Halloween in Texas

It was a great Halloween day for me today.

I had lunch with Loni and Mina. (Thank you girls for the homemade cookies and candy for the Trunk or Treat at church). After lunch I met up with Jill and we went fabric shopping. She purchased more fleece for the no-sews for Soldiers' Angels, and I purchased more fabric for the back of the cat quilt.

Jill and I picked up the youngest from school (a little late) and I took Jill home and the youngest and I came back so he could get ready for a party tonight.

Before the party the youngest and I walked around the property. I enjoyed marveling at some of the sights in the yard.

It is almost always windy on my property and difficult to get good pictures of delicate things that blow in the breeze, but I did try to get a picture of some of the roses still blooming in the front yard.

After dropping the youngest off, I came home and made 3 pumpkin pies, two with crusts, and one without.

I have the television blasting really loud, the floor fan blowing, and I am getting ready to work on the cat quilt.

It has been a great Halloween.

Psst....Don't Tell Stan

My youngest found a different species of frog (or toad, I don't know) on the property today than we usually see around the house. I thought he was a very handsome fellow. Now Stan will never, ever come to my house. Stan, Mina's hubby, suffers from ranidaphobia and ophidiophobia and has stated he will never come to my house due to what we have found on the property in the past.

Showed off the Blooming Nine Patch Today

I took my Blooming Nine Patch with me to work today to show a friend, and the stopped by to see some other friends on my way home and showed it to them. Everyone thought it looked pretty good for a second quilt top.

I laid it over my bed yesterday to show my "Sis." I hadn't put it on the bed before. I was really pleased with how it looked. It will make a terrific spring/summer bed quilt.

Nice Concert, Turtle Quilt Top Finished

I went to the youngest's orchestra concert tonight. It was very nice. Halloween themed music. The MS Chamber Orchestra and the HS Orchestra were the best. Mine plays cello in the HS orchestra. They had their orchestra uniforms in and they all looked spiffy.

We came home and watched our shows. The youngest had a lot of homework and I worked on his quilt top. I finished the quilt top as we finished watching our tape. All we need to do now is go get the material for the backing and I can start getting it ready to quilt. For pictures you can go to: www.tortugaquilter.blogspot.com.

I wish I had a better way to get pictures of the quilts. I put them up on my wall, but it is impossible to get all the wrinkles out. Oh well. The youngest and I are both pleased with this one.

Quilting Evening

I spent the evening working on the turtle quilt for my youngest. I made a lot of progress. I very pleased with how well it is going. I had a little trouble with a technique I had not tried before, but I just used scraps until I figured it out. I admit I had a few minutes of wanting to scream, but I just pulled up the internet and looked for more examples of how to do the cut until I found enough pictures to get it.

If you want to see how the quilt is going you can see it at:
www.tortugaquilter.blogspot.com

Slipper News (Not New Slippers)

Jill was here Friday night and threw my slippers in the garbage can in the living room. Fortunately I saw them in there before anyone took the garbage out and saved them. She even tried to blame it on the youngest. Fortunately, I have let her see the material for the quilt I am making her and now she won't touch them again for fear of me not making her quilt. Leverage is a wonderful thing at times.

Today when I went to walk around in my slippers they had a few more blow outs making it difficult to walk. My oldest wanted to go out and get new ones immediately. I told him the old ones were still keeping my feet warm, and even had vents to keep them from getting too hot.

I convinced my youngest to get in my closet to find my "indoor" pair (Mina's husband Stan knows why my youngest did not want look around in my closet-claw marks on the wall from an unknown source).

Now I have my indoor pair on, but I still would not let the youngest throw out the others. I hope this picture will call off the search for new slippers for me until Christmas.

The Frustration Never Ends

I have never understood the joke about women always being late. It has never been that way in this house. Raymond was always the one that was running late. I was always the one ready thirty minutes ahead of time. Even when we were young, and newly married. I was always frustrated by the fact that I would be ready to leave on time and he would be running around getting ready at the very last minute.

Yesterday that frustration hit me all over again.

We had a memorial service to go to at the Church. The boys were both reading at the service, and acting as greeters. We were supposed to be at the Church by 10:30 a.m. I told both boys to be ready to leave at that time. Since the oldest does not live here, I told him to be here, dressed nicely, and ready to go over his readings by 10:00 a.m.

The youngest got up on time, had breakfast and took his shower. He was ready to go by 10:00. I took my shower and was drying my hair when the oldest arrived. I went out to greet him and he is in good pants, a nice short sleeved shirt (not appropriate) and tennis shoes. He knows he left his good long-sleeved shirt here the week before and his dress shoes are here some where. He cannot remember but thinks the youngest is wearing his shirt (my hair is still not dry). I start looking frantically around for another long sleeved shirt. Decide there is not another shirt, tell the youngest to take his shirt off, replace it with his orchestra dress shirt, and give the other one to his brother. Just as I finish saying all of that I spot a shirt on the oldest's bedroom floor. What is that? Oh, it is the long sleeved shirt he was looking for (black not blue like he thought). It is clean, but has fallen off the couch and onto the floor sometime since he threw it there on its hanger. (TWO closets in that room!). The shirt is thrown into the dryer to de-wrinkle, as I run towards the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Oldest comes in and asks if his shoes are okay. NO, they are size 12 tennis shoes! Where are his good ones? Ah, he says in his brother's closet. NO, they are not we discover. I scream find your shoes, slam the bathroom door, and start venting in my head about why did he have to have inherited everything from his father.

I run into the bedroom to get dressed (10:25 now, but that is okay we are two minutes from the church). I come out and he is all ready except his tie. That is okay, I saw one in his brother's closet. I grab it and start to put it on him and it is way too short, must have been from when they were younger. Ah, he says, there is one in his garment bag. He gets it. It is perfect, even tied already. He slips it over his head and the tie knot is halfway down his chest, and tied so tight it will never move again. I am stressed as it is now 10:30. I cannot get the knot out. Finally, I get a break and am able to get it untied and tied again. We are ready!

I tell them all to go get in the van while I grab the keys. I get outside and there is the youngest rolling up his sleeves. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??"

The chicken wire over the turtle pond has caved in. He is afraid the turtles will escape, he must fix it. I scream "NOT NOW!" I then calm myself to tell him that it looked like something jumped onto the wire during the night and if the turtles were going to escape, then they would have done so already.

We are in the car. We are at the church. We are only about 8 minutes late. The boys get into position. I check last minute details. The service is beautiful. All is well. We finish up putting the sanctuary back in order and head home.

We are home. I did not stroke out, and no one would have ever known how frantic the morning turned out. I am walking up the ramp to the door and I see something out of the corner of my eye, it is Winnie Hall, our biggest red-eared slider. She has escaped and is on her way to the swimming pool. "GRAB HER!" I shouted. My youngest runs to get her. He picks her up. I scream - "Don't let her go on your new shoes!"

I go in the house. I cannot take any more excitement.

It was just like old times with Raymond. The frustration of getting everyone some where on time wore me out. At least we got the turtle before she got away.

"The Fathership"

The boys were going to enter a comic contest based on a game that is coming out, but missed the deadline. This is one of the drawings that the youngest did, the idea being that it was a rejected unit (a joke I don't get). I like the drawing so I am putting it out here.

"The Fathership" by the youngest

Girls Back at Hotel

Just received this message from Loni. "Hills totally kicked our tails, but we've had a great ride today, even though it was shorter than we had originally planned
--Loni"

I am glad they had a great ride, and I am very proud of them for even trying such a strenuous ride.

I hope they have a safe trip home tomorrow.

Huffines Arts Festival

The boys and I went to Huffines Arts Festival yesterday. I love going there.

It is a little different from Cottonwood Arts Festival. There are many of the same artists, but it is more down to earth, with lots of different artists and art, and it just has a different feel.

We met some great artists, and yes, purchased a few things. One purchase will be shipped to us next week. The guy was so upset that he did not have the print we wanted he knocked off some money on the price, and is shipping it for free. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted.

Here are a few of our great buys.

We found these items from 3 different potters. The turtle bowl is from an artist in Colorado named Gint Sabaliauskas and he does clay sculptures. The trivet is from a potter named James E. Sanders in Marshall, Texas. The man who made the turtle box and a couple of small pieces we bought did not have cards, or offer up his name. He was very nice though.









My youngest wanted a print from Dean Lauderdale (the one being mailed), called 3 Moons. Dean's website is www.SallyAndDean.com. The print we bought is not on the website, so I cannot show it off here.

We all enjoy the art of Brad Foster, and he has a fabulous website: www.jabberwockygraphix.com. Everyone should spend a little time there when they need to relax and enjoy the creative mind of another. The joint purchase we made for our home should not surprise anyone that knows us. It is called "The Athenaeum."

My oldest also bought a couple of Brad's books and prints. Here is one of them. Just looking at it puts you in a good frame of mind.

He also purchased "The Flying Spaghetti Monster" based on "Pastafarianism." If you don't know the story behind "The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" then you can go to www.venganza.org/about/ to learn more. A couple of friends have already expressed amazement (distress) that we would support such an idea, which I do not understand since they are our friends and should know us by now. They should at least know we would support the right of someone to have such a belief.

We met Douglas Durkee with his infinity art. Fabulous stuff, but he could have used a little lesson in congeniality. He had a superior attitude that really turned all of us off. Still I enjoyed seeing his art. www.infinityartfurnishings.com

All in all a great afternoon. Can't wait until the next one.

The Girls are on My Mind

My girls, Loni and Mina, are in Austin today riding in the LiveStrong ride to raise money for cancer. Think Lance Armstrong.

I cannot get them off my mind. All through church I was thinking about them going up those hills. I was mentally behind them pushing. I was thinking about their aching muscles and mentally giving the muscles more power and warmth so they can climb.

I was thinking about the girls and praying they will return with no injuries.

(If you are thinking that I should have been paying attention to the pastor, well remember I am his assistant, and I usually know the sermon ahead of time.)

I have been very teary eyed ever since Loni sent me this picture last night:



I know Raymond is there with them. He loved riding. He really hated giving it up after his back surgery in the early 90's.

Keep safe girls. Momma C is thinking about you and praying. I am also waiting patiently for your call to tell me you are safe.

Stay strong, live strong.

Big Night on the Town Last Night

Boy did I have a big night on the town last night! It was so much fun!

My BFF Jill and I went out to eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant, El Grande Burrito, in Allen, TX. Where I spent nothing for dinner because I have a credit account there that a couple of friends put money into every once in a while.

We had a nice dinner, and conversation. Jill's son, Jeremy, who was injured in Afghansistan months ago and has been in a hospital in Georgia was flown back to San Antonio, TX yesterday to be an out-patient at Brooks Army Medical Center, so we had lots to talk about and celebrate.

During the dinner I remembered that I had not picked up one of my coupon flyers for Joann Fabrics. I also mentioned to Jill that I had a $20 rewards check at home for Jockey and she thought we should go there last night too . We decided to go back to the house and get the coupons and I am so glad I did.

We went to Joann's to buy fleece to make no-sew blankets for Soldiers' Angels. They were having a big sale and we bought enough material to make seven more blankets, maybe 8 I lost count. I bought bamboo quilt batting that was 50% off, and then I had a 50% off any thing that was not on sale. I have wanted and needed a quilting frame for quite a while and I have had my eye on those pvc pipe ones because they can be stored in a very small space. I decided to use my 50% off on a frame since they are $101.99 and even on sale I haven't seen them less than $79.00. Everything went into the cart and off we went to check out. The deal is that Jill buys the fleece for the blankets but I had all the coupons plus an extra 20% off my entire purchase of regular and sale items so we checked out as one and decided to settle up at home. I had another coupon for 40% off any regular or sale item and I gave that to Jill for one of the fleece items.

My part of the bill came to $71.73 after the coupons were applied. That is a terrific deal! If had I paid full price for all that my bill would have been over $160.00. (Hey Jill, I owe you the tax on that stuff.)

The other terrific part of the trip to Joann's was I got to see my college kid Loni. She was buying fleece to do no-sews for Project Linus.

After Joann's we headed to Jockey. I found a new pair of winter pj's (no green) for $60.00. There were 40% off, less my extra 15% off coupon, less my $20.00 rewards check and the end price ended up being $10.60 plus tax. What a deal!

Jill and I stopped at a couple of other places quick to look for Nacho Cheese flavored Bugles for a trail mix she is making for the soldiers, but no luck. So it was home.

We came home and chatted for a while and then Jill worked on a no-sew blanket while I did two more rows to my quilt. The youngest helped tie a little (very little) on the blanket when it was time, but I will admit it was pretty late and he was tired.

Jill left with 2 blankets for the soldier's. One made by my TOPS group and the one we completed last night. I went to bed dancing over my great bargain purchases and the knowledge that I only have one more row on the quilt before I can start putting on the borders.

All it all it was a terrific big night on the town for me. I love saving money. Raymond always called me a "cheap" date, guess that hasn't changed, even though Jill wasn't a date. (I know her husband will appreciate me putting that in here.)

Here is the blanket we finished last night.



This is the blanket that we did at TOPS the other night for Soldiers' Angels:

Accomplishments

I have managed to accomplish quite a bit today.

I went to work.

I went to a new quilt shop in Wylie and found the last fabric in the quilt I am going to start after I finish the turtle quilt I started this week.

I spent some time with a good friend.

I picked up a favorite dinner for my youngest to celebrate his terrific SAT scores.

I finished two rows on the turtle quilt. (www.tortugaquilter.blogspot.com)

I got to talk to my "sis" on the phone and my best friend on the phone.

I returned a phone call from yesterday morning.

I went to a meeting at the high school about the trip I am sending my boys on to Costa Rica this summer.

and I had a chance to instant message with my oldest before he went to do his radio show tonight.

It was a pretty good day.

Slippers

Every year for Christmas Raymond bought me new slippers, usually two pair. I like a certain brand and style. I like to have two pair because I wear one only around the house, and the other pair I wear when I walk around outside.

Raymond usually took the boys with him and he reminded them that they needed to buy my slippers at Christmas. Last Christmas they decided that the ones from the year before still looked good and they did not buy my slippers.

What they did not take into account was that Christmas is in December and that I usually wear my slippers until the beginning of May.

It has turned cooler tonight and I needed my slippers. The youngest thinks I need new ones for Christmas. I think I will send the picture of my slippers from tonight to my oldest since he can drive to the store. I do not know if these will make it to Christmas.

Very Productive Day

This was a very productive day for me. After work I came home and cut out 15 more blocks for the new quilt. I then did a little research on sashings for the quilt.

This evening I trimmed and fringed two no-sew blankets for the TOPS group to work on next week. One if for Project Linus and the other is for Soldier's Angels. I have to say those projects go a lot faster when I work with Jill, maybe that is because we have so much fun when we make blankets together.

I'm ready for bed, but I have to watch "Boston Legal" first.

It feels good to get so much done in one day. Too bad laundry isn't as fun as blanket making and quilting.

Wow, a Reply

I emailed author Delia Parr about how much I enjoyed her books and how I hoped there would be a third Trinity book. To my surprise, she answered my email.

I have never written to an author before, but I certainly did not expect a reply. I was just hoping to let her know how much I would enjoy a third book.

Unfortunately, there are no plans for a third book at this time, but I can always hope.

Yum, Muffins

A cashier at Target told me about a muffin recipe on Thursday and we tried it today.

It is very easy:

1 cake mix, either chocolate or spice
1 can 15 oz can pumpkin

Mix, add up to 1/2 cup water if necessary (it was on the chocolate, not on the spice), fill greased muffin tins, bake 350 for 18-23 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18. The batter is very dense and the muffins will be bumpy if you don't smooth the top. I can live with the bumpy.

We made the chocolate this morning, and the spiced tonight. The chocolate was good, but the spiced ones were better.

Great Books

I read two great books this weekend by Delia Parr, "A Place Called Trinity" and "Home to Trinity." I was so sad when I finished them. I was not ready to leave Trinity.

Sometimes I can jump right into a book and the characters become my friends. That is how these two books were for me.

The main character in these books is midwife Martha Cade and the people in and around the town of Trinity in Western Pennsylvania in 1830 and 1831. I hope there is a third Trinity book. Seems like the name calls for one.

Raymond Day

Raymond has been on my mind all day. I woke up with thinking about him and he has popped in and out as I have moved throughout my routine and while goofing off with the youngest.

One thing I thought of was a face he used to make. While I was thinking about it I was trying the face and the youngest looked over and asked what I was doing. I told him I was making the face dad used to make. He said he didn't remember. I asked him to watch again, and then I tried to do it just like Raymond would. I finally hit the right combination of looks that he remembered and he started laughing and said he remembered. That made me happy.

I worry that the youngest will forget too many things about Raymond if I don't try to remind him.

Later this afternoon I was grilling burgers for my oldest and a hawk flew by and tipped his wing. I know it was Raymond telling me he was happy with how things were going for us.

As much as I enjoy remembering Raymond, it is still very, very hard.

Yeah!!! I Finally Finished the Blooming Nine Patch Quilt Top

I finally finished the quilt top I started in January. I am so thrilled to be done with this quilt top. I named it "Into the Night." The pictures of it did not turn out very well because there just was not a good place to put it for a picture. It is a king size quilt top and hard to spread out in my house.

I have posted a couple of pictures of it on www.tortugaquilter.blogspot.com/

Now that I have completed the top, I can move on to another project. I will work on the backing the next time I have several free hours in one chunk.

It is Oh So Sublime!

https://www.sublimechocolate.com/

The boys and I finally were able to stop at Sublime Chocolate this afternoon. We bought 6 chocolates, chocolate dipped pretzels, and a milk chocolate bar. The pretzels and bar were for the boys, and I am sharing the chocolates with them. So far we have had the sea salt caramel (split three ways, and the dark chocolate piece (split three ways.)

My only complaint, boys do not know how to truly enjoy the taste of really great chocolate. Me, now I know how to enjoy the flavor and how to let the chocolate melt on my tongue.

Sublime Chocolates - OH SO SUBLIME!

Here Is the Print I Really Wanted

To continue on with my ongoing posts about art I purchased at Cottonwood Arts Festival, below is a print that I really wanted to purchase from Wesley Holderby but the reaction from the boys was so "YOU AREN'T GOING TO BUY THAT ONE!" that I didn't purchase it, but the one shown in a post below instead. I still enjoy looking at this one on his website, http://www.southwestartisan.com.




Yes, I have varied taste when it comes to art. What can I say, some pieces just speak to me more than others. I should have bought this, and I am sorry I did not. I like it. Some day I will live all alone and I will cover my walls with stuff that makes people say "YOU BOUGHT THAT!"

More of the Art

I have been trying to get good pictures of the other pieces of art we bought at Cottonwood, but it is almost impossible for me due to the glass on them. I keep getting reflections. I managed get okay ones of two of them, and gave up on the other one.

My favorite is the Meadowlark watercolor shown below, but this picture really does not do it justice.




I cannot believe we were able to find not just one piece of turtle art but two! Here is the second one.

I love our new pieces. However, I will need to start putting the art on the ceiling at this rate. Our walls are almost full. Raymond thought we should put some away and then change it around often, but every time I take a piece down I miss it.

Rostropovich II at the "Blessing of the Animals"

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We took Rostropovich II to be blessed at the "Blessing of the Animals" this afternoon at Church. While we were there I was able to meet Loni's "Mocha" kitty.

Here is a picture of "Rostro" at the "Blessing."



After he was blessed "Rostro" managed to leave his mark on the church lawn. The youngest said that "he was blessed and therefore he "pooped" out his sins."

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Great Weekend!!!

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I had a wonderful weekend.

Yesterday I walked in the Memory Walk for Alzheimer's. It was fun walking with a couple of TOPS pals that I do not have a lot of time to talk to at the meetings. Our team raised over $1,000.00.

After the walk I met up with the boys and we went to lunch, and then came back to the house so they could work on a comic contest and play video games. The oldest left when it was time for the youngest to leave for a party and for me to go have dinner and a birthday celebration with my best friend.

The birthday celebration included dinner at Joe's Italian Bistro, a trip to the big 1/2 Price bookstore in Dallas, and then back to the house to eat brownies.

Today the youngest and I picked up the oldest and his girlfriend and then went to the Cottonwood Arts Festival in Richardson, TX. There were so many booths full of fabulous art work, along with some great music. We hardly ever eat the food at any of these events so I cannot report on any of the food offered.

The only thing I did not enjoy about the festival was the dogs. It seems every time I turned around there was a dog relieving itself. I do not know how those artists can stand the stress of wondering if the next lifting of a leg will hit their art piece or not.

We left Cottonwood with 7 pieces of art, a lot of conversation about some of the fantastic artists we met, and hungry. Lunch was full of laughs. We hit Sprouts for some yogurt and then came home to rest before going to the "Blessing of the Animals" at church. After the "Blessing" we went to 1/2 Price books and then I took the oldest and his girlfriend back to campus.

I'm exhausted but happy.

Here is a list of some of the artists we bought from today:

www.jaylong.com
This is the print we purchased:


www.wintersgallery.com

Todd's work is fabulous. I did not see the pieces we bought on the site, but I love them. Not only that but Todd was very open with my youngest about his techniques and giving him hints on things he could do to enhance the pieces he does in art class. He also autographed and left a special message to my oldest on the piece that my oldest chose as his own.

www.thepnutgallery.com

We bought a turtle painting from him, but it is not on the website.

www.southwestartisan.com

This is the print I purchased from Wesley Holderby, but it was not my first choice. I like this piece but he had another one I fell in love with, but the boys really disliked it, so I bowed to their tastes.




The oldest bought this piece.

www.thought-full-art.com




We also bought three cd's of Bob Culbertson playing the "Chapman Stick."
www.stickmusic.com
Great stuff!!

Great Weekend!!!


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