I thought I'd finished with Halloween costumes (like spike-tailed dinosaurs, ET, and clowns) when Scott decided he was too old to Trick-or-Treat but it seems not.    Brayden wants to be Indiana Jones this year.  Tanya got into the act and I was asked to create a satchel for the candy!  It isn't my best work but he likes it-so go me!

Happy Samhain---Halloween, too!

Another Project Completed!

First there was this:

Old rickety, soft deck!

Then there was this:

No deck!

Now there is this:

Beautiful, sturdy, big new deck!  Yay!  Quinn and I love it, we don't have to go to the basement to get out!  I removed the "Do not open this door" sign and all is well  (Okay , I have some touch up painting to do but otherwise it's done.)

It looks massive to me at the moment, and I expect it will until I move the table and chairs back up but that won't be until Spring!

On being an empty nester

I am new to the empty nest.  I am also a widow.  Those things combine to make me very busy!  I enjoy the time to myself, the freedom I have to do what I want, when I want.  That said, the downside to this is that there is no one but me to do a thing.  Anything.  Everything!  I am very busy and longing for a day to sew, sigh.

Among the things I am currently doing:
Volunteering two (soon to be three) afternoons a week at three different places (I do need to be around folks and feel useful!)

Preparing the yard and garden for winter.  Nearly finished with this one thank goodness!  Still have leaves to rake/mow for a few more weeks, bulbs to plant now that the high has dropped below 60F, some clean up to do and get "Hank" the snowthrower out.

Getting my truck ready for winter-haven't even started but it's a very short list.

Giving the basement room a facelift.  This won't really take all that long, just paint etc.  I just can't decide what to do with the floor as I don't want to look at the remains of black mastic for very long.  I'm picking up the pool table on Sunday and storing it in the garage until I decide about the floor and have the painting done.  I think there will be some pressure from the "boys" to get done so they can play!

Finishing the laundry room.  The walls have never been covered.  I'm adding a second stove and some counters in here as well as a few other projects.  This one will be more labor intensive that the big room--Oh No.

Fall deep cleaning of the house.

Stitching.  A couple of pretty small projects for others and the quilts in the pipeline.

No wonder I'm beat when It's time for bed!  No wonder I haven't the energy to blog!  I'll try and do better, for now I'm headed to the chair to watch the boob tube and stitch.  Blessed Be!

Hexies!

I was finally bitten by the hexie bug this summer!  It took me a bit to find the size I needed-the first I used were too small and the fabric lost the flowers so that everything looked either green or white!  The fabric is Texas Hill Country that I bought in 2009 in Fredricksburg, Texas (appropriate, huh?)   I've only finished six so far.  They're my "take-along" project.  Here are close ups of two:

And a photo of them all.

These are just pinned up on the top of a dark blue, I think I'll use that for the joining hexies although I quite like them just fastened together so who knows.  I really think the dark blues pulls out the blue flowers and makes the whole "pop" though.

Catch up, Again.

I'm just home from visiting with this little imp!

Nora, opening her gifts!
She really likes the bows!

And her Momma and Daddy as well!  Nora turned three on the 14th, I can't believe how big she's getting (although compared to Kolby she's still a lightweight-thank goodness!)  As usual I brought rain with me to San Diego, which cooled things off and kept the crowds down!  We visited some of my favorite places-the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, and the beach.  I think the Wild animal park is the closest I will ever come to seeing rhinos, giraffes, etc in the wild as I doubt I'll ever make Africa!  This time we took a cart ride into the Asia exhibit, much better than the tram ride through Africa as we had only 10 people on the cart and a Zoologist for a guide.  Next time I'm paying the bucks for the truck ride into the exhibits-and I'll be sure my camera batteries are fully charged!  After Nora's party on Sunday, Steve and I took her to LaJolla Shores beach-I never feel like I've been to California unless I hit the beach at least once.

Now that I'm home it's back to work on the basement rooms and deep cleaning (everywhere I look is disgusting it's so filthy!)  My sewing room is the worst, and I still haven't turned on the machine.  I am working on some hexies and another English paper piecing project which is an experiment and a gift so no more on that!  I think I'll head back there now, put on a movie and do some stitching-Bri's sock is calling me.

The Deck is GONE!!

 I began the day with this deck.  A shaky affair with flooring (and floor joist) so soft that Quinn had dug a hole clear through!  I mean I could see the ground through her hole.  Silly girl.

 The guys got right to work and soon had most of the railing off and started in on that soft floor-no more holes (at least on the deck) for Quinn!

 The supervising crew:  Kolby, Brayden and Braxton!

 The floor joist are going!

 Rob is removing some of the MANY bolts he and Larry put in a few years ago.

 The Supervisor is on the job, this time just Kolby.

 The stairs took the longest but soon they went as well and Rob is breaking up the cement pad at the bottom.  It had to go, to make room for the new deck foundations but I'll miss the handprints to be found there!

 Shawn and Jason toting!  Much work was also done by Tomas and Heather!

 This is what is left, waiting for the new deck scheduled for Oct 17th.  In the meantime---

 It's very dark but it says DO NOT OPEN THIS DOOR  A reminder to me that it's

A long way down!

After all the work was done, and the roll-off full, we had a Mexican dinner!  My kids love it when I put on a full feast so that was their reward for all the hard work!

Flying Time!

It's amazing how quickly the days pass!  And now autumn has arrived!  Hurrah!! My favorite season, followed closely by winter.  I have nearly finished tidying the gardens (only one half of a front garden and the ground bushes left).  I will be working at digging out the corner of the back in the spring still, but that's okay, I can only haul three short loads of dirt up the hill in my lovely wagon then I'm done.  I had to cover the Mums today as we are to have widespread frost tonight!  I was quite chilly at the soccer game today.

Yesterday, a big roll-off waste container was delivered.  Tomorrow is the big deck tear down!  The existing deck is unstable and becoming unsafe so it will all come down and go into the big roll-off container!  Then on the 17th the company will come to put a new one on.  One more thing off the check list.  I've been cleaning the garage (one of my least favorite jobs) as parts of it haven't even been swept in several years.  Some junk from in there will hit the big roll-off container as well.

I've begun my second volunteer position, working in the archives at the Merrill Mattes Research Library, housed in the National Frontier Trails Museum.  I used to work there part time so this really feels like going home!  The director resigned last fall and lots of new and exciting things are going on so I'm excited about going on Monday afternoons.  I still work on Tuesday afternoons at the Jackson County Historical Society typing the accession books into a spreadsheet.  I think I might finish that in my lifetime (or not) but I'm sure there is another project just waiting for me!

On Monday, I'm taking Quinn to Camp Bow Wow for the day and going to the Quilt Guild in Lees Summit, Mo.  I need motivated!

I did work on Bri's sock yesterday and will again tonight.
I'm off to shower the grime of garage cleaning away, then start a load of wash as I'm nearly naked!

On Thursday I fly to San Diego!  To see Steve, Candice and Nora and to be there for Nora's third birthday.  I'm looking forward to it!