Happy New Year!

It isn't midnight yet but I know when it is I shall be tucked into bed and snoring likely so without further ado:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  May you all have the best of 2012, enjoy each minute.

Blessed Be!

Finishing up the "un-time"

So this week, as I was doing precious little except walk the dog, I got these blocks

 out of the "To Do" box.   I made Brayden a whole rag quilt of these blocks

 and had a ton of fabric left over-I bought more than I needed as the pattern was for a lap quilt and I wanted a twin size.  I finished it in 2009 and began making up the extra strips into blocks, then life got "interesting" and I put it away.  Anyway, it was time to get it out again.  Now I've pressed a thousand ;) strips and made 6 more blocks, I hope to make two or three a day until the fabric is gone then I'll see how big a quilt it will make-Kolby might like it or maybe it will stay here who knows.

I've been watching the Harry Potter movies this week as well while I stitched, cleaned and worked on a few other projects.  Monday, I shall have to begin the January DEEP CLEAN, sigh, which will cut into my stitching time considerably!

Un-time.

What we have now is "un-time", the week between Christmas and New Year's.  Not part of either, not regular time.  I am taking the time to recover from the lead up to Christmas, always hectic no matter how I plan!  I do work under the banner of "Don't sweat the small stuff--It's all small stuff" but I still get pressured to have everything right and proper!  (It's the perfectionist in me, what can I say.)

I think I hit the mark with every gift I gave-which is truly amazing!  And, of course, the children spoiled me with lovely gifts!

My biggest gift was having a house full of my family (and 3 dogs) for Christmas dinner!  Rob, Tanya and I managed to find a way to seat 14 at one huge table, after removing all the sofas from the living room to the kitchen and putting 4 tables side by side-there was no living room left but it was so worth it to all be together!

Now, I'm tidying a bit each day, Quinn and I are taking walks in the park twice a day (gotta wear that girl out), and I am working a bit on some of my many projects!  In January I'll hit the cleaning etc but for this week I'll just enjoy "Un-time."

Happy Christmas!

Christmas Blessings to you all!  May you have heath, happiness, and love!  And may we all have Peace on Earth.

Love to you all!

Gail and Quinn

One thing off my "To Do" list!

Just finished sewing on the last of 26 buttons last night,  the black on black is murder on the eyes!  I only hope it fits and looks better on him than it does hanging on the hanger! (And that the over-robe, has a special name but I can't remember it, covers a multitude of sins.)  I'll give it a good press and it's off to be mailed so he can wear it on Christmas Eve.  The sewing was not difficult (except for the black on black thing) but there were SO many adjustments to the pattern it's hard to know if it is proper or even, most importantly, that it's long enough.  Will hope for word that he is totally delighted in it-please the gods.

It's been a long time since I updated the cross-stitch project-like August 8th-due to the kitchen thing, I'm getting back into it now. So, last update.

And now:

Hope to do more tonight.

I discovered yesterday that my greeting card list has grown quite a bit larger (I have no idea how as it has shrunk for YEARS) and I neglected to buy enough cards, sigh.  So today I'm off to buy more, pick up the photos for them and some other errands.  After the DRYER REPAIRMAN comes!  I guess I belly ached enough that they got tired of hearing from me!  Hopefully, this fixes it for a while-trips to the laundromat are real downers, especially in the rain.

The weather finally cleared out last week and it has been warm although today it is raining again.  I like cold weather but I'm grateful for the bit warmer as I have a puppy to take outside!  I may not be as grateful next summer if it doesn't get cold enough to kill off some of the bugs!

What's Up?

So the past two days have been dark and dismal, dripping from the sky.  Today was so dark and so dismal I turned on all the Christmas trees this morning!  They normally don't come/go on until 4 pm but it was so dark in here I hit the "on" button on all the timers!  Made me think of "Darling Dora and her Dazzling Diamond D" (an old Sesame Street story we read to the children) there was a "dragon in a deep, dark, dank, dreary dungeon"!  It really hampers the old spirits, even with extra vitamin D.  To top the weather I had a griping session with the Extended Service plan for the dryer.  You'll remember it was broken in October when I got home from California, it took three weeks for the part to arrive (and then only because I complained to Lowe's) the tech that came to fix it (from At Your Service), left it broken in other ways-assuring me it was just fine to use it, only it wasn't just fine and began to damage clothing.  Two weeks ago, while driving to get Quinn, I called them because their tech had broken it and they came out.  Had to order more parts, last Monday I called to check on the status of the repair-waiting on parts.  Called yesterday on status of repair, waiting on parts.  I grumbled, a lot, this is taking too long.  I was told they would check on it and call me back.  They didn't so I called Lowe's today, they ordered the parts yesterday!  I belly ached long and loud-but of course that still won't get the dryer fixed until after, most likely, Christmas.  After that I had to go to the bank, and then the RV place to get a part for the trailer.  The RV place didn't have the same part (of course) so they sent me home with a different one which they thought would work, although I might have to change out the top as well.  Supposed to be easy, yeah right.  I couldn't get it on today but I was still so frustrated by the dryer I think that may have been part of it.  I hope that's all it is as it will NOT be easy to change the top!  After all that I came in and fumed at myself for my lack of tidiness and cleaned my office so I could sew.  It has not been a good few days--please, please let the sun come out tomorrow!

Thank goodness for Quinn, she is really good at raising your mood!  Poor thing though, I really messed up her ears with the glue on Sunday.  I didn't read the instructions (come on, it's glue!) and got way too much on them she got her feet into it and well suffice it to day she is a sad looking little thing (which makes me sad).  The glue remover doesn't work very fast and she hates it.  I put baby oil on it and it's working-well it's turned it into a gummy mess but that is coming out.  I wonder if I put peanut butter on that, humm.  She'd probably try to eat her ear, just to get to the peanut butter!

First Snow!

Woke up to the first snow of the season!  Just a skiff but still the roads were white, I say were because it is mostly gone already, sigh.  It was Quinn's first snow as well, she sniffed, tasted, and dug a bit occasionally lifting a paw like it was cold-can't really tell it she liked it our not, expect that she will especially once her outer coat comes in!

I've been sewing and cross-stitching as well as some reading.  Today I went to the Historical society where I volunteer (David always makes me type! Really I've been inputing the accession records into a spread sheet for quite some time.  No one else is willing and I guess I type faster than most, and I am NOT fast. ) See a lot about the holdings this way and today they made me think of my friend Kathy Tuohey who passed away in September.  Something I saw made me think "Kathy would be able to tell us all about that" and made me miss her.

After "work" I headed for Kolby's  daycare and his Christmas program.  He's normally a little ham but froze on stage-at least he didn't cross his little arms on his chest and turn his back on the audience like he did last year.  After we all went out for BBQ--good times, such good times!

Filling in after finishing the kitchen.

Since I finished the remodel of the kitchen I have been struggling to figure out what to do with myself!  Finally, I told myself I couldn't go into the office/sewing room and sit down at my computer without doing something else in there!  (It's to easy to fritter away and afternoon playing on the laptop!)  It seems to be working so far, as a few things are being done.  I finished a stocking cap to compliment the scarf I bought in Ireland, it isn't perfect but it keeps my ears warm!  (I tried to take a photo but the batteries are dead-charging now.)

Occasionally, someone asks me to make something for them.  This is one of those projects.

A choir robe for Steven.  (The one whose is 6'10" tall)  Last spring when he was here I took measurements, there was no way the pattern would fit as it was so I cut and added both length and width.  Then I made a mock up and sent it to him.  While I was there in October I checked the fit and length and once home I reworked the pattern yet again.  Through the magic of my Iphone I finally figured out and bought the black bottomweight fabric  and today I cut out everything except the lining.  Tomorrow I will cut that out and mark everything.  Taking this one in small steps and praying it fits and looks decent when I finish!

I'm also working on Christmas gift bags (very big) that I've been pecking at for over a year-trying to machine quilt at least one each day.  I've tried my hand at some more knitting-can't say that is going well, think I've forgotten more than I ever knew!  Still working on Bri's stocking-I'll try to post an update this week.  When I finish this I'm going to sew Tanya's stocking together and get it ready to hang with all the rest.

Cute Puppy photos--required at the moment!  Shetland Sheep dogs are known for a couple of thing:  Being "helpful" and being "vocal"  the last just meaning that they bark, hello, dogs, they bark! I thought I put in some photos of Quinn being helpful:

Making sure I load the dishwasher properly-she'd be happy to pre-wash the dishes but NO.

Your tape measure will not run away!

Just looking for those pesky acorns!

Having a puppy in the house is such fun!  We all laugh several times a day!  She is so different from Charley and Kelsey, she stands up to the cats (even when Mica hisses) and just loves everyone!  I think Scott nailed it when he said Charley and Kelsey were always nervous-she is not!

Now if I could only find my desk and work tables!