Crafting

 Santa brought me this!  I was so excited, I couldn't wait to start working on it.

What is it, you are asking?  

Doll house furniture!!   I have been looking for a doll house bathroom furniture set but couldn't find any that were reasonably priced.  In my earlier blog, I talked about putting together a doll house kit and I absolutely fell in love with the project.  I have furniture for all the rooms except the bathroom.  Santa found this furniture kit with over 36 furniture items that cost less than a doll house bathtub at the craft store.  How exciting!

Once I put all the pieces together I decided I couldn't stop there. I painted and upholstered everything.

I decided to sell what I didn't need at the craft sale.   Here is each room.

OOPS, I missed one. This gives you an idea of what everything would have looked like if I didn't paint.

When my sister Jo found out what I was doing, she said she wanted to buy all of it because she just bought a doll house for her new granddaughter.  I will have to ask Santa to put these online so I can order some more to make for the craft fair.

I have decided to build another doll house. More on that is a later blog.

Here is another thing I did.... I cut up a sweater!

I used a free pattern from a website my friend printed out for me. She said I should try to make there during my surgery recovery.

This is how the mittens turned out. Twice, I had to tear apart and put back together the first one I made because I didn't understand the online instructions. But, they turned out okay.

I go back to work tomorrow so my crafting will slow down.  I am half way done with my next doll house and will continue to work on that during the evenings and weekends. 

3 Important Events in February

 Today is February 12th and three big things have already happened this month.  

February 2

Sometime in 2019, I went out to the mailbox and grabbed the mail. We don't get too many important things, like letters.  It was the usual day of junk mail and I was ready to throw it all in the recycling bin when my mom popped into my head as she reminded me to always open junk mail because there might be a dime in it, or more likely, those return labels with your name and address printed on it.  I opened every envelope hoping to find a dime when I noticed one of the letters from a company, I thought was trying to sell allergy medicine, was actually telling me my breast implants placed in 2013 had been recalled!  I quickly checked the serial and model number and sure enough, I had the bad ones.  The implants placed because of breast cancer could cause cancer.  I then read the list of symptoms and I didn't have any.  I wasn't worried.  My Athens Georgia doctor had told me I should have them replaced every 10 years and I was just 3 years away. I could wait.

When I went for my annual physical with our family doctor in 2020, I didn't even think to tell him about my implants until he asked if I was seeing an oncologist. I told him no but my implants had been recalled and that  I was going to wait. He wasn't going to have any of that!! He convinced me to meet with a local plastic surgeon, which I did right at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.  

This was something I should do but didn't want to do and with the beginning of the virus scare, I put it on the back burner. I soon received mail from the insurance company that I was approved for the procedure. Don't rush me!!  In October I received a call from the Doctor's office asking if I wanted to go ahead and get on the schedule. I told them not really.  I knew this surgery wouldn't be as brutal as the one in 2013 but I wasn't in a hurry.  I called the office back to ask if February 2021 would be okay. I thought the virus would be settled and knew this was the least busiest time at work for me. So, I was on the books for February 2021.

Maggie came up from Georgia the last week of January. She tested negative for Covid and headed right up. I had to test a few days before the surgery so Mike, Maggie, and I were quarantined at home.  We had a great time hanging out together.  Maggie had fun helping Mike shovel! I decided I am not shoveling at all this year so good thing Maggie was here to help.

I  went off to surgery February 2.

Everything went well.  I went from silicone to saline, teardrop to round, path results showed no cancer, and the implants were intact.  Three weeks of recuperating instead of six in 2013.  I have one week to go and feeling better everyday!

I also received a very nice and comforting shawl from the care givers at my Church. Hand delivered by my sister Mary, who is the care giver coordinator!

February 1

Pete, our cat turned 19!  We can't believe it.  We did a lot of reminiscing about how we ended up adopting Pete all those years ago, and how he grew up with us.  We had gone out to eat as a family at a restaurant  in a strip mall that had a pet store. The girls would always like to go look at the animals while us adults would finish up our pitcher of beer.  When the girls headed over this particular evening, I reminded them we would not be going home with any animals.   Soon they were back in the restaurant very excited about an orange cat.  Mike and I both said absolutely not. We didn't need to have another cat around the house. Somehow they convinced me to come take a look (maybe it was the beer). Molly took Sunny out of the cage and both her and Maggie started begging. Again I said no but  when Molly looked down at Sunny, and the way he looked at her, I melted and couldn't say no. That cat had so much love in his eyes and he was just begging to go home with us. The bio said he was born in a bucket, rescued and needed a good home.  I went back to the restaurant and told Mike I bought a cat. He couldn't believe it.  We decided Pete didn't look like a Sunny so we renamed him at least 15 times before we settled on Pete.

Can you imagine a pet growing up with you, for 19 years?  We expect many more years from him. 

The girls would dress him up in doll clothes.

NO Pete!  Happy Birthday to YOU!!  He get's a little confused in his old age.

A week after Pete's Birthday

We celebrated Molly's birthday! The whole family was together to celebrate and this was the first time since forever, .  Maggie was up here for my surgery so we were very excited to be all together again.  Maggie's boyfriend, Chase flew up from Georgia a couple of days after my surgery so he was able to celebrate along with us. Brice, our nephew and the girl's  cousin, even came for a day to hang out with us. It was a house full of fun!  Maggie baked Molly's cake and we had a fun, challenging time decorating it.

Happy Birthday Molly!!

Next we will celebrate Mike's birthday this month.  I guess that makes it four important events in February. Unfortunately, The girls won't be here so it will be a quiet celebration.

It is always a wonderful time when we can all be together again but very sad when everyone leaves.  I had a longer than usual what we call, Lonely Feeling.  It will be nice when we can all be together again.

Preparing for Christmas

Shopping

 I go thrifting just about every Saturday morning.  When Molly lived with us she would go with me.  One Saturday we went to one of my favorite stores and when we were checking out, the cashier commented on all the cute clothing we had found.  She then asked if we had been to Gordman's store closing sale.  We hadn't. In fact, I had never been there and really wasn't sure what kind of store it was.  A few weeks later Molly and I were heading to Kohls when we realized Gordman's was next door. I didn't really want to go but I asked Molly if she did, and she did.  I almost continued on but decided to pull into the parking lot.  Hesitantly, I went in.  We found all kinds of bargains.  We shopped very carefully because we didn't want to buy things we really didn't need.  I found an item for $150 where the sign said it would be $45. Still expensive for something not needed.  I asked Molly if she would like it and she thought she would but didn't really need it.  We didn't put it in our cart but we did go through what was in our cart to see if we really needed these things.  That is when Molly saw a sign that said if you buy 12 or more items, you get an additional 50% off.  I placed the $150 item in the cart, along with other high priced items.

After we got home and figured out how much money we saved by buying things we didn't need, I felt bad that I didn't buy more!  The $150 item was only $21. Molly felt the same so we planned for Molly and Mike to go back the next morning right at opening, to buy more. I had to work so wouldn't be able to go. We made a list of what we saw and should get.  Excitement was in the air!  

The next morning I was getting updates and photos from Molly, asking if she should get this, or this, maybe this? Even though Mike didn't find anything, Molly was glad he went because she filled up two carts and needed Mike to push one!   They finally made it to the checkout and that is when Molly found the disappointing sign that stated it was only 30% off if buying 12 or more items.  They bought everything anyway.

We were done Christmas shopping September!

 

Stockings

When my sisters had babies many years ago, I would make the baby a felt Christmas stocking from a kit. This was always fun for me, knowing they could use it their whole lifetime.  When I found out my niece was pregnant, she asked if I would make her baby a stocking. Of course I said yes.  Soon a box came in the mail with three stockings, one for her baby and two for my nephew's twins.  I handed the twin's stockings over to my sister Sherry, who also likes to do these.  I did this because when I saw the one I was to make, I knew it was going to take me awhile.  A LOT of detail.  Then my niece said something she probably shouldn't have..."it's okay if it isn't done before Christmas."  I had months to start and finish it, so I took my time.  I would pull it out now and then. I did get a tiny bit done to show Meredith during her Zoom baby shower.  Myers was born at the end of October. Now I could put the name on the stocking!  But, I waited. All of a sudden it was December!  I wasn't even close to being done.  I told Meredith it probably wouldn't be done.  She was okay with that but then my sister sent me the following photo with Myers' stocking missing.  Okay, now I had to finish it.

For two weeks my life was consumed with applique, stuffing, sequins, and beading. I would work on it all day on the weekends, my lunch hour at work, at home after work.  I finished it and got it in the mail to be delivered before Christmas!

Cooking and Baking

Christmas week arrived and Maggie drove up from Georgia.  We are always so excited to hang out as a family during the holiday season.  Since Molly now lives in Iowa, we decided to have Christmas at her place.  It was time for Maggie to start cooking!

Since Molly's cat Poppy, likes to eat everything she shouldn't, like Christmas trees, we decided to put the tree outside.  

That night we realized some lights were not working, so we had a striped tree.

Maggie cooked for two days.

Molly had some work homework.  Since she works for a yeast company, the employees were asked to make star bread and take a picture to send to her company. This bread had raspberry and cranberry filling.

She didn't like how it looked so I don't have a picture of the finished product.  It sure was good!! We ate the whole thing!!

The girls enjoyed cooking and baking together.  

We had so much fun opening presents Christmas Eve and then finally Christmas day was here.  Mike's mom Janelle, was able to hang out with us. 

Here we are scratching off lottery tickets, all afternoon!!

The girls always enjoy hanging out with Grandma!

Molly did make another star bread after we got back home in Davenport. This time it was savory, onion, rosemary, and other yummy ingredients.

Happy Holidays!!!  

Here We Go Again!

 As mentioned in a previous blog, Molly moved in with us during the first week of May 2020.  She started looking for a job right away while enjoying her first Iowa spring and summer.  She would have an interview now and then and even got one offer, but it didn't feel like the right fit so she declined.  She  had a little dry spell this fall season but then all of a sudden three interviews in two days, and then two offers in one day! She had to make a decision, but it was obvious which one to take. She chose Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an hour down the interstate from us.  She had two weeks to find a place to live.  This task is not as easy as it was when Mike and I rented more than 30 years ago.  We would look in the paper, call the number in the ad, meet with the owners and then rent!  Now you search the  internet, fill out an application for the rentals you like that will also accept a cat, pass a background check, meet at the rentals with a realtor, find out you will be put on a waiting list, find out the rental isn't available for another month, stress out over this, etc.    Molly found a place in a small town between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.  Expensive, but available now until the end of June.  She started packing.

We moved Molly three days before she would start her job. It was nice to have everything already packed up in her storage unit at Uhaul.  This building used the be the Kmart I worked at in high school in the 70's. Her unit was the household and paper goods aisle.  I worked in the patio department which brought up the story of me getting a fork lift license and unloading semi trucks.  Boy, did I get a lot of marriage proposals! Those truck drivers couldn't believe a 17 year young woman could unload trucks. I think it is pretty cool Uhaul buys the empty large buildings and puts them to good use.

We left Poppy at home while we moved all of Molly's treasures.  We took three vehicles on move in day. Mike drove my car, Molly drove her car, and I drove the truck.  Of course it was one of the windiest days and my hands felt like they were glued to the steering wheel when I got to her townhome.  That truck was all over the place, just like the semi trucks. Scary.

Molly and I were busy moving her items into the townhome when she mentioned that most Uhaul trucks have a U.S. state on the side of them.  We had the whole country!

We came out of the house and finally found Mike.  After his nap, he went home to watch the Georgia game. Kidding!!!!! He worked hard and didn't take a nap, but he did leave after we were done unloading the truck.  

Molly and I moved things around for awhile and then headed back to Davenport in the truck. Luckily, the wind had died down.  The next day, we moved Poppy to her new home.

Binx was sad and wanted to go too!

Poppy had a great time exploring everything!

I stayed for two days to help unpack and to be there when the internet guy showed up. This is Molly's first day of work.

I was a little worried when it started snowing on her first day October 19th.  She has NEVER driven in snow and it seemed like it wasn't going to stop! I kept checking the road out front to make sure it wasn't sticking and luckily, it wasn't.  She made it home just fine after six inches had fallen.

Molly and Poppy have settled in.  We will have to do this all over again in June, when her lease is up.

Before Molly moved, we did something I have been wanting to do since we moved here.  We rode the Channel Cat, the river taxi.  We were able to see the Interstate 74 bridge construction and all kinds of fun river things.  It was about an hour ride.