Someone is Successful

After reading Finn's comment that she had tried a braided quilt that went down the same ragged road as mine and Linda's, I was wondering if anyone had done one successfully. I got my pattern from my sister, who kept telling me about the beautiful braid quilts her boss was making but I never saw one.

I was just looking for a bag pattern that Belvie made on the Welsh Quilter blog. As I was reading, Andrea (Welsh Quilter) mentioned that her in laws loved the braided quilt. So.....she has posted pictures of a lovely one. So, someone can do it. Wonder if she gives lessons? I am encouraged, might try again in ten years.

Now I need to go back and find that bag pattern. I am soooooo easily distracted in my advancing years!

De-Clutter is Back On Track

After a completely lost week last week in my de-clutter journey, I am back at it. I have sorted the kids movies and priced them for the garage sale. That was a hard as getting rid of some of the books but, time has come. I will admit I did it once, then had to go back and do it again with what I kept, but I finally reached the goal on that one.

Last night I sorted and priced all the things I have gathered so far and started another donation box. I could post a picture but you know what boxes look like, right? Best thing about that was I told my self when I have at least two donation boxes, I could make another Good Will trip. I am using what ever motivation I can find out there!

I have started on the sewing room but that is slow going. I need to find some motivation there to part with something. It would be counter productive to say if I get rid of something I could buy more! Just moving around in there should be motivation and the shame in that messy room even more, but so far that hasn't worked. Oh well, it is out there somewhere and will come to me soon, I hope!

I can't believe I have been at this a month. It is really just three weeks, I guess, because I blew last week off but it seems to be taking forever. At this rate, I will have to start again back where I started once I finish. NO, NO.....the idea is not to let it ever get back to where it was. Maybe I better just drop off my donation at Good Will and forget the shopping trip?

Pioneer Braid NOT!

First of all thank you to all of you who commented on my last post about the little guy who was sitting waiting to be picked up at the bus stop. I have shared what I found out with my neighbor and she will share it will the other folks who are at the bus stop and have voiced the same concerns. We will be watching and if need be, will call the school again, will call the police if necessary and if we can get his name, will call CPS. Meanwhile, lots of folks are sending good thoughts in his direction. All that is left is to hope that this is one little one who comes out OK in spite of a parent with bad parenting skills and poor judgement. I am carrying him in my heart and I hope that is enough for now.

I had to laugh when I read Linda's post about her Pioneer Braid that had turned out "wonky". Not so long ago, I had one that did the same thing.........what a mess. I had spent a lot of time cutting strips and putting these beautiful braided strips together, only to find that when I put them together as a top, it was short on one end and long on the other. I took it apart. (bad move, bias edges) I put it back together........and took it apart again. Then I realized that no way was this going to have a good ending because if it was bad BEFORE I took it apart twice, it had stretched some more. So, in a disgusted mood, I took my 6 1/2 inch square ruler and made blocks out of the strips. Then I VERY carefully sewed those together in rows and below is what I got. I put borders on it and packed it away for some other day. Linda asked to see it so I dug it out, think I might just have to finish it up soon because I really like it now. Someday I will do a real Pioneer Braid
because I do love the look but not for a while! Excuse the wrinkles..........

What To Do, What To Do?

This was a Christmas present from the great white hunter. I ask for it so I could set it on my vanity where I do my hair and makeup every morning. I have tried to live my life by this prayer, not always successfully but this helps remind me. I call it my "know when to shut up" prayer.



There is a situation going on in my neighborhood right now that is testing that prayer for me big time. I just don't quite know the right thing to do.

Your gut tells you one thing but then you know that you don't know the entire circumstance and maybe you are sticking your nose where it should not be. But to not do something might mean harm for a little boy.

I live in a subdivision where the kids are bussed to the nearest schools. At about 3:20 every day two buses, each from a different school, drop off kids on the street that leads out of the subdivision and at the end of my cul-de-sac. Last year I would go to the school to pick up my grand daughter everyday as she was just in kindergarten and we were not comfortable with her riding the bus.

Every so often, if I went out after the buses had dropped off, I would see a little boy about seven or so, sitting on the curb all by himself long after the other kids had gone. When I say long, I am talking anywhere from a half hour to a hour. This was in 110 degree heat and he was on the sunny side of the street with no water. Other neighbors mentioned seeing him there also. Several called the school where he goes and I guess the principal talked to the mother. She even came out one day and sat and waited with the little guy until his older brother (of driving age) came to get him.

This year I am not driving Julia to school so haven't seen him, until last Friday. My DD and I drove by at 4:20 and he was sitting there waiting. The school gets out at 2:50 on Friday so he had been there waiting by himself on a busy street for a hour and a half. Today I called the school and the principal told me she would AGAIN talk to the mom. She said this lady was a good Mom and a nice person...........OK, a good mom does not leave her small child out on the street alone for a hour and twenty minutes but, she said it, not me.

It was pretty clear that the school was going to do nothing. So, I called the Child Abuse hot line to see what could be done. They said it was a law enforcement issue and I should call the police next time it happens. Then the cops would contact them if need be. They also said if I had notified the school, as well as several of my neighbors, the school had a mandate to contact them. She also said that unless I had a name, I could not file a complaint. I don't know the name, nor do I want to know.

Mom knows I was watching today to see when he was picked up, she made sure that I knew she knew. I expect things to change for a few days, then go right back. When she left from picking him up, she drove out of our subdivision, I don't think they live in this neighborhood, if so he could go home and wait. The mother was angry and basically told me to mind my own business. She was driving a really nice car, so I don't think this is a single mother with no other option. But, you never know.

So, what do I do next? I worry that someone is going to harm this little one and if that happens and I don't do something, I will never forgive myself. Then again, should I get involved in such a major degree in a situation that I don't know the circumstances? The school knows and is not doing much, the bus driver dropped him off today and drove off. This has been going on now for at least a year that I know about.

Another question is, is this one of those things that no matter what you do, is going to fall through the cracks until something bad happens and then the involved parties are going to go around saying "Why MY child?" Grrrrrrrrr......

No De-clutter Any Thing This Week

The de-clutter movement at my house was like a balloon this week. It was all blown up and slowly deflated.............ssssssssssssssss.

So, need to set some new goals for this week and get back on track. First goal is to price a bunch of garage sale stuff and pack it up better. The second goal is to do the kids movies, pricing as I go. Last but not least, get started on the sewing room. I had planned that for last week but had Colin here with pinkeye and just fooled around the rest of the week. I am not quilting because to be honest, every time I go in that room, I look around and then just walk out and close the door. Hope to have some progress for the side bar this week!

Fast and Easy

I saw these first on The Pioneer Woman website and then Mama Koch made some and showed them on her blog. DD had a jewelry party tonight so I tried some to take with me. I am diabetic and shouldn't eat many and the great white hunter keeps saying he can't eat it all so it was a perfect chance to try them. They are really fast and easy and so good.

I wasn't happy with the brownie ones. I used Rolo candy and I think the Hersey Carmel Kiss would have been better. I had a hard time getting them out of the baking tin so they aren't as pretty either.

Quick recipe but The Pioneer Woman gives the whole thing in pictures on her "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" section of her site.

You need a roll of peanut butter cookie dough, and a package of Reese's miniature candies. Cut the cookie dough in 1 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inch slices, then cut that slice into four quarters. Put the quarters in a greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees 6 to 8 minutes (or golden brown). Remove from oven and quickly put a Reese's in each tin. I got twenty four out of one roll of dough. The chocolate ones are the brownie mix in a roll and Rolo candies. The brownie roll is softer so I filled the tins with a spoon, then added the Rolo after I took them out of the oven.

The ladies loved them at the party and we will see what the great white hunter thinks tomorrow. The party was fun, I usually avoid this type of thing where you are supposed to come to some one's house and spend money but it was DD after all. Good news was after I sat there and told everyone how I NEVER win anything, I won a pretty bracelet playing the game. (Wow, first Toni's prize and now this, need that lottery ticket).

Made My Day

I have posted before how I was not happy with Colin's Christmas quilt. I had the long list of reasons that I won't repeat again but I was feeling better when DD told me how he used it.

Today he was here because he has pink eye and couldn't go to school. He found a scrap of the car focus fabric and said, "Hey, these are my cars." I told him that it was the last piece, the rest had gone into his quilt. He said, "You know what, Nana? I have named some of those cars on my quilt. One is Axle and one is Bolt." DD said that was the first she had heard about it so he must have been looking at the cars on his own. That kid just made my day! It was great when DD told me how he enjoyed it, but having him tell me was the best!

I started to quilt because I wanted to make memories for my loved ones and hopefully leave behind something useable for them to remember me by........he told me today that if I never take another stitch, I have accomplished my goal.

I am BAD!

I didn't make it to the Goodwill with my donation last week so, I loaded up seven large boxes and off I went. The new store by our house is so huge! They have a drive up drop off center. You park and someone comes out and UNLOADS your stuff and takes it in for you, then give you the receipt. I like the idea of loading it up and taking it NOW rather than waiting for a curb side pick up.

So, I was there right? It is a brand new store and I had to go see what it was all about, right? OK, now for the confession. Goodwill has fabric. I doubt it is quilt shop quality but hey, I love scrappy quilts, especially string quilts so........I bought a bag of someone's "Get Rid Of". I also found a nice piece of dark blue flannel that had I have seen at Joann's. There was enough for blocks for a raggedy quilt for a child. Then I found a piece of blue green print cotton (Cranston print works VIP) that was large enough for borders or a small backing.

So, I am happy with my treasures.......and I resolve NOT to make a habit of this. I will drive right by, I will drive right by...................

Road to California/Eleanor Burns

We had a great time in California. If you have ever thought you might want to go to a big show like this, do go. I found the whole thing a bit overwhelming and will plan things out a little better next time, but it was wonderful.

The vendors are wonderful, just about any thing you would want is right there, you just have to find it! That will, however, take some doing unless it is a very specific thing like a longarm machine or sewing machine. It was amazing the variety of quilting things that the vendor's had to offer. It made you realize what big business quilting has become. Just watching those ladies with their plastic in hand, lugging large shopping bags tells you that in the quilting community, our economy is well and good. President Bush should give quilter's a tax rebate, we would spend it faster than you can rip a stitch and give the whole country a boost!

I didn't buy much. For one thing, I was awed by it all and so busy looking that I didn't stop to buy and too, I am trying, in all aspects of my life to just buy what I need now. (and I sure don't need anything quilty!) I did find bobbins for Julia's Christmas sewing machine at the Janome booth and we bought a beautiful wooden quilt hanger for the living room. I bought some fabric with tools on it for Colin.

I missed Judy L but she has a great post about the show. We were at Ginger's booth a little after 12 on Sat. and her red jacket was on the back of the chair but no Judy. Think it was lunch time. We didn't hang around. The great white hunter was being such a great guy there in the middle of all those women that I decided to keep on shopping! LOL

Then there were the quilts. This was in a lot of ways, the Tucson show only magnified about ten times. It should be a "quilted art show". There were fab wall hangings that were quilted, that most of us could never even dream up, never mind make. Beautiful, yes, wonderful, amazing workmanship, yes............and that is all I will say on that subject. I did see a few traditional quilts that were amazing. There was some applique that was to die for as well as hand quilting. I saw a couple of Lone Star quilts that I really liked.

Vicky and Judy both had quilts in the show. I am sure I saw them but after it was all said and done, everything ran together and I don't remember them. Go to Vicky's blog for a picture and read what the judges said about her wonderful quilt. Yes, quilters, they said that about her beautiful quilt. Personal opinions but believe me, one to make you want to never show your work again.

I have admired Eleanor Burns forever.........at least as long as I have had this quilting bug. I saw her on Simply Quilts a long time ago and that is when I decided that I wanted quilt. I love her laid back approach to the whole thing. I greatly admire how she started her patterns from home, then took it to become a major company yet, it still has the feel of easy does it. The honesty that she has shown in telling her story is something else I love about her. Her husband walked out on her and two sons right after the first Quilt in a Day book took off. She kept going so she could support herself and her two sons. Today, they are part of her company.

I knew that she was a big part of this show but was thrilled to death when I walked in the front door and saw this display. This was one of the first quilts from Quilt in a Day. It was in great 70's fabric's, well loved and often washed. It seemed like something you would remember from your childhood. In the display was a strip of the brown fabric, very obviously torn rather than cut, something she did with her first quilts.





Here are more of her quilts hanging at the entrance. My great white hunter said I was standing there with my mouth open. I believe it, I was thrilled.



So, would I go again? Ask me in late Nov. of 2008. After the Tucson show and this one, I have been there and done that enough for a while.

Off to Road to California

We are off to California in the morning. We will be at the Road to California Quilt show on Sat. My special great white hunter is being a real sport about all this quilt show goings. I will be back on Monday, hopefully with pictures of lots of quilt show loot.

Judy L. of Sunshine Quilts is there....wonder if we will be able to find Ginger's booth?

De-clutter Update

I have a several stacks of boxes of clutter stuff. Some is garage sale and already priced, some is donation that is headed to Goodwill this afternoon and some is stuff that we will take to our son's house. I spent a nice evening the other night running paper through the shredder, although I have a lot more of that to go when I clean out the filing cabinet and the desk. Good news is I am still motivated and that is a switch. Normally I start out with a big BANG and end with a whimper not long after.

Several folks have joined in with the quest to de-clutter their lives and just reading about that helps motivate me. I have to tell you that I was really embarrassed that the paper I ran through the shredder had been sitting here to be filed but when I looked at it, it was so old that I needed to just get rid of it. I have looked at that stack of paper for over a year!

Shelina has a great post about her de-clutter and her motivation. It really breaks this whole thing down to one thing.............you have got to get up and do it. Simple as that. Belvie keeps me going with her emails telling what she is doing with her organization effort. It reminds me of when I went to Weight Watcher's. Knowing there are others out there with the same mess to deal with is empowering for some reason.

A lot of what I am getting rid of, I have a emotional attachment to. So I am dealing with so much mental stuff that this is a healthy thing. Moving on is good for one's soul. I picked up the kid's books, revisited my memories of the time we spent reading them and then, out they go. The memories will remain and the books can go to some other child that hopefully will enjoy them as much as we did. So, on to make new memories.

Now there is the quilting clutter. Not sure how I am going to decide what goes and what stays? I do know that it is the worst part of the house and I am saving it for last, mostly because I do NOT know where to start. That is a project for next week, no doubt all week! So if I am not heard of for awhile, send help. I might be buried under a bunch of fallen fabric, books and notions, not to mention WIP.

What It Was Made For

I have been bemoaning my not so "perfect" quilts lately. Sorry, but I am so in awe of some of the skill that other quilter's have.

I was telling my DD that I was just not happy with Colin's Christmas quilt. The colors were really close to one that I made for him to keep at our house, and I had a few other complaints too. So, I told her I needed to make him one to replace it.

She said in a dry voice, "You know, Mom, Colin's quilt is just fine. He has used it exactly like you wanted. It has been a fort, a tent, a boat and a island. He has sat on it, laid on it and wrapped up in it. It's not going to last long with his kind of loving it, so let him enjoy it and THEN make him another one." OK, I get the message and she is right (you too, Finn and Fitzy). I wanted the kids to have a quilt to use and abuse and neither one of them has looked at it to see if everything is perfect! Julia was really pleased that they both had labels on them. She said when we make her quilt on her sewing machine, we should put a "I love my baby. XO XO Julia". I will shut up about my skills, I promise. I might not do perfection but hey, those quilts have "heart" to quote Tonya. (Lazy Gal)

Will Wonders Ever Cease?

I won a Manic Monday Offering on Toni's blog! She has been doing these cool give aways for several months and I put my name in but never won. So, I am taking this as a sign that 2008 is going to be a GOOD year. Now, wonder if I should run to the casino while the star over my head is still shinning? Maybe go buy a lottery ticket? Does luck work like that?

Thanks Toni! She has been a blogger friend from the very start so that makes it even more fun.

Quilt Show Observations

A awhile back I wrote a post about how I felt like I wasn't in step with the rest of the world. I don't read Harry Potter or see the movies, I don't watch the latest network TV shows. I am really not with the rest of the world when it comes to trends.

Sadly, I found as far as quilting goes, I think that has passed me by as well. The great white hunter and I zipped to Tucson yesterday for a quick visit to their great quilt show. This is the third year we have gone and we both enjoy it.

Let me say that the quilts shown there were wonderful, the skill these ladies have is something that I aspire to. The vendors were fun and I found a couple of things I had been wanting to add to my quilting things. All and all, we enjoyed ourselves.

I will say I was a little disappointed in the selection of quilts on display. They were pretty much "current" trends and fabric lines. Designer names were all over the place. This was good if you are familiar with these names but to some it was in a language that not everyone might speak. Most all were heavily machine quilted, amazing in itself but not something available to everyone. Again that is not my taste, I like the more traditional quilt it to hold it together outlook.

So, where were the Log Cabins, the Dresden plates, or other more traditional quilts? Where were the quilts that were meant to put on a bed and keep someone warm? Where were the quilts that a beginner could look at and say, "I could do that!" Many of these were display only quilts which is OK but I think there should be a mix of both. (yeah, I know, who asked me? LOL).

My other observation is one I have had before. I have a LONG, LONG way to go on this quilting thing. Just looking at the applique stitching up close makes me aware that I need to really practice on making those stitches disappear. I need to work more on placement and piecing things. So that was good. I am self taught and seeing good work helps me know what my goals are.

So, next week we are off to California to the Road To California quilt show. This one is huge and I am really in hopes that I will see more of "my" kind of quilts there. (and that I can find more of the things on my "list". The great white hunter was amazed that we drove all that way so I could buy a little tool that cost $3.98!).

Favorite Spot

I chose this picture to put by my profile and my comments. We took this picture two summers ago when we took our RV on it's maiden voyage. It was the "let's see how big a mistake we might have made" trip. Turns out, we had a great time, learned a lot about the RV lifestyle and that we should NEVER, NEVER try to drive it through LA ever again! Anyway, we had a RV spot reserved at my favorite spot in the whole world, at least that I have visited in my 60 years, Morro Bay, California. This was taken on the beach at sunset.........and is one of a series of the sun going down. When I need cheering up, it is either this picture or the sunflower that I hunt for.

Here is Morro Rock. At least that is it's official name. In our house, it is Norma's Rock. I was born in the mountains of Colorado, two miles ABOVE sea level. It is a beautiful place, awe inspiring but I really have always felt God put me down in the wrong place. I was meant to be able to walk in the sand not the snow. The great white hunter knows that he needs to get me to the ocean every so often so I can suck up the water's energy. I need that feeling of strength that I feel on Morro Bay beach.




Time to plan our next vacation and I think we are going to Oklahoma to see the great white hunter's mother and family...........and that is the wrong direction! Think we need to discuss this, I NEED that beach and there sure aren't any in Oklahoma!

Sunflower Story

So many have commented on my sunflower, I will tell you the story of how we started a yearly tradition of a sunflower garden.

Along with being a Mom for many years, I was also a teaching assistant at a neighborhood school. I was a reading aide for the first grade classes, working with the kids who were struggling. I also spent time doing prep work for the teachers and working along side them in the classroom. I did this for almost 17 years. No teaching degree for me but I WAS and always will be a teacher.

When my DD and her husband decided to have a family, they asked me if I would take the baby when she went back to work. I was a stay at home Mom and the very thought that our grand baby would go to day care was more than I could handle. So, I quit my job and baby Julia came to stay when she was about three months old. I loved it, loved sitting on the patio swing rocking that baby.

As she got older, we started doing fun things. I decided one spring to teach her about seeds........the renewal of life more or less. So we went to Target and bought cups and soil and several seed packets so she could see that not all seeds looked the same. (man was the teacher coming out in this Nana!) We planted and watered and things did wonderful. Then the great white hunter (also known as Papa) asked what I was planning to do with all those wonderful sprouted plants???

I told him that I had no idea, when we did it at school, we just sent the plants home with the kids. I had not planned past my big teaching moment! So, being the special guy that he is, he spent a solid week building us a raised bed with landscape timbers in the back yard. We planted all our sprouts and had great sunflowers and cucumbers and squash plus a green pepper plant and tomato. It was a wonderful spring for us all, especially Julia who was so proud of her garden.

The great white hunter lost his job in a big corporate downsize during this time so was home with Julia and I. We were a great three some, and became a four some when Colin joined us two years after Julia. When he did find work, it was second shift so we had time together every morning.

Every year we make a trip to buy soil and seeds and plant our sprouts. Then we transfer them into the two new raised beds that thegwh built, complete with a watering system and a way to cover the more tender plants when the heat hits.

In the spring, I look out my kitchen window and enjoy the sunflowers. The birds flock to the garden and have a feast. And I give many thanks for the blessing of my husband, those sweet babies and sunflowers.

Thanks Beth!

As you can see, I got the picture on there with help. Now, if someone could help me make it a little smaller, it would be great and I would be sooooo happy!

Help!!

One of my golden rules that I taught my children was, IF you don't know how to do something or need additional information, ASK. Some folks think if you let on that you don't know something, people will think you are dumb. Well, I think the other way, if you have a need to know, and you don't ask, you are dumb. It is a rule that has served me well and the kids too. So.................


Could anyone please help a not so good at this computer old lady? I would love to add a picture to my header here............and have NO clue where or how to start. I tried one time but could not get the picture sized right. While we are at it, how to I get a picture to appear with the comments I make on other blogs.

De-Clutter Moves to the Attic

Today when the great white hunter put the Christmas decorations in the attic, he also brought down lots of boxes we had stored up there.

Our oldest son is disabled from a head injury from a accident in early 90's. He was in the hospital and rehab centers for several years and we boxed up all his things, not knowing what his future held. He now lives in an apt. complex for disabled people, is wheel chair bound and has no use of his right hand or leg. There is mental injury too, so resuming a life we had hoped for never happened. So, time has come to deal with all that stuff! Again, this is more than a physical clean it out, move on thing, it is another mental one. It is a good one also.

So, we are going though all the boxes, a few at a time, together. A lot of it is Navy uniforms as he had just gotten out of the Navy around the time of the accident. Other things are childhood things we saved, then there is just a lot of the normal stuff one collects. Very little is relevant to the life he lives now.

I am so glad to have this stuff out of the attic, we have talked about doing this several times but the temps in the attic most of the year make moving it a miserable job, so our timing is right.

Boy, Goodwill is going to LOVE me!!!

It feels so good to be doing some mental housekeeping as well as regular housekeeping. We are on a roll here.

De-Clutter Update

It's slower going than I had hoped but, here is a start on my donation/garage sale collection. There are more boxes in the garage. I need to price the garage sale things before I store them so the part that I hate about a garage sale is done. Still have several closets and cupboards to go but I am loving the space I am making plus things look a lot nicer.

Now, I know I should be working on UFO's and what have you but darn, I do this quilting for fun......so I decided to do something fun the other night. I have lots of bits and pieces of bright fabric left from a couple of quilts plus I buy remnants all the time so cut some of it for this braid. I love it! Not sure if I will keep going and make a whole quilt or use this for a border for the bright colored Chinese Coin quilt that I was struggling with this fall. You trim this to 8 inches wide........not sure how to do that and keep it straight. Might need some help on that one so feel free to comment if you have good suggestions. I hope to finish this one tonight as it is rainy and I am not leaving the house.

Jan. in AZ

If you saw this picture just about anywhere else, you would think "fall". In the desert, it's called January. This tree will drop these leaves, then through Feb. drop the nasty little seed things and then bloom a beautiful white flower that lasts about a week, then the next week will fill out with green leaves. It is a very fast cycle but fun to watch. If you blink twice, you miss the entire thing.

It makes a real mess with the little seed things and the great white hunter threatens to cut it down on a yearly basis, but then it gets so pretty that we can't do it. He does comment a lot this time of year about how he would rather rake leaves than shovel snow.

Had a great day yesterday. The great white hunter and I went to lunch with DD and the grand kids. Then he went to work and we took our Christmas returns back to the stores. We came back here and Julia and I sewed her quilt patches together in rows. Next we will sew the rows together. This is a slow process as it gets kind of intense with her sewing on my lap but she is not sure enough of herself to use the foot petal on the machine. She did really well guiding the fabric through though so it won't be long. When we finish this doll quilt, she wants to make a hot pad for her other grandmother out of the scraps and after that one for Mom. I think I have a quilter here! I also think that I LOVE it! I will post a picture of the doll quilt soon.

Your Opinion Please

I went to the dentist this morning. I have gone to this dentist for about four years, I was one of the first appointments at this office. In the year that followed, he did MAJOR work on my mouth. He was gentle and considerate of pain and did a wonderful job. It took almost a entire year to get things in shape and lots of the insurance company $$ and lots of our $$.

That said, the man can be very rude. I sat in the chair one time and listened to him berate a assistant until the poor girl was in tears and I really didn't blame her at all. He is also always late. I learned early on not to make the first appointment of the day like I like to do, because you ended up sitting there waiting for him to show up. The office opened at nine back then.

They changed their hours to open at 10 and I had a 10:30 appointment today to get a new crown put in. I was there early, about 10:15 and there was another man there before me. The sign up sheet said his appointment was also for 10:30. At about 10:25 they sat us both in the chairs, offered magazines or a glass of water. We sat and sat, the assistants tried to keep busy but it was clear they were out of things to do. At ll, I decided that I would wait until ten after and then I was leaving. There was no way they could charge me for the appointment because I had kept my part of the arrangement.

The dentist breezes in at 11:05, numbs the man in the other chair, checks on someone who came in after me and at 11:08 finally gets to me. Now this was not a emergency situation, he just didn't even arrive at his office until 11.

How long would you have sat there waiting before you left? I kept telling myself that if I left, I was hurting myself, because I would have to go back anyway to get the crown. It was already paid for and took a long time to get the OK from the insurance company. But, since when is the dentist's time (or any professional) more valuable than mine? A Dr. gets behind in their appointments or has a emergency to attend to and you have to make allowances for that, but this was not the case. It happens all the time. When do you draw the line and say "don't treat me like this!"

Now to add to the story, my crown was way too big for my mouth and needs to be redone. I had to redo all the impressions and will have to go back anyway. He worked on the man and his assistant took over to do the impressions........boy this one better be right!! I will schedule a later in the day appointment but it will be late too because he will be running late from the ones he had first thing. GRRRRRRRR!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

If you read my last two posts, I talk about reducing clutter in my life. Taking control of all the "stuff" to get a better grasp of my time.

OK, so what did I do over the New Year holiday? I shopped! Now every one of these fabrics is clearance. The Debbie Mumm fabric is from Walmart, at $1 a yard I could NOT leave it there! There are two lengths of Christmas prints that were marked down to $.50 a yard. Not quilt shop quality but great for Christmas projects! There are several Christmas print remnants from Joann's that were 75% off of fabric that was already 60% off. Now, who in their right mind walks away from that? So what if it takes up storage room that is somewhat lacking lately?

There is no picture of the other clearance goodies I got at Target for 75% off because that really smacks of "clutter". I am so bad..........

On the other front, I have started to really clean out cupboards and closets. I have two collections going. One for a charity donation and one for a garage sale that DD and I will have in March. Not looking at things twice, if it has been taking up space and not used, out it goes. Got to make some room in case I find some great bargains! LOL They just opened a Goodwill store up the street, got to go see what that is all about on my way to the used book store! Again, I am bad......

Julia and Colin were here to spend the night on New Year's Eve so Mom and Dad could go out and enjoy themselves. They needed a break and the great white hunter and I needed some grand kid time. We put her new sewing machine up and started sewing some squares that we had cut for the toy machine (that is going in the garage sale box). She had changed her mind on how to arrange them so we did some ripping out with her new seam ripper. Today DD was telling me that she keeps asking when she can come back because she really needs to work on her quilt. I will say she seems to have great color sense..........the fabric she chose for her squares is blue and purple and I would have NEVER put these together and they look great. Maybe I will take her when I have my "I can't decide what color/print" fabric melt downs in front of the bolts of fabric! Will post a picture after she gets some sewing time.

Happy New Year every one!! The great white hunter keeps saying he can't believe how fast this last year went by. Think most will agree.

2007 Gratitude's

My great white hunter

His content with his job after a rough few years

Cash for "bargains"

Great friends, especially the new ones that I have gained from this blog.....you know who you are and thank you for being there.

The cat, who has taken over a pair of sweat pants headed for the trash as her new bed. Never thought I would have a cat but she has become one of the family.

The kids and grand kids