Weekend Round-Up

I can't make this short. I wish I could.

Last Friday I got online to do our check-in for our spring break trip. Quick, right? I had to enter our passport numbers and expiration dates. Dan, bless his heart, had them scanned and saved to an on-line secure library so I could get the numbers. That's when I found out the kids' passports expired last month. After what seemed like hours on the phone to various government agencies, I found out the kids could get on the ship with a birth certificate and a "laminated government-issued identification card," a driver's license, by any other name. The MVA needs a birth certificate and proof of lawful presence in order to issue a state ID card. Lawful presence is established by means of a valid passport or a social security card. We lost Kevin's social security card in the move years ago. It takes 5 business days to get another card when applied for in person with proof of birth and legal residency, ie, a passport.

Through the State Department's phone system, I got the "next available" appointment at the passport office for expedited processing. Thursday at 9:00. And we depart on Friday.

OK, so that was last Friday.

Saturday, I already posted pictures from Kevin's Special Olympics Basketball tournament. Last year he participated in what they called "skills development." which consisted of dribbling, passing, and shooting baskets. This year they moved him up to a player development unified team. Two special needs athletes play with a regularly-abled player-coach. The team coach and the player-coaches help the special athletes learn to play basketball against another team. As Dan pointed out earlier in the season, it's hard to teach these kids to be aggressive and go for the ball, rebounding, and defense when they've been taught to share and be nice all their lives.

Our team really came along this season, going from losing their first game 0-20 to winning all five of their games Saturday. Some were very close, some were funny, all were exciting. I'm proud of my boy, he's really coming along.

Sunday, I worked at my guild's quilt show. When I arrived I rushed through the displays to find my quilt, you know, to make sure it was really there, and it had a ribbon on it already! I about fell on the floor. One of the vendor's chose it as their favorite.

My parents got to the show at about 2:30, just in time for the appraisal appointment I set up. The guild had Phyllis Twigg Hatcher come to the show this year to appraise quilts. I found the whole process fascinating. Since the quilt was hanging in the show, she asked me a lot of information first before we went in to see it. She asked me if I had a picture of it, she didn't know if she'd seen it or not. I told her she had, it had her vendor's choice ribbon on it. "Oh! That's yours!" After measuring it and quizzing me on fabric and techniques, she said the replacement value of the quilt was over $1500. I asked her why she chose my quilt for the ribbon. She said she liked that it wasn't ordinary, the colors flowed well and borders were nice.

During the show, all guests can submit a ballot of their favorite quilts in different categories. My quilt was in the Large Pieced category and it won first place for viewers' choice! I was so excited, I still can't believe I won.

Mom and Dad got to take the quilt with them at the end of the show. This is the quilt Mom says she'll be redecorating her bedroom around. I have to finish the pillow shams for her to match the quilt. One day.

In the mean time, I need to stop the mail and confirm with the house-sitter, and pack for the cruise. Did I lose enough weight to fit into summer clothes? I still have 3 more days.....


 

Thanksgiving Follow-Up

Egads, has it really been more than a week since I posted?

So much has happened, but yet, not too much out of the ordinary.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, we were to host my family. Neither of my brothers could make it so it was going to be my folks and the four of us. I called their house in the morning to find out what time they would be arriving, but there was no answer. No answer on Mom's cell phone, either.

Dad called later, from the hospital, Mom was in severe pain, she couldn't move her leg/hip. A couple hours later they called again, she was sent home with oxycodone and an order of bed-rest.

So the four of us had a quiet day at home, full traditional menu sans pumpkin pie. My parents were supposed to bring that. Kevin helped by peeling the potatoes, Fern made yeast rolls from the Joy of Cooking, Dan made his yummy stuffing. I made gravy. We forgot to cook the cauliflower or any green vegetables. Oh well.

We have oodles of turkey left over so I'm going to make oodles of turkey salad with my curry chicken salad recipe. I don't like turkey much, I need to have it doctored up with gravy, so looking at the large bag of leftovers is daunting. Might as well doctor it up, right? Oh, that reminds me, I need to get some pecans for the salad. Same with pork, I don't like it plain, got to doctor it up. My mom made pork chops by browning them, then baking them on a bed of rice in mushroom soup. (See? doctored up.) I haven't had that dish in a long time. hmmm. Need to add pork chops to the shopping list.

After we ate, I worked on a quilt top I had started at the quilt retreat last weekend. (Oh sheesh, I didn't even write about the quilt retreat, did I?) It's made from "homespun" type fabrics in orange, dark tan, forest green, and purple. It finished at the perfect size for a baby quilt, but it's pretty ugly for a baby quilt, being so dark and "homey" looking. I'll finish it up for a wall hanging. Darn, I really need to take pictures of these things so you can picture it when I write about them. One of these days I'll just post a slew of pictures and you'll have to figure out which posts they belong to. I might even award a prize.

I remembered to tune in to FOX at 4:00 for the Kaleidoscope ice skating show (see below). Did you? The football game ran long so the show had a delayed start. Fern and I found ourselves in the audience a couple of times, the most visible at 4:55 and 5:34. In the latter shot, you can see me holding up my camera following Scott Hamilton skate and do a back flip with Fern right next to me. I videoed that program of his which I'll need to upload so you can see it too. Darn, one more thing to remember, that camera is in my other jacket pocket. This picture was taken with my phone during one of the teleprompter segments where Scott was introducing one of the skaters. They did most of the intros at the other end of the rink with the stage behind them but did two at our end. These bits must have been cut because I didn't see it last night. Fern and I think they actually cut out a lot of pieces, including one skater entirely. Oh well.

FaceBook

Yeah. I went there.

If you know my real name, you can find me.

There's stuff I don't get yet, like how some folks have stuff all over their page and I just don't see how's it's done. It's cool, though, people are friending me, is that a verb now "friending," I don't remember requesting. I even found my flute teacher from when I was in junior high.

Weekend Round-Up

We had a busy weekend

Kevin participated in the Maryland State Special Olympics Basketball event on Saturday morning.

Fern had her usual Saturday morning skating lessons and production team practice. The last one before the competition Saturday night. She had slept over at a friend's house so I had to taxi her from there to the rink.

We got a notice of suspension of the registration of the corolla because we didn't report back to the MVA we'd gotten the windshield fixed. The suspension was effective on Monday. I had to get the car inspected, the forms signed and delivered. I was hoping the state police barracks in Forestville was one of the places where I could turn in the form. It wasn't. The barracks, however, were a couple blocks from the Special Olympics site so I was able to hang out with Dan and Kevin for a while.

Fern arranged to hang out with her friend after skating so I didn't have to pick her up.

I got a call from Mom. She and Dad would be coming to the quilt show but their GPS didn't understand the destination and they'd call me for the final directions. Two hours later I still hadn't heard from them and I was getting worried.

I hung out at the quilt show in a building with bad cell reception hoping my parents were alright. I'd already called them six or eight times with no answer. Finally my pocket buzzed, their call got through and they were in town. I went to get them so they could follow me to the show.

Mom loved the quilts, she loved the two of mine, liked the pebble quilting on the piece I made for my cousin and her new husband. Dad liked the quilt I made for him, but told him he couldn't have then. We left the show and my parents came home with me even though it wasn't prepared for company. There weren't too many dishes on the counter.

I showed Mom the finished top I've made for her. She loved it. I'm so glad. She even asked for a scrap of fabric so she could redecorate the room around the quilt. Now I just have to finish it, huh?

When they left, we left too for the Skate Annapolis competition. Fern had a 7:00 pm call time for 8:00 perform time. They were running late so we didn't get out of there until after 9:00.

We stopped at 49 West for desserts on the way home.

Sunday I didn't get up early to walk. I woke up at 9:10. Fern had a 9:00 call time for a 9:55 solo compulsory event. Kevin was asleep next to me. Where was Dan? Where was Fern? Dan had taken her to Annapolis on time, I missed early church but Kevin and I went to late church. Dan and Fern were back when we got back.

At 1:15 Kevin and I left for his Special Olympic swim team practice and Dan and Fern left for Annapolis again. She had to be back for her freestyle program event. Kevin much rather swim than be cooped up in a cold ice arena, so I missed Fern skate again.

While Kevin was swimming I got a storm at sea quilt basted. I'm trying out wool batting for the first time. It's a lot fluffier than the cotton I usually use. It'll be certainly different for me to work with.

He took an enormously long time to get dressed afterward and come up to the lobby. I was starting to get worried. Evidently, he took a shower and probably played for a while. A long while.

We then went to Costco for the ever important bar soap and toilet paper. You know they didn't have any deodorant soap? Just beauty stuff. Sheesh. I got milk and light bulbs, too. I don't tend to get anything "fun" when I shop alone. Dan is always disappointed when I stick to the list.

The quilt show closed at 4:00. They usually take down the quilts, clean up the standards and are waiting anxiously for the last person to pick up their pieces by 6:00. Some years they even start calling if you're not there by 5:45. Kevin and I arrived at 5:53. They weren't done cleaning up yet. Kevin used to attend the school where we have the show, so he made himself right at home. So much so, that when I finally got my quilts, I couldn't find him right away.

When we got home, Dan and Fern were already there. We ordered pizza for dinner. PapaJohn's is having a .25 special, buy a large three-topping pizza and get a medium for 25 cents. Except for two weeks in a row now, they've been out of the medium doughs. Sheesh.

Results

Kevin got a gold medal in basketball.
Fern got two silver medals for compulsories and program and her team got a gold for the group event. (See picture below.)
I got the inspection forms mailed to the MVA.
And no speeding tickets were actually issued.
 

It's about time!

Look everybody, my daddy's got new photos up on his blog!

I've been trying to get my dad to regularly post his photos on his blog so I can see them; I don't get to see them in person very often. He doesn't cooperate with my wishes so I have to call him every couple months and walk him through the posting steps. I keep telling him if he posts everyday he wouldn't need me to help every time. Parents, sheesh!