Friday, July 31, 2015

Friday, Where can I buy motivation?

     Bratwurst, salad, and cucumber tomato salad for dinner.  I think we will go out tonight.

     I feel like yesterday was a bust.  I did work on beading dresses, but I was also very distracted and did not get much done.  I don't even have an excuse.  The house is a mess, I have ironing taking over the shop, the shop is a mess.  I need to get a new schedule up for the studio.  It is very hot.  It is going to get hotter.  I can't seem to get motivated and I have sooooooo much to do it is ridiculous.

     Motivation where do I buy some? 

     Sis your box came yesterday, Thank you:)  Sis sent me 5 pairs of Talbots pants and a shirt.  Love the shirt.  I will have to hem the capris, but I am terrible about getting anything done for myself.  If it wasn't for my sis I swear I would be naked.  It was like Christmas in July.

     I am not tired, I am not depressed, I am not motivated.

     Tomorrow we are going up to B's new apartment to move her in and I hope this is the last move we have to make with her, until graduate school.  It is hard for me to believe she will graduate at Christmas.  My baby, and I don't feel old. 

     Okay I have had two diet cokes and I still have hooks on my butt.  Usually I write a list but that doesn't even excite me today.

     Mom calls about 2x a day to keep me up on what she is doing. It is so cute, like she has to call and report.  She is now finding all these things that should have gone in the garage sale.  The garage sale she did not want.  You gotta love her, because if you didn't, well....... it would not be pretty.

     Going to get busy here, I just know it, I can feel it, the busy it is a comin'.   Well maybe not...splat!

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

  

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Thursday, still rocking, or rocky?

 Hub's ate left overs and I cooked up some fried beans and squash along with a couple of streaks that he can slice and take in lunches.  Tonight I will do a cucumber and tomato salad, cantaloupe,bratwurst and salad.

Mom's cont:

     Monday morning when I got up I was very sick.  Sweaty and weak all day.  I had several customers come and I had one job that had to go out.  I would start it and get sweaty and light headed and have to go lay down.  I swear it took me about 6 hours to get that small job done I was so sick. I even had Hub's worried, but Tuesday I was pretty much back to my old self.

     I took an old settee from Mom's that has seen way better days.  It is somewhere between a green and a blue.  Very Ugly.  I also picked up that chair in navy blue.  A TV stand and some side tables for her new apartment front room.  A dresser and a side table for her bedroom.  This is her last semester of college and she will double major in chemistry and microbio.  Then she plans on being a TA for the next semester and studying for the MCAT?  Anyway she will take the rest of the year to see if she goes onto Medical school or into a PhD program.  She is looking at a couple in Montana of all places.

     Mom was fine with these possessions being removed from her home.  I also took a 16th century large fireplace screen with and picture of a Moor on a horse with his sword drawn.  It was needle point in the smallest beautiful stitches.  I am sure the needle point was redone by one of the greats.  Anyway this lovely antique was in parts on it's side in the cellar for the last 28 years.  Mom loves the dollar store and displays crap, like a plastic box with a butterfly on it and one of the wings is broken, then puts the screen in the cellar.  I just don't remember when her taste changed to junk.

     We still have not unloaded the truck as I will take all this furniture up to B's on Saturday.  Hub's is doing his Sheldon thing because I have the truck in the garage in case of rain.  Like that will happen.  In the mean time between sewing and garden and cooking and laundry(we will not talk about ironing)  I have been painting this old furniture in colors to tie the large pieces together.  Just running out to the drive way and giving things a coat and letting it dry between.

     Worked all day yesterday on a wedding dress, today I need to get that steamed and a pile of alterations done.  Tomorrow it will be bridesmaid dresses until I collapse.  The shop is looking very over full and I need to clean and organize it as I find it hard to really work in full chaos for long.

Out My Window:  Still getting three colors of eggs, so fun, and we have another heat wave coming it is supposed to be 110 here today.  Did someone say swimsuit?

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Wednesday, am I up? or am I down?

     Made eggplant Parmesan from garden it was a little salty, as I forgot and salted which you should never do with Parmesan as it is very salty.  But tonight I will serve it over spaghetti squash and without any salt.  Hubs is down another 3 lbs since I left for mother's and I am so happy. Green beans, crookneck squash fried up with steak strips for dinner  along with cucumbers and tomatoes.

     Mom's saga continued:

     Friday night after cleaning up a yard sale and crying all day, I had girlfriends come over for a few hours.  We laughed and laughed.  Then my good buddy from Lewiston came into town with her two girls.  We were attending the Celtic Festival the next day as one of my dancers was in the professional troupe performing.  We  got everyone to bed and I collapsed as my eyes were so sore.  I had been up at 6:30 my time for four days in a row and I do not do early morning well plus the time difference.  I was finally able to sleep in till about 8:30 which was heaven.  We were able to get everyone out the door by about 10:30 and on our way to the festival in downtown Missoula.  Mom had an umbrella stroller in the garage that we used for my girlfriends youngest and it was a life saver.

     Strolled the Festival bought a few silly things for the girls, went to the farmers market, beautiful market but prices way too high, and what do they do with all that food when it doesn't sell?  I saw blocks of stalls full of produce and not many people buying.  We ran into other dancers that we knew and got ready to watch my Emmy dance.  Of course she was the best.  Front and center in all the groups, even made the front and second page of the Sunday paper. I am so proud of her, she has worked very hard to get here.  I took off about 1:30 as I had a get together with girlfriends from grade school.  Two of these girls I had not seen in almost 40 years!  It was so fun.  Lot's of catching up and laughter. Most of these actually all of these women live in the area, I was the outsider, it was charming to see how they take care of each other now that they have lost parents, been widowed, divorced, had serious health issues.  The first thing on the table for discussion was who could pick up Debbie Anne from her doctor appointment and take her back to Stevens ville 40 miles away.  She had just gotten out of the hospital and Barbara Anne had picked her up and taken her home and spent the night with her.  Now she would drive back to get her to a doctors appointment and who would take her home as Barbara had to work?  They just figured out who would take the duties of the week and one of them would get her home from her next surgery and keep her at their house until she fully recovered.  It is an amazing group of women and I was proud to know them.

     I walked back to mom's house with the full intention of going back to the festival to meet my girlfriend.  I had not been feeling super good all day.  I did not know if it was the horrible day I had before or I was coming down with something.  I also had run out of a medication that I take for muscular skeletal pain.  It works really well and keeps me from taking narcotics which are addicting.  I only walked two blocks home to mom's and by the time I got there I was throwing up.  I scared mom to death coming in and sweating and vomiting.  She thought maybe I had drank too much and then remembered that I was not the twin that drank.  I guess she saw me sprawled out on the bed so out of it and she thought I was my sister, well we do look alike and I guess we really look alike when drunk..  Sorry sis but you have given us a couple of good visuals:)  I slept for an hour and my friend and her girls came home.

     I was able to get up and felt pretty good, so I suggested that we go out to Ross and TJMaxx.  I needed to get mom a few new pairs of shorts.  She only had two pairs that fit.  She is still losing weight and even her shoes are too big.  She looks like a bag lady in her clothes so I have been getting rid of the old and getting a few new pieces every time I see her.  My friend bought school clothes for her girls and of course when you are shopping with someone especially children and (My Mom) you don't get to shop for yourself.  I was starting to feel sick again and we headed home to crash for the night  I was very ill most of the night, I even slept on the outside of the bed so I would not have to climb over mom all night.  Slept in the next day and mom went to church I was a slacker.

     I broke the Sabbath and took mom to get her some new sandals.  She had stretched her old ones out and her toes were actually over the front edge, very dangerous.  We hit a really good designer jewelry sale at Dillard's where the pieces were $2.69 and $2.99 and had so much fun.  I am not a big jewelry person.  I have a few signature pieces and I refuse to pay big money for costume jewelry.  I will however pay $2.69 for a $90.00 necklace.  I then took her to Herbrgers and we got 3 new pairs of sandals and another pair of shorts, sorry sis used you credit card:)  Then we went out to see one of my Missoula friends granddaughters ride in a makeshift 4-H rodeo.  I wanted my friends from Lewiston to watch as her older daughter does the same thing.  Nice to see the program from two different areas.  We then took off for mom's and loaded furniture into the truck and her car and headed home.   I was still off my feed as we say in the west but feeling able to drive.

     Stopped at Herberger's on the way out of town and told my girlfriends older daughter who is 11 to take her younger sister to the play area and give us at least 20 minutes to shop.  Well I did not realize we had only 20 minutes before they closed.  You should have scene us running.  I had already scoped out an outfit for her earlier.  It worked and we purchased a great set of pieces for her and had a few good laughs, then it was on to Kohls where I bought a funny chair for B's college apartment on a really good sale.  It was like they wanted to get rid of them because the clerk kept finding me coupons when he found out we did not have a Kohls where we live.  I was okay with that.  Still did not eat as I did not trust my stomach, we caravaned  the 4 hours over the pass.

     More details to come:

Out My Window:  My flowers are beautiful, and it is going to get in the 110's again here.  Oh goody.  My chickens laid a blue and brown and 2 white eggs, so 4 of the 7 are laying.  So cute.

I sewed all day yesterday and I did not catch up at all this is what i get when I leave town.  So no rest for the wicked.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

     

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Tuesday, beyond frustration, laughter, my future?

     Hello, I missed all of you and hope that your summer is going well.  I can see that many are traveling and it looks like a good time.

     Arrived home from mom's at midnight Sunday.  The truck is full of old furniture for B's ( daughter #3) apartment.  It was a a wild week let me tell you.  My emotions took a real hit a few times and it was so hard.  I spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, cleaning and removing everything from the house that mom would allow me to put in a yard sale.  If she wanted to save it I packed it up and labeled the box.  It was hard dusty dirty work.

     She has a dug out cellar with shelves and it is now empty except for a washer and dryer.  There is also the Christmas room.  I was not allowed to touch the Christmas room.  Hee, Hee I saved that for my sisters who by the way read the blog.  Feel the love!  Crawling through old closets and pulling crap out that I swear has not been looked at in 30 years or more.  The worst was an old 8x12 shed in the back yard, with box after box filled to the ceiling and into the rafters. There were three bath chairs in there.  Why 3?  Toys and clothes from when my brother's were little.  They are now 48 and 53 so we can save them right?  The closets in this 150 year old monstrosity are all under the eves with long unfinished boards and cubbyholes.  It was so fun. I think my knees are permanently stained dirty.

     Now I have a garage that has save boxes in a huge stack and sell boxes.  I was not allowed to touch the formal front room, her room, or the kitchen.  The only thing I can say, I am proud of is that the pile for the yard sale was much bigger than the pile for the house.  I also took a full load to the dump and a full load to good will before the sale.

     On Wednesday I had a pod delivered and put in the driveway.  So Wednesday was carrying boxes out of the garage and into the pod.  Then gathering tables and setting up the sale.  I knew we would not make a lot of money, but we would get rid of so much stuff and it would go to other homes. Like tools, boxes of nails, picture frames, knick knacks, camping gear, shovels, rakes, fans, heaters, small tables, mirrors, lot's of dad's old books.  We sold an old canopy bed.  Now mom is living in a place between reality and nonsense.  She knows the house is sold, but because she is still living there surrounded by her stuff she does not have to really believe.  So the pod in her driveway is reality.  She was vomiting and so sick all day Wednesday.  This is how she handles stress.  My Aunt came over and helped me put things out for the morning.  Mom was as grouchy as an old bear.

     Mom always sleeps very late but she was up at the crack of dawn ( we call it the butt crack of dawn at our house)prowling through the sale taking stuff back in the house.  Every time she picked something up I would tell her I was putting it on her tab.  Then I would go in and find where she squirreled it and put it back outside in a different place. This went on for two days.  People were stopping by that had no idea she had sold the house or that she was moving.  She is very well known in this community.  She never told a single soul she was moving in with me and she told everyone she did not want to have this yard sale.  Although she thought the sale was a great idea until I started moving things onto the front lawn.  So once again I was the bad guy.

     After the sale was over about 2 p.m. Friday. I took another load to the landfill and two more loads to goodwill.  I cried most of the day Friday.  Mom was so awful to me.  My eyes were all swollen and sore.  I think it was just a combination of physical exhaustion, her mean comments, and her favoritism to my younger brother that got to me.  I also made several trips to my younger brother's house who lives two blocks away.  Not once did he offer to come over and help but his wife called several times with all the nice things she wanted out of the house.  Situation normal.  Give, give to the boys, beat the girls up.  My brother is frantic about this move because his cash cow is leaving.  We also will not allow her to give him large sums of money, which he is now trying to wheedle out of her so he can start over.  In order to start over you have to start once.  Something he has never done.  Having my younger sister in charge of her finances was a good thing

I will continue this saga tomorrow, as I have a mess of work to do in the shop and yesterday was a bomb.

Have a great and productive day!  Glad to be back.

Kim

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Sunday, evening, leaving tomorrow.

     We had a nice dinner with friends we had not seen in a long time.  Dinner on the back deck.  Steaks, salad, green beans squash, beach bread and a yummy dessert.  It was very hot today.

     I was finally able to complete all the things on my list from Friday this evening.  Bills are paid and I can leave town with peace of mind.  I am hoping mom is good about the things we have to do. It will be so much work. I am really dreading it, although I am anxious to see my mother.  I am leaving a clean house so I wonder what it will be like when I get back.

     I updated my totals, and removed the studio loan as it is not personal and the studio is now in the hands of a group and I feel good about where we will be able to go with our debt.  I am only listing debts that I feel are personal debts.  Making progress slowly, I will be down into the 87 thousands at the end of the month.  Watch out Sarah I am catching up.  Please let me catch up:)  Off to mother's!
     Say a prayer for me!

Kim

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Saturday, well laid plans.....

     I made the best dinner last night and so easy.  I had purchased a package of brats on sale and had them in the freezer.  I picked yellow squash, small eggplant, green beans from the garden then saute'd them in a little butter, added the brats to fry and when they were boiling under the skin I poked them to release the juice.  (stand back)  This released the hot juice and then continued to cook under a cover for 10 minutes.  Delicious and low carb! Served with cantaloupe and fresh tomatoes out of the garden.  Hub's loved it and we have enough for his lunch today.  I often buy brats when they are marked down with a sticker.

     I was able to get  1/2 way through my list yesterday with many interruptions.  I had to stop and fix a pair of pants, customers were picking up. I worked for about 4 hours and the upstairs was done. I also pulled down the lace curtains in mothers room and washed them, and washed all the bedding, hung it out on the fence to dry, much faster than the dryer.  I also had an emergency bride that will pick up after 3 today.  I worked until late last night on her dress.

     I was so excited yesterday as I found 3 eggs in the chicken coop.  They are starting to lay.  Yippee egg prices are atrocious. I should have no problem getting rid of these either.  7 eggs a day is way too many for hubs and I so if the neighbors don't want them I will sell them out of the shop.

     I need to get dressed and get my butt outside to weed.  Hubs had already cleaned the church and just went to get his hair cut.  After I get my yard work done I am going to get my nails done and then try to finish my list from yesterday. Well I won't finish it but I will get the yard work done and probably the sewing parts, the cleaning of the family room and books will likely wait until tomorrow.

     Hub's says the corn is ready and we are having fresh corn tomorrow.  Need to go and get groceries for the next week.

Have a great and productive day.

Kim
     

Friday, July 17, 2015

Friday, doing what I want, maybe?

     $9.45 dinner out tacos, just too tired to cook.  I really need to get on the ball here, but have been too overwhelmed with sewing to really plan and cook. Shame on me.

     Today I just have a small pile of things that have to be done.  I really need to clean house and get some weeding done outside.  I also need to pick all the garden produce. It is not coming on strong yet but will be within a week.  I also need to clean the desk and pay bills. Get some money transferred around. I realize that I have not updated my totals from last month.  That should give me a shot in the arm I hope.

     It seems harder and harder for me to keep my head above water.  Taking off one week a month to vacation or go to daughters and now to mom's is not helping.  Don't know any other way around this.  All work and no play makes you KIM.

     Oh my I don't know how I am going to get the things done that really need to be done without a list,  I can feel it coming on, and I can't stop it know matter how hard I try.  So here goes...

1. Wipe down master bath fixtures and counters master.
2. vacuum rugs in master bath
3. Sweep and clean floor in master bath   Now this took an hour:)
4. sweep and  do rugs in hall way
5. clean light fixture in hallway
6. make bed in guest room, dust and sweep floor.
7. scrub guest bath well  it is a sty    (This took another hour)
8. dust front room.
9. move furniture and do hardwood floors.
10. Vacuum rugs and furniture.    Another hour  le sigh.......
11. clean kitchen
12. Mop kitchen and dining room floors.       Lots of interruptions with shop, have to stop and cook dinner
13. get laundry put away and finished.
14. clean and dust family room (pick up beads, pearls, sewing things)
15. vacuum family room
16. organize shop
17. finish 3rd bridesmaid dress  for fitting
18. get 4th bridesmaid dress cut out and basted.
19. get bills done and books balanced
20. clean off desk
21. water flowers
22. finish weeding front beds
23. clean up drive way
24. weed back flower beds around the patios.

What an easy day I have ahead of me.  I won't get this all done but I need to get much of it done before I leave for mom's on Monday. Okay it is 11:09  let's see what I can accomplish in an hour.

On your mark get set go!

Kim

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Thursday, Still chained to machine

    $17.49, ice cream sugar, free ice cream, hair dye, chicken.  Chicken for dinner, leftover salad, tomatoes, fruit.

     I was able to get one wedding dress out yesterday and another came in of course.  I will have another one out today and hopefully many other items.  I have a pile of alterations to do and can then start on a couple of other wedding dresses.  I also need to work on some custom bridesmaid dresses and flower girl things.  Hopefully ( that is a favorite phrase of mine) I will get into the custom stuff this evening.

     My mother's house sold yesterday, a full price offer with a contingency of the sellers selling their place.  Shocking to be sure, but it gives her a little more time to get adjusted to the move. I am expecting her to have a break down over it within a few days.  But I am also very excited.  This means when I go over there next week I can really get rid of many things and store and sort.  Rather scary, going through a life time of things.  I am just happy she will be there and I am not going to have to do it by myself or with my sisters, although we would have great laughs over it.

     I went outside grab something out of the truck about 5 p.m. and saw a weed in the front flower bed, well it was way more than a weed.  This turned into drinking a soda while weeding for a solid hour.  My obsessive/compulsive  personality s took over.  There is still more to do. Ugh!  Never ending yard work.

  Lat night Hub's and I took off about 6 p.m. with our bikes (right after my weeding marathon)to ride out to a camp ground (3) miles from the boat launch in town.  We had 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream and thought that we could get there within about 15 minutes and we would be okay.  Just as we were biking a phone call came through from an unknown # and it was the friends we were to meet.  They had no cell phone service and were calling to say they were running late.  I mean really late.  We continued out, and arrived to a camp spot we thought was theirs.  They did not arrive until about 7:30, so the ice cream was pretty soupy.  We had deer walk within feet of us as we sat quietly at the picnic table.  When they arrived we were able to meet their friends from California.  Such nice people.  6  children from 16 down to 7 and they were all lovely.  These kids were all beautiful like the Von Traps.  I wonder if they sing?  Anyway we had such a nice visit.  Hub's and our friends, friend hit it right off as they are both foresters.  We did not leave the camp ground until 9:30. It was dark but we had lights on the bikes.  We had to be very careful until we actually got back on the bike trail as there were so many deer.  We almost ran into one.  Now I have hit deer with my car more than once, but never on a bike.  We ran into other bikers without lights and told them to walk into the grounds or they would be toast.We had a lovely time!  The ice cream soup was great but the friendship was best of all.

     Got home about 10 p.m. tired.  My knees are a little sore today.  I hemmed 5 more pairs of pants and replaced a zipper before I went to bed.

     I have a bride coming in at 11:30 so I had better wrap things up and get to work.

Have a great and productive day.

Kim

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Wednesday, sewing, sewing

$27.12, chicken feed, fruit, celery.  Dinner, tonight will be fried green beans and yellow squash.  Ripe tomatoes with basil and fresh cheese.  Our salad greens are finally spent so I will have to start buying salad greens.  It is too hot to replant.  I have eggplant coming on so we will be eating that soon.  I love eggplant.


     Had to run and do a secret shop last night I had forgotten I scheduled.  But we needed chicken food anyway so it was not a problem.  I finally got up the gumption to start some laundry even though it is not finished.  Hub's was out of clean undies and we don't ever want that, trust me.  I might just go upstairs and surprise myself by sweeping the floors and making the bed.  Then again I would be tempted to crawl back into the bed, so it is safer down here.

     I need to get a huge pile of alterations done today.  Wedding dresses are so time consuming that the alteration piles get very high.  Plus no money comes in and cash flow gets weak.  Wedding dresses pay well but I am used to ,$10, $20, $10, coming in on a daily basis and when I concentrate on weddings which I have been I never have any cash.  Last night while hub's and I were watching a TV program I ripped a few things that I will do first thing this morning. Hem's zippers, waist bands.   Why am I so tired? I could fall asleep right now. 

    Okay interrupted by phone call so did make it upstairs to get the rest of the laundry and made the bed.  Only because I was talking on the phone and that kept me from laying down and sleeping. Now waiting for the dryer to buzz.

     I think Hub's and I are going to bike out to Hell's canyon tonight and meet some friends who are camping there.  That will be fun and we need to get out and get some exercise.  Sitting at the sewing machine all day or on the sofa beading dresses does not burn a lot of calories.

     I need to get busy or I am going to fall asleep sitting here.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim
     

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Tuesday, sewing up a storm

No spend, leftovers for dinner.  I need to thaw out some other meat.  I think I will do chicken. boring but tasty.

  Soooooo the used to be clean family room is once again covered in beads and sequins from wedding vomit.  I hope to have two dresses go out either today or tomorrow.  I have another coming in this evening.  My plan is to complete as much as possible 4 bridesmaid dresses, three flower girl dresses, all the wedding alterations and the general alterations I can before I leave for mothers.  It is getting harder to see this as the  pile gets deeper.  I am not complaining as I need the money.

     Okay segue, bride likes the cummerbund I beaded to add to her dress.  Now I can finish and steam, then do the sisters bridesmaid alterations, the father's pants and that wedding is done.  I also ran through the house, grabbed all the laundry and started the laundry from the coast.  Emptied two trash cans, set my hair and put on some makeup so as to not scare clients.  I really really really need to do the floors upstairs and the toilets they are scary so maybe later in between dresses.  What happened to all my energy, I am like a dish rag right now.  I need a little pick me up. Hub's thinks I am getting an infection again.  I wonder how he can tell?  Do I act different?   I was sweating a lot yesterday and it was only 83 degrees.  Maybe that is the sign.

     Hub's is down 2 more lbs. he can get into every pair of pants in his closet.  Also his XL shirts look big on him through the shoulders.  It has always been his stomach that was the issue.  We are both a couple of apples. Round in the middle.  That is where I put on my weight also.

     I was able to talk to my ballet mistress that rents from us and let her now that we think she needs to get an apartment by the first of September.  With mom coming to live here we will need to have an extra room for company.  Plus mom wants the downstairs bedroom and bath.  The room is much larger with a sitting area, and a huge walk-in closet.  It also has an enclosed shower.  Hub's and I need to change out the plumbing in the shower.  I was dreading telling her as she does not take change very well but she was very receptive so that is nice.

     Right now the room is done in dark brown and blue, with black-out curtains so it is dark in the morning.  I am thinking I will have to change up the color for mom.  She will want it brighter.  That is okay an easy fix. 

     Well my work is not going to do itself, (another of grandma's sayings) so I had better get busy.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Monday, July 13, 2015

Monday, Why? Why do I come back?

Dinner will be leftovers, we are eating( except for meat) almost exclusively out of the garden.

     It was wonderful at the coast.  Cool almost cold after the triple digit weather we have been having here.  I seemed to bring the cooler weather back with me as it is in the low 90's here now.

     Hub's and I stayed at our normal dive hotel.  We did not get a room with a view because I was trying to save money.  We also had the dog.  But our room was scary ugly, we only stayed in there to sleep. Really next time I think we will just bring the tent and the cots and camp.  It would be so much cheaper and not so claustrophobic.  I do not believe we will take the dog again as she is getting too old.  Actually I think we are getting too old.

     We took some long walks on the beach and several long bike rides.  Hub's did well keeping on his diet.  We only ate out once while we were there.  We ate at our daughters very nice posh place 2.5 miles down the beach at night for dinner.  Had so much fun with the grandson.  I think he now likes me maybe?  He really enjoyed the ocean.

     Hub's and I would get up every morning and walk the 2.5 mils down to where daughter was staying.  We have a particular wall we have to touch and we always race to see who will get there first.   We used to run this but those days are over.  I always beat hub's but this year we were getting close and of course we were trying to out maneuver each other.  I was behind him ( my strategy) then I took off running, when he realized I was running he started to run and when we were neck and neck I of course started laughing which I always do, this is my nemesis.  If I laugh too hard I will wet my pants so I had to slow down, then I did a Mysti and tripped in the sand.  I was running barefoot and dragging the poor dog, my sandals were in the other hand.  I went ass over tea kettle as my grandmother used to say and ended up looking at the sky while Hub's passed me grinning.

   The beach was busy so many people were looking at me like does that lady need help?  My sandals went flying, I let go of the dogs leash and lay in the sand laughing.  I was of course wearing white shorts and a white and light green top, landed very hard on my right hip as I was careening gracefully to a stop.  Hub's touches the wall and then saunters over to help me up. I am covered in sand which was dry so I brushed off and was not even dirty.  Usually when I fall I am a mess.  He has lost 25 lbs and has never beaten me before, I think I will go make a chocolate cake.

     He let me beat him the next day because he knows what is good for him.  I have to ask for some advice.  Three strange things happened at the hotel and I am not sure if I should call or not. I am very careful with my cash.  I take note of how many 50's, 20's I have and where I spend my money.  As in I went to Freed Meyer and we spent $76.00 on groceries, I used a 50 and a 20.  This way I know where my money goes,  I hate it when you have cash and all of a sudden it is gone and you have no idea where you spent it.  Well I seemed to have a 50 bill missing.  I know I did not get into my 50's and I had 4 of them.  Now I only had three.  We had no maid service while we were there.  I met the maids three days in a row and said we needed nothing.  I also hide my wallet if I don't take it with me.  The first day I did not do this. 

     Hub's and I each have a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses.  We are not flashy people and these were bought for us by our daughter.  We take very good care of our things and are not used to having expensive things.  Hub's glasses went missing.  He had them hanging on his shirt and there is no way they could fall off unless someone slipped them off.  This could have happened at the Tillimook cheese factory that was very crowded with tourists, but he thinks he took them off in the bathroom at the hotel.  We are not sure.  We just both remember him always hooking his glasses when he was not wearing them to his shirt.  It was very foggy when we drove to the factory so he was not wearing his glasses.  He noticed them missing when we went to leave.  I was sure they were at the hotel in the bathroom.  But they were not.  So we assumed they were taken by someone at the factory that saw then and followed hubs and slipped them off.  I wear my glasses around my neck on a strap.

     Now we are getting ready to pack to go home.  Hub's cannot find his new outdoor vest.  It is a layer vest to wear over his outdoor shirts.  It was brand new and only worn once.  I just bought it for him for fathers day and it was pricey.  He wore it the first day as it was chilly and he took it off in the hotel room.  Again he takes very good care of this things.  We are talking Sheldon Copper here.  Now I have three things are that are bugging me.  The money, the glasses and the vest.  The money I can say I miss counted, the glasses well maybe they were taken at the factory the vest was taken from the hotel.  Should I call and say something?  We have stayed here over 20 times and have never had any problems.  I managed a large hotel when I was in college and we did have problems with dishonest employees.  They would never take a full wallet but just a 20 hoping not to get caught.  But I really feel that sticky fingers were involved.  What do you think?

     This made the trip a little sad for hub's.  I did not tell him about the money as he would not handle it well.

     I have so much to do this week and the shop has been non stop busy this morning.  I will not be able to come up for air all week.  I have all the dirty laundry from the trip and the yard needs love, the house needs a thorough scrub and I do not have the money to pay the housekeeper this summer.  I also need to go to mom's next week to declutter her house.  The realtor wants the house decluttered.  Maybe it will sell before I get there.  Mom is lonely and getting weaker and weaker.  She does not want to sell (she tells me every time I talk to her),but knows it is necessary (she also tells me this every time I talk to her). She is now thinking of just getting rid of everything and coming with a suitcase. I am just letting her figure it out and she is slowly coming to her own conclusions. I just cannot wait to get her here and have one less thing to worry about.

     Well I am off like a prom dress :)  to sew up a storm.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

    

Monday, July 6, 2015

Sunday/Monday heading out!

     We had a nice 4th.  It was quiet, I did some sewing on the bridesmaid dresses.  We went to see the fireworks and actually saw a (Likely drugged) woman have a major meltdown at the river docks and it took several police men to subdue her.  Strait jacket, strapped to a gurney screaming her head off for over an hour.  When they finally got her into the ambulance the firework show was at it's finale.  We kept trying to concentrate on the sky but were drawn to the drama in front of us.  Made for an interesting 4th.

     I was able to cut out another bridesmaid dress and it is almost done so 2 down 5 to go.  It actually will take me about 3 hours to complete a dress from cut out to final fitting.  This does not include any bead work.

     We had a nice dinner today almost all from the garden.  Tomato and cucumbers, onion salad all from the garden.  Cabbage, slaw from garden.  Tomato and basil on bread. Fried green beans and small summer squash.  I even made a small container of horse radish  to add to ketchup and make my own cocktail sauce.

     I finally was able to get the ironing done am I am ready to throw away a couple of pairs of my favorite shorts.  Actually these are shorts my sister bought and sent to me about 8 years ago and I love them.  But I sat on an ink pen that was broken and cannot get the stains out.  I also accidentally cut a hole in my favorite dark blue pair.  Some of my summer blouses are really old and stained, but I hate to get rid of them.  We will see. Because I work outside all the time and I really cook from scratch I have a tendency to get dirty.  Need to be more diligent about wearing anapron.  It is just so hot and one more layer is too much.

     We are pseudo packed to leave tomorrow and I can't wait to see my grandson.  It will be so much cooler at the coast and I am looking forward to this.  Triple digits for 12 days now.  This is the first time we will go to the coast without one of our children.  We will meet our oldest daughter and her husband and son but they are staying in a different town than us.  It is 2.5 miles down the beach.  We usually walk this beach at least 2 times a day sometimes more.  It is a 5 mile loop.  I love it, so beautiful.

     I just realized that I did 3 secret shops this week and scheduled another for the day after we get back.  A total of $90.00 when it is paid out.  They just all fell on the same week.  All will go toward the car pay off.

I will be off the grid for about a week.

Take care.  Sissie I should have my phone with me most of the time, so call me.  Or I will call you.

 Kim

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Saturday, Happy 4th of July!

$11.69 lunch out, $6.69 fresh mozzarella and stale bread. Salad for dinner. Left over pizza.

     Yesterday was like a day off.  Well it was a day off for hub's.  But as I had completed all my sewing goals, I had a free day in the shop.  I was able to get the third mock up of a bridesmaid dress done.  Yes #3!  I hated the first one, the second was not much better.  Threw out the design all together and went with the same fabrics and my own design,  Used a Burda pattern for the top and tweaked it a bit, meaning I changed it to what I wanted.  It turned out perfect.  So happy.  I have 7 of these suckers to do and now I can assembly line them for the most part,  Nothing is worse than designing a dress that won't come together unless it is getting it perfect and having to make 20 more just like it.  So boring.

     Hub's and I had a nice day in the process.  I took him to lunch and then we went to a semi-annual shoes sale at a very expensive shoe store in town where they sell work boots.  We were able to replace Hub's high top work tennis boots, with a very expensive pair for $65.00 plus tax.  Woo Hoo!  great buy.  Probably the last pair of work boots we will buy him.

     I also decided to replace my dress form.  Mine was second hand and over 30 years old.  It stood crooked and was almost impossible for me to adjust.  It would not adjust at all in certain spots.  I realized after messing with 3 mock ups of a bridesmaid dress that I had at least 12 bridesmaid dresses to make in the next 2 months and I was not going to fight that form.  It is one thing when you have the body.  When you are going from measurements.  4 of these girls will not be in until the day before the wedding so I will have dresses done in parts.  Complete lining, with boning but no in side seams so it can be easily adjusted.  Complete dress without hem.  then I can just adjust the side seams for a perfect fir and sew the lining and the dress together and hem.

     Joann's had dress forms for 1/2 price, I still thought the price was outrageous.  I had an additional 20% off coupon so that helped.  Now I can make all these and hang them until the maids come into be fit.

     Daughter #2 came home about 5 and the dress fit perfectly she loved it.  I only had to take the lace overlay in a little under the arms, cut the tulle underskirt to length and hem.  She looked beautiful. So glad that is off my plate.  I don't mind getting the dresses done it is the worry that bride and I like the results.  If something is tacky or ugly I try not to let it go out of my shop.  It is not good for business.  I will quietly suggest changes until it is acceptable and I have never had someone not like the results.  Well except for Bridezilla a few years ago, but those were alterations, not design work.

          Hub's. daughter and dog all walked the bridges this morning early.  I slept.  It is still very hot here.  106 yesterday, 114 down at the studio.  The heat just saps your drive.  I still love the heat.

We are going to have shrimp, salads, beach bread, strawberries and shortcake with whip cream for dinner. 

Have a great and productive and Happy 4th!

Kim
    

Friday, July 3, 2015

Friday, caught up!

Dinner Pizza, I over ate, but Hub's is down another pound.  How does he do it?  We have plenty of left overs in the fridge for dinner.

     I am officially caught up in the shop.  Not that I don't have plenty waiting for me when I get home, but now I am going to cut out a bridesmaid dress for my daughter who will be home tonight and I want to get it done.

     Hub's is home today so I must give him a list to keep him from driving me insane. We need to refill the propane tanks.  Hmmmm what else can he do?

     We watched Hub's cousin's 3 little boys last night.  They are our ballroom teachers and had a private bridal couple lesson last night.  Right before they came over I realized that the front room had chewed up pine cones all over the rug.  The family room was covered in needles, 3 pairs of scissors, pins, beads anything to alter wedding dresses was out, plus it was dusty and gross.  They have an 18 month old so  Hub's and I ran around and quickly cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed. Now I need to do the rest of the house and the laundry/ ironing.  blah,double blah./  I have no excuses.  I am sure if I think hard I can come up with one.

     Maybe I can get daughter to do floors upstairs............

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

    


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Thuursday, too much to say...

$76.36, soda,sugar free ice cream treats, fruit, whip cream,make-up,  $23.65, shave cream, cheese,veggies, personal items.  Leftovers for dinner last night, I made myself a BLT on a low carb tortilla.  Yum.

     I just got word that we lost another young man in our church. He was 17 and involved in a helicopter crash yesterday.  I am beginning to dislike July.  My prayers go out to the family and also to my girlfriend who lost her 14 year old last year on the 1st.  Too much sadness.  On that note...

     We have another blogger whom I love leaving because of snarky comments.  Can't we be nice to each other?  We are all different, each of us has a lifestyle others probably think is crazy.  It is our crazy.  We are not asking you to approve or live like us just to love and accept us.  If you need to leave a comment meant for the betterment of the person be kind.  If you can't be nice keep your thoughts to yourselves.  There are many blogs that I read and comment on where I think, "What are they doing, and why?"  But to criticize their choices is wrong.  If they ask for help you can give advice but do it gently.  Believe me I have wanted to really rip a few people I thought ( and still think) are idiots, but I don't.  Now I have lost touch with a friend.  It makes me sad.

     I am doing a secret pizza shop tonight so pizza for dinner, I know hubs is excited.   It is a treat.  The even bigger treat is that I get paid for it!

     I have picked 2 ripe tomatoes!  I have never had tomatoes this early before.  I am sure it is because of the early heat.  It usually rains most of June.  So I can make a caprese salad tonight with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato from the garden. 

Low -carb Asian coleslaw

I small cabbage shredded
2 large carrots shredded
2 tablespoons onion shredded
1/8  c milk
1/8 c  vinegar (I use any kind available)
1/8 c sesame oil
1/8 c sugar ( I use 3 packages of sweet and low)
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/4 cup mayo
salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix and enjoy!

     Did a lot of sewing yesterday trying to catch up.  What a joke.  I still have 3 dresses to alter and one to hem.  Then I just got a call from a desperate bride ( getting married Saturday) dress does not fit  so I will be working on that.  I hope it is not too difficult.  My house needs love and the ironing has taken to mocking me.  Soon I will be naked and the neighbors will be complaining.

     Two people in the last two days have told me I look good.  They have actually asked if I had work done?  Both of them.  I think sweat must become me.  It makes me look dewy and fills in the wrinkles?  Yeah, I had work done, what are they thinking?  I hate to get wet ( but I do bathe).  I hate putting on make-up, but I do.  I really don't like to mess with my hair.  I am a whatever is easiest person.  I am really kind of lazy when it comes to my personal appearance.  Just a button down and a pair of cotton shorts.  Nothing fancy.  I might make a little more effort for church.  As in I put on earrings, and pluck my eyebrow.    I have one it grows clear across my face and is white with holes in it, so I have to fill in the holes.

     Well those dresses are waiting so I had better get to work.  Does someone want to come and dust and vacuum my family room it is disgusting?

Out My Window:  Sunny and still 102, but I think I am getting used to it.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

     

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Wednesday, change of plans

No Spend, Dinner was burgers, Asian coleslaw, left over cucumber salad.  I made the coleslaw with cabbage and onions from the garden. Tonight leftover's.


     We had a change of plans for our weekend.  Because of Wildfires our daughter's fiance cannot get time off.  He works outside of Wenatchee, Wa. where things are a bit hot right now and he is the only officer that has also fought wild land fires.  So plenty of overtime.  Daughter also accepted some additional shifts.  So instead of us going up there, she will come down here.  This will save us in so many ways.  Less gas, less food, less temptation for hub's diet, less meals out and entertainment.  I do not have to hire someone to take care of the yard, chickens, water, etc for 3 extra days.

     We can have a nice picnic here, watch the fireworks.  We need to work on her friends bridesmaid dresses and that will be easier here.  So we will leave to join our oldest at the coast on Monday.  So much easier.  I am relieved.  Just less stress, especially about money.

     I did a little house work yesterday, changed the sheets on the beds and also laundry.  Took the things out on the front fence to dry.  It took about 10 minutes to dry a large sheet.  So much shorter than running the dryer forever. I did not get to the floors yesterday like I wanted to so will do that today.  Then I will tackle the ironing after I get my sewing done.  But is the sewing ever really done?

     I really sewed hard yesterday and will continue today.  I have to press two bridesmaid dresses and I have four going out today.  Three shirts to shorten the sleeves and three pairs of pants to hem.  Then I have a pile of dresses to alter.  I am just a sewing cyclone here.

     It was cooler last night and we also were able to see a neat crossing of the planet Venus with another planet that I have forgotten the name of this minute.  We stayed out on our deck to watch it.  We did not see the full collusion as it went down below the horizon.

     Well I need to get busy as no one has offered to come in and do my work.

Have a great and productive day.

Kim