December 24

This MAY be a red letter day. My daughter in Ft. Worth, where we are going tonight, reports she is getting SNOW!! Snow in Texas on Christmas Eve. I can't recall ever having snow on Christmas. We get so little every winter, usually just a few flakes. It's going down into the 20s this evening and we will undoubtedly have ice on the bridges since there aren't many plows around...at least not for snow removal. Lots of plows in the fields. The tree is up, the packages packed and ready to go, sweets are made, the first Christmas I remember where we are not running around finishing up. So to all Merry Christmas!

October 31

Alicia in her butterfly costume. It's Halloween and the kids will be out tonight. I'm just not up to snuff today so I think I'll stay home and watch part 3 of John Adams. What a great show!

October 24

It's been a long time...Fall has arrived as the temperatures are finally cooling off. School started and it's been a rough beginning. Too many things to do and too little time.
Last night was the school fall festival which is always fun.
The house is finally taking shape and we hope to have all the garage sale things sold by mid November. I'd love to do it fast, but I have to find a weekend where I can take off Friday.
My favorite cross stitch group is going through some changes: same as the last one. Someone complains that it is all about stitching and we shouldn't be spending so much time on personal things. I thought that was what made this group special. I haven't left the group as yet, but I don't want to post anymore. I even quit playing the trivia game... They lost about 15 members in the past few days; unfortunately they're the ones who had lots to say and ones who made the group kinda fun. I will probably leave also.
Going to a Trade Day Fair tomorrow at the Speedway with Steve and Michele. It'll be a good day.

May 20

Look what I got in the mail today!!! It is a crocheted fob from Elizabeth from the San Man group. I won it in her May Fob contest. Oh that I could do so well. I didn't expect such a lovely piece. Isn't this the nicest thing!
Nothing else new around here. It's warmed up but the nights are still refreshingly cool so we have the windows open. I've decided to visit my brothers in NY the first part of July for about 10 days so we can catch up and do some family stuff like watching ball games together. It's a lovely time for me as I miss them terribly (especially the one I used to fight with all the time.) As grownups, we have found that we have a lot of fun eating, walking in the city, going to the beach and walking on the boardwalk and eating clam chowder at Jones Beach. I wish they were closer! This year we're going to Brooklyn and to the various cemeteries to document our immigrant ancestor's homes and graves. Sure hope we can find them. The Brooklyn Historical Society may be another destination. John and I are going to drive to Colorado to go on the Durango to Silverton train. We did this several years ago and always wanted to go back. This time I'll wear dark clothes so I don't have black soot all over a white shirt. Silverton is one of our favorite cities too visit; Ouray being possibly the neatest city in the US. The drive along the narrow roads up the sides of the Rockies is not for the squeamish. I have no idea how people do it in the winter. Randy and Kelly, my DS and DIL are coming home for 2 weeks in July before he goes to Iraq. We were going to drive to Missouri to see him, but won't now. All in all this summer is shaping up to be busy and fun.

May 17

It's been a month of changes. First, DallasISD no longer will give 1/2 time teachers contracts. Then they decided to cut many positions at the magnet schools. That led to demonstrations, letters, blogs, a call to TEA, etc. and now they have tabled the decision "indefinitely" which means either this summer when parents are vacationingg, or later on when they get more information. The Learning Centers are really in trouble as is our two stellar high schools. So I still assume I have a job; however, it may change before August. Money drives everything these days but our superintendent is a real piece of work. Since he came there have been threats of magnet school closings although he says he won't. One of our school board members has a child in the magnet school I am in, but is voting to disband the concept. Go figure!
I have finished up to Nov. on the Oak HavenSAL, ready to finish the last part. Then I need an ornament tree to hang them on. I should have bought the one at Walmart last Oct., but of course I didn't think I would need it. I am still working on the Irish Blessing for Karen. It's slow because it's boring to do just words.

April 9

I finished June although I haven't bordered it as yet. Do these count as separate finishes? I stitched it on another piece of Joan's Sapphire Stitching fabric. Each one is so unique and I will be sorry to go back to white...if I ever do.

I found this beautiful stitched picture at a local thrift store. Every stitch is perfectly laid and it is framed professionally. What happened to BL so that this lovingly worked picture ends up in the bargain bin at a thrift store 14 years later? I couldn't leave it there, so it's now home, safe in my house. I'm not a clown person, but this piece is lovely.
I've been working on July for the Oak Haven SAL. It's such a fun stitch. I really need to start on Karen's pillow since I've had it 2 months already. I have to finish it by the end of the school year. It's warming up now but we are having West Texas smoke from the grass fires. The wind was awful and blew it all in so that the news is telling people to stay inside. The last time this happened was about 4 years ago when Mexico had such terrible grass fires and the south wind blew it all up here.

April 1

So this was a funny day. I stayed after school to help judge the auditions for the talent show later in May. The acts ranged from a truly inspired rendition of The Entertainer by a 5th grader, a jazz duo that was awesome, modern dance, the usual songstresses to the mind blowing 4th grader who got up on stage with his tennis racquet and new yellow ball and beguiled us all with a routine of bouncing the ball on the racquet! No fooling! I had to bury my head in paperwork to keep him from seeing the tears of laughter. Then there was the girl who brought her pogo stick and jumped with no hands! There are very talented kids in the school and we did enjoy them all, even the less than stellar acts.
I took the tax papers to H&R Block and even with our "stimulus package" owe $2011. I'll complain every time I write the check to them. I then find if you are a first time home buyer, you get $8,000 from our New Age President and don't have to pay it back. AND if you buy an American car, you get $4,000 and tax free. American cars...what a misnomer. Even the American names have outsourced many of their parts. How much more can we give people who already think they are entitled to everything? Gone is the work ethic and the pride of doing for yourself; the populace now thinks the government should provide them a home and food just for existing. And how much more can you stimulate the housing, corrupt banking, and car industries? I have to, now, take out another $200 a month and send to the New Age Government so they can distribute it to people who "deserve" what I have worked all these years for. Ok so I'm just mad I have to pay the government again, but it is sad to think the incentives for working for homes, cars, and bling are slowly being phased out to Marxist theory.
I haven't had time to stitch anything this week except for a small ice cream cone on the May Oak Haven SAL. Maybe this weekend I'll try to finish up some things. My allergies are kicking up each evening so I end up with some really man-sized pressure on my head. Ghost Hunters helps me forget!!

March 29

Last night I helped chaperone the 6th grade as they performed at Southern Methodist U in the Russian Festival. We left the school at 2:45 to take them to eat at Cici's "Pizza" and then on to the rehearsal before the performance at night. The show started at 6:30 with the usual "thanks to...everyone for making this night so wonderful....let's give a hand to...." then a long thanks to the sister city in Russia. All this took about 1/2 hour. Then a trio of SMU grad students played some Russian classical music. I suppose they were good, but the piano was so loud, it drowned out the cello and violin, so all you could hear was the piano. I didn't think it had been that long since I had attended a cultural event, but apparently in my absence the piano has been replaced by a keyboard. Sounds the same, but weird to see steel instead of a baby grand. Then a man from the Ft. Worth Guitar Society played a couple of songs, Gypsy in nature. It was wonderful...I am always amazed at the finger technique of a classical guitar player. On to the Russian singers who sang, danced, and played traditional Russian folk music from the various areas of Russia. Then it was our turn to put our bedecked students on stage where they sang a couple of Russian songs. The audience was lovely and gave them heartfelt applause. Nice evening, but hardly the kind of festival I have ever attended. There is a small, and apparently growing, Russian community in the Dallas area but not enough to have a huge festival. We left with a wish for more of the culture and less patting on the back of the organizers.

March 24

Not much going on today. I am now going to water aerobics two times a week and it is invigorating. Tomorrow I hope to get to yoga in the morning. I finished my 3rd book in the past 9 days; a so-so one by Daniel Kalla called Blood Lies. It was a fun and easy read. I am now reading another one of his books that I got at Half-Price. He writes so that you HAVE to finish it and I've stayed up until 4 AM finishing both of the others by him.
I finished another month of the Oak Haven SAL. This one was the May month. It was an easy stitch and I finished it while watching Craig late this evening. I don't know exactly what to do with the "stamps" but I'm thinking of putting them on a backing and hanging them on a banner. I need to look and see what others did with them. The fabric is Spring from Joan's Sapphire Stitching. I am trying to do all 12 on her hand dyed fabric. It's lovely to work with and as I using only a piece of each, I have lots of pieces left over. I wish I had some green fabric, though to do some summer work. I still want to go and see Knowing, but didn't get there this evening either. John and I watched part 1 of the Andromedia Strain. Part 2 comes via Netflix tomorrow.

March 22

I finally finished April for the Oak Haven SAL. I messed it up several times by miss counting, then forgetting to put April (hence more miscounting of the border). I know the border doesn't match on both sides-it doesn't on any of them, but it's not so noticeable and I like the skip one effect. I should have counted the Jan. picture and figured out a way to make it even, but it's been fun to do and I'm not giving it to anyone, so it's fine with me. I would have made the cross gold, but I can't deal with that metallic floss. So it's done anyway and I'm ready to do May. It takes 2 nights of prime time TV for me to finish one. I always have the dogs "helping".
The kids were over last night: the usual crew; Robert, Wendy, Jo, Amber, and Clint. It seems like years since they were all together sitting outside. The nights are getting warmer and until around 11:00 no one needed a sweater. Jo and Clint were the couple who lost their 2 day old baby about a month ago, so it was great to see them laugh again. They're dear friends of my daughter and have spent lots of time with us.
Someone posted the cutest idea for peeps. The link is in the blog section: needles-and-quilter-me. Such a cute idea. I'm adding this blog to fun things to see.
End of spring break although I don't go back to school until Thursday. The price you pay to be retired!!!

March 19

We went to Olive Garden with Wendy and Robert to celebrate her birthday and their 4th anniversary. They have wonderful Sangria!
I went to Michaels this morning for some variegated thread to send to Susana in Peru. I just don't find much there anymore and their floss is now .35, too. There were 2 clerks and about 10 people in the whole store, and while it was only 11ish, it seemed pretty empty. I needed 304 but they didn't have it. I have a gift card that I'll use when they have their spring florals out. I did find a bathing suit at Catherine's. Most of them are either cut to your neck or the skirt is 1920's style on me, hanging to my knees. I needed one for the water aerobics class as the 5 year old suit is pretty thin! I guess they don't go out of style because I saw the exact same suit today. The only difference was a bit of a skirt and, of course, it wasn't threadbare.
It's beautiful out, around 75º and I took Simba and Jack up to Canine Design for some much needed grooming. Now on to the vet for Biscuit's special food which she won't eat.

March 15

Ah, the Ides of March. Just a few more days of official winter and on to spring. It will be a welcome sight-flowers, warm mornings, and hopefully warm rainy days. Today I weeded the back area around the planters. Managed to badly cut my middle finger on something in the rocks. It bled a lot, completely soaking through a paper towel I wrapped around it. Nothing like a sanitary fix to an injury! It's just sliced and except for poking it with a needle again, it has stopped bleeding.
I finished March in the Oak Haven SAL but haven't bordered it as yet. I think I put it too close to the top of the material so I'll have to be careful fringing the end. The gold thread is nice; doesn't show up well in the picture, but it's nice in person. It takes me 2 nights and I am glad I taped Numb3ers the past few months. I'm on Spring Break so I may have a bit of time to finish up some things I want to do. This was done on Joan Pavlick's http://www.sapphirestitching.com hand dyed fabrics which I love. Everyone is unique and I really like the changes in shades and colors in each piece. http://www.sapphirestitching.com
My friend Ingrid is a grandmother again! A baby girl born March 12. Her daughter, Jameica named her Janea Alon. They sent a picture to me on my phone. I love technology, you can see things immediately without being there. Nothing like a new sweet baby to make all things right!
TRS got my pay straightened out so I'll get my retirement check in April. This happens every year...DISD sends my time in as full time and they send me a letter in March telling me they are suspending my pay until June. You would think after 2 years they could get this figured out.
John fixed the front of the hutch so tomorrow I will get some storage shelves so I can get the dishes out of the bedroom finally. Next I need an area rug and some furniture that matches the new flooring. The floors are growing on me, but I do wish they had turned out the way I envisioned.
I need to start Karen's pillow that I told her I would make. She doesn't cross stitch and it looks easy to do as it is mostly text. Maybe I can get most of it done this week.

March 10

It's so warm and the trees are blooming, but it's supposed to be cool and rainy this week. We really need the rain.
Dallas has screwed up my paycheck telling TRS that I am full time, and I have been waiting for a week for them to correct it so I can get my pension on April 1. This happened last year, too, but they figured it out. Several calls both to Austin and to 3700 Ross Ave. produced an excuse: there is a report that was due on the 6th and it has not been finalized so until that goes in they can't fix my problem. If it were their money I would imagine it would have been fixed by now. So I continue to worry although the retirement counselor assures me it will be corrected. Only thing is that we are on Spring Break next week and no one will be there taking care of anything- as if they are now.
I found a great large rustic pine entertainment center that will work well for storage in the den. We went over Sunday but it wouldn't fit in the SUV so we went back with the trailer on Monday. It took some doing to get it into the house and the doors don't match, so John is going to have to fix them before I can get the dishes out of the bedroom. Now I need the rug and some other seating. It'll get finished slowly.
Teresa, John's cousin was married Saturday and we went down to Lake Granbury to the reception. Mark is a lovely man, retired from the Air Force who is from Brooklyn. Small world! It's always nice to go down there, so peaceful and woodsy. We'd move if we could sell this house. It's too big for us and too hard to keep up.
As for stitching, I've found my WIP and will finish the Oak Haven monthly SAL this week. I managed to put all the thread back into the organizer so I can find things again. Everything has been such a mess, I haven't even tried to stitch.
I finished the Manhatten Death Project for the Brooklyn Historical Society and now on to the 1880 birth index. It's tedious, but pretty mindless to type. I felt I should do something since I use their databases for the genealogy all the time. I only wish I had asked more questions about the extended family; did my grandmother have cousins, uncles, aunts, and tell me anecdotal information. Now there is no one to tell the stories. Too bad we wait until too late to realize the value of oral history.
Tomorrow I am going in to screen kids for next year. The kids apply to the school and have to meet certain requirements. I will read essays and copy names onto papers, and check standarized test scores. At least we'll go to lunch for an hour and feel like real working people.
Tomorrow is also Wendy's birthday. She will be 30! Whoever would have thought I'd have kids this old? She has grown into such a strong woman and I am so proud of her. Robert is working in North Dakota for the time being since there is little work around here so we will get her to eat either tomorrow or this weekend.
And so another day ends.....

February 18

I am posting a picture of all the things I received from the OWOH giveaway. You can't see all the material, but it is all so colorful and will be nice to use if I ever get my stitching finished. Also, a lovely scrapbook bundle with lots of ideas. This was a lovely venture and I got to see so many neat new blogs. Next year I will add some things to the mix.
It is another gorgeous day here in North Texas. About 75º and not a cloud in the sky. The tree across the street is budding out, but we always get a freeze in March and then the trees start over. It is nice to see some green again, although we only have about 4 "bare" months.
When I get the front living room cleaned up, after the table gets back in the kitchen, after we move the shelving to the den, after we put back up the moulding, maybe I'll find my things to stitch. The pieces are all over the place due to the many things we have shuffled around.
Biscuit is at the vets as she has some blood in her urine. They have had her all day trying to catch her urine. Yup, none of the dogs can go on command, I should have left her a piece of the old carpet. She sure could go on that! Cotton is on Atopica for allergies and we got a nice coupon for this week's supply. Then our dear vet said she would discount this weeks package since they gave her a 6 month suply of heart worm medicine she will sell. The cost is $78 every 2 weeks so this is a biggie. After another month, she should be able to go to once every 2 days and then wean her to once a week. Poor thing, all those allergies and now she has cataracts in both eyes and runs into things. Can't wait to see her when we put the furniture back in.
I didn't place in the Tech4Learning Teacher contest, but they did sent me a gift card to Amazon which was nice of them. They called to tell me I was a loser. LOL Ah well. Later all.

February 12 Winner

I just got an email from Summer Sadie telling me I won her One World One Heart Giveaway. This was a wonderful undertaking where we were able to view almost 800 crafty bloggers each giving away something wonderful. Her blog is a wonderful mix of quilting and scrapbooking, and other wonderful creations. You have to see her quilted ornament! Beautiful! I won a lot of crafty things like ribbons, material and many surprises. I can't wait to get the box. I'll post pictures when it arrives.
Check out her blog: http://summersadie.wordpress.com

February 12

Last night was the hardest evening I think I have or will ever have. I attended a Rosary for Joahnna and Clint's 2 day old baby daughter, Leah Grace. Nothing can prepare one for the sight of a tiny white coffin bedecked with pink flowers. She was ill from the start and only her strong sense of survival allowed her that small moment of life before she was taken back. Our prayers will be with the young family forever.
We spent, hopefully, the last night in the motel as they resealed and darkened the floors. Actually they turned out quite nicely even though we've been living out of boxes for 3 weeks. They were supposed to have a full breakfast so we got up early for some pampering. There were 3 eggs, no waffle batter, and an attendant who was having a loud conversation with a man drinking a beer out of one of those liter sized beer cans. This was 6:45 A.M. I asked for some cream cheese for my muffin, but then she left for the foyer to continue her conversation ("...it's not what you know, it's how you know. If it was what you know, I'd have a CEO job" direct quote) Another couple came in, looked for food, got some toast and coffee while we tried to get her attention. They rolled their eyes, got up and left and we finished our "breakfast". After we got up to leave, "beer man" left and she went to get some waffle batter. No one was there. I'm glad we don't have to go back, but we surely wouldn't go there again. Last week we stayed at a sister motel, same chain, and had a lovely time; should have stayed there again but they went up $12 so we changed. Bad choice.
And so ends another week. Tomorrow is Fabulous Friday and the University of North Texas Science Team is coming for some chemistry demonstrations. They come every year and are just wonderful. Smelly stuff, loud bangs, just what the kids love.

February 6

Cathryne and I went down to Austin to the Texas Computer Education Association early Wednesday morning. I was to present a series of student websites that I had done at school with the 6th graders. Since we got to Austin around 10:30 we ended upparking at the Chase Building about 7 blocks from the Convention Center. That parking spot ended up costing us $18. Shame on Chase! The presentations went fine until the last 5 minutes of the last presentation Thursday. The company wanted me to show how to use their program, WebBlender, so I thought it would be great to use the audience and add one or two to the program and link them together with some graphics. No one told me they were using a different version of the program so it was pretty funny putting in not one picture of an apple but a whole folder. They were gracious about the flub and the audience just laughed knowingly. Thank goodness for techy teachers who just roll with the punches.
We spent hours at the vendors listening to their spiels and Cathryne and I won a couple of software programs. She managed to talk Epson into sending her a specialist to work with her on grants and I got one to give me a whole typing book; much like the ones we used in typing class.
Two days of workshops and vendors left us on overload so we ate at the Mongolian Grill (my favorite restaurant anywhere!) and drove on in. It's such fun looking at all the computer and tech things we'll never get, but winning all the software and seeing all the new things is so worthwhile. Now I hope I can get the school to purchase a couple of things like a new typing program and some Elmo's.
I came home to the same mess from the floors, but the service came to "roter rooter" out the ducts and it smells nicer now. I encourage everyone to clean out their ducts before they get so nasty!
Today was a rather tired day at school. The cleaning service is supposed to come on Sunday. Everything we own is in the living room I think as we can't even use the towels in the hall closet as they are covered with dust. I'll pull out everything in the closet tomorrow and throw away everything we haven't used in 10 years!
I tried to work on the March SAL but my stitches seem to have taken a rather nasty turn so I'll have to frog and restitch. I guess stitching in a moving car isn't the best thing to do. I'd like to have some more 18ct Aida to change the colors each month.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SON in Ft. Lewis. We miss him everyday that he is gone. I just wish we could see him more often.

Also Happy Birthday to my little step-great granddaughter in Ft. Worth. She is now 2 and such a delightful little girl. To her I am GG, to me she is a love. How can one love a little munchkin so much???

Wednesday January 28
After going to bed around 3ish this morning I was awakened at 5:15 as Catherine called to let me know school was canceled due of the ice. Dallas almost never cancels, but it was evident at midnight that the kids shouldn't be anywhere but home today.
We're still waiting for the men to come and finish the flooring and so far they are about 2 hours late. The roads are still bad, so I can't blame them for waiting a bit. Everything is covered with a thin coating of cement dust, so when they come, we'll go check into the motel once more. It'll be nice to have good floors, but it'll take until summer to wash down everything in the house. In the meantime, I finished February, outlined January and found some fabric for March. Jan. looks better but in finishing the arms found I had added about 4 stitches to the right side. I'm leaving it, the snowman can be lopsided a bit. I love the fabric from Joan's Sapphire Stitching I'm using; hand dyed in weird patterns but soft and easy to stitch. Since the stitch count was off by one because of the Y, I left the sides open and may add tiny buttons there, not sure yet.

I finished this small piece tonight. It is part 1 of the 12 months by Oak Haven. It was done on Sapphire Stitching hand dyed fabric. I may either redo it on darker fabric or outline the snowman. I think I will mount the pieces on felt and make it into a banner. I enjoy the small pieces, and I enjoy the calendar/seasonal motifs. I hope to get February and March tomorrow so I can pack them up for our 2 day stay at the motel.

Saturday, January 24

Today we got up and finished painting the den. We went from dark sage to lighter sage but left the wall over the fireplace dark as well as the, what we now call the "accent wall" on the other side. We have a cathedral ceiling so this is the lower part. I'll put pictures up when the room is back together. The flooring is coming Monday, so we are going up the street to the Quality Inn for 2 nights as we can't walk on the floors for a couple of days. We'll leave the dogs in the back room and garage and feed and check on them. It'll be like a vacation in Grand Prairie; have to eat out for a couple of days, too.

I started working on the new Oak Haven SAL of the months. I like the cute motifs but instead of on one piece of fabric decided to do them individually. Not that I wanted to, but I don't have any material that big and I wanted to do them on Joan's hand dyed fabric. I thought I would put them on felt on a background and make some sort of a banner using all 12. No telling how long it will take me although each month is tiny.

It's cold today! Around 40ºF and rather dreary. I went to the bank and got a cappuccino from QuickStop. They are so good: mix the hazelnut coffee with hot chocolate, add amaretto flavoring and the best thing is that it is $1.18 for 20oz. Starbucks will do the same with more caffeine and about $3.00 more. I think I'm going to watch First Knight?? Last Knight? Anyway that Batman thing with Heath Ledger which came from Netflix yesterday. We finally sent back the old ones from Nov. No late fees but plenty of money spent!

Happy Birthday to my dear little brother in Clifton Park, NY. He's a peach!!!

Saturday

I can't believe it is the first weekend in the new year. Tomorrow I am going, with some friends, about 70 miles to East Texas to the Canton First Monday Antique Flea Market. I haven't been there in years! This is the end all be all of Flea Markets and has articles from antique nails to textiles, to furniture, to junk. I am taking the SUV in case I find a barrister or an antique kitchen table to replace the cheap pine/tile top one currently in use. I only hope they have replaced the porta-pottys since I am getting too old to climb atop the one-seaters that they used to have.