Here it is...yay. "The Purse" is finally finished. I wish I had known what a really hard fabric burlap is to work with before I got the bright idea to make purses from it. Well, maybe it's better that I didn't know. I might never have tried it. It frays like a big dog and I had the Devil's own time turning the straps inside out...it doesn't slide very well. Anyway, I'm glad I finally got done with it. I learned a lot and next time it won't be as hard..I hope. I'm thankful I had Sergio (my serger) to cut and bind the seams...even though I should have worn a painters mask because of the dust that flew everywhere. Never wear a black T-shirt when working with burlap. I may have to toss that shirt..or always use it when sewing with burlap. I do think the result was worth it, though. I'm ready to tackle another one! I have some other ideas, too. They involve painter's drop cloths...no I'm not saying...you'll have to wait and see. Till then...be nice and play well with the other children.

These are some of Harv's drawings. He was getting jealous of my stuff, so I had to promise to post some of his creations...can we stop the tantrum now? LOL

All kidding aside, he has just started doing a lot of drawing lately. He hasn't really drawn a lot since high school, so I'm happy he started again. These are done with graphite pencil, and some are also with colored pencils. I'm proud of him for picking up his hobby again.

We have both been busy with our hobbies lately. It's too hot outside to go anywhere, so we get a lot of drawing, painting, and sewing done.

My next project is to make purses out of burlap. I'm excited to see how they turn out. One I'm making for myself and painting a black rose on it. Sounds cool, huh? I'm trying to get an early start on Christmas presents this year...usually I'm killing myself between Dec. 1 & 15, to finish & get them mailed. I'm getting too old for that kind of pressure, so I'm trying not to procrastinate this year. We'll see how I do. I have a really lousy history with pacing myself so I'm not too optimistic.

I FEEL FAT TODAY!!!

Yes, it's one of those days. I am so tired of not eating anything & not losing any weight. It's partly because of the medicine I take, but, I'M HUNGRY! Can't the "skinny fairy" visit me after I'm asleep & just sprinkle some "skinny glitter" on me so I can wake up nice & trim? It doesn't help that I'm living with an old man (Harv), who eats anything & everything, ie, lots of ice cream & chocolate, & never gains an ounce...I gain just by watching him eat. Maybe the "fat fairy" could visit him & sprinkle....... oh Hell..... DUMP A BUCKET, of fat crap on him. Perhaps then, life would be fair!

Meanwhile, in my quest in life to inflict harm on myself....You, know?.....falling into walls whilst just standing in the middle of the room, tripping in front of Safeway & leaving my DNA all over their entrance..on a Saturday, in front of every customer they have? Or how about just walking into my bedroom & slipping, & suddenly I'm lying on the floor? Slipping off my shoes in the rain, on Elizabeth's back porch?............the list goes on. Anyway, on this journey of self-inflicted pain, I was cleaning my sewing room, seriously, I really was, putting patterns away, when I jammed a sliver down my fingernail...Now that hurt! Like the wimp I am, I screamed like a little girl, and ran to my Dr. to get it out. Well, no luck...she couldn't remove it. So now I have to wait for it to grow out..whatever that means.....could take up to 2 weeks...that's what Dr. said. So, for now, I'm trying to be brave, & suck it up. I can't, for the life of me, remember what, exactly, child birth felt like, but I'm sure it couldn't been as bad as this....otherwise, why would I have done it 5 times...No, I'm pretty sure it didn't hurt like this. I couldn't be that crazy, could I? Well, back to feeling fat.

STUFF!!!

I'm back!! Betcha missed me, huh? This is a picture of my new sandals...and my old toes! They are very comfortable! I have been gathering all my finished embroidery pieces, trying to figure out what to do with them. Make wall hangings, pillows, what!? Anyway, here are some pictures of them. Most of them are "redwork", which I love. The picture of the crow is one I painted a while ago. I haven't painted for some time, but I plan on starting on some Christmas ornaments as soon as I finish a couple of cotton knit shirts I'm sewing for my summer wardrobe. I want to decorate my tree a little different this year.

I sent Harv to get some gas in the car for me...I want to go to the antique mall to look for an old birdcage. I have an idea for a display.

Harv has been painting the inside of my closet, & is going to lay the rest of the hardwood floor inside my closet. Yay! Gotta keep that old man busy & out of my hair (Oh no, not hair again), otherwise, he wanders around mumbling and at loose ends! Bye for now!

Ok, I am back on my hair again! Yes, I know, I am obsessed with my hair! If you think this picture is a joke, think again. This is really how my hair looks. I got a haircut yesterday--looking for something different. I sure got it! Note to all hairdressers: If a person my age (old) tells you something about their hair--believe them! I have told my WHD (wonderful hairdresser, because, all told I love her, and she does cut hair well) that when my hair is cut short, and believe me, it is SHORT, you can't blow it dry going back and expect it to go forward when it's done. NO!!!! My hair will stand straight on end, hence the picture, and nothing will make it lay down until it is washed again. Soooo, of course, she blew it dry, going back. And, of course, when it was finished, it stood straight up. She kind of freaked out, and grabbed the hair paste--then it stood straight up, and was greasy. She got that deer in the headlights look, and I started to laugh. Twenty years ago I would have jumped up from the seat & threatened to do her bodily harm, but, now I know that I can fix it. Over the years, I have learned that even if I get a haircut that is 1 inch in length, I can fix it.



So, this morning, I took a shower & washed my hair. It was straight up!! After much hair product, & patience, it now looks rather cute. Kind of a pixie look. Even Harv likes it. The moral of this story is: If someone cuts you hair all off & you feel panic set in, just remember, it is HAIR! It will GROW Back. Learn to laugh at yourself! Oh, and give your WHD a hug when you leave, and tell her it will be alright.



Footnote that has nothing to do with hair---my daughter, Toni, makes the best bread on earth & I just finished eating a slice---MMMMM good! Thanks, little girl.

This is me today! I am finally feeling like I might live. But, I am ready to release all the flying monkeys on my neighbors. What are people thinking!!?? My neighbors seem to all know I sew. They must have been having coffee klatches so they could share that information. What they don't know is that I am a selfish sewer. I DOUBLE do not like to sew for other people--grandkids & kids excluded--I love to sew for them--I only want to sew for myself. Otherwise I would advertise or tell people that I sew for all people. And I don't! I don't want to teach people to sew, either! I am not a professional seamstress--I am mostly self taught. Soooooo, teach yourself!! I have no patience to teach people to sew---especially if you have never, EVER, touched a sewing machine in your life! Do NOT even think of touching my sewing machine---not NOW, not EVER! Also, I am not a tailor. I buy patterns, fabric, notions, yada, yada, and I follow the pattern & sew. I don't want to hem your pants, sew up your seams that came apart, take in or let out any of your clothes---buy the damn things in the right size. This is how I feel, sorry neighbors. I would rather you know from the start that I don't like to S.W.A.G (sew with a grudge). If you see something I have sewn--a T shirt, a table runner, a cover for a down comforter, a robe, an apron, custom pillow cases for all seasons, whatever---NO, I don't want to make one for you. Look in the newspaper adds, on Craigslist, places people advertise who want to do this---lose my phone number----please. Whew, now I really feel better!

These are the beautiful roses that my Valentine of 48 years, surprised me with for Valentine's Day. They smell good, too.

We are getting ready for our Utah trip to see friends & family. I can't wait to see my new great-grandson, Stryker, and my new grand-nephew, Gamble. Names are quite different, huh? Oh well--the new generation. I am also excited to see my sweet grandson, Christian, and my three youngest kids (who aren't really kids, but I still think of them that way). But most of all, I can't wait to be "home" for a while. I miss my beautiful Wasatch Mountains, and my familiar stomping grounds. I kind of have a little problem, though. I don't have any winter clothes! That sucks, huh. I hope I don't freeze my buns off! I do have a tartan plaid wool poncho that Toni brought me from Scotland, so I guess that will keep me warm enough---I don't think I will be doing any hiking or skiing---so not to worry. I didn't do any of that while I lived there. We all know that!

I will, of course, be buying fabric from all the wonderful fabric shops that are in Salt Lake City. I'm hoping Elizabeth and I will be able to go "junking" a little while I'm there. Fun time!

I want my Mommy! I have been sick for about 5 days now, & I could sure use my mother. Even though Harv has been really attentive, he is not my mother. I need to feel her soft hands on my forehead, have her bring me 7-up in a glass with ice & a straw. I want her to buy me movie magazines to read & fix me something to eat. I want to hear her hustling & bustling around our old house, cleaning up or folding laundry. She always turned the radio on & harmonized with Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett in her soft voice. Then she would peek in my room to see if I needed anything else, how I was feeling, & plump up my pillows, & fix my covers. "I'm sorry you're sick, honey, do you need anything else?", she would say. It was so comforting. I don't care how many grandkids or great-grandkids I have, or if I'm 70, 80, 90, or even 100 years old---when I get sick, I STILL WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!

This is me at the "Phoenix Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival", on Saturday. Toni took my picture at the art doll booth. I love these weird looking dolls. They are sculpted with a needle and then dressed in strange looking outfits. There is even a mermaid doll that I would love to make. I have looked at the directions on the patterns for these dolls, and believe me, they are hard to make. Maybe some day I will venture to make one. Toni thinks these dolls are beyond strange & they give her the "whim whams". They bring out my inner freak, while they scare her. We had such a good time. My poor knee was killing me, so I brought my cane & then I tripped over it about 3 times. I am so graceful! I could have spent lots of money there, but I was a good little girl & only spent a little. I bought a couple of redwork embroidery patterns. One is of guardian angels to hang on a tree or on a wreath, & the other is for a quilt with Victorian ladies heads. I think I'm going to do the Victorian heads separately & hang them on my wall. There was some beautiful quilts & quilt kits, but they looked like they would take a long time to make, & ya know, I'm pushing 70 & don't want to spend the rest of my life on a quilt! I want fast & easy projects. HaHa. I will take pictures of my patterns & post them later. Anyway, we had a nice lunch after the festival. We laughed at our own funny remarks & picked on everybody at the restaurant--it was fun. By the way, the shirt I have on is the same one I have on in my facebook picture---I swear I do have other shirts. I'm a Leo, & we like to find an outfit we like & wear it to death! We hate change!

This morning, as I was blowing my hair dry after my shower, the thought came to me--what the hell is going on with my hair. I don't know whose hair this is I'm trying to style, but it is NOT mine. I seem to remember having this thick, shiny, dark hair, that was easy for me to style. Now it seems that I'm fighting with someone else's hair! This new hair is not so thick anymore, exposing tons of cowlicks & a weird curly patch behind my left ear. It's darkness has been dusted with platinum streaks (ok, grey) and it doesn't shine much lately. Did I anger the hair witch? Along with all the other witches I've angered lately. OK, I'm trying to grow old gracefully, but, come on, this is not what I bargained for!! Has the hair witch put a curse on me? I'm sure of it. I'm heading out to the library as soon as I finish wrestling with whoever's hair this is (or is it whomever's?). I'm going to find a book on how to break spells put on me by any of the old age witches I must have messed with, unintentionally. Hopefully, I have a few things around here to help with whatever potion I must mix up to break this spell---I have hairspray, volumizing lotion, curling irons, you name it. I may be able to scrounge up some eye of the newt, & I'm sure I can get a hair from an old man (one lives here, after all), that along with plenty of garlic. All I need is a good recipe, and I'm good to go!

Yes, people, I went to the grocery store yesterday. That's me on the left, in my housedress! Not really. I had a real snowbird experience. I live in an adult community (nice words for geezerville) & all the snowbirds who spend the winter here were out in masses yesterday. I waited at least 20 minutes for my turn at the deli counter. When it finally was my turn, I asked for 1/2 lb of corn beef. Deli-woman handed me a sample, I asked for a little thicker cut. Says she, "It gets tougher the thicker it's cut".. Says I," Well, I don't want it too thick." Says she, "Well, I just don't want you coming back here, saying it is too tough." Well, this went on for a couple of minutes, while I'm knee deep in pissed off senior citizens. Finally, I don't care if she puts the lunch meat in a shredder or cuts it with a grater, I tell her to cut it any freaking way she wants, just cut it!! So I got a pile of very thinly cut corn beef! I waded my way out of the deli dept, making sure to note what day this Deli-woman works, & a vow never to come to the store on this day of the week again! I just blew off the swiss cheese I wanted & headed for the check out stand.

This is under one of my tables in my sewing/painting room! Can you believe it?

This is a picture of Gertie, my sewing machine. She's a beauty! Sometimes she jams & tries to munch my fabric, but for the most part we get along.

Here is Sergio--ta da! Of course he is my surger. He will break or cut anything that comes in contact with him. You have to pull pins out like a big dog or he will snap them off & then go for your fingers. We get along fine as long as the pins come out fast!

I have not cleaned this room, or removed any garbage since before Christmas. As you can see, it would be impossible to sew anything in here until I do. That is my New Year promise to myself--I will get organized!!! Why no one believes me, I'm sure I don't know...Just saying!

Isn't this a funny picture? This me, after my morning walk! I usually stay this way for about half of the morning when I return. This eating healthy is killing me & it's no fun. Somehow, when you are craving a big piece of cake, a carrot or a radish just won't do the trick--know what I'm saying? Oh well. Just wasn't one of those people born with a fantastic metabolism. Suck it up!!!!

This is another view of the picture Toni made me for Christmas. When you lift up the front picture, this is what is inside--individual pictures of Toni, Elizabeth, Maggie & me. Cute, huh?

Here is my Christmas tree, which I am getting ready to take down for another year. I think Santa had to much "cheer", as he is about to topple over! I truly hate this job of undecorating.

Here is another, smaller, picture of where I have my cabinet, in my living room. It was pretty heavy to lift--I think Mr. Jay blew a gasket!! Oh well, he needs the exercise. He says he doesn't want to move, paint, re-arrange, drag, or pull anything else in this house for at least a week or two. lol.

01012010

Hi everyone & Happy New Year! Here is the picture of my beautiful China cabinet that my daughter Toni gave me. Isn't it beautiful? I don't know what I'm going to display yet, but at least I managed to get it in it's place. Hurray!