Thursday, May 10, 2007

New House News and etc.

We will be moving June 2nd and have reached an agreement with the current owner regarding how much he is to pay towards what needs to be fixed on the house. It was mainly stuff that started from lack of maintenance on the outside (deck unsafe, windows leaked) and the inside of the house has been well maintained, so we didn't get bitchy about splitting some of the costs...If I haven't said it before in this blog: If you own a house, inspect the windows and things around the house--fix the small things before they become big things. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way! Eric and I have discussed the fact that we have a friend that is a contractor and home inspector, and it would be worth having him come out every couple years to look around the house to see if anything jumps out at him...

And so begins the long process of packing. Do you realize how much junk accumulates in nooks and crannies if you aren't looking? One the good side: I am finding things that I lost and can really use now. One the bad side: I am finding things I lost and have NO IDEA why I bought them in the first place...I better get over this impulse buying....and that is before I address the yarn stash and the fabric stash!

Speaking of yarn and fabric: I haven't had much knitting content lately because it seem like I haven't really had the space or time to knit. I miss it. I will be able to have my stash out in the new house and will have a place just for me to knit. I am looking forward to that. I will also have a place for both my sewing machines and fabric. I think half the problem with a stash of any kind is that if you can't see it, you don't know if you have it and end up buying more (a direct allusion to the above paragraph)...

My oldest son is still planning to move to Iowa to live with the girl he met over the Internet. As a mother, I am just hoping this turns out OK. He is 20, so I really don't have the option of saying no...It is a little unnerving that he will not be going to college. We are currently paying for his school, but have explained that if he moves out and lives with someone, he is responsible for school from there on out. I really wish he would at least finish his college. I know, BREATHE....

I took a machine quilting class last night with my friend Sue. It was really informative and just what we needed to get us to the point of being able to quilt the lap sized quilts we have pieced and waiting for that step. Sue doesn't have a portable machine of her own, so she used my little Brother NX200, which is the one that misbehaved the last time and lead to the Featherweight "incident"--you know, the one where I had to use the instructor's 1940's featherweight and got obsessed to the point of buying one...anyway, it behaved fine. So did my Janome 6260 QC --right up to the point where we put on the free motion foot...I didn't have one for this machine so I ran by the dealer to pick one up yesterday. The dealer gave me one for the wrong model. Damn! Partially my fault for not trying it on the machine before I took it to class...I used the shop's Bernina. While it was nice, I am happy to say, I am not looking to buy one and I am more than happy with my machines! However I have come to the realization that I am blessed and spoiled.....I am going to start piecing a 9 patch quilt this month. It is a pretty traditional setting and it will help me work on getting my fabric cut and pieced so the seams actually meet. Since I know the basics now, I am going to work on making quilts for all the kids when we get settled in the new house.

I guess I'd better head off to work. With gas at $3.10 a gallon, I fully realize I am blessed to not have to sit in rush hour traffic. By the time I leave, it is pretty much a straight shot except for traffic lights. I am not happy about having to shell out this much cash for gas! Hubby and I are discussing getting a really small car for when it is just one person and saving the vans for when everyone has to travel together. The vans get decent gas mileage, but it could be better. We can't afford a hybrid--although that would be nice..

Have a great morning and good coffee to you!

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