November Projects

I had a bit of time on my hands this past month. 

I took a sewing class. I learned how to make a snack mat. I don't like this one (don't look too closely at the thread lines), but it was useful to know how to sew the edging. 

I also made lounge pants for Marty. PSA: never sew plaids. Matching the stripes was a bear. 

I also took on a few sewing projects on my own: 

The cedar chest is 85 years old. The cushion was engineered and might I say, it came out great. I didn't have a pattern to work with. 

Yesterday morning I made another snack mat. I realize the reds don't match. I was practicing the mitered corners and wanted to try something small. Hence, the new snack mat. 

The mitered corner practice was because I finished my quilt. Actually, it is Bonus Dad's birthday present. I hope to get this mailed out this week. Putting the edging around it took a bit of practice (hence the snack mat). 

Because I had nothing better to do, last Saturday I made this. (The mitered corner edging put on yesterday after the snack mat practice). 

Saturday, I sent Bob, the guy teaching me to quilt, a note letting him know he created a monster. He told me to come on by Monday and he'd put this table runner on his quilting machine. That's Bob's hand on the quilting machine. Yesterday he texted me and said stop by. He gave me another bit of quilting fabric and said, "Make something else." Bwahahahahaha.... 

And finally, I've had horrible insomnia lately. So, this is what I've been doing in the middle of the night. That's blue chalk paint. I have enough of the paint left over to make a treasure box for my nephew Patrick. I bought this night stand for $10. I am sorry I don't have a "before" picture. The top was burned. The drawer pulls were missing and the entire thing was falling apart. 

I bought this bookshelf for $20. It was stained and then painted and then stained again. The drawer was essentially sawdust when I got it. I spent considerably more on stripper than I did on the actual bookshelf. Incidentally, my father made the lamp. 

A Happy Text

Suzy, one of the Church of Christ ladies and one of the Coronas just reached out and sent me a text. Was I up for coffee tomorrow? 

Hm... let me check my calendar... Let's see... I am mopping the floor at 6 a.m. Then feeding the cat. Between laundry and listening to my latest audio book, I can probably squeeze in a social event. I even offered to drive to Arkansas, which will be six miles away. 

My ego needed this boost. 

 

Turkmenistan has the Fourth Largest Natural Gas Resource on Earth

Tuesday night I had a zoom call with my 9 year old nephew, Patrick. We had a lovely discussion about how he felt he needed to change seats in his classroom because he doesn't want to sit next to his ex-girlfriend, who, according to him, makes "bad choices." 

Patrick also had a Power Point presentation about what was going on in his life that he shared. And when he was done with that, his father (my brother) suggested it was time for him to get his shower. However, Patrick said he had a video he just had to show me. And could he please, have a few more moments to take care of this? 

Twenty-five minutes later, I had sat through an enlightening video on Turkmenistan. There are about six million people in the country, which is the lowest population of all Asian countries. Their currency is Manat. The geography consists of a super-large desert in the middle of the country where nobody lives and the inhabitable areas on the outskirts.  

This time of year has been very difficult. This is my first Thanksgiving away from my brother and his family. It is also the first Thanksgiving without my father. So, if I had to be forced to watch a Turkmenistan video just to be with Patrick a little bit longer, so be it. I'd watch five videos with him just to have this time.  

Sleeping Would Be a Better Solution

 A small, but sizable, solution has been found regarding our, "need an extra room" dilemma. You see, I have horrible insomnia right now. I am wandering the house from about 2 a.m. until the rest of the family wakes. 

My issue is, there is nowhere to wander, as the house is small and set up for everyone to sleep at the same time. The sewing machine and computer are in the master bedroom, tucked away with sleeping Marty. Making noise in the greatroom, wakes up everyone. So, when it was warmer, and the melatonin had worn off, I just hung out in the garage, listening to podcasts and working on my latest woodworking project. November in Texarkana means 26 degrees at 2 a.m., so that really isn't a viable option. 

Saturday night Marty bought me a space heater. Not only is it a perfect alternative to nowhere to go, but the paint is drying faster on my latest dresser project. The only caveat came from Buckaroo, the family fire marshall: we need to have a "C" class fire extinguisher out there with me. It is a cheaper solution than expanding my house.

"Really Cool" Seems to be a Tad Bit of an Exaggeration

People in East Texas don't believe in Web sites and conventional news sources. They all do Facebook. You want to know the local Tex-Mex restaurant's menu (you really don't )? You want to know what the specials are this week at the farmer's market (you really do)? Accident on Interstate 30? Updates on tornadoes? Funerals? Homecoming king and queen? High school football score? Yep, all on Facebook's Texarkana Site.  

Additionally, these three posts showed up this week. 

Missing Bovine

Here Kitty Kitty

Nope, nope and let me be clear, NOPE. (picture taken 4 miles from my home)

 

An Invitation

I just got a phone call out of the blue from Cindy. She's one of the Church of Christ ladies and she happens to be one of the Cool Corona Girls. She wanted to invite me to join the Cool Corona Girls for lunch tomorrow. I would normally have said yes, but they are going to a predominantly seafood restaurant. Last (and the only) time I went inside this building I went into anaphylaxis. So, bummer. 

I did ask Cindy to please think of me again, next time when they go to a different place. She assured me she would. Squee! I'm just grateful to be wanted. 

It's been a long 11 months. 

Random Texarkana

It appears, me being from Arizona means that I have some sort of insight on the Arizona election races. 

I don't. 

However, that hasn't stopped the text messages from acquaintances this past Tuesday asking for my take on Katie Hobbs's victory over Kari Lake. 

Y'all's governor's race is the talk of small-town Texas. 

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I don't have a reasonable winter coat. I mean, I have a jacket. It will keep me warm. It's ugly but functional. I didn't think I'd need anything warm in November, because last year when I came out to look for a house (in December), the weather was in the 70s. 

Tuesday, while the high for the day was 39 degrees, I spent more time than I cared for looking for a new coat. Other than the two Goodwills, there are four places in town that sell woman's coats: Dillards, Penny's Burlington Coat Factory and Kohls. I found nothing I wanted to spend money on. I will stick with my ugly jacket for now. 

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Also Tuesday, I went back to the dentist for my cleaning. The hygienist mentioned when she saw me two weeks ago it looked like I was having a "rough time." Yeah, let's go with that. 

Behind the scenes, I'm looking for a new dentist. On my to-do list is to see if my insurance will cover dentists in Arkansas. Or Arizona. 

My biggest dislike about Texarkana isn't the Mexican food, it is the medical community.  

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My second-biggest dislike about Texarkana is the lack of good Mexican food. Marty and I tried a new "Authentic" Mexican restaurant last Friday night. Marty's enchiladas were covered in a "chipotle sauce," which was really Velveeta seasoned with cumin. My chili verde was as advertised, chunks of pork swimming in a green sauce. It was too salty, and the sauce tasted canned. We both liked my dish better than his, but I only ate three bites. Then, we made a pinky pact to stop disappointing ourselves with Mexican restaurants. 

Even Luna didn't want my leftovers. 

   

House Hunting Final Update

I found a house that met all our criteria! It had that elusive extra room. It was in the right area of town. It was in our budget. It had a laundry room and storage. It even had a this and a that. Plus, the widgets all worked. 

But, Marty poo-pooed the house anyway. Why? Well, the back yard didn't have a shed. And it looked like there were fence slats that needed to be replaced. I pointed out that there are slats that need to be replaced on our current fence as well. Marty wouldn't be swayed. As far as he was concerned, the house needed "too much work."  

I've been married 24 years. I'm fluent in husband-speak. Though it was his idea to find a bigger house, I see he's changed his mind, even if he hasn't realized it just yet. 

Unit 3

I went to my first Unit 3 meeting last week. 

What is Unit 3, you ask? It's ok. I asked too. 

Unit 3 is the unimaginative and vague name for the Catholic Lady's Auxiliary Group (my name for them) that helps out at the church, doing everything from bringing over the donuts on Sunday morning to coordinating Trivia Night. I have no idea why they are called "Unit 3."

Unit 3 is currently in a membership drive and cannot, for the life of them, figure out why nobody is jonesing to join. When I mentioned last week that perhaps nobody knows what Unit 3 means, the women looked at each other and then to me. "Good point!" one said. "We should change our name!" Another suggested. 

"But what about all of those women who know us by Unit 3?" The lone dissenter asked. I inquired who those women might be. Nobody could answer. 

A motion was made to vote on selecting some sort of new name at the next Unit 3 meeting. The motion passed and my belief in bureaucracy in a small town being just like bureaucracy everywhere else was reaffirmed. 

That said, the ladies in the group were pleasant and I enjoyed myself, however the dinner that came with the meeting was terrible. Who, I ask, puts--and I'm not making this up--frozen tater tots in soup? However, there was copious amounts of red wine flowing for those who partook (I didn't). Perhaps it covered the taste of the tater tot soup? 

I have felt a need to help out at my church, and this Unit 3 group is how it is done. I have no attachment to any decision (including changing the name). I just want to meet a few folks and be a part of the community. I do see some red flags I see no reason to be quiet about (like asking the parishioners to pay for some of the expenses the Unit 3 ladies cover). But I'll wait until a meeting or two has passed before I stir anything up. 

Polly's Victory

There are about 40 students in Texarkana College's Music Program. Polly was one of five who were hand-selected to audition for the 2023 Texas Allstate Choir. Friday, the one soprano (Polly), two altos, baritone and tenor drove to somewhere in central Texas to audition with a litany of other college students from around the state. 

It appears all those years of voice lessons have paid off. Polly made it. Come February, she will be performing in San Antonio as a Soprano I.

I would say, of all of us, Polly has been the one who has thrived the most from this move. 

Thursday Gratitudes

Thursday, I managed to make it to the weekly Catholic Bible Study. In addition, on my way there, I had the pleasure of visiting with one of my Arizona friends while I made the drive. A sweet start to my day. 

Though I knew about the Catholic Bible Study, I hadn't been going. The idea of getting dressed before 10 a.m. had been daunting and holding me back. My main goal in attending was to get to better know the people involved. And, as Marty explained, I really ought to give the Catholics a try, if I'm willing to give the Church of Christ ladies a go once a month. 

As it turned out, I knew a good portion of the people there--they are the same ones I see at mass and at the Catholic Woman's Auxiliary (more on that later). But the one I knew best was probably Joey, the 20-something who is discerning to be a priest and who sat next to me at last Saturday night's Trivia night. Spend two hours sitting next to someone, finding out what kind of trivial knowledge they have and you might feel like they are your long-lost son, too.  

After I left, I met Leah for lunch. Leah is one of the Coronas and happens to be part of the Church of Christ prayer group crowd. We chatted for three hours and had such a good time, we decided to make lunch a monthly event. Also, there are plans in place to get our 20-something daughters together for a Saturday outing some time in January. 

Of all the people I've met in Texarkana, I feel very comfortable saying, Leah is probably my first true friend. We hit it off months ago at the Corona night and have kept in touch since. This was the first time we've gone out on our own. 

As a side note, this Texarkana move has brought to the forefront what a great deal of gratitude I feel when I go out with someone new. I realize that person wants to spend time getting to know me. That's a huge honor. I feel the same with my Arizona friends who call me out of the blue to say hello. They take a few minutes out of their to chat. It means the world. 

A Shout-Out

 Happy Birthday my dear friend. May your day be filled with happiness and joy. 

The Christmas Quilt

I mentioned a while ago, Bob the Quilter is showing me how to quilt. Yesterday I finished the front--ignore the strips coming off the side. Those will be gone soon. What I have left to do is the backing and the filling, both done on Bob's machine. However, I'm thinking about adding a border around the outside as well. Maybe? 

At any rate, the hard part is done. And I gotta tell you, I'm kinda proud of my work here. Lining up those columns and rows is harder than you'd think.  

My goal is to get this done by early December and send it to Bonus Dad in time for his 80th birthday. 

The Trash Pandas*

In an effort to be social with more than just the Church of Christ ladies, I dragged Marty to a "spaghetti" dinner and trivia event at our church Saturday night. And to be fair, Marty was a good sport, given he had made the Dallas run that day to restock on peanut butter and coffee. 

Polly is well-known at the church because of her affiliation with the choir. Somehow, word has gotten around that Polly's mom is at home and has nothing to do during the day. Therefore, every member of the woman's auxiliary--who were running the event--came up to me during the dinner to introduce themselves and invite me to next Thursday's meeting. As for me, I am 100 percent on board with joining if I can be in charge of the food, ensuring nobody again is forced to eat spaghetti, combined with--and I'm not making this up--Rotel, cream of chicken soup, rotisserie chicken and covered with velveta then baked until gross. 

Anyway, the trivia event was to raise money for a woman's shelter somewhere in the area. Every table was it's own team. After we got our food, we were joined by Joey, who is thinking about being a priest, which is really too bad. The Catholic Mother in me sees that he and Polly would have hit it off. We were also joined by Father, our church's pastor. I had no idea Father knew Polly was our daughter. He told Joey what a beautiful voice Polly had. 

Father is a hoot. He suggested our team's name of the "Trash Pandas." Most teams picked names like "Saints," or "Holy Rollers" (this was a church event, after all). Nope. We were the Trash Pandas. And let me tell you, We Trash Pandas did really well. We didn't win the final pot--who knew Mount Mitchell was in North Carolina? But we held our own, and landed in 4th place out of 16 teams. The top four teams all had one point differences. 

I don't see me giving up the Church of Christ gang any time soon, but it is nice to expand my horizons. 

*It turns out a "trash panda" is a racoon. I don't know if this is a southern phrase or not. I'd never heard it before Saturday night.    

I Didn't Sign up for Tornadoes

Val, my sewing teacher, sent me a text Friday night. I'd just come back from walking to City Hall paying my water bill. It had been sprinkling on and off. The sky had been gray but whatever, it's November. Plus, I was talking on the phone to a dear friend, and wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. 

Anyway, Val's text said that I needed to prepare. Please make sure my phone is fully charged, my windows in my car and home are completely secure and I have a "safe place" to shelter if it is necessary. However, she didn't exactly explain that last part. She also mentioned, I want to unplug my sewing machine, television and computers. And then, without further explanation, she wished me luck.  

Friday's thunderstorm was epic. I've lived through my fair share of monsoons, but nothing like what I experienced here in Texarkana. Before Friday night, I'd been in been in one tornado in my life. And after Friday night, I think I've still been in one tornado. I know we had winds--did we ever! But they were "straight-line" winds, from what I understand, means just as strong and could carry a cow, but the winds weren't swirling. 

Polly, our weather nerd, kept Marty and I apprised of the situation, following the wind in real time on a radar program she found. If she hadn't been doing so, the alerts we were getting every 5 minutes also would have done the trick. Plus, Facebook has a great Texarkana community that was also letting the masses know what was going on.  

We didn't shelter in place, but a couple of times I did edge to the laundry room in anticipation. Although, it should be said, none of us felt the need to hang out near windows. By the time Buck got home from work, the storm had passed, but the power was out. It stayed out for 12 hours. That was the extent of drama. However, Marty is wary the tornadoes, plus the critters is going to make me move back to Arizona.  

Here are some of the pictures. The biggest tornado hit three states. That "biggie" was about 18 miles from my house. The closest one was five miles from my house. 

See the strip of five tornadoes on the right? The top two are the closest to my home. 

I Still Can't Chew

I hate the doctors in Texarkana. There, I said it. 

And now, I hate the dentists as well. 

This past week, I had a loose filling "fixed" but some sadist who got hold of my mouth. If you want to know what happened, watch "Marathon Man." Or for a lighter version, check out "Little Shop of Horrors."* 

I'm still swollen like a puffer fish and I'm living on protein shakes. Additionally, I called my old dentist in Mesa and left a long-winded message letting him know how much I missed him and that he is definitely the best dentist that ever lived. Because he is. 

At this point, I'm thinking it would be worth the air fare to fly back if I ever have a dental emergency. I guarantee I'm looking for a new local dentist. 

*Don't watch them, use your imagination instead.