brother. December 14, 1954. Billy when he was little. Billy Joe when he started school and there were two Billys in his class. Ooops! Where did this come from? Yes...there's a story. I think I've blogged about it before. BJ when his first child, a boy was born, and also named Billy. He was baptized today. I had my camera with me and didn't think about whupping it out in church. I hugged him afterwards and told him that it had been a long time since he'd made me cry. This time...it was a good cry. Mama, Sam and I went to his church today. Along with his friends, we filled two pews. Later, we went to Mt. Pleasant to eat.

I finished my newest purse after I got home this afternoon. You know, this dieting and exercising is just not dropping the pounds like I thought it would. BFF Earlene said that muscle weighs more than fat. Sigh. I'm into month #3 and can't for sure tell you that I've lost ten pounds yet. I thought I had. One day last week, after getting off the scales, I was grinning from ear to ear. Must've been a low water retention day because it hasn't happened again. MOF this morning I started to throw the scales out the bathroom window...and that would've been a tragedy, but they are double paned fixed windows. They do not raise or lower. Pffffftttt. And I guarantee it's not because of the chocolate. I bought this bar before the quilting retreat where the tree limb fell on my car. Finished the last square a few minutes ago. Here's something to make me feel better. I think it's working!! ;o)

Silver

The side benefits of helping Mama, in addition to the unconditional love she's shown me all of my life...even those two-seconds (hahaha) of teenage rebellion... I brought them home yesterday and polished them today. I know the scalloped spoon is a sugar shell (sugar spoon). But that pretty spoon with the cutwork design. I've got to do a little investigating. Anyone have an idea? Found it! eBay has one up for bid right now. They don't know what it is either...just calling it a spoon. It's going cheap...only $2.95 with $2.85 postage. No bids yet. http://cgi.ebay.com/NATIONAL-DOUBLE-TESTED-SILVERPLATE-SPOON-6-/220663323182?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item33608f1a2e

On the other end of the spectrum, I found it here http://www.goantiques.com/detail,vintage-silverplate-berry,1121795.html
for $38.50!!! What a difference in prices!! This site identifies it as a berry spoon.

Then there's this dresser piece. Isn't it just gorgeous and unique?! I have Sam's Aunt Joyce's deco hand mirror. They don't match...but they will compliment each other just fine. Found a photo of it.

None of the items are sterling silver...just silverplate...

Sigh

I thought I was going to have to do a head thump...several times. Mama mentioned hiring someone to clean her floors. I said, "No! I'll be over and do them for you." Sigh.

You will notice that I have not mentioned that four letter word that is longer than four letters...exercise...in a week or so. Due to the quilt retreat in which my 4-Runner had a problem with a tree, then dealing with getting the 4-Runner to the body shop, and lining up a rental...I had not been to the gym but once in ten days. I made it yesterday only to find that I've got to build back up to the 20 minutes on the elliptical. Yesterday I made only 10 minutes on the elliptical, did the arm weight machines, and the full 20 minutes on the exercise bike.

I've decided that I will go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Tuesdays are dedicated to Mama. Thursdays to the library and running errands.

Today was the first Tuesday. I changed her sheets...we've got that down pat. Then, she proceeded to tell me how to mop the floor!! **head thump**

Here's the mop.
I can get it Mama, go sit down.
Here's the bucket.
I can get it Mama, go sit down.
Let me move that.
**head thump** No. You go sit down.
Just put that over there.
Okay. Go sit down.
Don't fill the bucket but half full.
**head thump** Yes, ma'am.
Did the water get hot?
Yes.
Oh. I don't pour the cleaner in the bucket.
I do.
She went to the living room to sit down.
And continued to talk...even though I couldn't hear her.
**head thump**

And that's how it went.

Oh, and how I love her!

Flowers and Bushes

Even though it's hot and dry, I still have color in my planting beds out front. I pulled a few of these "weeds" before I realized what they were. I have black sunflower seeds in the bird feeder. This one survived. And it has three more buds ready to open! Here's my Coxcomb (Celosia). My azaleas on one side are so pretty and green. Then...there's these... What is going on here? The 'best' one of these three...and the word 'best' is subjective compared to not the worst...is now turning yellow. I need to soak the ground, then pour on the iron soil acidizer stuff. It won't be today. That half dead azalea is a replacement. So...if all three of these die, I want to dig the soil out and replace it. Sam dug out the red clay and brought soil from the back of the property to build the beds. No telling what the previous owners may have dumped back there...

Top 5 Ugly Vehicles

LOL Kar started the list...starting with those boxy looking automobiles. I don't know if they are cars, minivans, SUVs, or what. So my 2010 Top 5 Ugly Vehicles are those ugly shoe boxes on wheels.

In no particular order.
Honda Element
Kia Soul
Scion xB
Nissan Cube
Dodge Nitro
et al

P.S.
No relatives' feelings were harmed with the posting of this opinion. ;o)

Five Ugliest Vehicles in USA

Way back when...about 2000 or 2001 or so, I had a list of what I thought were the Five Ugliest Vehicles on the Road. I thought about it Thursday on my way back from the car rental business the other day. And I had to laugh out loud.
1. Pontiac Aztec - I thought this was butt ugly. Then I saw the front and my suspicion was confirmed. This was one uuugleee (pronounced you-glee) car!

2. GM Avalanche - This made my list because it was and still is just one stupid idea.

3. Ford Focus - Just not a pretty car

4. Brown Ford Focus - If I thought any other color was bad, the brown Ford Focus looked like a dog turd on wheels. (So sorry, kinda, if I hurt anyone's sensibilities. Nor do I want to slander any dog's doo by comparing it with a Ford Focus.)

5. I can't believe I forgot car #5. I also can't believe that I remember numbers 1 - 4.

By the time you've read this far, I'm sure you've got it figured out. I am just sooooo glad that #1 There's been a body change and #2 It's not brown!
I would make a new list of 2010 ugly vehicles, but I'm afraid that there's a relative or two that I might offend. ;o)

Further Escapades

From the quilt retreat...
Jean/Jayardi's Show 'n' Tell Jayardi put made this top pretty much from beginning to end.

Jayardi also tats! I thought this was needle tatting, but she corrected me. She shuttle tats like first hubby's grandmother did. This is one needlework art I have not tackled...yet.

LisaTX made a dress for one of her daughters, a matching dress for a doll, and a fairy skirt. ;o) She hung this yo-yo quilt for Show 'n' Tell.

I machine quilted a table runner.

Got the binding on it at home.

Kathy/Shawkl taught a lace dying class...furnishing the dyes and the laces! I've got to find my MIA CQ blocks...they are in a really, REALLY safe place. eyeroll

Visit http://www.shawkldesigns.com/.

I also assembled 2 1/2 Grandmother Flower Garden blocks...completing the third block yesterday.

I am doing the English Paper Piecing method. Long story short...here's how I do it.

I cut butcher paper (the paper with one coated side) to fit my printer. Then I put it under my cutting mat to flatter and take the roll out. After a while, I print off pages of hexagons. The most tedious part is cutting the hexes apart. Using a paper punch, I punch a hole for easier removal after the stitching.

Press a piece of fabric. Arrange the individual hexagons on the wrong side of the fabric, coated side down. You want the paper to stick to the fabric...not your iron! ;o( Make sure to leave enough room around the hexes for the seam allowance. Cut about 1/4" from the hexagon. This does not have to be precise.
Take some waste thread...thread from old projects. I'm probably doing a no-no because I'm using poly/cotton blends from my garment making days. Getting rid of that stuff. This stitching is not structural...so no biggie. Finger press the fabric over the edge of the paper on two sides making a tuck. Tack the tuck with a couple of stitches. Don't tie off, knot, or break the thread, just fold the fabric and move along to the next 'corner.' At the final tuck, take an extra stitch. Clip thread.

Start with the center...add a second patch face to face. Whipstitch the edges. Build around, then add the next row. Once a hex patch is completely surrounded, you can remove those paper templates and reuse them.

I added my three new blocks to my GFG stack. I think I counted 22.

The 4-Runner is at a body shop in Sherman. I pretty much stripped the inside of all personal stuff. Except this morning I realized that I'd left my spare office key and another incidental set in a small cubby hole. Sigh.

We should hear the verdict in a day or two.

Couldn't get a rental car yesterday, so hope to get one today. I'm in Sam's pickup. As long as it doesn't rain, he'll be okay on his Harley. My insurance will not fully cover the cost of the rental. I'm hoping the property owner's insurance will pick up the balance.

EventFUL Weekend

Had a great time at a quilt retreat in Tomball Texas. We ate really, really good food! We furnished our own food and drinks. Don't you think THAT was a GREAT idea?!We furnished our own projects. Shared tips, hints, and how-tos.

I think this is Susan's/~~TX~~Wildflower...Got to bed at horribly late times...or early depending on whether you consider it "last night" or "this morning." ;o) This is Carol/Needlecrazy's...Worked up a tutorial on a sewing implement caddy (the red/white caddy was given to me last year by Wenonah/Jackie). The base is a photo frame. Mine is one of those acrylic frames. The Friday shoppers found five similar frames but they were metal. A tutorial has been worked up. Once it has been edited and perfected, it will be shared (with Wenonah's blessings). WillQuiltForChocolate/Jill made the Jack-O-Lantern caddy. We took loads of photos for the tutorial.Then...the tree limb broke Saturday evening. And fell...30-40 feet...see that naked limb sticking almost straight up on the left side near the top center of the photo? The limb was just below that. The leaves are green...not dead! Quite a bit of damage. To MY 4-Runner!! I'm insured...the tree owner is insured. No traffic accident. No one injured. No livestock killed. (I hit a bull in the middle of the highway one dark night in 1995 so had to put in that disclaimer.)Margarita time! Quilters autographing my car. "What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin." "Quilter aboard." "Quilters use duct tape too." "P.S. The light does not work." LOLHere we are. From Wisconsin, Alabama, and Texas. (The lone man is Tom Russell. A quilt artist who shared his newest projects with us Saturday evening.)

The trip home was almost uneventful. The car handled just fine. I was on interstate only 10 or so miles. State highways the rest of the time. With no left brake/signal light (BUT the brake light bar on the 'spoiler' over the rear window...what was once the rear window...did work), I was very careful about lane changes and left hand turns...remembering the old-timey hand signals that I learned when I started driving a 1951 Chevy 2-door coupe when I was 16 years old. I'd roll the window down and stick my arm out to signal left hand turns and lane changes. Of course, the younger drivers had no idea what I was doing!!

Coming into Henderson from the south, a little black car with a light bar on top pulled right up to my bumper. I had my fingertips on the turn signal lever to start the right hand pullover. As 259 merged with the Jacksonville highway, I made my turn and stayed in the right-hand lane. A car coming from Jacksonville whipped right behind me...and in front of the trooper. He/she crossed a thick solid white line...which is illegal in Texas. (Well, sorta illegal: http://www.texashighwayman.com/laws.shtml )

I saw the bubble gum lights come on and watched as the little white car pulled off the road. With the trooper right behind it! YES!!!

I think that the trooper probably pulled so close to my bumper so that he could read the inscriptions written on the plastic!