Today the little one reminded me she's not so little anymore. She was installed as Guide in her Job's Daughter's Bethel and looked absolutely gorgeous in the formal we bought a year or so ago. It's hard to believe that she will one day have the cape and crown of the queen in that organization. She's not going to be the "little one" for much longer, I don't think.

The best part (for her) is that her best friend will follow right behind her. Those two are closer than most sisters I've met. I know it was surprising to her friend's mom and dad -- or my kid's "other parents" as she calls them -- when my kiddo introduced them as part of her family. Heck, they're good people for her to have as another family, so long as I still get the tax credit! *smile*

Anyway, I'm really proud of the kid. She's becoming an amazing young lady.

Good thing my husband is red-neck enough to have many weapons which will need regular cleaning as this one becomes dating age....

My daughter and I often stop to get a coffee while we're out and about. I'll admit, I do like this one, too! Although, I'm more of a chocolate girl!

Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino

Smooth and sweet, you fit in to almost any crowd. No one would suspect you of being a coffee tweaker!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I think this will go down as one of the most memorable Christmas's ever around my house. In addition to not sleeping so well the past week or so (I HATE acid-reflux!!), we started the Christmas holiday with a trip to the ER! Yep. You read it right! A trip
to the Emergency Room was stop number one on Christmas Eve.

It seems that I was so focused on my upper digestive tract, that I missed the tell-tale signs of a kidney stone until I awoke in severe pain Sunday morning. After four hours in the ER (I'm *so* glad we don't live in a big city, since it only took four hours!), I found out the stone is about 5mm and might pass on it's own, or might not.

I did get some good drugs out of the deal, though.

My current plans for the day after Christmas now involve a trip to the doctor... Oh well!

DRAT! No sleep last night.

Last night was even worse then the night before, and I really don't know why. There was literally NOTHING (diet-wise) that was the same between the two days.

I did go out this morning to get some Kefir.
(On a side note, I should have known that the Wonder Twin would have an
answer!) The local "spice market" had two flavors: peach and raspberry.
Since I don't like peach, I got a bottle of raspberry. I drank some
right away when I got home. It wasn't bad! I kind of expected it to
tasty nasty. Like something that was "good for you." But I really liked
it.

Now let's just hope it works!

Life isn't fair.

Yes, I know that is not a new revelation, but it's what is on my mind right now.

It is the wee hours of the morning and I can't sleep. It's not that I
don't want to sleep. It's not that I don't feel tired. I suffer from
acid-reflux and tonight isn't a night that will let me sleep.

For anyone who doesn't suffer with this cruel trick of nature, you are
lucky. You have no idea how lucky you are. Me, I have to purchase tums
by the crate. The prescription , once-a-day drugs don't always work.
And, try as I might, I haven't been able to determine what types of
foods trigger an attack.

What is an attack like? I'm glad you asked. It's the worst heartburn you've ever had. It's gas trying to escape your belly. It's a coughing as the bile escapes your stomach and makes its way up your esophagus. It's a burning in your throat as
you feel nauseous with the plastic-like taste of a lump of stomach acid. It's all that combined and more.

Someone I love suffers from chronic back pain. During these nights of forced insomnia, I envy his pain. Because his pain is chronic, he knows it will be there. I never know what night I'll sleep and what night I'll be awake, wishing for comfort. Or what night I will be awoken from a sound sleep, feeling as if I'm drowning because of the acid reflux. Or what night I'll be worshiping porcelain god like some over-indulgent frat boy, feeling the burning in my throat for hours afterward.

I've tried all I can think of to alleviate the discomfort. I sleep with LOTS of pillows to keep my head propped up. It doesn't always work -- as evidenced by me writing this at one in the morning. I eat anti-acids like candy and try to avoid any foods I think MAY cause a reaction. (A difficult task since I can be suffering one day and not another after eating the same foods....)

Tonight I will spend the rest of the "sleeping hours" on the couch - sitting up, trying to get some much needed rest. I can tell now that my brain won't be functioning that well once the sun comes up. But what other choice do I have?

I'm half way done with baking Christmas cookies. The kid decided that she wanted some, even after I explained that it was faster to buy Oreos. Didn't work.

So right now, in the kitchen, I have a batch of Peanut Butter Stars, a pan of Fantasy Fudge, a batch of Chocolate Chip, and one of Forgotten Kisses.

So much for the diet.....

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Another intersting quiz....

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti


Just for the record, right now my sister is laughing her head off.... Buttercup is my least favorite character from that film!

Finished this afghan yesterday morning. It's a Christmas gift for someone who I know doesn't read my blog, so it's OK to post, right? *big smile!*

It isn't the style I would have picked for this person, but it is a nice afghan.

I just hope she likes it....

My teen has an "old heart," I think. She wanted a quilt like the one I had made earlier but she didn't want it Halloween fabric.

Originally, she wanted the entire quilt to be a surprise. I'm glad we didn't go that route!

I convinced her to at least pick out fabric for the back of the quilt. Well, that led to her selecting ALL the fabric. WOW! I never would have picked any of these for her -- or any other teen, really. To me, this fabric is all "old!"

But she likes it. No, she LOVES it. So I guess it's all OK after all!

It's official. I live in the country. My husband took this picture off of our back porch today. How cool is that???

Day 22:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 36,674
Total words written: 50,006
Words left to reach 50,000: NONE!!! I wrote like a mad woman today and did it!!!!

And a bit of insomnia where I was working on another project didn't hurt! *big smile!*

Day 20:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 33,340
Total words written: 31,109
Words left to reach 50,000: 18,891

OK, so I have had two days in a row of "not so much writing!" I spent a good chunk of the day at the doctor's office with the kiddo and the rest running what my sister called "Hospice House" But I'm not hearing any coughing coming from the child's room, so I'm OK with that. Maybe I'll be extra (triple!) inspired tomorrow!

Day 19:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 31,673
Total words written: 30,756
Words left to reach 50,000: 19,244

I think this one was the "least written" day so far. I'm battling a cold and have laryngitis. (Although the family doesn't seem to be complaining about *my* lack of noise.... hmmm....) Also, the kiddo is ill. I'll be making an appointment for her tomorrow — even if I have to take her to the urgent care clinic.

Today being *mom* trumped being an author. That's OK, though. I like the mom job better. As far as I'm concerned, it pays better!

Day 18:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 30,006
Total words written: 30,008
Words left to reach 50,000: 19,992

Day 17:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 28,339
Total words written: 28,355
Words left to reach 50,000: 21,645

Day 16:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 26,672
Total words written: 26,184
Words left to reach 50,000: 23,816

Day 15 (Half-Way Mark!):

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 25,005
Total words written: 25,018
Words left to reach 50,000: 24,982

Not bad sinc I now have the flu. Stuffy head, sore throat. Maybe just a cold, but still NASTY! I am grateful that I'm not running a fever, but it does make it tough to write a mystery.

Day 14:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 23,338
Total words written: 23,349
Words left to reach 50,000: 26,651

Day 13:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 21,671
Total words written: 21,674
Words left to reach 50,000: 28,326

Day 12:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 20,004
Total words written: 20,016
Words left to reach 50,000: 29,984

Day 11 (Happy Veteran's Day!):

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 18,337
Total words written: 18,566
Words left to reach 50,000: 31,434

Day 10:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 16,670
Total words written: 16,741
Words left to reach 50,000: 33,259

Day 9:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 15,003
Total words written: 14,007
Words left to reach 50,000: 35,993

Got some terrible news yesterday. My mother-in-law passed away. She suffered from Alzheimer's, and sometimes didn't recognize her family or friends. I know that she is now in a better place, where her mind is back and her memories are all good.

That doesn't make the grieving process any easier on my family, though.

Day 8:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 13,336
Total words written: 12,291
Words left to reach 50,000: 37,709

Day 7:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 11,669
Total words written: 11,686
Words left to reach 50,000: 38,314

Day 6:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 10,002
Total words written: 8,811
Words left to reach 50,000: 41,189

Well, my little sister did it. She tied the knot. (Or walked the plank, as you can see from her wedding picture!)

I'm a little bummed that they got married on "short notice" since it didn't work out for me to be there, but I totally understand why she did it.

The best part of the whole deal, in my opinion (and since this is my blog, that's what matters, right?) is that it was a surprise to many of the people who DID make their Halloween party. Obviously, my parents (oh, I suppose those would be my sister's parents as well!) and I guess his parents were in on the plan and they even found a judge who asked if any "scallywags or wenches" wanted to object! I got to hear most of the ceremony via cell phone, so that was kinda cool, too.

Again, I wish I coulda been there, but it wasn't in the cards (get it? I was a gypsy!). I do wish my sister and her new husband all the best, though!

Like I don't have enough stuff to do around here!! I decided that this would be a good time to make a quilt! (OK, so I'm nuts....)

This one is a rag quilt for my mother-in-law. She is in a nursing home and this will keep her warm. (Although, how warm do you need to be kept in Texas? *grin*) The pattern is called "Falling Leaves" and this is the first rag quilt I've ever done.
As my husband pointed out, this is the second quilt I've ever done, and we won't keep either of them!

What can I say? I'm a giver!

Day 5:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 8,335
Total words written: 8,379
Words left to reach 50,000: 41,621

Day 4:

Milestone to reach (to make 1,667 words a day): 6,668
Total words written: 6,673
Words left to reach 50,000: 43,512

Day 3

Total words written: 5,051
Words left to write: 44,949

Day 2

Total words: 3,502
Words left: 46,498

NaNoWriMo has begun!

Day 1 Status: 1,695 words written
48,305 words left to go!

Just want to take a moment to brag about the short story I wrote the other day. It's called "It's All In The Cards" and you can read it on my writing blog. Honestly, though, I'm just gosh-darned proud of it and think I did a pretty good job!

Well, the secret is out! The witch wall hanging has found a new home. I gave it to my sister for her birthday (which is this month) and she said it looked "an awful lot like one I saw on someone's blog!" At least I know she liked it!

OK, so I *finally* finished all the
parts to this goofy costume! The vest is done out of a fake-velvet with
a lining made of the same satiny material as the skirt. I did have to rib the lining out of the front for the vest to fit, though!

There's also a headband out of the purple.

I'm so ready for my sister's wedding!

I wasn't *just* making quilts the past few weekends. I did this costume for two reasons. One, my sister is getting married. She is thinking of doing a "rennaisance" wedding, so I decided to go in costume. I have a knight costume for my husband, but I haven't started it yet. This gypsy one is WAY more complicated!

The second reason is that our daughter is going to a halloween party with her friends and (of course) I'll be there to chaperone. As long as I had the pattern and material, I might as well make the costume in time for that, too!

There is still a vest that I need to finish. I cut it out tonight and hope to sew it up tomorrow afternoon!

Now, what shoes does a gypsy wear???

I've been a busy bugger the past 2 weekends. The sewing machine doesn't have dust on it now!

If you can't tell, I've made my first real quilt!!! The only thing I have left to do on it is the actual quilting, which I'll probably -- hopefully! -- —finish tomorrow. Having never done more than just quilt around appliqués for wall hangings, this will be an experience.
The quilt was made with fabric for Halloween (obviously!) that I got on sale. It really was between 20 percent and 50 percent off, so I didn't mind "practicing" with it. Oh, the back side of the quilt is the same black and florescent material as the boarder.

I'm just so dang proud of myself!

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
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Which kind of candy are you?

You're Skittles!!! You have a very interesting personality, you're so unique. You're the kind of person who always thinks outside of the box. You're also a very accepting individual, and believe in inner beauty.
Take this quiz!








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Ok, I'm ready to rant about this wall hanging.

The pattern (it's from an "Art to Heart" book) calls for a spider-type button. Can you believe I couldn't find one? Anywhere! At least not in this town.

So I get the bright idea to embroider a spider. Really. How hard could it be? I have a fancy-shmancy machine. I found a spider pattern. No problem, right? WRONG!

Somehow the machine or the hanging moved mid-embroider. GRRR... I really wanted to save this, so I tried to take out the thousand-plus stitches without ruining the wall hanging, since I'm planning on giving it as a gift. Then my husband, bless him!, tried to help by offering suggestions. Now, I know he was trying to help, but I didn't want to hear it. (He suggested adding a broom in there.)

Finally, I decided to make it a BIG spider — so big no one could see where I'd removed spider number 1. So now the spider is really 3-D, made of pom poms and pipe cleaner!

And all because I couldn't find a button!

Just a short note to let those who read know that I accomplished two things this week. I've finished a wall hanging that will be a gift (pictures to follow!) and have a skirt that will be ready tomorrow. Yep, I've been bitten by the sewing bug as well!

Projects in the works include:
Afgahn for Christmas
Quilt — probably for Christmas
iPod Cover for Christmas
Dreaded Weasley sweater (grrrrr)
Costume for my sister's wedding
Choker for this month's exchange
Fingerless gloves — hopefully a Christmas gift

And then I need 100 embroidered bookmarks by March 2009 and I still want to do some soaping and candlemaking.... I need more time in the day!

I'll send pictures when I can!

One of the best things about homeschooling is getting to learn with your kids. A close second is seeing what they do with that information.

So the older daughter was getting a little frustrated with the younger one. (They are six years apart in age, so it's understandable.) But HOW does the older one deal with her sister? Simple. She has the young one put in the stocks.

The younger one is then placed on the stage with her "crime" for all the world to see -- being a "twit." (To those who know her in person, no, it didn't go over well at first!) The converstaion then went something like this:

Jailer: "You have been accused of a crime."

Jailer's Assistant: "A most obvious crime."

Jailer: "Yes. The obvious crime is you being a twit. Do you pled guilty or innocnet."

Silly daughter pled guilty.

Jailer: "Now, repeat after me: I am dumber than Jessica Simpson."

Daughter: "You're dumber than Jessica Simpson."

Assistant shakes head.

Jailer: "You aren't playing fair. Now I said repeat after me. Say I am dumber than Jessica Simpson."

Daughter (who is nothing if not consistant!): "You are dumber than Jessica Simpson."

Finally, the jailer decides to threaten the kid with water all over the pretty hair-do I wrote about earlier. It didn't stop her. She kept saying the jailer was dumber than Jessica Simpson, even after a mug of H2O down her back. (At least he did spare the hair!) Since not even the water would cause the kid to change her stance, he decided to go for another tactic.

Jailer: "This girl needs a boost of confidence."

Assistant nods.

Jailer: "What we need is 100 strapping young men to come up here and give her a kiss and she will be set free." Daughter blushes -- a lot!

Jailer: "How about 50? 10?"

At this point two little boys from the front row jump up to volunteer! It was very funny, but it did get my daughter out of the stocks!

Another fun thing about the Ren. Fest was the hair! I'm not sure that anyone actually *wore* their hair like this, but it sure looks good. Since it was only the girls who went to the event, we had to talk hair. And the younger one has a TON of it! Do you think that people in the medieval times *really* wore their hair this way? I'm sure the rich did, but the normal people? I'm not sure. In fact, I'm pretty sure they looked more like the washing well wenches that I'll talk about another day!

So, anyway, the younger one picked out a hair-do. Now, for those who may not know, this one is so NOT a "girlie-girl." Her idea of dressing up is a clean t-shirt and a skirt with leggings under it. Twice a year she'll dress up for Job's Daughters installations, but that's only because all her friends do, too!

And what does this little one pick? A fancy braid with little gray flowers in it! Complete with fairy dust (glitter) sprinkled in it. Go figure....

Anyway, the hair was done and looked beautiful. And she's pretty happy with it.

Another memory made!

Had a wonderful time at the Minnesota Ren-Fest this weekend. Honestly, I wish we lived closer and could be active in something like it, but a 9 hour drive isn't all that fun! Also got to see my step-daughter, who is living in the Twin Cities now.

We did help the Minnesota economy, though. Had a lot of fun shopping at the Mall of America Friday before going "back in time" on Saturday. The only thing I got for me was a new wok (we're having Chinese food this week! YEAH!!!) and some books at Barnes and Noble -- a shock to those who know me, I'm sure.

Will post more as I "unwind" from the trip!

Which Angel Virtue are you?

You are Wisdom! You remind us that wisdom is a virtue that is learned,and that as we grow we gain precious knowledge. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Didn't do much knitting this week, but I did do some fashion design!
My daughter found a pattern at the fabric store that had "perfect sleeves" - unfortunately, it didn't have a perfect anything else! So, being the sewing hobbiest that I am, I created the shirt. I'm not real happy with the length of this one, but she likes it. And, as long as she wears a tank top under it (which she will have to because the fabric is a little sheer!), I think it will be OK.
The originial pattern had more ruffles and ties - kind of a princess bodice thing. It shocked me that she would pick this pattern, because she's not a "princess bodice" girl. But she loves the sleeves and that's why she wanted it.
Since I just prices plain long-sleeve tees at American Eagle this week, I know that making this shirt was a little cheeper. Especially if I can make her a second one with the same pattern!!!

HELP! A warrant for my arrest has been issued by the March of Dimes for aiding and abetting the fight against prematurity.

I have been found GUILTY of wanting every baby to be born full-term and healthy! To avoid doing hard time for my crimes I must raise my bail quickly. YOU CAN HELP bail me out – or contribute to my incarceration. Visit my cell online at www.marchofdimes.com/jailandbail/jenbin today.

To learn more about how your dollars are helping to fight prematurity and save babies’ lives visit the March of Dimes at www.marchofdimes.com.

If you or someone you know has had a child born prematurely or with birth defects, or who has lost a child, encourage them to visit a special site for families at www.shareyourstory.org.

Learned something about my daughter this week — she likes caves. I mean, she *really* likes them!

We went to Jewel Cave (http://www.nps.gov/jeca/) this week to visit some other homeschoolers and — thanks to road construction — arrived a lovely seven minutes late for the scenic tour. Now, please understand, this kid was whinning all week about going in a cave. So, we show up late for the 70 minute scenic tour of our Nation's second largest cave and I decide that instead of standing around looking dumb for 70 minutes, we could take the 20 minute discovery talk. Not as much fun, I'm sure, but she wouldn't be looking too terribly bored for the whole time. (And, honestly, I thought even if she did look bored, it would be dark in the cave and I wouldn't have to see it!)

So we go and she really had a good time. Asked some intelligent questions. Really paid attention to the guide. I was impressed!

When the tour was over, she kept talking about how cool it was. Outside the cave, we found this box that showed the smallest area a person squeezes through on the Spelunking tour and the kiddo asks if she can do that when she turns 16 (the park's minimum age for that one).

After lunch with the family we were supposed to meet, the kiddo asks "can we go back and do the scenic tour?"

"Gee, I thought caves were dumb," says I.

"I was just being a butt. I really wanna go back."

GRRRRR!!! Teenagers!!!!

Is this crazy or what??? Can you belive this candle? I'm not sure why it decided to curve this way. I swear I really did make the candle as a straight taper. Very odd.... Any candle-makers out there with some advice?

By the way, this candle is a strawberry and cream scent that is just YUMMY! This week I did some "jar candles" with a chocolate bliss scent. I think I gained weight just *making* them!

Got some great news today! I entered a writing contest -- well, the writing category at the local fair anyway -- and won first place! OK, so it's a fair, but FIRST PLACE! Hello! This is what I want to do. I want to be an author should I ever decide to grow up. Entering this short story really gave me some motivation to keep working on the novel I've been "plugging away at" since NaNoWriMo.

Back to work!

To me!

Just so no one thinks I have given up on knitting and crocheting, here's a frog. Yes, a frog. I know it's a bit hard to see in the picture, but the frog is knitted into the dishcloth and the edges are crocheted. One of my daughters friends really likes frogs, so I made this for her. Hope she likes it!

Not into angel candles? That's OK. How about some snowman soap? This one is baby-powder scented. Our next Worthy Matron is using snowmen as her fun symbol, so they might get these soaps (in different colors/scents, of course!) as gifts... Who knows. I do know that I'll be chaplain next term, but that's ALL I know!

I know I haven't posted much -- although, I think today will make up for that! -- but I have been busy! This candle is so pretty! It has a huckleberry scent to it. I'm actually thinking of using it for either Eastern Star gifts or Daughters of the Nile gifts come next installation. Isn't she pretty?

This is one reason I like to go geocaching! Custer, South Dakota, is filled with these decorated buffalo and I never would have seen them if I hadn't gone caching. (OK, there was a quilt show there, too, but I got a cache!!) Maybe I'll go back and get other pictures!

My husband was so sweet! He did all this canning.... BY HIMSELF!!! Gotta love it!

We are starting to get a harvest from our garden. This isn't the first (close, though) and there are some eggplant and zucchini not shown. Today my loving husband will be doing a lot of canning! Salsa and spaghetti sauce are high on the list. He's already tried pickling some hot peppers and I've had the food dehydrator out and running. It will be a nice winter when we can still eat from our garden. (I don't have pictures, but the corn is more than 6 feet tall!!! And we'll have pumpkins out the wazoo!)

I gained a new respect for "bikers" this week. I wiped out...twice.

I took - actually "tried to take" would be more accurate - a beginner's motorcycle class. This is the class that teaches you to turn on the bikes! For some reason, I can't get the throttle to do what I want it to. So I hit the pavement. Hurt my pride a lot, hurt my knee a little. Thank goodness I was using their bikes and not my husband's Harley!!!

By the way, I DO know that the wreck could have been a lot worse! I'm thankful that it's just some road rash!

It's hot. It's flippin' hot! In fact, hot doesn't even begin to describe it. So what am I doing? Yep. Making Christmas stuff! Here's the quilt I did. OK, it's really just a wall hanging, but it IS quilted!

So what am I going to do with this new knowledge? Why more wall hangings, of course!

This candle is something! It's a bell (as you can tell!) and smells like "twigs and berries." My hubby claims it's a "Manly Scent." I'm really thinking about a candle/soap booth at a craft fair. I'm not sure I have the experience, though... Who knows!