Snow-more

“I think you will see between two and four inches of snow,” said Mark Bacon of the National Weather Service in Wilmington on Monday. “Not as much closer to the coast but more in the northwest part of the county.”

I traveled up to the county seat and it was only a dusting, like that that I had at home. There may have been an accumilation of 2" on my deck, but I didn't notice that much in my yard.

Funny...I guess the Weather Service wanted to be "safe" rather than "sorry" in its predicition. Nevertheless, the schools were closed Monday for the Holiday and then Tuesday and Wednesday because of the potential of ICE patches. Safety First!!

So today it's melting, melting, melting. YAY.
And warm - 41!!

I'm at work, but not, you know the kind of day. Won't be here long because my windshield wiper is acting funny and I don't want to get caught where I have to use it and can't.

Friggin Brrrr - Cold Day In......

Cold....it's just plain cold.
I'm not supposed to be cold. I'm a Southern Belle.
I'm a SOUTHERN COASTAL BELLE for crying outloud!!

Snow! Most of the afternoon a light flaking. Not much. Not like the headline on my local AOL said --- 4 inches. It was about one inch...maybe a bit more. Our coastal air helps to keep it at bay which is fine with me.

So we have a new President....big, nice speech I'm told. I didn't get to watch it at all because I was running an errand before the roads turned to ice. It was weird watching the snow coming down as we were swearing in the new President.

Miss T went out several times to "dance" in the snow...she loves snow. Later I went out with her for a friendly lil snowball fight. One time I was standing inside the door taking a pic of her holding the snowball and I said "dare ya". She tossed it as I snapped the pic and it whizzed by my head and into the house!

There is a Mr Man update....but I won't go into it now. He didn't go to Court today and not because of the weather. Some drastic changes are a coming.

SNOW ?!?!?!

Up to 4 inches of snow forecast around Wilmington; no word on school schedules yet.

(This was an internet headline on the starnews section of my AOL -- gotta love reporters....we barely got an inch)

YIKES! I hope that's all!



The forecast is COLD all week...and the sky today is gray. Perfect for s-s-s-s-snow. It would be my neice (8 months) and nephew's (3 yrs) first snow ever.

I'm off tomorrow, so I will get my "snow day". Tom will be traveling to ECity for his court date.......ALONE! Nope, I'm not going. Not my problem.

Time for me?

Funny.

Every time I think I have time for me, something blows in.

But I'm not letting it take over this time. I signed myself up for some sewing classes that start next Monday - 6 Monday's in a row. It's been 30 years since I started sewing and I figured I needed a "refresher" course. Besides I need a new machine. My old Singer aka Satan's Spawn has finally bit the dust.

My Great Grandma sewed on the old foot pedal machine and my Nanny still has that thing. I learned on it!! Mom had a fancy new machine when I was growing up so I jumped on it, just messing around. In High School, Home Economics had a semester where we were taught sewing....

When I was pregnant, I made myself a maternity dress....Nanny said it looked like a TENT! Well, duh..so did I.

I've made dresses etc for Miss T. Pantaloons, crinolins and mice heads for Nutcracker. I even made myself a skirt and shirt for one Nutcracker performance a couple years back. Those "leg o mutton sleeves" are fun. (I won't say how many curse words I uttered using Satan's Spawn) I have a serger and that helped save my day sometimes.

These classes will also give me an opportunity to feel out some new machines and decide which one I want to buy. Yes, I'd love to go for the $1000 type with all the bells and whistles, but........

I'm ready to refresh my skills and possibly turn this craft into, who knows, a profitable art? There are so many new ideas and creations. I wouldn't mind making items for local events or charity for a raffle or the like. As it is, I help out with the dance costumes, adjusting straps and hems etc...I could do more.

I just want to be creative again!!

Sew-EZ is a quick & cute pattern; Simplicity isn't too bad either. Butterick too.

So Bloggerville gang, what pattern maker is your favorite?

Do you have a sewing machine tip for someone in the market?

Here we go again.....

Let's just say there's a lot of Crap around here.

Not just the ordinary daily stuff. The Tommy-drama.

Who knew as soon as I had written/titled the last post that I'd be really "back to reality"? Only this time too close for comfort.

Wrong place, wrong time on Tuesday.

Jumped, beaten with fists and a handgun. Broke nose, 5 staple stitches closing up the gap in the back of the head. Truck stolen and wrecked (rear bumper/tailgate damage); recovered.

My comment: " - next time you probably won't get out alive."


Don't even offer to suggest he attend AA or the like, I already did. You have to "have a problem" first.........ahem. Remember he's the "victim" here, uh huh.

This shit'll kill him sooner or later.

Hardens my heart....

I have options.

Back to Reality

Lovely, just lovely. Going back to work after being OFF for 12 days. Isn't WORK a four letter word anyway? And Momma said stay away from 4 letter words, didn't she?

So here I sit at work, trying to remember where I left off. I have a tub of mail, you know the kind they give you at the post office when you've been GONE for a long time. It's time to pay bills and get the draws from the clients. Balance 8 checkbooks and begin the dreaded W-2's.

I had a terrific headache yesterday and stayed home. Told Tom I wanted a week in the Tampa/Sarasota/Nokomis area....just to do nothing! He said when and I said NOW. I had wanted to do this and that and didn't get the time. Guess I could have "bit the bullet" and let the FIL assume we could only be with him for 2 days, but......

He's 80. How many more holidays will there be?

Now that I'm a certified flyer, I can JET off anytime...well, as long as Mr Wallet and Ms Bank Account says so. Hmmmm...weekend getaway? I sat looking at my map of the area, saying to myself "I didn't go here and there and....."

I gotta say...Miss T did an AWESOME job in the airplane. The trip down you could see the fear in her face (I have pictures). She claimed she was "never doing that again" but as the week wore on, she realized it wasn't so bad.

The flight home was bumpier than the ride down...I pointed out to Miss T that there were scattered rain clouds about, and that she had learned enough about clouds to know if they had water in them and we "drove" over them, we'd "bump" just like a car does on the road. She didn't pull my arm off this time! All she wanted was something to drink....when she's nervous, she's thirsty!

Tom? Well waiting for us in the mailbag at home was notice from the Attorney of the new court date of January 20th. Remember he was "appealing" the previous decision. I think he'll lose the appeal especially if he gets a jury with some MADD mothers etc on it.....but, the attorney wanted the sentencing of "1 year no license and probation and $500 fine" in the bag before he would do the appeal.

I think he should take what he got....he could get worse. We'll see.

Home Sweet Home

1 hour and 14 minutes total plane ride!

WOW! It's like a time warp...first you're in Florida then POOF you're home in NC.
In the picture above you can see the tip of Wrightsville Beach's Shell Island (bottom right of picture).

Now I've decided I like plane flying and always want a window seat with camera in hand!

The week at the FIL's was, well, ............decent, but quiet with the occassional table talk laughter. New Year's Eve we had fingerfoods of pigs n blankets, shrimp, chips, dip, cheese, deli meats and bread. The Champagne was chillin and I was downing a rather large bottle of wine with my BIL...we opened bottle #2. After Aulde Anxiety was sang and the kisses and toasts, we had cheesecake and waddled off to bed.


My favorite part of the whole trip:

My girls: We forgot to make a crazy picture!!




and the one we missed----Martha, I hope you are feeling much better. I missed you so much!



HAPPY 2009 Y'ALL!!

Happy New Year!

I was trying to come up with some TOP reasons we are glad to see 2008 behind us.

The Elections.

The pain & suffering of the Recession.

Watching my savings dwindle.

Highest Gas Prices EVER.

Tom's incident in E City.

My stepDad's heart attack and surgery.


Then what were some of the GOOD things that happened?

Miss T started Pointe.

2 beautiful weddings.

The Holiday's were good, for a change.

Miss T and I made our FIRST AIR PLANE TRIP.


So what am I looking forward to in 2009??

Changes (LOL)

Re-filling my savings & sticking to it!

Tom still wants a boat.

A new sewing machine and taking some refresher classes.

Completing some projects.

Tom's sentencing...ugh.

Watching my niece learn to walk and talk.

My 3 year old nephew going to pre-school.

Miss T's experience at NC School of the Arts in February.

Then her science trip to NC State for the Solar Sprint.

And more FUN!

Happy New Year to us ALL!!