The Gentle Rains

Brought in a relief from the humidity. This week the AC if off and the windows are open. One night it was cold, I had to close a few of the windows and put sweats on.

Argos...

Finding out more and more about my little home town from the FaceBook group. Here is a you tube video that one of the members put together. Here is one from a band from Argos. Below is a map of Argos so I found out where Fremont was. Argos was originally called Sidney. You can read about it here, scroll down to History.

This is the same picture I posted last week of Argos in 1920.This is how it looked when my family moved to Argos in the early 70s.
And this is what it looks like today.
This gas station was where I use to fill up my moped. Gas was $1.00 a gallon and I remember everyone having a big fix about the price of gas. I just paid $3.86 yesterday!!!

Argos was build off the railroad. Tracks all around the town. We lived right by the tracks (in the country) for the first 9 years we lived there. Mashed lots of pennies on the tracks, walked the tracks and even brought out fresh lemonade to the railroad works when they were working on the tracks one summer. My week...

Started off with a new salad, it wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I love it and will be making it again and again. Here is the recipe...Vegetable Salad-2 C broccoli, 2 C cauliflower, 1 rib celery sliced, 1 med green or red (I used red) sweet pepper diced, 1/4 C chopped onion. Dressing-1/3 C vegetable old, 1/4 C vinegar, 1/4 C sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp poppy seed. Combine all vegetables. Combine remaining ingredients in jar with tight fitting lid, shake well and pour over vegetables and toss.

Water Wonders Pools & Spas

Started restoring this pool. We replaced the lines, put in a new return and a new skimmer.

Wed & Thursday

Kayden came over. Thursday we were playing in the sandbox and he said he was making cake and so I started making cake too. Kayden told me my cake was done. I said "Oh good! I'm going to eat it." Kayden said "NO! Nana, it's SAND!" Then he wanted to make a blue cake so we went to the store and bought a white cake mix and added blue food coloring. Kayden saw the birthday candies and wanted to buy them, so I said sure. My birthday is tomorrow so why not.

Friday I only had to work 6 hours. Bob gave me the rest of the day off. So I went and had my nails done, took a nap and cleaned the house. Bob also took me out for lunch and dinner.

Saturday we picked up Kayden. I wanted to take him on a train ride for my birthday, he loves trains. So we went to North Judson train museum. First we went through the gift shop, it also had lots of pictures of old trains and signs, then we went through all the different trains they had there. But we didn't know until we left that there was another building with more trains in it. We will have to check that out next time.

We rode in the caboose there are seats by the top windows.
Thought I would show everyone that is not from the Midwest, just want it looks like around here. Mylene always have beautiful flower fields on her island, well we have corn.
Saturday night Bob took me dancing! It was fun, the band was called 81/89 and that was the music they played. So I actually knew all the song the band played. LOL!

Saturday before we went to the train ride, I met Shari and picked up my frames from her. Her hubby makes the frames and she paints them. Sunday I did the framing.

They are all hanging up now, except for the three winter/Christmas ones, they are in the gift closet.

Sunday I made baby shower gifts. I have a shower to go to next week. I also made a small beaded ornament and will be getting diapers to go with the gifts.

Kayden singing Happy Birthday.

Kayden on the train ride.

Well, that was my week. Hope you had a good one, until next time.

Stitching, Camping and Beading

Water Wonders Pools & Spas

We are still busy with pools and spas, doing a lot of service work, replacing equipment and such. But this was a first for us, a liner replacement caused by a bullet hole. First picture is the old liner.New Liner
Hole

Cross Stitching

Finished my silly chickens.
They go in a soap dispenser. After it was all done and filled with soap, I found out that it doesn't work! I have had it so long, I don't remember where I bought it at.

Camping

Went camping Friday and Saturday night. Saturday there was about 50 people that floated the river, but I didn't get to go. I had to go to work, Boo-Woo! This is a picture of Rick's set up. You never know what he will be camping in.

Beads

Still ordering beads, wonderful beads!

New Patterns

Lace Necklace, made with seed beads, fire polished beads and bicone crystals, using right angle weave and netting.

Twist Necklace, made with seed beads, using odd count peyote stitch.

Pearls & Scallops Bracelet, made with pearls and seed beads, using right angle weave.

Peeking Pearls Bracelet, made with pearls and seed beads, using right angle weave.

Holy Cross Ornament Cover, made with gold beads and pearls, using right angle weave.

Elegant Christmas Ornament, made with silver beads, pearls and crystals, using ladder stitch and netting.

Crystal Ornament, made with silver beads, pearls and crystals, using netting.

All patterns can be purchased at ZaneyMay's or The Bead Coop.

My Week...

It was one HOT week here in Northern Indiana. I did get to the beach one day for about 2 hours and I took my two person float, everyone wanted to know where I got it at. It was great, it is so big I can lay on it anyway I want.

Well, I think that was pretty much my week, hope you had a good one.

Back to life

Back to Reality

Sunday morning when I work up at the retreat I had three miss calls and one text from Bob, saying that Dara was going to pick me up that the airport, instead of his Aunt. Everyone asked me if everything was okay at home and I told them it was, I think he just wants me back to work on Monday. Sure enough Monday morning this is what I was doing...liner replacement. Now we have done a lot of liner replacements, but I have to say this was the absolute worse one we have ever done. There were two unknown decaying animals that were pulled out of the pool. I was so glad that we had someone with us that day, so I didn't have to get in that pool!!!

New Liner

Then we moved a pool from Argos to Plymouth. These people complained about everything, then when we are done, they said that we are not paying until next Wednesday.

Built a new pool in Knox.

A week or so before the retreat I bought two froggers from Meari. When they arrived one of the bottom pieces was broken. But I thought I had something that would work and I found this, it's not a perfect fit, but it works good.

Framed two finishes!!! Both patterns are by Calio Crossroads. I think both of these patterns came from the freebie table at one of the ILCS retreats.

Thursday evening I make a quick trip to House of Stitches and took three pieces with me, (Moon Fairy, Christmas Tree and The Garden Fairies). To pick out frames and mats, I will be framing the Christmas Tree and The Garden Fairies, but I am having them frame Moon Fairy, it is very large and I think I would be having fits, if I tried to frame it. They said it would be about two weeks.

Wednesday I couldn't take it anymore and picked up Kayden for a few hours.

Today, is house cleaning, laundry and work this afternoon. I might get some flowers moved from the backyard to the front and pick up Kayden to play!

Well that was my week, hope you had a good one.

If it were for bad luck

I'd have no luck at all...

A lot has happen since my last update. Was taking out the trash and almost stepped in an elephant size dog log in my front yard. I was so mad I made this sign, but the next day a storm came in and knocked it down. So, I propped it up and it was up for about a week. No one came to clam their dog logs.

Bob and I went out to eat for our 26th anniversary. We were both so tired we just ate and went home.
Dara has been helping me with weekly pool cleanings and the first week she helped we were walking down to the pool the customer had a stone slope to the pool from the parking area last year, but changed it to walk a few steps then there are two steps, walk a few steps and then there are two steps all the way down to the pool. When we arrived the auto pool cover was covered in water from all the rain we had. So, I set up the pump and we went to the next pool to clean. Came back to clean this pool and as I was walking down the steps I twisted my ankle and went down, almost hitting my face. It hurt for about 20 minutes or so then it seem to be better. We walked down to the pool and someone had unplugged the pump! I was so mad!!! So, I said to the guys that were there doing construction (the owners are putting in an outdoor kitchen and an built in hot tub) "why did you unplug the pump?!?" There reply was, all the water was running to the pump. Well that just floored me. As Kayden would say "DUH"! That is want the pump is for. The guy that seem to be in charge of the construction wanted me to take of my pump and put on a cover pump. My pump will pump 10,000 gals an hour (I think that is what it is) and cover pump would take days to take off all the water of the cover. Well we did finish with my pump and cleaned the pool. Then when we were at the last pool to clean for the day, I stepped on one of the hoses and again twisted the same ankle. Now I was in PAIN and it started swelling. By the time I got back home my ankle and foot was swollen and a funny purple-brown color.
Next thing that happen was a computer crash!!! Never have I lost everything in my pc. I lost everything except for the diagrams for my patterns, but I lost all my step by step patterns in PDF and Word. I was lost! What was I going to do! Then I remembered that I could go to The Bead Coop and view my PDFs there. So I started printing them out and redoing them all over again. I have to say all my customers were very understand and didn't ask for a refund, but waited until I got the patterns sent. Then just the other day it dawn on my "DUH" I could just save the PDFs form The Bead Coop right to my PC and just rename them with the correct pattern name. So, I have all my step by step instructions back except for the one that I was working on before the crash. I still haven't worked on that one yet. Trying to get motivated. I lost all my pictures, I am so glad that a month or so ago I put all of the family pictures and videos on DVD. But all the pictures for retreats in the past are gone and I was just getting ready to put them on DVD too, but was waiting for this years retreat to add those pictures. So, I won't have another video for a long, long time for ILCS retreats and HS retreats.

Memorial Day Weekend

We worked all weekend, except we took a few hours off and went to the my hubby's family reunion. Bob played volleyball.

Kayden and I had a fun time playing together.

Then more rain came in.

I finally got a picture of Dylan working at McDonald's. He started working there late last fall.

Water Wonders Pools & Spas

More liner replacement North Judson, IN before.

After

Argos, IN before.

After

And we build a new pool in Knox, IN

Stitching

I have two finishes!!! Waxing Moon Designs "Witch's Garden" I started this one at the HS retreat in the spring. I just had the gray stitched in the dress when the retreat was over.

I changed the color of the material for the designers choice and the gray in the dress was stitched in thread that is about 2 shades darker then what the designer had picked. I love the frog between the pumpkins.

Then I stared on Hinzeit "Jelly Mini Block Flip Flops". I changed the size of the count from 28 to 25 and didn't stitch the last flip flop above the "S" and added the buttons, so I changed the color pattern of the flip flops under "flip" to match the other side. I also didn't stitch the thongs on the flip flops, but stitched the solid color flip flop then used Rainbow Gallery, Frosty Rays as the thong part and attached the charms with it. If I remember right Vickie sent me this pattern for an exchange we did from ILCS group. Thanks Vickie.

Looks who's back!

Yes, that is Cooper, Dara's dog. She called Bob the other day while we were driving from one job to the next and asked Bob if he wanted Cooper, because she didn't have time to spend with him. Of course he said yes. I was not so happy about this decision, I just got all the dog hair out of the house and I am the one that is home with him. Don't get me wrong, I like animals, but when Dara got this dog, I let everyone know that "I did not want another dog". Now look what I got...another dog. Well, at least he is pretty good. He does listen most of the time and can be let out with out a leash, he stays in our yard, even when other people are walking, jogging or walking there dogs.

Then yesterday I got a call that Bob's Uncle died from cancer. The wake is tomorrow, but I won't be able to attend the funeral, which is Thursday. I'll be in Cape May, New Jersey for the ILCS retreat.

Well that is pretty much what has been going on here. There was more bad things, but it is all water under the bridge now. My ankle is still a little swollen, but it doesn't hurt all the time.