Month: September 2013

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To dress or not to dress

Each year by this time, I would already have my Halloween dress at least started and yet I have no creative energy hitting me. With the kids darn near all grown, except my 16 yr. old son, dressing up isn’t what it used to be.

I have made a few costumes for some kids that acquaintances commissioned me to make, and they turned out well, but to make my own, I’m just not into the spirit much.

Hopefully as the time gets closer, I’ll kick out something that is Halloween and party worthy. I’m glad I can work well under pressure, since I think it’s going to go down to the wire with this project!

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Checking out Reality in Miami

My daughter and her boyfriend as I have blogged about is looking for a home of their own instead of living with the boyfriend’s family. they decided to check out a real estate agency’s in the Miami area. LuisInglesias Real Estate Miami is one of the agency’s that they are looking into. When my daughter called, she sounded so well informed about the places they will be looking at, and I think to myself that I am seeing a side of my daughter that I have never seen before. She has been well informed and I know she is determined to find exactly the right place for the two of them to live.

When she called, she told me that she and her boyfriend were quite informed of the Real Estate Agency, which made me feel ever so much better, and it’s showing the business side of her, that I actually have not ever heard of seen before. My daughter is bound and determined to get a place and she trusts that the agency they have picked will help with that.

I can’t wait to see the photos of places that they are checking into. Also, if one trusts the professionals it helps a great deal in finding just the right place to call home at a price they can afford.

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My daughter’s move

A year ago, my youngest daughter moved to Florida and got a really great job. Now she and her boyfriend are looking for a place to either buy or rent. It’s a strange thing to put my head around, that my “little girl” will have a home other than where I am. Or even close to us. But, they are looking for property and to me…it’s bittersweet.

I’ve been slowly filling her cedar chest, (Something I gave all of my kids) with items that are for the home that she wouldn’t think of to buy. Items that she will need in her own home, from dishtowels, to a can opener and other useful things. I’ll have to drive to Fla. to give the chest to her when the time comes.

I have to say, I really miss my kid. She and I are really close and I talk to her on the telephone at least twice a day. I still miss our time together. I hope she and her boyfriend will find a nice place and after that, I’ll take a road trip  to deliver her “Hope Chest” and see the place they move into. It’s still hard to realize my little girl is all grown up.

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Early Fall

Waking up this morning, I literally was shivering and had to turn on the furnace to get the chill out of the air. Looking out the back yard, I could see what I thought was frost on the grass. Of course, I didn’t go outside to check it out, but this 53 degree weather is a far cry from the 110 degree weather of two days ago. I’m not looking forward to the weather changing cold.

With the fall, come my favorite holiday, Halloween! The stores aren’t wasting any time getting the Halloween displays out either. They started that last month. There is even a Halloween store that opened up in town before the kids were back in school.

Time to start my projects! I should have started on costumes a long time ago, instead of figuring I had more than enough time. I’m mainly sticking to making masks and a costume or two for those who have already commissioned me. So much to do and so little time.

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Designing an Adiamor ring

When my husband and I got married, I only had a plain gold band. At the time, even though we had the funds, I figured that I didn’t need an engagement ring. As the years went by, I have lost my wedding band at least four or more times, only to  find it again in places that are so odd. Lately I’ve been kicking around the idea of finally getting a diamond ring that my husband and I can design together, and have found I really would like to design an Adiamor ring.

Getting help from a professional for picking out a diamond is the first step to the design. Myself nor my husband have any experience in the diamond industry and I would know the difference between a real one or a fake one. This is where the help comes in. Plus I figure I’ll learn some great tips in case I want another ring in the future.

I think I have some settings in mind. But the folks at Adiamor seem very professional in a friendly way, and while surfing the net for ideas to design my ring, that is the reason I was drawn to this site. Even the site is layman friendly and easy to comprehend. I just may get my ring for our 25th anniversary that with help, my husband and I have designed! Jewelry

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One long weekend to come

Two weeks ago, we had a storm come through while I was at the other house in Ohio. The high winds and rain along with hail flattened my tall zinnias which were one of the show pieces of the gardens. The trellis that was holding my Hyacinth vines tipped over and was pulled down by the wind and also the weight of the vines. I did some hasty repair jobs in order to get the flowers to stand up again with the help of twine but this weekend, I’m going to have to pull the flowers up.

This season was too short to allow me to get as much produce as I usually harvest. It seems to have taken forever for the cherry tomatoes to grow and ripen, and the husky tomatoes on grew the size of golf balls. I wasn’t happy with the zinnias in the front of the house. I had planted what I thought were the giant flowers I usually plant and it turned out that I must have gathered the seeds last year and put them in the packs then marked the contents wrong.

This weekend I’m going to have to pull up all the things in the garden that was flattened by the storm. We had another mega storm come through last night and I’m sure I’ll have more of a mess than I originally have seen. Where the heck did our summer go?

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Patriot Day Call And 9/11/01 Rememberance

This morning my sister called and wished me a Happy Patriot Day. To be honest, I am not into this “holiday” and would not even know what it is except for what my sister tells me. While she is telling or trying to explain it, she started getting political on me and that is one thing besides religion that I refuse to discuss, especially with this particular sister.

But for those who do indeed celebrate this day, Happy Patriot Day!  Now onto 9/11/01. I want to take a moment and we remember the people, loved ones and friends who lost their lives this day. I know some who have survived and lived to tell of the horrors. I remember where I was sitting and what I was doing with my daughter called and told me to turn on the television. I turned it on an instant before the second tower got hit, and watched in total terror, is the only word I can use.

God Bless our people who died on this terrible day. It never should be allowed to happen again, yet I’m so afraid of the state of affairs that our Country is in.

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Kids went to Camp Chateaugay and brought home some awesome summer camp pictures

First of all I had no idea what to expect with a summer camp for my two boys. I have two sons age eight and ten and they have never been to a summer camp before. But if you have two boys around that age you know that sometimes summer can seem very long as your nerves wear thin and your patience runs out. It’s not their fault it’s just, well they’re crazy boys and they need to get that energy out. So I bring you summer camp!

 

We looked around at a few camps online, checked out pictures, read reviews, talked to neighbors and checked on what kind of activities each one offered. We decided to go with Camp Chateaugay on one of the Adirondack Lakes in upstate New York after talking to the owners Hal and the assistant director Kirsten. They were both very nice, knowledgeable and had quite a bit of experience with both kids and camps.

 

Talking to the owners put my husband and I at ease and we took the kids up to the camp this past summer. They absolutely loved it and did not want to leave. They shared some of the awesome summer camp pictures that they had taken and it looked like they had an absolute blast. It was well worth the money spent in my opinion. I only wish I had found Camp Chateaugay a few years ago because if so it would have kept my sons busy with fun and kept me sane with some free time to get things around here done.

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My poor dog

Texas my cocker had surgery today. He had to be neutered and also had a big infected mass cell that was also infected. He had a big bump near the top of his tail on his hind quarters. Because of his general blood work and testing, he was in the normal range as far as health goes. In fact the vet said that he was in great health, so she didn’t think the mass cell was cancer.

To send the mass away to have tested would cost so very much money that we knew we couldn’t afford. And the vet told us that if we found anymore lumps to bring him in right away, but she also said by the look of the mass that it didn’t look like cancer. I pray it isn’t and doesn’t spread.

The stitches are bothering the poor little guy and I can tell he of course hurts because he keeps growling at me when I try to look at the wounds to make sure they aren’t or don’t get infected. He’ll have to go back to the vets and keep on his medication for ten to fourteen days, and then he gets his stitches out.

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And so school starts

In a way I wish I didn’t have to send my son to school today. We have had a great time “getting to know one another” in a whole new way. He is now a junior in high school and it seems like yesterday he took his first two steps.

All summer I have been picking up school supplies when I would see sales on the items he will need this year. Also we went shopping for some school clothes, but he generally only wears band Tshirts and jeans. I got a few flannel shirts for him and will get shoes and also some hoodies for him this coming week.

I have hit a lot of sales and in my shopping I kept an eye out for items I need to start my winter projects. Not quite sure what I’m going to remodel or make some home improvements to yet, but I’m sure I’ll find something to do to make winter go by faster. There always is something to fix or improve upon in old houses!