"Duh, nuh-nuh-nuh, nuuuuuuuh, nuh......."

If you didn't recognize that song....it is the dreaded "graduation march". Only dreaded by me, I suspect. The "graduate" seemed quite pleased with herself.

And red heads looks great in gold and touches of green.

Off she went in the little red car...deja vu.

All kinds of fans came out for the festivities.....

The gold and green went way up high.
There was a virtual stream of swishing gowns and tasseled tassels.

And then it was over in a flash. The whole school thing paraded out right before our very eyes. And all I could think of through my tears was....

Where, oh where, has my little girl gone.....

Wow, 2 girls done, 2 more to go....ah. Darn.

Call me "Crazy Quilt"

Okay, I know it's true. I am a little crazy. That is not new. But I don't think I realized how far gone I was until I signed up my "not anywhere near done" quilt for the quilt show. I always think of it as good incentive. RIGHT.

This was no small undertaking. I saw a picture of "The Orion Nebula, as seen from Hubble spacecraft" and I knew I wanted to make a quilt. I began collecting fabric. I love that part!!

I began by snipping little pieces of fabric and pasting them on with basting glue. Lots of little pieces. The more I snipped, the bigger it got.

I also didn't have room left on the table for the fabric....so I just threw it over my shoulder onto the floor. (My mom would NOT approve....) Everything was going smoothly until I left myself just enough time to machine quilt it together.

I sewed about 10 hours on Thursday. I decided to quit when my machine said "OVERLOAD"....

Little did I know that meant...MACHINE DOWN....DEAD....DEAD, DEAD.

I took it into the repair guy and got the "when was the last time you had a check-up?" routine. Ah, just fix it ok? He called me later to tell me it was chock full of lint and needed to soak over the weekend...

WHAT???? How was I going to get this quilt done.??? I sat in the parking lot and boo-hooed a little. Then I was over it. Silly me thinking that Don would let me quit. He is my main cheer-leader. So off to Sears we went and looked for another machine. Don found this review a lady wrote on this machine...

"I bought a machine in 1987 that was an electronic Kenmore almost like this one. Carrying it to a different room, I tripped and droppped the machine on the floor. It was 18 years old. I carried it to the bedroom and laid it on the bed like a dead child. I cried. I never had any trouble with the machine in my 18 years of sewing. I sewed drapes for 4 houses, clothes for my children and more quilts than I care to think about. I just couldn't believe I killed my best friend. That same day I went to Sears and looked for another machine and was shocked when I saw the same machine with a few added features for the same price as I paid for the one in 1987. I purchased the machine. I love it as much as I did the first one. I have convinced 2 relatives and 3 friends to buy the same machine. They love it as much as I do. The features I love the most is that it makes the most beautiful button holes. You won't be sorry if you buy this machine!! I guarantee it."

I had a good laugh with him and then we picked one out. They had one on display but not in stock the Tri-cities...yikes. Off to Walla-Walla we went.

So the next morning I was back at the shop to retrieve my "free-motion foot" from my soaking machine so I could get back at it. It didn't fit. Back to the shop to see how to adjust it to fit. Back home again and I sewed an hour or so. Then the foot broke (from me adjusting it previously...) so back to the shop for another foot. Then I spend the rest of the day sewing along....

Sunday I took a break and fed the missionaries and made Easter happen. Back up on Monday morning and worked all day until finish at about 8:30 pm.

But we got it entered. And it looked pretty darn good hung up with the others. And I won a blue ribbon on it..."First Place Wall Hanging". Felt kinda nice.

Except when I went to pick up my FIXED machine....cost me $88.16 for the repairs and he made it good as new. "Cheaper than buying a new one" he says. I smile and say..."right."

"A Call from the Principal"

I answered the phone Friday morning and the principal from the Emma's elementary school was calling. My stomach dropped. A call from the principal...can that ever be good??

She said that she had Emma there in her office and that she had something she wanted to tell me...(YIKES, I am thinking...can't be good...)

Then there is this little voice saying, "mom, I won the t-shirt contest!" Whew!!! I thought. Then I was so very proud of her. (and my mind is flashing back to the rules, recalling if I had been too much HELP....and I wasn't-another whew!)

She was so tickled. And I got off the phone very tickled for her. My quiet, bespeckled, sometimes struggles in school- Emma. Let't have a cheer for Emma.

The principal went on to tell me that her design will be made into t-shirts and then put on book bags and back packs. How cool is that???

She also won a gift certificate from a local clay studio and a big bunch of balloons.

So let's have a big cheer for Emma!! WAY TO GO EMMA!!

"Making Memories in January"

Lucky, lucky, us. We were able to have Steven, Meredith and Ella come for a few days.

It was a great excuse to leave up the Christmas decorations and put presents for Ella under

the tree! Even more fun to see her opening them.It was time for laughing, and eating and getting caught up. ( I figured if I "caught her from behind...she might not notice!

She's pretty smart...she figured me out. Grandpa tried too.

Then the snow began....and it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. We found ourselves snowed in on Sunday and "Bishop" cancelled church. (loved that!)

We played apples to apples and laughed "a lot" and Ella helped Mamie with her cards.

I didn't mention that Ella's favorite in this place was Belle! She got lots of hugs and cookies and even a taste of her bottle.

Before Ella left, I made sure she got in some marker and crayon time at Mamie's house. I can see she will be brilliant!

So after they left, we took down the tree and cleaned up the cookie crumbs. Boy, it's quiet on the 2 ft. level. And Belle keeps looking out the window for that cute little cookie kid.

Come back soon.

What a new shirt says "I've been Tagged"

Tag, you're it...
I've been Tagged!!!A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ok....here are mine. Probably really boring....


5 things on my to-do list today.



l. Email ALicia

2. Put in a load of laundry (ok that is EVERYDAY)

3. Go read with the 2nd graders

4. Calculate my Taxes (boo)

5. Work on my quilt


5 snacks I like

l. Lays potato chips ( I could eat the WHOLE bag)

2. Almonds

3. M&M's (aren't they a food group yet?)

4." All bran crackers" ( that sounds like an old person!)

5. Jiffy pop white natural popcorn


Be right back gotta pop some popcorn.....


ok. If I was suddenly a billionaire I would pay off the mortgage and then

get ALL new pearly white teeth. And I can't think of anything else, cause it

causes me stress....


5 jobs I have had.

l. waitress

2. artist for the center for environmental studies

3. artist for thesis on fleas

4. nanny

5. rock picker


5 things you probably don't know about me....hmmmm


1. When I was 15 I wanted to buy a motorcycle when I turned 18 and ride it across the country.

2. I really love the taste of water.

3. All my life I felt like I was an older spirit in my body until I turned 45, and then I caught up

to myself.

4. That paintings, designs for sewing, craft projects, ETC., run through my head constantly.

5.I am a supertaster, smeller, yeah, that's me. Even mild salsa burns my tongue, as does minty toothpaste.




ok so that's it for me. I tag....Meredith, Breya and Brittnie

God Bless us Everyone

The candy dish has just about been picked clean. The cookies are looking well, rather crumbly. Hmmmm, Christmas is almost gone for another year. I am always sad and happy to let it go. Some of the high points were...... (Hum with me to the tune of "My favorite things....") Girls in gold dresses with gold satin sashes,

Girls making cookies with grocery store dashes. Daughter that comes home with her husband who can play

These are some things that just make Momma's day....

Crafting with D'licia making sure we're real quiet-
Giving the gift-he seems to quite like it!

Opening packages, there was a real bunch,

Rachel likes her new laptop, we've got a hunch.

Brittnie and Reed come see us for dinner.

Brian makes Pizza, it's always a winner.
We toast with cranberry and stuff with a ham
Better stop eating or we'll break the cam!

When the dog sheds, when the cat yowls,

when I'm feeling sad...I'll simply remember this holiday blog...


and then I won't feel SOOOOOOOO BAD.....

(Until I step on the scale on Monday....)

Glitter, glitter everywhere....

Ok, it's December 2 and I am already sick, sick, sick of glitter. And fleece and glue sticks and little red and green ribbons and more fleece and glue sticks. I am CRAFTED OUT!!

I have been getting ready for the local craft show for a couple of months. The problem is that I can think of too many ideas and I really hate making something 49 times.

But I managed to crank out a few things and make a real BIG MESS in my studio. I was also waking up at 4:45 am and flopping out of bed with my glue gun under my arm....scary huh?
Thank heavens the big day came and the best part was just sitting there with my buddy Melanie and having a great yak. People even interrupted us and bought a few things.
Melanie and I go way back as friends and crafters. She was just a new mother when they came to Florida and she taught me to paint on wood (well she tried) and I encouraged her to sew pink stuff for her little girls. So, now we are so lucky to be in the same area together and her little girls are now growing up and she makes beautiful prom dresses.

Emma was there the whole time with us and entertained herself playing with the for sale fairies and conning her mom into buying a "magic wand"

The part I hate the most is sitting there watching the people go by and decide if your

hard work is worth the money. BOOO on that part. I admit I get a larger thrill out of giving away a print to my friends who come to see me.

But enough whining from the glitter gal around here.

And we are already talking about NEXT YEAR and planning our crafty strategies!

Just don't be surprised any of you that I might "gift" in the next year, if I send you something I just happened to already have....it might be covered in glitter.

p.s.

Here are a few pics of what I sold-or tried to....