My new blog

[jcribb16]

Kim,

Well my computer crashed again this morning.  My son had to re-program it from the beginning of when I first got this laptop.  I'm trying to figure out if this same virus is coming from the paid emails or FB games or even my IncrediMail.  This is the 2nd time in 2 months that this has happened.  Once again, I've lost pictures and saved bookmarks and some email addresses.

Yes, he is becoming very comfortable here now.  I let him help with some things, like carrying washcloths, from the dryer.  I stripped the paper off of old medicine bottles and put pennies in them.  He loves to shake them and I have to shake one, too.  He's starting to potty train himself - I have to stay on top of things if he has a messy diaper.  If not, he will pull the velcro apart and start to pull the diaper off.  His mom is working with him - he's picking the idea up fast!
We've got blocks, cars, foam letters/numbers, stuffed animals, big-piece puzzles, etc.  If I play with him he's fine with all of it.  If I go to do something else that's when he wants to plunder.  His mom said at home the other day, he had found a key and had managed to pull the outlet cover off and was sticking it in and out.  He was getting buzzed each time.  She said he wasn't even crying either. 

You know, I may not have work right now, but it seems like I may be babysitting him one to two weeks a month, when dad goes out of town, and for pay.  Then today, a teacher friend of mine asked if I could start watching her grandbaby (10 mos.) once a week.  We all go to the same church.  This would be for pay, too.  I don't mind, but I don't have the stamina to do any more than that, period.  But every little bit helps.

Nice weather for the fair!  A cold front has been coming in since this morning and it's going to be in the 50s while we are there, including a nice breeze.  I love it!

Still nothing from Randal.  But he changed his profile pic on FB to him and the two girls at the airport.  You can probably pull him up, too.  The older one looks like she is holding a homemade welcome home sign.  My MIL and my SIL called me yesterday - both are trying to show their support, encouragement, and love for us.  That was very sweet of them and it helps.  It helps to be able to "talk" to you about it, too!

Alright, they are ready to go so I've got to get off now.  I finally just got back on, lol!

Have a great night!  Oh and I hope all goes okay with SD staying over. 

Julie 

[golotomer]

Julie,

Sorry about your computer crashing.  It is irritating for sure.  Computers have become such an integral part of our life that it's like going without water.   

I'm not good about backing stuff up either so I usually lose something when mine goes down.  Mine is due for an upgrade too.  This one is getting old and every once in a while it just freezes up on me.  At least I have a guru living in the house, and several other computers, so I shouldn't be down long once the crash happens. 

It does seem as though you are as busy as if you were working and as long as there is at least some money coming in it's a help.  Just don't over do it. 

I'll get out there and take a  look at Randalls FB page too and take a peek at the girls. 

I took Rose to get the paints yesterday and we had lunch at Hot Head Burritos.  Once I got home, about 3, I hit the homework and worked until 9.  Bob made it to Albequerque about 1 in the morning.  I had talked to him at 9, before I went to bed, and made him promise to call me when he bedded down for the night.  He will have another 7-800 miles to get to Vegas tonight. 

Jess, the SD, and Amya ended up not staying last night.  I could have gone the extra mile and kept Amya but I had so much homework I just didn't offer.  She will be with me today though.  I still have quite a bit of homework to do and am going to try to get some of it down this morning before she gets here and hopefully some through the day if she naps or occupies herself.  I plan on cleaning out the fridge, rearranging the food cabinets, the broom closet and getting some dusting/cleaning done too.  Tomorrow we do the windows at 8 in the morning and I'll still have the afternoon for homework.  I got some stiff papers with neat prints on them and want to make some of the folded Moravian stars for Christmas gifts.  I will put fishing line on them so they can be hung from the walls.  Then more homework I expect. 

Sunday my son and his fiance are coming to visit.  They haven't seen my new camper yet so I left the cover off of it and after they've had a peek I'm going to see if my son and I can't go ahead and cover it.  They will be taking his dog back to Erie with them so I'll be down to one dog and one cat.  His dog is the one that trys to crawl inside your skin with you anytime you are sitting or laying down so it will be a change not having her around.  My older dog likes attention, of course, but she is content to crawl up behind you on the couch and lay on the pillows and isn't constantly in your face.  I will have to pay more attention to her though as she won't have her daughter/buddy to play with anymore.  The other dog should be fine as my son will be more active and they have their kitten to play with.  I will miss her though.  She has the sweetest little face. 

Running off to hit the homework, AGAIN.  Hope your evening at the fair was fun and I'll be waiting to hear about it. 

Kim

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim,

We did have fun at the fair.  It was around 64 when we left home to go there.  Once we were in the fair, we ordered food and while eating, the wind picked up, and we could feel the temperature dropping.  It dropped to about 56 and with the wind blowing strong, it turned flat cold.  Roddy had 3 shirts on (2 were sweatshirts) and sweat under his pants.  He's gotten so cold-natured so it didn't take long for him to be cold.  I'm just glad I actually took a heavy sweater and scarf!  I haven't been getting hot flashes much anymore so it doesn't take as much now to get me cold, lol.  We had fun browsing through everything, checking out the live music, seeing new rides that have come out.  We feel complete now since we went and got our funnel cakes, brought home candy apples and cotton candy.  They have free funnel cakes tonight.  The fella I've been watching's mom invited Veronica to go with her and the kids tonight.  She actually got free tickets for them!

He started calling me "Ju-Ju" as of yesterday.  That's pretty neat.  When his mom picked him up this afternoon, he came back and hugged me and said "Bye bye Ju-Ju."  Then he threw me a kiss.  Little charmer!!  I pulled out the big bag of mega legos today for him (I had forgotten we keep them in Roddy's office.)  When he got here and saw them he kept saying "Ah-hah Ah-hah!"  We played together for awhile then he helped me pick them up.  Then a few minutes later the bag was emptied today.  But, hey, he had fun.

Speaking about not backing up stuff, do you happen to still have the copy of the email I sent you?  If so, would you mind forwarding it to me?  I meant to print it out to save in my folder since I had actually taken time to go into some detail.  The book idea you mentioned sounds like a faint possibility and it would help to have that as a start to go from there with filling in areas.  The diaries I mentioned to you - do you think they could be incorporated into a section of a book?  I know how girls like to keep diaries, but I'd like some thoughts on it.  If you don't still have it, that's okay.  I know I can go back and work on it again.

That's great about Rose for tomorrow.  I wish her the best and it's really nice of you to help her!

I hope Bob has gotten or will get to Vegas soon.  You are doing pretty good with having some quality study time.  It feels so much better to be a little more prepared and on top of things.  I hope you and Amya had a good day together, too.  Those Moravian stars sound like nice Christmas gifts.  I take it that they aren't too hard or time-consuming? 

That would be helpful for you if your son can help you go ahead and cover the camper.  I'm glad they are coming to visit with you.  I imagine your son's dog is going to miss you, too!

Still no word from Randal.  What's sad, too, is he doesn't know that we know he's back.  And everyone around him down there, especially her family are all celebrating his welcome back.  It's like we are not allowed to do that or else it's like we are just forgotten.  I'm sorry, Kim, but I just had to get that off of my chest.  I know or hope that things will change, and soon, but it sure doesn't seem like it. 

Alrighty then, you have a great night and I know you have a busy day tomorrow, so have fun, enjoy yourself, and I'll "see" you sometime during the day!!

Julie   

[golotomer]

JuJu,

Glad you had a good time at the fair.  Right now 50 degree weather sounds warm to me.  We had snow yesterday morning.  We got about an inch but it all melted off by afternoon.  Still..it has begun and this is Pennsylvania so I expect more of the same. 

Bob made it to Arizona last night.  He is only about 100 miles away from his destination but he was tired and will drive the rest of the way this morning and meet up with the rest of the crew.  The tent will be up by tonight and he can finally get to a hotel and take a shower.  He has been sleeping in double sleeping bags in the truck for the last couple of days and only washing up in restrooms. 

I do still have that email and forwarded it back to you.  I do think you should write a book, or if nothing else a blog, where you talk about what happened.  It may give someone the needed advice to help themself out of a situation.  I still need to answer you better on that message and tell you a few more things. 

I can't imagine that Randal is thinking you don't know he is back.  He knows he had told you when he was scheduled back and he also knows the wonder of Facebook.  I think it will just take time for all of the discussions between him and his wife to ensue.  So many people and so little time.  Surely the holiday will make him think in terms of family and he'll reach out. 

I got a lot done yesterday.  I did a bunch of homework, cleaned my entire kitchen counter area including the toaster, reorganized a can cabinet, cleaned the fridge and knocked a few dust bunnies around. 

I did fold some of the stars but got frustrated as they aren't real uniform.  I found a video for a different star that requires five pieces of paper but is more uniform so I'm going to try those next.  I hadn't purchased 5 of any one design so I'm going to the craft store today and buying some more paper.  I've been getting the sheets for 50 cents each so the price has gone up to 2.50 per star but I think they will be much neater and possibly bigger.  More for wall hanging or hanging from a window which is what I want.  Here is a link to the video.

http://foldsomething.com/2011/origami-videos/modular-star-5-point-raised/

I also started working on a rug.  This pattern is so easy and you use two strands of yarn.  I'm using white as one of the colors the entire way through but using up various colors of scrap yarn as the second color.  They end up looking like an amish braided rug except that I"m making mine rectangular.  If you interested I'd be glad to send you that pattern, or post it here, and I even have a video on youtube that shows the stitch.  I made it and posted it because a friend couldn't remember how to do the first few stitches of each row and I couldn't get with her in the flesh to show her. 

I'm taking Rose to do the window this morning.  I will be taking pictures and posting to FB so keep an eye out.  She is a wonderful artist and has such a story about her life.  I'd invite her to blog with us and tell her story but she isn't very good at typing and is even worse at spelling.  She was raised the first few years of her life in Vietnam and never learned to read or write English very well.  She just kind of got lost in the school system when she came to the US.  She passed her classes but didn't learn properly. She speaks pretty well but will often use words incorrectly.  She is smart enough but nobody ever took the time to teach her any differently.  I try to help her with certain things and provide her with tools for her computer to tutor her.  That is a story for a personal email though. 


I'm also taking a thermos of coffee and dressing warm this morning.  I hope they let us paint on the inside of windows instead of the out but then that makes it more difficult for Rose as she has to work backwards.  I'll send you a copy of the sketch she submitted when she applied to enter the contest.  That way you can compare it to the finished work.  The only painting I will do is helping her put on the first few coats of background colors for the sky and snow.  Paint by numbers I can do! 

TTYL, 

Kim

[jcribb16]

Hi Dianna!

We've missed you lately!  I noticed on FB you have still not been feeling great and still on some medicine.  I sure hope you are okay.  I hope you feel beeter soon - take care of yourself!

Julie

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim,

Thank you for forwarding the email to me.  I really appreciate that. 

It went down to 29 here last night!  Brrrr....!  Since my being too hot all of the time has been going away for the past couple of months, my hubby has been calling me a wimp lately with the cold.  I've actually been kind of on the cold side this week in particular - I've kind of forgotten what it was like to be cold!  I'm glad though, because I cannot stand those hot flashes. 

I guess Bob is finally there tonight - I'm sure he's relieved and will be glad to take a real shower and sleep in a real bed.

You did get a lot done yesterday, including the homework!  My goals this coming week are to clean and wipe down the fridge inside and out, clean the island counter, and I really want to get the floors mopped.  I cleaned and rearranged the pantry this past week and cleaned the bathrooms (ugghhh...)  I would also like to get the carpets deep cleaned but that will have to wait a little bit longer.

Our next door neighbors had a barbecue this afternoon and invited all of the neighbors who helped the day their home burned and afterwards with bringing stuff to give them.  He smoked all of the meat (chicken, ribs, and pork) and there were potota salad, baked beans, and a vegetable tray.  He had a campfire going the whole time and everyone sat in a circle around it enjoying the heat from it.  The food was great!  The only thing for me is I had to sit back and a little ways away because they all smoked except for 2 others, and they sat back, too.  But everyone had a nice time.  When I got back I put on my flannel pj's and now I'm comfy.

I like that site you provided - that looks really neat making the stars.  Also, I would really like to have the pattern for the rug - I think I could handle trying that with your guidance!

Rose sounds like a lovely person.  That's sad about not getting the grounding in English.  She's really fortunate to have someone like you to help her like you are doing.  I'll make sure to look for the pictures on FB from today.  And thank you for sending me a copy of the sketch.  I'll look forward to it!

By the way, I just noticed the JuJu for your intro, lol!  You are funny! 

Hope you are enjoying your evening.  With this time change and darkness coming earlier, it seems so late now at night.  Have a nice Sunday.  Talk with you later,

Julie   

[golotomer]

Morning Juju. (sorry can't stop calling you that)

I slept in this morning.  Didn't get up until 7.  Feel like a lazy bum. 

That was nice of the neighbors to have the cookout.  I'm sure they appreciate what everybody did for them. 

I love campfires but they make my allergies kick up.  I have three burn piles in the yard and haven't lit the fires because of that...well and I'm waiting on the right weather. 

I will mail you the rug pattern.  Once you get the hang of it there is no counting so it's something you can work on and not have to think.

Well darling, I'm off to do some of my other projects so I'll talk at you later.  Email coming soon about Rose. 

Kim

[acurtsinger2]

hi my name is alicia and i like doing some of the things that you do (i never learned to knit though).  i have 4 grandkids and one on the way and i'm glad i'm a young grandma because they take a lot of time and energy.

I'm always looking for a place to blog and discuss things on my mind or that of my friends.  What better place than here! 

A little about myself, I'm 56 years old, currently unemployed and trying to stay afloat in today's economy.  I always was very frugal minded and have been participating in and honing my skills in voluntary simplicity for many years. 

I'm planning on going back to school as of February for Medical Assistant in hopes that a job in the medical field will be easier to find that one in IT where I used to work. 

I knit, crochet, work on genealogy, raise three fur babies and spend a lot of time on the computer playing games or chatting with friends on social networks. 

I'm also looking for a new friend or new project to keep me busy. 

Tell me a little about yourself and let's chat.

h

[golotomer]

Hi Alicia,

Nice to meet you.  Yes those grandkids do take a bunch of energy!  We watch one of ours, 4 years old, twice a week.  She keeps us stepping. 

Are you working on any crochet projects for the holidays?

Kim

[jcribb16]

Alicia,

Hi, welcome, and it's great to meet you!  I have 2 granddaughters, ages 7 yrs. and 3 yrs.!  I agree with you wholeheartedly about their abundance of energy!!  Hope to see you again!

Julie 

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim aka Kat!

Even though you slept in (from when you normally get up) 7:00 is still pretty early in the morn.!  I'm glad you got to, though - you've more than earned it!

The barbecue was pretty nice.  Johnny did very good with the meats.  They made everyone take some home with them - there was that much still left.  About the campfire, I made sure to sit on the side away from which the wind blew the smoke.  Those who were smoking were on the smoke side.  I had already been coughing for a bit when sitting out there (some of the meat smoke got to me) so I did my inhaler and took some off brand cough syrup, then had some cough drops on hand.  But it was nice.  One neat thing was during the bbq, the flocks and flocks of European Starlings were migrating through all afternoon.  They were landing in a couple of our trees at the woods and a couple of the neighbor's trees.  It looked like tinsel all hanging off of Christmas trees.  They would take off, go in circles, mix up, land, over and over.  They are the dark blue with the whitish specks all over their top and wings.  They are gone today.  That was neat, though!

Thanks for mailing the rug pattern.  That should be fun and something new for me to do.  I'll watch for the email of Rose.  I haven't even checked my email yet today.

Enjoy your Sunday!  Talk to you later!  By the way, it was nice "chatting" with you last night on FB.  We were finally on at the same time.

JuJu 

I guess that's my new name now, lol!!  They are calling me that at home, too!!

[golotomer]

Hi Julie,

The starlings are neat to see.  Did you see on the news last week where the couple in Ireland (I think) filmed a bunch of migrating starlings that were doing a flight that looked like waves?  There were millions of them. 

I can't find the exact video but here is one done to the music of Canon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakKfY5aHmY&feature=related

My son came and got his dog last night.  I had a little coat for her and she looked so cute.  They'll be down next week for Thanksgiving and said they'd bring her.  I told them if it doesn't work out I'd take her back. 

I can't believe it's Monday already and the start of another week.  I'm once again ready for a longer break.  One and half weeks and I'll get five days. 

Off to work on some English.  Let me know if you need help with that rug pattern.  Catching the first stitch is the hardest part.  It really doesn't look like a stitch but is and if you don't catch it the rug won't stay straight.  Here is the Youtube video I did for Irene so she could remember the stitch.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wroMWtkl6fg

[golotomer]

Sorry didn't mean to end that post so abrubtly.  I hit the post button without thinking. 

Tata for now. 

 

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim,

That was an awesome video of the starlings - they don't even realize what an entertaining show they are putting on.  Thanks for the link.  Also thanks for the link for the stitching.  Lol, I would have to restart it over and over until I get it!!  And then you get faster, ha ha!  I'm glad to have it.  I subscribed to you for any other videos like that you may do.

That's sweet of you to offer to take his dog back if it doesn't work out.  I hope it does, but at least he knows you're there.  I hope you had a nice visit with them.  Have you heard from Bob?  I guess he's really busy with work.

Yes, another Monday, lol!  It was a draggy morning, yuck.  I'm going to the dr. tomorrow - she's going to listen to my chest and breathing.  The coughing is still constant, my eyes are swollen and hurting, and my chest is aching.  When I breathe, there is crackling/wheezing.  Maybe it's just a sinus infection and it's triggering the other stuff.  It makes me nauseated, too.  Oh, well - enough of that!!

Hope your studies and classes are still going pretty good for you.  Do they give you Thanksgiving week off or just the couple of days?  I know you are ready for some time off again.

I didn't get too much accomplished today like I wanted.  But I did manage to make 2 pitchers of tea (for them), wash and dry the dishes, and cook supper.  Veronica likes to cook and so she does about 4 nights of it, and I do some, and Roddy likes to cook, too, sometimes.  It's the cleaning up no one likes, lol, but I've always said in our home that whoever cooks doesn't have to clean up afterwards.  That way everybody has to do something to help.  It works!

Have a nice Tuesday and I'll talk with you later!!

Julie 

[golotomer]

Julie, 

I saw that someone subscribed to my videos but it wasn't your name.  It had a picture of a soldier.  Is that you?  I don't post much to YouTube.  I've done a few videos of my grandkids and that's about it. 

I will get about 5 days off at Thanksgiving (including the weekend).  The bigger break will come at Christmas.  One we return on January 2 we will only have another two weeks of school and the semester will end on the 17th.  I have to apply for and and start my internship by then. 

I hear from Bob briefly a couple of times a day.  He is 3 hours behind me so it makes it a tad difficult. 

We had bad storms last night.  My grand-daughter, Kaleigh, was flying in from San Diego and landing in Cleveland.  I haven't heard from her but am assuming everything went well.  She wasn't scheduled to land until 10 last night and by then everything had calmed down.  She will be home until the 28th and has a bunch of family to visit so I won't see much of her but Treven's family lives in my area so they'll probably call my house home base a couple of nights. 

Indy is now sleeping with me in the bed.  I don't know if Bob will allow it once he gets home but I wanted to transition her to being alone by at least letting her sleep with me.  Both dogs used to sleep with me but we started making them a bed on the floor because Sunshine would snuggle so close to me that I couldn't roll over and it was disrupting my sleep.  Indy though will lay on the bottom of the bed and you never know she is there so he might allow it.  The only other thing is that she has allergeries and has a sort of doggy smell to her.  Maybe if I lay her blanket there, instead of her laying on the coverlet, it would be okay.  He asked me if I had allowed her to sleep with me once Sunshine left and I admitted I had.  He said he would see how it went when he got home.   

Short day at school today and I'm glad.  I started to get a few Christmas things out last night and if it doesn't rain I might put them up today.  I have a test to study for too and the house is starting to look a bit shabby so I need to do some maintenance.  It's trash night too so the cans have to be pushed to the end of the driveway.  What a job when you have a bunch of snow but so far we're just wet.  And I do mean wet.  The breezeway carpet is soaked this morning from all the wind and rain. 

That crackling and wheezing doesn't sound good.  I hope the doctor can prescribe something to help you. 

Question?  Do you play that Ravensskeye City on FB?  (Is that even the name of it?)  I just started playing but I'm really not sure what I'm doing and thought maybe you could offer some advice.

TTYL, 

Kat