Monday, May 24, 2010


Here is the baby booties that I made for my friend's Grand-daughter that is due soon. They are so cute. I used fun foam for the hearts, but you could use felt if you wished. They didn't take me that long to make, once I got everything together for it.

I got the pattern from this site,

http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2006/06/bitty_booties.html

once you click on the free bootie pattern, you read an agreement, then click on the download button to download the pdf file. it includes the directions as well as patterns for 2 sizes of the booties.




Sunday, May 16, 2010

off line for a bit

I'm going to be off-line for a bit. Can't help it. it happens to the best of us, sometimes. Will post when I get back on line.

Friday, May 14, 2010

For Today... May 14. 2010


For Today... May 14. 2010

 

 

 

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago, before Jerry got his job.

You would think that with in so small a space, that cleaning it would be a snap. I admit I take my time, and I don't do everything every day. But still, it takes at least 2 hours for me to do the basic cleaning on a day to day basis. Don't ask about what's in the closet or if I straightened up the drawers under the bed, cause I didn't. Plus add in that the dogs "need out". at least every 3 to 4 hours. Sometimes they don't wait that long even.. and it takes me a while to be happy with how my home looks.

Just before 10 am I had to start closing up the windows and turn on the air. Hopefully though, next week will be not as hot so soon in the day. Today is suppose to be the hotest day of this week. Rain chances on Monday will help bring the tempts back down where they should be for this time of the year. I've only had the dogs out once so far and will take them out as soon as I finish writting this up.

I told Jerry, I'm thinking of taping the shields to the outside of the windows. I'm not sure what rain will do to the tape and shades, but I'm willing to find out. I want it where I can raise the windows and see out. and still have the shields over the glass as a extra bit of shade so I can keep them open a bit longer. I know if we go down the road I'll have to take them off. Don't want them flapping in the wind.


Outside my window... There are hardly and clouds in the sky. Only a slight breeze. I sat outside for a bit this morning, before the sun rose. letting the dogs have some outside time.

(11am) there is a bit of a cloud cover. That will help keep it cooler here in the camper.

From the kitchen... I'm baking a cake this morning (11 am) Just put it in the toaster oven to bake. Hopefully I won't have to go outside and reset the breaker. The air is on low. and all the extra lights are turned off. Good news, I didn't blow the breaker.

We are going to have Hot dogs. I'll fix a noodle dish for our starch. We are out of Salad...so I'll have to find some green beans or peas in the canned goods tub. But I'm hoping that Jerry's check from the two days he worked last week is in and we can eat out. Of course it depends on just how much he gets, as well.

I am wearing... black shorts and a light blue t-shirt.

I am reading... emails. and recipes.

I am hoping... That Jerry gets the weekend off. There is a chance of his working this Saturday, but I hope he gets it off. It's been so long since he worked that his legs are hurting by the time he gets home. Today is only suppose to be 8 hours, but it could turn in to 10 or 12 hours. He needs a two day break so his legs won't be hurting so much. I kept telling him, over winter. That he needed to be on his feet more so that when he did get back to work, he wouldn't hurt so much. Those few days of working for Ready labor did help though. He was on his feet some each of those days.

I am creating... I am working on an idea I saw for a bracelett. I've cut a couple of circles out of a milk jug. Made a couple of holes for jump rings to go into later. Colored the edge black. My older Daughter's favorite color and her name on one. Her daughter's name on another. I want to shrink these before I go much further on this project.

I am hearing... "The View" right now.(10:30 am) the fan, and the air conditioner. It's all a lot of noise. (2:30) Cold Case is on. I watched my favorite Soap. the news on another channel, then switched back to CBS for the other two soaps. The Ugly rumor is, CBS is going to stop "As The World Turns." I'll admit I don't watch it as faithfully as I do Y&R, but I will miss it. I still Miss Guiding Light.

Around the house... (10 am) I have made the beds, cleaned the bathroom. Am doing dishes. all the usual. Making it a habit to keep the beds made. Jerry does not make his bed. never has from my understanding. But I find it makes the whole camper "feel" messy if it's not made up. Dishes in the sink is not near as bad as an un-made bed.

One of my favorite things... Sitting outside with the dogs. Watching them look around and trying to find out what it is they see.

*****

More of my day.

Bathroom is cleaned. The floor is still a little damp. I'm going to have to find something to sprinkle on it to remove the smell. Baking Soda for sure. Maybe add some baby powder for the scent.

Made the beds and picked up the dirty clothes and put them in the laundry tub. I'm going to have plenty of laundry to do this weekend.

I had to put the shades in the west side windows and close up the windows around 10 am. I know it's not that hot out, but it's going to be and I want a start on trying to keep it cooler in here. I had the dogs out while I was putting the sheilds in the windows.

One reason I don't like running the air is the thing drips inside. I have a red bucket I keep in the middle of the floor. I end up emptying it about every 2 hours. I am in hopes that Jerry can borrow a ladder and find out why it won't drain outside like it's suppose to. I'm thinking it's just a plugged up hole someplace aong the edge.

I have a pretty sheet on a shower rod that I can move from the bathroom doorway to the bedroom doorway. This way, I'm cooling a smaller area of the camper. I'm considering getting a second rod and another sheet and close off the bedroom area as well. I don't mind moving the sheet, but it's tedious to do it every day.

(11 am ) I have the cake in the oven. I miss desserts. I use to have desserts most days of the week. A hold over from when my own Mother was living on the farm, growning up. Everyone then worked so hard that having a sweet with a meal was easily worked off doing the routine chores of the day. (2:30) The toaster oven is not level and the cake rose a bit higher than I expected it to. It came out and went back into the pan like it should though. The real test will be when we cut it to eat this evening. No frosting on it. Just a cake. Last time I made this cake. I didn't have any vanilla and I was not all that pleased with it. This time I have vanilla and am giving it another try.

I got the dishes after the cake came out of the oven. Filled the ice trays but I still need to make tea for Jerry for this weekend.

*****************

 


We've all heard it, That's the way Mom did it, so I do it that way as well.

My daughter said she's gotten into a habit of putting her clean laundry in a basket to be folded and put away later. That she didn't learn from me. I usually fold as I remove from the dryer, If I did my laundry at a laundry matt I might bring that last dryer load home to fold, but the rest has already been done up and just needs putting away. My Daughter, like many, has a washer and dryer at home. has two kids plus her and her S/O's clothes to do and so ended up doing a load or two a day, most days of the week. She'll fold up every thing at one time, Usually on the weekend. so the baskets are ready for more dirty clothes to go in to them. I told her that waiting to fold clothes like that, may be genitic as my mom hated to fold laundry.

My Mom "HATED" doing laundry. Really. Just as soon as I was tall enough to reach the bottom of the wringer washer, it was my job. Back then, we didn't have a clothes dryer. We had a clothes line out in the back yard. I had to stand on a small box to hang sheets up high enough that they didn't drag the ground. Mom would help hang those out. Many an afternoon I've run out to drag the laundry off the lines before the rain started. We dumped the laundry on Mom's bed. ( the rest of the house would be spotless, just don't look on her bed ) She'd fold it and put it in our rooms. (yeah, right..) many, many mornings I've had to dig on her bed for my school clothes. The undies and socks.. were always at the bottom of the pile.

Mom Loved to iron. She would take most all of Saturday afternoon ironing our clothes. The boy's shirts and pants. my dresses, her dresses.. the sheets and pillow cases. Now, Mom was also practical. she didn't iron underwear or towels. I think the first thing I ironed was a tea towel. maybe it was hankies.. but I do remember it was small. Mom "Taught" me to iron my dresses when I was 9 or 10. I also had to start doing some of my brother's shirts and pants as well. (I still hate ironing jeans, jean were not meant to be ironed) That is, until my older brother Blew up in my face over a wrinkle left in a shirt of his. A small wrinkle, left from the clothes pin down near the hem and would be hidded when he tucked his shirt into his pants. I admit, it was his CAP (Civil Air Patrol) uniform shirt, but still. No reason to go bullistic on me. Mom heard him.. She came in and removed the iron from my hand. (Good thing she did, I think I would have clunked him with it in another minute or two of his rantings) Asked me to leave the room (really she ordered me to leave, and said I could go play, I still had a few things left in the basket to iron) I snuck around the corner, and peeked in to watch her show my brother how to iron his own shirt. Then his pants... then made him iron my dresses that were still in the bottom of the basket. She told him, that Yelling at me while I was doing his ironing was not nice. That I didn't "have" to iron his clothes, but it was part of my chores just like his mowing the lawn and taking out the trash was part of his chores. No one expeceted to get Thanked for doing their chores. But we also didn't expect to get yelled at either. From then on, He was to do his own ironing. When I brought in the clothes from the clothes line after that, he was to pull his own clothes out of the pile and iron them himself. He did ask me, a few times to iron a shirt or two, since I had the iron going anyway. I usuall did it for him. He would bribe me with either he would pay me, or he would have a treat for me. I am a sucker for chocolate. Most the time after that, he did his own ironing himself though. My Mom believed the Men should know how to sew back on a button and a woman should know how to change the oil in her own car. Of course, now a day's... it's better all around to pay to have the oil changed. So many places will recycle oil and or dispose of it where it belongs.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Home on Wheels


This is our home on wheels. Our Silver bullet, The tin can on wheels. And I'm sure I'll have many other affections as we continue to live in this. Yes, it's smaller than most motel rooms, but I have so much more inside. The shower is small and we run out of hot water quickly. I'm still learning how to get wet, turn off the water and soap up, then rinse off and still have some hot water left in the tank. Especally when I want/need to wash my hair. I've switched from using shampoo and conditioner to using a shampoo conditioner in one product. Like any of the motels. I can only "draw" so much power or risk losing power to the whole unit. Planning how to cook a full meal and still keep comfortable cool inside is, um... a challenge. do I use the propane (it's starting to run low) or turn down the air and bake in the toaster oven? Do we sleep with the windows open, or do I turn off the air in the middle of the night and open them then, or leave it on all night and once J leaves for work, open them all and let the thing air out. Only to "button" it all up again before 11 am and turn the air back on. Do I try to bake in the morning or just not bake at all?
I think dessert tonight is going to be banana pudding. I'll crush up a couple of graham crakers, add a bit of butter, nuke less than a minute. press into the bottom of the ramiken. slice up some banana's and put on top of the crackers. (I'm out of vanilla cookies) make up the instant banana pudding mix I got last week, and cover the banana's with it. set in the fridge and wa-la. dessert that I know J likes.
Then I have to consider, how am I going to fix the burrito's we are having for dinner. I can bake them in the toaster oven or use the propane and "bake" in a cast iron skillet. either way. it's going to add heat to the camper right before J gets home from work. He's already told me, he's not working over tonigh. Said his knee is hurting from being on a ladder the last 3 days. But, I know him. He's not wanting to miss any part of Survivor. That's fine by me. I have to admit, I want Russel to go. I have always wanted Russel to go. I watch just to see if this is the week the others wake up and kick him off. Luckly This Sunday is the last show.
Luckly Salad is easy. Open the bag and pour it into the bowls. Easy as that.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

May 9, Mother's day

I heard from two of my three children. Only a few minutes of chat with the youngest and text messages with the older daughter. Didn't hear from my son at all. which seems to be the normal most times any more.

Most of the text messages were not good, though. Austin, her S/O's Aunt's grandson had a horrible accident today with a lawnmower. I don't know any more than that at this time and am asking for prayers, good thoughts and what ever you believe in for this young man. He is young, I think he's 9, but the loss of a hand is horrible. He lost his Mom only a couple of years ago, and his Uncle last year.

We had an un-eventful day today. I had saved back some money from way back, and, since one of my kids sent me a gift card from Walmart, we decided to eat breakfast at our favorite buffet. bad choice. The usual Sunday buffet is $5.29.. Mother's Day Special was $5.99.. and we are stil ltrying to find out what was special that we had to pay extra for it. It wasn't fruit. only a pineapple and a tastless honeydew was offered for fruit. Wasn't cereal or milk as none were put out. the sign said breakfast and salad bar. nothing was on either salad bar and only a couple of items in the dessert area. The pancakes were over cooked and small. no Corned beef hash, The potatoes were either under cooked or over cooked. and all in all, I doubt we will spend our money there again.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

For Today... May 6, 2010

For Today... May 6, 2010

 

Jerry is back to work. Not one of those Ready Labor jobs either, but as an Electrician !!! It's been a long 7 months of his not working at his chosen profession. The few Ready Labor jobs helped in that he got out of the house for a few hours for a few days but it isn't something you can rely on full time. He did call Ready Labor after getting the job call, to let them know he could not work today out at the airport where there is an air show this weekend. I don't know if we are going to go and watch the air show or not. That is up to Jerry but I would like to see it.

Outside my window... (6:00am)I just came back in from the dogs first walk, and it's cool, clear and pleasent outside. A bit on the humid side and the hem of my dress is damp from the dew on the grass. (4:00pm) It's hot. Sunny and hot. I put the car window shades in and that really helped lower the tempature in here.

I am thinking... It's soo good to know that Jerry is going back to work at the kind of work he enjoys doing. It's for less money than before, but it's work and more than what he would get from unemployment. There is a chance that he'll be able to get some of the unemployment as well if he makes less than what it pays.

I am thankful for... Jerry Working again. We can start to pay bills again.

From the kitchen... I made Jerry his breakfast of sausage, fried potatoes and eggs. It rarely changes for him. My breakfast will be cereal and milk. Lunch was a ham and turkey sandwich. I made sugar free pudding for our dinner as well as made some tea for Jerry for his lunch tomorrow. dinner will be hamburger patties, mashed potatoes and green beans.

I am wearing... (6:00am) my blue housedress, after I shower I'll be putting on shorts and a short sleeved top, it's going to be hot today. (9:00) medium blue shorts and a light blue top.

I am reading...

I am hoping... That this job works out well for Jerry.


Around the house... A Total clean up is in order. From the back to the front, area by area.. and space by space I'll be a busy person today !! YEA!! getting my space back in order.

So far I've...

showered, dressed and had breakfast.

I had the dogs out in the sun for a bit. they loved it.

emptied the sink so I can do dishes in a bit

made both beds,

vacumed the bedroom,closet area, and bathroom floor

cleaned the bathroom, tub, john, counter and pick up/ put away

bleached the shower anti slip pad

hung the wet towels to dry

high counter cleaned up and wiped down. it's always a catch all. I can't use it for much else as it's too high for me to work at.

dishes

counter around the sink, done

the stove cleaned up

dog dishes washed

tv and dvd player

speakers

dog houses, clean them, put them on Jerry's bed vacume their area

 



A few plans for the rest of the week...

I don't make plans, just suggestions. Maybe we will go watch the air show.

We really need to re-level the camper, the door pops open and it did again last night. Good thing it's only a little bit and that the dogs know they will be is sooo much truble if they go outside without leads on them.

Jerry got a job !!!

Jerry got a job

I was looking through Craig's list, just surfing and wasting time, really, when I saw one more ad for an Electrician. I showed it to Jerry and he called the number. He was sent a 15 page app and was asked to fax it back. He got the call after 5 pm asking if he could be at a job at the Mall here in Tuscaloosa by 7 am.. Oh Yeah. It's not as much money as when he worked for KBR, but it's not bad either. It's more than unemployment or Ready Labor will give him so it's an improvment. We have already been thinking about what bills we are going to pay first. Sure things are still going to be tight for us for a while, but man it's so good that he's working full time at a job he loves, again.

7 months to the day. He was laid off October 6th 09 and back to work May 6th 10.. it's been intresting keeping it all together and I'm not sure we were able to do that, all the time.