Time flies...

Hi all! Just had a whirlwind visit from my best buddy from British Colombia. After years of online visiting every night, we finally meet in person! She was traveling with her neighbor, Shirley.

Lois & Shirley left this afternoon. Half of yesterday and half of today. Such a short visit! :o/ We had a great time and could have spent days trying to cover everything. Yesterday they got here earlier than they had planned which was great. We spent the afternoon mostly doing show and tell and chattering, When Alex got home we had pizza and relaxed a bit before they went back to their motel for the night.

Today we started really early. We walked all the way down to the water, looking around in shops on the way. We had lunch at my favorite waterside restaurant. Lois and I split a crab and shrimp Louis and Shirley had a patty melt, and we all had a small bowl of wonderful clam chowder and fresh warm bread. It was wonderful!

Then we walked all the way back, looking at the scenery, reading the historical markers. We stopped at Mary's house (Alex's sister) for a quick hello then came home so Lois could check her email and they could use the restroom before they hit the road. We waved and waved until the car was out of sight. They didn't see me cry. :o)

Here are some pics.



This is Lois and me in my living room, getting ready to go out and walk around town.



Lois getting her Mac fix at my desk.



Lois and her traveling companion in front of my sister-in-law's house. Yes, the really is a house under all those morning glories. They help to keep the old place from falling down. They thought my house was a terrific museum. They just had to see Mary's house to see a real museum!

Lois gave me 3 bottles of her fabulous homemade blackberry cordial. Really YUM stuff! Alex and I had some after dinner. SO good!

In other news, we finally have a painting contract! Scaffolding should start going up in about a week. He's going to rebuild the back porch and the side steps too and there will be new decking on the front porch. I am so excited! I've waited for this for 20 years and was starting to think it would never happen. God Bless my Mom for this wonderful gift!!!

I took some before pictures of the house. Should I wait until the painting is all finished to post the "before" pics along with the "after" pics? What do you all think?

Brief note

I don't feel eloquent enough to express my feelings on this 9/11. Suffice it to say that my life was changed forever. But in no way comparable to those lives that were stolen by monsters not fit to walk the earth. Nor comparable to those lives that were ripped apart with loss. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

I have started to list things for sale on eBay. So far just books on lace, knitting, quilting and cooking. To come are more books, quilt magazine collections, vintage sewing machine parts and attachments and other things too numerous to list. Please have a look!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZgmcsew

Thanks and God bless you all!

Finished curtain

Finished the curtain, and in record time, I think. It was nice to have it to work on when things have been overwhelming. It came out a little longer than I thought it would, and a little narrower. When finished I think this set will go in the living room. The windows on each side of our bay are narrower than all the rest. And I'll just move the rod up a little. What do you think?



Didn't get the job I had hoped for. Anybody out there a Kaiser member? Me too. My sympathies. Did you know they have a special plan for people like me who are flat out of income? It's called the Step plan and it lasts for 4 years. Each step lasts for one year. In Step 1 (depending on your level of income) Kaiser will subsidize 80% of the payment. Step 2 is 60% and so forth. That's a lifesaver for me. I've been applying for all sorts of senior/low income things. In 4 years I'll have my own social security. I hope things are much better by then. (Amen!)

Got to finish a scarf for my Mom's birthday (last Tuesday) and then get the round robin done. Then I'll start another curtain and some socks for my dear doctor who no longer needs chemo caps because his hair is growing back. Amen! And I am going to figure out how to do lace curtains on the knitting machine! Yes I am!!! And that holiday is coming. Lots to do!

I'm thinking of selling some things on eBay to help pay the bills. All kinds of books, knitting machines, vintage sewing machines and oodles of parts. Like I said, lots to do!

Ok, that's it for now. Back to MY kind of work. :o)