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