More happy happy!

Great news today! The fluid from Sam's lung cavity IS NOT CANCER!!! It's an infection! Yay for infection, LOL. She has to have surgery Monday to repair the lung, but it's not cancer! I'm so relieved.

Ralph and I drove her husband up to visit her today, and I'll go back and get him later this afternoon. Retired friends have been taking him back and forth all week, so I'm taking the weekend. When we got there, her hairdresser friend was getting her hair in shape- she said it made her feel like a new woman.

Last night my Cookie Swap group came to visit. We had a great time catching up on everyone's news, and they were very impressed with my quilting setup. This is a group I've known for about 30 years- where did that time go? Some years we only get together once, for the Cookie Swap, and some years it's several times. The past few years we haven't even done cookies at Cookie Swap, which makes Ralph nuts- he says we need to change our group name.

Steph and Toast have arrived for the weekend, and Steph already left to go to lunch with a friend. Toast was so happy to see Ralph home- she was yipping and running around.

And the beat goes on!

Holly

Happy, Happy!

I'm so happy- Ralph got home today. He was on a 10 day expedition, by bus and train, to visit Heather and Ed and the kids in NC, and Manda and Ben in Houston. He took the train from Phila to Charlotte, NC, visited Heather and Ed for 3 days, then rode a bus for 20 hours to Houston, visited Manda and Ben, then reversed the trip.

Ten days is the longest we've been apart since we were married, almost 37 years ago. I didn't anticipate how lonely I'd be, since I'm at work most of the day, and Steph was here for the weekend. (Or Toast was here, and Steph was in and out!) The house was so quiet at night! Except for the cats, of course. It took me about 4 nights before I slept well.

I spent a considerable amount of time in the sewing room, and made a string quilt top, which I have to take a picture of. And I read a couple of books, but nothing scary or violent.

The other important thing that's happened this week is that my friend Sam is in the hospital with a chest tube, because of a pleural effusion (fluid in the chest cavity). She's hoping to come home Friday or Saturday, and is semi-comfortable, but I've been worried about her all week.

I'm looking forward to Friday evening, when my Cookie Swap group will be coming to visit. I'm planning a simple, make ahead menu of salad, meatball sandwiches, and cake. It's always fun to get together with them and catch up.

And that's the week so far!

Holly

Sunday again!

It's cold, but not as bad as yesterday- it's 37 right now. I should be glad it's cold, so Steph and her friends can go up to the Poconos and go snowboarding. This is only the second time this year she's gone- life and college are getting in her way!

Steph and Toast arrived yesterday afternoon. Poor Toast is moving slow this week- she's back on the meds for her back. She doesn't seem like she's in pain, just not trying to get on the couch or bed by herself. Steph went out last night, and Toast curled up on the couch in the sewing room and kept me company while I sewed.

I got the squares cut for the 3 ABC swaps, so I can get them mailed out this week. Then I went back to working on string blocks. I have 28 8.5 inch blocks made so far, and haven't even put a dent in the box of strips that I cut! I sewed while I watched 3 episodes of Burn Notice, and 3 of NCIS, fast forwarding thru the commercials.

I hope to sew some more today, once Steph gets out of bed and on her way. I also have to wade thru the week's mail, which is all over the kitchen table, and sort it.

Goals for the week-
Tidy up the kitchen and dining room.
Make more string blocks (not saying how many, LOL)

Sunday things to be happy about-
A whole pile of library books waiting for me to read!
It's not snowing!
Friends!

And the beat goes on!

Holly

Week 8 numbers

Fabric bought this week- 0 yards
Fabric bought this year- 15.5 yards.

Fabric used this week- 3 yards
Fabric used this year - 27 yards.

I got the fabric cut and packaged for the 3 ABC swaps. I'm also using strips for strings blocks, but can't figure out how to measure that usage.

Books bought this week- 4
Books bought this year- 12

Amazon is having a buy 3 get one free sale, and it's books the library didn't have.

My books read this week-0
My books read this year- 6

I can't believe we've finished 8 weeks of 2009 already!

Holly

Saturday

I can't get the picture that I want to put here, and none of my helpers are available. This was over Christmas break, and Manda, Ben, and Steph were all playing together, LOL>

What a long week it's been! Those 4 days weeks seem to take longer than regular weeks. And we got a letter from Ralph's work that has me talking to myself. They hired an outside agency to verify all the dependents, for the benefits. They want a copy of my marriage certificate! As far as I'm concerned, they should have asked for that 20 years ago when he started working there, not now. I'm totally insulted! And they won't get it til I get a notice stating that if I don't provide it by "date", then my benefits will be dropped. I can't help but wonder if the physicians on staff got the same letter, or just the nurses.

It's unreasonably cold again- 27 degrees! It's just unnecessary! At least the sky is blue and it's not raining.

And the beat goes on.

Holly

President's Day Evening

How can a three day weekend go by so fast? It zipped by at warp speed!

Today I took Steph to drop off her car to be worked on, read all the weekend papers, cleaned up the kitchen, went to lunch and Barnes & Nobles with Steph (and didn't buy anything! came home and requested from the library!) read, took Steph back to get the car, took Mom to her doctor's appt, and did 3 loads of wash. Crocheted for an hour.

And back to work tomorrow.

Holly

Mid-February

This year sure is moving right along- it's week 7 or it already! It's nice out, the sky is blue, and the snow flurries last night didn't amount to anything.

Yesterday Steph and I went with DMIL Florence to an 80th birthday party for my DSIL Charlotte's Mom, Doris. It was at Kevin and Naureen's house, and Doris was really surprised. She thought she was coming to a Valentine's Day dinner. There was about 25 people there, the food was good and the company wonderful. A good time was had by all.

I haven't done any sewing since the middle of the week- I have to get to it! I bought fabric for the 3 ABC swaps I'm in on the HGTV quilting boards. I got the letter K for the gender neutral one, and ended up with kitten fabric- couldn't find any kites, kids or koalas. For the boy swap I got the letter T, and found some turtle fabric. For the girl swap I got the letter D and got come duck fabric. I have to get it washed, ironed, cut into 6.5 inch squares and mailed off. I have til April 1, so it shouldn't be a problem.

So I send 26 squares of each fabric to the hostess, with a return envelope with postage. She collects all the squares and swaps them out so that each swapper gets back 26 squares, one for each letter of the alphabet. Add some sashing, and you have an ABC quilt!

Manda and Ben had a fun trip to Austin. She was telling me that they went to a Whole Foods flagship store, which is so big that it has it's own parking garage! They got picnic foods, and had a picnic on the banks of the Colorado River before heading back to Houston.

Sunday things to be happy about:
Family, close and extended.
Friends, near and far, normal and not so normal, LOL!
A terrific library that's sort of on my way home from work.

Week 7 Fabric and book report:
Fabric purchased this week: 6.5 yards
Fabric purchased this year- 15.5 yards

Fabric used this week- 0 yards
Fabric used this year- 24 yards.

Books bought this week- 0
Books bought this year- 8

My books read this week- 1
My books read this year- 6

And the beat goes on!
Holly