Beautiful Weekend - Sort of

Hello!  Easter was a pretty good weekend.  Tim was home with his dog 'Mo'.  This is short for Samoa Joe, who is a miniature doberman pincher, min-pin for short.  Mo is awesome with a lot of energy and loves to cuddle.  This made for 2 dogs and 3 cats in the house.  Our dog, Allie, had intestinal trouble last week which resulted in a trip to the vet.  She is much better now and almost completely back to normal.  I feel so bad for her when she is sick, she can't tell me what's wrong or how she feels.  The cats weren't too fond of the energetic Mo, but we were able to keep them separated most of the time.

Saturday's weather wasn't great, but we still managed to get quite a bit done around the house.  I made lemon bars.  This isn't just anyone's recipe.  This is Ma Heller's recipe.  When I make them, sometimes I feel she is close by.  Hard to believe she's been gone 8 years this fall. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy.

Sunday and Monday saw beautiful weather.  We got quite a bit of yardwork done; some flower bed care, pruning the apple trees.  Thanks for your help, Tim!  Cleaned out the pole shed, some raking, cleaning up the beach at the pond and a few other things.

I had to work on Monday even though the kids had a day off.  It was peaceful at work and I was able to work on some bigger projects without interuption.  That felt pretty good.

Rain seems to be the order for the rest of the week.  No sports for the spring this week.  We have so much rain, water is sitting everywhere!  It rained all night and all day.  It finally stopped about 5 pm.  More rain is forecast for the next few days.  We could use a month with no rain right now so the fields can dry out for planting.  The weather just seems to get stranger each year.

I guess, if the sun won't shine, then we get to be our own sunshine!

Have a great week and may you shine like the sun!!!

Love Ya,

Bren

My Apologies - - - -

Sorry,  I did not know it was over a week ago since I last posted a blog.  Super busy is really an understatement.   Now I will explain these pictures. . .

This was April 3rd.  Scott went hunting to find turkeys and then some showed up in our front yard looking for any leftover corn the deer did not eat - yes, our front yard!  And Yes, it was really snowing hard - even a thundersnow.

This is the 'box' that Bry sent to tell us she was expecting!  It took much longer than she had anticipated and wanted us to know in the worst way, so she ended up telling us days before it arrived.  I have until December to get used to the thought of being a 'Grandma'.  I think they will have to call me Grandma Jo, the other options just sound so old ladyish.  :)  'Grandma Jo' sounds much younger and more fun!  Why 'Jo'?  That has been the nickname my mother gave me when I was very young, I always remember her calling me Jo or Jojo.  That's better than 'Pumpkin', another nickname my mother gave me.  :)

Here she is getting ready for Prom!!!!  Gwen is an awesome big sister to do her hair!  Plus, it saved me $40 or more.  Sweet!  Gwen did a great job.

Now here they are.  Alexa and Gunnar went to eat at Noodles, then to Applebee's for dessert.  I know you're thinking, Noodles?  Well, Alexa doesn't eat a wide variety of foods or meat.  She isn't a vegan, but close.  She never has eaten much meat, something with the texture.  I can't tell you how many times she has come into the kitchen because the food smelled good, but wouldn't eat the meal.  Back to Prom.  They had a great time and were pleasantly surprised the music at the dance was mostly appropriate.

Snow, Again!  I took this picture on the way out the driveway going to work.  7am.  We got lucky as the majority of the snow went south - only 2-3 inches here.  The roads in our area stayed clear - no plowing needed. 

Here is the same view just 12 hours later.  It warmed up enough to rain and melt almost all the snow we got last night - even after snowing a bit more today.

Lots of things have been keepingme occupied the past week or so.  I have been busy with scouts - two troops, remember.  The church troop has been starting a new fundraiser, pre-paid gift cards, which is awesome, but the order forms need to be customized for our group, then setting up our account with the company, finding the local gift cards, etc...   It is almost done.  Then I can breathe.  Well, I can breathe now, it's just getting everything in place and working out anything we didn't anticipate.  The first order earned enough to give us lots of hope for the program.

Prom is done, too.  I have decided that this dress is the last one that I will alter myself.  Any in the future will be altered by a professional - I will pay handsomely for another to do it.  :)  I am glad it worked out - but what if it didn't?  I will happily let go of that stress.

Now we are into the Track season.  Poor spring athletes . . . If it wasn't snowing, it was cold.  We are really hoping the sun comes out and warms the place up!  Scott was running the hurdles on Tuesday, his foot caught on one and down he went.  Jammed his right wrist, scraped a hip and has a few bruises.  Thank goodness he is young and will heal quickly.

I have been planning a driving vacation this summer out to see Bry & Mark in Utah and then to see my sis, Pam, and her family in Arizona then to see Gwen in Texas, she will be back south in May.  Me & the 3 youngest will drive out and make the big loop.  Alexa can drive, so we'll tag team it.  I am getting excited and figured out the hotel to stay at on the way out, the one to stay at near the Grand Canyon, then I got tired thinking about the drive back.  It will take 2 driving days to get to Utah and 3 driving days to get from AZ to TX and then home.  It will be great, though.  Well worth it.

Here's hoping the sun comes out to stay - and SOON!

Love ya,

Bren

Grateful for my friends!!!!

  Just to clarify the title of today's blog. . .  I consider relatives my friends, too.  I have a best friend, or rather three.  My husband is one, but guys just aren't the same.  My Sister, Pam, is another.  We spent so many years fighting as we grew up that it took a while to become closer.  We have lived in different parts of the country for almost 3 decades and now I wished we lived next door to each other.  She is amazing.  I am glad to call her my sister, honored, in fact.
    My very best friend in the whole world is Wanda.  She has been there for me through thick and thin, listened to me laugh, cry and sometimes whine.  She has sacrificed her own needs for me - to keep being my friend, there's a story with this; however too personal to share.  I have not asked her to do any of these things.  She did them because she wanted to.  Because of her I have learned many things, my testimony of Jesus Christ not only remains but grew stronger.  In talking with her, many problems have been solved, just by her listening.  We first met in the fall of 1983.  I was a freshman in college and I began attending church.  We had fun at Young Single Adult activities together and became fast friends, it was like we had known each other forever.  I am sure we were friends before we came to earth and promised we would help one another get through this test of mortality.  We don't live in the same city - we're 5 hours apart - we've never lived in the same city, but phone calls make the distance disappear.
  Why the trip down memory lane?  This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to her city, kidnap her(sort of), and attend an extraordinary women's conference together!  I wanted to do something special for her.  It was great, uplifting, enlightening and just the break we both needed.   Yes, she has been so many wonderful things in my life and she feels the same way about me. 
  Scott went turkey hunting Saturday morning and got one!  He was home with his catch by 7:00am.  About 19 pounds.  Fred is having the tail and the beard mounted for him - big news.  His first turkey.  :)  Now here's a funny story: Scott wants the feet.  We don't know why, but he does.  He brought the feet into the kitchen to wash them, then set them on the counter.  Alexa was preparing to leave for her ACT test.  She was running late, her car needed gas, she couldn't find her calculator and goes into the kitchen to see the turkey feet!  She had a melt down and wouldn't go into the kitchen, at all!  I'm actually sorry I missed that one.  It is a classic.  My kids are lucky to survive me, some days I just don't have any sympathy for them.  Some days you need to suck it up and keep moving.  There is no time to slow down in the world today.  Nobody cares if it grosses you out!!!!
    These are my kids at home.  The older kids have become wonderful adults.  Although I still have to be a 'Mom' at times, I can be their friend, too.  Which is so nice.  I really enjoy them as adults.  the 3 at home are enjoyed, too - it's different.

Have a great week and count all those friends, may they richly bless your life!!!
Love Ya,
Bren

The dress is done! Whoo hoo! Time to relax . . .?

  OK, those that know me, know I do not relax very well at all.  Just too many things to do, it is way easier to go to a 'happy place' in my mind for a few minutes then continue on.  What is really helpful is my Eucapyltus Mint hand cream from Bath & Body Works, called 'Stress Relief'.  I put it on and it smells so good, I just inhale the scent and can be in a spa, on the beach, or tanning.  It's wonderful!  Miraculously I am ready to get back to work in just a minute or two.
   Now the dress.  I took off the straps(one side) and re-attached them this morning because they had to be angled to fit better and not have a big gap on her shoulder blades.  I also finished up the edges around the zipper to tidy it up a bit.  The very last thing was to attach the fabric piece that will be under the lacing section on the back.  I only sewed about 5" on one side to allow for freedom of placement when getting into the dress.  A velcro sticky dot will be used to anchor the other side for final placement.  :) It might not be the perfect solution, but we only need it to work for one night, right?

   This weekend is our Church's general conference and it is good to listen to words of inspired leaders.  It also means we can hear them broadcast on the TV.  I am in my pj's, sewing and listening to conference.  What a treat not to have to travel today - that only happens with great planning in our house! 


Have a wonderful Sunday!


Love Ya, Bren

Almost done!!!!!!!!!

   Got a lot done today.  I trimmed the underside netting of the prom dress this morning - after taking all the trash and recycleables to the dump.  Then it was off to Scott's Wisconsin State Honors Choir audition.  He did pretty well at the audition, at least until the sight reading. Which went OK for the notes, but he knows he missed the dynamics of most it-concentrating on getting the notes right he forgot to look at the other parts of the measures.  This is the first time he has done this in an audition setting.  I am still so impressed he'd even want to try out.
   After that it was lunch at Culver's, yum!  Mid-afternoon on our way home we met Fred at the Tax Accountant's.  I won't say a word about taxes.  I have to just tell myself to be grateful - it means we have jobs and can pay our bills; taxes just come with all that.
   Finally made it home before 5.  We watched a couple of our recorded shows and then I began working on hemming the prom dress at about 7pm.  4 1/2 hours later . . .   I have taken off the skirt(3 layers), narrowed two of the 3 layers as one did not have to be touched at all.  I was very nervous that the top two layers would not match back up.  I did not quite get to the point of tears, but kept going hoping it would all work out.  The zipper was oh so much fun.  I sewed the first side on backwards, then I did not sew close enough to the zipper tread.  Each side was stitched twice.  The first line of stitching to hold it in place and the second line of stitching was to get close to the tread.  It is an invisible zipper, so you have to get very close.  It was very difficult to  wrap my brain around attaching the second side of the zipper and it didn't lay very nicely at the bottom of the zipper either. Very frustrating.  I finally managed to get it looking fair enough and on to the task of re-attaching the 3 layers to the bodice. The very top layer was too big and it was difficult at the zipper.  I pinned in a couple of pleated spots for that top layer, didn't plan their location very well, but it is not very noticeable as they are small.  I really don't like how the zipper lines up with the bodice and have some hand sewing to do for the finishing touches.  I had her put the dress on and everything  will be fine, the lacing up the back has a bow at the bottom, which is the top of the zipper and it is all covered.
    Now I just have a headache and am really looking forward to hitting the pillow.

Good night all!
May you see the end result of your challenges - and not be afraid to tackle them.

Love Ya,  Bren

Grateful for the Weekend . . .

Alright, not that the weekend will be relaxing, but look forward to getting some big things done and crossed off my very long list.  This past week I did manage to get the meeting minutes typed up and emailed out to the local troop members.  Last night was the committee meeting for our church troop. Yup, two troops.  Our local troop is awesome and our church troop needs the support to become awesome - so Scott is in both.  AND I volunteer for both.  This is how he is real close to becoming a Life Scout and not yet 13 1/2. Once he reaches Life rank, the next rank is Eagle.  I haven't had to push him very much at all, he really enjoys all the activities.  Now where was I?  Oh yeah, scout meetings.  I made the calls I needed to today and this evening typed up the program outline for our church fundraiser we are beginning.  Being a small troop, it is difficult to achieve the sucess we need to pay for scout camps.  We were looking for something we could do year around and not be a burden to the church members.  Gift cards.  You pay, say $50 for a grocery store gift card.  You can take the card and spend the $50 at that grocery store.  The troop pays less than the $50 to the gift card company.  The amount they don't pay in, is theirs to pay for camps or equipment or whatever they need.  No cheap products or overpriced products or people guilting about not supporting the scouts.

I haven't finished the prom dress hemming, but have figured out that I don't need to take as much apart as I thought.  If I shift the whole skirt up, then it will be poofier than it should be.  So . . . I will cut the under layers at the hem and only shift up the top two layers that don't have any poof to them.  No one will see the under layers, which are a slip and netting to make it poofy.  It will still be a big project, but one better looking when it is done.

Wish me luck and good luck to everyone willing to try those big, scary projects!!!

Love ya,
Bren