catchestheworm

Sunrise

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:26:31 GMT

Sunrise, and the Tulip Poplar tree is a spectacular vision of color, drenched in yellows and pale greens. My view is from inside the crown, so the intense colors are criss crossed with a lacework of branches, made dark by the recent rains.

FIRST RAIN

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:57:58 GMT

Raining, cold, wind blowing the leaves off the tulip poplar, pale gray overcast making the day darker, water sounding the gutter drains, cozy and dry inside.

My first memories of rain.......I am 9, alone, huddled in a fort made of wooden crates and pallets. I can smell grass, newly wet dirt, soggy cardboard,and pine. My hair and shoes are wet, but I am cozy and warm inside my little nest thinking that this is the best place on earth to be at the moment. The FORT, built by my siblings and neighbor kids, was located in the middle of a vacant lot next to our suburban house in Los Banos Ca. We played all summer outside, no organized sports or lessons, no school for 3 months. We just played, it was great. Rain meant time for school, less to play, I spent as much time as I could outside, even in the rain.

Windshield wipers droning on long car trips while I daydreamed, laying tucked up on the shelf, under the back window. DEE- DI- DOV- ER

Stomping in puddles till my boots filled and made the bottom of my toes wrinkle.

Floating home-made boats down the curb gutters with my little brother.

Face up, catching drops on my tongue getting my glasses wet, and soaking my already tangled mop, darkening it from strawberry to rust.

SEWING PROJECTS THIS MONTH

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:23:20 GMT

I tend to forget about many of the small sewing projects I have made over the years. Most of them are one of a kind, made for friends and family for specific occasions. I enjoy thinking about the end user as I merrily create in my quiet studio. Her is my production schedule for this month.

3 Tote bags      Made from upholstery and drapery samples, made in 2 weekends with Lorna for my friend Elaine who donated fabric,
                          one I made for Audrey, and one, was mostly made by Lorna, for herself.
2 sachets Made from drapery sample fabric and lavender from by garden for my niece Licia
6 bean bags       with rice and lavender for Licia's kids, Savannah and Charlie
1 skirt                 for Audrey, with buttons up the front, made from a favorite shirt belonging to my 'now to skinny for it' husband Joel.
                          The white linen, with little red and blue boats on it.
1 shop apron      Made from a pair of Jeans for Joel from his old pair of size 42 levis that no longer fit. Yea Joel!
11 warmers        Made from a new green fleece blanket, filled with rice and lavender ( one minute in the microwave) I modified a
                           pattern from my sister to make a strap handle on each end of a 2 foot long by 6 inch wide pillow that feels and smells
                           wonderful wrapped on the back of the neck. It also serves as a door or window snake to keep out drafts on windy
                           winter days.
12 warmers         Made from tiger print fleece, to be filled with rice.
16 t-shirts            Royal blue purchased t-shirts, modified with superman logos, and iron on letters to form the name of the student on
                            the back
14 capes             Red silky superman capes with blue satin ribbon ties for our classroom.

SCHOOL DAYS

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:20:45 GMT

Shared my tulip poplar quilt with the kids at school yesterday. We have been learning about fall/autumn, collecting leaves on our Monday mile walks, and creating some beautiful paintings and projects. I made this small wall quilt using the leaves from my Tulip Poplar tree as inspiration to show the color changes the leaves go through. It is also heavily beaded and has some sparkle to it.

Twenty minutes before it was time for the class to go home for the day, the daily announcements from the Principal came on through the speaker in our classroom. I was sitting in my rocking chair waiting with my rolled up quilt, and as soon as the announcements were over, one of the 1st grade boys popped up next to me, announced the rules and introduced me to the class like a little mimic.

"Announcement 1, You must sit on the carpet."
"Announcement 2, No talking."
"Announcement 3, No leaving the room."

"I would like to introduce Mrs Harrison and THE FAMOUS QUILT!

He was a regular little "Vanna White " jesturing to the parts of the quilt while I talked. Such a little comedian, cuteness incorporated.

I am learning more and more about Autism, delayed development, and how their little minds grow. I'm really enjoying the 3 hours spent with them every school day.

SHOP APRON

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:58:54 GMT

www.facebook.com/album.phpJoel has lost 6 inches from his waist, creating a new recycling challenge for 10 pair of perfectly good pants. The Levi's are easy, I created a shop apron in one hour for my sweetie. Joel lifts the bottom up and covers his workbench, so he can keep small parts from falling on the floor. He is inventing a new Sax ligature.

Here is the recipe.

I cut out the zipper
Cut out the inseams and save for the ties DO NOT CUT OUTSIDE SEAMS OF PANTS.
Straighten up the seams, by cutting off the v-shape of the crotch
Sew up front seam, then zig zag the raw edges to the apron.
Attache the bib, made from the bottom portion of a pant leg.
Place the bottom edge, wrong side of bib 1/2 inch below top of pants wrong side and sew.
Flip up the Bib to finished position and sew across, working from the back side of the apron.
Insert the ties 2 inches into the waistband and top stitch.
Attach neck strap or ties
Fold over all the raw edges once, and zig zag.

quote

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:31:02 GMT

David E. Weekly Everything about her was joyously supersized, the product of a creator eager to ensure no part (lips nor heart) was underdone.

Letter To My Sister

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:20:43 GMT

Good Morning,

Thanks for the help with my paper quilt, two heads are better than one when it comes to quilt strategies. I drew an 8 " square on copy paper, added the curved lines, and printed 3 per square, so there will be a surface to glue the cut pieces on. I hope they fit in the laminating machine.

Ron and Deb brought me a star gazer lily arrangement, and home made soap when they came for dinner at 6:00.

We enjoyed strawberry lemon aid over crushed ice, garnished with mint and lemon slices, along with mushroom squares topped with melted gorgonzola. Joel demonstrated his new invention by the fire in the living room, and they enjoyed my wall quilts.

Since it was raining, I had to nix the outdoor bbq and set the little glass table in the kitchen. It was fun to set a fall table using my leaf dishes, and a simple zinnea bouquet on a rust linen tablecloth.

My red oblong quiche dish was perfect to serve the chicken in a green basil sauce. The pasta bowl was filled with ribbons of egg noodles tossed with browned butter, and I used the blue print chinese serving dish for the home grown tomato caprese salad. A large tossed green salad and warm, sliced french bread filled out the simple menu, served buffet style on the counter.

I brought out a crystal bowl with cut up fresh peaches and blue berries and a plate of chocolate chip cookies that had survived the snitchey grabbers.

We took our coffee down to the theater in the sound room, and watched Duplicity with Clive Owens and Julia Roberts. Deb has a corporate law practice, so this witty and well done movie was a perfect choice.

Since they arrived at 6:00, we made an early night of it and said our good byes by 10:00.

I plan on working on our quilt squares after school today. We sure had a fun week end, thanks for coming.
Love
B.

Chicken recipe
Process basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, a bit of oil
Mix it with white sauce seasoned with freshly grated nutmeg
Spoon it over chicken breasts
Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce.

Mushroom squares
Melt a clove of garlic in 2 T. butter, and saute 3 cups of mushrooms
Process with 1 cup bread crumbs, one egg, salt pepper.
Bake 350 20 minutes in a spring form pan
Cool, cut into squares and place on parchment lined pan one inch apart
Top with gorgonzola cheese and pop in the oven just before guests are due.

Thunder and Beautiful Lightning.

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:16:28 GMT

Big fat wet drops played a syncopated rhythm on the wrought iron gate outside my bedroom window, waking me at 3:45 am.

Where are those big eyed, pajama clad munchkins of mine that stood in the doorway counting the minutes between flashes of lightning and the boom of thunder, one one-thousand, two one-thousand, in the middle of the night, cheering, and celebrating the mysteries of nature?

I stood outside this morning before dawn, inhaling the dusty scent of the driveway cobblestones, newly wet from an end of Summer rain, missing my children when they were children.

Labour day 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:32:17 GMT

4 days off= Santa Cruz crab feed, and 700 pages of reading with my feet up in my own back yard. Yesterday I had a hike through 60 acres of pear, prune, fig, apple, and persimmon trees followed by a wonderful buffet served in the packing shed and enjoyed under the trees with the Fox family.

The big city.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:46:06 GMT

I am staying in San Fransisco for a week in Dan's apartment on Judah between 14th and 15th street. Baby Andrew arrived 5 days ago, and one of my grandma duties is to entertain a very loud and busy 2 year old Thomas, Elita can focus on baby Andrew.

City living is strange and exciting for a suburbanite like me. The Muni has two over head cables that have a distinctive whine, as streetcars full of people barrel down the hill, metal wheels scraping the tracks, 20 feet from the front of the house. It's like an old sit com here, conversation pauses while the train passes, shaking the apartment. The hills here are giving me a workout, especially with a 30 pound two year old and a basket full of groceries to push up the incline. Thomas and I have a grand time on our walks, singing our ABC's to strangers, enjoying the smell of exotic foods wafting from small cafes and finding all sorts of nooks and crannies with luxurious plants and vines that seem to sprout from the sidewalk.
http://gallery.me.com/catchestheworm#100196

sleep

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:02:05 GMT

Sleep, Don’t Mock Me

I wake up with the sun; regardless of what time I retire in the evening. About 5:00 am, the frogs and birds are up, just about the same time as me, singing and croaking, ready for a new day. As my family will attest, I am an annoyingly chatty, happy person bright and early in the morning, if I have gotten enough sleep. On the contrary, woe unto him that wakes me before I get at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. My family, having been the brunt and cause of my tantrums, has learned to cope and prevent my outbursts by treading lightly and keeping the noise level down, after I conk out, usually between 9 and 10. This in itself is quite a feat of careful planning, considering the fact that they come alive at night and stay up until 1:00 and sometimes 4:00 am.

It took a while, especially during the teenage years, but our system is working well, until our little feathered friend arrived to mock us. He sings ALL NIGHT LONG! He can imitate almost any sound with his loud high-pitched birdie voice. His favorites, besides other birds, are bullfrogs and car alarms. He perches right outside my bedroom window on the topmost branch of the tallest tree around, occasionally jumping up two feet, flapping his wings mid song, then landing precisely on the same fragile branch. He is a Northern Mockingbird, common to California, as seen here http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/northern-mockingbird-mimus-polyglottos/frontal-view-adult-perched-singing

What to do? I can't ground him, or threaten to take away his toys or car. I guess I just have to hope he finds a mate soon so he can get busy and stop annoying me. Oh, what if a mate wants to sing a duet all night? Quick, where is the cat?

The Sandwich Generation

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:10:25 GMT

First post 4/5/09

The Sandwich Generation, 'aging parents, and boomerang adult kids all under this Baby Boomer's roof.

Are you like me? How do you cope/operate? How has the current economic downfall changed your lifestyle?

Krak-a-don: Crack of Dawn, up with the chickens. I walk at dawn most days to keep limber so I can chase after my two year old grandson, cook and clean for a family of 6, and care for my aging parents.

Born a middle child, I am comfortable with my role as a member of the Sandwich Generation. My nest has never been empty, by the time Audrey, the last of my four children went off to college, her sister Amanda, blessed me with a new grandson to care for while she worked. When her second child arrived, it was time for her to be a stay at home mom, so I went back to work for a couple of years. Last year, my 25 year old son,Tom, moved home to go back to school, graduated, found a great job, and decided to live here and pay rent. In January, my 35 year old son, Dan, migrated back here from his 7 years in China, with Elita, his Chinese wife, and 2 year old son named Thomas. They are expecting another boy in two months, and will live with us for a few months after the new baby arrives, then find a place in San Fransisco.

Here is how I operate with so many generations, unless Murphy's Law throws another wrench into the plan.

5:00   I wake to marimba tones from my I-phone, switch on the flashlight mode, dress in warm clothes, and tiptoe out.
5:30   meet my walking buddy downtown and walk by streetlight, for 45 minutes, pick up fresh bagels and drive home.
6:30   Check email, blog, read online papers, catch a missed episode from last nights tv line up.
7:00   Dan hands me Thomas, a sleepy 2 year old, makes a latte and bagel and heads off for his hour commute.
8:00   Big Tom, my 25 year old son, swings through the kitchen and grabs a coffee on his way off to work.
9:00   Hubby Joel appears dressed and ready for work, makes himself a bowl of cold cereal and is off to work.
10:00 Thomas helps me make his breakfast (loves to crack eggs), we eat, and do a bit of cleaning up together, stopping to
          use the potty like a big boy, with a jelly bean reward. (that is a whole other blog for later). We watch an hour of PBS
          kids, and I make phone calls. We water the plants on the deck and plays in his toy kitchen or sand box. Some days we
          go for a walk and count the mail boxed on our street, and sing about the wheels on the bus, or old Mc Donald and his
          farm. He is a delightful, happy child, and sings constantly.
11:00 My daughter-in-is up after a wakeful night helping Thomas adapt to his new big boy bed. She makes her breakfast, and
          cleans up the kitchen. We usually go to appointments for her or Thomas and go food shopping and run errands. Some
          days we go to the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose, or to the park.
12:00 After lunch, I might need to head over the Santa Cruz mountains alone, to check on my parents while the baby naps. I
           take them to their appointments, fix my mothers hair, and help with tasks in the yard or house. I play a game of
           canasta and visit with them, then head back home, stopping on the way for a short walk on the beach.
5:00 I Start thinking about preparing for a home made dinner, usually salad, two veggies, a starch and some kind of meat
           dish. Elita, is learning to cook American food, and teaches me about Chinese cooking as well.
6:30 Dinner is ready for those who are home to eat it, late comers can warm it in the microwave. Elita clears and does the
          dishes, thank goodness, because I am pooped.
7:00 Jeopardy blaring, toys beeping and buzzing, the pitter and patter of big and little feet, and everyone emitting some kind
          of sound. Joel and i often escape to our home theater in the detached garage and miss all the goings on.
9:00   Can't come soon enough, I am ready for my bed.

Friendship

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:19:13 GMT

I have a very good friend named Sharon who cares enough about my health and her own, to meet me at 'O-Dark-Thirty' every day to walk by streetlight downtown. The marimba ring tone on my IPhone goes off at 5:00 am, reminding me that she will be waiting, all alone in a dark parking lot, if I don't roll out of bed and get going. It is cold cold cold and damp outside, so I huddle near the car heater, and drive the almost empty road into town. We walk along the storefronts out of the wind at a pace fast enough to stay warm, and talk about our daily lives in the easygoing way of old friends. When we first met, our children were infants, now they are grown, graduated from college and out in the world. Sharon will join me in becoming a grandmother this Christmas, the first of my friends to share that joy. We had a good walk today. Friends are a good thing.

Vote

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:35:16 GMT

Enough is enough already! I filled out my ballot and mailed it this morning. Now, do not talk politics, send me funny or scathing emails, knock on my door or call me with voting requests. This election, more than any other in my memory, has made the differences in political opinions more evident, creating a negative tension that is difficult to ignore. In these last few days before the election, I am turning off the TV! God Bless America, the land of the free and home of the brave.

Sunday Morning

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:15:30 GMT

06 07 08

I saw a doe this morning, racing across the back orchard, just a quick flicker of movement. She turned and raced up the side yard, squeezed between our fence and the neighbors, slipping through the gap of the rotted posts and sagging redwood, to the freedom of the small canyon, the last remnant of wild growth in our suburban neighborhood. The sunlight was 2 hours old, the morning birds had already finished their usual symphony, and my coffee cup needed a refill, so I might have missed her had I left my comfy deck chair a minute later.

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:12:47 GMT

Lots of changes have taken place since my last post, since November of 2004.
Dan fell in love, moved to China. We flew over for 3 weeks for the traditional Chinese wedding that was televised all over the country. My new grandson Thomas was born this past May

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 17:38:06 GMT

mmmmmmmmmm very interesting reading.

http://www.therestisnoise.com/

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 14:06:22 GMT

Alex is feeling better, he holds his crotch, grimaces, and says pee pee. Amanda has to apply a steroid cream to the tip of his penis three times a day to help heal and stretch the end of his foreskin where it is still quite tight.

Alex, Elita and I explored the new Target store and the Westfield Mall, in search of new colored lights for the Christmas tree. We found some new LED stars, small, faceted globes, and interesting twinkle lights.

Elita had never been to a big indoor American shopping mall. She marveled at the decorations, and the Santa Clause, complete with photographer and cute little kids lined up in their Sunday best waiting for their lap time. Alex took a turn, only to crumple his face up in tears at the strange man whose lap was the last thing on his list of fun things to do. Good thing we didn’t spend the time to dress him up with his bow tie! After that, he decided it would be much more fun to run than sit in his stroller, so we all got our exercise for the day. He is just about the cutest little boy in the world right now!

Alex helped with the lights, delighted to be included in the festivities, then finally, after singing a bazillion Christmas songs in the rocking chair, fell asleep at last!

Elita enjoyed sharing the Christmas memories with me as we opened each carefully wrapped ornament. I have saved all the home made decorations, and the ornaments I purchased; one per child x 4x 31 years. There are several very nice ones from my sister Lorna, and sister-in-law, Rinda, that have managed to survive as well. It took 1 ½ hours, the exact time required for Alex to reset his energy banks, while snoring on the family room floor. He is so perfectly angelic when he is asleep, with his little rosy cheeks, and blond curls.

Elita decorated the tree while I chased after the elf that ran around saying NO NO NO, stealing the ornaments off of the tree over and over with his little impish grin. Joel added the finishing touch to the top, a big paper star, one I found this year with Elita and Alex, at a cute little shop on Los Altos. The tree is beautiful this year, the lights and ornaments are perfectly balanced, and now I know the perfect gift for Elita. Before she leaves, I will wrap the new star and give it to her as a keepsake of her visit here with us at this special time of year.

I made some rich and creamy squash soup with herbs, and garlic some bread for the three of us after Amanda left with Alex. Tommy was off having fun at his office party, so we ate in the family room, and watched a little TV. Lost was a repeat, so we cleaned the kitchen, and then went to bed by 9:30.

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 13:11:05 GMT

I need to sleep.

I need to sleep from 10:00 to 6:00.

I need to sleep for 20 minutes when Alex takes his nap.

Yesterday

5:00 up, computer time, coffee, laundry, empty dishwasher, wrap presents

6:30 visit with Elita

7:30 Alex, play, make him breakfast, clean up, dress him, walk him, bottle time.

10:30 pack up stroller, seat belt in Alex and drive to Los Altos with Elita for some

Shopping. (Candles, star, Joel’s gift)

12:00 pick up Amanda and head for the Stanford pediatric urologist for Alex's

appointment

1:30 drive through Mc D's on the way back to drop off Amanda

2:30 make candy with Elita

5:30 bye bye to Alex

7:30 Elita and Joel picked up Chinese food, watched a Snoopy Christmas

Special

9:00 cleaned kitchen, with Elita’s help again

9:30 fast asleep in my wonderful bed

3:30 am wide awake!

I have enjoyed Elita’s company, she has a calm disposition, is very helpful, and Alex adores her. Dan is a lucky guy to have such a beautiful girlfriend. She had fun making candy with me yesterday, then again, helped clean the kitchen.

Peppermint bark

Chocolate toffee crunch bark

Peanut butter cups

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:09:58 GMT

December 13^th

Monday Morning Musings

Alex is ill, Amanda is taking him to the doctor this morning, so I had time dash around the house in preparation for company before Alex gets here. We are taking him to SFO at 1:00 to greet Elita as she arrives from London.

I did 3 loads of laundry, cleared out the guest room, did the dishes, picked up the baby unfriendly items upstairs and cleared the counters. I made a file of mail for Joel, and each of my four offspring.

I discovered an online chat, that I had printed out, between Audrey and me.

The long conversation was about what caused her to stop communicating with me altogether. It made me cry all over again, but reading from a calm perspective helped clear up unresolved issues. She still has closed herself off from seeking me out for a conversation. Questions are answered, but nothing is volunteered. I have to take the initiative, call her, and ask about her life there in Connecticut. Its difficult for me to connect with her right now, she needs to see things written down, I need to talk, in person if possible. I know from experience that this is a time of pushing away in order to establish independence. I know that I have been a good parent, so her picking up on my imperfections should not upset me, but it does.

Blessing Counting Continues

This is not a new experience, I know the process, and she is number four in the lineup. My children are unique from each other, so as we proceed through all the stages of life there are inconsistency’s that have to be addressed, or not. Dan had to share with the ever increasing number of younger siblings. Audrey came into a complex house full of adoring older siblings in full swing, who one by one grew up and away………………… It is her turn to leave now.

Mothers never let go altogether; it’s our fate when we give birth, to never return to that state of independence that we encourage our children to achieve. Those busy, exhausting, complicated hours that seem like days, turn into years, that go by so swiftly, and before you know it, they are gone. The distractions are fewer, so you have time to ponder.

What do I want to be when I grow up? I am not quite ready for prime time.

Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:29:03 GMT

Christmas at Sally’s has become a book club tradition that adds to the magic of the season for me. We missed it last year; Sally was finally getting the modern kitchen of her dreams, including a dishwasher and a Wolf stove with, more than two burners that function. It was appropriate that the book was Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

Her Colonial home is a stand out here in California, true to style in and out, decorated with quilts, braided rugs, and furniture from the home she grew up with in her family home, back east.

Sally is one of those thoughtful people who is constantly giving little gifts to friends that are just the right thing, it was fun to see her delight when we presented her with a basket of small gifts for her new kitchen.

We enjoyed hot wassail in Christmas mugs, and drank good wine, sampled the shrimp, cheese, lovely fruit platters, and stuffed ourselves with poached pears, chocolate, and bunt cake, all the while chatting away about books, movies, shopping, and family. We marveld over the gifts we exchanged, I got a Le Cruset blue hart shaped crock for serving the home made cranberry/pear/ameretto sauce that Debbie Wilheim made. Judy Wooley played the elf this year, handing out the wrapped gifts that we had placed under Sally's beautifully decorated tree.

We counted our blessing last night. Martha’s son Ben is home from Iraq for Christmas, recovering well from a grenade that was tossed at his feet in Falluja. I am glad she was able to come, and share her experience with us. Hugs to her, and all the Dinkensons.

My children will all be home for the holidays this year, the best gift of all.

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 10:40:28 GMT

Our silly puppy-cat spied on us all morning, much to the delight of a certain energetic 14 month old, who chased him all over the neighborhood.

Mufasa followed us around the pool as I tidied up the yard, then pounced on us and ran to the sand box, where he lurked in the bushes while Alex dug for treasures in the wet sand. He was such a goofy cat, rolling around, showing off to get our attention. It worked; I followed as Alex took off after him up our steep driveway, across the street, and up another long steep driveway, and on up the steps to the front door of the Keriotis house, calling maow all the way. I wish I had a video of that silly cat, skidding across the tiles as Alex almost got him, it was hilarious. We followed Mufasa as he led us up and down the driveways all the way down to the end of our street and back. We had such a good morning outside in the fresh air, that Alex took a 2 hour nap after lunch so I could get ready for my Art Docent Holiday Party.

Alex hit his wall at 5:00 this afternoon. I think he knew something was up, lots of distractions to take his doting grandma more that 2 feet from his little self. Poor Amanda barely got in the door to pee, after her long commute, before His Nibs remembered what was under her sweater. She ended up taking his half full bottle, putting him right in his car seat, and escaping the chaos.

The rain and wind storm hit hard tonight, while the 8 ladies on the food and decorating committee transformed my big playpen into a festive holiday house. Several docents also came and set up a boutique to sell their jewelry and crafts. They brought 5 bottles of wine, and a 3 foot Togo’s sandwich. We had a lot of fun. Hiccup!

I went to bed at 10:00, but the storm woke me up, so here I sit, typing away.

The party is later this morning, a sit down dinner for 60, including a Tur-duck-in, which is currently roasting for 15 hours at 170 degrees in my oven. The storm has knocked out the power out for 5 minutes……3 TIMES! The oven has to be turned back on each time the power goes out, so I am up and babysitting the bird…….eh birds. Turduckin= a chicken inside a duck, inside a turkey. It weighs 26 pounds, and has no bones. I guess if the power stays off for more that 15 minutes I will just have to brave the storm and turn on the bar-b-que grill.

Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:24:46 GMT

The Los Gatos Christmas tree is officially lit. Alex loved the music, and dancing girls, the LGHS marching band is quite good this year. I got to see all of my Booster Buddies, and show off my grandson, and beautiful daughter. I love living in a small town, with traditions like we enjoyed tonight. Amanda treated me to a yummy dinner at Andeles, where it was nice and warm. Brrrrrr it was cold tonight, good thing she bundled up the boy. After dinner we poked around in the Bivetto’s Christmas shop, much to my delight. I love the whimsical ornaments and Santa’s.

We had a big surprise when we got back to the house…………pictures of Amelia Wyler who was born on November 30^th. Greg is so in love with his new baby girl. She is a beauty.

Tom, Joel and I watched Elf and laughed out loud at its cuteness.

Time for bed, we have a long drive to Windsor tomorrow for the Harrison Holiday open house. Joel and I are taking Amanda and Alex. Dave has to work, poor guy, and it’s his birthday. I am just going to have to make that boy a treat.

Good night moon.

Dare I call myself an artist?

Thu, 02 Dec 2004 23:41:52 GMT

Strips and curves……………Yes, I have voluptuous curves, and have been know to strip on occasion. In truth, it’s a quilt.

Designing the quilt is the best part……… deciding when to stop creating, and actually following through with the construction is the challenge.

There are now 3 squares, of the 30, that are finished………. Ironing the tiny quarter inch seams open, matching up to 20 seams per square, pinning, then stitching on the curve takes about 30 minutes for each square. When you add up the hours spent at 4 fabric shops choosing the 35 different prints required for creating the strata, (one inch strips sewn together to form a large piece of fabric), then cutting the strata into circles, it boggles the mind.

I still have to actually quilt the top when it’s done. What have I gotten myself into? Lots of fun, that’s what.

Did I say how much I am enjoying my new Quilters Edition Bernina machine?

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 19:54:59 GMT

November 19

Chris-crap everywhere!

The cleaners are coming in 4 hours, to your battle station!

Dishes, laundry, suitcases to unpack from our trip, toys everywhere, and 15 boxes of decorations, plus all the fall knick knacks to store away! I was a whirling dervish today!

Bacon and eggs, mmmmmmmmmm. Tommy was up and off to his first day at JDR this morning, looking good in his ‘almost dry pants.’ I am so proud of that boy, he is now looking forward to saving up for his own car, and apartment. Oh no! He may actually move out. Who is going to help me lift, reach, fix my computer, and put up all the Christmas lights next year?

Up up up up up up !!!

I got my baby holding fix today, Alex has a cold. 5 days without his little hugs; I think he missed me too. We read, and watched a lot of children’s programming today, he just needed to be held. After 2 long naps, 2 bottles, a long walk with Grandpa, breakfast mush and fruit all day, he was ready to have some independent play. He cheered up when both Mom and Dad showed up at 6:00, (after enduring the horrible traffic on the way from work,) to retrieve him.

We had a nice little visit, and heard about Tommy's very positive first day at work. Amanda and Dave gave him some good, free, financial advice, and ideas about what kind of car he should consider. I made rack of lamb, steamed ass-per-grass, and risotto for those who were hungry. Even Amanda thought it smelled good, until she learned it was LAMB-YUCK! Ha Ha.