Back in business

Praise God!  Took my sewing machine in and she fixed it right away.  Sew, sew, sew!!!!  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can get this quilt done!

What is going on??????

It seems as if these quilts are just not supposed to get made.  I was going to use mom's old treadle machine but it has no reverse on it and the quilt is too big to try to turn it around when I need to back track over the seam allowances.

I set up my grandmother's Futura sewing machine. HATE IT!!!  It is the most complicated sewing machine I have ever used.  If you don't get the thread through the discs "just right", then you can't sew.  It took me 30 minutes last night to get the machine threaded and working.  This morning, I was going to get at least one row of the individual squares sewn.  I was 2 squares away from completing row 10 when the bobbin ran out of thread.  I replaced the bobbin and now, after wasting another 15 minutes, it still will not sew right.  The thread is not feeding.  What idiot made this machine and why would they make it so complicated?!*%$#>#*&^. 

Tonight, I will patiently try to get the "dirty word, dirty word, dirty word"  machine threaded where it will work correctly.

I did find a place in town that repairs machine.  I pray he does good work for a good price and does it quick.  Taking it to Austin would be mean 1-2 weeks before I could get it back.

Lord, HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

A kink in my plans

I wanted to finish Waylon's quilt over Thanksgiving but between allergies and my sewing machine going on strike, it didn't happen.  I need about 5 hours to finish his quilt.  The hardest part of the whole thing is laying it out for the color design.

I came up with the idea to do a quilt for Kristina.  Crazy I know but once I get another sewing machine setup (my mom's old transformed treadle), I will be on my way.  I am using old flannel sheets with a wintery design.  One set of sheets had a snowman pillowcase so I am using it as the focal point of the quilt.  Sheets sure beat cutting up a lot of old flannel shirts.

I work this weekend plus housesit when I get back so this weekend is shot for working on it but after that, I will be one sewing "machine" (pun intended)!

Whew!! Back to my paying job.

Thanksgiving

No way this is going to be a traditional Thanksgiving.  Mom and I both have pets and houses we are watching over.  Waylon & Kristina are doing their own thing.  Davey will be at the hospital with his brother.  Thanksgiving without Davey is like pumpkin pie without real whipped cream.  Just ain't the same.  The friends we invited actually ended up being able to spend time with their families so mom and I decided that the pork loin with cranberry/apricot dressing can wait. 

What are we going to do???  We are loading up the picnic basket and going fishing until the cold front hits. Upon return, we are bombing out on movies.  Of course, I will be sewing while watching movies but it will still be relaxing.

Love this new carefree, no hassle Thanksgiving plan.  It's never too late to start a new Thanksgiving tradition!

I pray each of you enjoy time spent with family.

Rag quilt

Waylon would like another rag quilt for Christmas.  Seems not only Kristina has taken his but their company loves that quilt. 

I started laying out the squares last night. Yes, I know I will be burning the midnight oil to get this done but my heart has just not been ready to make it.  As I said, I laid out the squares and nothing seemed to work.  This morning, it hit me what it was that didn't mesh.  The colors.  Waylon loves browns and greens and most of the shirts I already had cut up were blues and reds, so on to add to my already short time, I am having to cut more squares. Praisin Jesus I had some old brown and green flannel shirts that I had collected.  As with the last quilt, I am putting a scripture a address on each square of batting between the flannel layers.

Why oh why did I procrastinate?!/*?!

PS.  Send oil, someone to rub my shoulders and lots of caffeine please.  Oh, and a few quilting angels would be muchly appreciated.

The Roll continues...

I still have some uncluttering to do at my house, but books take longer for me to go through and until I finish some of my rag quilts, the laundry room will just have to stay a disaster.

The office is less cluttered.  Jake, who rents a room from us, needed space for a big printer (prints lifesize photos).  So, I took it to task yesterday, going through drawers and shelves, rearranging and getting rid of stuff that we never use and/or is in bad repair.  The backseat of my Toyota was filled as I headed to the dumpster.  Wanted to get rid of more but Gene is deadset on keeping every briefcase and daytimer he ever used (40 years worth). 

By eliminating so many things I had subscribe to, I was able to spend less than 5 minutes on my emails this morning.  Loving it!!!

I do believe my life is headed in the right direction.  PRAISIN JESUS!

On a roll...

WOW!  I am feeling so good.  The UNCLUTTERING has spread.  I am feeling lighter and lighter.  What brought things to a head?  A neighbor lost her special companion 3 weeks ago and I am just now finding out.  My friend of almost 50 years was close to death and I did not know it.  GOD SMACKED ME UPSIDE THE HEAD!

My life has become so cluttered with "stuff" that I forgot what was important, people!  So I made a decision.  I have let go of housesitting other than short term (3 days) and nothing during December and January. I unsubscribed to about 25 different daily or weekly devotional emails, Daily guideposts, Country Living, Hillbilly housewife, HGTV etc.  You get the picture.  As much as I enjoy reading and being encouraged by Girlfriends and God, Family Life today, etc, I found all those things shortened my time with God and people.

I confess, once I read something interesting, it tends to lead me to research more.  Reading and researching are my addictions, along with Dr. Pepper.  I tried quitting Dr. Pepper but... 

I have taken a leave of absence from Facebook while I get my priorities in order.  I will check it once a week to touch base with some of my friends.

I need more Roo time.  There is no getting anything accomplished while he is here and so all those emails etc get back logged. 

I am also going to work on my me-do list and see what I can eliminate and minimize.

Except that the scales say differently, I feel so much lighter.

Uncluttering

After Dottie changed the color of my carpet, I made arrangements for Brian to come clean it.  I had everything moved to make it easier.  Brian had to change the appointment, which actually worked out for the best. 

I think I am becoming minimalist.  I love less things in the rooms of my house.  Won't get rid of any of the furniture, end table and night stands just yet but I must say, I like the change I see and am giving lots of thought to keeping it with less stuff.  More stuff, more places to stack things.  Mmmmmm! 

Oh well!  Will wait and see!

Dottie Update

The surgery went well.  Dottie is now home.  I had been misled on her situation.  They had to remove part of her intestines but not nearly as much as I had been told.  The cause of the blockage??  Part of her baby.  Carol buys her these fuzzy stuffed babies that are the shape of gingerbread men.  She loves them.  She had chomped off part of a leg and swallowed it.  Bad news, when it got to a certain part of the intestines, it swelled and filled the area instead of going on through.

Praisin Jesus she is on the mend.  I think the "babies" will now be off limits.

Praise

Julie's son Brian is scheduled to come clean my carpets.  After Dottie threw up all over my carpets and rugs, there is no option but to have them cleaned.  I wanted to get my carpets cleaned later this year, with perhaps a Christmas bonus I might get.  Anyway, Dottie changed all that.

It is really not in my budget but guess what, I got a call for 3 days of house/dog sitting this month and then 2 days in December.  It will be enough to pay for the carpet cleaning.

Praisin Jesus!!

The Great Church Hunt

I am still on the "Great Church Hunt".  This is the 3rd week I did not attend church.  I was back in Austin.  Anyway, I have decided to focus on non-denominational churches first and if God hasn't shown me the church He wants me to attend, then I will branch out.

While I am on this journey, I believe that God wants me to be sure I stay in touch, thus my TREASURE at the garage sale this weekend.

Garage sale TREASURE - Bible tapes

Coming back from Davey's this weekend, I stopped at a garage sale that surprisingly, was still going.  I tend to look for teaching tapes on cassette because that is what I have in my car.  The lady having the sale just gave me the following teaching tapes, some on cd's and some on cassettes.  Talk about a TREASURE!  Most of the teachings are by Ron Hindt, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Houston.  Some of these teachings are from his Master's Call ministry and others are his Larger than Life ministry tapes.

Cassettes

Through the Bible verse by verse - Genesis - Numbers 32
Who's tricking who? - The truth about halloween
The Way of the Cross - Exposition of Matthew 26 & 27
The Training of the Twelve - a look a the Twelve Disciples
Running with the Faithful - Exposition stufy of Hebrews 11
Apologetics 101 by Bunjee Garrett
Walking in the Spirit - Exposition of Galatians 5:16-6:18
Christ the Living Word 1:1-18
The Romance of Redemption - the book of Ruth
Running the Race - exposition of Hebrews 12
Christ the Good Shepherd - exposition of John Chapter 10
Colossians - Becoming a confident christian -by pastor Allan Rigg - missing 3 cassettes

CD
The Uncompromising Life - Daniel 1:1-21 and 3:1-30 - cd
Lessons for Living Faith - Matthew 14:14-15:39
Nehemiah 1:1-11 - 13
The Beatitudes - Missing one cd
2006 Calvary Chapel Texas/Oklahoma Pastor's wives Fellowship - It holds 3 cds but there are only 2. Not sure if there was ever 3.


About 2 months ago, I got "The Bible Experience", the New Testatment.  It is on cd.  I forgot about it but found it in my stash of books when cleaning house, so that is what I am listening to this morning while working, at least until Gene gets here. 
 
My favorites, of course, are the Joyce Meyer tapes.  I listen to them over and over and over again.  I usually listen to each tape 3 times as I only drive 6 miles to work so my listening is very disconnected.  I am just finishing up "Has anyone seen my mind.".  Really good teaching.  I've have a few of her teaching tapes series.  Great way to start my day.  Of course, since 105.9 came about, I sometimes want to listen to it.  Love worship music and before work just makes my day better.
 
If y'all are at garage sales and find Joyce Meyer teaching tapes on cassettes, please get them for me and I will pay you back.
 
I need to be in the Word more but if I can't read it, at least I can hear it.
 
Love my garage sale treasures.