Wednesday's Whine of the Week...




So what's with that? No, I didn't take the battery covers off my remote controls to show you something. The covers are what I wish I could show you, but you'll notice I can't. Because they're missing. You have my word, this is not a staged picture. My house is the Bermuda Triangle for battery covers. There one moment and then gone the next, never to be seen again. It's a mystery. Maybe they're part of someone else's collection- an apothecary jar full of them displayed to their best advantage. I know I'd be impressed because I can't seem to find even one.

And since this is a Wednesday whine, I figure I can waller in it and say how annoying it is to pick up the remote only to have the batteries go spewing out. Rolling across the floor, even going under the bed- perhaps to join the missing covers. Destiny lends a hand. I'm usually quite happy to be different than most households, but in this one instance, it would be sublime to be normal. Have battery covers. Feel that sold plastic under my hand. Pushing buttons without having to hold the batteries in place. No worries about them popping out and then needing to reset the codes. Everything in order and as it should be. But why should my remote controls be any different than the other quirky things in my house? We're a matched set.

My Mundane Monday

Another week ... weird how that happens.

Been keeping busy. More busy than I'd like. But what's a girl to do? Just charge ahead and hope for the best.

I finished the piecing of the queen size quilt I started last week. I had moments of doubt, but I should have had more faith in my obsessive ways. It's been a habit of mine for quite a number of years and even if I'm beat and frazzled, I still stick true to form. So the quilt is on the frame and I'm chugging along. Switched thread after the first two passes, at which point, I didn't care if the threads matched or not. And they don't. Sarah N. do you want my collection of Signature cotton thread? I will be keeping the short repeat variegated for postcards, but all the others you can have with my blessing. On occasion, I've fallen into the trap of thinking that one of those threads will match the quilt better than my favorite Medeira ones. I figure if they are no longer in the draw, I'll never make the mistake, again, of underestimating what a royal pain in the patootie they can be for me and my machine. Requires all kinds of tension adjustments and it still just doesn't look right. Thus, thread change and I feel like I can finish it, today. If I don't allow myself the distraction of an entirely unrelated project. Also true to form.

In between quilting, we got through school, lunch and naps. I'm a firm believer in naps. Not that we often sleep, but just imagine a two hour break in the middle of the day where you don't allow yourself or anyone else to do anything other than reading or sleeping. OK, sometimes I cheat and crochet. I'm such a rebel. You can hear the entire house sigh with relief. It's very beneficial to set that quiet time aside when there are this many people living under the same roof.

Then the three youngest and I ran errands. First, the apple orchard- where they got their free apple cinnamon donut. (Spell-Check didn't like that- who spells donut "doughnut" anymore?) With only $5 in my pocket they were given the choice of apple cider slushies for themselves or a bag of apples for their daddy. They didn't hesitate in choosing the apples for Dad(his favorite- Honey Crisp.) Breaks my heart they are so sweet.

Then on to the library for new books. Two each, this time, as they ran through the last ones so quickly. I was all settled in with my crochet but they were very decisive and we were only there for about 5 minutes. Kinda disappointed I didn't get my hook time in. On to a couple stores and then home- all in about two hours. Amazing.

Canned tomatoes, this weekend. The girls asked why we are always canning on a Saturday night. Good question. Gardens can be such slave drivers. Having two more helping hands makes an amazing difference, though. Eva and I peeled the tomatoes and Bekah packed all the jars and loaded up the canners. We did 21 quarts in record time. I've come to the conclusion that we operate at a faster pace than most folks. A bit of a necessity, I suppose.

I did some tutoring, Sunday afternoon, for a friend in college. English. I enjoyed that immensely. She didn't really need much help, just some pointers on the basics and some refresher lessons on how to study effectively. Love her textbook and wish I had one for myself. But the price of college books is absolutely ridiculous. $125 for a little paperback book. I guess they charge that because they can. Shame on them.

The flower was appliqued by Sandy and she used the fabrics we dyed this summer. Her daughter(the same one I tutored) drew the flower she used as a pattern. There's a little black mark at the top, but I think I'll be able to get it out- or chop it off- or applique a butterfly over it... that might work. Either way, I'm glad she didn't discard it as she'd planned.

So onward ho with that quilt and school. Hope everyone has an amazing day!

Friday favorites...

So far we've covered a couple favorites- a place and a product. Today, it'll be a person- why not my all-time, number-one favorite person? My sweet William.

Most folks call him Bill. He just feels like...more... to me. We met 26 years ago on his first day at college. I saw him across a crowded room- yep, just like the song. I can even tell you what he was wearing. He was standing "at ease" and by himself. He didn't look anywhere near helpless but still... there was something about him. So I gathered up a couple guy friends and marched up to him and introduced ourselves. What a coincidence that one of my friends had the same last name. "Bet you don't spell it like mine." If I had a dime for every time I spelled my last name, I could retire and give up this life of crime. Wanna play a game? How do you pronounce "Koen?" Ugh, even spell-check says it's all wrong. Give ya a hint, it's of German/Dutch origin and there's something missing from the word- but no letters.

Bill and I married two years later. I love and adore him more each day and I've learned a lot about him over the years.

Bill is loud. And I mean loud and rowdy. He left the house 15 minutes ago and the dust is still settling! The music was cranked up and he was hollering along while dancing some kind of booty dance. (Bill will listen to the same cd all day long without a single pause or change. Makes a girl feel secure that he doesn't tire of the "same ole same ole.") Small children will just stand and watch him- with these huge eyes- cause they've never seen an adult quite like him. He's intense and magnetic. Once they realize that, while he is bigger than life, it's all good and if they're brave enough to step out there, he's the most fun they'll ever have.

Bill is generous. I have at least a dozen sewing machines and he has brought home 9 of them. Around him, you have to be careful mentioning things you like. 'Cause if he can get it for you, it's yours. If he sees something you don't have that would be helpful, it's yours. If you're invited out to dinner with us, don't even think about paying for yourself. Bill's got it. And he's sneaky about it. He's the guy who leaves the house in the middle of the night with your car keys and fills up your gas tank. He takes care of everyone. Just imagine how dangerous he'd be if he had any serious money.

Bill is a rock. He never gives up on anything. Or anyone. He's been called a bulldog because he just won't let go- even the nieces and nephews have called him "Uncle Bull." He's the consummate problem solver- nothing's too great or too small to be worthy of serious consideration, time and effort in solving. He will just keep at it until it's taken care of. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it is. He'll figure it out and we'll all be better off because of him.

Bill cares. It's important to him that you are all you need to be and all that God wants you to be. He really doesn't care about what most of society thinks is important. Stuff and things. It's about loving God with everything in you and noticing how God's blessed you and being thankful. And remember that cd he'll listen to repeatedly? He sounds just like that cd- over and over and over again. Love God and be thankful. I couldn't agree more.


Pink Doily give-away: Looks like Angela's daughter is gonna get a late birthday present! Shoot me your snail mail addy to my email- I'll try to get to ya through email, but just in case, we'll cover all our options. Congratulations!

Wednesday's Whine of the Week...


Yeah, yeah, it's Thursday and late at that. You do the math: 1 computer+9 people(5 teenagers+1 seeking employment.) I'm doing good to get my mail checked, daily. Said I'd keep the whine light, this week. I'll do my best to deliver.

String beans. Oh, it's all very bucolic. Sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch, watching the buggies...er, cars go by. Nice breeze, sunshine. Crickets humming. Good company. Big ole pile of string beans on your lap. Snap snap, into the pail they go. What could be more enjoyable? Industry meets pleasantry.

Now, I love snapping beans. Yep, like the pop they make and the occasional flying seed, all very amusing. It's just those annoying strings. They make it such a slow, tedious process and they just plain-out bug me. Sometimes the 'string' only comes off halfway down the bean and then you have to start at the other side- twice wasting the edible part of the bean. So some of you know nothing of which I'm speaking? Well, count your blessings folks, 'cause it's enough to make a girl swear off the country life in trade of a penthouse suite surrounded by concrete. And there's no easy way around it or avoiding it. Trust me, I've tried. String beans must be stringed. Strung? Ever get a string in your mouth? You can chew all day and that sucker ain't goin' anywhere. Completely incapable of being digested. So there's no alternative- ya gotta spit it out and, in my book, any meal that involves spitting isn't worth eating. And don't make the mistake of thinking you can pick string beans today and snap them tomorrow. Oh no, that just exacerbates the problem. You need a really crisp bean to facilitate the removal of the string. Otherwise you sit there bending and twisting the stupid thing until you have green bean puree.

And you know what? There are such things as stringless green beans. It's beyond me why anyone would choose to plant and grow otherwise. I've heard folks say that the stringy string beans taste better. Well, no kidding, you'd have to tell yourself that after all that work!

Deep breath. Ahhhh....

My Mundane Monday...

Had a productive day... gotta love that!

The weather has changed to lovely cool temps- it's barely topping 60*. (so sorry Tamara- maybe you can find some vicarious enjoyment in ours.) Windy. While quilting this morning, I heard a loud droning. There's a small airport about 20 miles north of us and sometimes smaller planes will fly over- or maybe a crop duster. An occasional military plane. But this sounded different. Louder. Longer- it went on and on. Finally, I go to the door to investigate- didn't need to look up so much. There, hovering over the soybean field, was the Goodyear blimp! Bright yellow and blue and amazingly, alarmingly low. The kids and I ran out to get a closer look and it was pitching and yawing something fierce- I was getting sea sick just watching. The kids would squeal at certain times, sure that they were going to see a catastrophic event. He was slowly making his way Northeast- into the wind. I hadn't thought they would fly in such weather, but I guess he had to be somewhere. It doesn't take much to give someone a thrill when you're living in the middle of thousands of acres of corn and soybeans, I guess.

I found out Sunday, that a friend from church is getting married in three weeks and her wedding shower will be in two weeks. Whoa. Time to get a quilt made. I wasn't sure how I would pull it off, time or money-wise. Bill lost his job about a month ago- silly man, he is always laying things down and forgetting where he put them... Anyway, as it turned out, her bedroom is the same colors as mine- brown and blue. I've been stashing fabric away for a few years now and I could use it for hers! No, that's cool 'cause I've already cut a quilt out for me. It doesn't coordinate with my room, but then... why start all that matchy matchy stuff now, hmm? I had a $50 budget. I tend to think I need to hang onto money when I have it, 'cause I might not have it next week. But that's "stinkin' thinkin' " as my brother would say. God does provide and He will provide. So onward ho! I found a queen cotton batting at Jo-Ann's for only $15. It was the only one they had and wasn't marked but when I got up to the counter, it was on sale! And then I only needed one feature fabric- which was regularly $8 a yard but on sale for $4.29 a yard- bought enough for the blocks and the binding. I just happened to have a blue and brown backing that I had tyed-dyed a couple summers ago. So the grand total was only $30! At $20 under budget, I'm pretty thrilled. I love it when a plan comes together. God is good.

I'm using the BQ pattern and it's going very quickly. I've set a goal of sewing 10 (very simple) blocks a day and that way- with school and other obligations- I should be able to get it done in time. The cutting table has some lovely stacks of blue and brown fabric.

I also got a quilt for a client quilted up- mostly. I would've finished the bothersome thing, but I had to use a different thread than what I was accustomed to and the tension gave me fits- isn't that the way it works- dozens of quilts of your own and not a hitch. Soon as you decide to take a paying customer, things go sideways. Sigh, worked out the kinks. Oh well, I'm proving that "things done, can't be undone" to be not entirely true. They can be undone, but it's time-consuming. I had about a three hour sit-down with that quilt and now it should only take about an hour or less to finish. Loafing on the couch wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience. So thankful for those zipper leaders!

I've been staying up later than I should, crocheting. As anyone else who takes to the hook will tell you, it's addictive and extremely difficult to put down once you pick it up. I've been using 10 weight thread 'cause the one I prefer (20) isn't easy to find . Hobby Lobby has it in various colors of cream, cream or cream. That's OK. But I do notice that the 10 weight is a bit more of a challenge to pull through the loops and I get this interesting groove across my thumb. Nah, it's not permanent or anything, but it remains sore. Ah, the price I pay for my art...


So, for those of you that have made it thus far- bless your hearts- I have a little give away. Don't get all worked up, it's small enough. See that pink doily? I just bought the thread 'cause it was a pretty shade, but the practical application for a pink doily is questionable. Fun to work with, though. I'll pop it in the mail for you if you let me know you'd like it. I was thinking that maybe you could re-gift it- no worry about offending me- it's not like I want it! The doily isn't small- about 20" across. If by some slim chance more than one person is willing to take the poor thing home, I'll just draw a name. Ya got til Friday, OK?
Hope everybody has a great week!

Friday favorites!!

Last week's favorite was a place and this week, I've decided to go with a product. My most favorite possession is...

My insulin pump. Rarely does a 24 hour period go by without me clutching it close and fervently saying, "I love my pump!" I even have it skinned out in custom orange! I figure there might be quite a few of you that may not know what a pump is- have never even seen a pump- or know how it works. So here's some general information for those who are curious and a maybe a good bit more for those who might be interested in acquiring one for themselves or a loved one.

An insulin pump... pumps insulin. It's for type 1 diabetics- insulin dependent- which is a funny way of puttin' things, 'cause we're all insulin dependent- just some of us can't supply our own. It takes the place of insulin injections. I used to give myself about 5-7 shots of insulin per day. It wasn't fun, but it was life support in the purest form. I'm not complaining about the tiny discomfort of the needle, itself, but the hassle of carrying around all those supplies, being on a strict timetable and figuring in all the computations that make real control possible. And even at it's best- and my best- it was a roller coaster of ups and downs and while discouragement is not an option, it was a constant struggle with some serious frustration.


This is where the incredible gizmo of an insulin pump comes in. It delivers insulin all day and all night- it's greatest advantage- my blood glucose levels are more even 24 hours a day. Generally, one injection every three days. I still need to check my sugar with a meter, but the pump reads the meter through radio waves and the numbers are factored in when I eat. Insulin delivery for meals involves inputting the carbs I ate and then the pump does the preset computations for my individual needs. No calculating for me. Quick and easy with none of the hassle of shots. No more eating or not eating on a schedule to cover insulin. No trying to be discreet 'cause I don't want anyone passing out from seeing a needle.


Most people don't notice I have a pump and when they do see it, they assume it's a cell phone or some other electronic gadget. It hooks on my pocket or belt and the tubing goes under my clothing to the injection piece- which is called a "set." The set is connected to a small vial of insulin that slips inside the pump. At the end of the set is a very tiny rubber cannula(yes, injected with a needle, but the tiniest needle you will ever see- even smaller than those butterfly needles they use on children. It slides right out as soon as the set is inserted.) The cannula goes just beneath my skin and the insulin drips in through it. It's all held into place with some kind of adhesive. It's pretty tough and under most conditions will stay put for the 72 hours the set can safely be worn without the risk of your insulin dying- from being room temp for three days or infection- from the small puncture.

The set is completely pain-free- you can push, pull, tug- I don't feel any discomfort- it's just a small button. It can be placed anywhere that you would normally give yourself an injection. I like the back of my arm because I'm less likely to rip it off when I'm changing my clothes or um... among other things. (Lisa, quit rolling your eyes.) I disconnect the tubing and pump when I shower or swim or doing the "among other things" anytime I choose- for short periods of time- an hour or two is usually just fine. Yes, I sleep with the pump- just sling it under my pillow or beside me- it never occurs to me that it's even there- just another part of my body.


Let's talk bottom line. It's a great advancement in the quality of a diabetic's life but it sure does come with a huge price tag. The pump costs about $6,000. No, I didn't add too many zeros. The cost of maintaining a pump lifestyle is also very pricey. It runs about $83 dollars every 3 days. ouch! My insurance pays for my pump, disposable supplies and insulin. Who says they don't have a heart? But I figure they're not getting such a bad deal and they know it. The more my blood sugar is under control, it's less likely I'll run into costly complications.

So that's my favorite for this Friday! Have a great weekend and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Wednesday's Whine of the Week...

You knew it was coming, didn't you? This week's whine....

ADULT. Come on, you know what that means. Maybe it's not global. Here in the US, when we see the word ADULT- spelled in all capital letters- it's becomes a four-letter word. I'm not sure when this euphemism occurred, but it's common enough. ADULT means pornography, profanity, and/or profuse amounts of blood(which really falls into the "mature" heading- but the application is the same.) And while I'm on a letter "P" kick, the word perversion comes to mind. Not that they would put it that way. They would call it nudity, sensuality, strong language and graphic violence. Ever see those signs for ADULT BOOKSTORES? (No offense to my Southern friends, but they seem to be more prolific the farther South you drive.) I've never been in one of those places, but I'm doubtful there's much book selling going on in there. My whine is the use of a perfectly good word to describe something that is so shameful that it shouldn't even be spoken of- much less advertised on huge billboards. Call me old-fashioned. A fuddy-duddy. But if it were all completely appropriate and decent, the signs would read considerably more accurate as to what is really going on in there. And the parking lots would be well-lit. And there'd be lots of windows.

I suppose that qualifies more as a rant than a whine. I'll try to think up a more lighthearted one for next week.

Isn't that a sweet little sewing machine? Rescued it from a barn. It had a $50 price tag on it- which was a great deal as the table is in excellent condition and it even has the original stool. The machine looks like it was never used- it needs a little polishing from handling, but the finish really is gorgeous. It also has the original manual and all of the attachments. But I didn't have $50 and I felt too guilty to ask if they would take less- I did mention it was a very good price, didn't I? So my son, Paul, returns to the scene and asked if they would take $25 for it- they said it wasn't theirs. Paul asked if they could call the owner and ask them if they would reduce the price. Paul spoke to her for a little while and she agreed to sell it for $35! He came in carrying this machine and the first thing he says is, "Don't ever cast aspersions on my social skills again." Giggle. He's known as a stoic kind of guy and I tease him that he could scare people away with that frown of his- he's the big muscled frowner on the left. I asked if he "please ma'amed" them to death and he said no but he did "thank you ma'amed" them to death!

The guys don't normally go around covered in this much dirt. They had just finished up a long day of roofing. Left to right, Paul, Jacob and Joshua.