Fish

Chapter 27, a brave step

Well, I did it, I finally took a step and signed up for a crazy quilt color study RR/swap. I am nervous and scared, but excited! I also won two sewing machines on e-bay this weekend! one is an old Kenmore (which will always remind me of my mom) and still runs. It looks like it is from the 70's. the other is an older singer, which looks so pretty. We already paid for the Kenmore and it has been sent, so should be here this week. I hope Anthony pays for the singer today so it can be shipped this week too. We also are moving bedrooms around. Anthony talked to the kids, and Amanda wants to move into the back room, (LOL farthest from us) so I get her room to turn into a sewing room. If all goes well, I will have a sewing room by March 2. (which just thrills me to pieces!) and if I get a sewing room set up, and the dining room cleared up, it means we can finally set up my voyager! so I could start quilting!!!! As of right now, March promises to be a wonderful and exciting month!

Chapter 26, Valentine's day and strange inspiration

Today is Valentine's day. Hearts, flowers, love in the air. I will spend most of it in the car as Anthony and I travel up to get the kids, watch their game, go to mass with them, then bring them home this evening. So we celebrated last night. Last week we got Anthony a new computer chair (all leather, very nice and comfy!) for Valentine's day. Yesterday, I fixed him his favorite dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. He bought me two video games I really wanted, and didn't even know he knew about. I was a happy camper. Then he really surprised me. Just a few weeks ago, Anthony celebrated his 10 year anniversary with his job. (the longest he has ever stayed at one job) they gave him a nice plaque. What I didn't know is they also gave him a catalog and told him to choose the gift he wanted. Well, he didn't choose for him. He used his gift for me, and got me the most beautiful pearl necklace!!!! It has 4 strands of cream freshwater pearls together, and is about 19 inches. It is gorgeous!!! I love pearls, and the only other set I have is the set he got me for our wedding, a single strand of cream pearls. (also absolutely beautiful!) He was worried that I would be upset because they are fresh water. I told him not to worry, i am not a pearl snob, I just love pearls. I can't wait to wear them. Until they they will be hidden in my dresser, taken out and lovingly stroked and admired and hidden away again. But what is truly priceless is the feeling of being loved and desired and cherished as much as he does me. I would not trade my Prince Charming for anyone on earth. And now to the strange inspiration. Aunt Marie has been on my mind a lot lately. So last night I decided to work on a quilt for her. I wanted to embroider each square with a wiener dog. Well guess what, there are not that many wiener dog patterns out there! So I created my own "year of the wiener" for her. I will post as I get them done. I am proud of them! I am going to do them on gingham fabric (pink, blue, yellow and green) and set them with 1930's fabric when they are all done, or so goes the plan right now, but it may change. We shall see. As soon as I find my tracing paper, I am going to trace them over, and then iron and cut the fabric. I hope to start them in March.
Here are pics of my pearls and my pommie. (unfortunately, not together. LOL)

Chapter 25, the slump

I am in a slump. I don't want to read, or crochet, knit, embroider, cross stitch, cook, clean, or anything else. I just want to sleep. I have felt that way for the4 past four days. I don't know why. It worries me. I took Friday off, and am going to sleep all day (at least that's the plan right now) and hopefully that will cure the slump. I know I need to work on my diet. It has been very heavy on meat and carbs (bread, potatoes) and short on veggies and fruit. Have also realized that for the past 5 or 6 days I have lived on coffee and diet coke, almost no water or tea. I am going to bet that has something to do with the slump. I did get up this morning and do 80 steps on the elliptical, which I know doesn't sound like much, but for me was quite a work out. My goal is to do 90 tonight.

Chapter 24, New Ideas, New Beginnings

While reading one of my favorite blogs this morning, I noticed she lists goals for each month. I don't know why I never thought of something like that. So i am going to list February goals on my side bar. They finished the carpeting yesterday. I looks beautiful. I will try and get pics of it tonight and post them this week. I am really amazed at how calm I feel now that we have decided not to try and buy a house. I didn't know it was stressing me out so much. I am glad we are staying here. I do love this house. I is a little wonky, needs a lot of work, but it has personality. It was built in 1929. it is kind of a duplex. we have the left half. but it has a basement and an attic, four bedrooms, well okay, 3 and a half LOL the kitchen, dining room, dog room, and 1 and a half bathrooms. Yes it needs work, but it is all doable. We live in a quiet neighborhood, everyone is polite and friendly. What more could I ask for? Nothing more. This is a good place to be.

Chapter 23, I sometimes forget to count my blessings

Well, we have decided against trying to buy a house right now. In these tough economic times, we should be thankful we have this one, and are able to pay our mortgage. Anthony is going to call around and work on refinancing the house this week. With the carpeting going it, it looks really nice. Anthony is going to talk to Robert about finishing the bathrooms and putting down a new floor in the kitchen. We went to the furniture store last night and bought Anthony a new computer chair (his old one was cracking and got stuck all the time) I had to really talk him into spoiling himself, but he never buys himself anything, and when you consider how much time he spends at the computer, he should have a nice chair. So we got him a really nice leather office chair. We found a small table with two chairs for the kitchen, and a coat tree/bench thingy for the dining room. (I have been ordered to "Keep my crap" off the couch. LOL We have decided to turn the spare room into my sewing room, set up my Voyager in half the dining room, and then use the other have as a dining room. So between now and May, we are hoping to get all this done. I really am a lucky woman. We have a nice home, it is warm and no leaks, we have plenty of food, and our life is good. I don't need all the things others have. I don't need a fancy house, or all the other stuff they collect. I need to be me, and stop worrying about competing against the ex-wife, the other teachers, and the neighbors. So I am going to work at creating a home I will enjoy because it feels and looks good to me, not others. Anthony is just happy when we are together and he gets a hot dinner LOL so he is easy to please.

Chapter 22, so much has happened this month

SO much has happened this month. I wanted to blog the evening of the 20th, after watching the inauguration, but never got the chance. At school the new superintendent wanted all classrooms/students to have the chance to watch the inauguration. We started watching at around 11:30. Let me tell you, middle school special education boys really don't care overly much about all the stuff going on. We did talk about why this was such an historic event, and they got the main concepts, such as the first African-American president, it being the day after MJK day, and how just 50 years ago, no one would have ever thought it was possible. We talked about how there were many in our community, country and at the inauguration who lived through segregation, and can remember when our own school was a "white only" school. One of my student's grandmother is one of these people, and she came in the next day and talked with the boys a little about what their small town was like "back in the day." As I age, I realize just how many things have changed in my lifetime. in regards to prejudice and acceptance, we still have a long way to go. but we have also come a long way. I wonder where we will be at the end of the Obama presidency?
On the crafty front, Christine has been working on my sweater thing (aka the gray hole) and says it is almost done. I have been working a little on my embroidery squares of baby animals. I have 6 of the 12 done. These were started like 4 years ago. I have not done much on the yellow baby sweater, or the multi baby sweater. Maybe this weekend. I have been following a blag this week, about trying to live as a 1940's woman. I love it. I would love to try it, but not sure how to even start. so maybe I will do a little more research into the hows and wheres (to get supplies/books)
Oh, the big things about this week! we get the carpeting in the living room and hallway tomorrow! I will try and take pics (before and after) and then, this weekend, we get the new couch and chair! I can't wait.