WIP Update Without Rest

 Books of the Bible is looking good! I'm still enjoying every stitch. This stitch has inspired me to acquire a small daily devotional and spend more time with God. I chose A Little God Time for Women. It has been a joy so far! It has also given me a little nighttime routine to help me fall asleep...

...because...we've hardly slept for a week. After 15 years, we got a new bed. An adjustable bed. It's so different! Every night gets better but this has been a journey in itself! Molly is the only one that the new bed didn't affect. It's no wonder my pillows smell like dog.

For those wondering about the quilt, I posted about making it here. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

I Can't Stop Loving You

My deepest apologies for neglecting my blog for so long. My mother's death threw me off my center for a long time. The new job was a godsend helping me deal with my grief and I am approaching my one-year anniversary of working there.  

Shortly after my mother"s death, I happened to hear a Ray Charles song, "I Can't Stop Loving You" and it became my anthem and solace in these sad days. One of the verses always spoke to me and I could picture them, a tiny tribute, stitched in pink.

They say that time heals a broken heart

But time has stood still since we've been apart.

I left it on my mother's pillow near the anniversary. 

My dad told me later it was her favorite song.

I never knew.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Yes, We Have No Bananas

We have no ORTs as well! At least we are on time for once. Since I have no ORTs this month, I'm expecting ya'll to have picked up my slack! You better have lots! I'm just kidding! Wanna see my lonely, empty, sad ORT containers?

Now, why do I have empty ORT containers? I've been busy the past several week's job hunting, interviewing and accepting a position. I actually started training just this morning, Yes, my days as a Lady of Leisure are officially over! On to new, bigger and better. I will have to get my mojo back soon as I will need the stress relief, right?

On a side note: I have updated the TUSAL link with the correct dates of this year's New Moons. The sidebar widget usually gets updated with the next date too. Again, If your blog is not listed, please send me an email with your link!

=^..^=

Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your February TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

In Memory of My Mother

Barbara Ann Legge

FEBRUARY 16, 1942 – DECEMBER 5, 2018

Born Barbara Ann Barron, the eighth of eleven children of Benjamin Arthur Barron and Lilly Mae (Carney) Barron and raised with love in Midland, Texas.

Barbara, beloved Bobbie Ann to her husband Landis, high school sweethearts who made a loving home for their family in Midland, Texas, then in Oklahoma City, Stillwater, and Edmond, Oklahoma for 60 blessed years.

Barbara is survived by her devoted husband, Landis and their children, Carol Harris, Hershel Dewayne Legge, Sharon Bennett and husband Richard (Rick), and her grandchildren, Danelle Zemke and husband Ryan, Jessica Bennett and husband Matthew, Michael, Landis, and Tristen, and her one great-grandchild, Roark Zemke.

She is also survived by her brother Norman Barron and wife Phyllis, of Harrah, OK, her sister Donna Steele and husband Cliff, of Wichita Falls, TX, her sister-in-law Francis Walters and husband Donnie, of Enid, OK, her brother-in-law John (Jack) Legge and wife Ruth, Liscomb Mills, N.S. Canada. Barbara was predeceased by four of her brothers and four of her sisters.

Her family wants to thank Humanity Hospice for their care of Barbara in her last months, especially Keyla Short, to whom Mom expressed great affection.

While Barbara’s love of all flowers God created, even the flowering weeds, her family would appreciate in lieu of flowers, donations to Humanity Hospice or Alzheimer's Association of Oklahoma City.

To our friends, we appreciate the love and support we have received in the days since her passing.

xoxoxox

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Oooph

Bah! 13 days since my last post...I am a terrible blogger! I made a resolution this year to blog more. I have already done much, much better than the past five or six years but I can't slack off like I just did!

This is the fault of my latest slack-off:

Really, not just reading Stephen King's latest, The Outsider (set in Oklahoma too) but mid-May, I got myself a library card and have gone to town! Along with the book pictured above, I've read six e-books, two books on CD and one audiobook. I haven't read so much since I can remember. Side note:  I do forgive Mr. King for having his characters refer to Oklahoma City as "Okie City", self-respecting Oklahomans call it "OKC" or simply "The City."

I have been stitching but need some to do some finishing.

Partridge and Pears

Woodland Joy

Did I stitch this on a small enough scrap?

Ho Ho Ho Santa

My current WIP, much farther along than this.

Too lazy to bother taking another photo.

I'll update you with the particulars when I FFO them! I will also have another patriotic finish to share with you soon. My evening is free and I plan to spend every minute in my studio tonight!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Can't Keep Up!

I'm running about 12 days behind on my blog reader. I've only made four posts so far this month. I haven't finished or finished-finished either of the two cross stitch pieces I showed you on Tuesday. My studio is in disarray, as happens when I create. Dash and I spent hours at the Apple Store getting the batteries in our phones and my iPad replaced. They broke my phone when they were working on it so I got a brand new one and a new iPad as well since they don't replace the batteries in those on site. This had me spending hours getting everything set back up, remembering passwords and waiting for updates and all that. I got to have lunch with a friend last week and we sat in Olive Garden for four hours talking! I get a little ahead on some things and way behind in others!

I did get the little quilt basted:

I set up my 8-foot folding table in the front room, clamp everything tight and pin the layers together. The quilt gets shifted to pin the sides, careful to not get the layers wonky.  A little quilt like this doesn't take long at all. The tool you see helps close the pins. Lots of people hate basting. I don't mind it at all. I've quilted all the ups and downs on the long rows and I'm ready to do the short ones, maybe today.

Miss Molly is still ornery as ever. Sometimes I stay up late and craft and Molly keeps me company. She will happily chew her bones or nap. Unlike while watching TV she's pestering constantly to play fetch! But often, late at night as I'm stitching and it's quiet, Molly lets out a long, low, snarling growl behind me for possibly thinking of stealing her bone! OMG! You crazy dog!

Mom! Stop coveting my bones!

I get a couple years of life scared out of me at least twice a week.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox 

Puzzling

What other hobbies do you have? I enjoy many, hopping from one to the other as the mood strikes. One of my other pastimes is jigsaw puzzles. I'm rather picky though...they must be photographs, not paintings and 1000 pieces or more. I will put the puzzle together, then box it back up and away it goes. I don't glue them together and I don't save them...unless they have to do with needlework!

This one I have had forever. I've gotten it out and worked it at least twice. These Roseart were the best puzzles!

This one I bought as a belated Christmas present to myself. Nice quality but, Oh, so expensive compared to the cheap ones years ago! I put it together a couple weeks ago, admired and boxed it back up for a rainy day.

I found this one on eBay and paid ten times the original price, lol. I haven't even opened it yet. It looks like a hard one! The Kodacolor were awesome puzzles too. I remember going to the drug store and getting a couple of these or the Roseart brand, usually landscapes or famous places. Kinda like traveling right at the kitchen table. 

I'd love to hear about your hobbies!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox 

Sidelined

It's the New Moon, time for the Totally Useless Stitch A Long! Unfortunately, I have no ORTs at all. Zip.

Zilch.

Remember last New Moon, I was kinda griping about wasting time and such? I decided the biggest thing keeping me from crafting was the state of my house. I simply cannot feel "free to be me" if I have other obligations that need doing first. 

Objective One. Get the house cleaned up! Bright and early October 2nd I waded in, one room at a time. Everything got cleaned. Once I had the house clean, I started on my sewing studio. I had gotten about half way with the studio last week, when I had to take a break to go help my dad.

You see, my mom suffers from Lewy Body Dementia and cannot be left alone at all. Dad had some errands that needed running so my daughter and I went to spend the day visiting and watching out for mom. It was uneventful. Mom just slept. Jess and I sat at the kitchen table chatting. 

Then the bed alarm went off and I jumped up in a rush! Dad had warned us mom keeps ending up on the floor. Somehow, I tripped on air (there was nothing there) and face planted myself. Jess wrangled mom while I tried to sort myself out. We finally ended up calling my dad to come home so Jess could take me to the hospital. 

I broke my right (dominant) arm just below the shoulder. No cast, no surgery,  just a sling and pain pills while it heals. I also skinned both knees, both elbows and must have really wrenched my big toe because it’s black and blue.

I am in quite a lot of pain, grouchy and moody. My dog doesn’t understand I can’t play fetch. I feel like a toddler getting my meat cut up and eating clumsy with my left hand. In fact, this post was clumsily tapped out with my left hand, with many painful shift key applications by my right hand. My studio is in shambles and I can't do anything about it.

Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt is kicking off soon, something I was looking forward to all year, and I might not be healed enough to do it.

Enough whinging! I will have to get by with vicarious crafting! Go blog people! It's all I have!

=^..^=

Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your October TUSAL post so we can come visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A New Beginning

I am starting a new chapter in my life...for health and sanity reasons I have quit my job to become a Lady of Leisure. After a crazy couple of weeks of getting a replacement "me" trained, it is done! My coworkers got me a cake and they all chipped in and sent me off with a hefty Joann's gift card!  I cried, but already a huge burden is off my shoulders. Here is to a happier, if poorer me! Cheers!

This morning, I took Miss Molly out in the backyard to give her fur a good brush out. She had to run away to bark at a father pushing his kiddo in a stroller across the street. They stopped and waved and then stayed and watched as Molly got brushed and waved again as we went back inside. I must remember to dress nicer and wear a bra next time we go outside if the neighbors are going stop to watch!

Here is my new start, another Blackbird Designs pin pillow. This has been nice to stitch so far. I really enjoy the dense motifs stuffed into the small area. I'm stitching with my usual DMC, loving the tweeded colors! If you look close, you can see two different colored threads in my needle. Very pretty!

Now, I am off to stitch and maybe even clean house a little. I do hope no one stops by...I am still braless! And enjoying every minute of it!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

The Mystery Box

A while back a HUGE box arrived at our house. One. Big. Box. Dash and I both denied ordering anything that would come in such a large box.

I ordered 3 pairs of white gloves, Dash said. These for folding the flag at Veteran's funerals for the PGR. Three pairs of gloves would not come in an 18 inch box, would they?

I ordered a $10 pair of earrings with free shipping. Surely they wouldn't send a teeny jewelry item in a giant box and express ship it for nothing?

Ha! I won! 

Inside the ginormous shipping box was this cleverly secured gift box. 

And my tiny pair of $10 earrings, safe and sound. (Yes, She Went To Jared.) Rest assured, if you order from Jared, they sure don't skimp on the shipping...even if it is free.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

The Ugly Quilt

Without a doubt, this is the ugliest quilt I shall ever make. 

I know most of you are thinking, "What's wrong with this quilt? It's fine!"

Some of you are thinking, "OMG I LOVE THIS QUILT!"

And a few of you are thinking, "Holy cow, how could you even stand sewing that awful thing?"

You see, the cream should be darker, maybe even black. The red could really be oranger...and the logo print is just all WRONG! 

See? There is an "S" missing between the O and the U. How can you even?

Okay, I admit it...for an Oklahoma Sooners fan, this quilt is awesome. But for an OSU Cowboys fan like me - well - it was painful to even purchase the fabric. 

Get a good look at the striped binding.

That binding was a Booger for a novice like me to create. Yes, that is Booger with a capital "B." It caused much hair-pulling, seam-ripping and blue-streak cursing, but I persevered and it came out almost perfect. 

My dad, the Sooners fan, enjoyed receiving this quilt for his birthday this month. Me, I was just glad to get the horrid thing out of my house! Hey, you can't choose your relatives, even if they are Sooners fans.

This post is very much tongue-in-cheek. I have nothing against the University of Oklahoma, or it's fans, Oklahoma State University is just better, that's all.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A Birthday Quilt

My daughter had her 27th birthday on January 16th. We went to visit, had a lovely dinner and I took her to the fabric store so she could choose fabrics she liked for a birthday quilt.

She wanted a watery green-blue theme. Her favorite colors.

The very next day I started cutting squares. I did not tell her I was making a rag quilt, one that would be finished in a jiffy! Once I had all my pieces cut, 81 batting-sandwiched squares, I started sewing.

I laid them all out in the pattern we designed together. Then, I turned all the blue "wave" squares going the same direction! I didn't even really notice they were "directional" until I looked at the photo!

Pinning all my rows together. The silver bowl is my pincushion, a magnetic car-parts bowl stolen from Dash's garage. He says he wants it back. Over. My. Dead. Body.

One thing I don't like about most rag quilts is a lack of binding. Binding makes them look so "finished" so I added binding. Besides, I think binding is my favorite part of quilting! I then started snipping the seam allowances. Lots of snipping. I had to wear band-aids to keep from blistering.

On February 1st, I had a finished quilt! 2 weeks! I tossed it right into the washer and dryer. Good night, it's turned sideways in the photos. Hard to tell the top on a square quilt!

Photographed sideways or not, it turned out lovely!

The binding just went on smashingly. I love binding!

The quilt ended up to be 78 by 78 inches square. A nice snuggle-on-the-sofa size. Happy birthday, Jessica!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Iron Butt 1000

I'm pretty sure you all know how Dash and I are a wee bit on the crazy side? If you were not aware of this fact by now you will after this post! 

Last Saturday, Dash and I took our Gold Wing on an Iron Butt Association qualifying motorcycle ride. The ride we chose was the "Saddlesore." The premise...ride 1000 miles in 24 hours. The catch...you have to "prove it" to qualify. Your proof is witnesses at the start & finish, computer generated register receipts from gas/food stops and a log you keep as you go. Bear in mind, the IBA is dedicated to SAFE long-distance riding so riding at unsafe speeds is not needed to complete the rides.

Dash planned an itinerary that took us at least 1000 miles starting from home and ending at home. The "L" on the map is our start and end. Miss Molly got dropped off at the doggy hotel on Friday afternoon and we went to bed early.

At the crack of zero-dark-thirty (also called 1 AM) we dragged out of bed, drank coffee, showered and packed the bike. By 2:50 we had met our witnesses at the gas station, got a soda and gassed up the bike for that starting receipt. The official time of our start was 2:57 AM. I started a 24 hour countdown timer on my iPhone as we gassed up...1000 miles to go and 24 hours left...we were off!

Dash and I rarely ride at night so it was novelty to me, these first few hours. I quite like it but Dash, responsible for our safety, does not! This is the longest stretch between planned gas stops, from home to Wichita, Kansas. It's 75 degrees and there is a lightening show ahead in the distance, threatening rain!

After we gassed up in Wichita we donned rain suits since a check of the radar shows we'll be riding right through a good-sized thunderstorm. It was still raining in Salina, Kansas but now the sun is up, Dash can see better so he is more relaxed. I was glad we have full-faced helmets...only a few teeny drops of rain slipped through the air vents!

The rain was gone by Topeka, Kansas and we are making good time and feel elated. Our gas receipt here has to be corrected by the attendant because the time is not right on their computer. We remove our rain gear and each gobble an Atkins bar.

Our next stop on the "other" side of Kansas City was uneventful. The weather is cloudy and in the low 70's ~ perfect! When we reach Colombia, Missouri we decide to get some lunch at a Ruby Tuesday's that is across the street from our fuel stop. I write in my log that we have gone 534 miles with just under 15 hours left. Halfway!

We go through St. Louis, Rolla and Springfield in a blur. We are enjoying ourselves immensely. The weather couldn't be better and the sights-we-haven't-seen-before are entertaining us. At Afton, Oklahoma we stop and get sodas with our gas. Back on the road, Dash goes to pick his up and the lid pops off and flies away before I could catch it! Whoops! I hand him my straw and he slurps it down enough to not splash him at every bump.

By Tulsa my knee is aching and we are both feeling a little worn. The Gold Wing was made for comfort though, I could not imagine how tired we would have been on the VTX. We have already passed the 1000 mile mark, the rest is just padding. New sodas at Tulsa...we are almost home!

Oklahoma could take a few pointers from Kansas and Missouri on road construction. We hit a good bump going through Tulsa and I look down to make sure my straw isn't wiggling itself out and my drink is gone! Gone! I tap my intercom and tell Dash and we both have a laugh

A side note: To the people in the car behind us in Tulsa on 08-09-14...for the record, I did NOT throw my brand new, barely sipped, 32 ounce foam-cupped diet DR. Pepper at you, the road maintenance dept did.

We arrive back in Stillwater and get our last fuel receipt and I pause the timer on my phone: 

We had 4 hours and 22 minutes to spare! Our last receipt was timed at 10:35 PM. We made 1135 miles in just over 19 1/2 hours! Friends met us to officially witness for our paperwork. We got cheeseburgers, (the girl at the drive-thru told us she had never had anyone on a motorcycle come through her drive-thru, lol) we rode home, ate and went to bed.

Dash spent Sunday filling out the paperwork to send to the IBA for our certification, that might take a couple of months since they have to research the ride. If approved, we will be official Iron Butt riders! 

We averaged 17 minutes per stop and that time includes a half-hour lunch break. We both enjoyed doing this a lot. I think I expected to feel more tired and be more sore...either I am one tough cookie or I have a really comfy bike. We spent $103.85 in fuel and $4.75 in tolls.

We may have created a monster...Dash asked me which I'd rather do, a 1000 all-in-Oklahoma-Saddlesore or the 1500 Bun Burner? And I'm thinking the 48 states in 10 days actually sounds pretty feasible. But then, you already knew we were a wee bit crazy.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

One Cool Car

One of the "perks" of being a popular blogger (I still don't know how that happened) is getting offers for free stuff. I get a few every month but I rarely take a company up on their offer. Sometimes their products just don't mesh with my blog. Sorry, I don't think I can work little kid's clothes into my theme. My "kid" is 26! Or they want to send me a $100 gift certificate but everything on their site costs above $500...no kidding a lamp company sent that one. Or the company is too demanding about what they want me to post, word-for-word. No thanks. This is me. My blog, my words...real stuff here people. If I have to insert specific sentences written by someone else it isn't going to sound like me.

Every now and again though I get an offer from a great company with very few strings and this was one of them. They said, "We send you a $25 gift certificate. You buy one of our products with it and review it on your blog. Please link to our site." Wow. Easy enough. I looked through their stuff. Awesome! Done!

What is this great company?

 Build A Sign

I know, I know...you are wondering how on Earth I can theme a sign printing company to a stitching blog?

Boom

How freaking cool is that? I have always wanted a front license plate for my car. Black cars are so dreary and this cutie really brightens it up. The Build A Sign site was so easy to use. I chose my product, uploaded my photo and added text, previewed what I had created and checked out very quickly. My plate shipped a few days later, carefully packaged.

The plate looks fantastic and fit just right. I was a little worried it would be very shiny and you wouldn't be able to see the design but the printing is perfect. I told Dash I wanted to go to Tulsa and just park in front of The Silver Needle so people could admire it. *giggle*

It was such a pleasure working with Build A Sign. I would recommend trying them if you need printing done. I like looking at all the stuff you can create there. Check out the "Just Married" car magnets ~ love it!

The only compensation I received for this review was a free license plate. The only thing the company asked me to do was to review the plate and link to their site (I liked that.)

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

OK-KS-OK-TX-NM-OK-CO-OK-KS-OK

Are you confused about that cryptic title? Those are all the states I visited, in order last weekend. On Saturday Dash and I participated in the 5 State Run. This is a charity event held by the Iron Thunder Motorcycle Club...a one-day poker run through five states, covering 300 miles! I don't often post photos of myself on this blog so if you were ever curious, here's your chance to see me as I share our trip.

The poker run starts in Guymon, OK which is about 300 miles from our house, so this wasn't a one-day trip for us. We planned on two nights away. Packing for motorcycle trips takes planning...everything we take has to fit in two saddlebags and the trunk. After dropping Molly off at the doggie-hotel and Dash and I were off.

It was gorgeous weather on Friday. Blue skies with bright white clouds. Just cool enough to need long sleeves by the time we reached the Kansas border...I know it says, "Welcome to Oklahoma" we were going the other way!

We stayed Friday night in Liberal, Kansas. There are NO HOTELS anywhere near the poker run. I am not kidding. If you want to stay the night near Guymon on a Mother's Day weekend you'd better have your room booked well in advance! Other travelers at the hotel and restaurant we ate at were noticing the extreme number of motorcycles in the area and asked us what was going on. As for where we ate, if you are ever hungry in Liberal, Kansas go to Billy's Blue Duck BBQ. That was some of the best barbecue we've ever had. The brisket, especially, was out of this world.

Saturday up before dawn and on the road to get to Guymon by 7. It was a crisp 46 degrees. Chilly at 70 mph on a motorcycle! We grabbed a doughnut & coffee and our registration packets.

Busy place!

Ignore my excessive pudginess, I am wearing jeans with leather chaps, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a rain-suit jacket, a hoodie and my leather vest. I felt a little like the kid from A Christmas Story, "I can't put my arms down!" But I was warm. 

Our Poker Hand at the first stop. This is a "blind" run. One doesn't know the hand until the end. At each of the five stops we draw a numbered poker chip. The attendant punches out the corresponding spot on the packet. At the last stop they open the envelope to reveal which "cards" you drew.

This is at the 2nd stop in Clayton, New Mexico. The volunteers there served us some very yummy chili. We've already been through Texas. I saw a large herd of Pronghorn Antelope on the way. No photos as they would have just looked like tan dots in a sea of tan grass. 

Now headed for Colorado. It's warming up and I've been shedding a layer of clothing at each stop, I think!

The Colorado stop involves going down a dirt road (mostly sand, scary) and over cattle guards in the road and lots of twists & turns. It was gorgeous there though.

The 4th stop was in Elkhart, Kansas. I totally forgot to take photos there as I was too busy eating brownies so I snapped this as were were headed back to Oklahoma. Every time we stop, either at a punch stop or just a stretch-your-legs stop, people ask us, "What is going on?" Every gas station we passed or stopped at looked like it was being taken over by a biker gang. Sorry folks!

Our poker hands proved a bust at the last stop, back where we started in Guymon, Oklahoma. I only thought about saving my card as we were leaving...they just automatically trash them unless they are in the top three. Poo! The top prize is $3000 so would be quite a thrill to win it. All said, there were 896 bikes with 282 passengers so that makes 1,178 people that participated! What a fun day!

We completed the poker run in about 7 1/2 hours. We didn't stay for the dinner since we still had 125 miles...or about 2 hours...to ride to get to out hotel in Woodward, Oklahoma. On the way to Woodward the temperature reached 94 degrees and I was down to a t-shirt & vest, remember we started the day at 46! At some point, a bug got up my sleeve and started stinging. He got me about 12 times before I finally decided I had enough and Dash stopped so I could strip my vest & shirt and remove it. Apologies to anyone shocked at the sight of pudgy me, half naked in the middle of the road, slapping at my back. 

In Woodward we unpacked and headed out to find somewhere to eat. Dash had looked up a place on Google but we never could find it. We ended up at Wagg's (no website) another BBQ restaurant but they had a big "catfish" sign out front. Very, very yummy fish! (I adore fried catfish.) I even splurged and had a slice of Key Lime pie - absolute heaven. In the middle of dinner, I remarked to Dash that I was suddenly, utterly, exhausted. He felt the same so we made it an early night.

Sunday found us headed for home. Windy. Windy. WINDY. I think we rode the whole way home sideways. Cold? No problem. Heat? No big deal. Rain? I'll dry out. Wind? I hate it. Wind will wear you out in no time! I unpacked as soon as I got home, started the laundry and had a nap!

With such a busy weekend and right back to work on Monday I'm still tired! My soul is refreshed but my 46 year old body is exhausted! Horrors, I've not even felt like stitching...

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox