Wednesday, Brides!

 

My oh my, am I busy. Besides Kelsa just everyday life keeps me going.  SO much to do. The car is a mess the garage needs to be cleaned out, I have not put-up Valentine things, but did pull the box from the garage and Kelsa and I will do that tomorrow morning. She loves to decorate with grandma.

I have two wedding dresses that I need to put long sleeves on.  That requires so much hand work to embroider the lace to the tulle sleeve.  I spent last evening getting one set done.  It all has to be done by hand before it is sewn into the dress.

Also have a model that does a photo shoot once a month and I am doing her rack, which is good money but takes me about 3-4 days just on her things.

The house constantly need love and here it is the end of the month and I have to pay bills again.  Blah!  But January is over and that makes me happy.

Did not get tickets purchased for Hawaii yesterday. I might just have to call a travel agent. Dang.  Will try again today.  I did not try late last night, and I will see if that works.

Six more brides scheduled for next week.  I also have turned away some business as I am just too busy.  Like coat zippers!!!!! 

Kelsa has dance tonight and I am taking the missionaries and my best buddy out to dinner. That will be fun, then home to sew, sew, sew.

Kim

Tuesday, Back and raring to go, I think.

 

I had a great time at my daughters although her trial settled the morning of, so there was really no reason for me to be down there!  You have no control over the court system.

I had a ton of phone calls for wedding dresses while I was gone, it is going to be a busy season.

Kelsa is here for the next three days and I sure missed her while I was gone.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO IN THE SHOP, AND I NEED TO START WORKING ON THE TAXES.   Yikes!

Every year it is the dreaded tax season. 

I ordered my Aunties ticket to come here, and I am going to work on our tickets to Hawaii today if I can get through.  I might just put the phone on speaker and wait it out.

Anything important happen in blog land while I was gone.  Please tell!

Kim

Thursday, getting ready to go!

 

I have to take a wedding dress with me down to southern Idaho as I need to match the lace so I can add long sleeves for the bride.  As I am flying that means not a carry on but a big honking suitcase.

Kids were here again last night, as the weather is so foul.  Spitting frozen snow.  But they both took a sled out last night and played and played in the dark on the hill leading to the chicken coop.  They had so much fun.

The cans of food in my garage are all frozen or at least partially frozen I wonder if this will affect them.  Signe' opened a can of chicken noodle soup last night when the kids came in from sledding and she had to pry it partially frozen out of the can.  

It is cold.  The animals I am watching seem to be fine, but I did find one dead chicken.  Probably from old age. Well, I hope it was from old age.  It is funny they have coops to go to but will roost all together out in the open with their feathers all fluffed up, so they are twice their size. Strange, but I am not a chicken.

I have pants to hem today and people to call, laundry to do and some housework. I also need to clean up the shop a bit.  I don't want to come home to an unorganized mess.

SO here I go.

Kim

Wednesday, trying to keep up

 

I had two wedding dresses come in yesterday and there will be two more coming in today. This is just a weird January. That puts 6 dresses in the shop, unheard of. One should go out tomorrow.

I was going to drive to Twin Falls this weekend and stay for about 5 days, as Daughter has a big bad trial, and son in law has to be out of town for court. But the weather keeps getting worse and worse and the forecast looks dismal.  So decided after being pestered by kids to fly down and back. But to get a good rate I have to leave earlier and stay longer.  It is what it is.

Now that will put a fire under my butt. Just trying to keep up with Kelsa messes is a full-time job.  She has dance tonight and I need to go to the store and also get a prescription. Daughter has been here two nights and may end up here again, if the prairie does not get better.

I was able to get chicken food last night and my bestie ran a heated water dish over for my cat, so that is helping.  I can fill the chicken feeders before I leave, and they will be okay until my neighbor gets home on Saturday. Kim's crazy schedule.

Well, I am off to get some sewing done. 

Kim

Tuesday, Snow Day

 The sun is shining it is 7 degrees outside, Joel used to do all the shoveling. This is hard.  Don't know how to start the snowblower.

Nate is working overtime on the prairie with all the accidents.  Both kids are here, and daughter stayed the night and will likely stay again tonight as the roads are so bad.

I did get out yesterday to pay a few bills and then realized it was a national holiday, stopped to feed the farm and realized she is out of chicken feed due to the amount the birds are eating, so will run get a bag from the feed store when I take the kids to gymnastics.

Planning on making a large pot of German sausage/potato soup with homemade biscuits for dinner. 

Garage cats water bowl keeps freezing, so I am out there several times a day putting in new water. Just realized I need to add cat chow to the feed store run. 

Roscoe loves the snow.  He goes out and rolls and plays in it.  The cold does not seem to bother him. But then again, he can come in whenever he wants, so maybe that would be a different story if he had to stay out. 

Well, I need to get some sewing done so off I go.

Kim

Monday, In trouble with Sissie again!!!!!

 

Sissie curls her lip just like that!  I have not emailed I have not blogged, I have not called, I have not, not, not.

So, what have I been!  Well very busy. Between the shop and grandkids just busy.

It has also snowed and turned very cold here and it is very icy.  Our town has no way of plowing or really caring for the streets, so everything just shuts down. 

I am again taking care of the neighbor's menagerie as she is in Can Cun.   I have about killed myself getting down to her place on this ice, then the back yard is steep and covered in snow. Animals need more feed in the cold as that is what warms their bodies. Food troughs that were supposed to last a week all need to be filled again and that means carrying buckets up and down that icy back yard.  Let me tell you an adventure every day.

I have Kelsa for the next three days and she has gotten into the really messy stage of the three-year-old.  Not destructive but she like to play with messy things.  One thing that helps is she loves to clean up and we sing the clean-up song, and she helps.

I need to go on a diet, and I don't want to. Potatoe chips are just so good. So are cookies and cold cereal. Don't forget chocolate!.

Well Kim is going to get to work.  What is going on with you?  What have I missed?

Kim

Tuesday, Let's get stuff done!

 

Yesterday was less than productive, due to a headache and a Kelsa. Kelsa is a virus that takes over your life and makes a mess in every room in your house, but you embrace the germ anyway. 

I did get a few things sewn last night and I will continue to work hard today.  I think? 

We had quite the windstorm here last night The cold is coming into the region finally. We really need to get some snow in the mountains.

I also really need to get to work, and I think I know how. Trying for inspiration. 

Okay what inspires me about my work? Money, yes, getting stuff done and out of the house, yes, having less guilt about not having stuff done, yes.  This is how my brain works or doesn't work.

So, I guess I really have no choice, Let's get stuff done!

Kim 

Monday, So blasted tired.

 

Just could not sleep last night.  Nothing is worse than insomnia in my book.  I have so much to do, and I am just dragging.

Lil sis came over this morning and cut about 6 inches off my hair and it so needed it.  My year of mourning and not cutting my hair is over.

Kelsa is here and making messes as fast as she can.  I always say to her don't make a mess and she says ,"Okay."  Then comes to me and say, "Granma, I make mess."

Eldest called and I have to come up with 1200.00 to fix her car bumper.  Oh well it could have been worse.  I am going there on the 22 to watch boys for a few days, as she has a huge trial and Paulk is out of town.  I told her I would just bring her cash. Remember the family Mantra was no one died....

I am going to start out with hemming as many pairs of pants in this shop as I can. I think there are at least 15 pair and a few piles of other goodies.   Also have two bridesmaids to get done and a wedding dress before I can even start on a special project that is due out on Friday. Eeek!

Of course after Christmas I have a huge pile of little person clothes to alter, and you all know how i love those.

I am blessed by work.  Just keep telling myself that.

Kim

Friday! What happened to yesterday?

 I was so busy yesterday, between clients, and Kelsa, I was always running behind.

The shop was so busy, and I have never been this busy in January before.  IT is crazy.  January has always been so slow and then by February I am panicking. Not this year.  And of course, because I am me, I want it slower.  Always what I don't have....

I have a wedding dress to finish today, and I just had a few custom pieces picked up.  I need to hem stacks of pants.

William has started Hockey, and he is on a team, and we have a tournament this weekend, so lots of ice rinks in my future. My daughter even bought me a sweatshirt that says Gramscicle.  That is a grandmother who sits at the hockey rink. Or better yet chases Kelsa all over the hockey rink.  We will see.

In between clients when Kelsa was being Kelsa, I did take down the Master bath and get the Christmas linens off the beds.  The house is still a mess, but getting more Christmas put away everyday helps.  I think the last of it will be done this weekend.

I was trying to get a blog post up and then when I got to the computer this morning here I had not even posted.  Then I remembered just how busy I was, and it got left in the shuffle. 

My girlfriend called me as she had locked herself out of her house.  It was 44 degrees out and she was out in shirt sleeves. I put Kelsa in her car seat and was just about to start driving and she had to go potty..... So out of the car seat and into the house.  I turned the heat up in the car full force to warm it up for my friend as I knew she would be shivering.  Back into car seat and over to house.  We tried to jimmy door with tools, no worky.  But she did have a dog door that I thought I could squeeze through.  After a struggle and scraped knuckles, I finally got it open and crawled through. Quite the experience. Another brother from our church showed up to help and then watched me crawl through the dog door.  The stories they must tell in men's group. Anyway, crisis averted, and the car was so warm Kelsa fell asleep as soon as she got home!!!!! I was able to get some things done before I ran out of steam.

So Kim is going to sew, and then spend the Friday and Saturday, watching 7 years olds figure out which end of the ice rink is theirs.

Kim

Wednesday, 2024 Goals, *splat*

 Sent this to my sisters, they deserved it. I have so much to do and I am not doing any of it quickly.

I have Kelsa tonight and have to take her to dance lessons this afternoon.  We have tea parties and play, and I get nothing done.  But I play very well.

I gained 5 pounds over the holidays. Shhhh, don't tell Sissie, she will lambast me. But the cookies and candies were great.

So happy to hear from so many of you, I do miss you and I am so very grateful for everyone that has stuck by me through this awful mess I call my life.  

I was so excited to see the SAM had started a new blog, I hope that Hilogene, SAM and I can all heal through our trauma and loss. Because it is trauma.

I had so many goals last year and not one of them was posted.  I was lucky to get by day to day. I just so remember all the things I had written down in a journal while we were on our cruise.  I got home and I don't even know what happened to the notebook.

Anyway: Here is to 2024!  A better year, because it just has to be.

Goals:

1. read scriptures everyday

2. attend Temple once a month

3. start an exercise program and do 5 days a week. I really fell off last year, just not enough energy or will, and I am so weak it is scary. I am 2 days in and so sore.

4. Pay an extra $1000 a month on home equity loan.

5. Pay cash for all travel

6. save all my $5.00 bills.  I have $1515.00 saved already for Hawaii trip.

7. save all my spare change.  This will take a hit with no more going to Mcd's almost every day.

8. Keep the saving charts I used to but got away from last year, when my brain refused to work

9. I was thinking of saving all my tips in a jar.  I do get tips several times a month but need to put this into action.

10. Learn to play pickle ball

11. Get out more.

That is enough and I think these will be easily done. But I will have to work hard.

Did you people have any goals for the year? If so what will be your hardest one to keep?

I think mine will be the exercise, as I have grandkids so much and they keep me at home. We will see.

I have to get to work now.....

Kim

Tuesday, A day late

 Oh, Kim you are so naive. I waited and slugged, and drug myself through the first year kicking and screaming because the second year it gets better, right? Not really. But I am still here.  I am determined whatever that means.

Had a great Christmas, except I backed into eldest daughters brand new car right after she got here, and I also lit the outdoor Christmas tree on fire.  Which was a big hit with the grandkids.

But our motto for the week as a family was, "No one died."  Yes, we are sick like that. 

So, looking forward to the new year, new goals, new feelings, new life.  So far same feeling, same life, but let's work on that.

Slugs and her husband were with Sissie over the holidays, and I am so jealous.  They had a great time and slugs is so thin you can see through her. Well, we have always been able to see through her eyes to the back of her skull so nothing new. That is what she gets for having fun without me.

I made a reservation for a trip to Hawaii that last part of March so looking forward to that and saving my money for fun. I am also going up to Quebec with my daughter and her family in June. Sissie is moving here in May, and I am going with eldest daughter to Rehoboth beach sometime this summer.  Besides the normal driving to Twin Falls and Nampa for Joel's mom it will be a whirlwind year. 

The shop continues to be busy much to my chagrin. Which means I have to do the work. Dang! Where are the elves when you need them.

Aunty will come and stay for a month or two and I am taking her with me to Hawaii, plus my good buddy, and others are coming along for the fun.  I have to really stick to a travel budget.

I also want to see Slug and Anne this year sometime, and I need to get that into the line-up. This girl is not going to sit around and mope.  Okay maybe a little.

Also, I have a major crisis in my life as Mcdonalds raised their diet cokes to $2.01.  No way I am going to pay that.  I have to find another source for my habit.  It is so sad.

SO how is everyone as I am so out of the loop.  Please advise in the comments if I need to know anything important, that I have missed, because you know last year was a little messy.... This year maybe not so much.  I hope!!!!!!

Anyone have goals for the year?  I do. Last year my only goal I think was to survive.

But today is not the day, for me to disclose all my important goals, as I have too much to do in the shop plus, I have to go and face the CC bills for Christmas and get things paid.  Scary!  Anyway, stay tuned for tomorrows, exciting post of Kim's goals........ (after she figures out what they are ) (also be prepared for them to be extra ordinarily hard and impossible to keep) (Also let her think she can do them and only laugh at her when she is not in the room)

Kim