IRENE! ~ Update

Some furniture has been moved under the pool deck

Deck has been emptied and remaining items tied down.

Bigger plants have been brought inside



Other furniture has been stowed

Well I hope all my follow bloggers in South and North Carolina are weathering this storm and are dry and safe.   Sally at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, Maryland is holding down the fort at the Lankford and not leaving.  While everyone was at the over-crowded grocery store after work yesterday buying their TP,(really???)  I bought ice from the uncrowded  liquor store and made a bee-line home to pack up the deck and porch and stowing things as best we could.   Seems an unsuspecting bottle of wine joined the bag of ice by the time I was checking out.  For now, I am awaiting the storm's arrival.   I am about a mile from the river and no mandatory evacuation for me - yet.   Residents along the river were told to evacuate last night.      I have my hand crank radios and flashlights and cooking up some boneless chicken just in case we loose power and have all my larger pots filled with water.   I don't know if I am over reacting - being cautious - being realistic - being dramatic - or just  being prepared.  This is not something we ever have to deal with and much sympathy to those who do every season.   I am trying to be prepared without over-reacting.  Mr. W. thinks we should pack bags just in case we are told to evacuate.....but where to go....living in south Jersey EVERYTHING is low and already saturated from more than normal rainfall in August and I need to cross a bridge to get into DE or PA which I understand will close if the winds are over 40 mph.  With every update from the weather report, the storm has shifted a bit this way or that.   Everything is on hold is all I’ve got and for now, I am going to bake!

~~~~~Update ~~~~~
Calm this a.m. Right now, no rain but it is breezy. I should take a pix of my bird deterents over my veggie  garden spinning!  I put those $1 pinwheels around my pool fence to keep the dirty birds off my deck and fencing and they seemed to have worked.   They are spinning their little hearts out.  I am not seeing any trees or branches down but I know we have to wait for the rest of the wrap around winds and more rain which are expected until mid-late afternoon. Action News said earlier they expect the Delaware River to crest at Washington's Crossing at 21.7 feet at 8 a.m. on Monday. I don't know what that means for us since that is 50 miles upstream. As far as rain totals, we got much more 2 weekends ago. We usually get a 'lake' between me and the neighbor anytime there is significant rain and the backyard floods behind the pool - but so far nothing.   I know I didn't sleep too well - getting up to check things and check the status of the storm on the internet so today could be a nap day.  All and all, so far a non-event, knock on wood...........   Seems like people behaved sensibly and did what authorities suggested. 

Anxious to hear from our blogging friends in the Carolinas and Maryland (and anywhere in the storm's path)  hoping we learn they and their families are well.

I've lost it...

not my mind.....as feeble as it can beat times it is still there.......I've lost my stitching mojo.   Too many hours at work? too many home improvement jobs hanging in the balance? too many fabrics waiting for me to rotary cut? too many checks to write and board reports to do?  too few days of summer left? too many things on my mind? too much analyzing?........don't know, just not in the mood to stitch right now.   What is up with that?   Does this happen to you to?

Girl Time

So what do you do when it is pouring rain and you can't do yard work and you need to unwind........you plan some girl time.   My daughter did 12 days straight at work so the commonality was set.   Heather and I get to scheming and I packed a bag, stuffed in my crafting and headed north for an overnight stay.   My trip to her place usually takes 45 minutes but in the rain, it took an hour and 15 minutes.   We spent Sunday afternoon and early evening  visiting Josh and Sarah and the kids in their new house in Jenkintown.   Oh so cute and so solid and filled with neat nooks and crannies and secret rooms.  We wish them well with their new home.  After some pizza and wine it was back to Heather's and crafting abounded for the rest of the evening. 

To back up a little, I did have some excitement on the ride up.....got a text from my Boston daughter telling me she's feeling sick/nauseated alot and what does that mean?   Of course - moi' who wants a grandchild took the jump I was steered to not even caring that she is not married or that she does not have a boyfriend currently - I got over those details thinking of the potential grandbaby!!!!  We traded voicemails and finally made contact and she gave me more clues....."come on Mom, when do you get a sick headache and feel sick to your stomach?" she asked.   Ding ding ding!  The light goes on and the bells go off.......when do I get a sick headache and feel like I am going to throw up?......when I spend a lot of money.......so I guessed......bought a car!  Yes, she did.  Never looked or thought of a Chrysler and never wanted a black car but bought a Chrysler 200 in Blueberry - which sometimes looks blue and somethings looks black.....   I can't believe I have to wait until Thanksgiving to see her in it......that is what stinks about your kids moving away.  You just don't pop on over when it is a 6 and a half hour drive!

So today, the excitement and fun continued......more crafting this morning and then shopping. First was a trip to Borders.....I got some great books.

"Put 'em up" about canning, was recommended by my sister as a good how to for first timers.

This book has great instructions on cut work, beading, canvaswork and needlepoint and more.

  And then we went junk shopping.   I spent $6.72 and I got...........

I got these frames and you know us stitchers and always use frames.

This basket will be filled with fat quaters soon.

Who can't use a another couple of ironstone platters at 2 for $0.50?

$0.49 for this super top!



And this box I couldn't pass up.   It so looks like our civil war ice cream social fundraiser we do annually.

I need to do some sprucing up and then it will be ready.

What a great couple of days and a great way to unwind after the hectic time at work.   So much laughing, silliness and fun when my daughter(s) and I get together.

Rain rain rain

A close up of my pond show it is overflowing!

We received over 10 inches of rain on Sunday........fortunately for my neck of the woods, it did not bring with it any serious damaging flooding as others have had to deal with and we sure did need the rain.

So desparate for rain, I don't care that the mulch is floating away......the grass is growing as I photograph!

Finishing Class

My guild is the nicest group of people and it brings in so many great things for us to see and learn.   This month's meeting the mom of one of our favorite members, *Stacy*, taught us finishing.   Here's what I did!  Thank you Carolyn for your tips and tricks.

I'd have to dig around my craft room to find the fabric and pattern name.  I do know I did this on 40 ct. and it wasn't that bad as all.  In fact after stitching this on the 40 ct., I see why so many prefer the 40 ct.   I still need to figure out how to attach the ribbon to hang this cutie.

Canvas Work

Here is my minimal progress on my Gay Ann Rogers piece. It is called - A Case for Color. So far, I am enjoying it even though I have not made much progress.



Whoever thought to sell little assorted packs of beads was a genius!  Just perfect for the little pizazz! 

  And I am happy to show off my new project bag.   This is a gift from my boss and his wife for my birthday last month.    He took quite a bit of ribbing after he announced it was one of Vera Bradley's newest patterns.   Hmmmm, he knew this why???  It is perfect to slip in my mesh project bag and carry my stitching things to guild meetings, retreats or to friends.

 And in true Dave and Mary form, they didn't stop at the bag......I got the eyeglass case (perfect for the cheaters), pencils (great to have around needlework - no pens allowed), a journal (for meeting and project notes) and more.   I am one lucky gal with all this loot.

And the kids strike again

I guess they were wondering how long it would take me to notice what they did.   They do these things all the time to drive me batty except they think I became batty all on my own.  They actually believe that it was just a progression downhill and short trip from my earlier  Dingbat status  to Batty!   Oh contrair', they were right there in the car with me as my co-pilots on my ride to becoming Batty.

Many a time my son-in-law will turn all my bears upside down in the trunk they sit in because he thinks it is not right that a grown woman would dress her bears for holidays and seasons, let alone even have a bear collection.   He could have a point.   I wish I could find the pix of all the bears in the trunk turned upside down with their 'bear' bottoms sticking up!   

So the pranks continue as with the “baby-head”.   The baby-head is a small baby head cut out of a magazine that mysteriously moves about from one senior picture to another.   If one child sees it they tell the others in feigned protest,  "eeeewwww, who gave me the baby head!"  and so it goes.

My son's Sr. pix w/o the baby head

and magically, someone has given him the baby head!

So why am I not surprised when across the yard I notice something is different.....    This  is a sled that I hang on the side of my husband's garage until winter when it is time to throw a wreath around it, hang skates from it and prop it up by the front door.   But something about it caught my eye from the deck.

What better place to put your bottle caps.   I think they actually must have contests between them guessing how long it will be before I notice these things.   This trick took about a week  and brought a big smile to my face.   Kids, gotta love them!

I decided I'm not moving them!  Maybe the bottle caps will become the outside version of  "Frank" another childhood pleasure.   Frank was a tiny Frankenberry magnet from the cereal box that  moved throughout the house for years.  Frank had to be 'hidden' in plain site.  Whoever found Frank would secretly move him to a  new spot and wait for the previous hider to realize he was gone and the hunt would begin.......there would be squeals whenever it was calmly announced at the dinner table that someone found Frank and had re-hidden him.  Up they would want to jump to start looking while the latest hider of Frank would smile and have seconds!

The "kids" are 35, 32 and 31 now.    The lesson to be learned.......remain a child at heart......I wonder where Frank is right now.....

Running the numbers

1 in 2

(513)w/abc-lmnop

[19/(247hrs @10/12/+inc's)]

{5lbs}

(w/6)

1flg

(1)

(1)

(2)

(1)

{0xxx's}

1 in 2 - One Rate Case Filing in two weeks to complete                                                         



(513)w/abc-lmnop - 513 multipart [a., b., c., …] - the actual number of questions

[19/(247hrs @10/12/+inc's)] - 19 straight days worked.....247 hours in 19 days in increments of 10, 12, or more hours a day

{5lbs} - 5 lbs heavier from ordering fast food

(w/6) - 6 inches the length of my grass -

1flg  - one filing completed

(1) - one boss no longer running around with his hair on fire

(2) - two vacation days comp'd

(1) - one happy Robin

{0xxx's} - …..no stitching involved…..and that’s where I have been keeping myself……