Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Tuesday, Working hard

    I sewed on wedding dresses all day yesterday, and one was just picked up and the another will be picked up this afternoon, plus I have two second fittings today to try on and then will finish those up tomorrow.  I also have 4 bridesmaid dresses to get out by next week, but I have to really hit the pile of just hems and things as I have done nothing but wedding stuff for the last few sewing days.

     We looked at a house today that we both loved but it is more money that we would like to spend, and I don't want to take out another mortgage even though it would be small.  These are scary times here in Idaho as people from Seattle, Washington D.C. and California are coming up and writing checks for houses that are way overpriced. We just cannot find a house.  We will find a new listing and go and find out someone wrote a check for it already.

     Idaho is the number one state people are moving to right now. There is a great series on Prime about the Black death.  It is a 24 part lecture and it shows how our society has not changed at all. What is happening in our country today happened in the 1300 and 1400 hundreds.  They had mass move outs by the wealthy to less plague infested areas, they had terrible riots, over social concerns, they had people ignoring any safety precautions to party hardy, and further spread the plague.  We are seeing this in the bars with the younger people.  This went on in those times for over 3 years with the first major outbreak, then tapered off with additional outbreaks for another close to 200 years.  Every few years plague would return and wipe out any new growth.

     Hubs had to work at the high school last night and he was so disgusted.  He said no one came in wearing a mask, although he wore his.  He could not believe how stupid people were.  He kept his distance, but was quite upset by the behavior of many and they had small children with them.

     I need to get to work.  I have curtains to hem and replace, and then hems, and alterations out my ears.  We could move to another town in Idaho, but I do not want to give up my business.  I have worked hard to establish this and it allows us to do so many more things monetarily.

     I am working on having faith.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, June 29, 2020

Monday, The new schedule, I think?

     We had fun or at least I had fun taking care of the Schmills.  He is reading simple books and going through stacks of flash cards everyday, so we can get him ready for school.  I was able to really clean out and set up a nursery for the new grand daughter.  I still need to make sheets for the little side bed, but will do that next week when I go up.  We talked about where Hubs and I will be set up if we cannot find a house to buy.  We also stopped by B's house on the way down from Spokane.  B is 35 weeks pregnant with her first.  She has purchased so many goo gaws off the internet that she thinks she needs for this baby.  There is so much stuff in that nursery that there is no room for a baby.  I told her husband if she orders one more thing for the baby to break her arm.  You know the one that she uses to push (BUY).

     So my plan this week is to sew here through Wednesday and then run up to Spokane Thursday and Friday to help with Schmills.  If we end up living with D#2 I will still keep the shop open in Lewiston M-W.  I will sew and take clients at my sisters place.  I can also sew at daughters. Clients will just have to adjust until we find a permanent place.  This will be hard and inconvenient mostly for me.  Clients will adjust as there is no one else that sews and they have to work with me or do without.

     We are now looking at houses where we would have to take out a small loan, to get them.  I really don't want to do that, but running back and forth for 8 months or so also runs into expenses ( and deer) that may not be worth the trouble or may be more trouble then just buying. Right now we are just looking a no decisions have been made.

     Today I have to finish up two wedding dresses and really work on a third.  Having been gone for 4 days puts me into a position of forgetting what I am doing and makes it hard for me to remember what comes next.  I don't know at this point if I can make myself work a schedule like this.

     I need to start looking for boxes to start packing things.  I would like to do a room every week except for the larger furniture.  We are not taking all our furniture and I will get help to move things to storage when the time comes.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim


Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Wednesday, Another chart!

Completed another chart yesterday and boy am I behind for the year compared to last year.  But I am am grateful to be onto chart #8.

Hubs and I met yesterday with a builder of a new subdivision.  We had a list of things we wanted to ask about building a new home.  We walked through a home that was just built.  It seemed a little small to me, and I did not like the plastic inserts in the showers or the plastic molded tub.  But we were free to pay more for tile, which I was willing.

We picked out a lot and decided that is what we were going to do.  The builder called this morning and said we needed to find another contractor as they did not want to make that many changes to our plan.  In other words No changes.

These homes are being sold fast and furious and they do not want to slow down and make any exceptions.It takes longer to bring in a tile man than to throw together a three piece plastic shower stall and they have to stay on a time track.  It takes longer to lay hard wood than to put down carpet.

So we are back to square one.  This might be a blessing, actually it is a blessing, I think......

Yesterday was bridal day with fittings all day long and my goal today is to get at least two if not three knocked out.  We are leaving tonight to our daughters to go take care of Schmills and help her a little. 

I need to get to work!

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, June 22, 2020

Monday, Happy belated Fathers Day!

Well Saturday evening hubs and I were watching a 24 part documentary on a history channel (yes we are docu nuts) and Hubs phone rang abut 10 p.m.  I could tell it was a serious phone call and soon Hubs handed me the phone.  It was Lil sis and she was hysterical.   She was coming home from Walla Walla and hit a deer.  She was going 60 miles and hour and both her air bags deployed.  Her car was totaled.  She was okay just very upset and in shock.

Now it was about 1 hour and 15 minutes to Dayton Washington where the sheriff took her.  We drove in the dead of night and did not get home until 1 in the morning.  I was worried about Lil sis and her dog.  I stayed the night with them and both came into the house and drank and drank.  Lil sis downed 4 large tumblers of ice water.  This is a sign of shock .(excessive thirst).  We did not go to sleep until 4 a.m.as Lil sis was too keyed up. The sheriff was very nice.

So our family has had 4 accidents in the past two weeks.  Elder daughter hit a large dog and did minor damage to her car, then Second daughter hit a deer going home last week, I damaged my car fault of the dog, and now Lil sis who has to win every fight totals her car.  We all feel like we are cursed.

I slept late on fathers day and when I got home took a long hot bath and then whipped up this pie for hubs.  We took a long walk on Saturday and Sunday along the levy as the weather was great!  It is going to finally turn hot here and it is about time. We had a nice dinner on the deck for father's day.

The house inspector is here going through every nook and cranny.  Makes me wonder how long our inspection report will be.  I don't even care.  If something makes this house fail I will take it off the market.

Hubs gets more and more grouchy about the sale of the house and it is hard to live with.  I am keyed up and sick to my stomach so much of the time, because I don't know what will make him blow.  The painter set him off today because he showed up and hubs does not want people around his house all the time.  I just shake my head.  I wish I had not sold the house, as I don't know how much more of this I can take.

I have three things to finish today in the shop besides cleaning it. 
1. finish regalia dress
2. baste sleeves in a wedding dress and get it ready for a fitting.
3. corset a wedding dress and get it ready for a fitting.
4. clean up the shop.
5. alter another wedding dress
6. hem and steam two bridesmaid dresses
So I have plenty to do.

I will have to take Lil sis to the car rental place today when she calls.  Also there is a house I want to go look at that came for sale in the Orchards that looks interesting.

Tomorrow we meet with a builder to talk about building a house.

Wish me luck, I need it!

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim



Saturday, June 20, 2020

Saturday, Cleaning, cooking, blah...

     I am almost done with the regalia dress.  Client came and tried it on and loved it.  She also took the case that that I made for her paddle fan and I forgot to take a picture of it!  Dang.  I just have to add some rick rack trim and put a binding on the hem.

     I managed to damage my car yesterday, but back out of my very narrow driveway, and the dog got out of the house and raced to my side of the car hitting the trashcan and moving it to angle that lodged me onto the trash can with my mirror.  Need less to say I did not hit the dog which wold have been worse but I did do over $1000.00 worth of damage to the 2 year old car.  I was very upset, and will nit miss trying to carefully back out of this garage after this house closes.

     Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my mother's death so I was a little blue and then I wreck the car.  Well actually the dog wrecked the car, well actually I should have checked the door so the dog did not run out, well actually......

     Today, I must clean house and put the deck and outside back together.  I am going to make hub's a pie with crusts and apples that I previously froze.  I also need to go over and feed Lil sis's cats for the next two days.  She left this morning with our rototiller and power washer to go to her friends house.  I told her to take ours rather than rent, as you have a time limit and with these she can leave them for a week or so.

     Well I need to get busy and put a fire under the hubby.  Where did I put those matches?

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Friday, June 19, 2020

Friday, My to do list keeps growing...

Here is the Native American jingle dress I need to work on.  I had to split the sides and add a panel, as the dancer was having trouble kicking.  I love this kind of work, but it is time consuming.  Roscoe wanted to help.




First I had to draw and cut out  applique pieces.



 Then those have to be traced onto a product called wonder under, which will stick to both sides of fabric when it is ironed.








Then we iron these traced pieces onto the right color fabric.
  Forgot this step, go find fabric in my quilting stash to match, these will work well, I think.




Then tediously cut them out.

Now iron them onto the panels that I have cut and measured to the dress.
  I will then applique these with my sewing machine in a small zig zag, it will take time, I will take pictures after I do this.  Then I will call clients and have her come and we will pin these in and make sure they work before sewing them into dress and adding all the trim.


Make a pattern and cut out carry case for feather fan.  I must find some heavy cardboard to slip into interior pockets , after I get the zipper put into case.  These are expensive and easy to break the feathers, so I need to make a case with some stiff interior.

I was really happy with what I got done yesterday.  Of course I had no real interruptions and did not worry about dinner.  I worked into the night until about 11:00

Today I have a very busy schedule of things that need to be done.

1. pay a bill after looking it up on line, mail said bill
2. call assessor about taxes
3. drop off taxes after going to the bank for counter checks
4. transfer money for the storage bill I wrote a check for yesterday.  We got a bigger unit.
5.client coming at 2:00 for a pair of pants, get those done
6. client coming at 2:30 for baby backpack that I worked on last night, I still have to sew it up, but need to change machine needles to leather.
7. Embroider the appliques on the panels and call client
8. complete the feather fan case
9. cut out sleeves for wedding dress and call client for approval. I did get the ripped out
10. take dinner into missionaries by 4:00

I had another wedding dress come in today, the client had ordered it online and of course they sent what they had and it is way too small.  So now I have to take out zipper and corset the back, also the shoulders are too short so I must figure out a way to release them and still keep the dress up, this will involve recreating some kind of lace to cover where I cut and redesign the upper part of the dress.  Life is always interesting here.  But the poor girl was in hysterics, and she left happy.

Well I had better get to work, the clock is ticking and I have so much to do.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Thursday, dream a little dream

     Okay made the decision this morning after looking over the house with my sister, that I will not be making an offer on the big beautiful house of my dreams.  Actually if it was the house of my dreams it would have a third story attic.  To much work on the interior to bring it up to what I want.  The workmanship on repairs in the house were not top quality and there is a lot of redo to cover up poorly done work.  If I had loads of money, which I do not, and loads of time which I do not, Or a husband that was at all handy,I would go for it.   But alas I have to be realistic.  I hate realism.  It is no dang fun.

     Hubs is up in Spokane watching Schmills and I have to get plenty done in the shop today.  I did finally finish a wedding dress yesterday, but have piles of piles to do today,plus I need to put sleeves in another wedding dress and get some major work done on some Indian regalia. I will take pictures of that project.

     The house inspector is coming on Monday so I really have to get the yard and things put back together in this house.  The painter has things tore up all over the place and I have been just ignoring things since the house sold.  Which  has been nice, as we were on high alert with showings for a month.  You feel like a fire horse with bells always going off.

     So maybe if I make a list of things that I need to get done in the shop I will have better luck accomplishing them.  Ya think?  Like making a list can make me work.... I don't know but it does help my ADHD brain for some reason.

    1.Mend all items in a bag
    2. mend all items in another bag:)
    3. hem two pairs of pants and fix a coat
    4. hem three pairs of pants
    5. hem sleeves in 3 missionary shirts
    6. face hem three pairs of shorts
    7. replace buckles on a baby back pack ready to sew took a while to figure out replacement
    8. hem a dress
    9. fix two items of clothing
  10. alter a pile of items. two dresses, one skirt, one pair of jeans and a shirt
  11. put sleeves in a wedding dress for a fitting tomorrow
  12. figure out how to get regalia done and case for feather fan.  ready to embroider and cut out fan case

     Okay I think that is enough and I will in no way get all of this done, but it is a start on what is in the shop.  Let's see just how much Kim can get done today!

Yeah go me!

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim  

    

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Wednesday, still hanging on

     With all the highs and lows of house hunting I am just trying to stay positive.  It is emotional to look at houses.  I can love a place but know in my heart that it is not right for us. Right now I am contemplating a larger older home(which is my dream home) but it needs work, and has high utilities because it needs new windows.  The water bill would be much lower and the taxes, but the insurance would go up.  It is larger than we need and I worry about the footprint.  However love the ambiance of the house.  Then it will require workmen to build a garage, replace windows and we would need to do some major landscaping. We can move right in when we close.  But do I want to take care of a house that is this large?  I do right now because I love it and have always wanted a large older home, but will I regret it?  Will it become too much to maintain?  I am going to look at it again tomorrow with my sister.  If we completely go through and fix up what bothers me we could make a pretty penny on this house.  1602 15th street Lewiston Idaho.  It just need so much work and hubs cannot do the work.

     We can also build new but may end up with a small mortgage, and still have to put in a yard and major landscaping.  Plus have to wait 8 to 12 months to have a house built, which means storing everything which has a cost and moving around to different places to stay with people, and still trying to run the shop 3 days a week.

     As  no other houses are available that both hubs and I love we are stuck waiting for something to come along, which we can continue to do as we have plans on where to stay and how to still run the business.  It just always weighs heavy on my mind.

     Hubs is leaving tonight to go and watch the Schmills for a few days.  I wish I could go with him but too much sewing to do.

     The inspectors for ur drains are coming over in a few minutes and I had better get to work.

I am very discourage with the grocery adds.  Everything is going up and no real good sales.  But then I am just not in the stores much to find sales either.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Tuesday, crazy busy

     The phone won't quit ringing,  I tried to nap yesterday as I was really tired and had a bad headache, but alas two more wedding dresses and Indian regalia came into the shop.  Today is has been crazy and will continue all day I am afraid.  Not that the work is not nice, but I feel like I need to come up for air.

     I am going to look at yet another older home in a few hours.  Hubs is very uncooperative.  I really am at a loss as to what to do with him. No communication skills as to what he wants other than not to have sold this house, which I know was the right thing to do.  It is the mental stress that is getting to me.

     I think that is why I have a constant headache.  I need to call the storage company to see if we can get a bigger unit.  I had to turn the heat back on yesterday as both Hubs and I were freezing.  Heat in the middle of June.  Crazy cold weather.

     Hubs absolutely hates having any kind of workmen around the house.  He can't stand the interruptions, or the lack of privacy.  He does not like them talking to him. I am just shaking my head.

Well I am off to get some sewing done.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, June 15, 2020

Monday, Successful Shower!



Here is a picture of our oldest and our second daughter out at Hell's gate state park where we headed for the evening after the shower.  We had a camp fire and smores, like we needed more sugar.   Sig is due in late August.



Here are Sig and B.  B is due August 3rd but they think baby will come early as it is measuring larger and lungs more developed. Sig has heels on as B is much taller.  All three of the girls have red in their hair, well except Sig who is a red head and B died the end of her hair blue to bug her mother who hates that kind of thing.

We had a great time at the shower.  Lots of old family friends and I was surprised to realize how many are in the health care professions.  At least 1/2.  We had a lot of laughs.

Here is B with the 100 bill Aunty Kay sent.



Sig with her Aunty Kay diaper money!

All the yummy food and loads of gifts, it was embarrassing the girls received so much. 
Cake pops, dipped strawberries and mock tale punches, yum
Look at these beautiful peonies someone brought the girls., I love peonies.
Me getting ready to go to the shower, I am already tired and it has not even started!

I was touched by the turn out and by the generosity of friends. We had a good laugh over the fact that Sig (D#2) has never had any celebration of her own.  As the middle child she always had to share her big days with some one else.  There are quite a few years in age between the girls.  The oldest was able to graduate from High school and college and then when Sig graduated from High school the eldest graduated from Law School, so she was well over shadowed a bit.  Then when Sig graduated from her dental program which was a 5 year degree, the baby B graduated from High school, so she shared that.  When Sig had her first baby the eldest was having her last baby so they shared that celebration and now Sig is having her second and she has to share with B who is having her first. She just never gets anything of her own, but all the girls  just love each other and they really don't care. They just laugh about it.

To say that I am wiped out is an understatement.  Having company for 4 days is rough on this old woman.  There is a ton of laundry, sheets, blankets, towels to wash.  It is raining hard all week so I cannot dry anything outside and will have to make several trips to Lil sis's.

I have plenty of sewing to get done today and everything is picked up so if I want more money I had better get to work!

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Friday, June 12, 2020

Friday, running with scissors!

     Well I did it again. I had two wedding dresses with similar names and I did the wrong dress.  Client came to pick up her dress and it was not her dress.  She was very nice about it as she had another dress for the after ceremony that needed a few tweaks, so she left it and I finished both up yesterday, and she is on her way here today to pick them up.  Both the dresses are due out for the 20th and one was a Katrina, the other Karena, so you can see how I would confuse the two.  Now both are done so that is great!

     D#1 and boys showed up about 3 yesterday and the basement looks like a land mine went off.  I love it!  We did a little shower shopping for last minute foods and today we are getting our nails done and cooking!  I will get up early tomorrow to make fresh rolls for the chicken salad sandwiches, and we will dip the strawberries.

     I also have to go pay the sewer bill and get the sheets changed in the spare room for D#2 and her Hubs and son.  They will also bring their dog which will add the the crazy here.  Am I loving it?  You bet.  All three of my grandsons and my two baby bumps in one weekend, who could want more?

     Hubs took the two boys out fishing last night and James, caught his first fish.  He was very proud.  I think Grandpa was prouder.

     I put all the chicken parts into the crock pot last night and it is done and ready to bone.  So now I am waiting for a client and then I will go up and start chopping celery and onions, and boiling pastas.  Also need to toast some almonds.  I forgot to get mandarin oranges, for a salad so will have to make a run today when I am off paying some bills.

     I am excited for the girls shower, I will take pictures.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Thursday, So much to tell you!

     Thanks for all the congrats on the house.  It was a hard day yesterday.  Hubs disappeared for hours and was not back to digi sign the papers, so I did it for him.  So passive aggressive.  But I had a huge sigh of relief when, it was finally done.  I was angry and hurt that he would pull this and he finally came home some what apologetic.  He just had to get out in the mountains, that was good for him to let go of some stress. 

     It is hard for me to put myself in his shoes, like Sheldon Cooper on the big bang theory , he really does have issues with change of any kind.  Right now the painter is on the back of the house and he starts early in the morning.  This is upsetting hubs, he has to close the curtains to the bathroom all the way.  He doesn't like the noise, he doesn't like having to close his curtains, he is tired of it.  It has been two days of having to close his curtains....He just cannot handle any inconvenience no matter how small.  Sometimes I just laugh at him, when I am not thinking of ways NOT to kill him.

     He will adjust, I just do not want to have to put up with the fallout.  Daughter #1 is on her way here with the boys.  We are doing a baby shower at Lil sis's Saturday.  Hubs and I went out to the grocer last night to pick up snacks and things for the boys.  We are so looking forward to them coming here for the weekend.

     Menus for the shower which is a brunch:

Cake pops, blue and pink ( Daughter #2)
mints
nuts
chocolate dipped strawberries
pink and blue mock tails or cock tails
chicken salad rolls
acini d pepe fruit salad
shrimp pasts salad
green salad (d#3's mother in law)

So there will be cooking and we will be busy here tomorrow.  In the mean time I have a wedding dress to finish and two bridesmaid dresses to get out before daughter gets here. I am also going to look at a house!

I had better get busy, so much to do.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Wednesday, House is SOLD!

     I am scared to death, the papers for the house selling are coming through within the hour.  We will have until August 15th to vacate.  Where are we going?  Well I am hoping and praying that something will come available.  But in the mean time if we have to we will put things in storage and I will set up shop at Lil sis's.  We have daughters that will take us in that have big houses, and Hub's folks really need to have someone with them.  We have places to go.

     Now Hubs is beside himself.  Even tough we have talked about this and prepared for it for almost a year, he has somehow changed his mind and does not want to sell.  We started putting things in storage right after Christmas.  Of course this was before the cancer diagnosis and COVID.   SO things have changed, but the house is still too large, the yard is still way too large, it is expensive to water and we need a smaller foot print.  Those things have not changed.

     I am just sad that there is no co operation here and I think we are doing the right thing.

Well I have a wedding dress and and a bridesmaid dress that have to go out today along with a few other morsels, so I had better get busy.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Tuesday, That did not take long!

      I am way behind on charts for the year, with this covid thing.  But look once the shop opens and stuff gets picked up, I completed this sheet in no time.  Realize that there was a lot of back log of work to be picked up.  This is great as it pays the painter.

     The specialist confirmed what I thought about my hip and knee pain.  It is related to bursitis in the hip joint.  I do have some damage from all those years of teaching and dancing. It is just hard on the tendons.  This is why my doctor was on me to quit running.  He said bursitis would set in and there is not much we can do about it.  SO back to the physical therapist for exercises to strengthen the hip joints.   The nerve pain in the knee is from the hip.

     It is very cold here and I am aching for warm weather. Hubs and I have been looking at houses with not much success.  It is very discouraging. We had a second offer from the same people who offered before as their house sold.  It is less than we wanted but not by much and actually really what the house is worth.  We have not accepted,and I am terrified that I will never find a house that is as nice as the one we made and offer on and lost.  I am sacred to death.

     I just have to have faith that something will happen and we will find something great.  Right?

     I did not as much sewing yesterday as I wanted, but I did get a lot of ripping done, so today should zip right along.  I do have to run to Joanns for a zipper. Then home to get the piles done and alter another wedding dress.  It is busy here.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, June 8, 2020

Monday, I got up early...

     I had an appointment with the physical therapist at 9 today to check my back, which has been a little stiff in the same spot that it sprung out on last time, so I felt I needed to be seen, as I don't want to relive the back is out rendition of my life again.  Then I have an appointment at 11:00 with my specialist, so I was pleased to have both on one day and not have to interrupt  another day.  I get up early to get to the 9 a.m. appointment only to find out it is for tomorrow.  So I have to get up early tomorrow.  This is probably how my week is going to go.  So much for my positive attitude. :)

     As I left the therapy office, I thought to myself, run to Albertsons and check the meat mark down bin.  Monday's are a good if not the best day for this,as they mark the meat down from the weekend.  I scored!  Finding several packages of beef for under $4.00  a pound.  I am putting a corned beef in the crock pot today and we should be able to eat on that for a few days.  Meat is just outrageous.  I am trying to fill hubs up with salads and veggies, but he gets a sugar low if he doesn't have enough protein.  He has lost 25 lbs now, I am so proud of him.  How much has Kim lost?  Uhm, let's not talk about that.....

     The shop will keep me very busy today and actually for the rest of the week.  Last week I sewed hard all week and if this is a precursor of things it come, I think I need a vacation.  I just have forgotten how to work, or how much I used to work to keep up.  Even though my work load is way down compared to last year.

     The painter should be done by the end of the week and it will be nice to get all the flowers beds around the house fixed and make it look nice. I feel like I live in a war zone when I go around the house.  Next we have to paint our deck.  It is always something.

     Daughter #1 is coming Thursday night to help put on a shower for her two younger sisters.  I am so excited to see her and my grandsons again.  We are having the shower at Lil sis's.  I will have all of my daughters and my grandsons home and I can hardly wait.

     Well I had better go see what work I can line up in the shop.

Have a great and productive day staying sportive while you are in the negative.

Kim

    

Saturday, June 6, 2020

Saturday, What to do?

     Here it is Saturday and the weather is crap and I want to play in the yard.  One side of the house that is finished, the landscape is all tore up.  I would like to get out there and at least fix that and do a little weeding.

     I guess if I was overly ambitious I could get out there as long as it is not raining.  I do have a client coming in at 2 to fuss about the sleeves of her mother of the bride dress, that I have worked on twice.  She is one of those, (THESE ITCH AND I AM >>>>) a pain in the ass is what you are.  Expects to come on a Saturday and then does not want to set an appointment so I can wait at her beck and call all day and complain about something I cannot fix, her sensitive skin.  Then don't buy a solid sequin dress....  See I can get a little riled.  She finally set an appointment  and I bet she is late like she was last time, so I just plan to leave exactly at two.  I am cranky today.

     I think if I had a donut I would feel better.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Friday, June 5, 2020

Friday, Okay I am struggling

       I was able to complete another chart finally.  With the shop down so much it has been hard to do.  Plus almost every penny I have earned has gone into the house.  It is hard for me not to use my shop money to pay off debt.
   I can't seem to get my schedule working.  This week it is like the sluice gate opened and I am taken along down the ?  I am sewing all day and I can't seem to keep up.  I do remember trying to write a post yesterday and then about 6 last night I realized I hadn't written anything.

     I think it is the constant interruptions. Between hubs, the painter, clients, the phone, I cannot focus.  I am not used to this or I have become unused to it.  So I need to rethink how I think.  What is most important?  Making clients happy would be high on the list.

     We have been very discouraged with our home search as there is nothing to buy we can afford in this area, if it is something we can afford it is not anywhere near as nice as the house we live in.  The offer we had pulled out and I don't even care.  I am truly thinking of pulling it off the market at the end of June if it has not sold.  Just having to show it every day and adjusting my schedule constantly is nerve racking. I do think it is the right thing to sell, but I would like to think I will find a nice little cottage.  This is not for the faint hearted.  Just have to have more faith.

     The shop is very busy and I have so much work ahead of me today.  I really would like to get at least two bride dresses done, at least one must be done as she is picking up today. I have a military uniform and a couple of zippers to get done, plus a few more piles to kick through.

     Last night I was back to my old habit of doing hand work in front of the TV.  So I was able to hem 5 pairs of ladies slacks last night.  It is nice to be able to continue to make money while I sort of relax.

     I must call several clients today and see if I can get them to pick up.  I need more money to cash flow this dang painter.  It is somewhat discouraging to work this hard and see all the money go out, but then I am happy not to have to touch the savings accounts.  I just need to be more grateful for things.

     Do any of you have trouble with gratitude?  I do and I am ashamed of that trait.

Have a great and productive day staying positive whirl you are in the negative.

Kim

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Wednesday, crazy busy, I have a headache

     Yes the shop is OPEN!  I can't seem to come up for air.  Just trying to keep my head above water on this house selling thing and wedding dress nightmare.  I swear if one more person calls me today with any kind of dress I will....I will something.

     Yesterday was a cluster.  Man painting our house cut the phone wires and we lost our internet.  He felt terrible, but we have phone line internet as that is the only one we can get.  So I called a friend of ours that is retired, who worked for the phone company and we got it back on for 80.00 which the painter will pay for.  I called the local company and they wanted $230.00 for the service call and 80.00 and hour.  So I was happy we called our friend.

     We had an offer on the house, but countered back as they wanted us to pay 2% of their closing costs. That would be a no.  If they can afford a 535,000 house (that they are selling) they can pay their own closing costs. We have not heard back, but we have another potential buyer coming for a second walk through tonight.  I know this house will sell, and we have not found anything we want to buy.  It is just scary. 

     Idaho is the fastest growing state and all towns are growing.  There are not very many houses here for sale in our price range.  But I still know it is a good idea to sell. 

     I also woke with an awful headache and I can't seem to shake it.  But I have brides and dresses coming in all day today, so I can't take a break. 

     We are eating salads from the garden 2X a day now.  The chicken breasts pieces I bought wrapped in bacon that were on sale were awful.  I grilled them last night and I could not even finish mine.  I have another package of them, yuck.

     I need to go sew.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, June 1, 2020

Monday, June 1st will this month be different?

     Well we started this fiasco the middle of March and now it is June.  What will June hold?  So many plans cancelled and so many changes.  All I can say is we are still here.  Well most of us, as I am not talking about mental changes, that ship sailed long ago.

     I feel like I have been on a hiatus since Christmas and that has to stop.  Lucky for me I have many, many sewing things that have to be out before the end of the week, which will force me to get busy and get back to a regular work schedule.  This is something I have been fighting with everything I am worth.

     I am out of meat in the upstairs freezer so I will need to figure out what is available downstairs. Tonight we are going to have veggies a big salad, (the garden is crazy with lettuce) and a 1/2 bag of shrimp. Hubs has lost 22 lbs. and eats protein and veggies.

     I am so shocked by meat prices right now.  It is just ridiculous.  With this carnivorous diet, we might go broke.  But I think the trade off is better health.  Even trying to buy meat in the 50% off bins is over $5.00 a pound.

I am going to go out this morning and check on the 50% off meat bin.  Then I will hit my sewing machine hard.  I also need to pay bills.  June is going to be a tight month as I need to pay the 1/2 year taxes and a portion of the overly priced house insurance.It will be like having a house payment again.  Blah! 

This is another reason I need to get sewing.  I need the money. Hopefully by tomorrow, I will be able to report that bills are paid and a couple of wedding dresses are done.

I would love to go somewhere in June or July.  But I think June is out financially, unless I hit a payload.

Do you have any plans for June, any of you thinking of travel?  Are meat prices higher where you live?

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim