Earthquakes..
I'm surprised that the Nth Island earthquake made world news ! One elderly lady died of a heart attack, after the event, but nobody else was hurt. The CBD was closed most of yesterday so the retailers will be hard hit. The power is off in a large area so that won't be good for full freezers and things but, all in all, NZ got off lightly.
Nice to hear of the family gatherngs and the travel plans. We are home based this year and with no family withing a few hundred miles, we have offered our services to the City Mission and will be on Kitchen Duties" for three hours !! ( no change there then !) We are looking forward to it.
The weather seems to be settling down and I am looking forward to some quiet days with some good books, sitting around the garden.... Our busy days will begin on Jan5th when DD#2 and her three children and husband come down from the Nth Island for three weeks....
Best wishes to all. Enjoy the season.
Marion.
a Cat's Christmas
For all our cat lovers here, this is cute:
http://www.fluffytails.ca/christmas.asp
Hugs to everyone,
Doris W. in TN
New Zealand quilters.......
Can you check in please? I just heard about the earthquake near Gisborne, North Island. I don't think any of you live near there but I wanted to make sure. :-) TIA
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
Take care, Mary in Oregon
Christmas Wishes
For one and all....like Rosey I too don't really know which day it is, only that it is next week and will be over soon enough.....BUT all my family will be together with my prodigal returning for good from the northern climate!!! I am so excited, tho we all wish his return was for many other reasons than why it is.....But I will take his return under any circumstances.....overcoming some of his problems will come after but that is okay too....nothing that can't be changed but only learning experiences of life for him......so I am counting the hours til Sunday evening and am not sure that even taking a sleep aide will help this Mom!!
I do wish everyone a Merry Christmas and health and happiness for 2008......am not sure where 2007 has gone but I do know that it has been a tediuous and trying time for this family, but we are all still here on the proper side of the grass......
Heather
Miscellaneous
Arrived in AZ noon yesterday and brr no warmer than when we left TN! Long trip. Sold my Janome 6600 and got a small Pfaff. Had an offer I could not refuse, and it does all that the big machines do, even does lettering better than the big ones.
Jane hope your trip is safe and that you have good luck with your health. I suddenly have foot and leg cramps and neuropathy in both legs. Aargh.
Doris, love the snowflakes.
Merry Christmas to all. Lavinia - TN/AZ p.s. to MJ wow Mesa sure is huge, we went across Rt. 60 over the northside.
Season's Greetings
To all on the board, especially Jean, Celia, Doris, Heather, Jane, Marion, Kathi and who else have I forgotten, everyone else...good to see Raeann's note...Jane, good luck with your next knee operation and a safe drive, though you may have left, to Rochester..a skip and a jump across Lake Ontario but not at this time of year.
I am in the midst of kitchen renovations at the moment and all the tradespeople have worked hard to get the kitchen into a functioning state by next week...still tile to put up on the walls and painting to be done, last of all, in January. The counters were 39" high and standard is 36" high. I've been standing on a stool for years which, as I shrink with older age, means my boobs are in my mixing bowls half the time...I'm glad to have counters at the height I can work on.
Cooper has been visiting again; his dad has not been well and he is taking advantage of traveling with his wife while he is well enough to do so. Cooper is not good on recalls unfortunately and bolts out the door, me first, even when not asked or observed. He slipped out into the dark last night and only the distress of the two fur-girls here announced that something was amiss. It was Cooper who was missing and outside in the dark in the country with wild animals around and I was very, very upset with him. He was also upset. Stuck to me like glue after that. His parents return Sat. to pick him up.
We've been battling snow up here in southern Ontario and three storms, the last of which left many people stressed out, is slowing melting to about 2 ft. instead of 3 ft. high.
All the best for the coming week. I don't know the day of Christmas and I don't want to know. It will come all too soon.
Rosey
From Raeann:
Note forwarded from Raeann in Missouri:
I've been unable to post on the WWQP for some reason. I can read it but can't get a post to go through.
Tell the gals on the BB that I said hello and that there is a problem with being able to access it.
Merry Christmas
Raeann in Missouri
Rag quilts
Jane - I sure hope you are using those new rag quilt clipping shears for your snipping. What a difference they make! They go through four layers of flannel like butter. I did three lap size quilts in one evening watching TV. Smart move, though, taking the quilt to the laundromat to wash. After five of the little buggers for gifts this year, I need to move out the washer and grub around in the drain trap and clean the debris out. For some reason that machine just doesn't want to work as well when it can't drain.
We are getting buckets of much-needed rain today, and either rain or snow predicted for the rest of the week. Glad all of those gifties are out in the mail and I don't need to go anywhere else. We will have DS#2 and his family here Christmas Eve and spend a quiet Christmas Day by ourselves.
Kathi in Idaho
Sign In
Haven't posted in quite a while and can't afford the time now. I just spent a week in CA visiting DD#2 for first time in 3 years. I went all that way that particular week because she was singing and playing flute at the San Gabriel Valley Choral Co. Christmas concert. On the night of the dress rehearsal I was sent down the road to the movies (Golden Compass) so as not to spoil the effect of the real thing. Next day I was overcome with abdominal cramps when it was time to leave and couldn't even stand up to change clothes. Thus; one daughter miffed and one concert missed. I was fine the next day. Outside of that it was a lovely visit.
Tomorrow I leave for Rochester, NY and Christmas with the grands and DD#1. Had Sunday's storm hit later this week I would have thrown up my hands. Leaving myself lots of time due to my own energy level and early sunset (yes, I'm driving). I decided that if I have to be snowed in somewhere a motel room is a lot more comfortable than a crowded airport.
At 1AM this morning I finished clipping the seams in one of the rag bed quilts that were started three years ago. The other is going
unclipped. I'll wash the clipped on today and the boys can flip a coin to see who gets the finished one. The other will have to settle for an IOU.
Been struggling with nasty drug reactions (I think). When I started on
Mirapex for restless leg and nasty looking but not very itchy rash appeared two weeks into it. Dermatologist guess that was the problem so I went back to the old standby,
gabapentin. Then tried
Lyrica for
fibro and went off
gabapentin as they are chemically related. This time I blossomed into a horrible itchy rash that almost drove me out of my skin. Now I'm off all three of the aforementioned drugs and taking
Benadryl. I went through two series of an incredibly expensive steroid salve and the rash just moved around from hands to back to belly and on down the legs. I am now peeling in the palms of the hands, on the belly (including navel) and still a bit itchy. Of course I'm always very dry in the winter anyway but it's the worst it's ever been. I've noticed on an ad for
Lyrica for
fibromyalgia on TV "changes in the skin" is one of the side effects to call the doc about. I guess it's a great drug if you're not allergic to it. Oh well, at least this time I didn't experience
anaphylactic shock. I did that once with an antibiotic. I can live without that experience again. I almost turned up my toes that time.
Other that holiday stress and a bit of itchy bouts I'm fine. Having the left knee replaced in January before it completely disables me as the other one did. Been exercising like a
demon until CA trip and am now losing the good effect. I've lost over 18 pounds FINALLY on weight loss program. Need to shed another twenty. Hope to get through holidays without losing ground.
Time to head out to the laundromat. First I have to fix the two places in which I clipped a stitch.
Happy holidays to all and to all, fare thee well until next year.
Jane in chilly (23*F) NC
Artic winds hit North Fla.
OK, this is what I wanted, but it sure does cut like a knife.
This morning it was 33 outside with wind chill, was cold out there with the puppy at 7:00 AM!
Just found out that the Cuban family doesn't want me to bring the meal to them in Gainsville, as they want a quiet day with their son. That' OK with me. The port roast can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months, I think.
Will make out a list of things to make/bake and go to the grocery tomorrow AM early. I think they open at 7:00 A.
It has been quiet on the board, most people are makeing last min. items, baking, etc.
Our Italian dinner party at the GF's house was great on Sat. night.
I helped her clean, decorate, etc. on Sat. afternoon. It was actually fun to do someone else's house. They had the adult (21-22_ year olds coming and going. One went fishing, one went to work, the 16 year old had a ball game.
I do think DH ate too much heavy stuff, as he was tired out Sunday morning, and spent most of the day on the couch.
OK, off to walk puppy again.
It is sunny, but very windy here. I can finally wear the Christmas sweaters, and will put some quilts on the bed tonight! Yea.
Sara in Florida
My 'other' project
These are my FSL (Free Standing Lace) snowflake tree ornaments I've been making with my embroidery module. It's rather easy to do and makes nice Xmas gifts. If any of you are thinking of getting an embroidery machine or module, I say go for it. :oD
Nothing else new at this end. I hope everyone will check in as time permits.
Hugs and Merry Christmas to all y'all!
Doris W. in TN
Checking in
Where is everyone? Probably as busy as I have been. I finally finished the wall hanging for DS or Xmas. This is made from the kit I bought from the www.varsityquilts.com booth at the AQS Nashville Expo:
I finally got the sleeve sewn on the back this afternoon and it is now wrapped and under the tree. I can finally relax. LOL DS will arrive home on Friday for the Xmas weekend and go back on the 27th. I miss the days when he was still in school and had a two week holiday at home with us.
We had record highs in the mid 70s this past week and got hit with an arctic blast today. Our winter weather is a lot like a yo-yo.
Apparently the Google Blogger only lets us post one picture at a time, so I'll make a second post and show what else I've been up to.
Doris W. in TN
