Sunday Favorite

Saturated Saturday

We had another heavy rain this afternoon...once again depositing 3 inches in my rain gauge. Left lots of puddles so that amount may be accurate. I'll take it as I have hardly had to water plants this summer. My little neighbor friend came over late this morning with a timer in his hand! He came in and played with some of the toys in the toy closet and then when the timer rang, he picked them up and when he was finished doing that his mama was at the door. The timer was set for twenty minutes and he was satisfied with his time over here. Shortly after he left, the USPS package delivery truck came and left a box on my front porch...my new sauce pan...just in time for me to make something for lunch. I cooked and ate. Then this afternoon, I have pretty much dedicated to my stitching and I am closing in on another ornament finish...I have filled in the circle that I showed you last night...still a little more to go, but the center is mainly stitched. I think I can finish it tonight. I am really wanting to get all this Christmas stitching done as I still have to make them into ornaments will take some time also. And, the fall months are looking to become very busy. I'm glad that I have made this push to get the stitching done early this year. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Challenge of the Day Met!

I finished an ornament last night and have gotten well underway with the next one...a repeat of the one I finished yesterday. This is the ornament chart that gave me quite a challenge. What I have stitched today proved to me today that I had conquered the challenge. I wanted to have the red part of the frame and then the outer green check part of the frame done before I blogged tonight. Challenge met! I decided that it was best to repeat this pattern right after I finished the other one...hoping that I had a bit of a recall with the way the pattern goes! I did the red inner ring first and then the outer ring...that seems to have been the answer! This stitch was much less troublesome than the first time I stitched it! Now to fill in the center with what goes in it and another ornament will be finished...still many little Xs to go! But this gives you a picture into a little of what I have been doing over these last months...really been doing most of the year! After this one...three more to go...unless I realize another that I need to do! I went to Kroger this morning. It was a pretty quick trip, as I didn't need very much...just a few fresh ingredients. I was going to do some cooking, but then decided that I will wait till tomorrow to make what I was planning to cook, as I am awaiting a new saucepan that I will enjoy breaking in with my next cooking efforts. I got everything put away and was about to grab a bite to eat for lunch, when I heard a soft knock on the door. It was my next door neighbor with her new baby and her oldest son. They came in for a little while. The big brother discovered what the door under the stairs leads to...toys! He was pretty intrigued! I may have made a new best friend!! This was my introduction to new baby boy. Little babies are so sweet! He slept peacefully while his big brother played and his mommy and I talked a little. She had heard about Joy at her church so she was wanting to be filled in on how Joy was doing. Here I will catch you up a bit just to say that Joy seems to continue to improve slowly. She will have an evaluation at Vanderbilt's concussion center in the next few weeks. If all goes as planned, Joy will attempt a college class or two on Monday...when college around here gets back underway. Esther will have her first day of college that day and Graham, as an old hand at college will head back, Monday, too. Graham = Middle TN State University, Murfreesboro, TN; Joy = Motlow State Community College, Tullahoma, TN; Esther = Columbia State Communitiy College, Columbia, TN. Esther will be the first of Nathan and Kathy's kids to live away from home for college. She will spend week days there and come home on the weekends. Columbia is just a bit too far for her to commute daily, especially when she has to do farm chores as part of the Vet Tech program, which means she would have to get to campus really early...she would hardly have any time to study if she was on the road commuting daily. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY

Can you believe that it is already Thursday...let alone that Thursday is almost over?!? Where are the years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds going these days? I haven't done a lot today except work toward the finish of this Christmas ornament. I was determined to have it finished before I blogged, but I had to move away from it and do some communicating with friends and family! I am nearing a finish and this time successfully...ooooh, I had better be quiet or the last part of the finish might not go well! One of the "things" that took me away from my stitching was making a decision about a new printer. My old one will only print in black these days...I have been getting by with just black, but have some upcoming things to print that will have to be in color. I had asked Melany and Nathan for input as to what kind to get this time. So I have been texting back and forth with them about which one...Melany suggested one and Nathan suggested another. In the end I went with the one that Nathan recommended...less expensive now and supposed to be economical in the future and it was smaller than the one that Melany suggested. It will be the first time, with all the printers we have had with our computers, that I haven't gone with HP...we will see how I adapt to change!!!! This one is an Epson. Melany's suggestion was a Brother. It will be here on Sunday! Almost as fast as I could have gotten one IF Office Max was still an option here in town! I have made do without color for over a year...so will certainly be able to do without till Sunday! I guess that texting, ordering, stitching, reading, and one phone call have taken up most of my day...sounds like a lazy day to me...but I still needed a nap this afternoon even though I had done nothing strenuous!!! Probably makes for a doubly lazy day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

“No Trees! No Floaters!”

Tonight's title is the good news from Erin's laser eye surgery. She told me today that she no longer sees trees and floaters, which to me sounds like a successful surgery! She said that she was only tired today after her surgery yesterday. I have had another day of doing a little of this and a little of that...sort of seems like the norm lately. I stll need to empty the dishwasher. I did do a load of towels today. They are folded and ready to be taken upstairs. Now that I think of it, I do still need to fold and put away the kitchen towels. I have worked away at my latest Christmas ornament...not getting very far very fast! I got home a little while ago from Wednesday night Bible study. I stood around and visited with friends for a little whle before heading home. Wonderful to have a church family! When I got home I dragged in the trash can. That job done I am for the evening ready to do a little more and then relax the rest of the evening and hopefully continue with my stitching. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Fun Tuesday!

Today has pretty much been a catching up with friends day. Carolyn, Jo and I met at the new Panera in town and enjoyed a good lunch...but even more we enjoyed just being together and visiting and catching up with each other. It was just fun! This afternoon I have talked to Melany and Connie on the phone...so more visiting! Melany was catching me up on Erin. Today was her laser surgery for her eye problem caused by her diabetes. She did well. She does have a patch over it so nothing is known as to if thee problem is solved...she's hoping to see less trees/logs and floaters! She said that her eye was sore and that she had been napping after the surgery. I guess she will know more about how the surgery went once she takes the eye patch off. She and I had some "pirate talk/texting" because of her eye patch! I have done a little more stitching on the next ornament. I will say that the latest one didn't go so well and I got off in my counting some how...so I abandoned that one and have moved on to another one...not worth my time to try to figure out where the mistake is! Let's just say that it is hard to stitch a checkered border that is round...think about it! I will make one more attempt at it, but if that is a fail, I will find another ornament to stitch! There's something about being so close to being finished stitching ornaments that seems to have slowed me down. Yesterday when I started the neew one I had three to go after it was finished, but now I have started another one in that ones place, I have it and four more to go! Quesstioning my math skills...well, I realized I had forgotten about one I needed to stitch...that's the explanation and I'm sticking to it! Well, back to stitching...hoping that this start is more successful than my last one! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautiouis!

The Question and Answer of the Day!

Today, Patrick asked Esther to marry him...and her answer was, "Yes!" Oh, my! Time really does need to slow down. Surely Esther is still that tiny little girl, who loved to wear the dresses I made her all the time! That's changed!! She's mainly a jeans and boots kind of girl these days! Esther's life is really changing, today she's engaged...yesterday she moved some of her things into an apartment where she will be living when she starts college next week! Lots going on...her head must be spinning! Anything that I can add to this news from my day pales in comparison! Let's just say that I have had a good day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite!

A Positive Joy Report!

It has been a good day...rather busy. I got up and did a few things around the house...nothing that "had" to be done, but things that I "wanted" to get done before Melany, Wade, and Erin got here. Those "things" that I tend to put off unless someone is going to pay me a visit. I got all those "things" done before my Cottey College Alum Zoom Bookclub meeting. We had a good time discussing and chatting among outselves. It is always good to get with this group once a month. Today was especially enjoyable since my friend, Randi, from childhood lead the discussion. After the Zoom meeting, I ate my lunch before Melany, Wade, and Erin got here, and, then went and just sat in the living room awaiting their arrival. I got to feeling sleepy so I dozed just a bit because I knew that I would hear their car doors when they arrived...and, it worked. I got a very short cat nap in, which helped me not be sleepy during their visit! We had a really nice visit. Erin seemed to feel the best that I had seen her feel in some time. She joined in our conversations. Hurricane Erin came up and we talked about the Hurricane Erin that happened 30 years ago just prior to Erin turning two. I made a special page in her scrapbook about Hurricane Erin. I aked her if she would like to see it and she said "yes." I went upstairs and brought it down...it is a REALLY big scrapbook...and, shhh, don't let the others know, but they don't have scrapbooks...that's what happens when you are the first grandchild! Alex has one, but there is hardly anything in it! Anyway...back to the scrapbook...Erin enjoyed looking at that page and then she paged through the rest of the scrapbook from that page to the back. I think she enjoyed it. She remembered some things in it...most she did not! But she learned a few things that she did and said due to me capturing them for posterity! Melany, later, looked through the whole scrapbook. At some point, Melany read a message on Facebook that Kathy had posted with good news about Joy...a breakthrough...last night they had one of Joy's friends come over. Joy and this younglady co-lead the youth worship band. The two girls started talking worship music and songs...Joy's first real conversation since her concussion happened six weeks and one day ago. And, she spoke quite a bit...quiet talking at times because her head was hurting so much--but it was a real conversation. This is very encouraging. She's not back totally yet...but this is progress...good progress. Kathy said that she saw Joy push through her pain last night and join them for a little while. Continued prayers are definitely still needed. Soon college classes will start. We will see how she rallies through that challenge! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday Doings

The first task of the day was to finalize the grocery list and then head to Kroger. Donna and I decided that we are oretty much on the same schedule. We walked in Kroger's doors at exactly the same moment. We, of course, had to visit and catch up! After all we hadn't seen each other since Tuesday! I hadn't been to the store in two weeks, but still didn't need a lot, as I am determined that I will continue to use what's in the freezer. For supper this evening, I made chicken salad with a 2-cup package of cooked cut up chicken from the freezer. Tasted good. I have Sweet 'n Sour Pork thawing in the refrigerator for anotheer meal this weekend. I have spent quite a bit of time on the phone this afternoon...catching up with some and making plans with others. I've also been straightening up around the house. Melany, Wade, and Erin plan to come for a visit tomorrow. They plan to come after lunch. I am a little farther along on the Christmas ornament than I was last night...closing in on a finish. Not sure that I will get it finished today as I have a couple of other things to do around the house before I go to bed tonight. Tomorrow is another Cottey College Alum Bookclub Zoom meeting. I have that book finished. This Zoom discussion is supposed to be lead by my childhood friend, Randi. It will be good to spend the time with her and the rest of the group. I read the book some time ago, so I have looked up a summary of the book on the internet to refresh my memory! I have actually read the book twice. The first time was during Covid. I was intrigued by the title, The House on Mango Street. The reason that it caught my attention is that We lived on Mango Ave. when we lived in Sunnyvale, CA back in the early 70s. I will say that it wasn't my favorite read back five years ago and when I reread it for the group, it is still not very high on my list...perhaps the reason that I haven't kept details in my mind! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

The Lost is Found!

I have been looking for my sunglasses for a while now...trying to figure out where I could have lost them or where they might have put them. Well, today answered the question as to how long since I have had them...our last barn trip..so the end of June. I had looked in my "Barn Trip" tote bag, but hadn't thought about my camera bag. I decided to clean and straighten up around my downstairs recliner...lots surrounds that chair since I "live" there a lot of the time. There are things for needlework and things for photography and just general things like pencils, books, etc., etc. I have a three-tier tray rolling "shelf" that sits next to my chair. The top tray usually has stitching things on it. The middle has kleenex box and pencil holders filled with pencils and pens and other items I might need while sitting in my chair. The bottom tray has camera things on it...including my camera bags. I decided that I would take things off all the trays today and dust and put or throw away things that had accumulated on the various trays. Since it is on wheels, I pulled it away from my chair and out into the room so I could get to the things better. I looked down and there tucked into the pocket on the bag of the camera bag was my glasses case and inside were my sunglasses! I was very happy to be reunited with them! I will get them back into the car, where I usually keep them. I had taken them out of the car because I was going off with Marie and Carolyn on a barn trip. In saying all this, I have summarized a bit of what I have done today...trying to do a litte cleaning that doesn't get done all the time...like going behind my chair with the vacuum, straightening out the basket container next to my chair, clearing off the table next to my chair...just general straightening up. I still have a little more to do...but getting closer to having "my spot" cleaned up a bit more than usually gets done. I have done some more stitching on Melany and Wade's Christmas ornament. I took all the finished Christmas ornaments upstairs to join the pile of others that are up there. Got all my clothes out of the family room and upstairs and put away. I have a load of clothes in the washer that I will put in the dryer when I finish this blog. So it has been a little of this and a little of that day. I'm going to finish up a little more and then stitch. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Back to Class

The day started out very rainy. It rained hard for a while and then rained a good part of the morning. I poured out 4 inches of rain from the rain gauge yesterday. I haven't gone out to empty it today...but...drum roll...looking out my sun porch window, it looks like there is another 3 inches in it! I still wonder if this is registering correctly. But then I heard about flash flooding on Interstate 24 near Chattanooga...so "just" down the road from me, it was a nightmare for cars and trucks and rescuers and the interstate in that area was closed for a while. So I know that there has been unusual amounts of rain in short periods of time happening around me...so guessing that my gauge is perhaps fairly correct. The yard looked like a lake for a little while this morning. Today I went back and forth between doing some things around the house and stitching. I am well underway with Melany and Wade's ornament...hoping to get even further this evening. I still have a load of wash to put away...just haven't gotten upstairs with it yet. I just returned from church. The class I referred to in the blog title is the Bible study started back up tonight after the summer break. It was good to start up that routine, again. I decided to run to the Credit Union before church...but to my surprise they now close at 5pm...wonder when that started. I rarely go in the evening, but it used to close at 6pm. Oh, well, I tried! I am home and settling in for the evening per usual. I got to see Kathy and Joy this eveninng. They joined us for the Bible study and sat right behind me. Joy very quiet...but there. I talked to her a little and got a couple of smiles and shrugs from her. Esther has orientation at Columbia State Community College tomorrow. "Things" are gearing up! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

How Can 25 Years Have Passed Us By?!?

Twenty-five years ago today, Nathan and Kathy said, "I do!" How does time go by so quickly! In some ways it seems just like yesterday and in others like more than 25...especially when I think of all the things that have happened in those 25 years! They had a special get away planned to celebrate, but had to postpone it till Joy is doing better. They had planned to go to Alaska...something for them to look forward to...they can look forward both to the trip and to the fact that Joy is well enough for them to go! Joy continues to progress but very slowly...way too slowly in our eyes! I was awakened this morning by a really hard downpour that lasted for a while. It rained so hard that you couldn't see out the screens or the glass in our windows. I attempted to see what had been deposited in the rain gauge, but couldn't really see...but...thought that it showed around 1/2". After lunch, I headed to the church to work in the library with Donna. We got the books, that we started working on last week, the rest of the way ready and are now on the new-book shelf ready to be checked out. It started sprinkling on my way home, but I got in the house without meeting a drop of rain. Not long after I got inside, the bottom dropped out of the clouds, again. I was looking out to see if I could see the rain gauge and to my surprise, I saw that where I saw the splat of a rain drop in the gauge at about the 4" mark! So I'm guessing that the rain on the screen and window panes this morning kept me from seeing the actual rain line. So between the two rains I guess we got almost 4". Guess I won't have to water for a few days! I did get the next Christmas ornament started last night. Plus this morning, I checked in the pile of finished ornaments that were upstairs, as I realized that I had one up there that I hadn't "asssigned" to anyone. I looked at it and realized that it was a good one for Alex and Brooke...so one more finished...which puts me down to the one I am stitching and I think four more ornaments and I will be finished with my ornaments to gift this Christmas. Countdown is on! Then I can go back to stitching whatever I want when I sit down to relax in the evenings...or whenever. And, I can start thinking about finishing them into ornaments. To be continued! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday…a Good Day

The end of the day is fast approaching and when I look back on the day, I am wondering just what I did today. Over the weekend I did finish Erin's ornament. Today I spent some time trying to figure out what ornament I want to do for Alex and Brooke. I have in mind most of the ornaments that I will be stitching for gifts this Christmas, but I'm still not sure about what I want to stitch for them. I think that I will go on and stitch Melany and Wade's while I ponder that question. I did look through several Christmas Cross Stitch magazines that are dedicated to ornaments, but I still haven't made up my mind for Alex and Brooke. I put away the floss that I used for Erin's ornament and getting ready to get out what I need for the next ornament. I got my hair cut today. I am so thankful that Jody is back to cutting hair, since Joy still isn't up to trying her hand at hair cutting yet! And, because I got my hair cut...it had to be a good day! I am home from prayer meeting...so I am watching the waning of this latest Monday! I do think that I will begin the next ornament before I go to sleep tonight. If I have calculated correctly, I "just" have six more ornaments to stitch. I think that I will have stitched around 25 by the time I have finished these last six. I will gather them all together and find out the final count once I am finished. Right now I have upstairs a stack of ornaments and another stack down here with me that I have finished stitching. Eventually they will all be stacked together all ready for the finishing process...stitching is only the beginning...still making them into ornaments to go...but that task takes less time than the stitching and I can do a little assembly-line sewing when making them...at least I hope I can! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautiouis!

Sunday Favorite

Technology! 🙄

Ugh! I rarely use a Windows computer these days...have pretty much moved to Apple. This morning Melany asked me if I could send her a picture of Alex when he was in my niece Rachel's wedding. Well, those photos are only accessible through a Passport external drive which has to be used with one of the Microsoft laptops. The laptop that I consider mine is very old and I mainly only use it with my sewing machine. So I brought the Passport down and plugged it into Woody's laptop. I was able to get to the photos and found the ones that I wanted to send to Melany, BUT...I could not get to gmail with this computer...though, I know that Woody used to check email on it just about daily. It took a while, but I finally managed to get the email open...as can be seen in tonight's photo...BUT what a pain! I have never been too thrilled since I had to change keyboards for my iPad...the workings of it still leave a lot to be desired and has already given me problems in typing this tonight! (More eye rolling!) But at least I was able to get a photo sent to Melany...I was determined to do it...and, today...I won! This has been a slow day for me. I haven't felt the greatest...really tired...so I just gave in to that and have sat a lot today and stitched and watched sewing shows. Erin's ornament is coming right along. While I stitch hers, I am thinking about what ornament I will stitch next! I am also thinking that I am closing in on being finished with Christmas ornaments for this year. I "hope" that I will be finished with ornaments by the end of the month...but that may be pushing myself a little. Kathy told me yesterday that she thought that Joy was a little more alert, but that she still wasn't doing anything on her phone or computer. She has glasses to help her with the blue light...she's trying those out, but still not interested in using them with screens! I got tickled and asked Nathan and Kathy if they ever thought that they would be wishing that one of their children would use screens more! Usually it is the opposite...wishing that they would use screens less! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday Comes 'Round Again

It seems like every time I blink it's Friday, again! Time is really flying by. As Woody and I often said to each other: "Times flies when you are having fun...and, even when you aren't! I continued with my reorganizing of my freezer and can say that I have gone through everything...consoladated some things, threw some away, put thiings in fresh freezer bags, etc. I'm not sure that I have gained any space...but at least I do know what is in my freezer now. I mentioned last night that I had taken some things out of the plastic containers that I had frozen them in and that the containers pretty much filled up the dishwasher. Well, today the freezer clean out lead to another job...sorting out and reorganizing the storage containers...had to find space for all those that had been in the freezer! I got a couple of shelves straightened out, but there is still one that I need to reorganize...that will wait for another day. I am through in the kitchen for this day! I decided that I had no need to go to Kroger today so skipped that trip. The only errand I ran today was to the Credit Union. I headed out mid afternoon and looked in the sky and realized that clouds were gathering, but figured that they would lead to nothing as they so often do these days. But as I was coming out of the Credit Union, my phone told me that it was going to start raining in the next six minutes and that it would last for 26 minutes...or some such. And, the phone was right...before I got very far down the road heading home, it started raining...rained pretty hard for a few minutes...but lessened as I approached my house. I put my car in the garage and decided to run between raindrops nd head in...after all I won't melt! I did get a little wet. I think that the rain gauge shows about 1/4"...we had a pop-up shower yesterday afternoon, too. That one really didn't give us any measurable rain...or so my rain gauge said. I decided that it rained enough to forego watering this evening. I have a load of wash drying now...so will put them away when they arer dry. I washed them this morning, but it was close to when "peak" hours for electricity go up so waited till we were "off Peak" to dry them. Trying to help out the grid...and my pocketbook!!! I plan to cross stitch and read this evening. I am a little farther along with Erin's Christmas ornament. It's turning out cute...though still looks very big to me after my tee-tiny stitches for the other ornaments that I have made so far. I started another book yesterday after I finished the one I had been reading. So I'm settling in for a quiet evening of stitching and reading...and, perhaps a little TV if I am stitching. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Thursday Thoughts

I just hung out around the house today...once again, doing a little of this and a little of that. The place that I worked the most was in the kitchen. I decided that I needed to organize my freezer. I ended up taking out things that were in containers, for example, if I froze chicken broth in a Tupperware container, I took the frozen broth out and put it in a ziplock bag. I also looked for things that had been in the freezer for too long and threw some things away. I am trying to store the things in ziplock bags a little bit differently than I have in the past...still trying to decide if my change is good! This is a work in progress. The freezer is sill pretty full. I need to continue to dig through and reposition items and continue to find out just what exactly is in there! I also made some Dilly Cheese Bread. I thought it would taste good with the ham salad that I made while the bread baked. Cheryl made this bread recently and said that it was good so I decide to try it. It is supposed to be made with Bisquick and I didn't have any so I got onine and found out how to make a substitute for it from scratch...it worked. The bread tasted good with my ham salad. The bread is like a biscuit in loaf form. I have stitched more on Erin's ornament and I also finished another book. I'm still thinking through and working up to starting a sewing project...maybe I will dive into it one of these days. Currently just being inspired when I see the fabric laying on my cutting board! I just started the dishwasher...lots of Tupperware containers and also have a load of wash in the dryer. Sounds like the clothes are ready to be taken out. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Mid Week

I'm going to blog a bit early tonight because I want to go out to water before it gets dark. i should have done the watering this morning, but didn't think about it when I should have done it. It is still in the mid 80s...but it has been a while since it rained and I think that my plants are thirsty. I have stayed home all day. I have done a little cleaning...very little, a little reading, and a little stitching on the latest Christmas ornament, and, a little playing with my camera. This ornament seems so strange to me...I am stitching it on a larger count base than I am used to stitching on...so the Xs are about four times bigger than I have been making. Most of the ornaments that I am stitching this year are less than a two-inch square. Erin's ornament is already 3 1/2 inch across and I'm not all the way across it, yet. I don't have to use any magnification other than my usual reading glasses...just seems strange after I have made so many small ones! Hope my eyes won't have a problem adjusting when I go back to smaller after I finish this one! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Truly Tuesday!

Tonight's photos show off my great-granddog, Mabel. She got her photo taken in several places on Webb School campus and then put on social media for welcoming back the Webb students for the new school year. Mabel belongs to my grandson, Alex and his wife, Brooke. Brooke teaches Spanish at Webb and Alex substitutes there. They are both dorm parents. The school year is gearing up to get started. I talked to Melany part of her way home today. She was telling me about the progress of her school getting back underway...so far no children have graced their campus...tomorrow the children come for a two hour day and then they will get underway "for real" on Friday. Melany teaches art at Barfield Elementary in Rutherford County...part of Murfreesboro, TN. Murfreesboro has many schools...part of them are Murfreesboro City Schools and part of them are Rutherford County schools. I have had a pretty good day. Last night I finished stitching another Christmas ornament. Today I got underway with another one. The ornament I finished last night was the last for Nathan and Kathy's family...now on to Melany's family. I'm working on Erin's right now. Donna and I worked in the church library this afternoon. We worked on a new book order. We about got trapped in the library. New carpet is being put down in the hallways outside the library and we were told that it would be quite a while before we could get out due to glue being put down outside our door...but then were told that we would be able to exit to the right of our door. We wondered if it was going to be like an escape room to get home! But by the time we were ready to go some of the carpet was covering the glue...so we were able to leave the usual way...I guess you could say we were one of the first to walk on the new carpet! I stitched and did a little napping after I got home. I am hoping to get a bit farther on Erin's ornament before my eyes close to go to sleep for the night. And, I will admit that I am glad that I am not getting ready to go back to teaching...glad that I am retired!!!To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Cooler August Day

The last two days have brought us cooler temperatures...didn't get out of the 70s! I know that this is just a teaser...but the cooler temps do bode hints of Fall! I have had a stay-at-home day except for this evening's prayer meeting. I have done lots of "a little of thats" and "a little of thises." I generally picked up around the downstairs things that belong upstairs, but had found their way down. I did do a little more cooking. A week or so ago, I looked through a cookbook just to see if there was something that sounded good to me...something that I hadn't fixed in a while. I came across a recipe for tapioca pudding and that sounded really good. That is a childhood memory of Mother fixing it for us when we were sick...so I guess that probablly puts in a comfort food category. One of the things that needed to be put away in my "picking up" was the box of tapioca that I had recently bought. I had left it on the counter so I would be reminded to make it. Today, I decided that I would either make it or put the box away in the pantry. I decided that I would make it and then put it away. It definitely brought back memories when I ate some of it. I talked to Cheryl today and asked her if she remembered Mother making it for us and whether she liked it or not. She does remember and also does like it. I will file that away in my brain and perhaps make it when she and Rachel pay me a visit in the not too distant future. They are thinking about coming perhaps sometime in September. We had an enjoyable time celebrating Esther's 18th birthday yesterday. I will report that I thought that Joy did seem a little better. I saw several real "Joy smiles." She joined us in the kitchen when we sang Happy Birthday to Esther and then got in line for cake and ice cream. So...little by litltle...To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 18th, Esther!

Part Lazy Part Busy Saturday

So my day started out quite early as I woke up waaaay too early and then couldn't get back to sleeep. This happens to me because once I've slept any where from 2-4 hours, my body knows it has had a good nap...so...I am ready to go for a while. I usually read or stitch till I am sleepy again. Well, this morning I never felt sleepy so finally got up, had breakfast, emptied the dishwasher and went upstairs to work on the tablecloth for Kathy. I gathered things together that I needed, but decided to sit down and read for a few minutes before I got started and read. Well, I fell asleep and, I guess, caught back up on that sleep I missed in the middle of the night! Once I woke up, I was ready to get going on the tablecloth and knocked that job out very quickly. It is alll folded up and back in its storage bag. Then...just for fun...I got out fabric, pattern, etc. for a top that I have been wanting to make. Maybe I will be inspired to work further on it! I am so out of practice sewing for myself...we will see! Once I was back downstairs, I got back to working in the kitchen...freezing items that I have been cooking so I will have them for meals in the future. I just finished the Chunky Tomato Sauce with Sweet Italian Sausage. I am letting it cool, then I will put it in the refrigerater over night and will put part of it in the freezer and have part of it for me to eat this coming week. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Proof of Joseph’s Fish Story

Nathan and Kathy stopped by this morning and shared the above picture of Joseph and the fish he caught yesterday...yay, Joseph!!! I got up and completed my grocerey list and got ready to head out. Nathan texted me just as I was checking out at Kroger...so they waited for me to get home. Good helpers for getting the groceries in! They stopped by to share about meeting that they and Joy had at Motlow State Community College this morning. Joy is determined to go on and go to college this semester and they were finding out what type of accomodatioins she can have due to her concussion. They were also checking about what would happen with her scholarship if she isn't able to go this semester. It was a good meeting and it looks like they will work with Joy and hopefully she will be able to at least attempt to take some classes this upcoming semester. Several suggestions were made to make it easier on Joy. Kathy and Nathan both said that they have seen more improvement over the last days...still slow, but she does seem to be heading in the right direction. Kathy had snapped a picture of Joy laughing and it looked like "our Joy." After lunch, I took a short nap and then headed off to run an errand for Melany. Melany was looking for a couple of items that she had found at their local Dollar Tree that she wanted for her school room. I told her that I would check out Tullahoma's Dollar Tree. I did not find what she wanted, but at least I tired! I ended up cooking...again...seems to be a habit this week. I guess I just want to clean up messes in the kitchen! I made one of the recipes that I got ingredients for at the store today. I didn't want to wait to make it as I had thawed things for the recipe so needed to use them. I made Sweet 'n Sour Pork...very good...plus it used several things up from the refrigerator, freezer and pantry. I never got to my sewing room to work on the table cloth for Kathy...guess it is put off till tomorrow...and, at this point tomorrow never seems to come! I'm going to their house on Sunday to celebrate Esther's birthday so I am determined to take it...finished...to Kathy on Sunday! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Happy August!