Black Eye Friday

That's what our news paper is calling it- Black Eye Friday. Apparently people are getting killed in states other than New York, at a California Toys R Us store 2 people we killed when after they started shooting at one another inside of the store. Here in the Rapid City Walmart store a man (the police are still searching for him) punched a 15 year old girl in the throat knocking her out all because she had an X Box 360 game in her hand that he wanted.Where is the sanity in that??? Sure people should keep themselves in check BUT I think that retailers are to blame for the chaos that is happening across the nation at this time of year. The retailers put a handful of items on sale at some ridiculously low price and then have the nerve to act surprised when they have 2000 or more people waiting for doors to open the doors at 4 am- come on! I could see this train wreck about to happen 10 miles away, couldn't you? I'm surprised that more people were not hurt at the New York Walmart beyond the one employee that was trampled to death- Walmart management needs to shoulder some of this blame.

Our local Kohl's department store opened at 4 am this year and in an interview in our local news paper the store manager was reported to say that he was surprised to see the line wrapping around the outside of the store before they opened. My daughter and I were there 2 years ago when they opened at 5 am there was next to no one outside while shopping inside you could roll a bowling ball down the isles and not hit anyone. Apparently this year that was not the case as people were starting to line up outside around the store at 2:30 am in the frigid temperatures to have a chance at the elusive deal, if you ask me it's NUTS! Do I dare ask...what ever happened to "Jesus IS the reason for the season"?

My husband and I went to the mall yesterday for a few hours and you could roll a bowling ball down the mall and not hit anyone. There were no lines at any check-stands. We actually went into stores that had ZERO people in them with exception of a lone sales clerk or two. Any store that we had went to and bought something, we were the only people at the register. I think that retailers are going to have a very tough time this year. I'd say look for more deep pocket sales to happen before and after Christmas.

Quote of the Day

Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Scrapbooking stores in MA to check out!

Believe it or not, I still scrapbook! And when I'm visiting family in MA I check out as many scrapbooking stores as possible for stamps and scrapping goodies that I'm unable to get where I live in SD. So when you find yourself in Massachusetts check some of these places out!

Right at Home Scrapbooking
560 Kelley Blvd.
N.Attleboro, Massachusetts 02760

Scrapbook Cupboard
516 N. Bedford
St.East Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02333

The Stamp Act
58 Main St.
Marshfield, Massachusetts 02050

A Time for Memories
78 Worchester St.
#2N. Grafton, Massachusetts 01536

Leave a Legacy
1470 New State Hwy Unit 6Route 44
Rayham, Massachusetts 02767

THe Scrap Shack
208 College Highway
Southwick, Massachusetts 01077

Scrapbook Village Inc.
930 American Legion Hwy.
West Port, Massachusetts 02970

Memory Lane
449 Washington St.
Weymouth, Massachusetts 02188

shoes anyone?

I didn't really have plans to go out shopping yesterday but I ended up going anyway,LOL! My daughter was quick to be on my heels and came along. I had the camera in my hands asking her if she wanted to to bring it and take some pictures. Her reaction was priceless" Mom do you really want to bring the camera and have pictures of yourself w/o makeup and your hair in a pony tail?" I looked at her and said "good point" and left it home (insert much laughter here).

Driving past the various shopping plazas on our way to the mall we saw parking lots packed to capacity. The new Target store along with Cabela's and Walmart had parking lots packed full of cars, Hobby Lobby and Toys R Us were a couple of other places we passed- again their parking lots were filled to capacity. We went to the mall, were blessed to find a rather close parking space and went inside. The lines in the stores were very do-able. Not long at all as a matter of fact I was the 2nd person in line while in Scheels Sporting Goods and maybe the 5th person at bath and Body Works. I was able to walk right up to be checked out while in Sears and many other stores had no lines at all or very few people in them. Could be because I was there between 6:30 and 7 am and not when the stores opened. Still, there were plenty of "good deals" to be had. Just because the parking lots are packed full doesn't mean that consumers are spending big bucks.

Now after all that, I'm going back today to return a pair of clogs that I bought, the more I look at them the more they look like they were designed to go on men's feet than on women's feet. I want something a bit more feminine looking, this androgynous look that seems to be the rage these days is not for me :-o The best part about this experience was...I got to try on shoes and they didn't hurt my feet! It's been almost 7 months since my foot surgery and there are still days when my foot aches but on the pain scale it's nothing as compared to how it was hurting before the surgery! And the best part, I can finally buy myself some new shoes! Granted I can't wear shoes from many brands because of the lack of arch support and a few other things BUT I can buy shoes! One of my new favorite brands is Söfft, talk about COMFY!!! There's also my other all time favorites such as Clarks, Merrill and Börn, oh my gosh they all feel great on my feet which for me is really saying something :-) And they're all quality shoes made to last! Treat your feet right and give them a good solid pair of well made shoes to walk around in! I still couldn't go the Ugg shoes route even though they are super cute, the $160 a pair price tag was keeping me at bay...one of these days maybe, but not today. I have a friend who swears by them, then again she discovered them while her husband was on assignment in Denmark and EVERYONE was wearing them there :-)

I'm off to enjoy my Saturday, to do a little online shopping and a little in town shopping :-)

Quote of the day

"A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug".
~Patricia Neal

Black Friday

I woke up at 3am, no I don't have any intentions of shopping at the crack of dawn this year. I'm just awake nothing to read into it. I think it was the turkey from yesterday, it always makes me sleepy. I had to nap...I napped for over 4 hours, got up for a couple of hours and then was back in bed and sleeping by 9 pm. Needless to say, I'm feeling rather rested and am now tinkering around in the house- contemplating making some pillowcases for our bed (the fabric is gorgeous).

I did some on-line shopping yesterday and can hardly wait for the items to arrive so I can wrap them up and put them under the tree, the tree that my husband will put up today (I hope).

Now to have some more coffee and contemplate going out... I do want to look at those Born brand clogs that are on sale Ü and all the crazy people should be off the road by now...

Quote of the day

"Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God".
~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Returning Heros Home

Do you want to be a part of something really good? If so, please check this out...what a truly lovely and wonderful thing for volunteers to do... Returning Heros Home

There's so much to be thankful for...

Everywhere you look, there are things to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my husband and the career path that he has chosen. He's dedicated to his career and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've got to live in various places in the USA, a couple have been in tourist areas which are an added bonus. I've been able to make many friends along the way-again another bonus.

I'm thankful for where we live. My son has made many friends here, learned how to drive here and has found his self here. Here, well that's the little town of Box Elder, South Dakota. It's a quiet home town kind of place. A few minutes away from Ellsworth AFB and about a 10 minute drive from Rapid City. It's a community where you can get to know your neighbors, your children make friends and a place that can feel like home even if you're not a native to this part of the country. And that comes from a displaced California girl.

I'm thankful for community involvement. I'm someone who does get involved in her community. I help the spouses of our deployed airmen get through the rough times with positive interactive programs. Things such as just getting out of the house and having lunch with a friend can be the biggest spot in a persons day-trust me I know this first hand. Being there, listening means a lot to these spouses who are far away from home and their husbands are off on a deployment to places far away- some are experiencing this for the very first time. I host get- togethers in my home for spouses to make cards and scrapbooks for their loved ones. If they have questions I do my best to answer them or find the information they need or better yet refer them to the places where they can get the information. Besides the military community I'm thankful for my local community. The Black Hills Quilters Guild is filled with wonderful ladies who do so much for our local community. This group does so much for the local and military communities, I'm VERY proud to say that I am a member of this group! There's also the local paper crafting group head up by my girlfriend Peggy. Through her I've got to meet an interesting cast of friends which have all become very dear to me. Through people like Peggy, Ellen, Donna and Sarah I get to see a more broad view of local life and the folks that make up our community. They are caring, loving and giving people, giving of themselves to all kinds of local charities and causes.

I'm thankful for the life that I lead, It's a Good Life. Sure the military life style isn't for everyone and I know that. Some become resentful because they are often left alone for many days, weeks or months out of the year. But hopefully they can overcome that part and make life long friends along the way. I know that I have and I have the Lord to thank for it.

Quote of the day

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
- Helen Keller

Every day brings something new

So there I am in the waiting room at the orthodontists office and guess what...I bump into an old acquaintance. This woman was a neighbor when we lived in base housing here at Ellsworth, her husband had a new assignment and they moved away...and now they are back here for another tour. Talk about a small world! So she's asking me if we still live on base and I let her know that we bought a house and so forth. She was happy to see someone she recognized and at all places the orthodontists office. I was happy because I found out that she quilts and scrapbooks! I'm in heaven! I want to get together with her after Thanksgiving (and while our kids are still in school) just to hang out and chat and get reacquainted. Life IS good!

Hannah wasn't into having the before and after pictures with her braces and I totally understood why. But I'll see if she's up to having her picture taken this morning before she goes off to school Ü.

Quote of the day

"The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning."
~ Ivy Baker

sites to check out

You've got to go over and check out Pegs Blog...TONS of great crafty stuff going on over there! The woman just had knee replacement surgery and is still a crafting maniac! She makes some of the BEST paper craft items around! Need some paper crafting ideas? Then go over and check out Peggy's blog- ideas are running loose all over the place (kind of like the cattle on her ranch Ü).

What do you think of my blog tog make over? Like it? Well you better get on over to Blog Tog Makeovers and get in the SALE! That's right Cindy is having a sale, get yourself in line to get a blog makeover!

Do you need a reason to be creative?

Christmas next to Easter and Halloween are times of the year when I really get into being creative. I love making things, I can't help it. It kills me when I hear ladies putting themselves down by saying "I'm not that creative" or I don't enjoy doing crafts because they make me feel stupid". I recently heard someone say that there's no reason why they should be creative. Do you really need a reason to be creative? My mom is in her 70's and I like to think that I keep her actively creating things by sending her crafting projects that she can enjoy making. I just bought her one of those cute apron panels from Hancock fabrics. I remember growing up how my mom would always wear these pretty aprons and the majority of them were those cut apart panels from a fabric store. She'll get a kick out of this next sewing project that I send and a little trip down memory lane too!

When my kids go on field trips and are required to bring a brown bag lunch, I like to decorate their lunch bags with sweet doodles. The kids always loved it when I did that, they said that their lunch bag was never lost in the ocean of 60 or more brown paper bags, LOL!

One thing the kids and I have done for years is to make paper snow flakes out of white coffee filters. This year will be no exception! Some double sided tape, a pair of scissors and we're off for some crafty fun! Paper crafting is oodles of fun no matter how old you are!

And who of us didn't make paper chains for the Christmas tree when they were growing up? My daughter Hannah still loves making them!

Go get yourself some coffee filters, tape and a pair of scissors and bring out the kid in you!

Quote of the day

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending."
~ Carl Bard

and I wonder why I'm tired, LOL!

Most of the things I had to get done have been accomplished. Now the question is this...do I run out for the 3rd time and drop off my Americana quilt top to be professionally quilted today OR do I drop it off tomorrow while Hannah is getting her braces put on? If ever I felt as if I needed a nap, today is the day! My head is pounding and I feel exhausted! I've made up my mind, I'm going to wait until tomorrow, why drive downtown for a 3rd time when I really don't need to?

I got my packages in the mail, dropped off coat at school since Hannah was in such a rush she forgot it. Bought the things I needed at Walmart before the store was crowded, dropped off package at UPS store, stopped by Hancock fabrics and totally forgot the size of the zipper I needed, yes it really happened. Talk about having a brain fart! I had to laugh because it was pretty darn funny- the only reason I went there and I forget the zipper size? Oh geez, just call me a dork and get it over with, LOL! Getting back to Hannah...Now honestly, how could anyone forget to bring their coat when it's 25 degrees outside is beyond me but there it was at home on the cedar chest. Yup that was the 2nd trip out the door this morning. I think that it's cookies and milk time what do you think?

on your mark, get set, GO

It's Monday and I'm off and running! I'm getting ready to do errands and get things together before I'm trapped in the house for 4 days with my family. I still can't believe that Thanksgiving is THIS Thursday, where did the time go? I never did get the backing done for the quilt, got stuck doing "other things". I've got to get it done TODAY- this will be the best of days- while I'm kid free. I can't believe that in a few days we'll be setting up the house for Christmas. Does it feel like Christmas to you? It doesn't for me. I think that I need to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" a few times before I really start to feel like it's Christmas time.

I've got to take some pictures of the things I've been working on and get them posted. I keep talking about them and I know that it's hard to get a mental picture. So now for me to break down and take pictures...I hope to get that accomplished within the next few days.

Well I'm off with errand #1, get daughter to school early so she can work on a project. Let the chaos begin!

Quote of the day

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".
~John Lennon

the start of a new week

This morning you will find me answering e-mails to friends and family. As I look at my week I realize that it's jam packed with things going on every day. My week is cut short because of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Hannah gets phase 2 of her orthodontics on Tuesday (that's full braces w/rubber bands) . I'm working on putting on bindings on my table runners...3 down only how many more to go? UGH! Meanwhile Hannah and I chose a pattern and are picking out some fabrics to work on a lap quilt project over Thanksgiving break. I tell ya, I ALWAYS have something going on! Starting Tuesday afternoon and moving into Wednesday I'll be the Cheesecake baking Queen.

I plan on a nice quiet Thanksgiving here at home with my immediate family. No friends stopping by, no house guests to contend with, just me, my spouse, our kids and our kitty. I plan to dance with the turkey before I roast him, LOL! This year we're going to take a lot of thanksgiving day pictures- I want to remember this one and pay tribute to all of the things we're thankful for.

Quote of the day

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".
~William Morris