More on Wal-mart

I have completed my first full week at Wal-mart. The Work is easy so far and the people are still friendly. I enjoy it! I really enjoy it when they put me in the fabrics and crafts department but then I see fabrics that would be at home in my stash and for right now I have to leave them behind when I go home. We still have fabric but they are not going to order any more. Bummer! I have discovered that when people shop and decide that they don't want something that they have in the cart they dump it in some strange places. It is my job to find the things and put them where they go. I find things hid behind other things, in things, you name it they hide it there. My feet are getting better. Its not as hard to be on them as it was. I sometimes wish I had knee pads when I have to clean up the very bottom of the shelves. I have also discovered that people steal the dumbest things, like the whole package of puffy paint except one color. Whats up with that? You can't find a use for that one color? Or you only need 2 cupcake stickers, not the other 4. The list goes on and on. Don't they know that they will still be in just as much trouble even if they don't steal the whole package. Are you getting bored hearing about Wal-Mart yet? My job is zoning the housewares department which means I go through and clean up [refold towels repackage things and move things to where they really go]. I also do hardware, and fabrics and crafts when they put me there. The fabrics and crafts dept. was a big mess as no one has been there for a long time and when they did put some one in there they didn't zone it. [at least not very well]

My first 4 days at Wal-Mart

I made it through my first 4 days at Wal-Mart. I didn't know if I would or not after the first 2 days. I really like the job and the people that I work with. Everyone is very helpful and friendly. My problem is my feet! Remember I have always sat on my big cushioned butt and being on my feet for 8 hours is killing me. I am not having any trouble with my legs like I thought I would, it is all my feet. I will be getting a new pair of shoes as soon as I can. I was hired for housewares but I was put in Fabrics and Crafts on Tues. and was there most of the time. Yeah!!! I am finding that the work is fairly easy but I stay busy all of the time. Every one keeps telling me to wait till the Blitz which is what they now call the Friday after Thanksgiving. Oh boy I can't wait. I have to work tomorrow and Sunday but then I have 3 days off.

Wal-Mart training

Well I have done 9 1/2 hours of training this week mostly on the computer. Monday morning I start training for the job that I will be doing. At 7:00 in the morning to be exact. Do you know how long it's been since I have seen 7:00 in the morning? Almost a year. Nothing like plunging right in. I get a hour for lunch so I will probably have to take a nap so I can work till 4:00 in the afternoon. All in all I am still looking foreward to working for them. They gave me my name badge, and my box cutter on tuesday. I have tan pants so all I have to get yet is my dark blue shirts. I work 4 days next week and 4 days the next week.

Wal-Mart

I START AT WAL-MART TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:30! Bet I don't sleep tonight from worring about it. It has been a long 2 1/2 weeks since I went for my first interview. Its been a long time since I had to look for work and the first time was a lot easier than it was this time, of course I was 34 years younger then and my mom already worked where I did. It was also my first time taking a drug test so that was scary even though I only take the drugs my Dr. tells me to. I hope I like it like I think I will. Wish me luck!

Happy Holloween

Our traditiona; Holloween picture of the grandkids ready for trick or treat. Gabby, 6, Ryan 8, Korey 8, and Nick 10. Ryan will be 9 in Jan. Korey just turned 8 last week, we had cake and ice cream for him today. Got them all sugared up before the went trick or treating. There isn't a whole lot of difference in the sizes of the younger three. Nick is just a big boy.

I have three of these done for the family exchange only 4 more to go. Then I have to work on the little girl blocks and I have 7 of those to do. Not going to happen by Sat. This is the star block that I had to rip apart a few weeks ago. Once I figured them out they went together really easy. I might have to more of them. I wanted to do them in a dark red with the gold but I didn't have enough of the red. So I went with the green. I didn't want to buy anything to do them. I don't stash bust with those that report weekly but I am trying to use up so I can move more fabric out to the Barn. Still haven't heard anymore from Wal-Mart but they said I wouldn't till sometime this week. I hate waiting!!!

The Job Hunt

I went for my third interview this morning and if my background check and my drug test comes back I should be hearing from Wal-Mart. I could be hired in just in time for Black Friday. Thats pretty scary. I have seen first hand how shoppers act on that day. Heck, I've been one of them! I am pretty excited about working there. It will be so different from what I am used to. [sleeping late, reading all day or sewing all day staying up all night playing on the puter] But really it will be great not to have to work in a factory. I hope everyone stays safe and dry on this windy stormy day.

Fall, Sewing, and my Job search

Closing the pool makes me sad every fall. I spend alot of my summer in there, with the grandkids. The older ones swim like little fish. The younger ones are learning. Gabby should be like the boys next summer, she does ok when she forgets and just does it but then she remembers where she is and becomes a wimp that won't let go of the steps. See the 50lbs of sand on the deck? The one that weighed 200lbs of wet sand when I had to take it out of the steps while the wet sand was pouring out of the pour spout [that the bags have in them] right into the top of my swim suit. Really felt good!

I had to take a picture of the sun shining it the trees one night last week. It was so pretty when I saw it. [Had to get the barn in there too.] Our back yard faces east. The sun was setting when I took it.

I took this one later the same night. I liked the pink lights that was in the sky.
There hasn't been any sewing going on around here cause the last time that happened I had to rip everything out. It was one of those where I knew what I was doing, I read the pattern more than once. I sure did, then I skipped one whole step. Haven't been back since! I do need to get back out there, I have 14 blocks to do by Nov. 6 for the family exchange. I have the fabric for 7 of them cut thats what I was trying to sew when I did them wrong. All 7 of them! Good thing I didn't have to cut anything off after sewing parts together. Oh yeah, thats the part I forgot to sew on them.
On the job side there has been a lot of looking. I had 2 interviews last week. One at Goodwill Industries, part time, 37 hours a week and never any benefits 7.30 to 7.60 per hour. No. 2 was at Joann's, seasonal part time no benefits and hours all over the place during the week 7.30 per hour. I had 1 interview this week at WAl-Mart. Again part time guarantied 24 hours a week most times closer to 40. Chance for full time after I learn the job more than 7.30 per hour. I also got my second interview with them now they have to check my ref. and do a background check and then hopefully they will call me for the third one. I was offered a job at Goodwill but I didn't take it yet. I really hope Wal-Mart calls me back.

What I Found In My Watermellon

We went the the farm market sunday and bought some mellons, one was a watermellon. I cut it open tonight and this is what it looked like inside. I had never seen a yellow watermellon. Now I have! When did these come about? I have to say that it was as good as a red one.

Now I have to show what Butch does with Shawn when Shawn gets on his nerves. Just a friendly little tussel in the living room. Butch won this round.

Sorry to be showing this quilt again but I had an idea for the borders and wanted to know what you think. With all that is going on with all the different colors in the blocks how would a border of all the different backgrounds used in the center? I am thinking of a 2 1/2" wide and cutting them 4 1/2" long like the block units. I know that will be alot of work but if I use a fabric that looks like a solid for the outside border, the border of background would frame the blocks better that any color print. So what do you think? I still haven't decided what color for the outside border.

1 picture found

Ok, I found the picture of my quilt center, not in my puter but on my camera. I must have deleted it last night some how. I do things like that sometimes and don't know that I do. Its still not the best photo but I tried to take another one on the deck and this was the better one. I took it on the living room floor and didn't have much room for it. I like it. I can't decide what color I want for the borders.None of the colors have jumped out at me and said I'm the one yet. It is 96x96 right now and the borders will make it plenty big enough for our bed. I have been thinking of adding something to the top and bottom to make it longer so I have more overhang at the foot of the bed. Square quilts never hang over the end the same as they do on the sides. I see Miss Kimmy is on it in this picture too.

Bits and Pieces of my Summer

This is something you don't see every day at my house. Both kitties on the couch, most of the time if one is up there the other one won't jump up there or the first one gets down when the other one jumps up.

It was haircut time and hubby was a brave soul to let Nick start it. Nick's short Barbour career
didn't last very long. Butch has what we used to call a pineapple in the 70s. Butched down except for some bangs. Nick didn't think about the bangs and cut some of them off. That ended that job for him and I had to fix it the best that I could.

We have been in this alot this summer. Nick was riding on the dolphin for a little bit. For some reason the kids have trouble staying on it. Maybe because it is round on the bottom.

Gabby was begging me to take her picture so I did. Look at that smile. Worth millions!! What is it with kids that they have to pose when you have your camera out? It took me awhile to get her to smile like normal. All of our Fremont kids start school next Tues. This is the first year that they have to wear uniforms to public school. Sure is going to save the hassle of what to wear. Our other grandson starts school tomorrow. Our county fair is this week which is why our kids don't start till next week.

I guess this is a teaser. I had a picture of the whole thing but when I browsed my pictures I couldn't find it. My secret sister picked this pattern for me to work on this year and I have to show progress on it when we get together every two months. I have the whole center together and all I have yet is the borders but I have to decide what I want to use. Around here nothing you put on the floor is safe from my kitties. Miss Kimmy had to lay on it as soon as I laid it down. I will have to post a picture of the whole center after I take a new one. Now I have to work on my retreat quilt to get that top done. I just need to finish putting the center together and make some more HST's for the border to put them on. I don't know what happened there that I didn't cut enough or I lost them. I think I just didn't cut enough, must have gotten in a hurry. Happy Quilting!!

Things I find in my camera

I think that grandson Nick has gotten my camera again. When i loaded them to my computer I had 5 of these again. I have to have a talk with him about other peoples things and leaving them alone.

I happened to look out my back door the other day and saw this in my neighbors back yard. Nice and big, licking the salt off of the stump. Randy puts a salt block on there for them in the winter.

Then I looked out a few days later and this was almost up to my fence. I couldn't believe that the kids where in the pool and it was brave enough to come up there. I t ran off when I opened the door.

I showed you how Nick was sleeping under his bed in a different post so I thought that I would show how he was sleeping last week. On his floor again with Grandpa's snuggy on and what is on his face????

GAbby's eye mask! You would think that if the overhead light is bothering your sleep you would get up and shut it off. Not Nick, it was easier to get up and get the mask and put it on.
On the quilting side I have not done any. Shame on me. I have things to do but I have been really lazy, the books that I have seems to be calling my name every day and I can't get past them to get to the door to go out to the barn to sew.

This is my son 2 years ago.

This is my son in May of this year.

This was my son Saturday night after a few beers.

This was my son Sunday. I am glad that he got rid of the stringy mop he had 2 years ago but did he have to go this far? He works in a plastic factory and he thought his hair was too hot. Nice and easy to take care of. Speaking of my son, he got his GED last summer and in May did the graduation ceramony. They only have it once a year and he missed it last summer.

I have been working on a quilt from Pat Speth's Nickle Quuilts book, here is my four patch and my picket fence units. I needed 144 of each and when I did the four patchs I didn't get my brain around the directions enough to grasp what I needed to do. I didn't think that the way you do them makes 2 at a time so instead of doing 72 I did 144 which made 288. I guess I have a good start on my next Nickle Quilt. My secret sister picked this quilt for me to do this year. I have a good start on it. I only have to do the flying geese yet and then I will be able to start putting the blocks together. It will be a queen size when it is done.

I am doing my guilds BOM this year and this was June's block. I used the no waste method for making my flying geese. I don't think I will ever do them the other way again. This way was so easy and I didn't have to decide what to do with those leftover triangles. I did make a mistake when I put the block together, the geese is flying the wrong way. They should be going in instead of going out. I am not changing them though.

Grandson Nick crawled under the bunkbeds to unplug his fan last week and somehow fell asleep. When I asked him why he slept that way he said it was really comfy under there. Go figure we buy them bunkbeds and they sleep on the floor. Why did we spend money on beds?

You know how it is when you are moving things you find things that you forgot you had? Well this glass was like that. I also have a smaller one too. A friend got them for me in her travels.Do you remember Kare. I had put them up for when the barn got done and I found them when I was moving things out there. I use the big one every night. Thank you, Kare.
We took the cover off of the pool last Friday and discovered that the liner is coming out of its holder. I am now draining the water out so I can maybe get it back in. I hope I can because I can't buy a new liner right now.

New header

How does my new header look. I have been wanting to add my barn to it for awhile now and I just decided to just do it. You see, I did not know how and I didn't want to bug my puter expert so I got it figured it out and you know it wasn't hard to do at all. I had to do it 2 times because the first time all you could see was the door and I wanted it all to show. I am only a little proud of my barn. I really like going out there to sew.

Send those kids home, NOW!!

This is my husband around 6:00 tonight. Nick's mom came in to use our oven cause theirs don't work to make cookies with the boys. That meant that she had all three of hers here. Jamie stopped by and brought Zoey.That was after we thought that we were going to have a quiet afternoon and evening. HA! That didn't happen. It didn't happen of Saturday either. That was when we had a cookout for Zoey's first birthday. All 5 of Shawn's kids were here. From 9 1/2 to 1 years old, it was like a zoo here.

Zoey's cake was really cute.

Her small one was cute too. For the first birthday we always get them their own little cake to eat all by themself. Of course it is always better if it ts chocolate and they can make a big mess.

Zoey dug right in and she did make a big mess with her cake. It wasn't enough that she had it all over her face and hands she had to get up and walk in it, oh yeah she had a good time eating that cake. She went right in to the tub when she was done. Nothing left of her cake!
In other news, I haven't done much sewing but I have been cutting 5" square for my next quilt. It is from one of the Nickle quilts book and I have enough dark squares but not enough background squares, I only need around 400 of them. I have about half cut. I am useing some of those background fat quarters that I have no idea why I bought them.

Have you seen my tote?

Thought I would start out with a picture of the other side of the boys room. Looks pretty neat right now, they haven't had a chance to mess it up yet. Give them time.

My family quilt group got together last Sat. and cousin Lisa brought cousin Terry's and her quilt block pattern from last year for us. We are making row quilts with blocks that we exchanged through the year. We each picked a block pattern and then each of us made 7 blocks so we would have one of each from everyone. Theirs are the last 2. So I have been looking for the tote that had the fabric I was using for my blocks in it along with my set of blocks for my quilt. I looked every where more than once. I looked everyday more than once. I took things off of the shelves in the barn, I looked in the boys room even though we took everything out of there. I looked in the dining room where I had some of my quilting things. I was getting pretty upset and called cousin Lisa to see if it got put in her car the last time she was here by mistake. I still did not have any luck finding the tote. Then tonight when I was going in to put my jammies on I looked into my bedroom and it hit me! So I went in and looked under my bed and there it was. I put it there so I wouldn't loose it. It wasn't lost, I just couldn't find it! I knew that I hadn't seen that tote in the barn.

This is the fabric that I have used in my first 5 blocks. Our first 5 blocks are Tree, Cardtrick, House, Star and a signature block. Our last 2 are a girl block and a kind of swirly star. I was going to make my star block out of the red and gold but I don't have enough of the red so I guess it will be green and gold. My girl block will be made with the orange for her dress.

This is the signature blocks that we have already. Terry and Lisa still has to make theirs so I am showing their tree blocks. This was a fun exchange and I think that our different personalitys show in the colors that we put in our blocks. It seems like we each like different colors which is a good thing or all of our blocks would be the same.

Change Is Good

Remember last fall when Judy L. wanted us to show our stash and I showed these 2 pictures of my sewing room? Well my end of the room went from this......

and this.....

to this. Looks a lot better. We got the boys bunk beds after my sewing stuff was moved out. Now they have room to play in their room.

and my wobbly ironing board went from this.......

to this. I got 2 kitchen base cabinets and put it on them now it is very sturdy and does not move when I use it. I even gained some more storage space.

Grandson Nick likes to iron for some reason and was helping me over the weekend and when I looked up to see how he was doing he had the iron laying down as he moved the fabric to the new spot. When I yelled at him to set it up I was too late, it had already left a spot. I tried Maryellen"s Best Press for the first time and I really like the way fabric presses with it. I was pressing background fabric because I am starting a new quilt out of the nickle quilts book and I need something like 296 background squares and I don't have enough in my 5" squares. I have plenty of med./dark squares to do the quilt. I have to show some progress at the family quilt gathering on Sat. I want to do some 4patchs by then. I only need 144 of them. My secret sister picked the Blackfords Beauty quilt for me to make this year. I have to make 36 blocks to make it big enough for my bed. One step at a time is how I am going to do this one. It takes 4 patchs, flying geese, and picket fence units and I thought that if I did it one unit at a time would go faster for me. But I have to work on it before I can get anything done at all.

April Fools Day

Can you believe that it is April already? This year is flying by. Today was 80% WOW. I have been looking for a job and not having much luck. Kelly's temp [where I had to call for Whirlpool] told me that I was not qualifed for a job there because I have never worked afternoons or midnights and because I have always sat at my job. I haven't heard from any others. I only wish I could make what I would at a job at home quilting without alot of cash invested. My friend Judy just opened a longarm shop and said she would hang some of my quilts and put a price tag on them but I don't have any of them quilted yet so I am in a stand still on that. Does anyone else save bits of ribbon that comes on candy and other things? I do and as Gabby and I was in the barn putting things away we decided that I would find a glass gallon jar to put them in. That way we could see them as they are all colors. I have some silk flowers that came on some summer tops but I took them off that will go in there with the ribbons. My DH empted his dill pickle jar last night so guess where that is going. GAbby and I was going to go out to the barn but she fell asleep so I will wait till tomorrow and let her fill the ribbon jar.

Barn Sweet Barn

I am not all the way moved in but I have been sewing in the barn now for about 2 weeks and I love it. I still have somethings to put away and I still have the things in the garage to move in but I am getting there. The top picture is of the end of the barn. I have my cutting table and ironing board is there. I really like my big ironing board[thank you Uncle Henry] but I am having trouble with it because it is too wobly. I think that is from the little board under it. Someday I want a stand built for it. With a shelf under it so I can put a small fridge there. The green and red storage totes go in the loft. I have block of the month kits in them. Gotta get them done one of these years.

This is my sewing area. This also shows that I still have the drop cloth down on the carpet. It has been too wet and muddy not to have it down. I would have a mess without it with the littles helping me move things out there. I have been working on my retreat quilt so I can get that done. I only have to sew the blocks in rows and then into the center of the quilt. After that I have to do the outside border and it will be done according to the pattern but I think I am adding a border of just fabric on the outside to make it big enough for our bed. I am trying to figure out what to do with my thread. In the house I had it on racks hanging on the wall behind my machine. I really like seeing it there but it was getting dusty and I didn't like that to much. It is much to pretty to just hide away somewhere. Anyone have any ideas? HEY Kare, look no beer cans!

Ta-Da

We went from this broken down cabinet that we had to redo, with gorilla glue and some brackets to keep it together to this.

All set up and ready to go. I did sew a few pieces of fabric together so I could say that I did sew in the barn already. After we finished the cabinet today I had Donny drill a hole in the top of it so I could run my foot cord down through the top because it wasn't long enough to come out to where I needed it to sew if I run it down the back. Now it goes down the middle and I can have it come out as far as I want it to. I might go back out there later tonight.

This is the newest member of our family. Mom's new puppy. He is pretty cute.

Moving In

It started yesterday when I loaded up the kids with stuff and sent them to the barn. Yep we were moving in this week end. This mess is mostly in the barn. I have put some fabric and other things away so we could move in more. Nick did more today. Butch emptied my beanie baby bookcase so it could be moved out there. Then the handyman was coming over to fasten cabinets to the wall. After Shawn and the handyman moved the bookcase out to the barn I was out there with Donny to show him where I wanted them fastened in I looked out the window in time to see Shawn and his girlfriend, Jamie moving my sewing machine cabinet across the deck. And then it happened...............................my cabinet fell apart! After they picked up the pieces and carried them into the barn. Donny was trying to figure out a way it could be put back together. We think he got it with a little luck and a lot of gorilla glue. I will know tomorrow. Two hours later I found out that Jamie had Shawn sitting on top of it so she could give him a ride which probably would have worked better if they would have unlocked the castors so they could have rolled across the floor But no they didn't so she just drug it which pulled all of the fasteners out of the wood. It kind of P--sed me off because the cabinet is not that old. True I didn't pay that much for it but I don't want to replace it yet. I wanted to sew tonight but that will have to wait till tomorrow now.

More Barn News

Nick and the 2 kids from Hell went out to the barn tonight to help me put the last cabinet together. Big mistake!!! We did get the cabinet together but I had to send the 2 little ones back in. I did not want to get my head bashed in with my hammer or my eye put out with a screw driver. Nick did help me with it and he did a lot. My big board ironing board will go to the right of this one. My uncle Henry made my big board for me. I want to have a stand of some kind built for it so I can put my fridge under it. Gotta keep the cans of Coke cold some how. {or beer}

It looks good where it is at and yes I can get into the big cabinet. My butt still fits between them. These two cabinets add lots more room for the stash. I think I will have to paint the insides because it is bare wood but that can wait for warm weather.

Mom got me the three drawer units for christmas 2 years ago and they fit in there very nicely. I will use them for some smaller things like velcro, elastic and that kind of stuff.

My new cutting mat fit on top and leaves me room to stack my parts when I cut them out. The only thing with this cabinet is that when you lean on the front of it, it tips forward so I have to have the handy man come and attach it to the wall. I wonder how long it will take him to get that done. I have to do something with the big crack in between the doors too.

Isn't this the cutest little night light you ever saw? One of my secret sisters got it for me and I saved it just for the barn. The kids and I am going to start moving some things in tomorrow and I hope I can get some son help to move my sewing machine cabinet. I don't think that the kids can help with that. It is way too heavy for them. They can carry books and fabric though.