Monday, March 28, 2005

WORRIED

I'm sitting here worried out of my mind because it's 10pm, a school night, and my senior student hasn't come home or called yet.

The drama dept at the HS had the UIL (University Interscholastic League) 1 act play competition today, and I expected her to be somewhat late, but not THIS late. We drove up to the HS around 8:30 and left a note on the car she drives to CALL HOME NOW. Also left messages at her teacher's home number and with the local civic theatre where she has been rehearsing several times a week.

I'm going to have a long long talk with this young adult when she finally gets home. Her dad and I provide a cell phone for her safety, and she either leaves it in the car (they're not supposed to have them on school campus) or doesn't turn it on. So what good is having one doing? She recently went to Dallas for a school function for a few days.. and never called to say they arrived. We had to call the hotel late the night of their arrival to verify that the group did arrive. Her excuse for not calling us when she got home? "I didn't know how to make a collect call"!!!! What is wrong with this child that she can't read directions in a phone book or ask an operator or a friend?????

As I type this her dad just came in the room and said she had called, they were just now leaving the restaurant in a town an hour away from here. So, she will be home around 11 or 11:30, if all goes well.

This has been a long long day. I finished the last of 4 more bridal purses for the mom & aunts of the bride, two in what I hope is a salmon pink ~two because I couldn't decide on what kind of beads~, one in royal navy with darker glass beads. Then when I was almost finished with the Navy blue one, I found out the sister it was destined for has decided now to wear Sage green. ACK. So finished the Navy one..and then being there was NO TIME to go shopping for some good thread.. I used some southmaid thread in a spruce color, with pale green "pearls". I just hope it's close enough to sage green to work out.

No time for pictures, I just packaged them up and mailed them with a note of explanation. If they want to use them fine.. if not fine.

While that was going on, the plumber/field line man showed up. I've been having trouble with the grease trap for 2 years.. ever since I started teaching the kids how to cook. Little did I know that when I told them to drain the hamburger.. they were draining it straight down the sink instead of into a bowl to throw out later. $1500.00 later, we've got a new field line, but they still have to pump the grease trap. Seems my contractor poured a cement slab over it when they were making my patio some 13 years ago. I remember them putting a cap on the grease trap then.. and I remember being worried about what would happen if it needed pumping.. but the contractor was.. dont worry, we can just crack the cement... well joy joy.. it's not quite as easy as he made it sound. Live and learn I guess.

Oh, and the field line man had to take down part of our chainlink fence to get his backhoe in.. and we have a dog that is psychotic...and attacks our little dog, so we're having to deal with that too. Can't let them outside at the same time. Seriously, the big dog wants to kill the little one.

I think I need a stiff drink. As soon as the kid who's giving me all the grey hair comes home, I just might have one.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Jessica Marie Lunsford



If you live in Florida, and are a registered voter, please take a moment and click on the banner, or manually go to www.ProtectFloridaChildren.com and download, print and sign the petition.

Please help prevent what happened to Jessie from ever happening again. Thank you.

For more information, visit www.JessicaMarieLunsford.com

Posted by Hello
P.S. You may have seen some online petitions regarding this issue, those are not authorized by the Lunsford family.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Here comes the Bride (well, the purse anyways)


Here's the purse I made for my niece. This is cebelia thread and 4mm pearls. The pearls are crocheted in place. The pattern calls for them to be sewn on. Not this chickie.. LOL. So, on the next attempt, I threaded the "pearls" onto the Cebelia before starting the purse, and devised a way to incorporate them into the purse as I went. It worked beautifully, see below.

And here's everything I made. There's one purse with pearls (as above) One without pearls but Krenik blending fiber is worked with the Cebelia (this is the one without the drawstrings). The purple one is worked with Cebelia and variegated quilting thread held together, with pearls crocheted in place. I never tried using quilting thread before.. I quite like it. I'm keeping the purple one for myself.

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, we were trying hard to get these in the mail, and I didn't double check what my daughter had taken first. The wedding is April 2 and we were mailing these on March 18.. yikes!!

I just finished another little bag (no pics yet) with Cebelia, quilting thread, and silver DMC metallic embroidery thread [the kind that comes on a spool]. It's stiffer because of the metallic thread, but nice. I may try to sell it on eBay as a prom/special occassion bag.

Also included are a garter and two different sizes of Lucky Pennies (one made with size 6 [1.80mm] hook and the other with size 1 [2.75mm] hook). I left them unfinished because I can't find a penny with the right year. I will let the mom of the bride take care of that detail (or the bride, or one of the other aunts.. there's a ton of us).

~~~~I made two of the LP holders because when I made the first one with the size 6 hook, I looked at it and thought "there's NO WAY I can get a penny into that", so away I went with my size 1 hook. Hahaha.. turns out I COULD get a penny into it. I have no current need for a lucky penny holder, so I sent them both to the brides mom and she can decide what to do with the extra. If I find I need one, they don't take long to make up.~~~~

Please excuse the loose ends. Normally I finish things completely, but this wedding is 1000 miles away from me, I can't go (boooohooo) so I'm leaving things to where the bride or seamstress (the brides other aunt) can finish things to their liking. I'm considering making little bags/purses for the 3 aunts of the bride.. but doubt if I will have time to do so. Oh well, less stress for me that way.Posted by Hello

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Late Birthday Gifts


I've been big on handwarmers lately, made this set for my eldest sister. The bag is from CrochetMe's latest issue.

And this is what I made for youngest sister, who is into doing some historical recreation. The pattern for the bag is from Michaels, it's the blue cotillion purse, only I only went 6 or 7 rounds on the base, instead of 10.

And here are matching mesh mitts to go with the bag. I made these from the basic handwarmer pattern posted on this blog, but used thread and dc. They're modeled by my teenage daughter.. hopefully they won't be so loose on my sister. Posted by Hello

Friday, March 18, 2005

Sick today

I wanted to post some pictures today, show everyone why I haven't posted in a month, but I really don't feel very good. I will try to get the pictures up, no promises though.

I've finished birthday presents for two sisters, and a brides purse, lucky penny holders and a garter for a niece who is getting married in early april. Almost have a shawl of my own design finished, did finish a reverse Sierpinski shawl... along with keeping up with my AngelsForHope projects.

One of our dogs had a seizure yesterday too, so I'm having to deal with that... and my senior daughter keeps waiting till the last minute to mail applications for programs that she wants to get into at FSU, and that is driving me batty.

Sorry about the delay. I'll try to get better and do better soon.