Oh my Haven't I been Busy!

Well, today is "The Rocket's 7th birthday. Cute little guy he is:

Happy Birthday big boy!

And so the quilting saga continues. Still no improvment on my Tin Lizzie, she won't stitch more than maybe a dozen before the thread breaks... darn frustrating. There was this guy from the sewing machine shop who was going to come over "SOME" weekend and take a look at her, but still no show and that was 2 weeks ago. I think I'm going to put her on Ebay and see if I can maybe get some of my money back and you can make a bet that I WILL NOT purchase another used machine no matter how good the deal.

I'm sure it is a good machine for someone who has time and energy to piss around with it, but I sure don't lots of time but not the energy.

So, now my goal is  to use up my fabric stash and turn it into quilt tops so that if and when I get a machine to quilt them they will be ready to go. This is what I've been working on:

Block of the Months - I have 3 of them currently started, well actually 4 but Ladies of the Sea is a work in process.

Number 1 - Sunshine & Starlight - 12 Blocks and a 24 x 24 Center Medallion

Number 2 Black & White - Started January, 2012

February!

Do not know what happened to January's picture. Maybe later. Dogs wants some breakfast and so do I.

Thoughts are all you've got.

Ah yes, I awoke this morning remembering that today, January 27 is my dearest granddaughter, Kori's 21st birthday, ah well would have been. Twenty-one years ago today, I so remember where I was and what I was doing and even amidst an unhappy time, she put some sunshine into my life.
It was a Sunday, and the sun was shining when I got to the hospital. It truly was a beautiful day.
"Sunday's child is full of Grace!" and yes she was.
Today, the first birthday without her is not sunny nor is the sun shining, it is gray, dreary and snowing.
My prayer now is that she finds peace and has "HAPPY" Thoughts, because thoughts is all we have in reality. Once the body is gone, there is only thoughts and all the 'crap' that we think is real is wrong. Things are 'crap'. Mean, angry, sadness, mean wishes, envy, malice, hate, are all too real for they are thoughts and unless we change our thoughts, we will live with them for eternity and that is a hell of a long time even if there isn't time.
All we should really want is happiness, truth, and peace. If we have those three things all else will fall into place.
All I want is peace, truth and happiness.
And so it is!

2012

Well is this going to be the end of the world? Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Did the Mayans or Aztecs - which were they -  know what they were talking about or just an end of an era of calendar makers?
Someone asked me about 1999 being the end of the world, of course not, remember your prayers, "World without end!" Amen! lol.
Oh pooh, we've had these things come and go, I may be wrong, but I don't think this year is going to be any better or more miserable than any other year.
So, make the best of it yourself and Happy New Year!

Nothing Old, Nothing New

Ah yes, it is true, the only thing old is the (almost) end to this miserable year. God, it has been a long hard one here, I truly hope yours was better than ours. Just 2 more days and we can dump this one into the "Miserable Years Hall of Fame" and I will be the first one to vote for 2011!
Now, on to how our Christmas went! Well, it too was pretty miserable. Nobody, not even me put much effort into it. I went shopping once shortly after Thanksgiving for my lovely D-M-I-L and S-I-L s but other than that I did my shopping online even for my grandson whose parents were too busy to take him shopping for his grandparents. All we got was a gift card for a restaurant from all three of them in a little paper bag. The old saying "it is the thought that counts" went out the door forever here in my mind as there was no thought in that at all except maybe a bit of guilt.
merry Christmas as my one friend would say if you know what I mean.
Now, we went to dinner last night at Olive Garden with Mom Millie, Sandy, Kathy and Bob and it was probably the most enjoyable evening of the season. The reason perhaps for that was that our waitress, threw away our order and 1/2 hour later came back to retake it and didn't even off us a sample glass of wine for our trouble. It will be a cold day in hell before I go back there. She kept apologizing for the error, but sometimes sorry just doesn't cut it. If I had been paying for the meal, I probably would have told the clerk but DSIL is always so sweet that she didn't even mention it. The cloak of invisibility is still covering the "Funks"!
OK, that's it. I cannot complain anymore or I just might throw my coffee into this machine.
Happy 2012! It cannot come soon enough!

Christmas Time ?????

Well, now less then 10 days until Christmas. I've all my shopping done and just need to get my cookies baked. Today, I'm making my refrigerator dough and tomorrow my little grandson is coming over to make cutouts. On Tuesday next week, my friend Barb is coming over and we are going to have 3 pizzelle irons going and then make some Christmas cards for special people.
I guess I shouldn't be such a Scrooge and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

December, 2011

Christmas, Christmas hurry fast and get over!
Nothing done yet except DH has his train and little Christmas tree set up on the deck. Now, that we have Ms Boots I probably will not have a regular large tree this year and probably for the best considering the circumstances. I'm not looking forward to Christmas Eve for our traditional Clam Chowder and there probably wouldn't be a box of candy mysteriously missing like last year.
OK no crying today at least not for the first hour of dawn. And it certainly needs to lighten up outside, the gray is 12 hours long and it isn't even Winter yet.
Here is the new project I'm going to be working on for a while because I frustrated with all my sewing machines and waiting for a new bobbin case to get here.

I figure that perhaps a bit of crocheting will do me good and I can do it while watching television. I also have several hand appliques to work on and a whole quilt to hand quilt this winter. So guess I'll just sit and wait for the snow to come and make me more depressed than I am.

If you do not have kids, DON'T it is too cruel and too heartbreaking.

Until tomorrow, if the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise anymore than it already has.

See you, Bye!

And so it is Thanksgiving, 2011

Not much going on here today. I'm up and getting ready to start "Dad Funk's Dinner Rolls" for dinner at Mom Funk's at noon.
I'm cooking our turkey tomorrow and our friend, Kay, will join us for dinner.
I didn't even ask my kids what they were doing for today and frankly, "Scarlett" , I don't give a damn. I start and finish all and any holiday that I want to give memories, good food and good times.  It has been my "ideal" holiday vision so everyone should be happy, well fed and content at the end of the day. BUT, did it or does it really matter. Hell no, it doesn't. For it is clear to me that if I do not start the suggestion, nobody else does either, so for the first time in almost 50 years, I'm not working hard today. I'm going to make the rolls in the bread machine and that is it. No pies to bake, we will probably be eating 'store bought pumpkin pie' and pre-basted turkey, but I know that my dinner rolls will be real and delicious.
Speaking about delicious, I'd better get at them.
Oh, here is a picture of my latest 'Mystery Quilt' I finished the top on Tuesday and when I get the one error corrected this weekend, it will be ready for a border. One of the gals at AQS, gave me the idea for the name " For Purple Mountains Majesty" and so it is!

A OK

Well tonight my friend Valerie and I cut out and scored 20 Tissue box covers and set up the project for Christmas to start on after Thanksgiving.
I download WinXP and Virtual PC after updating my OS to Win7 Premium. I should have did that in the first place but got a really good deal at Amazon.com
Getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner at Mom Millie's,I'm making Dad Funk's dinner rolls and that is about all. I really wanted to make a new outfit, however; I don't know if I will have time with all the other things I have planned for next week.
I also want to get a new background made for here but things just do not work out as I plan anymore.
The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise I'll be back tomorrow.

New Computer and Windows 7

Holy Cow! The new computer is wonderful but Windows 7 is the nightmare from Hell and I'm not exaggerating on bit. All the money and time I've invested in graphics programs and other things are not compatible so I've just spent 10 years and more of my life learning to do things that I've enjoyed and now I can take another friggin' 5 years to learn other things just to be able to navigate around the NEW and IMPROVED Windows.
I think I've figured out why all the radical changes have occurred.
1. Bill Gates retired - the work horse of the computing world.
2. All the other yoyo's at Microsoft are just plain friggin' lazy and dumb. Note I didn't say stupid, just plain and simple DUMB.

Why? Go ahead and ask me Why?
Why?
I'll tell you why. Windows XP had security holes that they were just too friggin' lazy to fix, so they dump the things that had the holes or they DIDN'T want to fix or were too dumb to fix such as OE and other things that could be compatible with all computers. Like I said, plain and simple - Lazy and Dumb!
And then they charge an outrageous price for the upgrade and sell it to all the computer manufacturers to put on the new machines without offering a choice.
Now, Mr. Gates was a smart business man, but he sure hired some jerks and con artists. I've seen that before many times.
Someone has a brilliant project, and makes tons, then turns around and either sells it to the highest bidder or retires and leaves it to a favorite son who they had spoiled in the first place.
Jasc the developers of PaintShopPro, did that to Corel and now Corel has eliminated the competition and totally destroyed a wonderful graphics program. The same will happen to Microsoft - Mark my words! One November 17, 2011 you read it here, by November 17, 2021, Microsoft now a household name will be replaced by a new and innovative computer program company probably from Iran (oil money)or some other distant land and no longer be "American made".
Furthermore, if we don't elected someone other than the "progressive" party including President Obama come next year we may all very well not be at all "American Made". I really hate to admit that I'm conservative and say that we need more conservative values, and that we should have never let President Reagan allow NAFTA (I think that is it). Yup that's it! We probably wouldn't be in this mess now. Give one for the Giffer!
Unfortunately, Mr. Obama is no Giffer! Mr. Obama is just a snot nose kid.
OK now I'm off to the Sewing Loft to stitch out my frustrations.

November's Here!

Goodness, almost Turkey Time. Do you know what your are thankful for this year?
This has been the worse year that I've had in the past 20 years. Even the cancer years didn't seem this bad, oh well as they say, "Life Goes On". Oh Yeah, Life goes on and on and on.
Been busy during the month of October. Started and finish another Mystery Quilt or at least the top to one and awaiting the next installment of the second one on Monday, alas, I would be home. A day trip is planned to pick up a train and see my friend out of town.
Oops, got go and let my girlie dog out to bark at the church bells. She sings a real pretty song when they ring at 6 pm :o)
Mystery Quilt V from Quilter's Club of America:

and the new one

from

American Quilter's Society

This one looks like Christmas and I'm hoping to be done by then.

I'm thinking I'll add a lime cording to the binding of the top one to go with the lime in the quilt. I also, think I'll call it "In Search of Dinosaurs.

Really, need to finish some of the UFOs I have started, actually I did work on one this past week. Then a friend brought over an old quilt that she wishes me to finish called "The Tree of Life". It is a pattern from the 30's and the original quilter has about 20 blocks done and another 20 cut out so it will be a pretty big undertaking to say the very least. Am I up to it? Well I really do not know, but I'll give it my best.

Time now to play some Plants verse Zombies.

Let not your heart be troubled!

Until the morrow!