Santa's Coming!

Wow.  I'm really behind on posting.  Been busy the last few weeks, working on Christmas presents.  I love this time of year.  Sunday, our Dialysis Support Group had their Christmas party.  Lots of food, then everyone sat around in the lobby and sang Christmas songs.  It was a lot of fun.  Then my mother, sister and I went to the Living Nativity one of the churches had.  It was really great.  They went to great lengths to make it authentic.  They were all dressed in period costumes, and they welcomed you to Bethlehem.  They had markets, carpenters, musicians, and animals.....the live camel made the whole trip worthwhile!  Here's a picture of him.

Sorry it's blurry.  For some reason my camera was acting up.  It's supposed to take care of shakey hands while snapping the picture.  Anyway, he was WAY cool :)

When we went past the Inn, the Innkeepers were outside and I asked if they had a room.  They said no, they were sorry, no rooms. In fact, they'd had to send a young couple to the stable.  And of course, Mary and Joseph were in the stable with the baby Jesus.  There were young girls dressed as angels with these big filmy wings they were slowly waving.  It was the best living nativity I've ever been to.

So I've been doing a lot of embroidery.  I'll post pictures after Christmas since what I'm embroidering are gifts :D  I've also been playing a lot with the Cameo, making Christmas cards and assorted Christmas thingies, like a scrolly tree you put a battery operated tea light under.  It's way cute :)

Let me tell you about Fuzz E. Butt.  She is a 3 month old kitten and she is......fuzzy :)  Her siblings are just regular ole shorthairs, but Fuzz has luxurious long soft fluffy hair.  So the other day, we open a can of tuna in oil, and decide to dribble the oil into the kitties' bowl, over their crunchies.  Just as the oil starts flowing, Fuzz E. runs in and sticks her head under the oil, coating her head and neck.  To add insult to the injury of being doused in tuna oil, the other kitties decide she smells SO enticing and start licking her.  She tried to get away but they kept following her.  Poor Fuzz!  So I'm thinking, oh great, I have to bathe a CAT.  But miraculously, she was really good.  She didn't squirm or try to get away or scratch me or anything, so we got her all cleaned up and she's mostly back to normal.  I don't think she'll get over the nearly cannibalistic actions of her fellow cats.

So that's basically what's been going on with me.  I haven't even had time to check on the orcs and trolls!  They've probably taken total control by now!

Til later,
Morado

 

Christmas time's a-comin'

Ah, December.  Wonderful, hectic, crazy December.  Time for Santas and snowmen, tinsel and lights. I LOVE Christmas lights.  The more, the better.  Can't be too many for me.  I can hardly wait to go looking at Christmas lights the week before Christmas.  I just love all the colors and the festival feeling.  So I'm about done with Christmas presents.  Got a couple more to make, and then I'll be totally done.  Then comes the wrapping part.  I can sit in the same spot and not move and lose the scissors, then the tape, then the name tags.  All the while singing along to Christmas music and sipping a holiday beverage.

Last week was sort of rough.  Kidney disease causes a lot of problems, including bone loss.  In your jaw (as well as other places). So I went to the dentist and they showed me the xrays.  It's a wonder any of my teeth were still in!!  Talk about bone loss!!!  Thanks, kidney (I was born with just one), really appreciate this.  Anyyyyway, the best thing to do was remove them (!!!!!!!!!) and get dentures.  So here I sit with a now sparkling smile.  Actually, I think I'm doing really well.  I can eat pretty well, and I no longer sound like a drunk clown with a speech impediment.  I'm wearing 'healing dentures' and after my gums heal and finish shrinking (wish my belly would do that!!) I will be fitted with permanent ones.  So an even more sparkling smile then!  However, having dentures was not something that was on my bucket list.  I think somebody took my list and changed it!  Thief!  But, as with all things, ya gotta roll with the punches.

Today we took the little kittens to the vet. They all have an upper respiratory infection.  Poor babies had to get shots and we have to give them pills, too.  They were funny, though.  We had all 3 of them in one carrier and when the vet would finish giving each one their shot, they zoomed back into the carrier. Then when we got home, I had to drag Peanut out.  She wanted to stay in it.  But they're all out now and taking naps.   Here's Peanut and Jack playing.

So that's pretty much all that's going on around here.  I'm gonna fire up the embroidery machine in a few minutes and finish up a couple of projects.

I haven't checked on the orcs and trolls in a few days. I better do that.

Til later,
Morado

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day.  I sure did :)

We went to my aunt and uncle's.  Me, my mother and sister, my aunt and uncle, their children, their children's children and their children's children's children. Confused yet? :) Ok, aunt & uncle, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren :)  Ok, the more I look at the word 'children', the more wrong it looks. Dontcha just hate that?

Back to Thanksgiving.  Turkey, ham, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, copper pennies, pineapple dressing, cornbread stuffing, butterbeans, harvard beets, turnip greens (gag), broccoli casserole, another broccoli dish, sweet potato casserole.  Let us not forget the PINEAPPLE cake (YUM), coconut cake, lemon pie and pecan pie.  It was a feast deluxe.  Then it was time to sit around and talk, telling tales of gatherings of the past, parents telling stories of the funny things we did as kids.  It was a most wonderful day.

Yesterday I had to go to dialysis, but it went well.  I sat next to my favorite other patient there, and we chatted in between naps :)

Today, my mother, my sister and a friend, and I went to Forest, VA, to the Virginia Candle Company outlet store.  OUTLET STORE!!  BARGAINS!  I did keep myself sort of under control, though.  I only got 9 candles (I think) but oh such yummy smells.  I was like a kangaroo on speed bouncing around the store.  Smell this one! No, this one!  OOOohhh, how about THIS one!  Then we went to Bedford, VA, and had lunch in the old train station. I had a wonderful greek steak salad.  Romaine lettuce, red onions, black olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper strips, feta cheese and strips of rare steak, in a poppy seed dressing.  It was wonderful.  And dessert - red velvet cheesecake.  It was SO yummy.  Then off to find a little country store we ran across last year just by accident.  They have homemade fried apples pies.  They are to DIE for.  So we loaded up on pies, peach bread, hoop cheese, apples, and scuppernong cider.  It was a great day.

I've really been giving the Cameo a workout.  I've made tons of cards and a couple of boxes and a luminary.  I've also been working out the embroidery machine.  I've made these:



They are SO cute.  Made of felt, they fit over a battery operated tealight.  They are adorable.

So that's pretty much been my week. I won't get into the argument I had with my nephrologist.  Ya gotta be your own advocate for your health.  Thank the good Lord above my dialysis nurses are the wonderful women they are. I just love them. They were up at the top of my 'thankful' list this Thanksgiving.

So keep on keeping on, fight the good fight, craft your butt off, and don't forget to eat dessert first :D

Til later,
Morado

YAYYYYYYY

My Silhouette Cameo got here Friday night!  I unpacked it to make sure everything was in the box, but being as Friday was a dialysis day,  I didn't set it up.  Bur bright and early yesterday morning (I normally don't do bright and early!) I installed the software and got it set up. I am having SO much fun with it.  Well, I am now.  The mat you put your paper on to feed into the machine is sticky, which makes sense.  Don't want your paper sliding around while the machine's cutting.  But let me tell you, when you first use the mat, it's sticky like you wouldn't believe. I mean the paper STICKS.  Permanently it seems when you're trying to get it off.  But I persevered and now it's jussssssssst right.  So NOW I'm having fun. So far I've made some cards and a little bag.  I used to do all the cutting by hand and my hand would cramp from holding the scissors so long. No more. I actually look like I know what I'm doing now!  Thanks for my early Christmas present, Mama!! Love you lots :)

It's gonna be busy around here for the rest of the month.  Tuesday my sister and I are going to get our hair done, then out to lunch and SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!  Thursday we are taking an elderly friend to the dentist, and having lunch out again.  Of course, Monday, Wednesday and Friday are dialysis days.  Except for the week of Thanksgiving, when I have to go Sunday, Tuesday and Friday.  We are spending Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle and cousins.  I'm so looking forward to the huge feast I know we'll have and to spending time with family. Saturday after Thanksgiving is a trip to Virginia Candle Company's outlet store.  Woohoo, candles! The next week I have a dreaded dental appointment, which I'm sure will take me weeks to get over.  I so hate dental appointments.  The week after that, it will be December, which means Santa will start packing the sleigh and browbeating the elves.

Let's talk food.  Tonight I'm making a 'made up by me' pork chop dish. I'm going to braise my pork chops, then add a can of Progresso Meal Starters, portabella mushroom flavor and I think I will add a little Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Savory Garlic.  I'll let you know how they turn out!  I'm going to make Pineapple Dressing to take to my aunt's for Thanksgiving. If you like pineapple and haven't tried this side dish, you should!  It's soooooo yummy.  Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup margarine 1 cup white sugar 4 eggs

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 5 slices white bread, cubed

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch baking pan.
2.	In a mixing bowl, cream margarine and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the pineapple and bread cubes.
3.	Bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Let sit a few minutes to firm up before serving

And there you have it, easy and oh-so-yummy.

I hear the Cameo calling me. I must obey.

Til later,
Morado

Bummer

WELL......I was all atwitter with the anticipation of my Silhouette Cameo being delivered today.  Now it's scheduled for Saturday.  WAH WAH WAH.  And no, I don't need any cheese to go with my whine.  I'd rather whine :)  Although some nice brie with cranberries and walnuts would be rather tasty.

However, the delay in the Cameo gives me time to do some embroidery.  So I've got the machine set up and ready to go and I'm working on some designs.  I do love to hear the machine working.  And there's something so satisfying about seeing a blank piece of fabric coming to life with strategically placed thread.  It pretty well rocks :)

I've been playing a little with my clay.  Haven't made anything yet.  Just getting used to the feel of the clay and how much pressure to use to make shapes and stuff like that.  But I have several things in mind I want to attempt to sculpt.  Maybe I'll fit them somewhere in that 4000 years I'll need to do everything I want to :)

Yesterday was not a good day at Funtown.  My legs cramped - big ouchies. And every time I'd stand up, my blood pressure would plummet.  I looked like a yo-yo hopping up and down from the chair.  Not even one of those sparkly yo-yo's, just a plain one.  That the only thing you can do with it is go up and down.  No walking the dog or other fun party tricks.  Then we had our support group meeting.  I think the support group is a GREAT idea. I just wish more patients came to it.  The ones that in my opinion really need the support are the ones that don't come.  They cut their sessions short (sometimes WAY short).  There have been some times I've gotten off the machine early, but I do try to stay my full treatment.  HELLO, I'm not ready to go meet Jesus and God and Elvis in person yet.

Anyway, on to more fun things.  Tonight is taco night! I haven't made tacos in forever.  Maybe I should wear a sombrero and pancho to get me in the mood.  And I need a mariachi band!  Ooooh and those half gallon margaritas!!!!  Party time!  Ok, it's really just gonna be homemade tacos and watching the Food Network while I eat.  But there's mariachi music in my head!  Ayyyyyyy-yiiiiiii-yi-yiiiiiiiiii!

Ok, gotta go work on embroidery designs.  And perhaps a quick check on the orcs.  I thought I heard them whispering about some sort of world takeover.  I better go stop that.

Til later,
Morado

Sunday Speculation

Greetings and salutations :)  Ah, Sunday. Lazy Sunday.   Except today hasn't been TOO lazy.  Ok, kinda lazy.

So what am I speculating about?  WELL......I am getting a Silhouette Cameo and I can hardly wait. I already have tons of projects in mind.  First I have to find a place for it to live.  I'm thinking the craft table will likely be its home.  Poor craft table.  It's so loaded already.  Well, heck, what's one more machine on it!?  Wonder if I should reinforce the legs?  I could be the Norm Abram of our town!  Wait, I don't have a Rhode Island accent.  Ok, scratch that.  Maybe I'll be that guy who used to come on public TV that used no power tools. Did everything by hand. Went out in the woods to find old trees and limbs to make stuff from.  Ok, scratch THAT, too.  Guess I won't be a carpenter :)

Moving on.  Second line of speculation.  My niece and her little boy will be with us for Christmas.  YAY.  Usually she has to work (she is a nurse) so we don't get to see them til a few weeks after Christmas. So Christmas will be extra fun this year.  Got our little Buckeroo some sports equipment he wanted, and a few other things.

Speaking of Christmas, I am over halfway done with my Christmas shopping already! I can't believe it.  I do have some things I want to make, so gotta get busy on those.  I don't want to making stuff on Christmas eve, acting like an elf on speed.  Besides, I hate those little pointy shoes, so I better get busy. :)

So who's into  Pinterest?  I swear, I'll have to live about 4,000 years to cook and make everything I've pinned.  And I'd have to spend two lifetimes' worth of wages to buy all the ingredients and materials.  Perhaps I should cut my list down a tad.  But there are so many neat things on Pinterest.  Of course, I only spend 5 or 10 minutes looking at it.  HAHAHAHA  Ok, even I can't keep a straight face with that one :)

I've been doing a lot of paper crafting lately.  I've really gotten into tea bag folding.  So I have a ton of the little flowers made and nothing else done with them.  BUT, once I get the Silhouette, look out!  Cards, cards and more cards.  Which I hope to sell on Etsy.  Along with a ton of other stuff.  Here's one thing I'd really like to make.  I think they are so adorable.

Aren't they cute!?  The wings fold open and you store your needles there.  Great idea!  Maybe I'll see about making up a pattern this week.

Well, I guess that's it for today.  Time to check on the trolls.  They get into so much trouble if you leave them alone too long.

Til later,

Morado

Man, where o where does the time go?  It's been a week since I posted!

My big news of the day is that I finally got my blog pages links working, thanks to Helen!  Thanks bunches, my friend!

This weekend was great.  Saturday was my mother's birthday, and she wanted to go to Floyd, VA, to visit a friend, and to see the leaves.  We drove part the way on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was SO pretty.  ANDDDDDDDDDDD........a trip to Floyd HAS to include a stop at Schoolhouse Fabrics.  It really is an old three story schoolhouse which now houses fabric and notions on all three floors.  Can you say heaven??  I did manage to contain myself (to a degree) but I got a gorgeous 12 pack of Christmas fat quarters, several other pieces of Christmas fabric, and a stack of regular fabric.  The ole sewing machine will be humming away soon :)  I'll post pictures as I get projects done.

Funtown has been pretty good in the last week.  No problems.  YAY! But my favorite nurse, Carol, has been on vacation, so I haven't had anyone to talk crafting with while I sit there hooked up to my machine.  But I think she's been having a great time on her vacation.  I'm glad she did, but hurry up and get back to work, Carol!

Wow......it's 1 A.M. and I have to go to Funtown in the morning.  Guess I better get my butt in the bed!  Good thing I already took care of the orcs and trolls tonight!

Til later,
Morado

Happy Tuesday

Wow, been too long since I posted.  My bad.

Let me fill you in on the weekend.  There's a little town not far from where I live (in fact it's the town I go to for dialysis) and there is a Masonic Home for Children there.  This past weekend they had their Homecoming.  A Shriners parade, a BBQ cookoff, and musical entertainment.  Well, in the South we are very picky about our BBQ.  Especially those of us who grew up with North Carolina BBQ.  Nothing else like it anywhere.  It's da bomb!  As we walked up to the grounds to get a good spot for the parade, the smell of all that bbq and ribs and chicken cooking was enough to make you slap your grandma.  I mean it smelled GOOD.

The parade was fun.  Shriners in their costumes, driving their little vehicles.  I was missing my brother in law. He was a Shriner and he had one of the little mini-rigs.  But I bet he was watching from upstairs :)  All was well until this one car came by with a hillbilly on it, who had a gun. Which he proceeded to fire.  Right in front of me.  Made me jump.  If I didn't have kidney failure I probably would have wet my pants.

It was a bit chilly with the wind blowing, so after the parade we went back to the car to warm up for a bit.  Then it was time to eat!!!  MMMMMM MMMMMM.  It was an all you can eat deal.  WOOHOO!  I had 3 different kinds of bbq, 2 different kinds of ribs, a piece of bbq chicken, and a piece of fried chicken.  Well, not all at one time. I brought some of it home for dinner and it was still yummy then.

THEN, time for the music.  While they were setting up the stage, I wandered over to the table where they were selling CDs.  There was a guy there...white hair, white moustache and beard, wearing sunglasses.  I heard him talking and thought 'wow, he sounds like T. Graham Brown', but the last time I had see him, he's been real heavy and this guy wasn't.  So I went back to our seats and pointed him out to my sister and said 'I think that's T. Graham Brown'.  Well, sure enough, it was.  He was really looking good and he sounded even better.  He hasn't lost a THING with his voice.  I mean he belted those songs out.  I was right on the front 'row' and got some good pictures of him.  He sang for about an hour and a half, and then said he'd sign autographs.  I hustled over to the table and he was so NICE.  Very friendly and personable.  I was like a 15 year old meeting a celebrity for the first time.  I was grinning like a possum.  I got to talk to him for a couple of minutes, got an autograph, AND my picture taken with him.  Awesome!!  But it really was a great time.  So support your local Masons and Shriners.  They do great things :)

So that's been my excitement for the week.  Now I'm looking forward to the weekend.  We're going to Floyd, VA, to Schoolhouse Fabrics.  A 3 story former school now FILLED with fabrics and notions.  OMG.  I don't know if I can contain myself :)

I better go check on the trolls.  I'm sure they're out of control by now.

Til later,
Morado

Laid-back Thursday

Wow, another week almost gone.  Fortunately I'm feeling better, and dialysis has gone great so far this week.  Yay!

Now that I feel better, I've got to finish getting my room back in order.  That means moving the machines back to their living space and trying to organize my crafty and sewing supplies.  Woe unto me.  I am so not an organized person. Never have been, never will be.  Doesn't bother me most of the time but occasionally I get that wild 'I'm gonna get organized!' thing.  Fortunately, I'm usually able to beat it into unconsciousness and go on with my day :)

I've been crocheting.  Still working on the spiderman web blanket and making crocheted snowflakes to put into my Etsy shop, which I hope to open this weekend.  I'm seriously thinking of making some clay snowflakes as well.  I've seen a few that were pretty neat and I think I can improve on the designs a bit.  Conceited, aren't I?!

I'm also thinking of offering my free standing lace embroidered coasters for sale in the shop.  What do you think?

 There are 6 in the set.  Watermelon, cherry, grapes, pineapple, strawberry and orange.  What do you think?

The kittens are growing daily. There's one we have named Fuzz E. Butt.  He's rather fluffy, but with all the rain we've had, he's having terrible hair days.  Hmmmm.  Maybe we should rename him Don King.

Well, I thought the organizing bug would be gone by now, but it's still hanging around, so I guess I should go at least put the embroidery machine back on the table.

And I've got to check on the orcs and trolls.

Til later,
Morado

Ugh

Sorry I haven't posted.  I have been sick since Tuesday about 5 PM. My tummy is very unhappy and that's enough said about that.

Let me tell you about this past weekend.  My sister stayed with me while our mother was in Florida visiting friends. Things went well; we got a lot of stuff done, including rearranging my room.  Lemme tell ya, that was NO picnic.  You see, the kitty pulled down the curtain over the window behind my desk.  BEHIND the desk.  The only way to get to the window was to move the desk.  Did I mention my crafting table was up against my desk?  So, had to move the serger, the sewing machine and the embroidery machine off the table, then all the assorted crap also on the table, not to mention the stuff that was stored beneath the table.  Then had to unload the desk.  So now it looks like a whirlwind has been through.  Twice.   At least.  Ok, we get the desk moved and it's really really wobbly, so I get down in the floor under it and discover that some of the screws to hold it together are missing.  Now to go find a screwdriver and screws.  Found.  Back under the table. Hmmmmmm the electric screwdriver doesn't seem to be screwing the screw in.  Go find a rachet screwdriver. Success!!  Then to get the stepladder behind the desk and get the curtain back up.  YAY.  NOW let's move all this stuff back.  Well, we got the desk moved back and the sewing/crafting table moved back, and got the stuff back in/on the desk (more neatly organized this time, I might add). However, all the machines are still on the other side of the room along with the assorted crap to go on the table.  Fast forward  to Tuesday when we go to the airport to pick up the Mumster and have lunch at Red Robin.  Tuesday evening, said tummy starts acting up. Uh oh.

Now let me tell you about Saturday night.  I go out on the porch to give the kitties their bedtime snack, and they're munching away, and I sat down to watch the baby kittens in their box.  Suddenly I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked and there is a SKUNK coming up on the porch.  I was going OH my God OH my God OH my God!  Who expects a skunk to show up? Especially in such a brazen manner.  You've never seen a fat girl move so fast in your life.  I swear I had spring in my underwear and wings on my feet.  I flew inside.  The skunk meanwhile moseys over to the kitties' bowl and proceed to help himself.  One of the half grown cats takes exception to this and smacks the skunk, who responds by raising his tail and making it really bushy.  He lowered his tail after a few seconds and another cat takes a swipe at him.  POOF, tail up and bushy again.  It was at this point that I just shut the door and went back into my room.

So between skunk fright and tummy troubles, I've done nothing this week.  Sure hope I feel better tomorrow.

I haven't even checked on the orcs and trolls. I bet they're taken over by now.

Til later,
Morado

Start of a new week

Here we are, Monday already.  Today was D Day, of course.  I seem to have slept through a lot of it for some reason.  Ok, I always sleep SOME during treatment but I seemed to sleep though MOST of it today.  Then my BP dropped.  I so hate that.  Regular dialysis just makes me a bit tired but when my BP drops, I feel totally wrung out.  Not a fun feeling.

Tonight was the premier of Dancing With The Stars All Stars.  I don't know yet who I'm going to pull for.  I really like Mark Ballas for the pros but I'm not real crazy about Bristol Palin. I think they could have given Mark a better partner.  And they gave Tristan McManus Pamela Anderson as a partner! WHAT were they thinking.  I'm afraid Tristan will be gone tomorrow night after the first elimination.

I have to give the lowdown about my weekend but it will have to wait until tomorrow when I feel better.  Helen and I are making progress, though, with our business plans.  We have a website and Bob is working on that for us.  We've got several of the graphics made up and I think we're making great progress.

And now, I'm going to fall into my bed with a bag of Cheetos with the remote and drift off to sleep to the sounds of The Golden Girls.

Til later,
Morado

Insert creative title here

Good evening, fellow babies! (Anybody remember Dr. Johnny Fever from WKRP In Cincinnati?)  Today was Funtown day and it went well.  Except apparently my blood pressure dropped while I was asleep. Excitement at Funtown today - we had a fire drill.  Complete with setting off the alarm.  The best part, the alarm scared the crap of the doctor and she jumped about 4 feet straight up.  Actually, the best part of Funtown is chatting with Carol, talking about our crafts and whatever else crosses our minds.  She's dying flour sack towels and they are turning out beautifully.  I'd like to do that, too, but I've got plenty on my plate crafting-wise at the moment.

I'm not feeling real creative tonight but I promised myself I will at least post every other day.  So I'm already behind cause I haven't posted since Sunday.  Sigh.  I can think of all kinds of things I want to say when I'm not at the computer but when I sit in front of it, sometimes my mind is so blank I can hear the wind whistling through my ears.  No, really, it's like Death Valley in my head sometimes.  Kinda scary, actually.

Well, let me tell you about my trip to Michael's.  The day started with having to get up at 6 AM.  Those who know me, know that I am NOT a morning person in any shape, form or fashion.  In fact, left to my own devices, I would likely be going TO bed, not getting up at 6.  Anyway, my sister and I took our mother and a friend of hers to the airport, where they set to FL to visit friends.  Then Chick-Fil-A for chicken minis for breakfast.  Heaven in your mouth.  Little bite sized pieces of fried chicken wrapped in mini yeast rolls.  Way yummy.  We stopped at Goodwill to look for re- and up-cyclable stuff  but alas we left empty handed.  On to Kohl's where we scored some good deals. Yay! Christmas shopping started already!   Finally, Michael's. We went to a different store than we usually go to, so nothing was where I was used to it being.  Add to that the fact that they are starting to stock Christmas stuff.  The aisles were full of boxes and 'stuff' and employees taking down displays, putting up displays, and generally getting in the way of my shopping :)  I could kick myself, though. I specially wanted to get clay crafting tools, and a couple of punches.  What were the two things I DIDN'T get??  You got it.  Man, memory loss sucks.  So.um....what I was talking about? :D  We ended the day with a late lunch at El Dorado where I had an excellent Taco Salad.

So my sister made me a surprise today (Carol, if you're reading this, skip this part :D) She made Impossible Brownie Pie.  It was way yum.  We decided next time she makes it, she'll put nuts in it.  Tomorrow I'm going to make Cincinnati Chili for dinner.  Pasta, chili, cheese, onions and mushrooms.  Can hardly wait!  Probably gonna have to have some garlic bread, too.

Hmmmmmm I wonder how the orcs and trolls are doing without me.  I probably should go check on them. I'm sure one or two needs a good butt-kicking to end my day.

Til later,
Morado

Soggy Sunday

Blissful Sunday.  Well, that's what it's SUPPOSED to be.  Unless you include a trip to Walmart.  When it's raining.  I'm tellin' ya, NASCAR drivers can't get in the pits any faster than people trying to park by the door at Walmart in the rain.  You need an air traffic controller to help you navigate a Walmart parking lot.  And of course, the person who gets the first prime parking space is about 18.  They hop out of the car and skip to the door in between the raindrops so they don't get wet.  Unlike us *ahem* more mature people who have to unfold to get out of the car and don't get up to speed for at least 30 yards.  Then you realize they have parked in a handicapped spot!  You get ready to leave a nasty note on their windshield when you realize there is one of those handicapped plaques dangling from the rearview mirror.  In fact, it's still swinging from the momentum of them blasting into the parking space at the speed of light.  You KNOW it belongs to Granny or Aunt Hortense, not that nauseating 103 pound stick that just went tripping in the store.  They're so much faster than you that as you are going in the store, you see them going through the exit door with a full cart AND a drink from Subway.  I tell ya, it really pisses me off.

Then let's talk about actually SHOPPING in Walmart.  The first thing you hear is the lilting lullaby of a really mad kid who didn't get the whatever's-the-latest toy.  That first soft strain of music is joined by the crashing crescendo of a screaming mother who hasn't slept in 37 months, all building to a symphony that you rename the "Wall of Sound" (if you don't know what the Wall of Sound is, Google Phil Spector and skip over all the stories of his murder trial).  As you tool around the store, you enter the refrigerated section, or as I like to call it, Antarctica.  You need a Nepalese Sherpa's coat to just buy a Red Baron pizza, which you plan to eat in its entirety while wearing your jammies and watching 'You've Got Mail' for the 400th time. (Which sounds like a mighty fine way to spend an evening to me.)

You finish your shopping and head to the car, leaning heavily on the cart handle like you just finished the Boston Marathon.  You plan to carefully place your purchases so as not to mash the bread but it's still raining, so you sling the bags in the car like John Smoltz on the mound in a tied game with 3 on and 2 outs.
Finally, you're home.  Now you have to get all that crap out of the car into the house.  The cats help you by winding around your feet and competing to see who can trip you first and make you fall in a puddle.  

In my mind's eye, I see me in my jammies, with a hot pizza beside me, and Tom Hanks looking cute on the screen.  But first, just let me check Pinterest and Facebook, and I gotta see how the trolls and orcs are doing........I'll get back to ya tomorrow. :)

Til later,
Morado

Sunny Saturday

Happy Saturday!  Gotta love Saturdays. Lazy Saturdays. So far today, I got up.  I had breakfast. I turned on the Food Network.  I rearranged some skeins of yarn.  I petted the kitty.  I logged into WoW.   And it's noon already!  Yep, been a real productive day so far :) 

Ok, I have worked on my blog some, still trying to get it all set up.  This stuff can give ya a headache, but it is fun.  Helen's way far ahead of me on hers, but she's a bulldog.  Grabs hold of something and hangs on til it's done.  Me, I'm more like a shitzhu.  You know, funny looking hair, sits around being adorable.  

Soooooo, on today's to-do list maybe i will and maybe i won't get it done list is to work on the Spiderman web blanket, do some paper crafting and work on the blog.  Oh who am I kidding.  It's a play WoW til my eyes bug out and eat junk food day.  Ok, ok, I'll open up some time to cruise Pinterest and pin tons of things I'll never do.  But a girl can dream!  

OH! Michael's trip on Tuesday with my sister (perhaps a stop at Cold Stone Creamery may be arranged, too).  Yay! Already got my 20% off entire purchase (including sale items!!!) coupon printed out, plus Tuesday is AARP day.  Another 10% off.  Woohoo.  Got my list made of things I want to get AND I cleaned off the crafting table in anticipation of making oodles of goodies.  Speaking of Michael's, have you seen any of those YouTube videos of people showing what they bought at Michael's?  Why waste time making a video showing unknown people what you bought at Michael's when you could be USING the stuff you bought?   Now, I'm all for wasting time, but even that's a bit much for me.  I watched two of those videos.  The first one I watched cause I couldn't believe someone actually made a video holding up stamps and ink pads they bought, and the second I watched cause I couldn't believe more than one person made such a video!  Get a life!  Make stuff!  Play WoW!  

I think I hear the trolls starting to gather.  Better go save mankind.

Til later,
Morado

Going to Funtown

Today was dialysis, or we refer to it, D Day, or 'going to Funtown!'  It wasn't real fun today, though.  A quick lesson in dialysis.  As the blood goes out of your body and through the machine, the machine cools your blood to help keep you from cramping and help keep your blood pressure from dropping. Even snuggled under my blanket, I was freezing today so I asked the tech to turn up the temp.  Sure 'nuff, 'boom'. The bottom fell out of my blood pressure and there I was in fuzzy land.  Things sound far away and sorta slowed down and I see spots in front of my eyes.  (Well, would be pretty hard to see ANYthing in the BACKS of my eyes!)  If I had paid for some drug to make me feel that way, it probably would have been a good trip.  However, me no likey those kinds of trips and I would surely never pay for one or do it on purpose!  One of the good things about dialysis, other than the fact of course that it keeps me alive, is that I get to talk crafting with one of the nurses, Carol.  She's a big crafter, too, and we talk all things craftable and discuss ideas and methods.  Sure makes the time on the machine go by in a much more pleasant fashion :)

Did I mention that besides crafting, gardening and other assorted fun things that I'm a gamer?  Yup, a middle aged woman who loves to kill things in World of Warcraft.  Bu that troll NEEDED killing, I swear!  It was a public service!  So tonight will likely be a sit in front of the puter and kill mass quantities of bad guys.    I blame my significant other for this.  It'll be fun, he said.  You'll like it, he said.  We can play together, he said. Well, I DO like it, it IS fun and we do play together.  The couple who creates mass havoc together stays together, I guess :)

So let's talk crafting.  I'm working on a Spiderman web blanket/afghan for my great-nephew (I usually call him my niece's little boy cause it makes me sound younger) who is a big Spiderman fan. You make it in wedges and for the most part it goes quickly.  But one wedge, known hereafter as The Wedge From Hell, nearly made me toss it in the trash. I did that sucker 4 times before it came out right.  Of course, it's wasn't MY fault that I left out a row.  Twice.  In two different places.  Or that I did the edging wrong.  Nope, it was the crochet gremlins that messed it up.  I swear, those little guys are everywhere. 

Time to sign off.  I think I hear trolls and orcs plotting destruction.  They must be stopped!!!!!

Til later,
Morado

Hi! Thanks for stopping by.  My name is Morado (rhymes with Tornado!) and I live in the beautiful state of Virginia.  I was born and raised here, in the state known as the State of Presidents, the location of tons of American history, amid beautiful forests, bookended by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains on the west.

I suppose you're wondering why this is called Little Bits of Lilac.  Well, lilacs are just about my favorite flower and smell, and the 'little bits' are the individual flowers.  So as the individual flowers make up the whole, so do the individual facets of our selves make us whole.  And purple is my favorite color.  And last, but not least, my name means 'purple' in Spanish.  :) Here you'll find wanderings of my (sometimes) strange mind, crafts, recipes, and whatever things I happen to think of to share with you.

I get my love of flowers and plants from my mother.  The day before I was born, she was out planting flowers, so I got a way early start!  I do love to play in the dirt and watch things grow.  I also love to craft.  One of my main hobbies is machine embroidery.  If it stands still long enough, I'll embroider something on it! I also crochet, and make cards and other paper crafting, and I'm about to get into  polymer clay.  I've seen some way cool stuff made out of clay, and I've got quite a few ideas I want to try out. I've also done painting and quilling and beading and tatting and a whole host of things.

My friend Helen and I are starting an Etsy shop. We're both very crafty, and as you read above, engage in lots of different mediums.  I have stage 5 renal failure and am on dialysis.  Helen's husband just had a kidney transplant a year ago, and she has the MOST adorable little boy who is autisic.  Helen herself suffered a stroke several years ago.  So while we may not be in the most vigorous of physical health, we can and do still manage to create a little havoc at times!  Anyhoo, our Etsy shop is called Heartland Heritage Crafts.  Helen is from Ohio, but her mother is from the hollers of Virginia, so we both have the Heartland in our blood.  We chose the word Heritage because we both learned some of our crafting from older relatives and friends, thus we are continuing to pass on the 'knowledge of old' :)  My sister, who is THE best sister in the world bar none, also crafts.  She makes beautiful things out of plastic canvas.  And I'm the lucky recipient of a lot of them!  More, please, Debra :D

This is my first ever blog, so bear with me as I learn my way around.

So pull up a chair, kick off your shoes, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and let's go smell the lilacs!