No Lazy Days of Summer Here

Not enough hours in the day!  I still have so much outside work to do.  I'm still trimming and cleaning out my cotoneaster bushes and it's taking up way too much time.  

Last week Mom and I found our way to this Amish greenhouse that we had heard about and they had the biggest baskets of flowers I have ever seen for $15.00 each.  I asked the cute little Amish girl how they get them so big and she told me in her sweet little Amish accent voice, "They just grow".

This pot of these little yellow flowers was about $1.50!

I hung this huge basket next to my blue and pink seating area.  See my previous post.

Over the weekend, Mom and I took a little road trip to Pittsburgh to help Spring clean my girlfriend's mother's house.  Her mother and my mother were very good friends years ago, and the four of us have reunited recently.  See post about this here.  My friend's mother had a stroke a couple of years ago and just isn't able to keep up with her house by herself.  So my girlfriend arranged for a Spring Cleaning Party with family and friends jumping in with scrub buckets and food.  Mom and I drove the 4 hours to get there Saturday morning and spent the night in a very nice room at a Country Inns and Suites.  We cleaned again on Sunday and got back on the road for the trip home by 3:00.  It was fun!  Really!

I'm cleaning the light fixture in the master bath.  With a smile!

Hubby couldn't quite understand why we would be willing to do this when I keep saying how much work I have to do around here.  We did it because they asked!

We also stopped at an outlet mall before coming home.  I've been looking for a dress for my upcoming 35th year class reunion coming up next weekend in Cincinnati.  I wanted something classy, but sexy, but not too revealing, that fit well but not too tight, oh my!  And I think I found it!  We went into Dress Barn and I wasn't hopeful because I had been to a Dress Barn years and years ago and was not impressed.  Well, this one was a nice store with very nice clothes. 

Here it is.  I'll be sure to get a picture the night of the reunion.

I also found this cute little pink top and had to get it, too.

This weekend we have a wedding to go to on Saturday.  Sunday we'll have the 3 grandkids here and are going to brunch for Father's Day.  On Thursday I leave for Cincinnati to meet up with my best friend that now lives in California and we'll be going to our class reunion get togethers on Friday and Saturday nights.  I'll come home on Monday and then on Saturday the 2nd, we're having a 4th of July party here.  

For someone (me) that likes to just stay home and putz around the house, I don't know why I let myself get so    busy!

Changes

"The only thing constant in life is change".  I don't know who that's a quote from, but it's true.  And it's also true that the older you get, the harder it is to want to or accept change.  That's true for me in some ways, such as my routines, habits, and schedules.  When it comes to decorating, remodeling, or re-arranging furniture, I'm all for it. I just did a major clean of my bedroom and decided to move this antique rocking chair from my living room to this corner of my bedroom.

This rocking chair was sitting in front of my doors going out onto my back deck.  Those doors don't get used in the winter.  Now in anticipation of Spring and Summer that door is used all day long, so the chair needed to be moved.  I believe this chair was my great grandmother's and has been re-glued and re-finished and re-upholstered by a couple different members of the family.  It's finally ended up with me and I love it!
And notice where the necklace hangar is on the wall next to the rocker?  I want to get some sort of small shelving unit for the wall to house my growing collection of little boxes.

Sometimes they are called Limoges boxes, although they are not true Limoges from France.  My mother has given me most of these.  These are now sitting on my dresser but are starting to take up too much room.  Aren't they cute?

And here's another update on the powder room remodel. I love this change!  Hubby finally got the chandelier up yesterday.  I stood by as the go-fer and the sounding board for his frustration, but he did it and I love it.

Everything is coming together so nicely in my little bathroom!  We're now just waiting for the sink countertop to come in and then we can finish.  I'm hoping next weekend it will be done.

This past Saturday my DIL gave my son (her husband) a surprise party for his 30th. For some reason, this seems like a major change in my life!  I don't know why it affects me, but it's a milestone for him and me.  I just can't believe I'm the mother of a 30 year old!  Anyway, he was surprised.  His wife did a great job.  His boys wanted him to have a super hero cake and they helped him blow out his candles.

I finally finished knitting the black hoody sweater that he requested from me two years ago!  I have to be honest, it was not my most favorite knitting project.  Black is very hard to work with because it's so hard to see.  It turned out just OK as far as I'm concerned, but he seemed to like it.

(It looks crooked in this picture because he has the top and bottom buttons unbuttoned)

Yesterday, the weather was so nice here, about 78 degrees! Believe me, this is a huge change around here.  Monday is normally my house cleaning day, but I just had to get outside a little bit to add a few flowers.  It's still too early here for real flowers, but I put out fake ones in the upstairs window boxes and on the bench in front of my bedroom window.

I still have a lot of work to do outside.  You can see all the old fall leaves left over on the mulch.  Everything just still looks very brown and dirty.  No leaves are out on the trees yet, but I did notice the buds starting to come out on my rhododendron bushes.

These will be a beautiful purple landscape in the front of the house in another few weeks.
By the way, this warm weather lasted one day.  Yesterday was freezing and rainy and today it's 43 degrees!  Back to inside work.

The most recent change I made yesterday.  I had grown my hair out a little bit but it was really starting to bug me.  The bangs were long and constantly falling in my face and I'm "blessed" to have thick, coarse hair and it tends to get very heavy and flat on top.

This is the "before".  It looks OK in this picture but it didn't look like this most of the time.  I even had the color lightened up a little yesterday.

Here's the "after".  It feels so good!  I woke up this morning and it still looks exactly like this.  Awww! No more smoothing and moisturizing products and flat irons to straighten.  I just didn't want to take the time for that every day.  Oh, I'm also wearing another new necklace I made.

Change can be a good thing!


I'm linking for the first time today to A Beach Cottage - Good Life Wednesday
Also to Cindy's Show and Tell Friday
And Alison's Friday's Unfolded

New Stuff of Mine

I've been busy knitting.  Some for myself, some for my grandbabies, and maybe one or two new items for my Etsy shop:  http://charmingbynina.etsy.com/   I go in phases with the things I  make because I tend to get tired of doing the same thing for too long.  So more quilts, miniature quilts, and pincushions will be coming when I get in the mood.  In fact, I'm starting to feel a mini quilt urge coming on as soon as I have the time. 
Knitting works well for me when I'm busier because it's so portable.  I can pick it up easily and knit a few rows or take it with me in the car if someone else is driving, of course.  And it's great to take to a hair appointment or to sit and wait in a dentist or doctor's office.

I just listed this cable knit purse for my Etsy shop.

It's lined with a cotton fabric and then I crocheted and felted the flower on the front.  The yarn is Baby Alpaca.  I know my things are maybe a little more expensive than others you may find on Etsy, but I use very expensive luxury quality yarn.  You can really tell the difference once you start working with the better yarn.

I made this little baby set a while back for my granddaughter, Riley.  I'm now almost finished with another set just like it that my dog groomer ordered from me for her granddaughter.  She ordered a size 3 mos., but it looks awfully small to me.  If I have to make her a larger size that's fine because I'll give the one I'm making to my newest granddaughter, Leanna. 

 I made this little hat and bootie set for Leanna

 This set I just finished for my newest grandson that's due on September 6. 
Side note:  I leave for Spokane next Thursday to be there for the new baby.  I'll be staying three weeks.

This set I made for a girlfriend of my DIL's as she had a baby girl 3 weeks ago.  She saw the set I made for Leanna and asked if I could make a set for her baby.  She loved it and actually had professional newborn pictures taken of her baby wearing this. 

I finished this sweater for myself a few months ago and I love it.  It's perfect to throw over a tank top if it cools down at night or to go into a freezing grocery store or restaurant. 

Oh, and this is my new "natural" hair color and my new pink and purple glasses.  I'm embracing  a much more Bohemian look ever since I retired from the insurance business and don't have to look conservative anymore. 

And since I finally figured out how to set the self timer on my camera I thought I'd show the necklace my kids got me on Mother's Day.  It has become one of my favorite things.  It's Brighton, and the two charms on the left are the birthstones of my two sons next to a charm that says "mother" and the four birthstones on the right are my grandchildren with a "grandmother" charm.  One more will be added very soon.  It's actually becoming quite heavy, but isn't it beautiful!  I just love it!

As you've probably noticed, my blog background and header is also new, but I don't know if I'm satisfied with it.  It may change a few more times in the near future before I find something to stick with for a while.  I enjoy making the changes when I have the time to fool with it.  I've also updated  "My Charming Creations" page (click on the tab at the top).  I've sort of neglected that page for a while, so take a look if you'd like.

That's it for now.  More to come.

New Face Lift and Haircut

No, I didn't get a face lift, but my blog did.  This is what I've been working on for two days.  I wanted something with softer colors and not so crowded.  I still need to nip and tuck a little, but it's getting there.  I felt like the layout and background I had before was hard to read and I needed to work on getting my pictures more clear.  I hope everyone likes it.  I'm always open to suggestions.

Now comes the haircut.  Yes, my hair.  I mess around with my hair as much if not more than I mess around with my blog layout.  I also re-decorate and re-arrange my house a lot, too.  I assume this disorder is all related somehow.  Anyway, I usually keep my hair really short.  I like to have a simple style that always looks decent without a lot of work.  I get tired of it easily, though, so the only way I could change it much was to change the color.  I guess I just get bored looking at myself in the mirror.  So this was my hair almost two years ago at my son's wedding. 

Sorry this is so blurry.  I cropped from another picture.  But you get the idea.  Very short and heavily highlighted.

Then this was from last summer.  I decided to go a more natural color.  I think this is close to my real color without the gray.

Well, I got tired of it being so short, but I can't stand to let it grow out.  I compromised.  I let one side grown long and kept the other side short.  Asymmetrical and a little trendy.

Here's the long side, obviously.  And now the color is a more natural blond highlight, if there is such a thing.

This shot shows the short side a little better.

 

Now I feel like I have long hair without really having long hair.  Am I nuts, or what?  Anyway, this is the hairstyle for this month.  (Eye make-up would have helped a little!  Hate wearing make-up)  I hate to go  too outrageous or trendy because of my age, but I don't want to look like an old lady, either.

I've always been like this with my hair, changing cuts and colors.  When my son was in first grade they were supposed to draw a picture of their family.  My husband and my other son were very cute stick figures with brown hair scribbled on.  Mine was a nice enough stick figure, but he had every color in the rainbow scribbled on my head.  When I asked him why he did that, he said he couldn't remember which color it was.

I seem to be consistent with my always changing looks and colors, in everything I do.

Now My Washing Machine Died

The funeral for Grandma on Saturday went well, for being a funeral.  Many out of town family members came into town for the weekend, which was so nice to see.  By Sunday at noon all the family had left to return home.  At 2:00 in the afternoon My Bob left for Pittsburgh airport to then fly to Orlando for a two day business meeting.  I was alone, it was quiet, and I thought I would spend the next two and a half days just resting, cleaning and doing laundry from the family guests, and then knitting and sewing.  Well, that was wishful thinking.
Sunday night actually was very nice, relaxing and quiet.  I was just so tired that I knit for a little while and then went to bed by 10:00, which is about two hours earlier than normal for me.  Monday morning I woke up with the intent on going with Mom and Dad to the cemetary to witness the burial of Grandma.  I threw a load of sheets into the washer and as I was getting some mail together to take with me to the post office I heard a loud screech from the laundry closet, then I smelled smoke.  As I walked toward the laundry I saw smoke.  I immediately called the appliance store where we purchase almost all our appliances and they said they would be out sometime during the day.  So I didn't go to the cemetary and I waited until they showed up around noon.  The diagnosis: the clutch had locked up and you can't just replace the clutch since it's enclosed in the transmission, so they would need to order a new transmission and then take the washing machine into the shop, take it apart, replace the transmission and put it back together.  How long was that going to take and how much was that going to cost?  In the meantime I wrung out the wet sheets as best I could and threw them in the dryer.  The pile of more sheets and towels sat there to my disgust. 
This morning my handy dandy appliance man called to tell me the cost to repair would be a little over $300 and he could have me a brand new washer by this afternoon for $450.  So that's what I went with. 
Then my DIL called and she was coming into town for an appointment.  I told her over the weekend that the next time she came to town, or I went to her house, we would make a trip to JoAnn Fabrics to pick out the fabrics for a new baby quilt for Leanna, due in July.  We agreed to meet at 11:00 so that I could be back home by noon so I wouldn't miss the delivery of my new washing machine after noon.  The colors of her nursery are pink and chocolate with teddy bears,  so this is what we chose.

Won't this be cute?  The pink puffy flannel on top will be the back.

As I waited for my new washing machine to show up, I was cheered up some more by the UPS truck dropping off a package for me.  It was my Pajama Jeans that I had heard about and ordered on line a month ago.  I was so excited.  I unwrapped the package and read the attached tag that said, "Wash in cold water before wearing because of the dark blue dye."  You really realize how much you need a washing machine when you don't have one.  I tried them on anyway and instantly fell in love.  They look like blue jeans, but feel like sweat pants.  Exactly what I have been searching for!   They fit and feel so good. 

I took my own picture so it took several takes to get this.  Love Them!

Finally, the big present for the day, my washing machine arrived.  It's just a nice, but very basic white one.  I only have a small space so I can't get anything big and fancy and bulky.  But that's OK.  My laundry room is actually a double closet in my hallway right outside my bedroom.  I love it there as it's so convenient.  I fixed it up to look as much like a laundry room as possible. 

I made the little mini quilt on the right to cover up the knobs and tubes.  The little laundry hanging above the cupboards was actually a wallpaper border that I fussy cut around each little piece of clothing and then hung it up so it actually looks like it's handpainted instead of walllpaper.

After I cleaned the floor and carpeting from the mess of the appliance men, I was back in business.  My new Pajama Jeans are washed, the sheets are now all clean, and the quilt fabric has been pre-washed.  It ended up not being such a bad day after all.  I would have rather not had to spend the money for the new washing machine at this point, but what was I to do?

Now I kind of wish that My Bob was going to be away for one more day  because I think tomorrow I would have been able to finally relax a little more.  But he's due home very late tonight so tomorrow will be back to work.  For some reason when he's home it's just a lot more work --- as much as I love him!

Frustrated and Edgy - Get Over It!

I feel so frustrated and on edge today.  Don't know why, exactly.  I think I'm just tired and have no time just to myself.  Then I feel so guilty for feeling this way and saying this because I know I have a comparatively good and easy life.  So I hate to complain.  And I'm not really complaining, I'm just edgy.

I have been going to Austin and Melissa's house one or two days a week since they moved in order to help, but I think I'm going to have to pass this week.  It's wearing me out and it frustrates me.  There's so much to do there and every time I go down I feel like I'm starting all over again.  It feels like there's more to do each week instead of feeling like the progress made equals the time put in.  I was there two days last week and then they came here on Saturday to clean out the old house.  We kept the boys Saturday and overnight, then met their mom and dad half way on Sunday to eat late lunch and hand them back over.  Now this weekend again they are coming back to town to (hopefully) finish cleaning and get the house ready to rent and list for sale.  Again I'll be helping, either by keeping the boys or cleaning.  Even though I don't really mind doing either, it makes me tired and then I get behind in my own work. 

Austin also is having his first inspection by the higher ups at his recruiting office and he was very nervous.  This makes me nervous.  My feelings have always been connected with Austin's.  First child and all, I guess.  I always feel whatever he is feeling.  Weird or normal?  I don't know.  I don't have that same kind of mental connection with Brandon.  Of course I love them both, but Austin is more of a worrier himself and much more sensitive and for some odd reason I pick up on that even if I'm not physically with him.  Weird?
I've also gotten behind in bookkeeping and computer work for my husband's Financial Planning business.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to stay current on this and I'm so not there yet.  Since I'm usually pretty organized, this unorganized portion of my life is starting to drive me crazy.  And being that this is the money maker that makes it possible for me to do all the other things that I do, you would think this would be my first priority.  I'll get there.  It's not that much fun so I procrastinate on this job.

The one last thing bothering me right now is knowing that Mom and Dad are leaving for Florida on Saturday for two weeks.  They need and deserve this break so I'm glad they're going, but because Grandma is in such poor health in the nursing home, I'm very nervous about them not being here.  I'll be taking Mom's place as main visitor and care taker at the nursing home and I guess I'm just afraid.
So now that I've written out all my issues I feel better already.  As you can see these are really all non-issues that now that I see it in front of me if feels like I'm worrying about abstract "what if's" and there is in reality nothing wrong.  So ---- I need to quit worrying about things that haven't happened.  I need to say "no" more often.  I need to take more time for myself no matter what others need or want from me.
Oh, I feel much better now.  I needed to take this time to organize my thoughts.  OK, now I'm ready to move on.  I'm going to go upstairs to my little studio, turn on Oprah, and make a pincushion. 

I'm also looking forward to American Idol tonight.  Love that show.

Such a Problem!

I have a problem!  I can't get everything done in a day that I have told myself I need to do.  I don't think it's that I do that much.  I really am coming to realize that the problem is me.  I'm so slow at everything I do.  Yes, time is an issue.  There just isn't enough of it.  Here's the real problem.  And I hate to throw these terms out there because they are overused and abused and not really understood.  But I think I have ADD and OCD, and I'm a perfectionist.  There has been much discussion in our family lately about the tendancy in our family to be blessed with these conditions.  I always felt I had OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but I am starting to think I also have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).  But doesn't everyone have a little bit of both of these conditions?  Isn't everyone like this?  Honestly, I think the answer is  "no". 
Here's an example:  In helping Melissa clean and decorate their new home for the past two days I had a list of things we wanted to get done in two days.  It was a very do-able list.

 But this is what I do:  I start to install the curtain rods on the first of two windows in the boys' play room.  Should only take about ten minutes to screw in four brackets.  Then I notice that the windows are filthy.  I get down off the step stool, find the windex and clean the windows.  Then I notice the curtains we are going to hang are ones that were previously hanging in the boys' old bedroom.  They haven't been washed, ever.  So I throw those into the washing machine.  OK, now back to the windows.  The inside of the glass is clean (the outside will have to wait until spring), but the window frames and sills are filthy, which I discovered while cleaning the glass.  They aren't just dirty, they are old and should be replaced, but I can only do so much.  Back down off the step stool and get the pledge and Old English.  If you have never used Old English to shine up wood and cover scratches, you need to get it.  It can make old, scratched, dull wood shine and look like the pretty antique that it is.  OK, got that done.  Then continue with the brackets. Oh shoot!  I put the first one up backwards.  Now I need another cup of coffee.  I go into the kitchen and notice there are some sticky spots on the floor.  I have to clean the floor before I can get my cup of coffee.

 Ten minutes later, OK, now take a few sips of coffee and back up on the step stool and finish putting up the brackets.  Throw the curtains in the dryer just for about five minutes, get them on the curtain rods, hang the rods up, adjust the curtain so they hang right,

 set the TV stand and TV back in place, notice that the TV is dusty and a knob needs fixed on the TV stand.  You got it! have to dust the TV and fix the knob.  Need to vacuum the floor after making all the mess from the window project, but we're starving and decide to take a break and go to lunch.

That's just one example of how I do things.  A ten minute job takes me two hours.  It's done right, but could it have been done right without taking so long?  If so, I don't know how. 

Today I'm back home and on my list for today is laundry, finish sewing buttons on new knitted neckwarmer and get it listed on Etsy, check all the e-mails since I haven't been home for two days, get started on bookkeeping for 2009 taxes, clean the foyer floor, and wash my hair.  So while blogging about it all, it's almost 3:00, and I got 3 of the 4 loads of laundry done, checked the e-mails but got totally distracted by an HGTV e-mail that I had to look into, washed my hair (which led to cleaning the bathroom), picked out buttons for the neckwarmer (that took a while), got some 2009 receipts put in a pile but got distracted and had to clean the file drawer, fixed some lunch and then had to clean the kitchen, and My Bob keeps talking to me.  I don't have time to listen or talk back. 

So do you see my problem?  I am not going to get everything done on my list and I wish I could just say, "Oh well", but instead I get very anxious.  One thing I have started making myself do is to stop it all at 8:00 at night, no matter what is left hanging on my list, and I go to my sewing room and relax.  And by relax, I mean knit, sew, make a pincushion, do something creative and fun while I watch TV. 

Now tomorrow, Austin and Melissa and boys are coming up to finish cleaning out the old house and get it ready to rent and/or sell.  Of course I'll help.  I already promised the boys I'd make mac 'n cheese and bake chocolate chip cookies.  Then I'll help with the cleaning. 

But you know what?  I'm well aware that my problem is a good one and I'm lucky to have this problem.  I'm not living in a city destroyed by an earthquake.  I have a beautiful, healthy family that loves me and wants to be with me.  I'm not homeless and in need of food or shelter.  I'm so grateful to be who I am.  So I'll deal with my fortunate problems.

I'm Officially a "Grilled Grandma"

I know, two posts in one day!  You would think I have all kinds of time on my hands.  WRONG!  I am very flattered to be featured as a "Grilled Grandma" on Lisa's blog at:  http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/.  This is her home page.  The "Grilled Grandma" feature of me can be found at:  http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/grilled-grandmas/2009/12/16/grilled-grandma-nina.html .  Please pay Lisa a visit regardless of me being on it.  She has a darling site that is dedicated to everything Grandma. 
Again, I am very flattered and humbled by Lisa's feature.  Being a Grandma is my proudest accomplishment, besides being a mother, and I know that not everyone is always thrilled to here about my kids and grandkids and put up with all the pictures that I show all the time.  So for those that may be a little interested, here's the go to site.

It's a Birthday and I'll Cry if I Want To!

I don't get down or depressed too often, but today I am a little bit.   I really have no reason to.  I'll get over it quick.  My feelings have just been hurt by my girlfriends.  I thought they were my best friends.  I'm probably blowing it way out of proportion and I'm going to be the bigger person about this, but my feelings are still hurt and I'm feeling a little sorry for myself.  Here's what happened and maybe some of you can help me look at this in a different light. (I'm going to use initials for names)
My birthday is next week and my very good girlfriend's birthday is the week after.  There is a group of five of us  "girls" that have been friends  for about 20 years.  We all became good friends when our kids all started the same school together about the same time.  Our kids now range in age from 18 to 33.  Over the years we have tried to celebrate most major birthdays, you know 40, 50, and now Ch's. 60th is in two weeks.  Over the years we would sit at the pool with all of our kids in the summer.  We all took skiing lessons together years ago.  We all took golf lessons together.  We would get together every Friday after work for wine.  We still try to do that on Friday's once in a while, but not near as much.   Now everyone's life has shifted slightly in one way or another with children getting married and grandchildren and some of us no longer work outside the home and some of us have gone back to work after years of staying home.  But we have all remained very good friends and talk and get together as much as we can.
Yesterday I was getting a pedicure and my friend, the manicurist, who also does the nails of one of the friends I'm talking about (keep in mind, this is a very small town) asked when we were leaving for Pittsburgh (100 miles south of us).  I told her I didn't know what she was talking about.  Then she didn't know what to say but I made her spill the beans.  I could tell by the look on her face that she now knew she said something she shouldn't have.  So she told me.  C. was in getting her nails done and told D., my manicurist (I only get my toes done about four times a year) that "the girls" were going to Pittsburgh on Friday night (tonight) to spend the night to celebrate Ch.'s 60th birthday.  Well, everyone in town knows who that group of "girls" would be and it usually includes me.  I knew nothing about it.  I was shocked and came home and called P., one of the other "girls".  Now P. is in Pittsburgh already because she travels for her work.  She hesitated when I asked her about it and I told her I wasn't angry mad, my feelings were just very hurt and I didn't understand.  P. told me that it was just one of those things that evolved into something other than what it started out to be.  C. wanted to take Ch. to Pittsburgh to dinner and shopping as a birthday present.  Then she found out that P. was there working, so she called her and told her she should plan on staying an extra day to go with them.  Then it was found out that F. was taking her mother back home to Pittsburgh today, so they called her with the same invite.  That's how the four of them ended up getting together tonight in Pittsburgh, so P. says.  I believe her and it's very possible that's what happened, but I have talked to Ch. almost every day this week and she never mentioned a word to me.  I didn't even care not being asked because I don't really feel like going to Pittsburgh, but why didn't they even tell me?
As Dr. Joy Brown would say, be cheerful and stupid, and just act like it doesn't matter and it doesn't affect you at all.  And that is exactly how I'll act and talk to them next time I see them, but my feelings are still hurt.
I hate when women, especially mature women, get catty and I won't be like that, but I've cried to myself a few times today.  My Bob doesn't get this kind of thing and he's almost mad at me for being like this.
The only thing I did do, just because I had to do something, was send an e-mail to the four of them and said that I hoped they had a nice evening in Pittsburgh and I would talk to them next week.  I wasn't mean or nasty ---but I hope they feel bad.
Thanks to all of you good friends out there for listening to my sad story - Ha!Ha! , I know it's no big deal - but I had to talk about it.   One more reason to blog. (See yesterday's post)

Why Do We Blog?

I told myself I wanted to blog everyday.  I decided that if I would do it first thing, while I'm sitting with my first cup of coffee, before I checked email or Etsy, that would work out great.  I got up at 7:45, not bad, let the dogs out, fed the cat, made the bed, threw in a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, took a few pictures to download, got My Bob out the door with his bottle of water, apple, cell phone, and a package to deliver, now I'm ready and it's only 9:45.    I'm making progress.  The best news in all this is My Bob is on the road for the day.  You know how I love the day to myself. 
So here I sit at my computer, in my little kitchen office, and I'm so happy.

Why do I feel this obsession to blog?  I've been thinking about this.  Of course, anyone reading this is also most likely a blogger (still don't like that word, it isn't pretty).  Why do we do this and why do we love it?  I feel good after I write.  I feel more organized in my head.  So I guess one answer to this question for me is that I like to write.  That leads to another question:  why not just write in a journal and keep it to ourselves?  Why do we feel the need to put it "out there"?  We have strangers read about and look at our lives.  Now I don't feel like you are all strangers.  In fact, some of you are like good old friends and I love "talking" to you.  Is that why we do it?  To make new friends?  That wasn't my goal at all.  I even tell myself sometimes that I don't need any more friends in my life.  I enjoy my cyber friends now as much as my tangible (for lack of a better word) friends. I miss you if I don't hear from you.  Do we do this in order to stay in touch with family?  That's not it, either.  My immediate family doesn't even know I do this.  For some reason, I don't want them to know right now.  Maybe some day I'll surprise them with it, but not now.  Why?  I don't know.

Is this maybe like our own little reality show?  Maybe.  Although I would never want to be on one of those.  Why do people do that?  For the money would be one answer.  Well, that's certainly not the reason for blogging.  I guess there are some that actually do make money through ads on their site, but that's not happening for me right now either.

For me, I think the two reasons I do it is because, 1)  I like to write and "they" say you should write about what you know.  I know me and my life.  2) It is cathartic.  It calms and relaxes me and organizes all the thoughts in my head.

My other blog is for different reasons.  It's about my art and crafts and creations.  I like to share this.  It also keeps a record of what I'm doing from start to finish through pictures.  I then go back and look over my own blog to see what I've done, because I'm getting very forgetful the older I get.   Especially if I've sold something or given something away.

Here's my studio that I promised to show.

 

 Sorry these pictures are a little dark.  I should have edited them a little better.

This room gets very cluttered and it's the only room in my house that I feel good with the clutter.  I'm very much a neat freak in the rest of my house.  These pictures should also go up on my other blog, since this is where I make the things seen there.  I'll do that later.

As far as reading blogs, I know exactly why I like that.  I am amazed at the interesting and talented people out there.  The writing and pictures from most of you is better than most magazines and books. I love the insights, thoughts, and life coping skills that I read about.  I love seeing pictures from other's lives and pictures of other's homes and creations.  I feel like this is a secret little world, well, not so little, that those that don't know about are really missing out on.

So why do you blog?  And is there a different word we could use for it?

Reading and Modeling Past Age 50

I just finished reading a very good book last night.  For those that know me, I don't sit and just read during the day.  I have too many other things going on and I'm not real good at just sitting.  I read every night, though.  As I've aged, I don't fall asleep easily. I took a Tylenol PM every night for a couple of years, but I  quit taking it about six months ago because I thought it was making me too drowsy the next morning, so I have taken up reading in bed before I go to sleep.  A book sits right next to my bed with my little reading light attached and I read until my eyes just won't stay open.  The book I just finished last night was "Lost In The Forest" by Sue Miller.

I thought it was very well written.  The story was good, but almost secondary to the writing style and the way Sue Miller has of putting words together.  She's an excellent story teller.  The story is about a young teenage girl whose parents are divorced and her stepfather whom she was very close to was just killed.  The struggles then that she goes through in her teen years as she searches for a father figure and falls prey to an older, married man.  She eventually falls back into a father/daughter relationship with her real, biological father. 

The book I'm starting tonight is "Me & Emma" by Elizabeth Flock.  I believe it came out in 2006, but it was recommended to me recently by a good friend.

Now an update on the fashion show last night.  The turnout was good, but I've clearly decided that I'm not going to model for it anymore.  It just was not fun and exciting like it used to be.  The clothes were nice and I suffered through doing my hair and make-up, which I just don't like fussing over any more, and I looked good enough, but I'm just done with it.  Been There, Done That.  As my cousin said to me today, "If it's not fun anymore, it's time to move on and quit doing it.  Life is too short".  I agree with that thinking totally.  I'll find some other way to support and contribute to the good cause.  In this case it was for our local Free Health Clinic. 
At age 50, two years ago, I started saying "no" to a lot of things that I used to say "yes" to out of a feeling of obligation, guilt, not wanting to hurt someone's feelings, what have you.  I have thankfully learned that I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.  Don't get me wrong, if it's something I need to do for any of my family or a loved one, and somebody really needs my help, I will do whatever I can.  But these charity, volunteer things, I can pick and choose to do, or not do, whatever I want.
I love being 52, I truly do!  Such a liberation.  For any woman under 50 and dreading the thought of aging, DON'T.  Stay healthy and age gracefully.  Life gets better.  We should be proud of each and every wrinkle, sag and bag, not ashamed of them.  We've earned them. 

Grandchildren, Grandma, and Great Great Grandparents

I'll start with an update:  Logan is home from the hospital and doing well.  He seems to be back to his normal, active self.  We're so glad for that. 
Melissa is done working.  She'll be staying home with the boys now.  They both go to pre-school mornings only, so that will give her a little break each day.  I remember when my two boys were little and I always thought it was easier going to work than staying home.  But my boys loved for me to be home.  Even once they were in school all day, they liked when I was home when they got off the bus.   I do remember that it was a very busy time in our lives.  I was fortunate that we had our own business, so my schedule was very flexible. I hope she does well.
Yesterday, Dee, Baby Riley, Dee's grandmother, and I went to the Nursing Home to visit Grandma and Grandpa.  They were so excited to see Riley.  Grandpa is doing great.  He loved holding Riley and talking to her.  He is her great-great grandpa, but he gets confused and kept referring to himself as her Uncle.  I would correct and remind him, but then five minutes later he would forget again.  Grandpa will be 94 on October 28.

Now Grandma is another story.  She was sleeping when we got there.  As soon as she woke up and saw we were there with the baby her face lit up and she wanted to get up into her chair.  She's not strong enough to hold Riley, so I sat next to her with Riley on my lap so that she could touch her.  Grandma can't see, and just recently she has lost her voice completely.  She also keeps losing weight and now weighs only 63 pounds.  But her mind is good.  She wants to say things and can't.  It must feel like she's living in hell.  It makes me so sad and I feel so sorry for her.  She kept wanting to tell me something and there was no way I knew what it was.  I know it was something about Riley or Dee or maybe a question about Brandon (Riley's dad, my son).  So I tried to explain everything to her as complete as I could with the hope that I was answering her un-asked question.

So here I am with my grandmother and my granddaughter.  Pretty amazing when you think about it.  The Circle of Life in extreme.  The one end of the circle is so sad and the other so joyous. 

I won't be seeing Riley today.  She and Dee are staying at Dee's grandmother's  and tonight Dee goes to the wedding rehearsal dinner.  I'm also in a fashion show tonight and I  wish I wasn't.  It's a benefit for the local Free Clinic and is a very good cause.  They ask me every year to model and I've done it for probably six years in a row.  But I'm honestly just not into it any more.  The clothes are nice and it's fun once I get there.  I just don't feel like doing all the hair and makeup.  I'm thinking right now that I will decline this little job next year.  I'd rather be home with grandchildren, or husband, or knitting and sewing.  I guess I'm getting old --- and loving it!  I just don't want to get as old as Grandma (93) if that's the condition I would be in.

I Think There's a Ghost in My House!!

Sometimes I really worry about myself. I hope some of you can relate, because if I'm the only one that does things like this then my husband is right and I probably need to be committed.

I have a nightly routine before I go to bed of making sure all the doors and windows are locked, pulling the chains on the cuckoo clocks, letting the dogs out to pee, turning out all my cute little lamps that My Bob calls my "light show", and getting the coffee ready in my coffee maker so I can get up in the morning and just switch the button to "ON". O.K., so my OCD is showing, but if I don't go through this routine I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Here's the scary part. Either a ghost turned on my coffee pot for me sometime in the middle of the night, or I'm going nuts. Both scary thoughts. I got awake about 5:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep so I finally decided to just get up, turn on my coffee, watch the sun rise and do a little bit of knitting. I walked into the dark kitchen and there was the little red light on the coffee maker with a full pot of hot coffee. The good part of that was that I didn't have to wait for it to brew, but how did that get turned on?

It's a good thing I got up so early before My Bob or he'd be yelling that I could have burned the house down and then he would have made my reservation at the Assisted Living Home. So I never said a word. I have another thought, though, that he got up shortly before me and turned it on just to see if I would mention it. But I didn't want to fall for that, just in case. Besides, I don't think he would have done that so early. So that only leaves the other two scenarios: 1) there's a ghost in my house, or 2) I'm going nuts and can't remember things that I do. Either one is scaring me. I must have automatically turned it on after I got it all prepared last night. I DON'T REMEMBER!

So this is just my little secret that I'm sharing with you, but don't tell My Bob, or I'll be writing from my room at The Assisted Living Home. He's threatened this before and I just tell him to be sure I have my computer, sewing machine, and knitting and I'll be happy. And he tells me that's fine, he'll bring my 22 year old daughter in to visit. (I don't have a daughter). Oh, he thinks he's so funny!

In the meantime, I better start looking for a more high tech. coffee maker that has an automatic timer and automatic shut off.