Weekend in October

 Next weekend is Halloween and all the school activities - Spirit Week, a dance at school, and the girls are having a total of 6 girls spending the night on Saturday night!  This has been planned and looked forward to for so long.  I hope it's a great time for all of them - three big girls and three younger ones.  They'll go trick-or-treating in the neighbohoods near here.  There is always an over-the-top celebration not too far from their house, and this year maybe it won't be freezing and/or pouring rain.  There have been some rough ones in the past few years.  They deserve a nice one.  

Emily is planning her costume so carefully, and I reminded her that these girls might be old enough to go off by themselves.  I hope they let her go with them.  I'm not sure if or what Ryan is dressing as.  I haven't tried to keep up with them in years, and I like it that way.  Some years, we have no one ringing the doorbell, and some years, we do.  I may have lived here long enough with the cats on display that people feel like they know who I am.  Regardless, I'd better be prepared!  

I can't remember a less unproductive weekend lately.  I had so many things I had planned to do but just never drummed up any enthusiasm for them.  Some days, nothing I try turns out the way I want it to, and I lose my enthisiasm, esepcially since my newing room is now 75% in the garage, and I have to go out there to dig things out of boxes.  I did make a pretty detailed list of where things are, so I don't have to open the wrong bin too many times.  

First thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to join a Mah Jong tournament from ilovemahj.com.  I try to play a few times a week with the bots on line to keep me in practice between real games, but I've really not done that lately.  And now there's a 24-hour tournament.

The first time I tried a tournament, we were changing to the 2026 card, and I checked the wrong box and kept losing every game.  Not that I won that many more when I figured it out, but at least I knew what I was doing wrong.  The other two tournaments, I finished 592 out of 963 and glad to score that high.  Everyone plays the same hand with 3 bots, and it's hard to win, especially when there is a timer on.  I get too nervous when I'm being timed.  If I don't discard a tile quickly, it will be discarded for me!  

I've heard very little from the WinBins since the middle of the week.  I think there was a trip to the orthodontist and some extra homework, and I'm not even sure what else they've tried to fit in.

There was an interesting project that Graysen had in one of her classes, and I'm sorry to say I don't know which one.  It was their version of Shark Tank.  GG felt very lucky to have been chosen for a judge rather than an inventor, along with her friend Maija.  We gathered up some costume items and did a little planning over here, but I never go to ask how it went.  That's how it goes lately.  I'm still interested in the things the girls do, but I'm not always there in the moment. 

This picture was in the school album, and the girls have laughed about it.  They're just calmly standing there waiting for the starting signal, looking a little bored frankly.  I guess that's the last time Gray will wear the SMS jersey unless she does track in the spring.  I hope she does.  I want to see how they manage to jump those hurdles.

Kate's focus this week has been on preparing a "mystery bag" for math class.  They get tickets all week when they do something worthwhile, and on Friday they get to bid on certain things in the classroom.  She and I have had our heads together about a drawstring bag.  I think I can do one of those, but I'm not sure she's ready for casings yet.  She will pick out what it's filled with and offer it up Friday..  I've wasted too much time looking at videos and deciding which one I'm going to make.  I'm stuck on cm and inches tonight.  Some days, the smallest things derail me!  

That's very little to account for my weekend, but I enjoyed most of it.  I got my ballot ready to take to the drop box, so that's done - although a little confusing on some of the issues.  

Thursday, Part II

 This was such a nice afternoon, and it did me so much good to get out and be with people close to my own age.  Not that my fellow quilter is not a bunch of fun, but so is Mah Jongg.

Ryan and Emily still have their car in for repairs, and the girls had an ortho appointment today, so my car was not available.  I wasn't worried though.  I have options.  I decided I felt like walking on this beautiful day, and Noreen went along to keep me company.  We crossed the street in front of our apartments and had a full downhill path of sunshine all the way to town.  There was just a little breeze and a chill in the air, but it was great once we started.  We parted outside the Y entrance, and she left to walk home by the school, hoping to catch a glimpse of her Dom playing outside on the playground.  We're hopeless when it comes to these kiddos.  

We had two new people show up to play with us, and they weren't even from the new class.  What are the chances that two people would move to this small town who are both experienced players and ready to fit right in?  Jen and Kathy were welcomed right in and actually kept us on our toes.  We had 5 people at first, so the winner sat out and let the other 4 play, and that worked out fine.  Then we had the 6th one come, and we still just got up and down and sat out and watched the other players.  It was all fun, and I'm sure hoping they come back.  I can't remember who all won.  I know I won the first game and then gave Kathy my seat, who promptly won that one!  Jen and Elissette won one game apiece, but we were all within 1 or 2 tiles every time.  It was a fun day.  Gina with Gabriela came in just to visit and bring some brownies, and it was good to see her.  I believe she played one hand before she had to go.  

Sharon dropped me off at home afterwards.  She was going to play Rummikub at the winery down the street, but I was ready to be home so didn't go with her.  Elise said Noreen had left a bag of pumpkin coookies while I was gone, and that was a treat to have a couple of those with some cold milk!  Yum.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

Maybe she'll share the recipe later.

I did receive the recipe and am posting it here.  

If nothing new happens, I'm washing my face and putting on my pjs soon. I have a slaw mix in the crisper that I'll add some leftover fresh veggies and cheese and olives to with maybe a little bacon,  If I get hungry.  I have a stack of library quilting books to look through plus 2 catalogs and a Southern Living magazine.  That should be about as much as I can handle tonight, and it's early to bed for me. I missed seeing the girls this afternoon, but I didn't mind having just a day for myself today.   

One picture that appeared in my memories today that made me smile.

Lost Time

 I'm so upset that I never come here and write anything lately.  I thought I would make a fresh start on my birthday since it was a big one this year, but that celebration, as low-key as it was, went on for a week before and weeks after, just picking up more and more things to do.  It's the season when things are happening too, things we enjoy, and it gets harder and harder to open up this blog and type NEW POST. 

I can't think how I'll ever catch up with the things I wanted to remember and the thoughts I was having.  I can look at pictures and read texts and look at my calendar, but that's such a job, and I don't want another hard job.

Right now, this week, my mind is just swirling with things I'm doing and planning, and I just tend to get overwhelmed.  

I've mourned, in a way, the passing of my babies into young ladies and pulling away from me slightly, but I'm trying to enjoy this phase of life, and all of a sudden, Kate and I have become closer since Gray has been so involved in sports and school work and friends. It's lovely, and I can't believe my luck, but I wish I could steal a little of her energy.

Just taking one afternoon out of all this --  I might not even have any pictures, but she has become the photographer and I'll help myself to some of hers later.  

I'm doing better with sleeping with fewer naps during the day and longer stretches of sleep at night.  Unfortunately, when I do get up, I don't want to start my day for so long that I all of a sudden am in a panic that the morning is already gone.  

My morning:  Opened the blinds and saw that it was not raining but a little gray and closed them again for a while!  I made a scrambled egg and a piece of toast with peanut butter - just because - with a cup of coffee.  Lately, I'm taking the time to grind my beans and just cook it on the stovetop.  It takes longer than popping a pod into the Keurig, but it is really good.  I'm not even sure what brand I bought this last time, probably some Starbucks on sale at Safeway.  I've found that just a spash or two of Coffee Mate No Sugar Vanilla is what it needs to made it perfect. 

I have so much that I want to know about, so many things I want to read that I could probably just while away an hour or so on the computer.  And sometimes I do.

I texted with Noreen about our morning plans and talked about getting together for a walk that afternoon.  We had the best long walk a few days ago - one of those spontaneous things that turned into perfection.  I could have used a little more energy, but I'm used to that.  We walked our usual route toward town, trying to catch the sunnier sidewalks.  We were surprised to find another friend out on her way to pickle ball, so we walked several blocks with her and caught up.  That was nice.  N and I continued on down past the Y, and I got worried the return trip might be more than I needed, so we turned right and found a street where I could look forward to a little park and a bench to rest on if I needed.  I did, and it was sunny and just the perfect spot to catch my breath.  Then it was back through town, still finding the sunny sidewalks, and being glad that we had made the effort.  Unfortunately, I didn't walk yesterday because of feeling light-headed and nauseous when I stood up more than 5 minutes.  I hate that, but no one seems to know what brings it on, so I just live with it.  

I knew one or both girls would be here after school, so I got Kate's quilt project a little organized for her to do a block.  

First, though, she came in bubbling with excitement about a thing they have in their math class where they take "something" on Friday that others might be interested in and trade them off for the tickets that they've gotten during the week for good grades and good behavior.  Kate lives for the butterscotch candies that the teacher hands out sometimes! The day before, I had guided her through making  just a simple - VERY simple - bag to practice using the sewing machine.  She was so excited about it that she took it home to her mom with a picture she had sketched. 

It was the perfect size for a corner bookmark, so we're getting our heads together about making some for her friends for Christmas and making some bookmarks to go into them.

I had shown her earlier this week a YouTube tutorial of a man sketching a little ghost.  She got her sketch pad and had that ghost drawn before I knew she had started.  Amazing!  I hate to see how I would have butchered it. 

This bag was too small for drawstrings, but we found a pattern a little bigger with a lining and drawstrings, and she's going to ask her dad to do some 3D printing things to put in it along with some tiny acrylic figures she and Elise have been obsessing over.  They open one every day and carry on about how cute they are.  Anyway, along with some candy and maybe a bookmark, and it will be a something anyone would want to spend a math ticket on!  

Emily read me a note her math teacher had written yesterday, and it was so nice.  I love that teachers take the time to write personal notes to the parents, and she mentioned how she was seeing Kate blossom and grow and be engaged and interested in class.  Her grades were always good, but it's nice to know she's enjoying herself.  

She did have a good bit of math homework that is due Friday, but she worked pretty hard on it and then went to the sewing machine and started working on another block.  

She surprised me with her choice of fabrics, but they're beautiful.  We are using two different methods, but I think she's going to do a great job.  She gets so excited when she presses the foot pedal!  It's hard to concentrate on getting a perfect quarter-inch seam and keep her fabric straight and her fingers far enough away to suit me, but she's getting into a rhythm.

These are 3 that she's done.

She fell in love with the moth fabric in the fabric shop, and the shop lady helped her pick out companion fabrics plus some of her own.  She loves the griaffe-spot green!  

This is some fabric I already had, and we both think it will be great for the backing with the squares separated by sashing of the giraffe fabric.

These are some of the fabrics already cut into 2-1/2 inch strips.  They'll be sashed with a creamy white.

I just got my coffee made, so I'm going to end this, but I'm encouraged by writing one more thing!

Cozy!  This reminds me that I need to ask maintenance for those burner replacements they promised me.  I could use a new coffee pot too, but this one is sentimental and makes excellent coffee!  It Veranda Blend Starbucks this week.  

I have Mah-Jongg today, so I probably won't write any more, and then Kate will be here for her sewing.  Maybe Graysen too if we can catch her between school and soccer.  She ended up with MVR (Most Valuable Runner) when the middle school awards were given as well as one more - Best Teammate, maybe?  She had a great year and improved her personal best time every meet.  So proud of her.  It's on to high school cross-country now.  It looks like they have a good team every year.  

Two plants being pampered by Elise that are sitting on the counter. 

And my sleeping buddy this week, a duck left behind after the sleepover Saturday night.