Today

December 29, 2007



I'm alone today, and for the next several days. Mike took a trip to Germany. He's visiting a friend and doing some sight seeing in Berlin.


Today was a fun day out. I went to the Concord Mall to do some shopping at Elder Beerman. While I was there I decided to get a haircut. BoRics wasn't busy, so I got right in. I think she cut about three inches off my hair. Mike took the camera with him, so I can't post a new photo. I think I like it.


I've also been hungry for steak, so I treated myself to Applebees. It really tasted good.


After that, I stopped in Shipshewana on the way home and looked around the fabric shops.

Then I came home, did some laundry and cleaning. I also rented some movies. I just finished watching "The Nanny Diaries". Tomorrow I will go with Debbie to the movies or whatever we decide to do. Then I have another DVD to watch called "Heaven's Fall" .

Christmas

This was a different sort of Christmas for me. I normally love to decorate for the holidays. This year we didn't even put up our tree. With two active kittens in the house, I decided it would probably end up being more work than I really wanted to do!


We went to Noblesville for the holidays to Karissa and Josiah's new house. We cooked ham, cheesy potatos and lot's of desserts. Cheyenne was there, and it was really fun watching her open her presents. She's a "talker". She has an imagination that doesn't stop and a vocabulary to match.


Mike stayed at Karissa's and flew out to Berlin on the 28th. He'll be back home on January 4th. The house is quiet.

Sewing

When I was a teenager, I learned to sew. I really did enjoy it, but, as most things in life, it seemed to be a phase. Other interests intruded in. Boys, dating, ball games, part time jobs. Then came marriage, kids, working, etc. In the back of my mind, I knew I could dig out the sewing machine and I would be able to pick it back up, but, would I really enjoy it? I didn't know.

Then the EMPTY NEST came.

You know about it, everyone that has kids that have left home warns you about it. You never really think it will hit you, but it does. And when it happens to you, you are so lost.

Erin had already left home, and though she wasn't married, I knew she wasn't about to move back home unless she was desparate.

Karissa was about to graduate college and we were planning a wedding. The graduation and wedding were plenty to keep my mind busy. But, the day came, that was over and the house was "empty of children". They had made their own lives. They were college graduates, working adults, one married. Now what did I do??

So, I told Mike I was buying a new sewing machine. I had one, but it didn't work, and I didn't want to spend the money fixing it. He kind of chuckled. He thought it would go the way of the treadmill and many other hobby ideas I thought I wanted to do. I found a inexpensive Singer at the local Wal Mart. And I began to sew. I took quilting classes. I made new friends. I found out that I'm more creative than I ever gave myself credit for.


I've spent alot of time with that sewing machine in the last couple of years. It has made clothing, quilts, placemats, scrub hats, stuffed animals and many other things. It has been my friend.

Now that I had proven that I would actually use my machine, I decided to buy a "super" machine. I did my research, went to the stores and took some test drives. Then I came home with a Viking Sapphire. I cleaned off the sewing table, and set it up. I felt like I was betraying my old Singer friend. So, I promised her I would at least take her for a spin once in awhile. And I do, she goes to sewing class with me. After all, she is lighter weight than the Viking. And she did teach me to love sewing again.

My Family

I was married to Mike in 1979. I was 19 years old. He was 24. We have two wonderful daughters, Erin, who was born in 1981, and Karissa, born in 1983.

January 1, 2007, Erin married Tad. They met in Wapakoneta Ohio where Erin worked for the Wapakoneta Daily News as a reporter. They have since moved to Hawaii. She now writes for the West Hawaii Today, www.westhawaiitoday.com and Tad is a teacher at Kona Chrisitan Academy. I haven't been to many tropical places, but I have gotten to visit Hawaii 3 times. It's a beautiful place and I highly recommend it.

May 21, 2005, Karissa married Josiah. They met at Indiana Wesleyan Univerisity where they both attended college. She's a surgical nurse, he's an accountant. They live in the Indianapolis area. Indianapolis is another of my favorite visiting places. So many things to do.. so many places to shop!

Both girls are happy and are enjoying their lives. What a blessing that is!

I also have one brother, and two sisters. Dyanne is in heaven waiting on us to join her. She passed away at the young age of 33 of cervical cancer. She left 3 young children. Those kids have since grown up to be wonderful adults with a total of 6 kids of their own. So, that leaves me with 3 great-nieces, and 3 great nephews. My brother has a daughter, and my other sister never had her own children. She sort of "adopted" my sister's kids, not officially, and though they never lived with her, she has always "looked" out over them. We are a happy, sometimes close, family for the most part.

Mom is still alive and doing well, along with my step dad. Raymond has always been more than a step dad, I couldn't have picked a better one!

Dad passed away in 2006 after a long battle of cancer, amoung other things. I don't think the Doctors would say that the cancer killed him, they of course got all of it removed, but, it changed his life so drastically that I would say that it most assuredly did. Maybe not directly, but, it was still the cause of death in my opinion.

My Cats

We have 3 cats. Patsy, who is about 10 years old. She is a long hair cat, and very skittish. If someone comes in the house, makes a noise anywhere in the house, or even drives in our driveway, she runs and hides. The only person she really even likes is me. She tolerates Mike, but, she doesn't really like him. I don't know what will happen to her if something should happen to me. She would probably just quit eating and give up and die. Poor thing. To be so dependent on one person. It's unbelievable.

Last summer we had to put our other cat down. We had him for about 13 years, his name was Simon. He was a member of the family, a son of sorts. It was devasting. About a month after he died we took a trip to the local animal shelter and picked out 2 cats. One (female)about a year old, and one(male) about 4 months old. Lucy was the female, Desi the male. Lucy was a really sweet cat at the shelter. She knew just what to do to get a new home. She purred, she let us hold her. She didn't hiss or bat at the other cats. She put her paws out of the cage and practically begged us to take her home. Yep, she knew how to get someone to take her home.

Too bad she didn't know what to do to get to stay.

When we got her home, she growled at everyone, hissed at Patsy and Desi, then stomped off. She wouldn't let anyone touch her. Now, remember, we already have one cat that hides at the drop of a hat, and she was not so pleased to have visitors. After a couple of hours of this nonsense, we returned Lucy to the shelter. I picked out what I was told was another female. A small kitten this time. I didn't bother to check the gender.. I mean, they are the Animal Shelter employees after all, surely they would know a male from a female... HA! After a couple weeks, Mike came to the sewing room and said "We have to change Lucy's name. She isn't a Lucy.. She's a He." So, we we did. Desi and Lucy were such a good cominbination. I hated to change it.

That is the story of how Lucy became Louie. And how we ended up with 3 cats.

They are the joy of our home. They keep us company, they love us when we are down, and they make us laugh. They are the smartest, cutest cats on the face of the earth.

They are "The Boys".

Cheyanne's Blanket

I just finished the blanket this afternoon. It was a last minute decision to make it, so, it's nothing fancy! I used a piece of fabric about 30"x24" and then put a flannel back on it, with batting in the middle. I just did some free motion quilting to stabilize it and then put the binding on. I really wanted to give this sweet little girl a gift. She is my son in law's niece. And we are spending Christmas day with them. I love seeing the looks on the faces of children who receive a gift. Karissa and Josiah are giving her a new doll, so I thought she would enjoy having a blanky for the baby. I hope she likes it!

First entry

I've always wanted to do a journal, but, never really took the time to do so. I'm going to try it now. I don't know if I have anything really worthy to share, but, here goes!

Today was a half day of work. I love Wednesdays for that very reason! Work until noon, then come home and get a few things done around the house..or take a nap!

It's all up to me.

Today, I think I'll finish a baby doll "quilt" that I'm making for a little girl named Cheyanne. I hope that she will enjoy playing with it as much as I have enjoyed making it for her.