Petunia rambles on and on….

One day a week, I pick up the fellows from Day Care and bring them home, helping out the mommy.  This week, Twin B has been sick, so I only picked up one.  One is easier to handle than two.  With one 3-year-old, you only need 2-3 pairs of hands.  Anyway, I stopped to see my friend who works in a local fabric store, with Twin A, who was very well behaved.  She hadn’t seen either boy in quite a while, and I figured this was a “do-able” visit.  While she was busy with a customer, A and I walked around the store, with me dispensing and he receiving lessons on “Do not touch that.  It isn’t yours,” and “Put it back where you found it.”  (Based on observation of parents and children in stores, these are not commonly taught concepts anymore)

So I’m walking around in a fabric store, which is something I haven’t done in a while, and a dangerous thing to do for a person with minimal will power.  As 98% of all my sewing/quilting/embroidery equipment, furniture and supplies are in a public storage locker, and have been there for almost 2 years now, little sewing is done around here.  I kept out one of my sewing machines, for wee quick projects or necessary mending.  Sad, because this sewing machine will do just about everything, given the opportunity.

So the fellow and I are walking about the store when he, the eagle-eyed one, spots CARS- printed fleece fabric!  Two different prints.  On a SALE table.  Oh, my.  My shitty will power took a nose dive.  All kids like something to cuddle up with, and I thought – All this will need is a bit of binding stitched around the edges.  I can do this quickly.  It did occur to me that it’s the end of MAY, with months of hot weather ahead and snuggling under a fleece blanket is not a summer activitiy.  No problem.  It’ll probably take me 3 months to get around to it – just in time for cooler weather.

So Twin and I carried the bolts of fabric up to the cutting counter, me resigned, him giggling and looking at all the pictures on the fleece.

We get home, eat dinner, baths, all the normal evening stuff.  No problem.  Put the boys to bed, and we hear an ungodly screeching out of one.  Run in there to see what’s the matter, in fear that one will wake the other!!!!   And the one is crying because he doesn’t have his Lightening McQueen blankie.  Pop was in there with him and told him that he has to wait until Grandma finishes sewing it.  He screeches louder.  I snatch one piece of fabric out of the bag and run in there with it, cover the child, he pets a fuzzy Lightening and is asleep in 3 minutes!!

Tonight I dragged out my only nearby sewing machine (I own 4, I think, and the one stand-alone embroidery unit) and sewed bias tape around the edges.  Fleece won’t ravel, but it looks more “finished” this way.  One or both of the boys were close while I did the first one, watching the needle go in and out of Lightening and his friends thousands of times, like they were all getting tattoos.

And, for anyone that sews.   The greatest hint going.

To keep the damn foot pedal from sliding about:

That rubbery stuff sold everywhere for everything.  I’ve seen it marketed to put in your refrigerator under vegetables, to improve air circulation so produce doesn’t spoil as quickly.  Pop uses the stuff to grip/open jars, and he places a piece down on a damp countertop, then puts a cutting board on it – and it keeps the board from sliding about whilst he’s carving.   He cut me off a piece and put it under the foot pedal of my sewing machine, after listening to me bitch about it sliding all about while I’m working.  Cheap solution that works perfectly.   I’ve also put it under the feet of my spinning wheel – same principle.  When I’m working on the wood floor, and especially when I’m plying and using a bit more force treadling, it sometimes thinks that wood is a dancefloor, and tries to waltz away from me.

Here in the United States, we are starting into our Memorial Day weekend.  The actual holiday is Monday.  Pop has our flag waving, and proudly proclaims his veteran status.  Almost 40 years ago, he was given medic training and sent to Viet Nam.  We have a son-in-law serving overseas now.  If you have the freedom to practice the religion of your choice (or none at all), if you can vote in free elections, assemble and speak your mind, write down and publish your thoughts, thank a veteran.  Politicians and statesmen may have come up with these ideas, but it’s those who stand ready to fight for our country that ensure we keep these rights.   

EVERY American household should have an American flag flying.

Or go back where you came from.

  

Gas Price 05-21-08, originally uploaded by Petunia509.

Surprise!! Surprise!!

Who would have thought the price of gas would go so high? And then, go even higher?

Who would have thought that the price could get this high AND my head wouldn’t spontaneously explode when I first saw it?   Impossible.  Nobody would believe THAT!!

I didn’t buy gas – I was just driving by the station when I saw this, so everybody needs to look out when my tank gets low.  If my head explodes into a ball of flames while I’m filling up my gas tank, it’s liable to take out the whole station.

Yesterday, on the way home from work, I saw a gorgeous Mustang.   One of those cars that makes you wish you could shave decades years off your real age, and just get behind the wheel and cruise – assuming that the price of gas doesn’t require a second loan against the vehicle.  I mean, this car made me long for the days we used to ride up and down Fort Lauderdale Beach, checking out the “scenery.”  Yeah, right. 

This car screamed, “Hey, you, over there.  Look here at me.  Right here.  Driving this HOT CAR!!”  I mean, this was one sweet little pony.

It was that viciously bright yellow color, with black racing stripes.  WOW!!   Oddly, when I pulled up next to the car, the young man driving was wearing a striped shirt.  Heh, yellow with black stripes.

I looked up, expecting a swarm of bees.