Engineers

My Dad was an engineer and both of my husbands were engineers so you would think I would get used to them. Engineers talk funny well maybe it's not so funny. I remember when I was 18 years old and still hadn't had my first date. My Dad attempted to console me and said. " Peggy you are like a rose that hasn't been discovered yet. It's just that your not sexy like other girls." My Hubby once said to me, "Your thighs are so soft, they're like Jello." It could have been worse. He could have said Tapioca. When I back out of the driveway he says to me. " Don't hit the mailbox." I'm so glad he told me because I was planning on plowing right into it. My husband's internist has the worst bedside manner I have ever seen. It figures. I found he did his pre-med in engineering. When I decided to become an engineer my daughter said to me. "Don't do it Mom. It will ruin you!" Interesting that same daughter, you guessed it, is studying to become a civil engineer.

Sibling Book Club

With seven children with spouses we could have a baseball team but since they are spread out over six states we decided to have a kind of book club. We take turns choosing a book. This time I chose "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. On the last day of the month the person who chose the book sends out some suggested discussion questions. Answers and comments are due the 5th of the month and the new book is chosen. John chose the book "St. Maximillian Kolbe, Knight of the Immaculata" by Jeremiah J. Smith. It's a religious book but John is sort of religious. The resposes on the Hosseini book were very favorable most were immpressed by the way he could write so well from a woman's point of view.

The CIA

Hubby has just finished reading the book "Legacy of Ashes"by Tim Weiner. For days he was uncommunicative with his nose buried in the book. When I sat next to him and asked if I could turn on the Weather Chanel on TV, I got a curt "What for?" He said it was a very informative but terrifying book. Hubby likes to read political books. He also finished "Imperial Hubris" by Michael Scheuer and "Homo Politicus" by Dana Milbank. He said they were a little dry but still informative. I am well aware that the government is not as wonderful as we would like but some of these books would keep you awake at night. Hubby also has blogs. His are http://thewobblingwonk.blogspot.com and http://energy-chat.blogspot.com. His are not fun blogs.

Dinner with a Friend

Tonight I had dinner with a friend and former coworker. There is little as pleasant as having dinner and a glass of wine with someone that you could talk to for hours about family, friends, hobbies, etc. Being retired, even though Hubby is great, I do miss the lunchtime conversation with another woman. I think it is a real danger as we get older to want to stay home and we inadvertently narrow our horizons. I made two New Years Resolutions on that topic. The first was to get out of the house at least 5 times a week( church and the drug store count). The second is to contact one friend a week. I found my friend made a similar resolution. She is still working so the getting out of the house 5 times a week is not a problem.

My Craft Room

One of the advantages of having a five bedroom house, after the kids have grown, is that there is room for your special interests. I guess children could be called special interests too but I didn't mean them. I have one bedroom converted to a craft room and hubby has one converted to his cubicle. It is very unlikely we will ever take pictures of it because, frankly, it's a mess. The room I use for crafts has its closet over the stairs so it is a big square closet with shelves in it. I also have my computer desk in it with the computer. The advantage there is that I can play Solitaire where no one can see me, but they are catching on. Since I am a quilter I have my boxes of different colored scraps on shelves on the wall and boxes of bigger pieces of material under the counter. I have a sewing machine and a serger. The dress form is a Christmas present this year but I haven't used it yet. I have a long utility table for cutting fabrics and the wall that dosen't show is full of books. It is really a wonderful room. This is where I stay while hubby is making dinner.

Le Moyne Star

I decided to make a quilt for my grandson. Nothing too fancy just bright colored 6 pointed stars and fabrics with planets and rocket ships. So far I have sewed each star and ripped it out at least three times and am now starting again. The 6 pointed stars have set in seams and everything has to be measured very exactly or the points don't come out right. When I took my first quilting class in Pennsylvania over 35 years ago, there was a girl in the class that was making a Star of Le Moyne, 6 pointed star, quilt. We took the class several times because a quilt is not something a novice finishes quickly. This girl finished her quilt and it was beautiful. Then to our horror she gave it away and said she never wanted to see it again. Working on my grandson's quilt I am beginning to understand.

An Accidental Collection

I never intended to collect cookie jars but I have trouble walking through the Cracker Barrel or Wal-Mart without picking up a season appropriate cookie jar. Most of my cookie jars are very inexpensive. Thre last one I bought was the Gingerbread House. It was in in Bed, Bath, and Beyond in the clearance aisle for $2.95. Now that is hard to turn down. When I got it home I found it even had a package of cookies inside. What a deal! The girls bought me the apple cookie jar because I always loved the apple cookie jar their paternal grandmother had. Mary bought me the Noah's Ark jar and Martha bought me the spring flower jar. I had another cookie jar from Martha with fall leaves on it but I broke the top so I use it to hold my knitting needles.

I baked the cookies on the counter. They are oatmeal craisen cookies. Even people who don't particularly like to cook get a craving for cookies sometime.