Summer Fun? Still waiting...Grab Your Coffee...

Good Morning, Friends...

Yeah...still waiting on all that summer fun stuff to show up.  Sorry about being gone so long.  I've gotten a few things done...two quilt tops (still working on the last one).  Doctor appointments...babysitting the great grands, funeral arrangements...etc., life again.  You know what I'm talking about.

Hope you all are clicking along just fine!  Staying healthy!

Sloane (top) and Lottie spent some evening hours here on Monday...Boy, I'm not 25 anymore!  But when you're needed...you crawl!  lol

Larry finished up on a project for our daughter.  She loves it...

Okay now...don't get all jickey on me, this is just true life!  And it's got to be done!  And it isn't cheap!  So be prepared. 

 We got all our "after life" arrangements taken care of yesterday.  We'd been planning and saving towards it, for years. 

It was time.

We absolutely refused to put our daughter through the Hell, that preparing one's parent to meet the Sweet Beyond, entails!  Larry and I both had to make one of our parents each, preparations.  Me...my Dad and Larry...his Dad.  They, neither one, had made FULL preparations for their spouses.  As in... going to the funeral home and paying for BOTH parents to be buried or cremated.  Larry and I decided long ago that was Not going to happen to our child.  We also have a son who lives in Oklahoma, but he hardly ever calls or visits so the hardship would land on our daughter's shoulders.  

Our son... years ago (long story but don't worry...some of us truly understand and some won't get it) ... got into the horror of the drug world.  My parents...and don't get me wrong...I love them both, dearly but...they thought it was a great idea to go against our wishes and rules and give him anything he wanted.  It didn't take long for him to figure out he had a golden ticket...so a wonderful child at 13 turned into an addict by age 16.  Bad went to worse and after many, many years of trying to get him help... we had to stop.  He and his cohort wife had almost drained my parents of all their money (thousands) before I found out and put a stop to it.  Please understand how much this tore us up...we loved him...still do... but it's a different kind of love now.  Drugs will rip a family to the ground...

He and wife finally divorced...he left and moved away...instead of staying here and letting family help him work through his problems...without "the bank" being open...and since there would no longer be a source of easy money...he moved to begin again.  He does seem to be doing okay...he has a common law wife, a trailer...a job and a bad Thyroid...(now on meds for it...and had to have a heart ablation (treatment for irregular heartbeats).  And apparently, no drugs for several years now.  The medical stuff scared him...  All good.  But expecting him to be in charge of taking care of our final arrangements?  I don't think so, sadly.

SO... It's all done.  All Crystal has to do is show up at the funeral home...listen to our pastor...visit with friends...then...go home.  No long dragged-out, heart-breaking funerals for us.  These funerals that go on and on for days is too sad for words; neither of us want that for her.  

Now the price for cremation?  Hold on to your pants and wallet...

The headstone for us both:  $5725.20

Plots in Cemetery (owned for years): 2 for $800

Cremation:  $12,366.00 (both)

(and that's the Basic plan!)  

Includes: Basic services:  a)  Celebration of life at the funeral home's chapel:  $2270

b) Refrigeration Fee:  $300 (like a hotel! $100 a night! 

c)  Transport from home or hospital: $425

Wooden Container for ashes: $195

Clothing:  $195

Acknowledgement Cards and guest book:  $100

Cemetery Opening & Closing Fee: $650

Crematory Fees: $350

Clergy Honorarium Fee:  $200

Death Certificates (10):  $73

Flowers for Urn Table: $250

Robinson Cemetery Fee:  $300

Death Date Lettering on stone: $175

And you thought cremation was cheaper?  Well, it IS !  Funerals these days here in Texas are high, almost double a cremation fee.... everyone wants their "cut".  

SO... Prepare!  If you've been putting things off, Stop It !!! Get your Wills done!  Your children don't have money to spend on your final arrangements... and know that if they do have to pay for it (until, hopefully, your insurance comes through)... they'll have to charge it!  Funeral homes want their money Now...not later...there's no payment plans here!

We had always planned on granite...last forever and beyond.  There's cheaper stones...depends on what you want.  We choose this one with different things engraved on it like, a hummingbird at a rose...left upper corner..A heart with a Cross in the middle... upper right corner...Our date of marriage in the middle moving the praying hands to the left, STAAS at the very top.  You KNOW you wanted to know all this...Lololol

Oh, lighten up...We are so glad to have this burden lifted from our shoulders and Crystal's!

Please...don't put things off.  I couldn't bear Crystal losing her last parent and still having to take care of all the prep work and expense!

No thank you...

I think it's pretty...and we found out that if you order a two-piece stone (top and base), and the mason doesn't silicone them together...water can get under the top stone and with just a shove, the top stone can warbel off onto the ground so...make sure someone looks at the seal!

I ordered a stone flower vase to be added to the right-hand side of the headstone.  They just move the top stone over to the left and place the vase.

Sad news now...Our daughter's furrbaby, Sophie, 14, has developed diabetes.  Normal level is around 140...hers was over 600.  They've been trying everything to get her stabilized but it's not working.  They have made the decision...today at 10...please say a prayer for Sophies safe and sweet crossing over the rainbow bridge...so sad. 

This makes a fun Chafel...One egg and  1/2 cup shredded cheese.  Really good for locarb!!

Larry made meatloaf yesterday!  Very good!

I made Crockpot French Onion Chicken...

4 chicken thighs

1 can Campbells French Onion Soup

1 small chopped onion

1 package dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Cook 6 hours on high

Longhorn Steakhouse, I had the Strawberry and grilled chicken Salad...yum...and Larry had the Taco Soup with chicken nuggets.

And then, one day, we both just had a sweet potato each!  They are filling and so good!

Well sweet friends, I hope I didn't upset anyone with facing end of life with such "out there" descriptions!  Things just have to be finished...and that includes EOL preparations.  Think of your children and don't keep putting things off... that also includes things in the house!  If they don't want your things and you know they don't want much...personal items maybe...start dumping and decluttering!  Do a little every day.  Tell the kids that whatever they don't want, to call an Estate Realtor and sell what they don't want.  We did that with Larry's Dad's house...SO wonderful to Not have to do it ourselves!  And we made about a thousand dollars, to boot!  No worry's, no back breaking hauling...we Done!

So... that's it for me this time...lol...Enjoy your day...stay healthy, love each other.

Hopefully...See you next time...

hugs

Donna

PS- New project on my sewing blog...

Sew it Seams

Showers...Rescues

Good morning Friends...

Well, I think Larry and I are going to make it... My cough is almost gone...as is Larry's.  I've started on a quilt top for Laura (my sister's ex-husband's wife) because I was asked.  She helped me with Ruth Ann when she had colon cancer several years back.  This is not going to be my favorite project but...oh well...such is life.

Our Granddaughter, Samantha, threw her best friend a baby shower this last Saturday.  This is Cortny.  See the quilt I made?  It was for her... 

See the rocking horse?  Larry made it.    Turned out really cute.  Samamtha loved it.

I kept the girls again last week when it was icy.  The school closed.  I turned on Sylvester and Tweety Bird...They both were enthralled! Lolol

As a child, I loved those two!   Much better cartoons then, then now...at least I think so.

I made some French Toast...It was hot and yummy!

Another idea for breakfast was eggs, Italian sesame toast...hash browns and bacon.  

 

Chicken and stuffing...with a salad.

When Samantha came to pick up the girls, the driveway was icy in patches.  Sloane ran out of the house and when she turned the corner, running after her mom, she slipped on a patch of ice.  She was holding her Barbie.  Down she went...started to cry...confusion ensued.  Poor Barbie was quickly forgotten.  Sunday, Larry and I were returning from church when I spied said Barbie laying in a planter.  She was not happy to have been forgotten...and looked quite cold in her current circumstance.  I brought her in, dressed her and she now awaits the return of her mommy (Sloane).

Crisis averted.

I suppose that's all the news I have to report, for now.

I hope you all are doing well...and are safe from all the storms hitting the USA.  Remember, as in the case of Barbie...don't run on the ice!

Until next time...

Shock Cleaning...Label, Spring and Miss Lottie Lynn

 Good morning, Friends... Well, I got tired of doing my sewing in the living room!  So... I got the brilliant idea to move everything to a bedroom that I use as my "office", Cricut Room...etc.  Well, Larry bought me the Cricut about 4 years ago just because he thought I needed a hobby...lolol...I didn't need a Cricut, but I thought it such a sweet thing to do, I tried to use it.  I did make some t-shirts for Sloane...(greatgran), Larry used it to print out a few things but basically, it just gathered dust.  I really tried to get into it but...alas...never happened.  Well, last week Larry said, while I was trying to figure out just where I could put all my sewing equipment, he says, to sell the Cricut to make room!  Bingo...so I did.  Listed it on Facebook and got tons of offers immediately.  I chose a local girl that is friends with my daughter and granddaughter.  She was thrilled to get it along with all the accessories.

Now the room change-over begins.   

What a MESS!  I forgot to get a "before" shot...

Libby has to supervise...

We both carried...dragged...struggled with...this table to get it into position!  We are both too old to do all this manual labor!   What a shocking realization!  ....lolol  We have no one that can help us...we are all we have, short of hiring someone.  I was tempted!  Maybe not yet though...but soon may have no alternative.  We took a long break afterwards.  I was surprised we were able to get out of bed the next morning!

Still, so much to do...

Well...it probably is...lolol

Big Sister Sloane is excited to welcome little sister Lottie into the family...May God grant them closeness and loyalty with lots of love sprinkled in, for always.

This is our still un-born, Miss Lottie Lynn...Can you believe the clarity of this ultrasound????  It absolutely took our breath away!!  She's so beautiful...Thank you God!!

Baby Lottie's quilt is almost done!  All that's left is me hand sewing the label on!  Samantha's shower is Saturday...the label arrived just in time!

And yes, I added Larry (Gampa's) name...he did hold the quilt up for me so I could get the full-on shot...Lolol

This is a new block I'm playing with...log cabin but, I need to finish the label, then get the sewing room finished and cleaned up.

A quick tip...I needed a place to be able to look at my blocks that I create.  Larry had a large piece of cardboard, and I had an old plastic tablecloth that has that short furry backside on it...I cut the tablecloth to fit the cardboard, furry side up, glued it down all around the edges...added some "Alien Tape" (Amazon) to stick to the back of my sewing room door...and it works great!  Yes, you can see the pattern of the tablecloth, but I just ignore it because I really don't want to bother going to Dollar Tree for a new one. 

Spring is springing here, even though it returned to cold weather last week.  It's warmer this week now...thank goodness.

Larry is making birdhouses now...I think they're too cute...he's going to make 6 or 7 and put then on the side of the wood shop wall.

Food Court

Granddaughter Samantha brought Larry and I, apple fritters. We had kept little Sloane, and I think this was a bribe...lolol

Larry's Dad had sent a box of Omaha steaks 2 years ago and this little filet was found in a lower basket of the freezer.  Figured I better get it cooked!  It was alright but tiny.

Pan of chicken and baby red potatoes

Tri-tip and corn with green beans

Well, I suppose that's it for me...for now.  The city is still working on our road... it'll be good when they finish. Then I have granddaughter Samantha's baby shower to attend on Saturday...I hope she likes the quilt... So, until next time...