Has it really been four months

since I posted? Well, I have had a somewhat rough time lately, in some ways. First losing my cat, then a hard end to the school year (can I retire NOW?), and losing some friends because I wouldn't be mean to someone, and I think they think I started something that I didn't start, but was caught up in (and I know who DID start it, but that doesn't matter- it's just hard to be seen as a "traitor"). I haven't been feeling very well, so I am on a mission to "get healthy" again. I think that part of it is eating too much of the food I am still sensitive to. And I recently found out I am now allergic to strawberries. Damn. I've started back on a walking plan, and I have started Yoga and small weight lifting for strength. I am soooo out of shape. But, I am taking baby steps and working on it.

I spend several weeks in June spending a lot of time in my flower gardens. I thinned out, transplanted, weeded, etc. Then DH and I put cyprus mulch on. There is more I want to do, but I decided that this is it for this summer. I want time to sew, too. The flowers are beautiful, though! Some of my vision will have to come after I retire, I think.

DH was watching me mourn my cat, and he decided that maybe we could get a new cat now, instead of waiting. Then he decided we needed two. =-) He picked both of them out at the Humane Society. They are kittens, now about 3 months old. I'll post a picture of them, and some other pictures, as soon as I figure out how to get them on my new computer. It doesn't want to recognize the software to install the card reader. I might have to do it on the computer that still has XP on it instead of Vista. We'll see... The kittens are so much fun! Their names are Daisy and Darwin. Daisy looks like she could be part Siamese; she is cream collored with some orangey tan down her back and a stripped tail. She is very dainty with long legs. Darwin is a black and white "tuxedo" cat. He is going to be a lot bigger than Daisy. They get along so well! They play, clean each other and sleep together, sometimes with their arms around each other. It is so cute. =-) I've got the camera out now where I can grab it quickly.

I finished the baby quilt for our good friends' new grandson, and gave it to the parents on July 4th at a party. One of our dear friends' daughters got married on July 5th. A fun time. After the party on Sunday DH and I went up to the camper and stayed a week. We had too much going on, though. We had our DGD stay Sunday through Tuesday and one of DH's brothers, his sister and her spouse came up one day. We had a good time, but we hardly did anything else that we had wanted to do. We'll be back up there for another week soon and are going to be very selfish this time.

At the camper I did work on my DJ blocks and got 5 of them done. I am almost finished with number 6. Those are the first ones I have done in almost two years. I'm in the mood to keep going now. I am in the 120's of the 169 squares, and have a few triangles done, too. I really enjoyed working on them. I'll be taking them up to the camper again, but will also do some here. I just might get on a roll and finish my squares. (Dreaming! I have too darn many things that I want to do.) Next week I am planning to sew, but the week after that I will need to buckle down and do some unit writing for our new curriculum this fall at school. I don't want to fly by the seat of my pants (what's that mean, exactly, anyway?) all next year. That is too stressful. This will be my last new curriculum, because I hope to retire after 3 more years.

I want to quilt another of my quilt tops this coming week. I picked out the "De Pere Chainsaw Massacre " quilt to do. I'm still practicing on my Nolting, but am not too bad at it anymore. I am excited to get some of my tops quilted.

We've been seeing a new financial advisor and I really like him. As we get toward retirement, we are trying to move our money into safer areas, but now is NOT a good time to pull out of the stock market. But, we're not in a recession, right???

Speaking of our government, I dread the political races this fall. I am already sick of the ads! I'll have to tape everything so I can not watch commercials, or mute the commercials, or something in order to make it through.

Yeaterday I made some Dr. appointments with new Drs. since my insurance changed. I will get some help in my get healthy goals.

I'd better get back to work here. We are taking DGD to the camper tonight for the weekend. We had taken her to a county fair two years ago, and she liked it so much she asked to go again. It's more of a Junior Fair, so not too big, and lots of fun things to see. Lots of 4-H stuff. Rides, too. I did put my blog on my list of things to do today, so I'm not cheating! LOL I promise it won't be another 4 months before I post again. Thanks for reading... =-)