crocheting centers me

Well I had put down the crocheting for a short while and picked up the quilting.  I was able to finish up MLK quilt (still need to get it to the quilter) and had cut out all the denim from the jeans that people had given me and had lying around.  I then started working on cutting that into five by five squares.  I still have alot to cut into the squares, but I put it up for a little while.  Today I woke up feeling edgy and just out of control.  I am sleeping but not getting good out of my sleep again, so will take sleep aids tonight.  I have not been a nice person today, just ask the girls.  So I came home put on pjs and started to crochet.  There is something about the ryhtmic movement and counting that just does something to center me.  It is crazy I know but it does something for me. 

I am feeling a little pressed for time, trying to start the wind down for school esp. for MLK.  Birthday party this weekend, and then graduation in about a month. Just feel a little bit old, what with a senior and a sixteen year old!

I have so many hobbies that I have been dabbling with and so enjoying each one of them, I think this is my stage of life where I want to try all sorts of things, and learn, learn, learn.  I would love to go back to college and in a way I do with the classes I interpret.  I am looking into square gardening, will try to get a few books on it, and that might be the way I will do starting this year and building from here.  I think since most of my spots can be pretty wet throughout the spring it might work better and it might be easier to keep up with.  We will wait and see, it is an interesting idea whichever way we go.  Going to either buy a cherry or plum tree for across the road and then later two apple trees.  I am exicitied about that, great spring pictures and fruit all in one tree.  Thinking about the cherry tree first very very pretty pink blossoms.  Also going to do fruit bushes, grapes and just a collection of thing.  Greenhouse is going well, transfered some plants on Sunday, some did okay some not so much.  With the cold snap and artifical heat the plants just dont grow as quick as they did with the warm weather we had.  So def. think the greenhouse wont be a year around thing but I am thinking between middle Feb to late Oct. I can use it.   I have enjoyed it, such a peaceful place to be and play in dirt. 

Well that is all for now.

monday mornings

Well it is Monday morning, and I didnt have a job this morning so that was kinda nice, we are starting school and a quick clean up around the house.  I have a job at 1 and then a few errands.  We are starting to look at the wind down of school we start usually dropping off subjects around the first of April and then we are usually done around the middle of May.  MLK has already finished her Math and she has Science, Photography and her English class to go. MDK not so much hope she is all done by the end of May!

I have all the denim cut out of the jeans and now I just need to cut the 5 by 5 squares and then I am ready to start sewing them again, I think I should have enough to do this big quilt.  Cleaned my closet (aka-the great dumping ground) and went through some clothes that needed donated.  The house looks pretty good except for the daily grind.  It is nice to have that done.  MDK birthday party is coming up this weekend.  Well better get busy.

odds and ends

Well yesterday I was not very busy once I got home as the order of business was to get my leg to stop swelling, i stayed off it all last night and this morning, it is good and doesnt hurt.  It has not given me too much grief of late, but last weekend I had gone up and down the steep hills over across the road and wonder if that is what irriated it, whatever it was yesterday was its day of protest, but this morning it feels so much better.  I have just learned over the years, that when it swells like that elevate it and be off one or two days and then I am so much better.  If I try to push through it, it doesnt work, it gets worse hurts more and I have a tendency to do serious injury to it.  So live and learn with a bum ankle.

MLK made me laugh yesterday, she was helping me with my photo shoot and I had to laugh.  We were haviing a lull and she said Mom I can say this here and you cant do anything about it... that perked my curosity.  She said Im BORED... and then chuckled, becuase at home that buys you a chore so you arent bored, wouldnt want that to happen.  My girls are rarely bored at least in front of me.

MLK goes to try for her drivers test, she was pysching herself out last night, and I said that is the mindset that will sink you, she seemed better after that.  Pray for her today, if she can keep her cool, she will pass if she doesnt she will proably fail.  I have never meet a person with so much anxiety about tests, written or performance, she just looses her cool.  She just doesnt like to fail. 

MDK has regional Bible quiz this weekend, I coached for alot of years and planned to fullly take off this year, so I may or may not stay for a few rounds Friday night, it will depend on how I feel.  She will stay overnight at the Ramada Inn in St. Joe, it should be fun for her.

My tomato plants are up and I am so exicitied, need to do some more transplants, but kinda waiting to let it warm up again before I do that.  Tomato plants just came through the soil.  Exicitied about them most of all also going to try to construct a upside down cherry tomato planters

Well that is all for now will post again to let you know if she passed or failed the driving test.

spring fever

Boy do I have spring fever, I think because the grass is turning green, I have it really bad!!!  I am enjoying the greenhouse alot.  Hopefully I am not overwatering things, however the plants can dry out pretty quick in there if we are not careful.  I am trying a new thing in there, I bought root starts for bleeding heart bushes in walmart, and a 40 lb bag of dirt, you poke a few drain holes turn over sack slit partly open and plant the roots.  This is a neat little trick I learned in my new book I am reading about gardens.  I hope it works.  I will have to transplant the let. and broch. soon as they are really growing. 

I stepped down on my foot wrong and my ankle is really stiff and sore so I wont be doing any marathons on it, mostly elevate it for a few days, that tends to get the swelling down and take care of it.  I get tired of fighting with it at times, but perfer that over that huge walking boot thing, ugh that was such a pain in the butt. 

I have two jobs today and then home again.  Well better get going.

yesterday afternoon

Yesterday afternoon was one of those good for your soul afternoon.  I was home alone, so no radio blaring, no phones ringing, no fighting between the girls.  Dave took them out to drive and I was left home alone.  So I spent better part of an hour transplanting cucumber plants, I was sweating in my greenhouse with the door open it was hitting ninty degrees in there, such a nice welcome break however. It is fun to play in dirt.  Then after that, I sat on our front porch swing and caught up on my reading with Oliver Twist (MDK assignment and I havent read it so needed to get going on it).  I swang back and forth and put two fat sassy cats to sleep in the process, it smelled of coming rain and spring.  I also could see and hear all the little birds coming to life.  Then the family got home and Dave did a project in the garage and i got to sit out and talk with him in the garage.

Dave and projects are a funny thing at times, he is forever getting frustrated with them, but I dont dare laugh, even if it is funny, he fixed the fence gate that leads to the back yard, and was trying to rehang it, our light is a motion dectation light with an attiude.  So we are trying to hang it a little past dusk and the thing is going off and on at will like a strobe light, I finally just burst out laughing it was just too funny. 

Today I finish up photos and will have that out of my hair, and then quite a few more jobs before the end of the week.  Well better get around.

my greenhouse

I love my greenhouse. .. I transplanted cucumber plants today, it is staying so warm in there it is so cool and the tomatoes are finally coming up!!!  The are just had to have a good talking too.  I will try to post some pics later.

I have alot of irons in the fire, homeschooling, gardening, interpreting, quilting, housework, crocheting, reading and the list goes on.  However this makes my life full and fun.  Will try to get more stuff up on the web soon.

another week

Well this week was another week, albiet a little slower which was nice.  MLK and I went out driving practice yesterday and had a good talk while we were out and about.  Tommorow I plan to have her drive over to Jamesport for practice and hopefully she will try to do her driving test on Thursday (pray she keeps her head if she does she will pass).  Right now Dave and MDK are out practicing driving and gettting supplies for the next project, stair in the hill across the way.  Today we gathered wood chips across the road, they have a wood pile where people in town bring their branches and such and then they burn or wood chip it.  They also are allowed to put extra fill dirt there and old wood parts.  We have rescued alot of pieces of lumber so that we can build the stairs and such around the place.  It is a cheap way to do some landscaping and it is right next to us so I plan to look quite frequently and over a few years will find enough to do alot of raised beds and landscaping on the property.  The next thing after the stairs will be taking the small fence out behind the garage, then painting the garage side entry door. 

My seeds are starting to germinate but some are slow to the draw, hope they do grow though.  The cucumbers and lettuce and brochili are up, thought the tomatoes would be up by now but it has been a no show for them.  Waiting patiently till the end of next week and if they dont show I will replant the tomatoes again, I may have gotten them too wet, but all the rest seems to be doing okay.  I tried alot of perrinels we will see if we get anything out of them.  Plan to play around out there this weekend and make some plans on what else I want to do.  I am thinking about making some of those homemade topsy turvy upside down tomatoe planters and see how they do in there.  I just want to experiement with alot of things in there.  Just not sure which thing first.

MDK is feeling some better but is a little zapped and snotty, she didnt come down with the crude which is good.  I taught MLK how to cook a turkey in an oven bag today. I love oven bags!!!  Finished MLK quilt must iron and get it to the quilter, been cutting out the denim for the other quilt and looking for a pattern for my next afghan will proably make some throw pillow to go with the quilt.  Also starting work on senior stuff.  Need to finish writing the rest of my photo class plans over the weekend and Steve is coming down here and we are going to have a short celebration for his b-day.  Well better get off for now and be a lazy bum for the rest of the evening :)

picture day

Today I take pictures at homeschool enrichment classes, I am always nervous before this happens as I really want to do a good job.  I have a new background I have to iron this morning.  I hate ironing mostly because i burn myself almost everytime.  I have the scars to prove it. 

The girls and I went to the dentist, MDK and I passed, but MLK has three cavities so she goes back in May.  We then worked on school and then later that evening Dave took both girls out driving practice.  MLK has about ten more hours to go and then she can test again.  MDK birthday is right around the corner, I feel a insurance hike coming! 

I had to rip out an afghan as somehow it kept building and it wasnt working out right so going to try a different pattern with the three colors I bought, must finish back of quilt and get it to the quilters.  Well better get around.

big decisions for a young lady

Well, MLK and I are moving on to finish up MWSU finicial aid stuff hopefully this week (it is spring break so hopefully someone is still in the office).  She was accepted in the college this Jan.  she was also accepted at Hannibel La Grange-but it was 28,000 a year, so she didnt much like that price tag.  She is still on the wait list of C of O but proably wont be high enough for the fall semster.  She is now debating on living on campus or living at home.  It is cheaper to live at home but she is unsure what she wants to do.  She qualifies for $1000 scholarship based on her ACT score and if she lives at home it will cost $5000 for her first year.  This doesnt include money for books and we dont know about Pell grants yet.  The cost of living on campus would be about $6000 for a year.  She is leaning towards being 'at home(her freshman year they have to live with family or on campus), then if she gets in at C of O then she can quickly move over.  She is still unsure what she wants to do.  She really doesnt want to go into much debt which is a good thing.  We are planning to help her out with books and misc. fees but having just switched our lifes up majorly and buying a house and such we dont have alot to give her.  Dave's ongoing medical issues are also a factor for us.  She plans to work part time also(once she conquers the drivers lisc.).

Kevin took MLK all over Saint Joseph yesterday working with her on driving, Dad is trying to get some time in with her today, she is required to get 20 hours before she goes to test again (she has it about half done).  She is a decent driver, she just looses her test with the brown uniformed person in the car, and for me to say she is a decent driver is saying something. 

Today is dentist and then finicial aid junk and homework, hopefully an uneventful day.

a tad disappointed

Well MLK got the letter, she didnt make the cut, the reason being was she did not show as much finicial need as other families, she is however on the waiting list, we will know what number on the list in April or May, so for now we are moving forward on Missouri Western.  She would like to stay in the dorms but it is very expensive to do so, and as a freshman she must live in the dorms or in the home, she can not have her own apt or place and be a freshmen there.  She has been accepted but need to finish up the stuff she needs for the finincial office.  As she said, this would have been an easy decision if I could have got in at C of O.  I say welcome, adults get to make all kind of fun decisions. 

Hoping to get some outside work done today around the house.  I am feeling much better, but wear out really fast,  still a little winded when doing things, but a big bunch better than last weekend.  I am not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep tommorow.  Well I need to get around to get MDK to her chess tourney.

slowly getting better

Well worked yesterday, but was completely worn out when I got home, still hitting the meds hard.  This morning I got MLK pictures ready for her senior slide show.  Wow how time has flown, looking at all the pictures over the years, made me a little teary.  Friday we have another senior meeting, Saturday MDK has a chess tournament.  My big plans for the rest of the week is work and get better.

snot funny

Well still fighting the cold crap here. I am chucked full of yummy meds (not)! I did sleep very well last night, which helps so much.  The girls are doing some prom shopping today with Aunt Denise mid morning, and then this afternoon after my second job we will start on school stuff.  MDK has another chess tournament in St. Joe this weekend.  Well gotta get to work.

i am pathetic when sick

Wow what a day, my big accomplishment for today, taking meds on time!! wooh hooh!  The whole family thinks having Mom sick really sucks!  They say I am whiny and needy and grumpy. I am not a good sick person.  Going to try to get out tommorow as I am fever free.  I actually did do 3/4 of the dishes before I got light headed and sat down.   Wow what a wimp.

I crocheted, worked with Meg on schoolwork, and slept (kinda catnaped) my way through today.  I really want to be better this is so cramping my style.  Well better go to bed and get some good sleep!

i am not a good patient

Wow whatever I had hit me hard, i felt a little rough wed. took off one job had thursday off anyway, rested felt better.  Mom and Bren and MJ came down and went to the Phantom (awesome!).  Saturday morning woke up feeling rough and went downhill really fast.  Yesterday scrounged up all the meds we had, so we had leftover Codiene cough syrup, leftover Cipro from Megs trip to Guatemela, Musinex, Tylenol.  So drugged myself up.  Sunday was take meds, sleep three hours, wake up an hour or two take meds go back to bed again, repeat.  Had to cancel all my jobs on Monday, due to the fact that I have a fever. That is frustrating cause i lose money.  Oh well, no one should be infected with this crude. So today, I plan to do the sleep medicine routine again.  Oh what fun is in store.

well well

I took yesterday afternoon off from a job as I was feeling rather rough, I have all my sinuses draining in my left ear, so not fun!!!  Today I dont work so that is good, drinking oj like it is going out of style.  MDK and I had a long day yesterday, she is at the stage of life where everything she does is suppose to be marvelous and a gift.  Well I did all my chores she says, I say and did you finish this also, and she says well cant you be happy that I did the dishes, and I say that is what you were suppose to do and I am not going to have a party over it, she hmmphs, I sigh.  This is the sophmore stage.  It wears a person out.  We did finish her sewing projects with a few minor changes to the pattern and they are cute, hope MJ and Brenda likes them.  Today going to take MLK to take the drivers test we will see, she gets so nervous when the gal gets in. Got all the pictures corrected for Mom and they are coming tommorow, I am very exicitied about that.  Phantom here we come.  I cant wait!  Well better get around and torture my children some more!