Long Weekend!

Miss Millie approves of the latest afghan I finished. It's shades of green with cream, so it goes very well with the family room colors, and co-ordinates well with Miss Millie.
We had a snow day on Wednesday! We got about 6 inches, and the roads were a mess Wednesday morning. It was the first, and I hope the last snow day this school year.
It's nice to have an unplanned day off, but we have to make it up in June. We're already up til June 20 before we get out. The problem is, the kids are "done" after Memorial Day. We can hold school, but we can't make them learn!
It's been a while since I've done a quilt on the HQ16. I did this one a couple of months ago. The room formerly known as the living room is now the HQ room. It gets plenty of natural light.
You get it all set up, then it's kind of like drawing. Sewing on a regular sewing machine is like drawing, but moving the paper instead of the pen. With the mid-arms and long-arms, you draw by moving the needle, or "pen". It's a lot of fun when all is going well.
I was doing a meander all over. I have groovy boards and pantos, but I like the look of a meander.
Just loops all over.
This the needle area when there is no quilt loaded. Last year my goal was to quilt all my flimsies (quilt tops that haven't been quilted). The Fates laughed, I got really sick, and didn't do any. Hopefully this year will be better.

Ralph is at Frank and Charlotte's, Mom-sitting while they go out. Mom Florence can't be left alone- she's got residual forgetfulness from the stroke. She's doing much better since she's out of rehab, and she and Sheba are so happy to be reunited!

We're off tomorrow for MLK. I wonder how the man would feel knowing his birthday has become a day off? I wonder if he, along with Lincoln and Washington, would rather the children be in school learning about them? Lou shares MLK's actual birthday, so I always remember Lou's birthday.

I'm reading "Night Vision" by Paul Levine on the Nook. He writes a series about Jake Lassiter, Miami lawyer and former football player. It's an interesting series, mysteries of course.

I have enough soft yarn left for one more baby afghan, so I started that last night. I'm trying to not buy any yarn, except for the fun fur that I need to make a couple more scarves. They go fast, and I like the fuzzy look.

Manda and Ben fly in to NC this week to visit Heather and Ed and Eddie and Julianna. They haven't seen each other since Manda and Ben's wedding, so they have a lot to catch up on. Between talking, the Wii, the trampoline, and the ATV's, they should be busy without ever leaving the property!

Manda had sent me a recipe that I tried last night. Deli turkey, tomato, and a topping made from mayo, yogurt, and shredding cheese, grilled on wheat bread. It was really good, and goes in the keeper file!

And the beat goes on!
Holly

A New Look!

I'm having one of those nights/early mornings when I can't sleep, so of course I'm on the computer. I've been thinking for a while that the plain pink borders to my blog are boring, especially compared to other blogs I've seen.

Blogger made it so easy to change the look! I love it- a new look for a new year!

I spent some time on Calibre last night organizing the books I've downloaded for my Nook. Like Manda, I've put a lot of books on the Nook that I had actual copies of, which I can now pass on. Right now I'm reading The Cat, The Professor and The Poison by Leann Sweeney on the Nook. I started a library book called Holiday Affair by Lisa Plumley, but that's going back unfinished.

Today is the big moving day for Mom Florence- she goes from rehab to Frank and Charlotte's house, where Sheba will join her. Poor Mom thought yesterday was Saturday, and was all ready to be sprung from rehab. I can sympathize- I spent so much of April and May in the hospital, and it's awful. No matter how kind the staff is, no matter how many visitors you have, it gets to the point where you just want out!

Yesterday morning it snowed. Not a lot, but enough to make the side streets slippery. We had to hold the kids in the cafeteria until all the staff could get to work. Luckily the snow stopped by noon, and by dismissal the roads were fine.

Ralph and I gave each other a Keurig for Christmas, and I bought a variety of teas and coffees. I've been drinking lemon blueberry herbal tea, and it's so good! I have to order some decaf for Ralph- some of those coffees are really high caffeine!

Gas is now $2.93 a gallon! Heather said it's higher in NC, plus in NC you have to pump it yourself! I never realized how great it is to have someone pump your gas til I travelled.

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Three King's Day

We are off work today because it's Three King's Day, which is a big holiday in some hispanic countries, and our district has a lot of hispanics. Ironicially, I'm never found a kid yet who knows what Three King's Day is, or who celebrates it. It's a bonus day off for us.

So I've already been to the lab and had bloodwork drawn, after I slept in for an hour. I have to go to the grocery store for a few things. Snow is predicted for tonight into tomorrow, so the store will be filled with people buying bread and milk.

January 4 was a day of anniversaries. It was Ed and Heather's 9th wedding anniversary. How fast that time has gone! It was also the 6th anniversary of Ralph's Dad Rocco's dying. R.I.P. Rocco.

Mom Florence is scheduled to be discharged from rehab on Saturday, to Frank and Charlotte's house. She's using a walker with supervision, and a wheelchair.

We have some birthdays this month. Lou will be 80 something on January 15. Later in the month Zachary will be 10- how can that be? His dad Jimmy will be a little older than that a few days later.

My girlfriend Linda would have turned 58 on the 29th. I attended her funeral last year in January when she died entirely too young. This has been a rough year for her daughter Megan.

I love Facebook. Because of Facebook I'm now in contact with my Aunt Diane, the widow of my Uncle John, and my friend Doris, who was my maid of honor. I keep track of some of my cousins, including one who I haven't seen in about 30 years and who now lives in Idaho. Steph says I stalk her on Facebook, which isn't true.

I just finished The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse on my Nook. It's a cozy written by Leanne Sweeney, who is also on DorothyL. I'm starting another one by her called The Cat, The Professor and The Poison. I've got over 500 books on my Nook!

I finished another granny stripe afghan last night. This one is in shades of green, and I love it. It may take up residence on the coach with the quilt that my internet group made me.

And now I really have to go to Perks!

Holly

January 2, 2011

I'm going backward in time, posting pictures from Thanksgiving. Mom and Manda were very intently looking at proofs of the wedding pictures on my laptop. We were at Mike and Donna's house. Manda and Ben used up most of their vacation time getting married and honeymooning, so they spent the long weekend of Thanksgiving with us, then went to Omaha and spent a long weekend in December. They were in Nebraska for Becca's college graduation and then did "Christmas" with the Briles. They spent the actual Christmas in Houston, and Kyle and Danielle went to visit them the week after, and spent New Year's Eve with them.
Ralph and Ben chatted while waiting for dinner to be served. Ben looks really different without the long hair- his hair is so curly!
Wild turkeys were in the backyard! Sometimes the yard is just covered with them. They keep a bunch of pairs of binoculars in order to wildlife watch.
Ralph and Mikey got to visit. Mikey is so good about taking Mom to doctor's appointments and shopping- he and Steph both do a lot for their grandmother.
Joseph's birthday is always Thanksgiving week. He turned 24 and couldn't believe how old he's getting. He's a busy guy with college and working, but always finds time to visit his grandmom. Taylor also works and goes to school, so they are a busy couple.
And Jake! I can't believe he's 10! Jake and Eddie have very similar personalities- very sweet kids, and kind to others.
Mikey and Grandmom enjoying each others company.
Steph brought a tofu-turkey with her. Some of us were brave enough to taste it. She's been a vegan for quite a while now, and says it makes her feel so good. She just finished her first semester of grad school at St. Joe's in Philly, and got all A's! In Addition to working full time, and sharing her life with Whiskey and Toast.
Poor Xena, the Warrior Princess. She was kind of creaky from arthritis, and she died the following week at 13. She will be sadly missed.
Dessert! Pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie, Joseph's Trifle, and coconut cream pie!
When I posted the Christmas pix, I missed posting one of Julianna and Eddie in her Dora jeep that Santa brought. She played in it for about an hour before she realized that it had a battery and she could drive it outside!

Christmas break is almost over- I go back to work tomorrow. Mom Florence was having a good day yesterday, and asked for an Italian Hoagie for lunch today. Ralph went off to feed Sheba and go to the Gallery for the hoagie, then off to lunch at rehab with her.

Ben called on New Year's Eve day to tell me that they were in Galveston, and there was a Rita's Water Ice there! Before then, the closest one to Houston was in Florida, so they are really excited. I see a lot of trips to Galveston in their future, luckily it isn't too far! And it's open all year!

I spent some time yesterday tidying up in the sewing room. It was a total disaster, since it was also wrapping central. I've been catching up on shows that I DVR'd- I watched all the Blue Bloods and Hawaii 50's, and I've started on the Glee's. I crochet while I watch, so I don't feel like I'm just wasting time.

I also downloaded a whole bunch of books to my Nook. I'm getting seriously addicted to reading on the Nook.

Here's hoping that 2011 will be kinder to us than 2010 was.

Holly

It's just another New Year's Eve

We celebrated Thanksmas at Stephanie's, two days after Thanksgiving. Manda and Ben couldn't come for Christmas, so we improvised. We already knew that Ed, Heather and the kids couldn't come up in December.
Our newlyweds- Ben was doing his surprised face.
Steph and Whiskey were ready for presents! Steph made us a wonderful meal of pasta, salad, pineapple stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Manda, Toast and I cuddled on the couch.
I wanted to try to make a crocheted poncho. Steph modeled it for me, and decided it would keep her warm at work.
Ralph, Steph, Toast, Whiskey and I drove to NC on Christmas Eve Day. After dinner, the kids were allowed to open some gifts. My Mom gave Julianna the Hallmark dog, which she named Jingle Bell.
I crocheted her a scarf with fun fur. The children loved all their gifts. Christmas night Heather had to go to work, so everyone tried out the Wii. During the night it started to snow, and we got about 5 inches.
Eddie and Julie played on Eddie's new trampoline, even in the snow. The dogs weren't crazy about the snow!
It sure looked pretty!
Ed and Heather have a nice view from their deck! By Monday the roads were totally dry, and the snow was mostly gone by the time we left for home on Tuesday. It was supposed to be a 9-10 hour trip, and ended up being a 12 hour trip! General slowness on 95, then a standstill near Philly airport with all the crazy football fans clogging up the road, so they could go sit in the snow and watch the game.

It was a fun trip. Next year we hope to get the family in the same place at the same time to do Christmas. The date will depend on Heather's work schedule.

Mom Florence is still in Rehab. She's had a series of small strokes which has left her very forgetful. She'll be discharged to Frank and Charlotte's next week sometime, if she's physically ready. They're also taking Mom's cat Sheba. Sheba is at Mom's house right now, and is so lonely!

While we were in NC, we took Heather out to lunch to celebrate her birthday, which was December 29. We also did some post-Christmas shopping for bargains!

I took the Nook with me on the trip, so I could do a little reading. In December I read 12 books, which brings the total for 2010 to 150 books.

We're having a quiet New Year's Eve. We had a nice dinner of ravioli, salad, and garlic bread. Today I cleaned up the desk and the computer desk. What a bunch of junk I had! I filled up a trash can!

I've pretty much given up on New Year's resolutions. I would like to get back to sewing and quilting- this year has been a bust for those.

Goodbye 2010, and Welcome to 2011! I'm hoping for good things from 2011!

Holly

December 16!

How did that happen? December is flying by, and I can't keep up! Mom, who watches the news, tells me that we have a chance of snow later today. It's sure cold enough, we've been living in a deep freeze for days now. 18 degrees in the morning is hard to deal with!

Mom Florence had a stroke Monday night at rehab. Her speech got slurred, so rehab called Ralph and he went down, as did Charlotte. By Tuesday her speech had cleared, and they plan to move her back to rehab today.

Xena, The Warrior Princess Hound, died the week after Thanksgiving. She was 13, which was old for a Blue Tick Hound. Mike and his family were heartbroken. Big Mike felt the best way to honor her life was to start the life cycle again, with a puppy. So now Abby, a 10 week old dobe puppy, is the new member of their family. She's driving them all crazy, in a good way. She barks at her reflection in the sliding glass door, she chews shoelaces- she's a puppy.

Barbara came over with a twin sized quilt for her granddaughter and quilted it on my HQ16. We're getting better at loading, we got it right the first time. I finished the poncho I was crocheting, and now I'm making Eddie a scarf from Lion Brand Homespun. It's textured, and awful to work with! I'm glad I only got one skein, and I'll never buy it again.

I just finished The Reversal by Michael Connelly on the Nook, and I'm reading Painted Ladies by Robert Parker- the latest and possibly last Spenser.

Steph and Kate went on the Ski Club trip to Stowe last weekend, and we dog sat the herd. They were really good. Whiskey goes out, does his thing, and will come right back in. Toast wants to wander around, no matter how cold it is. Ben and Manda leave tonight for Omaha, to see Becca graduate from college and to do Christmas with his family. Then they'll do Christmas in Houston, and in January they're going to visit Heather and Ed and the kids.

We're going to NC for Christmas, weather permitting. It'll be a short visit, because Steph has to be back to work the next Tuesday. Julianna is convinced that Heather has a direct line to Santa, and can call Julie's order in anytime.

And I have to get dressed and go out in the cold and go to work!
The beat goes on!

Holly

It's December!

Wow, it's December already! It's true, the older you get, the faster the years whiz by.
We have December birthdays- Ed is on the 8th, David the 19th, and Kamee the 23rd, and Heather the 29th. Megan's is also around the 23rd, but I'm not sure of the exact date.

I only read 8 books in November, one of which was on the Nook, and the others from the library. I finished Kate's afghan, and am working on a poncho. The poncho might be for Manda, or it might stay here- I haven't decided yet.

I got the bulk of the Christmas shopping done. Heather and Ed want a Wii, Manda and Ben got tickets for TSO, and Steph got a ski trip. Eddie, Julie and Jake are getting various things.

Thanksmas was lovely, tho neither grandmother was able to attend. Mom Florence is in subacute rehab, and Mom Mary Jane wasn't feeling up to it. Steph made a salad with field greens, apples, cranberries and a vinigerette dressing that was fabulous! Stuffed shells, roasted veggies, pineapple stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Really good! We listened to Christmas carols, visited, and exchanged some gifts. A very nice day, after which Ralph and I went home, the they met up with friends and saw Harry Potter. It was hard to put Manda and Ben on a plane the next day.

Last night was a cookie-less Cookie Swap. We went to Franny's, and Jake cooked for us! Salad, lasagna, meatballs and sausage, and pumpkin roll and doughnuts. Carol knitted us each a skinny scarf of fun fur, and we had fun choosing which one we wanted. Franny got us each an ornament in the shape of our initial. We caught up on each others lives, and had a nice evening.

I've done some mending, but no creating on the sewing machine. I'll be 7 months postop on Monday, and I'm pretty much back to myself. I tire easier, and my hair is awful. I consulted the Cookie Swappers, and we decided I need some layers, so I'll get to the hairdresser and get that done.

I'm reading The Reversal by Michael Connelly on the Nook, and Audition by Barbara Walters from the library. When I talked to Manda yesterday to remind her about Free Book Friday at Barnes & Noble, she said how she loves her Nook, and didn't know she needed one til she got it. That's good to hear, because I wasn't sure how much she'd like it.

Next weekend is Steph's Ski Club trip to Stowe, so the grand-dogs will be here. I hope it's not too cold when they visit.

And the beat goes on!
Holly