Way Behind!

Wow, am I behind on blogging!  Well, it's been a busy few weeks. I had the embroidery machine, the sewing machine, and the Cameo humming!  I made cute little boxes for the girls at dialysis, and filled them with candy, I made Christmas cards and Christmas tags, all with the Cameo.  I made angel gift boxes with the embroidery machine, and put them together with the sewing machine.

Christmas was wonderful at our house. We had our usual grazing table for Christmas Eve - hot dips, cold dips, sausage balls, pigs in a blanket, cheese, cheese balls, crackers and chips. Then for Christmas dinner, we had cornish hens, dressing, corn pudding, copper pennies and yeast rolls.  Santa was also very good to all of us.  It was a wonderful time!

The only blemish on the holiday was that I had on way too much fluid when I went back to dialysis after not going for 3 days.  Bad me, I will never do that again.  I was short of breath and had 'jelly legs', so called because your legs feel like just that - jelly - and feel like they are going to buckle at any second.  But thanks to the good ladies at dialysis, they got the fluid off and I felt a WHOLE lot better leaving dialysis than I did arriving!

My niece and her little boy were able to come on Thursday after Christmas. My niece is a nurse and usually has to work the holidays, so we usually don't get to see them til late January or early February, so it was a special treat to have them with us at Christmas.  The litte Buckeroo is really growing.  Gosh, he's almost 8!  But he'll always be my little Buckeroo :)  He got an XBox for Christmas, which his mother and I promptly took over to play WWE! It was a blast.  Hmmmmmmmm.....I may need to see about getting one.

New Year's was quite.  Not really a lot to do in a town of 1,000 people.  Not like when I lived in Atlanta.  Or Detroit.  Or Philadelphia. :D  But honestly I enjoyed the quiet.  I needed time to rest and recharge after the whirlwind of the holidays.

I'll post some pictures of my craft projects in a few days, once I get them off the camera and resized.

Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas season, and that you have a wonderful, happy 2013 :)

I haven't beeen checking on the orcs and trolls.  Lord only knows what kind of havoc they have wreaked.  However, I can't bother with them tonight, as a Steven Seagal movie is on, and watching Steven Seagal kick ass is a most fun thing!

Til later,
Morado

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