Lots of Thread

I have many spools of thread, some bought by me, and some given to me by my MIL. She has given up sewing, but will go over to SIL's if she ever has to mend anything. I was hoping to get her serger, but SIL has it. I guess I'll save up and buy my own someday. My regular sewing machine is alright, though. It's a computerized Brother machine that I bought at Sam's Club many years ago. It has an automatic buttonhole maker and a nice array of stitches. I have to find that instruction booklet, though.

I have inherited MIL's large cone collection of threads also - the ones you use on the serger. She gave me her round thread holder that hangs on the wall with the smaller spools of threads, and two wooden spool holders, one that hangs on the wall, and the other that sits on a table or shelf. Right now I have the round thread holder hanging on the wall next to the window in front of my sewing machine, and the wooden cone thread holder is just below it. I am ready for any color material. I just found out that the cones don't fit my sewing machine very well, but if I put one of the smaller spools on my spool holder, I can then put the cone thread over it. It works better well, and since I have so much cone thread, it's great.

I also have a lot of fabric, so I've started sewing some things again. I found a green plaid material that was perfect for making placemats out of it. It has a strong piece of thick thread running through it, and I only had to cut the material, then do an edging stitch to make placemats. I had enough material to make 9 of them. I will use them when I have the family over for dinner. I have made enough napkins in the past to keep me outfitted for a while. I used some decorator materials that my MIL had been given from her neighbor who sewed draperies for a living. Most of my materials have come from that source, and I'm very fortunate to have such high quality material for free. I found a box of pieces that might be enough to make window swag type curtains for the living room. It's a nice print with blue and green flowers on a light background.

I tried to make a dress for a baby shower this week, but didn't get past trying to cut it out. I had the cutting stage. I would work well with someone else who would do the cutting for me, and I could get on with the actual sewing of the article. The material was the same material I had used to make a dress for my DD, so I figured if I didn't get it done, I would just get the old dress from the box of baby stuff and give that as a gift. Well, I looked in the box and found 3 playsuits in great condition instead. So what, if they didn't have tags on them. One of them was quite nice, with smocking on it. The other two were just these casual little playsuits, one was yellow with a teddybear on it, the other pink with a pink appliqued apple on it. Well, one woman at the shower looked at the smocked outfit and said, "I had one just like this when my daughter was little."

Then she scrutinized it as though it might have been her kid's originally. Since her DD and my DD are the same age, she probably had the same exact outfit. I guess I looked cheap, giving used clothing, but I also made black beans and rice to put in the family's freezer, as that was the original idea for the shower. It was going to be a casserole baby shower, and then some of the women said they wanted to give gifts, too, so that's how we came to gifts and food. It was all appreciated, of course, but it took me some time to cook those darned black beans from the dry stage. I hope they liked it.

Today, the baby, Lydia Rose, was at church. She's 4 weeks old and she was wearing pink bunny slippers. So cute. She so skinny and long, with long tapering fingers. Her mom is breastfeeding, but was told to supplement with a bottle because she is not putting on weight fast enough.

Anyway, I didn't give her a homemade dress, and I don't think I should feel too guilty about that. I did put an effort in, and when I stop to think about it, I just wanted to impress peeps with my sewing skills, which might not be the best thing to do. Before you know it, someone will come to you with some sewing they need done. I don't sew for other people, unless it's a dress for the temple. Even then, nowadays, I sew for my family and that keeps me busy enough. Currently I am changing some pajamas for my DH. They are actually women's pajamas, but you wouldn't know it from the flannel fabric, just from the way they button up. He requested that I change the buttons and buttonholes to the other side, because that is what he is used to. Well, I started on one of them, anyway. There are 2 pairs and DD has the same pajamas. I have one of the pairs like theirs, so we can all dress alike come Christmas in our red flannel pajamas. I could not resist, because the pajamas were on sale for $5 a pair. I also have some fabric to make pjs, but I might just make nightshirts for me and DD and pjs for DH. One of the pieces of flannel I bought for DD has pizza on it. If I don't make pjs out of it, I can always use it to make pillow cases, which she also needs. I know she is looking forward to having pajama parties in our house once we get the family room fixed up. The family room is right outside her bedroom, so she has the perfect set up for having a pj party. The lower level is her bedroom, the family room, and her bathroom. The family room has an outside sliding glass door, and a door that leads to the garage.

Well, tomorrow is the first morning we have to get up at 5:20 AM. Seminary classes begin for DD. This is her second year, and it will be great because they now meet in a church member's home, with all the kids from our home Ward. Last year, it was at the church building with kids from different Wards. Some of those kids were really grumpy in the morning. DD was assigned to take role, mostly because she was the only one who made it to class on time (last year is was 6:15 AM, this year is it 6:00 AM). Her taking role made her a target for the other kid's ire. I felt sorry for her, being ridiculed for doing the right thing.

Anyway, I should be in bed right now, but I did take a nap yesterday.

A/C finally fixed

But not before the a/c belt broke again, after only 2 weeks of service. On Saturday, one of the hottest days of the year, I had to drive to church at 3 PM, the hottest part of the day. The A/C squealed as I went up the driveway and hot air blowed out for the rest of the 3 mile trip to church. DH was already there, because it was a baptism, and he had to fill up the font with water. I sweated bullets and used so many kleenexs to mop the water from my face. It was a good thing I had decided not to wear makeup, as it would have looked horrendous when I got there.

I gave a talk about the Holy Ghost, but before my talk, the husband of the woman being baptised, sang "How Great Thou Art". Oh, was he ever good! I was totally surprised at how wonderful a voice he had. I melted into tears, just before getting up for a talk. I guess it was cathartic, though, and I was calm during my talk. A lot of other people cried during his performance. It was a moment that I was glad I had witnessed, a truly beautiful memory. The woman and her son and daughter were all baptised, but the son had problems because he was frightened of the water. They tried 3 or 4 times, but he still had to be baptised early on Sunday morning because part of him was sticking out of the water. The whole body has to be immersed in order for it to be right.

So, I have been sick on Monday and Tuesday, but I'm feeling better now. I changed the curtains in the dining room, because the old ones were sheer and let in so much light that I'm sure it doesn't help with A/C in the house. I am going to change the kitchen ones, too, as they are lace and I have 2 pairs that will fit nicely and not let in as much light. I put my two hanging plants out on the patio cover, and I'll take them in when it gets cold. I am growing basil on my windowsill, and it's great to be able to just snip it off when I want some.

Someday I know we will have a deck. Right now, there are sliding glass doors on the dining room, but no deck, just a white railing there so no one walks out accidentally. We need to do so many improvements until we can do the deck. Right now there is only the subflooring in the dining room. I am thinking of buying a big piece of canvas to paint and cover this like a rug until we can finish the rest of the room. It will get crown molding, chair rail, finish painting (almost finished, but need to do a little more), wainscoating on the bottom half of the walls, and some border print. Then we can do the flooring, which I think will be tile that will go from the dining area into the kitchen.

We also have so many other things to do in the family room. I guess it will all get done eventually.

A/C is cool, if it works, and right now "my man", as my Aunts in PA call him, is out getting the van's A/C fixed. He went over to his friend Phil's house where Phil does some mechanic work.

So far, we had some work done at the Shell station down the street. Some of it was unrelated to the A/C, but the bill was about $500. Gotta love that $86 an hour labor charge. The next week, the belt broke. DH fixed it. It worked for 2 or 3 days, then the compressor went up, smoking and all. So, now the final fix is in, and I think we've spent about $1000 on it. Oh, well, we will have to keep the van for another 2 years, unless the motor goes up in it.

New Car?

Well, my DH got me all excited about possibly buying a new car for me, but tonight he told me it wasn't going to work out financially. We will be fixing up the 95 Plymouth Voyager. I hope it will last at least another year. It needs a new compressor for the A/C and the radio hasn't worked right for about a year now. Sometimes it will actually come on, and even then, it is short lived. I feel a little frustrated by it, but I guess it beats car payments. Most of our money is going into the house. Forget about the dreams of that new car smell, the nice radio, and the joy of driving something new. Oh, well. Maybe I will get a job after all. Then we could afford it.

We finally set up the patio cover and DH fixed the barbeque grill. We had the most delicious steak last night. I was so happy that he finally fixed it. We also used the chimnea burner for the first time last night. We bought it in early spring and it was too windy to use it then. Now it is kind of hot to be using it, but DD roasted marshmallows and DH is just trying to get rid of some wood that is taking up space in his garage.

I took our 10 month old cat to the vet's to have him neutered Monday. It turned out to be more trouble than I bargained for. He had to stay longer because he was biting himself down there, and when we picked him up at 6:30 PM, he had a collar around his neck to keep him away from the area. He was given antibiotics and pain pills to be administered at home. We got through it, and he is looking and feeling better now.

My problem is that he looks like he still has balls. I don't understand this, as this is why we had the operation in the first place. I'm going to examine him a little first, then call the vet's office to ask why he looks like they are still there. *sigh*

Well, we will be going to a movie tonight at church. They are trying to have a "drive-in" movie, even though it will be inside the gym. It should be interesting. They are showing "The Work and The Glory", which is about our church, but has been distributed in regular theatres. I've been wanting to see it, so that's good. The movie is supposed to start about 7PM, but knowing the church members who are running it, it will probably start at 7:30 PM. Afterwards, DH has said we can go home and have a marshmallow roast outside in our new firepit. I also have some hot dogs. It's going to be a cool night, like last night, so I am looking forward to it.

I'm probably making meatloaf for dinner.

How cute is my DH!

I came home late yesterday from going to Walmart and Sam's Club. I got some new towels, bath rug and toilet cover, plus some other new stuff. I love new things.

Anyway, I am driving to our house, when I see DH on his bicycle with a helmet on. Most people would just see an old guy (53 years old) on a bike, but I see a cute man with a smile for me. I'm lucky to love this person. He is so exceptional about many things, even though I laugh at his foibles. He works hard and it's clear that he loves me and is a good dad.

We have been trying out air cleaners with no success yet. We bought one at Sam's that still has the ozone smell that we both find objectionable. Other people don't seem to mind it, but so far we have returned 3 air cleaners to Walmart, one to QVC, and now one to Sam's Club. Oh, well. We are going to look at the Oreck air cleaners, and also one that is at Radio Shack (which may be the one for us, because it has a cleanable filter - we don't want to have to replace filters, and it is not ionic, which seems to be one of the problems for us.)

Another problem with the air cleaners is the noise they sometimes make with in operation. Some say they are quiet, but they are NOT quiet when you are trying to get some sleep. I hope we get this thing figured out soon.

Anyway, we have decided on remodeling the bathroom, but it won't happen until we have the money to do so. I wish MIL would come up with a nice money gift again, but that is not likely to happen, as she has already given us enough. A nice windfall from somewhere would be really cool right now.

Another General Conference

It was another General Conference weekend, but instead of staying home yesterday and watching it on television, we had to go to the church building to see it. It was the semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was so bummed that the usually cable channel did not show it, but instead had people praying for the Pope, something that could be seen on regular broadcast channels as the news people and other concerned people, waited for the word that the Pope had died. What a circus! I guess we are hearing about history, but geez! I was bummed that I did not see the opening of conference, either yesterday or today. We waited until 12 to see if it would be on today, and when it wasn't on channel 20, we got ready to go to the building. Blaaahhhh! I hate sitting in the chapel, when I could be sitting on my sofa, getting up to do stuff, like eat or whatever, in the comfort of my own home. So Darren and Caitlin went outside to wait for me in the car. I told them I would be another 10 minutes, but still, out they go. Now as I am getting ready, I think, maybe they will show the conference on another channel. So I check before I go out to the car, flipping through the channels, when, wallah! There is conference on channel 10. I go out and wave to them, telling them to come back in.

Darren is glad, but wanted to know what made me think to look at other channels. I just had a feeling. But then, during the afternoon session, which is between 4 and 6 PM, the satellite feed at the cable company when out and Darren and Caitlin went to the church building. I had laid down for a nap, thinking I would see the rest of it on video tape, as I was recording it. Oh, well. We will receive a church magazine in May that will have all the words of the talks that were given (all 8 hours of them, plus some priesthood that the men go to on Saturday night.) I'll catch up then. Most of the messages were anti porn or pro missionary, that is, don't watch porn and get ready to volunteer for a mission is you are a guy aged 19, or a retired couple. We plan on going on a mission at retirement. That is about 12 years away, and Caitlin, aged 15 now, will probably have a famly by then. She will be 27. Wow!

We are the Ward Missionaries. That is our calling. Thank goodness we don't have to knock on doors, though. I wouldn't like that much, or maybe I would just get used to the rejection. I hate it, though, when Jehovah Witnesses come to the door. I can never make any sense out of what they are trying to preach.

Anyway, we are working with the missionaries who come from out west, one from Utah, and the other from another western state (Idaho? Washington?) They are both really short, and look like they are 12 years old. Really. The one who is the senior partner (has been out on his mission the longest) is a little nutty. He likes to draw attention to himself in oddball ways. For instance, he has been caught speeding twice now. I think they, meaning the church, will take away his driving privileges soon if he doesn't slow down. He says it gives him an opportunity to teach the police about the gospel. Riiiiigggghhhhtttt!

He also asked a member of the ward to cook guinea pig for him because her son, who is serving a mission in Peru, had it served to him. It is a delicacy there, but it is a PET here, for pete's sake. I serve these 2 boys breakfast when we have Saturday morning meetings, so I promised to make them some scrapple, hominy, and waffles one morning. This kid was so excited about eating scrapple. Now he can go home and tell them he ate a Maryland delicacy. Yay for him!