Sunday's

Sunday the day of rest, yes that is surely all I have done all day. Mr.P. and myself went to see VALYKE this afternoon. We went to the early show, ( I hate movie theaters, but Mr.P. loves them). Going to the first show is cheaper and very few people in the theater, Both bonuses for me. Any who the film was slow, very slow. I do not care for Tom Cruise and he did not add anything to the film, but it is a true story and even though slow, it was interesting.

So today I signed up for the Quiltville mystery quilt that will start on NY day. Put lots of Christmas stuff away. And lastly started another knitted washcloth, finished the one I started yesterday.

Something that I WILL get done this week is to clean up and organize my sewing room. yesterday i did go on my last big fabric binge. I had set this money aside and bought some great things. Is this frugal, no of course not, but I had planned on this since last January. They say the more organized one is the more they can accomplish, well I plan on testing the theory.

Goals,Simply Living,cutting consumerism

Well we all made it through the Holidays again! How sad to think of "making it through the holidays" when actually whether religion or secular these days are a gift to us all. We get to spend time with family an/or friends, eat great food,and get a present or two. Happy Holidays

I know this blog is mainly for quilting but this year I am going to mix things up a bit. First of all I have been reading allot of simplicity Blogs and have always had a yearning to be "Caroline" on Little House on the Prairie, hence the name of the blog. So this year I am going to throw in some of my life style changes I want to put to use.
1 I will have 2days/week of no spending and move this p to 5 days a week by year end. .
2 Will lower my electric bill by, turning off lights,drying only towel in dryer,
3 Cooking 6 nights a week, my husband likes to eat out on Fridays and I will not take the one enjoyment he has away. i am the one who spends way to much of our income.
4. start to find recipes to make my own dishwashing soap/clothes soap/bar soap etc. The idea hear is to learn how to be better to the environment and how to do with less plastic as well as packaging.
5.Garden
6 Buy used before new
7. Make homemade gifts
8. ride bike more, use car less

Now I know this sounds like allot but I'm thinking soon we will have few options and be forced to live on less. Plus why should only Americans live so high on the earth and not China and India? Because if China alone lived liked Americans we would all be dead from pollution and Global Warming.

END OF THE YEAR THOUGHTS

Well it is Dec.21,2008 and I have all the gifts ready for work tomorrow. I made several of the gifts this year, homemade soap,reusable veggie bags for the grocery store, then the old stand by of Christmas ornaments. Sure wish I had taken a picture of all this before I wrapped it, ( using little bags I bought last year). I am actually very, very low on my supplies that I had built up over the years. last 2 years I did not go out after Christmas to restock, wanted to use up what I had. And boy have I.

I also finished the top of a scrap quilt, string quilt is what I believe it is called. My sewing room needs alot of attention and it will receive it right after Christmas. I have about 4 tops ready for me to quilt and 2 tops ready to send to Denver.

Have been thinking allot about what I want to accomplish in 2009. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. One quilt a month

2. Finish hand quilting the Amish quilt

3. follow Simple Savings 12 mo. program

4. Put in a big garden (as big as I can with being in China in August)

5. Order all my seeds from the catalog

6. Eat out no more than once a week

7. Buy used first

8. Save save save

9. Loss weight by exercising and eating healthy

I know this sounds awful lofty but as I said I want to work on all these things. Maybe by writing them down I can review my list and actually accomplish some if not most of my wants/needs.

SNOW

It's snowing!!!!!! I love snow,I love winter. Yes it is true I am a winter lady not a summer gal . Winter is so clean, fresh with every new snow , and not to mention cool. I DO NOT like HOT!

Anyways, I turned on my Christmas lights outside this AM , Beautiful, the bushes with fresh snow on them are all lit up. 

I am off today and have lots to do, cleaning bathrooms,floors, shopping (food), and of course finish some binding on my Santa quilt. Tonight is Nano,Nano quilt group. Will be good to see everyone and what they all have been sewing on. We have some very prolific sewers in this group, makes me green, wish I had more time to get through that room of fabric.

Am going to take a scrap-booking class on line this month. Crazy, when I got married their were not even computers and now I have a blog and taking classes on line. Seems surreal!! The class is done by Melody Langsworthy, Candid Thoughts Blog. this is one worth checking out.
http://melodeelangworthy.typepad.com/

Seems along time since I have written here, sorry. Received an email from daughter in China and she sounded so lonely and depressed. She wishes the Peace corp had more hours for her to teach, feeling a little useless and having to much time to herself. She is going to see if she can volunteer in the primary schools teaching English.

The time just seems to fly by and I am not sure what I get done. planted tulip bulbs yesterday for some extra spring color, will put crocuses in today. Have finished one cotton organic washcloth, yarn I found in Wyoming on the way to the Teeton's.

Am here in the Grand Tetons looking out over the range and they are magnificent. What a creator to design all this wonder. E. is here for a conference and I am tagging along . Stopped in Landers at a quilt store and it was so,so., would not stop again there. However in a another small town(not sure  of the name) we stopped in a yarn store. Bought some organic cotton yarn and some wool undyed. Tomorrow will go into Jackson Hole for a look around at a quilt store and do some Christmas shopping. Then I may mossy into Yellowstone National Park for a drive around.

The colors are all turning and they are brilliant golds, I love the fall. Have been taking lots of pictures and will upload them when I get home.

I know, I know it has been a long time since I have posted. Seems life is just going by and I am not getting to the things I enjoy doing. Work has been a bear, hard to get up and go everyday with a smile on my face. nothing like having to work more, harder for less pay and to top it all off to be patronized by the CEO. Does he not understand that nurses are professional and HATE being patronized like dumb little women. Some men just don't get it and will be eternally STUPID.

Enough of that, I did spend Thursday with Kathleen and we sewed all day. Had a wonderful time. This is what I enjoyed and to spend more time with friends I truly enjoy being with, doing things I enjoy spending my time on.

Am also trying to get my house more organized which will take me the rest of my life. my garden is great, lots of beans and tomatoes, not to mention the beautiful flowers. 

The soap I made last month is almost ready for using and it smells so good.

I have started about 4 weeks ago walking a mim. of 2.5 miles to 5 miles daily with Maddie. We are both starting to look and feel better at least mentally. 

Heard from Caitlin last noc. She sounds great and loves her new site. Hope to get pictures up soon.