Mom can't seem to go a whole day without giving herself a nervous breakdown over something. Tonight it was bawling over christmas presents while getting ready for bed. First she says she wants to do some shopping this week. Okay, that's fine with me, what do you want to get? Envelopes, says she. What kind of envelopes, I ask (trying to decide what kind of store I need to take her to). Money envelopes for gifts, she says. Um, nope, you can't do that mom. Then what will I do for gifts, she blubbers. Um, we ordered stuff, it's in that box in the living room, remember? But where did all the money go, she wails. You've got money, mom. You just can't give gifts totaling more than $200 each month. It's that medicaid rule, remember?

Blank look.

Two years ago we got ourselves a lawyer specializing in medicare/medicaid and elder law. He laid everything out for us, and nothing has changed since. We've been living with the $200 rule for gifting for at least the last two years. Last year we spread the christmas shopping out over three months. Today, it's all new to mom, and she says it just doesn't make sense. Why does she need medicaid? Um, the money from the sale of your house won't last forever, mom. Oh, then [wailing with more waterworks] I shouldn't have been buying dolls!!! Um, no, mom, that doesn't count, that's buying things for yourself and that's fine. You can spend all the money you want on stuff for yourself, you just can't give money/things away to others.

In a nutshell, the government doesn't want to pay for your needs any longer than absolutely necessary. If you give your money away, you'll need government help to live sooner than you otherwise would. They have some magical mathematical (mathemagical?) formula they use that came up with approximately $200 being the limit of acceptable gifting.

I finally ease her mind as much as I'm going to about all this dookie. She has calmed down a bit, so I try to put her thoughts on happier stuff, like the fact that my brother and his whole family will be here visiting in a week, yes, with the boys and everything!

"Oh," she moans, "that means we have to figure out what to make for supper for everyone...."

You could probably hear my eyes rolling in Durka-durkastan.

I started the liquid portion of Eggless-Butterless-Milkless Cake this morning. Of course, mom had to kibitz, and tell me how if I'm going to bake it in foil loaf pans (much easier to wrap and store than the big round ring pans) that I'd better cut back on the baking time. Um, yeah, I kinda figured that out for myself. Oh, and she's still got it in her head that she wants to make a pecan pie this year. Yeah, right. One, you've never made one before that I can remember in my entire life. Two, you don't bake anything anymore, I do it all. And three, nobody around here even likes pecan pie, so why bother? I bought some pecans at the store anyway (after she put them on the shopping list for the third time), figuring I can work them into a cookie recipe or something.

While she was kibitzing, I was busily giving myself tennis elbow or carpal tunnel or something trying to get cookies unstuck from the cooky sheets. See, I planned on baking a couple kinds of cookies today and stashing them in the freezer until I pack them up to send to friends and family for Christmas. I started with Oatmeal Scotchies, because they keep the best and are fairly easy. (Half-size ice cream scoopers make the best cooky portions!) The recipe states that they should be baked on an 'ungreased cooky sheet". I hauled out my bakers secret pans with the non-stick coating like usual and they STUCK. I had to lightly grease non-stick pans to keep the cookies from sticking. What a disaster.

After that fiasco, I cleaned up the kitchen and said the heck with baking another batch of anything today. I rescued mom from dismantling her desk by crashing into it with her power chari, put the crap back in her bottom drawer after pitching half of it, and fed her some lunch. By then I needed a break from mom, so I took a deposit to the bank, got the tree stand, lights, and ornaments out of storage, and did a pre-shopping screening of the trees at a local u-cut farm.

Despite the cold, I had an enjoyable time scoping out the trees. Crunching across the frosty ground bundled in flannel-lined jeans with my fleece gloves and earwarmers on, squinting in the sunshine, and listening to the birds as they bopped from tree to tree alongside me. It was very peaceful and quiet out there, with only a distant 'moo' and a little traffic noise to be heard. I found a handful that were nice looking and the right height for our room. (The standard five foot tall tree at the lots looks kinda dorky in a room with twelve foot ceilings.)

Plans for the rest of the week: Bake the E-B-M cake tonight after dinner, finish sewing my christmas ornaments tonight and tomorrow to give to family. Tomorrow bake some more cookies, mop the floors in the kitchen and mom's room (I got them swept this evening). Go to the International Motorcycle Show in Seattle on Saturday, and go get our tree on Sunday.

busy busy busy!

Yes, I know I'm still horribly neglecting this blog. So sue me!

Last week was my mom's birthday. She turned 77 years old and had a good birthday (except for eating too many baked donuts at breakfast and giving herself an oogy tummy.) I baked her a chocolate cherry cake which we took with us to the YMCA for the wednesday gathering for cards and coffee that afternoon. Mom played cribbage and pinochle, and then we took the scenic route home. She got a gorgeous bouquet of freesias from my brother's family (which are even now still opening and smelling fabulous!), two paperback books, and the latest Star Trek movie on DVD. I think the best present must've been from god, because that night she slept the entire night through and woke up in a dry bed! Truly a miracle.

Later that week I had to go buy more christmas lights (how do the things go bad sitting in a box for eleven months when they all worked when I took them down last year?!?), so mom put her feet up and watched her new DVD while I went out, helped decorate the tree at the shop and chose those lights. I wanted to get LED lights this year, but it's just too hard to swallow paying the same amount for a houseful of regular lights for a measly twenty feet or so of LED's that don't come with any better guarantee. I got them put up yesterday while Bill was at the shop. (Brrrr! It was so chilly out there, I think I froze my nose hairs!) Bill was impressed that I wrestled the heavy ladder around all by myself.

Yes, Bill needed to go to the shop on a Sunday. Here's why: Saturday we went on the NW Toys for Tots toy run to Pacific Raceways. The turnout of the toy run becomes a sort of car show, as everyone parks in the lot and hangs out and admires each other's cars. Our buddy Robert was taking his GTR and we were going to take the El Camino. We headed out in the morning to get fuel for the car and it died on us. Four times! Bill limped it to the shop where we parked it inside, then we went home and hopped in the truck instead. (Turns out it had a bad wire in the ignition system, which he fixed yesterday.) The toy drive was a great success (they had an enclosed trailer there that was over half full by the time we left and more toys were still arriving) and the turnout was estimated to be even larger than the year before. Here's just a couple of pics:

I had the most fun making an advent calendar for my niece this year! I always get one for her every year because it was one of my favorite things when I was little. I looked around the shops and couldn't find one that was very appealing, so I decided to make my own. This one was very inexpensive and a lot of fun to put together.

Supplies bought:
One dollar store spangly garland with split-ring links ($1)
One package of mini bags from craft store ($3.29)
One mini christmas theme note pad ($1)
Two sheets of stickers from dollar store ($2)
One box of mini candy canes ($1)

Supplies on hand:
red and green pens
tiny hole punch
Christmas jokes printed off internet
numbers 1-24 printed off internet (I liked these.)
glue

To make:
-Use red and green pens to write jokes on sheets of note paper.
-Fold and insert with mini candy cane into mini bags.
-Fold over the top of the bag and punch mini hole.
-Thread bags onto every other link.
-Cut out numbers and glue onto bags AFTER putting them on the garland. (Trust me, it's much easier that way, because you don't have to try and put them on the garland in any order.)
-Decorate envelopes with stickers and you're done!



Other options for stuffings could be: bible verses, planned activities (making cookies, choosing the tree, going caroling, etc.), pieces to a holiday-themed puzzle (a few in each bag), scavenger hunt clues, or tiny ornaments for a tabletop tree.

If you have trouble finding the kind of garland I used, a bit of string/yarn/ribbon could tie each envelope to any kind of garland or even a small tree. Be creative and have fun!

Glad yule!

That's me. I've been neglecting this blog something horrible as I work on swap projects. I've made some fabric postcards and sent them around the globe (or at least to Colorado, Canada, and the UK) and even made some stuffed animals for another swap and sent those to Australia! (I got a darling little kitty cat and its tiny bird who arrived from Argentina, of all places.) There's pictures of the stuff I made over at my Flickr page.

Between those and the endless loads of laundry and dishes, I've been loafing around. This dark and damp weather is still making me tired and achy.

I did manage to pester the members of this household for Christmas (and birthday) wish lists, since I do have family members out there nuts enough to do the Black Friday shopping thing and others who prefer to order things online. Without further ado, here are the lists for the three of us:

Mom: (birthday is Dec. 2)
-Books: "The book of old houses" and "A Face at the window" both by Sarah Graves
-DVD's: "Guys and Dolls", "Seven brides for seven brothers", "Anchors Aweigh", "Mary Poppins"
-Fleece socks (women's large or men's medium, no elastic)
-Large doll stands (for dolls 10"-12" tall)
-"Opti-visor" head mount magnifiers, 3x power
-Wireless TV headphones

Bill:
-Fleece bootie slippers (like the ones available through Land's End) to fit size 14 feet
-DVD's: "Up", "Monsters vs. Aliens", "Meet the Robinsons"
-Video games: "Dirt", "Midnight Club Los Angeles: complete edition" (either for XBOX 360 or PS3)
-Book: "A Princess of Landover" by Terry Brooks

Karen:
-DVD: "Wallace and Gromit: A matter of loaf and death"
-Books: any Sheldon comic books (www.sheldoncomics.com)
-Quilt pounce and miracle chalk
-Video games: "Rayman Raving Rabids", "Boom Blox" (both for Wii)

There. That should make it easy for y'all. E-mail amongst yourselves and decide who wants to get what for whom, and feel free to contact Bill or myself if you have any questions.

I was watching TV last night and something I saw brought to mind something that happened to me when I was living in Seattle.

I lived upstairs in a two-story brick apartment building a block off Aurora boulevard (aka Hwy 99) in the Wallingford neighborhood. One of the 'residents' of the building was the apartment managers' cat, Rufa. Rufa had been around for years and owned the last three on-site managers. He used to deposit his kills of mice and shrews on the floor in front of the communal mailbox row for all to appreciate. He was a large black and white shorthair who believed the entire building belonged to him.

Occasionally he'd get impatient for someone to happen by and open the front door for him, so he would climb the tree next to the front door canopy, hop on the canopy, and hop up on the windowsills of the two front apartments, then meow to be let in. Mine was one of the front apartments, and my bathroom window was adjacent to the front canopy. I got used to seeing his black and white outline through the frosted glass, so I'd let him in, then out into the central hall.

One day, as I got home from grocery shopping, I looked over at a sound from the bathroom and saw Rufa's shape on the window ledge. I called to him that I'd let him in in a minute, went to drop the groceries in the kitchenette, then came back. When I opened the window, he wasn't there, but I thought nothing of it.

Later that week, I was chatting with the current manager and told them about Rufa's antics at my window. They looked at me funny, then told me that somehow, the poor cat had gotten run over on Aurora. He'd been dead for almost a month.

There's no way I could have mistaken that black and white shape through the frosted glass as anything else but him. The only other thing you can see out that window was an evergreen tree. No white there! Flabbergasted, I realized that I must have seen an echo of Rufa, his ghost.

Despite my long-time interest in ESP and all other things paranormal, Rufa is the only ghost I've ever seen.

The thing that brought him to mind was the new episode of Ghost Hunters. They captured EVP's of a cat meowing and smelled a cat where there was none in the basement of a museum. One of the investigators was sure they had felt what seemed like a cat brushing against their leg. I was quite amused to watch this big tough guy calling "here kitty kitty kitty" in a paranormal investigation.

I guess there will always be mysteries to this world we live in, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Las Vegas was just the antidote to the gray rainy crud of Washington. It was a gorgeous clear and sunny 80 degrees every day that we were down there. Of course, we were inside the SEMA show (and AAPEX show also) for most of four days, but we still enjoyed the sunshine.

To give you an idea how big the SEMA/AAPEX conventions were, take the largest convention/trade show you've ever been to and double it. Now double it again and you're getting close. If you were ever inside on the floor of the old Kingdome, imagine about five floors about that size of stuff between the two shows AND the parking lots full outside also. "Huge" is an understatement.

All of us are footsore and very tired after driving down and back (approx. 18 hours and 1200 miles each way) and walking the show every day for four days. Plus we had to do a little bit of the casinos and stuff since we were in Vegas, after all! I think we gambled a whole whopping $9, got some free bling beads, a comp drink at a penny slot machine (yes, really!), and I got an airbrush tattoo of a mermaid on my wrist. Freemont street rocks!

I even snuck in some time away from the convention and visited the MGM Grand hotel to see their lions and do the "CSI Experience". That was fun! I also went out to Henderson to the bird watching sanctuary they have there. I didn't have much time before they closed that trip, but I drug Bill out there Friday morning for some time off from the show and he liked it too. Roadrunners, quail, and hummingbirds, oh my! We saw dozens of species there and it was a nice break from all the automotive stuff.

Now it's time to catch up on mail, bills, laundry, and get back in the swing of work.

I finally got the quilt that's been sitting for a month figured out and here's a link to my post about it:

http://sewmanypiecesgroup.blogspot.com/2009/10/un-stuck.html

Woo hoo! Now I just need to get it assembled around taking mom to the library, her friend's house, and the doctor's office in Tacoma this week while preparing to head for the SEMA show in Las Vegas. We'll be gone all next week, and I have our mom-sitter extraordinaire scheduled and the in-laws next door to keep an eye on mom while we're gone.

I've been very tired and unmotivated lately. This is unfortunately normal for me as the seasons change, but somehow this year I have even less drive than usual. I guess with mom and I just coasting along, I've been letting the rest of life coast as well.

I've not done much at all quilt-wise lately. I've done some quilted postcards for a swap, but there's one in pieces awaiting assembly that I'm just not feeling that's been sitting for a month. There's also my mini-quilt that's still just a top waiting to be sandwiched and quilted. The postcards get done because there's a deadline, and because they get done quick; they're only 4" x 6" after all. If you want to see them, check out my flickr.

Now I'm about ready to have a head-banging-on-wall time. My mom-sitter is available this weekend. Good! I asked Bill a couple days ago if I should get her in, and he said yes. This evening I asked him about him picking her up on saturday and he doesn't want to. I should go get her if I want her to sit mom, never mind that I'm busy getting mom up and dressed and breakfasted in the morning. It's such a hassle to drive an hour roundtrip to get her for "half a day" off, then another hour to take her home. Besides, he says if I don't have anything in particular I want to go do, why bother?

Say what? He's always telling me that I don't take enough days off. And if I always come up with stuff to go do, I get accused of being a 'cruise director'. (That's a favorite insult in his family for any woman who is overly bossy.)

I understand that he's stressed from being short his master tech and having to work lots of extra hours to get stuff done. And if his transmission comes back from the shop by this weekend, he wants to go in and fix his truck.

Now what do I do? I need to let my sitter know by 9 tonight.

I've got a very nice all-in-one printer that was a hand-me-down from the in-laws. I've been having problems with it refusing to print no matter how I replace cartridges. "Supply expired", it keeps telling me. "Press enter to continue print job." Okay, I do that and it sits there with its electronic thumb up its parallel port doing nothing.

Hmmm. Time to do some research on the good ol' internet.

My printer is made by a computer company that shall remain nameless in my post, but is well and truly dressed down here for this very problem.

They do such a nice job ranting about the low down dirty tricks the company pulls, that I'll give you the short version here.

1. The print cartridges have a little smart chip inside them that the printer reads. On that chip is the 'expiration date' of the ink. Old ink is "bad" for the printer...it must dry up inside the hermetically sealed cartridges or something. Yeah sure.

2. The printer has a battery in it that it uses to keep track of the current date. If the battery dies, you have to reset the date and time so the fax reads right every time the power goes out. Makes sense.

3. The date that the battery keeps is also read by the chip that reads the expiration date on the ink. Now you see the problem.


The culprits: one coin-sized battery and the date of this brand new & artfully anonymous ink cartridge!

Thanks to that awesome website I linked to above, I found the rotten little battery and yanked the sucker out. Since I never use the fax function of the thing, who cares what date the printer thinks it is? Not me! So it will have to do a print head alignment every time the power goes out. Big whoop. I CAN USE THE (insanely expensive) INK CARTRIDGES I ALREADY HAVE!!! Mwa ha ha!

I did a little happy dance in celebration around the house when I got it to work again. Yay!

This is a quiz I found to evaluate your personal integrity. The goal is to gain perspective on who you are, where you are and where you are going. Kinda like a life check-up, so it seemed appropriate to take the time as I roll toward this milestone birthday. It looks like I have some things that need some work...don't we all?


Physical Environment
My personal files, papers, and receipts are neatly filed away.
*God, don't I wish. I used to have a 'to file' box that I emptied every couple of weeks to once a month at the least. Somehow I've now got about five months' worth of papers in a heap waiting for me to do something with them.
My car is in excellent condition. (Doesn't need mechanical work, repairs, cleaning or replacing)
*True, thanks to my darling hubby.
My home is clean and tidy. (Vacuumed, wardrobes and drawers organized, desks and tables clear, furniture in good repair; windows clean).
*Nope. The vacuum's broken and windows could use a wash. The furniture we have is all good, though, and I can always find the utensil I need in the kitchen.
My appliances, machinery and equipment work well. (Fridge, toaster, lawn mower, water heater, hi-fi etc.).
*All except that vacuum!
My clothes are all ironed, clean and make me look good. (No creases, piles of washing, torn, out-of-date or ill-fitting clothes).
*Stuff always gets washed, it just doesn't always get folded or hung up right away.
My plants and animals are healthy. (Fed, watered, getting light and love).
*Definitely!
My bed/bedroom lets me have the best sleep possible. (Firm bed, light, air).
*True if you don't count a loudmouth cat.
I live in a house/flat that I love.
*True
I surround myself with beautiful things.
*I try to, and definitely don't surround myself with ugly stuff!
I live in the geographical location of my choice.
*No matter how much I fantasize about moving somewhere warmer, I do like it here.
There is ample and healthy lighting around me.
*True
I consistently have adequate time, space and freedom in my life.
*Time and space, yes; freedom, not exactly.
Nothing in my environment harms me.
*True
I am not tolerating anything about my home or work environment.
*I wouldn't go that far...
My work environment is productive and inspiring. (Synergistic, ample tools and resources; no undue pressure).
*Productive, yes. Inspiring, not so much.
My computer works very well and fully supports my efforts.
*True
My hair is the way I want it.
*True
I back up my hard drive at least monthly.
*er, this should be true, but unfortunately not.
I surround myself with music which makes my life more enjoyable.
*True
My bed is made daily.
*Heh, who are they kidding?!? With two cats around? Not likely! Who really cares anyway!?!
I don't injure myself, fall or bump into things.
*True. I finally seem to have outgrown my klutzyness
People feel comfortable in my home.
*True
I drink at least 2 liters of water a day.
*Probably. I'm not exactly sure just how much a liter is and I don't really keep track of all my guzzles at the sink.
I have nothing around the house or in storage that I do not need.
*Not by a long shot! I really need to get the storage units sorted and cleared out.
I am consistently early or easily on time.
*True

Well-Being
I rarely use caffeine. (Chocolate, coffee, colas, tea; less than 3 times per week, total).
*True
I rarely eat sugar. (Less than 3 times per week).
*Nope, and probably this will never happen. I love my sweets!
I rarely watch television. (Less than 5 hours per week).
*Depends on the week. Sometimes I go on a CSI rerun binge...
I rarely drink alcohol. (Less than 2 drinks per week)
*True! Try less than 2 drinks a year!
My teeth and gums are healthy. (Have seen dentist in last 6 months).
*True. I've even gotten good about flossing nearly every day.
My cholesterol is at a healthy level.
*Last time I checked it was.
My blood pressure is at a healthy level.
*True. In fact, I run on the low side of normal.
I have had a complete physical examination within the past 3 years.
*True. I even fought to get a mammogram before I turned 40.
I do not smoke tobacco or other substances.
*True. never have, never will!
I do not use illegal drugs or misuse prescribed medications.
*True.
I have had a complete eye examination within the past two years.(Glaucoma check, vision test).
*True.
My weight is within my ideal range.
*Almost. I'm about 10 pounds overweight.
My nails are healthy and look good.
*Almost. They look better than they have in decades, but I still chew on them occasionally.
I don't rush or use adrenaline to get the job done.
*True. Now deadlines, on the other hand, do motivate!
I have a rewarding life beyond my work or profession.
*Hard to say when my 'job' and 'life' are so intertwined.
I have something to look forward to virtually every day.
*I try to, but it's hard some days.
I have no habits which are unacceptable to me.
*Mostly true. My current bad habits are eating too fast and procrastinating.
I am aware of the physical or emotional problems or conditions I have, and I am now fully taking care of all of them.
*True.
I consistently have evenings, weekends and holidays off and take at least four weeks of holiday each year.
*False. WAY false.
I have just the right amount of sleep.
*I should, but I still feel tired a lot.
I use well-made sunglasses.
*I think so. They may be inexpensive, but they do have UVA & UVB protection.
I do not suffer.
*Not really, so true.
I laugh out loud every day.
*True. Although, I am jealous of my hubby who usually chuckles slightly as he's falling asleep.
I walk or exercise at least three times per week.
*True. I use my exercise bike that much and do PT right along with mom, but would definitely like to be in better shape.
I hear well and protect myself from loud noises / concerts / music.
*True.

Money
I currently save at least 10% of my income.
*True if you count as a couple.
I pay my bills on time.
*True.
My income source/revenue base is stable and predictable.
*True.
I know how much I must have to be minimally financially independent and I have a plan to get there.
*Say what? Er, false.
I have returned or made-good-on any money I borrowed.
*True.
I am current with payments to companies to whom I owe money.
*True.
I have 6 months' living expenses in an easily accessible account.
*No, but we are up to 3 months' mortgage payments in savings.
I live on a weekly budget which allows me to save and not suffer.
*True. It's not a budget per se, but I do save and not suffer.
All my tax returns have been filed and all my taxes have been paid.
*True.
I currently live well, within my means.
*True, even if I wish my means were kinder!
I have excellent personal insurance. (Life, accident, disability, medical etc.).
*True for medical and disability.
My assets (car, home, possessions, treasures) are well-insured.
*True.
I have a financial plan for the next year.
*I had one for last year that I finished this spring, does that count?
I have no legal clouds hanging over me.
*True.
My will is up-to-date and accurate.
*Hmmm...maybe I oughta get one of these.
Any parking tickets, alimony or child support are paid and current.
*True, because I have none of these!
My investments do not keep me awake at night.
*True.
I know how much I am worth.
*Not really. But I can look it up...
I am on a career / professional / business track which is or will soon be financially and personally rewarding.
*You've got to be kidding.
My earnings are commensurate with the effort I put into my job.
*True.
I have no "loose ends" at work.
*True.
I am in relationship with people who can assist in my career/professional development.
*I'd have to say False.
I rarely miss work due to illness.
*True.
I am putting aside enough money each month to reach financial independence.
*I have a vacation fund, does that count?
My earnings outpace inflation, consistently.
*I wouldn't have a clue.


Relationships
I have told my parents, in the last 3 months, that I love them.
*True, and that counts for my parent-in-laws too.
I get along well with my sibling(s).
*True.
I get along well with my coworkers/ clients.
*Who? What?
I get along well with my manager/staff.
*Again, who, what?
There is no one whom I would dread or feel uncomfortable "bumping into". (In the street, at an airport or party).
*Not dread, but there are a few people that make me feel skeevy to be around them...
I put people first and results second.
*True.
I have let go of the relationships which drag me down or damage me. ("Let go" means to end, walk away from, declare complete, no longer be attached to).
*True.
I have communicated or attempted to communicate with everyone whom I have hurt, injured or seriously upset, even if it wasn't fully my fault.
*True. There's one ex-boyfriend that I still want to apologize to about how I treated him, but I haven't been able to track him down.
I do not gossip about others.
*True.
I have a circle of friends/family who love and appreciate me for who I am, more than just what I do for them.
*True.
I tell people how they can satisfy me.
*I don't even know how to satisfy me half the time!
I am fully caught up with letters and calls.
*Close. There's usually a call or two that I keep forgetting...
I always tell the truth, no matter what.
*Sorry, that 'no matter what' makes it False. White lies save friendships.
I receive enough love from people around me to feel good.
*True!
I have fully forgiven those people who have hurt/damaged me, intentional or not.
*True. It's taken years, but I even managed to forgive my dad.
I am a person of his/her word; people can count on me.
*I sure hope so!
I quickly correct miscommunications and misunderstandings when they do occur.
*True. This kind of stuff always bugs me if I don't.
I live life on my terms, not by the rules or preferences of others.
*Nope. Kinda is my job to live to mom's preferences most of the time.
I am complete with past loves or spouses.
*I have no idea what this statement is about.
I am aware of my wants and needs and get them taken care of.
*Nope. I tend to overlook myself and not take the time to figure out what I want and need.
I do not judge or criticize others.
*It would be nice not to, but I do anyway. It's a lack of patience thing, I think.
I do not "take personally" the things that people say to me.
*Mostly true. Depends on who is doing the saying.
I have a best friend or soul-mate.
*True, thank gawd.
I make requests rather than complain.
*I'm actually getting better about this. Yay!
I spend time with people who don't try to change me.
*True.

For my fourth and final review in the RIP challenge, I bring you Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. This book is very, very good, and I can't wait for the two sequels that the author kindly listed as forthcoming (coming out in March and September 2010; arrrgh!).

It's basically a murder mystery in an urban fantasy setting. I love mysteries with a touch of the speculative in them, so this book wasn't just up my alley, but parked dead-center with all its lights on and a neon sign overhead saying "read me!"

Our main character, October, or Toby to her friends, is a good representation of my favorite kind of protagonist: pragmatic to a fault, even if she is in denial. She's smart and posessed of a wicked sense of humor (her magic facilitation spells are nonsense rhymes from elementary school). She's a halfling, so part human, part other, and 100% out-of-place in both worlds. Another fictional person I really wish I could meet and be friends with.

I think the best part of the whole book is chapter 14. I re-read it twice and even read portions aloud to my husband. The best teaser for the whole book is the end of the previous chapter, which sets up the next:

'...I smiled, anticipating a smooth trip to my apartment, followed by a pause when I could start assembling clues into something that resembled a coherent picture. [I didn't think my current] theory would get me very far; something wasn't right there. Oh, well. There was time for me to think about it.
'I'm sure it's written somewhere, possibly in Fate's day planner: "October Daye is never to be given enough time to actually think about what she's going to do next." I was exactly halfway over the bridge, surrounded by water, when a deep, rumbling chuckle rolled out of the backseat, and a figure loomed up in the rearview mirror.
'There was someone else in the car.'

Eeeeee! If that doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what will. This wasn't the passage they put on the teaser page inside the front cover, but I think it should've been.

Not been doing much of late. I made applesauce a week ago and made my arms and shoulders too sore to do much else for a while. Of course, I now have another five gallons of apples to do up. *grin*

Mom's doing great. In fact, she's just about done with the PT on her right knee. I still think we'll wait until after the first of the year to get her left one done.

I turn 40 next week, and I'll come up with a survey or just do a post of random thoughts for the occasion.

This song has been running around in my head smiling its happy little smile for a while now, so I thought I'd share it with you:

This book is a non-stop ride into the bowels of a mental institution. It does bring to the front of my mind the statement I once heard that all therapists are needing therapy themselves. It's hard to decide who's more tweaked, the crazy guy being analyzed or the poor messed up art therapist assigned to his case.

The unique 'gimmick' of this story is that there is a folder of stuff in the front of the book (pictures, cards, documents) and in the course of the story are callable phone numbers and real websites mentioned that the reader can visit. There have been mixed feelings out there as to the value of the ephemera and non-book portions of the story. Technically, you could read the book without any connection to the internet or a phone and it's still a complete story. I didn't call any of the phone numbers (not wanting long distance charges), but I did venture out onto the internet to some of the sites created for the book. In fact, the main character's girlfriend's website is a hoot, and still being added to on a regular basis. As for the papers and stuff, some of it is not relevant, but others do add to the depth of the story. It's neat to handle and look over the things the characters in the story are talking about. But necessary to the story? Not so much.

I found the mystery/horror elements of the story very well written, with lots of push-pull between which way you think the story's reality is bent. I really felt that I got to know the main character, with enough of his backstory included to catch your interest, but leaving out enough that you are curious and wanting to learn more about him. I could definitely see more books with our beleaguered main character in them, but probably not focusing on him as much as his patients since he's dealt with the biggest issue in his own head.

All in all, I enjoyed this read, and was glad I could read the spookiest bits sitting in the sunshine. A late night read would be just asking for nightmares!

It's been an interesting day and night so far. Darling hubby Bill was home sick all day with some sinus crud cold and mom's having bedtime anxiety hissy fits. Her c-pap mask is bothering her and she's all crying and stuff. Mom's all asking if she was "in Bill's way" today. Um, no, I brought you your meals in your room just to keep you away from the walking germ bomb out there. Don't want you catching whatever caught him. *eye roll*

And yes, we also don't want to be sick so we can go to your granddaughter's first birthday party sunday. Yes, I still plan on taking you. (That was last night's anxiety attack..."if you have some other thing going on we don't have to go"...Puh-leaze.) I've been working like a fiend on her present from me, haven't I? (And they're darling cute, let me tell ya...pictures soon on my flickr.)

I've been eating extra vitamin c tablets and even took a nap this afternoon. That's good since I was up with mom twice and woken at 4:30 by the light of the 'puter when Bill was up sucking on a get-better-bear lollipop for the sore throat that woke him. I should probably be taking zinc also, but the taste of the zinc lozenges gack me out.

I think I'll just stay up and read a bit longer until I'm sure mom's not going off on another anxiety roller coaster ride tonight. Then it's time for another vitamin c and maybe even a sleep aid for me so I can catch some solid z's and keep myself healthy.

I actually read three books by this author, Monster, pictured above, Too many curses, and In the company of ogres. Three vastly different main characters, two high fantasy and one urban fantasy, and all wonderful.

I have a fondness for authors that write with wit and sarcasm, sort of a dark humor addiction. A. Lee Martinez does this very well. I'll focus on Monster in this review, because it fits the RIP mold better. Monster is the name of one of the two main characters in the book, and he's a rather interesting fellow. He's a slacker, but with the help of an interdimensional friend and partner, does fairly well at his job of picking up cryptobiological pests. Judy is our other main, and she's just your average underachiever gal who seems to be a magnet for bad luck. The villain is none other than a crazy cat lady. Say what?

My favorite part of the whole story is the explanation of why humanity at large seems oblivious to the cryptos around us. No, I won't share it, that's a integral part of the whole story. Let me just say that Judy has to go to some extraordinary lengths to circumvent that problem and it adds a whole new layer of hilarious to her troubles.

I'm having great difficulty figuring out how to review this book without spoiling the story for anyone who reads it. Especially since I plan on giving it as a gift to some family members for christmas. I guess I'll say that if you've enjoyed books by Christopher Moore, Walter Moers, or the early MaryJanice Davidson, this is an author for you.

Sounds impressive, but I've been working on these two quilts all summer.


First this one that I made on commission for mom-in-law Kay. Her closest cousin lost her daughter this spring, and Kay had asked me if I would make a quilt for a gift to comfort said cousin. She told me about the cousin's tastes and style, and I pulled this set of fabrics out of my stash that I've had packaged up together for ages. I stretched myself a bit on the quilting this time, doing a border design and a variety of block designs. It came out pretty, eh?



My usual custom printed labels for the two quilts. (Sorry about the wrinkles on the second label there.)



The second quilt I just finished this weekend was another commissioned one for Leah, one of my old coworkers at the library. Her sister is expecting a baby boy in December, and she wanted me to make a quilt for the new arrival. I love making quilts for Leah! She always tells me to do whatever I want, with just a gender to go on. I have so much fun quilting to please myself. I usually use patchwork patterns from one of Ursula Reikes' books. I think I've made more of her patterns than anyone else's. This time I used her Scotch quilt block which I'd done before in a twin size for a nephew and quilted it using the same jungle leaf pantograph I used on one of my niece's baby quilts.
The fabric was more that I'd had bagged together in readiness in my stash for years.

The really different thing on this baby quilt was that I used a tiger-stripe ribbon for the binding. I love the way it looks, but I'm unsure how it will hold up to repeated washings. I'm going to make sure Leah tells her sister to get a hold of me if it goes to pieces and I'll replace it with a more typical sturdier binding.

Really? Yes really!



I had a whole bowl full of green grapes that were a bit too tart for eating. You'd be snacking along on one or two, and BAM! Pucker power! The third one would turn your lips inside out.

Anyway, I tried ripening them on the counter using the banana method (that's where you put the unripe fruit in a bag with a partially green banana so the ethylene gas ripens it) but some of them started to go fuzzy instead. (Hey, it works great with tomatoes, had to try it.)

So I did a search for green grape recipes and found this one at a blog and thought, what the heck.

As I stemmed my grapes, I found I was a bit short on what was needed for the recipe and checked if the in-laws next door had any. Kay had just bought two big ol' bags of red grapes, and offered me some of those. So, I picked off a cereal bowl full and added them to my green ones.

They got super juicy as I was cooking them down with the sugar and cornstarch, and the bit of color from the red grapes made it look like rhubarb at first glance. It smelled divine, so I mangled some pie crust and baked the sucker.

Results: Om nom nom! Bill actually licked his plate clean after he ate his slice!

I have got to make this again soon and take it in to the shop to share. This will blow their socks off!

Oh my goodness! I've got dozens of tomatoes coming ripe every week, and all from two (that's right, TWO) plants.


That's my gargantuan plants there that have outgrown their caging and staking three times now. They've started to grow up the sweet pea trellis, along with the second crop of snow peas that I planted with the very tardy sweet peas. The handful of tomatoes you see there was this morning's harvest, and that was after picking three times that many yesterday afternoon.



Here is the overview of the garden. Witness the bolted broccoli and lettuce, the ever-blooming nasturtiums, and the great lack of green onions in the middle there. And, see my first sweet pea blossoms; better late than never, I guess.

I figure I've got maybe another month to get as much as I can out of this garden. Then sometime this winter, I'll shovel it all off to the compost heap (the bales are getting seriously squishy already!) and start anew next spring. It's been a great learning experience.

Next year, no more box garden layout. It's going to be in a single row of bales so I can reach both sides of my plants to make picking easier. I'm also going to put in larger trellises for things to grow on so I don't have everything flopping over on the ground like this year. The strings to a rod hung from the gutter seem to be working, so maybe I'll do more of that. And I'll come up with something else down in front for the carrots and onions to grow in.

We have a baby monitor on the windowsill in mom's room so I can hear if she calls for me in the night. I am woken this night by the sound of mom's power chair turning on. WTF? She spends at least five minutes rolling around (the wheels squeak on the floor and every time she leans the seat makes a high pitched noise [hmmm... gotta see tomorrow if I can grease that somehow], not to mention the clicking of the control) and I hear her roll into her bathroom.

Finally, I can't take it any longer. I turn down the monitor so as not to wake Bill. I get up and go in there. There she is, sitting on the can, lights blazing, reacher stick at her side and a book on the counter.

First thing out of her mouth is "I can get myself back to bed, you can go back to sleep."

That's nice, but what the hell are you doing up driving around in your power chair at 2:00 in the morning?!? There's this nifty thing called a commode that is two inches from your bed. If you'd used that, you'd be done and back to bed already. Not only that, but you had to reach past it to get your reacher stick which was leaning on it. Then you had to stop and get your flipping book also.

Deer in the headlights look: "I don't know what I was thinking."

*eye roll*

Calmly and quietly, "You go back to bed, honey."

No thanks, mom. I have to listen to everything anyway (pointing to the monitor).

Hence I sit here typing out my frustration while I listen to the rain and wait for my mom to finish (and maybe find a friggin' ounce of common sense) so I can get her back to bed. Then maybe I can attempt to go back to sleep myself.

Oh, it gets even better! Ten minutes later I hear her banging around with her grab pole in the bathroom and go back in to see if she needs a hand. She's red-faced, blubbering silently with snot dripping from her nose, sweating like a stevedore because she can't get up from the toilet.

I told you I was staying up until you were back to bed, mom. I'll help you.

Stood her up, back in her chair, across the room, stick back where it belongs, book on the nightstand, back on the bed: 30 seconds tops.

"Kleenex please." ..... "May I have a drink of water?"

Okay mom. All set? Good night again and please, no more driving around at two a.m., okay?

And people tell me I look tired all the time...

--------------------

UPDATE: Mom's been super sleepy all day today, doing those weird things she used to before she got her cpap machine. Oh, that's right. She didn't want to wear it after her 2 am excursion. She dozed off during her breakfast three times, did those odd little 'holding non-existent things' movements with her hands, and stuff like that. She even messed up her pill schedule again by taking out her pill case at 11 when the alarm went off, opening up the section, looking at the pills, then putting it back away without taking them. *sigh* At least she's not like this every day anymore. And the new, more comfortable cpap mask came today, so hopefully she'll like it better and not take the thing off all the time.