Sunday sewing stuff

Today I pinned, but did not yet cut out, a tunic top and a jacket for myself. The tunic is in a lavender floral print and the jacket is in burgundy gabardine. I had used my mannequin to alter the patterns to fit me. What I did not do with the jacket, yet, is alter the facings. I have to make the front jacket darts, first...because in the original pattern, the facing has no darts. So now I have to figure out how to change it.

I think I'm going to stick to less structured garments in the future. Maybe that's why I like sewing for kids so much...fewer darts, LOL!

I also cut out the front and back of a knit top for myself. I altered a pattern with a scoop neckline to make a sweetheart neckline. The fabric I had on hand must be something I bought for a short-sleeved top, because, alas, there isn't enough for long sleeves. But...I'm going to look for a lacy knit fabric and make an overlay for the bodice and lacy sleeves.

I almost bought lacy knit fabric from a company on line. The price was quite reasonable, until I got to the shipping. Someone please tell me, why do they base shipping charges on price and not on weight? I didn't order the fabric after all, because the shipping was almost as much as the fabric itself! I'll wait and check out Joanne's next time my husband and I drive to the South Shore. (It's an hour trip from here, and I despise driving. So I only go when he does--we hit Joanne's, have dinner at a chicken place or IHOP, and then go on to Big Lots.)

Anyone start decorating for Halloween yet? I put out my Halloween kitty cats, so far. Looking at this photo, I just realized the plush kitty in the middle is blocking the view of the metal kitty behind him.

Holiday decorating frugalness: five of these cats were cheaply bought at garage sales!

Sew Crafty Friday: Lunch tote

Melody the cat checks out a pattern I made by tracing around one of those 3-part lunch plates.

My daughter likes to take her lunch to work whenever possible. I joke that sometimes I feel I pack lunch more for her now, at her age of 22, than I did when she was little. It's a good way to use up leftovers!

I've been wanting to make a nicer way for her to take lunch than putting everything in a plastic grocery bag. A regularly shaped, rectangular, lunch sack wouldn't work because some days she uses one of those covered plastic plates with 3 sections.

So I traced the plate for the bottom of the bag, adding an extra inch all around--a half inch for seam allowance and a half inch for ease.

Then I measured the circumference and cut a rectangle that long, by about 10 inches high. I made a tube out of this piece, which I then sewed to the base.

I made two pieces like this...one for the lining. I sewed them together. After turning them right side out, I topstitched along the edge, leaving a small opening. I stitched another line parallel to the first, about a half inch away--again, leaving an opening. I threaded a ribbon through the channel to make a draw string bag.

Here is the finished product:

Okay, now hop on over to "Waiting for Him" (see my links list) for more "Sew Crafty Friday" fun!

Girly stuff in a boy's world

I'm living in a testosterone world today. Actually, with a husband and four sons, that's every day...but today more than most. As just about any teenaged boy in America could tell you, today was the day that "Halo 3" was released. My son Nick has been anticipating this for almost a year. I reserved a copy for him back in November. We've had a countdown clock on my desktop, and all I have been hearing is "you won't forget to pick it up, will you"? I went to get it after work. Geesh, the thing came in this huge box with a lifesize replica of "Master Chief's" helmet.

Nicky has liked Halo from day one, and even dressed up as Master Chief for Halloween a few years back. That was an interesting costume to make! (We left out the helmet, thank goodness. I'm not that talented, LOL!)

So, anyway, I needed a touch of girliness today and worked on one of my 17,000 projects. Here is a shot of the collar of a little pair of PJs I'm making...

Garage Sale Bonanza

Wow, did I get lucky with garage sales today! They've been pretty paltry around here this past summer. But today...I must have found eight... plus a church sale! Church sales are the best!

Here is my take:

Plastic snowman snack tray

Christmas basket lined with pretty fabric

A pretty tin that probably once held cookies

A real, but broken, cell phone for the kids at work to play with--and it was only 50 cents. I'll have to write 'toy' on it, or people will think someone dropped it, LOL!

Large metal bunny and egg wreath for next Easter

A humongous oval tray with a Thanksgiving turkey on it--it's plastic but hey, it cost me 15 cents

A pretty gold wire Christmas basket (same garage sale as the turkey platter--for a nickel!)

A big bag of foamie dragonflies and butterflies for crafting

A little stuffed black Halloween kitty cat

A Halloween puppy and a Halloween kitten dressed in pumpkin costumes...all knit!

One of those magic hanger things that let's you hang 5 items in a small space

A 3-ring binder photo album, still in original wrap

A roll of green velvety ribbon

Some little cars for the kids at work

A pasta drying rack

A really nice metal folding table

A meat fork with a red plastic handle

A black Kitchenaid spatula (I dropped my red one without knowing it and my ferrets used it as a chew toy)

And the best thing of all:

A French Tea Set in it's own little cute carrying case. I almost didn't ask the price because I was sure it would be out of my range. I couldn't believe it when the girl said $2!!!

And the original price tag was still on it...for $74!!!!!! The little cardboard things are menus, and the napkins are cloth!

So, what did this great bonanza cost me? Well...I had 11 single dollars when I left home this morning, and came back with 2. Allowing for some quarters, I probably spent less than $12!

Yep, I'm feelin' pretty happy now!

17,000 WIPS

Well, not really. More like 17. I realized I had a lot of things that need to be worked on, and maybe even finished. But, like bills that need to be paid but are forgotten if you don't keep them in one place, I would see my projects in a sort of peripheral vision...kind of floating vaguely in my mind. Do you know what I mean? You're aware that things need to be done, but nothing in particular comes into focus.

So yesterday I made lists of what I need to finish. Putting things in lists helps my poor left brain wrap around what needs to be done. That's so my right brain can get to having fun! And trust me, I'm so right-brain dominant I could live with half my mind, LOL!

I've posted about "My Ta-Da Lists" before. I love that site. I used it to make my list yesterday. Actually, at least 17 lists...one for each project. So, for instance, under "Lavendar PJs," I listed each individual step needed to finish them.

With a list that is broken down into the smallest parts, you suddenly realize there are a lot of things that can be done and gotten out of the way rather quickly. I had already handsewn the zipper in (it's a baby sleeper), so it was just a matter of sewing it in for real. Took just a few minutes...a job that's been hanging in my closet for weeks.

I have a friend who refuses to start a new project unless an old one is finished. What is the fun of that????

BTW...all the tests from my procedure came out benign. They were looking for some virus with a weird name...something pilosis? Well, I don't have it. What I do have is the damned hiatal hernia. So I'd appreciate any info on dealing with that, because it's really, really not fun. Thanks!

Sew Crafty Friday: Knitting

I'm sorry this picture isn't more clear.

I'm not much of a knitter, but when Becka sent me the softest yarn ever in my ShoeBox Swap Box http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/, I decided to break out the knitting needles to make myself a scarf.

I don't know if you can see the change in stitching a few rows up. It's been so long since I did anything that I don't know what the different patterns are called. Stockinette? Garter? But it was such a pain in the dupa to switch from purling to knitting every row that I decided to just stick with knitting. When I get closer to the end, I'll suffer through a few rows of purling/knitting so it matches. I'm making this short, because I don't like long scarves, anyway. It's going pretty fast, since it's also narrow.

The only thing that I don't like is that the knitting needles are too long and hit the sides of my chair...so I have to sit in the middle of the couch. Do they make short knitting needles?

Please visit "Waiting for Him" (over there in my blog links list) for more crafty yumminess. Better yet, would it kill you to post over there? Come on, we all want to see how creative you are! (Yeah, I'm pushy. And I'm selfish, too--I love to drool over other people's creativity!)

Oh, the indignity!

I mean, really...being a Pineapple or a Prisoner was bad enough...but a lobster? Poor Shadow!



http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2006/09/pineapple-puppy.html
http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2006/11/halloween-puppy.html

Seriously, though, this dog loves to dress up. Whenever we bring home a new article of clothing for him, he gets really excited. His tail wags so much you can hardly see it. I think he loves the extra attention...as if he doesn't get enough already!

I'm back!

I'm back! They took me in almost right away. I tell you, anesthetic is weird. You feel all ditzy at first then BOOM, your are out like a light. Next thing you know, you are in recovery. I can remember talking to Mike but I don't really know what I was saying.

Okay, so this is what Dr. G found. I have a lot of irritation in my stomach, and he's pretty sure that's caused by the aspirin I take on a regular basis because of my bad sacroiliac joint. So damn, no more aspirin for my back. He suggested I talk to my doctor about going on Celebrex. I have a hiatal hernia. He found a polyp that he removed. He also took some samples to do biopsies, which I'll hear about in a few weeks.

I knew damned well the aspirin, even coated aspirin, was causing me trouble. It sure would be nice if they made meds with no side effects! Especially OTC stuff! I mean, really, these days they say even Tylenol can cause liver damage.

My throat is so sore and my mouth is dry as the dessert. They gave me some gingerale. It didn't help much. Now I'm trying to eat half a sandwich and drinking grape soda. I'm having a hard time choking the sandwich down. The funny thing is that I'm really not hungry at all, so I Gave half to my son and some of my half to the dog. And I thought I'd be starving after fasting since midnight!

So, Dr. G did find something. And my hopes that it was nothing terribly serious seem to have been heard. I'm not even going to think of the biopsy thing. Why borrow trouble? I'm sure it's just routine.

I can't drive today and I can't drink. Gee, shucks, I guess I can't drive over to the liquor store!

BTW, we're having pizza for dinner. I'm going to spend this day relaxing. What a great excuse to do my crafts and veg in front of the computer!

Thanks for thinking about me this morning!

Endiscopy today

I'm going in for my endiscopy in about an hour. I hope they find something...at least, something that's fixable. Nobody wants to hear bad news. But I especially don't want to hear, "we can't see anything. Now you have to do this..."

I hate these damned tests. The worst part to me is fasting. I'm one of those types who has to eat every few hours.

I would have been allowed clear liquids up to 4 hours before the procedure, but I scheduled it for the morning so that would have meant having soup or Italian ice prior to 6:30 a.m., LOL! I stayed up late last night so I could eat something just before midnight, so I didn't wake up until about 9 a.m. Frankly, if my back wasn't killing me I wouldn't be doing too bad. I'm starting to feel a little hungry, but I can deal with it at this point.

In case you don't know, an endiscopy is when they stick a tube down your throat with a camera at the end and look inside your stomach. You have to be asleep for it, which is why I'm fasting. My husband will be driving me.

I will post later on about what the doctor found. For the record, he's the one who found tears in my stomach that were making me deathly ill about 3 years ago...when 2 other doctors and the hospital found nothing. So I really trust him to get to the bottom of this.

I Love Free

A few days before we left for Ohio last month, we were driving around the neighborhood and spotted this desk and etagere on the roadside. Both in perfect condition! Happily, we had my Escape. I had Mike and Nicky lug these into the back of the truck.
The desk is in perfect condition (for the record, the chair comes from my dining room). Mike set it up in the living room for me. So far I've used it to finish some scrapbooking pages. I hope to eventually be inspired enough to do some writing.
I used to have my fabric in boxes in the closet. I had the boxes numbered, and references pages in my family binder so I knew where to find things. Now everything is out in the open where I can see it.
It amazes me what people throw away!
What's the best 'roadside find' you ever came across?

Z is for Zealous

As in, too zealous. Did I really need to start yet another project with so many others in the works? But I was up in the attic today, getting out some fall things, and found this Vermont Teddy Bear up there. And I just got the idea in my head that she needed some clothes. I think a lot of us creative people might be zealous like this...forty WIPs and we get a new idea we just 'have to' start!

So here's the start of her outfit. It's going to have a full skirt and a petticoat...and maybe bloomers if I can figure them out.

To make the pattern, I used exam-table paper left over from the doctor's office where I work. Don't worry, nobody with the flu sat on this...it's the tail end of the roll that isn't long enough to use. I collect these for my pattern altering, tracing and creating. I fitted a piece over Teddy's front and then another over her back. It took some fudging, but I got it right. Actually, the front was too wide for some reason. So I put a pleat there and will sew some little buttons down the front. (She isn't going to be meant for a young child.)

I keep calling her 'she,' but she was wearing a toolbelt so I think it was a boy at first. Then again, she could have been a tool belt diva! Now she wants to retire to a quiet life of lovely clothes and tea with friends.

Oh, and the frugal aspect of this post, since I sometimes remember the blog is called "Sorta Frugal": I paid $3 for her! Can you believe that, for a Vermont Teddy Bear?????? And her outfit will be made with fabric on hand!

Sew Crafty Friday

Here is a pencil roll I made. The yellow fabric has little flowers on it. It's part of the stash I got from my mother's house. I had cut a bodice for a child's jumper out of it, and only had a smallish piece left. The outside is the same yellow fabric, and it has batting inside to make it cushy. I like the red fabric with the gumdrop trees, but have to laugh because 3 of the turtles are upside down. Sure, it's made to go in either direction, but if I'd paid attention I'd have made more turtles upright, LOL!

See how straight the lines for each pencil pocket are? I have to admit cheating...or maybe being resourceful. There was a very small pinstripe throughout the fabric that turned out to be exactly the right distance apart for a pencil!

I have just one more step in that I have to put a ribbon on it for tying it shut. I didn't happen to have the right color ribbon.

Please visit "Waiting for Him" (check my blog links list) for more great crafts--and why don't you show off something of your own, while you're at it?

Y is for Young

I'm still young, right? I mean, despite the arthritis, chronic back pain, ulcer, periomenopause, etc. etc. etc., fifty-one isn't old, is it?

I guess I have to admit to middle age. When we hit 40, my oldest and dearest friend said, "I am NOT middle aged." I used to say, "the middle of what?"

Well, 51 is the middle of 102. So there's no denying it.

It is said kids born these days could easily live to be 125 years old. That's not for me, unless I had the health and mental faculties to enjoy that many years. I don't want to be 90 and confined to a bed with Depends on.

Tuesday morning, I go in for an endiscopy for abdominal pain. It's one of those things were I had a twinge once in a while for a long time, and just chalked it off as typical aches and pains. But in the last month or so, it's almost constant. I don't feel sick at all (to me, sick means you can't eat or you have a headache), it just annoys me. My doc thinks it might be another ulcer, but we're checking. Whatever it is, I hope they fix it.

Then the next step is to see a pain management specialist about my back. What I have is called "Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction." That joint is where the base of your spine (the triangular-shaped bone) meets your pelvic bone. It hurts me almost all the time. Thank God most days it's only on about a level 2 or 3, but once in a while it hits a good 11. I have done everything for this--therapy, meds, shots, even a chiropractor. It has just become part of my life. I'm hoping the specialist will teach me some new 'tricks' to deal with it.

Oh, gripe, gripe, gripe. I really am generally a happy person. I learn something new every day and find beauty in a lot of things. I've gotten into a lot of blogs because I love to oooo and aaaah over the creativity out there, the beautiful babies and children, the generosity.

I just want to oooh and aaaah as if I really were still 31 instead of 51, LOL!

x is for...

xtra tired? Aren' t we all? I think it comes with the territory when you're a mom, no matter how old you are. I seem to take a nap every afternoon to recharge.

I can't think of anything for X! Haven't seen any x-rated movies lately to review--I'm just kidding!

Did you know there is no country in the world that begins with the letter X? If I had a country, I'd name in Xorange...so there'd be an 'X' country and something that rhymes with the word orange.

Sorry this is such a boring post today. Hope everyone out there is doing well!

W is for where we were

It's amazing how we can all remember where we were at watershed moments in history. I was in the second grade when Kennedy was assassinated, and I remember the principal coming over the loudspeaker to tell us. I also remember walking home with my best friend, and how she was crying. I didn't understand what was happening.

For 9/11, I was at home. I had just gotten up and took a look at the TV, where they were playing the film of the first crash...over and over. My first thought was some idiot pilot didn't know what he was doing.
Well, by the second crash, of course, I'm sure we all knew we weren't dealing with idiots. Narrow-minded monsters, but not idiots.
My husband was out on business, which sometimes takes him to the city. First thing was to check where he was--he happened to be on the East End of Long Island that day. Then I checked in with my then-agent, who lives in the city. She was okay.

Nicky came home early from school. He didn't know why he'd been dismissed so I explained it to him. I guess he was about 10 at the time. It shows how different things are--back in 1963, the principal thought nothing of telling grammar school kids the president had been killed. Nowadays, they leave it to the parents--which I think is the right way to do it.

Later, I took Katherine and went to the grocery. The biggest thing we noticed was that the skies were so quiet. There are usually a lot of planes. The only ones we saw were 3 airforce jets flying in formation. That scared Katherine, but I said they were there for our safety.

I'm grateful I didn't lose anyone in any of the horrible incidents. This past summer, I visited the site where the airplane went down in Pennsylvania. They have a printed copy of the exchange that went on. It's terrifying to read. What made me so angry was to see the terrorists saying things like "Allah is good, Allah is merciful." No matter what you want to call God, it is an insult to Him to call Him good and merciful while you are committing the ultimate sin of murder. (Well, as much as God can be insulted, since no one can know His mind.)

The only thing we can hope is that those who died that day, died so quickly they didn't feel anything. I don't even really think we can imagine the fear.

Two small things I remember from that day: a neighborhood kid driving around with his sunroof open, while another kid waved a huge America flag above the car.

And a visit from a strange cat. It was a big, puffy thing like a persian. I was sitting on my front steps and he came up and started rubbing against me. He was all matted and his nails were too long. I got out my pet brush and clippers and groomed him. It was something else to think about instead of the horrors of the day. He stayed for a while, then went on his way. The strange thing is that I never saw him before that...and never saw him again.

God bless everyone we lost that day, and all the people who did their best to help put this country back together again.

V is for...

...very favorites.

Very favorite author: Stephen King. No one can scare you like he does, but a lot of his non-scary stuff is the best writing I've ever come across. "IT," while terrifying, is one of the finest depictions of childhood ever written. The characters in "The Stand" (which I've read at least 8 times) are so real I feel I know them.

Very favorite food: lobster. Boiled and then dipped in melted butter. Too bad it's so darned expensive that I only get it once or twice a year.

Very favorite colors: red, purple and blue.

Very favorite flowers: red roses and purple tulips

Very favorite music: most Broadway stuff and the old standards...Ella rules!

Very favorite pastime: if I had to pick one, I'd put doing word puzzles at the top of the list.

U is for...

Unbelievable! That's how I describe the lovely box that Rebecca sent me as part of the "Shoebox Swap." Here's her blog: http://www.zeahrenaissance.blogspot.com/

And here are my goodies:

Becka had everything wrapped in pretty colors of tissue paper, with a note on each one explaining how it related to the box's theme..."Refreshed." What could be more refreshing than listening to Frankie, sipping Swiss Mocha coffee and either crocheting with the softest yarn ever, or reading a copy of "Cottage Living"?

See, I don't live in a cottage...yet. I live in a high ranch with my four kids and my daughter's boyfriend and various pets. But Mike and I want a little bungalow when we retire, and Becka said I could read the mag and dream of my 'future retirement cottage.'

I also received the cutest Mary Englebreit notecards, a cute mousepad, a delicious smelling candle and an even more delicious smelling roomspray. Hey, Becka...I love the roomspray because it doesn't make me choke like other sprays. It's so light and delicate!

And I confess...I broke out the knitting needles and decided to knit myself a scarf instead of doing crochet. I've been wanting to try my hand at knitting, something I haven't done in ages, and you've inspired me. And...the color of the yarn is a great match for a coat I'm making. Maybe now I'll get off my lazy duff and actually hem the thing...which I started 2 years ago!

The lovely and sweet bloggers who started this fun swap are:

Monica, at http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/

And Carrie at http://www.watibg.blogspot.com/

Thanks ladies, it was so much fun. And many, many thanks to you, Rebecca! Hugs and Kisses, too!

T is for...

http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2007/06/when-my-son-is-bored-at-work.html

My Third Son. I had to figure out where to put him in here, LOL! James will be 21 on November 1st. That will make him my 3rd adult child. He's in his junior year at college and is studying automotive engineering. I hope that it will give him opportunity to create things with his hands, because he's really good at that.

When Jamie (as we call him) was 7 1/2, he was riding his bike one day and got hit by a car. The bike went one way and landed on the soft grass. My son went the other way and landed on the street. What followed were some of the worst times of our lives. He had a skull fracture, dislocated elbow, dislocated shoulder and broken femur bone. He was in a coma for a few days. We knew from the emergency room he would live, but the femur bone had him in traction for the next six weeks. In the beginning, the damage to his brain (a very bad contusion) kept him in la-la land for a long time. There was talk of possible seizure disorder and personality problems. One doctor said I might have to take him to Delaware for therapy...me, with a 3 year old, a 9 year old and an 11 year old!

But little by little he got better. I kept a journal about his hospital stay. People were so generous, sending him gifts and food. He was the star patient in pediatrics and got special attention...especially when it came to using their Nintendo. By the time he left the hospital...in a body cast, btw...he was completely normal mentally. The kid even learned to walk up and down stairs in his cast!

Once that came off, two months later, he went to physical therapy. The therapist was amazed at his fast progress. My incentive to him was that he could go trick-or-treating if he could make himself strong enough to walk. And he did!

I think sometimes James has doubts about where he's going with his life. But after what he went through, I know he can do anything!

Oh, and btw...there was a lawsuit that's now paying for my son's education at a university!

Sew Crafty Friday

Here is yet another baby dress I made. Since I found my buttonholer, I have been able to finish a few things. The way this is hanging, you can't really tell the shape of the dress, but you can see it from the back view. It's all one piece .

I'm not crazy about the bonnet. I didn't use stiff enough interfacing in the brim and it's too floppy. I cut it out the size to match the dress, but it looks humongous to me.
There's no baby in mind for this just yet. There are matching bloomers, but I have to wait to see what size the elastic will be to finish them off.

The fabric has tiny red roses on it. The lining is white muslin. This was a very easy pattern to sew! It is McCall's 5353.

Please visit "Waiting for Him" and share your own crafty goodness today!

S is for Sonogram

Warning: medical stuff in here!

S for Sonogram. Not the fun kind you have when you're pregnant. Trust me...at 51 my baby days are long behind me.

No, this one started when I had a CAT scan of my stomach because of weird abdominal pain. They found 'something' in my pelvic area and my doctor said I had to have a pelvic sonogram. The doctor called me with the results this morning. I'm happy to say there was only a small cyst and nothing to be concerned about.

I've been hopeful. The last thing I need on top of my stomach problems and chronic back pain is more trouble. So at least I can put this behind me. If I never had another sonogram, I'd be happy. Why do all these tests involve things that are uncomfortable, like drinking a quart of water and holding it in? Well, at least they took me pretty quickly the other day, LOL! And they actually have a bathroom outside the ultrasound room that has a sign on the door that says, "for ultrasound patients ONLY!"

Okay, so the weird pain in my abdomen. It's on my left side, just a bit under my ribcage. I don't feel sick at all. I just ache. I'm having an endiscopy on September 18th. My gastro doc thinks I might have another ulcer.

Oh, great, wonderful. I can't take ibuprofen for my back (and damn, the stuff does work) because it gave me my first ulcer. Now I suppose I'll be told to knock off the coated aspirin I take. Which leaves Tylenol...which does nothing for inflammation.

Well, at least I can still use my heat pads. I hope!

R is for Really Nice Surprise!

Look what I got in the mail from my Pay It Forward swap partner, Betty at "She's So Pretty." The most adorable, cheerful apron ever! You should see the workmanship in this...it's breathtaking. Especially that scalloped hem! And don't you just love the way she embellished the pocket with a vintage handkerchief?

The apron is lined with the same strawberry fabric as the pocket, so it is reversible...but I think I prefer to wear it with that cute pocket showing!

Thanks, Betty! Thanks, thank, thanks for making my day! I loooove it!

Q for Quiet

Here's a picture I took of Sunken Meadow Beach at sunset last night. It's on the North Shore of Long Island. That's the Long Island Sound there...and Connecticut about 14 miles across the water. It sure doesn't look like 14 miles, but the curvature of the Earth fools your eyes.

Despite living on LI all my life, I don't like beaches. At least, not in the daytime. Maybe it is because I'm not a sun worshipper, and I detest crowds. But the beach at night...that's another story. Mike and I took a walk along the boardwalk. Most of the people who'd come to enjoy the holiday were gone by then, and it was so peaceful and quiet.

Looking out at the water, whether it's the Atlantic with its waves or the Sound that barely ripples, I get a sort of weird feeling. I think about how much life is teeming under that water, life you can't even see. Imagine if the waters were as clear as an aquarium! What a cool sight that would be from an airplane, huh?

Maybe the reason I don't like crowds is because I don't like noise. At least, not too much. I have to have a fan or heater or a/c humming in order to fall asleep. But one of my most favorite times of day is the very early morning, before anyone else is up. Even when my kids were little, they knew to give me that bit of quiet time. Weekdays, my husband is up before me, so my quiet time is to sit in bed and read while he's doing his work (his home office is our dining room).

There's enough noise out there for all of us, most of the day. But around 6:30 a.m.--that's quiet time for me.

Unless I'm lucky enough for my husband to ask, like he did last night, 'want to go to the beach?'

P is for Pets!

Meet my current furbabies!

This is Austin the Ferret. He's about 4 years old.

Here is Shadow Dante, dressed up like a prisoner last Halloween. This year, Katherine wants him to have a little cop costume!

These are my pretty kitties. Nutmeg is the black and white one, Melody is the tortoise-shell tabby. Somehow, they managed to fit their fat dupas on the back of a chair to sleep!

And here is my youngest baby, Rocky! He is about five months old. He's chubby and cuddly. Still going through the teething/biting stage, but not too bad about it. He is the first ferret I've ever had who comes when I call him!

All of my furbabies get along great with each other. You should se how happy Shadow gets when I take the ferrets out to play! Shadow is also seriously in love with Nutmeg. No kidding...if a dog and cat could have babies (pittens? kuppies?), they would. What a strange animal that would be!

O for Opinions

I generally keep my opinions to myself, unless I'm talking to my husband or one of my kids. They know how I feel about things like politics. (For the record, I'm just to the right of the middle of the road). I'm just not a confrontational person, and if a friend and I are going to disagree on something, I'd rather just leave certain topics alone. Besides, I'm not good at debate. I don't retain facts very well so even when I believe I'm right...it would be hard to win any argument on almost any topic. In other words, I was never "Captain of the Debate Team," LOL!

Sorta Frugal is a blog about my little ways to try to save money and get myself out of debt. It's about fun things like my crafting or my family. It isn't a political forum. But since I'm talking about opinions here, I'll throw one out to my few and faithful readers, anyway:

Being a child is a right. Being an adult is a privilege.

Parents who dress their kids like miniature adults, or put them into stressful situations (think 'out of control soccer parent yelling on the sidelines') rob their children of their God-given right to childhood. Let kids be kids! It is their right. It is their right to be sweet and innocent, and not have to worry about grownup things.

Oh, my gosh, the pushing adult things on kids starts early, doesn't it? I babysat a four-month-old who had a bib that said, "I'm too sexy for my diaper." Uh...yeah... (Giving the young mother credit, she didn't like it either, but it happened to be what she had clean and ready to use. Me...I'd have ditched it.) I've seen people give young children tastes of alcohol. In yesterday's paper, there was an article that stated there are fourth graders who've already started experimenting with drinking!

What kind of life are you facing when you're doing adult things at nine? Assuming kids today could live to be 100...that's 91 years of adulthood. Ugh. (Frankly, I think even 80 years of adulthood is too much. What's the rush?)

Adulthood is a privilege. When does it start? 18? 21? I don't believe in magic numbers. We all know 40-year-olds who act like pre-teens and eight-year-olds that are already world-weary. It's an individual thing. But I'll end this with a plea: moms and dads, let your kids be kids. Don't let adult things touch them too closely. Childhood is short enough as it is, and oh, so precious!