Monday, August 31, 2009

still busy






I have been keeping busy with one whole week of school over. I have been learning my new duties. One I have is making parents mad when they come to pick up their kids. My job is to not let them park where they want to and not letting their kid run to them (crossing in front of other cars, etc.) . The actual school part is going well, I have one third of the one hundred names down enough so I can call them by name when they are not in their desks. If they would just wear the same clothes all the time...
I visited Emily and Dallas on Saturday - here are some pictures

Saturday, August 15, 2009

busy!

Well, school is just around the corner and many teachers are spending days there. I have been over a couple of times but mostly to deliver stuff so I don't have to carry it all at once. I have also been spending extra time in the band office working on building a spread sheet with the music library on it. The band bought a computer for me to use but alas it is not portable. Has the newest bells and whistles, though, so I have to learn a few new things. And of course, now that time is short I am finding many things I would like to work on in the studio. Sharon and I went shopping at quilt places a week ago and so I have new things to try. I also have a new quilt frame that uses my regular sewing machine - sort of like a long arm quilter but you move the frame not the machine. I have just about mastered the meander stitch and I can do swirls. The tricky part is keeping the sewing machine speed and the frame speed even. My first project looks like I was just learning, but like anything else, practice will help. Today I sewed a bean bag chair for a gal at school using legs from jeans people have given me. The directions say it can be stuffed with packing peanuts. I started with a pattern and made it up as I went along. I guess I will wait to judge its success after it has stuffing. We are pretty much done sorting at Mae's house - no buyer yet. She keeps calling and asking for things I know I threw away. I am learning new patience, I hope. Looking forward to Tuesday when the municipal band will put on a concert at the State Fair!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

moving day

Hi all yesterday was moving day for Mae. She now is residing in an assisted living center just south of town. She has a beautiful two room apartment with the facility having everything imaginable except maybe a swimming pool. Moving her was a great adventure. Once I'm finished at her house I'm definitely coming home to throw out more stuff here. I was the only daughter in law present and Mae had not prepared for the move at all. Hadn't sorted clothes, done laundry, made decisions about what to take, anything. I also arranged everything in its place at the apartment. Today I cleaned out her refrigerator and freezer, plus packed her kitchen. It might seem small, but it had tons of storage. One cupboard remains, above the frig is maybe 30 of those little glass plates and glass cups the churches used to use for luncheons, etc. You know, the plate has an indentation to hold the cup? As I cleaned the kitchen I of course got to keep anything I wanted after the china was set aside for her place and the pfatzgraf for Tom (It used to be Linda's). I didn't pack much for myself but couldn't resist several nearly new Texas sheet cake pans (L&L, you can each have one - they're the good stuff.) I got the pantry contents as well, I'll never wonder if I have the right spice on hand! Much had to be thrown because of pantry bugs. The canned goods are going to the Ecumenical Food pantry. I brought home a mini food processor and food cutter plus attachments for the kitchen aid mixer. In tubs and headed for a storage unit until we can plan a sale is a complete set of Lifetime waterless cookware; lots of casseroles, the usual odds and ends of glasses and mugs, contents of the linen closet; electric appliances like crockpots, coffee pots (Need a percolator?) Coming here for now is a whole closet full of clothes most of which we won't sell. I told Mae she can come "shopping" here when she wants a change from what we moved for her. She has a pretty big closet, layered rods and it is completely full, but I know a lot of that won't fit or she doesn't like. We simply moved what was in the bedroom closet. Ted came again today and moved the furniture he was to get. Tom is coming this week to get his stuff. We need to have the house empty by Thursday so they can clean carpet and there is an open house on the weekend to show the house. I wish we had gotten more notice - there is a ton left to do, but we need to put it in the storage unit, I guess. One room was packed and organized but it is still in the house and has to go. I didn't even venture into the basement - but I know it doesn't have too much because Mae was afraid of the steps so didn't go down there. Tuesday I will go over and vacuum and clean the kitchen floor, still have to wash out the frig and a freezer. I realized that eight hour days of this type of labor is hard on a body!