WOW!!!!

Hi! I am so excited to see I had 5 comments to my new updated site. That is great. I am really pumped to do more to the site and work on more postings.
I had to work yesterday but today is errand day. My older daughter just left for work and I will take the younger one with me and then we will get some lunch before heading home.
Then it will be time to work on the blog to get music added to it now that my friend has told me how. I can't wait for that. I am then going to try and work on the quilt for this same friend. She is in the process of adopting her son from China and I promised her a quilt so I need to get cracking on that. It's a great scrap quilt and if I get enough of it put together I will take a picture and post it here.
This is the summer of finishing things I have started. I worked last night on a large pink granny square afghan that I am crocheting. I am going to give it to the Breast Cancer group for a donation but I don't think it's going to be big enough so I have to find another color to finish it with. I have 3 quilts for them that are done and one more I have to finish.
I am still hung up on this crazy game called Diner Dash. I finally last night finished a level I have been trying to finish for almost a year. I finally have this crazy thing figured out. It's really a fun game and I get to share it with my 2 girls as we are all playing it.
Time to get my errands done. Thanks again for stopping by and I hope to have more info and goodies on here later this weekend. Have fun and be safe!!


This is a picture of Gretchen, our German Shepard rescue who will be 10 in October. She is a love and a camera ham!!! We just love her to death. We also have a yellow lab and I will add her picture too!!
This is our yellow lab Daisy who will be 5 in two weeks. We have had her since she was about 12 weeks old. She is a love too and thinks she is a lap dog. Here she is testing out one of my quilts to make sure people will enjoy cuddling with it!! LOL


Till later,

Marie

Is it late or early?

I am not sure why I am up so late {it's 12:24 am!!} but I was playing around on the computer and gave the blog a bit of a face lift. What do you think? I am going to add more tomorrow but I thought I would see how this looks. I like the new background but really want a quilty type but settled for this scrapbooky look.

I am also trying to figure out how to add music to this....not sure what song but I would like to see if I like the music playing or if it will drive me and everyone else crazy.....LOL

I have been working so haven't had much time to write. I have been working on a customers t-shirt quilt and have one done but her husband had so many shirts I think I am going to be making another one...right now this one is a queen size and I just have to add the borders. I will take a picture and show you tomorrow.

I am also still trying to get a handle on the laundry. I think the clothes are like rabbits and they keep multiplying. I will get more done tomorrow while I am sewing.

I don't know how many of you play computer games but I am hooked on two. One is a patchwork game where you have to put the pieces of a quilt together....very addicting.

Another is called Diner Dash. My daughter started us on this game about 2 years ago and its fun. We have 4 versions of it on this laptop and our large home computer. There are always two of us playing it. I mostly play during breaks from school or summertime. I am stuck on a level and have to see if the girls have any hints for me to make it to the next level. It's a nice brain break from working.

Well kiddos....I had better head to bed. See you all tomorrow.....maybe I can get some quilting done of my own this week!!!


Marie (this is a QOV {Quilt of Valor} I did a while back that now belongs to a soldier!)

Summer Days are here!!

The same week we all got out of school I went camping with my daughter's JROTC group. We had a great time and only had rain for one day. The kids did a ropes course (high and low) and team building games and a rock climbing wall and repelling....it was quite an adventure. I loved it and the kids did a great job too. I was proud of all of them over 200+ high school kids and not one health emergency all week....truly amazing.

After that week we started settling into our summer schedule of sleeping late, staying up later and playing games, shopping during the day and eating lunch out. My girls and I are enjoying all this time together. We don't get enough of it during the school year because of our nutty schedules. Of course in between all this my older daughter is working two part time jobs and I am also working and trying to get some extra money made.

We are also trying to find a good day that we can take the dogs to the dog beach. I bought Daisy her new prong collar and took her to the vet yesterday so her ears could get checked. The good thing is it wasn't ear mites just a bacterial infection so she is on meds for that. Of course when we left the house Gretchen was crying like someone was beating her. They hate being seperated from each other. They are too funny. Today they did get their cheeseburgers for lunch though so they are happy campers right now.

I am trying to finish up some of my quilts too and have 2 here that I need to put the binding on. I will get pictures done and put them here when I am finished with them. I also want to finish my other projects this summer too. One of them being a book that I started reading over 2 years go. My goal is to get that done before school starts again in the fall.

Have a good weekend. Talk to you soon!!





Marie

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER!!

School is over for another year! It was great fun and I had a blast with my kids. In our school on the last day all the teachers, staff and kitchen help go out on the bus ramp with noise makers and as the busses roll out we yell and make noise and say goodbye. It's kind of sad as the 5th graders are leaving for middle school. Some of the other students are moving away so they won't be back next year either.

Next year will be fun because I am going to be teaching kindergarten. I am looking forward to the challenge and I think it will be a great change. Today I moved out of my old room and into my new classroom. I have everything in my closets and everything will stay there until the first week of school for teachers sometime in August.

I am glad to be out of school and now I can get some of my projects done here at home. One major item to get done are some of my quilting UFO's and also to clean my studio. It's a mess in here and I clean it out every summer and it still manages to get wrecked by August.

Marie

A Rough Week

I thought this was a great video especially in light of this last week. I haven't been here much. School, as always, keeps me on my toes. Last week I was out three nights to awards functions for my daughters. I am so proud of their accomplishments this year in school. They have worked hard and now they are reaping their just rewards. It was a great week for the kids in both the high school and the middle school. I am glad that week is over.

Last Sunday I got a very upsetting phone call. For the last 2 years my best friend has been battling breast cancer and last Sunday she lost that fight. I can't begin to tell you the grief that I have been dealing with. We were in Girl Scouts together, our children grew up together and our husbands enjoyed spending time with each other. A greater friend I could never find. I have one other friend that I am this close too and now that one is gone I have a great hole in my heart. She was only 43 years old, and left a loving and devoted husband, a 16 year old son, 18 year old daughter (who is going to graduate high school this coming Thursday) and a 20 year old daughter who just got engaged this year. The funeral services were Wednesday night and I don't know when I have cried so much.

Today I opened my blogger page and found this adorable videos of the otters holding hands. As I watched it, I thought of my friend and her husband and children and of our friendship. I thought how we held hands over the last 11 years of our friendship through the good times and the bad and how we always came back together. I thought of her and her husband, that now they would be apart but later in heaven they would be able to hold hands again, and when her children joined her they too would be able to hold their mother's hand.

This is a somber weekend to honor those who lost their lives so we may live in freedom. To also honor those who fought for our freedom to live our precious lives the way we choose to. The next time you see someone in uniform please tell them Thank-you. They will really appreciate it. Also be sure to always tell your family and friends how much they mean to you. You don't know what tomorrow will bring and you might not be here to tell them.

To all my friends and family that read my blog, "I love you with all my heart!"

Past and present life!

What a great week! I am exhausted but it was fun!!! I will go backwards....it's eaiser for me....

Friday, my younger daughter had her 8th grade class trip to Sea World in Orlando. The day started out like a normal school day then around 2pm the kids had a pizza party in the cafeteria. By 3pm they boarded the charter buses. She called me around 8pm and was having fun and eating ice cream! I think they left the park around midnight and then she called me around 2:30AM and I had to meet her at the middle school. There were many other sleepy - groggy parents there to pick up their equally sleepy - groggy kids!! But everyone had a good time and that is all that matters!

On Wednesday my older daughter had her JROTC brigade awards ceremony. I got some of my old friends from my JROTC days together too. We were hoping that our old Army instructor would be there as well but he wasn't able to make it. I am so proud of my daughter as she got a medal that night and we presented an award to one of the high schools in the name of our old instructor. Then after it was over we went to dinner. It was so great to see everyone again. This fall in Oct is my 30th class reunion and I can't wait to see my old friends. The group that I was with this week though are more important then the whole class. We spent more time together and had more fun in school than should be allowed. Now we have to figure out how to see each other more often!

On Thursday night we had a showcase of talent at my elementary school. The kids put on a play and they were awesome! I have never been more proud of the kids in our school. There was art work on display as well as the science fair projects. It was a great night and this time I was the teacher and not the parent and it was nice to be on the other side for a change. It was fun watching the parents being dragged around by their kids to see it all.

So today I am just resting, reading some email and learning how to use my new cell phone. It has lots of new features and I am trying to figure it all out. When that doesn't work I just ask my 16 year old and she tells me. LOL...yesterday I went to get my eyes checked out and ordered my new reading glasses. Can't wait for them to come in.

I think I might sew for a while. Big deal you say, but this time I am going to be working on a quilt that was started a few months back and I want to get it done. I did finish 2 quilts last week and still have many more to do but I like getting them done!

Only about 5 more weeks of school and then summer break. I am trying to figure out what I want to do this summer.....I know I will be making some new clothes for school next year and I think I will also really start working on cleaning out my studio and finishing more quilts!

Until next time!!!

Time is the enemy!!

I am not really sure where time goes but if I ever find it.....LOOK OUT!!!

It's been 10 days since I have posted and I know I have been busy but I have to work backward to figure out where all the time went. LOL

Yesterday was great!! We took the dogs and went to the local RV show. Even though we have a motor home we like seeing what is out there. It was great to take the dogs with us. They were able to meet more people and get lots of attention which they like. They did really well. On the way home we got some cheeseburgers at McDonalds and that was a big hit with the dogs ( and the rest of us too)!! Then we took the dogs home and went to Wal-Mart for some shopping. I got a new purse and of course the girls got "stuff" they needed. It was nice to take the day off and be with my family for a change.

Saturday, the girls slept in and I went to work. Now that means I stayed home and quilted some quilts and then went to the grocery store. Nothing fancy but I got a lot done at home.

Ok that is great but what about last week? Well I am glad you asked. I normally am very busy at my school and last week was no different. It was the first week back from spring break so we had to get the kids thinking about being in school again and not at home. We had a good week in my class. I have the best students, they work very hard and I am so proud of them. My school has a big event coming up tomorrow so most of our energy last week was gearing up for tomorrow's visitors. Our school district is appying for accredidation and our school was picked for a visit. I am honored that I have been chosen by my principal to be observed by these education professionals. I have prepared my students and now we get to show everyone how hard we are working. I will let you know how we do.

The really great event of the week will happen on Wednesday night. That is the night of the Lee County JROTC Brigade Awards presentation. What is making this night so special is the presentation of the Founder's Awards. This award will be presented to the two schools who have stood out in their volunteer efforts in the community. My old Senior Army Instructor from my JROTC days, Col. Tedsan S. Timberlake and his esteemed wife, Dr. Polly Timberlake will be there. To his surprise I am also rounding up as many past cadets as I can. Right now I think we have about 15 of us that are going to be there. I am so excited to have these awards for the schools and to see my friends. Many of them I haven't seen in about 10-30 years. I am so EXCITED!! The really BIG news is that my daughter will be getting a special award. I will get pictures and post them here. So the rest of last week and this past weekend has been spent on the phone talking to my old friends and trying to find more of them through the computer.

I hope once school is out for the year that I can post more consistently. I will keep you posted!!