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