A little scare this morning...

I received a call from Buck at just a little before nine this morning. He said they were at the emergency room and if I could pick him up and drive him home so he could get his pick up so he could go to work. I told him that wouldn't be necessary that Lisa probably wouldn't be in any shape to drive home. So he drove her Explorer home and I stayed with her till she was discharged. Final diagnosis; (PID) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Basically an infection treated with antibiotics and pain meds. They initially gave her morphine and IV fluids then did all the blood, urine tests and cultures. Yuck, poor kid it isn't like she doesn't already have health issues, she gets more. But she bounces back fast or she would like me to think she does. She took a hot shower and headed to work. Sometimes this girl drives me crazy...

Loads of fun watching...

Yes, Halloween is just a couple of days away so the "kiddies" had to carve their pumpkins this past weekend. Sarah and Steve cleaned her pumpkins on Friday and Nate was given the duty to carve them. By the seven pumpkin he was all done in and the last pumpkin showed it in the very lack of detail. It was a joint project with Lisa and Buck cleaning and carving. I am totally into watching and taking pictures nowadays. I have never liked cleaning the guts out of the pumpkins, so when my children started asking to do it I relinquished that chore gladly. Sarah actually loves doing this and doesn't understand why others don't. I thought Lisa didn't like to it either but she proved me wrong last night when she even stood on a chair to clean their very large pumpkin. It appears as though both my girls chose guys with lots of artistic talent. Really cute pumpkins. I will have to go out and take more pictures of the ones that Nate did for us and post them later today.

Pumpkins, pumpkins...

My kids came over to my place this weekend and carved their pumpkins. Neither one of my kids have a dining room set, so they came over and used mine. The weather was perfect for growing the big guys this year and you could literally find dozens and dozens at Raymond's pumpkin patch. Sarah and Nate came over Wednesday and dropped off their pumpkins after picking them out. They came back on Friday and we went to dinner at "Apizza" in Stayton then came home and did the pumpkins. Lisa and Buck came over this afternoon and walked up to Grandma's to visit and check out the dam that was built at the back of her property. Then they picked out their pumpkins and gourds hauling them over in Robert's wheel barrow. After I made dinner Lisa and Buck cleaned and carved their pumpkins. It is late so I will just give you a couple of pictures; the first one (Scream) was done by Nate and the second picture was done by Buck and Lisa.

Pedro

Is the name Sarah gave to Steve's plane shortly after he bought it last year. Steve had not yet landed on the farm with this plane so last Thursday he finally did. He flew Raymond's four older children to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville and when he returned he landed literally in our backyard. I didn't actually hear him land but when he got ready to leave I hung around in the backyard (freezing) waiting to get some pictures. This is one of the dozen or so I took. He was turning around in the field so he could head north and fully utilize the field for take off. It wasn't till that evening when I picked him up at McNary Field did I learn that his mom had gone with him to "hangar" night. Some of the pilots flew down to the Albany airport to have dinner and Steve met them there. While the weather is still good they pick places to fly to for "hangar" night. This is usually dinner somewhere with lots of "pilot" stories and jokes at the expense of others. No drinking, as this is a no-no for pilots that are flying. Thank goodness...

It just can't be...

Ten years since my father-in-law Bob passed away. It wasn't till I read Sarah's blog today that I realized how young and yet old she was at the time. Ten years old, still young but so wise. She loved her grandpa fiercely and it had a profound effect on her. She didn't grieve out loud as many of us did including her sister but she did in her own way and time. Many times I caught her being melancholy about something and when asked she would say she was thinking about Grandpa. She starting working for him in the u-picks when she was pretty young. He taught her how to handle money and little old ladies with finesse. Being such a charming child she didn't have to work too hard at it. I remember how anxious she was to go to work for him like Lisa did. Things had changed from that time when Lisa was doing the u-picks off of a little trailer attached to a tractor to the canopy that was Sarah's work place. So many times over the years we have missed Bob. Wishing we could call him and ask his opinion or ask how he would do something if it was him. Many proud moments that our girls were part of took place without his presence. Now when we think of him at these times it is always "Dad or Grandpa sure would have got a kick out of this" or "I wonder what Grandpa would think if he was here?" We know he is just a prayer or thought away...

ETA: My mother-in-law took this picture of Bob at Ten Mile Lake doing his favorite past time, fishing.

Another busy day...

I finished the Bo-Bunny Birthday Explosion box I started last night and it turned out "so" cute. I will be teaching this class on the 11th of next month. It is a Sunday and it will be a full two hour class and I am so excited! Here it is almost five o'clock and I am finally starting to feel better. My stomach has actually stopped hurting and the headache is gone. I will be dropping off my cards and this box to the store before they close tonight so I can also pick up my bags for my kits. I have also been working on this pumpkin bag for Raymond and not having a lot of success. I think I am going to try top stitching thread and see how that works.

ETA: Steve received a rejection notice from Garmin but it wasn't a surprise to us as we thought it would go this way. He thought they might be looking for a more junior engineer, younger means less pay. Gee...

Still busy and now feeling icky...

I finished editing the pictures of the heirloom dollies I made so I am posting them today. I was a little unhappy with a couple of cards I made for my class. I thought they needed something extra but I guess I must have been wrong. Sarah saw them earlier and she totally liked them. So much so she is taking my class next month. I think it is her way of making Christmas cards the easy way. I dropped by the store and had them pull the paper I used on these cards from the shelves, since I will be putting the samples in the store this week. It is a way of keeping people from copying the cards without taking the class. Yes, unfortunately people do that and then the instructors who designed the cards or layouts don't get paid for their work. I have been fighting a headache all day and upset tummy along with it. I don't need to be sick as I am too busy. Jessica gave me a BO Bunny gift box kit to do for the store and Raymond needs his pumpkin bag repaired. I still have some pages left to go on a couple albums I have been working on. And I have been given instructions by my girls to decide what we are doing for my birthday and Steve's. Yea, just around the corner...

Busy Bee...

I spent last night designing my cards for next month's class and put the finishing touches on the samples this morning. Steve and I then met Sarah, Julie and Tami (her mom) for lunch at the Noodle. Yumm... as usual we had great food and service. I finally took pictures of my dollies I made. Here are the "Binky Babies". I will post the others when I finish cropping the pics. I am putting these in Ray's (Steve's younger brother) farmers market and then will be making more to put on the website Etsy. I got that inspiration from Julie who has a site there and sells her hand made jewelry, hair clips and other items.

Great women...

Many people could rattle off a bunch of famous names like Oprah Winfrey, Laura Ingraham, Margaret Thatcher, Laura Bush and of course Sister Theresa. But each persons list would be different based on their religious or political leanings and I am proud to say celebrities are not on my list. My Mom and my mother-in-law Norma are at the top of my list followed closely by my daughters, my sisters-in-law and aunts. I have an even longer list that includes the very special ladies that I spend a great deal of time with scrapbooking. Mary, Anne, Angie, Meg, Camille and Janet all truly wonderful women who share their talents, time, and jokes. We spent the better part of Saturday scrapping at First Christian Church downtown. I managed to get only eight pages done but it was better than four I did the month before. It was the company that made it such a successful day and I thank God everyday for the great ladies on my list.

Lots of fun

Whenever my friend Julie is here we always have lots of fun. We met yesterday at the scrapbook store and then came home to my place to spend the day scrapbooking. Sarah took the afternoon off and we had lots of laughs thanks to Steve. He spent most of the afternoon entertaining us with his plots of practical jokes. Mary, my neighbor, stopped in and joined in on the fun. I had my class last night, I had two friends take the class and a mother/daughter pair. The daughter was eight years old. I have to say she has been my youngest student so far. I now have to get into the swing of things and start on my class designs for next month. Doing these classes has made me feel like time just flies by...

Another laundry day

It seems like I just did laundry and yet the hamper is packed full! So I just finished putting in the last load for the day. I am too tired and my knee hurts too much to go up and down the stairs for another trip. The weather started out rainy and cool but has turned out okay. No rain for a couple of hours now, which I am guessing that Steve and his brother Michael are thankful. They have been out in that rain since 8AM this morning cutting down and chopping up a dead oak tree on Mike's place. They have made a couple of trips here to put firewood in the shed and to borrow my car to go to lunch. I have been sewing a couple of more dolls for Raymond's store. I have the bodies done now I just have to make the dresses. It shouldn't take too long as I have made these dolls before. But it is dinner time and I need to get with it...

Busy week

Once again I have a busy week ahead of me. My friend Julie who now lives in California is coming for a visit. She arrives on Wednesday. We, Sarah and I will be spending the day with her on Thursday scrapbooking and just catching up. I also am teaching my card class that night so it will be a busy day all on it's own. I will be scrapping with my friend Janet on Friday evening and then the rest of my scrapbooking friends will be getting together on Saturday at the church for our monthly get together. The Oregon sunshine has finally descended on us and it looks like it will be raining for the rest of the week. Not as warm as it normally is for this time of year but it is still in the mid fifties. Well I really have to get some things done around here so I better hop to it. Here are the pictures of the cards I will be doing on Thursday.

Scary corn maze...

Sarah and Nate stopped by with their scary white faces this evening after having spent a couple of hours playing spooks in my brother-in-law Raymond's corn maze. On Friday and Saturday nights he turns his corn maze into a scary maze for all those who like to walk around in the dark. Corn mazes are not my favorite as I tend to be claustrophobic in environments like this so I avoid them. But if you stand out in my yard on these evenings and the wind is just right you can hear the screams of those who dare to enter the maze. Sarah and Nate are definitely in their element as they came by telling us of some of the people they encountered (scared). Though Sarah did say a couple of groups of people got mad because Sarah and Nate had scared the small children they had brought with them. Sarah was rightly miffed, because as she said why would you bring small children to a "scary" corn maze?? Obviously, people who don't think! Anyway, they said they fun despite the party poopers. This is a picture of Sarah's little ghoul, Boston from last Halloween when she dressed him as a vampire.

Some days...

Start out slow and then take off like a rocket. It looks like this is going to be one of those. I did the usual brush teeth, shower and breakfast thing then it was off to the grocery store, Bi-Mart and the bank. While I was out running errands Steve was doing his phone interview and I was receiving phone calls and didn't know it. I only picked up my phone when it beeped at me that I had a message. Thinking it was a text from Sarah and I was right. She was excited about receiving something she ordered in the mail from Elsie Flannagin. While checking this text out I noticed I had missed three phone calls!! I was stymied as I had turned my phone up to make sure to hear it when it rang. Well once again after giving a class I forgot to take my phone off silent. Gee, there are days when I wonder if it isn't easier to just leave the darn thing at home. Anyway that rant is for another day...

Class tonight

It does seem as though the days sure go by fast around here. I swear I just did a class but no it is just my mind playing tricks with me. I have to get away from my computer as I have to finish the bag I am making for Raymond's "pumpkin" slingshot. It is for small pumpkins and this is a modification to the bag I made earlier. These kinds of things always happen when I am working with Steve or his brother on this kind of stuff. What they visualize in their heads and what actually happens doesn't always work out.

ETA: Class went well, I had a gal from Seattle in the class. Her husband was on a business trip and she had joined him. She was eating at McDonald's when she spotted the store, so she walked across the street and the rest is history. Steve also received a call from Garmin this afternoon. They will be doing a phone interview tomorrow at ten. Lots of prayers would be appreciated.

One thing after another...

First I had to wait till Lisa brought my camera back to me, then I had to go into the scrapbook store to take the pictures of my Halloween layout and my cards for my classes then load them on my computer. You think that would be easy, but no I couldn't get my card reader to recognize my card. I was seriously starting to stress since the only thing left to finish up my class kits were the photos! I was beginning to think that maybe there was something wrong with the card. I finally decided it was time to ask Steve to come and take a look. It took him all of five minutes and then he proclaims "I think it is broken". First question I had was "is it expensive and can you get me another?". Of course, he comes to the rescue and says "I think I might have a spare." Only my hubby would have spare computer stuff laying around, I think it is the engineering degree that demands it. So here are the pictures of the class I am teaching on Thursday.

Lazy day

I caught up on my paper reading, drank a cup of tea and am now watching "Emperor's New Groove" while I sew some rag dollies. It promises to be a fairly quiet and lazy day. I am going to load up my car before the rain starts with my scrapbooking stuff. I am scrapping with my friends Camille and Janet tomorrow at Scrapbook Fever. I hope to finish my challenge pages for the book we started last month for the challenge class. I also have to remember to take pictures of my Halloween layout and cards for my classes this month.

ETA: I just finished two of the four dolls I was planning on making. My goal is to finish the other two before the end of the week. :)

What a day...

It started out good, hubby snuggled with me till the alarm went off at 6. He and Jerry Torresdal, a Pratum School classmate and neighbor, were flying out to Twin Oaks to the pancake feed. He dropped Jerry off at McNary Field here in Salem at about eleven-thirty and then flew to Hillsboro to a luncheon and monthly meeting of the Short Wing Piper Club that he belongs to. In the meantime my day started going downhill and rather fast. I slipped and fell in the tub so my left leg and my right knee are bruised. Lisa flaked out on me leaving for Corvallis and the OSU game instead of stopping by here, so I had to go to her house use my spare key and get my memory card for my camera. Then Sarah who said she would be here roughly around noon didn't show up till much later. Then I went to put my camera card in the reader and it wouldn't even acknowledge that it was in the reader. Suffice it to say I was not a happy mom. I didn't get to run the errands I planned on doing and then I realized at around 4:30 my dear husband hadn't gotten home yet. Lunch would have ended hours ago and I was getting worried. He left his phone here because the battery was dead so there was no way to reach him. Of course, time gets away from him when he is with his pilot buddies. He didn't realize he had been gone that long. By the time he did get home I was on the verge of tears from worry. It has been a long time since I have done that and I did break down. I didn't even realize how worried I was till he walked in the door. The tears weren't from fear anymore but relief. Though I know he is safer in the air than on the road, I still worry. I can't help myself I just love him to pieces.

They are home...

I picked Lisa and Buck up at the train station yesterday afternoon. They looked good, rested and happy to be home. They got some great pictures, and I am glad I lent them my camera so they have some great memories of their first vacation together. It now appears as though Grandma Lucille will be staying at Brookstone. She seems to be happy there and it doesn't seem to be fair to uproot her again when she is fine with living there. My family and I are not, but mostly it has to do with how she was lied to and how she landed up there. Her attorney sent a scathing letter to the court and all parties were copied. I still have a bad feeling about all this and I told Steve not to be surprised that Cheryl will at some point refuse any number of family members access to Grandma. This whole thing has been very frustrating for all of us and it appears as though it will continue. Steve left earlier this afternoon and flew out to LaPine to pick up Aunt Shirley so she could see Grandma. It will be a short visit. Steve's plan is to be back home at Lusarti Field before dark after he has flown Aunt Shirley home. This picture was taken at Grandma's house in 2003, we were there to celebrate her birthday. Grandma is talking to cousin Scott and Aunt Shirley.

A real struggle...

The aunts and uncles have decided to leave Grandma where she is. She is adapting and seems to like it just fine. Steve and I think it is a combination of things, lots of company visiting her and drugs being administered to Grandma. My girls are so upset about this whole mess, especially our Sarah, as she doesn't feel like the family fought hard enough to stop this injustice. I do agree with her to some point but at the same time our hands were tied. As the grandchildren all we could do is advise the children but we could not make them do what they didn't want to do. The family will never be the same again. Many hurt feelings and it doesn't just effect Norma and her siblings but their families as well. We have a wedding happening next year and there will be no invites to Aunt Cheryl. I agree with Raymond that she is not to be trusted around our children whether they are adults or not. God gave us our children to watch over them, guide them and keep them safe from all evil and we will be doing that to the best of our abilities. It is hard to come up with the right words to say to our grown children so I can only imagine what it must be like for Raymond and Annette when it comes to their young ones.

Lunch date...

I met Sarah at the Noodle for lunch. She was in fine form after having just heard that their receptionist just gave her notice. She ranted on how the gal had been a temp first and then interviewed for the permanent position. They were concerned that the job wouldn't be enough of a challenge but she said she wanted the job. So three months later she is quitting because "she is bored". Wow, she has put Sarah on the war path. We chatted away about her work stuff while we waited for our food. The restaurant was "super" busy today. I got the last table just before noon. There were people waiting for tables and orders to go, so it was standing room only barely. Poor Janet was running her legs off trying to keep up. We tried the new appetizer, the spinach stuffed cannelloni and had cheesy bread. As usual the food was wonderful and my lunch date was very entertaining not to mention cute as a button!!!