Tribute

The city of Elgin credit union's annual dinner was Saturday night. Mike and I haven't been to one since Bobby and Sue moved to AZ.
Bobby was the president for many years so this year they dedicated the program to him.
They called us last month and asked if we wanted to come and sent us free tickets so we went. They put together a picture collage that brought back soooo many memories. There was a picture of me and Bobby that I wish I had a copy of. Bobby's son and his wife was there. It was really nice to see them.
It was at the same place that Cheryl and Craig had there wedding reception.

We caught up with old co-workers of Mike's - the ones we actually like.
Brad and Krystal are having a office romance.
Adam is a stay at home Dad while Lisa got a great job with Costco Optical.
Paul (who was forced into retirement with Mike) has finished Bev's honey do list and she loves her house again. He is also working a couple hours a week consulting.
I got hugs from Al our old neighbor, Mike who was Elgin's fire chief for a minute, and Cecil who still works for the Police Dept.

The food was buffet and I was hesitate to find out what was available. I was excited cause they had steamed vege's and fish. I stayed away from the bar (draft beer, ouch) and the dessert table. Pat on the back to me!

A Quilter's Needs

There are a few things that a good quilter must have besides a sewing machine that rocks.


A marked cutting board, a clear ruler straight edge, a sharp rotary cutter, sharp scissors, curved saftey pins, snips, and a cute wrist band pin cushion, (Ok maybe the pincushion is a luxury, but it's way easy to have it right there and it's cute), a sewing table at the right height, an adjustable ironing board and a kick ass steam iron.

My iron has started to leak so I take a ride down to JoAnne's today to find one. I also wanted to get some material for a project that I'm working on. Coupons in hand!

I didn't find an iron, but I did come home with 10 different materials (12 yards) and 3 colored threads.

It's a proven fact that a quilter can not have too much material. thread, patterns, quilt books, or ideas. I'm sure it will all come to use some day.

Re-Visited

I went there as a little kid!
Our grade school made field trips there!
The middle school I went to had a large one!
I'd meet my boyfriend there in High School!
I studied there when I was taking a few course at the community college!
I took Bryan there repeatedly when he was a toddler.
One just opened up not 2 miles from our house, so this week I went over to check it out.
The west "Rakow" branch of the Gail Borden Public Library.

It a branch so it's not really big and they are closed on Thursdays and Fridays, but I loved it there. I love books! I wonder what took me so long to come back seeing how much I like to read.

I stood in line and got me a library card and then wandered around among all the books. I wanted to bring them all home, but I settled on one for Mike and one for me.
I'm sure this will save us some pennies not buying every book we see and want to read. We also get to try different authors. I won't feel guilty getting a book and not finishing it cause I don't like it.

The new releases are only allowed a 7 day rental, but who can't read a good book in 7 days. I got Mike the new Stuart Woods book, which I started too and now we are both reading the same book at the same time. No, not to each other - He's a stay up at night reader, and he lets me have it during the day. I read it in 3 days.
The normal books are for 28 days. I picked up a Emilie Richards book for me, because she writes a series that revolves around quilts and I hadn't read this one.

I can't wait to get back there and see what new books I can find.

Fat Tuesday

I don't need the Wii to tell me I'm obese. I have a mirror, and skinny clothes, and dusty exercise equipment to figure it out.
The last few months with the stress of losing my job and Mike retiring I haven't thought about Me and sadly let myself go.
I have recently change my tune. My son is getting married and I want to have the energy to plan the shower, look good in my dress, and keep up with the partiers on the dance floor, and just feel better.

I have started a "Purification" program through my doctor and let me tell ya it's only been 2 weeks, but I feel really good. The first week not so much. I had terrible caffeine headaches and was very run down and sluggish trying to eliminated the toxins from my system.
I'm mostly eating thing that don't have a label. aka-Vegetables and fruits (which is easy for me cause I never met a vege I didn't like). I started this week to add fish and chicken, but I find I really don't need them. Mike has been VERY supportive and lets me cook healthy, if he doesn't like what I'm eating he finds something else for him (will I get him to eat my favorite - spaghetti squash - I think not). I'm sure I will have some slip ups and eat some bread or pasta, but I'm determined to take care of myself. Mike deserves a wife who can keep up with him on the golf course, on bike rides, and traveling with him on his softball trips.

I have lost some weight, but don't ask me how much, because like a marathoner I am not going to look behind me to see how far I ran, but ahead to see how far I need to go.

I have clearly just validated my journey by telling about it!

Found a Dress

So I get this flyer for a church fun raiser that is selling designer dresses: wedding, prom, and evening. The evening dresses were only $10. It was worth a look.
We didn't find anything that I would wear to Bryan's wedding, so Sharen suggested we go over to Stratford Square and take a look. We were right down the road.

We get in the car and Sharen gets a phone call from Carrie and she tells her what we are doing. Carrie wants to talk with me (apparently my dislike for shopping is well known). She tells me to not settle on any dress (I so would if I was alone). It's my son's wedding and I should make him proud and find something that will knock Mike's socks off. She told me I was worth it and find something I would be comfortable in. She told me to try it on and decide and then check out the price. (easy for her to say). Anyway after wiping tears from my eyes we head out to "Find the dress"

I would of given up a long time ago, but Sharen kept on getting dresses for me. I seriously worked up a sweat trying on dresses.

After the sixth store I said enough and it was time to head on home. Sharen had the bright idea to stop at Charlestowne Mall . It was on the way home.
I caved and we stopped at Von Maur. We found the dress. I knew it the moment I tried it on even though it was a couple sizes to large I knew that it was the one. :)

I hurried up and texted Mary and told her I had found my dress.

We wrote done the designer and lot number and when I got home I got online and ordered it - smaller. :)

I can't wait for it to come and I hope that it feels as good as it did in the store.

Thank You, Sharen. I could NOT have done it without you.

Valentine's party

Kaylyn's pre-school class was having a Valentine's party and she called and invited us.
OF COURSE!
We got there a little early, the class was just finishing up play station time. They each do an activity playing, but there is always counting involved and of course all were Valentine related. (grab little hearts out of rice for a minute and then count how many you have).
Kaylyn was doing everything the teachers asked. I'm thinking where is the she-devil that comes to our house.
They then all sat down and had cookies and water (juice would be too much sugar).


Kaylyn turned her head just as snapped. That is Anthony sitting next to her.

Today was music day so Kaylyn wanted us to go to see her there too. OF COURSE!

They marched around the room and sang shaking bottles. Kaylyn knew all the words.


Then they all sat in a circle and passed a zipped bag with their last names printed on hearts in it. When the music stopped they had to reach in the bag without looking and give the heart to the person who's last name was on the heart.

Here is, once again, Kaylyn sitting next to Anthony. See a pattern there.
When I asked her who her boyfriend was? You guessed it. Anthony.



My favorite part of the day was when Kaylyn raised her hand and asked the teacher if she could go give her Grandma a kiss. Teacher told her that that would be very nice. She did!

Weirdest was when they made an announcement over the loudspeaker: "Sorry for the interruption, but it is over 12 degrees so we WILL be going out for recess"

Th biggest surprise was when the principal came down and welcomed us to the school and sat and talked with us.

Very Happy Valentine's party.

Earthquake

Early this morning we were woken up from a sound sleep by a earthquake.
I myself was scared - I hate thunderstorms too. I looked at the clock and it was 3:59. The windows rattled and the bed moved.

Last earthquake I remember was when I was 12 or 13 and listening to my sister's 45's (without her permission so I was very jumpy) and it skipped and then I felt the house jiggle. I looked around to see if someone did it to me on purpose and nope nobody was there.

This morning according to the news it was a mild one 3.8 and there has been no damage. They haven't talked to me cause my heart skipped a beat and my hatred for natural disaster just multiplied.

Mike thought it was awesome.

Cub Scouts

When Stacy told us that Dylan was interested in being a Cub Scout Mike was very excited for him.

When Mike was a young boy he and his best friend John were inseparable. Their favorite time together was being boy scouts and doing boy scout things. He has a vest downstairs in the basement with a lot of patches all over it. (He is very proud of it too).

He offered to help Dylan in any way that he could.

Well, while I was helping Sharen spicing up Jon's kitchen Mike got to relive his Cub Scout days with Dylan. He took Dylan to a Cub Scout Jamboree. He was outside all day watching Dylan doing Cub Scout things and I'm sure he thought about his old friend John and the fun they used to have.


Dylan is in the orange and gray jacket.



Mike got home and he was cold, his knee was killing him, his cheeks were sun/wind burn and his face was smiling. He had a good time watching his number 1 grandson being a Cub Scout.

HGTV

Color Splash? No
Bang for your buck? No
Design on a Dime? No
Next Design Star? Maybe
Spice up My Kitchen? YES!
Ever since Jon has moved into his own condo he has asked Sharen to get rid of his white cabinets in his kitchen.

Sharen and I went over there last weekend with assorted paint chips that Jon has approved and screw drivers for removal of the cabinet doors to bring home to paint. We also knew that the wall color had to go.




We sanded and painted the doors during the week and this weekend we went back to "spice up his kitchen".
We worked really well together. She manned the brush and cut in the ceiling and did all the trim work. I removed the hardware and did the taping and the rolling.



We had music on the TV playing and complained about how it was easier and faster when we were younger, but we STILL loved doing it and are very proud of the work we did. We didn't get to see Jon's reaction, but he did call and tell Sharen that he approved.

Ring Ring

hello?
Hello my name is ** and I'm running for ***. Another political call.
Sunday it was 12 calls.
Monday we had 8 calls.
And if you don't answer they leave you a message. Enough already.

Yesterday a few call, reminders to vote. Which I did.

Today nothing - I even picked up the phone to see if it had a dial tone. It did.
Elections must be over.
What a no thank you for voting call?

Blankie

When my great nephew was born I made him a quilt. It was one of my first "paper piece" quilts. That means you actually sew each piece of material onto paper. That makes it difficult to make sure that all your seams are even (1/4 inch) .

All that being said, Jeremy's baby quilt is now coming apart at the seams. It needed a face lift.

I offered to fix his quilt. I told Cheryl to just bring it to bowling and I'll take it home and fix it. The only problem there is that Jeremy needs his blankie to sleep every night.

On Sunday Cheryl, Jeremy, and Jack came over so Jeremy could supervise the repairing of his quilt.

I quilted the whole thing on my machine and hand stitched all the seams. Jeremy kept me and the quilt in his sights at all times.



Thanks for fixing my quilt Aunt Karen - Now give it back to me. I need it to get to sleep tonight!


I love the fact that this little man needs, loves, sleeps, can't live without, and takes such good loving care of his quilt that I made him 6 years ago.