Blog break

I am going to take a blog break...I don't know for how long right at the moment.  I may sneak in a  post here and there, but I don't think I will be blogging regularly for a while. 

I have a lot of things I need to do, and a lot of things on my mind, plus I am trying to give my new sewing machine a little workout.

I really did enjoy the cleaning tips and hearing what cleaning products work.  I wanted to thank everyone for contributing their hints to do stuff and for what works.

Also, to anyone that tried to help Sarah's Etsy shop take off, I wanted thank you.  She has closed it since she was getting no hits. 

From warmer days

This was a window up in Veedersburg, Indiana.  It was taken last fall when we went up there for the flea market.  Notice the slight reflections of the trees in the lower portion of the window.  Not only is the window a beauty even if it needs a little care, but the reflections are nice reminders of what is to come.
***************
My body is fighting a cold...I don't have one where I feel horrible...just not quite normal.  Feel yukky of the morn and yukky at night.  But if this is the worst that it gets, not going to complain too much.

What I want to complain about is the inventor of range hoods!  Every time I try to clean mine I end up fussing...I ought to get Roger involved and I bet he could invent a better one.  He says he would take it down for me...and I will let him later on.  I know I don't have the full strength in my arms like I used to...and with me having problems on both sides with the frozen shoulder thing, I have let things slide.  I hate to always asked Roger to do my work or have to help me.  But it is just going to have to be.  

Windows need washed, and even though we have the flip windows, I haven't the strength of a sick cat in one arm.  So soon as it warms up again, I will have him help me take the curtains down....and he can flip them in for me and I can take it from there. 

One of my neighbors in Terre Haute was one of those spring cleaners.  She literally moved everything around a room and cleaned each room so thoroughly each spring.  Every year.  And I used to do that, but haven't in a long time.

But talking about cleaning, what is you favorite cleaning tip or cleaning product?  I think my favorite product is Formula 409!   I think there is a way of making your own, but I can't recall how.

Another thing, if I am baking something messy, such as a meat loaf, I will line the pan with aluminum foil till the pan don't get a sticky mess on it.  When I take the meatloaf our, I try to be careful and not tear the foil...let it set and cool down and it can be lifted out and either no mess, or very little mess to clean up.   Or if I am baking something that might spill over or drip over such as a pie, I put a piece of aluminum foil down below to catch the drips.

At the picnic today....

This is not the best exposed shot ever, that is for sure.  But just have to show it to show what it looked like under the feeder.  I always throw a scoop of bird seeds under the area...plus the other birds knock it out of the feeder. 

As you can see we got some snow, but not very much.  Though it did start snowing again this afternoon.  I have not looked outside to see if it is still snowing.

But look at what showed up...that is our first robin.  Besides the robin, I saw a red-winged blackbird.  I think it is the first one I have ever seen at my feeders...along with it being the first one I have seen this year.  It only stuck around a minute or two and I did not see it again.

Conversation with Lorelei....and other stuff...

I might as well start off with a Lorelei conversation...it will make three days in a row with something from her.  Today she was talking to her mom about candy and chocolate.  Lorelei says, "Me and chocolate are related."

Sarah says, "What!?!"

Lorelei says, "Me and chocolate are related cause I like it SOOOOO much!"

******************
This is the new kid on the block...I have been wanting it for soooo long.  I didn't really need it...just wanted it.  I had even made up my mind to get a lesser machine.  I was wanting one to have upstairs.  My other Juki is straight stitch only.  So I wanted to keep the Viking downstairs till I would have the other stitches if I needed them without running up here or taking the machine up and down the stairs.

Anyway, I don't know if  anyone else has realized how distracted I have been.  I am the  most indecisive person ever.  So on one hand felt like I didn't really need this.  But sewing machines are to me what jewelry is to other women, or guns are to a lot of guys or cameras to some.

These are all the stitches it does.

I even took a day and went and tried a different brand of machine, but to get one this nice I would have had to pay a lot more money.

the pressure feet

Even though the machine I was looking at was not that much cheaper, it did not have near the pressure feet that come with this one.

And though my Viking has a buttonhole thing similar to this, it doesn't have the all the buttonhole options.

Anyway, I ordered it Wednesday....from a place in Alabama.  Without ever seeing it in person.  Without ever test-driving it...I was going by the quality of my Juki 98Q...plus I posted a question on the Juki 98 group to see if others had this machine and what they thought of it.  The replies I got made me long for one even more.

So now I have it...I have played on it all afternoon.  I think I am going to love it about as much as I love my 98Q.