What's On Your Counter

This is what's on my counter...Mr. Man takes an apple a day to work.  I love having apples on the counter because I am more likely to grab one for a snack and we like the green apples with a zing.

Also Halo's in the grocers now, they are so easy to peel even my 5 year old grand daughter can do it.

Then I have my citrus fruits.  Two oranges are for an orange pound cake in the near future, limes and some of those apples will go into my green juice and the lemons I use those on everything, fish, chicken but almost every day in place of salad dressing!

Also it's really colorful and pretty don't you think?

Hugs,
Tania

Wordless Wednesday

I Forgot My Password!

It has been so long since I blogged I forgot my password!  That has never happened!

I have been reading blogs but have not posted anything in a while and it was a nice break.  But also I didn't have too much news.

I have been quilting quite a bit.  The quilt top in the picture above I recently quilted and bind.  I made this quilt top three years ago.  It was a couple of months after my mom had passed and also my quilt retreat.  They had a mystery quilting project for us to do and all I knew was to buy a jelly roll (yes quilters like to name precuts after sweet food items) I wanted something happy since I was feeling so sad.  I never buy bright color fabric so this was totally out of my comfort zone.

Today it is finished and on the back of my couch.  I also made another eye spy quilt which will go up on my Etsy shop as well as a neutral I put together but still needs to be quilted.

I also finished a block of the month I did about 4 years ago when I worked at the quilt shop.  This one will go to Candi for her big 30.  If and when she reads this she will know she is getting a quilt but not which one...

She would have gotten it if it was any other birthday, or day it just happens to be done around this birthday.  (wink, wink)

We really haven't had much news.  Our truck has been in a couple of times.  When your truck is13 year old who has traveled the USA more than any other domestic vehicle it may need some maintenance once in a while.  But I tell ya my Ford Escape runs just as well if not better today then when we bought it brand new!  

Mr. Man asked me about 8 years ago if I wanted to trade it in for a new Ford Escape. I said no way she runs great and I don't like car payments, well as you tell I'm not good with change either, that is really my issue.  

I like tried and true and live by it.  I don't need anything fancy ever as long as it works I don't need anything more.  

As you know in my past blogs I have been fancying a Buick Encore.  Well recently I told Mr. Man ya know when we are ready I think I want another Ford Escape.  I'm not crazy about the new body shape but I do like how well it has held up for me.

Anyway, I took a good spill a couple of weeks ago.  I could hardly move for two days afterwards.  I sure felt my age when I fell.  Which is kinda scary now for me since I was diagnosed with osteoporosis this fall.

I had a physical after the fall and the doc looked over my chest/breast bone and he thinks I may have fractured it but without an xray we don't know for sure.  I asked him if I had an xray and saw it was fractured is there anything we can do about it?  He said no then I said I don't see the point.   I have chest xrays due to meds every couple of years so I will have them check it then.

Like I said not much news here.  But I am hoping to blog a bit more again.

Thanks for the visit!
Hugs,
Tania

MIA

I guess I took a little unplanned break from blogland.  I think this has been my longest time between posts ever! ?

Well you really haven't missed much.  Valentines day came and went, pretty uneventful.  We did our usual seafood dinner which is always a treat...even tho' we do it often really but we make it more special on Valentines Day.

I have had some pretty bad flares from my rheumatoid arthritis, in my hands.  I'm sure it's due to weather and a lot of prep for my then upcoming quilt retreat.  

Our weather has been so strange this winter, warm, cold, rain, snow and ice.

This past weekend I went to my annual quilt retreat up in the north Georgia mountains, Hiawassee to be exact.  It was kind of sketchy this year as there was snow, ice and mountain driving.  Which some took the interstate and I did not.  I took the mountains. 
I'm a Minnesota girl I can drive it right?  I mean we don't have mountains in MN but we do get snow and ice.  Which it is dangerous to have those conditions in the mountains, but I gotta tell ya it's one of my favorite things about this weekend is driving through the mountains, alone and taking in the pure beauty!

The higher I got the foggier it got or should I say clouder...it was clouds actually I was driving into.

It was our 5th year of our quilt retreat and I have been to all 5!  Jennie our fearless leader out did herself!  She does a wonderful job making a fun and different experience each year.  She works hard all year on this and it shows.

Our theme this year was at the movies.  We had many prizes, games,  a dance and song show and awards, along with a surprise speaker!

 We each received a the smaller popcorn bucket with treats at check in...I don't know about you but I still get so excited to get the little things!

 I just had to show you that I am famous as well...see my name on the clap board?  Janet and I usually take photos for our group and post them on our snapfish account.

 One of the many games we play.

 I had gotten a flare up in my right hand on Friday night so I just sat, visited and gave my opinion on quilt lay outs, like the one Ana is working on.

 Some of the quilt goodies to purchase from our surprise speaker.

 Our surprise speaker is Jennifer Jangles.  She has the cutest things!  Love her fun colors, they are so happy!

 A very and fun talented group of ladies who put on a little song and dance to the music of Shake it off but with their own lyrics about quilting.  It was great!

The Sassy Stitchers, 5 years strong, a fun loving group of friends!

P. S.  
This group of ladies are so much fun that they took advantage of the snow early Friday morning and made a Sassy Stitcher Snowlady to great us upon arrival.

Hugs,
Tania

My Birthday

 It was my birthday a couple of days ago.  The first thing I did when I woke up was grab my IPad and went to facebook.  I saw several birthday wishes already.  One asked if I was 29 again?  Then asked how old are you?  As I was getting my day going I gave it some thought.  How old am I?  How old would I want to be?  Wow, not what I really wanted to think about but there it was!  It was interesting to me to know where I would reset. What's your reset?

The picture above is a tea cup a friend gave me several years ago, and the flower tea ball Candi gave me for Christmas this year.  It makes it a little more fun to have a cup of tea.

 I have been eating more oatmeal for breakfast. (in my Myrtle Beach bowl)  I have a physical coming up and they say oatmeal lowers your cholesterol.  Not that mine is high that I know of.  But I know my blood pressure was a little high but not enough for like meds just diet change.  I have too much sodium in my diet so I needed to change my sodium intake as well. (per prior appt.)

Well sodium diet went out the widow on Super Bowl Sunday!  Mr. Man and I aren't sports watchers, except I do watch the winter Olympics, so much that I will record what I miss.  But with all the great snack foods that everyone is talking about we just couldn't miss out just because we don't watch sports.

So Sunday after our walk in the park I made this super nacho for lunch.  Mr. Man was happily surprised since I didn't tell him what I was doing in the kitchen.  My man loves a good snack!

I had a nice birthday day.  I went to IHOP and had a free pancake breakfast, then I went to my favorite antique shop to be inspired, on my way home I picked up my free birthday lunch at Moe's.  

Mr. Man planned to take me to Joe's Crab Shack for a steam pot, which is my favorite but I opted for him to make me homemade lasagna since we will do seafood on Valentines day.  He did great!

Thanks for sharing my birthday!

Hugs,
Tania

Our Time With Mickey

I'm a little behind.  Last weekend (January 24 - 25th)  I picked up Mickey on Saturday morning...I was going to pick her up Friday eve but it had rained all day and it was still raining during rush hour on a Friday and opted to wait until morning.  

Mr. Man was working Saturday so it was just little ol' me.  I planned on taking Mic out to lunch after I picked her up and decided to invite Erica as well since I haven't seen her since Christmas either.  This would give us a chance to talk face to face vs text and phone conversations.

We went to The Peachtree Cafe in Roswell, what yummy food they have there and a big menu which is always harder to choose from.  

After lunch I dropped Erica off and Mickey and I headed towards the mall to Toys R Us!

This past Christmas she told me she wanted more clothes for her American Girl doll, well she had changed her mind once she opened the gift.  So we did a return and with that money we went shopping.

She picked out a Hello Kitty guitar.  She does love her instruments. 

After our long search in Toys R Us we headed over to one of my favorite places on earth, Popcorn Haven!  After trying many different flavors we each picked one, well I picked two (smiles) and we enjoyed it on our way home. (she also enjoyed mine)

 When Mickey came in she saw right away the pillow I had made her.  Last month she liked the one I was making for myself and asked if I would make her one.  So we went up to my creative room so she could pick out her yarn.

She loved it (Minnie did too!)and she used it this weekend and then took it home with her.

Sunday morning Mickey entertained us with her new guitar.  We did a video to send to mom as well as many posed pictures.

Along with playing guitar Mr. Man set up my keyboard in our bedroom at Christmas,  that she loves to play so we had many concerts this weekend.

After lunch we surprised Mickey with a trip to the mall to paint pottery.

She had a difficult time picking out the perfect piece but ended up with a valentine cup.

 Then she saw this Jumpstreet Park and wanted to go in and play in the worst way, but we already planned Dave and Buster's so we had her pick and she picked Jumpstreet.

 Unlike other indoor parks you pay by the hour here.  So we paid one hour which ended up to be enough as she jumped and bounced around the entire time and she was pretty worn out at the hour.

 But can't you tell Mickey had fun?!

 Mr. Man said we can still go to Dave and Busters!  He's a push over like me when it comes to her!  First we had an early dinner in the restaurant, then she played again!

 After her Harley ride game she said I will never do that one again!  I think it stressed her out but I was amazed how well she could drive in the lanes and avoid traffic...she did better than I did.

She played a lot of games, it's so neat to see how grown up she is getting.  She can even see over the air hockey table and play with papa now!

Apparently when she got home she crashed, so did me and papa!

Hugs,

Tania

P.S.  I added a page at the top of my blog post titled Park Visits, if you have the time check it out, Mr. Man and I have a new project...After 30 plus years of marriage you still need to spend time together and keep things interesting, this is one of those ways.  I do hope you enjoy it and will continue to follow it. Thanks!

Quilt Guild

Friday night I went to my Sassy Stitchers group and several of the ladies there belong to the Gwinnett Quilt Guild and mentioned that an author was going to be there this Tuesday.  I was interested in learning all I could about it.  They said she writes Amish novels, I have read many, many, many Amish novels.  I asked who was it?  I named one and she said no I don't think so, then I asked if it was Cindy Woodsmall?  hmmm maybe she replied.  So another woman got on her phone and looked it up on the website and it was Cindy!  I have some of her books, I have to go and get an autograph!

When I got home I grabbed my books written by her out and on the table to pick from for Tuesday!

 She did a wonderful program with a slide show at the end of the program she did a Q & A and yup I asked a question.  

 She had brought some books to sell but I had brought my own and I asked her to autograph it and visited for a while, she is very approachable.  I have met some "famous" people in my life and I remember meeting one actress and trying to talk with her and she was acting like she had better things to do than be at this meet and greet.  So it was nice to feel welcomed by her.

I ended up joining the guild again, I was only going to be a guest but it was nice to be with these women again and I saw so many faces I haven't seen since the quilt shop I worked at closed.  

The group of ladies I sat with are from my Sassy Stitchers group and they invited me out to lunch at Red Lobster with them.  I really enjoyed my time!  They do this every month and invited me to join them, which I will!

Just and FYI if you like Tilapia I had the Wood Grill Tilapia Tacos it was so yummy!!!  It also came with wild rice pilaf.

Thanks for the visit!

Hugs,
Tania

Soup Sunday on Monday

I didn't make soup on Sunday since we did other things that day so I made it for dinner on Monday.

I used the ham bone with a good amount of ham left on it from Christmas and made a bean soup.  It was worth the wait it was delish if I may say so myself!

It is my favorite soup!  I also love chunky soups that fill you up!

Hugs,
Tania

Hearts

I have three hearts finished.  I have several yet to embellish.  These three you will find in my Etsy store.

I have my Sassy Stitchers tonight and Saturday so a short blog since I still need to get my things together, later!

Hugs,
Tania

Projects

 I love doing redwork, it's a great to go project.  I take it with me in the car on long road trips, on the plane, which I cannot bring scissors but bring an alternative cutting tool that passes security.  It's also a great take to my Sassy Stitchers group.  This cutie is going to get framed and into my laundry room.

I made this one in December and I am thinking this maybe a future gift.

 These knitted hats are the ones I made on my loom.  They are really beginner type but I am hooked!  They are quick, easy and fun.
I have three different sizes.

 This one is for Mickey, she asked me to make her one.

This one I used a different type of loom and I am making a blanket with it.  

Once I feel comfortable enough I am going to expand what I can do with these looms and use different patterns and stitches.

Much to do today and wrapping my day up with dinner with my girls, we haven't had our dinner night since November so a lot to catch up on.

Hugs,
Tania