Buying New Plants for Patio...

I have been busy planting new plants and working on trying to get my patio back in order since I lost everything to all of the very cold weather we had here in the Houston area. Wanted to take the time to share a couple of plants that are truly some of my favorites.

I have some wonderful neighbors next door and Anh was gracious enough to pick up a plant for me at her grocery store and it is called "Desert Rose"... Isn't it lovely?? I am still searching for a new pot/saucer to compliment the plant so in the mean time it is in the original pot.



First of all I am a big succulent lover... I love pencil cactus, hens & chicks and numerous other type plants. I lost my 5 foot pencil cactus and have been everywhere trying to replace it and that is turning into an impossible task. So I bought a small one and will continue the search for a larger one. Here is a picture of it...


While looking for the pencil cactus I came across something called "Firesticks" and it is from Africa and basically looks like the pencil cactus except it has red tips. Should be pretty but it is a very small start... here is picture


Now I wanted to mention a plant that I bought last summer along with my cousin and we both really like this plant. It is called ZZ Plant or another name is Aroid Palm. You cannot kill this plant and mine has been sitting in my entry way and you only need to water about once a month. Lovely plant...

Another favorite of mine is a plant that I have in the entry and it is "Grape Ivy" or at least that is what I call it. It loves this spot and gets plenty of light from my front windows. Is it not grand???

So you see I have been busy working around the house. This weekend I will post about my new fabrics and the new quilt projects that I have planned. So keep tuning in and I promise to write more often...
Hugs,
Linda

James Headstone

I know that I have been terribly bad lately and not writing on my blog. Let me just say that every April I go thru a very depressed state as that is the month that my husband James passed away. This year seemed harder because I am also dealing with the installation of his headstone which I ordered 2 years ago. YES, I said 2 years!!! I actually ordered from outside of my area because I felt this company had some beautiful headstones and the price was more than reasonable. So Saturday, April 10th was the 4 year anniversary so the headstone was installed on Sunday, April 11th. I had to go to East Texas for this and I have to say that the headstone is truly PERFECT!! I think we had everything he would have wanted put on the headstone and when you drive up to the cemetery it is what you see standing. He wanted a tall monument and that is exactly what he got... I know he has looked down from heaven and he is smiling on this. Take a look at the picture...




Today I have to spend my time re-stocking my refrigerator as the blasted thing went out on Saturday and I lost everything I had in there and it was yesterday before they got the part in and could finally finish the repair. So in a bit I will head out and buy groceries and get it restocked. I hate to think what this grocery bill is going to be. Might be a good time to start a diet and only stock it with green lettuce and yogurt. LOL!!!!! I don't think so...

I had my yard crew here yesterday so the lawn has been mulched and all the shrubs trimmed. Now it is time to think about the pots on the patio where I lost all of my plants because of the extremely cold weather we had. My 5' pencil cactus is gone and I especially want to replace it but can't seem to find one yet in the nurseries. Will have to keep looking for that as I keep one in honor of my husband who always loved that plant.


Got to get up and get ready to head to the store. Have a wonderful day everyone and I promise to get back into the swing of things real soon!! Hugs, Linda

Visit to Emergency Room

Well I cannot end March without talking about my trip to the emergency room via "Ambulance". This was my first and hopefully LAST time that I will have to ride in one. You see -- you never should mess with Chroline Tablets and Water... I went out to the pool area after my cruise and was going to add tablets. When I took the lid off well water was in the bucket and water + chlorine = Chroline GAS. I had myself a big ole whiff and immediately it was in my eyes, nose and throat. Within about 10 minutes I was having a hard time breathing so after discussing with my son (who happened to be working at the fire station himself) he warned me to call an ambulance. So I did and the rest is history. Scared my neighbors, myself and the family. X-rays showed that I did indeed have signs of it in my lungs so after some strong meds and 2 breathing treatments I was finally allowed to return home. Thank goodness my sister came to my rescue and arrived at the hospital right after I did. So the warning is -- Never Mess With WET Chroline Tablets...



I also had a trip this week to the dentist and she is really a delight. Here she is looking on the internet to show me her own BLOG... We had to compare notes!! I chose her because #1 - she is a woman with small hands. Believe it or not I have a small mouth and it is just a better fit. Thanks, Dr. Simpson!!


Many of my friends already have heard me say it on facebook -- but I have become "addicted" to playing FARKLE on facebook. I just love rolling that cup of 6 dice. If you have never tried it then I highly recommend it. See that high score of mine???? Well it is an accident. I thought I was playing on the $50K dollar table when it was really $500K. I got lucky and won so I won a Million Dollar Pot. My lucky day... of course I am working on trying to keep that money. Anyway, it is fun and keeps me occupied when I am bored.


Guess I had better run along. Have plans in the sewing room today as I am working on 2 different projects. I rotate from the sewing machine to the Farkle game... LOL!!! Hey, it keeps an old lady occupied and I am not out shopping and spending money... See you soon!!

Linda

Cruise to Bahamas...

I know... it has been over 3 weeks since I last wrote on the blog. Just got busy getting ready for vacation and did not get it done. So sorry!! I had the pleasure of going on a 7-day cruise to the Bahamas with 19 family members and we had a ball. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale and then set sail on the Emerald Princess. Here is a picture of Tiff and I at the airport...


My granddaughter Kaila had a blast on the cruise spending time with her cousins and enjoying the beautiful blue waters of the caribbean. Her first time and one she want forget.

Now everyone knows that I am not a "big" drinker... one margarita on Friday night is about my limit but let me tell you that the drinks on this cruise were to die for. Don't know what made them so "grand" but they were. My whole family spent time laughing at me as I did indulge in one every single day. See it in the bottom corner of this picture...



We spent most of our cruise in St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk. There is not much to Grand Turk but I understand that Columbus once sailed there! We did sight seeing, shopping and just enjoyed mixing with the island residents.

The last island to visit was "Grand Turk" which is one very small island. Here is a picture of the 2 ships in port that day. And just look at that beautiful blue water...

So now I am back at home and getting ready to settle in and do some yard work. Have another story to tell later... Missed ya'll!!! Linda

I know... I know... It has been over 3 weeks since I last wrote on my blog so will try to catch everyone up with what is going on. I went on a 7-night cruise with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter plus 17 other family members and we had a blast. I thought about taking the laptop and keeping up with the blog but simply did not have enough arms to carry everything. So I am back now and will catch everyone up as to what has happened.

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale on March 14th (a total of 19 of us) and set sail on the Emerald Princess. I had been on this ship last year with almost the same itinerary but this was a first for my granddaughter. She had a blast on the cruise running around with her cousins and swimming in the beautiful blue waters of the caribbean. Here is a quick picture of me in front of the ship in St. Maarten.

Just in time...

I just had to post tonight and let you know that yesterday I was able to finish a project. Yea!!! It is small but at least it is a finished project for February. I saw this in a book and went about making one myself. I used 2 patterns found on the internet and proceeded to string with beads my little red birds. Since I am a bird lover this was perfect and will make a nice hanging in my sewing room.





In between watching the hockey game with USA & Canada I was also able to work on my Freddy Moran quilt some more. It is taking shape and here is the dark hallway where I plan on hanging it. Don't you think this hallway could use some color????



Okay, it is time to close as I need to get ready to watch Jay Leno make his reappearance on The Tonight Show!!!!! Till next time...

Linda

Last Day of Olympics...

I don't know about everyone else but I am glad the Olympics will end today. I have spent way too much time watching TV when I should be in the sewing room (need a TV in there.) So I will get my blog posted early today because I do have to schedule time to watch the final hockey game with USA vs Canada -
GO USA!!!

I have had a real slow week with sewing but have managed to sew a few sections of my "Freddy Moran" quilt. It has been a struggle for me because I had to buy so much of this "funky" fabric to sew with but I am liking it as it starts to fall together. This is meant to be a wall hanging and hoping it will give some color to a dark hallway I have. Here is a picture of some small pieces laid out on the bed...


I have spent a lot of time cutting strips and so to keep it organized I have sorted them into bins by strip size. Now if I can just make myself sit down and sew the pieces together... Maybe I will start work on cutting some of the black/white pieces while I watch the game. Nothing says I can't have a portable cutting table in front of the TV this afternoon. LOL!!!!



Here is my fabric stash for this project so you can see what fabrics I have accumulated for this project. I am loving some of these bright colors!!!



Well it is time to get up from the computer and get started with some chores. Have to be free to watch the USA beat up on Canada (I hope)!!! Congrats to all of the athletes who participated in the Olympics!!!

Until next time -- Linda

New Purse Inserts...

I just have to comment about my new purse inserts that I bought online... Since I started sewing a few months ago I have fallen in love with sewing purses. I love quick projects and so this fits me to a T. Anyway -- I am picky about what I want in a purse. The fabric purses are lighter and I can make the lining the color I want. I hate a purse with black lining where you look into the purse and only see a "black" hole. Well I found these inserts online and they are perfect for changing out a purse. No more dumping the purse out on the bed. Take a look at the pictures and you will see what I am talking about. And I found these online at www.chameleoninserts.com. She ships out immediately and I had mine in just 3 days. I paid $20 for this and feel that it was worth every penny.



I like the lime green because it allows me to see everything inside... I kid you not -- there are lots of zipper pockets, slots for lipstick, pens and cell phone is right where I can see it (in pick case).



When you BLOG you have to always have a camera in hand... my fits perfectly in the slot indicated...




There are two little loops that you use to lift the insert in and out of the purse. This lime one is actually the smallest they make so there are several that are larger and I sure plan on ordering them for those occasions when I travel and happen to carry a bigger purse.

I have to confess that my weekend was a bust as far as any sewing. Saturday night I spent at a "Sleep Clinic" where I am being tested for sleep apnea and my snoring issue. My sister encouraged me to do this and I have to tell you that it was the worse night of sleep. At 12:15 I actually told the clinic that I just could not do this. Hard to fall asleep when you have a hundred wires running everywhere and glue in your hair holding all of the electrodes. They finally agreed to let me try sleeping in a recliner and I did that for a couple of hours and then back to the bed. At 6am when I had finally gone to sleep they woke me up to get ready to go home. (I had just gone to sleep)!!!!!! So on Sunday I took a dozen naps and was really dragging my butt. Last night I went to bed early and slept like a baby in my own bed. Now I have to wait for the results and see what happens next.

So I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend. I have been doing some sewing this morning and plan to do more in the afternoon. I have purses to make for my granddaughter for the upcoming cruise so I have lots to do. So till next time -- Have a good week!!! Linda

Someone slap my hand...

Am I the only one who has a problem saying "No" to buying more fabric?? I sure hope not because I tell you my stash is just not that much. I know that I am new to quilting and so it does require me buying just to be able to make projects. Guess I am going to have to put myself on a budget and stick with it... LOL!!!!!!

I went to my sewing bee yesterday and finally started work on my new project which is the Freddy Moran way to quilt -- Colorful and Loud Colors will make the quilt perfect for hanging in my hallway. Just can't believe that I am sewing with purples, polka dots and wild combinations. But I Love It and you certainly stay awake while sewing the pieces. The wilder you get the better it is going to be.

Now then -- I am having difficulty with a plant I have. This resides in my bedroom and it is spreading out all over the floor. However, I cannot identify the plant and need to know how to handle the long shoots growing spreading out all over the floor. I definitely need to cut it back and want to know how to root this. Can anyone identify for me??

I guess if nothing else I will cut off a piece and try getting it identified at the nursery. That is my last resort...




Here is a picture of LuLu on her cage in the breakfast room. Such a big cage for a little bird. I leave the cage door all day and she plays on the top and in the window. I caught her climbing up the wood blinds several times so then I have to yell at her and get out a rolled up TV guide which I threaten her with. She does not like me slapping that rolled up guide around and then usually she retreats and will stay off for awhile. YES, I could be mean and stick her cage in the corner away from the blinds but I am such a softie when it comes to my animals and usually let them rule me instead of the other way. LOL!! I threaten to put up curtains instead of the blinds but not sure if she wouldn't grab the fabric and climb up that anyway. She is a mess - what can I say!!!


Well the Olympics are on and I need to go glue myself to the TV so stay warm and cozy and I will write again later... Hugs, Linda