September is ending!

It was hot, hot, hot, and suddenly it was cool! It's so nice to sleep with the windows open and being snuggled under a quilt!

Steph was here for a few days after being in meetings. She helped Heather out at a craft fair in Clementon before flying home. It was great to see her! She spend one night here, then relocated to Heather's for some sister time.

September was also Ralph and Eddie's birthdays. How did Eddie get to be 15 already! I only have about a quarter inch on him now!

Winter Impressions is moving right along! I stress cross stitch!

It's deja vu all over again. The replacement cabinets have arrived. I had enough of getting no info from Lowe's, so I made a time line based on my notes and texts. I contacted the store mgr, who referred me to the sales mgr. who's name is Ed. I faxed Ed my time line, and he has shared it with Lowe's management. As of Friday, it was 7 weeks since the original start date for the project, and it's no where near done. I'm totally out of patience. Every time the ball has been dropped, it's been by Lowe's. The contractor can't do the job without materials! I'm tired of having my kitchen stuff strewn all over the house! I'm tired of not cooking! It's fall, and I want to make soup! 

Now the flooring is in and the replacement cabinets are here, we'll see how this week goes.


 

Moving right along!

Time flies when you're retired! We had all the family in for a visit. The girls gave Ralph a 70th birthday party at Heather's, and it was wonderful!

 I didn't take pictures, I was busy socializing! There was immediate family, and friends of his. It wasn't a surprise, as he hates surprises. Steph and Dan were in for a few days, and Manda and Ben and the kids were in for almost a week.

Amary and Garrett had a blast in the pool, the boat, the beach, the petting zoo, and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Of course Amary had to have blue water ice! We went out to the diner for a final lunch before they left.

The kitchen is now blue, and looks good! We have issues, though. The linoleum got ripped during installation, so it's being replaced by Lowe's, and that should come in this week. The corner cabinets were ordered at corner cabinets, and should have been ordered as lazy susans. We're missing the top left cabinet, because the original contractor measured wrong, and a too big one was sent. There's a split in one of the base cabinets, and the foreman doesn't like the drawer on the thin cabinet for cookie sheets. So they are all being replaced. I just spoke to the cabinet company, and the new ones will leave the plant on September 24, and will arrive here a few days later. Sigh. 

I started this on August 9. 

This is as of yesterday morning! The people and sled and horses are done in regular cross stitch. The background snow, trees, and building are done with 3 strands and are half  cross stitch, so it goes a lot faster! I'm already planning to use that technique on other projects. I love how it's coming out, and I'm only slightly obsessed with it.

We're getting a lot of rain from Hurricane Florence! We went from 90's and muggy to 50's and dreary overnight! I had to put  socks on for the first time in months!

And that's how it is in my little corner.
 



 

Wow! I missed July!

Somehow I never got around to posting in July! It was hot, hot, hot, and I felt lousy a lot of it. We finally went and saw the NP, and she suggested clariton and nasal allergy spray. Because of the awful weather, even people who don't have seasonal allergies are having issues. She was spot on, I took a dose of each and my head felt clearer than it had in a month! 

My temperature afghan was a good size, so I stopped it on June 30. I didn't want it to be so big that it was unmanageable.

In July, I made Manda and Ben a cross stitch bear! It looks very PacNW to me, and she calls her yarn Dyer Bear, and he calls his mead and wine Dire Bear, so it's appropriate. After seeing it, Dan and Steph requested a moose.

I just finished him last week, and they'll collect him when they come to visit.

Kitchen remodel. It was supposed to start last Friday, sigh. Contractor decided he can't do it til October! We're going thru Lowe's, so he no longer is one of their contractors, they fired him. They are looking for another contractor for me to start ASAP. I've made it clear that I expect compensation for the days when it hasn't started! My kitchen stuff is spread thru the house, and it's migrating back to the kitchen as we need it. What a PIA!

My new project! This one may be for me!
 
 

 

Two Years!

Two years ago this week I retired! Best thing ever! The longer I'm away, the less I miss it. There are so many fun things to do. And being out and about during the day is so great, no traffic, no crowds.

Minted Macaroon is now done and claimed! Steph will be using it in her living room.

Northern Lights is done, and I made a small granny from the leftover.

Temperature afghan and scarf are coming along. The afghan is already a good size, so it's going to be a 6 month afghan instead of a year afghan. I may do another for July- December, I haven't decided yet.

My new kitchen is ordered and paid for! It'll take 3-4 week for the cabinets to come in, then construction can start. We're doing it thru Lowe's, and they wrangle the contractor. Heather and Steph helped pick out the flooring and countertop. I was back and forth, and finally went with quartz for the countertop. Steph has it, and I like it the most. Granite is OK, but not my favorite. I almost went with Lowe's brand of corion, but went with my instinct and got the quartz. 
We've also ordered new air conditioning. Ours works, but it's 27 years old, so it's just a matter of time. 

I'm watching Acorn TV thru Amazon channel. It's all British shows, and so far I like it a lot. It'll be good for the summer.


 

May is ending!

The borough is extending the water line down the street past my house in anticipation of the the street being redone. So they are outside my house making a lot of noise!

I happened to look out the kitchen window and this is what I saw! Lucy, being silly!

Bobbie, Daisy and Lucy in what we call the Penthouse. They are our feral ladies, and the Penthouse is on top of their heated houses. They are spayed and have had their shots. I'd like to eventually invite them in.

Sly checking out my progress!

Temperature afghan, up to date!

Temperature scarf, also up to date!

My beautiful great niece graduated college! She's here with her Dad Kevin, and grandparents Frank and Charlotte. We're all so proud of her!

Lunch at the diner! 

Ralph and I just had our 46th wedding anniversary! It sounds like forever, but went by in the blink of an eye. 
 




 
 

It's done and over with

The buyers signed the papers Friday, and the house that I grew up in is no longer in our family. I'm sad and relieved, and it's totally surreal. This weekend being the first Mother's Day since Mom died doesn't help. Hopefully the new owners will love the house and make great memories there.

My camera and google weren't communicating, so I couldn't post the weekly pix here til now!

Minted Macaroon, which insists on photographing as blue, when it's blues and greens. 

Temperature afghan, looking good!

Temperature scarf, as long as the ottoman!

Northern Lights. I actually stopped working on the first three after I took these pix, and I'm working exclusively on this. Four ongoing projects was too much, so I want to finish this, then go back to the daily temp afghan and scarf, with minted macaroon as my main project. 

Heather made this for me for Mother's Day! The wood is from shelves from my childhood bedroom, and the roses are carved from wood. She's so crafty!

Amanda made me this beautiful shirt on the serger! I'm so glad she's getting use from it!

Rain, chilly and dreary all weekend, and more coming tonight. We need the rain, but still. 






 

Paper signing day

My wonderful brother Mike and I are co-executors of my mom's estate. Today we go and sign the papers selling her house, and the buyers will sign next week and we'll be done with it. Talk about the end of an era! It's so bittersweet- we all lived in that house from the time we were born til we  grew up. 

And when we were first married, Ralph and I and later Mike and Donna lived in the apartment over the garage. 

On a happier note, I had a productive week up til yesterday. Yesterday it was 90 out, and too hot to craft.

Temperature afghan looking good! Up to date as of Wednesday.

Temperature scarf is longer than the ottoman!

I love Northern Lights! It's going to look great on the back of the chair in the living room!

The camera insists that spearmint is all blues, but it's really blues and greens. I'm calling it my main project, and it's halfway done.

Silly Sly is hanging out dozing in his food dish, just in case someone should come along and want to feed  him!

We're having a few days of awful heat- 90 today! Ralph got hammocks for the feral cats, and Daisy is loving it! 

We went to a presentation by Princess Cruises last night with Frank and Charlotte. There was a couple there who've been on 71 cruises, and another couple with 50+ cruises! We figure they must be independently wealthy! It was a very nice presentation, very informative, given thru AAA.