Cop Out

I bought fabric to make shorts for the girls weeks ago. I wanted them to have something to wear to golf with Grammy & Grandpa. Well, today was the last day of golf, and they finally had their new shorts.

My original plan was to make a pattern from scratch, using http://patternsthatfityou.com/frshortscl.htm as a guide. I think it would have worked, but in the end, I had neither the time nor the inclination. JoAnn's didn't have any patterns on sale, so I went for See and Sew 4161. Of course, I still had to alter it, making it smaller in the waist and longer in the legs. I'd still like to make a shorts pattern from scratch--maybe next summer.

Since the fabric is plaid (come on, they're for golf--what else would I use except plaid seersucker?) I tried to match up the pattern, at least the horizontal stripes. Didn't come out perfectly, but it was ok.

One of the issues I have with making pants & shorts is that it can be hard to know which is the front and which is the back. With little kids, it isn't always that much of an issue, but since I knew I had some tags, I decided to put them in. Sarah told me she really likes hers, but that it's itchy, so I might have to sew it flat or take it out or something.

Oooo, for the future I'm going to get fabric tape for my Dymo label maker! That would be awesome!

Ready to Roll

I finally got the two things I needed to accomplish two projects.

1. I found the Wonder Under left over from an applique project I was working on last summer. Now I can make the sandwich bags I've been wanting to do for a while. Snack Bag Tutorial I'm sick of wrapping sandwiches in plastic.
2. I got the green light to post flyers/promote the Resume Writing Workshop. This must be my big project for the rest of this week. If I don't get students for this, I have to find another way to bring in some income. I'm nervous. Excited, but really nervous.
   

Progress

I got the kitchen sparkling.

I made the water bottle tote. Found the cutest button, so now it's adjustable. I think this is a big design improvement, and is going to be standard on any I make from now on.

Made a bunch of phone calls, but still need to make more today.

Want to sew more today: coasters, and I'd like to cover the notebook I'm keeping in my purse with fabric.

And of course there's the strawberry jam.

I don't know what time the kids will get home (or leave again), but I've got plenty to do!

Day of Freedom

In a couple hours, my Dad is coming to get the girls for a sleepover. Jeff is going to see Transformers with some buddies tonight. I have the day to myself. So what will I do with myself? Oh, the possibilities, they are endless.

But the goals, while few, are large:

Sewing. I'm making another water bottle holder, this time for a toddler. Shouldn't take too long, but I'm making a major modification to the design, which will hopefully make the strap adjustable but still sturdy. We'll see how it goes. If it goes well, I'll modify another one that I already made. Warning: this involves buttonholes, which are seriously iffy for me, even with my automatic buttonhole foot. I also want to make some more fabric coasters. I love the one I made already, but we need at least one more.

Clean the kitchen. DEEP CLEAN. 'nuff said.

Jam. We got a huge bucket of strawberries on Monday. I bought more jars, more lids, more pectin. Sadly, I don't think we'll get many cherries off Kelsey's tree, but if the weather is good next week, might go to the U-pick place. I need my sour cherry jam!!!

So. Three goals. Not much, right? Hah. We'll see how it goes . . .

Addendum: I forgot that I also have several phone calls to make, about classes to teach, having the faucet on the back of the house replaced, our homeowner's taxes, and masonry repair work and food service laws for church.

New Favorite Blog

Don't get me wrong. The Pioneer Woman still rocks it out for cooking, and homeschool stuff, photography, and great stories.

But I recently discovered 500 Pieces of Prudent Advice for My Baby Daughter, and I love it. It's like that "Wear Sunscreen" commencement speech (which was not delivered by Kurt Vonnegut). Anyway, go check it out. There is also some art interspersed, one of which is mildly not safe for work.

A Hard Decision

We have a friend over for a SUPERSLEEPOVER (her dad dropped her off yesterday morning and is picking her up tomorrow night). Now, three girls can usually find plenty of stuff to do on nice summer days. As insurance, I loaded up the schedule a little bit. Yesterday, we went to a Detroit Shock (WNBA) game. The Shock lost, but we still had a good time.

We're supposed to go on my Dad's boat with him today. We thought about going yesterday, but today's weather was supposed to be better. Guess what? It's going to rain, probably all day. Not good boat weather at all.

We could reschedule for tomorrow (which would have the added bonus of giving me today at home to get some cooking and sewing done), but tomorrow is Park Day, where we meet up with bunches of (mostly homeschooling) friends.

So, boat or park? I'm going to leave it up to them, whenever they wake up (we got home laaaaaate last night).

Update: They chose the boat!

Buy American?

Yesterday, I got an email forward from a friend called "Read Labels, Buy USA." It was about companies such as Hershey's cutting American jobs while opening a plant in Mexico, and how the original author switched from Colgate to Crest for the same reason. The final exhortation was to read labels to see where a product is made, and to make a point of buying American.

So I did an experiment: I picked up various products around my house to see where they were made (I'm planning to recreated this as a math/graphing lesson, too). Here are the results of this very unscientific study.

China

• The cheap MdDonald’s toys—well, duh.
• My camera
• The can of compressed air that we use to get dust out of the computer
• Plastic dishes
• Land’s End fabric kid’s hat
• Scooby-Doo beach towel
• A pack of math flash cards

USA

• My computer paper
• Avon hand lotion
• An old German textbook
• SoftSoap liquid hand soap
• Thank you cards
• Geography workbook
• Raisins (Meijer brand)
• Canned chickpeas (Delallo)
• Bigelow tea bags
• Pasta (Meijer brand)
• Crayola crayons

Brazil: Fish beach towel
Canada: non stick cooking spray
Malaysia: china plates
Indonesia: TV remote control
Bulgaria: Land’s End pajama top

There were also many items that said "Distributed from" instead of "Made in." Some things I couldn't find even that much.

The thing is, how do you determine if you really are "buying American?" Take cars. American automakers have plants in other countries, and foreign companies have plants here, as well as dealerships, etc. So there are American jobs there.

When we say, "Buy American," what does that really mean?

Classical Education

Classical Education, as defined by Susan Wise Bauer:

Classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called the trivium.

Susan Wise Bauer's book, The Well Trained Mind, is one of the best homeschooling books I've read, but it's a lot to implement on your own. The concept is very systematic, and well organized.

Classical Conversations is a program based on the trivium. We went to a meeting last night for a group that wants to start a local chapter. It was a fabulous, informative meeting, and it sounds like a great program, but I do have some reservations.

High on that list is cost. For both girls it could easily run over $1,000 for the year. That doesn't include Math, either. I could offset some of that cost by working as a tutor for the program, though I don't know how much. Also, I'd certainly prefer to be able to spend all my time with them in their classes so I can see more closely what the lessons are for that week when we work on them at home. It would be more work/stress for me, obviously, but that's what having a job and making money is, at least to some extent. Would I enjoy it? Probably, but it would also be nice to be able to take that time "off." I'm strongly considering doing no co-op of any kind next year.

Another reservation is the nature of classical education itself. I know, I really like that whole "building a solid foundation" model. But the parrot stage, with its rote memorization, bugs me. Memorizing terms that have no meaning (yet) irks me. I know that the classical answer to this is that the current education model is to expect kids to learn stuff before they're ready and to make judgments about stuff the don't fully understand. I also know that this style of learning flies in the face of the Whole Language reading method I strongly prefer. (I do not dispute the importance of Phonics--I think Phonics is important and useful, but without Whole Language, it lacks meaning.)

Whenever you use a "canned" curriculum, you relinquish some freedom for that convenience. In the past, I've loved developing my own curriculum. It's been one of my favorite things, in fact. Sadly, this past year I've done precious little of that and less follow up. A program like this has some accountability built in, which can be really helpful.

The last reservation is the strong literal Christian aspect. We're Christians, go to church pretty much every week. However, I'm not so interested in defending Creationism, which I know is a part of this. But it's also likely to be a part of any co-op we join.

So--I have a lot of reservations. So why am I even considering this group? Because it would give me quite a bit of structure and framework, which I like. I do see the value in the way it is set up. It does give me flexibility within that framework.

There is a lot to consider with this. And I'm considering it.

Happy Easter!

Easter outfits, completed just this morning. In fact, I didn't get the shirt done for Lauren, but did find a tank top in her closet that is the same color as the fabric she chose for the shirt, so it worked out fine.

I'd also like to make purses and fabric flowers. I have a fair bit of scraps left, so I have a lot of options!

Why my job is awesome

Two days a week, I teach Windows Vista to senior citizens. Most times, it's pretty fun. I'd love to be able to develop a mouse that doesn't move around quite so easily; many of my students have a lot of difficulty keeping the mouse in one place while they click.

That's not the awesome part (duh). Today, as I was packing things up after class, a man walked past the door and said, "How are you doing, young lady?" I gave him a big smile and told him I was doing great, thanks. Now, really--how often am I going to be referred to as "young lady" other than that?

Love it.

Blame Facebook

I got sucked into Facebook for a while, but it's changed recently, and it's more of a pain to use, so I'm not as interested. Fickle, that's me.

I did do a little more sewing lately. I have fabric for Easter outfits, but I spent a few days last week making a few outfits for one of Lauren's dolls as a birthday present.
I made:

• a tiered skirt in yellow, orange & red with a red tank top--very festive!
• a flowery tank dress with lace at the hem & neckline and a yellow bandanna/scarf
• a pair of jeans (complete with a hole for the poodle's tail) & purple top with a narrow ribbon around the neckline

I have a pattern for doll clothes for a 14" doll, but this pink poodle is from Build a Bear, and she's about the size of a newborn. The first skirt & pants I made were a little bigger than the pattern, but the pants still reminded me of the jeans I wore in high school, where I had to lay down on my bed in order to get them zipped up! I enlarged the pattern further still, which worked out pretty well, and I gave those first attempts to a friend, hoping they might fit one of her daughters' dolls.

There are a lot more things I'd like to make, but who knows when I'll get the chance!

Best. Seats. Ever.

Jeff & I got Red Wings tickets for Christmas from my parents. I've only been to a couple Wings games before, and they're generally nosebleed seats, because that's what we can afford. These seats though, were right on the ice. At first, we thought they were both second row, then realized that they were first and second rows, one right behind the other. For the first period, Jeff sat in the front--I wanted him to have the better view. But before the period was over, my knees were really bothering me and I realized I needed to be able to stretch. That's the beauty of front row, though--I did get that room!

Sadly, the Wings lost in OT--Osgood made some good saves, but let in goals within the first minute of each period, and the defense in general was lacking--but we still had a really good time.

Of course, the highlight for me was being close enough to get pictures like this:


and this:

Results

I thought I'd finally post the results of what I've been doing lately. The dress rehearsal for Joseph was Sunday, and I did get my three costumes in (luckily, all the other costumes didn't have to be made, just put together from stuff we already have), although there are some tweaks I'd like to make before the next dress rehearsal Wednesday night. In several of the pictures, cast members have taped their microphones to their faces, which is the white stuff you see. I wish I could have gotten pictures without that, but maybe I can get better ones during the show itself.

This is Kelsey as the villainous Mrs. Potiphar (that's someone else's arm behind her, by the way). The most frustrating part about this was that my flash was too slow to get all her great facial expressions! Poor Joseph just didn't stand a chance.

I'm happy with the dress itself: It's panné velvet, with a basic scoop/square neck, empire waist, six-gored skirt. I used gold lamé bias tape around the neck (which was wonderful finishing, so I didn't have to worry about the facing) and around the sleeve on the upper arm. It doesn't show, but I also put it around the cuff. I didn't even bother to hem it--knits don't fray and I didn't have time, so I just cut it as evenly as possible.

This is Jeff as Pharaoh/Elvis. He has the most awesome dance moves--not that I'm biased at all . . . This is the costume that gave me the most difficulty in figuring out. I was seriously stumped for the longest time as to what to make.

I briefly considered making a full out jumpsuit, but it would have taken at least six or seven yards of fabric, and I just didn't have time. Also, he's wearing black pants anyway for the chorus and as Judah, a brother, so it wasn't even necessary. I finally remembered an Evel Kenievel costume my sister in law made for Jeff's brother one Halloween. She started with a white dress shirt and went from there with decorating it. At first I thought I might use a shirt as a pattern to make something totally from scratch, but then I came back to my senses. I got a nice, heavy shirt from Jeff's Dad. Someone had donated a few yards of a wavy gold tissue lamé, and I used that to cover the cuffs, collar, and front & bottom edges. I also made a short cape. Once I was done, I thought it might be more Liberace than Elvis, but I do think it works!

This is the one I want to fiddle with, though. The front doesn't lay flat the way I'd like. I'd originally wanted the shirt to close in front, with maybe an Egyptian style flap in front, but I ran out of time, and also couldn't figure out how to get it to fasten. I didn't want to sew it shut, because then he'd have to put it on & take it off over his head--awkward and slow. Velcro seems to be the obvious choice, but I've never liked it. In order for it to be really stable, I have to sew it down with many seams, and I don't want them to show. Also, I was afraid that the force might damage the lamé. Hooks on the front edges are a possibility, as are snaps if I want to overlap a little. I'm not sure that if it's closed, he'll be able to do all his moves in it, though. I also got a suggestion to put some extra white fabric between the gold on front and fasten it with tape. That's also in the running, because I could attach it to the white shirt fabric instead of the lamé. Whatever I choose, it has to be today or tomorrow, so we can see how it works tomorrow night.

This is Corey as Joseph. Although this coat took the longest to make (on Mom's recommendation, I made a muslin, which really was a huge help), it ended up not being all that difficult. Now, there were problems and there are things that I would do differently if I were to make another one.

Namely, I would use the gold lamé to underline the coat, not line it. In other words, I would cut out an identical piece of lamé for each part of the coat--fronts, back, sleeves--and sew the lining right to it, then sew the pieces together. Instead, I made essentially two coats and attached them to each other. The point was to make nice finished seams on the inside. The problem was that I didn't measure well enough and cut the lining too narrow. I had a miserable time fixing it. I ended up edging everything with more gold lamé bias tape (which Eagle Eyes Sarah saw--I didn't even know such a thing existed) anyway, so it all turned out ok.

I am happy with the basic design of the coat--I wanted it narrow at the top and flowy at the bottom, so I used 3.5" x 45" rectangles of the patterned fabric (a wild Hawaiian floral that was a bitch to cut and had to be interfaced), For the solid pieces in between, I made a trumpet shaped piece that was 1.5" at the top and 13" at the bottom, with the flare starting 18" down. My rotary cutter was a true blessing for this project. Also, making it only 45" long meant that I could use narrow pieces of fabric and cut selvage to selvage as the length. Each solid color only needed 3/8th of a yard of fabric. I only had a to buy a few pieces, since quite a bit was donated. Even the smaller donated pieces ended up working for the sleeves.

Originally, I was going to make top and bottom separately, then attach them. After much talking, my mom convinced me that one solid line would not only look better, it would be easier in the long run. As usual, she was totally right. Trying to match all those seams would have driven me to madness. She also talked me out of set in sleeves, instead just running one seam under the arm and down the side. I can't remember how many hours I spent talking to her on the phone about all the sewing I've done over the past month, but it's been a LOT. It's absolutely true that I never would have made it without her help. Thanks, Mom!

Action Items

• Make a German quiz for Kelsey
• Make a Geography worksheet for Sarah
• clean the kitchen
• make pasties
  
• muslin pattern for Mrs. Potiphar's dress
• cuddles with Lauren
• pediatrician for Lauren (she's had a barky cough for about a week that just isn't going anywhere, and last night she was crying that her ear hurt)
• listen to Lauren read the next chapter in The Knight at Dawn (Magic Treehouse, yay!)
• go through Sarah's Girl Scout Badge book with her to pick some badges for her to work on independently of her troop (she can put them in Word and fiddle with the formatting, add some pictures to make it a Computer lesson)

Sewing

I have a lot of sewing going on right now. Our church is doing a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Guess who's on the costume crew?

I'm responsible for:

• the Coat of Many Colors--I've already made a test coat from muslin (my mom gave me a ton of it from her stash over Christmas, and I've been going through it a lot). I've got most of the fabric for the outer part of the coat, and I guess I'll line it with gold lame, which I don't have yet.
  
• a dress for Mrs. Potiphar--to be worn by our own fabulous Kelsey, so I want her to look great, but still appropriately trampy. I got a boatload of purple panne velvet, and I picked up the pattern for the bodice tonight, so I'll start the muslin test dress tomorrow, and hopefully I can get it finished by next week.
  
• an Elvis/Pharaoh top--I don't need a whole jumpsuit, because of other costume choices, but this is the one that is stumping me the most. To be worn by my own fabulous husband!

There are other miscellaneous pieces to be made, although we already had a lot of stuff. All the robes for the brothers, for instance, were already in our church basement. I'm incredibly thankful for that--not that basic robes are hard to make, but making 11 of them would certainly be time consuming.

Pictures to follow (hopefully) soon!

Today's List

Looks a lot like yesterday's list. I made progress on everything on that list, but there is still much to be done. Happily, I don't have to leave the house at all, and can be a hermit and work on my chores (anyone willing to bring me lunch?) in peace.

Goals

Today's goals:

1. schoolwork with the kids until lunch (they have a friend coming over after that, so anything left over will have to wait until after dinner)
   
2. get the last of the Christmas stuff down to the basement
   
3. kitchen clean, done, finished. No dishes left in the sink!
4. two loads of laundry
5. garbage off the bedroom floor at the foot of the bed (garbage on the treadmill will have to wait)
6. start sewing
7. post about sewing projects--ok, ok, that one will be on tomorrow's list . . .
   

Why don't these exist?

I was rushing through the grocery store this morning, picking up some things for our first homeschool support group meeting (which went fabulously!), and grabbing a few things for home as well--I knew they'd stay cold in the trunk.

When we got to checkout, the four self-checkout lines were busy, and I was in a hurry, so we went to the express self-checkout. It's only supposed to be for 12 items or fewer, but there was no line, and plenty of spots open.

I realized that the reason there were so many spots is that there is only room for two bags for your groceries. I'd take bags off, or not bag stuff at all (using my own bags), and it would hiccup the system. So it wasn't as smooth as I would have hoped.

What I really needed was a cart that would let me scan my groceries and keep a running tally as I put things in it. Maybe with hooks along the side to hold bags, so the items would all be bagged as I went. Then, all I'd have to do when I was finished was go to the front and pay. Wouldn't that be fabulous and efficient?

Challenger Simulation

Last Tuesday, after three months of science ranging from geology to map plotting to phases of the moon, Sarah finally got to go to the Challenger Resource Center in Ohio for a space shuttle simulation.

It was SO COOL. Jeff said that he wishes he'd been able to do that kind of stuff when he was a kid, but I know that he'd love to be able to do it today if he had the chance.

The group was fairly small, so instead of dividing them up into two groups, they tapped some of the teachers who were there for training to share the mission. First, our kids were at Mission Control. They all had different jobs, from Life Support to Communication. Sarah was Navigation.

Halfway through, they switched with the other team, and went into the space shuttle. We even got to go through an "airlock."

Once there, most of Sarah's job was plotting potential landing sites, using longitude & latitude. At the end, though, all eyes were on her, because she was the one landing the shuttle. Let's say that Sarah is not likely to become an air traffic controller as an adult. She didn't react well to the pressure, but after some reassurance from the Mission Commander, she pulled it together and got them down safely. Whew!

After, we rode back down to Earth.

The whole experience was really cool, and well worth the time and effort we all put into preparing her last fall.

Coming soon: more sewing posts!

More Sewing

I managed to get Christmas nightgowns made this year, but only barely in time. As in, I finished sewing, went upstairs to change clothes, and left to go to my Dad's for Christmas Eve. If I hadn't finished them, I would have put them on their doors so they could have changed first thing Christmas morning. Happily, they got to continue the tradition of changing wearing them to bed on Christmas Eve.

I used McCall's 5744 and some snowflake flannel with white bias tape. I thought about adding eyelet lace, but in the interest of time, didn't. I also didn't add the bias tape to the waist, but no one seems to care. These went together in about an hour, although I didn't hem them or turn in the cuffs. I did serge the edges, so they won't ravel, and I'll finish the hems eventually, although I think the girls like that they go all the way to the floor.

Dress Breakdown: Lauren

I said that Sarah's pattern is one I would happily make again and again. Lauren's is not. Lauren's pattern is one that I will happily tear up into little pieces. And burn. Seriously, I've never had a pattern make me cry before.

Lauren chose McCall 5742, and we even got the exact fabric that was on the pattern envelope. I didn't realize it until I was in the store that the fabric is flocked--an off white smooth background with black velvety pattern on it. I've never worked with flocked fabric before, but since I could see it finished on the pattern, I knew it would work and look OK.

As a rule, I read through all the pattern instructions before I make a single cut. Sometimes, I get to a part that I don't understand--I can't visualize it. When that happens, I think to myself, "Once is see it in the fabric, I'll see how it goes together." And that generally does work. It's like a puzzle for me, and once I get the pieces together, I can get them to fit. This dress, not only did I put it together wrong, I couldn't figure out what I'd done that was wrong. This was where the tears came in. Frustration, stress, and being really tired didn't help. So I put it down and went to bed. Even before I went to sleep, I started to realize what the problem was, and the next morning, I carefully took the pieces apart and fixed them. (I'd been worried that I'd need to buy more fabric.)

My goal for this Christmas' dresses was for them to be really well made, well finished. Although I think they look nice enough from a distance, I as more than a little disappointed in the quality of my work. I just think I could have done so much better.

Dress Breakdown: Sarah

For Sarah's dress, she picked Simplicity 3546 and a deep red crepe-backed satin. Looking at the front of the pattern, she wanted the one on the far right down at the bottom.

At first, I thought the fabric looked a little bathrobe-y, but in the end, I liked how it turned out quite a bit. My biggest concern was that I might snag it, so I bought new needles.

I had some trouble with the facings (as usual), and it was a little bulkier/not as sleek as I anticipated, but this is a pattern I will probably make again and again. I'm thinking that by summer, she'll have at least three more of these, probably in cotton, and maybe I'll be able to talk her into the contrast midriff and hem bands.

My sister in law commented that it's a more mature dress, not so much for a little girl, but it's not inappropriate at all.

I'm still alive

Here's why I haven't been posting much/at all lately:

Ready to Roll

This is the view as I left the basement 5 minutes ago (it's time to make lunch). Man, I had forgotten how much fabric I have! Lots of it is "inherited," and I don't know what to do with it. I'm hoping to make lots of totes and storage containers (for CDs, etc.) and use a lot of it up. There is a "shopping night" at our homeschool group meeting next Monday night, so hopefully some of it will sell. I'm also thinking about opening up an Etsy store, although I'm more likely to just give it away for Christmas of whatever.

Projects currently on the table are a mini messenger bag made from the leg of an old pair of jeans, and a grocery-style tote bag. Pictures will go up as things get finished.

Progress

So! The table is cleared off, and I've got some of the stuff out from under it as well. The carpet padding that was on the left is in the garbage pile by the stairs, waiting for Jeff to feel well enough to take it upstairs. The carpet remnants are over on the right, waiting for me to clear enough floor space to lay them out. I still need to get the TV and other assorted large boxes out of the way, and there's a table in another part of the basement that I need to clear off so I can use it to hold my sewing machines and other various items. And the laundry seems to have grown by a fair bit, but at this point, I'm just chucking it in the washer arbitrarily. Oh, and everything needs to be washed down--it's cobwebby and buggy and nasty.

As for the plan to put the tools on the shelves, some of them did make it over there, but most of the small miscellaneous stuff is in paper tote bags on the floor to the left. It's going to be even more difficult to get to those shelves soon, because that open area is going to be for the other big boxes and such.

But I see progress, and even a light at the end of the tunnel. At this rate, I feel confident that I'll be able to start sewing in earnest by Monday. Yay!

Frustration

I'm planning on doing a lot of sewing for Christmas this year. I mean, a LOT of sewing. And I'm really excited about getting started.

I use my dining room table to sew. And therein lies the issue. We use the dining room table for meals, and Jeff uses it in the evenings when he plays his online game. I have room for the sewing machine while he's playing, but it's loud, so it's hard for him to hear, and of course I can't do anything big like lay out fabric. Also, constantly setting up and taking down is tiresome and inefficient.

So a while ago, I decided to make a space in the basement to be a full time sewing area. I knew it would take a while to get stuff cleaned out, but the girls and I started working on it. We made some good progress, but then I ignored it for a week or two, so of course the mess crept back.

I started back on it yesterday, and again we made some progress. We already have a table in a corner of the basement that is right by an outlet and has great light (seriously, this bulb is amazing--it was in the house when we bought it, and it's like looking at the sun, it's so bright).

Here's the problem:
All the crap that is still ON the table. Pay no attention to the laundry--that's where the laundry chute dumps (have I ever mentioned how much I love having a laundry chute? The only thing that would be better would be a dumb waiter, so I could send stuff back up the same way.) so things tend to pile up. But the rest of the stuff . . . I don't even know if that TV works, the ceiling fan doesn't work, and then there's all the tools.

The "plan" was to move all the stuff on and under the table over to a shelf unit on the other side of the basement. Here's the problem with that:

I can't even get to the shelves. Yes, there is a bit of clear floor--that's the progress I made yesterday. Still, it's going to take considerable time to be able to get to the shelves, to clear them off so there is room for the tools, and then to move the tools themselves. I look at the whole thing and get so overwhelmed that I just don't know how to start.

I know, I know. Just start. But it's incredibly frustrating to still be so far from actually being able to get started on what I really want to do, which is sew. It's kind of like driving home from Florida, and you finally hit the Michigan border. You think, "Yes! We're almost home!" And then you drive for two more hours.

I even dreamed about it last night. I dreamed that Jeff went down there and cleaned up. I mean, there were boxes stacked neatly against one wall, but other than that, it was empty. It looked like we had just moved in! And I was so happy, because it meant I could get right to work. When I woke up, it took me a second to realize that it was only a dream.

At this point, I don't even know if I should keep working on it right now, or just cut bait and deal with working on the dining room table. If I did that, I could start right away, but I'd have to deal with making sure everything gets put away all the time and not being able to work whenever I want. If I go full bore on the basement, I might be able to get up and running by Monday.

Yeah, the pull of a dedicated sewing area is just too strong. I'll keep taking pictures and posting about my progress.

School Pictures

#0257

I decided to go vote early, to get it done. Jeff has the day off, so I didn't worry about taking the kids. I got up at 7:22, and was there by about 8:45. As I was getting close, I saw that there were a LOT more cars than usual parked along the street. When I got there, the line came out of the building, and snaked down the sidewalk to the parking lot (our polling station is at a local church).

So I got in line and started moving. Moving slowly, but still moving. Then not moving. I heard someone say that the machine that tabulates the votes wasn't working. So we waited some more. The woman behind me had her daughter with her, and even though she was only five, I was impressed at how patient she was.

Finally, we started moving again--the machine had been fixed. We moved slowly but steadily after that. By the time I got into the building, it was about 9:40. The line then broke in two, splitting the alphabet down the middle. This didn't work as well as I would have thought. My line moved much more slowly than the other; people who were well behind me in line outside ended up voting before I did, which was a little frustrating.

Finally, I got my ballot (I had to point my name out on the list), voted, and got out of there around 10:15. Jeff left when I got home and was back within the hour. Yeah, great idea I had to go early. :)

But now I've voted, and I need to run a couple other errands (and get my free coffee from Starbucks!) before I go to work. Then "my teen" is coming over to work on German, and I'm going to watch the election results. Should be an interesting night!

Happy Halloween!

Health

Of the two girls, Lauren is generally more prone to sickness. She has allergies, so it seems that for at least 6 months of the year, her nose is running almost constantly. When I realize that it's "that time" again, I try to make sure we've got Claritin stocked up so I can give her some every day. But I don't want to give it to her if she doesn't need it, so it can be a fine balancing act.

A few days ago, the runny nose started. The runny nose is usually accompanied by coughing at night--a result of post nasal drip, fairly easily solved by making sure she sleeps sitting up and maybe gets a shot of medicine, if she hasn't already had a dose.

This week seemed no different, until last night. Then, the coughing was much rougher, and she was breathing very fast, very shallow. I thought it might be bronchitis, so I canceled my classes today and made a doctor's appointment.

Nope. Not bronchitis.

We can't be sure until we see how she responds to treatment, but the doc is pretty sure it's asthma. In hindsight, it's obvious--that was classic "wheezing." I was surprised when the doc got her on a nebulizer almost immediately for a breathing treatment, though; that particular possibility hadn't occured to me.

That first treatment helped, but it's only a start. We have a month's rental on a nebulizer, and prescriptions for Prednisone (a steroid to help reduce the inflammation in her lungs) and Abuterol (the stuff that goes in the nebulizer). We're also getting the industrial sized Claritin, because it seems that the key to managing this is the preventive measures: keep the allergies under control, keep sudden cold air out of her lungs, and try to prevent colds as much as possible. Hopefully we won't ever need an inhaler.

Chinese Girls

What a Witch!

Heh.
(happier now?)

Ladies Who Lunch

Yes, these are the people I hang out with. The people I met at the library, no less.

Blame it on the Babysitter

Yeah, it washed out . . .

Flashbacks

Tonight, I went to a dance club for a friend's birthday. It's been forever since I was at a club, and maybe that's why I was having flashbacks all night. Or maybe it was just the music.

When we got an order of fried mushrooms, I flashed back to '86, when my boyfriend and I would get pitchers of beer and fried mushrooms or fried oysters at this little dive bar. Yummmmm.

When they played "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off," I flashed back to '87. I can't stand that song, mostly because one of my friends played it over and over. And over.

When they played Modern English's "Melt with You," I flashed back to '90, and missed my friend Pat more than ever, sniff.

I also flashed back to pretty much ever bar I've ever been in, because I couldn't hear a damn thing anyone was saying to me. God only knows what I was agreeing with . . .

Just Deal

That's my motto right now. That, or "Suck it up and deal." Whaddya think?

Sarah & I were supposed to go on a sleepover with her Girl Scout Troop this weekend. It wasn't an official Scout thing, just a fun get together for us. We were both really looking forward to it. I missed her meeting this week because I was working (Jeff picked her up), so last night I called to get the final scoop on how much it was going to cost and what to bring from the mom who was doing the bulk of the planning. She said, "they didn't call you?" Well, you know good news isn't going to follow that.

Apparently, they canceled it because no one can afford it. She said that the troop leaders were basically talking everyone out of it. She offered to call me, but they said they'd take care of telling everyone. Yeah, except not. I went in to tell Sarah, who was already in bed, and she was really upset.

So I was pissed last night. Not only do they wait until the last minute to cancel, I was completely out of the loop. I feel like this happens because we homeschool, and since Sarah isn't in class with the other girls, I miss out. I'm pretty much over it now; this morning, while I was talking about it with a friend, Sarah overheard me and said, "What's done is done."

I also realized that I need to stop complaining, even to myself, about my job. I'm teaching Windows Vista to senior citizens. It's at three different facilities, and I have to schlep five laptop computers around. Also, I'll be bringing them in the house at night so they don't stay in the trunk overnight. It's a hassle, but you know what? They're paying me really well for these classes. For what I'm getting, I can deal with a fairly small amount of hassle.

I need to remember that I have a lot of good things in my life, and focus more on all those positive things.

Not so crabby

Just busy.

Got the car fixed. It cost $200, which isn't great, but still a lot better than $500.

Had a very nice lunch date with Jeff. We actually talked about things other than the kids!

Got most of Lauren's costume done. Hoping to finish it today and Sarah's tomorrow.

Working tonight.

Crabby

I'm having a crabby week.

Monday was a true Monday. The girls had to have cavities filled, Sarah required nitrous, the bill was about double what I expected, because I forgot about the sealants for Lauren.

On the way to the dentist, the "low coolant" light came on. After skating (which was immediately after the dentist), I took it to the shop. An hour and a half later, the verdict came back: a leak in the intake, which will require $500 to fix. You know, I've loved this car. It was a gift that meant more to me than I can ever say. But I am ready to be done with it and get rid of it. I feel like I'm throwing money down a hole. That said, we'll spend the $$$ again to get it fixed. Again.

Monday afternoon, the kids said that there was water in the basement. We had a lot of rain a couple weeks ago, but anything from the storm drains should have come up then. Ha--it wasn't from the drain, but from the wall. Super. We mopped it up; the silver lining there is that we cleaned up a huge pile of crap from that side of the wall, throwing most of it away. Yay, a large pile of crap gone! There was a little more water yesterday, which I again mopped up, and Sarah says that there is a little more today.

So putting the computer in the basement = maybe not the best idea. However, I'm more committed than ever to cleaning it out, getting rid of ALL the crap, and getting the rest in plastic storage tubs and on shelves. There's still an enormous amount of work to be done, and although Purple Heart just came yesterday, I'm planning on having a lot more for them soon.

Yesterday was somewhat better--we went on a field trip and saw a bald eagle, which was cool. Today is Lauren's first Daisy Girl Scout meeting of the semester, and she's super excited. I'm less excited, because for some reason, I'm going to be a co-leader, so I have to stick around instead of dropping her off.

"Luckily," the Youth German class didn't get enough kids, so it's not running. Too bad about the lack of $, but good on the time that I don't have to spend on it.

There is absolutely nothing on our plate tomorrow, so maybe I can finally get sewing, or at least buy the fabric. Friday, Jeff has the day off work, so we're hoping to go on a date. Hopefully, I'll have a more cheerful post by the weekend!

Pendulum

I have two modes to my life:

1. no spare time because I'm working so much, but financially comfortable
2. no money because I'm not working. At all.

Seriously, there seems to be almost no middle ground at all. Last spring, I was crazy. Things dropped off severely in July, I worked exactly two hours in August, and I've had nothing this month. I was fairly confident that new classes would start again eventually, but no money right now is frustrating.

Finally, yesterday, I got the call about the senior computer classes. That was the call I'd been waiting for; it pays the best and it's pretty fun to teach. And instead of the three hours a week I was counting on, they need instructors for more of the classes, so I picked up nine hours a week. Happily, it's two afternoons and two evenings. I really hate being gone more than two evenings a week, and during the day, I should be able to get the grandparents to babysit.

At this point, that's "enough." I have no idea if the Youth German class I'm offering through our local community center will run. Last time I checked, only one kid had signed up. If I don't get at least four kids, it's not worth it to me to run it. If that class doesn't run, then I'll be disappointed, but also a little relieved. I don't know if the German class I was teaching in the mornings last spring will start up again. They indicated interest, but I don't know if there was enough interest there, or if they managed to get funding.

So my October schedule is looking pretty packed, between ice skating, Scouts, dance, co-op, library time, and work. I'm thinking I need to start my Halloween sewing NOW. In fact, I might need to start my Christmas sewing!

The only thing I'd change about my wedding

Note--it's not my (11th) anniversary for a few more months; I was just thinking about weddings today!

I loved my wedding. I loved my dress. I loved the location. I loved the reception--although, now that I think about it, there is a second thing I would change. When the food people told me that the first course, a cranberry sherbet-y thing, had melted, I would not have said, "Well, scoop out new servings!" I would have said, "Oh, well! Move on!" In hindsight, that delay was rather substantial, and slowed things down too much.

(We now resume the fluffy bunny portion of our show.) I loved the flowers. I loved that my bridesmaids all wore different dresses, and that they all loved their dresses.

One thing I didn't love was my shoes. I chose a sensible heel, but the vamp cut straight across my instep. They were painful before the night was done, and I was limping on the way in to the hotel, because I had forgotten spares. Given my choice today, I would wear these:

I do love red shoes, and I think these would have been a fun, unexpected pop to peek out from under the lace that edged my gown. Maybe a lower heel. Maybe not, though.



And then there's this: best part of the wedding, duh.

Greetings from Holland, MI

Really, I will post more. Soon.

Greetings from Myrtle Beach

Good trip. Tired. Write more tomorrow.

Week #3

Baby Blanket

Last spring, I made my first baby blanket for Jeff's cousin (the baby shower at the spa). I liked how it turned out, and when I heard that a former coworker was having a baby, I decided to make one for her. This time, I decided to take pictures as I went, and write up a real tutorial.

Warning: this is going to be a long post. All times are approximate, and seem way too long, but things always take longer than they should!

#1: Buy fabric. 1 1/2 yards each of a flannel (yellow print) and a flat cotton (solid purple). Last time, I made the blanket with flannel on both sides, and although it was nicely cushy, I like the contrast of textures better. Don't forget thread.

#2 Cut the main panels of fabric. A rotary cutter and straight edge really help here. I think I cut out 24" by 46", though that seems like an odd size. I tried to make it about crib sized. Time: 15 minutes

#3 Cut 4" squares out of both fabrics. Precise cutting makes a big difference. The first time I made a blanket like this, I cut the squares with scissors, while sitting on the couch. Did you know that a square that isn't square will not fold into a proper triangle? The cutting goes faster if you cut strips, then stack a few strips to cut the squares. Time: 45 minutes

#4 Iron the squares into triangles, wrong sides together, then into triangles again. Time: 45 minutes

#5 Sew the triangles together in a chain, alternating fabrics. Each one should overlap the other by about half. These are called Prairie Points. Time: 30 minutes
#5.1 Get distracted by younger daughter, who wants to make blankets for her dolls and Webkinz. Time: 15 minutes

5.2 Realize that you didn't cut enough fabric squares, and don't have enough Prairie Points to go around the fabric. Cut, iron and attach more. Time: 15 minutes

#6 Sew the chain of Prairie Points to the right side of one of the pieces of fabric. Pin very thoroughly. When you get to the end, the open end of the last point should fit over the closed end of the first one. You'll probably have to fiddle with it to get it to come out perfectly. Time: 30 minutes
#7 Sew the other piece of fabric to the side with the Prairie Points, right sides together. Be sure to leave an opening for turning. Time: 30 minutes

#7.1 Hunt for the batting that you know is somewhere in the house--I mean, you used it for that last blanket, so you know it's around somewhere, right? Time: 5 days

#8 Cut the batting to the same size as the fabric. Attach it, but don't sew all the way around--you still have to leave the opening to turn it right side out. I used a zigzag stitch for this. Trim the extra fabric close to the edges. Time: 30 minutes
NOTE: yeah, you could just layer the fabric, points, other piece of fabric, and batting together and sew it all together in one step. I'm paranoid and wanted to do each layer one at a time, so I could see it more easily.

#9 Turn the blanket right side out. Time: 5 minutes

#10 Now it's time to close up the opening. Turn the raw edges in, press them well, then top stitch about a quarter of an inch from the edge all the way around. Run out of thread 16 inches from the end, because you did everything in separate layers in steps 6, 7, and 8. Curse profusely, go to the store, and buy more thread. Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

#11 Tie ribbon through all thicknesses to keep the batting from shifting. I used an embroidery needle for this, because the eye is very large, which makes it easy to thread the ribbon through. I only did five of these, but that should be plenty. All I used was a simple square knot. Time: 15 minutes
Done! Total time: One Month

Here's the finished product, or at least a corner so the print is easier to see:
I'd love to be able to make money by sewing cute/fun stuff like this, but I think I'll stick to gifts for the time being. I don't know how Katie Fleck does it. It really was fun, and I think if I had all my crap together, I could do one easily in a day, as long as I didn't have anything else going on that day.

Did not see that coming.

The director for senior activities called me back just now. Apparently, they had computer classes for seniors in the past. Until some people started looking at porn, that is. She ended up pulling the Internet off the computers, which ended up causing issues with their phone lines, and she's not willing to put the 'net back on, because kids do use the computers sometimes.

So. That's the end of that avenue. She personally is interested in German, though, so that may open up something else.

That still leaves me with no income until October. Not acceptable. Time to go to Plan B.

I Think I Made It

. . . if only by the skin of my teeth.

A few months ago, I hit on the great idea of offering German classes through our Community Center. I picked up the submission forms, and promptly lost them. I also got very bogged down in trying to pick and choose materials, especially for upper elementary grades. Jeff finally talked me down by reminding me that I don't have to act on every single idea I get immediately. In other words, ditch the upper elementary for right now, and focus on lower elementary and high school classes.

I had kind of dismissed to CC idea, and was just going to do classes here at home, even though it would be a lot more hassle. When I mentioned that at dinner last night, Jeff voiced concern about having a bunch of unknown people in our house.

So I figured I needed to give it my last best shot. I called the CC and asked when the deadline to get new classes in the brochure was. The deadline is tomorrow, so I printed my resume, and hauled myself down there to fill out the forms. It was no big deal, although I'm charging less that I originally anticipated, but as long as I get the minimum # of students, I'll still be making $20/hour, which I can live with. I also discovered that the CC does have a computer lab and projector, so in an hour or so, I'm going to call the senior director and see if she is interested in offering any computer classes. I've been teaching computers to seniors for about four years now, and it's usually gone pretty well.

So although I'm still in limbo, and likely won't start pulling in a regular paycheck again until October, I have considerably more hope that I will get regular work again.

More Jammin'

So when I left off, I had made my first batch of sour cherry jam, and it was awesome.

Having been bitten by the berry bug (yes, I know cherries aren't berries, but I wanted to get some alliteration going on), I decided that blueberries were next on the list.

We went with some friends to a local orchard, and spent an afternoon in the orchards. While we were there, I saw that they not only had a section for "pie cherries," they had a pitting machine. Cherry jam without having to pit them myself? I was so there!!!

Once we got home with our loot, I got to work (yeah, ok . . . it was the next night by the time I got started). I made another batch of cherry jam, which also turned out wonderfully, although the pitting machine had left a few pits.

A few days later, I turned to the blueberries. I had let the kids eat some of them plain, but most of that afternoon's work went into a pot with pectin and sugar. And that jam turned out . . . not so well. It tastes ok, but the texture leaves something to be desired. It's not that it's grainy, like the sugar didn't dissolve. But it isn't smooth, either. In a word, it is disappointing.

I don't know if I'll try blueberry jam again next year, because that was an awful lot to "waste." Not that we can't eat it, but it just isn't as good. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered with making jam, but frozen all of them to use in pancakes and ice cream toppings for the rest of the year.

"Mystery" Post, Week 2

Didn't make a lot of progress this week . . .

So cool!

Check out Zazzle to design your own Keds! You can use their templates, or upload your own pictures! Not cheap--$50 for kids, $60 for adults' sizes--but a lot of fun to play with!

"Already I am zee (hic!) pickled."

Another confluence of events happened this week.

• I brought the jar of kosher dill pickles to the table for dinner only to discover that there were two left. It wasn't a big jar, but Jeff hadn't had a chance to have any, and I don't like dill pickles, so my two lovelies must have been inhaling them.
• We got a bunch of smallish cucumbers from our neighbor (hi, Kelsey!).
  
• I saw this blog post.

Well, obviously I'm going to make some pickles! I got some mustard seed from the store, and some dill from a friend who has it growing in her back yard (hi, Meagan!). I cleaned out a good sized Rubbermaid container, cut up the cukes, and followed the directions.

As I said before, I generally don't care for dill pickles. My Grandma's bread and butter pickles are a different story--now that's a recipe I need! But as I was cutting up the dill and garlic, and putting it all together, it all smelled so good! I thought, "Mmmm, I'm going to have to try these!"

The whole thing also reminded me of one of my favorite Bug Bunny cartoons, quoted in the title here. It's on YouTube, and still as much fun to watch now as when I was a kid. And I know I'd love to have the recipe for Louisiana Back Bay Bayou Bunny Bordelais' ala Antoine.

I let them sit for just a day before I decided to see how they were. I was just about to leave for work (hi, Jill!), and I fished one out of the brine and took a bite.

O.M.G.

It was disgusting! Salty and garlicky and nasty! On a chance, I offered the rest to Sarah. "Yummy!" she said, popping it in her mouth as she ran out the door. Since I didn't hear any exclamations of revulsion, I paused. Maybe they aren't terrible. Maybe it's just me. Then the babysitter came over (hi again, Kelsey!) and I told her about them. She took a bite and as her eyes rolled back in her head, she said, "These are amazing! I have more cucumbers; will you make some for me, too?"

So . . . just me, then. I'm glad, but also kind of let down. I was really looking forward to those pickles, but at least I know someone likes them and I don't have to throw away the whole container.

Meant to Be

Last week, I got an email coupon from Borders for 30% off any item over $10, and $5 Bonus Bucks. The Bonus Bucks are good all month, but the coupon expired Saturday. I couldn't decide what to use it for: more German stuff for the kids, homeschool resources for me, or a cookbook. I was leaning toward the cookbook, but didn't get it in time, and the coupon expired.

Sunday, I got another Borders email coupon, this time for 40% off an item over $20; it expired Tuesday. By then, I was really leaning toward the cookbook, even though I usually get most of my recipes off the Internet, and I also like checking cookbooks out of the library, because it is really good--I've already used a couple recipes from it. But finances started to mount when I realized that there were a couple bills I hadn't accounted for, and I dropped $50 for my first month of Weight Watchers. Also, the dryer has stopped working, so that will be a few bucks. So I regretfully let the coupon expire.

Then last night, as I was checking email before bed, I saw that I got a special offer from America's Test Kitchen. The book that I wanted, for 50% off. This coupon lasts until the 15th, and since I'll get paid before then, I'll definitely get the book.

It feels like I'm really supposed to have it, and who am I to argue?

Mystery Post, Week #1

Not a great picture, but it gets the point across. It's going to take quite a while to finish, so I'm planning to post a picture every Monday of my progress. Yes, I know today is Tuesday. I took the picture last night, which works for me, thanks.

Jammin'

Back in 2003, we first picked cherries from our neighbor's tree. That day got me one of my favorite pictures of the girls ever.

I love the expression on Sarah's face, and that the colors really pop. Lauren is just being cute. Sadly, this scanned image doesn't really show the crystal clarity of the prints.

That first year, we took all the cherries and made a pie. And that was one tasty pie. But eight servings later, it was gone. No more delicious cherry goodness. There was much sadness.

Last year, we picked cherries again (if they don't get the net on the tree soon enough, the birds devour the cherries in no time flat). I knew I didn't want to do a pie, but I didn't know what I did want to do with them. So I froze them. Sadly, most of them are still in the freezer. Sure, some of them made fabulous cherry lemonade slushies, and I wanted to do muffins with some, but I never got to them.

This year, I had a plan. I wanted to make jam. So the kids and I went over and picked for a while. It was difficult, getting around under the net, and it was hot. Sadly, I didn't get any classic pictures that will go down in my memory as Top 10, but we did get a fair number of cherries.

After picking, the cherries had to be pitted. And, since I didn't get to them that very same day, or even the next day, they had to be sorted to get rid of the ones that had gone bad. That was absolutely the most tiresome, annoying part of the whole process. I don't have a pitter, so I used a paring knife, and ended up giving my thumb some shallow cuts in the process.

Once that was done, I mashed them up a bit, threw them in a big saucepan, added some pectin, and brought it up to a boil. Then I added the sugar, let it boil again, and ladled it into the (already prepared) jars. Hot water bath was after that. The cooking part of it didn't take that long, and wasn't hard at all, but was really hot from the steam.

The next day, I tried some of the jam. Heaven! It was SO good, I couldn't believe it. Sweet and tart, clear gel with chunks of whole cherries floating in it. I have one of the jars to our neighbor (I'm not even sure if they got any of the cherries themselves).

To be continued tomorrow . . .

Update

Wow; it has been over a month. I really didn't realize it had been so long!

The month blazed by, but I didn't get nearly the stuff done I wanted to. Shrug. There's plenty for me to work toward in August!

I do have some specific things to blog about, so I can promise with certainty that it will not be a month before I blog again!