#CraftyTuesday - Two More to TX

Awhile ago, I posted about how two of my quilts made in 2017 went to Texas...
Two in 2016 also went to Texas...

Here is the first that went to a dear friend's grandson.
His nursery was "camo"...

Namaste.

Being Smart...

So yesterday, I took my moment.
And I thought about stuff.
And I slept on it.

I hope that I am now functioning with a level head.
I am looking at facts and not opinions.
I am not jumping to any conclusions.
I will get on top, and stay on top, of things.

No matter which way this ends up, someone will not be happy.
And I'm okay with that.

I am just praying that things will be flowing smoother again soon.

Namaste.

Taking A Moment...

I just need a moment...To try to focus myself in the moment.
And that is hard.
Not as hard as being a wife or parent... but it is a close 3rd.

It has been a rough few weeks, heck months, even years.
I decided that 2018 would be my time to focus on now and trying not to hold on to stress or feelings.
And I did okay for awhile...

The medical issues are pretty much resolved...
No thanks to Cincinnati Doctors - if you go to Group Health Associates down there, I highly recommend that you think twice!
I do have some weight to get off as a result of my thyroid history, but that is in process and I am hoping to be successful.

I was struggling with the spiritual home that I was trying to connect with (yes, I know...don't end a sentence with a preposition... and now, I haven't). 
I just didn't have the right feeling from the minister. I know this sounds petty - but I want to go to a Unity Church.  To have the minister, at the Unity Church, refer to her non-Unity training just bothered me.  Heck, I was even doubting that she had ever been to Unity Village!
I always try to go three times before making a decision and I just couldn't make myself go back for that third time. Last week, I saw that she found a new spiritual home elsewhere and they will be looking for a new leader.
Is it bad that I felt a sense of relief? 
I felt a tinge of guilt for a moment, but then I wished her well in her future and decided to keep an open mind about the future leader...

So, 2018 felt like it was going fairly smooth...
Right?
Wrong.

The last two weeks seriously felt like life was more of a roller coaster ride.
One minute up and the next plummeting to the ground (no lie or exaggeration even)...

At one point, I seriously had the thought - we moved to FLAT Michigan!!!  Where did these huge drops come from?

Between work, wrapping up relocation, family issues (and there are more than one), it seems that spirit is throwing as much at me as she can and is just watching to see how I react.
And yes, I am just talking about the last two weeks.

Some moments (like now), I just want to throw it back in her face and tell her to Fu** Off.
Others, I try to get in the moment and figure out what I can do to get through it.
It seems to have worked (most of the time) with some of the relocation (though I am about to tell Mother Nature where she can shove it!), but I am seriously struggling with the family stuff.

I just keep reminding myself that I can only handle one thing at a time...
And there are three sides to every story and it is my challenge to get the truth...from a distance. 
How to do that successfully will be a challenge.  How to make someone understand that they are the only important thing in the situation and that they need to let me know what is going on is another challenge in itself. How to make sure that I don't presume, that I don't jump to conclusions...And at this moment - I have no idea...

Rereading that - I realized that someone who knows both situations (and there aren't many who do) may have trouble figuring out which one I am talking about.
But it is clear to me:
One, I have absolutely no control over - I can just watch and support. 
The other, I may not have control - but I will not just stand by and watch.  Not sure exactly what I am going to do yet, but I will figure it out.

I am going to stop...
I am going to breathe...
I am going to try to figure out how to get my peaceful life back...
It is time for MBB and I to be able to enjoy this life we have together...

That is my dream...
That is my goal...
And one that needs to be realized very soon.

Namaste.

#FridayFinds - Another Not Really

We tried another Italian restaurant in Toledo...
And are still trying to figure out why we don't just stay with Olive Garden.

This one gets talked about a lot, so we thought we should give it a go.
Even though we expected it to be a bit pricey, we also expected good food.

The restaurant? 
Mancy's Italian Grill (yes, I almost forgot to get the picture!)

We got a brie cheese plate for an appetizer. 
I loved the brie, but everything (including the grilled grapes) was laying in something sweet which wasn't the greatest. 
I remembered to get a picture of the red grapes (the sweet stuff was on the grapes also):

MBB said that his Chicken Parmesian was "okay" (which is his nice way of saying that even though he ate it this time, he will never order it again). 
I had lasagna and the main part wasn't bad, but the sauce that they had it sitting on (and was the same sauce that they used on MBB's food) was plain, boring and very bland.

If they would improve their sauce - the lasagna would be worth paying the price.

The rest of it? No thanks.
This restaurant is not a repeat for us...
And our wallet thanks us.

Namaste.

Remembering - Bob Evans

I knew it was coming...
I just didn't know when.

Ever since I heard that Bob Evans had sold their restaurant chain, I knew that our comfort of knowing that our comfort foods would also be there was going to disappear.

We went to Bob Evans this past weekend for breakfast... Yep, a new menu. The change has started (already affecting me for breakfast and MBB for lunch/dinner).
It is only a matter of time before it is finished and none of the foods are recognizable.

I know some say to embrace change...
For this restaurant, I struggle...
I will miss you old friend!

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - Pink and Turquoise

And the last niece/nephew quilt when to a niece who I am told has pink and turquoise as her favorite colors. 

When I am making a project for someone, I tend to think about them while I am creating.
I did enjoy going down memory lane while doing this one... It has been awhile since I have been able to enjoy her company.

Namaste.

Blessed...

Before our move last fall, I was on the road A LOT. 
Some weeks, I would head out Monday/Tuesday and be back on Thursday/Friday. 
It was getting to the point that I was afraid MBB would forget what I looked like (just kidding - I made sure he had pictures to remind him).

Since our move to the artic (MBB's opinion, but it is catchy when I'm typing), I have been very blessed to have stayed home a majority of the time when it comes to work.  This has helped us get the house set up, get relocation issues taken care of and learn our new neighborhood with MBB. 
If you read here at all, you've probably seen my #FridayFinds from some of this exploration.

Well, it is about to end.
Yep, my travel season is about to kick up.

This week will find me over in Detroit and then going directly to the airport to head to Dallas.
Next week, I'll be heading back to Texas - this time to San Antonio.
April will find me in Columbus, Indianapolis, and Nashville...
I am too scared to look at May...

I love my job and the impact that I get to make on businesses...
Some days, I just wish that I got to do it closer to home.

The good news for the blog?
I'll try to some #FridayFinds or  #TravelFinds to spot light here!

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - Moving to 2016

I made eight quilts in 2016.
I believe that only one was posted about in 2016.  :)

I already posted about MaBell's and OB's... So now, five more to go.

I had two nieces left to make a quilt for all of the nieces and nephews.
Here is the first:

Namaste.

Finally - An Artist!

I think this group paint is a big trend right now...
I have seen lots of pictures on Facebook of people who have gone.

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try it out myself!
We went to Painting with a Twist as a part of our Girl's Weekend...

My painting basically looked like the "teacher's" with my own spin. 
 > I didn't use that bright ugly yellow paint that you see on my plate...
 > I found out how to turn red into maroon (add just a bit of black!)...
 > I left a out a few mountains and added a happy baby tree (Hi Bob Ross!)...

Some people (Hi MBB!) will say that I still have yellow on my canvas.
Here's the thing... I hate bright yellow.  That one that everyone uses for the Sun or Sunflowers...
Yep, can't stand it.
It literally makes my stomach hurt.

Give me something with an orange or tan tint and I am okay with those shades of yellow - like this mustardy color on my painting.  My old Condo in Ohio was a paint color called "Bagel"... it was a golden tan, like when a bagel was toasted.  MBB still says my condo was yellow, I say bagel.

I have to say that I am pretty proud of my end result.
And MBB is letting me hang it in his office, so it can't look that bad!

Namaste.

#FridayFinds - MEAD!

OK, maybe I live under a rock sometimes...
I admit that I don't watch a lot of TV (not much at all)...
I avoid main stream media - until I find someone who can be impartial and present something without an agenda.
Yep - It will be awhile before I watch the news again.

Which leads me to this past weekend.
We were having a girl's weekend and stumbled into a Meadery.

I thought mead was a type of beer...

I'll wait while you finish laughing at me...

Yes, I got educated quickly.
And tried some great mead at Schramm's Mead in Ferndale, MI...

I tried some hot chocolate with nutmeg mead and a 1 oz pour of "The Rebuttal".
I must say that "The Rebuttal" was amazing.  It had Mindo Cocoa nibs & Madagascar Vanilla in a bourbon barrel.  Yummy!

If you are near Ferndale - I definitely recommend swinging by for a taste.

Namaste.

Women's History Month

I am a collector of facts, of tidbits, of information...
And today, I am interested in Women's History Month.

So, I am searching the web for stuff...
If I find out something is wrong, I'll fix it.

1987 was the first time that March was declared Women's History Month.
March was chose as the month since March 8th is International Woman's Day.
It is a global recognition as it is recognized in the USA, UK and Australia (or has been in past years).

A few women that you may have heard of (in order by birth year):

Cleopatria (69 BCE-30BCE) The last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt.  She was 17 or 18 when she became Queen of Egypt and the last pharaoh.  She was a shrewd politician who spoke nine languages.

Mary Magdalene (4 BCE–40BCE) Accounts from the Gospels suggests that she was one of Jesus’ most devoted followers.

Joan of Arc: (1412–1431) The patron saint of France. At the age of just 17, she successfully led the French to victory at Orleans.

Sacagawea (1787–1812) She was the interpreter for Lewis and Clark during the U.S. government’s first exploration of the Northwest.  

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a bestseller and helped the anti-slavery campaign.

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) A British nurse who served in the Crimean war, she was instrumental in changing the role and perception of the nursing profession.

Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) The 19th century women’s movement’s most powerful organizer. She fought for women's right to vote as well as very involved in the fight against slavery. Her arrest for voting in the 1872 Presidential Election and eventual trial paved the way for Women’s Rights.

Harriet Tubman (1820–1913) This abolitionist was born a slave. She eventually became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading more than 300 slaves to freedom.

Clara Barton (1821–1912) She treated injured Union soldiers on the battlefield during the Civil War. She later was the founder and first president of the American Red Cross.

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) Born in Britain, she was the first woman to receive a medical degree in America from the Geneva College in New York. She later founded a women’s medical college to train other women physicians.

Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) She produced the first literature for the mass market of juvenile girls in the 19th century best known as author of Little Women.  She is less known for her service as a Civil War nurse.

Marie Curie (1867–1934) She was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win the Nobel Prize for two separate categories (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911). A few years later, she also helped develop the first X-ray machine.

Helen Keller (1880–1968) American social activist. At the age of 19 months, Helen became deaf and blind. Overcoming the frustration of losing both sight and hearing she campaigned tirelessly on behalf of deaf and blind people.

Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) The first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, she opened the skies to other women. In 1937 while attempting to become the first person to fly around the world, her plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.

Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995) She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress representing Maine.  She was very active in fighting McCarthyism in the 1950s (and the subject of my high school term paper).  She was the first woman to be a presidential candidate for a major party in 1964.

Mother Teresa (1910–1997) Founder of a religious group of nuns in Calcutta, India, she devoted her life to aiding sick and poor people throughout the world, becoming a global icon for selfless service to others. She was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.

Dorothy Hodgkin (1910–1994) This British chemist was awarded the Nobel prize for her work on critical discoveries of the structure of both penicillin and later insulin. These discoveries led to significant improvements in health care.

Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) The first female Prime minister of Great Britain, she governed for over 10 years.

Anne Frank (1929–1945) Her diary is one of the most widely read books in the world.

Barbara Jill Walters (1929- ) is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. In 1976, continuing as a pioneer for women in broadcasting, she became the first female co-anchor of a network evening news. 

Sandra Day O'Connor (1930– ) As the first woman appointed to the position of U.S. Supreme Court justice, she carved a place for women at all levels of the legal profession. 

Janet Reno (1938-2016) She was the first woman to hold the office of U.S. Attorney General, she's remembered for her toughness and for several controversies during her tenure.

Dr. Sally Ride (1951– ) The first American woman in space was also the youngest American astronaut ever to orbit Earth.

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) British Royal princess who was noted for her humanitarian charity work.

Malala Yousafzai (1997– ) Pakistani school girl who campaigns for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for women’s rights, especially the right to education.

I know that there are a lot more notable women who were born in the 1970s and later...

I just need to do some more research to find out about them...

Namaste.

Around Town - Local Made

I tagged this post "Around Town"...
Technically, I have lived in Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan - so let's cover all three!

I am big on supporting women, minority and local-owned businesses.
(See my previous post about Gumbo and Blankets!)
So, I thought I would dedicate this post to more "local" type businesses.  Some of these are larger companies, but they do employ the local workers - so I like to rank them a little higher on my buy list.  And I am only listing the items that I use (or that I find interesting)...

I would love to put great comments next to all of these, but...
Yeah, no time or energy or creativity!

Ohio
Adhesive Labels (Medina)
Airstream Travel Trailers (Jackson Center) <I don't own, but shout out since my friend works there>
Anchor Hocking Glass (Lancaster)
Baking Soda (Tiffin)
Bob Evans Sausage (Columbus)
Brillo (London)
Dannon Yogurt (Tiffin)
Duct Tape (Avon)
Grippo Potato Chips (Cincinnati)
Heinz (Fremont)
Longaberger Baskets (Newark, well Dresden when I bought them)
Montgomery Inn Barbeque Sauce (Cincinnati)
Skyline Chili (Cincinnati) <100% MBB, I won't touch the stuff!>
Stouffer's Frozen Foods (Solon)
Totinos Pizza Rolls (Wellston)
V-8 Juice (Napoleon)
Wilson Footballs (Ada)

Kentucky
Bourbon!  <Though I find it very funny that the bourbon trail goes through dry counties>
Dixie Cups (Lexington)
Dippin' Dots (Paducah)
Duct Tape (Danville)
Hot Pockets (Mt. Sterling) <Technically, I use Lean Pockets...>
Pop Tarts (Pikeville) Post-it Notes (Cynthiana)
Reynolds Wrap (Louisville)
Toyotas!  Specifically the Avalon, Camry, Lexus ES350 (Georgetown)
Uncrustables (Scottsville)


Michigan 
(I know there is a lot more, but I'll have to add more later)
Faygo (Detroit)
Grand Traverse Pies (Traverse City)
Jiffy Mix (Chelsea)
Mindo Chocolate (Dexter)
Schramm's Mead (Ferndale)
Shinola Watches (Detroit)
Vernors (Detroit)
Vlasic Pickles (Imlay City)
Zingermans (Ann Arbor)


*NOTE: Google is my friend and I got most of my information from there. 
If I find errors, I will correct this post...

Anyone think of something that I missed?

Namaste.

#CraftyTuesday - Last of 2015

There was an addition to my family in 2015.

Usually, I follow the rule for family - If I am invited to the baby shower, I'll give a gift even if I can't attend.  This was my exception and I have learned my lesson...

I was excluded from the baby celebration festivities... 
Which, in and of itself, doesn't bother me. 

What bothers me - I make one small request with every quilt I gift.  Please send me a picture of the baby/person with the quilt. It has now been two years and I am not high enough on the "priority" list to do this.

With my clean slate of 2018 - I can type that and for the first time, not get upset. 
I am staying in the moment and being neutral.  But, staying neutral still allows me to learn from the past and not set myself up for a repeat.

Namaste.