A Lengthy Little Update ...

Hello out there in blog land.  I hope this posts finds everyone well.  Here ... well I've been a busy little bee.  I've been sewing, I have a new love ... don't get excited ... it's not a man ... it's estate sales ... ha ha ha ... these things are so much fun and so addicting ... my sister and I went to three of them yesterday.  It was the last day for each and everything was 50% off.  OK, so the stuff is pretty picked over but let me tell you what I scored.  Three sturdy sturdy wicker type chairs for $15.  A can of red spray paint and cute throw pillows and  waaa laaaa they will become the conversation piece of the neighborhood sitting on my front porch.   Next was a sturdy home made wooden cradle (the man whose house the sale was at was the father to one of the ladies there and shared that he had made the cradle himself) and it included the cutest porcelain doll.  It was marked $50 and this guy that was working the sale and I got to bantering back and worth ... ok so half off made it $25 and then he lowered it to $20 during our bantering and then we did rock, paper, scissors for another $5 off and I lost ... but you do not get things built this sturdy these days (unless my ex-hubby does it ... he's an awesome carpenter).  OK so now off to the next sale.  A basket of buttons for $1 ... if you are saying ...  so ... buttons who cares.
 Well if you sew then you know the price of buttons ... one card of buttons can run anywhere from .75 to $2.00 - $3.00 +.  Now granted not all of these buttons are of the newest fashion but this basket was worth $1.00.  Then we were off to the sticks in Keller.  OMG ... this house sat way back up off the road (my sister wasn't too sure about this one).  The ad said the matriarch who lived in this house moved in 1963 and had never had a rummage or yard/garage sale.  Evidently the lady was a seamstress.  There was one room in the back part of the house and half of it had nothing but paper barrels and huge card board boxes of fabric.  The boxes and barrels had been tightly sealed with tape for who knows how long which meant there was not anything like mice crawling around in it.  There was some of the neatest fabric.  The price was .25 for each piece ... I got 11 pieces for a $1.00.  There was a lady there who was pillaging through the fabric and we got to talking ... go figure!  <smile>  Her ladies group at her church made neck pillows to give to Texas Oncology for chemo patients.  How awesome is that?  She got all her fabric free.  So that was my day of estate sales ... and yes, I'll be watching the website for all the upcoming sales.

Shingles update ... they are still here.  Slowly but surely going away ... the bumps that is ... however, the participating nerves do not want to move out. <smile>  They have taken up residence in my left torso and they seem pretty happy.  I would hire some movers if I thought I could get them to move ... out! <laughing>  A few of the nerves have moved on but the hard headed ones won't leave.  I'm still taking the Neurontin (nerve pain pill), Tramadol (mild pain pill) and the heavy guns, 800 mg of Ibuprofen.  Last night the bumps got to itching so bad, I had to use the Caladryl again.  Aaahhhh what a relief this stuff is for itching shingles.  The area on my torso is also numb.  It's so weird because there will be an itch in the area and when I gently rub it (not scratch) ... it stops the itch but I can't feel my own touch ... truly numb and I don't think the numbness goes away.  <sad face>  This condition is going on its third week and I'm hoping they move on soon ... all of it.

My grand babies are still keeping us entertained.  The older two are movers and shakers ... hmmm wonder where they get that trait?  <smile>  They have taken on screaming at the top of their squeal level ... I mean ear piercing squeals ... not crying squealing/crying but just fun for them squealing.  My right ear is my good ear (left ear drum rupture with infection when I was 10, left me a little hearing impaired) so when they start the squealing, I ask them not to do that.  It makes my right ear drum ring.  <smile>  Don't laugh ... I do not need my ears going out at this point in my life.


I don't think I shared on my blog about pouring ... well knocking a glass of water over and it all went into my printer.  Way to go, Gena.  OMG ... I took it to the bathroom and poured all the water out and put it in front of a fan for ... oh ... all day.  I was afraid I probably messed it up royally so yesterday I bought a new printer at Sam's.  Now I need to find time and energy to get on my knees under the computer table to plug it in and get it set up.  I was going to buy more ink for the old one (we were out) but it's something like $30+ so decided for a few more dollars I could get a new printer and be done with it.  The picture is the printer I got ... it's a Kodak.  I have a pretty big sewing project I want to do after the first of the year and I need a good printer.  Praying this one will work for this project.

So what does everyone think about the Twinkies issue ... I mean the Hostess bakery place closing down?  I'm sure ... if it hasn't already, the business will be bought and all will continue but if not, here's a cute picture I got in an email this morning.  Now I have bought Twinkies on occasion but I'm not exactly mourning their loss.  I guess because I'm not a big sweet eater and they put the Twinkies in a different place at Walmart than they do the regular cookies.  Let's just say I never sought the Twinkies out.  But for those of you who are big Twinkies fans ... may they rest in peace.  <smile>

The rag quilt I'm building ... I mean sewing for my special little guy is almost half way finished and it is pretty cool if I say so myself.  My plan is 7 rows by 7 rows because the squares I'm using are 9 3/4 so that's a pretty big square.  After I got the first two rows sewn together, I told my daughter that I didn't think it was going to be very good and I got a little bummed but she saved the day and clipped one of the seams like will be done on the entire quilt after completion and it changes everything.  Once the quilt is finished, you clip the seams and throw it in the washer and it helps those clipped seams to relax.  This quilt goes inside the deer food sack tote I made my special little guy.  The picture on the left is the clipped seam and the picture on the right gives you an idea of the front and the back.  I cannot wait to get this finished.

And yesterday my daughter and I made a Thanksgiving turkey shirt.  Of course I forgot to take a picture of it before she delivered it to our friends daughter but the picture from the blog is what we are making.   We used grosgrain ribbon and I must say it was absolutely precious.  If I had an embroidery machine we could embroidery the babies names on the shirt.  Hoping to purchase a machine soon ... I've found one with a large embroidery area and I think I can get a good deal on it.

The week ahead is Thanksgiving.  The year behind me and where I am today adds to the meaning of this occasion even more.  I am truly so thankful for so much in my life ... the greatest of these is literally ... my life.  The fact that I am here ... the fact that I get to celebrate another Thanksgiving with all those that I love so much ... the fact that I am here to continue supporting and loving on those who are going through a diagnosis of a life changing disease ... the fact that a year ago this week, I was looking forward to Thanksgiving week and being with the family that I adore but looming over me at that time was to be my first of six rounds of chemo the following Monday ... how thankful I was that it was the Monday after Thanksgiving.  Yes, it's been a trying year but I have come out of it with bells on and am moving on.  God has walked me through the year and as always carrying me when I just didn't have the strength to carry myself.  On Thursday when you gather around the den/dining room/kitchen ... where ever it is that your family gathers ... look around and realize how VERY blessed you are and if you are the person voicing the Thanksgiving blessing prayer ... thank God for all you have.  I will be doing just that.

Today I leave you with a happy and blessed heart ... a prayer on my lips for all who read this ... and a love for the One who has blessed me.    2 Corinthians 13:14  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

So blessed and praying blessings for you today.