Service Dog - Zeke needs HELP

http://wendyusuallywanders.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/zeke-needs-your-help/

POURING cats and dogs - NOT just raining them

We went to bed last night to the sound of pouring rain and then right as Scott was leaving for work it started pouring rain again. It's absolutely amazing the amount of rain that has been coming down the past couple of days. I worry about Scott out on I-77 when the weather is like this because people won't slow down and with the curves in 77 to get you around Columbia there is ALWAYS someone that looses it and causes a major accident. He will call when he gets there safely I'm sure. I am hoping it lets up a bit about 8:30 when Greg has to leave for his job out by the Stadium also up 77.

I will be staying in today and sewing; best way to spend a nasty day. May do a bit of cleaning up as well. I really need to check on my plants that are out on the porch too. Not sure where I will house them for the winter - I'm thinking in the laundry room where the cats can't get into them.

Speaking of the two orange beasts - they have finally settled into the daily napping locations after a morning of scowling at one another. Tesla wouldn't let Nickie get a drink of water for the longest time and then would stand over him and scowl. HILARIOUS! Cats are a trip!

I haven't fed Amelia yet; when the rain lets up I will let her in the bonus room to eat her breakfast.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! A Package from Maine

I received THE MOST wonderful surprise in today's mail... a package from an online quilting friend; Lauraine in Maine. The package was like bright yellow sunshine on a cloudy day and then as I opened it up I found a Christmas papered lovely. It was all ready open on one side so I couldn't wait for Christmas - right? Inside... WOW! A lovely tote and a smaller bag that can be worn on a belt; 4 lovely coasters, tea, caramels, scissor keepers and a lovely crazy quilted heart to hang in my sewing room. I feel so special!

Housework Day!

I've designated Monday's as my "housework days" - deep clean kitchen and bathrooms, laundry, dust, sweep, mop and or vacuum. Just get the entire house cleaned up and fresh. And all the trash will be ready for Tuesday pick-up. YEAH! I'll print off a grocery sheet today so that as I go along I can check off the things I find we are nearly out of. Then when the grocery ads come tomorrow I can see whats on sale to make menus from. I'm getting back into the swing of being a homemaker again and cutting the budget back to match out income. We are staying cleaner, eating MUCH better and everyone is happier with me home... no additional stresses. Just cutting spending where ever possible which is in a LOT of areas... I read once to make a dollar you have to earn two dollars but to save one cost you nothing more. I like that idea.

My thoughts now are is if it isn't NEEDED - roof over head, basic clothing or food - I don't need to buy it and bring it home to add to the clutter. (we won't talk about my recent fabric purchase - that is a flat out ILLNESS with me and I take full blame). Besides fabric turns into quilts and clothes so it's not all luxury.

Well back to the house - it calls!

Not exactly as planned....

Well today did not go exactly as planned as I ended up hauling Robin around as she injured her ankle pretty good and has been on crutches. SO I went and picked her up and we went to both locations of Jo-Ann's here in the Columbia area (basically thats all of them in SC). I shopped the clearance section and the remnant bin and found a few more fabric pieces to add to my collection. I also got some Mccall's patterns while they were on sale for $1.99. I actually have 2 more pieces of fabric that are in the dryer - I wash all cottons that come through my door before they make their way into my stash. The kiddie prints will be made into light weight toddler sun-dresses. I'm planning to open an Etsy shop but want to have about 25 to 30 items ready to list before I set it up.





After our shopping Robin treated me to lunch at the Blue Cactus in 5-Points. It was VERY good and reasonably priced. Only draw back was we were in the heart of USC's student playground and we had to hear a girl say "like" about 100 times in her conversation. "You know it was LIKE... she really liked to say like.... like all the time." UGH!

Weird Movie Week

Yesterday I decided to watch another movie on Hulu and chose The Red Shoes Diary. Intense and FULL of sexuality; not to be watched when the children are home. Another one that I would not watch a second time. It was one of those... I'm not happy with this perfect relationship full of passion and love, I think I will totally screw him over and go for that guy I just fell against walking down the street. Why do people self destruct? What makes someone seek something more than they have; especially when where they are and who they are with seems so wonderful for them?

I'm taking a break from the movies today - I have too much to do for Christmas anyway.

It's FRIDAY! YEAH!

We are planning to be homebodies this weekend and not going or doing anything outside the home. Scott is ready for the peace and quiet. Greg has drill this weekend so it will be real quiet here during the day.

We've got a roof to patch around the chimney but it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so we'll see if we can make that happen before the rain starts again. Perhaps this evening when Scott gets home from work.

My current project is whipping my fanny as it requires me to cut a lot and my dining room table is just too low for cutting purposes. Perhaps I will take the time to clear off that fancy quilting table in my sewing room and see if it's height is any better. One day Scott says he will build me the perfect height table for me in my workshop. I can hardly wait. The plus side is the project is turning out even better than I had envisioned and after Christmas I will share photos of the things that I am making as I don't want to ruin Christmas for those that I am making things.

Last Night I watched "Divorcing Jack" on Hulu Movie - kinda creepy movie but held my interest so I guess it could be rated as "good". Not one that I will watch again though. They have a LOT of horror movies to choose from but I just can't go there at all - my mind takes the story plot and builds onto it in my sleep and scares me for days afterwards so I just skip those all together. I'm more a Comedy and Drama sort of person with a mix of Documentaries thrown in for good measure.

December 12th I will be going up to my Mom's for a cookie baking day with my sister's and sister-in-law's. Should make for a wonderful day. I'm going to mix up some refrigerator cookies the day before to get us started since we won't have time to chill dough in one day. I will take a camera to get pictures. I would love to have an apron made for each person mixing but will have to see if time allows for that.

Amelia barked most of last night; she didn't stop until Scott went out and told her to "Shut the H... Up!" I believe that sent her back under the shed for the night. Tonight I am going to drive around the neighborhood before I go to bed to see if maybe someone has some kind of Christmas display set up in the yard that is freaking her out. Either that or we have a Opossum trying to make it's way to our compost bin and she wants no part of that. Regardless of what it is she has to be quiet tonight as Scott woke up grouchy this morning. Time to get this day going.

Cards and a package ready to be mailed

I completed our Christmas cards this morning minus a yearly update letter. I decided to look forward and not back at this year. Hopefully next year will be full of lots of positives and happy times to share. I also got my package together for my quilting buddy in Maine as I got her as a swap partner in our little online Christmas swap. I hope that she will enjoy her goodies that I am sending her way. In case she reads my blog I'm not going to post whats in the package - don't want to ruin her surprise. I will go over to the post office later in the day after the lunch rush.

In the mean time I will set my sewing machine up and get started on the sewing I had planned to do yesterday before the whole trip to the vet.

Merry Christmas - our trees are up

We have 2 small trees in our den; one for the 3 humans and 1 for the cats and dog - although the cat tree only has one dog ornament. I'll be adding to the gift pile over the next couple days. I got a bit side tracked today with a trip to the vet for Nick as he has some pretty bad bites on his right front leg from the black and white cat from up the street. The vet cleaned them up and gave him a shot of antibiotics. The cat in the picture by the tree is Tesla who is pouting at my feet at the moment because Nick has taken over the chair and we told him to leave Nick alone since he is recovering - can you tell our animals are treated like children.

Super Easy Fudge!

Microwave Fudge

3 2/3 cups 10x sugar
½ cup cocoa
¼ cup milk
½ cup butter
1 Tbls. Vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans, opt.

Combine and cook 10x sugar, cocoa, milk and butter
on high power until butter is melted, about 2 to 3
minutes. Stir until smooth. Blend in vanilla and
pecans. Spread into a buttered 8-inch square pan.
Cut into squares.

I can't remember where I found this recipe but it is super fast and easy. If you bought some small Christmas tins you could easily fill them with this fudge to give to co-workers or teachers.