Tuesday, Here we go again...

 Where I want to be and where I get to be are too different places.  Both Sissie and I are dragging. I can't find the cord to download pictures. I am beyond tired and so is Sissie. 

Dan had his surgery yesterday and Sissie is tired and stressed.  I am just exhausted. 

The shower was a success and as soon as I buy a new cord I will download pictures. It was fun and people enjoyed the time.

All the girls were here this weekend with all the grandkids but Danny the eldest.  The house was a disaster as it is not big enough for a crowd. But we managed. The kids could not go outside as it was rainy, which was in fact a blessing for me as I did not have to water constantly. 

Lots of cooking and constant cleaning and after everyone took off yesterday, I cleaned the entire day. I did all the bed linens and put all the party supplies away. It was a joy to have them and a joy to see them go.

I don't even want to go into the shop as I just want to be left alone.  Alas that is not going to happen.

Sorry wish I could be more chipper, but this is the best I can do right now.  I am sure as I get in the shop and knock out a few things I will feel better. Marking things off a list always energizes me, I don't know why.

Anyway, I survived the weekend and that is exactly how I feel, I survived. I think age is catching up to me as I am not bouncing back like I used to after a busy weekend.

Catch me tomorrow and see if I have recovered...

How is everyone out there?

God is good

Kim

Thursday, Still working!

So, I have been out watering twice so far today and it is going well. Don't ask me what this will be like a few days from now.

I set my watch for an alarm every two hours.  The first water session took 1/2 and hour the second 20 minutes.  I am sure it will get faster after I get used to how to pull the hose and where to stand for the most efficient use of time. My arms muscles are getting a workout.

I did go buy two large watering cans yesterday one for the front and one for the back, plus new sprayers. The old ones were leaky, and I was just making do.

Gaylord came about 8:30 and he has worked out in the garden area. I asked him to come look as I felt the plants were yellowing and crops and seeding, is his line of work. He went to Illinois State for an agriculture degree and spent his career working with farmers. Anyway, my garden problems turned out to be not enough patience. Can you believe that? So, he has cleaned and fertilized and hoed and trimmed and raked. He then moved a bunch of brick that was left over from one of my projects and stacked it out behind the shed. That man is a worker. Kind of reminds me of me... scary....

Went to the eye specialist this morning and I am supposedly 95% cured. I will be tapering off the steroid drops over the next month and then back to see him. 

All three grandkids are here and Signe' is going to take them swimming this afternoon. I made pancakes and sausage and eggs for breakfast and then cleaned that up. Tomorrow we are getting ready for Braunwyn's baby shower. It is an eye love Lucy theme. The baby's name is Lucy. I will take pictures we are all dressing up as characters that Lucy portrayed. I will be Ethel. 

I completed another wedding dress yesterday and it took me most of the day. I have not started on the next one, but I will after the kids leave. I do my hand work in the family room where the natural light is the best and it makes me nervous to work around three kids going in and out.

So, the next dress in the lineup is an easy one, for which I am grateful. I hope to finish that today and then get to another before I stop sewing.  We will see. It is just going to be a busy next few weeks, I can already tell, and that is not counting the yard work.

Jethelyn will be driving in tomorrow to help with the shower.  It will be a busy weekend!

What are you plans for the weekend?

God is good

Kim

Wednesday, Spinning in circles

 The hydro seeding is done, and I am going to have to work my butt off watering. I have to be very careful not to let anything get on the seeding and I am used to dragging hoses everywhere. I may be watering my pots with a watering can. The lawn has to be hand watered 4-6 times a day. What have I gotten myself into?

I am almost done with the wedding dress I started yesterday, and I will start another as soon as the first one is finished.  I also have three bridesmaid's dresses to get done.

I have decided to have Roscoe stay at Kay's until the hydro seeding is up, as I know he will not mind the boundaries and I don't want to take him out on a leash every time he needs to go out. I can stay down at Kay's at night if I need to.

I just really have too much to do right now.  Does that sound familiar? But I will persevere and tell myself I can do this...

It has been a while since I have been sooooo busy.  Sissie helping me has really been a blessing, but the wedding dresses are taking over and I need to concentrate.

It is very hot here which I love, but not the best time to put in a new lawn.  This spring was so cold they could not do it earlier.

I am going to hurry and finish up this wedding dress and get to the next one do I can work outside some today. The garden desperately needs hoed and some fertilizer. I also need to buy a large watering can as mine pooped out and get some Miricle grow for the flowers and then 2 new long handled sprayers. Outdoor stuff wears out when you use it every day.

Okay I am off to get things done.  How about you?

God is good

Kim

Tuesday, Home again!

 This is my mind set this morning or should I say this nooning.

I was a busy weekend, and all was successful. I drove the 7.5 hours home yesterday with my two grandsons who were angels. We stopped after 3 hours in a small town to go to the bathroom, and I hurried in with my over filled bladder they were behind me. There I was mid-stream in such relief when I heard the boys laughing and goofing off outside my stall.  I said, "Boys you are in the woman's bathroom! They then told me no I was in the men's. I didn't even see the urinals. These are the stories they will remember.... of course, they immediately called the other cousins to let them know about Grandma goofing up again. I am the center of most of their stories. I just have to try and do better.

Signe' just came and picked up the boys and the house is finally quiet. Roscoe gets really noisy when there are a lot of kids here as he gets excited and wants in on the chaos. So, he has been banished to my room much to his chagrin. 

I have 7 wedding dresses to get done for July, so I am attacking those with fierceness. Now that it is quiet I can afford to get the dresses out and get started but first have to clean up all the mud that was tracked in by the grandkids, I am having the lawn redone and it is now a mess. I had the two little boys out picking up rock and putting it back in the rock beds.  It only took them about a 1/2 an hour, and saved me from all that bending over, after all they are closer to the ground. Then they came in and tracked mud.  It is now dry and will vacuum up easier. Every form of refuge has a price. Rock picked up and now dirty floors...

I feel very disconnected and, on the run, today. I am sure it is because of all the noise and upheaval of the weekend.  I need a slowdown day and to breathe. So, I will vacuum and mop and clean up the guest room and then start on a wedding dress or possibly two.  I really need to knock these out quickly as I should be working on the August dresses in a week. No way I can get 7 dresses done in a week, but I can certainly try to put out one a day for the next four days and then get the others done next week.

Oh, such plans. Am I setting myself up for failure? l don't think so.  The fact that Sissie is taking care of everything else sure helps. So here I go to get things done.

Anything exciting happen while I was gone?

God is good

Kim

Tuesday, Swedish meatballs!!!

 This is what I am afraid Ollie will find out...

Yesterday I was able to get three bridesmaid dresses done one was very hard. I also had 2 more wedding dresses come into the shop. Sis and I counted and there are 15 dresses in the shop right now.  Only one is for October, and 5 are for July.  October is or has been my next busiest month. I also have a wedding dress coming in later today.

I only have one bridesmaid dress to work on today and then I have to get ready to leave tomorrow. Kelsa stayed last night so Nate could sleep today.  He is on nights and the last three nights he has been called back out for crashes and with paperwork ends up working a 24-hour shift only to go back to the next shift with just a few hours of sleep. So, grandma to the rescue.

Signe' will bring William down late this afternoon and pick up Kelsa.  William is driving with me down to Twin Falls. It will be nice to have company. I will be back next Monday with both James and William.

Here is my family's Swedish meatball recipe it is very old.

2 lbs of plain sausage

5 lbs of burger (the cheaper burger is better due to the fat content)

Mix well by hand so the meat is well combined

One large onion Chopped very fine I put mine in a chopper)

add:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tsps. of allspice

2 tsps. of ginger

1 to 2 tsps. of nutmeg (I use one as nutmeg is very strong)

I blend these with the onion

Now beat together:

4 eggs

1 cup milk or cream

add onion and spice mixture to milk and eggs and mix well (this makes sure that the spices will be well incorporated)

Now add liquid to meat and mix it will be soppy.

Add 1-2 cups of breadcrumbs.  (I start with 1 and then add a bit more until I get the texture, I want that holds together well)

Now make golf size meatballs. Place on a broiler pan bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When meatballs feel firm and spring back, they are done. I can put 5 dozen on a standard broiler pan and make 2 batches. Save the drippings in the pan to make the gravy. 

These freeze well and I freeze the gravy drippings in cubes and use as needed for the gravy flavoring.

With 10 dozen meatballs you will have several meals. These are delicious.

THE ORIGINAL RECIPE USED REINDEER MEAT.

I love being able to grab 2 dozen meatballs out and making a nice meal.  These are very easy and they used to be cheap.

God is good

Kim 

Monday, Short week

 I just love this picture of Sissie and I at the pool in 20 years... (Or maybe next year).

It was a busy weekend, but I survived. As I get older, I just don't have the energy I used to, and it aggravates me. 

Saturday morning, I woke and was scrolling on my cell phone as I drank my first diet coke. A post came up, someone was giving away a full front room, of very nice furniture. I immediately txt and was able to go up a snag two nice lamps and a side table for my daughter's apartment. Now her living room is complete.

Then I started the round of garden centers to plant my garden boxes. Ollie had come over on Thursday, and he added all my new soil and tilled the boxes, so they were ready to plant.

Boy, was that a lot of work. By the time I got done, with the boxes, and the seedlings in the green house and then new planting down by the chicken coop. I was exhausted physically and I just don't understand how I can get so tired. 

In between garden trips I made a hummingbird carrot cake and had the layers cooling in the fridge. Friday, I had made a large batch of Swedish meat balls (10 dozen.) Sissie came over and took a couple of dozen, and I froze most of them.  Ollie came for dinner, and we had a lot of laughs. He actually spit across the room when I was telling the story about Me lighting the Christmas tree on fire out in front of the house. It was pretty funny. Anyway, we had a good time.

Sunday was church and then had a family with 7 kids come over for dinner.  Only 5 of the kids came, but we had a very nice time.  I made brown butter chicken and they loved it.  The 18-year-old sitting next to me had 3 helpings of everything. You can never go wrong with mashed potatoes, and homemade rolls. They were just very fun to have over and I really enjoyed myself.

After the dishes, I ran the lamps and furniture up to Braunwyn's apartment, then home to rest.  It was a nice busy weekend, and I was ready for some quiet.

My disgruntled bride turned out to be more of the mother than the bride.  I was very firm. I had put way more time into the dress than I was paid for, as it had to be done by hand.  No, I was not going to take it apart, no I was not going to redo the already in place train as I had told her once before. I will be making a few minor adjustments that won't take long after I get back. But it was the mom complaining the daughter was just fine. You get all kinds. I told the Mother I would give her back her 400 dollars and she could be on her way. There is no way you are going to get a dress like the one she had for 400 dollars.  I think that panicked the bride and she started arguing with her mom.

I have two wedding dresses coming in today and another tomorrow.  It never ends.

What happened at your place over the weekend?

God is good

Kim

 

Thursday, I can do this!

 Okay I think I have hit my limit with three days with 3 grandkids. It is a little crazy here. Love the little buggers, but when they are picked up, I will be grateful. Not that I wouldn't keep them forever.... Grandma needs a break.

They have been really good, but the messes and the constant "Grandma" is getting on the old nerves.  What nerves you ask? All I do is pick up and pick up.  They help, but they need help.

The wedding dress try-on yesterday went great.  The dress fit perfectly.  I had to take it down 3 sizes in the bodice and reattach the ballroom skirt. Now I have to hem the dress with horsehair braid (Of course). Then there is a ton of hand work, to finish the monster.

I have three bridesmaids' dresses I need to do tomorrow. I am leaving next Wednesday to help my friend with her daughter's wedding and also pick up James in Twin Falls. I am making 3 salads for 120 people for the reception. I had agreed to pick up James, and this fell neatly into the schedule. I will take William with and possibly Kelsa we will see.

In the meantime, Kim needs to get the garden planted.  It is so late, but I am not worried it will still do well. It is just getting it done.  My goal is to have it planted by this weekend.

I have a disgruntled bride coming in this morning and I don't know how I am going to handle that and I will give you more later on this fiasco. Just remember no good deed goes unpunished.....

God is good

Kim

Wednesday, 3 Grandkids

 This is how I feel sometimes wrangling 3 grandkids. I am going on 48 hours and grandma is getting tired. But they grow up so fast and soon they will not want to be with me anymore, I keep reminding myself....

Worked hard at B's and it is coming together.  All that is left is the nursery. But the space is cleaned out, and I have plans for more storage. I think Braunwyn and Dan were very happy with what we did. Uncle Dan and Aunt Kay came up so Uncle Dan could help with shelving. We still have to find a plant stand, and a used end table and lamp and the front room is done.

She also passed her glucose tolerance test, so she was happy about that. I was diabetic with my last two girls.

I came home last night 3 kids in tow and stopped at the grocer for kid snacks as this grandma had no time for cookie baking today. Just served breakfast of eggs, fruit and yogurt with a side of muffins. Now they are outside operating a race car. It is cold and windy so I don't imagine they will stay out long. All I can say is the house is much quieter.

Sissie and I are both a little on edge today. We just lost another aunt last night.  That makes two in the last 3 weeks.  This is my mother's younger sister. It is hard losing so many from that generation, we only have one remaining aunt left. Scary. 

Also, I am having serger problems, and I really dislike machine problems.  They slow you down and are so frustrating.  I am going to have to take this to the shop and when will I have time to do that? Ugh!

Today, I will work on a wedding dress and try and get as much done as possible on it today.  I still need to finish the mother of the bride dress from Monday although I got a really good start on that before I went up to B's.

My eye doctor said I have to be on a stronger steroid for my eye for another 2 weeks.  I am having a hard time playing the piano as there is scarring over the cornea. He feels that this will disappear with the steroid. I sure hope so.  I feel like I have one good eye and one blurry eye.

Well, I am off to wrangle grandkids and get this wedding dress done. Any excitement in your neck of the woods?

God is good

Kim

Monday, life is getting busy

 I know I am a busy person but with this new baby coming, life is getting busier. 

I spent Friday and most of Saturday up at Braunwyn's.  We or I cleaned carpets and got the front room ready for a furniture delivery. The furniture will be delivered tomorrow so I will be going up tonight and spend the day there tomorrow.

We are trying to make space for the new baby and are turning a large walking closet into small dressing nursery. She will be sleeping in their room for at least a couple of years. Right now, this closet is toy catch all for Oliver. So, downsizing his hoard is a must and a very difficult job for a 5 year old.

Today I have some major sewing to do, and I also have an eye specialist appointment this afternoon. I have my pile ready.

1. fix white dress

2. put zipper in jeans

3. mend pants and replace zipper

4. shorten sleeves on a dress jacket

5.alter a mother of the bride dress

Hopefully, I can get all this done today as I have a whopper of a wedding dress (the last one for June) that I need to get started. But that is for tomorrow. Then I pull out the July dresses, and I think there are at least 4 of them.  But June will be over and that is the busiest month of the year.

On the Ollie front, we went out to pizza this weekend and I also made a 4 layer coconut cake for dessert.  He loved it.  The more I am with him the more we have in common. A lot of laughs usually due to something I have done or said. We agreed to keep seeing each other, so who knows.  I am just happy having someone to do things with.

I am so behind on yard work, mostly because I am afraid of snakes, and I have not even planted my garden. Hopefully I will get it in this weekend. We have such a long growing season here I am not worried about getting produce.

I just have to be brave and get out there.

What is happening at your places?

God is good

Kim

 

Tuesday, Hello, Hello!

 I was home late Monday but had Olivers kindergarten graduation yesterday so I left early and spent the day up at the University. He was cute as a bug.  Although I think these graduations are kind of silly.

Braunwyn is 6 months pregnant now and getting big!  She is so cute. She is naming the baby Lucy, so we are planning a Lucile Ball baby shower.

I had a wonderful, wonderful time on my trip the only thing that could have made it better was if my other two daughters were along.

We toured Fort Sumpter, and Fort Moultrie, so much history. Then spent three partial days at the beach where I got sunburned.  It was lovely.  Took horse and carriage rides, walked the batterie saw a planation. We shopped and ate the most wonderful food.  I had never had shrimp and grits and they are so good. Had the best 12-layer coconut cake ever. I am going to try and duplicate it.

Charleston is a walking city as the streets are very narrow, I seldom saw a pickup, like we have out west.  We put 14 -17 thousand steps on our fit bits a day.  Just so much to see.  The architecture on the older homes was so wonderful.  I highly recommend going there to site see. It was very expensive, but I think every place is that way now.

I had my echo cardiogram this morning, the had to run an IV as they could not see some things well, and it was started on top of my hand. (OUCH) then they injected something that causes your blood to thin, and I have to leave the bandage on for 6 hours. Great because I only have to work on bridal stuff today, they won't mind a little blood. I knew I had a wedding party coming in this week.  The bride is done but the bridesmaids dresses were delayed.  The wedding is Saturday and I have three pretty difficult alterations to get done on three dresses that did not fit at all.  Oh well I knew this was coming so I am prepared.

Then another mother of the bride came in with a dress where one sleeve would not go up her arm.  It was like a size 2 sleeve was put on a size 16 dress. She was frantic, but Sis and I just cut the sleeve out and we will make a double ruffle sleeve out of the hem we cut off, and she will be fine.  At least this wedding is not until the 27th.

I have several zippers to put in things also and my plan this week is to get all the zippers done and the bridal party and then call a couple of brides into fit.  I think I have one more bride dress for June and I will start on the next week. I need to pull all the July dresses and get those lined up and I think there are at least 4 of those.

Nathan found 2 more rattlesnakes while I was gone making that a total of 11 on the property. Way more than average. So, I started to call pest control companies, and no one does this anymore as the Mountain Rattlesnake is on the endangered species list, and it is hard to distinguish the kinds apart and they will not take responsibility and get fined.  Guess what if they are on my property I am killing them.  Which I can legally do. It's crazy. I am supposed to carefully look at markings on the head and nose to see if it is the right kind of snake.  I do believe the head and nose are where the teeth are and I really don't want a closeup look, so they will be meeting the end of my hoe.

Isn't life exciting? Well, it is here. 

I am off to get work done, I have a ton of laundry and then I will have a ton of ironing. I wear 100% cotton and mostly dresses or skirts in the summer.  Everything has to be ironed. It is a pain, but with the dry heat cotton is a must.

I missed you guys, catch me up if anything important happened to you while I was gone.

God is good

Kim