Rhoda's Rantings

My house is sprung!

I spent the day Monday taking my village down.  It was a good day, but it worked hard and got it all stashed on the basement shelves before dinner at night.  Tues. I paid for it.  I wasn't moving so fast.  I did get the spring things out, though.  I hung the spring quilts I made a few years ago.If you've seen these, please excuse me.  I haven't been doing much quilty stuff lately.  I'm itching to, but I just haven't gotten to it!  Right now I'm working on a skirt for my friend with cancer.  It's a tiered skirt, and she wanted the top tier off because it's too long.  I took it off, made a new casing for the elastic, and it was too short.  Thankfully, I had carefully unsewn, not cut.  I cut the top tier very short, reattached the lining, now I just need to make the casing again and put in the elastic.  I have to hem the lining, too, but that's no big deal.  I'm not going to make a penny on this skirt, but it's really good experience.

It's been drizzleing here today, spring is just around the corner!  I'm cautious because we could easily have another blizzard next week.  (I know, bite my tongue!)  Rhoda

Another sign of Spring

I'm taking my Christmas village down today.  It's a big enterprise because I have lots of buildings and figurines to go with it.  It covers several spots in our living room and entry.  I'm sure it's gaudy, but i love the lights on the long winter nights.  Now that nights are getting longer, I'm content to take it down.  I'm itching to put up spring wall-hangings and bouquets.  Simplify things a little.

I was watching HGTV the other day - fixing homes up to sell better.  I realized how outdated our house is.  Part of me says the decor reflects who we are, with golf stuff and quilts, cross-stitches on the wall.  Part of me says if we ever want to sell we're either going to not get a great price or we're going to have to do some big-time redoing.  Than I think, if I'm content before I watch those shows, do the shows foster greed?  Oh well, no money to redo things this year.  I'm content with that.

Son Ryan stopped over this morning to take a shower.  Their bath drain was plugged (a problem they've had before, their house was built in the 1920s) so he poured some stuff in and came here.  I haven't seen him for a while.  He works full-time and is taking fire-fighter courses.  He finished the first-responder medical part before Christmas, and is now working on the actual fire-fighter training.  Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of jobs for full-time fire-fighters.  He's thinking about going on and getting his EMT certification.  He's enjoying the medical part of the calls he goes on for their local volunteer station.  His degree is in choral music, but decided he didn't want to go to get a PhD in that, as he first planned. Instead he got married and had a little girl - the one licking snow with our dog a few weeks ago.

Rhoda

Sick friends

I found out last night that a long-time friend has Hodgekins Lymphoma.  Apparently the cancer is pretty advanced, so it's not good news.  He is going to have 6 months of chemo.  Then last week I found out my neighbor 2 doors down has cancer.  I'd say she's mid-40s.  She still has a son in 8th grade and one in high school.  She's a really neat woman whom I like a lot.  I haven't seen much activity there, so when I do see a car I plan on calling. 

This morning I went to visit a friend who is half-way through cancer treatments.  She looks wonderful!  Well, except for the bald part.  She's feeling good, for the most part, too.

Ok, so how's that for a downer?  The sunshine is wonderful again today, the days are getting longer, and life is good.  I need to take down my Christmas village next week.  I would have done it last week but I had other things to do with the grandkids coming.

Tonight I'm having dinner with two college roommates.  One never married and one is widowed.  I feel like I have it all!

Rhoda

Back to Normal

Grandkids here.

Bunny Hill BOM

Where kids get their ideas.

I just had to share this picture with you.  I was babysitting this morning while my DIL sang at a funeral in their church.  I was happy I had my camera on hand.  I've been working on last year's Bunny Hill BOM, getting it put together.  It's taking me longer than I wanted and I'm not totally thrilled with how it's turning out, but it's just for me, so it's ok.  I'll try to get a picture up when I'm done with it.

Rhoda

update

Thanks so much to all of you for your support and helpful suggestions.  I really appreciate it.   Well, I checked out the craft consignment shop and decided that I really wouldn't make much money with their rent taken out of the proceeds.  That was something Ron told me from the start, but I needed to investigate it for myself.  I will just sell things by word of mouth - or not, depending on demand.  I do plan on going ahead with the alterations and commissioned sewing, though.  I'm just waiting for cards to distribute. 

I have an appointment with the Dr. for a sinus infection this afternoon, and my poor Cammie dog is not doing well.  I said last fall that I didn't think she'd make it through the winter.  She's done very well, but now isn't eating and is very thin and shaking all the time.  Doggie Dr. visit today, too.

So that all sounds very depressing, but I have to say I'm laughing to myself about it.  I'm really in a very good mood (except for the dog part) and feel wonderfully blessed.  You, my online friends, are one of my blessings!  Rhoda

New Decision

I haven't had much to write about for a while, but last week I came to a decision.  I think I wrote last summer that Ron had lost his job.  We spent a delightful summer, and he got a new job in Oct.  Unfortunately, the pay is commission based and he's been getting no commission because it's a totally new territory.  We live in Michigan where building is at a standstill, and the building products he sells are just not selling right now.  (Floor and roof trusses)  I've been struggling since last fall with getting a job, which I would like to do, but dealing with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue really limits what I can do.  The stress of wondering if I'll feel well enough to go to work or not was very difficult for me.  Last week I decided to get cards made and advertise to do sewing, alterations and quilting.  I've sewn my whole life and made my wedding dress.  I do alterations for my friends.  I also decided to look into a small consignment shop in a little town north of us where my husband used to run a lumber yard.  It's a neat little community that I've always liked.  There's a new quilt store across the street.  Anyway, I'm thinking about selling the bags I make for baby gifts and smaller quilted projects like wall-hangings and table runners.  I feel really good about this decision.  I think I was more down about it all than I knew because I have a renewed desire to sew and get things going. 

So the sun is shining here today, and it's already getting warmer.  (The sun.  The temp is 12 degrees.)  We're supposed to get a snowstorm tomorrow.  I hope it's a doozie!  I have chicken soup in the making and life is good!

Rhoda

Ruth's bag

My friend Ruth asked me to do the quilting on the bag she wants to make.  I asked her what she wanted on it - out of my limited experience - and she said anything I wanted to do.  I decided to get creative and try something I haven't done before.  I have to say that even Ron, who really doesn't pay any attention to what I make, thought this was pretty good.  I drew a design on paper for the circle and first row of petals, although you will notice they aren't the same size.  Too bad!  It's not perfect!  I can live with it.  Ruth thought it was great, although she said a piece of fabric will cover the bottom, so the middle of this piece.  I didn't care.  Now I have another piece to do for her that's a dark print.  Since the quilting won't show up I'll just stipple that.

Rhoda

Finally!

Another new BOM

Block of the Month

Hi everyone!  Happy New Year!!   I found the other day that Block Central is starting a new BOM tomorrow.  It appealed to me, I thought it might appeal to some of you, too.  Not that I need any more projects, I have several blocks left from BOMs from last year.

Rhoda