Remember Whensday

 

This is Emily, Spencer's Mommy,  on Christmas Day, 1983. Who do you think he looks like? 

 

And, because I couldn't decide which photo to use, you get two! Poor old Santa! Me and Becca in 1990, trying our best to be good. 

For more Remember Whensday photos, click here.

I've Been Sewing My Brains Out

Since I've been buying so much fabric lately, I figured I better get busy sewing some of it up.  After a trip to the Hobby Lobby in Tuscaloosa, the quilt shop that I found, some online fabric shopping, and then the trip to Joann last weekend I finally have enough fabric to complete several projects. (Did you think I was going to say I had enough fabric? A girl can NEVER have enough fabric.) 

 

A dress for my granddaughter

 

and a blue dotty skirt, too.

 

and another ruffled skirt with horses. (She loves horses.)

 

A zippered bag for my daughter, Becca

 

and a tote bag to match.

 

Pink and green tote for Emily

 

with a matching zippered bag.

 

Becky gets yellow and black

 

and here is her zippered one, I love this one. 

 

Patchwork in aqua, turquois, and purple for my friend Gaelyn.

 

and one for the little girl who lives down the lane. Ha ha ha, not really, but for Emily's niece.

 

And of course she gets a matching zippered bag, too.

  

Brown, pink, green, stripey dots for my daughter-in-law, Sarah.

 

A Christmas apron for my mother

 

Another tote bag for my sister. I have one more little bag to make, and I will be done with gifts. Then I can sew for fun. Yay!

Remember Whensday: The Christmas Food Box

My post today has no photograph to jog my memory. Way back years ago when I was a divorced mother of three young children, trying very hard on a very tight budget to make ends meet, I was the recipient of a food box from a community organization at Christmas. I was happy to get it, but one of the things I have always remembered from that experience was how many cans of hominy were in it.

I did appreciate getting the food, but I remember thinking "I wonder how many people really eat that stuff?" and wondering why, if you don't eat something yourself, would you put it in the donation box for others.  Do people think that just because we are unable to provide for ourselves for a minute that our taste buds or nutritional needs are going to change? Back then, it was just a matter of tastes. If I were the recipient of a food box now, though, it would be a matter of whether or not I would be able to eat the foods that I received.

I am not alone in this line of thinking. Dee Valdez, who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 17 years ago, remembers talking to a mother with a sick 7 year old who had Celiac. The mother said she had to choose between feeding her whole family or just feeding her sick daughter the very expensive gluten free food she could find. That distraught mother said, referring to her Celiac daughter, "She's just going to have to live with diarrhea."

"There is a great need to develop a systematic approach to establishing Gluten Free Food Banks across the nation." says Valdez.  She is making that happen in Loveland, Colorado, where there was a dedication and ribbon cutting for the new gluten free section of the existing House of Neighborly Service Food Bank (HNS) on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. This location will serve as the test site for the new program Valdez is designing to be implemented in communities across the country. What a wonderful thing for the 1 in 133 of us who can not eat gluten!

I was also happy to read that Pamela's Products, a dedicated gluten-free company, is a supporter of this effort, and is donating their Baking & Pancake Mix and their cookies to HNS. I discovered Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix early on in my gluten free life--it is now one of the staples of life in the Fab household.

While the costs of gluten free products has come down, and there is a much wider selection of them, they are still more expensive than regular normal foods. For example, you can pick up a loaf of regular white wheat bread for under $2.00 at any grocery store. The last gluten free bread I bought cost me about $7.50 for a 12 ounce loaf. Fabgrandpa and I can afford it, but with so many people losing their jobs, many people who must eat a gluten free diet are finding their budgets stretched to the limits, and facing the choice of whether to eat foods that are toxic to them. Ever since I started eating gluten free, whenever I donate items to a food drive, I always donate gluten free--pasta, bread mix, baking mix, cookies, cereal.  Because, what is the point of giving something I wouldn't eat myself?

For other Remember Whensday posts, click here.

More Thoughts On Christmas...

I wrote yesterday that we don't buy gifts for each other, but I wanted to expand on that thought.  I am his third wife, he, my fourth husband. We didn't meet until I was 39 and he was 42. We had both been down some pretty rocky roads, and had more than our share of sorrow and pain. That we have made it 18 years together is a wonderful gift in and of itself. That he can make me happy, and I him, another.

The gifts I want and need the most are not tangible.  One hour with my mother without criticism. A visit with my brother without sarcasm. Acceptance for who I am, forgiveness for what I am not and can never be. A gathering of family at any time without pettiness and jealousy, without bigotry, without prejudice. So to all who pray and wish for world peace, try starting with your own small world. Give a truce with that Wii; a hug and a held tongue with that chocolate Santa; a smile and a genuine heart with that Christmas ham. Make a step towards making Christmas mean something more than "it costs less at XXX-XXXX."

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Christmas. Ah, that time of year when we all go out and buy things we can't afford for people we don't see the rest of the year.  And when we are bombarded by crass commercials on TV and radio.  Now before you all start thinking that I am anti-Christmas, let me tell you that I certainly am not. I am for the true meaning and reason for this season. What I am "anti" is about how commercial it has gotten, to the point where stores are putting up Christmas decorations before Labor Day.  How did we ever get to that place? 

I guess I am just so fed up with it this year because a popular store's ad campaign actually says "Christmas costs less at XXX-XXXX." Does anyone besides me find that offensive? Does anyone else think that is so far off from the idea of Christmas as to make you want to vomit? 

I don't decorate my house, because I don't feel the need to do so.  I used to do it when my children were younger, and even after they grew up I did it while I still had a house. Now that I live in my RV, I just don't, because I have no desire to do so. And that doesn't make me a scrooge, it just makes me a person who doesn't want to.  

FabGrandpa and I don't buy gifts for each other, either, because we don't feel like we need to. We have everything we want, and if we do want something, we go buy it. But that is NOT limited to just Christmas. We don't buy birthday or valentines, or Easter gifts for each other, either. We never have. And that doesn't mean we don't love each other. It just means we don't buy gifts. 

And while I am on the subject of gifts, let just say that when you buy a gift for someone that is what you can afford, then find out later that the gift was ridiculed when you were not around, how would that make you feel about giving that particular person another gift? And if you made something, and found out the person you made it for didn't appreciate the gift because it was "home-made", how would that make you feel? Either way, the gift was from the heart, and was rejected. 

What ever happened to "it's the thought that counts?" As in, "I thought of you and wanted to give you something, but this is all I could afford to do, so you should feel honored that I didn't buy that chicken for my dinner next week and got you this small gift instead."  So, instead of thinking "that's a crappy, cheap gift" you should be thinking, "gee, she was willing to do without dinner to do this for me."  

Luckily for me, we are past that poverty stage of life, but I have never forgotten how it feels to be that poor. One of the reasons I DON'T spend a lot of money at Christmas time is so that the people I love who ARE still in their lean years won't feel so bad when they can not reciprocate. What I truly want for Christmas is for my family to love each other and enjoy each other's company, without the pressure of feeling like they have to do without dinner for the next week. It's not about the gifts and glitter, it's about the hugs and kisses.

If people around the world treated everyone with love and kindness year-round, with a "Christmas" kind of attitude, I wouldn't mind having Christmas all  year.  And if the gifts I gave were accepted in the spirit in which they were given, I would give them year round. But it seems to me like we only get "Christmas" for one day out of each year, and that makes me sad. I want people to love each other and be happy and loving every day.

A Very Long Time Coming

Last winter we worked at a Christmas tree lot with our friends. It was very hard work, having to lug all those trees around, keeping them watered, fluffing them out, standing them up, tying onto people's cars, etc.  Our last day working there was Christmas Eve. When we received our last paychecks, each of us was shorted 13 hours pay. Our friend, Lynda, who was the manager of the lot, called the owner of the company several times, and sent several e-mails, with no result.  I also called several times, and sent several e-mails, and then just decided to write it off, and call it one more business owner who took advantage of a traveling gypsy employee. 

Well, guess what? On Friday, this was in the mail!

It only took, what? almost 10 months for him to pay us? At least he did, but we won't be selling Christmas trees again. Ever. 

Some Random Pic From My Camera

FabGrandpa says I take pictures all the time, and he is right. This morning when I took the card out of the camera to upload the pics onto the computer, I had quite a variety of stuff on there.

Here is the mountain across the highway from the Christmas tree lot (behind the outlet mall) at sunset the other day:




It rained most of the week in Phoenix. The day we had to break down the trailer to take it two blocks across I-17 for warranty work to be done, it was pouring down. We both got soaked.



You never know what you will see in an RV park. Here, obviously, is a chair having a picnic.



My new scarf. While I was out Christmas shopping, there was a deal too good to pass up. I love wearing scarves in winter. It also helps prevent those sore throats I am prone to get.


An experiment with light. I was playing around with the camera during one of the many dull moments at the Christmas tree lot. This turned out pretty cool.

Finished Shopping

I started and finished my Christmas shopping today. All the gifts have been got, and wrapped, and put in shipping boxes, and addressed. They are going to Ft. Lewis, Washington; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Denver, Colorado; Villa Rica, Georgia; and Douglasville, Georgia. The kids are scattered out all over the place.

I only made one gift this year, but it is something I have wanted to make for its recipient for some time. I call it a "Wait Book".




He is a rather rambunctious little guy, and needs something to hold his attention when he is waiting for something. Whether it is when he is sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office or waiting for dinner to arrive when he and his parents go out to eat, he really needs something TO DO.



He likes to draw, paint, and color. He likes to tell stories about the drawings he has made. So, I made him this little book:



It will fit in his Mommy's purse, or he can carry it himself with the handles. It holds a refillable pad of paper and 16 crayons. There is a place for every crayon, so they won't fall out and get lost. He likes orange. A lot. I made him a quilt for his room a couple of years ago that has a lot of orange in it. No wonder they call me the FabGrandma!

Full Moon

Thursday night was a beautiful night at the Christmas tree lot. There was a full moon up there, making the whole place glow. In the photo above, the highest light is the moon. The other ones are the streetlights in the mall parking lot.


This is a Nobel Christmas tree. It has been the most popular kind so far. The people are here are buying huge trees, over nine feet tall. I never had a house that had a place to put such a large tree. Heck, I never had that many ornaments!




Lynda's handmade Christmas ornaments are selling quite well, too. She has a lot of different kinds, but I like these the best. Very cute.



We also have some wreaths to sell. They are beautiful! This one didn't have a bow on it yet, but it is still pretty.

The job itself is pretty fun. Yes, we do have a lot of work to do. We have to make sure the lot stays full, so after a sale, someone has to stand up another tree, measure it, put a tag on it, cut off the twine that binds it, and fluff it out. It keeps us quite busy. Today is supposed to be the busiest day of them all. We'll see.

A Friendly Visit

Yesterday I had some visitors at the Christmas tree lot. Harlan and Arnette, a couple from California who are workamping in Mesa, stopped by to say Hi! Arnette introduced herself and said she reads my blog. She really introduced herself as "Anonymous", as she has commented a couple of times anonymously. It was great to meet them.

This is their first time workamping. Arnette just retired in May, but Harlan has been retired for 12 years. Lucky dog! They described their job as being "food service", but what they do is serve punch and coffee and oversee whoever is serving the food at meal functions at the campground where they are staying. It sounded like a pretty good gig.

Oh, I just LOVE being recognized. It is so much fun.

Project 365 Day 53 Bottoms Up

Ha Ha Ha! Lynda will understand this one...

Project 365 Day 52 Tree Lot Cuties

Me and Lynda waiting for the next customer to come along.

Working At The Christmas Tree Lot

We met Charlie and Lynda a couple of years ago, when we all worked together in Virginia. While we worked at that place, their motor home was parked next to ours. We spent a lot of time off the clock traveling around sightseeing together. It was there in Virginia that we all decided to work at a tree lot together sometime in the future. Well, that day has come.


Charlie and Lynda are managing the lot and we are working for them. Today was our first day on the job. When FabGrandpa and I arrived at the lot, the first delivery of trees had just been taken off the truck and were stacked up like this:




We had to put each one on a stand. You take a green plastic bowl that has a hole in the bottom of it, with a gasket in the hole. Then, you take one of these metal things and push it through the hole. The sharp metal part goes into the trunk of the tree. You take a large hammer and pound it into the tree trunk, then stand it up. While all that pounding is going on, someone takes a measuring stick and measures the tree, and someone writes the height, kind, and price of the tree on a tag and ties the tag to the top of the tree. Then you stand it up.




After the trees are standing up, you take a tree mover and move it where it is supposed to go. We lined them up in rows with all of one kind the same row. I have not bought a live tree since my youngest daughter was about 6 years old (she is now 33), so I have not even been on a tree lot in oh, about 27 years. So, I had never even seen on e of those nifty devices. It enables one old grandma to be able to move a 12 foot tree by herself!! Pretty cool! (That's Charlie in the picture below. That red thingy with wheels, that is the tree moving device)




When you get the trees all lined up in rows, you fill the green bowl with water, then you have to cut the twine that binds them to remove it, and then fluff out the branches. They pretty much fall into place by themselves, but it is fun to see each one unfold and start to look like a beautiful Christmas tree right before your eyes. (That's Lynda and FabGrandpa working in the picture below. And YES, I did do some work other than take pictures, thank you very much!)



We had a couple of customers while we were setting things up. You help the customer pick out a tree. When they have decided on THE tree, you put the tree on the mover, and take it over to an area where we have a chain saw, and cut off an inch or tow off the bottom of the trunk so the tree will be able to suck up water better. That makes it stay fresh longer. Then, we do the transaction at the register while someone helps the customer load up their tree. We also offer delivery service for an additional fee.



We have six kinds of trees: Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, Nordman Fir, Grand Fir, Fraser Fir, and Scotch Pines. They range from table toppers that are about 3 feet tall to over 12 feet tall. The huge Noble Firs cost $240!! (Here is FabGrandpa standing beside a big Noble Fir)




Here are me and Lynda by the same tree. The trees are really beautiful and smell so good!



Look at that cloudy sky. We had rain and thunderstorms in the forecast for tonight. After dark, Lynda and I went out in the parking lot to see how the lot looks from the out there. Pretty good, huh?



The lot will be open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m until 9:00 p.m. We'll be working most days, but Charlie and Lynda are living in their motorhome on the lot, so they will not be able to leave until the lot closes on Christmas Eve. We really had fun working today, but don't want the responsibility of managing the whole thing. I was secretly worried that I wouldn't be able to do the work, but even though the trees were huge, it wasn't more than I could do. Having that tree mover thingy was a big help. So, we go back and do it all again tomorrow.

Online Sewing Lesson

Yes, even though I am living far away in a travel trailer, I still get those calls from my children asking "Mom, how do you...?" Most recently, my youngest daughter, Emily called and asked how to sew a simple decorative seam so she and her son, the FabGrandson Spencer, could make some handmade Christmas ornaments. (Does she take after her mom or what?) I was trying to explain how to do it, and was not making much progress, so here is a pictorial lesson for her (and anyone else who might like to know):

To make a whip stitch edge:

1. Start with the needle at the back of the project. Bring the thread through to the front:



2. Put the needle a small distance away, into the back of the project again:


3. Before you pull the thread all the way through, put the needle through the little loop, then pull the thread the rest of the way through the fabric:


4. Put the needle a small distance away, through the back of the project again:

5. Before you pull the thread all the way through, put the needle through the little loop, then pull the thread the rest of the way through the fabric, again:


6. And again:



7. And again:



8. And again:



9. This is how the edge seam looks when you get it all done:



Another way to sew a seam is the running stitch:

1. Insert the needle back and forth through both layers of fabric:


2. Pull the thread through and do it again. This what the finished running stitch seam will look like:

This will be Spencer's first sewing project. I can hardly wait to see the results. Have fun, Emily!