Merry Christmas...

Quote for the day:

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

 

~Oren Arnold

 

It's Christmas Eve...

 

Today I went grocery shopping for the first time in about 3 weeks!  Between starting back to work after my back injury, taking the trip to Ohio, and then coming home and getting very ill with "the Illness", we were basically out of food in this house!  So today's trip was REALLY necessary...especially since I had to get something to make for Christmas dinner tomorrow for Andy & me.  

We had batted around a couple options regarding Christmas dinner, including 1)  going out to eat;  or 2)  not doing "anything" for Christmas dinner.  After thinking about it, I decided that not having family here this year was no different than in the beginning of our relationship when it was just Andy & me....B.C.  (Before Children!)

Christmas was going to be what I did or did not choose to make of it this year.  

I chose to make a conscious decision to make a semblance of a Christmas dinner...albeit on a smaller scale.  So I went grocery shopping today for Christmas dinner items and for gifts for the neighbors (whew...that was calling it close!).  I even got the ingredients to make a "special" Sunday breakfast for the day after Christmas...MONKEY BREAD!  :)

This evening we decided to go out for a nice steak dinner...really the first "meat" that either of us has eaten for the last couple weeks because of "the I llness" in the house!  LOL

After dinner wecame home and watched some TV, and now I'm relaxing with this...

 

 

 

...the traditional "Christmas Margarita".

 

What you say?  Margaritas aren't a Christmas tradition????????  WELL...I think they should be!  LOL  The tradition needs to start somewhere...and I'm willing to give of myself sacrificially to help it get started right here...right now!  What do you say, People?  Stand up and be counted!!!  :)

My friend and co-worker, Pat, and I exchange Christmas presents and I just HAD to show you what she got me this year!  

 

Are those not the CUTEST socks!?!?!?!  Love them!  :)

Andy & I came to a mutual decision about 10 years ago...we don't exchange gifts at Christmas between the two of us.  Basically, we are at the point in our lives that if we want something, and can afford it...we go out and get it.  That leaves very little to be "gifted".  So instead of struggling through "having" to find a gift for each other...we just don't exchange gifts.  We do give gifts to the kids, the grandkids, Andy's mother, and the neighbors (usually a box of candy).  

Since the kids and grandkids cannot make it home this year for Christmas, we don't have any gift exchanging to do tomorrow.  We didn't even put up our tree....all that made it up was a wreath on the front door.  We have a pre-lit tree and we were thinking about putting it up...until "the Illness" happened.  Basically, being too sick to pick your body up out of bed for 2 weeks will put a damper on many, many plans!  :(

So tomorrow I will make us a nice ham dinner complete with Coke Salad (a family tradition dating back to the late 1960's...I could give you the recipe, but then I'd have to kill you) and a homemade banana cream pie.  I know...banana cream pie is not traditional, like pumpkin or pecan pie...but neither are margaritas on Christmas Eve!  hahaha  

MERRY CHRISTMAS to each and every one of you!  

Loretta

 

 

Change is Inevitable...

Quote for the day:

 Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.
~Barbara Bush

Today...two days before Christmas...we bid a fond adieu to a nurse at work.  

She has sold her house (finally...after 1.5 years on the market) and is moving back to Cleveland, OH, where she moved from 13 years ago.  We are all very happy for her, but sad to see her leave.  

Sue...or "Shoe"...as we began to call her many years ago...was "one of a kind".  You just never knew what she was going to do or say next.  And she kept us in "stitches" with most of it.  LOL  

Though she worked at the hospital for about a year longer than myself, we both started in the Recovery Room within a few weeks of each other.  That means I've worked with her for the last 12 years...the entire length of my nursing career in West Virginia thus far.   She's a very knowledgeable nurse and had a knack for diffusing difficult situations.

Since today was her last day, we held a party for her at work.  Many of us that were off of work today showed up to say good-bye and wish her well on this next part of her life-journey.  She  wondered why people kept showing up at the hospital on their day off until she realized we were there to give her a party!

There was the cake and gifts..

There were the friends and co-workers...

 There were tears and laughter...sometimes at the same time!  :)

 And there was even some "boogying" going down to music from an iPhone!   

We are all very happy for Sue that she gets to be by her family and grandson.  But, Sue...you will be missed by your co-workers!  Blessings and Merry Christmas to you and your family!  :)

Loretta

Friday Update...

Quote for the day:

Sickness comes on horseback but departs on foot.  

~Dutch Proverb, sometimes attributed to William C. Hazlitt

Not only did I bring back from our trip some wonderful memories...I also brought back some illness...

My little grand-nephew had the flu while we were there visiting and unfortunately, we were not able to contain it.  

Tuesday morning I woke up with the flu and by Tuesday evening it had turned into strep throat and an ear infection.  I went to the doctor on Wednesday morning and was started on antibiotics and steriods.  I am feeling a little better, though not as much as I would have hoped, by this time.

Regardless, the show must go on and I will be returning to work this afternoon.  Wish me luck...

Loretta 

Family...

Quote for the day:

"Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts."

~Author Unknown 

We had the pleasure of visiting with relatives this past weekend.  :) 

 

My brother's family live in Ohio, about 6 hours away from us, so we drove there for a visit this past weekend.   His daughter that lives in Uruguay was also there visiting for the Christmas holidays, along with her husband and 2 children.  And upon hearing we were coming, my sister, her daughter, granddaughter and grandson also made the trip up from Indianapolis, IN.  

 

It was a houseful and a whole lot of craziness and laughs!  We had a great time and didn't want to leave, but a winter storm was predicted and we felt we needed to high-tail it out of there before we ended up getting snowed in...although my dear sister-in-law said we could stay until the freezer ran out of food!  LOL   I think she meant it, too!  :)

 

The quilt in this post was made for my niece Rebekah and her husband Gabriel, the couple that live in Uruguay, so I took this opportunity to gift it to them.  They were VERY surprised and I think they loved it!  :)

 

 

Look at the way Gabriel is "fondling" the quilt in the second picture!  He was so excited to receive this quilt that when he read the quilt label and found BOTH their names on it, he pointed it out that he got to use it, too...not just Rebekah!  LOL  They both are so sweet and it was a pleasure to make it for them!  :)

Here I am with Rebekah (in the middle) and my niece, Susana (on the left) holding the quilt for picture taking...

 

 The rest of the pictures are just miscellaneous pictures that were taken during the visit...

 

              My brother, Jack and one of his grandsons, Zacharias...                                                          

His wife, Celeste, and me

 

My sister, Sharon, and her granddaughter, Monica

 

                                           
                                          Celeste and Rebekah...mother and daughter...
 

                             Andy stretching himself trying to reach up to Gabriel's height!!!  LOL

                                             My niece, Leah (Jack & Celeste's daughter)

Gabriel & Andy in a hot game of chess!!!  LOL  Note the concentration going on!!!  

 

 

Rebekah & Susana...cousins!!

 

I realized that I don't have a picture of Jack's daughter, Sarah.  She was there some of the time, but had to go to work on Saturday, which is when most of the pictures were taken.  

We had a fun time!  Too bad we couldn't have stayed longer...but you know the saying..."House guests and fish both start to stink after 3 days!"  LOL  

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Hope you enjoyed the pictures of my crazy family!  :) 

Loretta

Just a Horrible, Horrible, No-Good Day...

Quote for the day:

In my friend, I find a second self.  

~Isabel Norton

 

 

Today a very good friend and co-worker of mine became very ill and I have spent the day crying and praying for her ...and feeling very helpless to do anything to help her or her husband and family.

Susan is a friend that I consider a "sista"...we have so much in common.  :)   She was taken to the hospital today and I'm going to go see her tomorrow and take her these...

She will be in an ICU where patients can't have real flowers, so I got a bouquet of silk flowers put into this cup for her.  This cup has "Susan" written all over it...well, not literally!  It actually says "The best things in life are God, friends, and a hot cup of coffee."   She loves coffee and coffee cups and classy "country" things.  Even the "colors" are her!

The cup was acquired in one of the boxlots we bought at the same auction where we got the Pfaltzgraff stoneware.  I don't even remember what was in the box that we wanted, but there always miscellaneous "stuff" thrown into boxes and then the boxes are sold at rock bottom prices to get rid of them.  This cup reminds me of something that would be sold at a specialty coffee shop or gift shop.  It's in excellent condition but I just couldn't figure out what to do with it so I had Andy take it out to the "yard sale" box.  However, since it is cold out and he didn't want to take it all the way to the garage, he put it down in the basement on a shelf.  

Lucky for me!  :)   Because almost from the time I heard that my friend had been taken to the emergency room and then life-flighted to the university hospital, I knew I wanted to do something  to cheer her up.  

I took the cup to a local florist and asked if she could put a "bright cheery holiday" bouquet of silk flowers in it for me.  I returned to the shop a half hour later after doing some errands and she had this arrangement waiting for me!  It's BEAUTIFUL!

And when the holidays are over, Susan can take the flowers out and use the cup and be reminded of how much she is loved!  :)  I hope she enjoys it!  :) 

I'm taking it to her tomorrow.  We are headed out of town for the weekend to visit with my brother and his family and we will stop by the hospital to see my dear friend on our way out of West Virginia.

I continue to pray for Susan, her husband and her daughter.  They are going through a very trying time right now with this illness and it will take every ounce of strength and endurance they have to see this thing through to the other side.  Susan is strong and will be encircled by a lot of loving friends who will help her.  I know she's gonna be okay...  

Loretta

Christmas Came a Little Early at Our House...

Quote for the day:

Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas.  

~Kin Hubbard

I, on the other hand...LOVE a useful gift!  Especially when it is something that I've wanted for a while now!

For several months I've been waiting for Black Friday so I could get a really good price on a GPS and an MP3 player.  I've also been thinking it's time to replace my digital camera because it has "issues"...namely it eats through batteries like they are candy, and all the pictures come out REALLY dark and so EVERY picture has to be edited.  

I ended up not going out on Black Friday because my darling daughter said she'd get the GPS for us and my beautiful daughter-in-law said that they would get me MP3 player...and the camera was not a "necessity" since I already have one...so I didn't go out and get anything on Black Friday.

Erin ordered our Christmas gifts online and had them sent here and they arrived the beginning of this past week.  I asked if she wanted us to wait till Christmas to open them and she said "no"...instead, yesterday (Saturday) we got on webcam with her and Dale and opened the gifts they was giving us then.  

One gift I knew of...the GPS...the second gift...I didn't know what it was...but it was A NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!    YAY!

So last night after opening the presents, I started playing with the camera.  Instead of having an instruction booklet with it you have to read it online.  It has a "share" feature where you can upload pictures directly to social networks and certain photo sites.  I'm still trying to get that feature figured out.   That would be handy for adding pictures to Facebook!  :)  If I ever get it figured out...

I have the GPS opened, but my brain was too overloaded with technical information last night that I didn't have the brain power left to give that instruction booklet a go, yet.  LOL

We are taking a trip this weekend and can't wait to use the GPS then!  That means that I'll have to read the book and get it set up by then!  Can't wait to hear what voices they have available!   I have a funny story about a friend's GPS voice that I'll have to tell you sometime...but it has to be told in person...it would lose it's humor if I tried to put it in writing.  

So...I've been working on machine quilting the "bug jar" quilt:

 

I have to work on it in "sessions" with lots of breaks.  Machine quilting is WORK!  You are fighting with the quilt the entire time to get it through that little space between the needle and the sewing machine.  And the quilt weighs a TON!   So I do it in "sessions" so I don't too frustrated with it.  However, just about the time I'm getting into my groove with the machine quilting...nice smooth stitches, nice straight lines, nice rounded curves, etc...it's time to take a break and rest my back and arms.  

I also have my whole-cloth quilt in my hand quilting frame that I'm working on, too.  

After the quilt is finished and washed, the blue lines will wash out and all you will see is the stitching.  As you can see in the last picture, I thought the printed lines were too far apart (2") so I went and added additional lines between them so the lines are only 1" apart!  It will now take me TWICE as long to do it!  LOL

It's snowing here and it is NASTY outside!  :(  Hopefully, it will stop...eventually...sometime...before March.   

While I was outside taking this picture a deer ran across our neighbor's yard, across the street and across the neighbor's yard that lives across the street from us.  (That's a lot of use of the word "across"...but I can't figure out how else to say it!  LOL)

I have an Ebay auction of Pfaltzgraff ending tonight.  So far there are no bids, but with any luck it'll get a bid at the last minute.   

I have gotten rid of most of the Pfaltzgraff pieces that I didn't want and have been using the baking dishes that I saved for myself from the boxlot that I bought.  These dishes clean up so easily!  And they look so pretty!  They are really fun to use because they can make even MY food look good!  LOL  Even Andy has used them in his cooking!  

All pictures are compliments of our new camera!  :)  Love it!  

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and let me know what you have "released into the wild" recently!  

Loretta

Cyber Monday...

Quote for the day:

 I've never been married, but I tell people I'm divorced 

so they won't think something is wrong with me.

- Elayne Boosler

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog and checking in on me... I know I haven't posted in several days, but trust me, I am still around!

 

I got a great phone call from my niece, K.B., announcing her engagement!  I so terribly excited for her!  She's had to bide her time for Mr. Right to come along, but her patience has been well rewarded!  :)   Blessings and congratulations, K.B.!  May you live a long, happy life with J!

 

I actually did some decluttering yesterday, but didn't take a picture of it...it wasn't very exciting!  LOL  I decided to go through the file cabinet and dispose of old records that aren't needed anymore.  I ended up with 2.5 medium-sized garbage bags of shredded documents/records that went out in the trash pick-up this morning.

 

Thanksgiving was a non-holiday for us this year because it was just Andy & me...no family...which we all know is the ingredient that "makes" Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Andy made a beef roast dinner for us.  I spent the day working on Andrew III's "bug jar" quilt and Andy spent the day doing whatever he does when he has a day off....watching TV, kicking back, etc....you know...the strenuous stuff!  LOL

 

I have the "bug jar" quilt sandwiched...which means that the top, batting and backing fabric are all laid out and basted together with safety pins.  It is ready to be machine quilted.  I'm not a great machine quilter...but so far I've never had anybody give the quilt back to me in disgust!  LOL

 

When it is quilted, I will post a picture on here so you all can "ohhh & ahhh" over it appropriately!  ;)

 

Yesterday I had 3 auctions of Pfaltzgraff items end on Ebay and all three got bids and sold!  So today I took the packages to the post office and mailed them out.  I have gotten rid of 90% of the Pfaltzgraff items that I didn't want out of the boxlot of items I purchased.

 

All told so far, I spent $7.50 on the boxlot of Pfaltzgraff and so far have made $46.69 on the items I have sold from it.  Plus, I have added 8-10 very nice baking dishes to my own collection from the box.  :)   Not enough money to retire on...but still a decent amount for the investment!  :)  

 

What doesn't sell by the time Ebay starts charging for listing fees for their auctions again, I will just put in the yard sale box and sell next summer on the yard sale.

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave a comment to let me know what you have "released into the wild" recently!  

 

Loretta

Dishing it out...

Quote for the day:

You can’t have everything….where would you put it? 

~  Unknown

Hello and Happy Sunday to you!  Hope you are doing well!

This morning I had to get some fasting blood work done, so after I had my blood drawn, Andy & I went out to eat a late breakfast.  That's kinda our routine when I have to have labs done...it's my "reward" for being a  big girl and letting them stick me with a needle!  I especially like it when they give me a "special" bandaid with a cartoon figure on it.  Today, I just got a stupid, old beige bandaid.  What fun are those????  And I didn't even cry when I got stuck!  I really think I deserved a special bandaid!  :(

On top of getting stuck and not getting a special bandaid, I feel like I'm coming down with a cold.  WAAAHHHHHH!  I've started winding the echinacea and Vitamin C to me to see if I can fend it off. 

I have an Ebay auction of some of the Pfaltzgraff dishes ending today.  It has a bid so that will be more "stuff" leaving the house as soon as I get paid for it.  I have another Ebay auction ending on Tuesday.  So far those items don't have any bids but sometimes things don't get bids until the last 24-48 hours.  *fingers crossed*  

The good thing is that right now Ebay is running a special where you don't pay any fees to list the item...you only pay the usual selling fees after the item sells.  So I don't feel bad about an auction if it doesn't sell because it didn't cost me anything to list it.  If the auction doesn't get any bids, I just turn right around and relist it.  So far everything I've listed of the Pfaltzgraff dishes has sold either on the first or second listing.

I've also listed 2 more additional auctions this afternoon for more of the Pfaltzgraff.  I'm slowly but surely getting it all sold and out of the house.  I've also set aside the baking items from the set to offer to Erin & Trinity as they are still "setting up" their houses.  If you've gotta cook, you might as well do it with pretty dishes!  If they don't want them then those items will get listed on Ebay, too.

Since I am keeping the loaf pans from the Pfaltzgraff dishes, I can "release" some of the plain glass loaf pans that I had been using before.  I also found a microwave bacon cooking dish in my cupboard.  Since we don't cook our bacon that way and I've never used it, it too is being "released".  All of these will go in the box for the next yard sale.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and tell me what you have "released" into the wild recently!  

Loretta

Not Gone...Just Away...

Quote for the day:

Absence blots people out. We really have no absent friends.
~Ambrose Bierce

Thank you all for stopping by the blog even though I haven't had any new posts for a few days.  Sorry 'bout that...

Life has gone from "Park" that is has been in for the last 5 weeks to "1st gear".  Not much of an increase, but a little movement towards my returning to my "normal" life.   

I have started back to work this week, but at 4 hour shifts instead of my normal 8 hour shifts.  I will be doing these 4 hour shifts this week and next.  Then, hopefully, by the week after Thanksgiving I'll be able to physically return to my full shifts again...barring anything bad happening and that I can do the work without too much back pain.

I am continuing with physical therapy 3 times a week until I return to 8 hour shifts.  Then I will drop down to 1 day a week of physical therapy.

I hope to get a good post for you this weekend, so please keep checking back!

Thanks again for visiting my blog.  Please leave a comment letting me know you were here and what you have "released" into the wild this week! 

Loretta

Rain, Rain...Go Away...Come Again Some Other Day...

Quote for the day:

I'm just waiting for people to start asking me to make the rain disappear.
~David Copperfield

"It was a dark and stormy...day?"  

Well...it's dark...and rainy...and cold...but not what you could call "stormy".  Alas, it is autumn.  Soon to be winter.  Soon to be February...

"February?" you ask.  Yep...February.  An important month for us this coming year.  Andy will be celebrating his 60th birthday in February and hopefully all of the kids will come home for it.  Plans have started being made by the Tennessee contingent to come home and hopefully, the Georgia contingent will be working towards the same means, soon.

I have been trying to figure out what to do for someone who doesn't like "parties" to help him usher in his 7th decade of life.  Today, I came up with some ideas, ran them past him and we are in agreement as to which one is best.

So now "we have a pwan...e pwuibus unum"!   (Okay...what movie is that line from, Folks?)  :)  And now that we have a "pwan"...I'm happy...something to work towards.  

I've been working on making more bug jar blocks.  I have started listening to a new book which is riveting.  I cannot recommend it enough!  At the beginning of the book, the author describes the early years of his son's life and it mirrors my own son's early years...the toys, the movies, the games, etc.  I am grateful that my kids did not get into the drug culture because listening to this story is heart-wrenching.   Again...I highly recommend this book...

Here is a link to the father's website:  Beautiful Boy

Now...how about some decluttering for this not-so-fine Sunday...

I have had this stack of sweaters and velvet dresses in my sewing room:

I had been collecting them to do crafting with...I was going to felt the sweaters and make a quilt/throw out of them and I want the velvet dresses to make Christmas stockings out of the velvet.  (Buying velvet dresses by the pound at our former Goodwill Outlet was cheaper than buying velvet fabric....much cheaper!)

I have decided that making the wool quilt is not something that I'm probably ever going to pursue doing, so I "released" them (there were only 3).  I am going to save the velvet, so it has been put away.

It now looks like this:

I store my Christmas fabrics in the picnic baskets to keep it separate from my regular fabric. 

I have 3 more auctions on Ebay for the Pfaltzgraff dishes that I bought at the estate auction 2 weeks ago.  Two of the 3 auctions have bids and will sell.  I'm hoping the third item will sell at the last minute, too.  As soon as I receive payment, these items, too, will be "released" to their new owner!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and to let me know what you "released" into the wild recently!

Loretta

Happy Veteran's Day...

Quote for the day:

"The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten."
   - Calvin Coolidge

I wish to extend a special thank you to all of our military personnel, past and present, for their service to our country.  If it weren't for those brave souls, we would not have the freedoms that we enjoy so much!

My husband, Andy, served for 4 years in the Navy...long before I met him.  In fact, I think I was in 3rd grade the year he signed up!  LOL  (Yes, he did rob the cradle when he married me! ;)...but I digress...)

Here, for your perusal is a picture of his graduating submarine class from New London, CT, October 1969:

And here is a close-up of him in the picture:

...he is the middle one  in the back row!  Handsome, huh?  Downright dapper in his dress whites! 
How young and baby-faced he looks there!  Only 18 years old...


Even though I remembered it was Veteran's Day today, I was headed out the door with these:

...the packages of Pfaltzgraff that I sold on Ebay...when I remembered that because it WAS Veteran's Day, the post office is CLOSED!  Glad I remembered before I had actually driven to the post office!  LOL


Okay...so they'll get mailed tomorrow instead...

I thought I'd show you the update on the "bug jar" quilt blocks that I've been making with the fabric I've received from my swap with other quilters.

I still have more fabric coming in from other quilters, so this is not all of the blocks nor the final arrangement.  After I get done making all of the blocks, I will do my final arranging and add the "shelves" that the jars will "sit" on.


I have an affliction called "Quilter's ADD"....LOL!  I start planning my future projects long before I am done with my current ones!  


In this case, I'm thinking about the "Disney Princess" quilt I'd like to make my granddaughter, Sera, for her 5th birthday, in Sept. 2011.


When we were in Tennessee for her 4th birthday, I found this 2 yard piece of fabric at Goodwill for a couple dollars:

It's got "sparklies" in it...Sera like anything "sparkly and pretty"!


I thought I'd pair it with a bright yellow and a dark purple.  I don't have any dark purple, but I did find some yellow to show you...

Doesn't the yellow makes the lavender "pop"?


Thank you all for stopping by my blog today.  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and what you "released" into the wild recently!


Loretta