The Trans Siberian Orchestra

was in Little Rock last night. (2 hours away)

Larry and I splurged and purchased tickets.

The concert was great. Just when I thought I have enough rock, they toned it down some and began telling a Christmas Story. And, of course, I got to hear my favorite song of theirs. Christmas Canon.

I was totally shocked at the traffic from Russellville to Little Rock. Larry said the traffic going west from Little Rock would be bad but the traffic going east into Little Rock would be good. (He makes trips there frequently with the EMS.) But, oh my goodness, he was wrong. Bumper to bumper all of the way. We planned to get there in plenty of time and we did.

Coming home was even worse. The traffic was not quite as bad. Still much more than normal. But, there was rain off and on. People traveling much to fast and interstate highways that are wet and lane lines hard to see.

Then, the streets of our town were flooded and both our vehicles almost flooded out going through them. The visibility going the mile up the ridge was almost nothing. I traveled at about 15 mph and was very thankful for the green house number sign on my mailbox. It was about the only way I could tell when I was home.

So great concert but terrible driving conditions. God and His angels worked overtime last night keeping us safe.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

Kelseys Graduation!

Yippee!!!

Kelsey's Pinning

(as a nurse) was last Tuesday evening.

If I am not mistaken, the lady pinning her was one of her favorite instructors.

And we sure are proud of her.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

What do you do for 5 days without electricity?

Well, we played card games and scrabble. I had purchased a new card game, Yatzee, a couple of weeks ago. So, we sat down and figured out how to play it. Not sure if I like it or not.



One evening, we played Phase 10. I do enjoy playing that game.

 
And a couple of evenings, we played Scrabble.



So, we kept busy. Larry went to bed really early each night. (We had carried our mattress to the den where it was warm.) So, I read a lot on my kindle. We charged our cell phones in the vehicles the first night and then using the generator when plugging in the refrigerator on the other days.

We actually watched about an hour of TV Sunday evening so I could see what the weather was doing.

I am so thankful we had an alternative heat source and running water. I'm not going to say I didn't miss the internet, because I sure did. But, it would have been so much worse if we didn't have water.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Winter Wonderland

(Written on Friday, Dec. 6)

The school actually announce last night that it would not be open today. I always appreciate that, even though I normally don't sleep in.

I awoke several times during the night last night. The ice pounding on the windows sounded like it was in the room with us. I finally got up at the normal time and watched the weather reports that were coming in.

Ice started around midnight and continued until 8 or 9 this morning. Then the snow began. It is finally tapering off now, around 2 pm.

I finished the remaining 5 beach towels around 2:30. When, all of the sudden I heard a crash. I knew immediately what it was.  I heard that sound before. A tree falling. And, yes, that's right. The electricity went out immediately.  Yep, it caught the electric line and snapped the pole in two.

We called the city and they responded within an hour, only to tell us that the pole was our property and they couldn't repair it for us. It is our responsibility to get a new pole put in and call a certified electrician to put in the new electrical box, etc.

Our brother-in-law came with his tractor to help get the old pole out of the hole. He also bladed our driveway for us. Thanks so much, Randy.

So here is Larry working on getting a new pole put in.

That was on a Saturday. We hoped the electrician would get there on Monday, but he didn't. He finally got everything hooked up on Tuesday and we turned the power back on around 4 p.m.

We heated the kitchen, den, and a bathroom using a wood stove. I just closed off all other doors and put a curtain up between the kitchen and dining/living area. We stayed nice and toasty, but the rest of the house was around 46 degrees. Brrr!

I am so thankful that we had water the whole time. We heated water on the wood stove for baths and cooked on a camp stove. We did have to get some wood from our brother-in-law and visit Walmart on Tuesday morning for more propane bottles for the lantern and camp stove; but otherwise, we were pretty well prepared.

We also have a small generator that we ran for a couple of hours each day to keep our frozen foods from thawing. 

We have plenty of propane bottles put back for the next time we are out of electricity. But, we do plan to purchase another lantern to keep on hand. They put out so much more light than the kerosene lamps.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Ice Day -- Or Not?

The ice storm came and left us with no electricity or internet for 5 days and sporatic internet service since. I am back dating these posts.

(Written on Thursday, Dec. 5)

I got up at my regular time this morning. Showered. Ate breakfast and then the phone rang. No School! I really thought we would go today but not tomorrow. And, we could have.

But then I received a text from my sister-in-law around 8:30. Larry's mom radiation treatment was changed from 4:30 this evening to 12:00 noon. So, it worked out really well that I was off and able to take her.  We had rain about the whole drive there and back (an hour away) and there was a layer of ice when we arrived. But the roads were clear so we were very thankful.

My sister-in-law asked me to embroidery names on some hooded beach towels she purchased for kids Christmas gifts. I did 4 of them this afternoon. Five to go tomorrow.

I need to do some cleaning and sewing tomorrow. And I have a Christmas tree to decorated still. I purchased ingredients to try making some sugar free (low sugar) chocolate chip cookies for Larry. But, I haven't gotten around to it yet. That's something else I can do.

Plenty to do on another snow day tomorrow. You would think that since I already know I do not have school, I could sleep in. Nope, won't happen.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Winter Weather

is on the way. This would not bother me at all--if I didn't have to get out to go to work. Hopefully, it won't hit here until late afternoon on Thursday. Then, I will be able to make it to school and home without any problems. I am a big chicken when it comes to driving on snow and/or ice.

Looks like we will have a break on Saturday and Sunday with more headed our way Sunday evening, Monday, and Tuesday.



The bright side is that I have plenty to do here at home.

Cleaning, purging, and sewing.  It is never ending, isn't it?

I have embroidery to do, quilts to finish.I have a pile of packages from my sister-in-law. They are beach towel coverups. She wants names embroidered on them. They are so cute. I'll have pictures after I embroidery on them.

That will take awhile, but I will be able to piddle around with other things as the machine works. I really need to start on them tonight.

. . . And Christmas gifts to make. I always make something for a colleague, whom I am very close to. And I usually make my brothers and sisters a little something. I really need to visit pinterest for some ideas. And why do I usually wait until I get off for Christmas break to start these gifts?

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

I am happy to say . . .

that almost all of my Christmas shopping is complete. I spent the day shopping and it was so pleasant. By the time I got out at around 10:30 this morning, most of the die hard Black Friday shoppers had been shopping all night and were home and in bed. So the stores were generally like a typical Saturday.

And, oh the weather was so beautiful. It is so much easier to enjoy shopping when you can run in and out of the stores without getting too hot or too cold.

The only problem I had was in getting a new iphone. I have had my phone for over 4 years and it is starting to get kind of persnickety. I stopped by my hometown Walmart at 9 this morning. They were out. I stopped by the supercenter in Fort Smith and was told it would be an 8 hour wait. No way!!!! I stopped by Sam's Club and they were giving out appointments. Earliest I could get was 5:30. Didn't plan to stay in town that long. Dropped back by the Supercenter before I headed home and was able to reserve one. They would call me later this evening when I could come back to get it activated. That definitely wouldn't work.

The employee told me that they were extending the sale through Dec. 5 and I could come back another day before them. I picked my color and she put my name on it. So I will call them on the day I want to come in and they will give me an appointment. No waiting. I hope.

I made Kelsey and her family new stockings. Aiden requested red. Have you hung them yet, Kelsey?

Tomorrow I plant to make peach preserves from some peaches I froze this summer. I made Cranberry Jam last weekend using Low Sugar Pectin and Stevia.  It is very tart but delicious. That was the first time I ever made any kind of jelly. I was really surprised at how nicely is set up.

I also need to finish decorating tomorrow so on Sunday I can relax and do very little.

Anyone out there doing Bonnie Mystery or Judy's quilt along?

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving. In ways, it has been a long year. But then again, many days just seem to blend together and fly by. They school year is almost half way through, and for that I am thankful.

Are you doing any black Friday shopping? I plan to go to the local Walmart tonight at 6 to get a couple of household items. They have crock pots for $10. The lid to my crock pot slipped out of my niece's hand and shattered this summer. I still use it and just cover it with foil. It works but at $10, I can't go wrong getting another one. They also have a small George Foreman grill for $10 that I am thinking about trying.  Finally, there is a toaster oven for $15 that I want to look at.

Tomorrow, I plan to decorate and maybe sew most of the day.

I am spending the day with my family and children. We have a new baby in the family (my nephew and his wife adopted) and I hope I get to meet her. I know she is a very special little gift because she has already filled us with such joy.

How are you spending your days off?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
 

Happy snipping, stitching, & quilting.

Much to think about!

I worked with Becca last Saturday and haven't been in the sewing room since.

Larry and I have decided to try our hand out at gardening some next year. We will have to use raise beds as our land has solid rock under it and not a lot of good topsoil. So I am researching building beds and trying to decide if we want to build beds, plant and grow or just buy from the orchards that are about 20 miles away.

I have been canning a few things and really enjoy it.  The doctor says that commercially canned products have so much additives that they can play havoc on acid reflux. So I really need to can my own.  Thus the interest in gardening and canning.

I really need to work on Kelsey's double wedding ring quilt. I still don't know what applique I want on it.  I need to sit down, make a decision, and start on it so I won't be able to change my mind again.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

Back in the Sewing Room

Becca and Craig came today and brought the quilt she made for her mother for me to add the binding. Her granny hand quilted it for her.

I decided to put my big sewing table back up.

It is just so much easier to have the big table when sewing binding or machine quilting.  This evening I sat down and put the binding on this quilt, which has been hanging on the sewing wall for a few months now.

I actually forgot it was there until Becca asked me today when I was going to finish it.

As you can see from the picture, I need to clean and rearrange in there tomorrow. Maybe moving things around will motivate me to finish Kelsey's quilt.

Happy stitching, snipping, and quilting!

Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Hope your day is great and filled with love and laughter.

Time Flies

I have decided that the older I get, the faster time goes by. Not that I am accomplishing that much. I just find that I like to be at home and I have finally learned to slow down and enjoy myself without staying busy constantly. Oh, I still find it difficult to sit and watch TV and not be sewing or browsing on the computer. In fact, the only time I do that is if we are having internet problems.

Anyway, what prompted that? I was just amazed that it has been almost two weeks since I wrote a post. It seems like just a couple of days ago.

I thought a had a pretty picture to post, but it didn't turn out. I took a photo of the moon a couple of days ago when I was driving to work (about 6:30 a.m.). It was a beautiful full moon and I guess I was amazed that it was still so big and bright at that time in the morning. And it was still dark enough to see it at that time. Winter is upon us.

One of my students told me that the persimmons had spoons in them. I guess we are in for a hard, cold winter.

As long as I have food and heat and can stay indoors, I don't mind for a little bit. In fact, it can be quilt beautiful

And it does make a good back ground.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Taking a break, I guess.

Kelsey thinks I am missing in action. I guess I am. Missing action, that is. I haven't done anything in the past couple of weeks on the quilting front.

I have actually been researching foods and home canning foods. Anything processed is bad for my acid reflux. I should really only eat fresh produce and meats. We all know how hard that is. Living in a small town with one grocery store and a small Walmart with only limited foods, means high prices in the grocery store.

I have definitely decided that I need to home can foods to eat more healthily. That means either growing a garden next spring and/or buying at the local farmer's market or local orchards. Unfortunately, the ground here is not conducive to growing anything. I live on top of a ridge. Very little soil on top of solid rock.

We made a raised bed a couple of years ago to try growing a few things.

At first, everything was eaten as soon as it popped out of the ground. We figured out a groundhog was the culprit. So we added an electric fence. That worked to keep out varmint, but we figured out we couldn't keep the ground moist. The ground will not hold water. We tried two years and decided to give up.

To get a feel for canning, I have canned some french onion soup and various dried beans. I found that I actually enjoy it.

So, I have spent the past couple of weeks researching gardening, canning, and food storage.  So much information is available.

This is how the skies will be looking for the next few days around here. Rain is in the future.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

Changing Gears

I've been sewing a little most evenings and have a few more block completed.

I am going to put these blocks away for a bit in order to work on Kelsey's Double Wedding Ring quilt. The center is complete and would be ready to go but I am going to add a wide appliqued border. I am not happy with the arrangement of the daisy flowers and I am searching the web for ideas.

 I found this arrangement that I really like. I'm going to see if I can get it to work out. I'll have to see how the big flowers will work with oranges instead of yellow.



Not sure how I will go about making them. I may try layering. And I am having a hard time matching greens for the leaves. Some are too light, some are too dark.

The whole feel of Kelsey's quilt is different from the one I made for Craig and Becca (much less formal) so I didn't want to use roses.

Although, if I ever make one for myself, it will be very similar to this one with the roses and red and green color scheme.

A Beautiful Sunday

I'm not sure what the temperatures are, but it is such a relief from the hot weather.  We went to a matinee and was quite surprised when we walked out and did not have the heat hit us in the face.

I finished cutting all of the pieces for the blocks of the new quilt I am starting. And, I actually took the time to sew one block together

and have another one laid out and ready to start again Monday evening.

 

I think I am going to love the pop of red that will be in about half of the blocks.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Middle age

is not agreeing with me. I have always been very healthy until a few years ago. And not it seems like it is all going downhill.

Okay, I'm finished feeling sorry for myself. Where was I going with that? Oh, Thursday night I sewed the two of the inside narrow borders on and was just too tired to sew the other two on. So I left them for last night.

Well, I wasn't feeling well last night and didn't want to mess with it. In fact, for some reason I had the urge to work on small pieces. I really wanted to piece but didn't have anything cut out and ready to go.

So what do you do? I started cutting pieces for the next quilt. Which will be this one.

It is going to be totally scrappy. In fact, I am trying to use all of those pieces left of fat quarters that have been used for other projects. I worked on the light colored triangles. As you can see, I didn't get very far.

That's about half of what I need.


I have a busy Saturday planned. Craig and Becca will visit in the morning. Then I'll head to Van Buren (about an hour's drive) for Aiden's birthday party.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

A little progress

on the first of my "fall" quilts. As you can see from the picture, I sewed a couple of the long sashings last night. I really am going to like this quilt and am excited to get it together.

I don't seem to have very much time to spend sewing in the evening. I have been spoiled for years because Larry has been cooking on the days he is off. So I can stay at school until time to eat. But, now he is working 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is home each night. I have pretty well taken over the cooking and it has been going good. But, I have to make myself leave school by 4:30 each day.
This changing to 6th grade is kicking me in the behind.  Have you ever tried to teach 6th graders how to analyze text and recognize and discuss the underlying messages in poetry. Or how to compare two informational articles from different sources. Their little minds just don't always want to cooperate. Or, is it their attitudes at that age? lol

 But, I will persevere. :)

We have a school over the bridge from us (about a 10 minute drive) where 20 of the teachers and staff members were trained as security guards this summer and will be carrying guns. I have such mixed feelings about this. The state gave them a license. Then said, "No, the could not legally carry guns in a school setting." Then, yesterday the ruling was overturned and they will be carrying guns, maybe starting today. I'm glad it is not me. What are your thoughts?

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Last two strips

of triangles.

I was so tired I didn't even have the energy to press and hang them on the wall.

I snuck out of school at 3:10 today. I say "snuck" because I never leave that early, even though we can every day. I had a couple of errands to run on the way home, but still arrived home before 4:00.  Luckily, I had made "Mexican Chicken" last night so all I had to do tonight was stick it in the oven, make brown rice, and a salad. Super easy for a great meal.

So, I was able to sew for an hour or so before dinner. After dinner, I went and walked 40 minutes. Thus, the reason for being tired. I thought is was wind and had cooled down. Not.

I hope to be able to leave school early again tomorrow and get the sashing strips cut before heading out to prayer group. It would be great to get them sewn in also.

How was your day?

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.

Design Wall Monday

Well, after the first row, I figured out my what I was doing and it has been downhill from there.

I'm not sure why it didn't dawn on me that I am using equilateral triangles and I could turn them to match the flat end of the triangle with the sewed edge.  Senior Moment, I guess.

Stop by Judy's for Design Wall Monday.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Hmmm!

I had a comment from Marlene saying she had a hard time with triangles. My thought was "why"? Now, I know. 

This is the first two rows I sewed together. Can you see how it curves there at the bottom?  Hmmm.  The first row was worse before I sewed the two together.

I may have lied to my daughter-in-law. I told her not to worry that when you get it quilted no one will be able to tell. I will persevere.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

New Quilt and Pesto Tomato Pizza

It was such a nice day. I have grown to really appreciate the weekends. I cleaned a little bit this morning.  Mostly the utility room.

Larry was replacing a part on the car. And I had to help him. (Well, I actually just held the light and he probably didn't need (or want) my help. lol That took most of the day.

I decided to make a pesto tomato pizza for dinner tonight. We have had it twice before and really enjoyed it so I took a stab at it. And, it did turn out really good.

The only pesto I could find was a dry mix to mix with olive oil. I wasn't sure how much to use and will use a little more next time. I also forgot to get mozzarella cheese, so I used Provolone cheese. It was good but doesn't quite have the stringy goodness of mozarella.

Yummy goodness, just fresh from the oven. Becca told me where to look for Pesto in a jar, so hopefully I will find some. I think it will have a little more flavor than the powder. The recipe I used was from Pioneer Women.

I sat down this evening and cut all of the triangles I need for the quilt I am starting.

I have all the fabric I need and hopefully will be able to sit down and get them all sewed together tomorrow. This is the quilt I decided to start on first. It will go on one of the kids beds.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Fall Decorations

I have a few fall indoor decorations that I put out each year. Just a few flower arrangements mostly. But I also have a couple of table toppers and wall hangings.  But, I realized I only have one fall quilt (the one in the header) and the Orange Crush quilt to put on the beds. I have three beds.

Yep, a good excuse to start a new project. I found this one in a quilt magazine. I really like it's simplicity.

This is the other one I found. I am going to make it first.  I have all the fabric I'll need except the inner sashing and the outer border. I will probably use something I have for those also.   I want to see what I need after I sew the rows together.

Here are the fabrics I have chosen so far. The green Thomas Kincade print is what I may use for the outside border. But that takes away from the neutral  aspect of the quilt, which is what I want.

I am excited about starting a new project. I will need to stick with it to get it to get two of them finished by the end of October. That is when I'll take the orange quilts off. 

Hmmm. I have three beds. I guess I need to look for a third pattern. Maybe I can get Larry to buy me some fabric for an early Christmas present. Oh, I do have an anniversary coming up in October.

 Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting! 

Quilting is finished

On the Christmas quilt I have been working on.

I still need to trim, square, and bind it. But that is all downhill, right?

Craig and Becca were talking about making their own laundry detergent when they visited this weekend. He sent me this link with the recipe and a review from a blogger who has used it for an entire year.  I decided to make some today. I used a tote with a lid from Walmart.

I tried it and I like it. I had some clothes with stains and the detergent got them out as well or better than the normal liquid detergent I use. If you decide to make it, read all the comments on the post as there are some good ideas telling how people have changed it to make it better.

Well, it was back to school this morning. The day off just makes me want another one or two or three.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Since I missed Christmas in July

I am working on Christmas now.

I was able to quilt a few more blocks last night. It is really good to get back in the groove of quilting. 

I had no idea how to quilt it. The pattern suggested stitch in the ditch around the blocks to stabalize, then stitch around the houses. Then they followed the patterns in the fabric. So that is what I am trying to do. But some of the fabric doesn't really have a pattern so I just quilt what comes to mind.

It's been a very long time since I participated in Design Wall Monday. But I do check in almost every week.

Looking forward to an extra day off today.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting. 

The first two weeks

of school have really kicked me. Changing grade levels (moving up to 6th grade) is a big jump. Some of the things we are required to teach--I don't think their young minds are ready for. But I will work hard and they will too. Hopefully, we will persevere.

On the homefront, we spent the weekend in Branson, MO last weekend. We stayed at the Bradford House Bed and Breakfast. It was so homey and the host and hostess were wonderful. I have never been to a bed and breakfast but we are sold on them now.

This one has twenty rooms so it was quite large. My dream home has wrap around porches and lots of decks. I think the wood is so warm and homey feeling. Our room was in the back of the house and opened to a deck that looked out onto the pool and a wooded area. It was so nice and quiet and peaceful.

We worked for a few minutes Saturday morning on the quilt Becca is making her mom. We still need to add borders.

I finally finished the block border that goes around my latest Christmas quilt (Welcome to the North Pole). This one has been in the making for most of this year. I quilted one block of it last night. My plan is to work on it again a little this evening.

I really planned to complete it this summer, but once again, I didn't accomplish anything. I have decided that sewing and quilting is a big stress relief and that is why I quilt during the school year and not the summer. Or maybe it takes me the summer to recuperate from the school year. lol

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting!

Where has the summer gone?

I finished the "Burst of Color in a Neutral World" several weeks ago just haven't posted.

I'm switching from 4th grade literacy to 6th grade literacy so I have been busy moving into a new room and working on curriculum. Thus no quilting. I haven't even made a thing for Christmas in July. Boy, am I ever slacking. I'm going to get on that tomorrow or the next day.

I saw 25 things to do for your daughter on this website some time back. Kelsey, I hope I hit most of them with you. 

And Craig, did we hit on these with you?

Feeling a little nostalgic today, I guess.

Happy snipping, stitching, and quilting.