Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Almost Fall in Fla.

It was actually cool this morning when I went out with the dog at 7:30 AM. Cool as in 70, and lower humidity.
Our college football team lost on Monday night. We drove over to Tallahassee, and watched the game and spent the night. The game was fun, over 83,000 people there, but Miami wound up winning.
Once a year is all I can take.

Went back to my morning walking today. It's been almost 3 months, and I've re-gained the 6 lbs. I lost last month. Re-doubling my resolve to get this fat off the bod, so I will have more energy!

On last night's news there was a story of the Wounded Warior Project, and some ladies who made 30 red,white, and blue quilts for the local men. It was a project of a local church, and from what I could see the quilts were lovely. They are hanging up today and tomorrow, but my SUV is in the shop getting the fender repaired. I backed into someone at the local grocery about 3 weeks ago. Augh! Actually we were both at fault, one of those 30 degree angle parking lots, we were both backing and hit each other in the blind spots. Thankfully I have good car insurance.
They have to replace the entire bumper and tail light.

Two of the 4 grandkids are here pulling up weeds, and hopefully will put down some mulch. DD and SIL sold their sports-type car and Honda van and bought 1 bigger van. So, she has to pick him up from work before she can come back to get them. I think it is a hamburger night.
Hopefully they will do some of their homework this evening. Also, hopefully I will be able to help with it.
Thqat's all for now.
Sara in Fla.

strength of character

I'm amazed at myself; a friend asked me to go looking for a particular kind of fabric at the quilt shop here. I wasn't able to find what she wanted, but I looked hard and saw all kinds of yummy fabric on sale. I have promised myself no new fabric until I've finished at least one of my several UFO's. I even stopped at Fabricland where there were more sales. I didn't buy anything. Whew. I have to get over the hoarding mentality that comes from having lived far from fabric stores for so long.
My friend is getting ready for our old quilting gang to gather in Sudbury on Friday to make her husband's 60th birthday quilt. Not everyone will be able to come, but it should be fun. I've been missing the company of women my own age since I moved here, so I'm looking forward to it.
We are having our summer weather now. It's hot and humid, although the nights are blessedly cool. Too bad the kids are back in school already.
MAYME, I am living just across the river from Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Right now I haven't gotten around to getting my passport, but it will eventually happen. Then, who knows?
Hugs to all
Brenda in Nn Ontario

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tuesday afternoon

Need I say: In the Country.

Jane, the wedding sounds wonderful and knowing that your daughter is marrying into a cheerful, fun family must make you feel good. Enjoy your new refrigerator. What are we saving our money for in our older age? With the dip last fall in the market, I have could bought two cars by now in what I lost. It's a lesson in enjoying your money now. Your kids sound as though they are well established so that takes some of the concern away from spending it on yourself.

Doris, I am GREATLY relieved to hear you say it took nearly a year to get your digestive system back into healthy shape. It's been that for me and maybe restricting wheat will help elminiate some of the added fluffies I've acquired over the past year. Of course, in a pinch, as today's lunch was late, I reached for a Pita Break, which is wheat...filled it with almond butter and organic honey...all of which will be rattling its way down my digestive tube complaining about what I put in my mouth. Good food but not a good combination for me at times.

Marion, I have a B&B guest and her husband, at the moment, from Jane's state who is in stage 4 cancer. She's tried the allopathic treatment, then flew to Germany for three months for alternative treatment and is now here for a month taking a last-ditch alternative treatment from an MD/ND. She and her husband have rented a home in the area for three weeks but needed an additional week, which they've taken here. The doctor visits her here. My living room has been turned into a hospital room, with a cot, an intravenus bag, at times, is suspended from my chandelier, although she does sleep upstairs, at night. It's quite a dose of reality, which I'm sure you are still reeling from emotionally with your sister, Brenda's illness with cancer. I think that it must take quite a long time to deal with the impact of what you've been through and what I am seeing for only just one week. As well, Marion Mac, who used to be part of this board a long time ago and was such a good friend for you.

Meanwhile, Mary is here cleaning house today, the doctor has been to see his patient, the patient is upstairs in bed, her husband doing chores and likely feeling relieved to get outside in the car, the dogs are in the dog run, my other two guests are out hiking the Bruce Trail and life goes on...confusing here at times but neverboring at least from May to November with the B&B.
I think of this house, which has sheltered many guests, as having big arms that are put around people and the peace of the countryside seeps into refresh their souls. It is a house that lives and breathes, has its ups and downs just like us, yet still feels good to be in. It is a living house. For this I am grateful.

RoseyP

Monday, September 7, 2009

CHAT RENEWED!

Checking chat page is fun again after the lazy days of summer. Thanks for all the great posts. Let's keep up the momentum. Thanks also for all the good wishes. I suddenly turned a corner this past week. Been walking and actually worked out at the gym. Also got serious about weight watchers having gained a whole five pounds at the wedding festivities so dropped 4.5 of them.

New fridge in place, virtually identical to the failed Amana, this one is Kenmore. Heaven knows who made them. I suspect there are no more than three manufacturers still in business. They just buy up the other companies including their names. My neighbor told me that he heard some economist say that it all boils down to THREE. There soon will be only three telecommunication companies, three banks, three newspapers, etc. There is little competition anymore and the consumer be damned.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was great fun to read. A fellow hand quilter showed up one Friday saying she was going to give a large print (she has macular degeneration) copy to the friends of the library used book store but if anyone wanted to read it they were welcome to it. The name intrigued me and I not only had many a chuckle I learned some history and geography in the process. I highly recommend it.

The wedding was a very lavish affair. The groom's delightful large extended family showed up from Michigan and the most fun I had was a get together at DSIL's house the early afternoon before the rehearsal. I'm sure DD will never have an "in-law problem" . His parents, brothers, sister and numerous nieces and nephews are a fun loving easy to laugh bunch. It took me back spending time with all those speakers of Michigan accent. (I went to U of M and DH was a native of that state.) DB & I picked up the tab for the large rehearsal dinner as a wedding gift as I figured that they are trying to get rid of stuff. Merging two established households must by like trying to put 5 gallons of water into a 3 gallon bucket. The dinner was at DD's favorite restaurant, a Lebanese place. The cuisine was close to the many Greek meals I've had in Tarpon Springs in FL where Greek was still the language of the street when we left FL 17 yrs. ago. No belly dancers though. About two hours were taken up with an amazing procession of appetizers THEN they brought the entree. The latter was no larger than the appetizers. We were all over stuffed before the entree arrived (barbecued lamb and beef) and there was a collective moan from the uninitiated at the two long tables. As we left the bouzouk,i an Eastern Mediterranean stringed instrument similar to guitar or mandolin, was playing some interesting music, but unlike the Greek restaurants I'm familiar with the diners were not dancing. However several diners were smoking hookahs. No, I didn't notice any unlawful odors.

The next day was the shower put on by DD's colleagues in rehab dept. and another fun time was had. I had deleted the email invitation because the sender's name was unfamiliar. About three days before leaving home I got another from the same sender which referred to Jennifer's shower. Fortunately she had specifically asked for gift certificates from Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond so I got online and ordered one after calling the hostess and asking if I could have it sent to her because it was too late for me to get it in time before leaving. She was very gracious. The entire female portion of the rehab dept. was there as well as female members of families etc. including DSIL's two daughters one of whom managed to fall into the swimming pool emerging in a flood of tears. She had stepped backward and skinned her shin on the way in. An aunt was right there and another is a nurse. Between them and DD who has been mothering those girls for two years eventually calmed her down. What she cried about (age 8) was not pain but concern that it would mar her appearance in her flower girl dress. Also present was a childhood friend of DD's from Fl days who has since migrated to San Diego and I was thrilled to see her. It hadn't occurred to me that she would be there although I do keep in touch with her. I've always thought of her as a surrogate daughter during those four years or so that they were inseparable.

The wedding itself was lavish to say the least. It was at a wedding chapel sort of place which was out doors but with a roof. It was lovely. One DGS "gave her away" while the other one and DGD played a guitar and flute duet during the dinner which followed the ceremony at the same venue. DD had prepared this as a surprise for her new husband and sang a sweet love song I've never heard with the accompaniment. There were few dry eyes in the lively crowd. The disc jockey played mostly music of her generation but that didn't stop yours truly from making a fool of herself. I even danced and sang with the crowd of unpartnered men and women in an amazing array of ethnicities to that old Stones song, I Can't Get No Satisfaction. I also dragged each grandson onto the floor when a few older slower things were played.

I don't have pictures yet. I managed to forget my camera but my DB who tends to be socially clueless and followed the professional photographer around taking as many or more than she did. I hope to get them in the near future. DD was a beautiful bride and her sister and niece were beautiful bride's maids.

Time to shove some pills down Shadow's throat and then to bed. She's gotten wise to all the tricks of getting her to think she's getting a treat. After years of happily lining up with Molly to get her glucosamine with peanut butter she refuses that as well as pill pockets from vet, cheese and has become reluctant to take anything from my hand. However, she needs her aspirin for the sake ofher quality of life as she has spinal arthritis, her Zantac acid reducer for comfort from effects of her liver and kidney failure and her incontinence med for my quality of life particularly since she has decided to sleep on the bed with me. I like that closeness but not the leak. Sick as she is she still wakes me in the early morning hours and pesters me until I hit the tennis ball down the driveway a few times.

This is way too long and probably has put readers to sleep so I will bid you all good night. Hugs to all especially those experiencing loss of loved ones and other heartaches.

Jane

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Who kick- started the Chat page ???

So good to see so many posting again ! It had been quiet for so long.

Welcome back Brenda, good to hear from you. Joleen, thanks for the book list. The only one on it that I have read, is the strangely titled "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society". I remember thoroughly enjoying that one.. Grace, good luck with that new machine. I replaced my "old faithful" a few years ago and would still prefer to use that, to the much coveted new one. The only way I got around that was to give the old machine away. That hurt ! Jill, my fridge and dishwasher are both on "borrowed time" . I always expect these things to last forever and get very upset when they don't !

Jane, do hope you are feeling better. We are all waiting for your return to good health and humour, so that you can entertain us with stories of the wedding ....!! Rosey, hope the trip to the homeopath was helpful. You need to be in good, robust health, to face the Ontario winter ! It's Spring here ofcourse, and as Bee rightly said...it's freezing ! The last two weeks of August were mild and the garden started to come back to life. A nasty shock for some tender shoots this week with the return of some very heavy frosts..

An excited phone call from my DSis in UK this morning. Her third grandchild has arrived safely
, a little girl, Lily, born in the South of France where the family are now living. DSis and BIL will be travelling down there today and will stay for a week. I look forward to the photos. No quilt made for this baby yet. Must get a few UFO"s finished before I start one.

A visitor has just arrived so I had better finish up. Have a good day.

Marion.

Grace and anyone else whose dog itches

We had a dog whose life was a real misery , we tried everything to help her until we went to a homeopathic vet , wonderful, he gave us a recipe for a shampoo and the rest of her life was good. If anyone wants the recipe mail me and I will send the recipe. HUgs Bee in a very cold NZ, supposed to be Spring and it is freezing!!!!!!!!!!! quilter @ ihug .co.nz

sunny Sunday long weekend afternoon

Hi everyone,
Been a long time for me posting too. I usually keep up with the post though and see all are doing fairly well.
Hi Brenda, life treating you okay too and Joleen you sure sound busy.
Doris our puppy(who shall remain nameless) also developed allergies. She was driving us crazy with the itching. Now she has pills and special shampoo. I guess they are so much like humans.
I am really a weird sort of person. For the last six months I have been coveting this new sewing machine. Oh I wanted it so bad. Had seen how it worked and what it could do, etc, etc,
Well there was a special on and the price came way down so I went and bought it and now I am afraid to go near it. I look at it in awe and then see the computer screen and go back to my old one. Go figure.
I am sure it will happen, but right now??
Have great weekend and enjoy the fantastic sunshine.
Grace in On