Invasion of the Computer Snatchers!

They're Here!! Lili and Jenny are here for the summer, that means: dirty house all the time, trails of teenage girls everywhere!! I never knew a house could have so many wet towels and this is just the 3rd day!! They have stolen the computer, something about myspace?? Well, it's my space too!! Guess i'll be doing a lot of hibernating in my sewing room. Went to the chiropractor yesterday, back is worse than it was in the beginning!! She said something about finding an outlet for "your stress" I-pod here I come!! The girls have been fine, really, just lots of commotion and traffic, poor Bogie has been missing his naps, he has to keep up with the comings and goings and it's not always easy for a 8 lb person to follow them! Yesterday there must have been 12 kids out on the dock and the boat, they were fine and well behaved though! Ken said one of the boys is going into neurosurgery (sp?)! Lili, marry him!!

Posts my be fewer between, just depends on when I can get the computer!! They do start working at a restaurant on June 1, so that will help!

Found these on a blog of a blog, wouldn't they be cute in quilt form?????

Wild Hare

I loaded my Ipod with new podcasts of quilting and scrapbooking, and off I went. I've rearranged my crafting room AGAIN. Still trying to get the best bang out of my small place and still have room for the cat & dog bed. Ken doesn't understand why many 30 gallon trash bags don't get filled each time I attempt this task. Hello, nothing is trash, it's all "to be kept" stuff. It just is usually in a central dumping spot or wasn't put back in it's proper place. I did move the center table to a more user friendly (hopefully) spot in the center, now with my chair, I can swivel to my sewing machine, ironing spot, tv-dvd center, and or scrapbook with the exra surface space. So, here are the pictures...

View from the front door, notice the bare floor!!

looking left...

My work table with some stuff on it

looking right

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to all our past, present and future troops! Bring Home Our Troops Now!!

Fabric Experiments

First Batch of painted fabric
2nd Batch of painted fabric. The shiny stuff underneath is a drop cloth, because I've already messed up the deck with my "art"

Post Graduation

Graduatate and her Dad!
Lili and I
Her cardboard cutout with a graduation cap!

Another Post

I'm here, AGAIN. Thought I'd give you a preview of my art/new camera. This is one of "eye" series and it's been pieced, then painted, and now I'm going to quilt it!! Oh yeah, Bogie had to get in the act.

Camera Blues

Had to get a new camera! After falling in the Edisto River, my chip would work fine, I was able to download, but the camera wouldn't take a picture!! So, thanks to Target, I got yet another Olympus, this is my third one, they are simple, do all that I may ever have a need for and it's light as a feather, with a big preview screen on the back. Good News is during this process I never lost a picture, I just couldn't take any more!! I'm off to dye fabric and sew, now I can take a picture of my work today, look for it tomorrow. Lili graduates in 2 days and comes home today from the Senior bonding trip in the "wilderness". Poor child has been miserable, a day without text message, a day without facebook, a day without a hair straightner is not a good day in her book!!

DWTS

Where was my head yesterday?? I forgot to mention Dancing with the Stars! Yeah, Apolo!! I knew he'd win it from the beginning, what talent - not to mention his partner - is she adorable or what. By the way to the judge Len who called her "raunchy" she doesn't have a "raunchy" bone in her body, she couldn't do it if she tried!

Red Art Piece taking shape

My red art quilt is getting close!!! I love it, but that's just me!!

Edisto River Trip

The pictures from Edisto River Kayaking trip have been rescued out of my camera that fell in the river!! Thank you Olympus corporation for making such a strong camera! Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!Tom & Kathy getting ready to head out!

Turtles Galore, this a very small example!

Ken getting "roped into" towing me, my back was really giving out!

This is a cypress knee, doesn't it look like a Groillas face!!

A little Yorkie that litterly sounded like a Great Dane when he barked!!

Us, the King and Queen of Kayaking!!

The view from the back of the pack, where I stayed!!

Kate & Nate's Wedding

Bride & Groom
Ken & Tony Soprano's Brother
Delicious Drinks, not sure about that angle, must have been the blue drinks!
The Mom & Dad of the Bride! Very Proud
The daughter of some friends of ours got married on Saturday.

I'm Back!!

My back is really not so very bad today!! Yesterday I was in sad shape. And my camera works. So, I can download my Edisto River pics, plus my red art piece is in the final stages. I'm going to have to put it on a new blog. It has so much symbolism that my friends might think I've gone over the edge, so I may have to create a whole new persona, and have two blogs, one for normal me and one for activist me. I guess if I talk about it here, the split won't make much sense. So no more from the activist me on Poppies and Palms! More later...

Edisto River

Had a great time kayaking on the Edisto River. We put in above Colleton State Park and got out just past the State Park. All in all a 7 mile trip, beautiful day!! We saw lots of turtles, yellow finch, ibis, very fresh dear tracks, luckily no snakes and no alligators. I did have a spider in my boat for the longest time, finally got him out! I would have pictures, BUT my camera had to go to the emergency room!! Kept in my life vest for easy retrieval for pictures, and when we docked I got up, and camera went right thru the vest to the water!! We immediately took out the chip and batteries let it stay in sun the whole way home and used a hair dryer on it. All the screens are no longer foggy, I'm hopping it will be ok. Luckily my chip only had that days pictures, I store them immediately on the computer, so we shall see. We are worn out!! This week is unclogged on purpose and Lili graduates on Saturday early in the morning. We've just had a very hard 2 months and I think both Ken and I have aged years this last six months. We are resting this whole week, yippee!!

Hammond Seniors

Lili's cutout with her altered school sign, yesterday (yes, yesterday the day of the party and after all college deadlines) she changes school to College of Charleston! (Not Furman)
A very proud Dad and Lili
More Seniors!
...and more! There was Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia, The Citadel, Dartmoth, Carolina, College of Charleston. The kids (sorry, young adults now) were so pleased with the cutouts, great idea!! The party was a great success! This morning they are all off to a NC for a bonding senior camping trip and next Saturday they graduate!! Hard to believe!!

Romoving wine stains from the white jacket, Robin is NOT autographing any boobs, really!

Robin, Ruth, Frank taking a rest in the humid Savannah atmosphere!!

Robin with that spot remover again, Joan in blue and Lauri talking to Ruth at the taste of Savannah

Hammond Seniors, cardboard cutouts of the kids in their selected college t-shirts.

Savannah

Oh my gosh!! It's going to takes to recover!! We had the best time meeting up with Frank and Robin and their friends. I'll have pics later, but right now, still have a "laughing hangover". My cheeks (on my face) hurt so bad still!! Had good food, saw Uncle Bubba (Paula Deans brother), heard good jazz, and oh my the wine!!! But were home and manage to actually have fun at the Graduation party for Lili, the one where I didn't know a soul!! But awesome food, chocolate fountain, homemade potato chips, shrimp, just awesome food and the lifesize cut-outs of all the graduates in the college t-shirts was adorable. More pics to come!! Tonight a wedding and tomorrow an all day kayak trip!! I need peace, bland food and no human contact bad!! Do I sound like a fuddy duddy or what??

Savannah

My Buddy from our Italy trip is coming east - to Savannah with a group of her friends, we are all meeting up on Thursday, can't wait to see her!!

Too bad Ken can't make the trip, he could teach them all Southern!

Queen

People are asking for this: We made our Mom Queen for a day (yesterday), here's her picture to prove it, royal wave and tiara also!

A Bloom

My first Hydrangeas!

Bogie and Aunt Julie contemplating life after Mother's Day Brunch!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom! She raised three daughters that didn't give her much grief and we are all fairly well adjusted, and have good lives! What an accomplishment!

Happy Mother's Day to my Sister too!! She has the job of raising sweet Austin!! Another good example of a great Mom!!

Human Whisperer

Bogie has managed to earn the title of "Human Whisperer". He has trained us to do just what he wants, he gets treats exactly when he wants, he gets petted where and as often as he wants, he goes for walks when he wants and he naps where, when and with whom he wants!! We are pitiful as human beings and he is as precious as pie!! I'm supposed to be making a Mother's Day gift but as usual got sidetracked by "blog world". I'm addicted to these things. Why didn't I think of them??

Lake Murray Sisters in Service is up, check out the link!!

French Crafts

Somehow stumbled onto French Cross Stitching Blogs! Oh, my God, I surfed along with Suzie for 3 hours yesterday. Let me tell you that doesn't help the back on once!! Their work is amazing, so elegant, their pictures are amazing, wish I could read French!! Sometimes they have links to translate their sights. Amazing I say!! This picture is one of ours from Paris at Christmas. I'm surfing some more, see ya'll! How do any of these ladies get work done, when the blog sights are so amazing to look at, who has time for projects??

New Shoes

My car got new shoes today, what a difference in drive styles now. I guess they were way past due!!! Anyhow, baby is good to go for awhile, besides the price of gas and up keep could kill a person's budget right quick!!

What an important day this is, my ladies group as agreed that it's a good idea to get a blog!! Keep in mind that this group is so not into computers (well some of us are!) But they complain all the time they never know what is going on, so maybe they will get used to looking on the blog, maybe!! So be looking for Lake Murray Sisters in Service or something to that effect!

Back is bad today!! I've got another chiropractor appt tomorrow at noon!! I just took some Bayer Back, hope it kicks in fast! It's hell getting old!!

Am I a Dork?

Yesterday morning started out so cool, even Bogie was cold, he curled up in the tiniest balls, to stay warm, then once on the couch, he scooooched way up into the corner. Regular couch afghans were in the washing machine!

How do you know when you're a dork?? I had the most fun yesterday driving to the Chiropractor - 1 hr each direction, eeeh gads the gas; but while in the car I listened to my ipod, which I had updated with all these sewing podcasts, some travel and some knitting. It was so cool!! Chiropractor says me neck is uneven and she moved it around, I actually have relief today, a little tender, but progress was made! I will go again Fridayish. She's real young!!! Or am I getting older!! We went out to dinner, Catch 22 gave me $50.00 for embroidering their chef jackets, so we had a free meal - well almost all free.

Summer Clothes Exchange

I'm moved all my winter clothes to storage (Mom and Dad's attic) and my summer clothes to the closet. Is having 11 white t-shirts all the same style too much!!?? Ugh!! I've started sorting my clothes in my closet by color (Colin Cowee does it that way) so I really see what I have, I had 29 black tops for winter, don't forget black is slenderising. I also have a fetish for coral tops apparently for summer too!! Way too foolish when I shop sometimes!! I don't need anything new this summer, somehow I'm not sure that will happen!! Too spoiled!! I'm going to try and do green dyeing today!! Back is really giving me fits, moving clothes around is not helping and cleaning Lili's room isn't helpful either.
Starbucks has already brought in two voles this morning!! I had a little word of prayer with him and put him outside with the cat door closed!! He can come back in this afternoon. This wild kingdom stuff is getting ridiculous!!
Ken is on his way to a Father - Daughter tea, part of the Graduation festivities. It is at a girls house who's father is way up in Republican politics, started out with Ken and is now holding an office (not going to say which one). I told Ken he had to wear a blue jacket, red tie and white shirt to fit in, he comes out with dress Khakis, white shirt, purple tie and a brown silk/wool type jacket, (very nice one, actually). I lectured him on "no political conversations". He did his usual "yes dear" thing. Lili will probably lecture him too!!

The A Man

Just going through Picasa and looking at pictures of my Nephew, Austin. This picture was last Father's Day, they did these pictures at school, what a cute idea!! It's raining here today and I'm supposed to be doing housework, icky poo!! So, I'm taking a much needed break, really- I've been breaking off and on all day!! But, at least now I actually have cleaning supplies out!! and you can see the top of my dresser, oh but now you can tell it needs dusting!! We were going kayaking, but rain stopped us.
We went to the Admiral's Ball last night, fun, fun, good food, good prime rib, good wine!! Lot of people I actually knew from Sister in Service and Bible study group. Tonight we are going out with Ken's brother and his wife, who we haven't seen in about 2 months and they live 8 miles away!! Busy lives!
I'm still wearing a heat wrap around my waist on my lower back and on Monday I see Ken's chiropractor, hope she can do some good! I couldn't even sweep the kitchen floor, really! And it needs it, not only because by 9:00 a.m. we had two voles in the house. We've caught one, but the other is still MIA!! I wish Starbucks didn't feel like he had to bring me presents, I will still love him!! Ok, the dust balls are calling, see ya'll!

Pink Crocs & Beaufort

Pink Crocs - Maryjanes - flowers or toile-ish
The Owner's of the first Antique shop we stalked lives here! It's for sale!!
This is another house that has been featured on HGTV, the original owner has since sold it, tons of plants brought in and antique stone for wall, just way over the top. It's really pretty, but not old, just made to look that way!! Well done job!