Del Fine Settimana Scorso

 I had a great weekend! (oof - two months later.  Got lots to catch up on but for now, it's this weekend!)

Ho trascorso un bellissimo fine settimana!

My Italian is coming along and I've got lots to tell you about that another day.

For my birthday, Maddy and Matthew gave me a years membership at a local garden that includes the Butterfly habitat and I can take a friend for free too!

For this outing, I took Aggie.  It was so fun to see the garden through her eyes!

And here she is with one of the Cy statues! :)

The butterfly habitat was amazing although she did flinch a LOT when they came by.  I have a video of her twitching away when one came close.  I think with a few more visits, she'll MAYBE sit still long enough for one to rest on her shoulder.  Wouldn't THAT be a great pic?!

Those blue things in the front are some of the butterflies.

And isn't this inverted pyramid of the hen and chicks plant cool?!  I might have to get creative with the ones we have.  Or at least water them on occasion.

Aggie had a sleepover with me that night and after we said our prayers, she thanked me for showing her the plants and flowers and toy train and butterflies and EVEN the giant gnome!

Which really surprised me, because this was as close as she got to it!  "Turn around and let me take a picture of you with it!"

And that was it. lol!

Lots of other photo ops though where she cooperated.

And isn't this spoon tree cool? NOW I know where all our spoons have gone.

We hit up Sam's Club and she was just "I'm relaxin' now Grandma." and changed her position in the cart.  That can NOT have been more comfortable!

Note her butterfly dress.  She wore it special for the Butterfly garden.

I was babysitting Aggie that night and we had a sleepover in my room.  Then she went to church with me the next morning.  She'll be starting Sunday School in a few weeks!  What a big girl!

Note again her dress!  While looking for a dress to wear for church, we saw the dress I made WAY prematurely for her at least a year or two ago for the State Fair.  She'd never worn it because of course, it hadn't fit her yet and most likely it was forgotten.  So I had her wear it now before she outgrows it. 

Maddy and Matthew came over for lunch and Maddy had "piano lessons" with Aggie and then a more legit one with Leon.  He can play a mean Mexican Hat Dance now and Aggie can play Let's Hit the Keys in rhythm with Maddy.  She won't start legit classes until she's 5 but for now, she's having fun!

Since the mad rush all summer to submit things to the State Fair, which I FINALLY did a couple weeks ago, I still had some energy left to kill.  So I have been sorting my fabric stash in my garage office and my upstairs sewing room as well as organizing all my Burda magazines!  Wow, I have a lot and yet I feel like I'm missing a stash somewhere.  I'll find them.  And I did notice that I do not have ANY 2009s!  That surprised me!  Oh well, now I know what mags to keep an eye out for at the ASG meetings and/or Ebay.

Aggie has been browsing some of them and placing orders.  This is what I'm repurposing out of a dress (the dress fabric is on the right side) for her this week.

I've been getting into repurposing clothing for new projects.  So now when I go thrifting, I look for the fabric and quantity of it in each garment I look at.  I mean, I still have TONS of fabric in my stash, even though I've been ruthless this week, but it's fun to make things out of the clothing that I've admired the fabric of.  We'll see how this ones turns out.  I'm not a fan of buttonholes, but here goes!

Mostly Aggie and anniversaries

 I initially thought this was a fern and it IS, sort of.  Ferns don't survive Iowa winters, but this sure does.  It's actually a yarrow plant and develops little flowers.  It has spread a little in my front yard so I think I might transplant one of the clumps to my ailing thistle garden behind my garage.  SOMEDAY it will not be an eyesore back there!  One plant at a time.

A few weeks ago, Aggie was running a temp and neither of her parents could take the day off as they didn't have any more PTO for a while, but I did!  I took the day off and she and I went to the doctor.  Turns out the poor thing had strep!

We had stopped by Walmart twice that morning to get some meds and things to make her feel better.  She insisted on wearing her Minnie Mouse "blanket" NOT ROBE all day.  

I get it!  I'm like that too some days.  

She was intrigued by the fish tank at the doctor's office.  So many neat fish in it!

So we stopped by the pet store and found a betta fish for her!  Well, it's mine now as the cats are not allowed in my room.  The new pet is named Ellie (short for Elephant ears betta).  She's a cutie!

Both the girls are!

We had a quick lunch when we got home and she had the choice of either go downstairs to her room for a nap and I'd lay with her and read for a bit or she could curl up on the couch and nap without me cuddling and reading to her.  I could tell she was sick as she chose the couch!

I guess it was just closer and she doesn't get the opportunity to nap there much.

So I sat across from her and got some work done on my laptop.

A few days later, I went and had lunch with my mother-in-law.  She was in and out of the hospital and finally had surgery which fixed her issues and then the nursing home for a while recuperating and is now finally back to her apartment!  We're all so happy for her!  She's feeling better than she did a year ago!

I think I'll make this a thing to go visit once a week.  She's only an hour away.  Gas prices suck, but oh well.  Family is important and as I well know, you never know how long you have.

And here Aggie is feeling much more perky!  She and I arrived at the Memorial Day parade first and scoped out a place to see Leon with his Scout troop walk past carrying the flags. :)

Some of my sisters and myself are planning another cruise in Europe next year.  I think we'd get a big discount on this one! 

Father's Day is coming up and I KNOW my son doesn't ever read my blog.  I ordered him socks with 4 pictures on it of both Aggie and Leon.  Do you see 4 different pictures?  nope.  neither did I.

So I let them know I was disappointed in my most disappointed font.  They sent me a new pair with the 4 pictures on it!  Yay!  And they didn't even ask for this pair back!

I mean.... what could they do with it?!  So Ryan is getting at least 2 pairs of socks!

This time next year, there will be pictures of THREE kids on the socks!  :)  Aggie is expecting a baby sister this fall!

Then Leon needed a check up for some Scout stuff and I just remembered that I haven't sent it in yet!  oops!  I'll get that done.

He was being goofy while we waited for the doctor and I wanted proof for his dad that he's a goofball.

Well, Aggie has been enjoying the Barbie Jeep immensely!  She keeps running into the cars because she has NOT figured out the steering wheel yet.  But she does hang on for dear life.

She had a little friend over a week or so ago and they drove it all over the driveway.  Her friend DOES understand the steering wheel, but there were several crashes anyway and neither of them understand the reverse lever.

Don't they look like a reboot of Thelma and Louise?! HA!

After each time of driving her jeep in a huge circle because that's all she knows how to do it, I give her a trike push to the end of the sidewalk and back.

She likes to show off her Tonie.  I'm checking into some "creative" ones to record Bible songs on.

More of Aggie and her jeep.

Then the annual parade for our local festival.  Leon threw us a third of his candy bag!  It really pays who you know! :)

After the parade, we all went down to the craft fair and then Leon and myself worked picking up trash for the scout troop at the food court.  Mostly consisted of Leon using my phone for a geography game and asking me questions like "where's the Taj Mahal" or Stonehenge.  And I mostly just sat and ate food that I shouldn't have.  

Another day of Jeep life.

And she's getting to be a pretty slack driver.

Well, my zucchini garden is in and growing nicely.  My clematis is looking divine this year!  I have tied it up at least another foot just this morning and the ivy is growing nicely.  I've got the indoor plants all moved outside enjoying the sun for real.  More on that another day.

Hoping I have time to keep up on all my plants this summer! 

I did do some sewing over the weekend and Aggie may or may not have a new dress that she loves.  Oh I got it done, but she hasn't tried it on yet because... attitudes...

Last month, I celebrated Robb and my 38th wedding anniversary! Wow I miss him!

As of a week ago, Meri and Josh celebrated 1 year of their first date!

And last weekend, Ryan and Jen realized it had been 12 years since they had first met!

And today is Maddy and Matthew's wedding anniversary!!  9 years since that day!  Hard to believe.  Seems like yesterday.

A teary moment during speeches.

God's blessings to you both!

Have a beautiful day all!!!

Halloweening All Over The Place!

I went to an Art exhibition with Maddy last week!  She had a couple free tickets and it was awesome!

So many beautiful pieces all over this place and everyone dressed to the nines.  A silent auction that I was outbid immediately on but Maddy held in there until we left.  Still don't know if she won any of them.

And I got to see the actual puppets used during the Sound of Music movie!  The puppeteer lived in town and lots of his puppets were on display.

Got back on time Saturday for a sewing meeting with ASG.  I got inspired to organize my office/sewing room and after 6 days of organization, it's back to a bit of clutter here or there.

Aggie MAY have been in here investigating new buttons I put in her button boxes.

On Sunday, my entire clan headed up to Maddy and Matthew's for lunch, then we visited the Halloween train and trick or treating around the park.  

Just me and my girls!

Meri and Josh

Aggie did great for the photo until she turned around and saw the ghostly blow up thing.

Then she freaked.

Aggie got lots of fun stuff and now knows how to beg for candy.

She practiced on me again this morning.

Trick or Treat Gah!

No candy here!

After trick or treating, we played blind hide and seek on the playground equipment.

Trust Maddy to find a musical instrument!

And Meri and Josh were supposed to be blind folded, but I guess they deemed that a safety concern and were using their eyes. Cheaters!

After most left, Leon and I stayed around so he could sell some Scout stuff in town. He got several sales and is looking forward to hitting some other nearer towns on Saturday with me.

Anyway, great weekend!  And I'm geared up for the next one!  

Got some more Halloweeny stuff lined up!

BOO!

CatchUp Wanna Be Irish Style

 I had a weird day yesterday.  A feeling hit me that I haven't felt in 20 years and it knocked me off my feet.  It was not a good feeling.  

So once I got home, I got busy with work, folded some clothes, got ready for a cooking class last night and the feeling subsided.  I felt "in control" again.  MUCH better!

If that's an anxiety attack, I'm going to do my best to avoid them.

Anyway, the cars have been in and out of the shop with major issues for the past few weeks.  I'll be glad when all cars are functional again without the engine lights coming on or weird noises from under the hoods or near tires.  

In the market for a new or new to me lawn mower.  My dear brother drove here from western Iowa and mowed my yards a week ago Thursday and they're about due again.  What an awesome brother I've got!

While I tried out his mower, finishing the back yard, he used his gas powered trimmer and started in around my garden.  He accidentally trimmed up two of my 3 tomato plants that I grew from seed before he realized there were "wanted" plants mixed in with the tall weeds! :) I asked him to leave the last one as it was my favorite anyway.  They are NOT being productive plants anyway this year.  I guess I don't know what I'm doing with the garden.

His mower is a zero turn and I think I may be sold on that idea now.  It was very awkward to figure out and I almost drove over him a couple times yelling, "How do I stop this thing?" "PULL BACK!  Like WHOA NELLY!"

oh!  Treat it like a horse, huh?  okey dokey.  I've always WANTED a horse!  I'll name her Nelly, of course.  Or Mr Ed.  It depends on what name hits me as appropriate when I finally pick one out.

Aggie turned 2!!!!  We had her party at the Des Moines Science Center with all the major players of her life in attendance.  So much fun!

Then cake with just the immediate family and grandparents.  Her other grandma made the cake and it was SO good!  It had a raspberry filling! mmmmm  I went off my pre-diabetic diet and enjoyed a half piece.

OH - my A1C got tested again this morning and it's 5.5!!!  Dropped from 5.9 in 3 months!  yay!  I'm still pre-diabetic though and will have to consistently watch what I eat.  Keeping it low carb as much as possible.  I think I'll wait a few more months before I bring a few more carbs into my food though.

I got 2 things entered into the State Fair that just started.  Thank goodness my son-in-law takes such good care of clothing I've made for him!  I've been out of the sewing mojo for some time now.  I've STARTED a ton of projects but haven't gotten very far in actually sewing them together.  

That might be my new hobby.  Dream up and starting projects.  I need a friend whose hobby is to complete unfinished projects and we'll be the dream team!

I've got several ideas for Christmas gifts and once I push all the already started projects off my sewing table, I'll get going on them!

Wednesday night, I attended a cooking class in town nearby and learned how to chop veggies properly with knives!  It was so much fun and I've got 2 quarts of chopped veggies that I'll eat tonight.

Thursday night, I attended the cooking class again with a widow friend and we learned how to make Spring Rolls!  OOOH!!!  Those rice paper rounds made it so easy!  However with 8 carbs per wrap, I only ate one and made two other rolls using lettuce leaves for the wrap.  They were messier and I should have had a fork, but oh well.  The peanut sauce was DELISH and the chef deliberately left out the brown sugar!  So now we know we can!  I was too shy to ask, but someone else did. Whew! Thankful for their boldness!

Oh!  Last weekend, Leon and I met up with Maddy and Meri in Waterloo for the Irish Fest!  

We watched knives being forged from railroad ties

Bohran, tin whistle demonstrations and Myth telling

Maddy and Meri were the only ones who enjoyed authentic Irish cuisine.  Leon ate up most of my Food dollar bucks on lemonade, corn dogs, gelato, burgers, fries and fried cheese curds.  No, I wasn't keeping track...  But I did end up with a burger and a few curds.

We saw the Trinity Irish Dancers from Chicago!  And reminisced about when Meri took Irish dance classes when she was really young.

Lots of quality time with my girls!

Leon climbed 3/4s of a wall!!!  The last time he'd tried this sort of thing, he only got a few feet off the ground.  So he's improving!!

Maddy wove some fabric and may have just struck on her NEW hobby!  She's got a lot of them too.  Like Mother, like daughter!

Enjoyed the Highland games!  They're throwing a 28 pound rock as if it's a discus throw!  Some got it as far as 34 feet!  Mine would have landed on my foot.

The girls got to pet some Irish dogs!

It was a fun day and I put in over 5 miles in walking. My watch confirmed!  Leon was beat!  And now he's thinking twice about attending the State Fair with me because of the walking...

:) Maybe I'll bring him in with a stroller! LOL!

Well, back to work.  Meri's car is in the shop today and I'm working from my bestie's nursing home library for at least the morning.  Trying to be inconspicuous and quiet.  She and I have lunch plans but I'm working and she's got her morning schedule.

I've got a mile in so far today just walking from the car fixing place!  

THAT should work off any carbs I picked up last night or decide to eat today.  sigh.  I have no idea how this whole thing works yet.