Weekend Reflections

Well it has been another busy week (I feel like I say that every week). Last Sunday my parents were in town and so it was good to have them here. We went to church and I napped all afternoon. I try not to nap all afternoon on Sunday's but some days it just works out that way. Then after my nap it was back to church. We had singing last Sunday night. I love to sing and so I enjoyed that.

On Monday it was a fairly typical day at work filled with lots of meetings (as most Monday's usually are) and preparing for the rest of the week. On Monday night it was off to my hometown with Brun in tow.

On Tuesday my summer of travel for work really got kicked off. I have been dreading it but the sooner it starts the sooner it will be over... right? On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week I had to work in Selma, Alabama. During those three days I am helping to train and deploy law enforcement officers on a computer program. It's a cool computer program but working with them for three days straight and spending time outside for half a day on Wednesday and half a day on Thursday in the near 100 degree heat is completely exhausting work. This was week one... I have five more weeks of it. So from now until mid July (except for the week of the fourth of July) I will be spending more time in Selma than in my office.

The good part of my time in Selma is that I do get to spend time with my parents in my hometown. I have opted to stay with them since they live close enough to Selma that I would rather drive back and forth every day as opposed to stay in a hotel. If you remember, I HATE hotels.

On Tuesday night I went to Amberly's with my mom and dad to "help" with the sewing project. I don't really know how to sew so I was much more useful playing with Amberly's girls than trying to help with the sewing. And I honestly probably enjoyed hanging out with them as opposed to trying to be useful on the sewing front. :-)

Thursday night I came back to the town where I live and accomplished absolutely nothing. I was so exhausted that I just sat/layed on my couch and watched TV. On Friday I went back to the office and tried to catch up from being out of the office for three days. I had to stay until 7 pm trying to get stuff done.

However, Friday night and Saturday were just for me. I cooked dinner Friday night and tried to catch up a little bit around the house. Saturday I worked on a number of different projects (including cleaning my messy house), watched a lot of racing, wore my pajamas all day and honestly never left the house. It was wonderful. :-)

So this week I am thankful that one week of my travel to Selma (16.67%) is over. I am thankful that my house is relatively clean and will hopefully stay that way while I am out of town this week. I am thankful that I had Friday night and Saturday to "catch up" on sleep and on projects for me.

I hope everyone had a great week. For more Weekend Reflections participants, visit Judi at Mommy of Two.

Weekend Reflections

It has been another crazy busy week filled with lots of travel. Last weekend I went to my hometown and attended a baby shower on Sunday afternoon. The baby shower was so nice and the couple got lots of cute things for their baby. While I enjoyed the shower I missed getting my Sunday afternoon nap. :-)

After church Sunday night it was back to the town where I live. I was so tired I came home and went almost directly to bed. Monday was a normal day of work and then it was back to my hometown. On Tuesday I had to work in my hometown and then drive back to the town where I live. On Wednesday it was work back in the town where I live and then right back to my hometown again. Thursday morning was a meeting for work in my hometown and then it was back to the town where I live.

So given that each trip is about 2.5 hours each way... I was in the car 12.5 hours. YUCK!!

Thursday night after I got back to the town where I live Brun had a bath. He had been at my parent’s house all week and even though he had a great time he was filthy!! He loves spending time with my parents and his “cousin dogs” but he comes back quite nasty.

On Friday I had a normal day of work in the town where I live. My dad rode with me back to the town where I live on Thursday afternoon and then my mom came into town Friday night. Friday night we ate at my house and did some stuff around the house.

On Saturday Leslie and I hung out and she and Classic Rock Baby came over and we worked on some sewing projects. I am so amazed at how great Brun is with the baby. He can be an absolute looney toon when we are playing but he is so sweet to the baby… he lets him pet him and squeal at him and he just plays along. Saturday night, my parents and I went to dinner with Leslie, ToolMan and CRB.

The week was filled with lots and lots of travel but it all went well. So I would say my week was pretty tiring and the weekend was definitely the high point. This week I am thankful that I had safe travels in all of my driving. I am also thankful for my family and friends who I spent time with during the week. And I am thankful that I do not have to do any travel next week.

Finally, I am thankful for the fact that this coming Sunday is race day. Being a big racing fan I can start my day with the F1 race, watch the Indy 500 after church Sunday afternoon and then finally finish up the day with the Coca-Cola 600 after church Sunday night. I will be very tired of watching cars drive around in circles (or on road courses in the case of the F1 race) by the end of the day Sunday but I love it. :-)

For more Weekend Reflections, visit Judi.

Weekend Reflections

Well it has been another good and busy week. I was in town most of the week so I would say this week was a little less busy than usual.

Last Sunday was spent at church and then at a picnic with our small group from church. This is a program started within our congregation to help us get together in smaller groups in order to get to know each other better and encourage each other to participate in activities. After the picnic I came home and watched the Talladega NASCAR race. As a big NASCAR fan I was a little sad not to be a few hours away at the race but I was also quite happy to be watching it from my couch and not fighting the traffic, crowds and heat.

Monday and Tuesday were your typical work days with normal evening activities. On Wednesday I got a haircut. It really needed it so I was happy to get that taken care of. My hair grows pretty slow so I usually go three or four months between haircuts. Haircuts are stressful to me so I am glad that I don't have to have them any more often than I do.

Thursday was my last day of work for the week... yea!! Thursday right after work I headed to my hometown for a class I was taking on Friday. When I got to my hometown Thursday evening I was able to attend a singing that my parent's congregation was having in one of the member's home. I like the church in the town where I live but I LOVE the congregation where my parents attend. I could go on for hours about why I like my parent's congregation but for now I will just say that I was very happy to be able to gather with some of the folks from their congregation and sing praises to God. Unfortunately, Amberly and her family weren't able to be there because of the "crud" she had late this week.

On Friday I was able to take a class on using my new sewing machine. I will write more on my new machine next week so for now you will have to be in suspense. :-) The class was very informative and I learned a lot. After class my dad, Brun and I headed back to the town where I live. My mom joined us in my town after she got off of work and we were all able to go out to dinner. After that I spent some time using my new sewing machine.

Then this morning the doorbell rang at 7:58 AM. Because my parents were in town, I was sleeping on the couch. You can't really see the couch from the front door so I opted to continue to lay on the couch and ignore the doorbell. I was not awake at 7:58 AM on Saturday morning but my mom was so she went to the door. Apparently the extra early FedEx man brought my Woot monkeys!!!!! When my mom said "The Woot monkeys are here" I popped right up off the couch and tore into the box. I am easily entertained so I was thrilled to get them. :-)

After I opened the Woot monkeys and slingshotted them around the house a few times I laid back down and went back to sleep. Apparently I was pretty tired because I slept until 10 or so regardless of the fact that everyone else in my house got up at 8 or before. After I finally got up I did a little bit around the house and then spent all of the afternoon at the house where my brother lives. This is my grandparent's house and we are trying to do some things to get it ready to sell and so there was lots to be done this afternoon.

After I left there I came back to my house and cooked dinner for my parents and I and continued on some sewing projects. I had several things (mostly graduation presents) I had to finish to send back with my parents so I finally got all of that wrapped up. Leslie, ToolMan and CRB dropped by for a little while to check out the new machine.

So I am thankful for a lot of things this week... I am thankful that I was able to be home most of the week, I am thankful for my parents, I am thankful for good church congregations that I was able to spend some time with this week, I am thankful for my new sewing machine, I am thankful to have my dog back at home with me... and even though I am tired from painting and scraping windows I am thankful for the physical ability to do things like that.

I hope everyone else had a great week! Go visit Judi at Mommy of Two for more Weekend Reflections.

Smocking Class

If you read my last post you know my Monday didn't start out too well... but that it was on it's way back up by the afternoon. It continued to get better Monday night. It was back to my hometown for work on Tuesday and so I decided to come to town a little early tonight to take a smocking class at the same store where I took the sewing classes this weekend.

My mom smocks and I did learn to do the back stitches ten to 15 years ago... but that was my last smocking experience. I really wanted to learn and my mom and I both decided that if she tried to teach me we would kill each other. So instead of that, I am taking a class. You go whenever you can on Monday nights and my work schedule will easily accommodate that.

So this is my start:


I still have a long way to go and I think I pulled out as much as I did tonight (hence the half done lines and red fuzz) but I will keep posting my progress. I'm not telling you what it is but it will eventually be part of an outfit for CRB. Shhh!!! Don't tell him... it's a surprise. :-)

I really enjoyed the class and will hopefully be able to make it to the class next week. I have my homework to do for next week so I think you will be able to see my progress by the next class.

Oh and since some of you asked here is a picture of the pillow I made in the sewing class this weekend:


It is actually just a cover... you have to put a pillow in it but I haven't gotten one yet. There are also supposed to be three big buttons down the center of the black part but I don't think I am going to put those on. The pillow really doesn't match my home decor so I think the pillow may become a pillow for Brun. He likes pillows to sleep on so I might as well put it to good use. :-)

Photo Hunters: Hobby

Okay I know I am technically too late to participate in photo hunters this week but I wanted to play anyways. This is one of my newest hobbies and the reason I didn't really have a chance to post earlier this weekend:


I have WAYYYYYY too many hobbies. Anyone who has set foot in my extra bedroom can attest to that fact. It is a bit overrun with all of my project materials. How does the saying go... "jack of all trades, master of none." Sometimes that's how I feel... but I enjoy them all so I keep adding to the list.

Sewing is definitely my latest hobby... but really it is more machine embroidery and not so much sewing... but I am working on the learning to sew part of it. The picture above is actually of my mom's machine but I have certainly used it more than she has.

In addition to that I scrapbook, knit, paint crafty things, make wreaths on occasion, take lots of pictures... and there are probably 10 other things I have forgotten. If you want to check out some of the other photo hunters (who probably weren't as late as me) :-) go here.