[gma22]

Good weekend morning girls. I don't know why I woke up so early this morning. I don't have to be up for another half an hour to get things going for our day with Thomas. I am really looking forward to it.

I have one sleeve and the side seam to sew up then the organza ribbon to buy and sew on and I am done with my dd's birthday sweater. I even figured out the I-cord bind off all by myself. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, in fact it was pretty easy. The sweater is pretty cute and I love the purple color. The only bad thing is I have to take out my contacts and sew it without glasses. It is the only way I can see the dark stitches to sew them up properly. I have really good close up vision without my glasses or contacts so I just take them out and do the sewing up.

My mother's 84th birthday would have been today. She has been gone 10 years now. On top of that, I have a birthday coming up a week from Friday, UGH! You sure don't look forward to them like when you were a kid, do you? I don't have a problem being older, just that it keeps coming back around again! I always know summer is over when my birthday has come and went.

Jack's one year anniversary on his heart surgery is Tuesday. I can't believe it has already been a year. Seems like yesterday we went through all that. Sure is amazing what they can do in medicine these days. His parents' generation died what what he had with no help.

Well, I want to go ahead and get the rest of the sweater sewn up and my morning chores finished.

Have a good Saturday and do something fun today!
Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! I will chat while I wait for another load of laundry to finish. It seems like all I've accomplished this morning is laundry which isn't all bad, I guess. The sun has disappeared and it looks cold and windy outside. My furnace has been running off and on; I even put an extra blanket on the bed last night. It felt pretty good too! Bob is gone until sometime this afternoon. I need to make a grocery run so should make a list.

"Gma" -- Thanks for starting the new thread. I didn't even notice that I was #18 last night. I know you are having a fun time with Thomas today! It doesn't seem like it has been a year since Jack's surgery. Time does have a way of flying by.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend! Bob wants to go to SAM's Club tomorrow after church so I had better get my "to do" list done today. There is never enough time!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning gals! We had a ball with Thomas. Since we don't see him often, I sure notice big changes in him. He is one really, really smart cookie. We played this game called "Pass the Pigs" and he was score keeper. You played to 100 points and that child would write down your first score, then keep a running total for both of us IN HIS HEAD! He would add double digit scores like it was nothing and I originally said to him, "Thomas, don't you want to write the scores down?" He told me no that he could just keep them in his head! We also played Monopoly with his granddad, which he won on his own, and the kid has memorized every rental price on every property on the board and knew who owned what, etc the whole game! The one funny thing that would tell you he was still a little kid is he would bid outrageous amounts when a property would be auctioned. We would make him slow down and do small bids at a time. I found out from his mom he has been excepted into a gifted program (big surprise) and will start I believe in a week or so with what Thomas calls his "challenge" class. Kelly and Tom stayed for dinner when they picked him up last night (we had "Faye's Stuff," Susan) and she was telling me his teacher told her Thomas shouldn't be in 2nd grade but about 5th and that he was the only kid who got her jokes even to the point of rolling his eyes at the ones he thought were silly, etc. I am also amazed at how far he has come with his piano lessons. He said he is working on "Hedwig's Theme," which is the theme song to the Harry Potter movies. He plays using the pedals now and had to tell me all about how much harder it is to play using the pedals.

We went to Micky D's for breakfast so he could have pancakes and sausage, then we came home and played "Sorry" then went to PuttPutt and played golf, went to the store to get some more stuff for dinner, then came home and we played the pig game then went out to the movies, came back and played Monopoly for about 2 hours. He told us when we were playing that he is the "Tominator" when he plays Monopoly and no one wins against him! lol We just had a grand time with him. He is like having fun with a little adult that isn't quite grown up.

Here are a couple pics of Kelly's finished sweater for her birthday and Jay's Chicago Cubs scarf for his next month. I still have his hat to do and I am going to try my hand at duplicate stitch on his hat. I still have to get the organza ribbon to sew on Kelly's sweater before it will be done. The sparkle is water droplets, not sparkle yarn as it is being blocked. I think the neckline came out great and it was my first attempt at icord bind off.

Jean: You don't walk all over Sam's in high heels do you? We used to stop at the store on our way home from church and walk all over then stand in line and my feet would be killing me by the time I got home.

Better get some morning chores done, I guess and start my load of laundry for the day.

Faye

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! Went to early church and Bob had an ushers' meeting afterwards so we drove two cars. Our new minister prefers kneeling at the rail with individual cups and bread cubes for communion. YIPPEEEEEEE! No more "rip 'n dip" for me! He is much more into tradition than our previous minister -- we stand a whole lot more during the service than we ever have, and he has put in some responses that we have never done before. When Bob got home we made a flying trip to Sioux City to hit SAM's Club, Penneys, and K-Mart. K-Mart is pushing the use of Sears credit card there. The Penneys store is catering to one particular culture and I wouldn't carry any of it out of the store if they gave it to me. I was looking for a nice outfit to wear when we visit another out-of-town church in October. (Bob's high school group is singing.) Bob is out mowing now and I'm finishing up the laundry -- farm clothes to be exact.

"Gma" -- It does sound like you had a grand time yesterday! I never liked Monopoly because I always lost. That is one disadvantage to being an only child because there are no other kids to play board games with. I played a lot of cards with my grandparents though. We have a nephew who is "brilliant" (just ask his mother!) and when they moved from IA to AZ he skipped a grade. Academically he did fine, but socially he was way behind. He has "short man's" syndrome and was always fighting. He did end up going to West Point, but I still remember what a brat he was when he was little -- a biter and a fighter! Kelly's sweater is beautiful! I love the color! I'm sure Jay will enjoy his extra long scarf! I haven't worn heels since I had my toe surgery. In fact I just gave several pair to the Good Will this summer. I'm looking for a lower heel to wear with a suit that I have. We changed clothes before heading off to Sioux City -- in fact I dug out my sandals again. If I know we are not changing clothes, I always take another pair of shoes along in the car just in case. When my feet hurt I hurt all over!

Hope you all are enjoying your day! It was supposed to hit 80 today and it is 75 so we're close. Tomorrow is another 80+ day. This is crazy weather for sure! Have a marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning gals! I want to get back to work on Jackson's little sweater for Christmas so I got up early so I could get things around the house done first. Gotta get those chores done!

I am going to Indiana next month to see my little Jackson. I am not flying, but driving and going for a week, but the kids are paying for it for my birthday, which is a week from Friday. I "talked" to Jackson on the phone yesterday. Jay says he is standing now with locked legs and grabs at everything. He was just making all kinds of talk yesterday on the phone. Jay said he was complaining because Dad had had him all day and he wanted to see mommy, who was working. I can't wait to go now. I am going to leave Oct 18th and come back the next Tuesday. That Monday is Jay's birthday so I thought it would be nice to spend it with him. I sure hope I get the yarn for his hat today so I can get going on it. I am going to do duplicate stitch on the folded up brim with CUBS on it and I have never done it so I need to get the stuff so I have time. The hat won't take buy a day though. I think I will then just get him a gift card to Land's End or Eddie Bauer or something like that. I got a Macy's one for Alicia so maybe I will do the same for Jay.

Jean: We are going to be near 90 today again. It isn't too bad this morning yet. It was nice on Saturday. We didn't cook playing putt putt, but it was windy. I am not a Monopoly fan either as I always lose too, but it is always fun playing games with T. His parents play with him a lot as do his other grandparents and his aunt when she sees him so he gets a lot of game and card time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised he is so good. I found a couple cute card games for him for Christmas I think he will like. I am now in the gift buying mode so I can get all their gifts for Christmas. We aren't buying at all for the adults anymore so I am spending a little extra on each boy. I found some really cute stuff for Jackson and this cool thing from Hammacher Schlemmers I brought home from the Skymall mag on the plane. It is an ATM bank. Thomas hoards his money like Silas Marner so I thought he would like it. You can make deposits and withdrawals and you have your own atm card to use and everything. It is pretty cool. It is the one time Kelly won't be upset about me giving him money I think so I will contribute to his bank balance this year.

I guess I better get going and get the rest of the work done. I need to make a hotel reservation for Christmas too as we are going to Indiana for Christmas this year.

Have a good Monday.
Faye

[gma22]

Good morning everyone! It should be a lovely day here again today though still quite warm by fall standards.

I got my yarn for my son's hat so want to get started on it today. I am kind of having trouble deciding on a pattern, but I think I have what I want now. I want to make him a simple fold up brim watch cap style stocking cap and everyone wants to do it differently. I am one of those pattern people and so I don't really make stuff up for myself. If I was knitting for myself or Jack so that I could try things on for size, it might be different, but this has to be right without the person trying it on first. I have found most patterns for hats cater to women and not men, so I want to be sure the hat is big enough. I want the fold up brim to be wide enough to sew CUBS on it too. I will just play it by ear and use Jack to measure the length I guess.

Not much going on in my world. I am waiting for Jay to get back to me on an alternate date to go to Indiana since the weekend I picked is not good for them. I will then go in and change the dates on my car rental.

The animals were up and down last night and Fortune won't jump up on the bed by himself so you have to get up and put him on the bed when he barks. I have doggy steps I paid a king's ransom for and should just keep making him use them every night I go upstairs until he is comfortable with it. Maybe I will start that again tonight and give it a longer period of time for him to get used to them. It took awhile for him to use our stairs when we moved in here. He was afraid of them.

I should get going gals. I have lots I want to get done today.

Faye

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! My first post disappeared just as I was finishing so I hope for better luck with this one.

The quilt shows were a lot of fun. Had a great time with my friend.

Sunday Stan and I went look for refrigerators. I wanted to be sure he'd be able to reach things from his wheelchair. We ended up with the bottom mounted freezer drawer (as opposed to door). Everything is very accessible. He can get ice out from the icemaker (couldn't reach it in the top mount), and we have filtered water dispenser in the refrigerator compartment (not in the door). It's being delivered today. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's but the best buy was still with the little appliance store I have dealt with for 20 years. And the best after sale service as well.

Boss is gone on another vacation so now I am busy keeping things going while he is gone.

Finally started knitting on a pair of socks for myself...but I really hate to think about having to put my sandals away and donning shoes and socks again.

Faye, as always, your knitting projects are beautiful. Lucky recepients!

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! Just checking in before I head off to bed. I had card club last night and didn't even turn the computer on. I'm beginning to think I am too "old" to be out at night! We used to play cards until midnight and then sit and eat/visit for another hour or so. Now we quit playing about 9 and are home by 10! I was tired last night and it was sticky stuffy in the house. I should have turned the air on but didn't. I woke up a couple times and was too warm. I hate that!

"Gma" -- You will have a fun time spoiling Jackson for a week! Your knitting projects are coming right along. Hard to believe it is time to think about Christmas shopping! I'd like to do a trip to ToysRUs and do it all in one shot. I'm sure they are probably more expensive but they have a much better selection than WM!

Susan -- I'm sure you will enjoy your new refrigerator! I haven't seen one with the water dispenser inside the fridge. It's good that you can keep the office running smoothly while your boss is away.

I'm heading off to bed! Have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

Jean -- in Iowa!

[gma22]

Good Wednesday morning girls! We are going to have another hot one today, near 90. I sat here and paid bills this morning, which is always fun. I do like the ability to pay almost everything online though. I don't have to be addressing envelopes and stamping and writing out checks. Now that our stupid utility company has moved into the 21st century and allows you to pay online for a fee, I pay everything but one bill online.

Susan: What would the men in our lives do without us? I told my friend in Indiana that I could stay up there as long as I liked but I would come home to poop all over the house and cat and dog skeletons. Jack has never once cleaned out the litter box, changed it out or anything and he promised he would take care of the cat back when he found it if I would let him bring it home. I pretty much feed and take care of all the needs of both pets including vet visits and such. I am laying down the law while I am gone and I told him he has to keep the cat box cleaned out everyday or the cat will poo on the floor and with Jack being at work, Fortune might get into it again and back to the vet we would have to go. Hope you enjoy your new fridge. We have the cold water inside the fridge too. The only bad thing is making sure the glass is right under the spigot! Susan, after Christmas, I am going to attempt socks. Do you think it is easier to do a top down sock or a toe up sock to start with? I am thinking of just going to a yarn shop and taking a class, what do you think?

Jean: I hate to Christmas shop in the stores. I hate fighting the crowds and all the pushing and shoving and waiting in line and rudeness and the whole thing so almost everything I do is online anymore. I found the most adorable rocking dinosaur for Jackson. He will be too young for it for a few months, but I like to kind of get a little of that sort of thing so they have toys to look forward to. Thomas made me a list of video games he wants so we will probably get him two of those. He showed them to me online when he was here, but I did ask him if his mom had approved of them all and he said yes. When they got here for dinner and I was telling her, she said, let me see the list. Well, I guess he picks games that are "E", but one of them she said no to because it is $50 and he has already played it by renting it and completely went through the whole thing and conquered it. She said if I could get it used for about half that then ok, but not to pay new price for it.

I guess I better skedaddle as I would like to finish Jay's hat today so I can work on the duplicate stitch tomorrow and I have upstairs cleaning to do today.

Have a good one everybody!
Faye

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies!

Well, the new refrigerator is installed and working so that is a load off my mind. I really like the water dispenser - Stan and I both drink water a lot. The filters are a little pricey but I figure I'll find them discounted somewhere online.

Faye, as much as you knit, I don't know that you would need a sock class. I think top down is easier to begin with. It's pretty straightforward. Do the shops in your area answer questions for you if you buy the yarn there? That would probably be all you need. You'll love it - and it gives you another thing to knit for everyone!

Jean, we are the same way - like to get home earlier now that we are older...not that we go out much at night anymore.

Everyone in our office is going out to lunch today - nice seafood restaurant so I'm looking forward to that.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! I have bell choir practice at 6, Bob is at a Board of Adjustment meeting until 5:30ish, a "tree" man is coming to give us advice on our HUGE trees that need to be thinned out, and it's been another beautiful day in my corner of the world! Bob is having another round of hives. This time he just finished a 10 day prescription of a penicillin related drug; I had him call the doctor's office to see if he'd had any antibiotics when he had the hives the last time. This time they are huge welts and itch while the last time they were small and didn't itch.

"Gma" -- Our bank charges to pay bills online, does yours? I still don't completely trust the internet and stamps are cheaper than our bank fee. We do have utility bills automatically deducted so that is 3 bills I don't have to mail. I had to chuckle at "top down or toe up." Anyone not reading the sock part might wonder what you were up to. I'm sure Ian will soon be into the video games. At least that is something we can buy that they will enjoy. I'm not looking forward to Christmas shopping either, but I'm determined to get an early start this year. Famous last words!

Susan -- I hope your seafood lunch was enjoyable. It's always nice to go out for lunch sometimes.

I'm off to check for leftovers for supper. Have a nice evening and a terrific Thursday tomorrow.

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning gals! I am having one of those insomnia nights so I gave up and just came downstairs for awhile. I need to work on Jay's hat anyway. I had the whole thing done and was even working on the duplicate stitch, had Jack try it on and it was too big for him so I ripped the whole thing out. It had turned out really pretty too! Ahh well, not everything works the first time out.

Susan: I think I am going to venture to one of the local yarn shops here and check it out. I haven't been in it yet and they have a small website I found yesterday and they seem to really want customers to be happy, unlike the other two I visited so far. They are cheaper for lessons too if I decide I need any. They do one on one's for $5 an hour or you can take classes. They also have a Monday night sit and stitch where you can just come in with whatever you are working on and knit and visit. I can't really knit without watching what I am doing, but it might be a way to make friends. Glad you got your fridge all set up. I would imagine the filter cartridges are cheaper than buying bottled water though.

Jean: We have Navy Federal Credit Union and have for years and they don't charge for online pay. Now some of the sites themselves charge, like I said the utility company charges .85 and the car quite a bit more, but it is worth it for me. I have never had any problems, but then I keep an eagle eye on my bank account doing the balancing everyday so I would catch something right away if it wasn't right. The only thing bad about the credit union is the distance from our house and that there is only one anywhere near here and that is out by the Navy Base, which is 25 miles away. I would have to drive through the base and out the other end to get to it or go all the way around the base and come back and it isn't worth it. We do have some no name credit union close by, but half the time the atm is out of money! That is really all I ever use it for anyway as all Jack's checks, work and retirement are direct deposited. Sure hope Bob gets to feeling better. I know what misery Jack was in when he had the hives stuff. He hasn't had one pop up in months and months now, but still has the flushing from the niacin they have him on and that is pretty miserable as they seem to be increasing in the amount of time each one lasts.

I guess I am going to sit and knit for awhile then try and catch a few more winks.

Have a great Thursday everyone!
Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! Well, my day didn't start out the best. First of all I wasn't paying attention to the time and was running a few minutes later than usual which makes a huge difference in the traffic. As I was opening the car door, with purse, lunch, water mug, and papers in hand, I felt "something" on my foot. My first thought was I had tipped the mug over and water dripped out until I looked down and saw the tail end of a mouse go under the car. There was a wet spot on the floor so I think the critter peed on my foot! I did take time to wash my foot! When I got to school the copying I was supposed to do for another teacher wasn't ready. She is afraid of the copy machine and since I'm in her room twice a day I do it for her. It is very humid and the wind is blowing pretty hard. I dread to think what kind of weather we will have this winter after our crazy spring, summer, and fall weather!

"Gma" -- That is too bad about Jay's hat being too big. Better to find that out now than after you gave it to him. You have so much patience to rip out and start over! Bob is feeling much better tonight. The welts have gone down and he just has a few red splotches left.

When Bob got home tonight he shared "the rest of the mouse story" from this morning. After I pulled out of the garage he found a toad under where the car had been. So it wasn't a mouse after all! I frankly don't know which is worse -- a mouse or a toad peeing on my foot!

I'm off to check on my Blue Cross/Blue Shield; they have finally started paying on my July claims and I'm waiting for the $205 shot to go through. It had better be paid for after all the hullabaloo hoops the clinic's insurance lady and myself jumped through!

Have a fantastic Friday tomorrow and a relaxing weekend!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Real quick post this morning as I have sat up all night with Fortune. He is back to vomiting and diahrrea again so back to the vet he goes this morning. I am going to let them know I am not happy that just two weeks ago while he was kenneled they ran another test on him and said he was well and now he is throwing up and having diahrrea bouts about every 45 minutes. I have had no sleep and am about to keel over. I am not even waiting for an appt. I am marching in there right when they open and telling them I want him taken care of, then come back home and crash for a couple hours, hopefully. I am wondering if they left him outside or something or around another dog that had something while he was kenneled and he caught something again. Believe me, they are going to get an ear full because the last two vet visits have cost us nearly
$400.

Everyone have a good weekend and I will let you know what I find out about the poor little guy.
Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! The wind is still blowing but it has cooled down again. I notice more and more leaves on the ground as I travel to school and back. The trees around the lake are beginning to turn colors; they are pretty now but I know they will soon be bare. My plans for tomorrow are to clean and declutter yet again. Amanda's mom is stopping by to pick up some paper boxes that I brought home from school. She has our plane tickets for Maui and I'm anxious to get them. We have a retirement open house to go to tomorrow evening. It's an hour or so from where we live and starts at 5. I think we will go early and leave early. I hate driving home in the dark when I know the deer are out running around.

"Gma" -- I'm so sorry about Fortune being sick again. I feel for both of you! I hope that the vet can get him straightened out and he doesn't have to stay there. That is always my fear whenever I take a "sick" one in. I hope you got a good nap in sometime today! Keep me posted.

I have laundry going so better go check and see what's next. Have a nice weekend!

Jean -- from Iowa!