Merry Christmas

Just wanted to stop by in case y'all thought I disappeared off the planet. I'm still here, just have nothing to say right now.
I'm planning on journaling more in the new year, so stand by.

Oh yeah-Happy New Year!!!

What Color Christmas Tree should you have?

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

It's Done!!!

This is a picture of a friend's Harvest Spice quilt that I did on the LA for her. I finished my top, or flimsy as some have come to call them. We started this together about 2 years ago as a BOM. Obviously, mine was not a BOM. But I'm done!!!! And it's now on the to be quilted pile so I can move on to the next UFO.

It's been a while since I've written here, as one internet friend reminded me.

Mom is doing better, having PT come to her apt. We've decided to have her stay where she is for the time being; she has so many support services at her fingertips living in a larger city. If she moved here, she wouldn't have that. We are exploring having a cleaning service come in once or twice a month to do a thorough cleaning, which neither she nor I can do. Keri and I will go down on the alternate 2 week period to take care of things like laundry.

I'm still home on WC, but quilting my little heart out. It doesn't hurt like driving the bus or even my car at this point. I'm going to the doctor today for a followup, and they're recommending I have carpal tunnel surgery ASAP. I'm a little sick of this by now. Oh yeah, two weeks ago, the rheumatologist confirmed the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Hey-life goes on, right?

I am very blessed. I have my Mom still with me; she'll be 89 in March and still sharp. I have the most wonderful husband who supports me in everything, no matter how harebrained. Keri is graduating with honors in 2 weeks!! This has been a roller coaster ride, but I wouldn't have skipped any of it. Dave and Alicia, the precious twins, are great. We had Thanksgiving at their place with her family. I love holiday tables with lots of talking and laughter. We sure had that. Her Mom is going through some stuff right now, and we're pulling together like one big family. I'm an only child so having more family is like Christmas for me.

I've been reading a friend's blog about organizing. You can read it here: http://anitaestes.blogspot.com/ She has lots of tips for LA quilters and I think quilters in general. I try to read it every day for inspiration.

That's enough for now. I have to get ready to go to the doctor.
Have a great day!!!!

Just another day on the planet

My Mom had her surgery last Thursday, and they were not able to repair the rotator cuff. It was a very large tear and parts of it were older so there wasn't enough muscle to pull across to do the repair. The surgeon did scrape(isn't that an awful word?)a lot of the arthritis out so she'll be more comfortable.
I am very frustrated with New York State and it's Medicaid program. My Mom is a retired nurse and does not get any money except her SS, yet her income is too high for her to have an in home aide from now on. She's entitled to one while she's recuperating, but not afterwards. She'd have to pay over $300 a month!!! I don't have the resources to pay out money like that either. It hurts that I can't help her more. She doesn't want to live with us, our house is almost 100 years old and she's always cold when she comes to visit. So there's no way she'd live here. I called the county office for the aging and every single senior complex here is full with a waiting list. Even the brand new ones-the lists started before construction. So for right now, she'll have to stay where she is-which is about 85 miles from me.
Keri's graduating college in 32 days. What's weird is that the school is holding the ceremony before finals. Her graduating's not in doubt, but what about those who are? Keri's going to be magna cum laude! I am in awe of her mind at times. Then she'll revert back to being my Pookie and just cuddle with me.
Dave and Alicia have a kitten. His name is Riley. He's supposed to be part ragdoll but that seems to be changing as he gets older. They got him from the local shelter and he is a cutie.
I seem to be in a funk again with the customer quilts. I've gotten several skewed backings lately and they're making me crazy! Why can't these manufacturers exercise some quality control? I'd rather pay a few dollars more to have fabric made in the US than some rag from Asia being passed off as quality goods. Can you tell I'm a little steamed here?
Gotta go add some borders to a lady's Mom's quilt that I'm finishing.
Have a great day.

Update on Mom

My son David drove me to my Mom's today. I got to speak to both her doctors and the social worker. She has a very large rotator cuff tear, which she will have the surgery for on Nov 1st. Same day surgery, and outpatient PT. She lives in a senior building that's associated with a nursing home and there's a PT facility in the nursing home. So she'll just have to walk across the garden. I thinkthat's great-she's very settled where she lives.
I finished frogging the quilt that I messed up the other day. Now I can get it back on the machine and get it quilted. Gotta keep on keepin' on. Know what I mean?

Where has the time gone?

Anita wrote on the 2nd about my schedule that was supposed to start on the 1st. Well, that got shot to hell. I'm just running to catch up all the time. Too dang much time on this 'puter!!! I can only blame me-I'm losing all sense of discipline.
Wednesday was our 25th anniversary! No fanfare, just the comfort of knowing I'm still with my best friend. Dave and Alicia took us out to dinner; Keri was up in Albany. She came home yesterday and this morning we found a beautiful card from her. Awww. I'm very blessed with my family.
Yesterday afternoon I had an overwhelming urge to call my Mom. Turned out to be gut wrenching, but it's a good thing I did call. She's not doing well. A few weeks ago she hurt her shoulder closing a window in her apartment and had to have an MRI. That report says her shoulder is shot and she has to have surgery. Mind you, Mom is 88 years old. She broke down on the phone because she doesn't know what to do. David is taking me down on Monday. We'll get her laundry done and do some house cleaning for her. She has to see her own doctor to make sure she's in good health before surgery can be scheduled. I asked her if she'd had PT and she told me she went 9 times before the insurance denied it. I thought Medicare took care of seniors, so I'm going to be making some phone calls on Monday.
Mike and I are going down on the 22nd to help her out. I told her to make her doctor's app't for that day and I'll go with her. I need to understand what the heck is going on.
I should have stopped quilting once I spoke to her. I was very upset and angry at the whole medical system. But I thought doing just one more row would help me focus. It was the 2nd row of a panto-I didn't need to reposition anything. The laser light must have moved because now I'm frogging the entire row of stitch regulated stitches and the quilt is 84" wide. Smart me, huh?
Thank goodness for my zippers. I can get another quilt on the machine today. Mike's got drill weekend so I can work. I can't when he's home. I want to spend time with him, even after 25 years. Isn't that great?

Finding the Muse

I just read an enewsletter from Laura Cater-Woods. In it she talks about finding the time to go into the studio and get something, anything done. It's all a matter of scheduling. I've made up my mind to get my house in order this week and really start to plan my days. I'm setting October 1st as my launch date, and writing it down here makes me accountable.

It's going to be sweltering here in the Hudson Valley today-90 degrees! Where is autumn? I don't want to have to keep running the AC, but I can't breathe without it. Plus, woke up this morning with a little sore throat. I thought that if I wasn't on the bus, I wouldn't get the bug this years. We've always complained that the kids make us sick. Oh well..............
Gotta get upstairs.

What time of day are you?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Blue Monday

It's been a while since I've written but that's only because life has been pretty boring lately. I'm going through a slump where I don't want to do anything-not even work on customer quilts. Fortunately for them, I need the money so I'm working. Maybe it's because I'm not sleeping well. I do a lot of tossing and turning. Too bad it doesn't count as exercise. haha
Keri has switched what she wants to do. She's not changing majors, she's a senior graduating in December. She's been on the fence between school psychology and clinical. She spoke to an advisor who told her that what she wants to do is more in the social work/welfare field. So she's researching schools that have an MSW program. I just want her to be happy with her choice and happy in her life and work. She's had a tough road, and she deserves the best.
Do we ever stop worrying about our kids? David's married and now I worry about him AND Alicia. I've gone from 2 kids to 3. I hope that's normal. It's how my Mom and MIL have always treated inlaws.
I'm rambling, just trying to fill space so I'll say good night.

What color is your soul painted?

Your soul is painted the color yellow, which embodies the characteristics of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, hope, liberalism, sociability, friendship, death, courage, intellect, confidence, communication, travel, movement, attraction, persuasion, and charm. Yellow is the color of the element Air, and symbolizes the sun, grain, and the power of thought. http://www.quiztron.com/tests/color_is_soul_painte_quiz_23687.htm

Life Changes

I had a preliminary hearing at the Workers Comp Board today. We are going to continue everything the way it is. I'm going to keep up with the physical therapy and going to the doctors.
I hired an attorney on just about everyone's advice so that I couldn't be railroaded.

But now I have to make a decision. The company policy is that we are allowed 60 work days medical leave. If we go over that, we lose our seniority. I missed 45 days in the spring so I only have until September 26th to go back. I don't know if I'll be ready by then. The surgeon has me out until November 5th, so I'll definitely lose my seniority. Even if I do go back, it'll only be 2 days a week so I can quilt full time. Otherwise, Mike wants me to guarantee that I'll double my quilting income and I won't have to drive at all. With all the ups and downs of this business, how can I guarantee anything?

Sure, I have plenty of quilts now, but the phone isn't ringing very much. August is a very slow month for me every year. I have to figure out what I'm going to do on my art quilts, and I have a double wedding ring to quilt for my new DIL.

Do I have the courage to go for it? I can always go back to the bus. There's not a line out the door for people willing to do my job. This is very hard for me. I'll talk more when I've made a decision. Or not.

I'm in Love!!!

I am officially in love with King Tut thread by Superior. I used it on a quilt this morning and had only one thread break in the whole quilt. I used a cone of "Temple", it looks like natural by PermaCore. I didn't have a lot of lint either. I can see a lot of this in my future. For 7 years, I've been afraid of using anything other than my old favorites. But now I'm FREE!!!!! Ahhh......what a rush!

What to do?

A very good friend told me today that her husband has been drinking. He was involuntarily retired in December from the ANG because he turned 60. He actually ended up in the hospital a few months ago with alcohol induced hepatitis. She's an RN and has tried to tell him what can happen to him, but he just doesn't seem to listen/understand.
I'm at such a loss. They're both friends and I hate to see her hurting like this. He's so unhappy being retired. He does have a part time job-every other Saturday-but I don't think it's enough. He has to feel like he has a purpose in life.
She says he needs rehab but she hasn't got the guts to do it. I just wish there was something I could do.

Creative Quiz

Well, this makes me feel a little better.

***You Are 79% Creative***
You are beyond creative. You are a true artist - even if it's not in the conventional sense of the word.You love creating for its own sake, and you find yourself quite inspired at times.
How Creative Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/howcreativeareyouquiz/

I'm not completely out in left field when I think and visualize.

Vacation!!!

I'm going to Williamsburg, VA for a week. I never did get the pics of the other quilt up, but I will when I get back. Our Boy Scout troop band is playing tomorrow in Colonial Williamsburg, and I'm going to visit Bob and Carol Lyons. They're a quilting couple that we met a few years ago and I'm in awe of them and what they've done with their business.
I'm hoping a week away will stoke my quilting fires. I don't know if we'll have internet so it may be very quiet around here for a while.

How should I quilt this?

This is the quilt top I completed in my art quilt class. It's a pattern by Esterita Austin. How should I quilt it? I want to do it justice, after all it came out really good, IMHO.

My daughter says I should do a meander, but that doesn't seem right to me at all.

I've been working on my still life also. I've got most of the primary pieces fused together, but I'm having a problem with the background. It's suppose to be some stuff sitting on a table. I want to create the illusion of a corner of walls-two walls meeting behind the table, and I have some fabric that looks like wood but I can't seem to get the angle right. Should it be straight head on or should it be at an angle? I'm stumped.

Hopefully, inspiration will come. I'll try to get a picture later today. Maybe seeing it through the view finder will help.

Art quilting

I took a class at MQX with Robbi Joy Eklow this year. I still haven't finished the class project, but I will. It's a still life in great colors.

A friend and I took a class with Esterita Austin in May. I actually finished the quilt top but I have no idea how to quilt it. The picture shows our classroom at the 1889 Greenville Inn in upstate NY-it was a converted carriage house. It was a 3 day class, with gourmet meals. We're going back next year for a landscape quilt class. Can't wait. I'll post a pic and maybe seeing it online will help me decide what I want to do.

I have so many ideas crashing into each other in my head. It's just hard to get them out, ya know? I've got to find out how other people fit inspiration into their days. They all seem so productive.

I have a goal-the still life will be fused onto it's background this week!! So there.

Hi Again

It always seems to be a long time between posts. I'll try to do better, I promise. I tend to write in a stream of consciousness, but right now, I feel unconscious. I found out last week that I've been scammed. I feel so stupid!! I'm in the process of going into the t-shirt quilt business to supplement the longarm so I don't have to go back on the bus. So, last November, I was surfing the web looking for companies where I could build my own website, and lo and behold, one called me! I fell for it like a ton of bricks. I had to QUALIFY in order to be taken on by them. They got me to authorize monthly payments for 4 years in a non-cancellable lease for credit card equipment and all I got was a 256K laptop. I did the training, and now that it's time to build my site, they're nowhere to be found.
The Dallas BBB revoked their membership because of them not answering inquiries and taking care of business.
So now I've filed reports with Ripoff Report. com, the FTC, and my state attorney general. I went to the bank and put a hold on my account.
I'm royally p@##@%!!!!
Stay tuned for developments.
On the quilty side, I haven't accomplished a dang thing. My brain is fried with all of the other stuff going on.
I'm going to VA at the end of this week so I have a lot of customer quilts to finish. I'll try to post some pics later in the week.

One wedding shot

Here's one picture from the wedding. I'm the one in the blue shimmery dress. It has a jacket and it's made of washable silk. The lady in red is one of my very good friends, and you can see David's back and Alicia dancing next to us. Can you tell we're having a good time?
They went to Sandals in Antigua for the honeymoon. They ended up having to change rooms 3 times because of mold in the room. But they still managed to have a great time and they looked really good when they came to dinner last week.
My machine came home last week! It's back on the table and I even got to play a little yesterday. I'm going to take it slow for now, even though I have customer quilts up the yinyang.
Mike and I have decided that I'm only going to drive the bus 2 days a week come September. I'm working on a t-shirt quilt website and I'm taking in enough flimsies to offset the paychecks. If I can, I'm going to quit soon. It's getting harder to drive the bus anyway. People expect us to just let their little angels do what they want without consequences. Sorry-not on my watch.
I finally finished all the pieced blocks for my BOM Harvest Spice quilt. The months it was supposed to be done were 2 years ago. Okay, I'm a little slow. Maybe a lot. I get bored after the 4th or 5th block. So I'm not going to make big quilts anymore. I'll stick to wall hangings from now on. Everybody has a quilt or two or three on their bed, so I've covered that. haha
I'm going to try quilting a panto this afternoon. Something simple and not too big.
I want to get back into blogging so Judy will let me back into the ring, but it'll have to wait until I catch up on my life. I miss everybody and I'm trying to read but everyone keeps writing so that just when I think I'm almost up to date, I'm not. Oh well, I'll just keep plugging away here.

Healing

We got home from Florida on the 30th, and I had my neck surgery on July 2nd. They went in from the back this time so the scar is under my hair.
I am getting my machine back tomorrow, thank goodness! It won't have the IS anymore, it'll be a Gammill Classic Plus. Unfortunately, I can't quilt until at least next week. I can't even drive right now.
The guild is having a sit and sew this evening. I don't usually go, but I have to do something! And no-I don't want any cheese with my whine.

The Party's Over

It's Monday morning and the kids have been in Antigua since Saturday. My feet still hurt!
The wedding was absolutely wonderful!!
Alicia looked like a princess in her gown, and all the girls, including Keri, were beautiful attendants. David was so nervous that he needed Advil before the ceremony. The girls' limo was late because the driver had a little fender bender with a stone wall on her Dad's property. At 6:34pm, David was freaking out, saying the ceremony should have started, where was she, what was happening???? Kind of funny, actually.
The pastor was great, and the ceremony was very nice, very spiritual without being too religious. Mike's brother, Jimmy, played the bagpipes during the cocktail hour, and our side went crazy! I told Alicia's parents that it was one of our traditions.
At the reception, her side really didn't get up on the dance floor much, which was fine; it wasnt' too big and our family and friends filled it. For 2 kids who said they don't dance, David and Alicia were up there a LOT! The love just shines from them, and we were so blessed to be there to share it.
The buffet was delicious, but a lot of people couldn't identify what was on there-it looked so fancy.
Anthony's Pier 9's staff could not have done a better job. They looked like Secret Service with their earpieces and walkie-talkies. Everything we wanted was done before we knew we wanted it. There was even a suite for the bridal party with a private bathroom. All locked up so our stuff was safe.
Alicia's little sister told Keri she's her new "Sissie" now. So Keri didn't just acquire 1 new sister, she's got 2!
I can finally concentrate on quilty things. My machine is leaving on Wednesday for an upgrade. I figure that it'll come home about a week after surgery, and I'll be ready.
Have a great day!!! I know I will.

June 14th

Last night we had the rehearsal and dinner. What a great group we have for this wedding! The rehearsal was quick and then we went to a local Irish place called "Harp & Whistle". We had our own server, and they cordoned off a whole section for us.
Great food, great conversation. I sat back and just looked at everyone having a good time. I read a couple of poems to the kids that I had gotten off the net, and there were some tears.
Most of the groomsmen have been part of our lives/family since early childhood. It feels so good now.
I love Alicia for loving David. She's the new daughter of my heart.

Tomorrow's the wedding. The ceremony is at 6:30 and the reception will end at midnight. The catering place is so elegant, I think we'll have an awesome time.
I've had my doubts over the past months about my baby boy getting married so young. He's only 24. But like Mike said this morning, "Just because we weren't ready at 24 doesn't mean he's not."
God bless my children, David, Keri and now Alicia.

Posting pictures

I want to upload a picture from the workshop I went to, but when it tells me that it's uploaded and to click on "done", there's no "done" to click on. What am I doing wrong?

another week

I just can't keep up with a daily journal, so I'll post when I can. I hope I don't offend anyone but we all have lives and sitting here puts life aside sometimes.
Anyway, I want to tell you what a great weekend I had! A friend and I went upstate to Greenville, NY outside of Albany. Until I looked up the directions, I had no idea there were at least 3 Greenvilles in NY! We arrived Thursday afternoon, had a wine and cheese reception, a small orientation and dinner. Our room was 1/2 of a cottage and it even had a jacuzzi tub-not that we had time to use it.
Class started bright and early on Friday. We had a short lecture and then began to work. I've never done an art quilt before, but let me tell you-I'm in love. Keri says this is the best quilt I've ever done. I can't wait to get it on the longarm and play. I'll try to have a pic when I can get the camera. I came home with a completed quilt top.
The innkeepers, Mark and Kim LaPolla, were awesome. He's a gourmet chef and she's a quilter. I gave her my business card and she gave me a quilt to do for her. How's that? Every meal was an artistic showcase of his work. (I gained 5 lbs in 3 days!!! Dang. The wedding's next week. Thank goodness I'm wearing a sheath style dress with a jacket. Hides most of the flaws.)
This is the first time I've ever done a workshop like this. If you ever get a chance, you have to take classes at this inn. It's www.fiberartworkshops.com.
The wedding's in 9 days, I have quilts up the yazoo, and we're going away on the 23rd. How's that for bad planning? After the wedding, I'm sending my machine back to Gammill and having the Intellistitch taken out and the Plus put in. Talk about learning the hard way. I make very expensive mistakes and then have to pay lots to correct them. I just hope I'm doing the right thing. The machine is going away between the wedding and vacation. When we come home from Florida, I'm having my neck surgery. The machine is coming home around the 19th of July so I should, according to the dr., be able to quilt right away. I'm also getting the hydraulic lift-that should help my neck from having to be in one position all the time.
This is getting very long, so I'll see you later.
Have a great day.

A new week

The wedding is 18 days away. I have my dress, my hair's been colored. I need shoes, a manicure and a pedicure. Keri needs underwear so my friend can alter her dress. Last night I laid in bed imagining my baby boy saying wedding vows. It's tough. I can still see his baby curls in my mind, all the times he snuggled up on my lap. He was always a small child, so he was able to do that until he was around 12. Now I barely get a hug.
I like Alicia. I'm going to make the best of it-I will not be alienated from my son and any grandbabies that may come. I just miss my baby.
I just realized this morning that I'm going away the day after tomorrow! Dang-where did the time go? I've got a supply list to fill and I have to pack. No pressure..........
Mike and I went upstate to a friend's home on Friday. She just upgraded her machine from a shortarm to a Premier Plus. I love her studio-it's compact, but with space for everything. She's been quilting for customers for 14 years, and put her 2 boys through college with it. I am in awe of all she does.
Well, time to get going. The king size quilt on the machine won't quilt itself.

She's home

I miss Keri when she's away at school. I really do. But I forget how much havoc she can wreak when she comes home. My living room is filled with boxes; she can barely turn around in her room because of all the stuff from her dorm room. And she wants help NOW! all the time. Am I a bad mother because I love the peace and quiet when she's at school? We'll get into a routine, I know. She'll be working and we'll talk like we used to. But for now, ARGHHHHHHH!

I'm going to a weekend class on the 31st with a teacher named Esterita Austin. I want to learn something new, and her quilts intrigue me. It's a full 3 days. I'm going with a friend so I won't have to share a room with a stranger. If anyone has taken a class with her, tell me how you liked it. I'm really looking forward to just immersing myself in it without having to worry about anything. We're going to a B&B with a gourmet chef. How's that for a great class environment?

Customer quilt

A panto designer asked me to test a new pattern. I love the way this looks, don't you? I'm pushing as many quilts as possible through before the wedding and my surgery. It really is great doing this full time.

It's been a long while

I just looked at my blog and realized I haven't posted since February! It's been a roller coaster ride for the past few months. I've had to leave the Stash Quilts ring, but I'm going to try to get back in. Hopefully, Judy will allow it.
I am home on medical leave. If you remember, I had surgery last year. Well, now I'm into the complications phase. There's a bone spur pressing on the nerves in my neck. That causes pain and or numbness down my arm. Several weeks ago, the vertigo started. Thank goodness I can still quilt. Not as much, but some. My new surgery is on July 2nd. I wanted to wait until after the wedding in case I didn't recuperate as quickly as the doctor predicted.
The wedding is still on for the Precious twins next month and I've gotten my dress. I really love the colors-sort of like an opal. I did the right thing and waited for the mother of the bride to buy hers, but finally couldn't wait anymore. And it was the first one I tried on. Phew!!!!!!!! That's one thing off the list. We also booked a place for the rehearsal dinner. I think I'm done.
I've been working on building a t-shirt quilt business. If I'm going to have to make a living from home, then I want to make it work. The website is a work in progress, and I have to get some samples made.
So that's what I've been up to lately. Post some comments so I can catch up with all of you.

Sunday

Well, here it is. I finished this up on my Singer, thank goodness for a backup machine! The outer border looks so dark here, but it's actually a deep, deep green. The pinks are from my stash, so I did do a little busting with this quilt. I'm going to use the border green for the backing and binding.
I feel like I accomplished a little today. I did this quilt, loaded a customer's quilt on the longarm, and did some applique prep. Now I can relax and enjoy the game and the snacks. I know I'll pay for it tomorrow, but hey-you only live once, right?
I've been going around the ring and it's weird. Hitting next doesn't get me around the whole group. Anyone know why this happens?
I'd like to learn how to put peoples' names in my blog as a link to their sites. I'm going to have to research some more.
Well, that's all for now. I hear a jalopeno popper calling my name. YUM!

Dead Viking

I have a Viking Model 415-called the Freesia. I got it in 2003, so it's really not that old. Today, it died. Well, more specifically, the foot pedal died. But before it died, it put on a show. I was sewing along on the baby quilt that I have to bring to a shower in 3 weeks, and the circuit breaker tripped. I thought it was the iron, so I turned that off, and Mike went down to the panel with a flashlight and turned it back on. I tried to press down on the foot pedal, it whined and the circuit breaker tripped again. So down went Mike and turned it on. He played with the wire on the pedal a little, and the darn breaker tripped AGAIN!!!
Obviously, you don't have to hit either one of us over the head, just trip breakers on us. We'll catch on eventually..........
I was so impressed with myself. I was going to do the whole baby quilt top in one day. See what happens when I get too cocky?
So now here I am with a dead Viking in my sewing room. I'll haul out the Singer tomorrow and finish the quilt top. Hopefully, nothing will trip.
I went out to the Viking website to try to find a foot pedal, but lo and behold, my sewing machine is outdated. Surprise, surprise. I sent an email to a LQS that handles Vikings. I'll probably have to have it looked at, since Mike says there's nothing to the pedal so it must be something else. When the machine is turned on the needle does a little jog back and forth. Well, it was doing that on and off all afternoon, so he's probably right. Dang.

Tomorrow's the SuperBowl. I don't know which team I'm going to go for, but Mike's going for the Colts. We're staying home and having our own little shindig. Not a healthy food in sight. I guess the diet will really start on Monday. That wedding is getting closer.

I got the approval for the EMG and nerve conduction tests. There's a ridge of bone near the fusion site that's pressing on nerves on both sides, but the doctor will try to make it so I don't have to have more surgery. The ridge wasn't there before my surgery in June. One of the moms on my elementary run who works with insurance said I ought to sue. She wants to talk to me off the bus and she'll tell me what she thinks.

That's it for tonight. I've got Patti's applique instructions so I'm going to prep some pieces to do during the game tomorrow.

Better Late than Never!

Here's my "flimsy" of the Aug/Sept Hour a Day quilt. It came out pretty good, if I may say so. The green in the border looks very "lime" in the photos, but in reality it's from the Roseville collection, and it just pulled everything together. Now I can start the next baby quilt which has to be done by 2/24 for the baby shower. The baby is a girl and the mom's favorite colors are pink and sage green. I had the pink, but I'm really short of greens, so I had to get some. I'll try to cut the strips one evening this week.

I had my MRI last week, and went to the doctor this week for the results. Unfortunately, the place where I had the test done never faxed over the report to the doctor. Isn't that special? So she checked out my films and said there wasn't anything showing. Well, then she called me to read the report, she was on my voice mail and the message ran out before she could tell me what is going on. All the message said was that there's a ridge of bone near where I had the fusion and it's pressing on the nerves. So that's where all my pain is coming from. We've been playing phone tag, but I think I'm going to call and ask for an appointment to find out what's going on. This has gotten very old.

The Teamsters' union has been voted in at a couple of other bus barns owned by First Student, the company I work for. We're waiting to see what the negotiations get for them before we commit ourselves. But it's already making things very tense at work. People are at each others' throats, not a pleasant work environment. I keep plugging away at my longarm, hopefully I'll have enough business one day to walk away from the bus.

Not much news on the wedding front. Keri and the other bridesmaids picked out their dresses, and the guys will be going for their tuxes soon. I went to a dress shop and the woman told me to come back in April because they're seasonal. That's fine with me-maybe I can drop a few pounds before then.

Mike and I are going to a friend's for a Christmas in January dinner this afternoon. Good friends, good food and good conversation. Can't ask for more than that.

Should I or Shouldn't I??

Every time I click on the dashboard of my blog, it says to switch to the "New Blog". I have to confess, I'm not one of those people who try new stuff just for the heck of it. But, since a lot of you all have switched, maybe it won't be so bad. :)
I finally finished the first hour a day blocks!! It's a quilt top! All I have to do is add borders, which I'll do this weekend. I have another baby quilt to get done. The shower's the 24th of February. I had to buy some fabric for it, I'm very low in the green category. I'll try to post pictures of both by the weekend.
I've been very busy trying not to butt into my son's life. I know he's a grown man. Sometimes I look at him and think, "Dang-I gave birth to him?" But I'm having a hard time letting go. And I like Alicia. Imagine if I didn't like her. Wow!
I'm at an impasse here-not having enough time or energy for all the things I want to do. I had another MRI last Thursday, and I'll see the doctor this Wednesday to find out what it read. I'm having a lot of tingling, pins and needles, pain and spasms on the right side and now I've got a burning sensation up my left wrist, right where that bone sticks out. I can't say anything at work, they're already looking at me funny because I'm driving mostly with only one hand. You're not supposed to do that on a schoolbus.
I've been trying to get around the ring, I think I'm going to have to cut back if I want to stay in touch with everybody.
I know I said I'd do better for the new year, so I figure-better late than never.
Anybody here going to New Hampshire for MQX in April???

New panto storage

Here's my first organizing project for 2007. It's not the prettiest on the block but it'll work for me. Mike and I put up plastic over the wall and secured one side of 2"wide velcro strips to it vertically. This way, if I want to change it, I won't tear my wall apart. Lots of people saved their paper towel rolls for me and I stuck the other side of the velcro to each one. They're up on the wall in alphabetical order, and Mike is making labels.
I can't believe I waited over 5 years to do this. Dang, I AM a slow learner. :)

One more thing

I promise to visit you all more often and to stay in touch. We create these friendships, so I should let you know that I appreciate all of you. Have a happy, healthy, quilty New Year!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No photos today, I just want to add to many blogs I've been catching up on. So many of you have great goals for 2007 that I'm thinking of setting my own. I don't usually do resolutions or goals because I'm such a slouch and procrastinator.
Today, Mike and I are finishing up my new and improved panto storage!!! I've had it with crawling around on the floor for 1/2 hour every time I need a pattern. I'll take a couple of pictures, maybe it'll help someone else who is fighting with all their pantos.
I still have 2 pieced blocks of the Harvest Spice quilt to do, and then I can get to the putting together stage. I want this quilt done, I may be giving it to the Precious Twins as a wedding gift.

My main goal this year will be to stop procrastinating over the smallest thing. I drive myself and Mike crazy because I will put things off till the last minute and then laugh and say that I work well under the gun with a deadline. Well, guess what? This genius doesn't do well under pressure at all! So, I'm going to stop. End of discussion.

I was supposed to have another MRI this past week because this new doctor I'm going to says that she thinks I still have a pinched nerve. I say supposed to since Workers Comp hasn't authorized the MRI, so I'm completely at a standstill. If anyone knows what I can do, please feel free to email me privately or comment on the blog and let me know. I got hurt in May of '05 and I am so tired of not being 100%. If this is permanent, tell me and I'll learn how to adapt. If it can be fixed, then FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Driving the bus just makes it worse, but I'm holding on as long as I can since we're helping to pay for the wedding. If I have to go out on WC, then at least it's 2/3 pay and not taxed.
Sorry, didn't mean to dump all this. Mike tries to understand but he's so darn healthy and in shape, he thinks a little exercise will cure everything.

Linda J was kind enough to send me instructions on how to load things onto my sidebar, and I'm finally going to give it a shot once I locate all my UFOs, flimsies, and UFTs.

Once again, Happy New Year to all my blogger friends, you have enriched me more than you know. I promise to visit more of you and to stay in touch.