I HATE COMPUTERS!

I hate computers, we have been having an issue with ours not letting us in to see our email and update blogs etc! It was so frustrating. Here all it was was a little box needed to be clicked to turn the Internet Protection on...I don't know - Rich tried everything over the last two days and so did I, but nothing worked. How irritating can that be??? We do have some security pop up that keeps popping up for some downloadable software that we have to get rid of but at least now I can update and I can email!!!


So, Thursday I picked J up from work, came home, rode my horse, and then took him to practice. After practice was a dinner for the kids at one of the parents houses. T had practice so Rich went to the other end of the county. Friday, more of the same. Rich and I went to town when I got home to exchange the shoes I bought him. Then I went to practice with J, and he took T to the football game. I ran J to his mom's after practice and then worked on Mom's quilt. I have it quilted, I just have to put the binding on.





Saturday was the first official cross country meet. It was in New London, a small town about 45 minutes SW of here. TJ did awesome coming in 5th for the team, the varsity boys team took 3rd in the meet, and then J ran his coming in 7th for the team. He therefore gets to participate on the team race next week, rather than in the open race. You have to earn your spot by making top 7 the week before. They did a really good job!! Our girls JR High team got 2nd. And our top JR boy won the 2 mile JR high race in under 12 minutes!!!!

TJ, running hard

The JR High starting line

J coming into the finish line

Today T and I went to church and then came home to get Rich. T had a double header in North Canton for baseball. I didn't get any pictures, it rained most of the time. But he seems to enjoy playing on this team, its a little funner because they are all more talented players than he usually plays with. The only problem is that it is on the other side of the county!!

I have also been reading, but nothing from my 10 in 10 list. I suppose I will have to put some books on reserve for it so that I can get started on that. I am on my second book for the weekend though and read a good 200+ pages today. Right now I am reading Map of Bones by James Rollins. Its pretty good, about a scandal in the vatican and a secret team of operatives are working to save the relics of the vatican and the church.

Lastly, a quick picture of my sock monkey baby quilt. I only have to sew the binding on but that can wait till it gets to be winter and I am inside more.

Short and Sweet

Today is just another day of rain. Our ball game got cancelled and I had to work. I took a temporary position at an insurance company, in hopes that something materializes soon! It wasn't too bad and its quiet, plus the money will be nice.

Yesterday the boys went to their moms for most of the day. They gave me my mother's day present before they left. A wonderful card that sings "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, along with a Borders Gift Card. They knew what I wanted but were afraid to buy the wrong thing so they got the gift card instead. And here is what I purchased last night from Borders.com:

I can't wait till they come and I can start making one of them. Plus I want to make the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler but I have to start on the quilt along from Crazy Mom Quilts and I started working on J's quilt for his birthday. I thought I was going to finish old projects. Oh well.

Sew many things to do, sew little time.

But I did FINALLY finish Sense and Sensibility for my book club. I am probably one of the only people in the world who didn't really like it (or love it!). It just couldn't hold my attention at all. What are some books that other rave about that you just don't like?

Bleeding Hearts and Lettuce

No, not my heart. My heart is doing wonderfully! In fact I even RAN yesterday. Those who know me know I DON'T run! But I did and didn't even get winded! Granted I only ran 230 feet, from the paddock to the house and back. I HAD to get a picture of Rich on Joe's pony, but I promised him I would not post it on here. He was not happy I was taking his picture. But I am very happy that I was able to run and not get winded. Pre-surgery I could barely make it 50 feet before I had to quit.





But here is a picture of my bleeding heart. I didn't think it was going to come back as it did not do well last year. My mom split her's and gave me part of it. Last year it looked really sad, not this good at the end of the year. But it came back and is bigger already and doing great!

Here is a picture of my lettuce that is coming up. I am really the only one who eats salads (except TJ) and I didn't want to plant alot. Mom said you could plant it in a pot so I researched some on the internet and decided to give it a shot. I know it needs to be thinned, but if anyone has any suggestions they are welcome!

And baseball season started on Monday. We won our first game so that is a plus. We play on Mondays and Thursdays. T is going to umpire on Saturdays and maybe Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We are the Valley City Dick's Sporting Goods. Only 7th grade boys would find it so cool that they are the Valley City Dick's. They think its great to break it down before the game to shout Dick's. Here are pictures of T and Rich. I didn't go to Monday's game but I plan on going to Thursdays IF it doesn't rain. Its nice here now, but it is supposed to rain.

Nothing new in the quilting. Still working on the same projects. I am trying to finish all my projects before I start something else. Now wouldn't that be an idea? I doubt it will happen but I am going to try!

Right now I am reading Sense and Sensibility for my book club that the library started. Its kinda slow going and while I like the book it is definately not a favorite. Hopefully the book we chose for next month will be better. We are going to read all Jane Austen, but not one every month. Next month is members choice.

I'm off to quilt and read! We have NOTHING planned for tonight (except ride) and I am so glad!

Pink Toes!

They say it all!

This is the hole in the side of our yard. Pretty big. We have a broken field tile and are trying to figure out how much it is broke. Rich thinks at least two tiles, maybe three. Its also 8 inch pipe so we think its a main one. We fixed the one in the backyard yesterday. Now I know how to fix a field tile, pretty exciting. That one was only a small pipe. We are not sure how exactly we are going to fix the one in the big hole.

Its been sunny and 70's for the last several days. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain. I have been spending quite a bit of time outside reading. I love to sit in the sun and read. I also cleaned out the flower beds and prepared the side bed for the dirt guy to come bring me some dirt. Our neighbor takes our manure so he is giving me some dirt for my side bed. It connects to the one at the back of the house, but it slopes down about 3 inches in the process so we are going to level it up a bit and then I am going to put in a butterfly garden. It will take me a few years to get it full and growing good since I can only buy a few plants at a time since I don't have a job...




This is the quilt that I am currently working on. I haven't gotten much done since Sunday. Its been too nice. I was originally going to donate it to Project Linus, but Rich thinks I should keep this one and donate a different one. He likes this one and likes the colors in it. He says its too much work to give away. I have to make two more rows and then the hard part will be done. It actually goes pretty fast and I can make one row in about 20 minutes. I love the sock monkey fabric and may keep it even though no one here is still young enough to be into sock monkeys.

We have been riding almost every night, J is getting over his fears of being hurt, TJ is coming along good with his horse, and mine is just as stubborn as always. We had issues again tonight about not wanting to go forward, but we did. We didn't lope because he started kicking out and trying to buck which still scares me at this point. Last year it wouldn't have phased me, but after only 12 weeks, I still want to be careful and not be thrown. I don't think my dr. would be too happy!

Rich has had baseball practice almost every night or been working on the baseball fields. Our first game is in two weeks at New London. We have never been there before nor played a team from there. This should be interesting since we don't know what to expect. Our games will be on Mondays and Thurdays so they shouldn't interfer with too many horse shows, unless there is a Saturday game, but I think we only have one of those scheduled.

My local library started a book club, The Jane Austen Book Club, which I happily joined! There were 9 of us at the first meeting which I think is pretty good for our little library out here in the middle of nowhere. We are reading Sense and Sensibility this month and then next month we are going to read a members choice. We decided to mix it up so that it wouldn't get old or boring. Plus that way we could all share our favorite books. Right now I am reading "The Girls" by Lori Larsens. Its a fiction book about twins conjoined at the head. I have several other books here waiting to be read and actually read three books this past weekend.

And lastly, today I walked 3 miles. Very exciting to be able to do so. I saw a blimp when I was out walking but didn't have my camera with me and it was too far away for my cell phone. I didn't know DirectTV had a blimp but that is what it said. It was beautiful out and I was so glad to get outside and walk!!

I'm off to sew and have some yummy ice cream for dessert!

Chickens!

This weekend I finished the chickens I was making for myself, Mary and my neighbor. I think they came out pretty good. They still need eyes, but that will take just a few minutes. I just couldn't find my eyes for them. Heres some pictures:

Tardy is up and eating, but the owners have decided to put him down this week. We don't want to see another episode like yesterday's and its just not fair to him. I feel so bad, but I also don't want to see him suffer. He's lived a long and good life, its for the best.

In other news, today has been kinda yucky with rain on and off. Its also colder here, been in the 30's about all day. I did complete 6 minutes on the elliptical this morning and did a two mile walk (on DVD) this afternoon. I am down another 3 pounds (117) since Monday. My goal would be be to maintain 115 and build muscle up. I can't believe its been almost 9 weeks since surgery! I don't want to get to thin, but I want to build up some more muscle. The kids and Rich have been playing playstation most of the day. I actually was up before all the kids this morning. That's a change - usually they are waking us up!

Right now I am reading "The Piped Piper" by Ridley Pearson. It is a mystery type about someone who is stealing babies. I am only about 100 pages into it. I just started it last night. Before that I read Unspeakable by Sandra Brown. Its about two brothers that were blamed for a murder they didn't commit and they escape from jail to come back and get revenge on their step father. It was good, but I don't think it was one of her best works.

I am going to sew a little longer and then I am off to read. I think dinner tonight is going to be fend for yourself! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Snowing and Blowing

Well, we got it. The huge storm they said we were going to get is here. I am literally snowed in. Not going anywhere, and don't really want to. There is easily a foot of snow already and it is still snowing. Its also blowing pretty good, creating some big drifts. They said we could get 1-2 feet and I believe it. Its also blowing out of the north, which means we will get some lake effect snow due to being in the secondary snowbelt. Its a good day to stay inside and quilt or read, which is what I am doing today. I also have homemade beef stew in the crock pot, which is smelling really good right now!

This is the red white and blue quilt that my mom, sister and I did many years ago. I never finished putting all the blocks together back then (neither did they!) and we are finally getting it done. Kris is supposed to be bringing me the border and backing for it tomorrow, but I am not holding my breath on that. I would be surprised if they can make it up here with this weather. That's fine, because I have plenty of other projects to work on. I have about half of the blocks completed for the Piecing the Trail to Kansas that mom got years ago, and there are always chickens to make for Mary, and myself since I never made on for myself. Also other little projects to be done, and some big ones.

Right now I am reading two books actually. I put one down because I decided I didn't want to read it at night. I started I Am Legend and its all about vampires. I am a big chicken so I figured it wasn't something I wanted to read at night. So I picked up More Than You Know by Beth Gutchen (I believe). I'm not very far into either book, but I am sure I will have one of them finished by the weekend.

The kids are at their mom's for the weekend, and Rich is at work. Its quiet, pretty outside and I am snuggled in for the weekend under my big comfy quilt and sewing away.

Snow and Aprons

Once again yesterday there was no school due to the weather. I believe that was day 7 which means making it up at the end of the year. What's one more day though? Its not like they do anything on the last day anyway. We had a drift out our back door that was about 4 feet. And the boys spent about two and a half hours playing outside yesterday. That was nice again since it was quiet in here and they weren't fighting. I am SO glad there is school today. I don't think I could have taken another day and I don't think they could have either. Sometimes I think places that go to school year round have the right idea.

So while the boys were outside yesterday I finished up the aprons that mom and I started on Saturday night. It went really quick once I figured out the directions. I don't make clothes or things like that - pretty much just quilts so it was my first attempt at using a pattern. Some of the directions didn't make sense, but I winged it and am happy with the results. Just don't expect too much more from me.

I haven't really read a whole lot since I got home. I read And Now You Can Go by Vendela Vida which was okay. I think I would have probably liked it better if my attention span was better. I just finished Can't Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg yesterday. That was good, but again I think I would have liked it better if my attention span was better.

We had a 4-H meeting last night so Rich drove me over to that. It was nice to get out of the house and spend some time doing something I enjoy. Everyone was surprised to see me, I'm glad I went though - nice to break up the monotony. Today I am off to lunch with my friend Diane, which will be wonderful since I haven't seen her in a while! I can't wait to hear what she has been up too! When I get home if I feel up to it I am going to work on my red, white and blue Americana quilt that has been several years in the making. Need to get these things finished up so I can start some new ones!!!

Off to lunch!