It's Officially Unofficial

I received my invitation in the mail today. My son is getting married. I knew it was coming up fast and furious, but this makes it official. These Six weeks will go by so fast that my head is spinning.

I do have my dress and the alterations are going to be done this week. The rehearsal dinner is set. Now, it seems like all I have to do is show up and look good.

This time last year, I wanted the Fairy Tale and it will take place in 6 weeks. I guess Miracles really do happen --- if you believe.

Double The Pleasure - Double The Fun

No, this isn't an advertisement for Wrigley's Gum. When you have 2 Yorkies, what could be more fun?

The weather has been September-like the past few days and we enjoyed an evening in the Garden just Grillin and Chillin.

When I'm grilling, the dogs are usually sitting right in from of the grill praying to the altar of St. Weber that something on that grill will be for them -- they are never disappointed.

If you think it's easy to get two high-strung independent Yorkies to sit still long enough for a photo shoot - you're dreaming. I had to promise them that St. Weber would have a hamburger waiting for them when this was over.

Bailey wants to know how much longer until it's time to eat or do you think he is asking for his hamburger to be cooked medium-rare? I don't usually take requests.

Toby is the newest addition to the family. He was my Mom's dog and now he has been adopted by us. Toby is 18 months old and I'm hoping that one day he will grow into his ears.

He is just too cute and loaded with personality. Both Bailey and Toby were used to being an only-dog, however Bailey is trying to get into being a big-brother and is trying to teach Toby what nap time is.

As you can see Toby really likes to mug for the camera. Uh-oh, it's dinner time - so the photo shoot is over.

Quilting, Mexican Food and Baseball

I know that you're probably wondering just what these three things have in common? She's really lost her mind, but that was my day yesterday.

I started the day at the local quilt shop for the monthly Quilting Demo. They showed us this nifty new way to make Half-Square Triangles (HST's) by taking two pieces of fabric (right sides together) and placing the Star Singles paper on top, then pinning together and sewing along the dotted line following the arrows, cut along the solid lines, tear away the paper and viola - a perfect HST. It was like they cast the line and reeled us in hook, line and sinker. Not only did they demo the technique, they showed us samples of what you could do with them. Take a look at these cute placemats that incorporate a panel and piecing.

I was hooked as were my other two quilting buddies. Now the challenge will be to see who gets them done first.

These placemats are definitely on my wish list to get done for Christmas.

After spending the morning at the Quilt Shop, I met up with some friends for lunch at a local Mexican Restaurant for a Gab Fest. Good food and good friends is the perfect recipe for a good time. After lunch they were heading over to see Mama Mia.

Even though I really wanted to see the movie, I bidded them good-bye. I was heading home to let out the dogs and pack up the cooler for a little tail-gating before the Phillies Game. I just love a baseball game.

Why is it that hot dogs taste so darned good at a ball park? Do you think it's because you're washing it down with an ice cold beer?

My son had scored some great seats for the game and I couldn't pass that up. I can see the movie any time. I took this picture from my seat of Jason Werth on third base -- how often can you get up close and personal with a baseball player, without leaving your seat.

Trains, Phones & Emotional Baggage

I've been keeping busy this week while on vacation, or should I say "Staycation". I heard that "Staycation" is a new buzz word for staying home while on vacation. Man, I've been in vogue for years. I was never one to pack up all of my earthly belonging to trek to a remote location, only to find out that I've forgotten something. I'm one of those people that packs light -- only what you can carry with two hands.

Anyway, I'm digressing. I've been packing up my Mother's house. It seems weird going through her things when she's not there, but I know it has to be done. Hey, I have to make room for all of my stuff! I really thought that I could breeze through this chore like a freight train. I came armed with boxes and an organizational plan on how to pack things up to inventory. I sure wasn't prepared for the emotional baggage that went along with it. I must have this strange fascination with trains -- I'm always comparing things to a train ride......

Just as I would go into a melt-down, the telephone would ring and the person on the other end would cheer me up. Thanks, Bob and Judy -- you don't know how much it meant that you knew the precise time to make that phone call and ease that burden, which made the emotional baggage a little lighter.

What's In A Name?

I was doing a little blog-hopping early this morning and I stumbled across this on Mrs. Goodneedle's blog http://strawberrypatchquiltworks.blogspot.com/ and I had to give it a try. I'm such a sucker for these blog quizzes and such and I'm always so [dang, what's the word I want?] skeptical that these things can really have any authenticity. So lo and behold, imagine my shock to see how my name really fits me to a "T". Now, you know me better than I knew myself -- Go ahead and give it a try! I double-dog dare ya!!

What Kim means

People see you as a complete enigma, and only you truly understand who you are. You spend most of your time introspecting and seeking truth. You're a very interesting person... but not many people know you enough to realize it. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

A New Beginning

Today was the one year anniversary of when I started chemo - and one year later I am embarking on a new jourey in my life. I truly believe that life is a journey -- not a destination.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the number 7. My son was born in '77 and I love him more than life itself. However the single "7" is always a challenge. '07 was a difficult year for me, but I survived it and hopefully, became a stonger person in spite of it. The zodiac sign, Cancer, occurs in the 7th month and I lost my mother in the 7th month to cancer. I now see that I was the lucky one and overcame it, I only wish that she could have, too. She told me more than once that "Miracles Do Happen".

On the last day of July (yes, in the 7th month), I decided that I am going to move to my Mother's house. I now own two houses and I can only keep one. A new beginning. The house is located in a quaint, colonial town with a gorgeous view of the river and a beautiful garden. The larger fenced-in yard will allow the dogs more room to run around and it will give me more space to play in the garden. It's time for me to move away from the city. I will miss my garden the most.

The prospect of the move is giving me something to look forward to. I will have to do some renovations to the house to make it my own because I can't live in my Mother's shadow. Since I have both houses, I won't have to live with the renovations and the dogs won't torment the contractors. The thoughts of downsizing and getting rid of stuff is a bit overwhelming, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm going to grab it. I have to now look at things with a critical eye and ask myself - do I move it? Or lose it? This should make my son very happy -- he thinks I'm a pack-rat.

Now that I have returned to Blogging, this should give me lots to talk about. I've already mapped out where my sewing room will be..