August 31, 2004

20040831

Hey...I took a vacation!
Yeah, the first week was spent in Colorado...but I came back. Spent a few weeks cleaning up the camp stuff. Spent a few days catching up at work. Spent a few lazy days reading lots of books (ON FIRE'S WINGS by Christie Golden, AT THE STROKE OF MADNESS by Alex Kava and a few more I can't quite remember the titles of). MEB has been gone a lot the past few weeks, taking care of business and the new manager in the Valley. So, with little to do but dispatch a driver or two a day and spend 45 minutes entering necessary data...I started working on Christmas presents long neglected. I'm cross-stitching the pillowcases I bought years ago. My friend was supposed to do them if I made her quilts. I made 9 quilts for her. She never did the cross-stitch. So I asked for it all back and am just now getting around to doing some of it. I am almost finished with Leslie's matched set of cross-stitched-by-me pillowcases. I'm spending more time in the pool as I feel the need. I've gained about 5 pounds or so and when my knee starts aching a lot, I know its too much weight, so time to get rid of it. Jenny is enjoying it, too. She's thrilled to be down to a size 10 in pants. Last night we went shopping for a dress for a wedding she'll be attending as a guest. We found an awesome 1940s cowl-necked, sleeveless asymmetrically-cut champagne satin dress. She looks stunning in it. We found shoes and small evening bag in gold and some stunning earrings. Almost everything was on sale! Grandma Alma's pearls (which Grandpa Albert dived for himself while stationed in Japan after WWII)look lovely with it. Don't know if Jenny's gonna wear another necklace or go with the pearls. I found a black evening gown for $9.95. It was on the sale rack and looks stunning. I don't dare gain an ounce of weight, though. I don't know when or if I'll ever wear it, but you never know - between the writer conferences and perhaps former military stuff, who knows?The dogs are loving the fact Jenny is home. They sleep with her now and have decided that she has to get up to play with them at 3 AM in the morning. Richard and I are enjoying our new-found sleep (big grin).Echo seems more princess than ever now she's back from the kennel. If you give her a treat and drop it on the ground, she will not touch it until you pick it up and hand it to her. I mentioned this to Jenny and Jenn reminded me that we taught her that - NEVER eat anything off the ground! Which is true. Flint has no trouble and seems more brave since he got back from the kennel although he barked at Clayton, the neighbor boy who knocked on the door yesterday to sell candy for school. I bought peppermint cream chocolates (grin). I also got the gamma seal lids and mylar bags and we spent part of Sunday afternoon cleaning the buckets very well and then putting dry goods into them. We now have 50 pounds of flour, 20 pounds of sugar, flat egg noodles and dried milk stored in the buckets. More will be stored as we get more buckets and more lids. I also bought a small Katadyn Extream personal water purifier for the emergency cupboard. It is not only a filter BUT a purifier removing bacteria AND viruses from water.My next big project is to get the new front porch light up (Richard will do it)and begin to work on Christmas gifts.All in all, I foresee more busy days. I shall eventually post the diary of our Colorado trip when I decide what pictures I want to use with the diary. More later.