Steel Magnolias #52
 

Good morning everyone. It is cool and crisp this morning and I smelled wood burning so someone has their fireplace going (I hope it is that and not another fire.) We had firetrucks here again yesterday for one of the condos across the street and down from us. It was next door to the elderly lady I am friendly with so I went down there to see that she was ok. I think what is was is possibly a problem with one of their water heaters as she said there was steam pouring out and there is an overflow pipe that comes out the back onto the decks and if that is where they saw steam that is most likely what it was. When I found out she was ok, I just went back inside and tried to call Jack to warn him, but couldn't get through to his cell and the trucks left not long after so it wasn't a problem.

Maggie: I am seriously thinking of buying another charm bracelet just for WW losses. I need something to keep me going. Not that I have fallen back as I am staying OP, but I always need to look forward and this would be a great way to do it. Thanks for the website info, I went there and looked at their charms and such. As for knitting, I love it so, sort of like you do your glasswork and Susan her quilting that making stuff is truly the fun part. I could never recoup what it even costs to make something so I would never sell what I make though I have been approached about it from several people. I have a friend who says she calculates hers to $10 an hour plus yarn, but if you spend a week on a sweater that runs into big bucks
especially if you use a higher quality yarn. I just make things and give them away. One of the most fun things for me is to pick colors. I love to match colors with whatever it is I am making and for whom. I have a flair for combining colors so it is real fun to do it for me.

Jean: I also wondered how people find the time to make chickens out of eggs or rabbits out of veggies and pack the lunches and all, but the articles I have read lead me to believe it is almost an obsession in Japan to outdue another mother's creation. Maybe you need the equivalent to the dog whisperer, a cat yeller to make Ernie stop biting you. There has to be a reason that he does it, even if he thinks it is affectionate. I know you will be sad to have to send him somewhere else.

Susan: Unlike your property, ours was cheaply made and with inferior products I am finding out. On top of that, it was built 35 years ago and they used aluminum wiring, which was code back then but causes fires now so we had to have all that pigtailed a few years back and the pipes are code but old and probably worn out. Problem is, Jack and I don't have the big bucks needed to replace a lot of this stuff. They used particle wood for the countertops and they are starting to crumble and the the drawers have plastic instead of wood side rails and such so they are cracking too. Ahh well, we are here and unless we win a lot of money or inherit it from some long lost relative I imagine this is where we will stay.

I now have front, back and one sleeve done on J's sweater so only have another sleeve and pocket to knit then I can be done with it. I should get my niece's yarn the end of the week as well as the yarn for the sweater I am going to make for myself so I can start something new.

Have a good hump day everyone! I am going to get some cereal and fruit for breakfast.
Faye

Wednesday~ Humpday
 

Faye, this one's for you!

"I find that it is vital to have a least one handbag for each of the ten types of social occasions: Very Formal, Not So Formal, Just a Teensy Bit Formal, Informal but Not That Informal, Every Day, Every Other Day, Day Travel, Night Travel, Theater and Fling." -- Miss Piggy

That quote was at the top of chapter one in Annette Blair's book Larceny and Lace and I just had to pass it along.

Good morning to you all! It looks like it might be cloudy out today I don't know. I was going to get on some shoes and walk outside this morning but who knows?

Jean: Hope you can get your durned dishwasher fixed. There aren't that many parts to the thing that can make it go wacky like that so they should be narrowing it down! :) I know that when I quote a price for something they look at me like I grew two heads so I just give them the excuse I have too many projects I have to finish to make anything for them. I have one of the salon people wanting baby stuff for December and there is no way I can do that and don't really want to. For me it would take the joy out of it if I was doing them to sell. I think I would resent having to sit and knit on a time line.

Maggie: Hope Bible study went fine last night even with the inclement weather. I think jewelry of any kind is in style no matter what. I have one of those italian link bracelets I started back about 12 years ago when they got so popular. You can still buy the links for those on Ebay. I don't wear it much, but I think it is more because half the time I can't find the darn thing.

Susan: :lol::lol::lol: Gotta love that :ink: Here is one I think is cute "You can eliminate a lot of calories by entirely cutting out things you hate." Hope you are having a great day today!

I have got to get some regular exercise in. I don't know if it is getting older, all the stuff that has happened to me over the last few years or what. I used to really stick with the exercise, even the walking and now I don't. I just have to get into that frame of mind that I will get up in the morning and get my shoes on and walk.

Have a good day everybody and remember to smile today.
Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! I'm beginning to believe we live in monsoon territory! It is still raining off and on, but is colder today -- wind chill is 34 degrees! I need to mop the laminate floor -- hate that *&(%$ floor! I should repot a couple plants but will do that on a warmer day when I can do it out in the garage.

Maggie -- Your muffins sound so good! :T There was just a food article in todays paper saying that eggs are good for you and are a handy snack. Bob started an "add on" diamond bracelet for me a few years ago, and I also have another bracelet with a few smaller diamonds. I wear those two more than any other bracelets I have. I will have to take a look at charms as I'm not even sure our local jewelry store carries them.

Susan -- I had to :lol: out loud at your Miss Piggy quote. I have a friend and not too long ago Bob shared with me that she reminds him of Miss Piggy! She is "round" and does have a short nose, but I never connected the two. :o

"Gma" -- My dishwasher is running as I type. :crossed: I spent a half hour messing with the different wash selections; it finally gave up the dancing lights and started so I hope it finishes! A long time ago someone told me to charge double the cost of the materials if I ever made anything by request. I did one small counted crossstitch baby gift and charged the gal $5 because I had all of the fabric and thread on hand. I watched a TV commercial for those stretchy bands, and the skinny minnie made it look so easy. I didn't order any though.

I need to get my mop and spray bottle (Ernie will think I'm after him!) ready, might as well do the kitchen tile while I'm at it. Have a terrific Thursday!

Jean -- :wave: from :rain: Iowa!

Thursday
 

Good morning to you all! A big rain storm moved through last night and it seems like it is going to be a rainy day today also. It is pretty warm though. I had to give up and turn the ac back on as it got so hot last night.

I had another one of those rotten can't sleep nights. I am going to have the dr check for hernias again when I go the 12th. She did it at my physical and said there were none but that because of scar tissue they can crop up. I know I just had a lot of soreness above my belly button and invariably Fortune would walk on it last night.

Finished Thomas's sweater and here it is. It will be kind of long on him for awhile, but he is growing so darn fast I wanted it to fit him for at least a couple years. I will be anxious to get the little one's done and then I can start something new.

Jean: Hope the dw is still working correctly. My dryer is acting up. It works fine, but it has started making a noise sort of like when you have something leaning against it and it makes the something vibrate. I moved the stuff around it, and then saw that the sound comes and goes so who knows. I am beginning to think we should blow this place up and start over, but we couldn't afford to! :D

Maggie: I didn't get out yesterday as it started raining and then gave myself an excuse not to get on the treadmill. I am doing fine on the WW I just need to get moving again.

Well gals, I have clinic today and all my morning chores to do so I need to go. I hope you all have a great weekend. Oh and to give you an idea of the economic situation, I was fooling around on the computer yesterday and went to realtor.com and looked at expensive Las Vegas properties just to see what prices were like. Back in the mid 2000's prices were sky high and a house would sell in a day most of the time for asking price with no haggle. I found an absolutely gorgeous house, nearly 6000 sq feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, a huge beautiful back yard, pool, gazebo and hot tub, travertine tile and a gorgeous chef's kitchen. They had put 300+ thousand dollars in upgrades to the house. The original price before the upgrades was a million so it would have been 1.3 million in mid 2005 or so, they have it on the market now with the upgrades for $750,000 and they had reduced it again on the website of the broker to $695,000! It has also been on the market for months and months. It is a prime spot as it is in a gated community with only 9 other properties so someone is going to get a deal if they buy now.
Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! It's another :rain: windy day in my corner of the world. They are even talking some snow flurries this morning. I knew our nice weather in Sept. was too good to be true! We stopped at the grocery store last night w/o a list so I need to go back this morning. Bob bought a pair of rubber boots and they were a different size than what the box said, so exchanged those enroute. I also forgot vitamins at WM on my last trip so will stop there too. :(

Maggie -- You must be sending your weather our way! I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever see the sun again. :shrug: Speaking of "healthy" have your ever researched ionized water? Jason's mil bought a machine and swears she can tell the difference in the drinking water. The "bad" water she uses for her plants or pours down the drain.

"Gma" -- I set the timer with the dw yesterday and the timer still had 20 min. when the dw was finished. The dw usually says 62 min. and this time said 70. I asked the guy how that can be energy efficient and he said that most the new dws run approximately 2 hours a cycle. We have a home on the lake here that is for sale for a million $$. I have a feeling it will be on the market awhile. The house down the street from us, on the lake, has been empty for a year now. It was built in the mid 70s and started out at $498,000. There is no master bath and the kitchen doesn't face the lake which are two big drawbacks in my book. They just lowered the price to $475,000. T's sweater is beautiful, and he will look very handsome in it. Have "fun" at clinic today.

Susan -- Hope all is well with you. :dancer:

I'm off to put a load of laundry in the washer, then head for the grocery store and WM. I should beat the Friday retirees this early. :D Have a great day!

Jean -- :wave: from :rain: Iowa!

Good afternoon, ladies. A beautiful day but rain will start this evening.

I went to my WW meeting this morning - I'm down 10.2 pounds and I had 3 meals out and 1 someone else prepared! To be fair, I think my feet were swollen last week and they aren't this week. I got the Momentum cookbook this week and 2 more boxes of smoothies and a box of Peanut Butter Bliss 1 pt. bars because they were still on sale for $5 so its like buy2 and get 1 free.

Faye, the sweater is beautiful! You should blow up your condo and buy that house in Vegas. I know how much you love being there. Real estate around here is very expensive. It's hard to find new construction under $250,000 for a townhouse or condo or $500,000 for a small house. If you have property on the water, you can sell it for millions because there isn't any water front property left. Of course, York County has the highest per capita income in this part of the Peninsula, I'm one of the poor ones they let live here.

Jean, maybe your dishwasher is a lemon. I hate appliance problems. Have you tried squirting Ernie with a water bottle when he even looks like he might bite? It sounds cruel, but it only takes a couple of times and the habit ends.

Maggie, you could try scheduling an exercise "appointment" just like you would a doctor's, etc. When that time comes, do something. I loved the pumpkins.

Well, I'm going looking for new workout shoes. Actually, I buy running shoes because they have the best support. It's hard to find them in wide width and I have Curves today so that will take care of the afternoon.

Have a good day!

Finally Friday
 

Good morning all! Not such a good morning actually. I awoke to numerous sirens at around 2:30 am and another condo went up in flames this morning. It is across from us and one set of condos down facing the busy street. This one is fully engulfed and it probably take at least one more with it. I am now wondering if people are starting fire in their fire places and the floos are blocked or something like that. I wouldn't be surprised if people were that stupid. Scares me though as we leave Fortune in the house alone when we go shopping and what not. I noticed they tore down the locked gates to get in. A few years ago they put up gates and put padlocks on them to keep people from going out one of the drives. We had people cutting across the property from the side street that way and so they got the bright idea of locking all entrances except two. I would bet that they won't be locking them again. The fire department tore them right off the hinges to get in.

I am dead tired and will likely get into the recliner, but it saddens me to see people lose their homes, especially innocent people who did nothing wrong, ie didn't fall asleep smoking, or drugs or whatever.

Glad you liked my sweater. I think it turned out pretty well. I had taken it with me to the clinic to show one of the teachers and I became the hit parade yesterday. I felt like I owned a booth at the fair or something. :) I have about 4 rows of neckline to knit then the little pocket then I can sew Jackson's up. I got both yarns yesterday so I now have stuff to start my next projects.

Maggie: The library's in South Bend used to do that too. That way they made some money and made space for more new books. Sometimes you get a real bargain on them.

Jean: I think like Susan, you may have a "lemon" dishwasher. Hope you do get it fixed or they will replace it for you. I depend on my dishwasher, not that I can't just wash them, but it sure is easier just putting them in a machine isn't it. Just think about the things we have nowadays that a majority of homes have that really have done a lot for us, microwaves, dishwashers, televisions and computers, cell phones (I withhold judgements on this one as people are nuts with them here) and they either didn't exist or were horrendously expensive when we were kids. I guess is it like our parents and grandparents with automobiles, indoor plumbing, washers and the like.

Susan: Hope you had a good times at Curves, and huge kudos for the weight loss no matter how it came about. :carrot::carrot:

I think I am going to sit and watch tv for awhile. I want to go out back and see about things in a bit. I moved the grand marquis, which was parked down in the parking lot back to in front of our garage so want to keep an eye on it.
Have a good Saturday all. Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! It's 80 degrees and overcast today. I have the doors and windows open to air out the house.

This is my stay home and give the car a rest day. I've vaccumed the whole house, scrubbed the kitchen and bathrooms floors and I'm waiting for the second load of laundry to dry. Them I'm going to wash the walls in my kitchen, or at least get started on them. I think this will count as my exercise for today. I'll spend the evening quilting in front of the tv.

Oh my gosh, Faye, another fire! They are going to start looking for an arsonist if this keeps up.

Maggie, Our library has a room set aside that is maintained by the Friends of the Library group that has old books for sale, either from the library or donations. Hardback books, tapes and videos are $1 and paperbacks are 50 cents. Twice a year they have a huge sale as well ad you can get all the books that you can cram into a paper grocery bag for $5 the last 2 hours of the sale.

Hi, Jean!

Have a good day - the dryer is buzzing.

Good morning all! I came down and got in the recliner about 5 this morning and heard a siren around 5:30 and abruptly stopped and I thought, "oh no, not again." I waited and a few seconds later heard the distinct sound of a truck with a big engine drive past the back. I put on my clogs, pulled the hood up over my wrap sweater (my hair looks awful :D) and went outside. Sure enough, a fire truck was pulled up where my elderly neighbor lives. I stood at the end of my garage and waited for about 5 minutes and I didn't see smoke or any other firetruck so I thought it might be a false alarm and went back inside. I had just settled Fortune into my lap and got covered up and I heard another big truck so I dumped him off my lap and went back out. There was an ambulance parked in front of my garage, which is 3 doors down from my neighbor. She is in her late 70's at least, so I just stood there in my nightgown and sweater and waited and waited, then decided, to heck with it and walked down to her area to see if it was her condo or the one next to hers. Of course, out they came as soon as I got down there, one of the firemen past me and smiled and I said hello, looking like an idiot in a gown, sweater with a hood pulled up, footies and black clogs! :lol: It was her condo and they were bringing out her son on a stretcher. I went back to my condo and started to go back in, then decided I would see if she needed any help, even in my night clothes. I came back out and saw her standing at the end of her garage so walked down to her and ask her if he was alright and if she was alright. She said he got sick last night and they had to take him to the ER and that she was ok. Bless her, his getting sick more than likely meant an alcohol induced sickness because he drinks a lot, but I told her if she needed anything or if she wanted to go to the hospital but not drive herself she should call me. She just patted my arm and said ok. She is really the one person I have had the most contact with since I have lived here and I try to keep an eye out for her.

Jean: What drama just to get your DW fixed. It does seem funny they don't have the parts needed though. I think Bob needs to read the people the riot act where you bought the darn thing. I hate squash and never eat it. My mother would bake acorn squash and serve it with baked tonque so it was no wonder I learned to hate it. I don't even like zucchini bread. If I go somewhere and they serve it as a veggie with my dinner, it sits there because I just hate the taste of it. Seems to me, locking the school is kind of dangerous, just in case someone is inside somewhere, but guess that is me.

Susan: You have more energy than all of us combined. I would love to get down on my hands and knees and cleaned baseboards, but my knees wouldn't be able to take it. When I heard the siren this morning and went out, the first thing I thought of was someone is setting these things.

I have started the felted handbag for my niece, but found the gauge way off for the yarn for the sweater and it wasn't very soft, so am sending it back and ordering a different weight and I know it is soft as it is the same weight I used for boys' sweaters.

Well, I am going to work on the bag for awhile and put the little pocket on the needles so I can finish Jackson's sweater this week. Have a wonderful day today.
Faye