Debbie called...

You won't believe this she said. Remember when I went to the doctors a couple of weeks ago and almost fell off scale when I saw how much weight I had gained? The doctor told me to exercise so I went to the Fitness Center and they told me my doctor had to sign the release form. I went back to my doctor who said he wouldn't sign the form because I had an enlarged spleen...the spleen that has been enlarged for 15 years. He made me get my spleen scanned again then realized that maybe it wasn't my spleen but my liver that was enlarged. I had to go to the liver doctor who did some more tests and told me I had a fatty liver. Turns out my fatty liver is the result of the being overweight. Well guess what? He told me I needed to exercise. Hallelujah I said, will you sign my Fitness Center release? You won't believe what he said. I'll be glad to write you a prescription recommending exercise but I won't sign the release form. Where's the camera I said cause I must be on candid camera. So I ended up where I started back at the first doctor's office. They didn't say much. Just took my exercise prescription and signed the release form. If that doesn't beat all.

Patterns of My Life

If you had been hanging around my house this past weekend you would have wondered why I was cussing at my sewing machine and why I wasn't letting someone else alter that new pair of pants. I was cussing because my sewing machine is 35 years old and doesn't always cooperate. I didn't take the pants to a tailor because I haven't found anyone who can do a better job than me. Let me clarify that statement. I can't find a tailor that can hem a pair of pants that will stay hemmed past the second wash. I'm serious.

Thanks to my mother, I learned to appreciate the construction of clothes at an early age. I remember sitting next to her as she looked through the pattern books at the fabric store. Becoming bored with the big pattern books, I would wander amongst the bolts of cloth reaching out to touch whatever caught my eye. I learned that fabric had a personality of its own and didn't get along with just any pattern. I knew that some fabric was "fancy" and not within our budget. At first I got my mother's flannel scraps to make blankets for my babies. I learned to thread a needle, turn up the edge and "hem" the blanket. I don't remember how old I was the first time I cut out a pattern or used my mother's sewing machine. I do remember being scared that I would sew over my finger. I'm sure it crossed my mother's mind also.

I was a lucky little girl. I had the softest, prettiest nightgowns and new curtains whenever I changed the color of my bedroom. My Barbie and Ken were the best dressed dolls on the block. What patience it took for my mother to set those tiny little sleeves and sew on those tiny little snaps. And most beautiful of all was the wedding dress that sparkled with tiny sequins and pearl beads. Barbie and Ken got married a lot that year.

Most everything I learned about sewing was under my mother's guidance. Sometimes she gave me instruction but most of the time I quietly observed. I learned from her mistakes as well as her triumphs. She taught me technical details like calculating yardage and the importance of laying out the pattern pieces to minimize waste. I learned to feel the direction of the nap and why it was important. Eventually I learned how to place pattern pieces so that plaids and patterns matched at the seams. Taking short cuts never paid off and no project was out of reach if you just followed the instructions.

Before I graduated high school, I had my own sewing machine. This was the sewing machine I used to make my wedding dress. By the time I had my children, I replaced the old machine with a fancy model that made button holes and embroidery patterns. That sewing machine is the same one that got cussed at last weekend. It more than earned its keep. It sewed curtains and furniture covers, clothes for me, the kids, and my husband. There were Halloween costumes every year and Cabbage Patch clothes. Then, my youngest entered school and I entered the workforce. I went to the store and bought clothes like everyone else. I still managed a few Halloween costumes and an outfit or two, but mostly I used it for altering and mending the store bought clothes. Eventually other technology caught my interest. The Atari, then the Apple computer then the Compaq computer then the Dell and the next Dell and the next and the old laptop and the new laptop and now the iPhone. Then, as I was cussing under my breath trying to get the 30 year old bobbin to wind I decided that my next new piece of technology would be a replacement for the old Singer. It won't be anytime soon but you know, eventually I will retire and have time to shop for fabric and cut out patterns. Someday I might have grandchildren and maybe even a granddaughter who will need some doll clothes. Or maybe there won't be grandchildren, but there will always be windows and I bet I can still make a pretty mean set of curtains.

While writing the above post, I remembered that I had saved many of the Barbie outfits made by mother. My daughter put them to good use dressing her own Barbie's.

My Barbie did not survive but my daughter's Barbie's were glad to model.

THE wedding dress and bridesmaid.

Ken, ahead of his time, shows off his leisure suit.

Midge in a sensible pleated skirt and long sleeve blouse.

(Midge was Barbie's sensible best friend.)

Outerwear (casual and dress)

1960's Partywear

Flowers on Fire

We have a days rest from the rain. I took advantage of the sunshine and warmth to take a stroll around camps at lunch.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Stomach Bug - Stay Away

I have a few days off work this week and will spend most of them helping with the upcoming estate sale. I will also mix in few things that I haven't had a chance to do like, sleep in later than 5am and get a pedicure. I also hope I can stay healthy through the week. The Quiet Man was taken down by the "stomach bug" last week. That's what they call it around here when vomiting and diarrhea are involved. Maybe that bug's GPS has him on a path to another intestine but I'm sure some bug will find his way to mine. I'm praying that it doesn't find me this week.

I always have time to try out a new app. Here's a picture I took from my back deck with the App - Toy Camera. You never know what you are going to get with a Toy Camera. You don't get to pick the effects, it's always a surprise.

Intervention Needed

Apps are addictive and there's a never ending supply. I read app reviews like I used to read recipes. Believe it or not, apps are cheaper than buying all the ingrediants for a recipe.

If you are wondering what to get me for Christmas, go with an iTunes gift card...

Photogene makes iPhone photography fun!!!

i "Love It" phone

I don't remember when or how the seed got planted. I don't understand how it happened. I had a cell phone which I never bothered to turn on unless I wanted to make a call. For the past 10 years the Quiet Man and I have shared 55 minutes per month. I added voice mail and texting to my phone only last year. We paid about $40 a month - total. What a deal. The only calls I got were wrong numbers. Friends and family didn't bother calling my cell phone because it was never turned on. I tried leaving it on but couldn't remember to charge the battery so I couldn't use it even when I needed it. So how did I end up with an iPhone? Here's how it all came about...

The Seed Is Planted

Why in the world would I want an iPhone? Trade in $40 a month plan for $90? Irresponsibility is not my name. Then my son (The Lost Boy) got an iPhone. "You would love it mom" he told me. I begged to differ. I don't talk on the phone son, what would I do with it. And then he told me. Email, Internet, GPS and APPS!!! Yes, I've heard of apps I told him. I don't have time for video games. Really mom, he said, you would like it.

The Seed Sprouts

Then my daughter (LLGirl) got an iPhone. "You would love it mom" she told me. You can access the internet, get email, and it has great maps, GPS and APPS. It's too expensive I told her. It's worth it she insisted.

The Flower Blossoms

The Lost Boy, his Spanish Sweetheart and LLGirl came to visit and with them came the most miraculous little machines. I watched them for three days. I marveled at the little blue dot on the map. That's us, my daughter said. The blue dot moved along the map showing us that we weren't where we wanted to be. I couldn't believe it. It was better than my talking GPS. Look, she said I can find out where all the Starbucks are. Okey dokey, take me to the Apple Store.

Not a Necessity nor an Extravagance

The next Saturday I boldly announced to my husband that I was getting an iPhone. He had already tried to reason with me implying it was an extravagance. Maybe so I said, but I can afford a couple of extravagances in my life. He drove me to the Apple store in Greensboro so that I could look and ask questions. The young man who met us at the door asked if he could help. Yes, I said, you can get me a black iPhone 3Gs with 16mg storage capacity. Do you want to look at one first he asked? Do you have any questions? Heck no I didn't have any questions. I had read the Apple website from cover to cover. I had read the user manual online. I had read review after review and I had $15 in my iTunes account ready to buy some apps. It took about 15 minutes to set up the AT&T account and out the door we went.

The Aftermath

I was in love, I was besotted with it's smooth feel and powerful 3Gs. I could hardly keep my hands off it. All weekend my husband had to listen to "Look at this" "This is so cool" "Can you believe this" When I took a break to deliver some food to a sick friend I came home only to discover my husband had "played" with my new phone and had to show me some new cool things. The next day my iPhone had a new little brother who is also very cool. So now we are a two iPhone family who happily communicates mobile to mobile with the iPhone cousins. Friends and family think we have lost our mind. I refused to answer their questions about the cost. "Look it up on the internet" I tell them. Some coworkers have been so bold as to tell me they would never get an iPhone. Well, it's not mandatory yet, I tell them, unless Obama gets the cell phone reform passed.

Anyway, I've had the thing for two weeks and love it more than ever. I'm worried because it's just not right to love a thing so much. So much that I don't know if I could cope without it. It's okay I tell myself. It's just a little computer in your pocket, not one of your children. Maybe I am having a midlife crisis.