Day 480

Day 336 brought me a package of fabric from Paula O. Fabric she didn't have a need for, fabric she wanted me to have.

Day 430 brought me a package from Brenda in Alaska. Brenda who works at a fabric store and came across some strips someone had left behind.

Thanks to those two people, here's today's math problem:
Day 336 + Day 430 + working all day in the sewing room = ??

Another charity quilt top. And Brenda, when I knew where this one was going I had to make sure your strips found a way into the quilt. This one will head to a little girl who has a dad in the Army. Stationed in Alaska.

Day 479

From a bed of dirt on Day 16 to this on Day 479. What else can I say? Yum.

Day 478

I walked out of the house at 6:30 this morning to get to a work meeting. After having several different meetings and discussions in three different buildings (and a couple different towns) I finally walked back into the house after 6:30 this evening.

Now I can officially say my work is done. The way this year went it only seems fitting that my last day at work was a long one. I'll return August 1st, but in the meantime I have to go to school and be a student. In yet another town I'm taking a class all day, every day for the next week. Then I'll really be done. (I hope. It seems my job has become an always-on-call job. I'm crossing my fingers for no calls.)

Work is complete. Flowers in bloom.

Day 477

As usual it's nice to have kiddo home. This time she chased down a stray butterfly/moth flying around the hallway and picked some mega-radishes. She also scolded us for not picking the radishes often enough. She's got a point - smaller would have been much better tasting in this morning's juice. I don't say yuck about our juice much, but today? Yuck.

Day 476

No Win It Wednesday today. Time for a break.

No break from sewing, though. Another top done for Operation Kid Comfort. (Faces are blurred on purpose.)

Day 475

Once I got home it didn't take me long to get back into the groove. Another quilt top done for Quilts for Kids using their fun, bright fabric.

Day 474

After these last few days in Jackpot I am so thankful to be back home. It was a trip I didn't want to take, but I did it for my husband. I decided today that from now on if I'm not excited about going somewhere, I'm going to stay home. (Work, doctors appointments and groceries are exempt.) As for hubby's gambling urge - next time he can go on the bus. Five nights away from home was just too much right now.

Kitty thought so too. We've had this new car for three months and she's never jumped up on the hood, walked up the windshield, and peeked in the sunroof while we were sitting in the car. But she did today.

Day 473

Looks like I'm not the only one who hangs out at the pool in Jackpot.

Day 472

So far it may have been about swimming, work, and gambling but today it was about the food.

We had our usual juice for breakfast but for lunch were treated to a Father's Day weekend celebration lunch by our casino host. The best taco salad I've ever eaten (and not too ugly, either) and the richest chocolate cake (or was it a brownie?). We were also comped a seafood buffet tonight. I wasn't too hungry, but as usual the desserts were gorgeous. Who know a Rice Krispie treat could look so pretty?

Day 471

Hubby has been wanting to go to Jackpot since he got out of school last month and I keep putting him off. I've been too busy with work, have no interest in gambling, have too much sewing to get caught up on, and don't really want to be away from home right now.

But I caved. I figured I could spend my time at the pool and swim, swim, swim and take my laptop and school bag and work, work, work. I even tried to find a way to take my sewing machine but with the big bulky juicer in our suitcase something had to give.

So here I sit in Jackpot trying to find a good work/swim/stay-away-from-the-slot machines balance. (Unfortunately I wasn't so good at the slot machine avoidance.) I did get some work done and got some swimming in, though.

As I was sitting by the pool a stray cat appeared. It sat quietly hiding behind the chairs, ventured across the pool deck, and proceeded to drink from the pool.

Win It Wednesday winner...Kristen. Remember, it's a quilt top only (no batting or backing) but if you're still interested in it let me know!

Day 470

Today's blog post is probably the shortest thing I've ever written. It probably has a lot to do with the guilt I feel for not having done more quilts this year. Compared to last year, I'm way behind.

But at least fabrics are picked out for the next three kids' quilts. These will again head to Alaska to their branch of Operation Kid Comfort. Just gotta get started on them!

Day 469: Win It Wednesday

Today's Win It Wednesday prize might look familiar. On Day 394 (yeah, that was in March) I finished up a Cars quilt top for charity.

Guess who never got around to finishing it? My plan was to applique either tires or road signs in the darker gray blocks but it never happened - didn't even pick out fabric for the appliques. I've moved on to other charity quilts, ramping things up to get several out the door by July 1.

Any takers? It's approximately 39" x 46". While I would love it if you finished it up and gave it to charity, you certainly could either give it to someone you know or keep it for yourself. I'd love to see a picture of the finished product no matter what, though!

If you're interested leave a comment on this post. If more than one person wants it, I'll  choose a winner on Friday.

Day 468

The scrapbook sale went well. All but one box sold, but even without that one I netted a bit over $170 dollars. Not bad for stuff I was never using anyway.

The flowers blooming out front aren't too bad, either.

Day 467

Some totally non-related things I learned today (in no particular order):

• The most delicious breakfast in the world - a chorizo burrito at a neighboring town's restaurant - doesn't taste as great as it used to, especially when you've already had a huge glass of kale, etc. juice beforehand.
• Numbing medicine put in your neck hurts.
• Having something removed from your neck in the exact spot where your seat belt hits hurts even more.
• I hate swimsuit shopping.
• I love the sunroof in my car.
• You have to stand your ground with the pharmacist when being overcharged for prescriptions.
• Working full time, trying to finish up charity quilts, and getting ready for a yard sale all at the same time is quite exhausting.
• Naps feel good.
• Hubby is getting comfortable with the camera.

I woke up after my nap in a bit of a panic, worried about not yet having taken a picture for the day. He had it covered. While I was sleeping a grass fire broke out not too far from us. He headed out the back gate and snapped the picture. That house was okay.

Day 466

Even though I've taken a picture every single day for the last 465 days, some days I can't take one. I have to take more.

Patience paid off today. A series of pictures in the miniature roses - one bee, then another one arriving, then both hard at work.

Day 465: Scrapbooking Saturday Sale

Today could have been called either Sell off Scrapbooking Stuff Saturday or Summer Snow Saturday.

All my scrapbooking stuff is now up on ebay, waiting for buyers. I'm embarrassed to say I had a whole cabinet of scrapbooking stuff I never used. It sat there, waiting patiently for me and I never gave it the time of day. So I have to say I'm sorry and wish it luck with its new family. I hope someone else can treasure it in a way I couldn't. (If you're interested in any of it, you can find it here.)

While it technically isn't yet summer, it is summer vacation for hubby. Although you wouldn't know that summer was anywhere close if you happened to look up when the clouds cleared out today. Yup, snow.

 

Day 464

First up...
jirons42 you are the Win It Wednesday winner. Congrats! Use the "Contact Me" button on the lower right side to send me your address.

Second up...
Something happened today for the first time in more than 51 years. For the first time ever, actually.

If you remember, my husband has been going to physical therapy. Being he wants to go salmon fishing in Alaska next month and not make a fool of himself, he has been working hard in therapy on his right arm/hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder. Both he and I are shocked at what is happening to the side affected by cerebral palsy.

For his entire life, that side has been non-functioning. Looking at the arm now it's obvious he's building muscles. As unbelievable as is seems to both of us, thanks to the combination of strength building exercises and some athletic tape to support his wrist, he is gaining function in that hand and arm. Reeling in his own salmon is closer to reality than he ever thought possible.

And something else he never thought possible? That for the first time in his entire life he would open a door with his right hand. A heavy outside door, even. Amazing!

Day 463

You'd never know I've been up to 1 am or so night after night, working on school stuff. I knew things would be busy, but not like this.

Thank goodness I can pull into my driveway in daylight hours and see hedge roses like this.

Day 462: Win It Wednesday

It's a double-down Win It Wednesday. Last week's winner didn't claim her prize so a new winner has been chosen - ytsmom, the crazy chicken wall quilt is yours if you want it! (Use the "Contact Me" button on the lower right of this page.)

Then there's number two, today's new prize. In our downsizing I've decided to get rid of all my scrapbooking things. With as many digital pictures I now take it makes more sense to do photobooks so the scrapbooking must go.

So today we have lots of letters, some punch out kind and some sticker kind, in all different colors, designs, shapes and sizes.

Anyone interested? If more than one person wants to get their hands on these, I'll choose a winner on Friday.

Day 461

The other day Karen commented: who would have thought that you'd be researching last year's photos for info - roses, birds, cakes... wonder what's next

Well, here's what next...


Last year we had just planted 50 bareroot strawberry plants.

This year that pile of dirt has become full of strawberries just ready for the eating.

Or should I say ready for the juicing?

Day 460

Last year we had yellow birds in our trees.

2011

This year, an entirely new different kind of yellow bird. Two years, two types of yellow birds. Thank goodness I take pictures or I would have thought they were the same birds. They are obviously not.

2012

And Lea, still waiting for you to use the "Contact Me" button on the right side of the page so I can get the chicken quilt to you!

Day 459

Kiddo and I stopped by Dairy Queen last night to get her favorite kind of cake - an ice cream cake.  The last time we had an ice cream cake from there was hubby's birthday. Last August, daughter had stopped by DQ on her way home and picked out one she thought dad would like. And now last night she picked out one she liked for herself. When she chose it I thought it looked familiar. I was so sure I had seen that cake somewhere before. It only took some blog searching to find out where.

Happy Birthday, dear daughter. Now I know what kind of cake to get you for next year!

Hubby's birthday cake (chosen by daughter) August 2011

Daughter's birthday cake (chosen by daughter) June 2012

And the delicious inside:

Day 458

Three people, three levels of excitement.

First up, me. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel at work. Granted, it's just a sliver of brightness but come June 29, I'll be out of the work tunnel and back into the nice bright sunshine. Can't wait!

Second up, hubby. Tonight he is going with our daughter's boyfriend to the races at Meridian Speedway. Hubby hasn't been since he was a kid and is anxious to get back. So boys night out, doing guy things.

Third up and most important, tomorrow is kiddo's birthday. When we talk about her birthday, I figure at some point she's going to want to do something different. But that hasn't happened yet. She'll be 24 this year and we'll be doing yet another barbeque here at the house. It's amazing that someone at her age is still excited to come to her parents' house for her birthday.

Three excited people but one uninterested, non-excited cat.

Day 457

After 457 days I sometimes forget what pictures I've posted. I know last year I did lots of rose pictures, but without going back through every single day I don't know if they've all wound up here or not.

Either way, I'm going with today's pictures of my miniature roses. Yesterday I posted a picture of one of my minis next to the bench but today I've taken a close up of that particular bush. I've also taken pictures of the other miniature - some close up, one not. I wish I knew the name of both types of miniatures, but I don't. Doesn't matter as I think they are pretty anyway.

I also hope the winner of this week's Win It Wednesday thinks the prize is pretty when it arrives at her house.

Lea - you are the winner of the crazy chicken quilt. Use the "Contact Me" button on the right side of my page to send your address my way. Congrats!