tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184231412984970682024-03-04T23:28:03.824-06:00MAGIC THIMBLE CREATIONSMy name is Peggy Welchert from western Kentucky. I enjoy designing mostly quilts, but also create other types of sewing projects. I teach quilting classes from beginners to more advanced piecing and applique.
It is fun to add interest to designs with dimensional applique, pictures and threads. I hope to introduce everyone reading my blog to some of my new projects and hope to inspire others to create!
I may on occasion share with you a recipe as I also love to cook.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-45224234149216715952013-03-14T22:04:00.000-05:002013-03-14T22:04:16.437-05:00Good News ThursdayJudy L. has asked for good news blogs to be linked to her blog <a href="http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/14/good-news-thursday-2/">here</a>. I have been posting such sad news on my blog lately this is a good time to change and post some happy news.<br />
<br />
Since September of 2012 we have been dealing with loosing both of my parents and if you have gone through this you know the mourning actually starts long before the death. It begins when you notice changes that are not good. You make hard decisions as you try to adhere to their wishes and still please everyone else. Sometimes this means stepping on toes of those in charge of healthcare, but when you have the the Durable Power of Attorney and know the written wishes of someone I feel it is important to follow those wishes. We are still dealing with bills, cancelling things and changing names on stuff.<br />
<br />
I had lived with my retired parents since I moved to KY in 1984. The house is three level with three bathrooms and two kitchens up to a possible 5 bedrooms and two living room/den. Naturally with just three of us living here I had a sitting room, sewing room, bedroom and bath of my own. I could of had a kitchen also, but we decided it was not need for me to cook only for myself.<br />
<br />
Almost 11 years ago I married my dear husband Bill. When we told my parents we were getting married my parents asked us to live with them. At the time I was thinking they wanted us to be able to save up some money, but soon learned that unknown to all of us we would each soon have some health issues. These started with me, then my Dad, my husband while the whole time my Mom was working on dementia which went unnoticed until it was too late.<br />
<br />
Now for the good news of this blog. I am now the owner of my parents house. This actually happened about 3 years ago, but that is another long story. Mom and Dad both had to go to nursing home. We knew neither would ever come home again, so we began the long slow process of sorting through things first in the garage. Almost everything my Dad used for gardening, mowing, general household upkeep had major problems. The lawn tractor was given to our neighbor as payment for helping us. It took him almost two years to figure out how to tractor started and stay started. Bill and I do not know how to fix mechanical things. We found saws, drills, sanders etc. that did not work, including some items I bought when I owned my first house. Needless to say we had a lot of sorting to do. Our neighbor knew how to prepare things for recycling to get the most money out of them. He also knew people who may need an item that just needed a little repair. Since by this time both parents were in the nursing home money was needed. My Dad never disposed of anything, broke or not. We are now on our second time of going through everything.<br />
<br />
Some of the interesting things we found were home made items. My Dad turned bowls and candle holders and made other items. My Mom did all kinds of crochet, embroidery, rug hooking and many other crafts.<br />
<br />
Since my Mom had dementia every book may have something in it that means something to me, including pictures I have never seen, recipes that have been lost for years and sometimes patterns of items that are incomplete. Since my Mom taught me how to crochet and embroider our stitches are similar and I am going to try to finish what she started. The most surprising items of my Mom's crafts was some quilt blocks. I taught her how to piece and do some applique. She continued to try new items that I didn't know she did on her own. Other then the things found in books it appears my Mom organized her crafts. Much is in the back of a closet in plastic boxes, bags other boxes etc. I will go through those items last, after I have all my sewing located in one spot.<br />
<br />
So even though I sometimes sit and cry looking at a picture, picking up something either my Mom or Dad made, a note that was important to one or the other that I may not understand. The important thing I feel it is a healing for me plus it is allowing us to change the house from my parents house to Bill and my house. We just changed a few things on the level of the house my parents lived. The two main things was removal of the carpet that should have been changed years ago and putting down laminate. Second was recovering the counter tops in the kitchen <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzraB-o0xruss49k7UBETjq-2xjKfTO5_Yz1F9hvDwS59mDR0oe12vkpqRXnCaJS_kfy-jFJuGPFRZzarl3u7CjY14zLRRRZWODaZUloLhzLh5XhfnjwM8A9LE3etHLx44JLqSQlOy5k0U/s1600/Counter+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzraB-o0xruss49k7UBETjq-2xjKfTO5_Yz1F9hvDwS59mDR0oe12vkpqRXnCaJS_kfy-jFJuGPFRZzarl3u7CjY14zLRRRZWODaZUloLhzLh5XhfnjwM8A9LE3etHLx44JLqSQlOy5k0U/s320/Counter+Top.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
with Rust-oleum Counter Top Transformation. You can also see the floor. The old counter top under that black flicked with grey and white was a light imitation butcher block 1970's top. What a change it made in the kitchen for about $250.00 and a little work.<br />
<br />
So to shorten this blog, we transformed the house with a lot of work but not much money from my parents house to Bill and my house. Work is also being outside by cutting down trees, removing a lean-to type shed we don't need and general clean-up of the yard.<br />
<br />
It does feel good that we are almost done with the actual work and that will just leave the clean up and reorganizing our stuff.<br />
<br />
It also feels good to have good neighbors and friends who helped us even when I would have a melt down. They gave me a hug as I cried, even the two year old held to me with a hug when I had my last melt down about a month ago. I will never forget his hug, because I was sitting on the floor crying and he would not let me go until I stopped. I am sure his Mom was proud of him as she stood there and watch <span style="text-align: justify;">not wanting to disturb that moment. Love is powerful and I feel love all around me!</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>Peggy</i></span>Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-58174642809052834632013-03-12T23:26:00.000-05:002013-03-13T09:52:24.563-05:00Loved You Aunt JuneJune Smith, my Aunt and wife of my Dad's younger brother I<br />
called Uncle Skip went to be with our Lord today. I remember Aunt<br />
June as a fun loving, happy person. She was a talented artist and did<br />
many crafts. <br />
<br />
While I was growing up I remembered traveling to visit my Aunt June<br />
and Uncle Skip. At the time they lived some where near the Indiana/Michigan<br />
border near Elkhart, IN and Edwardsburg, MI. One of these two places my Uncle<br />
would wait on the overpass bridge to see our car go under the bridge and he would<br />
hurry home to let Aunt June know we would be there in just a few minutes. She<br />
would have lunch or dinner on the table when we arrived. Aunt June at this time<br />
was not known for her cooking, but we never went hungry are their house.<br />
She said "One pot pie for everyone except Mel (my father) and he would get two<br />
pot pies." There was always bread and bologna and some type of spread for the<br />
other meal. She could also make Spaghetti.<br />
<br />
Usually when I visited her we would do a craft of some type. One time she had me<br />
color a page in a regular coloring book. I thought "OK, what's the big deal." Then we<br />
removed the page from the coloring book and PAINTED the page with what I think<br />
was mayonaise right out of the jar. I remembered spreading it with my fingers. The<br />
results were beautiful. The page had a sheen to it and the crayons seemed to blend<br />
with each other. <br />
<br />
Sometimes while we were visiting both Uncle Skip and Aunt June would be away<br />
from the house for the day. I think they were both working, but I am not sure. While<br />
they were away I would help Aunt June doing things around the house for her. She<br />
never asked me to do anything, but I just did it, including one time cleaning her oven<br />
for her. She was real happy of anything I did for her. Sometimes my mother and I<br />
would cook a meal while they were gone.<br />
<br />
Since most meals were served on paper plates, to save on cleanup, we sometimes<br />
did crafts with paper plates. We made flowers, spinners and even colored scenes<br />
on the plate.<br />
<br />
Uncle Skip moved with his job a couple of times. The first that I remembered well<br />
was to Erwin, TN. We would go visit them there taking what were the best roads<br />
of the day. The highways were mostly 2 lanes, up and down "mountains" with very<br />
scenic vistas. Then we would start the decent down the mountain into town and we<br />
turned into a drive of this cute, little house. Once inside the house I realized it wasn't<br />
that little. It just looked small and cute due to the huge mass of hills that surrounded<br />
the town.<br />
<br />
One time we took my Grandmother down to stay with Aunt June and Uncle Skip.<br />
They were expecting their first child. Grandma stayed to help Aunt June with the<br />
new baby boy. We always thought the move from MI to TN and the change in altitude<br />
allowed Uncle Skip and Aunt June to start their family. I know they had another<br />
boy, but I believe a baby girl passed away at a very very young age.<br />
<br />
Their next move was from TN to Florida. That was a new experience for us visiting<br />
FL during the winter months. We picked citrus fruit off the trees in their yard. We<br />
also went to Plant City and walked around the farmer's market buying all kind of<br />
fruit and vegetables.<br />
<br />
They had a large yard and we learned to check the tops of door frames before walking<br />
out the door, because sometimes snakes would lay up there. That was where I discovered<br />
how noisy armodilos were at night, digging right under my window. They also had<br />
fire ants in the yard we had to watch out for when out walking. The cows pastured<br />
next to them loved oranges. The one animal I didn't like that sometimes came to visit<br />
was the wild boars. They were know to be mean and would make a mess of the yard.<br />
<br />
Their next house was my favorite. It was in a neighborhood, but the lots were large<br />
The house has a sun room near another large room. It was a great place to have family<br />
reunions. My Dad's family gathered there a few times while everyone was still healthy.<br />
We stayed with Aunt June and Uncle Skip a few times. That was the first time that<br />
I was able to use a walk in shower that didn't need a shower curtain or door, because<br />
the shower area was larger then our entire bathroom.<br />
<br />
It has been over 10 years since I have seen Aunt June and Uncle Skip. Health issues<br />
kept us apart. I have fond memories of my Aunt June and my heart goes out to my<br />
Uncle Skip and cousins Dwayne and Scott. Bless you Aunt June.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Peggy<br />
<br />Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-58796257099087776322013-03-06T20:56:00.000-06:002013-03-06T20:56:18.476-06:00Only the Apples Know!This week <a href="http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/06/whats-cooking-week-10-2013/">Judy L</a> is looking for recipes using Orange Juice. We were invited out to a friends house for dinner and I decided to make a cake. I decided to make a Jewish Apple Cake. My friend from Maryland gave me this recipe years ago, but since my husband doesn't eat apples I have not made it in years. The family we were going to see likes apples and it makes a huge cake that is to go into a tube pan or bundt pan, but since I am sharing this cake I made it in two loaf pans. <br />
<br />
Jewish Apple Cake<br />
<br />
4 large tasty Apples, peeled and sliced<br />
2 t. Cinnamon<br />
1/4 c sugar<br />
Mix together and set aside.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Mix together in large bowl<br />
3 c sifted flour<br />
3 t baking powder<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
2 1/4 c sugar<br />
<br />
Add to dry mix and mix in all at one time<br />
1 c oil<br />
4 eggs, unbeaten<br />
1/3 c orange juice<br />
2 1/2 t vanilla<br />
<br />
Grease and flour tube, bundt or 2 loaf pans. <br />
Pour half of the cake mixture into bottom of pan(s).<br />
Top cake with half the apple mixture. Top with rest<br />
of cake mixture and then the remaining apples. <br />
Bake in 350 degree oven 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until cake<br />
starts to pull away from side of pan.<br />
<br />
Cool and remove from pan.<br />
Serve plain or with a touch of whipped cream.<br />
<br />
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Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-44936383268968212552013-02-27T21:53:00.001-06:002013-02-27T21:53:22.736-06:00Cinnamon Toast MemoriesI have been sick with a cold type thing that just doesn't want to give up. Judy at <a href="http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/02/27/whats-cooking-week-9-2013/">Patchwork Times</a><br />
challenge this week was cinnamon. I love cinnamon. Plus cinnamon has great health factors, but not the way I like it the most.<br />
<br />
When I was a child my Mom would give us cinnamon/sugar on buttered toast. I loved it and thought my Mom was tops when she would make me cinnamon toast on days she also served something I didn't like, such as plain scrambled eggs. She would make the toast, butter it and sprinkle it with a little while sugar and ground cinnamon. No measuring, no consistency but good. Sometimes when the cinnamon was new we would get too much cinnamon and not enough sugar. That would make the cinnamon a bit bitter to my taste, but still good.<br />
<br />
Mom's cinnamon toast was great through my first year of college. Back during the fall of 1969, my dorm closed and I had to go to a different dorm. This was a shock to my small town girl system. The woman's dorm was large, but also sat right on top of a men's dorm of the same size. We all ate in the same cafeteria. That was a lot of people to feed all with in a short period of time. The food was for the most part very good. We usually had several options for each meal and back in those days if was served by order as one walked through the line. Everyday at breakfast Cinnamon Toast was available. It was the last item in the line, so some days I didn't get it, because of french toast, a sandwich offer etc, but most days I had Cinnamon Toast.<br />
<br />
Now I know why I gained weight my second year in college. This toast was to die for. I didn't care it it was the first piece off the tray or the last piece, slightly cold, it was still good.<br />
<br />
My way to make this cinnamon toast is to make a Cinnamon Butter.<br />
<br />
Soften 1 stick of butter<br />
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar (may be white or combination)<br />
1 Tablespoon cinnamon (more of less to your taste)<br />
<br />
To make the toast preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread white bread, day old is preferred, with cinnamon butter on one side. Place on cookie sheet. Place in oven about 10 minute or until bubbly.<br />
<br />
This can be made in large amounts for guest breakfasts. If just making one or two pieces in a toaster oven toast one side first then broil the cinnamon butter until bubbly.<br />
<br />
<br />Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-22159751493548347522013-01-28T21:07:00.000-06:002013-01-28T21:07:19.795-06:00Homegrown Louisiana CookingLast week I made my version of Shrimp Creole. As with most recipes I change them to my liking. I made plenty so we shared some with a couple we talk with during the mornings at one of the local restaurants. They loved it. He had some for lunch, dinner and lunch the next day. The next thing I know he brought me a book to read, <u>Justin Wilson's Homegrown Louisiana Cooking.</u> The book has 270 pages of what I would say is Louisiana and Justin Wilson history via the influence of food. <br />
<br />
Each chapter begins with a story about Louisiana. Some are historic, some are about the influence of nature and why certain foods are used, but most chapters also mention the people of Louisiana and the importance of food in the culture.<br />
<br />
There are many recipes that sound so good and the recipes are well explained in detail of the process. Some recipes include pictures, but most don't. Some of the ingredients I don't have access to, because it is wild game and we don't hunt. We have friends who hunt, but not all the items he offers in recipe form. Some items I don't eat. I am sorry I don't eat oysters. I have tried them, but I didn't like them. I will try most everything once or twice, but if I don't like it I just don't eat it again.<br />
<br />
I did notice Wilson cooks with wine, which I like the flavor in cooking, but we don't have any. I guess I need to get some for cooking. Some items he talks about we do not have available in our stores. <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed the chapter about sauces and gravies. He points out that many recipe assume you either know how to make a particular sauce or it is available at your local market. I like making things from scratch, so when I saw his recipes for sauces I was happy. Many of his sauces are similar to the way I make then, but they may have an ingredient or two that I have not included in my recipe.<br />
<br />
I also liked that he has recipes to use leftovers. My husband and I will eat leftovers. Sometimes cold, sometimes reheated, but most of the time I make something different from the leftovers. Tonight was one of those nights. I had left over country ribs that I started in the crock pot with onions and seasonings. I saved all the juices and onions and the left over bar-b-que pork meat. I sliced it back into the juice. We had two pieces of rib steak that may have weighed 3/4 lb and last night we had one hamburger left over. So this is what I did with the leftovers.<br />
<br />
Leftover Surprise<br />
<br />
Cut up leftover meats to bit size that you have saved all leftover juices and vegetables from the original cooking.<br />
1 can cream of mushroom soup<br />
1 can of peas or vegetable of your choice<br />
1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream<br />
3/4 to 1 lb of spaghetti or noodles<br />
<br />
Start by cooking the spaghetti or noodles according to package directions. I used spaghetti, so it cooked in 8 minutes after adding it to boiling water. While waiting for the water to boil I was cutting my meat and heating the juices and mushroom soup. I added the spaghetti to the water and also the meat to the juices to warm. Right before my 8 minutes was up I added the peas to the juice, soup and meat mixture. I drained the spaghetti, added the sour cream to the meat mixture and I then combined the spaghetti and meat sauce. This was a less then 15 minute meal to make, using leftovers, but if your juices and or gravy was good during the first meal the mixture is good enough to serve to company. Maybe keeping the meat mixture and noodles separate with a salad on the side. We each had two helpings and have enough left over for someone to have lunch tomorrow.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-18433076600714859322013-01-23T11:32:00.000-06:002013-01-23T11:32:22.951-06:00Who Want's Some Slop?When I married 10 1/2 years ago I learn that my husband Bill came into the marriage with some new ideas for meals. One day he came to me and said "My sister Phyllis used to make Slop for dinner, can you make some for us?" Number one, Slop in my mind was what people used to feed their pigs. I asked him to tell me what were the ingredients. He told me and I made some Slop. It was good for a fast meal that was easy to make. So here is my version of Slop.<br />
<br />
<br />
Slop<br />
1 to 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef<br />
1 chopped onion<br />
salt and pepper and/or other seasonings<br />
2 cans cream corn<br />
<br />
Brown the ground beef and cook out the water. Remove the excess fat if needed. Add the onions and cook until they are clear. Add seasonings, stirring well. Stir in the creamed corn. Serve.<br />
<br />
<br />
We like to serve our Slop over home made Mashed potatoes. A friend of ours made his, adding a bit of garlic to the Slop and served it over Hash Browns. Others use a pasta as a base. I have seen recipes that also add green peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings for certain regions or the world. This could be made into a casserole by layering whatever you are serving the slop with and the slop. Basically Slop can be made to your liking to serve immediately or make one day and serve the next.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here are my pictures of the process. I can say once Slop is stirred it isn't all that pretty, but it tastes good.<br />
<br />
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See what others have done with Creamed Corn by going to Judy L's blog <a href="http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/23/whats-cooking-week-4-2013/">http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/23/whats-cooking-week-4-2013/</a><br />
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<br />Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-76346853380336697052013-01-22T17:39:00.000-06:002013-01-22T18:57:32.575-06:00My Teacher, My Guide and My best Friend, My Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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December 17, 2012 my dear Mother passed away. She died of natural causes, at the age of 87 years, 2 months and 21 days. Her death did not come as a surprise, because she and my Dad were very close and he passed away on September 3, 2012. I always said once they were older, "If one passes away the other will follow soon".<br />
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My Mom, Margaret Matjasic Smith, was not only my Mother, but my teacher, my guide, and the best friend I have ever had. She showed by example how to be a good person. She allowed me to be at her side when she was cooking, cleaning, entertaining and sewing/crafting.
My Mom was Croatian and knew how to make from scratch foods that most people, even back when I was a child, would buy at the grocery store. She taught me how to make noodles, strudel including the very thin dough that is stretched instead of rolled thin, and many types of bread products. We also cooked the majority of our meals from scratch. She knew how to take a tough piece of meat and made it tender. When we were poor she could stretch whatever we had in the house to feed four or more.
When someone stopped by, expected or not, they would get a fresh cup of coffee or tea and something to eat. It may be a piece of her great homemade pie, I could not begin to tell you what kind, because she made many varieties, or a complete meal if it was that time of day.<br />
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While many of my friends were getting up and trying to find something to eat before school, my mother made sure my brother and I was up, dressed in clean clothes and ate breakfast. We would watch out the kitchen window for our bus to cross the railroad tracks and then we would get our jackets on and wait for the bus to travel the half mile or so to our house on the edge of town. Some of my Dad's jobs required him to be at work very early in the morning, so Mom would get up and make him breakfast and usually a lunch to carry with him. We usually ate dinner as a family, late afternoon when Dad arrived home. If one of us had to do something that caused us to get home later than the usual dinner hour leftovers were kept warm for when we arrive.
My Mother worked in the garden, helped with all the yard work, painted walls and trim, kept a clean house, washed clothes with a wringer washer and hung them out on the line in the backyard to dry. I love the smell of clothes dried on the clothes line in the middle of winter or on a windy day. Even after we got a dryer she would still hang some of the laundry outside. My Mom was my Dad's helper when he was building our house, repairing our cars, and even helped him study when he was trying to further his education. She also went fishing with us and attended games and other activities, just to morally support her family. My Mom would work the polls during elections and helped to make the major decisions of a growing household. On occassion my Mom worked outside of our home to help with the household budget, but for the most part she did things that would make the money my Dad was bringing home go further then expected.
I was always a designer. My dolls had clothes made from scraps of the clothing my Mom would make for me. She first taught me how to sew by hand, and then at the suggestion of a neighbor Arta (sp), my Mom taught me how to use her pedal singer sewing machine, that I still own. She encouraged me to move from making doll clothes to making my own clothes. Before I moved away from home I was making clothes for everyone in the house, making drapes, reupholstering furniture.
She also taught me to crochet, embroidery, weave and many other crafts. She helped with the troop when I was in Brownies and Girl Scouts.
Throughout the year Mom was always making sure we had plenty of items canned or frozen. I remember helping pick and freeze strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, rhubarb and apples for pies. We would also make jams, jellies and butters. We would can peaches, pears, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and even pork. Sometimes when we had a variety of vegetables she would also can soup.<br />
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One day my Dad went to an auction. He bought live chickens, I don't know how many, but there were a lot of them. He was working nights at the time. When he got up in the morning he would kill a certain number of chickens and hang them up on the famous clothes line to drain the blood. Then before the morning was over Mom and I would pluck the chickens and freeze this selection of birds. The smell is something that will be with me forever.
Sometimes Dad would go hunting or fishing. Mom knew how to cook whatever he brought in and it was always good.<br />
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Mom's favorite flower was the rose. So we had roses all around house. Our front flowerbed had red and white climbers, yellow, red, white, pink and peace regular roses. The same was true in the back yard, but unless you came to visit, most would not know they were there.
One of the favorite places at our house during summer evenings was the back yard. When we were young my brother and I had the standard swing set. Mom and Dad would sit in their chairs or at the picnic table while we played. After we out grew this type of swing our old swing frame was used for the long wooden swing many could sit on. It became one of the favorite places to visit with friends and relatives.
Our house was always open for friends and family. Many stayed overnight, some moved in during times of need. My favorite guest for many years was my grandmother on my Dad's side. My Mom took care of her making sure she had a room of her own, food to eat clean clothes, etc just like us kids. Mom even took care of her wounds when she had operations and nursed her when she was sick. Granny had her own life and would go places to play Bingo usually with one of her Daughters. Sometimes she would go to stay with one of her other children. This may be for a week, a month or maybe longer, but her home base was our house until my parents decided to moved to KY.<br />
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When I was in Junior High and High School, Mom and I would walk to the bus stop at least once a month on a Saturday morning. (Mom did not drive.) We would take the bus to downtown Hammond, IN to go shopping. Lots of time this shopping was window shopping, but sometime we would get something we could not buy in our little town. Usually our trip included a movie. I remember people commenting that when we were together we looked and acted more like sisters rather than mother and daughter. Once a year we made that special trip on the train to downtown Chicago, IL. This trip was always after the Christmas decorations were up in all the windows of the many department stores that used to be located there. That was such fun having a mother daughter day.
Mom also often times went on the many field trips we had at school. We went to museums, zoos, special activities all over the area.<br />
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Often in the spring and summer we would go on picnics. Mom would make special salads and desserts and Dad would cook the meat and sometimes vegetable. These picnics were sometimes just in the back yard, but sometimes at "far" away places like Lake Michigan or Kankakee River. One time we even went on a picnic when we still had snow on the ground.
One of the special things about my Mom was her family. They mostly live in or near Cleveland, OH. This was always our big trip when I was young. <br />
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Her father Mathew came over from Europe as a young man. He married and had two children, my Uncle and my Mom. I never knew my Grandmother as she died while my mother still lived at home. My Grandfather married twice after that, so the only Grandmother I really knew was his last wife, Mary. She was also a special woman willing to share what she knew about cooking and sewing. Now my Grandfather is what I call today a character. He loved life and I think he taught my mother much as she was growing up. I know he taught her the love of roses. He also taught my Dad how to graph fruit trees and start roses from old plants.<br />
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The sad part of my Mom's life was her dementia. Several years ago we notice that she was not herself. She spent more and more time in her chair. She would organize and reorganize her recipes, but could never find what she was looking for to make for dinner. I was doing more and more things that she used to do. She no longer liked to go on road trips, out to eat or even shopping. Keeping the check book and getting the bill paid was impossible. "Burnt offerings" became common meals when she was cooking. Even talking on the phone or visiting with people who would stop by was hard on her. The last time my Brother and family visited while she was still at home she said when they left "I don't know who those people were, but I am glad they are gone". How sad is that! I became the "lady downstairs!", but she knew my husband Bill. We had other times when we meet with friends or relatives and she had no idea who she was talking to all day. She used a walker for years due to knee problems, but looking back on the whole thing it may have been her dementia. One day while she was alone she put a plastic container that had a gelatin salad in it into a heated oven. Fortunately we caught all the times she did things like this before she caught the house on fire. Then she started falling. She would never hurt herself as she would roll when she fell. At first Dad could get her up, but then it would take Dad and someone else. Then it would take Bill and I until the day even Bill and I could not get her up. That was the day we had to call for professional help. They managed to get her up and took her to the hospital and that was the last day she was at home. She had a sever Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), but didn't have the normal signs of the infection. She spent over a week in the hospital and they transferred her to the nursing home for rehab. They planned to teach her how to walk again and to do things safely. She could not learn how to walk. Her brain didn't know left and right and her temper would get in the way of her trying. They stopped the rehab once she was evaluated and it was determined she had sever dementia and recommended that we allowed her to stay in the nursing home for her safety and ours. After long discussions and evaluations of the home situation we decided the best place for her was the nursing home. She was not there too long when she had a broken hip. She told me at the time that the pain was worse than giving birth. They had to so some test before they could give her pain medicine etc. After she had the hip replacement surgery she was no longer in pain and didn't remember the trip to the hospital. Sometimes she knew Dad and sometimes she didn't. Sometimes she knew me and sometimes she didn't. Most of the time she knew Bill, but towards the end she didn't.
She had a reoccurring UTI, they would treat at the nursing home with antibiotics. Right before she died she had a bladder infection that put her into the hospital. Every time we visited her she didn't know we were there, but she was carrying on a conversation that we could not understand. She did go back to the nursing home and she was never awake when I went to visit her. Her last day was a good one. She got up, ate breakfast, talked to the aids and nurses, had her hair fixed at the in home beauty shop and passed away during a nap.<br />
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Mom I love you and miss you,<br />
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The "Lady down stairs" your Daughter Peggy
Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-62640148943502877582013-01-09T16:36:00.000-06:002013-01-09T16:38:49.980-06:00Carrot SaladJudy L of Patchwork Times has issued a "challenge" to get us to share recipes based on using one item a week. This week's item was carrots. My favorite way to have carrots is to just microwave them in a bit of water until just barely cooked. That is just too plain for this challenge. So my recipe is one that I have not made for many years. It is a Carrot Salad.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrZBDBoI_5UJZh1p-5vmTfsySWO2AsxSd4lHjZJeCCEVm368KKsS9c9yGL6zh_yIccgdt6hwo-Mu3Ix8HpJY98D-N3YakVjXJUsypRWLf2qmESu75TsMpTJByImy3e8qCEOFL22G2uOhO/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrZBDBoI_5UJZh1p-5vmTfsySWO2AsxSd4lHjZJeCCEVm368KKsS9c9yGL6zh_yIccgdt6hwo-Mu3Ix8HpJY98D-N3YakVjXJUsypRWLf2qmESu75TsMpTJByImy3e8qCEOFL22G2uOhO/s320/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
This salad is similar to one made in a deli I worked in part time from 1978 to 1984. I never made the salad, but I loved it enough to learn approximately how it was made. This was a very good seller and it improves with age. I was lucky today to have all the ingredients. I didn't make a lot of it, because I am the only one who will eat it. The ingredients seem odd, but I like all of them individually and together.
Carrot Salad
3 grated carrots
1/3 cup raisins, cooked mine were golden, but regular raisins were in the original
1/3 cup coconut
Dressing
1/2 cup mayonaise
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons western french dressing
Just mix all ingredients together and chill for several hours before serving.
To cook the raisins I put them in a small pan with water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat. Let set while preparing the carrots. Drain off the water and they are ready to use.
I grated my carrots in the food processor after cleaning them. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Then I measured and mixed my dressing. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Place the carrots, coconut (mine was unsweetened, but I have used sweetened) and raisins. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mix everything together and chill. I hope you enjoy!
Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-4199714234483427702012-09-26T12:55:00.000-05:002012-09-26T12:55:11.362-05:00My Dad and I (The Greatest Man I've Know)I wrote this blog a couple of weeks ago as part of my healing. My summer was spent dealing with my Dad's health issues working on my parents paper work to straighten out mistakes made by others. We also had problems at the house with our water and are trying to get some remodeling done (mostly flooring and bathroom). I wanted to include some pictures, but they are buried in all stuff we removed from the attic. So here is my healing blog.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A little over 62 years ago I first met the greatest man of
my life. About a week ago I lost this
man, but he will always have an influence on me until the day I also die and am
with him again. My Dad, Melvin Amos
Smith, was always a person I could look up to in times of good and in times of
bad. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I learned early in life that he loved his family and did
everything he could to provide for us. He planted a large garden, which we
traditionally did while listening to the Indianapolis 500 on the radio. His interests in gardening went beyond
providing vegetables for us. He also
grew grapes, rhubarb, strawberries and had several fruit trees. Our house was surrounded by flower beds where
he planted roses, moss roses, lily of the valley, passion flowers and lots of
perennials that mostly provided green ground cover. While he enjoyed all the plants and working
with them he made sure his family also participated and learned all about
gardening. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Harvesting was usually a family affair. This sometimes was good and other times not
so good. I learned how to choose the
ripe fruits and vegetables and leave the young items to mature. I also learned to not step on the end of
vines that may be crawling along the ground, because that would prevent the
plant to continue growing and provide more fruit. The one thing we did was to harvest the
horseradish. It wasn't so bad digging
the horseradish, but then it had to be sorted, cleaned and ground. Now I love horseradish, but that stuff is not
easy to clean and grind when you just have a potato peeler, knife and a hand
grinder. We did this outside, because of
the smell and the gasses get into your eyes.
It tasted so good once it was in the jar with a covering of white
vinegar. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Continuing the harvesting even our dog enjoyed the
adventure. She would eat the corn cobs,
odd shaped cucumbers and any other item that happen to hit the grass at our
feet. Occasionally the dog would even steel directly from the garden, but that
never bothered my father.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I remember also learning how to shoot a gun, clean any game
that was killed during a hunt and my favorite fish. Fishing often times was a family outing,
sometimes even camping near the river. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When the summers were warm we often went swimming. We did, when I was really young, have a small
pool which my Dad would also get into. I really remember our trips to Lake
Michigan to swim and play in the sand.
One day we were jumping off a tire.
It seemed like a huge tire to me.
My Dad was holding it up with the help of someone else. All the kids would take turns and either dive
or jumped off the tire. One time I
remember diving off the tire, but kept turning in circles. Maybe a wave caught me or something. My Dad reached into the water, grabbed my arm
and it seemed to me saved my life. When
we didn't have a tire to jump from my Dad allowed us to jump off his shoulders.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I learned many other things from my Dad. Car care at our house was more of a do it
yourself type work. He always needed a
gofer to get him the tools he needed or the oil, break shoe, spring etc. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My Dad quit high school during WWII and enlisted in the
Navy. He never talked much about being
in the Navy other then he worked in the laundry part of the time, met my Mom
while in Washington, DC and served on the USS New Hanover. I know he served in the Pacific due to seeing
some pictures of him and his friends while on leave in Hawaii and a few
comments he made about other islands his ship made port. I remember his blue wool uniform that he wore
when my Mom and he were married shortly after his discharge. As I have been going through boxes I have
found my Mom's wedding dress (which she used the underlining to make my Brother
and I each a vest one Christmas), but have not found his uniform. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>While I was very young my parents, with the help of others,
built the only house I really remember as a child. It was done in stages, so I was able to learn
much about building. When we first move into the house I think my brother and I
shared a room, because there were only two bedrooms on the main floor. Later on the upstairs was finished enough for
my brother to move to his own room. Then
my Grandmother (my Dad's Mother) moved into my room and I moved into another
room that was finished upstairs. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My father often times worked a full time job and picked up
extra work doing plumbing, electrical or even building houses. It was not unusual for him and his brother(s)
to work on projects together to support their families.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When my father was offered a chance to work at Inland Steel
he needed a High School Diploma. So he
took his GED test and passed on his first try.
Believe it or not someone was tuning the piano located in the same room. He then decided to continue his education and
we all took an electronic class via DeVry Institute home study program. Back then the lecture was recorded on a
record that was sent to him via mail.
They also shipped different kits to him he had to assemble. Tests were also taken at home. So we all sat around the kitchen table and
listened to the records, did the homework and took the tests. We also watched and sometime held things in
place as Dad assembled the ohm meter and a few other items. After that he took classes at Purdue
University Calumet campus and eventually earned a degree. This allowed him to advance in his job. By him showing us that an education is
important my Brother and I both graduated from college. My Dad for the most part paid for both of our
undergraduate education. We both worked
during the summer and vacations to supplement the costs. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My father came from a large family. My grandparents had 4 boys and 6 girls. They all went on to marry and also have
children. We usually tried to meet as a
family twice a year. One time was
Christmas Eve at my Grandparents house where families came and went at
will. There was singing, tales told,
food, games and lots of fun. Then
midsummer, usually around the time of my Grandmother's Birthday, we would have
a family reunion. It was held at the
Lake County Fairgrounds. Every family
would bring food to share and games to play.
Baseball, horseshoes, Bunco as well as other games were enjoyed by all. This was usually the time we would get to
know the extended family. Great Aunts,
Great Uncles, second and third cousins and my Great Grandfather were always
welcome at the Smith family reunion.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My Mother was from Cleveland, OH. My father made sure we made a trip at least
once a year and sometimes more to see my mother's family. Usually we traveled at night across the top
of IN and OH until we arrived at my Grandparent's house. While there we would also visit my Mom's
Brother and his family and sometimes we even made a trip to the other side of
town to visit my Mom's Aunt. When I was
really young my Mom's Uncle Walter was also someone he made sure we saw while
in the Cleveland area. My father made
sure we knew both sides of the family. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My parents had great love for each other and family. They did things together. They usually included my Brother and me in
various activities. They supported our
education endeavors by attending school activities. They went to school plays to see friends of
ours perform. Football and basketball
games my brother participated in as a player.
They visited each of us for special weekends when we were in college and
allowed us to bring friends home even during Christmas vacation.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>As we were growing up we had rules. If we broke the rules we faced a
punishment. Those punishments changed as
we grew older, but we knew we would be treated fairly and the rules were there
for a reason. We were never abused
verbally or physically. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I remember both my parents sitting me down and talking to me
about becoming a woman. When my grades
were not the best we would sit down and talk about them and if I needed help I could
turn to my parents for help as long as they understood the subject. They both
cried when they dropped me off at college, but we all survived. When I left home to pursue a career my
parents helped me find an apartment.
Helped me find furniture to make due until I could buy my own
furniture. Then they helped me move
several times. When I really became very
unhappy with my job, my parents asked me to move into their new house in KY. I didn't realize back in 1984 I would still
be living in that house, but it has been a good thing. They encouraged me to pursue a new career and
I opened a Quilt Shop. My parents helped
me take a building with a concrete that had a 2" slop to one side of the
building to level wood flooring with carpeting.
We shopped together for furnishings and my initial supplies. Thanks to the Small Business loan and the support
of my parents the store opened and stayed open for about 18 years. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Shortly before I closed my shop Bill and I married. My Dad surprised up both at the wedding when
asked "Who gives this woman away?"
My Dad answered "My Wife and I will share her!" Bill and I had already been asked to live
with my parents, but it was a shock when he said in front of God, relatives and
friends that I would need to be "shared" between my husband and
parents. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We all lived together until my mother had to move to a
nursing home. We could no longer take
care of her because she was falling, was doing things that put all of us in
danger (putting plastic in a 350 degree oven) and ended up with a severe
infection that affected her abilities to walk. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Prior to my Mom moving to the nursing home my Dad learned he
was diabetic and lost his big toe on his left foot. Bill and I cared for him as much as we could
at home, but infection was a big problem.
He ended up losing all his toes on his left foot over about a 17 week
period of time. Dad was determined and
learned how to walk at first with a walker, then a cane then with nothing. He even went back to gardening, helped with
some remodeling and even did some canning of excess vegetables and cooking
because I was working and Mom was mentally and physically declining.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Once Mom went to the hospital, then on to the nursing home
he went to see her every day except when weather did not permit. He stopped driving on his own so this meant
that Bill and I (or one or the other) would take Dad into town. He stayed with her for about 4 hours every
day. During this time he got to know
many residence of the nursing home. He
also created friendships with many of the workers, but I don’t think he ever
understood why Mom could not understand conversations or remember things he
remembered so clearly. This took its
toll on all of us, but especially Dad.
Around Christmas of 2010 Dad got a cold.
He still insisted on going to see Mom.
The cold turned into pneumonia and he ended up in the hospital early in
January. He had such a hard time
fighting off the infection and was bed ridden for nearly two weeks he ended up
in the nursing home at first for rehab then permanently. His balance was bad
and he was falling at first at home and then in the nursing home. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Things were going well in the nursing home until early this
summer. We were told he had an ulcer on
his right foot. I would take him to
wound care every other week. The nursing home would make sure his wound was
cleaned and dressed as directed. They
kept changing his antibiotics, but nothing seemed to help. A surgeon was consulted and on August 14th
his little toe on his right foot was removed.
Unfortunately the infection and his diabetes worked against Dad getting
better. He did go back to the nursing
home a few days, then back to the hospital. It was discovered he had pneumonia,
another type of lung problem and possible complications with a blood clot. The hospital did do some tests, took x-rays
and gave Dad different antibiotics.
Wound care came in and managed to get the wound healed enough so he just
needed gauze wrap, but by this time Dad was too weak to make it much
longer. I insisted he be returned to the
nursing home so he could see Mom and be with those who have known him for
several years. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sometime around 10am on Labor Day, September 3, 2012 my Dad
passed on to be with our Lord and those who passed before him. We love you Dad and miss you so much. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Rest in Peace.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Melvin Amos Smith</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>12-22-1926 to 9-3-2012</i></span></div>
Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-48266296810980395112012-05-06T11:48:00.001-05:002012-05-06T11:48:48.820-05:00A little updateJust thought I would let you know about a birthday giveaway celebration at <a href="http://catpatches.blogspot.com/">http://catpatches.blogspot.com/</a> She is giving away some beautiful Ty Pennington fat quarters. She is brave by even telling her age, but you must know spanish or irish to read the numbers. So a sense of humor abounds with cats in hats, a cake on fire etc.<br />
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By the way, we still don't have running water, but making progress I think. We decided it is a short in the pump or in the wires going to the pump. We are still trying to get connected to the local water district. Always something.<br />
<br />
Happy Sunday and it is now time to watch the race from Talladega...Go Jr. It is his race. <br />
Peggy<br />Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-18042082678868450762012-05-01T13:04:00.000-05:002012-05-01T13:04:34.344-05:00LIVING WITHOUT RUNNING WATER! Not Fun!Living Without Running Water<br />
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I think it was back about April 5th our neighborhood was hit somewhere by lightening. It hit so close the adapter or battery or more on my lap top is not functioning, I saw a blue flame like image come out of the electric outlet, our coffee pot stays on all the time unless it is unplugged etc, etc, etc. The item that bothers us the most is our well pump was somehow affected. Well being raised to do-it-yourself type person we first checked the things we can see. The pump is submerged about 100 ft into the ground. So we opened the control box and the capacitor had exploded. We really were not too happy about this, because we had just replaced the control box about 2 months prior due to age. So I took the side of the controller that was damaged into town and had the part that was destroyed replaced. We put things back together and everything was working fine. Then on the following Sunday we again had no water. After close examination the same part had a leak. So we were without water the rest of that day, because the store with replacement parts was closed. On Monday we went back to town and replace the capacitor and the relay. We also this time increased the pressure in the holding tank.....I don't understand all of this, but I listen closely when the plumbers we know take about common problems with wells. And again everything was put back together and it all worked, that is until last Saturday. Again no water. I checked the capacitor and it was still OK, but a little warm. That should have been my first Clue to let it cool down. I put it back in, the pump worked....for about 2 minutes \#$??@. So now we have accepted the fact this problem is beyond us and need to find someone else to work on the problem.<br />
<br />
First I did some checking about cost of a new pump. The size we need would be at least $500.00. That doesn't include the labor to pull the old pump. If the tank is bad also I don't know how much that will be at this point. Hopefully we will get a call soon to let us know someone is coming to our house to look at the problem.<br />
<br />
On top of all of this we are trying to get a mortgage so we can do some updates to the house and make it so it can be sold in the future. The loan requires us to be on a public water system if it is available. We have one available and had contacted them prior to out water problem. The wife stopped by the day we contacted them and said that we are not on the water system and she would talk to her husband when he got home that night. We tried to explain to her that we were on the system prior to 1984 when our well was put in. All the pipes are already in place, we just need to be connected to the system. We even went as far as finding their turn on valve, but we can not find our pipe close to the connector due to it's depth and the hardness of the soil. (By the way there has been at least two owners of the water system prior to the couple who own it now. Records from the first owners were more in their head as far as where things are located.) I guess the man never came home, so we are not connected to that system either.<br />
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A few things I have learned over the years is to always be prepared for the electric to go off. Always have water for drinking and flushing the toilet and washing our bodies. The things that have not been done is the dishes!!! We have been cooking and eating at home, but it is almost to the point that we are going to run out of plates and silverware. Fortunately we have another well supplied kitchen and will need to start using things from that kitchen tonight. I just hate to use the water we do have to wash the dishes. We use disposable things when we can, but I like real plates, knives and forks. <br />
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Yesterday we were invited to our "Adopted" families house for dinner, shower and clothes washing party. It was so nice of them to allow us to so that at their house. <br />
<br />
I can say one thing about this experience. I prefer to be without Running Water then No Electric. We can survive by carrying in water, but no electric means no computer, TV, stove, lights and again NO RUNNING WATER! <br />
<br />
Surviving just fine with out water, but want it fixed!<br />
<br />
PeggyPeggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-73091251794333831032012-04-27T18:40:00.000-05:002012-04-27T18:40:11.512-05:00Summer Picnic Row patternYesterday I went to the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah and today I am dragging. So I am sorry some of you have been to my blog to gather the pattern, but it is ready now. The writing of this pattern was a bit difficult due to the fact that my lap top was hit by lightening and everything for this row was in that computer. I usually save to an outside source, but a few days prior to the lightening it became full. I did not realize it was full until I checked it on this computer. I do not have EQ on this computer, so much of what was saved I can't open on this computer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Htn2_WjlugYHFmt0QmMvDWB2RQPkXT-oH-LVcHH7yXWpk35e6K8NO1H_xAuZTAcSL5bkb4_nkmFyhmr_lsWaVgDJxEuKIryYrWWF4e5pOX0m8l9KrRhECT3fRRD8-iO8JqHu1xThqO8/s1600/Pie+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Htn2_WjlugYHFmt0QmMvDWB2RQPkXT-oH-LVcHH7yXWpk35e6K8NO1H_xAuZTAcSL5bkb4_nkmFyhmr_lsWaVgDJxEuKIryYrWWF4e5pOX0m8l9KrRhECT3fRRD8-iO8JqHu1xThqO8/s320/Pie+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is a picture of the row. The pie is appliqued, but I explained how to sew the pie together before appliqueing. This picture does not show that the pies have half circles to create the crimp on the crust as seen in this picture. Ignore the machine stitching around the edge, as this is my sample. It is crooked and the way I explained to you will give you a much better appearance. I even sent you to a tutorial in another blog to help you understand how to use fusible interfacing to turn the applique.<br />
<br />
If you want the pattern go to <a href="http://freepdfhosting.com/0e241a769d.pdf">http://freepdfhosting.com/0e241a769d.pdf</a>Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-60187103845665535422012-03-04T11:43:00.000-06:002012-03-04T11:43:12.306-06:00I HATE Passwords!I try to use variations of a few combinations of words, numbers, capital letters and characters for my passwords. This has served me well for a long time. Some area where I am not as concerned about being hacked I was letting the computer remember the correct combination. I don't hide anything from my husband, so if he wanted to look at my mail, facebook, or other things I don't care. He is the only one with easy access to my computer(s).<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago I was having trouble downloading some fabric to use in a design contest. I never could get the fabric to load to the correct size, so I was not able to participate. During the process I decided maybe I needed to do some cleaning out and backing up of my files. I always run the anti virus, but am sometimes a little lax when it comes to the rest of the cleaning. Some is set to automatically happen, but other updates and cleaning I do myself. Well I must have done something, down loaded something etc that made me loose some of my passwords. Some of the places asking for user name and passwords I don't remember ever needing them in the past. So I try to recover the information by doing as said on the web sites I can't get into and I have not been getting a response. Thank goodness I have all the important ones recorded elsewhere away from the computer on cards in a container. One I really need I at least have the administrators e-mail address so I can write to her and find out what is going on. Sometimes I think it is IE, so I switch to Chrome and still no luck.<br />
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What I really want to announce is I am doing a row for the Patchwork Posse Round Robin. Mine will be April 27, 2012. The theme of this round robin is Summer Picnic. At this point I am still designing, but that is because I don't want to repeat what others have already created. Check out <a href="http://www.patchworkposse.com/">http://www.patchworkposse.com</a> <br />
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Check back here for my pattern.<br />
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Have a great week,<br />
<br />
Peggy<br />
<br />Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-50684974528158443352012-01-03T22:45:00.000-06:002012-01-03T22:45:52.188-06:00It Took Two DaysMy last post I talked about the TV bought back in June, but not opened until two days ago. That left the huge TV box, which we will need when we move, and the old TV sitting in the living room. Well yesterday I managed to get the box up the steps to be stored on the main level of the house. That left the old TV sitting on the floor in the living room.<br />
<br />
This morning I said to Bill I want to move that TV so the cat's don't ruin it. (Where the TV was sitting on the floor it was in their running path from the back of the basement, around the corner, into the living room and up the steps to the main level of the house. We have two cats and it is a real ritual for them to get their daily exercise by running up and down the stairs and all over the main floor up to the second or is that the third level of the house.) He said we would do that before supper. <br />
<br />
We went into town for a bit this morning. When we arrived home Bill ate and I could tell he was tired, so he fell asleep in his chair, but not for long. Shortly after that he went to the couch for a proper nap. When he got up I mentioned the TV again. We both decided we could manage the TV. It is a slim TV, but 42". When it was sitting on the floor it didn't look big, in fact I thought about carrying it up myself. I am glad I didn't try, because that would not have worked. Since Bill can not walk backwards, I went up the stairs first. My balance isn't as good as it used to be and going up stairs backwards was difficult for me. The TV barely made it around the corner of the landing since these steps are enclosed. I had previously cleaned the area where the TV was to sit. Much to my surprise the surface area was large enough for the TV base, but the TV did not fit into the corner. Finally we got it set up. but the cord to attach the TV to the cable on the wall is a bit short, but I got it to work. Then I could not find the cable remote. Now for the rest of the story.........<br />
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The room we put the TV in has had all the end tables removed, loose item sorted and much of it removed, so I could not find the cable remote. So Bill returned to the basement, but I stayed upstairs for a while looking for the remote. I first looked through the things in and around the TV stand. NO LUCK. So I moved to the fireplace mantel, NO LUCK. So I decided to check the hearth, NO LUCK. While checking the hearth I found two metal boxes. I decided to go through one of the metal boxes and it was pictures.<br />
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Most of the pictures were from the 70's. Many of the pictures were of my nephew, because he was born in July of '76. This was also the time frame when we were building the house Bill and I are living in now, so there were many pictures of the two story garage and the basement of the house. A few pictures of other relatives and people I did not know. One picture of my first house, which was in the backyard of another house in Muncie, IN. There was pictures of our house in Griffith, IN and a couple of floods both in IN and KY. A few pictures of my first brand new vehicle bought in Feb of '79. <br />
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None of those pictures bothered me. Even the pictures of my maternal Grandfather's funeral. (He died in Yugoslavia, so they took pictures so my Mom could have some type of closure) Then a picture came up of this same Grandfather standing the in kitchen of his home. It was such a good clear picture of him smiling that sly smile of his I just started to cry. He died more then 20 years ago, but a few days ago I was chatting with someone who grew up in the area of Cleveland, OH where my Grandfather lived. My Grandfather out lived 3 wives. I only knew his last wife and she was very dear to me. When we went to Cleveland we would usually leave after school and work. This started because my brother and I would sleep most of the trip. The trip for the most part was on a toll way and my Dad would drive all night. When we arrived at my Grandparents house it always smelled soooooo good. My grandparents had been busy preparing for us. All kinds of baked goods, but most of them were not the type we usually had at home. Mary, as I called this Grandmother, was a great baker. She made strudel from scratch. Usually she made cheese, my favorite, and apple. She made nut roll with white raisins in the nut filling and a really light fried cookie of some type. She kept that all in the basement. On the main level was home made noodles that were cut so thin they were like slivers. The home made bread had a coarse texture that held the butter. My Grandfather would make sure to go to Santa's.....a local store that made it's own sausage, smoked hams and had specialty luncheon meats depending on the season. They were all good. The best part of the food was the home made soups. I have Mary's soup pot. It is a porcelain cover iron pot. Very heavy. <br />
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I learned a lot from Mary and my Grandfather. They always had a large garden. My Grandfather taught us how to take slips from roses to start new plants. He also knew how to graft fruit trees, divide clumps of flowers and grew so many grapes he would make wine after all the jellies were stored. He had asparagus, rhubarb and mild green onions. Sometimes my grandfather would take us to the river. We may go just to play, sometimes we would go fishing and other times we just went there to wash his "machine" as they both called the car. Mary liked to sew and she would usually send an apron or two home with us. I think she made her own clothes and maybe some of my grandfather's clothes.<br />
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At least once while we were visiting my Grandparents would have an argument of some type. We never knew what the arguments were about, because they were speaking a foreign language, most likely Croatian. After my Grandparents sold their nice brick home they rented an upstairs apartment from family friends. The friends lived in the lower apartment. I remember it was near an elementary school and had an old wooden garage in the far back of the lot. One day my grandfather was in the garage and my father and I walked into the garage to greet him. My grandfather was always gracious to us and would greet us warmly. This day he acted funny immediately putting his hand in his pocket instead of hugging us. My Dad and him started exchanging greetings and just doing some general chatting when all of a sudden smoke started coming from my grandfather's jacket pocket. He had been hiding in the garage smoking a cigarette. Mary thought he had stopped smoking!!!! He also never stopped drinking.<br />
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My last memory of my Grandfather was at Mary's funeral. They were catholic, but I am not sure how much they attended church. Mary's daughter was not catholic and she "took care of the funeral". I remember during the service my Grandfather crying and yelling out "That is not right!" and then he yelled out what Catholics believed. I cried then also, because my Grandfather's heart was broken. <br />
<br />
Shortly after the funeral my Grandfather left for the "old" country to visit his family. When his brother died we were notified to go clean out his apartment. He decided to stay and take care of his Sister-in-law. When he died several years later we received a telegraph message. The only time I ever saw a telegraph message. It was written in broken English, but it was clear that my Grandfather had died. He is buried in what was then Yugoslavia, but may now be part of Croatia. Later we received pictures of his funeral. The one I remember the most was not in the pictures I saw today. It was of a beautiful wooden casket being carried through town by a horse drawn carriage. It was so old world. Today was the first time I saw the other pictures. The grave yard was nothing like ones we see here in the states. It also looked like some military or official uniformed men lead the processional.<br />
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One more thing about my Grandfather. He used to tell us he came over to the United States on a boat in a potato sack. I knew he was just pulling my leg, but it is a fond memory I have of my Grandfather. When I first started using the computer about 11 years ago I found a record of my Grandfather passing through Ellis Island. It recorded his name, age, destination, job status, who sponsored him and how much money he had.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-9272635860946163552012-01-02T08:18:00.002-06:002012-01-02T08:19:25.461-06:00Yesterday being the first day of 2012 I had planned to write a post. That didn't happen. First, I stayed up too late the night before chatting with new friends, so I was tired. We went into town for breakfast and to see our adopted family. Ashlee was working as our waitress and usually her husband brings their 11 month old son in so we can see him. We were also hoping he would bring in his daughter so we could say good bye to her before she left to go home in AL. We learn in chatting with Ashlee that she had been sick since we last saw her on Christmas day. She also told us her son was cutting his back teeth and is not sleeping or eating. So the father, son and his daughter were staying home.<br />
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We did a little bit of shopping and then Bill decided to go see the rest of our adopted family. We got home about10 or 10:30am. I was sitting checking my mail and catching up on news when I heard noises in the back of the house. I knew Bill was back there, but thought he was just doing something in the kitchen. Remember I was tired and the conversation we had had in the restaurant didn't make me figure out the noise. The noise continued so I finally got up to see what was going on in the back.<br />
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To help you make some sense of all of this a little background information is needed. Bill and I thought we were going to move back in June. We were bidding on a house, was going to have an auction at our house and we thought for a while we might be living in two different states for a while. Packing would need to be done here and someone would need to supervise repairs that needed to be done at the house in WI. We were shopping one day and saw a friend of ours was standing by the TV's. He was buying a 50" TV for his child's family as their TV died. He was telling us what an incredible buy the TV was and since a friend of ours works there we asked him about the TV. He looked over the specks and agreed it was a good buy. Since we had the truck and the back still had the sand in it for winter weight we went home to get the van. This was going to be the TV for the new house and our other TV would stay here until we finished moving. While at home I checked the TV out on the internet and it had good ratings. We went back and bought the TV, stored it in the back room and that is where it stayed. Needless to say the house deal fell through and we didn't take the offer made on our house. So the TV has been in the back room for over 6 months.<br />
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The noise in the back room was Bill getting the "new" TV out. We had talked about this in the restaurant earlier, but I have been hearing that we needed to get that TV out for over a month. So guess who had to connect the new TV!!!! You are right, ME! I knew it was wrong the first time, so I tried again.....no luck. We were trying to bypass the DVD player. That could not be done and I could not figure out why Bill wanted it that way. Then he said we could not use the DVD because he lost the remote. I sat on the couch and looked over to the table and there was the remote to the DVD player. Then he said he needed the other remote also. He needed the remote to the TV to be able to put the TV in the right mode. Guess what. He no longer needs that remote.....new TV!<br />
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Well I did get the TV connected and it is a nice TV. It has a better picture then the other TV. Now do you know why it was so important to get the TV hooked up yesterday? Wisconsin is playing in the Rose Bowl today. It would just be a shame to have to watch that ball game on a little smaller, but still nice TV.<br />
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Today I guess I get to put the TV box away....move the old TV to a new home within this house and cook. Well the cooking is started. I put the ingredients for two loafs of bread in the breadmaker. The dough should be ready to make into loaves shortly. I don't bake in the bread maker.<br />
I also have pea soup in the crock pot. If Bill doesn't want that for dinner he can have left overs. I already have had my breakfast, made a dessert for Bill last night, so once I get the bread into the loaf pans I can move on to other things.....like the TV and box.<br />
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Bill went to town. He won't be back for a couple of hours due to the fact he must wait for a couple of places to open.<br />
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I do hope everyone has a great 2012. I plan to continue to pack things we don't need and sell things we really don't need at all. I am also working on some patterns.<br />
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GO BADGERSPeggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-36478708169582740732011-12-25T09:41:00.001-06:002011-12-25T09:41:28.232-06:00Merry ChristmasChristmas being the celebration of the birth of Christ makes it an important day in many religions. I hope all who celebrate Christmas remember why it is being celebrated.<br />
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Bill and I are going to go visit our little adopted family today. I must take food for Bill to eat, because his Gallbladder needs to be removed after the holidays. So instead of all the great foods that will be offered today he will have mashed potatoes, peas that I will thicken the juice so he can use them as gravy and some gelatine. If they have venison he may have some of that as long as it is a shoulder as it doesn't have much fat.<br />
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Need to get going, as I need to get things ready.<br />
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Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. To everyone else I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your family and friends.<br />
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PeggyPeggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-23879363161237421942011-12-22T21:40:00.001-06:002011-12-22T22:14:54.988-06:00Dad's Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeE9T_dJV1hrWxMmWpzsjZM2A4agRpxw6J1JFBcpj7HYW1gcjCNvM85NEAC6AvG2UndGIGp0zuN1sYHHijVMGLHgk5UBMHjoXsDdgoVgnsnulG6RE_Kw03q54VDPlAOxGLSsEQQ1z-Q7O/s1600/Layne+Visitng+Dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeE9T_dJV1hrWxMmWpzsjZM2A4agRpxw6J1JFBcpj7HYW1gcjCNvM85NEAC6AvG2UndGIGp0zuN1sYHHijVMGLHgk5UBMHjoXsDdgoVgnsnulG6RE_Kw03q54VDPlAOxGLSsEQQ1z-Q7O/s1600/Layne+Visitng+Dad.jpg" /></a></div>
Today was my Dad's Birthday and he had a visitor in the nursing home. Layne is the 9 month old son of a very special family we have "Adopted" since our families live in other states. This was Lanye and his 16 year old step sister's first visit with Dad.<br />
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I am mad at myself. As I was leaving work today I was informed that I would be layed off or is it laid off at least until mid to late January. I was shocked, but not really upset, by being layed off and forgot to visit Dad before going home. I will see him tomorrow. I guess he will just need to forgive me.<br />
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While I was driving the 18 miles home I was trying to decide what I wanted to do to help generate some more money. Since it is winter and I need to get back to my quilt pattern designing, testing and launching them to get my business going again. I will be offering some free patterns right here and announcing new patterns. Actually I have many patterns ready, I just need to review them and maybe make a new sample. <br />
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I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.<br />
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Peggy<br />
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Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-38497682635827591452011-09-26T20:37:00.000-05:002011-09-26T20:51:49.398-05:00Wow! I love the pictures on my last post!My last post was January 26, 2011. No I didn't fall off the earth, get kidnapped or anything else. That date was the day we put my Dad in a rehab center/nursing home. He had been in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure for about 2 weeks. We thought after a month of rehab he would be able to return home. That did not happen. Both my Mom and Dad are now in the Nursing home. They are in the same hall, but not the same room. My Dad's roommate is a younger man that is there due to not being able to walk and care for himself. Very nice guy that my Dad liked before he became a resident.
So what did that mean for my husband and myself? The house without my parents also living in it made it too large for the two of us. We worked all spring and most of the summer trying to dispose of many years of collected stuff. That was not easy, because some things we didn't know what they were and if it was something we should keep or not. We had problems with too much rain in the spring and too much heat and humidity in the summer. That is why the pictures of the snow in my last post is something that looks nice to me.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2unaGZ-mTQ-9NVwM0Tt-pLnMzKv2Ckg8syzqa7AyerwmCQAFhFHU1Snnp9cW5598qvkYnYenJXxEBf6Im8Em1lNUn077gd6qc-OpKaL9bWT_ZqmglTimBapiaZVo4OzklRzEFJ7_Ek9mz/s1600/Shy+Little+Kitten.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2unaGZ-mTQ-9NVwM0Tt-pLnMzKv2Ckg8syzqa7AyerwmCQAFhFHU1Snnp9cW5598qvkYnYenJXxEBf6Im8Em1lNUn077gd6qc-OpKaL9bWT_ZqmglTimBapiaZVo4OzklRzEFJ7_Ek9mz/s320/Shy+Little+Kitten.JPG" width="262" /></a>Also during all of the sorting and cleaning I was designing <br />
for Quilting Treasures, Little Golden Books - Shy Little Kitten <br />
<a href="http://www.quiltingtreasures.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/ad70fc9ed7c752d15c7de07ece0db11b/download/shy_kitten_jan18.pdf">http://www.quiltingtreasures.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/ad70fc9ed7c752d15c7de07ece0db11b/download/shy_kitten_jan18.pdf</a><br />
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and Fancy Feline <a href="http://www.quiltingtreasures.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/fc7fbd11adbcbc17d727ce55abcd8614/download/fancy_felines_1_17_11_b2b.pdf">http://www.quiltingtreasures.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/fc7fbd11adbcbc17d727ce55abcd8614/download/fancy_felines_1_17_11_b2b.pdf</a><br />
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Several of my patterns are still on their web site.<br />
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When loved ones move to a Nursing Home it means going to where they are located as much as possible until they are settled. Then there are the Care Meetings, fiances, popping in at unusual times to check on the care or lack of it. Fortunately my parents are in a great facility. We really like most of the staff and the head of the section really listens to what we say. The down side is the middle of the night phone calls because of a fall and most of all seeing my parents go down. Mom celebrated her 86th birthday today. Early this year they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. So I have been busy and looking forward again to the cooler weather of fall and winter.<br />
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Peggy<br />
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Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-59851173740711553442011-01-26T22:19:00.000-06:002011-01-26T22:19:24.092-06:00What? It is January 26, 2011?The past two weeks have been lost....I'm sure. Actually not, but I have not accomplished anything. My Dad ended up in the hospital with double pneumonia and congestive heart failure. He was released today from the hospital and is now in the same Nursing home as my Mom. He is there for Physical Therapy and they think he will come home. I'm sure in one sense that will make him happy to be back home, but sad that Mom will not be coming home with him.<br />
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On to nicer news. This morning we woke up to a beautiful scene. It started snowing last night right after dark and must have snowed most of the night. Look at the trees. That snow is still on the trees, but will disappear soon.<br />
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It is so pretty and bright even with the clouds overhead.<br />
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I hope I don't loose any more days this year.<br />
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PeggyPeggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-5727572584290184832011-01-04T23:06:00.000-06:002011-01-04T23:06:01.710-06:00I Want A Part III just watch the movie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notebook_(film)">"The Notebook</a>". Don't read all of the link if you have not seen the movie. What made me cry was what I saw and heard near the end of the movie and I started to write this post. Part II actual does happen at the end of the movie. I absolutly loved the way the movie ended.<br />
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Now why did this movie get to me so much. I'm a softy at heart.....I needed a good cry.....and<br />
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My Mom is in a nursing home due to the fact that she has forgot how to walk. She also has dementia. Some days she remembers the past and can talk about it. Other days she is living in the past, doing laundry, cleaning house and cooking dinner....all in her mind. Then there are the days Mom barely knows when we arrive at the nursing home. My Dad goes to visit her every day. Some days Mom is nice, responsive and even loving. Other days she says things or does something that hurts Dad's feelings. He is dedicated to her regardless of how she acts on any particular day. <br />
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The Nurses can see what my Dad is going through and do their best to cheer both Mom and Dad up daily. Many of the workers want to know where men like him are today. They want a man in their life as dedicated to them as he is to her.<br />
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I don't know the answer to finding that type of dedication other then honesty, working together for the same goal and love. That describes my parents and also my husband Bill and myself. I am so blessed.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-10804365207844989392010-12-31T21:14:00.002-06:002010-12-31T22:39:35.427-06:00Patchwork Times UFO ChallengeProcrastination is part of my makeup.....not the type we put on our face, but the makeup of our being. I always admired quilters who actually finished projects, but I have many, many unfinished quilt related projects. So I am going to join Judy of Patchwork Times UFO challenge. One finish a month done by the number listed and drawn each month.<br /><br />So here is my list. Some are easy to finish,binding and label, but others will require planning, much sewing and maybe by the end of the year they will be done. I am doing this from memory, because I can not get to the containers tonight and still make the dead line for posting.<br /><br />Here is my list:<br /><br />1. Make a quilt using the red and white basket blocks.<br />2. Bind the red/white/blue Lover's Knot.....ignore the quilting as it was my first <br />time to use a quilting machine and it has polyester batting.<br />3. Quilt,bind and label green baby quilt.<br />4. Finish quilting, bind and label twin retreat quilt.<br />5. Remember Me Baby Quilt. Four blocks are complete, two blocks just need circles <br />and three need to be appliqued. Want to complete the quilt.<br />6. Finish portable ironing board cutting mat carrier.<br />7. Finish or give away oriental lady applique.<br />8. Finish piecing, quilting, binding and label Layne's quilt.<br />9. Finish cat quilt.<br />10.Finish original design quilt with the brown, gold and yellow green quilt. I know it <br />sounds awful, but it isn't.<br />11. Piece quilt in box 1.<br />12. Piece quilt in box 2. <br /><br />Eleven and twelve are already cut and some of the piecing is finished. I don't remember the patterns, but they are scrappy and were from an exchange with a quilt group.<br /><br />Wow! I know this is very ambitious, but I want to finish or get rid of items that I no longer want.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-75700029114712213432010-12-29T15:56:00.002-06:002010-12-29T16:44:25.372-06:00RelapseI don't know what this "crud" (illness) is that many people have including myself, but I am really tired of coughing, phlegm and just not feeling good. It is not one of the flu's that the flu shot was to help, because my Dad had a flu shot and he has the same thing I have. Now it seems like Mom and Bill are both getting the same "crud". I hope not, but they both are getting something that is not normal.<br /><br />My last post I thought I was getting better, WRONG!!!! I guess I was just forcing myself to work, but then I ended up stopping all sewing, working on the computer and just doing the general stuff around the house.<br /><br />With the above said I am hoping the new year will bring us health and I can get back to working on patterns, quilts and making some money again.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-20701023886599145562010-12-12T11:08:00.004-06:002010-12-12T11:30:39.709-06:00Baby it's Cold OutsideNot only is the temperature down by 25 degrees from yesterday, it is snowing and is windy. I took my Dad into town, 18 miles away to see my Mom at the nursing home. I was to go help a friend today, but we cancelled that little trip. When we arrived in town we noticed that the roads were covered with snow, slippery and the first street we went by had an accident. So we just grab a quick breakfast and stopped to see Mom. Then we headed home. We had to detour due to an accident, but we made it without incident. <br /><br />This is our first snow of the year and I am somewhat in the south. Many people do not know how to drive in the snow and many more just plan don't know how to drive. I am not fooling about that, because daily you need to watch for cars turning into your lane and going at least 15 miles per hour slower then you were going. The same was true today, but they didn't realize that slowing down was more difficult today.<br /><br />The other problem was the number of pick up trucks that have rear wheel drive, with no weight over the rear tires. Bill, dh, has a pick up with rear wheel drive, but last week he purchased 480 lbs of sand in bags that was placed over his rear axel. So Bill made it home as well as Dad and I. We are glad to be here.<br /><br />Bill is going to watch sports on his new TV and I am going to sew, because I am so far behind due to being sick.<br /><br />Maybe I will have some pictures soon.Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-6513499901620734292010-12-12T11:08:00.001-06:002010-12-12T11:08:33.263-06:00Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218423141298497068.post-15658656642547622712010-12-11T20:45:00.008-06:002010-12-11T20:55:27.352-06:00One WeekIt has been one week and I promised myself to write. So here I am again. This past week I worked on projects that I can not show you yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks after I get the OK from the companies I am working for I will show you. Actually I didn't work as much as I had planned, because this cold I have is really taking all my energy out of me. This afternoon I sat down around 3pm and fell asleep. Two hours later when dinner should have been ready I was just waking up. Bill said he checked on me a couple of times because I was not moving. It is not yet 9pm, but I am going to go to bed. Night!Peggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11101215134903965454noreply@blogger.com0