Cute or what?

This was just too cute not to share. Garry's best friend, Pat. (Commonly referred to around here as Hubby Number 2, cause if Garry dies on me, Pat inherits me) Yep...Popcorn lives for the belly rub. She's all about that! Pat came out today to work on the pontoon. Does this look like he's working? Nope. Garry (#1), Pat (#2), and Cindy are watching Transformers. Not my cup of tea.

Sewing and Riding!

Patti and I spent the day sewing yesterday. We've decided to do the free BOM offered by Harmony Quilts. We worked on the first three months of blocks yesterday. Here's how far I got....I'm loving this, by the way!

My Fence!

My Sun!
House #1

House #2

My big giant enormous tree!

We had a good time making these blocks. There are already six months of blocks up on the site, so this will move along quickly, I think.

I'm also giving up an old hobby. Since Garry has found guys to ride with, I don't have to go ride anymore. I just would not let him ride in the woods on the trails alone and the older he got, the more all his riding buddies from their younger days, quit riding. So, being the awesome wife that I am, I took up riding. I rode a dirt bike for a year, hated it! Then bought a quad and rode it for a couple of years. It was not fast enough to suit me, so I bought this!

So, I'm selling this. Yep, it's fast. It's a Raptor. 660cc's. I have mixed emotions about selling it, but it's just been sitting in the barn for five years. It's in awesome condition and just think of the fabric I could buy with the money! Yep....that's where my head is!

It's a beautiful day here in Michigan today. Not too hot and not too cold. Just right! Think I'll just have myself a great day today! Why don't you have one, too!

Play date, anyone?

Edit: No pics from today, but we had a blast! I love a day with my friend, Patti! Yay! Yippee! We were too busy sewing to take pics! Well, that and giggling!

I woke up this morning with a song in my heart....if you've heard me sing....it ain't necessarily a good thing! Ha! I love days when you're feet hit the floor and you just feel happy! I've been a big blue blah for a couple of weeks. Some family stuff that just irritates me from time to time. For the most part, I just don't have anything to do with any of my immediate family. I know it sounds mean, but it just works best for me to stay on my own side of the world and they can stay on theirs. So....back to the happy day part. Wanna know what I think caused the happy stuff today? It's a play date! Yep, my friend Patti and Sharon (no blog) are coming over on a Tuesday to sew today! Yep....a play date in the middle of the week. Can life get any better than that? Well....I suppose it could if YOU could all come and play with us. I'll try to take some pics today and have something to post about. Wouldn't that be nice?

Have a great Tuesday! It's the only one you'll have for a whole week! (This post is the result of being manic. So begins the roller coaster ride of the week. I do enjoy the upsides...giggle!)

Ethel lives!

That's right! Ethel .. home...safe and sound. Repaired and running like a champ! I'm so happy. No time to blog. Must go bond with my BFFL Ethel! Ha!

Seinfeld...and I won!

First ...
This is for a friend....she'll know who/what/why/when/where....or at least she better! We've both needed some laugh time. Maybe this will help......

Cosmo Kramer: You're wasting your life.
George Costanza: I am not. What you call wasting, I call living. I'm living my life.
Cosmo Kramer: OK, like what? No, tell me. Do you have a job?
George Costanza: No.
Cosmo Kramer: You got money?
George Costanza: No.
Cosmo Kramer: Do you have a woman?
George Costanza: No.
Cosmo Kramer: Do you have any prospects?
George Costanza: No.
Cosmo Kramer: You got anything on the horizon?
George Costanza: Uh, no.
Cosmo Kramer: Do you have any action at all?
George Costanza: No.
Cosmo Kramer: Do you have any conceivable reason for even getting up in the morning?
George Costanza: I like to get the Daily News.

In our case...we like to read blogs?

Second....I won a give away! Barb had a give away a short time ago and I'll be darned if she didn't pick my name! It was so sweet of her and just in time for the July 4th! Thanks Barb!

I borrowed the pic from her blog, cause her pics look better than mine do....giggle.....

My Sapphire should have a clean bill of health on Thursday and I can go get her. Ethel has been greatly missed for the past week. I am so bored I even cooked and baked bread today. Still not smoking, but ... I don't think it's getting any easier yet. I'm hangin' in there, but I'm not all that happy about it. Garry's doing better most of the time than I am....go figure. That's all my news. Think I'll go call Patti and see how her day was. Later ya'll!

Ending the day on a positive note......

Hey Ya'll! I'm some better now...didn't want to end the day on such a sour note. Jen's been putting some of her photography on her blog so I thought maybe I'd post a pic or two of mine that I took a few years ago..... Here ya go.....

I'm far from good at it, but I used to like to take pics and play with 'em. I'm also a lighthouse freak in case you couldn't tell. I love lighthouses!

More on smoking.....

Life without cigarettes is not worth living.


There. I. said. it. I still haven't smoked. Garry's friend Pat, commonly known as husband number two, asked Garry why he quit smoking today. Garry could not think of one reason. Number Two called me to let me know this. We've laughed quite a bit about that. We know there are good reasons, but they seem to have escaped us during our withdrawl period. Garry got home, we discussed it, and we're not going to smoke for now. We've decided to give it two months. August first, we'll talk about it again. Actually, I think if we just keep setting dates down the line to discuss it, eventually we won't need them. I think it's the mental part that's getting us. The finality of it all...

Yeah...I've been sewing some. I can't finish anything though. Can't wait to get my Sapphire back.

Mojo returns for short visit.....

I hooked up Lucy (my cheapie spare sewing machine) yesterday. I bought this machine as a "just in case something happens to the good machine". She's not half bad. She sews a nice 1/4" seam and for piecing ... I'm ok with her while Ethel gets some needed attention and repairs.

Anyone who know me at all, knows I have to have my nose in everything. Since Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts decided to do a nine patch quilt along, I had to join in. I think I'm a few behind, but I'm not sure how many I'm suppose to have at this point. I, also, don't have a clue how many I have finished so far. I just do a few at a time, whenever I feel like it. As the kids say....that's how I roll......ha!

There's also a quilt along going on over at Old Red Barn Co. Yep...of course I needed to do that too! I thought it would be a great way to use up some of the boatloads of fabric I thought I needed to buy when I first started quilting. Good plan and I'm glad to be using some of it up! Making room for more/new? Hehehehe....always good to have a plan. I'm trying to stay busy with the "not smoking plan". Today is day nine and so far...I haven't killed anyone or filed for divorce. All good things. I am eating way too much. Garry, on the other hand, just sleeps all the time. Anytime he's not working, he's nappin'! I guess we just deal with stuff in different ways. I'll deal with the eating later, right now I just need to distract myself from wanting to smoke.

I'm working on a scrappy Bento Box, too. Just mindless sewing right now. I love making these blocks. I think I could just do these for a very long time, but then I'd learn to hate 'em and who wants that?

Have a great week! I should be getting Ethel back in the next week or so, but Lucy is doing fine for piecing, so I'll just keep at it......

Ethel admitted to Sewing Machine Hospital....

Yes, it's true. I was sewing along the other night and she just up and roared at me and the needle stopped. Won't go up, won't go down. It moves fine with the hand thingie, but not with the foot pedal. So, for several days now, I've been without my beloved Ethel. I'm using Lucy, the Brother I bought for "just in case". I dropped Ethel off this morning. I found a Viking Dealer in another town not too far and I've decided to use them instead of the place where I bought it. Several reasons for this are..... I don't care for most of the employees at the dealer I bought it from. It was one of the dealers located inside the Joann's store. The new place I found is called Lapeer Sewing Center. I like these ladies. The owner is the one who actually works on them. I don't like the idea that the one where I bought it, has a guy that comes and gets them once a week and then brings them back the next week. I can't even discuss the machine with the guy who is actually working on it. That just doesn't work for me. So, they have Ethel and said they hoped to call me by 5:30 today and let me know what they think the problem is. I did go ahead and pay them to do a full tune up on her. She's been thru a lot with me for the past couple of years. I do love her sew.......

Keep Ethel in your prayers. I don't know how long I can go on without her. It struck me when I left her, that I'd rather have her back running smoothly than all the cigarettes in the world. Wooohoooooooo!
Later Ladies!
Edit: Just got a call from Sewing Repair Woman.....minor repair really....motor pulley? ....maybe a week to a week and a halp to get her back...good news....about 30 dollar repair bill. I did pay them to do a "tune up" and clean her already this morning. They seemed quite amazed at the amount of junk inside her. I use her a lot!

UFO List

I was told by my friend, Jill, to get this done. So, I'm gonna get 'er done! Concentrating on anything is not good right now, so I may have to revise it later.

1) Blue Ridge Beauty...king size top done, needs to get quilted and might need borders?
2) Blocks....quilt for me ... king size top done, needs borders and quilting
3) Happy Hour....blocks done for a couple of quilts.
4) Bento Box Quilts.....bought fabric and cut it for 3 tops. That's as far as I got on that.
5) Boxy Stars....got a bunch of blocks done. Hate them. Need to just throw them together and gift to a child or two from church.
6) Jake's Quilt....needed by end of month! quilting half done, and bind!
7) March Quilt....blocks cut out and started piecing
8) Jewel Box...blocks cut out and started piecing
9) old red barn co. quilt along. Have to do this one as steps are posted.
10) Crazy Mom 9 patch quilt along.
11) Bag for Sam (female Sam)
12) Bags for Craft Show
* Havest Spice....needs border when it arrives!

Ok...I'll add more later...I know there are more, but that's all I can think of right now.

About the smoking thing.....

My friends are like a big giant bra! They lift and support me in the hardest times.

Just wanted you to all know that I appreciate the words of wisdom from you all. I may be posting several times a day for the next few days as I ramble from room to room trying to figure out what I'm doing. Several people have suggested the Chantix medication to help with the smoking but it requires dr. visit and some testing. I'm self employed and my deductible on my heath insurance is 5k. I just can't afford to do it. if I hadn't smoked all these years, I'd probably be rolling in money now. Ha! Garry cheated and went outside to smoke. I let him go the first time. After that I told him he could do it. Gave him a hug. You know....I was like a bra for him. Lifting and supporting! He has not wanted to no smoke the way that I have, but I'll help him!

Thanks again everyone.......

Smokin in the boys room......

Here's the deal. I am not smoking. I'm also not using the word "quitting". It hurts too much. I really don't want to smoke anymore. I've smoked since I was about 13. That's 37 years of it. I'm an addict. I can't believe I am. I need all the encouragment and prayers I can get. I know my Prolific people will hang with me during this. I know my friends from church will do anything to help me with it. That really helps to know people give a crap about ya. So....here's a question for anyone smarter than me out there....why can I not stop crying? Yesterday was easier, but not easy. Today is knocking me down. And you know...in my head I keep thinking "if I could just lite one and then put it right back out". But that won't work. I either smoke...or I don't smoke. For the moment, I am not smoking. I can get thru today. I did manage to get my hands on some Valium and that seems to be helping a bit. And now...I'm off to the sewing room. Maybe that will be a great distraction. Any suggestions? And please don't tell me to drink lots of water. I hate drinking water and can only deal with one problem at a time! I may be posting a lot until this gets easier....I may lose my followers.....hang in there with me....

Anyone else out there who smokes and has wanted to quit....email me, leave a comment. We could do this together. I am a mess, but I do know that I am strong and can get thru it......

Later ya'll!