Ten Days

**********

Only ten more days in Corpus Christi, and then I leave for Arkansas.  Part of me is anxious to get it over and done; part of me dreads the move.  I will be ready in the sense that everything will be packed.  Not ready to leave my friends and family behind.  Copper and I will be traveling alone for a day and a half to get there.

***********

I just got back from spending a week in Atlanta, where my niece was having surgery.  Traveling alone through strange airports was good practice in a way.  I challenged myself and did fine, so I know the car trip will be okay, too.

The Atlanta trip was a real awakening for me. I hadn't flown in more than 20 years, and the experience has changed drastically.  I knew what to expect from the TSA, but the time I spent in the Houston and Atlanta airports made me conclude that I really don't like flying all that much.  I also had to rent a car in Atlanta, which I had never done for myself.  I asked if they had any PT Cruisers, thinking that driving the same model I drive at home would make things easier.  No, they didn't have any, but they gave me the closest thing they had. A new Chevy HHR, Razorback Red, with Arkansas plates on it!  No, I didn't tell them where I was moving. It was easy to drive, although I didn't figure out the door locks until the third day, and never did figure out how to work the radio.  But I felt cool driving it!

 

 

This is the car I rented in Atlanta.

My niece had her surgery, but had a protracted stay in the hospital.  I had to leave before her discharge (thank goodness her brother also was there.)  I managed to find my way back to the rental car return, and get through the airport without a hiccup. A three hour layover in Houston seemed even longer, but the trip from there to Corpus went by in a flash.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to The Container Store and to Ikea with my nephew.  I had never been to either store.  I have to admit it was like a day at Disneyland for both of us.  We agreed that the smaller Container Store one-upped Ikea for us both.  We are both organization freaks. We walked in and stood there with our mouths open, not knowing where to look first.  Neither one of us could buy much, but we snagged catalogs for future reference.  Ikea was more like a modern museum of art.  Quite an experience, especially on a Saturday afternoon. Loved the Swedish meatballs, and the cinnamon rolls! And thank God for GPS in my nephew's cell phone!  We would never have found our way through Atlanta without it.  We became quite fond of that female voice.

As you can probably tell, it was quite an adventure, and an opportunity for personal growth.  I now feel I can handle almost anything that comes my way.  It would have been easier if my hubby had been along, but I wouldn't have gained as much confidence.

                                                                    **********

We put our house up on the market on a Monday, and it was under contract by that Friday.  I wasn't quite ready for it to happen so fast.  Not that there will be any love lost for this old house.  The buyers are getting a good deal, even though we are selling it as is.  It is still about 15% off the market price for this area.  We just wanted to get it sold quickly.  We will have to do the closing remotely from Arkansas, but we've done that before.

Yesterday my son and I went to pick out my new smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  He helped set it up for me, and other than ringtones that don't seem to work, I am loving it.  He also changed our e-mail accounts for us, as they were through our cable provider and that will be different in Arkansas. Last night I was downloading apps right and left.  I wanted to get it before the move so he could help me with it.  Are you getting the sense that I am a naturally timid person?  Yup, that's me. A bit of a wimp.

Tomorrow I have my last Book Club meeting, and the next Monday my last meeting with my Red Hat friends.  I may be blubbering by the end of that one. My sons and daughter-in-laws meet us for dinner this Friday night. I have a doctor's appointment on the 2nd of May, and Copper and I head for the hills on the 3rd.  Literally.

                                                                      **********

I'm not sure about the new format that Blogger is using.  Just when I felt like I knew what I was doing with the old system they up and change it on me.  But it seems a little easier once I have gotten the hang of it.  But this will be the last post for a few weeks until everything gets set up in our new house.  I will be back!  Until then, pray for good driving weather!

**********

Getting closer...

**********

The amaryllis are blooming in the front flower bed. Aren't they gorgeous? It's a shame they don't last very long. The crotons add color all year round.

~~~~~~~~~~

I recently went to a St. Patrick's Day party with my Red Hat Rascals friends. The cafe we met in was wonderful to us. We all dressed up and had a great time. I am so going to miss these ladies! These are the best friends I have ever had.

<<<<<>>>>>

The pile of boxes I showed last time has grown by at least three times. We now know that we have only another 6 weeks before the move. I'm starting to get really excited about it!

In the meantime, a dear niece has to have surgery, and I plan on going to be with her during that time. I cannot imagine letting her go through it alone, and she has no family nearby, although she has lots of friends. I expect to spend a week or 10 days with her. When I get back the frantic part of the packing will begin. I also am helping to host my going away party about a week prior to leaving. I may meet myself coming and going, but it will all get done.

**********

Getting Ready

**********

Wow, two months without a post. You would think my life was very boring, wouldn't you? In reality, I have been doing a lot, just not talking about it. For instance:

(Don't you love that vinyl flooring? It's original to the house--1970's vintage. We never got around to changing it. Yuk. By the time we could afford it we knew we were moving anyway.)


I have been packing for our move in three months. Mind you, we have already sent at least half of our stuff to Arkansas. That still leaves a lot here. These boxes have all been packed this year. I haven't even begun on my sewing room--I am leaving it for another few weeks because I am dreading not being able to get to things easily, plus I know that it will be at least a year and a half before I can unpack my sewing and craft supplies. Not that I am likely to have any time for hobbies for that period of time anyway, what with unpacking the household goods and working on an addition to the house.

I plan to leave Memorial Day weekend for Arkansas--my hubby will follow a week or two later.
I will get that house ready to inhabit while he closes this house, ships the contents we want to keep, disposes of those we don't, and puts it on the market (as is.) With me goes the dog, all my clothing, a few electronics, my computer, and a box of embroidery supplies to keep me busy in my off hours (hah!)

I am looking forward to buying new appliances and furniture for the house. We bought the range from the current leaseholders--It's a nice Frigidaire gas range with a convection oven, fairly high end. I know what I want to buy, and it will be fun to shop with some money to play with.

I want to take a lot of pictures to post during the process of the move--I want to document it for myself and for the few people who ever read this blog. Some before and after shots will be nice, especially of the yard as we fix it up. I am so excited about gardening in Arkansas! I will be able to have plants like lilacs, day lilies, and peonies that will not grow here in South Texas; although I will miss the bougainvilla and hibiscus we had here. I have always left all the gardening to my hubby, but I want to get my hands dirty and learn from him.

I will also have a kitchen I can actually cook in! My kitchen here is very small, really a galley.
Very little counter space makes it difficult to prepare a meal at the best of times, and for some reason either hubby or the dog likes to be in there with me when I'm cooking and I have to shoo them out. The kitchen in Arkansas is easily 3 times the size of this one, with lots and lots of counter space.

*****

I lost a good friend last month to multiple myeloma. It started with skin cancers and spread to all her major organs very rapidly. People, please have your doctor check your skin, especially where you can't see, and check any spots that feel or look odd. It may just save your life.

I have to get back to packing now. Let me know your thoughts--please leave a comment!

**********

Happy New Year!

**********

I am almost finished with the VCR tapes. This week I did 12 DVDs of "Good Eats." I also recorded DVD's of "The Thin Man" series, all 6 films from TCM's marathon showing--that was an all-night project. I picked up "Duck Soup" by the Marx Bros. as well. I purchased two DVD sets of Red Skelton shows and a DVD of various versions of Sherlock Holmes films and radio shows.

All I have left is a smattering of miscellaneous shows and movies, and some snippets recorded of my kids when they were young that appeared on news broadcasts, etc. Those are the only films I have of them as children, we never could afford a videocamera. These 15 second snippets are very special to me. Then I have some sewing and craft shows that I have been recording all this time on videocassettes. I am more comfortable recording that way because I can then rearrange them when I transfer them to DVD. By the end of January I should be totally finished with them all.

**********

I also need to get started on sorting receipts and such for taxes. We have an accountant do our returns, but I'd like to get it ready for them by the 1st of February. That will be a big job, but it will be nice to get it done early. After that I will have to start packing for the move.

This is the time of year that I can normally take a breather for a few weeks, but this year all I can do is Breathe Deep and Carry On. No time to really think about it, just get in there and do it.

**********

Christmas Loot!

**********

Copper hopes everyone had a great Holiday Season! He got TOYS!! Yay!

I also made out like a bandit. This is my pride and joy---


Remember all those quilting lessons I gave my granddaughters? This is the payoff! They made this gorgeous quilt for me. The points all match, the fabrics are perfectly coordinated, even the backing as shown below. It is well bound and beautifully quilted using free-motion. I could cry--it proves they were paying attention! I guess I taught them well. I am so proud of them both!




And they made this one for my hubby. He loves it as well. Again, everything was so well done!




I also got several other gifts, including a new camera (can you tell? LOL!), a Panasonic Home Theater system for hubby and myself, a new herb mill which will be so much fun to use when I get my herb garden going in Arkansas, and a JoAnn gift card from hubby. Below are some other gifts I received.



My stepson sent me the Ball jar lantern which will make a great bathroom nightlight or a decoration in the front window. Very neat! The snow globe was a gift from a friend in Eastern Star, and the glittery ornament was made for me by my 6 year old grandson. He used floor wax and glitter to make it--such a cool idea that I think I will eventually make some more to go with it. He did a very neat job, and put his initials on the back. It will be a cherished heirloom!

**********

If you have read my blog for very long (see note on that below) you know I love thrift stores. I don't always find anything good, but on Monday I went to two different ones and scored big, especially on Christmas stuff at half the marked price. I got the tramp art twig and pinecone basket below for $2. It's about 8" square, and is a great decor piece.

I bought these items for Easter displays. The bunnies were $1 each and the cart was $2.

The old checker board will hang in the kids room. The metal hangers will show off special ornaments (like my grandson's) although I intend to get rid of the orange berries and the glass pail. The envelope contains a "Saddlebag" plant grower, including two envelopes of seeds. It is meant to drape over a deck or porch railing. It looked interesting. These items cost me $1 each. The hangers were two for $1.


This 9" oriental vase must have once had a lid on it, but for branches of forsythia or dogwood it will be beautiful. The red and white pitcher will go in a vignette with the red cookbook holder I bought a few months ago. I posted a photo of it at that time. The bag of miscellaneous blocks did cost me $6.50, but I intend to use them for crafts projects. There are at least 4 different kinds of blocks, including Lincoln Logs.


I snatched up these bottle brush trees, the glass and plastic ornaments, and the small papier-mache toy shop for next to nothing.


I am a sucker for snowmen. Some people collect Santas or angels, but snowmen are my thing because they can carry over throughout the winter. These cost me about $2 each--the smaller one is a candlestick.



The box in the foreground is full of old glass ornaments (two were broken and I replaced them with others I found with the ones pictured above.) The other set is of wood, and all the pieces are there, although a couple need a touch of E-6000. These sets were $2 each--a real steal!

Altogether I was thrilled with my purchases. I will probably go out again in about a week to see what people got rid of after Christmas. I'd love to score an aluminum tree.

**********

I mentioned above that if you read these posts you would know I like thrift stores. I really don't think anyone reads this. I never get any comments about my posts and even friends rarely mention my blog. But I don't care. I use this blog mostly as a journal for myself. If anyone reads it that is great. (Please leave a comment! I may not respond, but I do look for the comments.) But I will continue the blog as long as it fulfills a need in me to document the events in my life. I hope to use it more often to document our move to and adjustment to our new home in Arkansas in June.

**********

Happy Holidays!

***********

Christmas is ready for takeoff! All packages decorated and labeled, ready to go.

**********

Just returned from seeing "We Bought a Zoo" with Matt Damon. Wonderful movie--funny, sad, romantic, heartbreak, healing. Highly recommended for family viewing. LOVED IT!!

**********

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

***********

Ready for Christmas

********

I'm finally ready for Christmas--all gifts purchased and wrapped, all cards sent out, everything arranged for the family get-together. This year we are doing it on Christmas Eve--opening gifts around noon, then out to eat at Golden Corral, then all going our separate ways. Not much of a holiday but it will do. Now that the kids are grown and have their own families, getting together with us is not the first priority.

Hubby and I know that moving to the farm will be the last step in distancing from the close-knit family life we once knew. We wish it weren't so. We have loved being near the kids and raising our sons to adulthood, but it is time to step back and let the next generation live their own lives without our input. It will be sad, especially around the holidays, but it is that time in our lives. We hope they will come to visit, but it will be a long trip and we are under no illusions about seeing them more than once a year or so. We are still able to travel, thank goodness. We can visit them probably more easily than they can come to see us.

**********

I have been sewing more, now that the holiday prep is over. I made the tote below to use when traveling. It is larger than I would normally use as a purse, and much sturdier than most purses, because I used Peltex interfacing in most of the construction, with upholstery grade fabrics. The Peltex was a double-edged sword, I had to re-do the handles because I just could not get them to turn properly with so heavy an interfacing. So I removed the Peltex and used a crinoline that I happened to have on hand for the handles. I also had to improvise on some of the construction techniques, but overall I am pleased with it. It has pockets on each side, two pockets inside, and a magnetic snap closure inside. I used Butterick 5658 View C with contrasting side pieces.



My next project is to make one or two inserts for changing purses, using the Portapockets and Encore purse insert patterns from Studio Kat Designs. I have enough of the fabric left over from the tote that I should be able to make one insert of each size.

These are the Christmas cards I made to send out this year, enclosing the tree ornaments that I showed in past posts. I have gotten several comments on them, so I must have done well. They weren't difficult and went quickly in an assembly line fashion.


I wish everyone who reads this a wonderful holiday season, and a healthy, happy and prosperous new year!

**********

Gruene is pronounced "green."

**********

I went on a bus tour to Gruene, Tx yesterday with a few of my Red Hat friends. The town is small and is very proud of its Historic District. The main claim to fame is the oldest dance hall in Texas. The Christmas Market was in full swing, and the town was swarming with tourists. There are several specialty shops and a general store, antique stores and restaurants. It was a wonderful trip. Despite the rain.
I had been saving up for a couple of months, but actually spent only a fraction of what I had saved. I had a delicious lunch at the Gristmill Restaurant--the onion rings are to die for! I traipsed all over town, stopping at every store that interested me, which was most of them. There were vendors set up in tents as well, but I didn't find anything of interest.


I did buy a couple of Christmas gifts for my hubby; some divine Lemon Verbena potpourri shown above, which smells just like lemon drops! and a lovely parure of Peruvian Turquoise (Chrysocolla) consisting of a necklace, bracelet, and earrings, all set in silver wire (below.) I also bought a jar of Pecan Praline Honey Butter spread. Yum!!


In all the bus tour lasted 11 hours- 3 hours getting there, 5 hours in Gruene, then 3 hours back. The trip only cost 30 dollars and was well worth it. (Rockport Tours)

**********

I have all my Christmas cards mailed, all my gifts purchased and wrapped, and have done all the decorating I am going to do. Now to get back to work on those VHS tapes. Those are going slower than I had hoped, but I must get them done as quickly as possible, because in January I need to start packing for the move in June.

**********

Fall is finally here!

**********

The weather has finally changed from the oppressive heat we have suffered all summer, to the cooler fall weather we all love. The temperature hovers around 85 during the day, but dips into the 60's at night. It feels so good to need a sweater!

I have a Red Hat Thanksgiving dinner this week, and since I don't cook much, I volunteered to bring rolls and butter. I thought about baking homemade rolls, but it is usually disastrous when I try something like that for the first time and serve it to other people. So I will be taking my favorite Hawaiian rolls from the store. I wanted to dress them up a little though, so I made three bread baskets with matching bread cloths. These are just the perfect size for the packages of rolls, and have stiff sides and bottoms with cardboard built in. Since they can't be washed, the bread cloths will go under and around the rolls to absorb any oils or moisture, and can be tossed in the washer and dryer.

I picked up a cute pattern on eBay for this scarecrow doll, which I wanted to make for fall decorating purposes. I decided for time's sake to use a purchased doll form. What complicated matters was that the doll form was 18" tall and the pattern was for a 20" doll. I had to do some resizing of the clothing pieces on the fly, but other than that and embroidering the face, the most difficult thing was getting the "straw" on the doll. I used eyelash yarn, and at first was trying to sew it on, but that darn eyelash kept going every which way! I finally wrapped it around the wrist, ankles, and throat of the doll three times, and tied it in the back. Then I hot-glued three rounds of it to the inside of the hat. It turned out pretty well, I think. The doll has a smile embroidered on, but the camera didn't show it except for the "bow" in the middle.


If I ever make another one, I will stick to the pattern, and will use raffia for the straw. But I am pleased with it.

********

I am still dubbing tapes to DVDs, and hope to have them all done by Christmas. Today it is "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance" along with a couple of historical programs on Ireland.

I am finding several tapes that have degraded so much that I couldn't use them. I especially am mourning the loss of 6 "Thin Man" movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy. I may break down and buy them on DVD one of these days. I really enjoy them, especially Asta, their dog.

I also couldn't use my VCR tape of "Bill and Coo," a 1948 film starring trained birds. I was happy to find that it is in the public domain, and was able to download it to my computer. I will burn it to a DVD sometime this week. It was still a little dark in places, but much better than my old degraded copy.

I had previously mentioned that I didn't have "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" or "Life of Brian" on video. I will be taping them off the IFC channel this weekend. The "Monty Python at the Hollywood Bowl" special is also playing there this month. I don't mind the commercials. Sometimes in watching these old VHS tapes, the commercials from years ago are interesting to revisit--such as the old "Where's the Beef?" Wendy's commercials.

I'm just too cheap to buy all new DVDs, I guess. So many of these programs would be very difficult to find anyway. So dubbing is the way to go.

Have a great fall weekend, everyone!

********

Finished projects

********

I have finished the tree skirt I mentioned in an earlier post. The pattern is "Trees All Around", by Quilted Garden Designs. I purchased it from Keepsake Quilting. It was a little fiddley getting everything lined up properly, but after that it went very quickly and I am very pleased with the results. It is reversible as you can see.

********

This is how the tree ornaments turned out. I made several for myself as well as enough for the Christmas cards.

**********

I am still dubbing VCR tapes to DVD. This week has been 5 DVDs of "Are You Being Served?" the British comedy from the 70's and 80's. Very funny, if you understand British humor.
Then I will start on the Thin Man movies, and "Cadfael" episodes.

*********

Laughter, The Best Medicine.

********

Wow--I didn't realize it had been almost a month since my last post. I have been transferring VHS tapes to DVD for the last two weeks, and let time get away from me. It has been tedious but since most of them have been humor it could have been worse.

I did several DVDs of the Three Stooges, from the early Curly days, through Shemp, Curly Joe, and Joe Besser. There are a couple of the movies as well as a two day marathon of the shorts.

Then I did the Marx Bros movies--all except Duck Soup, which I somehow missed taping. I want to get that eventually. One DVD of other comedians such as W.C. Fields in "The Bank Dick," The Ritz Bros. in "Hotel Anchovy", etc. and now I have just finished Monty Python, although I am missing "The Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian." Oh, and I can't forget Victor Borge, and Bill Cosby "Himself." Today I plan on doing "Airplane!" and "Airplane 2!"

Obviously I love humor. If I get down on myself the quickest way to climb out of it is to watch something funny. I am a real believer in the healing power of laughter. I would love to have more Laurel and Hardy, (I do have a bio film of them) and Abbott and Costello. The older the films, the funnier they seem to be. I also have two of my favorite movies--"It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," and "What's Up, Doc?" with Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. I love slapstick and silliness. My sons saw so much Monty Python as kids that they can recite whole skits.

********

I wasn't the kind of mom who monitored my kids' viewing on TV or movies very well. I didn't care if they watched mild sexual innuendo, language, or scatological humor. One of their favorite shows was "Ren and Stimpy." What bothered me the most was violence, gore, and gratuitous language or nudity. They got enough of that from video games already. I just didn't censor things from them. I knew they would be confronted with them eventually, and felt they would be better off taking them in stride rather than being shocked or offended by them.

Now I will say that I did not like horror, torture, or the infliction of pain in movies. No Jason or Michael Myers in our house! They had to wait until they were over 17 before seeing that kind of stuff (as far as I knew.) I also didn't allow anything that involved mistreatment of animals. I am too soft-hearted for that--I turn the channel when an ASPCA commercial comes on. (Do they really have to be so pervasive? Enough is enough.)

They weren't damaged by this lack of censorship, in my opinion. They were both Eagle Scouts and DeMolays. They participated in sports and other extracurricular activities. And they have both turned out extremely well. I am very proud of both of them.

**********

Today is my last visit with the orthopedic surgeon. I have no pain in my knee now, and am using the treadmill or walking the dog almost daily. I still wear my Z-Coil shoes, and probably will for the forseeable future, as my heel spurs still bother me, and there doesn't seem to be much that can be done about them. The shoes allow me to walk with minimal pain. I have these exact shoes!

**********

I have been working on a tree skirt, and will post a photo next week when I have finished it. It still needs the binding, but is otherwise done. I still have two baby quilts to be machine quilted (I dread doing that!) and I want to make myself a new purse next. I finished the Christmas ornaments to be put in my Christmas cards, and although they are primitive, I really like the way they turned out.

I still play Minecraft almost every evening, and have read 8 paperback mysteries in the last month. So I do keep busy! I'll try to blog again within the next week or so.

**********

A Busy Day

**********

Yesterday was a lot of fun. It started off with a wonderful Red Hat luncheon. I love going out with my Red Hat friends! We always have a great time.

Afterwards, one of my friends and I went browsing through some second-hand and antique stores, which is something I really love to do. One store saw us coming, I think--they had lots of red-and-purple items to drool over. I bought a lovely red chenille hat for only $10, and a cute red purse for $6. They are cardinal red, not orange as the camera shows them.

Afterwards I went to a local thrift store, where I scored a set of Double Wedding Ring quilt templates for $4, and four bamboo trivets for $2 each. A good day!



On the crafting scene, I have been making some ornaments to include in my Christmas cards this year. I used lots of small pieces of fabric from my stash in a string quilt sort of technique to make a large piece of fabric, sandwiched it with Peltex interfacing and a backing, then used the decorative stitches on my sewing machine with pretty threads to embellish the seamlines. Then I edged them with a rough satin stitch. Now I am going to add some glitz and add a loop for hanging. They are kind of primitive looking, and that is part of the charm. The best ones will go in the cards, and the others will make nice gift tags or go on my tree. The leftover pieces on the left will be sewn together in a crazy quilt sort of way, and more ornaments cut from that piece, maybe circles or stars or something.


This summer has been so hot and dry that we didn't want to do much gardening. So-- the flower beds look like the photo below. It used to be full of Mexican heather with an edging of liriope. Now the heather is almost all dead, weeds have proliferated, and the liriope has invaded the whole bed. It was here when we moved in 23 years ago, but may not be here much longer. It is not really attractive, and is very invasive. We have given away all we can, and the rest will have to be dug out.


I worked all day to clear the other bed shown below. Only a few tiny hosta plants have survived. (The dirt is brown, not gray--my camera again!)


I have asked my hubby for a new digital camera for Christmas. I want to do some online research to pick the one I want, something easy to use at a reasonable price that gives good results. The one I have is about 4 years old, and was an inexpensive model at the time. I know the technology has improved in the interim.

I have finished the physical therapy for my knee, and am no longer taking much pain medication. Once in awhile I take enteric aspirin for my heel spurs, but the knee seldom bothers me anymore. I have started using my treadmill again, so I hope the limp is gone for good. I still don't get down on my knees. I used a shower chair for the weeding work.

My hubby tore down the backyard shed that the possums were living beneath. The metal and rotting wood was put on the curb for the heavy trash truck which is due to pickup this week. The day after he set the stuff out, all the metal disappeared. There are lots of "junkmen" around that scour the curbs before the trash truck comes. Anything they can repair or sell for scrap disappears overnight.

Last week Copper caught and killed a possum half his size. It appears that he pulled it out from under the shed by the tail, and it probably "sulled' or played dead. He crushed its chest. No more possums now, I hope. (yes, I know it should be spelled with an "o" but no one says "opossums," do they?) Copper didn't have a scratch on him. We call him the Great White Hunter now.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

**********

A Day of Infamy

**********

Today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11/2001. As I watch the replay of the newscasts of that day, I cannot help but remember the horror we all felt.

That morning I awoke around 10 am and stumbled groggily into the living room. My husband was sitting on the couch. He looked at me and simply said "We are at war."

He told me that the World Trade Center Towers were no longer there. I watched the replay of the events that morning, feeling that I was watching a disaster movie. As I watched, all I could say, over and over, was "Dear God." The Pentagon disaster, and the crash in Pennsylvania
only deepened the sense of anxiety we all felt.

My biggest concern was for my son, Chris. He was a Navy sailor aboard the USS Enterprise, and it was on patrol near the coast of Afghanistan. The terror in my heart was that my son was in immediate danger, and would be for the foreseeable future. If the terrorists could do this in the US, what could they do to our ships at sea?

My husband and I have flown a US Flag outside our front door for the past 10 years removing it only during severe storms. A light shines on it every night. As far as I am concerned, it can stay there forever.

The days and weeks after 9/11 were filled with such a sense of togetherness, determination, and patriotism. I wish that had lasted to this day. I hope today will spark some of that same feeling again.

We will never forget.

**********

Game-playing for stress relief

**********

I have two sons. Raising boys in the 80's and 90's meant lots of video games at our house. We started out with an original Nintendo console, then added the Super Nintendo, Game Boys, etc. My younger son has made a career working with computers, so there were always computer games, as well. They soon outdistanced me--I never did get the hang of Super Mario Bros. and 95% of the computer games out there were shooters, RPG's, racing games, etc. that required more hand-eye coordination and quicker reflexes than I seem to possess. Games in which you know something is going to attack you make me very uptight and nervous. So I was thrilled when my son introduced me to

http://www.minecraft.net/

Minecraft is right up my alley! It is what they call a "sandbox" game. You build things with blocks of various substances, like stone, dirt, or wood. You dig for resources such as coal, iron ore, gold, diamond, or obsidian. You use a workbench to craft items like tools or torches. You cook items in a furnace to make glass or cook food.

The best part is that you can play it in "Peaceful" mode where there are no bad guys to bother you. You still can die by falling or by drowning, or by contact with lava. But nothing is going to sneak up on you to do you harm. There are peaceful creatures--cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and squid; and the wolves can turn on you if you attack them first. But you can also tame them. You harvest pork from the pigs, hides from the cattle, feathers from the chickens, and wool from the sheep. These can all be used to make other things. You can grow sugar cane, cactus, trees, and wheat to make bread or paper.

If this is too easy, you can turn up the danger factor by playing in easy, normal, or hard modes. There you are in danger from creepers who explode, skellys who fire arrows, huge spiders that can jump, and zombies who attack you. Plus there is a "nether" world inhabited by "ghasts" and other unearthly enemies.

I enjoy playing in peaceful mode as a stress relief. I even occasionally play in easy mode and no longer fear the spiders or zombies. I only go out in the daytime, though. Most enemies are only active at night. I still panic when I see a creeper. That's as much fear as I care to face. I am a complete wuss.

Minecraft will soon be coming out with a rather significant upgrade. There are new creatures, called Endermen, which are rather like Ents or tree-people. They attack you if you look at them. It will be hard NOT to look at them because they are interesting to look at. There will be villages to explore and quests to complete. There will also be a new mode called "Creative" in which you are given infinite resources and can create to your heart's content without fear of being attacked.

In my opinion, Minecraft is a perfect family game. You can start kids out in peaceful or creative modes. They can advance at their own pace to the more difficult modes or stay in peaceful mode forever. There is no time limit, no points scored. It's just fun. You can dig mines, build fantastic structures, or go exploring. It's not an expensive game either.

There are lots of blogs and videos out there that show screenshots or actual play of the game. I highly recommend Minecraft for anyone.

Now you'll have to excuse me, I found some obsidian to mine.

**********

Drought, but still blooming!

***********

How, during one of the worst droughts in South Texas history, can this beautiful Amaryllid be blooming right outside our front door? We haven't been watering that much. I guess it is just a hardier species than most. It has two beautiful blooms on it and will soon have two more.




The drought has destroyed any plants I put in my cement urn near the front porch. I finally gave up and put in some artificial plants to at least give us some color. It almost looks natural--it might fool people who don't realize that nothing else is in this kind of shape.

***********

I had a stack of 4.5"' squares that I had cut out for some I Spy baby quilts. I finally got around to making two quilts, and didn't have enough left over for another. So I used them for these little things. They are only 14" square, not counting the ribbons. I've heard them called "church quilts," "woobies" or "bankies" according to how juvenile the person is who describes them. Babies seem to like all the ribbon tags around the edges.


Some people are afraid that babies might get their fingers caught in the ribbon loops. These loops are 4" pieces folded in half, so they are really too big to get fingers caught, and too small to get a little fist through. If the mother has a worry about it, she can always just snip open the loops at the fold.

These quilts and "woobies" are not for any particular baby; I just wanted to have some baby gifts ready to go when another baby comes along. I have a large extended family so there will always be another baby eventually. I have the larger quilt tops done but I haven't sandwiched them or quilted them yet.



I need to make some gifts for the weddings that will be coming along, too. That's a project for later, though. I have a list of projects I want to do first. Isn't that always the case?

**********

Hubby's new baby

Hubby just got a new toy for his birthday! He just picked it up today. He's just as proud as Punch. He is selling his Suzuki to our youngest son, since his car wasn't worth repairing. The truck has a really smooth ride, and all the bells and whistles.

I'm down to using a cane now instead of crutches. I'm a little nervous of losing my balance still. By Monday I hope to be walking normally.

***********