Category Archives: Mom

Aug16

Stitch by Stitch sign in Cape May

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For all my fellow stitchers-indeed!
Lee over at Lake Stitcher mentioned this store and of course it was one of the first places I snooped out when we were in Cape May last week! I didn’t photograph the store, it was tiny, jammed packed and the walls were covered with finished pieces. I had my mom with me. You know I worry about what she can possibly do with the condition of her eyesight. She picked up a chart with about 20 color changes per line that I wouldn’t even tackle! I found a blackwork of some of the Victorians in tiny form and she said she wanted it too. I told her to save her money and I would lend it to her. I also bought a kitty kit over one of the newer The Prairie*Schoolers. How can they sell the leaflets for over $9 now??-I got the kit with the fabric, design and floss for the same price. I’ll share what it is when I find it. ; )
The building you see in the background are retirement apts. Can you imagine living a few blocks from the beach and across the street from a cross stitch store? The only thing it is missing is a place to garden, but I didn’t see the entire place.
I haven’t done that much cross stitch lately. I’ve been pretty steady with it for over 10 years and I have found other hobbies with the satisfaction of completing things in a shorter amount of time and being able to swap them with others. I still love cross stitch, but I want to finish one thing before starting another. I really need to go through my 2 crates, big plastic box and library of books and downsize. That may be my project for the cooler months.
It’s a sizzler here-haven’t been out today yet!
Tomorrow, hopefully my brother will look at the a/c in my van and also check out the transmission which seems to slip once in a while. I’m also getting my hair done by his wifey, so I hope he can help me out. I have to get her birthday things together. She’s only turning 39!
Stay cool!

Aug3

Need a baseball bat?

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All the rain kept us out of the garden for a number of days and lookie what Brian found over the weekend:
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Yep, a biggie! We also harvested about 4 cucumbers so far. Next week we’ll be digging to see if I got any fingerling potatoes! I see some green beans that need picking too.
Unfortunately, many of the tomatoes in my container garden and a few in the big garden are getting blossom rot from the rain. We need some hot, dry days to hopefully remedy that! Tomorrow and the next should help.
For the second Sunday in a row, we had a terrible storm that knocked out the power for 5 hours each day it happened. I tidied up some art supplies and made this as one of the four I made that day. It’s my friend’s grandmom-I don’t think she reads my blog and she’s away right now:
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Don’t put an old photo of yourself or a relative on your blog or in Facebook or I may use it! I’ll gift her with this. I’d say it’s about 1908 or so.
Sean and I went down to my mom’s and did a few things around the place. She bought yet another bagless vacuum which I scolded her for. I hope this one doesn’t ‘blow up’ like her previous clunker did! We went down to the liquidator store and JoAnn’s and I bought a few things namely paper crafting things at JoAnn’s (40% off) and 70% off windchimes and a few little gnome figurines. We went to The O*live Garden and the portions were very slimmed down. I always had some left to bring home, not tonight.
So that’s my last few days. Plan to stay in and cool tomorrow!

Jul9

Bulky

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I have one of those wholesale club cards and don’t use it very often. Yesterday Sean and I decided to go to the one near my mom and take her. I had a ‘limit’ to what I was spending, but with Mom and Sean along, I completely blew it! We hadn’t been there since December or January, so I should account for that! I really wanted the big box of Cas*cade, which I got. Sean likes the energy bars and a few other things. It really adds up. I shouldn’t need to buy shampoo, soft drinks and snack food for weeks or months now. We also went to the store next to the wholesale-For*man Mills. It’s mostly a clothing store. I think only 10-20% of it is worth looking at and you have to go up in the size as most of the clothes look shrunk up. BUT, I did find a ‘tiered’ dress in white, black and gray, a black and white patterned skirt, a double knit black top with some beading around the neck, a red and white stretchy top (I should have gone up a size) and a funky 1960s type handbag-the body of it is big white faux leather circles and it has beaded handles. All for under $50!! Also got a big bottle of Coconut/Vanilla shower soap. It was definitely a store to snoop in. Sean found a Eagles football watch for $7. I had to read the sizes to my mom as her eyes aren’t too good yet.
Sean’s off to Penn State for an Arts and Crafts fest. I think it’s an excuse to see old friends. I would have liked to go, but only one bed and no way am I letting him or me sleep on that inflatable mattress again. He said he’d buy me something!
I’m going to out to tie up some plants…so here are the ‘thunks’…

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious?
If I do it’s when I look in the mirror. I’m not happy with what’s going on, but sometimes when I exercise, I hurt myself-like when I pulled my right back shoulder blade, it hurt for almost 3 months. I try and do lots of outdoor gardening-digging, hauling stuff, etc this time of year to firm me up a bit.

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? No! Had them out when I was 19 and it was horrible. I had twilight sleep, so I knew what was going on a bit, but played dead for the dentist.

3. Peanut Butter – creamy or crunchy?
I like both-creamy on bread, chunky in cookies.

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on?
My right one!

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil? Almost cabalt blue-my Kitchen*Aide mixer

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral? Yes! I even took photos for my Flickr account. Michael was only 14.5 month older than me, so I followed his entire career.

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year?
Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go? No, not this year.

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes?
I think black with white stripes looks better.
9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you?
You had to be pick 6th grade-didn’t like my teacher at all, an ex-nun with a case on herself. She’d probably say I didn’t speak up enough and had bathroom problems.
10. Can you draw a perfect circle?
I think I can draw a pretty good one!

11. What was your favorite scratch & sniff sticker scent?
Coconut!

12. What does your sibling do for a living?
I have 3 brothers-
the eldest is an electronic tech for a major news network in Philly; the next is a medical recruiter and the baby is a master mechanic.

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now?
2 light switches-and about 7 outlets.

14. Do you know sign language?
Only a few signs like ‘I love you’.

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk?
Bad luck! I don’t want to fall down either.

16. And the sheets on your bed look like….?
Yes-I like sets.

17. What is something that everyone else has, but you don’t?
A job!

May20

Back in the day

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Another great reason to find old pals on Facebook is that they sometimes post their old photos and you may be in them!
This is probably 8th grade (1973) and those are two pals Bev and Cindy-I’m in the middle! Thanks to another Cindy for posting it.
DianneJrh
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Sean and I went to see my mom and my brother and his Dalmation were there. My brother has off Wednesdays. First we picked up lunch and ate in a park with a little waterfall near a Grist Mill. There is also trout fishing there.
We hung around mom’s a bit and then went to check out flowers at a discount place and hit Home De*pot for a new bathroom faucet and shower head and also more flowers! We ate some Greek salad and white pizza at a new place-it was good. Headed over to another shopping center and a closed store had one of those ‘book warehouse sales’ there, but they had other things like greeting cards and gift packages of lotions, besides books. I got quite a few things including artist Nancy Noel cards and a jewelry book. Sean wanted to get goodies at Trader Joes too. It was a full day! Gardening tomorrow!

May6

Contemplation

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First of all-I noticed my second sidebar was stuck on the bottom of the page. I tried to fix it, but had to write to WordPress support. This morning it was all fixed-yeah.

My mom is up at the eye doctor as I type this getting a needle in her right eye containing a cancer medicine that also helps people with macular degeneration. Then she has to sit/lay quietly for 3 hours. She had no one drive her there, but thank goodness it’s only 5 minutes away, up in my hometown. We’ll have to get her to start using the transport service, she can and doesn’t. If she has an issue with the procedure, I’m sure my brother or sister-in-law can pick her up and get her car later. Or they can call me and I can come down.

Sean is turning in his last paper of his college career-so far. I’ve proofed almost all his papers for him, some I didn’t really understand about geographic issues like measurements. The last one was about Ocean City, MD, the beach resort we only found when Sean was about 3. My brother and his family go back every year they love it so much. It’s got tons of beach area and you never feel crowded out. There’s a lot to do from outlet shopping to nature watching. It was fun to read about the early history of the city when tourists back then had to take a steamboat up the river and then take a train to get there.
Sean will be home tomorrow!

I’m finishing up a Mother’s Day ‘skinny’ card for a swap that I will share. I like the way it is coming out. We were asked to have a movable part on it.
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This is my darling late grandmom Ruth. I hide her under a huge mussie tussie! When I was a little girl, I use to bring May Day flowers to her and my mom and hang them on the doorknob. This reminded me of those days long ago.

I found a great sewing book in Big Lots last night and see a few things I’d like to make and sell on etsy. Some give you measurements, so don’t. I just have to figure them out.

I’ll let you know about my mom later.
Update-My mom was mistaken about how long she was suppose to be at the doctor’s office. I actually called there at 2:15 as I hadn’t heard from her all day. She called me about 1/2 hour later and said it was not pleasant, but it didn’t take long. A few hours later her eye was bothering her feeling scratchy, etc. She has to go have the procedure done about 3 more times.

May4

Rainy day #2

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Map I made for my husband’s newspaper client, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.
My map made the paper! The client wasn’t happy with some aspect (I’m sure it wasn’t the map) of the ad and they dropped the paper-hey-I’m giving them free publicity!
It’s so wet here, making my spirits a bit down. My one brother called and still wants me to help mom with her clothes, which I plan to do. I feel like he was putting me down for being a homemaker and not helping Bri over the years. After I hung up, I forget to add that besides eBay-almost 10 yrs, I’ve worked as a sub aide for the school district and stenciled about 600 ‘Welcome’ slates in the past for a local businesswoman. I told him I’m trying to figure out what would be sellers on etsy-I’m thinking practical things instead of tchotchkes that we all have enough of.
I got the new entrees that Julia Louis Dreyfuss is selling-the potstickers in particular- that she has hanging out of her mouth in the tv ad-so spicy! My mouth was burning for a while and now my tummy is. So cool ’em down Healthy C-the box doesn’t say it’s spicy. I’m having trouble with spicy Chinese stuff lately.
I’ll probably go to my mom’s tomorrow and do some clothes sorting-lucky me. She has a procedure on Wed-needle in the eye for her Mac Deg and she has to be still for 3 hours. It’s the same kind of medicine they use on cancer patients.
Wish her well.

Apr30

My mom’s eyes

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Mom was diagnosed with macular degeneration today.

From Wikipedia:

Macular degeneration is a medical condition usually of older adults which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness in the elderly. Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.

About 30% of the people in her age group get this. The eye doctor said my grandmom had it too. They are going to do everything they can to save her vision. Mom has been an avid reader her entire life. She is really sad right now, so keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
This prompted me to go to the eye doctor to get my eyes checked next month. Scary stuff.

Apr22

Happenings & Happy Earth Day!

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Finally got down to my hometown yesterday and my hair looks pretty again-thanks C! Also yesterday, Mom was at the eye doctor who works on the internal regions and she has swelling and a leakage in her left eye. He says it’s probably due to her being borderline diabetic and she needs an office laser procedure to repair that. That will be her 4th procedure in 8 months! Mom needs to be more serious about her eating, especially eating candy and sugared drinks. She is going to her doctor tomorrow for bloodwork and to see if she needs to be on medication. In February her blood sugar wasn’t bad (when she had thrush). The doctor yesterday said the thrush was probably from her diabetes. While there we went out to dinner. The restaurant up the road from her was always a favorite and was bought by two handsome Greek guys. They remodeled it and renamed it. This was our first time there and it was good. I got 1/2 rack of ribs-I like when the meat falls off the bones-these really didn’t. Mom had pork chops which she liked. They also give you a little pitcher of whatever you are drinking.
We went back to Mom’s and my brother Don was there playing with the puppy. I ‘fixed’ both of her vacuums-they were just all stuffed to the gills with paper, etc. that Kelsey had shredded.
I’m suffering with my upper back-think I have a nerve issue-from gardening on Saturday (leaning over a gazillion times) and then walking the dog and lifting the heavy vacuum didn’t help. I’ll be using the heating pad a few times.
I got this is my email-

Thanks for following! love, yoko IMAGINE PEACE: Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE http://www.IMAGINEPEACE.com
Yoko Ono / yokoono

I saw that Yoko Ono was on Twitter and it said ‘personal message’-so how cool is that! They can reply on their cells or computers.
Twitter is pretty neat!
I added a widget on the left with my Twitter updates.

Apr11

Happy 10th Sweet Niece

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My niece T. turned 10 today and we were invited to a nice dinner at her house. It was really good steak, shrimp, mac and cheese and salads.
Here’s a card I made for her:
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Look we have similar glasses and I think we look a bit alike ; )
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A cute one of all the next generation, see Sean in the middle there-
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It was nice to spend time with everyone! Here is one of my 3 brothers, mom and me-a bit blurry-
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Mar10

Mainly chillin’

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Since Sean is home and probably won’t be home again for a month, I have been on vacation myself. : ) Well, I want to spend time with him. We both are still tired from the very full day Sunday. I haven’t uploaded all my flower show photos yet, but will be finished soon.
I woke up with a ‘helium’ head and had to take a nap in the afternoon. Our temps here keep going from the 60s to the 40s to the 60s-not good for me. I really think I need to get outside now, move more and get fresh air. I’ll be going to Longwood Gardens a few times in the next few weeks to see their orchid display and attend their orchid sale.
The guys went over to see Bri’s dad tonight. I worked on a few art card swaps. We were going to get some favorite hoagies for dinner (I take a break from cooking too) and they were all out of rolls! What! So I had to order from another place which isn’t as good.
Sean ran the vacuum around for me earlier which is nice. Guys are good at vacuuming because of their strong arms.
My mom is over my uncle’s house for a few days-with the puppy. My uncle is use to peace and quiet and isn’t enjoying having Kelsey around. Mom went over to food shop and cook for him. His neighbor was sick, so he couldn’t help my uncle out this week.
My cross stitched pieces are framed at JoAnn’s, so we’ll go down there on Thursday to retrieve them-so excited! I just finished ‘Herb Garden’ a small piece by Shepherd’s Bush I did on linen. I figure I started it at least 4 yrs ago. I did the best I could do with the satin stitch:
herbgLet me know if you’d like the chart.

So that’s all I’ve been doing! Hope all is well.