Our Latest Project....

Hubby has been very busy on his first week of vacation....and the result has been that we now have a beautiful wood looking laminate floor in the kitchen and dining room... He's amazing!...and so is the floor!!!It sure will be nice for the holidays... and every day....

You're right, it looks like a booster seat...and it is! to make it easier for her to get up and down!

This side has 2 rows of smaller pockets and the other side has a large velcro closed pocket...

This is a closer view of the kitchen floor...sooo needed!!!

And for my step-mom, I ulpostered another cushion...one for her kitchen chair and a walker pouch for her tv remote, cordless phone, magazine, paper, etc....

New Phone & latest project....

I'm throughly enjoying my new cell phone... so thought I'd use it to take pictures of today's project... A nice thick cushion to put in my stepmom's recliner. She broke her hip 2 weeks ago tomorrow and hopefully will be going home next week. At least for a while, getting up and down in her recliner will be a heroic task, so I thought I'd try my hand at upolstering a cushion to put in the chair. It's 21 X 21" and fits perfectly...snug enough that it won't slip out  of position while she's getting up and down... Next I'll have to to make one for her kitchen chair..We'll see how that turns out.... Here's pictures of the one I made today...

New Phone!

Man-oh-man... I think I've died & gone to Heaven! I just got a mid-range smart phone and it's da bomb! It's a Samsung Galaxy Ace and uses the Android running system... I knew it would be better than my old flip phone, but this is truly amazing to me... There are literally hundreds of free apps out there to download and the whole system is so much easier than anything I've ever had before.... At one time I had a Palm Treo, using 2G networking, and then I had a Motorola C3 (I think it was...) anyway, it was like a trimmed down Blackberry....with WiFi...... The Palm was way too slow to be of any real use...then the Motorola wasn't much better due to not having a Data plan, just using it WiFi was slow and the screen wasn't big enough to see much...more bother than it was worth... This new baby has built-in GPS, another 1st for me and it is sooo awesome... I can even watch Netflix on it (the sound and picture don't exactly sinc, but hey, I'm not complaining!) And did I mention that I now know what all the fuss about Angry Birds is about..and it's too cute!...The flashlight app is really bright using the flash from the 5mp camera...and I can catch up on Facebook on it! Nook and Kindle apps are free to download as well as dictionaries, Bibles, maps, Tetris, Jeweled, card games, dominoes, word games, sudoku, Yahoo mail...note pads...etc....etc... As you can see, I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off of it for more than 2 seconds at a time....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAnfShoQZA0

The above site should take you to a clip about it....And it really is that quick!
Guess what I'm saying is that, if you don't want to spend a fortune for an ipod, then this is a great way to go, plus you can use up to a 32 gig micro SD card with it...tons of memory!

Can you believe it?!?

This is my new baby! That's right, this old Amaw is learning to rock, christian style, with this beautiful short scale Bass Guitar! It's an Ibanez Mikro Bass and my latest love! We have a small group of people at our church that love music and we played last Sunday morning and Sunday night...and we're already booked to play for a funeral this Thursday! Is that wild, or what?! It's totally amazing! Jim Laubin plays harmonica and guitar and sings, Janniece Laubin plays tambourine and sings, Richard Massey plays mandolin (and any other instrument needed!), and I'm playing bass! I've played piano for years and would love to do it with the group, but I just can't get my head wrapped around the timing of the guitar playing.(too used to playing for congregational singing traditional style) anyway, not one to be left out----ahmmm....I thought it was time for me to learn a new instrument...and the bass was perfect...one note at a time...no chords... and I'm loving it! Besides, learning new things is supposed to help stave off Alzheimer's  right? Just last Sunday, I couldn't find the church's handheld recorder I had brought...Hubby found it in the fridge on top of a dish I had brought for the fellowship...GRRR!!! Getting old is NOT for sissies! LOL!

On another note....The garden on 8th Street has played out with all this heat ...even watering every day hasn't helped...but it did produce well while it lasted and I've spent most of the summer canning, watering, and knitting baby blankets for the hospital newborns... Quite a productive and busy summer---I've felt like the Ant & the Grasshopper story... with me being the ant! I still have tomatoes and blackeyed peas here at the house in the raised beds, hopefully I'll be able to keep them going until fall---There's more shade for them to take cover from the sun for at least part of the day...

That's all I can think of to share right now...hopefully things will slow down a bit and I'll get to write a bit more now that the gardening has calmed down...  Pray for rain!!!

Canning news.....

 Today I got into the canning thing again with 7 pints squash, and 1 quart & 2 pints tomatoes. All this did was get me in the mood to cook...and eat, I might add...Anyway, for lunch we had blackeyed peas with ham onion & garlic on top of brown rice with cornbread on the side...Yummy... Then we had a bit of rice left, so I thought...Why not?... I've already eaten half of the rice pudding....and I'd be willing to bet that hubby will finish off the rest soon as he gets home.... I can't remember the last time I made rice pudding...It's better than I remembered! I even used skim milk and it still came out great....Hope hubby is planning on a bike ride this evening, I sure need it now!!! LOL!!!

Canning & tatting!

Today's been so nice and much cooler... We had a wonderful 2" rain yesterday evening and it was awesome to sit out under the patio and listen to the rain on the tin roof. Even when it hailed a little, we weren't too upset because we needed the rain so badly.... It sure made for a great night's sleep. Then this morning I finished tatting my homework for the  online Tatting Design class I'm taking. The instructor gave us a pattern for the very center and our task was to design and tat the outer part. Here is what I came up with...

Once the doily was completed, I started a fire in the grill and BBQ'd some chicken breasts, corn on the cob, and veggie packets of yellow squash, zuchinni, onion, pepper and tomato. It was all so yummy! While we were eating out on the patio, a friend of mine came by with a bunch of yellow squash ready to can....so, she and I, along with her granddaughter began the canning process. We filled both pressure canners full... 9 quarts and several pints. I just now took the jars out of the first canner...They're sooo pretty! The tall canner is still too hot to open yet.... Pay no mind to the dirty stove top....it's been working! ;)

Tatting fun....

 I have recently taken up a new hobby... What? Me? Really! This time around it's shuttle tatting. I've needle tatted for a few years and enjoy it...but shuttle tatting is a whole new thing...The only equipment generally needed is tatting shuttles, thread appropriate for tatting, a pair of tiny scissors or nail clippers to cut the thread,  and maybe a tiny crochet hook. This picture is only of a few of the shuttles I use and they all have good points for different types of tatting... I believe the cream ones are Aero's - the clear green one is a Lacis-- and the others are Clover brand. I have them sitting on a 1 inch grid so you can get an idea of their size and I believe the thread on all of these in the picture is size 20 crochet cotton... mostly Lizbeth Brand 100% Egyptian Cotton

This is a tiny doily that I made up the pattern as I went... size 10 crochet cotton.

This can

 be a bookmark, choker, bracelet, headband or anklet...all with just the addition  of a ribbon... also in size 10 crochet cotton.

This and the next picture are split-ring bookmarks of Jane Eborall's design 2004

http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/index.htm
These are done in size 10 crochet cotton, but I've also made several in size 20 & 30 crochet cotton... I really love this pattern... I have used many of Jane's free patterns and find they work up very well for me. I've used different treatments for the 'tail' and think I like the split ring with a clover at the end the best...

I have to add pixs of my three grandchildren after their Pa and I took them to the crappie hole we found. This cutie is Jason and he's 'almost' 6 years old. The wind was about 30 mph on the lake the night we went with him and his parents... I'm surprized we caught any fish!!! But, true to form, Jason caught 2 of them and his Pa and Dad caught the others! His Mom & I hung several but couldn't get them in the boat!

The weather

was much better the night Ben & Cara went with us and we were better able to feel the fish hitting the minnows.... but Pa and I had loads of fun with all of them...and I think they had a great time too!

My latest love.....

Well used and loved...and will continue to be used and loved! 1926 Singer class 127 vibrating shuttle treadle sewing machine!

The vibrating shuttle is a new contraption for me...and I'm loving it! Works like a dream...instead of the needle going down and immediately back up, it goes down, kinda hiccups, then goes back up---down, bump, up... too neat!

The emblem shows the shuttle shape in the middle of it...and you can see in the upper right corner that the bobbin winder is really different looking! The bobbin isn't a disk but a long spool looking thing...very interesting!

Even has the shuttle design on the side of the treadle!

Beautiful old decals...I'm so afraid to scrub cleaning on it...the gold will come off...

Even has filigree on the cover in the back.... The gold on the decals are worn badly in some places, but mostly still there.

The cabinet has been refinished with wooden drawer pulls put on, but really isn't in very bad shape...It's all wood, not a veneer...

Garage sales are wonderful things....You never know what you could come across....Saturday, Hubby & I got on our cruiser bikes and headed out to the local garage sales and wouldn't you know it...we came across a find we couldn't resist!!!! So quickly we paid for her and back home we rode and got the truck- loaded her up and brought her home. These pictures were taken soon as we got home...hadn't cleaned her up yet or oiled her...and of course her belt was broken.... I threaded her  up and tried her out--sure enough, she lives! A friend had a belt and let me have it....Viola!!! I'm treadling!!! I know I'm gushing, but I'm in love!!!
What a Beauty!!!

My Review of SanDisk® Sansa® 4GB Clip+ MP3 Player (Black)

Originally submitted at RadioShack

The Sansa Clip+ is a tiny MP3 player with an array of cool features and a distinctively big sound.

SanDisk® Sansa® 4GB Clip+ MP3 Player (Black)

Can't say enough good things about this!

By Amaw from Texas on 5/2/2011

 

5out of 5

Pros: Simple Controls, Long Battery Life, Sleek/Compact, Easy To Setup, Lots of Storage, Reliable Performance

Best Uses: Anywhere

Describe Yourself: Avid Listener

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: No

I work these very hard... all night every night and lots every day listening to audio books... They've averaged lasting about 3 years each... Audio books take lots of storage space so the micro slot is invaluable... I've tried lots of more expensive ones and they never lasted even one year the way I use them...For me, this is the
absolute best product on the market---Bar None!

(legalese)

Gardening has begun....

So excited to be gardening again.... So far, I have several onion spots at different planting dates. Some are from bunches...some from seed so I should be set  for them...There's also cabbage, carrots, beets, turnips, garlic,spinach (2 separate plantings) broccoli, brussel sprouts, corn, some tomatoes, and English peas out... In the green house - I have cherry & Roma tomatoes started and up... watermelon, cantaloupe, green chilis, and cucumbers all in peat pots. The lemon balm, rosemary, thyme and lavender are all  pretty good... my 4 forcythia plants are leaving out as well as the two pear trees, the peach and plum trees too... The daffodils are blooming and the cannas, amaryllis, purple jew, and tulips are pushing through the ground... still plan to put out peppers, squash, pole beans, blackeyed peas, pintos, and okra. Have also just planted irises, caladiums, elephant ears, and cinnamon fern.
Just yesterday ordered a trailer for my townie cruiser bike... Should prove to be very useful bumming around town to the store and the 8th St. garden...too cool!!! Looks like a great year started!!!!

On another theme.... I've figured out how to shuttle Tat! Yay! I found the book with dvd, titled, 'Learn to Tat' by Janette Baker. For years I've needle tatted and love it....and for those same years I've tried over and over to learn to shuttle tat and just couldn't get the hang of it... This pic is using size 10 thread on toddler sized socks... This pic is of the 2nd pair I've done so far and I'm now working on a set with dark purple thread....I finished the 1st purple one last night started on it's mate... So loving doing this... The moral to this story is.... We can learn anything with the right teaching style for our learning style... In other words, the right teacher equals success....don't ever give up on learning to do something that you really want to learn to do.... Just keep trying using different teachers...or books/dvds...as the case may be! Each one you try may be the one that will supply the last piece of the puzzle needed to make it all make sense...

And We're Spinning!!!!

WHEW!!!!

It's here and we're all set to exercise!!! NO MORE EXCUSES!!!! We have a dedicated road bike just for use with the new trainer... YAY!

Finally!

YAY!!!! Thursday is Marvin's birthday and I actually got it finished in time! No telling how many hours over several months of work, but it does look pretty good. Hmmm...maybe a Texas Flag wall quilt next....

New floor tile!!!!

Yay.....New floor tile is down in the sewing room....So excited to get back to sewing without having to worry so much about quilt tops getting dirty from the old flooring...What you say? Why didn't I just mop the old floor? OK this is the thing....When we started out using this for a sewing room, there was carpet down...not great, but ok...except that the ceiling had leaked, and was still leaking for quite a while until Hubby could figure out just where on the roof the water was coming from--not an easy task...Then we had to wait quite a while for it to rain several times to make sure we had the leak fixed...In the mean time, the carpet and padding had molded---could not get the smell out...so we ripped the carpet out, leaving the old cracked vinyl with lots of glue on it that we couldn't get up. The glue had powdered the padding into it...no matter how we scrubbed, there was still dust coming off onto anything that touched the floor..Sooo good to have it Clean and Pretty!

Whew!!!

It's getting to be time for a rest!!! Took Rach & her young'uns back home to Donie today and tomorrow Marvin & I will go to a funeral....Then I can rest. We had a wonderful Holiday and actually got a picture of us all together except for my son-in-law that had to leave so he could get back to the church he pastors for Sunday service. I thought the picture came out pretty good....1st one we've had in a long time...

Aprons....

This week I've finished 2 aprons and a soda can plane---but I can only show you pixs of the plane and 1 apron...I forgot to take a pix of the other one before I wrapped it...ugh! Anyway, I'm about wound down with my Christmas projects...at least the ones I'll be able to get finished. Marvin's quilt will have to wait until his birthday in January, and the jacket I'm working on hopefully won't have to finished until actually Christmas day...so I'm fudging the time a bit... Maybe I can finish it tomorrow and Wed. morning before I get into 'high' gear cleaning for the company arriving Thursday.... Hope you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Very PINK!!!



Guess who this is for!!!



Pretty rough looking.....and was made out of about 8 cans of different kinds...so I painted it black...

Still pretty rough looking....But not tooo bad for a first try.....

I believe it supposed to be a Corsair------I think! LOL! Hopefully I'll be able to make a few in different colors and/or each one made out of one kind of soda....I think I know a little boy that might like one hung in his room....and I'd like some hanging under my patio in the breeze. Practice should make perfect, right?

Been Knitting....and other thoughts...

Yep... getting ready for Christmas, don't ya know! Still haven't put up the tree...hopefully it will happen this weekend. Still haven't wrapped a single present...probably won't have the mojo for that until the tree is up. But I have been knitting! Christmas is already special for me this year for lots of reasons... We're all healthy...and happy...I've had the awesome experience of being able to garden and can this year...(I'm already planning how much of what I want to plant for spring!)...I've been blessed to be able and have time and finances (thank you hubby!) to make most of our gifts for the first time in ages... and for the second Christmas in a row I'm not clinically overweight. That is a huge deal for me! One summer, at about 13 years old, I went from 115 to 145 lbs. By the next summer, I was over 160 lbs. Granted, I'm tall for a girl...I'm 5'7.5" now- down from a majestic 5'8.5" in my youth---taller than any of my siblings or parents, but Christmas 2 years ago, I weighed just over 200 lbs. and was officially in the clinically Obese range. Fighting my weight has been a most frustrating journey that has gone on for at least 40 years of my almost 54. The last two years has taught me volumes about  eating right and exercising--- and the consequences of neglecting to do so! I watched 'Super Size Me' last night after our hospital Christmas party. This man ate McDonald's 3 times a day for one month. In that time his blood work results changed dramatically, with the surprizing addition of impaired liver function! It was as if he had become an alcoholic (sp?) In this one month he gained 25 lbs. It took him 8 weeks to get his blood work back into normal range and 9 months to lose all of the weight back off! Besides all that, he was sick with all kinds of aches, pains, headaches, stomach trouble...etc. I wish for everyone this year the gift of health... No, it doesn't require a BMI of 20... but it does require effort each and every day on our part to conciously make good decisions about what we put in our mouths. It also requires us to not just think about exercising, but  to actually get up off the couch and move!

It's Quilting Day Again!!!

YAY! I'll get to work on the Texas Quilt! It's coming along nicely, slowly, but nicely! I've been knitting up a storm since the Studio 328 got here, so the quilt has had to take a 'back seat' so to speak...But today is going to be spent working on it! Yesterday evening I knitted another baby blanket and booties, this time in pink for the hospital... that was after knitting blue baby booties, 2 dog collars and a dog sweater earlier in the day... so yep, guess it's time to get back to  quilting....Think I'll take my camera to the Quilting Group today and see if I can snag a pix or two of some of their projects!

Knitting Day...

Today's been spent machine knitting and putting a new sponge bar on the standard gauge knitting machine...then I knitted a pair of baby blue booties to go with the baby blanket that I made for the hospital, made two cute little knitted collar's for my dogs in sparkle red with cookie buttons for closers, and since Canela, the wiennie dog is so cold natured, I knitted her a sweater out of the sparkle red yarn too--and added a classy black cord bow on it's back. I can't tell if she likes it or not, but it does fit her well, and I think looks cute on her! It's not from any pattern... just 'guesstimates', but fun all the same...

Canela, you're too cute!!!

I think she looks quite 'fetching' in her new frock!!!

Hope you had a Great Holiday!

We sure did! Our son and his family came on Wednesday for a early Thanksgiving Dinner, complete with homemade yeast rolls, Turkey, dressing...etc...yum!!! Then on to daughter's house in Donie to enjoy going to the Homestead Heritage Thanksgiving Fair...Oh WOW...was it nice! The kids got to dip candles and make a wreath....and I got some beautiful fingering weight plum colored hand dyed superwash yarn that I'm hand knitting a scarf for my grand daughter Cara.... I took a picture of it in progress to share with you... It's sooo yummy to hand knit with! I also took a picture of the machine knitted baby blanket for the hospital in Baby Blue...I'll make a pair of booties to go with it, probably tomorrow -when everything has settled down a little-- (this week was wild! LOL)--Then I have to get a Baby Pink one for a little girl knitted... I also dipped some pine cones in melted candle wax last week for fire starters for a couple of friends of mine at church, then Marvin & Rachel picked up two bags full of pinecones at Donie, so guess it's time to heat up the wax again so we'll have enough fire starters for our wood stove! I also have another sweatshirt jacket going for my sister....Life is always an adventure! The only time I'm really unhappy, is when I'm bored!;) (and that can be easily rectified!!!) LOL!!! Here's hoping your Holiday Projects go well this next week!!!

Machine knit tuck stitch baby blanket using sport weight baby blue yarn.

Hand knit scarf for grand daughter for Christmas....beautiful yarn!

Cathy

Almost Thanksgiving....

Turkey Day is almost here!!!!! gobble, gobble..... We had a wonderful meal at the quilting group today! There was 17 of us joined together for fun, food and quilting! Can't beat it! While I was at the club meeting, hubby was working on Christmas presents and putting a storm door on the greenhouse and recovered the east & west walls of it with heavy clear plastic....what a good guy.... & just in time.......it's suppose to get into the 20's Thursday night...nevermind it was in the upper 70's today and should be in the lower 80's tomorrow! YIKES! That will be quite a change! Hubby & I have ridden our bikes to Santa Anna & back the last two days! It's been beautiful! 23 miles each time...stopping for breakfast Monday and stopping for a diet coke today as a break, then taking the long way through the mountain back home...too much fun!
The next few days around here will be pretty busy...I do love the Holidays! I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving....I know I have too many blessings to count....I'm so very thankful to the Lord... He has supplied all my needs and the vast majority of my wants... Who could ask for more?