Last night I did

Run the vacuum throughout the house
Bake the birthday cake
Arrange and set the table
Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer
Cut up celery and onions for the stuffing
Figure out something to wear
Find some colored plastic glasses that look nice on the table
Leave work before midnight
Cook the turkey giblets
Thank my husband for all his help
Get to sleep longer than I thought I would
Remind myself that I am very blessed
Thank my Lord and Saviour for the gifts He has given to me

Why can't I

Manage my time better
Get more done
Not wait till the last minute to finish something I've known about for months
Lose weight
Stay focused on one task at a time
Figure out how to extend 24 hours
Get up and go to church every Sunday
Win the lottery
Find a purse that I really, really like
Remember what this sticky note means
Find pants, bras, underwear that fit
Get a good nights sleep every night
Eat more healthy things
Resist that Peanut Butter Cookie from Tim Horton's
Remember where I left my "fill in the blank"
Keep in touch with my family & friends
Write on my blog more often
Post to Facebook more often
Be rich instead of dependable
Ride my bike back and forth to work
Make time to read the Bible every day
Write letters instead of emails
Learn to use the word NO effectively
Keep up with my online accounting class
Find the bottom of my sewing/mending basket

Marty's tabletop

My very talented husband finished the table top for his bar in the Steelers room. It looks great! It was a tedious process; it took him about a month overall. Sanding, base coat, placing and attaching decals, first coat (not perfect in his mind) second coat, cleaning up edges and reattaching to base. We haven't cleaned the top yet (sanding dust, etc) he wants to be sure it's very dry and the glaze is set. I can't wait till we can sit there to eat and watch the game.
He is so meticulous about things, which, overall, is good, but for projects like this, that trait causes him pain and agony.  This doesn't look right, that doesn't look right, the corner isn't square, the logo is crooked and on and on. Some of the things he points out are valid but really???  Bottom line, he's not going to take the chainsaw to it because the logo has bubbled!  He's going to enjoy the accolades he'll receive on Thanksgiving (always at our house) and be proud of his handiwork.  I'm proud of it and him.  I'm blessed with a husband who cares about the little things:)

Kip Winger

I attended a Kip Winger (solo) show with my brother Russell on Friday night at the Soft Rock Cafe, Centerville, OH, near Dayton. We collectively traveled 670 miles to be there, my brother from IL and myself from PA.  It was an acoustic show and we were fortunate to have a table close to the stage. Kip talked and interacted with the crowd all night. The highlight of the evening, my brother (who is jumping up & down, shouting "I'll do it!!") is randomly picked from the crowd to go up on stage and sing with Kip!

Finally a picture for this post!!

My brother is a natural entertainer.  He told jokes while Kip tuned his guitar and then he and Kip practiced some 'hairband' moves, with the crowd laughing and clapping in appreciation. When they finally got around to singing, they sang Miles Away and my brother rocked it!  It was totally cool watching my brother be a rock star :) 
Unfortunately, Russell didn't give me any notice of his intentions, I did not have a camera to take even one picture!  Very disappointed about that but he (who is social media savvy) is checking to see if any one else who attended Friday night might have photos to share.  Keeping my fingers crossed!
We sure enjoyed the night and we definitely created a great memory.

What a guy!

There are days and sometimes weeks when nothing goes right, your truck breaks down not once but twice in one week, you can't find the bill payment check that you just wrote, you gain instead of lose, reverse stops working on your sewing mac

hine and your chin has a zit as big as a quarter. You're going to be away from home for several days. When you finally get to your motel room, open your laptop and get ready to work into the wee hours, you find this and the dam breaks, you can't hold back the tears anymore and at the moment you don't want to because you're so thankful for your wonderful husband -- the tears transition from frustration to joy and the world seems right again. At least for a few minutes :) I'm blessed.

I won!!

Emily, everyone's favorite Dish Rag Tag inventor, over at Yarn Miracle has been educating the knitting community about some amazing yarns and related Eco-friendly practices.  Each month with her Mindful Fiber post, she graciously offers a give away to a lucky follower, randomly chosen from those who leave her a comment.  Yours truly won in September!!

This photo does not do the color justice.  I would describe it as a softly muted teal.  Morehouse  Farm describes it as  Silver Birch.  Either way it's beautiful and I was thrilled to win, Thank You again Emily!

If you don't already follow Emily at Yarn Miracle, please take some time to read her Mindful Fiber posts.  You won't be disappointed.  I've gathered all the Mindful Fiber posts here for your pleasure.  Who knows, if you comment in October, you might be the lucky winner !!  Good Luck.

Mindful Fiber - Begins
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September

One down, ??? to go

I think back in February I mentioned that I had not finished one of Marty's Christmas presents for 2011 :(
I was looking through pictures today and found a photo of him with the finished gift.  He really likes it and it felt good to finish it and see him enjoy it.  I did actually finish this back in March, it's not an early Christmas present for 2012 ;-p

I made this blanket about 7 ft in length to make sure Marty is entirely covered when he's stretched out on the couch, plus has a little to snuggle around his neck.
This time of year, before we start our wood burner, our basement room is a bit chilly; this is the best keep you toasty blanket we have. That double layer of fleece really holds in the heat!