Seventeen Stinking Degrees

Oh my gosh. I really hate to be a whiner but I am so sick of this cold weather that I can't hardly take it. I froze at work today, I froze in the car, I froze at the doctor's office and I am still freezing at this moment in my house right in front of the register.

I work in a convenience store so the door is open and shut all day long so of course it's not going to feel like a heatwave in there on a day like today but it was only sixty degrees in that place and customers were complaining that it was cold. Must be something wrong with the furnace cause it was set on 74 and it was, like I said, sixty degrees. My feet got cold and wet somehow, not sure how cause I didn't get them wet at all this morning and I haven't been warm since. I went to the doctor and the kid's car used to have a heater that would run you out of the car but he's been complaining about it lately and no one has had time to check it out and let me tell you, he has a problem with the heater now. That trip, not just once, but twice across town, because I got all the way to the doctor's office on the other side of town, signed in and went to hang my coat up and realize, I forgot my stinking money. Crap!!!! So, instead of rescheduling they told me to just hurry and get it and come right back, so that's what I did, with little to no heat most of the trip(s). I finally got home around three and put on dry socks and shoes but I still am not warm. I tried to rest my eyes earlier and I put a blanket over me for about twenty minutes and that is the best I've felt all day.

I haven't seen or heard the official weather but everybody and his brother has told me today that we are expecting these temps and snow for the majority of the week ahead. Yay!(sarcastic). I so have appreciation for folks that work outside or are in and out all day long. God bless them cause I couldn't do it. lol. I think of all those who don't have warm homes and warm clothes to wear in this cold weather. The thoughts of the little ones going to school in tennis shoes right now about breaks my heart. You know their little feet stay cold and wet all day long.

I just have to share this other thought that that previous comment above spurred a memory of, an incident here just yesterday here at my house. My son, Tony is a huge Steelers fan and of course he's all excited about the upcoming Super Bowl. He got on ebay yesterday to see if there were any tickets for sale. He told me that one deal for tickets was at $140,000.00. I almost seen red. I got on my soap box just a little bit and made the comment that I think it's ridiculous that football tickets are selling for more money than alot of people pay for their home. Then that led to the comment that I think it's just great that someone is cashing in on that kind of frivilous money when there are people homeless and hungry in this country. It makes me ill. Poor kid! lol. Bet he won't be telling me about ticket costs in the near future. lol.

I'm trying to wrap it up here. It's just the more I write, the more I think of to write. lol. Anyway, I did go to the doc today. Feel alot better just knowing I took the first step to feeling better. Aside from him telling me I was going to die, seriously, if I didn't take my thryoid medicine, all went fairly well. I used to have hypo thyroidism but then I did the radio active iodine treatment and now it doesn't function at all BUT according to all of my past bloodwork, I do not need the medication. The last time I went to the doctor, he put me back on them just to control the growth of a goiter/nodule on my thyroid gland. When I told him that, he said, oh well, maybe you'll be okay then but we'll need some blood work to make sure. He said I would just feel like I was choking if I didn't take it and I told him I was there now. So I'm sure I'll be going back on them for that purpose. I got my old friend back, the effexor for anxiety/depression plus I got xanax to hold me at bay with the anxiety until the effexor kicks in. And we talked about the counselling, he thinks I could benefit. And I wanted to know that since I have both anxiety and depression if I was bi-polar or not and he said absolutely not. He said it's totally different and mania lasts for days/weeks not just a day or two of ups and downs here and there. That meant the world to me to hear because all the reading I've done on the topic in some way sounds very familiar to me just not so blatant like mania is described. So, basically I feel like I am not a lunatic but just need a little help getting it back on track here. lol.

The main reason I wanted to post is that I wrote a couple more little ditty's over at AC I wanted to share. Below are the links to the articles.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1419029/tales_from_the_mother_of_a_teenage.html?cat=25

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1418019/where_do_i_begin_the_most_proud_moment.html?cat=25

Probably won't be sewing tonight. I hope everyone else is being creative and have had a good start to their weeks. Take Care.

Renee

Soup Bean Sunday

I don't know about all of you but around here a soup bean Sunday equals a disinfectant Monday. lol. Oh, but the smell of beans cooking and the taste of a fresh pot of soup beans with some ham is too irresistable to let that stop me. lol.

I've had a pretty good weekend all in all and am winding down the day here just me and honey. Shawn is at work and he hates beans anyway so I thought this was a perfect cold night to eat a nice warm bowl of beans. I've cheated though. I have found that Save-A-Lot sells cans of great northern beans. I used to buy them in jars but here they are now in a can for like .39 cents or something. Two cans of those with a few thick slices of ham chopped up and some bread and butter and wha-lah, half an hour later, you have a little feast for around three dollars. Quick, cheap and easy, what else could a girl ask for? lol.

I worked on a purse today for my daughter in law. This silly purse is her most favorite purse and of course it's a seventy five dollar purse to boot but the dang strap broke on it. It's not as easy as it sounds. lol. These handles have two straps and they are tied in a knot down around where they attach to the purse. Well, we thought we had the knot right. Twice, we thought we had the knot right and as soon as I'd get done sewing it and tug on the strap, out came the knot. Grrr. Walked away from that one too. lol. Well, here a little while ago I got mad and got down to business and fixed it, finally. And now she loves me so it was all worth it. lol. I don't know how long it will hold but at least I tried and she should be able to get some more use out of it.



I did not work on my quilt top of many colors except for taking off the last two rows because they didn't line up and I refuse to try and work with it like that. Tomorrow I might try to fix that and get them sewn back on. We will see. It will depend on what the doc tells me tomorrow as to what I will get into when I get home. I have some questions for him that I am not leaving until he answers me and the answers may send me running to my bedroom to cry and sleep for days. lol. Let's hope not. lol.

Everybody keep on stitching and have a good evening. Hope you all have great weeks.

Renee

Walking Away

Well, here are the white rows inserted vertically. It may not get the horizontal strips. lol. It's a tad off and on the very last row I missed a seam so I have to take it down and redo that row and then do some trimming to square it a little. Then I will put the horizontal rows on and see what it's like from there. If I have the material, I am putting another colored border on it too. I'm probably done with it for the night though. Getting ready to hop in the shower to go shopping and hopefully out to eat too. See you all later.

Renee

How Hard Can This Be?

I have been trying to put together a quilt top from these rows of blocks I sewed together. My sister had made the blocks but I sewed them all together and wanted to add white rows in between. I got the first three together just fine. I went to line up the second row of colored blocks and it is way off. These squares should line up and they are way off so I started taking some of them in to make them match up and, now I have just finished ripping out two rows of stitches and am going back to "re-measure" these rows of colored blocks. CRAP!! lol. I thought I could just sit down and belt this sucker out in no time. HAH!!!! lol. So, I'm off again. Wish me luck!!!

Take Care,

Renee

Happy Weekend

Ahhh!!!! Isn't Saturday lovely? For me it means the work week is over and I can do whatever it is my little heart desires for two whole days. lol. If you take into account the family needs and household chores I catch up, it actually leaves me 10- 12 hours over a two day span. lol. Somethin's better than nothin' right? lol.

Actually today honey had to go into work and Shawn works every Saturday so I have some time here this morning all to myself for sure so I am going to go cut the strips for my quilt of many colors and hope to get at least a top put together out of it today. Honey has promised to take me to Goodwill and JoAnn's later today so I'm almost giddy. lol.

I had a real decent day Friday when I went back to work. It wasn't anything I couldn't cope with and the time flew for some reason. That was awesome. I must admit I took a xanax before I went in and probably it coupled with a day off to collect helped it be much better than the previous few had been. Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement on my previous post on this topic. I know it will get better and being the fighter I used to be, I still have that shred of cheerleader type hope left that seeing the doctor will get me on the right path again. lol. Still pondering this counselling thing but I just keep thinking to myself and I told my husband that I just feel like I need to tell someone, "here, my walls are down, this is who I am, how I am, and I need rebuilt from the floor up, can you help?" lol. What would I do if they told me no? lol. Just kidding there. lol.

Welp, I'm heading over to iron out my block rows and get a final measurement on the length of them so I can start cutting those strips for in between. I have til around 2 before anyone gets home, do you think I can get a top together in that time? Wish me luck.

Happy, happy weekend to you all. Be creative and keep on stitching!!!!

Renee

P.S.
I mentioned earlier an article on French baby names I was working on for Associated Content. As promised, here is the link: Popular French Baby Names. A Boredom and What The Heck Was She Thinking? Warning Label has been attached by me to this article here. lol. This is the one I wish I hadn't accepted once I did. It shows. lol. But I get page views just the same whether folks like it or not so if you need some fantastic boring material to get you to sleep, please stop by and check it out. :)

Mental Health Day

Hey friends. I hope this finds everyone well. I am doing alright. I have played hookie today from work and I don't care who knows it. lol. I had a real bad day yesterday and I made arrangements for someone to cover me today so I could have a moment to collect myself and my thoughts. I've not done a whole lot with my spare time but I slept in, well I fell back asleep since hubby forgot to turn off the alarm and it woke me up at 4:30. I got up and spent some time with him before he left but I laid on the couch and crashed. I probably could have done that all day. But, I didn't. The main thing I wanted to accomplish today was contacting my doctor. It is quite obvious to me now that I need to go back on my anti-depressant/anxiety medicine until I can learn to cope with a few things I have hanging over me right now. I've resisted some type of counselling for a long, long time now but I feel it's time to give it a whirl. But first thing is first. I have an appointment Monday with my doc to get a script for the medicine and I will talk with him about where to go for some counselling. I'm not a danger to myself or anyone or anything like that but I have lost my will I think. I am a whipped pup right now.

I haven't sewn in a few days. That bugs me. I keep hoping I'll get inspired and get my groove on but it's just not there for me right now. So, I live vicariously right now through you all on your blogs. lol. I'm especially impressed with Kris over at Quilted Simple. She is tearing it up already this year with projects. Her latest works have been vintage sheet quilts. Love the one she has posted on her blog right now. It's an awesome idea too. I tried to get hubby to take me to Goodwill the other day when we were right beside it but he was in a hurry to get back home so I let it go. Maybe tonight he'll take me. That's the only reason I go to thrift stores these days mainly is to look for fabric finds. And I don't get out often to do that. lol. But, I love to read all the blogs and couldn't for the life of me name a favorite right now. I just enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing and having that option available to me is one of the few joys I have to look forward to right now. So, keep being creative and keep posting those pics of your lovely items and finds.

Happy Stitching All,

Renee

Do Not Laugh!!!

Before


After


Before


After

Pics of Weekend Projects

pillow front


pillow back-my favorite part cause it's soft baby blue flannel


strips for colorful sofa throw

Locks of Love

http://www.locksoflove.org/
Well, I guess there is an upside to waiting over a year for a haircut. I've had about one hair cut a year in the last six years that I can recall. In 2002, I had my hair cut short and I mean short. It was no more than 1 to 2 inches long depending where you measured it on my head. lol. I really liked it but the hubby wasn't a fan. lol. So I began the process of growing it out. I finally went to Great Clips yesterday and did it, I got it cut. It's not micro short this time but it turns out when I told her I wanted it cut off and different, when she measured how much I wanted off of it, it was over 9 inches I wanted cut and that qualified me to make a donation to locks of love and I got a free hair cut from it to boot.

I so wanted to take a picture of my two little curly pony tails laying there on her counter but I felt silly asking if I could take a pic of my donated hair so I didn't. lol. And there are no pics today because I'm just a tad unhappy with the cut. Not bad, it's just longer on the one side and it's too full on the top and sides yet. I kind of have the look of a football head. lol. So, even though I'm not looking forward to it, I am going back and getting it evened up and ask that they take some more around the crown. I may have to pay for it today but I really can't be lookin' like no football head. lol. So, once I get it where I want it, I'll post new pics alongside the old ones I already have on here. It's drastic difference.

On the sewing scene, that little project I started this week with the intent of a doll quilt in mind has been finished off as a throw pillow for our sofa. It went together so well and was looking good when I noticed one of my triangle squares was a little smaller than the rest in the last row, therefore it threw off the alignment so I couldn't possibly quilt a straight line all the way across it. Drat!!!!!!! Hubby consoled me and told me just to make us a new pillow out of it so I did. It's not even a great pillow. Being the ever-imaginative recycler that I am, I thought I'd stuff it with some old work shirts hubby had ready for the Goodwill. Bad idea. It weighs about ten pounds, and it's not soft. lol. lmao. So, it needs opened back up and re-stuffed with polyfill. Should have used it in the first place but I didn't want to use all I had to stuff this one pillow. Too bad for my luck. lol.

I also went ahead and did some major cleaning in the sewing room yesterday. I didn't finish the room but I made a definate improvement. All of my fabric is sorted by color now and all of my sewing incidentals have their own spot and I can get to the machine and my ironing board now. I rounded up all my scissors and hung them on a hook and I think there are six pairs. lol. But, during the sorting I came across some blocks my sister had started and I found enough to put together what I think will make a nice size sofa throw. Not quite a full sized quilt, yet bigger than a baby quilt too. It will have 6 rows of all "like" color blocks seperated by crisp white sashing and borders. I have a red row, orange/yellow row, green row, tan row, and a light and dark blue row of blocks. It will be a quilt of many colors but I just couldn't let these blocks sit and do nothing with them so this project is born. lol.

Our local Wal-Mart has eliminated the domestic department. Well, the fabric department is gone. They still have yarn and fake flowers and scrapbook stuff. They even eliminated embroidery/cross stitch floss and such. Dorks. Now I have to go to Mansfield if I want new fabric. There are some small, independent quilt fabric shops around here but they are pricey. Anyway, while they still have them, I went ahead and bought three or four packs of needles for my machine. I'm using my last one right now. lol. I got a couple spools of thread and some elastic for fixing hubby's long johns. So, I should be a busy girl today. I have one more row of blocks to put together for the colorful quilt top. Then I have to put the sashes and borders and I'll at least have the top done. I got two pairs of long johns to fix and I have a small bulletin board to trim out and cover for work.

What are you all up to? I'll be around later to read some blogs so I'll be anxious to see what this weekend has brought for everyone. Happy Quilting.

Renee

So Happy That It's Friday!!!

Cha Cha Cha Cha Cha Cha!!!! Holy cow what a week!!! Is it cold out there or what? Have mercy. I am so glad to be home where it's warm and not have to go back out until at least tomorrow or not til Monday if I can con someone in doing my running this weekend. lol. I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm.

I have the house to myself here today until the hubby gets home from work which I'm hoping is around 4. I'm going to get ready and go finish some on that little doll quilt I started this week. If I can find it in the mess over there. lol. My sewing room is a "walk-thru" room to the back of the house where the laundry, spare bath and our bedroom is. Just the three of us go back through there usually so in order to keep the two rooms everyone does see half ways presentable, we tend to migrate things without a place or purpose often times, into the sewing room and that's where they are left til I can do otherwise with it. So, I have just about enough room right now to get to my machine. lol. Told the hubby the place is getting a scrub down starting this weekend. I'm going to start my spring cleaning now so I can enjoy my spring out in my flower beds and garden this year.

There's a subject, believe it or not I have been thinking about lately. Gardening. We are going to move our garden this year I believe. It's going to be alot of work but in the long run it will be easier for us to tend and get more produce from our plants. And flower beds are a never ending evolution thing for me. lol. I should just give up as I'm not very good at flowers and I'm never happy with where things are. I put a flower bed in out front where we had an old tree taken out and it's just a pain in my butt to mow around and almost too much sun for alot of plants. It may become home to my rose bush if it makes it through the winter this year.

Well, I just thought I'd stop and say hey to everyone. Thanks to everyone who's been stopping by. I love having folks stop and say hey. Happy Stitching. Stay Safe and Warm this weekend.

Renee

Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Forty!!!!

And look at who's home from work sick for the second day. This is my poor, poor honey. Yesterday, the 13th was his big 4-0. He felt lousey. Poor honey. Not even a good home cooked meal made him feel much better. And he didn't even eat a piece of his birthday cake. He was a good sport though. We had Tony and Steph over and Shawn and his girlfriend were here and we had a little birthday dinner for him. I just wish he had felt better.

I talked to him about an hour ago and he said he feels pretty good today so far. It's snowing to beat the band here again and he works in Mansfield which is about a 25 minute drive normally but in this weather, it takes forever for him to get home. Plus after work tonight he has to stay over for his big review/evaluation. That in itself could take hours. lol. So, I don't know when I'll see him but I sure can't hardly wait for him to walk through the door at night, especially tonight. Sometimes I feel like I am wayyyy, wayyy too dependant on him. He truly is my other half and I just don't feel whole without him. I misses him when he's not here. lol.

I tried sewing the other day and I kept having one interuption right after the other and at one point I just decided to give up on it for the day and I haven't made it back over there yet. lol. I had some little triangle squares left over from that horrid tablerunner I made sometime back so I pieced some of those together and made twelve little 3 3/4" squares. I was in the progress of putting denim sashing in between them when I decided to give up that day. I have three more pieces of the denim to put in length wise and then I have to go across it yet and then I guess I'll have me another little baby doll quilt top. I just don't have it in me right now to tackle a project like a baby quilt so I'm playing around with this and that and I like making the little quilts so I can work on my technique. Plus, when I get done I just might have me a whole little stash of baby doll quilts to give out to my little girl buddies. lol.

Shawn's girlfriend asked me last night if I could make a t-shirt memory quilt out of her cheering t's. She explained to me the one her friend had and I'm sure it will be pretty easy to make one. I just have my sewing room such a wreck again that I couldn't dare tackle such a project until I do something in there. And there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to do all the things I have to do, let alone the things I want to do. lol. I don't know if I mentioned it but a friend of mine has asked me to make a quilt out of a top her grandma made. It is lovely. I want to say it is a trip around the world pattern but now that I think of it, I can't say that just yet without checking again. lol. It's so pretty though. I'll have to photo the top and show you guys. I'm scared to death to tackle that job too but I'm going to. How will I ever get over my fear of making a full size quilt if I don't just try it?

What's everyone else doing? I just love seeing what all ideas everyone has. Sometimes I think I spend too much time sitting here on the computer admiring other folk's goodies than actually working on some of my own. lol. I used to look at baby quilts on etsy til my eyes crossed. lol. After I'd found myself sitting looking for ever, I'd kind of get ticked at myself cause I'd spent that time just sitting here basically instead of doing something productive. lol. oh well. When you need ideas, you have to do your research. lol.

Speaking of research, I got an article due on Associated Content today or tomorrow so I better get busy on that. It's one of those I wish I hadn't sign on for after the fact. If I hadn't responded to the call, it wouldn't be a big deal but I did and they have deadlines and I'm afraid if I don't submit an article I claimed that they may not let me claim them in the future and/or not let me write for them period. So, I'm off. It's a silly little article about French Baby Names. I'll post the link once it's published.

Meantime, Happy Quilting to All.

Renee

Man, Look What I Went And Did

Oh my. I shoulda known better than to think I could quickly and easily change my template. lol. Bear with me as I try to get everything back where it goes.

Phew, Where To Start?

First of all let me start by saying that I hope everyone has had a great new year so far. I am still shaking my head realizing that it is already January 10th. And here I thought I was going to be better at posting in this new year. Hmm. My bad. I have been reading though. Just not doing alot of comment posting. So please know that just because I haven't got anything much to say right now that I am still reading and following along to all of you out there in blog land that I have come to know and love.

Second, please let me take the time again to thank each and every one of you who do stop by and visit and hear what I have to say and see what I have to see. I realize it's not much but the comments and visitors that do take a peak mean the world to me. Thank you, Thank you. Please keep coming by. Sometimes this is just what a girl needs to perk her spirits a little. Lord only knows how many of us could probably use that right about now.

Third, I just am amazed at how much talent and get up and go that this little circle of blogging buddies I have has. I have to tell you, I'm a little jealous. No matter what my New Year's intent was, I have not been motivated to make anything much. First few days of the new year I was working on some little hearts. Just little stuffed hanging hearts. The fronts are patchwork and the backs are solid. I played with using lace for the first time and had some fun but wasn't thrilled. I made a couple of little pillows for that doll quilt I put together and believe they need thrown in the trash. lol. I just have to tell you, I have no confidence in my skills at all. If it's not perfect, I am convinced it belongs in the garbage. I can't get around that. I haven't had any sewing lessons EVER in life. Never used a sewing machine up until about three years ago. I know basically nothing and feel by now I ought to have the hang of it and be producing nicely sewn items or forget about it. Will I ever get it? Will I ever have confidence in my stuff? Anybody else have this problem? How do you handle that?

And last but not least, right now and probably since shortly after the first of the year, I have been in a funk. I was so looking forward to putting the holidays behind me and moving on and having a fresh start to a new year. I wanted to blog more, sew more, be more productive and find some joy and peace. At the rate I am going, I think I'm worse than I was towards the end of the year when things were like crazy hoppin' mad around here. Truth be told folks, I am scared that I am going to have to go back on my anxiety/depression medication and I totally hate that but I also know that both are starting to creep their ugly little heads back into my life with a vengeance and I cannot, will not allow myself to get out of hand feeling so scared and sad and wanting to cry all the time. It's like the panic attack Christmas Eve started a vicious little cycle for me. The worse part of it that concerns me is that I get so quick and ill tempered. I don't mean to be mean but it's like I have little time or use for nonsense and triffling. And sadly, I guess I am at the point where I make it very obvious when someone is annoying me. Not a good trait to have when working with the public. I've been praying everyday for the ability to make it through one more and that's not the kind of start I had planned for this year. I won't let it go on much longer before I see my doctor. They say counselling may help me deal with some reasons I am anxious and depressed but I don't do the sharing thing that well with folks like that. lol. That's what my blog is for. lol. Seriously, it is something I've considered but I just can't do it. I am not convinced anyone has the power to help me and they are only guessing at what the reasons are and could only possibly make me more of wreck than I already am. Please, if you all wouldn't mind, if you think of it say a little prayer for me regarding this problem. There are days I don't know if I can stand anymore. It scares me and I don't like being so weak. I wanna be like all of you guys, full of pep and gumption and making projects and living life.

On that note, I know kind of a downer, I am going to sign off. Sorry to be so long winded again today. I can't say or write anything quick. lol. It's all about detail. lol. Have a great weekend everyone. Happy Stitching.

Renee