Look at me - I'm in a windmill!

We slept in this morning.  After breakfast, we walked to the train station to catch a bus to Zaanse Schans to see windmills.  DH plans our daily routes so we walk on different streets.  All of a sudden, we were in the Red Light District once again!  I managed to get a picture of the red lights along a side street.  Apparently, the photo rule is that you cannot take pictures of the gals, but otherwise photos are okay.  The photo needs a little editing, so I won't post it until after we get home.

We had a lovely bus ride with a family from Argentina to this picturesque village on the Zaan River northwest of the city.  Their little boy was an energetic as Jackson!  The busses are very clean and quiet.  Many of them are doubles with the flexible middle allowing them to easily turn corners.  There's probably a name for them, but I don't know it!

I'm so glad we did this sidetrip since it allowed us to see the immediate suburbs of the city.  The neighborhoods are filled with apartment buildings three or four stories tall. Some of them have small patios and lovely well-maintained gardens.

I loved Zaanse Schans!  Even though this is obviously meant for tourists, it was not "touristy."  Throughout our visit, we saw residents riding bicycles or visiting with one another.  People in the half dozen shops as well as the mill operators were extremely friendly and informative.  We visited a cheese shop and learned how goat milk is magically transformed into delicious Edam cheese then wandered along the grassy fields and watched the goats.

We walked along the river stopping to visit four or five windmills.  There was little wind at first.  There's a small fee to tour a windmill (3 euro per person), so we chose one to visit.  The De Bonte Hen (The Brightly Colored Hen) was built in 1693.  At the present time, it is run by volunteers and produces vegetable oils.  It is dark and musty smelling on the inside.  The mill operator apologized that there was no wind, but suddenly we heard creaking and the gears started to slowly turn.  As the wind picked up, you could hear the mill come to life with the sounds slowly accelerating.

I decided to climb up to the second level and go on the outside of the mill.  The stairs are incredibly steep.  They reminded me of the stairs going into the depths of the tall ships, but these were steeper and narrower.  Fortunately, there was an iron handrail -- but only on one side!  I managed to climb the stairs and was rewarded with a spectacular view of the countryside and the village of Zaandijk across the river.  I will never forget the sound of the windmill turning "up close and personal."

We crossed the river by ferry (actually a small boat) and wandered around for an hour or two stopping by a little sandwich shop for a "broodje."  We even splurged on a nut tart for dessert.  Our meal times are totally off; breakfast at 10, lunch at 3, and dinner at 9.  My SIL and BIL would be so proud of us for eating dinner so late!

As we were heading back across the river, we heard sirens everywhere.  Once per year, there is a truck parade when handicapped children get to ride along with the drivers and tout the horns and sirens.  There must have been 200 vehicles!  The children were having such fun, but the noise was deafening.

The #91 bus brought us back to the railroad station and the start of our long walk home.  Time to try out the washing machine, which is both a washing machine and a dryer in one unit -- not the piggyback style that we've seen before, but actually one unit that serves both purposes.  Susan, the owner of the apartment, left handwritten instructions that left us baffled.  We figured out the washer, but after several attempts with the dryer, we had to call Susan for a walkthrough.  Even after two hours of drying, the clothes were still wet.  Hopefully, they'll be dry by morning!

DH and I tried Restaurant 't Zwaantje for dinner.  It has a delightful atmosphere and wonderful food, typically Dutch so we've heard.  Doug had a delicious fish dish.  The French fries served with it came with mayonnaise as a dipping sauce!  He loves mayonnaise, so he was in heaven.  I ordered Oma's beef stew (how could I not?), a melt-in-your-mouth beef in a marvelous sauce served with a variety of fresh steamed vegetables (carrots, leeks, green beans, red cabbage) and mashed potatoes.

It was 11 p.m. when we finished our wonderful dinner and walked back for our last night at Herengracht 311.

Walk 'til you drop!

After our tour of the Anne Frank House, we spent a few minutes at Westerkerk, a gorgeous church with a rich history.  There is a free organ concert on Fridays, and we were lucky enough to be in the church during rehearsal.  The pipe organ is the centerpiece of this majestic church.

Walking, again, we headed to De Kaaskamer cheese shop where the proprietor made us two wonderful sandwiches to take back to the apartment for lunch and some much needed down time.

How could you choose?

After a nap for DH and a bit of reading for me, we decided to walk the canals in search of the two quilt shops that I located on the Internet.  We found them!  I could not resist a charm pack of Dutch fabrics -- colors that we do not see in the US.  Who knows what I will do with them?  Probably just enjoy looking at them and remembering our time in Amsterdam.

Along the way, we found a nice neighborhood playground loaded with children and parents enjoying the mild weather.  And the park had benches!  There aren't a lot of benches in this city; DH thinks it is because they have to allocate so much space for parking for both cars and bicycles.  Anyway, it was a delight to be able to sit awhile and watch the kids play and the moms talk. 

We found a great bar on the way home and had a couple of brews you can't get in the good ole USA:  Westmalle and Affligem.  DH wanted to try one of the many Indonesian restaurants; we found one a few blocks from the apartment.  Although it was a lovely meal, the tempo wasn't quite right for Southern Californians - well over two hours from the time we arrived to the time we paid our bill.  Americans just aren't used to the relaxed way Europeans dine.

Friday night brought party central to our neighborhood.  Doug finally got up and read until 2 a.m. or so to avoid the street noise. 

Random observations in Amsterdam

• Amsterdammers may not arise early, but they sure like to party late!  Bars do not have to close until 4 or 5 a.m., so there is street noise until the wee hours of the morning.
• The Flower Market was disappointing due to my expectations.  I envisioned row after row of stalls with blooming flowers.  Instead, the stalls are filled with bulbs, both packaged and non packaged, for sale.  The vendors will ship worldwide, but with my inability to grow anything in the garden, I will pass.  I did see bulbs that I have never seen in the U.S.  There are flower carts placed sporadically throughout the city with flower bouquets that are gorgeous.  I imagine there are more in the spring.
• When I open up my blog, Blogger opens in Dutch!  I was floored the first time I tried to blog until I realized that everything switched to English once I logged on.  The Internet truly is an amazing thing.
• One of the first things I saw this morning (Saturday) was a man dressed in a tuxedo with tails and a boutonniere riding a bike!  On his way to a wedding perhaps?  Shortly thereafter, I caught a glimpse of a car decorated with a fresh flower arrangement on the hood.
• You can take a guided bike tour of the city.  We've seen several groups.  I'm sure it would be lots of fun to pedal around, but I can't imagine trying to navigate the intersections!
• As in Copenhagen, the preferred lunch seems to be a small sandwich eaten while walking or biking.  "Lunchtime" is about 2 or 3 with dinner no earlier than 7 p.m.
• During the light rain the other day, many bicyclists were adeptly handling the bike and an umbrella!
• The street cleaner comes by often.  Garbage is left in plastic bags at a designated spot near the side of the road for pickup.
• The arches under the canal bridges are rimmed with small white lights at night.  Simple, but very pretty.

An emotional reminder

When we planned this trip, I knew that our visit to the Anne Frank Museum would be difficult for me.  I read The Diary of Anne Frank at about Anne's age when she was hiding with her family in the secret annex.  Decades later, my mind still cannot understand how human beings can commit such horrors as occurred in Europe during the Second World War.

The museum is very well done.  There is little conversation as visitors move from room to room reading Anne's story.  The rooms are small; it is hard to imagine eight people living within these walls -- breathing, sleeping, eating, bathing, cooking, reading, writing -- maintaining their lives for so many months.  The furniture is gone, but the words tell the story well enough that pictures form in your mind.

I could not stop the tears when I walked into Anne's room.  Her father, the only family member who survived the Nazi concentration camps, returned to the house after the war and removed the wallpaper from Anne's room to ensure its safety.  When the house was preserved and turned into a museum, the wallpaper was returned to Anne's room.  Typically for a teenager, Anne glued pictures to the walls in her room - movie stars, flowers, other images that appealed to her.  I could not stay long in that room.

I will read Anne's book again when we return from this trip.  Her story is not to be forgotten.

A day of firsts

Amsterdam does not wake up early it seems.  Even the cafe below our apartment, which only serves breakfast and lunch, opens at 8:30 a.m.  Imagine if Starbucks opened that late?  We slept so late in part because we did not hear traffic noise or bicyclists until after 7:30.  What a treat!

I cooked my first meal in Europe!  Fried eggs, bacon (which is round cut), toast, yogurt, juice, and coffee.  Actually, Doug made the coffee in the Philips Senseo.  We watched the canal come to life as we ate.

We planned for the day, which means that DH poured over the maps and highlighted a suggested route while I took pictures of our bedroom.  Isn't it cute?

Off we went on a convoluted route through a maze of interesting streets towards the famous Red Light District of Amsterdam.

Without warning, we sighted a scantily clad female standing provocatively in a window.  No doubt, we were there.  The Red Light District actually does have red lights which for some reason surprised me.  I was warned by a friend not to try to take pictures.  Rumor has it that you might have your camera taken and thrown into the canal.  I doubt if snipes.com covers this sort of thing, so we decided not to take a chance.  I have no pictures to share with you.  Considering that we were walking through the area about 11 a.m., there were quite a few girls already at work - young to middle aged, ivory to ebony, slim to stout.  In the middle of this unique district sits the oldest building in Amsterdam, the 14th century Oude Kerk (Old Church).  You can literally stand at the entrance to the church and see the red lights and occupied windows.

Along the streets of the city

We settled in a cafe right outside the Red Light District for a cup of coffee before heading off to the bustling train station.  Doug researched the tram system while I watched for pickpockets.  We tried to find a tour to the windmills and dykes at the visitor's center, but the tour we wanted does not run on Saturday, our only day to explore somewhere outside the city.  The visitor center guide suggested that we just take a local bus to the Zaanse Schans, a nearby town with working windmills.

Letting our adventurous spirits guide us, we tackled the tram system and headed off towards the museum district.  It was raining softly as we exited the tram at The Van Gogh Museum.  Fortunately, the museum has a lovely cafeteria where we ate a "club sandwich" Dutch style - salmon, butter, capers, and thinly sliced cucumber.  Yummy!

The Van Gogh Museum has a security system that could rival any airport.  The museum has over 200 Van Goghs in its collection as well as works from other masters such as Monet, Renoir, Picasso.  We watched an informative short video on the life of Van Gogh then explored the four floors of the museum leisurely for several hours.  I had seen some of the paintings at the Los Angeles Museum of Art when they were on special exhibit, but seeing so many of his works in one collection was quite a thrill.  Occasionally, I would enter a gallery and gasp -- there's a Monet! there's a Pissarro!  a Renoir!

We walked "home" among Amsterdammers finishing up the work day and heading to their own homes.  The grocery store was mobbed with shoppers.  As we got closer to the apartment, we noticed the cafes and bars full of young people sipping after-work beers and visiting with friends.  At our favorite little cafe a block from the apartment (Cafe Wheels), we sipped our own cocktails (Bombay Sapphire on the rocks with a lemon) and asked the bartender about smoking laws.  The Netherlands adopted a no-smoking law in pubs and restaurants only two years ago - the 14th nation in Europe to do so.  If you sit at one of the outside tables, smoking is permitted.  Interestingly, he mentioned that Ireland was the first in Europe to adopt a no-smoking law!

View from our dining table

There are water taxis on the canals.  It is fun to watch people in business attire on their way home from work laughing and talking with others on these taxis.  Reminded me of taking the bus or the train home everyday with the same people and developing friendships.

Tomorrow, the Anne Frank House then more adventures on the streets of Amsterdam!

The longest day(s)

Good morning, Amsterdam!  We left our home on Tuesday, the 31st, at 3:30 a.m. in the morning.  The limo took us to LAX without incident.  There aren't a lot of cars on the freeways at that time of the morning even in LA!  I've never driven so fast on the 91 -- it's usually one long parking lot.

The downside of leaving so very early is that we had a 3-hour wait before boarding the plane.  Even with a leisurely breakfast and a few long walks around the terminal, it was boring.  The plane trip from LA to Philadephia was fine, and the layover in Philadelphia was less than two hours.  We must have missed an incident in Amsterdam the day before.  Whatever happened resulted in extra security for everyone flying to Amsterdam.  Both of us had our hand luggage personally checked and "swiped" with some kind of cloth/chemical.  We passed!  And all of our checked luggage was inspected as well.

4 1/2 hours on the first flight, then over 7 on the trans-Atlantic flight.  My nervous system gave out somewhere over the Atlantic!  I tried to sleep, but with the overhead movies on throughout the entire flight and two infants on board, it was a futile effort.

As we came down through the clouds into Amsterdam, the spacious green landscape unfolded.  Everything is lush and green.  You don't see that much green in Southern California even in the rainy season.  And water is everywhere.  I was finally feeling the excitement of the trip!

The airport is very modern and huge.  If I had been less tired, I would have explored the intriguing shops.  One was just full of Crocs!  Doug was a bit harried by this time and also overwhelmed by the complexity of the airport.  We did manage to find a Starbucks!  Then bought a phone card, contacted Franklin about our apartment, and arranged for a shuttle to a hotel within walking distance of the apartment.

The apartment is adorable.  We are over a cafe that is open for breakfast and lunch.  You enter our apartment through a door at street level, then climb a flight of very narrow steep stairs to the next floor with a kitchen and sitting room.  There is Internet access and a nice tv/stereo system and comfortable seating.  Susan, the proprietor, left lots and lots of food -- cheese, lunchmeats, fresh fruit, milk, juice, eggs, quiche, butter, fresh bread, coffee, tea.  The top floor houses the bathroom and bedroom - with an iron bed.  Quite cute.  Will post pictures later.

We unpacked a bit then headed out to explore the city and to try and stay awake as long as possible.  The canals wind throughout with bridges every few blocks.  Most people are on bicycles with a motorscooter here and there, a few cars and delivery trucks.  As a visitor, watching the traffic is amusing.  We haven't quite figured out how to cross the streets safely.  There doesn't seem to be a "right-of-way" rule!  Pretty intimidating.  Our best bet is to find someone who looks like an Amsterdammer and walk across with them!  From time to time, you can see personal boats on the canals as well as tour boats.

We found several nice antique stores to roam around in and a terrific lace & trim store.  Hope we can find that one again - I saw something I wanted to buy for the girls.  Also stumbled on a long shopping street with recognizable shops (even Foot Locker) similar to the shopping area in Copenhagen.

The weather is fall like - mid 60s and sunny.  Most people are wearing coats or jackets and long pants.  It's funny how Americans stand out just because of the way we dress!  Most women are very fashionably dressed.  I saw several wearing a new style of pant with flowing trouser legs.  Hard to describe, but very flattering.

We found a nearby corner bar for a beer and a hamburger then continued to explore.  I think we walked 10 miles!  DH and I decided to come back to the apartment to shower, unpack totally, then just eat some of the goodies here for dinner with a bottle of Bordeaux wine we purchased when we finally found the grocery store.  We did just that.  At about 7:30 local time, we both decided that we were desperately in need of sleep.  Believe it or not, we slept about 12 hours straight!

Off on a grand adventure!

DH and I are off today on a 3-week adventure.  The adventure, unfortunately, begins at 3:30 a.m. when the shuttle picks us up for the drive to LAX.

We both celebrate our 65th birthdays this year.  It is also our 40th wedding anniversary.  Spending big bucks seemed the appropriate way to celebrate!  We fly to Amsterdam for a 4-day visit, depart on an Avalon Rhine River cruise, then spend about 10 more days exploring Switzerland from several cities.  We'll be traveling via rail in Switzerland on our Eurail pass.  Talk about an adventure!  I don't do well getting on and off trains (something about my past lives, perhaps), and DH has us on a train every day once the cruise is over.  We may have to discuss this a bit.

There is so much to look forward to on this trip.  Our stops are all new to us.  We enjoyed walking along the canals of Copenhagen immensely several years ago and hope to have a similar experience in Amsterdam.  Visiting the Anne Frank House will be emotional, I am certain.

We plan to taste German beer at each stop along the Rhine!

We are even spending a day in Steckborn, home of Bernina International.  We'll take a tour of the plant, then I get to play in their Creative Center.  I'm hoping to have a demonstration of the cutwork tool to see if it might be something I would actually use rather than just keep in the box.

Inspite of our determination to pack light and do without e-mail and the Internet for three weeks, we just couldn't do it.  So yesterday we hopped over to the shopping center and purchased a Toshiba netbook.  It's cute!  We'll have access to our e-mail and the Internet from time to time on the trip.  I hope to blog a bit, as well.

Packing is done, refrigerator is empty, bills are paid, books returned to the library.  Alarm is set for 2:30 a.m.  Next stop - Amsterdam!

Darci's Dress Up Quilt - Doll #14

Introducing Doll #14.  Taking some inspiration from Brandywine Design as well as the Martha Pullen tv show, I used stitch #702 on my Bernina 640 and adjusted the width a bit so that I could weave the little satin ribbon through the stitch.  Boy, did that take some doing!  I envisioned using a safety pin or a bodkin to pull the thread through.  That did not work at all since the stitches were so small.  After almost giving up, I remembered that I recently bought a very slim pair of tweezers at a swap meet.  Worked like a charm!

Stitch #702 is the heirloom style stitch that Martha says looks like little railroad tracks, and it does.  I know I'll use this idea again.  Learning  more about heirloom sewing is on my sewing to-do list.

The last piece of fabric from the quilt guild project is a pretty shade of lavender with just a touch of orange.  I had an idea for this dress and was determined to finish it before our trip.  That was before our unexpected excursion to Los Angeles last Saturday.  The next block will just have to wait until we return from our grand adventure - more information to follow!

Another kick-in-the-pants reminder --- do it now!

On the day I received my official driver's license at the ripe-old age of 17, I called my grandma and invited her to go shopping and lunch with me as long as I could drive her car.  Typically for a teenager, I procrastinated.  I never did take my grandma to lunch.  She committed suicide before my 18th birthday.

Decades later, my DH and I planned a weekend visit with dear friends who had just built their dream retirement home on a beach in Mexico.  Something - who remembers what - interfered with that visit.  Shortly after our postponed visit, my dear friend passed away from lung cancer.  I did not even know that she was ill - she was that kind of person.  Keep it personal, keep it close to your chest, be brave, be stoic, be undemanding.

Last Saturday, DH and I attended a memorial service for a friend of 20 years.  Bob was the best man at my sister's wedding; we attended his retirement party; we've hugged his wife, daughters and granddaughters, numerous times.  We've camped with Bob, we've partied with Bob, we've raised a glass of "gout" with Bob - we never imagined that we'd be saying goodbye to Bob before his 70th birthday.

Bob was a Vietnam veteran, wounded several times, and a tireless advocate for the Disabled American Veterans.  Bob was married to Renee, a Frenchwoman whom he met while stationed in France in the late 50s and my brother-in-law's aunt.  We talked about vacationing in France and finally getting to meet the family and seeing La Boule.  We didn't do it.  Time ran out.

I'm revisiting my bucket list.  Tonight, take at look at your own bucket list.  Your personal timetable may not be in synch with life's timetable.  Do it now!

Darci's Dress Up Quilt - Doll #13

We are ending up with lots of pink and yellow fabric as we reach the end of this project.  Once all the blocks are done, of course, I'll be mixing and matching according to the wishes of my little granddaughters (and their momma).  Should be interesting to find fabric for the sashing and borders, too.  Can you just see me with all these blocks strewn about the local quilt stores?  Yikes!  I'll have to rent their classrooms just in order to shop ..... and I'm sure they'll be lovely enough to help me make a great decision.

I used this idea before (see Darci's Dress Up Quilt - Doll #5) with the ribbon down the center of the dress.  I picked up this lovely lacy edging somewhere in my travels and rummaged through all my scrapbook embellishment stuff to find these cute little organza bows with little pearls.  The smaller sleeves seemed to go with this dress maybe because the temperature has been rising steadily over the last days - summer has finally arrived!

The color is showing up a bit darker in the photo due to my poor photography skills.  DH would be happy to do the photos for me, but I hate to keep asking him since he sets up all kinds of stuff in order to do it "his way" and makes me feel guilty!  So, try to imagine this color as a little brighter.

If you've taken on a project like this one - or are thinking about it - here's a site that I found with some cute ideas.  I'm using one of the designs for the next block with a few modifications.  Guess I needed a kick start to my creativity button and these cute outfits just did the trick.

Our big trip is coming up fast -- next Tuesday!  DH and I are working our way through the to-do lists.  More about our trip in the next post.  Here's a teaser:  I'm actually going to tour the Bernina factory!  Whoo hoo!!!!

Definitely a martini night - help, please!

Okay, I'm usually a pretty calm person and reasonable to boot.  BUT - and this is a super huge but - my third Rowenta iron just bit the dust 3 days before we leave on our trip.  Purchase date:  8/12/09  Warranty:  one year from purchase date.  Today's date:  8/27/10  I don't have time for this!

Three strikes and you are out, Rowenta.  I thought you were the cream of the crop.  So, tomorrow, after driving all the way into the valley to attend a memorial service and then driving all the way back home (five hours in the car minimum), we will have to buy a friggin' iron!

Do you see why it's a martini night?  Yup, one wonderful Bombay Sapphire martini with a twist made by my favorite bartender coming up.

I'm seriously considering buying the cheapest iron I can find.  Help!

One proud momma - make that two!

I spent last Sunday at my daughter's house working on a cute little sundress for Talia's first day of school in September.  Sara had seen an adorable dress on display at her local JoAnn's over the summer and fell in love with the pattern.  Unfortunately, by the time we got around to checking on the pattern number, the store had replaced the sample with a fall dress!  We researched online, asked clerks at several of the stores, checked and rechecked, then finally settled on a substitute pattern that resembled the first one.

Sara took Miss T., the elder, to the store to buy the fabric.  Big mistake!  Sara had her heart set on coordinating print fabrics that are so plentiful now for children's clothing and quilts.  Miss T., however, zoomed in on an Ariel print!  How could we not see that coming?

I loved working with Sara on this project.  Sara's home economics classes in school consisted of making an embroidery sampler and a batch of chocolate brownies.  Being a working mom myself through most of her growing up years, I had put my own creative sewing on the back burner in lieu of keeping the household running and the bills paid.  I have some regrets that I didn't at least do some simple sewing with my daughter while she was growing up.  Add that to the list of "things I would do differently if I had the chance."

The manual for Sara's sewing machine (a very nice Husqvarna Viking) is "somewhere in a box in the garage."  The first time we tried to sew together at her house, we couldn't figure out how to wind a bobbin.  I ran to the JoAnn's and had the salesperson show me how to do it.  Did I take a picture?  No.  Did I write down the instructions?  No.  For this project, I ordered a duplicate manual for Sara.  Hurrah!  We now know how to wind the bobbin properly.  Progress!

Every hobby has its own language, I suppose.  Those of us who have sewn for years take our language for granted.  Sara had difficulty with the pattern instructions not because they were written poorly or unduly complicated.  She simply does not know the language of sewing.  She's a quick study, though, and was gaining confidence with each step.

Here's Talia's first day of school dress made by her proud momma.

And I am so very proud of my daughter who told me as we finished that she might make another dress from an easy pattern.  Now we have all three generations interested in sewing.  Isn't that lovely?

Darci's Dress Up Quilt - Doll #12

The old cliche - seeing the light at the end of the tunnel - seems appropriate today.  I've finished the 12th block and am well on my way to completing the next one.  I have two more pieces of fabric from our quilt group swap.  Drum roll please ..... I even have ideas for those!  My goal is to finish these last blocks before we leave on our trip to Europe.  (More about the trip later.)

Here is block #12.  Maybe it's the butterfly button that I found somewhere in my travels or maybe it's the white collar, but something about this block tickles my fancy.  Many of the gals from my quilt group have drafted new collars or sleeves or pockets or even dress shapes.  Their creativity seems endless.  I'm intimidated by straying from the rules, but I took a chance and drafted both a new collar and new sleeves for this block.  I like both of them.  I'm using the sleeve pattern for the next block as well.  It's hard to see from the picture, but I used a yellow thread for the buttonhole stitch on the main part of the dress and on the white collar.  I think the yellow against the white adds a little zip especially with the butterfly button.

So, I'll have 15 blocks when done.  Now the math part .... how do I make 15 blocks stretch into two wallhangings -- one for Miss T., the elder, and one for Miss T., the younger?

He's back! Or, Grandpa goes to summer camp ...

My love of professional football started years ago when I would watch the Sunday game on tv with my dad.  In those days, games were only played on Sunday afternoons.  Usually, one game was broadcast in any market as long as it wasn't subject to a tv blackout.  My dad worked 6 days a week; so, Sunday afternoons with him at home were pretty special.

My passion for the NFL and the Raiders, however, dates to the late 60s and early 70s when the Raiders could actually win games and championships and when a 40-something football legend, George Blanda, often saved the day by kicking a game-winning field goal.  I loved this guy!

If 60 is the new 40 (sounds good to me), then 40 must indeed be the new 20.  Brett is back!  Yup.  The on-again, off-again retirement of Brett Favre is off-again.  He has returned to the Vikings summer camp to begin yet another quest for the Vince Lombardi trophy.  Brett, who turns 41 this fall, became a grandpa last spring and wants to give "one more try" for a Vikings Super Bowl berth.

I'm a committed Raider fan - Commitment to Excellence or needs to be committed - you choose!  But watching Brett Favre play football is pure joy for this football nut.  The man loves the game.  The man gives everything he has to the game.  It's just FUN to watch him play!  By the time it's obvious that the Raiders won't be headed to Cowboy Stadium on February 6, 2011, I'll be pulling for Brett and the Vikings to head that way.

Go, Grandpa, go!

Better?

I must not have been completely satisfied with the last dress block because I kept it out on the dining room table instead of putting it away with the other finished blocks.  As I was getting ready for our Monday quilt guild meeting, I realized that it needed a little extra zip.  I added 3 small red buttons, and I am much more pleased with the result.

What do you think?  Is it better?

Almost done with the next block, too, which I will share with you tomorrow.

It is hot, hot, hot here today.  Summer has finally arrived.  We've had such a mild spring and summer with few days in the upper 90s let along approaching 100.  We've run the air conditioner the last two nights, which we prefer not to do.  But the house is just too uncomfortable for us to sleep well even with the ceiling fan.  Guess we're just wimps!

Darci's Dress Up Quilt - Doll #11 (Finally)

I've noticed over the last few days that my energy is returning.  Hip, hip hooray!  Life was getting to be a bit boring, I must say.  I think spending the weekend with family celebrating our daughter's 33rd birthday and playing with the three kidlets - who have an endless supply of energy - forced me into recovery mode.  Lunching with some dear friends helped lift my spirits, too.  Or maybe it was just the passage of time.  Today marks four weeks since the surgery.  I am now free to go swimming, have a tub bath, soak in the spa - and remove the last remnants of tape covering my boo-boos.  Normalcy!  Can't be beat.

I finished up another dress block this week.  At a recent quilt show, I purchased two small hand-crocheted red hearts.  I intended to use one of them on the bodice of a dress, but the scale didn't seem right to me.  So, they became pockets.  The mini-rickrack also seemed a better scale.

Four more to go.  I already have an idea for the next dress with a fabric that is not quite pink, but not quite salmon either.

I'm still crazy about the Nook e-reader that Doug bought for me.  I'm halfway through Emma by Jane Austen.  This was my favorite Jane Austen book as a teenager, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it the second time around.  Barnes and Noble sends me an e-mail once a week offering about a half dozen of their classic editions for free download.  So, I loaded Howie (that's the name I gave my Nook - guess why?) with a few of the titles on my "Books I Should Read Before I Die" list:  Women in Love, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Sons and Lovers, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, Three Musketeers, Dracula.

Now the problem is to find time to read all these wonderful classics and still keep up with the bestsellers that I enjoy.  And sew.  And play.  And see the family.  And travel.  And visit with friends.  And sleep.  And blog!

Cherished moments

My oldest granddaughter (Miss T., the elder) has always shown an interest in sewing.  I usually take some kind of sewing project with me when we go to visit family, so the kidlets are used to seeing Oma with needle and thread in her hands.  From the time Miss T., the elder, was quite small, she would sit and patiently watch me sew and ask to help.  I try to find something for her to do - push the needle through the fabric, take out the pins, etc., etc.  About six months ago, she asked to make something by herself.  So, we decided a blanket for her baby would be a good first project.  What fun!

I brought lots of pieces of colorful fabric from my stash as well as my little Featherweight for our sewing adventure.  Talia picked out the fabric she wanted and then we proceeded to sew.  We had a wonderful afternoon together.  She's not tall enough to run the machine by herself, so we alternated between her using the foot pedal and me guiding the fabric and then switching roles.  She took to the process like a charm even though she had just turned four!  Sewing teachers would be proud of me .... I emphasized that we never, ever sew over pins and Talia was quite emphatic about shouting "Stop, Oma!" as we approached one.  Cute, cute, cute.

Of course, just having a baby blanket wasn't enough since there was more fabric to look through.  How about a pillow?  We agreed that her baby doll needed a pillow, and Talia picked out some great red fabric with chocolate bon-bons all over it.  We quickly made up a pillow and then placed an emergency call to Grandpa to find Oma's stuffing and bring it with him the next day.

Poor Grandpa.  He had hardly stopped the car when Talia was running out the front door asking, "Did you bring the stuffing, Grandpa?"

Of course, if you learn how to sew, you also have to learn to unsew!  Here we are a few months later learning how to unsew the "scratchy" underskirt of one of Miss T's favorite dresses.

These are cherished moments, indeed.  Brother Jack isn't quite so interested although he does like to take the pins and put them in the pincushion.  And Miss T., the younger, doesn't stop moving long enough to contemplate anything as sedantary as sewing!

We're off again this weekend to visit family.  This time, we'll be looking for fabric and a pattern to make Miss T., the elder, a sundress for the first day of preschool in September.  Betcha she'll want to do more sewing!

By the way, notice the hair style change on Talia between our sewing dates.  She had been asking for short hair.  Guess Mom wasn't fast enough in making a trip to the beauty salon!  So, Talia managed to climb up onto the bathroom cabinet and find her mother's hairtrimming scissors!  She loves it -- no tangles!  Mom's hoping it'll be long again by kindergarten!

Ahhhhhh .... this is it!

If I was destined to have an appendicitis attack and subsequent surgery, I can think of no better time of year for it to have happened.  No one wants to be sick around the holidays, birthdays, wedding anniversary or - horror of horrors - right before our BIG vacation to Europe next month!  But July?  Well, that's a horse of a different color in our household.

NFL summer camps start in July, you see.  Around the second week of July, daily news stories crop up in the paper.  How many millions will it take for that first round draft choice to make it to camp?  Is that off-season surgery really going to work?  How many players are going to be late to camp because they (1) are still fulfilling their probation requirements, (2) haven't managed to lose that extra 45 pounds, or (3) failed the random drug test?  Is the new coach a miracle worker?  Has Al Davis' money run out or will this be the year he finally buys his dream team?  Is Brett Favre retiring?  Thinking about retiring?  Talking about retiring?  Texting about retiring?  Ahhhhh ..... gotta love the NFL.

My Raiders cut JaMarcus Russell so shouldn't be bothered by his recent arrest for possession of a controlled substance (cocaine syrup, whatever the heck that is).  Mommas - don't let your babies grow up to be NFL quarterbacks.  They have way too much money and way too little common sense, it seems.

By the third week of July, summer camps are underway, the news gets even juicier, and my blood pressure and sense of excitement start to climb.  Can't be too long now until the first exhibition game in August.  This is also about the time that the subject of football creeps into my conversations and eyes roll.  I am sure my family starts to think, "Here she goes again."

So, if I have to be sore, fatigued, and totally lacking in motivation, I can still read about my sport.  I can get Howie Long's book down from the shelf ("Football for Dummies") and once again try to learn the intricacies of this game.  I can ask someone to buy a $5 bet for me on the Raiders to win the Super Bowl.  Don't laugh.  Real fans are ever hopeful.  I can wonder what an NFL season would be like without Brett Favre.  Not a nice thought.

Post Op Benefits - Chapter 2

In my quest to find things to occupy my time and keep me awake during daylight hours, I decided to tackle a cleanout of our business files -- a long overdue task!  I don't have to do much lifting, the cleanout can be done sitting down, and I get to do one of my favorite things - toss out junk!  I'm a master at organizing and cleaning out, you see.

DH, on the other hand, is a pack rat.  He agreed to be more proactive this time and not keep things "just in case."  The shredder is getting quite a workout, and the recycling can is almost full.

I'm also going through my clothes and making piles of things to give away.  Groan.  Trying on clothes is bad enough.  Trying them on while still keeping my tummy out of harm's way takes some doing.  The good news is that the few pounds I lost due to the surgery is actually making this fun.  I look slightly less dumpy and matronly than I did two weeks ago.  Let's see if I can manage to keep the 5 pounds off!

I haven't really gotten back to sewing, yet, which surprises me since I enjoy it so much.  Plus, it's definitely a sedentary activity which causes no abdominal strain!  I did finish a little puffy pouch for my sister from the Pink Penguin tutorial, but the flex frames I ordered are too small (4").  Ordered the 5" variety online last night, so will have to wait for them to arrive to finish the project.  I found another tutorial for a coin purse using the smaller frame and hope to finish up one of those this afternoon.  I promised myself that I will then get back to the doll dress quilt - I now have 5 pieces of fabric!  Yikes!  I need to find 5 more creative ideas.  Time to surf the Internet to find an idea to steal.

I find myself spending more hours of the day sitting on our patio, which I usually don't take the time to enjoy.  Being in "recovery mode" forced me into this.  I definitely should sit and watch the flowers grow more often.  I can't do anything about the weeds or the trimming for a few more weeks which is definitely a post-op benefit.

DH bought me The Nook, the e-reader from Barnes and Noble, as a get well gift.  I'm loving it!  I thought I might miss the feel of a book in my hands.  So far, that is not the case.  I know that I'll still get my bestsellers from the library, cheapo that I am, but I downloaded about a half dozen classics for free that I've always meant to read.  I'm halfway through "War of the Worlds" by Wells.  Great read for a lazy summer day.  Which reminds me -- my patio is waiting!

Post-Op Benefits - Chapter 1

Two days ago, DH asked if I thought I should call the doctor to tell him that I am very tired and still in need of an afternoon nap.  My response was that I'm 64 years old and not going to bounce back as quickly as I did the last time I had surgery - in 1989!  Considering that I was pretty sick for two days prior to the surgery and had my body beaten up during the surgery, I think I'm doing quite well.  Patience, dear man, patience.  I don't think hubbies do well when spouses are under the weather.

Anyway, I've been looking for some positives to dwell on while I recover.  Being able to take afternoon naps without guilt is at the top of the list.  Getting regular phone calls from baby sister, daughter, and son is a blessing.  My daughter and I talk pretty regularly, and my sister and I talk at least once a week.  But our son is one who only calls when he really has something to say.  It's been nice to have him check up on me.

Reading.  Ah, reading.  I'm a lifelong avid reader.  Growing up, my bedroom was upstairs.  I had the second floor all to myself.  I was permitted to read until Mom called up "lights out."  Being a kid, I learned how to put pillows over the bedlamp and continue reading until I decided it was time for lights out!  Remember the bedlamps that hung over the headboard?  I marvel that I never set the house on fire .... 

With my physical activity restricted, I've spent a lot of time over the last two weeks reading.  Finished "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  I highly recommend this book especially for those of you who grew up during the 50s and 60s and remember the civil rights movement.  I could not put this book down.  Since my genre of choice is modern mysteries or crime novels, this was a bit different for me.  I'm still thinking about it a week after reading the final chapter.  That's a good book.

Today, I will finish "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."  Wow!  I don't often read two books in a row that keep me turning pages fast and furiously.  No wonder this book has been on the bestseller lists for months.  I can hardly wait to read the remaining two books in the trilogy

John Sandford's new book, "Storm Prey," is waiting for me at the library.  Hmmmm ... can we make this three in a row?