End of January Recap

Well, I started off the year with high hopes and here it is the end of January already. I did get some things accomplished, but not nearly as much as I had hoped. On the list:



1. Finish Ashley's quilt...still unfinished

2. Start Hawaiian log cabin quilt...done

3. Finish padfolios for friends...some done, but mostly unfinished

4. Make a bracelet...Made 5, all the same

5. Make a handmade card...Made 12, all the same

6. Sew Matthew's lion pillow cover...not even started

7. Finish A Valentine cupid for the front door...not finished and won't be for this year. I need to rework the pattern.

Besides the above, I traced a pattern for a reindeer table runner and an embroidered flower pillow. I made a name tag holder that goes around my neck. I finished a pillowcase for Matthew's therapy pillow. I also made a pillowcase for a travel pillow. Then tonight I finished a Valentine project (secret).

Tomorrow I will publish a new list for February.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

I swear, we have got to be having one of the weirdest winters on record. One day it is 40 degrees and not 24 hours later we are having 40mph winds and snow. Thank heavens not a lot of snow or it would really be a mess out there. Today the temps are barely above zero with the wind chill below zero. You would think I would be used to this kind of weather. I have lived in Wisconsin all my life. Not so. I find with each passing winter it gets harder and harder. Apparently I was born to be a snowbird. At least that is what my body seems to be telling me lately.

On another note, I made a trip to the quilt store tonight. Not for something for myself, but for a Valentine's Day panel for someone else. I did buy something, but I just can't say what right now. You may find it in your mailbox soon. Gotcha going now, don't I? And which one of you is YOU? Then there was a stop at the bead store. I bought some crimp beads to finish up a couple of bracelets.

I can't believe tomorrow is the end of the month. Where the heck did it go? The only good thing? We are one month closer to warmer weather.

I Never Win Anything

I guess that statement is a thing of the past. If you look back at my blogs, on Saturday I was describing a demonstration I went to at my local scrapbooking store. There was a gal from Dreamweaver Stencils showing all different kinds of things that you can do with brass stencils. Yesterday I got a call from the owner of the scrapbook store informing me that I had won the grand prize in Saturday's drawing. YIPPEE. Today I went over and collected my prizes. There are 3 brass stencils (one says LOVE, one has X's and O's and the words hugs and kisses, and the last one is a sled with a package on top), then there is a reel of removeable tape, 2 containers of embossing paste (one red, one green) and a palette knife. I am so excited. Some new products to experiment with. Hmm, I wonder what I should try first...

Maybe, Maybe Not

I attended my ovarian support group meeting tonight. We only meet once a month. I joined this group after I finished my chemotherapy. Anyway, I don't know if I will be going back. Tonight there was a woman in the group that I had a problem with. She was very and I do mean very knowledgeable about cancer, and not just ovarian. That was not the problem. The problem was, every time someone wanted to voice an opinion or ask a question, she had all the right answers. That in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it was the way she delivered it, looking down her nose at the person and making them feel inferior for even asking and then going on and on and on. Then she got into a heated discussion with another member about the doctor that this gal was going to and when the gal defended her treatment, the know-it-all began rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She constantly monopolized the conversation. Someone would begin talking and she would jump right in and then go into a diatribe. I guess I was under the assumption that a support group is just that, to support each other. This is not what I call support. I have been to four of these meetings and I still don't know anything about any of these women. It seems to me that it is more of a medical conference than a support group. I was seething when I left. There are at least 4 gals in this group that are in the midst of going through chemotherapy. Who knows how they are doing because no one bothered to ask, or should I say no one could get a word in edgewise. I may be wrong, but I think it is time to move on and look for another support group. Maybe, maybe not. What do you think? Leave me a comment.

Dining With The Fishes

Tonight we went to dinner with Mike and Ashley. It sounds as though their wedding reception is going to be held at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the Aquarium Building. Ashley is sooo excited about the location. Mike hasn't seen it yet, but come on, the guy is a fisherman...what's not to love? Since they are getting married in Mexico, they are going with a Mexican, beachy theme. They are also going to have a mariachi band playing as the guests arrive. Ashley's sister's fiancee is going to be the disc jockey for the event. And, Ashley and Mike have a friend who is a baker and has agreed to make the cake. The reception will be the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Things are really moving along quickly. YIKES, I guess I need to get moving on a dress and passport! Time's a wasting.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Today was a great day, creatively. Our local scrapbook store hosted a guest artist. The gal worked with brass stencils and all kinds of supplies. I picked up a couple of great tips, like placing waxed paper over your stencil to get your stylus to glide while dry embossing. When using glitter, the demonstrator used a drinking straw, cut on an angle to "spoon" the glitter exactly where she wanted it. She also taught us that you can make your own small embellishments with freezer paper, a brass stencil, translucent embossing paste and glitter. You tape the brass stencil onto the waxy side of the freezer paper. Then you apply the embossing paste and scrape the excess off with a palette knife. You very carefully remove the stencil and shake on the glitter. Let it dry for at least a day. Then you carefully lift the embellishment off of the freezer paper with the help of an exacto knife.

Tonight was our quilty girlfriends night. I chose to work on a pillow. The top third of the pillow is embroidered flowers. Later on you sew the top third to the bottom two thirds, which is a series of half square triangles sewn together. This is going to be gorgeous when it is finished!

And of course, what get together would be complete without great food. Linda made this new dish with orzo, pineapple, mandarin oranges and cool whip. Oh my, it was yummy!

I spent a great day doing a few of my favorite things.

Chuck-A-Puck

Tonight my family went to an Admiral's game. The Admirals are the professional hockey team of Milwaukee. Tonight the giveaway was an Admirals t-shirt. This has got to be the greatest bargain in entertainment in this area. During intermission a multitude of high jinks take place. Among them are racing Merkt's cheese containers. You have your swiss almond, port wine, beer cheese and the ever popular sharp cheddar. Tonight's winner, much to my chagrin, was not port wine, but swiss almond. Another popular attraction is the saucer bowling. There is a super-sized sling shot that is pulled from the middle sides of the ice back towards the goal. Then an adult is seated on a snow saucer and the sling shot is placed along his/her back. The aim is to get to the inflated bowling pins at the opposite goal via locomotion of the sling shot. Tonight 3 of the 6 contestants got strikes. Then there are those jumbo tron picks. The jumbo tron camera looks for uninterested parties at their best. You know the ones. They are picking their noses or my personal favorite, the kid with the empty popcorn bucket on his head! Also on the agenda is chuck-a-puck. This is Jack's intermission favorite. You pay $1 and get a Nerf puck with a number on it. When you buy the puck, the number is recorded, along with your section, row and name. A HUGE mat with a bulls eye is then rolled out mid ice. When prompted, everyone begins throwing their pucks onto the ice and the person who gets closest to the bulls eye wins a $50 certificate to Potawatomi Bingo and an Admiral's jersey. Jack won this contest last year. Pity the people who sit in the rows in front of me. It never fails, in at least one try per season, I completely miss the plexiglas barrier and boink someone on the head. Tonight was the night. The best thing about the crowd is that they are contagiously excited and caught up in the joy of the moment. I love being part of that.

A Celebration of Life

One year ago today I had my hysterectomy. The doctors found stage 3 ovarian cancer. It was everywhere. Without going into a lot of gross detail, it was a very involved surgery and a very long recovery time. Then came 5 months of chemotherapy and a PET Scan. Today I am in remission and a survivor. So, today I celebrate my life. A year ago they could have opened me up, closed me back up and said, "sorry, there is nothing we can do". But, that didn't happen. I had wonderful doctors and even better, family and friends who kept my spirits up when I had no more to give. A year later, I feel blessed, for a truly full life. Truth be known, 50% of ovarian cancer patients will relapse within 5 years. Even if that happens to me, I can promise you that I will have no regrets, as I am living a celebration of life and each passing day is more precious than the previous day. Is the glass half empty or half full? My glass is full, as is my life. Speaking of which, this calls for a strawberry margarita.....Oh waiter....

Confession Is Good For The Soul?

Tonight I went back to the quilt shop to get more backing fabric for Ashley's quilt. Tomorrow I will wash it and then piece it together with the original yardage. Hopefully by this weekend I will be back to finishing this quilt. Ahem, I did make a slight faux pas tonight. Yes, I broke my own rule (hanging head in shame). I did buy fabric, BUT I do have a project in mind for Valentine's Day, so that means it should get used up by the middle of next month. And, while I was breaking rules, I also picked out another background piece for the reindeer table runner. I just wasn't happy with the one I had. The background was so fussy that I think it would take away from the focus, which should be the reindeer. Okay, confession is over and for my penance I will have a bowl of ice cream, but I promise you, I won't enjoy it!

Looking For Handwork

Once a month I meet with a bunch of quilting girlfriends. We go to one of the gals' home. It used to be that we would start out chatting, have dinner, and then work on our respective hand projects. Within the last year it has changed to chatting, dinner and more chatting, with no work getting accomplished. All of us talked about it and we have decided to get back to working on projects. So, that means I need to come up with something to do by hand, since we don't take our sewing machines. Since ufo's are at the top of my list, I didn't have to look far. Here is what I came up with. I have 6 blocks with dogs buttonhole stitched on them. All they need is embroidery to complete some facial features. I also have a Christmas stocking that I started a few years ago. It is crazy pieced with hand embroidered stitches along each seam. I have a few more seams to complete, beading to do, silk ribbon work and charms to add. That one will take more than a few meetings to complete. Then there is a pillow that I want to make. It has embroidered flowers on the top 1/3 and the bottom 2/3 is made up of half square triangles. Also on the to do list is a reindeer table runner. The reindeer are embroidered and then bordered with a scrappy arrangement of half square triangles. Lastly is a crocheted baby set. I know, it's not quilting, but it still counts as handwork. Now the question is, what do I want to start with? For me the answer is easy. Whichever project can be completed in the shortest amount of time is the one that I will work on. There is nothing like the quick gratification of finishing a project to lift the spirits!

The Best Laid Plans...

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry". Apparently, the same can be said for quilters. Today I planned on sandwiching my Goddaughter's quilt. I went down to the basement and brought up a fold-away cutting table. I got everything all set up and discovered that my backing was too small. Grrrr. You can tell I haven't been quilting in a long time because I should have known that 6" isn't nearly enough overhang for a quilt (that only gave me 3" on each side). I don't think there was even 3" on each side after washing and ironing the backing. Here we go again, Plan B. I finished up my log cabin blocks instead. They are now ready to be sewn into rows. At the rate I am going, the log cabin quilt will be ready for finishing at the same time as my Goddaughter's quilt.

Getting Closer

Today again I worked on my log cabin blocks. I am hoping to have all 20 blocks completed by next weekend so that I can start putting the blocks together into rows. Tomorrow I plan on bringing my large cutting table up from the basement so that I can sandwich and pin Ashley's quilt. I want to start quilting it this week. On a sad note, our Green Bay Packers lost the NFC Championship to the New York Giants today by a field goal. Waaaaaaaaah.

I've Been Duped!

Twice, no less! Today I went to the Greendale Library basement to sandwich a quilt for my Goddaughter. Lo and behold, the library bought all new tables. They are very nice, but not very conducive to pinning a quilt. As a side note, it is all of minus 6 degrees outside. I am telling you this because I soon discovered that I had everything to sandwich this quilt except the quilt itself! DUH. Okay, so the sandwiching idea is not going to work. Let's see what I can come with for Plan B. I get in the freezing cold car, make the drive back home, and see what else I have to work on. Okay, lets do the Hawaiian Log Cabin Quilt blocks. I get back in the car and drive back to the library. I no sooner get started and everyone decides to break for lunch. Grrr. We have lunch and an hour later I am back at making blocks. Everything went unbelieveably well for the next couple of hours, so the day was not a total loss. I am sure by now you are wondering how I got duped twice. First was the tables, second was my log cabin blocks. You see, the book I was working from was Eleanor Burns' "Quilt In A Day Log Cabin". Well don't you believe it, because I have been working on them since I got home from the library and I only have half of them done. Of course I guess I should give Eleanor the benefit of the doubt, after all a day is 24 hours. But, as dedicated as most quilters are, I don't know of a one who would stay up 24 hours to start and finish a quilt!

Games

Does anyone like games as much as our family? We get together with my niece and her 2 kids a lot and we always end up playing some type of game. For the last couple of years, On Christmas Eve, the kids love to play Twister. I am definitely NOT part of that game. But I will tell you, it is a roaring good time, watching the kids and young adults in our family bend themselves like pretzels in order to stay in the game. You can't help but laugh when they all collapse on top of each other! The other board games we like are Scattergories and Pictionary. A few weeks ago we played guesstures. You have to act out words, kind of like charades, except there is a short time limit. Well, you have never seen an imitation of a penguin like my older sisters. We still tease her about it. Tonight the game of choice was Outburst Remix. You get a hint of what the catagory is going to be. Then you can choose to either play or pass. You must play the next card. Your actual question is then revealed and there are 10 possible answers. You set the timer and start yelling out what you think some of the answers might be. It was a lot of fun. It makes you use your brain and most of the time, you end up learning a few things too. Because you are under pressure, things you know don't seem to come to you as quickly as they might otherwise. Okay, just for fun can you name 10 people from the series "Friends"? Or how about 10 different airlines? Good for you if you can, because we only got a few of each...and anyway, who the heck ever heard of Hooter Airlines?

It's A Big News Day

First of all, Ashley's quilt top is done. Yippee! Tonight I went and bought the backing fabric for it. And, best of all, that was my only purchase at the quilt shop.

Next, I started my Hawaiian Log Cabin quilt today. I made a sample block so that I could see the color contrasts and I am liking it already. Ooh, I just love a new project.

And most important, I saw my oncologist today. My bloodwork is good and my CA125 is the same as it was the day after I had my cancer surgery. Since my CA125 hasn't moved, my doctor feels there is no reason to run a PET scan at this time. I go back in three months for another check. The appointments are getting further apart and as Martha would say, "It's a good thing".

Judging And Being Judged

Have you ever gone to a quilt show and wondered why some quilts get a ribbon and others, that look so much better, get none? Well now I know. We had an NQA Judge as our guest speaker at our guild tonight. What an eye-opening experience. I always assumed that judges like certain colors or patterns. That couldn't be further from the truth. To drive the point home, the speaker gave us a score sheet and proceeded to show us two quilts. The first quilt was a very small wall hanging. It had 9 appliqued hearts separated by lattice and cornerstones. It had 5 colors in it. The second wall hanging was much bigger. It was a wholecloth piece with a ton of threadwork in beautiful designs. Supposedly these were being judged in the same catagory. Then the judge hands us the score sheet. She proceeds to tell us that we must follow the rules on the score sheet. The first catagory on the score sheet is design. It gives 15 pts for interplay of color. The first quilt has 5 colors, the second quilt 1 color (you do the math). Next it allows 5 pts for borders. There were only borders in the first piece, the second piece was a wholecloth. Then it moves to the workmanship catagory. Fifteen points are possible if the piecing is precise. Again, quilt #2 has no piecing. The last catagory is finishing. It asks if borders are straight, no ripples. Number 2 has no borders. It also lists binding and I think you know where this is going. Wall hanging #2 looked so good, and yet it bombed on 2/3 of the rules. And yes, there were other catagories where it did score some points, but not nearly enough to make a comeback. I guess the point I am trying to make is that I had no trouble judging the Judge, but she was totally working within the rules. Wall hanging #1 was the winner. She did make the correct decision, even though wall hanging #2 was much grander. She told us that not all quilt shows use the same score sheet and that she is bound by whatever rules the sponsor wants. That doesn't mean that they get to pick the winning quilts, that just means that she has to stay within the guidelines that they set forth. Interesting huh?

Chef Series

Each month at Gilda's Club we have something called the "Chef Series". The Chef Series consists of a chef from a Milwaukee restaurant who donates his/her time, food and talents to treat the members of Gilda's Club to a phenomenal meal. Tonight did not disappoint. We had Cate Miller from Cate's Kitchen. Cate's series was slow cooking. Her first dish, orange chicken, was a crockpot dish. Cate's second dish was a yum-o pot roast dish with potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. The pot roast dish was slow roasted in the oven. My only disappointment was the fact that there was no bread around to sop up the gravy left behind by the pot roast. Cate's birthday is tomorrow, so she finished the night with a tasty red velvet cake with french buttercream frosting. By the way, she shares her birthday with two other not-so-famous people, my husband Jack and my girlfriend Linda. Happy Birthday you three!

HELP, I Need Pictures

Ain't it the truth? Hopefully this week I will have it figured out. I am not the most technologically advanced person, let me just say that. Jack bought a new digital camera right before Christmas. It takes wonderful pictures and I would love to be able to show off some of my accomplishments.

Speaking of which, the January cards are done and going in the mail tomorrow morning. They were a bit challenging this month as I needed to find a glue that would stick to acetate and not rub off. Ask around, which is exactly what I did. Sure enough, Staz-On has a new glue that will stick to almost any surface.

In the studio, I found a pattern for a fabric badge holder. I belong to a quilt group that requires you to wear a badge (translation: mini cardstock held behind a crappy plastic holder with one of those cheezy pins on the back). The pattern looked easy enough and it was. The only thing I had a slight problem with was the clear vinyl. It was hard to see, as it blended in with everything. But, I am very happy with the way it turned out. Now, if I could only post a picture of the completed project. Hmm.....

Easily Distracted

I seem to be on a self-deprecating kick here the last two nights. This will be the last of it. Does anyone else have this problem of being easily distracted? Sometimes it actually gets to the point of being ridiculous. I will start cleaning or working on something in one room and suddenly I find myself somewhere else and involved in another completely different project. Today I was working on some handmade cards. I needed to clean my rubber stamp because I got some glitter on it. So I am in the bathroom looking for rubbing alcohol to clean my stamp and suddenly I find myself cleaning out the cabinet. As if that isn't good enough, I then proceed to clean a bunch of other rubber stamps that I had put on the side to be cleaned later. By the time I got done, I forgot where I was in the project that I was working on. I am the same way at sporting events. Apparently, I don't go to watch the game, because my eyes are everywhere but the game. I am a people watcher, plain and simple. So, if you ever hear that I got my bell rung from a hockey puck, you will know why.

Patty Perfect

Patty Perfect is a pet name some of my quilting girlfriends gave me. You see, I seem to have a problem with letting things go. When I am quilting, "good enough" doesn't seem adequate. I don't know when this little problem started, but it seems to arise now and again. I certainly don't have this problem with my house cleaning. I have been known to sit and rip out almost any amount of quilting if it doesn't meet my standards. I am one of those people, if I make a mistake and don't fix it, my eye will keep going back to that spot and it drives me crazy! And, jokingly, I am sure it is my parents' fault. They were the ones who always made sure I colored inside the lines!

Hawaii On The Horizon

Today I pulled out my fabric that I bought when Jack and I were in Hawaii. There is 2 yards of this wonderful parrot print fabric with a black background. My plan is to use it as a border fabric in a log cabin quilt. The other colors I plan on using are greens, oranges, purples and fuschias. I measured all the fabrics and figure I will have enough to make a double/queen size quilt. BUT, I must finish Ashley's quilt first. So for now, I am going to wash the fabric, iron it and fondle it a bit more before I get to the actual cutting of it. The colors are so bright and cheery. I think this might be a State Fair contender. We shall see.

Aloha

Tonight Jack and I went to a potluck dinner at Gilda's Club. I usually try to make a meat dish as those are usually in short supply. I decided to make something called "waikiki meatballs". You use the usual meatball mixture, but the sauce is made with vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch for thickener. They were really good...as far as meatballs go.

Today my friend brought me some quilt books with patterns for baby quilts. I want to make a quilt for my neighbor's son and daughter-in-law who are having a baby. I know this is going to sound terrible, but I want to make a quilt that looks really nice but doesn't involve a lot of effort. I love making quilts, and these people are very special, but you know, if you are a quilter, that most people don't have a clue how to take care of a handmade item. They figure they can throw it in the wash with all the rest of their clothes and then dry it on high. Then they casually mention how they can't figure out why it is falling apart...almost insinuating that you did a crappy job making it. And yes, I could buy them a blanket and I'm sure it would be very nice, but that wouldn't be giving them a part of me, of who I am and how special they are to me. I just hope they don't ask me if I kept the gift receipt!

Light At The End of The Tunnel

Tonight I finished all the rows on my Goddaughter's quilt. Thank goodness. I don't know why this particular quilt was so hard for me. Granted, it had a lot of little pieces, but for goodness sakes, it was a rail fence! I guess I just got bored with it and then it became a drag to work on. But, as the title states, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I have cut the inner borders and hopefully will attach them on Thursday. I want to have the entire top ready to go by Saturday the 19th. Then I can take it to the library, where there are tables set up so I can pin baste it. The quilting itself won't be fast, but it should be easy. I just plan on ditching the seams. I am just itching to start a new, old project.

There Is Going to be a Reception!

Tonight my son and his fiancee were here. They are having a destination wedding in August. However, they weren't sure they wanted to have a reception when they get back home. Of course, Jack and I wanted the reception. What parent wouldn't? You are proud of your kids and you want to share their special day with the whole world...okay, maybe not the whole world, but you get the point. Tonight they came and told us they want to have a reception. Hallejulah!! They haven't made any plans yet, but at least they have made a very important decision. Every Mother's dream...being able to dance with my son at his wedding reception.

There Is a Floor

Today I did the big cleanup in my sewing studio. Yes, there really is a floor. There was stuff piled up everywhere. And, not only is there a floor, but there are countertops too. I finally put away the dozen or so CD's and empty cases. Tomorrow I plan on getting back to sewing in earnest. I have been lax through the holidays, so it is time to get back on track. I have high hopes for 2008 and if I stick to my project list, I will be one happy camper.

Old Times

Today I met an old friend for lunch. And, two hours later we were still chatting. What a great time. I keep asking myself, why did I wait so long? Jill and I always got along. Our kids were similar ages. We both shared a love of quilting, so why the separation? I can't tell you how many times this happens. You have friends and you keep saying you should get together, but then you never do. I am so glad I followed through this time.

Today I finished cutting and fusing some more pieces for a couple of padfolios. I hope to zigzag them together tomorrow. I also played around with some beads and string elastic. I am hoping to make a few ovarian cancer support bracelets. I put together different patterns on each of 3 bracelets. Now I am going to wait for a few days and then decide which pattern I like the best. I think I will then make all the bracelets in that same pattern.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

Out of sight, out of mind? Not a chance. I am referring to my quilt projects. I have so much "stuff" that I am being suffocated by it. At least that is the way it feels. My sewing studio is so overloaded that when I look around I actually get overwhelmed. My solution? Today I moved a bunch of projects, ufo's, fabric and patterns into my youngest son's empty closet. Will I forget they are there and buy more? Not a chance. First of all, I am trying my darndest to stick to my moratorium on buying fabric. So far, so good. Secondly, I have a list of projects for the next 3 years and there is still MORE! I think I have finally realized that enough is enough.

Tomorrow I am having lunch with a gal that I haven't seen in probably 5 years. We used to quilt together when a favorite shop of ours used to have "hangin out" nights. You would bring your quilt project and sew from 6pm to 11pm. It was fun and I got to meet so many great people. We would exchange stories, talk about our families and ooh and aah over all kinds of great projects. Unfortunately the shop closed and everyone seemed to go their separate way. I can't wait to see her and find out what she has been up to all these years. It will be like old times.

If You Don't Pay For Fabric Does It Count?

Last night I went to the quilt store. I went for some fabric for a flange on a pillowcase. When I go to the quilt store, I am like a kid in a candy store...probably worse! The store had a beautiful display of black/white fabrics in the window. Lots. I could just see those in a purse or tote. The contrast would be great. Then it dawned on me. I had a card that was full and worth $25.00, plus I had $4.00 in coupons. When all was said and done, my haul cost me $2.10! And yes, I did promise not to buy fabric unless I needed it, but I ask you, wouldn't you for $2.10? Me too.

Oh yes, one more thing...regarding yesterday's post, all worked out. The respite care place called this afternoon and they are going to make an exception in this case and allow one more patient. Some days it's okay to get out of bed...

There Are Days....

There are days when you shouldn't get out of bed. Today was one. My youngest son is getting married in August. He is having a destination wedding. My oldest son is profoundly disabled. We have a place about an hour away that we take my oldest son when we want to go on vacation (he doesn't travel well). In order to set up your vacation date, you need to call asap after Jan 1 of the new year. Today was the first day they were open. I called this morning, twice. No one answered. I left a message on their answering machine. They finally called me back at 3:30 in the afternoon. I told them the date I needed and they told me they were already full up for that time. My heart sank. Now what? I don't have any answers. I am just sick. Like I said, there are days....

Happy 2008

It's official. The new year is here. Let's hope 2008 is better than ever! Tonight we took the kids (Ashley and Mike) to dinner. We tried a new place on the east side. Very unique. Bar and grill. The food was excellent and there was a lot to choose from. I had a chicken pita sandwich that I would order again. We also had an appetizer of pot stickers...also excellent. It was a great way to start off a new year.