Demise of a lawn mower!~

OK... we've owned the mower we currently own for about 20 years and Scott has fixed and repaired it and kept it up for this long but it has finally reached that stage where I think we ought to let it go and buy a new one. Not sure if Scott is ready to give up that easily. Right now the lawn needs to be mowed REALLY bad and I'm not touching that mower again! My shoulder aches from trying to get it started this morning. I'm off today and figured that it would be the perfect time to at least mow... FORGET IT! Too much aggravation at this point. I'll come in and sew instead... at least my sewing machine works!

PUUURRRRRLLY CATatonic

This is a picture of my son's cat... "LITTLE NICKY"!
Lately he has been living up to his name and has been starting fights and beating up my cat, Mr. Tesla. He trys to start things with Tara but she makes enough nasty sounds to persuade him he ought to go elsewhere.

Oh how I wish I could get this comfortable and relaxed! Everyone says... don't sweat the small stuff; but how are you supposed to do that when everyday holds so many little things that it's down right overwhelming. I'll survive it all but sometimes I wonder how.

New Beginnings

Last Friday my Manager turned in her keys and now it's me pretty much running the show and that is SCAREY! I'm trying to get a bunch of stuff accomplished before Tim's (District Managers) next visit which is next Monday I believe. So much to complete and so little time and the freight needs to move faster out of the stock room as well. Today was supposed to be my day off but I'm going in to open boxes and complete some planograms. I just so want the store looking GOOD before he visits.

We will be getting a new manager the first week of August and I am going to try my hand at interviewing Wednesday and Thursday. Should be interesting; another manager from the Wilmington, NC store will be coming down to help me again; he was there yesterday and cleaned up the office for me which was wonderful as I don't know what to keep and what to pitch just yet. I feel like I'm having to learn 2 years worth of information in just a couple of weeks and it can get mind boggling. I will survive and learn from whomever comes in the store to help me during this transition time.

HANG ONTO YOUR HATS!

Nathalie's Noel wall hanging project

I've started a project called "Nathalies Noel" on the IFQ website and thought I'd share a photo of the first 4 blocks.

Crazy Quilt Round Robin

Charly's block with my additions.
MY STARTER BLOCK!

I'm currently involved in a round robin in which I help 5 other people decorate their block as they are mailed and past between the 6 participants. I started a block and sent it to Arizona and I will send on the other 5 blocks as I finish adding my embellishments.

Pretties from our yard

I brought a piece of the hydrangea from our other home in 1996 and have started several more plants from that transplant over the years and shared them with family and friends. The day lilies were a gift from a lady that used to live up the street from us when we first moved over here.

4th of July

Nothing special planned; we made hot dogs and chili, pork and beans and corn from our little garden for lunch. I also made a yummy cake with pudding and strawberries between the layers. Scott would have rather had a pie but I wanted to try out this recipe I found in a women's magazine. It's been too hot to do much of anything outside close to 100 degrees.
Scott is healing well and will be going back to the Dr on friday to have him check it out and to remove the one big stitch holding it together. At least thats what I am hoping as that stitch is causing him the most discomfort.
Greg mowed Gypsye's lawn today and is now resting as the heat exhausted him. We are definitely going to miss them when they all get moved to NYC next month. I won't have a friend to go out to lunch with or to scope out thrift stores and antique malls with anymore. Perhaps once Scott and I get moved up to the 10 acres I will find a new friend thats into the same fun stuff that I am to do those things with and to craft with as well. I'm still not sure I will keep the job I have once we move up there as it would be a LONG drive everyday. I guess only time will tell.

NEW BELLY BUTTON

I know this picture is kinda gross but it's Scott's new belly button and we are happy to have it in our lives. Hopefully once it's healed from this surgery he will be able to work without causing himself pain on our ten acres; at least in his belly area. I'm sure we will both have aches and pains in arms, legs and backs with everything we have planned to do. Building a small cabin and then putting in a garden and then building a Deltec home. But first we have to get this place ready to sell.Lots of painting and small and large repairs and updates... lots of WORK!