New purse

I had a great weekend! Friday night out dancing with some wonderful new friends -- so nice not to have all that pressure like the meat market, and yet be able to dance. All the guys are married, and there with their wives, and yet they dance with everyone. Plus line dancing, so I got my fill!

On Saturday I taught my friend, Lynn, how to begin piecing a novelty quilt for her daughter, Jessica. I've known Lynn since our girls were young teenagers (they are 3 weeks apart). Several weeks ago she asked me to make her a quilt for Jessica. I know all you quilters know how much time, money and effort goes into even the simplest quilt, and since she needs a hobby, I thought it would be best to teach her. Shortly after that call (or email) we went shopping and got the fabric, backing, batting and thread and went to my house and cut the "kit." Well, mostly I cut the kit because she has arthritis and her hands hurt her. But on Saturday she did the sewing and pressing, and did a great job! Slowly, but steadily. I hope she learns to like it -- it would be fun to have a quilty friend nearby as well. I got a quilt kit cut out while she sewed, so it was all good.

On Sunday I went to my friend Diane's house -- and I'm very sure I overstayed my welcome. However, I DID finish this purse. I love it, but thank goodness for Diane -- I had chosen (I thought) all the fabrics, but had missed one crucial step (cut one EACH of A and B -- I missed B somehow). Diane had the PERFECT fabric (the polka dots) and was kind enough to give me some, and to help me with the color choices -- and through some pretty confusing steps. The next one will be easier now that I see how it's done.

I did just get some bad news. Natalya is sick -- probably something wrong with her pyloric valve (the top valve going into the stomach). She's evidently been in pain and Meghan picked up on it, I think, very quickly. She is comfortable when she is propped up, but laying down she's miserable. She's being admitted to the hospital today (about 7 pm my time) and they will sedate her for an ultrasound (which is an improvement over what they thought they'd have to do, which is to put her under with a general anesthesia). Meghan says that unless they find something truly, truly bad, they are very unlikely to do any surgery. She also said that Natalya seems to be feeling a lot better today -- I hope so! Bless her heart -- she's been miserable, and Meghan has gotten little or no sleep for 3 days. She and Nick will be able to stay at the hospital, though, and Nick's folks will take care of Ricky, which is a huge blessing!

These are the times when I really, really want to be there, but it's probably best that I'm not. Meghan is handling this beautifully, and I am incredibly proud of her. I know she must be scared silly, but she's calm and rational and being very strong. I don't think I'm quite so good in a crisis like this, but then I don't think she's looking at this like a crisis, but just as a speed bump. She's such a good Mom.

That's all the news of any great importance in my world, except for stuff about my husband, but I don't write about that here. Suffice to say, he is a mess, and so is his life. I hope he can pull this out, because I can't save him nor can I fix it. An insulin dependent diabetic (with tons of other health issues) with no health insurance and no job is an ugly, ugly thing. The insurance where I work is cost prohibitive -- unless he's working, and if he is, he can get insurance through his work. I guess Medicaid will be his only solution. Too sad, so ugly, what a situation to find yourself in at his age. So although I get a lot of encouragement to get a divorce, I just can't -- not right now -- not until he gets himself straightened out. And, if I must, and only if I must, I'll have to let him live with me, because I cannot in all good conscience let him be on the street. I just can't.

Thursday morning

Another day, another dollar. Well, I hope so anyway! Quiet, quiet, almost too quiet at work today for me -- my bosses are busy but not translating into any work for me, so . . . BORED!!

I didn't get any quilting done last night other than some hand quilting on my Burger King Mystery Quilt -- another one for just me so no big rush on it. I'm doing some fairly complicated patterns on it, and just am not good enough (yet) to FMQ it. It's nice and relaxing, though, for those nights when I just can't get motivated to hit the sewing room or, like last night, when something happens earlier in the evening and I'm just flat out tired. Before my company (husband who of course needed something as usual) I did do some sorting of my crumbs. I think I'm going to trim some of those blocks on point -- they'll still be sewn as squares, but might be more interesting (although I'm finding these crumbs pretty interesting on their own once trimmed up -- and I'm surprised! I went through my stacks and was surprised at how many leaders/enders I've already done and now it'll be a question of adding to those and/or putting some of them together while I'm working on other projects. And I got Mom's purse fabric out to the cutting table (no cutting yet) and some other sorting done. All that is part of the process, right?

I've lost my darn keys. Thank goodness I have another set! I know they must be in the house somewhere since I GOT IN the house last night, but I cannot for the LIFE of me figure out where they are. And yes, I checked with Greg to see if he picked them up accidentally, but no luck. I'm sure I can find them tonight when I'm not in a blind panic about them!

Table Toppers

As the election results roll in -- and I get more and more cheerful!! -- I made these table toppers. I'm surprised I actually finished them both. No word here as to who they are for (on the off chance they should actually read this blog, which is HIGHLY unlikely), but I hope they will like them!

Yes, they are almost identical. They are a pattern from the class (club they call it) that Diane and I are taking in Palm Harbor one Tuesday night per month. It's a nice class and we enjoy it.

Glad that this election will soon be over (at least I've not heard anything about any challenges to any votes -- please God, let there not be any question as to the winner, whoever it is!). I need to go to sleep, but I want to stay up and watch results! But I'll go to bed and find out in the morning. Good night all!

Election Day afternoon

Well, my good friends, no matter the outcome, it is FINALLY over! Whew! Sure has been long and contentious. I just hope that we can now come together again as a nation, and help with the nearly insurmountable problems our country faces. No matter who is in charge, I firmly believe that each of us is going to need to step up and make some sacrifices -- and some of them are not going to be pretty. Whoever wins, they are facing challenges that are unknown in our lifetimes. Well, except for really elderly people who remember the Great Depression. But unless I am mistaken, there were not two wars being fought simultaneously with the Great Depression. That, I think, ads some additional complexity. I've been reading the "pundits" today -- both conservative and liberal. The one thing I didn't really think about until I saw Ron Paul today, is that a totally Democratic Congress and Executive branch has no checks and balances -- and that's not a good thing either. I really wish that Ron Paul had been on my ballot -- he's truly the only one that makes sense in all this nightmare. If you get a chance, and are interested, do some research on the Federal Reserve Bank -- how and why it was created, by whom, and what it's purpose is. Ron Paul was ridiculed and made to look like a fool -- by the very same people that have every reason in the world to make sure that nobody looks too closely behind the curtain. I was appalled at what I learned. Look it up for yourself -- don't (ever) take my word for it -- or anyone else's either. I think that's what has disappointed me, and many others, about this election "season" -- God that's the world's longest SEASON!! -- the lies, the scare tactics used to debase the name and reputation of two men who are, by all accounts, honorable men with the best intentions. And people just kept on sending these horrible emails, without even thinking to check to see if they were true or had any basis whatsoever in reality. I don't agree with the policies of one of our candidates, but I disagree more with the personal attacks that were slung around like so much confetti -- just hoping some of it would stick. And stick it did. So many people are throwing around words that haven't been heard since McCarthyism, and the racial attacks!


I cannot imagine one human being on the planet that could withstand the type of scrutiny we expect our Presidential hopefuls to withstand. My Mom tells about the affairs that Presidents had, well known by even the average person, back "in the day" -- the day when the press respected the private lives of people. The press has no respect for anyone's privacy any longer -- look how they hound the parents of missing children, the families of victims, and of offenders -- anyone they find newsworthy -- and the more tragic, the more outlandish, the more painful, the better. How many lives have been destroyed by publicity -- things that at one time were considered private and not a matter for public consumption by the masses -- including me?


OK, I'm off my rant -- I've kept this blog intentionally non-political, and I just fell off my own self-imposed wagon. Nonetheless, I certainly hope everyone voted, no matter how you voted. When I realize that when my mother was born women in this country DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE!!! (can you even imagine??!!), that women suffered, fought, were beaten, imprisioned and died for the right of women to vote, I couldn't imagine not voting. It's simply too important. That's why I voted by mail over 2 weeks ago. And in Florida, you want to be darn sure your vote is ACTUALLY COUNTED. Ok, off that rant too.


I will be sewing away and watching the returns. I doubt we'll know for sure until morning, if even then -- I suspect there will be some shenanigans again this year -- and recounts needed -- unless it is a landslide as most pundits are predicting. I plan to finish a couple of Christmas table runners tonight -- bind one and hopefully at least get the second constructed (and maybe bound). I doubt the intended recipients of these two gifts will be checking my blog, so I will plan to post photos.


Oh, I gave my Mom the ultra suede little fold over purse I made for her. She claimed to love it. As a result, I have gifted the remaining ultra suede to the first person who responded on my Yahoo groups -- once I get her check for postage, it'll be OUT OF MY HOUSE! Yippee!!


God bless everyone, and have a good and safe evening.

Monday afternoon

Quiet day at work -- and I'm sure all of you are tired of photos of my new granddaughter, but since it's my blog and I'm NOT tired of her yet, here are more photos!

I didn't sew a lot this weekend, but I did kit up some stuff and got a couple of Christmas presents in process - one finished (except for binding) and one nearly finished. Christmas table toppers, but I can't post photos or who they are for -- just in case they read this blog (which is doubtful, but possible!). I'm constantly surprised at the emails I get from people who have read this blog that (a) I never expected to or (b) I do not know but have come to be acquainted with as a result.

This is a "twofer" photo -- my gorgeous (usually!!!) grandson and my amazingly beautiful granddaughter. I'm glad she's not older -- he'd be scaring her to death! He scares me!! -- I'm not a big fan of Halloween, and pretty much made Meghan stay in the land of fairies and princesses and the like as a kid, but Meghan and Nick (and Ricky) are into skulls and aliens and vampires and the like -- more power to them -- they seem to still be (relatively) healthy mentally. And to think I worked so hard when she was a kid to protect her from such things! LOL.