I realize that all newborns look alike. But here he is anyway. Grandmas have to boast.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Jordan
Anybody know someone with a new baby named Alexis? Four weeks of embroidering pink baby things like bibs, towels, blankets in the chosen name of my soon-to-be-born granddaughter all went out the window January 28th. Some ultrasound tech (who apparently needs more training) said GIRL 6 months ago. Two days ago, Jordan became my newest grandson!!
I realize that all newborns look alike. But here he is anyway. Grandmas have to boast.
I realize that all newborns look alike. But here he is anyway. Grandmas have to boast.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Flying Machines
These were the directions: By the trash barrels on Hwy. 375 near Coyote Summit, take the dirt road that leads south from the highway and follow it up the hill about 300 yards off the highway. That is where we could watch the good guys (Blue Team from NATO) and the aggressors (Red Team from Nellis AFB) engage in very realistic dogfights in the airspace over Railroad Valley and the old Cedar Pipeline Ranch.
WHAT A MINUTE! I have seen this movie! We end up off the beaten track getting bombed ourselves because we are in a restricted area and no one realizes we are there!!! Having already been in one movie in Vegas, I didn't want to end up on the evening news, too. With that in mind, we instead parked ourselves at the end of the very public Nellis AFB runway to watch the planes take off and land for the Red Flag exercises in North Las Vegas. These are very realistic aerial war games to give pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries practice for real combat situations. Here's a pic of a jet from Nellis landing with the Vegas Strip in the background.
I read somewhere that it costs approximately $5,000 every time an F-15 or F-16 takes off for an hour of practice. I think I saw $250,000 of our taxpayer money fly by today!
WHAT A MINUTE! I have seen this movie! We end up off the beaten track getting bombed ourselves because we are in a restricted area and no one realizes we are there!!! Having already been in one movie in Vegas, I didn't want to end up on the evening news, too. With that in mind, we instead parked ourselves at the end of the very public Nellis AFB runway to watch the planes take off and land for the Red Flag exercises in North Las Vegas. These are very realistic aerial war games to give pilots from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries practice for real combat situations. Here's a pic of a jet from Nellis landing with the Vegas Strip in the background.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
The London Bridge
That was what my younger brother would always play when he was a kid. He'd pretend his canteen was empty and he and G.I. Joe were crawling across the desert on their bellies to find water. Today, we drove across the Mojave Desert and I kept visualizing G.I. Joe and my brother crawling across there! I got really thirsty, too.
We were on our way to see the London Bridge which is located not in London, England, but in Lake Havasu, Arizona! Apparently, Robert P. McCulloch purchased this 1830 bridge and brought it to Lake Havasu piece by piece in 1967. It took 3 years to reassemble it and now it's THE attraction in the city second only to the lake itself.
Then it was back in the car for the journey across the Mojave desert back to Vegas. But not before stopping at Terrible's McDonald's (love the name of that place) for two large drinks. The thirst can kill ya.
Buskers
I love Fremont Street more than the Vegas Strip because the people on Fremont Street are more down to earth. And I win more at the casinos there. Although I have disproved the theory several times that the slot machines closest to the front doors of the casino pay off more.
As in many large cities, Las Vegas and particularly Fremont Street have what are known as buskers--people performing in public places for gratuities. Or pretenders. Here are few buskers I've seen lately:
But it's not just on Fremont Street that there are pretenders. Right across the street from us is a cell tower pretending to be a pine tree!
As in many large cities, Las Vegas and particularly Fremont Street have what are known as buskers--people performing in public places for gratuities. Or pretenders. Here are few buskers I've seen lately:
Man Pretending to be the Easter Bunny
Pretending to be a Wench and Pirate
Pretending to be an . . .uh . . well, you get the picture.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Spilled Salt
Last night, a relation spilled the salt next to me. I'm not naming names so that the guilty party won't be ostracized. Yes, I'm superstitious about only ONE thing. And that is spilling salt. In the past, I tried to laugh it off when older family members would tell us to be so careful about spilling salt. They all believe. But then I started to pay attention to when salt was spilled and what ensued immediately thereafter.
What I personally observed has made me realize that spilling the salt foretells bad things happening. And it's not just to the person who spills it, but family members and loved ones. People say that if you spill salt, simply throw some over your left shoulder and that takes care of any bad luck. Take it from me, left shoulder, right shoulder, that does NOTHING.
So the salt was spilled last night at 9 PM PST. Several hours later, my Dad fell, was rushed to the ER and had to have 10 stitches in his forehead. This morning, hubby missed a step on the staircase and came crashing down on his knee cutting his hand. Some would say that this has no relationship to the salt. I think it does. Things usually settle down about 2 weeks after any salt spillage, I have found.
Here is a list of things that have occurred directly after a witnessed salt spill.
1. Ex. husband lost his job without warning.
2. Grandmother died.
3. Severe illnesses happening out of the blue to too many relatives to count.
4. Car accidents
So I say to you, next time you spill salt, just watch what happens. You might become a believer like me. I've got about 13 more days to go. I'll let you know if anything else bad happens.
What I personally observed has made me realize that spilling the salt foretells bad things happening. And it's not just to the person who spills it, but family members and loved ones. People say that if you spill salt, simply throw some over your left shoulder and that takes care of any bad luck. Take it from me, left shoulder, right shoulder, that does NOTHING.
So the salt was spilled last night at 9 PM PST. Several hours later, my Dad fell, was rushed to the ER and had to have 10 stitches in his forehead. This morning, hubby missed a step on the staircase and came crashing down on his knee cutting his hand. Some would say that this has no relationship to the salt. I think it does. Things usually settle down about 2 weeks after any salt spillage, I have found.
Here is a list of things that have occurred directly after a witnessed salt spill.
1. Ex. husband lost his job without warning.
2. Grandmother died.
3. Severe illnesses happening out of the blue to too many relatives to count.
4. Car accidents
So I say to you, next time you spill salt, just watch what happens. You might become a believer like me. I've got about 13 more days to go. I'll let you know if anything else bad happens.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Bourne Again
I was in a movie today. Hubby and I signed up to be extras in a movie being filmed in Las Vegas.
And that's about all I am allowed to say about the whole thing. No kidding. We had to sign waivers that nothing could be put on social media regarding the experience with specific references. The production company will sue me if I do. Production companies seem to have deep pockets (except for paying extras -- see below). Therefore, I'll tell you some things that I think are NOT going to get me sued regarding being an extra in a huge motion picture production.
First, hubby saved my life 4 times today when simulated gunfire and panic erupted.
I got to stand 10 feet away from Matt Damon. He's sooooooooooooooooooo handsome and when he smiles, he's adorable.
The cheap production company did not pay us for being extras, nor did they buy us lunch!! The extras who were SAG (Stage Actors Guild) union members of course got paid and lunch. For a movie that will make $1 billion at the box office, they can't buy us a sandwich? geez
What I observed of the movie making process was a study in disorganization. It seemed to me that what they needed was a good 1st grade teacher to step in who could tell people how to line up, where to go, where to stand and when to move. Things could get done so much faster and more efficiently. From what I saw, movie making seems to be 90% trying to get organized.
And that's about all I am allowed to say about the whole thing. No kidding. We had to sign waivers that nothing could be put on social media regarding the experience with specific references. The production company will sue me if I do. Production companies seem to have deep pockets (except for paying extras -- see below). Therefore, I'll tell you some things that I think are NOT going to get me sued regarding being an extra in a huge motion picture production.
First, hubby saved my life 4 times today when simulated gunfire and panic erupted.
I got to stand 10 feet away from Matt Damon. He's sooooooooooooooooooo handsome and when he smiles, he's adorable.
The cheap production company did not pay us for being extras, nor did they buy us lunch!! The extras who were SAG (Stage Actors Guild) union members of course got paid and lunch. For a movie that will make $1 billion at the box office, they can't buy us a sandwich? geez
What I observed of the movie making process was a study in disorganization. It seemed to me that what they needed was a good 1st grade teacher to step in who could tell people how to line up, where to go, where to stand and when to move. Things could get done so much faster and more efficiently. From what I saw, movie making seems to be 90% trying to get organized.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Rainy Day in Vegas
Light rain spreads throughout Las Vegas!!!! OMG!!! I have never laughed so hard at this weather report from KTNV in Las Vegas this evening. They had two reporters out in the field because the pavement was wet. There was .04 inches of rain that fell here today. Link is below.
http://www.ktnv.com/news/light-rainfall-spreads-through-las-vegas
Living on the edge as we do, we decided to take a drive (in sprinkling rain!) to Henderson, NV today. Remembering that Celine Dion lives there in Lake Las Vegas, I found her address, popped it into the GPS and off we went. Here is the front gates of her home. They wouldn't let us in.
The day was not a complete bust, however. Later, we received our set passes and information packets for when we are going to be extras on Matt Damon's Bourne 5 movie. It says right on the passes that we may not share anything in the packet with anyone or on social media -- highly confidential. So I'll wait till it's over and let you know what happens.
http://www.ktnv.com/news/light-rainfall-spreads-through-las-vegas
Living on the edge as we do, we decided to take a drive (in sprinkling rain!) to Henderson, NV today. Remembering that Celine Dion lives there in Lake Las Vegas, I found her address, popped it into the GPS and off we went. Here is the front gates of her home. They wouldn't let us in.
The day was not a complete bust, however. Later, we received our set passes and information packets for when we are going to be extras on Matt Damon's Bourne 5 movie. It says right on the passes that we may not share anything in the packet with anyone or on social media -- highly confidential. So I'll wait till it's over and let you know what happens.
Monday, January 18, 2016
The Heart Attack Grill
I felt a pain in my stomach and thought it was just hunger. We signed in and were told to go to the waiting room where we had to put on those hospital gowns that are open in the back. Thank goodness they let us keep our clothes on! We were at the Heart Attack Grill in downtown Las Vegas.
Here's a picture of our nurse:
We were at the Heart Attack Grill for dinner where if a person is 350 lbs. or more, they eat for free! Since we didn't qualify for that, I asked if we could get a discount if hubby showed his scar from his actual quad by-pass. Nope.
The quad by-pass burger contains 8,000 calories. We chose the single by-pass for the simple reason that if one doesn't finish eating their burger, a nasty 4 swat public spanking with a paddle is administered by the nurse! Interestingly noted was the fact that most male patients failed to eat their entire burgers.
Wine is dispensed in IV bags, jello shots come in syringes and liquor arrives in a prescription bottle. There are NO sugar-free beverages. And the vegan menu is:
We decided that a single by-pass burger with lard crusted bun wasn't enough, so we also ordered the butterfat shake with pads of butter floating on top, and the flatliner fries cooked in lard and doused in cheese and chili. Yummy! Can't imagine eating the 20,000 calorie burger pictured below!
After we finished our food, I had a couple of hubby's Lipitor hidden in my handbag for dessert!
Here's a picture of our nurse:
The quad by-pass burger contains 8,000 calories. We chose the single by-pass for the simple reason that if one doesn't finish eating their burger, a nasty 4 swat public spanking with a paddle is administered by the nurse! Interestingly noted was the fact that most male patients failed to eat their entire burgers.
Wine is dispensed in IV bags, jello shots come in syringes and liquor arrives in a prescription bottle. There are NO sugar-free beverages. And the vegan menu is:
We decided that a single by-pass burger with lard crusted bun wasn't enough, so we also ordered the butterfat shake with pads of butter floating on top, and the flatliner fries cooked in lard and doused in cheese and chili. Yummy! Can't imagine eating the 20,000 calorie burger pictured below!
After we finished our food, I had a couple of hubby's Lipitor hidden in my handbag for dessert!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
The Indoor Movie Theater
Many Saturdays when I was a pre-teen, I would go with a bunch of friends to our indoor movie theater to see various features along with a couple of cartoons. It cost 25 cents to get in and 10 cents for popcorn. What a deal.
What a deal for parents, too. They could drop us off and have an entire afternoon to themselves!
The lady who managed the place always had a cardigan sweater around her shoulders and reading glasses on a chain low on her nose. Her name was Helen and she also carried a large flashlight that she used when she walked up and down the two aisles during the show. I don't think she liked kids because one rarely saw her smile. Helen did NOT like it if any kid put their feet on the seat in front of them. If she caught one of us resting our tootsies on the chair in front of us, we would get thrown out of the theater. But not before making our one phone call to home for a ride. I'm sure parents didn't appreciate that!
Helen didn't throw kids out who paired up and were "making out" up in the front left section. She must have been a romantic deep down.
Today, hubby and I are going to see Star Wars at a local theater. But this time we are going to a theater that has the most luxurious, reclining seats in town! Not only do the leather seats recline, but they are electronically activated to move and vibrate with the movie. Additionally, the middle arm comes up to make for snuggling area and there is a little table on which we can put our popcorn to share.
Helen must be rolling over in her grave with all those elevated feet in a theater! But I'm sure she is also smiling at all of the romance that can happen in the new theater experience, too!
What a deal for parents, too. They could drop us off and have an entire afternoon to themselves!
The lady who managed the place always had a cardigan sweater around her shoulders and reading glasses on a chain low on her nose. Her name was Helen and she also carried a large flashlight that she used when she walked up and down the two aisles during the show. I don't think she liked kids because one rarely saw her smile. Helen did NOT like it if any kid put their feet on the seat in front of them. If she caught one of us resting our tootsies on the chair in front of us, we would get thrown out of the theater. But not before making our one phone call to home for a ride. I'm sure parents didn't appreciate that!
Helen didn't throw kids out who paired up and were "making out" up in the front left section. She must have been a romantic deep down.
Today, hubby and I are going to see Star Wars at a local theater. But this time we are going to a theater that has the most luxurious, reclining seats in town! Not only do the leather seats recline, but they are electronically activated to move and vibrate with the movie. Additionally, the middle arm comes up to make for snuggling area and there is a little table on which we can put our popcorn to share.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Nellis AFB
Lunch at Five Guys today on our way to do some errands. I looked around and the place was filled with young men dressed in camo and pilots. Turns out that the Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing based at Nellis Air Force Base by where we are living. Gotta say that I never felt safer at lunch!
Would love to visit Nellis, but it's not the kind of place that gives tours to just anybody. I guess one has to have connections to get into the Thunderbirds Museum on base. This morning, I did hear some distance jets and went outside to see some of them doing maneuvers. They are hard to hear unless one is listening closely. Anyway, next time I'm at Five Guys having lunch, I'll get to see them doing eating maneuvers!! I just love Five Guys burgers!
Would love to visit Nellis, but it's not the kind of place that gives tours to just anybody. I guess one has to have connections to get into the Thunderbirds Museum on base. This morning, I did hear some distance jets and went outside to see some of them doing maneuvers. They are hard to hear unless one is listening closely. Anyway, next time I'm at Five Guys having lunch, I'll get to see them doing eating maneuvers!! I just love Five Guys burgers!
Sunday, January 10, 2016
TEQUILA!
No one won the PowerBall!!!! That could mean a 1.3 BILLION dollar payout. Here I sit in the gambling mecca of America and Nevada doesn't allow lottery sales. Can you imagine?
The closest lottery sales outlet to Las Vegas is Rosie's Den and Cafe in Arizona. Upon goggling the place, this is what I got:
THIS is what I envision happening only it's me trying to buy a lottery ticket.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
What a Vista!
Last day of our journey yesterday encompassed so many different vistas that I'm not sure where to start. Well, let's start with the most important part. After driving for 5 days in a KIA, neither hubby nor I used the ejection seat option on each other or ourselves. But my finger came close to the trigger! I know that certain family and friends were placing bets on which one of us would still be in the car when we pulled into Vegas and which one would be tied to the roof (no room in the trunk). The problem seemed to be that hubby is a morning person and I am definitely not. My face kind of looked like this until about noon each morning of the trip when I was forced to get up at 7 AM.
But hubby looked like this:
Altogether, not a good combination. I'll just say that coffee solves a lot of problems.
On yesterday's trip, we drove through a winter wonderland in the mountains of Flagstaff.
Then an hour later it was desert like and barren.
Then an hour later, there it was! I saw palm trees!
On yesterday's trip, we drove through a winter wonderland in the mountains of Flagstaff.
Then an hour later it was desert like and barren.
Then an hour later, there it was! I saw palm trees!
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Desperado
Only got a few hours of sleep last night in Amarillo. Not that I didn't try. But there seemed to be some rowdy cowboys hanging out at our motel last night who decided to have one of those bar room type brawls you see on TV. Not sure exactly where it was happening, but it was within a room or two of our room. Arguments were happening, things were hitting walls at 3 AM. This morning, a screen from an adjacent room was laying on bushes outside. We made a fast getaway because I broke the card reader completely off the door of our room this morning! I'm no good with technology especially before I've had coffee. Blaming it on the rowdy bunch from 3 AM. Whew, glad to be out of that place! Kept looking in the rear view mirror for the posse on horseback. But I think those Amarillo cowboys were still sleeping it off.
Today we drove through the Texas panhandle and saw wind farms for as far as the eye could see. These huge wind turbines quietly capture the wind and make 9% of the area's electricity. Very eerie to see because there is nothing else around.
Tonight we are in New Mexico at an altitude of 6,100 feet and it's snowing. Left Ohio to get out of this!
Today we drove through the Texas panhandle and saw wind farms for as far as the eye could see. These huge wind turbines quietly capture the wind and make 9% of the area's electricity. Very eerie to see because there is nothing else around.
Tonight we are in New Mexico at an altitude of 6,100 feet and it's snowing. Left Ohio to get out of this!
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Eau de Amarillo
As we hit the city limits of Amarillo, I glared at hubby. I thought he had (how do I put this nicely) committed an air attack, flatulence, chemical warfare, a duck call, the nether belch. . . you get the picture. He denied it vehemently, but he always does. . . then laughs.
Well, the odor continued and the thought occurred to me that this smell could be coming from OUTSIDE the car! I opened the car window traveling down Route 66 at 60 miles per hour and the scent of cattle poo came flying inside. Hubby was grinning ear to ear having been vindicated.
Turns out that there are cattle stockyards on the south side of Amarillo causing the whole town to stink. We got a really good deal on our hotel because it's located on the south side of the town.
Ate dinner at a Route 66 iconic roadside restaurant called The Big Texan. No chicken on the menu there!
Well, the odor continued and the thought occurred to me that this smell could be coming from OUTSIDE the car! I opened the car window traveling down Route 66 at 60 miles per hour and the scent of cattle poo came flying inside. Hubby was grinning ear to ear having been vindicated.
Turns out that there are cattle stockyards on the south side of Amarillo causing the whole town to stink. We got a really good deal on our hotel because it's located on the south side of the town.
Ate dinner at a Route 66 iconic roadside restaurant called The Big Texan. No chicken on the menu there!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Banana Peels
A question today. Is it littering if one throws a banana peel out the window of a moving car? Since the banana peel is bio-degradable and an animal would surely be delighted finding it to munch on along the side of the road, I would think it isn't technically littering and a crime. But upon reading about littering on Google while eating my banana snack in the car today, I found that ANYTHING tossed from one's car is littering and a crime. I think it's more of a crime if you throw the banana peel out the window in front of a clown car and cause an accident when they skid on it.
Ok, you can probably tell that it was really boring driving across Arkansas today. Consequently, my mind was wandering aimlessly and you just got a lousy excuse for a blog post, in my opinion. Tomorrow we drive across Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas.
I leave with you a beautiful sunset and jet contrails that we saw as we drove to our stopping point in Fort Smith, AR tonight.
Ok, you can probably tell that it was really boring driving across Arkansas today. Consequently, my mind was wandering aimlessly and you just got a lousy excuse for a blog post, in my opinion. Tomorrow we drive across Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas.
I leave with you a beautiful sunset and jet contrails that we saw as we drove to our stopping point in Fort Smith, AR tonight.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Already hit the jackpot and we aren't even in Vegas yet!
We departed for our 5 day drive to Las Vegas at 9 a.m. . . . sort of. Both of us were seat belted in, the car was GPS'd for Vegas, hubby put it in reverse and we proceeded to move out of the garage! We were on our way when I shouted, "Did you remember to take the little black umbrella from my car and put it in this car?" (I didn't want to risk getting wet in Las Vegas, even though it is a desert and has less than 5 inches of rain per year mostly during the summer). Hubby applied the brakes, I jumped out, grabbed the umbrella and noted that we had moved all of 2 feet so far on our adventurous journey to Las Vegas.
Buckled up again, a disgruntled husband asked if there was anything else (emphasis on else) we needed before we left. I said no, hubby put the car in reverse and we were ON OUR WAY again! And then I felt a bad feeling in my gut and shouted, "WAIT! I need to use the bathroom!" The car screeched to a halt, I leaped out and got a lecture as I was running back into the house about the fact that the water was turned off in the house and that each toilet had only one flush and yada yada yada as his voice trailed off. I hoped that the toilet I decided to use still had one flush left. It was funny that I was already gambling and hadn't made it to Vegas yet! I pulled the flush lever on the toilet slot machine and I got triple 7's--it flushed!
Back in the car again and this time hubby was beyond disgruntled. I'd call it highly irritated with a touch of hangry because he hadn't had breakfast. As I silently buckled up, I noted we had actually backed up all of 4 feet now! I gave the thumbs up and we really departed.
We drove through Kentucky where all barns are painted black and teeth are optional. Tonight we are staying in Tennessee.
Buckled up again, a disgruntled husband asked if there was anything else (emphasis on else) we needed before we left. I said no, hubby put the car in reverse and we were ON OUR WAY again! And then I felt a bad feeling in my gut and shouted, "WAIT! I need to use the bathroom!" The car screeched to a halt, I leaped out and got a lecture as I was running back into the house about the fact that the water was turned off in the house and that each toilet had only one flush and yada yada yada as his voice trailed off. I hoped that the toilet I decided to use still had one flush left. It was funny that I was already gambling and hadn't made it to Vegas yet! I pulled the flush lever on the toilet slot machine and I got triple 7's--it flushed!
Back in the car again and this time hubby was beyond disgruntled. I'd call it highly irritated with a touch of hangry because he hadn't had breakfast. As I silently buckled up, I noted we had actually backed up all of 4 feet now! I gave the thumbs up and we really departed.
We drove through Kentucky where all barns are painted black and teeth are optional. Tonight we are staying in Tennessee.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
The Conestoga Wagon
I have had a headache of the migraine variety for three days. I
can't decide the cause of it. Is it stress because of the impending
trip? Stress over packing? Pain from my tooth where that dentist keeps
trying to reglue my the crown on my molar? Or is the migraine causing
all my teeth to ache? Maybe it's lack of sleep BECAUSE I have the
headache. It's a vicious cycle. Maybe it's because I'm hungry.
We are packed and ready to drive across country to Las Vegas for the winter. Inside this house, nothing is left in the fridge or the pantry. That's so that if a mouse should happen inside our home during our absence, he will starve to death. Feeling like that mouse right now.
We don't have an RV for this trip. Everything is packed in the car. Hubby has packed so much that I feel like we are planning to travel the Oregon Trail in a conestoga wagon and he hasn't made room for me! We must have enough supplies to make it across the Mississippi!
We
even have a portable refrigerator that plugs into the car to keep
hubby's soda pop cool. Well, let the adventure begin! We drain the
water from all the pipes in the house tomorrow morning.
We are packed and ready to drive across country to Las Vegas for the winter. Inside this house, nothing is left in the fridge or the pantry. That's so that if a mouse should happen inside our home during our absence, he will starve to death. Feeling like that mouse right now.
We don't have an RV for this trip. Everything is packed in the car. Hubby has packed so much that I feel like we are planning to travel the Oregon Trail in a conestoga wagon and he hasn't made room for me! We must have enough supplies to make it across the Mississippi!
Saturday, January 2, 2016
A stitch in time
Before I was a Mom, I had a lot of time on my hands. I took up counted cross stitch embroidery. For those of you who don't know what that is here's a picture. Basically, one uses a piece of cotton or linen with tiny squares, sometimes 28 squares per inch, and makes a tiny X in a pattern of different colors which results in beautiful pictures, sayings, etc. Linen lasts forever and embroidered pieces on linen from thousands of years ago can be seen in museums of antiquities. So when I make something, I always hope it will last long after I'm gone.
My hobby got put on hold when suddenly through adoption I became the instant parent of a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn. I barely had time to take a shower let alone sit around peacefully cross stitching a cute little bib for someone's baby shower. Before the adoption, I literally embroidered all 30 of our Christmas cards one year! My husband at the time used to joke that I was going to cross stitch a camping tent next. But when the adoption happened in 1985, I just threw all of the half finished projects and supplies into a trunk and two baskets.
That trunk and two baskets moved with me 6 times around the country, through a divorce, remarriage, children growing up, and a second career. But NOW, I'm retired with time on my hands again. And grandchild 9 on the way! Time to resume my hobby.
The trunk and baskets awaited my opening like time capsules buried 30 years ago. I knew I had many half completed baby things still waiting to be completed. I just needed to choose a couple to take with me on our trip to Las Vegas. Hey, I don't plan to be living it up every minute I'm in Sin City! I hope to have some relaxing times, too. Hence, taking some embroidery with me!
I opened the lid of the trunk and found 1985 staring back at me. All of the patterns for things I've made and given away as gifts. A half finished alphabet zoo sampler that was for whatever child we adopted and afghans never finished. Baby bibs in all colors are ready for me to add the name. Stacks of fabric, DMC embroidery yarn in hundreds of colors are still as vibrant as when purchased. I chose a tiny baby bib to make and that alphabet sampler to finally finish.
My hobby got put on hold when suddenly through adoption I became the instant parent of a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn. I barely had time to take a shower let alone sit around peacefully cross stitching a cute little bib for someone's baby shower. Before the adoption, I literally embroidered all 30 of our Christmas cards one year! My husband at the time used to joke that I was going to cross stitch a camping tent next. But when the adoption happened in 1985, I just threw all of the half finished projects and supplies into a trunk and two baskets.
That trunk and two baskets moved with me 6 times around the country, through a divorce, remarriage, children growing up, and a second career. But NOW, I'm retired with time on my hands again. And grandchild 9 on the way! Time to resume my hobby.
The trunk and baskets awaited my opening like time capsules buried 30 years ago. I knew I had many half completed baby things still waiting to be completed. I just needed to choose a couple to take with me on our trip to Las Vegas. Hey, I don't plan to be living it up every minute I'm in Sin City! I hope to have some relaxing times, too. Hence, taking some embroidery with me!
I opened the lid of the trunk and found 1985 staring back at me. All of the patterns for things I've made and given away as gifts. A half finished alphabet zoo sampler that was for whatever child we adopted and afghans never finished. Baby bibs in all colors are ready for me to add the name. Stacks of fabric, DMC embroidery yarn in hundreds of colors are still as vibrant as when purchased. I chose a tiny baby bib to make and that alphabet sampler to finally finish.
It sucks!
Just so you know, that bag sucking thing works! Here is a week's worth of clothing. It's heavier than you can possibly imagine, but it is tiny!
Friday, January 1, 2016
Getting happy
I haven't posted since forever because there was such a flurry of activity with retiring, the holidays and now packing and getting everything ready for the big adventure of moving to Las Vegas for 3 months.
We leave Monday morning. I am getting excited. The feeling of being retired from work still has not hit me. When will I realize that I don't have to deal with a broken copier, frantic co-workers whose lack of planning is supposed to be my emergency? I think it will be a gradual realization. I have noticed, however, that the nerve tic of my eyelid is gone! YAY for that!
It's hard to decide what clothing to take with me for a 3 month trip that seems to traverse all of the possible climates. It will be cold when we leave and even cold in Las Vegas in January. Then it will be more springlike in February and warm in March. And then if we decide to go to Mexico, too, I need to pack clothes for REAL hot weather.
We got these special bags in which to put our clothes and then we suck the air out to make the bag smaller and presumably more packable. But 15 bags of clothes that have been sucked, is still 15 bags of clothes. But anyway, I need to pack clothes for 4 nights for the drive there in addition to all of the clothes for 3 months. I am trying to just have a couple week's clothes and rewear them until I'm sick of seeing myself in the same old thing! I think there is a benefit to being a nudist (which I am not).
One of my big fears is hubby and me arguing or becoming cranky with one another because of too much togetherness both in the car on the trip or just in general because of being around each other so much now that we are both retired. Not sure how this is all supposed to work. But one thing I'm sure about is that we are so fortunate to have the ability to take this trip together and in relativity good health. Friends our same age are becoming terribly ill and even dropping dead!!
My Dad is elderly and we live 3 hours from one another. When I call him, he tells me that it makes him sad that I will be so far away from him for 3 months. Then I feel guilty that I'm going. He doesn't seem to recall how he and my mother used to travel the world and not care if I missed them during those trips or if their parents felt sad they were traveling. What I do know is that there are people who ave lived their lives trying to please others--their parents, their children, their spouses. I was like that once, too. Then one day came the realization that only I can make me happy. I am responsible for my own happiness! I had been waiting around for others to cause my happiness and it never happened. Then one day I took control of my own happiness . . . my own destiny to whatever extent I could. I got divorced and remarried. I got happy. Retiring and leaving for Las Vegas on Monday is making me happy.
We leave Monday morning. I am getting excited. The feeling of being retired from work still has not hit me. When will I realize that I don't have to deal with a broken copier, frantic co-workers whose lack of planning is supposed to be my emergency? I think it will be a gradual realization. I have noticed, however, that the nerve tic of my eyelid is gone! YAY for that!
It's hard to decide what clothing to take with me for a 3 month trip that seems to traverse all of the possible climates. It will be cold when we leave and even cold in Las Vegas in January. Then it will be more springlike in February and warm in March. And then if we decide to go to Mexico, too, I need to pack clothes for REAL hot weather.
We got these special bags in which to put our clothes and then we suck the air out to make the bag smaller and presumably more packable. But 15 bags of clothes that have been sucked, is still 15 bags of clothes. But anyway, I need to pack clothes for 4 nights for the drive there in addition to all of the clothes for 3 months. I am trying to just have a couple week's clothes and rewear them until I'm sick of seeing myself in the same old thing! I think there is a benefit to being a nudist (which I am not).
One of my big fears is hubby and me arguing or becoming cranky with one another because of too much togetherness both in the car on the trip or just in general because of being around each other so much now that we are both retired. Not sure how this is all supposed to work. But one thing I'm sure about is that we are so fortunate to have the ability to take this trip together and in relativity good health. Friends our same age are becoming terribly ill and even dropping dead!!
My Dad is elderly and we live 3 hours from one another. When I call him, he tells me that it makes him sad that I will be so far away from him for 3 months. Then I feel guilty that I'm going. He doesn't seem to recall how he and my mother used to travel the world and not care if I missed them during those trips or if their parents felt sad they were traveling. What I do know is that there are people who ave lived their lives trying to please others--their parents, their children, their spouses. I was like that once, too. Then one day came the realization that only I can make me happy. I am responsible for my own happiness! I had been waiting around for others to cause my happiness and it never happened. Then one day I took control of my own happiness . . . my own destiny to whatever extent I could. I got divorced and remarried. I got happy. Retiring and leaving for Las Vegas on Monday is making me happy.
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