Kids are Coming Early!! Oh No!!

Oh My!  I just found out the kids are coming home today for the whole weekend.  I thought they were just coming up tomorrow.  I love them and love to see them, but the whole weekend? --- I have to gear up for that.  And by kids, I mean Austin, Melissa,

Logan age 5,  Landen age 4 in two weesks,

and two hyper dogs.  OK, I can do this, I can do this, yes I can!

I was planning fancy ice cream sundaes for tomorrow night for Valentine's Day, but I don't have all the stuff.  So I just got in touch with My Bob since he's not home yet from appointments and asked him to pick up all the sundae makings that I didn't have yet.  We'll have these for tonight.  Austin and Melissa asked if I minded that just the two of them go out to dinner tomorrow night for Valentine's Day.  Of course I don't mind.  I just wasn't quite prepared. 
I'm a planner.  I always like to know ahead of time what's going on and what I'm going to be doing, and everyone else's plans if they concern me at all.  So I'm cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms today.  This was on my list to do tomorrow morning.  I'm doing good now, though.   Got the cleaning done and dessert being picked up.

The reason they're coming home is to hopefully finish cleaning their house out that's going up for sale.  I don't know yet if I'll be helping to clean or staying home with the boys. 
Some real good news that we're very hopeful about is that we think the house may be sold already without it even being listed yet.  I was talking to a florist friend of mine and it just so happens that her current lease for her flower shop is ending in May and she wants to find a better but less expensive space.
 I told her about my son's house coming up for sale since they had to move an hour and a half away.  The house comes with a separate garage and office/guest house.  This is where our insurance agency used to be.  She and her husband asked if they could see it right away and they decided they want it and they would move her flower shop into the old office building.

This is what my florist friend and I imagine it could look like.  Very cute! 

Then they would rent out the main house.  We were all excited about the transaction until we double checked with the city zoning board and since it was never zoned commercial we now have to go through this riga-ma-roll of paper work, variances, exceptions, legal postings and a meeting to have it voted on.  Jeez!!
Since my grandfather built the building in 1958 and had his insurance agency in there at that time it was just "grandfathered" in as an insurance agency.  Actual zoning laws went into affect in 1964. 
So that's where we're at.  My Bob and I are doing the paper work and leg work on the matter and the meeting is now scheduled for a week from Tuesday.

As my Grandma always used to say, "Life gets tedious at times".

Snow Day and More

Snow, snow everywhere.  It's been quite a few winters since we've had this much. Just take a look at my Winter Wonderland picture on the sidebar and add about another foot of snow to it.   And today it's not just snow, it's 10 degrees and we are right on the border of blizzard warnings.  Everything is closed.  Schools, stores, roads and highways.  Perfect day for me because as you know, I love to stay home.  I feel so bad for those that have to be somewhere or go outside for whatever reason.  My son, the Air Force Recruiter, had to walk to work.  Thank goodness he moved, because now his office if only about 1/4 mile from his home.  He was supposed to take a couple recruits to Pittsburgh for testing and physicals, but that's not happening.  The testing place is closed and I think the roads to get there are closed.
I really feel sorry for animals that are outside.  This was brought to my attention by my new blog friend, Maggie, at http://maggiesraggedyinn.blogspot.com/2010/02/homeless-cats.html.  Her post really made me think about this and made me feel so bad.  Pets that are ignored or left outside by their owners is just so sad.   I don't personally know of any or see any in my neighborhood, but I know there are plenty out there.  Please bring them inside people!  My own little Fergie, the 5 pound toy poodle, won't even step out the door when the weather is like this.  I lay newspaper by the front door for him.  But so far today, and it's 11:20 am, he hasn't done a thing since he got up this morning.  I keep looking and sniffing around the house but I'm not finding any messes.  He's sleepinig in between his pillows on his little bed right now.

Yes, he has a four poster bed!  He's the little apricot colored ball laying in there.

OK, so now what about American Idol last night.  I wish it were on for two hours.  They just don't have time to show everyone.  Here are my picks from last night:  Andrew Garcia.  He was the very first one.  A father that wants a better life for his little boy;  Casey James.  Real cute.  He took his shirt off at the original try out, and he plays the guitar.;  And Crystal Bowersox.  She had her son's name tatooed on her neck right before the show and she sounds like Carol King.  We'll see how good my predictions are.  Don't forget to watch tonight.

An update on Mother Millie (MIL).  She has a doctor's appointment today and my sister in law is taking her.  The doctor is recommending that she discontinue the chemo treatments and let hospice now come in to keep her comfortable.  This is very sad to come to grips with, but Millie has accepted this fact.  They are going to increase the strength of her Oxycodone to alleviate more of the pain that this pancreatic cancer is forcing upon her.  It's just come to the inevitable point of nothing more can be done except trying to keep her comfortable.  Why her?  This cancer question still really puzzles me.

Here's my newest knit hat I just finished.  I don't think I'm going to sell it or give it away.  It is so warm and comfortable.  I need it for myself right now.  It's knit from a a tweed washable wool and the buttons I used are all from my grandmother's button collection kept in an old tin that I inherited. 

I think I'll make some hand warmers to match.

Now I've come up with this new idea to make cute little pillows and sachets.  I made this one for Valentine's day for myself. 

 I'm going to make some more to sell on Etsy.  I am trying to get some dried lavendar to fill them with.  In the meantime, I'll just have to use Poly-fil.  I love to use ribbon, lace, buttons and charms to embellish.

American Idol

Twenty minutes until American Idol starts.  I look forward to 8:00 every Tuesday and 9:00 every Wednesday.  It's so entertaining to me.  Tonight starts Hollywood week with Ellen.  I was the same way with Star Search years ago.  Anybody remember that show?  I think it was on Sunday afternoons and My Bob and I always made sure we were home to watch it.   Bob isn't addicted to American Idol like I am, but it is one show he's willing to watch with me.  And since he's willing to watch it with me I try to refrain from going up to my sewing room and we hole up in bed together while it's on.  I still sneak my knitting into bed with me.  Don't call me, though.  I won't answer the phone.   Shortly after the show is over, he's snoring away, and then I'm right back into my sewing room until about midnight.
I think I really like to see someone go from obscurity to super stardom in a matter of months.  Isn't that just amazing?  It's fun to watch it happen.  I'm going to keep track of my favorites as the show continues and we'll see how they do.
Olympics start in a couple of days.  I'm the same way about watching them. 
I never can just sit and watch TV just by itself.  I have to knit, sew, or make something.  Bob doesn't quite get how I can pay attention to a show while I'm doing other things.  But I do. 
Just a gift I have!

Roller Coaster Ride of a Day

My day started out so exciting.  I turned on the computer about 8:00 a.m. and there was an email from Etsy that I sold something.  Now it was just a little something, but I'm sure any of you that have an Etsy shop know how exciting that e-mail makes you feel.  When I consider the thousands upon thousands of sellers on Etsy it amazes me that anyone even finds me, let alone then like something and buy it.   My Bob teases me about getting so excited over a little bit of money.  That's not what it's about.  It's almost like an internet game and the goal to win points is to see how many people notice you and then buy from you.  It's fun.  Here's what I sold.

It's a little quilted angel change purse or anything else you want to put in it.  It's velcroed at the top.  I always put a charm on everything I make.

Then we got a text message from Austin and Melissa.  They were having the sex determination sonogram done today.  So their text said, "The name of the new baby is Leanna Rene'."  It's a girl! 

 We're very excited.  This is their third and we think final.  They have two boys and so a girl is what we were all hoping for.  We all had already discussed that nobody would be disappointed if it was a boy.  We wanted to discuss this and be prepared for it.  But now we can say that we're very excited that it's a girl.  My middle name is Lee and Melissa's mother's middle name is Anna.  More pink yarn is now on my shopping list.

Right after that exciting phone call we received a call from Bob's sister telling us that their mother seems to have taken another small turn for the worse.  She is in so much pain and the pain medication that she is taking is no longer helping.  She's still living at home and being cared for by her long time man friend and at least one of Bob's five sisters is with her all the time.  Tomorrow they are meeting with Hospice to see what the next step should be.  The sister's want Bob to come down now, but that is a six hour drive to Cincinnati.  We'll wait to hear the outcome of tomorrow's Hospice meeting before we decide what we should do at this point. 

After that phone call Bob and I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the Nursing Home.  Pretty much the same there.

Then we went to the City Building to pick up papers to apply for a commercial variance for Austin and Melissa's house they are selling.  We think there may be a buyer if the guest house can be approved for a flower shop. 

Too much of a roller coaster ride today.  I'm really looking forward to the next snow storm they're calling for tonight so that I will have a real good reason to stay home tomorrow. 

Time for a Makeover

I'm re-decorating today.  My Blog, that is.  As some of you know, I've had two blogs for almost a year and it's time to consolidate, re-do, update, simplify.  I don't need to have two.  It's hard enough to keep up with one and I don't feel organized about it.  My other blog is mostly pictures of my "things" that I make.   Since this is so much of who I am and what I'm about there is no reason that I see to keep them separate.  When I start a new project, complete a project, have questions on a project, you'll all know about it right here. 
Now with the new Pages Widget on the blogs, I have set up a page of "My Charming Creations".  The link to this can be found under my banner above. 
I'm leaving my other blog:  http://mycharmingcreations.blogspot.com/ up because I have 10 months worth of pictures on there that I don't want to lose, but I won't be posting anything new on there.  I also still have my Etsy site:  http://charmingbynina.etsy.com/  .  New things will go up there on a regular basis.

The other new addition to this blog is my Button.  You can see it on my sidebar.  I kept seeing these buttons on other blogs and they are so cute, but I had no idea how to get one of my own so that others can (hopefully) collect it.  So a big "Thank You" to Connie at Living Beautifully,  http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/.  Connie made this one for me.  Isn't it cute?  It's Me!  Connie, you're a sweetheart!

Just like my home, my blog is a constant work in progress.  The goal is for it to change and grow for the better.  Also, as is the reason for re-decorating my home, I get bored easily.  I like to get new things sometimes,  or just re-arrange as in no cost decorating.  It's all just lipstick and rouge.  The heart and soul will remain the same.