Retreating Weekend

Rita's Retreat was this past weekend, at King's Domain, outside Lebanon. It is a great place and as usual was lots of fun. I just wish they had WI-FI. If they did I could have just taken my computer and been a happy camper. But they don't, so I had to figure out what to take. It doesn't really matter as I never end up doing much. This time I took my charity crocheting projects, and some things to scrap. Well, I finished a baby afghan, and did all the make 'n takes (7 of them). I listened to some music on my computer and played solitare on my computer and read a bunch of scrapbook magazines. And that was it. As usual, I ate way more than I needed, but they feed us 3 meals! And then snacks... I did drink plenty of water though, so I didn't come home dehydrated like I usually do.

I sat at the grown-ups table with Rita and the girls and I have to admit I missed sitting with the younger girls. I like listening to the stories about their kids and work and whatever, and the music. I guess that is the price for getting old! I did have good music to listen to tho, I brought a couple of Nickleback DVD's and then Howie has all our New Rock favorites on the computer. I just had to wear headphones and that was rather inconvenient. I need a set of headless earphones for next time.

Got some great ideas from the make and takes for Easter. Several types of candy holders for the kids. I need to get those made this week so I can take them to mom's with me Friday. I bought the candy for them at the store yesterday, so all I need to do is make them. I have every thing I need in my supplies already.

I am doing laundry so I need to go get Howie's work shirts out of the dryer. He can't go to work topless!! LOL
Later,
Patti

St Paddy's Day.... Fades to fibro....

I am not Irish and I don't partake of green beer anymore, so St Paddy's Day kinda loses it's fun for me. Just like New Years Eve, it's not much fun without the bubbly. Oh, I could probably have a drink, but who knows what would happen with all the meds I have to take. I would probably get a little loopy, or alot loopy! I do enjoy watching the drunks though! If they could only see how stupid they act when they get drunk... they would have a big surprise! I'm sure they think they have it all together. I know that is what I thought when I was drinking. I always wore pretty bras because I never knew when or where I was going to be raising my shirt up! Yeah, Party Girl!!!

I am still joining squares for charity. January was for Polka Dots & Preemies, February was for Navy Relief (seabags for babies), and March is Bundles of Love. All are baby afghans. It is my work... can't find a job, so I have to volunteer and stay busy. The ladies from our group makes squares, sends them to me and I join them together into baby afghans.

I would love to show you some pics, but I'm having a brain fart and can't remember how to download them to here. My damn Fibromyalgia... I keep forgetting more and more. I thank God for Howie! We've been together so long he knows what I'm saying, all I have to do is start the sentence. And anymore when I start a sentence my mind just quits working and half way thru I forget what I was saying and just stop talking! It really sucks!

The job search really sucks. Some jobs I have applied for 5 or 6 times and not even an interview. It is just crazy. I would even be happy with something part time. I just need to be able to sit while I work. I think if I can't find a job by the time my unemployment runs out I may have to apply for SS Disability. The longer I am unemployed the worse I get. Working was the only thing that has kept me going the last 20 years. If I hadn't pushed myself to work I would have been on disability long ago. My mobility just sucks, can't walk without a cane, can't shop without an electric cart. I wish I had a power scooter or hoverround of my own. I would be able to do a lot more. I could go to flea markets again, or to the fair, or the casinos, or shopping at stores that don't have electric carts, well, you get the idea.

Gotta get off here and work on my afghans. I really need to update more often. And I have got to figure out how to do the picture thing again.
Later... Patti

Happy Birthday and Snowed In!

First things first... Sunday February 7th.... Coles 18th Birthday!!! My little grandbaby is 18, he's going to be graduating from high school... seems like only yesterday I was changing his diapers... I say as I wipe away the tears... our little baby is all grown!!! Ok, enough of that! lol jk Cole!

What a weekend. Who asked for the snow? I thought we would get 3 or 4 inches, holy cow, we ended up with a foot or more! and I took some gorgeous pictures of the snow, but it is not letting me put them in my post. Or I'm just not remembering how to do it right, which is a very good possibility. And my computer is slow for some reason, so I am out of here

State of the Union...

Loved the presidents speech! That's the Obama I know and love! I'm glad he put the Republican's in their place. They need to get on it and start working to pass necessary legislation to get things done. Their filibustering on everything is getting old! And I am about fed up with John Boehner. Everytime I see him and his fake tan I just want to smack him up side his head. And every time he says that none of his constituents want the public option on healthcare, I want to jump up and say "You Lie!!!" I don't know anyone who doesn't want the public option, and I have sent him many emails telling him so! I definitely am NOT voting for him when he runs for election again! And I will be doing the happy dance if he doesn't get re-elected!!!

Ok, I got that out of my system! Now I can go to bed and not be running it around in my head all night. Love ya all.... Patti

New Year for Everyone!

Thankfully 2009 is finally over. 2010 is a new year and I have plans to make some changes. Life moves fast, you either have to roll with it or jump out of the way! I also hope all of you are making changes this year in your lives for the better. Please Recycle, Reduce, Reuse Whenever You Can!

Last week I went over to Miami-Jacobs and checked into their Vet Tech degree program. It sounded cool and I was all set to go in that direction until I realized I was going to have to learn how to put an IV into some poor little animal, or give them a shot, or anethesia. I just can't do it, I would love to be able to, but I just can't. Soooo... now I am either going to take the Health Information Technology or Medical Office Management. I am more of a paperwork girl, billing people, organizing offices, transcribing notes, not having to look at the bloody stuff in life! I have an appointment tomorrow to fill out financial aid papers. If I can't get financial aid I will have to come up with another plan that doesn't involve going back to school.

I also plan to get organized in the new year. I need to get some more scrapping stuff put up on ebay. I really need to get about half of the stuff cleared out of my scraproom and sold. It is just crazy to have so much stuff and not use it, or need it. I'm sure I needed it at the time I bought it though! LOL I just want to be able to feel creative when I am in my scraproom and right now it just fries my brain to even have to sit at my scrapping table. All creative ideas are immediately blocked, and that's no good!

I have dozens of baby afghans to make this month. Lots of preemie babies are depending on me. Well, not just me, but our AC4C group. What a great group of ladies!

I will be writing more about the other things I am planning to do in 2010. I have lots of ideas that I need to carry out. Gotta go for now. I have a few things to get done yet before I can go to bed. Later all....

Effects of cold medication

I have had a bronchial infection for over 3 weeks now. It is finally starting to get better, but I have been medicated forever, or so it seems. I know I was in a daze for a week or more, zonked out on the cold meds.

I haven't felt like doing any big crocheting projects, but while I have been sitting here in my recliner the past few weeks I have made yoyo's for one of my charity groups. We have a lovely lady, Dawn, who loves to join them into afghans, bless her soul. I have also made about 25 7" granny squares for several exchanges and other projects. I have many partial skeins and balls of yarn that I plan to use up on making squares and yoyo's the rest of the month. Gotta get my stash a little more organized.

I also went onto my AC4C (All Crafts 4 Charity) yahoo group to see what projects we are going to be working on for 2010. There are lots of baby projects, but I don't do baby things very well, at least not well enough to give to someone. :) So, I have volunteered to join squares for our group! Just call me crazy! I'm sure the mail lady will call me something different when she starts delivering bags and boxes of squares to my house! lol I have plenty of yarn to join them with and it is a no-brainer job. I can do it while watching TV with Howie. I am excited to be doing it, this is my calling.

I have a few boxes of lapghans to take to the nursing home and I have about 6 afghans I want to take over to the womans shelter. I need to get them out of here to make room for this new project. And I guess I need to get a bunch of scrapping things up on ebay to clear out some room on the back porch. Its the getting it all out and photographing it all that slows me down, figuring what I want to throw into each lot. I think I will sell all my small punches and get rid of alot of pattern paper and cardstock. If I can get rid of some of my Leaving Prints stock and the Out of The Box kits I would be happy. Storage is at a premium so I need to do something on that backporch in a hurry, what a mess. Collecting things is now my addiction, but I don't think AA or NA would be much help. Most of their 12 steps would not apply.

It is 3:30am (of course) and I need to get off here. I need to get my swiss steak started and in the crock pot and then go to bed. I can hardly wait to get to sleep, I have been having some crazy dreams the past week and can't wait to see what pops up tonight. I don't know if it is from the Zetia, it is the only new drug I have started taking at night. I guess I need to read the info sheet that came with it. I wouldn't think the mucinex would cause crazy dreams, but I guess it could be the nyquil! lol or one of the many other drugs I take daily to make it thru to the next day. LOL Well, poke me with a fork, I'm done!

Christmas is coming...

It's that time of year again. I used to love Christmas, the decorating, the shopping, the baking, Christmas caroling, driving around looking at the decorated houses. It was such a great time to see friends and family. Lucinda Stambaugh, my favorite MIL, God bless her soul, used to do it all for Christmas. I loved Christmas at her house. We were always making candy and baking cookies, and having a few little hot toddies. lol I loved her hard tack candy (Amy still makes it for Christmas), potato candy, divinity, peanut brittle, buckeyes and more. And Grandma Evans recipe for pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing. uummm uummm uummm!

Wrapping presents was an "event". We would go over to the little house and presents would be stacked everywhere. And she had rolls and rolls of paper and every ribbon and wrapping decoration known to woman. She had embellishments she had put on the boys presents every year since birth. We would both be straddled out on the floor, carefully wrapping and decorating each gift. They each had to be just perfect, and the bows were spectacular. It was just so much fun and your butt was numb for days afterwards. lol

Her tree was always beautiful. Unlike ours which always seemed to be crooked. For at least 3 years I had to brace it to the ceiling with little wires to keep it from falling over. I don't even put a tree up in our little cottage anymore. There is not enough room, it is just too much work for me physically and I don't feel up to it emotionally either. I know I haven't decorated since dad died. I did buy a wreath for the front door last year, but that's the extent of it. I have 5 or 6 big totes in the basement with Christmas stuff in them that I haven't even looked at for years. Maybe someday I will get back to it, but not this year.

Anyway, I was just looking at some of my favorite blogs and the beautiful vintage Christmas decorations they had, and it just brought back some wonderful Christmas memories and I came here to write them down. So to all my friends and family... Have a Beautiful Christmas and share it with those you love!