JAUNTING AHEAD

Wow! Was it ever a beautiful clear day when we hit the city last weekend! I was only able to get this photo of the seasons color changes (Jim had to reboot the phone later) but our trip was good. My salesperson who has sold us stuff for something like 5 yrs now had taken photos (below), emailed me, and even called me because she knows what we own and what I like. This made the trip successful and easy on us since it's almost a 2 hour trip into Memphis. So heading for our goal out of here...I got the media chest below, 2 foyer tables (Jim picked out the one for the upstairs landing so he could put the coffee tray on in order to open the door :l), silk trees, dressing mirror, etc. We will just finish up the reno's we've already started, repair what we need to, and the house will be ready to show. Then we can jaunt on outta here.

Master bedroom under TV1

Dinner with Paula was awesome too while we where in the city. Nothing like 2 old school Memphis ladies gabbing and giggling over dinner and drinks discussing the city's 'yesteryear' through the 60's and 70's (and cool to learn she worked for a congressman in Washington before returning home). Better to have one's personal company as opposed to emails, cards, letters, phone calls, and dear lord...Facebook :/  I hardly go on there anymore. Jim helped me decide to change our life insurance policies because attorneys aren't going to go into FB to notify my daughter if something every happened. Not to mention her living in Okinawa without a phone and 5 kids would really make her inaccessible to deal with all of our stuff if something should happen to us both at the same time. The church, his grandson, and Paros (yes, things are going to the dogs here lol!). My policies anyway.

So reviewing this year with the shattered arm, lost first adult tooth, Jim's thrombosis, and my dizzy spells which one had me come home from Grenada Thanksgiving shopping last night, (not to mention the dogs sick), I really do think moving is the best thing and our health issues have arisen from the crop dusters (which have been driving me crazy this week). I may can blame ATT for the fall off the table from having to pull unused phone cords up trying to troubleshoot the internet this past spring but the dizziness and shattered bone came from something else. And should've just 'broke', not shattered.

Special order (comes with house lol)

And mentioning ATT, I finally heard from them. I mentioned in an early blog I haven't received a bill from them (which has been about 3 months ago) and thought they were throwing me a bone over here from all that I've gone through to troubleshoot the no speed issue (and dubbed "The Death Crawl") at .2 and .6 mbps :/  It wasn't even a bill. It was a shut off notice with the amount totaling 3 months :o  They should see I pay my bills on time every month for years (except the month someone I knew passed and the surgery/cruise with grandkids month). They said they would give me a $3.50 credit for each bill :l  I told them to stick that credit in their file cabinet because they are the ones who messed up on that (as usual...something they screw up and she laughed worriedly thinking I was going to say ass :). So I paid it in full and told them to send me a label for the modem so I could return it. They said I could write the office because they see where I've been calling them with issues EVERY month for the past 2 years :l  Omg! How inept this was never resolved long before now! Verizon home phones are less than $25 a month btw (you your number and only one base uses phone jack...rest is satelite) and it has everything ATT has. And I got 2 neighbors who dropped ATT already so now :P

Although it's a month early, we got our first freeze temps so I'm going to go ahead and pack my summer stuff for the trip. Jim also brought in the plants and I'm finishing up some crochet products (some say "What's on my hook..." in their blog. Mine is more like "What's on each hook or needle" since I have all sizes lol...but 2 snoods done, another lap afghan, and other stuff in the progress...freeforms etc.). I am looking for some of these 'Ancient Earth Echoes' fiber embellishments for an afghan hound head in browns and golds (with burlap and cheesecloth) I want to start but think they've gone out of business :(((((  I can't remember (thanks to crop fields and ATT :P) where I got them 4 yrs ago. Dollmaker's Ink, Joggles, Ribbon Smyth, or somewhere in the US I know. Not my places abroad like Stef Francis, The Silk Route, etc. But already started doing some ribbon roses for more elegant masks and one with mink tails. Out of ermine and low on tails but they're not in the budget with Jim being out, the furniture, the trip, holidays, etc :(

Speaking of missing my budget was the beautiful, must own Rose Taft gown a couple of posts or so below. A grand more than I expected (I have to admit...I've never owned anything more than 2k...not even a fur...but there's a first time for everything and with some patience, extra budgeting, and unloading some stuff maybe on ebay lol...  I won't sleep until it's in one of my closets. Not even the crop dusting will erase that thought ;). But with knowing it's made of horse hair (not the kind for hat bands and stuff....but woven into fabrics that hold shape really well and used a lot for upholstry...more expensive than silk and is probably the lining or underneath petticoat) and she probably is a designer for the stars or something :l  Whoa! I'm hopping my dumb southern bunny tail outta here on that lol...

Out of brown, golds, blacks

But not without mentioning Jim and the 'Blow Up Doll' at Hancock Fabrics :l  Oh yeah, lol! When he asked me why I don't make a dress...I mentioned that embroidery, buckram masks, and wall art with raw edge applique is very different than garment makers perfect seaming, tools, jargon (like 'yoke' and whatever else I can't remember from home ec...forgive me Mother Teresa and Ms. Cooper from boarding school :/)...and yes...that mannequin dressmakers use. He goes "Ohhhh. The Blow Up doll at your fabric store!"  :l   :l  Omg!! Is that where he goes the few times he will get out of the car when we are in there?!? Blow up doll?!? In hancock?!?  He goes "Yeah...you change her boobs and stuff."  Omg, omg!!  That's when I had to go find the correct term....'form' lol!!! Can't have him go around life calling it a damn 'blow up doll'!!!! :D  Still ~rolling~ :D

Now back to focus. Just breathe :} Especially when I am in Grand Cayman's Bacarat store. Just think of my goals. And just use my Joy Montano and Ann croft ribbon books for buckram prom and mardi gras ball masks for now and grab the new book by Candace Kling "The Artful Ribbon" later (I am having to postpone my vow renewal and wearing the blue gown for Jim. At least there's a new blog site to follow, ribbonpetals). Check expiration dates on my dyes and how much leather and silk velvet I have (may not be able to have enough masks for this mardi gras because of all these factors, it comes early this Feb, and other stuff going on :( ). See how to open an ebay store, book a room night before cruise, set up house sitter, recall dog sitter at Swan Kennels (how I wish I had a house sitter not afraid of dogs :( ), parking, Terminix pest control coming monday, just got box for Direct Thurs so mail it off on Tues when I go back out of town for thanksgiving dinner and refill prescriptions, look for my taffeta shipment (omg...for only $12/yd out of Denver Fabrics! Same price I get my dupioni or chiffon :) I guess I could just go where I got my dyes from (Jacquard is one) and see about how long the expiration dates come about but I have a lot of different types of dyes :\). Oh! And read up on the last year's camera I got  functions a bit more. Omg. Just breathe :} Oh hell, maybe not the air here :/

That's enough things to do for immediate future and reasons enough to 'jaunt' outta here to a smaller place near a city so I can incorporate help be it dog groomers, less house to clean, no crop dusters, good doctors, no hurricanes, flooding, etc. Ohhh God Bless those in NY and NJ! The guys were all up there helping and I never knew about behind the scene set ups of banks and pharmacies before until now. Just Fema and how other states help with power repairs. Also saw that Nat Geo show on Sandy. It was way bigger than Katrina. It may take us a while to get out of here but a year is my plan. At least the floor, floodlights, and sheetrock is finished in the masterbath but is there anywhere that's safe?!?

We almost have perfect credit that will enable us to obtain a 0% financed vehicle by next fall. We should have everyone paid off by then and although the Miata only has 65k miles on it...it's getting old along with the other van my father bought us (and the Toyota that was sold). It will be the first car/suv Jim has bought since I've met him :l (lol...it's his turn woooooo hooooo!! :D).

Video for now of Sky Lake trip pictures last Jan. Finally learned to work Corel VideoStudio Pro software I bought a year or two ago. Like it better than windows and maybe HP Media Smart so far but a bit more complex :}

May this week's holiday jaunts be safe and delightful for everyone...especially in NY, NJ, and between Isreal and Gaza Strip. There are worse places to be than here right now.