Trips

**********

We recently returned from our ten-day vacation to Oklahoma and Arkansas. It started out rather badly; just south of Waco we were knocked off the interstate during a rainstorm. No one was hurt, but we learned how the PIT maneuver works when used by the cops to stop a car. The white car below did exactly that, hydroplaning into us hitting first our left rear, then swinging us around so that it collided with the left front of our car; it knocked us onto the grass verge where we did a 360 degree spin before limping across the access road into a driveway.

You can see the damage to our Suzuki Aerio below.

We limped into Stillwater and had the scraping wheel well trimmed. After attending my husband's fiftieth high school reunion (much fun!) We went on a tour of the OSU athletic facilities. Below is hubby at Boone Pickens Stadium. We got to see the VIP skyboxes used by Mr. Pickens and the President of OSU.

This dark photo was taken inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Both these facilities are the best that money can buy.

We then toured the OSU Botanical Gardens. WOW! What a gorgeous garden! Very well presented and maintained, with lots of ideas for garden art and arrangement.


Then we traveled to Fayetteville, AR where we stayed with my sister and brother-in-law.
She has a longarm quilting machine, and was kind enough to quilt my granddaughters' quilts for them. These were the sampler quilts they made in their quilting classes. She also quilted one of my own quilts.

Below is her Maltese, Salty. He poses so well! He is a real sweetheart, and kept us from missing Copper too much.


My sister gave me a couple of snapshots my uncle had sent her of me as a child. This one was taken when I was barely three. The brown dog was mine, the other was my sister's. I only threw that dog away about three years ago, when I realized that it was mostly stuffed with dust mites.

We then traveled to Bristow, OK where we met with all my husband's cousins. Hubby wasn't well by this time (he had developed bronchitis.) We left a day early so we could get home sooner.
All in all, it was a good trip. Now we are dealing with the car repairs, but our insurance company has been very good and it will be fixed very soon.

**********

Last Friday I traveled to Rockport, TX to test-drive the new Janome Horizon sewing machine.

It's very large, and very nice; but I felt it was more machine than I really needed. So on Monday I drove all the way to San Antonio to test the Babylock Quest. I really liked it. The size is more manageable; the controls more intuitive. Altogether more user-friendly. Plus it was only a little more than half the price of the Horizon. So I bought it (it is now upgraded to the Quest Plus.) It should be delivered sometime next week. I can hardly wait! I spent a couple of hours today rearranging my sewing room to make space for it. I intend to make it my main machine, and turn my old Viking Rose into an embroidery-only machine. I rarely use the embroidery unit bacause it has always seemed such a hassle to convert it from sewing to embroidery. This way I may be able to use it more.

**********

My sister found an old Kenmore 1560 free-arm machine at a garage sale for $15. It is very clean and looks as though it was used once or twice, then stuck in a closet for years. She cleaned it, but found the stitch length control dial was broken. I bought it from her for my granddaughters, and took it to my Singer dealer to be repaired. They called me and told me they couldn't find the replacement part, so I picked it up this afternoon. This evening I found someone selling parts from a 1560 on eBay, so I asked him if he might have the dial I need. He does! I paid for it and it should arrive in a week or so.

I also took my Touch and Sew 600 in for repair. Once fixed (or not, as may be) it will probably be sold in a garage sale or given to a family member who wants it. It has been an excellent machine since I bought it on eBay about 10 years ago, but I no longer need it. I hope it can be repaired. Right now the needle position control is broken.

**********

Long time no see!

**********

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I had posted! I have been uber busy, what with sewing classes with the granddaughters, and going through 31 years of accumulated stuff before our 2012 move. We've already had one large garage sale, and have another planned in late July with more than enough stuff already boxed up and ready to go. We figure we'll have 3 more garage sales before we move! That's a lot of sorting of stuff, folks!

I had some blood work drawn recently, and everything turned out normal. I had asked the doctor to do an A1C test for diabetes, since my dad was a diabetic and two of my sisters are as well. The test result was 5.9--enough that I need to start watching it, but not enough to call "prediabetic" yet. I guess a diet and increased exercise is in the cards.

Poor Copper has had a rough time lately. He had a blow-out of his left anal gland about a month ago, and last week the right one blew out. He was miserable, poor boy. If it happens again we may have to resort to surgery for him. He feels much better now after his antibiotics.

The girls' classes have gone very well--it has been hard to keep up with them, they are progressing so rapidly! I am turning them loose for the summer, then this fall we will tackle garment sewing. It's not my favorite thing, but I am proficient enough to teach them the basics. I already have their curriculum planned out--very ambitious for one semester of work--seven projects plus some extra classes that won't be covered in the projects, like alternative fasteners, mending, taking measurements, and recycling used clothing (field trip to the thrift stores!) It seems like a lot to me, but at the speed they learn, It may not take them the three to four months I had envisioned. Remember--this is on top of all their regular schoolwork! No wonder they are being homeschooled, there is no way public schools could keep them occupied.

Our vacation is coming up, two reunions and a trip to check on our new properties in AR. I hope to post some pictures next time!

**********

Happy Easter from our house and yard to yours!

**********

**********

Spring has sprung!

**********

The freesias are blooming in the backyard--oh, do they smell good!


The last week has found me down and out with a bad cold. Copper knows when I need a cuddle.
I'm finally feeling better, although I will have this cough for weeks.

I had to skip one of the granddaughters' quilt classes, but they are doing very well. Here are their first quilts:



They learn very quickly. We are now in the middle of their sampler quilts, and going strong.

**********

New Home

**********

We just returned from an 8-day trip to snowy Northwest Arkansas. We stayed with my sister, Meg. Our main reason for going was to look at land to buy. We bought a 3.2 acre investment property (an estate lot) that is unimproved. We then looked at several properties with houses. We intend to move there in the fall of 2012, and land prices are currently depressed there as they are in most areas. So we felt it was the right time to buy. After much deliberation, we chose the property pictured below.

It is on a county road which is about a mile and a half from Hwy 62, halfway between Farmington and Prairie Grove, AR.


This is the front entrance. The porch is small, but I love the etched glass door! (disregard the dates printed on the photos~~)


These two buildings are included. The one on the left is a large "shop" building, insulated and heated by a wood stove. You could easily get two large tractors in there. The other is a small building that is made of 12" reinforced concrete. I call it the block house. It will serve as our storm shelter as well as a wintering area for my hubby's bulbs, root vegetables, etc.

There is a wood-burning fireplace insert in the living room. Most of the walls are paneled with good quality paneling. The house was built in 1998 and is handicapped accessible.


This area is at the opposite end of the living room from the fireplace.


A trip around the small kitchen-- back corner near the sliding patio doors. The house is currently occupied by the sellers, so the stuff is all theirs.


Above is the back window over the sink, the appliance garage is a nice feature.


Above is the window overlooking the driveway and shop building.


The corner next to the gas stove.


The stove and refrigerator wall on the right as you enter the kitchen.


The laundry and half bath. There are two other full baths, and three bedrooms.


The view of the back of the property from the driveway. The 2.2 acre lot extends past the fence to a line paralleling it at the end of the perpendicular piece of fencing. All the trees on the left are on our property.


Hubby inspecting the covered patio.

**********

Now that we are back the real work begins. Packing up 30 years worth of stuff would be too much, so we will spend the next two years purging and sorting. Trying to keep everyday life going while doing it will be the tricky part.

**********