blogging break?

yeah, yeah, yeah---should have posted before now but there is seriously not a whole lot going on around here. That point was driven home last weekend when I was chatting with two of my FAB pals. They were off here and there or had friends and family to spend time with AND both were finding time to sew and/or finish up binding and organize their sewing rooms in some manner. Wore me out just reading the conversation! Then one pal asked what I had planned. Plans?? what are those? It might have been a holiday weekend but it was more like any other day of the week to me. Laundry, walk, read, straighten up the housem unload/reload the dishwasher. That last fun filled activity took a whole 5 minutes of my day. Seems like I am always washing something---me, the clothes, the dishes and sometimes even the dog.

I am NOT sewing and don't much feel like it either. However, Jane reminded me that I have a 12 inch finished QOV theme block and a 6 inch fall themed block that will have to be turned in on the 1st of October. We are going to a 3 day sew-in thing up in the next county in October and the organizer wants it turned in ahead of time along with a baby picture. I guess this all goes with some activities they have planned. I will have to give this some effort and thought--soon. I guess some of the girls have been sewing together one afternoon a week at a church near me and they invited me to come join them. I may just do it if I cannot seem to carve out any sewing time here at home. Thing is, we are supposed to NOT show our blocks to our buddies and that is the very thing I should be working on. HMMM

I have been reading a good bit---going through the Joanne Fluke Hannah Swensen series of books which contain some good sounding recipes. Some I have done on Kindle and just used the snipping tool to get the recipe in my files. One is an audio book and others I borrowed through the Alabama camellia dot net library system. I bought a couple in the series too, for Kindle. I'm on the waiting list for two of the books. Actually I plan on making one of the recipes tomorrow as I need to take some cookies out to a visitation on Saturday. I am entering some of the recipes into my cooking software and have found them online. The Pineapple Right Side Up Cookie Bars I plan to making was one of them.  The submitter attributes it to Fluke's Fudge Cupcake Murder but it is in Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, the former being one I have on hold and the latter one I had already enjoyed.   I am probably going to make another bar cookie while I'm at it---Christy at Southern Plate posted a recipe for Quick & Easy Carmelitas today.  I have to turn on the oven and heat up the house anyway,   I picked up what I needed at the store on the way home from a quick bite out tonight.  On they way home I ran by Lowe's for ant killer, took the stuff to the recycle bins at McClellan and found where we will need to be on Sunday when Aline, Jane and I go to see the CAST performance of "Anything Goes".  That should be fun!

When I got out of the car to verify the address two women were sitting outside apparently waiting for others in their party or waiting to go in.  By this time it was about 6:45 and it was to start at 7:30.  Yes, I was in the right spot and people parked along the horseshoe shaped drive or in a lot across the street.  We got to talking and one woman asked where I was from originally--"central IL but we moved South in 97."  My Yankee accent must have been a tip-of, as usual.  Turns out she worked for State Farm in California but had been to Corporate for classes over her career but has lived in this area for 23 yrs, 5 more than me.  Then she asked if I bowled.  Seems she is the secretary for a women's bowling league and they are needing some subs and full time members.  I was on a bowling league in the late 80's/early 90's when I worked at the podiatry clinic and had served as the treasurer.   I'm not that good but I might consider it.  They invited me to come visit.  Maybe I'll go.

This has been sort of an odd week for me anyway.  With Monday a holiday, you get confused about what day it is to begin with.  Then I get a text from one of the Belles saying she forgot it was Belles day Tuesday,  I'm thinking "no, it's not!" and go check the calendar.  Yeah, it was.  I had marked the calendar correctly to start with.  Then looked at it thinking "that's not write and marked off the other two Tuesdays.  I had it in my head that is was NEXT week.  I cancelled it, made a few calls to fix my goof up.  Turns out about 5 of us were unavailable anyway.  First time I had done that in 15 years!   I had taken the day off from walking and had errands and such to run anyway.

Yesterday Jane, Aline and I went over to the Friendship Quilters small group meeting.  I had to get that quilt I had bound over to them and Jane and Aline needed to pay the balance of the retreat fees.  None of us were going to go to the meeting on Saturday as we are going to the visitation then.   Also my little map dot town is having their Heritage Days festival---70 years as a town.  I'll go for a bit but will have to walk on the trail instead of  my laps in the park as that's where they are setting up the music, vendors and food.   Meanwhile, they have not done a thing to the Community Center building on the edge of the park since the roofing went on about 3 weeks ago.  It is all closed in with windows and doors and outside brickwork laid but they must be waiting on the electrician and/or drywall crew to come in next.   I don't know if the town has ever said a projected date.

now the critter report:
Oscar had drug his pad down to the floor today for some odd reason.   Here he is with his squeaky Froggie, tug-o-war sock and somewhere on their his rawhide bone or what's left of it.

His new gate came in on Friday but I didn't get around to trying to put it up till Monday.  It is placed a bit crookedly in the hall and probably not entirely even heightwise.  I struggled trying to do this by myself.   it is a tight squeeze and  I had already scratched up the drywall doing it.  I was not going to try to take it down and do it over.

The thing will not latch  BUT hey, a bungee cord works just fine!  Unless Oscar develops opposable thumbs he is not going up the hall.  He DOES watch me going in quite closely maybe thinking he could squeeze in the doorway past me??   Skyler has a bit higher of a jump and it is placed back further in the hallwat so I can access the utility closet.  He can't take a flying leap off the couch anymore.  Or I don't think so anyway.   Oscar will go through the cat door so leaving that open for Skyler is out.   I got Oscar to come out by rattling a bag in the fridge so he did not enjoy his trip for long.  The prospect of chicken fingers lured him out, LOL.   String cheese didn't do it before as he just poked out his snout and grabbed the goodie and stayed under the bed.  Bad boy!

Not to be left out, Skyler in his latest favorite spot.   He gave up on the kitchen chairs a long time ago though will hop on any chair that I vacate. On the dog crate or up high is where you'll find him.  Neither of his perches interests him anymore.  I am not entirely sure that he doesn't sleep on there a bit at night too.   He'll come to bed with me occasionally but does not stay long.   Because it is late and I'm writing this on the chromebook seated on the bed, he wants to either sit on it or on/near me but it won't last.  Some nights I let him settle in and then go to the opposite bed we were on just so I can get some sleep.  The licking and scratching drives me nuts when I am trying to go to sleep.   Still, I love the cuddle time!   He has never been a lap kitty or would sit on DJ's and not mine but mostly they just shared the recliner.  Lately though he is wanting to climb on my chest or lap in the evenings or on the arm of the couch to my right.   Taking his turn near me, I guess.

I best be getting ready to turn in.   It is still warm enough in the mornings that I need to get out to walk fairly early.   I hear we might be down in the 50's by the weekend but it has still been in the high to mid 60s and humid.  I'm more than ready for fall!

THX for stopping by------