Fun Day

My sister and my mom treated me to a card making party. We had a lot of fun and many laughs. They are so sweet to include me in their crafting.

36 Long

I got a card in the mail today from my cousin. We have lost touch for a while. If you are old and a girl...you would so laugh at this card.

Through the screen door...

It backs down the drive way. The dogs begin to bark. The driver clunks the keg off the tailgate and it thuds onto the ground. The dogs continue to yap. It takes only a few minutes. I hate this truck. It fuels most of our fights. It delays any healing. It helps to numb his pain.

Tour of Italy

It is Wednesday and that means...Life Group! Actually we meet 2 Wednesdays a month. It is a great group of people. Men, women, friends, relatives, pastors, teachers, wives, husbands and musicians, who are funny, knowledgeable, deep thinkers, comedians and all with a love for Jesus. We all do our best and we all fail. We all get up and do our best again.

Tonight the group was a 3 of hearts.

Just 3 of us, so we went to dinner at the Olive Garden. We took the tour of Italy. My love for the Lifers grows with every conversation. I value their wisdom, experience and love of God. I am thankful our paths have crossed.

Vanilla Pumpkin

Wanted to go out and get ice cream, but instead I made 2 point pumpkin muffins using vanilla cake mix. Going shopping in the morning for my weeks supply of "better food choices" so these will have to do for now.

Unconnected Parts

Do you have a drawer like this? Where all of the unconnected parts and pieces live? I try to my best to pull a Martha Stewart and get it all organized, but it fails over and over again. I just close the drawer and let it float away. Can't see the mess, therefore there is no mess.

Board by the Door

When I see his skateboard by the front door, I know he is home. When I see his skateboard by the front door, I know he is safe. When I see his skateboard by the front door, I should pray for him. So much potential, so much waisted time. So much love for the boy that is not mine. He is a child of God and that is his saving grace. He has a plan for my Haggard Prophet. I get to sit back and watch it all unfold.

12 Hours of Sun

I went to two very different pool parties today. The first was all women, salad for lunch and some very irritating pool splashing. The second was the husbands friends from his softball playing days. Mostly fellas he went to school with. Such laughter and love despite the steady flow of adult beverages. I played ladder ball for the first time and enjoyed the game very much. I am so thankful the 12 hours of sun is now over and I can relax and drink my h2o in my own house.

Oil & Vinegar

Always wanted a set of these...

p. s. Please forgive the short posts as of late. Changing ones attitude takes its tole on every part of ones life.

Not Again

Seriously? Close the cupboard!

Millions and Millions

Party in the kitchen!

New Blankie

Working on a new blankie for a little guy in Colorado...The grandson of a former neighbor.

Old School

Old school funeral procession on the way home from work.

Who Wants To Go Swimming?

So, let us take care of some business first. It was pointed out that the title on my blog was misspelled. It's July people, where have you been? I thank the Comedian who pointed it out. You were so kind and I really do appreciate it. With computers we really don't have any excuses right? And by Comedian, I mean that in a loving way because she cracks me up and her name begins the same letter.

Now, about this photo. It has been over 100 degrees for 3 days now. I finally got into the pool to help cool myself off. This is what the girls look like when you ask them if they want to go swimming. They run to sit by my husband and they pin their ears and even look away. As if they don't see me or hear me. I have to pick them up, walk outside and then we all step into the cooling h20 that is just waiting for us in the back yard. We float around for a few minutes. I let them out and when I call??? Yes, they come back and get in again.

Yo Quiero

Every time we have tacos, I remember the day I brought home my Chihuahua, Maggie. We had tacos that night and she wouldn't leave my side. I was afraid she would get splattered or stepped on. Of course we all kept saying, "yo quiero taco bell?" Now that she is 10 years old, I think, will I be sad on taco night when she is no longer here?

Why do create problems that have yet to exist?

100 Degrees

In my car at noon...ooooo it's gonna be a warm one.

Dependent

You may think this post is going to be about cheese. Or a great new product I found. WRONG...I needed to remember the price of this item and new I would forget. I snapped a picture of it instead of writing it down. I have been doing that a lot lately. I am more dependent on my cell phone than I would like to admit.

The Stairs

These are the steps that I stared at for what seemed like hours the day I was told I have diabetes. I remember that day every time I leave the doctors office. I had to wait for my prescriptions and I couldn't sit and look at the wall where the names flashed off and on in alphabetical order. Thinking, the next time I look up, I will see my name squeezed in where it hadn't been before. I walked outside and paced back and forth trying to understand what the doctor had just told me. I was coming undone more and more as the clock ticked on. I didn't want to call my mom and worry her. I called my boss (Mrs. NASCAR) at the time. She was a familiar voice and calmed me down before I unraveled completely, right there in public view. Now every time I see these stairs, I think of her, and that day, and think, this is your reality.

Mini Yummies

Best cookies ever! On a bad day when the pity party is about to start, these are the best cookies to eat. So sweet and yummy and now they come in a mini version. I feel the headache already.

The Mirror

On this day of renewed commitments, I decided to capture a picture of me. In the summer months, I rarely blow dry my hair. It starts out as a good idea then quickly proceeds into a futile attempt to get everything dry. When I was done, I had to go out to the front room and sit near the fan to cool off. What ever...

As I was looking in the mirror, I was rehearsing a speech I was going to give my son, (haggard prophet). In the midst of it all I realized that I should apply the words to myself. I was telling a friend today that I have too much free time and I have found out that I don't like spending time with me. I get itchy to do something but can't find it in me to do anything about it. Almost like sitting on a fence with bad stuff on one side and scary stuff on the other. Hoping not to fall on either side.

ps...this photo is for my igirl...xo

The Barn Book

I got my book today...HBD to me!!! I am excited to to see if I can pull this off. It looks complicated and easy all at the same time. Maybe I'll try something small first...yeah!

Barn Book

I have been wanting this book for about a year now. I love that the quilt can tell a story. My favorite barn is in the upper left corner. It matches my icon on facebook. I look forward to sewing an approximation to the quilt on the cover.

Trojans in the isle

In the middle of the baby isle...

What marketing genius thought this up?
I have kids, need diapers and formula, oh ya and I need protection...Or was it more like, going on a date, with a new girl, now where would those rubbers be? Maybe I'll check next to the rubber pants....brilliant? I don't know...

Neat-Nic

My friend igirl told me one time that maybe I should snap a picture of my grocery cart. Today I did. It made me grumpy to see the mess of it all. When I got to the truck with all of the food in bags and lined up neatly at my tailgate, I took another picture. I liked it so much better. It was calming to see them in a neat row with equal extras on either side.

4th of July

Today is the 4th of July...We gathered at the folks. My younger brother was in charge of the ice cream...Older brother had the barb-b-que. Girls did snacks and all the extras. Grammy did the smores...Fun day with lots of laughs.

Half way rant

Feet are Gross

Yeah! I am now all caught up with my pictures. I have been adding more and more each day trying to be clever with my photo selections. I could have just snapped random junk around the house you know, but I thought that would defeat the purpose of this blog. I am half way through the year and when I look back I see I have accumulated a stack of pictures. I hope there is a way to print it all up. It would be fun to see the different moods of a new blogger. Before I forget, I want to thank every one who has contributed to this blog. Please feel free to leave your name because I don't know that many anonymous people and this old brain of my will burst into flames if I think too hard.

The Mood Regulator

Well, it's that time of year again when the house gets hotter than I can stand. We haven't had to use the swamp cooler yet but I'm sure that day will come. For now my new fan is set on low and doing a fine job of keeping me in a good mood.

New Tools

In my never ending effort to change my outer appearance, I have employed some new tools. They were a gift from Ocean Girl. She knows my struggle and has helped keep me on the right path on more than one occasion. The retro colors are pleasing to me and help to transport me to a long ago time when life was simple and food did not have meaning or emotions attached.

Morning Joe

The house is quiet and I am home alone.

Love it!

I caught up on some needed but time consuming tasks. I updated my email address book. Putting capitals where they were needed and condensing addresses. Deleting extras and updating new last names. It was one of those things that I have wanted to do and never really had the patience to do. So it was me and my morning cup of Joe in my favorite chicken coffee mug. One of one. I like that it didn't come in a group of 4. We spend most Saturdays together, just me and him. Today there was no creamer...(oiy) but we did fine. Look at him in his double serving loveliness...

Old School Finish

My job was to hand stitch the binding on this quilt.

YIKES!

Hand Stitch?

This is an old school method of finishing quilts. It takes time and effort and a little bit of learning. My friend the Sew Pro taught me how. I got most of it done in one night. Finished it up in a couple of hours at home. Wow, I won't finish a quilt any other way from now on. All I can say is "I did it!" Yeah me...

Deere John

One of my favorite memories, is the time I got to spend with Mrs. Don't while she lived at the Sheep unit at Fresno State. She lived in the barn in 2 room converted apartment. Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It was barely 400 square feet. I am sure I am wrong in this estimation and if you know for sure, let me know and I will correct it. She worked hard at the unit as well as going to school and working a regular job off campus. But, she grew up at that unit and she learned what she is made of. She also met her future husband on that campus. But that story involves cows...

1st Thursday of the month

When it is the 1st Thursday of the month, you will find me with a group of ladies who like to quilt and pray. We are a unique assemblage of women. More than half of us are teachers or work in a classroom. We all are over the age of 40. We have someone new at almost every meeting. We have been doing this for 5 months. It is never the same group of people. We always tie and pray, sometimes for people we know, but most times for people we don't. July's meeting produced 6 quilts.

NO HITTING...

I use picture cards to talk. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? This is not my preferred method. I am the kind of person that, if you hit me, I want to hit you back. BUT...if you are a kid that I did not birth, I guess I don't have that right. So, I use picture cards. Thankfully I only have to use these at work and not anywhere else in my life.

Coco's

On a summer evening, I met with a group of ladies from our Wednesday night "living room" group. It was the final night to exchange our thoughts, fears and triumphs. I sat next to "Miss America." Her nick name by choice, and we giggled and talked and wondered if we fit in this group. We said our good-byes before the sun had set. Closure to another chapter of my so called life.

Ya think?

Now I have seen this car twice around town. I am pretty sure this car used to belong to Mrs. Don'ts mother-in-law. She lives over 300 miles North of where I live. How bizarre is that?