The Grace of Friendship & Family

Work still progresses on the baby quilt but I see now that I don't really like the solid-looking barn red squares. They seem to take over the whole thing. Tell me what you think?

This really cool guy who came from Dani's Mom. He's a music box and I don't want to put him away yet. Such a thoughtful gift. Cheryl said she saw that he was wearing a quilt for a coat and she thought of me. What a lovely woman. I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me to see him each day. I must try and kidnap Cheryl sometime when the weather warms up and take her out for lunch so we can continue to tell embarrassing stories about our kids. Really such a good time and needless to say, lots of laughs. Dani's Dad is one of the nicest men we've met in a long time. So positive and full of funny stories. We really enjoyed our time with them and look forward to much more.

I really worried about meeting them since I'm basically very quiet and it is often mistaken for coolness. None of that with them. They are so welcoming and really genuine people. It's no wonder that they have a daughter like Dani. She's gracious, sweet and very kind...just like her parents.

The other pictures are of Christmas Booty...HAR! I got a few generous gift cards from my BIL Bob and these are a few of the books I got. Roger gave me bookmoney as well so I still have plenty of chances to go crazy when I need to. Dearest Pal Terry gave me a subscription to the new Food Network Magazine. It's really fun(except for the part with that fool Sandra Lee and her stupid tablescapes etc. Don't get me started. She clearly went to the Thomas Kincade(painter of light,pppfffft!!!)school of loveliness . Removing my finger from my throat, I continue. The rest of the magazine is really fun and has plenty of recipes by actual people who cook real food.

There are some books I got. B&N was having a 50% off sale and I got Marcella Hazan's biography...lovely walk down an Italian childhood and fabulous cooking career. The others are escapist travelling postcard-type books from good writers.

Got myself a copy of Jane D'Avila's wonderful book on making art quilts with less stress and lots of great info on simplifying techniques you might not be familiar with. Got it because I never fully give up on the concept of breaking away from the traditional.

I am very blessed to find myself among a collection of really wonderful people who inhabit my life. It really doesn't get much better than this.

Quiltathon saved me!

Thanks to Judy L and the quiltathon I've been busy with the baby quilt for our niece Kristy. The baby is due in February so I'd better get a move on. I found this cute Debby Mum fabric last week at JoAnn's and I'm just making simple blocks-large squares surrounded by accent fabric. It was really fun to get back to something creative even if it is just a simple thing. The big snow storm predicted for yesterday was ,happily, a bust. Just a couple of inches. That's our favorite kind. A little snow, no ice pellets. By next week we are to be in the deep freeze though. I made a big pot of soup and biscuits for dinner last night-everyone was happy.

I took my lovely Christmas gift cards for Barnes & Noble out for a ride Friday. I will show some of those titles tomorrow. Lots of good reading. We have a new B&N just opened nearby and so it's pretty well stocked with good stuff. Borders is going downhill fast. Nothing but coffee table books and crap. It's a shame what has happened to them. I always liked them more than B&N. They offered more unusual things and lots of historical work. Well, I guess any book store is better than none.

That's about as exciting as my week got. Today I will try to get the top done and during the week I'll get it finished.....yeah..that's what I'll do...finish something.

As soon as you all stop laughing get a load of these two guys. There were rumors of an alien invasion last week and I think these two are safe from mind-melding and such. I'm putting down the camera and backing away slowly.

AWOL from my life!

With all of the time I have spent on the computer these past two weeks you would think it would be easy to do a post.....not so much.
I am so grateful for the generous people who live here and have really overwhelmed us with contributions to the Food Pantry. I'm still trying to dig out from under the piles of paperwork. Yesterday I asked the treasurer for some information regarding a regular donor who only requires a yearly statement and she e-mailed me back with that and the news that someone in the community had passed away and the family asked for donations to the Pantry in lieu of flowers.......sigh. My first priority this year when I'm finished with all of this and we are in the Feb. doldrums, will be to organize this in a better way and make a standard letter. Years ago, when I began writing thank you letters to each donor, there were only a comparative handful. It would pick up at Christmas, Easter, and back-to-school time when food drives resumed. Now we are blessed with many more donations and my little letter writing thing has grown into the hundreds. It really needs to be addressed soon. I have just finished over 200 letters. I'm thinking that will qualify for some sort of bulk mail rate. At the current postal rate that's a lot of stamps, and paper, and printer cartridges etc. Not to mention a lot of non-quilty time for Dee.
Well, at any rate, that's the scoop here at Overwhelmed Central. Please don't get the wrong idea. I'm thrilled that we can complain . It means we are able to feed a lot more families and here on the island many charitable organizations are really hurting and many have closed their doors. I found out last week that there is only one soup kitchen in the whole area left. There used to be a number of them in various churches. It's hard to find volunteers for that kind of thing now since so few woman are available during the day. Everyone has gone back to work.
So, on that note, I will finish some more letters and hope to get back to some fun stuff soon. I am having dinner with the quilting friends tonight. We go out to dinner for Christmas and birthdays. I'm looking forward to seeing them. Hope your day is a peaceful one.

Still no quilting going on...grrrrr

Here are a couple of photos of Christmas day with the darlings. They really are so adorable together. The table before the chaos and a few things under the tree. Remember how we said we were not going to buy much of anything since we just got the new monolith for the bedroom? Well...looks like it didn't go according to plan. We were all too good to each other, as always.

It's hard to believe but I'm still trying to finish with all the Pantry paperwork. I'm trying to do a little every day but beginning to think it would be better to just plow through all of it and be done. Roger took a stack of mail out with him this morning.

I have no more time today for that since I was out and the search for leg of lamb took me to more than one store. The place I usually get it didn't have anything that looked nice. It was all packaged in plastic wrap and very unpleasant looking. I wound up getting a fresh ham. That's another favorite around here so no one will be complaining. I'll just have to go to a butcher next time for the lamb. Maybe for Roger's and my 25th anniversary. It's Feb. 4th and usually turns out to be a horrible stormy or frigid day. Note to any young couples interested, don't get married in Feb. I'm filled with nostalgia since Jane Ann just came back from Hawaii and blogged about it. Now friends of ours are celebrating their 25th by leaving for Hawaii tomorrow for a week. One of these days we'll get back there. Jane Ann made me laugh when she reminded me of the chickens on Kauai. They are everywhere. It's basically a giant garden and the poultry runs free. Very amusing. Chickens turn up all over the place. It shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise since we live very near a small farm that has many chickens. Sometimes when I would walk with James in his stroller you could see them roosting in the trees. That was funny. They got just enough lift to make it into the smaller trees and they would make that funny cackle as if to say, "Hey, who says chickens can't fly?"

I'm looking for some new girly fabric. Our niece is having a baby in February. Good time to think about it huh? Terry said she would be heading to JoAnn's possibly on Friday and I may tag along to get something pinky and pretty. I really love making baby quilts. When we went to North Carolina back in July, Holly's daughter, Tatum had brought along the quilt I made for her from Aunt Grace fabrics in a Hugs & Kisses pattern. I never really see where my gifts go that often. It was neat to see her hugging her quilt and dragging it around. Despite all the loving it was getting it looked pretty good. Pays to buy good fabric after all.

We are having a very quiet New Years this time. No partying or dinner out. We're just hanging out at home. I'm thinking of making a seafood stew with clams, shrimp, mussels, and some fish with white wine and garlic...is that cioppino????? (thanks Gerrie for the spelling) Whatever it's called, I think that what I'll do. That and a glass of wine and we should be snoring by midnight if not before.

Hope you have a Happy New Year.

Christmas This&That

We are as ready as we are going to get. Due to the generosity of the people who live here, I am inundated with envelopes containing checks for the Food Pantry. I guess the word is getting out through various media sources. We are well stocked and very grateful. Many letter of thanks will not go out until next week but I'm sure they will understand.

The Happy Couple(Dani & James) will be joining us for Christmas dinner and a poll was taken. The winner (or loser???) was turkey. Dani says she can't eat any Bambi-looking little creatures. Looks like the lamb will bite the dust until New Years.

I feel so sorry for the little tiny birds at this time of year. The giant, very fat, squirrels get all the stuff we throw out for the birds and these darling little guys seems to just hover around waiting for the scraps. It's so frozen out there that what looks like snow is really glazed over with ice and hard for the little ones to get a grip on. For that matter it's hard for the big ones, like us, as well.

I found some pretty Christmas stamps on google images and thought I'd share some unusual ones here. Stamps are such an inexpensive visual treat. Hope you enjoy them and that your holiday is a lovely one. Merry Christmas!

Doing the Happy Dance...Wooot!

Why are these guys so happy? Well, I'll tell you why. Our favorite couple got themselves engaged. James & Dani got engaged last night. James took Dani to the place they first had dinner together and popped the question. We are trilled and happy and misty-eyed. OMG...My baby is getting married. But not for a while. They have promised both sets of parents that they will wait until Dani has finished her education. So that's my best news of the day, month, whatever. We all love Dani so it's wonderful news all around. James has come to love the large Italian family that Dani comes from. It's not surprising since he's an only child and really enjoys being part of the large family unit.

As soon as I can pin them down for 5 minutes I'll take a picture of the happy couple. I knew this was about to happen since I was the one to pick up the ring from the jewelers where it was being re-sized.

It's snowing here-a lot. We will probably be snowed in for a day or so but since it's Friday, who really cares. I've done everything but clean the house and get the Christmas dinner. I'm making Shrimp Scampi for Christmas Eve dinner and we are tossing around ideas for the Christmas meal. Could be turkey, could be leg of lamb, could be duck. We'll have a vote tonight. If James is with us it will most likely be turkey. He will most likely be at the in-laws-to-be so lamb may win out.

I must go and get some things accomplished before long or the day will be over. The weather has given me a really bad case of sciatica and my foot feels like it's throbbing but if I get a few things done I can coast for the rest of the day. Hope you're save and sound and warm.

Jingle Bell Buzz

Sorry for the lack of posting. I am just buzzing with stuff to do and I haven't even written out any cards yet. HELLO...Christmas is next week! Here's a shot of the tree-please don't look at the surrounding mess-I promise to clean it up before long. This was right after we finished a day of tree decorating and finding a place for all the stuff that usually sits where the tree is. Got to find the tree skirt. I just need a day without shopping to manage that. That day was not today. I hightailed it to Macy's this morning because they are now open at 9am. The place was nearly empty and I accomplished a lot. I am always amazed at the mark-up of items and how far down they can go and still make a profit. I got two pair of earrings that were 50% off and then another 20% for using their card. Good grief! They are really nice earrings too. Not crappy or cheap but 70% off for cripe sakes. So that was one of my stops today. Yesterday I made a number of other stops as well. I finished up at Tarjay and headed home with my sleigh full. It's not that I purchased so much but I did a lot of wandering and seeking. I'm really tired.

When I got back to the house I made myself a cuppa and a bagel and made the mistake of putting my feet up and turning on Desperate Housewives, which runs at noon for two episodes. If my life depended on it I could only tell you the first 5 minutes and the last ten of the second episode. ZZzzzzzzzzzztwo hours went by. Now I'm making Pasta Sauce from scratch since Roger can't have a lot of sodium. I make it a kind of Arrabiata with red pepper flakes, good red wine, and a lot of seasoning to make up for the lack of salt. It's not bad. If I had any energy left I would tackle a couple of other tasks but I have admit, I'm a little pooped.

I just haven't had time to take many pictures of anything but I did manage to get a shot of the little quilt I made for Dani's Mom Cheryl for Christmas. I had this top for a while and finally decided that it would look nice in her new house. I just used the walking foot and finished it in a simple stitch in the ditch manner. Better done than perfect and I just haven't had time for hand quilting. There's also the whole problem of the eyes, grrrrrrr.

I must go and finish the sauce. Hope to be back soon with exciting family news.

Thursday This & That

Just as soon as I have this finished and get the steak cut up we will be having Beef Stroganoff for dinner-over Basmati rice. Hurry up over, dinner at 6:30 ish.

I took my little life into my hands and went over the river and through the woods to...the book store, Sears, and a couple of other stops. Sears now carries Lands End clothing so when I'm looking for something from them I would rather not pay shipping charges if they have it a couple of miles from me. The downside is that nearly all the time, the don't have what I need. Today they had what I needed but I refused to stand on a line a mile long. My own fault since I got a late start. I'll get an earlier one either tomorrow or Monday. I don't do weekends in stores unless there is something earth shattering going on. Especially this time of year. But I digress. While I was heading back out to the car I passed through the men's dept. and found a great buy for James. They had really nice pullover fleece in gray and orange. Two of them marked down to less than half price. Also, a great heavy duty lived windbreaker marked down from $100.00 to $39. I couldn't let that one pass and since I hit it at the perfect time there was only one person ahead of me. Good thing too since it was about 95 degrees in the store and I was melting.

Here's a shot of the brief snowfall we had the other morning. I couldn't sleep so I took this at about 5:30 am. By yesterday it was all gone. We are having the weird weather again. Monday it was 21 degrees and yesterday it was 60. A little consistency would be great.

I really miss my sewing machine. Don't know how I can call myself a quilter much longer. I am sewing bindings on things but it's stuff I've shown here before. The Pantry and shopping have taken over my life. When the holidays are over things will calm down again...I hope.

Hope you're having something delicious for dinner too. Talk to you soon.

Monday musings

So much festivity afoot (snort)in my neck of the woods. My best friend's store now has an annual Leg Lamp Lighting. Sorry to say I missed the festivities. They had a pretty good turnout I hear. I must try to get a picture for you when the lamp is lit. Terry got this lamp as a joke for Jim a few years ago and until someone had this brilliant idea it was standing in the huge oval window of her very beautiful house. That window is on the back side of the house in case you're wondering. She's funny but the leg is really only funny for a day or two and then it mimics the movie in an unfortunate way. By the way, whenever I see a box that's marked FRAGILE I cannot pronounce it any other way than fra gee lay now. She's got the most gorgeous house and I'm sure she wasn't unhappy to see the leg lamp go.

Believe it or not, there are still thing being finished on the roof and fascia. Our carpenter guy has a medical emergency in his family the other day so he couldn't work. No problem, it will be done tomorrow. Today the weather turned scarry cold. This morning it was 21 degrees when I got up. The carpenter came by and told me it was too cold to work with the stuff he's got to put up. He'll be here tomorrow. Now for tomorrow it is supposed to get to about 50. A little consistency would be nice. James has a cold so everyone will have one soon. Bah! We are hunkering down with the echinacea and Airborne. It doesn't stop the cold but it seems to cut the time short. I swear by the echinacea. That stuff is gold.

I really need to get myself a list going and get to the store for some small stuff for the guys for Christmas. Time is flying by.

My son and husband did some setting up of the HDTV monolith I got last week. The set works either way but we needed to get the HD receiver, which James picked up Saturday for me. The he fixed the tuner in my bedroom so I can get some music. It seems the plugs were just hanging out on the back. I wasted a lot of time on Sunday discovering all the HD channels I get now. Way up there around 800 or so there are two foreign movie channels and many, many music channels. All kinds of music from Jazz to holiday, to easy listening(gag) and classical and classic rock (wahoo) and more gagging....rap. I also get Voom, a movie channel and some others. All of this is important because I need another good reason not to be productive. I must admit that the music is pretty nice though.

Well, I must go get a few more things done. Roger would probably like to wear a shirt tomorrow I'm thinking. Although...he's always looking for a reason not to be able to go to work and this would do I'm sure. I'm conflicted now.

New Roof 'n stuff

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter....Today's the day folks. Here are some guys getting the new roof started. There are many more of these guys on my roof and the surrounding area. The stuff is flying off all around and it's hanging on trees and bushes all over. I sure hope they clear up all the crap that's lying all over. Tar paper floating through the skies and the banging...ugh! I just dropped in to say Hi and for something fabric related I finished the binding on a little pre-printed thing for Christmas. Nothing creative going on here, just something to perk up the house and get a little festive mojo going.

I'm making Chinese for dinner. Chicken and snow peas. Easy peasy just saute and make a sauce-make some basmati rice and there you go. I think I'll make myself a cup of tea and some tylenol. No chance of dropping off for a quick 40 winks today but that means I'll get something more done. I am on letter 41 of the 55 letters I need to get done. My eyes are rebelling. I'll take a little break and then gt back to it later. It's funny, I'm so secluded up here and I don't pay it much mind but I feel like I can't wait for these guys to finish. I find I really don't like having anyone here during the day. Can't concentrate and it feels weird. with all the guys outside. I don't like curtains but today I wouldn't mind having them. Nothing against the guys, just weird.

Hope you have a good, and quiet, day!

Christmas Art and stamps

My late Father-in-law Jim had a large stamp collection. I think of him often but never more than this time of year because we had a number of discussions about stamps and art. Although I am a not what anyone would call a good Episcopalian, I am a woman of great faith. I have many questions regarding organized religion and in my everyday life I am part of a very eclectic and ecumenical group and, sad to say, have not seen the best representation of faith, humanity, or compassion among my fellow members. Be that as it may, I have a great love for religious art. In particular, representations of the Madonna and child. As you may know, this is a subject that has been made into Christmas stamps for many years now. This painting is one of my favorites. It is by Botticelli. I love his bright use of color and the Christ child is represented as a sweet, chubby, darling boy. There are some Madonna & Child paintings that are bleak looking. That I think is a sign of what ever time they were painted in. This painting comes from the Renaissance period. A time of re-birth of society and culture. Given the time that came before it, the Renaissance was a recovery from darkness, death, and starvation. I have seen some wonderful ethnic paintings and religious art coming out of Mexico and other Latin countries as well. I really like them very much too. Of course the wonderful Russian and Greek Icons are a wonder as well.

I miss my Father-in-law very much. He died on Christmas day after a very long period of illness. I miss our conversations. At the end he didn't want to talk much and couldn't see. All that was precious was taken from him...except us. It must have been so hard for him and since he was a very circumspect and quiet man, I can hardly recall our conversations at the end. But I can recall our talks about stamps before that time.

In the end, the stamps have come down to me. There are some that my BIL Richard wanted and I would gladly give him those. The ones that mean a lot to me are the collections he gave me as gifts. The reason they mean so much is not because I couldn't live without them but that he gave me a gift he purchased himself. Pop never purchased anything in his last years. He never left the house and if someone needed something he might pay for it but he never went and bought things for anyone. The stamp collections mean a lot to me because of that. I wish there had been more time. Isn't that something that we all say?

At any rate, those are some thoughts about Pop and stamps that come to mind at this time every year.

I'm not sewing. Too much to do for the Pantry and my family right now.

I got my Christmas present early this year. Well, it's really a gift for both of us. My eyesight is giving me a great deal of trouble and I couldn't see the television from the bed in my room. It was too small. Roger came home with a 40 inch flat screen for me last night. He's such a wonderful husband. So now there is a monolith in the bedroom as well as the living room. We said that it would be our gift to each other. Well, other than a couple of small things.

I've got to get back to work. There have been some computer problems in the past few days and it's messing with my getting things done. Thanks for letting me babble. I really just wanted to get that turkey off the page a little.

Hope your days are merry and bright!

Turkey Day-Take 2

I blatantly filched this from the web because we forgot to take pictures and consumed the bird faster than you could day gobble gobble.

It was a much nicer day and we were happy to have Dani with us to pig out. I got a small turkey and there's hardly a piece left. We have a sweet stuffing recipe that my late MIL Dot always made and we still love. Surprisingly, my son and Dani both enjoyed it as well. As I've said, for James it's all about the smashed potatoes and gravy lake.

Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us. The roofers are supposed to come tomorrow and it would be a great thing if we didn't have too much rain for the next few days. Winter is coming fast and we need to get this project finished before we have to run around and catch rain in pots and pans for winter. The roof is ancient on the older part of the house and getting some of my relatives to start a project is like pulling teeth-all of them.

I would dearly love to do some sewing today but I'm happy to say that I will be writing letters of thanks to a large number of people in the community for their generous outpouring of money to the Food Pantry. The day before Thanksgiving I stopped by to pick up the mail and nearly fell into a carton of vegetables that was as big as I am and generously donated by a local small farm. We are basically a Pantry of canned goods and a few frozen items so when we get fresh groceries it's a treat to be able to get them to the families.

I'd better get myself moving so I can finish this work and possibly work on making the place ready for some decorations soon. I have new window toppers and it goes without saying that it would be nice if people could focus on their lovely barn-red color rather than the cobwebs and dust.

Thanks to all for the nice comments. Back soon.

Lost & Found

I have no picture today. There's nothing that quite sums up my feelings about the last couple of days that can be captured by a camera.
Yesterday, I man was trampled to death by people(?) literally breaking the doors at a big box store and running like a mob over him. These same people continued to make purchases while an EMT crew worked over this dying man tyring to revive him. A woman was also trampled and nearly lost her child. All of this took place about 20 miles from my home. It upset me so much that I had trouble sleeping and when I did there were some bad dreams to contend with. For a while now, I have wondered just what the turning point for society would be. The turning point where we would all come back to humanity first and "things" last. I am reminded of when my husband bought me my beautiful engagement ring so many years ago. I asked him if he thought it was a good idea to get insurance on it and he replied "it's only a thing". I loved him even more from that moment on. It summed up for me the essence of a real human being. Things and stuff-all of goes away and is lost. Humanity is nearly going away with those "things & Stuff" as well. I am sickened by this. I want to know who all of those people are so that when I may come face to face with them I can know them and run away disgusted and frightened by them-which is the least they deserve.
What was found was an e-mail from a very talented friend this morning. She finished work on a commission piece that is an amazing piece of art. It's unbelievably beautiful and an exact copy of a famous painting done in fabric and quilted to perfection. Because of copyright issues it can't be shown on a blog and more's the pity. It's gorgeous. I wish she could share it with the world but understand that it could cause problems. That was the beauty in my morning and I was so grateful for a picture coming my way.
I think that when we view these amazing pieces of art it renews something visceral in us and Lord knows we can use some civilization today.
Our Thanksgiving was not such a happy one. We were happy to be with our friends but they were not happy about much of anything except us spending the day with them. The recent horror-filled economic crash has left our friends without a ladder and hanging on by their fingertips. What can happen in a six month period to a lifetime of savings is astonishing and scary. I am filled with fear for them. Tomorrow I am making Thanksgiving here at my house. My son was at his girlfriends house and missed my version of the day so now I will make it again and hopefully things will be a little brighter if only for a few hours. It's all about the smashed potaotes and gravy lake for James.
I hope you all had a wonderful day and that you have peace in your world.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I wish you good friends, good food to share with them and peace.

Turkey to cook, potatoes to mash, pie to bake, wine to drink.

See you all soon.

Got a Match?

I'm just checking in to say Hi! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth although, that might be a great feeling right now. They're playing jingle bells and dashing through the snow and next week is Chris....Uh....Thanksgiving...I think. I'm about to set off the bomb in front of me. Somehow the bloggy mojo is gone. It's that time when I can't think of anything that would interest anyone and I've got nothing to show. I did get out the machine and work on something today but I'll take pics tomorrow as this day is nearly over. Trying not to listen to the news-it's a mess out there.

Roger is taking off a week so we will have some nice time together and we are going to our friends house for the annual Thanksgiving feast. The day after that it will be Christmas.

BIL Bob is back from his trip to the Caribbean and in one fell swoop every leaf on every tree came down with a whoosh. I'm heading back to the sewing machine since I have the day off from cooking. Maybe I can get a couple more things done. We watched Kung Foo Panda yesterday afternoon and had a laugh. Lots of mail at the Food Pantry to answer. This is our really busy time. Everyone donates something from the kids in school classes to the civic groups around town and many businesses. Lots of work for me but it's for a very good cause. We have many more families this year. No surprise there.

I made Lydia's chicken & eggplant with basil and fresh mozzarella last night for dinner. I recommend it. Lots of prep work but worth it I think. The guys seemed to like it very much. Not a diet meal but you have to go off the reservation sometimes.

I really hate having my picture taken but the guys snapped this one a while back. Please to ignore my many chins and sloppy outfit. I think I was cooking and cleaning that day.

Talk to you soon and please remember that the camera adds thirty-five pounds.

Wednesday-no WIP

Can you stand some more local color? Other than that, I've got nothing. Roger was down in the park for his walk this past weekend and snapped a few shots of autumn in the village. He told me there were some shots of flying boats and I didn't know what he meant until I downloaded the pics from the camera this morning. Flying boats-yeah, now I get it. The pics are clickable.

A couple of the many beautiful old circa houses that line the waterfront. Most were houses that belonged to the ship captains and ship builders that founded this community. There's one house not too far from those I'm showing you, that once was the Pink House. When I was growing up it was very hush-hush(not) that it was the house where the local Madame lived and all the working girls lived. Very cool house though-at least I always love it because it was so colorful...color wise I mean(heeeee). It's a beautiful old Victorian.

Someday I really intend to resume quilting and sewing again...really I do. Meanwhile, we are having the roof re-shingled and possibly some new sheetrock in the older part of the house. Maybe while I'm being held hostage in the house next week by the workmen on the roof and possible sheetrock workers I will set up the machine and fondle some fabric. I'm coming across so many wonderful things I purchased over the course of the past year and never got around to using. It's fun making these discoveries of beautiful fabric bundles and I can't wait to cut into them. Has anyone seen the things that folks are making with the cut selvage edges of fabric? There's a whole blog devoted to it called Selvage Blog. I'm fascinated. Love to try something small like the ornaments that were posted last week. Great postcards as well.

Back to the grindstone.....talk to you later

Monday this & that

Not sure what the problem is but we have been having some computer problems. We could most likely use a new computer but it also could stand to be re-formatted blah blah blah....

Anyway, I'm still here and haven't fallen under huge weight of all the stuff that I've un-earthed. I wasn't feeling that great this weekend but luckily for me, I have a husband who is very indulgent and helpful. He cooked diner Saturday and I got to hang around playing the Lady of the Manor. He recently purchased for me a book which I have been in love with since before it was written. I am a huge fan of Nelson DeMille and years ago stumbled on "The Gold Coast". It is on my list of 10 most favorite modern books and I have re-read it so often that I had to buy another copy in a used book store last year because the pages wee literally falling out of the original. Anyway, my dreams, literary wise have come true and he has finally written the sequel. I was hooked the moment I read the first page and it felt like coming home. When I finished reading "The Gold Coast" I felt like I lost a friend in John Sutter and actually wondered what would become of his life. Thank you Nelson DeMille for answering my questions in the most wonderful ways. When I finished reading it Sunday morning I picked up my dog-eared copy of "The Gold Coast" and started reading it again. The thing is, I grew up here and these people are no strangers to my life at all. I can put a face to any of the characters instantly. Many years ago I dated the son of one of the large Italian families who are in the construction business here on the island. It was a colorful chapter in my life. An equal number of years ago I worked in the perfume and cosmetic business and I became good friends with a couple who owned a company and lived in a gated place in Lattingtown. They didn't just give parties-they entertained. The room I stayed in was larger than my apartment then and it came with servants. I used to wander away from the party and, frankly, escape the clutches of some idiot who tried to stick his tongue in my ear or something that's equally icky when it's not being done by the man of your dreams. I'd go up to the children's quarters where they had built a playhouse that was room-sized and the walls were painted with storybook characters and lighted mobiles danced around the ceiling. Occasionally, I would find a couple who were stumbling around trying not to look guilty. I just went there to drink some champagne and try to imagine what being a child in a place like that could be. The second best place was the Library. A whole room full of beautiful books and no one ever looked at them. I believe they were mostly for show and most likely bought by the yard from a dealer. The larcenous Library thief in me imagines I could have gotten away with some good ones that no one would have ever missed. They had a tree growing in the center of the breakfast room. A huge, very old, historical tree. I wonder what happened to that place and to the tree. It had a historical marker on the trunk. Maybe it's still there? Good times.

Anyway, it makes a story twice as fascinating when you can picture the events based on moments that have taken place in your own life. So, I really had a great weekend with my nose buried in a wonderful book for hours.

Of course, the down side of that is I've got a lot to catch up on. So off I go-back to reality but it sure is fun to travel down those memories from time to time.

Whine & Cheese please.

Thank you to all who were kind enough to leave messages of hope for this pathetic whiner. I'm making headway in very tiny steps and you suggestions were much appreciated. I put together a large bag of clothing for a woman down at the Pantry who has a daughter around my size. It was nice to know that the clothes will go somewhere useful. Going to the Pantry will get your head on straight every time. There are people with real problems. They'd kill to have no space in their closet for art. Anyway, I am going back up after I finish this cup of tea and see if I can fill another bag with stuff to go. By the way, my good friend Jane Ann had the answer in her comment. It's that self-destructive seed within that keeps me from achieving my goals or, in fact, even beginning. If there's a mess, I can't create and thus, can't fail. It's my personal no-fail system. No start-no fail. Small steps ladies, small steps.

Did you get out and vote today? The lines were amazing and the Village was so busy. Tuesday morning here is usually so quiet. I couldn't get near the Library since the voting takes place across the street. No parking anywhere. Usually, I can roller skate through the grocery store and not see a soul shopping. It was super busy today.

Well, the tea is gone and so am I.

Autumn

You could hardly tell by the color or the weather but it's autumn here on Long Island. I have smelled the drifting scent of fireplaces and that very earthy smell of leaves composting themselves. My husband has set the heat to come up a little warmer at dawn. We don't like to sleep in a hot room but the mornings are now too cold to ignore. It won't be long until the yards are bare and gray. I really have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. The trick is to stay busy but I'm having a sort of melancholy fog settle in. I will try to shake it off by doing a project or two that are in desperate need of happening.

I have what could be described as a studio. It's large enough to cover one side of a very large bedroom. Running all along the front side of our house. Right now I wouldn't let anyone in there and I have reached the point in life where I'm afraid of leaving such a horrifying mess for someone to clean up if something happens to me. See, I told you I was feeling a little sad and frankly a little creepy. I recently read about two woman I know who had a nightmare left by their mother who was a pack-rat. Again, today, I read about a woman who lost her father-same story, different coast. It involved dumpsters and a combination of angry sadness. I don't want to be that kind of burden to my family. It has also had a terrible effect on my creativity. I have no room to try any of the things I would like to in order to move ahead with some artistic things I'd like to try. Maybe that's secretly what keeps me from moving forward. It's fear related and much easier to sit and contemplate what could be. I really need to shake off the dusty thinking while I'm shaking off the accumulated junk.

The answer is sort, purge, and toss away. I have so often wanted to have a Zen life but I have been, up to now, a collector. In fact, we are all collectors here. There's a favorite song I really have loved for a long time called "Too Much Stuff", by Delbert McClinton. It's an amusing song. This is not an amusing situation. It makes me remember a quote from Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, "and so, we beat on, boats against the current, bourne ceaselessly back in time."

I'm going in....cover me.

Spooky Times

When James was little I had the best time with him on Halloween. Starting when he was very small and hardly knew what was going on, I would roll him through the autumn streets with my friends and their kids. Back then, we got all dressed in costume. I was Groucho Marx, and many different witches. Witches with big pointy hats and later on a witch with a headband that had googly springy pumpkin lights that blinked on and off. I had a candy corn necklace that had blinking lights and painted my face green one year. I think that was the year that James was Dick Tracy. We really hauled in the loot. It usually started with the Halloween Parade at school and went on from there. Since we live way up here on this hill, we never get trick or treaters..ever. Of course now that James is grown up and too old to trick or treat, I merely observe from a distance. It's probably for the best since candy is a no no for all of us. If it's around I can't control my sweet tooth and Roger and Bob are diabetic. I hope I'm around long enough to have fun with grandchildren on Halloween. It's a fun time. There was a little Halloween celebration down in the park this past weekend. Pumpkins and candy and hayrides for the kids. The village has a safe Halloween zone for the kids where they can trick or treat all around Main St. At least I think they are having it. Maybe with financial things being so bad this year they aren't having it. I'll have to check that out.
One year my friend Terry and her husband Jim dressed up as street people with buckets and mops and brooms. Their outfit was so successfully creepy, and it was such a surprise to see anyone at the door, that it took us a minute or two to respond to these really hideous looking people who clearly had dressed themselves from a rag pile. They said they wanted to clean the house for us. They were really awful looking with dirty faces and ripped, dirty, hoodies. They used to do a lot of stuff like that. One year there was a party at their house and a couple brought dozens of soft shell crabs in a huge box. Needless to say, the crabs were escaping the box and had to be rounded up. We got to be crab wranglers for a while that evening. For several years Jim rigged a big light on his roof and dropped the ball like in Times Square on New Years Eve. I'm not sure why we don;t do fun things like that anymore. Probably because everyone from those days is working outside their home and too busy. Lots of fun memories though. Terry is also the mistress of crank phone calls. It took me a couple of those to get wise to her. Very funny lady that friend of mine.
Anyway, this year Terry and Jim are in Las Vegas for Halloween. I can't wait to hear all about that one. It seems like the kind of place where it could be Halloween every night and maybe not in a good way. I really hope they're having fun. When Terry is home she dresses up in costume at the Library. She was Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) one year and a Hershey Kiss another year. I really miss my friend when she's not here. There won't be any Thursday Night Quilters this week since she's gone. I'll enjoy spending the evening with my guys watching Survivor and CSI instead. I look forward to those evening as well.
I spent the afternoon getting the window toppers measured and ironed into place so I can just zip through them on the Viking tomorrow. I'm getting ready to do a good fall clean-up which is sorely needed around here. The inside of my house looks like it's decorated for Halloween and I haven't done a thing. Between the cobwebs and dust it's getting a little spooky around here.
Whatever you are doing to celebrate Halloween, I hope you have fun doing it. Stay safe.

Quick Laurel Panel &Chunky the squirrel

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture but I was shooting through a screen and into the sun. Chunky climbed up the bird feeder and hung upside down trying to get some thistle seed. It was really fun to watch. I can't help noticing how poofy and thick their tails are. That's supposed to be a sign of a very cold winter to come. Hope that's an untrue Old Wives Tale cause the squirrels outside in my yard a just plain fat and thick-coated. By the way, that's the last yellow rose of summer hanging on to that bush.

I have a plant related question for anyone who can answer I'd appreciate it. Can I move 3 bunches of cala lillies that have been in the flower box for a couple of years and move them elsewhere without killing them? I want to get them out of the box in front of my door since, once they are finished blooming all that remains is a very large bunch of long unruly leaves. I hate to kill them but I'm not sure if I've left it too long for transplanting. Help!

I was surfing around seeing what people were up to and ran across Brooke's Blog. We both are working on a Laurel Burch Panel. Brooke has taken the time to make hers unique, whereas I have thrown some borders on it and called it finished. I just want some festive stuff to have for the holidays without a bunch of finishing details. Hers looks cool but then everything those sisters do looks cool. There must have been something in the water they grew up drinking. Anyway, hop on over there and have a look see when you can and then hop on over to Melody and see the great piece she made using a horse silhouette. Great colors and design.

Well, at least I've got something finished(I love that word) bright to hang up and bring some holiday cheer to the place. We really need cheer at this time of year since we are in a forrest of trees and by 3 in the afternoon it looks like 5. If you go down the hill and get out of the trees you are always surprised to find that it's still daytime out there. Needless to say this time of year it's very dark, often early.

I did a lot of cleaning Friday and my back is screaming so I'm taking a cup of tea and something to get rid of the pain.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Mixed bag of goodness

I went to a quilt show out east yesterday. It was supposed to be a horrible windy, rainy day but the weather held off until last night. The wind was really howling then though.

Anyway, I'm sorry to say I have no idea who made this quilt because on the the unfortunate things about this show was that they didn't have signs up for a lot of work. What signs they did have didn't say anything about the quilter or have much info regarding the making of the quilt etc. I like to know a little about the thought process that goes into these things. This quilt was large wall-hanging size and very nicely done. I really liked seeing some of the quilts that had quilting done well that enhanced the piece. There were very few pieces that had hand quilting done. Maybe it is a dying art to some degree. Or maybe many of the quilters are like me and having issues with eyesight. It's easier to send the thing out than squint you way through to the finish. I got to thinking that the reason I make such small pieces lately is that very reason. I can handle the work on small doll-sized pieces and wall hangings. I found the other day that I used the walking foot to finish a little Christmas piece for myself. It's a lesson in humility and a lesson in letting perfection go. The piece is not perfect but it's done and will make the house look more cheerful. But I digress......The very best thing about going to the show was I got to meet Judy from Northport... Judy rocks. Great sense of humor and such a fun personality. I was embarrassed to ask if I could take a picture so I didn't. I'm hoping Judy will come out and play sometime in the future. There are too few of us artistic types who don't take themselves too seriously around here and I got the impression that Judy would be fun to get to know. That was the best part of yesterday. Other than that, we went to JoAnn's where they were having their midnight madness sale and madness was the key word there. I came away with thread and scissors. The line for cutting fabric was around the store. I'm not sure why they bother to send out coupons for that sale since you can't use them on any sale items and everything in the store is on sale. Last time I think I used them to buy a magazine or something equally silly.

Today we awoke to a gorgeous day. Look how green the trees are still. Temps in the 60s and bright blue sky. All perfect for a walk on the beach. Wow, they just let anyone walk on the beach these days-who are these people anyway???

This & That and Books

Who says I can't manage to avoid doing the things I should be doing?? Here are some of the many ways I'm not sewing. In a week or two I'll be in a panic. In the mean time I'm enjoying the things you see above. So many people have told me how much they adore 'Pushing Daisies" so I had to try it myself. Very, very much fun and well done. At least the first couple I watched. Why don't they make tv like this more often?

I got "My Father's Paradise" because I read a review of it that made me really want to have it and it lives up to the review. Very well written. Simply because I can't turn down a historical biography, I will probably read the "The Other Queen" which is about Mary Queen of Scots. I'm currently reading "The Loves Of Louis XIV" which is written by Antonia Frasier. I like her writing most times but this may be a little too dry even for a history buff like me. I'm reading it in small bits here and there. The fact that I can easily put it down and not look back is always a bad sign for me.

In an effort to make me feel guilty about not quilting or sewing, I received another monthly package of fat quarters from Keepsake. They have a decidedly Halloween feel to them and are, in fact, called "Not quite Halloween" I'm not sure of how I'll use them but it's a sure thing that they won't be for this Halloween.

This afternoon I made a big pot of Italian vegetable soup with hot sausage and potato. You can make it with tortellini or other pasta but I didn't have enough of either of those things on hand. I'm making cheddar biscuits with it and calling it a day. It's perfect soup weather. Cool and a little damp.

Hope you have a great night.

Brilliant passing

Fall is really in full swing around here. I think the trees are confused though. Or maybe it's Mother nature herself. There is a lot of really vibrant green around yet and then there are some trees like this one in bright beautiful yellow. The driveway and grounds are covered with beautiful color even though the guys were out there bagging up loads over the weekend. There are hundreds of trees and vines out there. I had intended take the camera down to the harbor or to the beach but I was much longer at the big box store that starts with a K. I really don't like the place but it's the only store that sells certain things that I need for the house we can't do without. I managed to escape the whole holiday-in-December-that-we-won't- name-yet. They had a huge display set up with pre-lit trees and all the Martha decor. Good grief that stuff is expensive and really kind of cheesy for a lot of money. I just took a look-see and passed by. I was looking for a wreath with some autumn theme for the door but the stuff was picked over and also pretty cheesy. I'll make my own. What was glaringly obvious though was that I was one of about 3 people in the store. They had checkers lined up and waiting for people that weren't there. The economy-most likely. Also it's Monday morning and I suppose a lot of families shop on the weekend.

Since I didn't make it to my other destinations I plan on getting out tomorrow to take some pictures. The guy that lives around the corner from me has put up his haunted house for the kids again this year. His has dinosaurs. The entry fee is some type of groceries for our Pantry. Last year he filled two pick-up trucks with stuff and delivered it to us. He's a great guy. Sadly, his house is on possibly one of the worst curving pieces of road in town. It's really an awful place to have a bunch of cars stopping and people in the road. He has such a neat piece of land though and it's right down by the salt marsh where it could be really spooky at the right time of day. All those un-dead dinosaurs and such...eeekk.

The Dr. is supposed to call me with a time to come and get my pneumonia shot. Considering my last experience with an injection, I'm really wondering about getting this one. Roger didn't have any problem but then he didn't have a problem with the flu shot either. I need to think about it more.

I started the window toppers by measuring a couple of panels and that's as far as I got so I'd better get on with that.

Talk to you soon.

Say What??

Well, I finally found out what happens when you have a reaction of major proportions to the flu shot. Got mine on Wednesday-got the flu on Thursday. Seriously folks, The Freakin' Flu. Fever, joint pain and near delirium. You doubt my sincerity?? I was so out of it I melted my teapot to the stove. (Never mind that I've done that when I'm A OK more than once.) I woke up at about 3 am with fever and teeth chattering and tried to get out of bed. That's when I knew it was something bad. So much pain in my joints that my legs just about gave out under me. Tried in my stupor to figure out what was familiar about this feeling...Holy Crap says I, I've got the flu.

Well, after spending most of the day sleeping off the flu and trying to do some silly walks like Monty Python from the joint pain, my darling husband brought home eggplant Parm heros. I didn't feel like eating most of the day and I was in a veritable coma anyway but by the time Roger walked in with the hero I knew I was on the mend simply because I inhaled the eggplant parm and then cleaned my plate with my tongue...disgusting. In much the same way that you know that your dog is unwell if his nose is warm, you can be sure there is something deadly afoot if Dee looses her appetite. So anyway...I'm much better today, some joint pain in my hips left over but I got dressed and headed to the Library to return some stuff and have tea with my pal Terry. Always a great pick-me-up. She reminded me that next weekend is the Smithtown Stitchers Quilt show. It's a small one but they always have some good pieces. Sadly most of the work is very traditional. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I wouldn't mind seeing something a little arty too. Oh well, there are so few shows around here that any show is welcome.

I have much to catch up with in the way of laundry and ironing. I stopped and picked up a few things at the store for the weekend. My husband says we have had too much chicken lately. He rarely complains about anything so I guess he's right and I got a pot roast to prove the point.

Back soon.

Can you stand some color?

Hey! It's Clematine season. That's reason to celebrate. You have to appreciate the small things, right?

I have been wanting some red fabric for window toppers for a while. I found a pretty good deal at JoAnn's a few weeks ago and as soon as I'm done with this entry I will be heading up to measure out the pieces. These things don't take long to make-straight sewing-no sweat. The trick for me is to measure out all the hems and mark them well. The all you have to do is flat finish the seams and you good. I really need some red in my life.

I stopped at Tuesday Morning last week to see what I could find. Recently we found some Santoku knives at a close-out place while we were in Pennsylvania. The knives were dirt cheep and I have no problem just tossing them when they are no longer sharp. I remembered seeing some similar knives in TM a while back but they were a better brand and a little more expensive. Sure enough, I found a great one by Cuisinart that is nicely balanced and works well. Again, it's not so expensive that I will cry if it stops splitting hairs. The only problem I find with these knives is that they are sooooo sharp that one can easily mince the fingernails. Suffice to say I need to pay more attention to what I'm doing and I need a manicure. Anyway, while I was perusing the place, I noticed a display with Olfa cutters and quickly took the last 2. They are the $24 ones and I got them for 7 bucks and change. Whoooot!

Today I'm going to have dinner with an old friend. We were best pals in Jr. High and High School back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. What's amazing about this is that we live about a mile from each other and haven't seen each other much in 20+ years. How the heck does that happen? I had to get in touch with her about a legal problem that we are trying to resolve regarding my citizenship and immigration. She works in that area. She could not have been nicer and her voice was exactly the same. I can't describe it but she has a kind of throaty smoky voice and I could pick that voice out anywhere. It's very comforting. Anyway, we made a date for girly dinner together and I'm very happy about that. Now I just need to go find something to wear. That essentially means I need to iron something.

I feel better about things today than I did in my last entry. I'm sure it will be a roller coaster for a while but maybe...just maybe, we can breathe again. All this holding my breath is making me feel faint. I believe I'll have a drink with dinner.

Talk to you soon.

Barbarians at the Gate?

Apparently we have a small band of revolutionaries right here in our midst!!

Please click on the picture to see what they're up to and bring your sense of outrage and humor with you. This is the back page of the local....(I hesitate to call it a newspaper since they have a computer so old that it clearly doesn't have spellcheck)...fish wrap journal...bird cage liner....meh, let's call it a paper. Can't really go wrong there. I am DYING to know who this group of parents are, DYING I tell you. This place is always a little better when there's drama afoot. A few years ago a man who I grew up buying my ice cream sundaes from, took on politics-badly. So badly that it nearly finished his business. One that had been around for nearly a hundred years. His position was coming from a good place but misguided by people who were surrounding him and did not have his best intentions in mind. He went after a very, very popular Police Chief and in no time at all his name was Mudd. The more stubborn he stood his ground, the worse things got for him until one day he was really hated. After the Chief's son was killed in Iraq, he was advised, even by his own advisers to make an end to it. I can't look at him to this day without thinking of how often I used to go into his shop for ice cream and the best burgers and how far he fell by his disregard for public feelings and stupid pig headedness. But that's small town life and so when I finished reading the ..ahem...paper in about 4 1/2 minutes I turned it down and noticed this back advert. Hooahhhh! It's time to sharpen our knives and take to the field of discontent.

I rarely speak about politics in this blog because I'm sure that I have many delightful friends in blogland that are of very differing opinions. I like my friends for a lot of reasons-none of which are political. I may admire a person for they're adept position and knowledge but I'm an equal opportunity friend. They come in all shapes and sizes and colors. The biggest thing they have in common is that they are passionate about the things they say, or do, or feel. I long ago learned that politics stinks out loud. No matter which side you pick, at some point you will have to hold your nose and realize that if a politician is talking they are lying. I can't stand one side of this years disgusting brawl and I'm un-convinced that the other side is much better...only different. I guess that's what comes of living to 60 and living with a husband who has had to deal with Washington for a number of years. There is only one way that I will not be disappointed and that is because they all reveal themselves in the end. You just have to hope that before the crap hits the fan in front of you...you can move to a safe place and not a lot lands on you. The past week has made me literally sick to my stomach. The moron in power keeps babbling about "Our Nation" and what we need to be patient about, meanwhile, he's going out in the golden parachute of all time and will never have to answer for what he has done....NEVER. Or perhaps eventually he will answer only to the God that he stands so righteously before all the time. As for me I think there's a special hell reserved for both him and his cronies.

Anyway, that's the news from around here this weekend. Hope I havn't offended anyone who matters a lot to me. I'm cynical and hurting. We played by the rules and we're screwed.I'm allowed to be pissed.

I'll be back with quilty stuff tomorrow-time to move on.

Busted??

I hardly know what to say. I'm not a financially savvy person so my opinion is really based on worry about our future. We're fine now based on the fact that we live very simply and well within our means. No major debt to speak of except taxes and the cost of living. That should give us a lot to be grateful for but right now I'm still in the angry phase. Roger has worked hard his entire life and, like some others, we have played by the rules. Paying our bills and putting something aside for the day when we could enjoy a peaceful, simple, sort of retirement. I can't even imagine having all the money that we've lost in the past weeks. So much for a comfortable retirement?? I hope not. I took this cartoon from a fabulous political cartoon site-Darryl Cagle's site. If we can find anything funny about what's going on, it will appear there. I have had many a chuckle there but it's hard to find the humor in these awful days and the cartoon above about sums it up in a nutshell.

Today I am waiting for a mattress to be delivered for James. They are supposed to be here before noon but that time is slipping away quickly. I hope there's not a problem. In the meantime I'm writing some letters for the Food Pantry and reminding myself that there is always someone who has it way worse.

We are having a small summer weather return with temps in the 70s. Not complaining but the change from 45 to 70 is a bit of a pain. You just never know what to wear and I was really enjoying a return to fall. One thing is for sure. In mid October these days will not last much longer and I am trying to appreciate the warmth while it's here.

Wish I felt more like sewing but I can't seem to get my head around it right now. I've noticed that a number of people who blog regularly are not either. On the positive side of things to think about I have pounds of fabric and winter is coming so I won't be lacking in material to work. Even if my pocketbook is bare, the shelves are pretty full.

I hope things in your world are not too bleak. Talk to you soon.

odds & ends

I've been doing some mundane things that are not even blog worthy. Most of which is involved with the Pantry business which has become the bane of my existance. I'm weary from dealing with stupid people. Hopefully we have managed to straighten out a few problems and things can get back to normal.

The days just seem to get away from me. There are a couple of things I didn't want to show but now that they are in the mail and on their way to friends I can concentrate on the things I am making for the holiday that shall remain nameless until after Halloween. I did manage to make a couple of small pieces that I will use for that holiday instead of giving them away. I don't know why I always do that to myself. I make things that would bring a festive feeling to my own house and then give them away.

These are the scones I made for the girls of the Thursday night quilting group. I made some extra for the guys since it hasn't been very delicious around here for a few weeks what with the no-salt rules and all. Everyone needs a little treat sometimes. I could be way worse than scones and the guys really love these.

Most of my time when not finishing things and cleaning etc. has been taken up with reading and watching dvds. I've also been checking what's new on Amazon and the book above is one I really think will be just right for me. I love history and the history of food....well...what can I say but yum. Food and NYC...well, that's just more goodness overload.

I promise to try to be a better blogger. I've got to spend some time sorting out my pictures and blog fodder. I've got so much stuff loaded into pictures that it's a mess like you wouldn't believe and I can never find anything when I want it. Like the pictures I would like to show you right now but can't find. I will return tomorrow with an meaningful entry and, hopefully, those pics...hmmmm, now where did I file them....