Tea Anyone?

So it's the only picture I could think of. I just cleaned the fridge - which seems to get bigger every time I clean it - and really needed a break. A few weeks ago I took a piece of coffee bean fabric and made myself a mat to keep my things on. I like it. It's flat so things don't fall over but it also keeps spills, especially sugar, off the counter.

What I really wanted to take a picture of was the horses are back! They graze in the field behind the house. We heard them coming- they're so happy to get out the ground rumbles when they all run at once. But they weren't out for long. The water has mostly evaporated from the field but I guess the owner still didn't want to take a chance.

I cut our front lawn yesterday and it just about killed me. The grass didn't seem that long but the ground is still wet so even with a self-propelled mower it was really hard.

Our craft group is such a mess but apparently some woman wants two of the adult bibs so I'll get to that. I cut them out last night. They're fast to sew up but I need motivation.

Has anyone been watching "The Bible" series? I was disappointed at first because I thought they left too many gaps but DH who doesn't know the stories at all is enjoying it. That's good. That's also why I have The Bible for Dummies in my reading section. I first saw it at a bible study. The minister had it. I thought we were in big trouble if that's the bible the minister uses! But now that I have it I like it. I need to read more of the old testament. I knew a lot of the stories when I was younger because that's what they taught. Now I know more of the New Testament so have to go back for a refresher.

Shopping and Lunch

I had a good day today. It's not over yet, but I enjoyed the first half anyway. Part of my feeling down was that I miss my daughter. She and her husband moved in with her husband's parents before Christmas. They live in the next town over so it's not convenient for her to drop in like she used to when they lived here.

She came out to the hospice with us in January to see her grandfather, and then in February she insisted on driving us to the memorial because she knew her dad would be upset and it was going to be a long day. Even she got sleepy. His parents (and the funeral home) is a 50 mile drive each way. I could have done half the driving but I get tired too. My husband is not well so a trip out there at all is hard on him. I'm afraid he's going to fall asleep on the highway.

Aside from that I hadn't really "seen" her since Christmas. She's off for two weeks for Spring Break so today we went shopping for a pair of shoes for her and we went for lunch. When we shop in Richmond we always stop at Browns for lunch. They have really good food, a great ambiance and the prices are good.

I was trying to see what other 60 year olds were wearing on their feet cause I just don't know what's age appropriate any more and I really need new shoes. Most of the women I hang around are 70 plus except for one girl who's 65 and even she wears sensible shoes. I don't like sensible shoes. If I want sensible I put on my running shoes. I can't wear heels anymore, I do know that. I fall off *LOL* Ever since my head injury I'm just not quite as steady on my feet as I was. It's most embarrassing when I get down to get something off the bottom shelf at the grocery store and can't get up again. I try to wait til the aisle clears out before I struggle my way up.

Problem today was there were no 60 year olds out shopping. I guess that now that they're on pensions they can't afford to shop any more. Oh well, that just means I'll have to go shopping again I guess.

So that was my day. Off to find that quilt I mentioned on Em's blog and see what can be done with it. Reading blogs again makes me want to start quilting again.

I found it! I saw it on the cover of a magazine and I wanted it but couldn't afford to buy it. So I figured "How hard could it be?" I did finish it but I didn't know to turn under the pieces and I didn't know how to quilt. The back is covered with knots of thread. So this is my new project. I need to find some white cotton or something because it's stained on one side and that will need to be repaired. 

More of a Diary really

I should have spent more time outside today!

I haven't been quilting/sewing for awhile so figured why blog? Now I've realized I'd like to have more of a diary type blog. 

I came across a website called The Happiness Project Now I haven't looked around it a lot but I like what I see so far. One of her suggestions is that we take a picture a day. I was doing that for awhile and it was a neat idea even if it was just simple things. Life felt more concrete. So above is my photo for today. We haven't seen the sun in so long I'd forgotten what it looked like! It's been a looooong winter. Dark, rainy days don't do anything at all for motivation. The problem now is that there's lots of work that needs doing outside but there's lots of work needs doing inside too cause I've been so lazy. Oh well, it will get done.

The first part of this month has been difficult. I always have difficulty with depression and anxiety in Aug/Sept and in March. After spending 30 years in therapy trying to fight the PTSD I finally found a therapist who told me to just embrace my feelings and let myself go fallow when I felt that way. Beg off some of my usual activities and concentrate on things I want to do for myself. Great advice. I'd still be going to her if she wasn't so expensive, but she sure was worth it!

I've been working on a shawl for the prayer shawl group but I think when I'm finished that (about 4 rows) I'm going to go back to either cross stitch or embroidery for awhile. It's nice to have a change.

I also am surrounded by a lot of issues right now which I'm sure doesn't help. But hopefully I can find something in the Happiness Project that will help me to reframe my thinking and to be happy.

I did Em's Tutorial

I finally got myself sewing today. It took me all day but I made this reversible apron to sell at our bazaar in November. I use'd Em's tutorial to make the pockets. It's so easy to follow Em. Thanks for posting it. 

Nervous

I don't know why this happens to me. I get so darn nervous if someone is coming to my house. Someone who's coming to clean the rugs, etc is okay. They don't know me and they know my rugs are dirty.

I'm also nervous cause I have to go for a CT Scan on my kidney's on Monday. The one of my head was easy, apparently this one involves putting dye through my system and the technician doesn't want to do that because it's harmful to the kidney's. Can't win huh? But my neuphrologist hasn't seen an image for over 10 years so she needs this done and gave the technician permission to go ahead. 

I'm going straight from there to the craft group at a house I've never been to before. It's close to the hospital, but still. This lady just moved in and she's really neat and tidy anyway so I'm sure it will show like new. She's the same lady that's coming to my house on Wednesday. I know it shouldn't matter, she's coming to see our craft fabric, not our house, but so much has gotten shoved aside this year because of DH working on the boat that it's not looking great, dirty windows, deck needs power washing, etc.  

Everyone else's house we meet at is always so spotless. I'm not a fan of housework, I have too many other things I'd rather do. I like a clean house but it does get cluttered. One woman that came over described it as "comfortable".  I'm taking that as a compliment. 

Today I'm working on a table centre piece for the boat. I apparently have the size wrong. I figured it would look good with 2" of teak showing around the edges... maybe not.

He Loves Me!

Look at what DH brought home right out of the blue!

He went to the store last night while I was making dinner to pick up something for dessert and came home with these (and chocolate cake :0}) They are so pretty.

I think what happened is he called his brother on Monday night and when he wasn't home his wife answered the phone. DH got an earful. I've never seen such a shocked look on his face in my life. She used to write to me until I told her she really should reapply for her landed immigrant card and her passport. Apparently that offended her so she hasn't talked to me for 2 years. But I remember the temper. I just considered myself lucky that she was gone from my life. I didn't realize DH didn't know about her temper. I guess I told him but he wasn't ever listening. So I figure that he realized how lucky he was to have an even tempered wife. I thought I was pretty bad last year when we were having problems but he said "No way". 

I've done very little today. Watered my neighbours plants for her.  Her deck is like a jungle. I've never seen so many plants in my life - huge suckers. I was expecting to hear a Toucan any minute. I finished my book, Fatal Fixer-Upper and it actually turned out to be a really good book. There's 4 in the series and I think I'm going to have to start reading them all.

When I took my books back to the library I had to check one out. I can't have a life without a library book in it! I've never been drawn to Debbie McComber's books aside from her Christmas ones but I saw one called Twenty Wishes. After watching Bucket List the other night I thought I'd like to see a variation on that. I constantly need new things to stimulate my brain and a list of twenty things I'd like to do seems much more manageable than a bucket list. 

Mars Rover "Curiosity"

Video of landing of Curiosity

Wow. I have been looking at the Yahoo main page at the news and I can't believe that the historic Mars Rover landing last night is way down the list of news! Yes, the Olympics are interesting and important to the athletes and I have been watching them, what little we are shown, but Curiosity is something that is important to all mankind! I'm sorry that people were killed in that Sikh temple yesterday but that's becoming a more common occurrence, unfortunately. And I'm sorry some guy was angry enough at the police that he drove his tractor over 6 police cars and crushed them, but Curiosity is about the future of mankind! It's a beginning to finding a solution to the overcrowding, poverty, hunger, in our world - not to mention the fact that nuclear weapons will probably be the end of us on this planet.

These people spent 2 years planning this and they actually succeeded, landing it 2 meters off their planned landing spot. I can't even imagine what that success feels like. I watched in awe, on the edge of my seat, while it slowed down to land. And when it landed and sent back the first picture? Holy Cow! Some of the technicians were crying I'm sure partly from the stress of not knowing if it would work but also the knowledge that they made history and the magnitude of what this means.

Time may seem short but it's been less than 500 years since Copernicus had his Eureka moment when he realized that the Sun was the centre of our universe. Considering the age of the earth that's a blip in time. And now man has landed a vehicle on Mars? Amazing.