A good Lesson

I tried to find the picture I had taken of my laptop but since I don't have them all in files I can find I couldn't. So just think of a Laptop. That's what this blog is about. The other day, Monday I believe, I was replying to Kim's email and all of a sudden the keys wouldn't work. Couldn't make anything. Darn, I was doing so good on this thing. I called my neighbor, who is more Savoy about computer's and also had gotten a new Dell laptop before Christmas. She came over and tried everything she knew, but hate;s Vista. Doesn't really know it as she ordered hers special with XP and Vista.
I couldn't find my booklet that came with it. Did later. I called my older bro.. in Oregon as he also has Dell and Vista and a laptop. His instructions was to shut it down unplug and wait till morning maybe it would all come back.

Nope didn't work. So yesterday I called Best Buy where I had looked at them and they had said that they were a registered help station for DELL Ask for the GEEK and told him what happened. He'd never heard of that,. Said I should bring it in.

Well with a storm going through, Schools closed snow coming down and turning to sleet, I wasn't going anywhere for a day or two. It is still sleeting this morning ans there is a good crust on the snow.

So this morning I did what my neighbor said I should do. Call Dell. Got a nice young lady who worked me through a complete restart and then I could type. It was funny, I could read all my mail , look at and read blogs but couldn't comment. Everything but make these keys work. Has anyone out there had this happen to them?I know now that I can also do that restart. They tell you how in the booklet. But she also gave me her phone number and extension so If I have other problems I can call her.

So the lesson is :: CALL the Help People.

I also got three more Snowflake blocks made so got something done besides tending to Hubby.
Have only had my new car out once. Sure glad to be able to talk to people now. Thanks for visiting.

See I've been doing some sewing

Yes, I have finished nine snowflake blocks. They are fun but a challenge. Like all snowflakes there is no two exactly alike. Have six more to make. Don't know just how I will finish this quilt off. Will wait and see. Now the quilting group I'm in on Yahoo groups, Quilters Hollow, always has a special swap the first of the year in memory of one of our early , very active members that died of cancer. This year we are going small with six inch blocks. Don't remember the name of it but one of the log cabins. Here is the block, Of course all fabrics are Thimbleberries since this is what the group is all about. Using lights and darks.

We are doing it in sets of 8 which makes a neat larger 12 inch block. I've done 3 sets but think I will do one more. As I've been playing around on the design wall and have come up with this design. First I had the blocks arranged into six stars.

Then rearranged them leaving a border and with one more set plus about 4 extra blocks I could have the partial stars all around the border and then put a large border . I want to use this as a table topper. I have been using the smaller quilts that I didn't know what else to use them for, on the dining room table. Well it's in the kitchen and is the only table we have. This is such a fun block and you can use up your scraps. Ever since Bonnie has been talking about cutting strips of the leftovers, I've done this with both my regular scraps and my TB. Separated them of course.

Today turned out to be such a wonderful warm winter day, and have you noticed that the days are getting a little longer. Still light at five when we eat. I went to town this afternoon to the Credit Union to get the money for my new car. But came home empty handed. Their system was down and couldn't get into the accounts. What's up I thought our money was safe. She will have a check ready for me in the morning. Will just have to make sure the people don't go running to the bank for a couple hours to give me time to deposit it here in Boonsboro.

So hopefully tomorrow at this time I will have a new car. This is the first time that I alone have taken care of the buying. Now Hubby was only interested in whether or not he could get in and out of it and that it had a handle above the door for him to hold on to. He just doesn't trust my driving.

It's time this evening to get busy and start another snowflake. Need to get these done before the hope of snow is gone. Thanks again to all left a comment on yesterdays blog. I just felt I wanted you all to know what a milestone we have passed.

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January 21, 1949

This is a picture taken off the only little snapshot I have of this time. We we young and in collage but had a simple ceremony at the church with hubby's roommate and fellow Marylander who was a preacher but still going to school. We had my cousin and his girlfriend and now wife stand up with us and my brother and his intended were the only other people there.

That was sixty years ago this evening. How time flies. Now with two grown children and 6 grandchildren, one out of college 3 others in college. Our family is complete.

Then what did we do today. We bought a new car. Hubby thought our 9 year old Impala should be traded in for a new model so I would have a good car probably for the rest of my driving life.

Thinking back over the years, some rough ones but some wonderful ones we now have to be content to do as much as we can. I know I certainly have enjoyed meeting all my cyber friends many that I have met. I at least still have my quilting when I am not tending to hubby.

Thank you one and all for being my friend. Now it is bedtime for this old grandma.

Snowflakes

This is what we woke to this morning. Something like this as this was taken last year. Figured I could use an old snow picture as a tease to start to show you a little about the Snowflake blocks I have started to work on. Really They are called "Chance of Flurries" and another of those puzzle type patterns by Pieces of the Heart, This starts with 8 fat quarters of each blue and beige. Then you cut them according to the pattern like this:

Here I have both of them stacked on a large box so I can move them if need be and pick out each piece as I need it. You switched certain pieces so that when you sewed each block you have the design. It is made with 5 sections and then the sections sewn together.

Here are the first two I have made. Have one more blue one but have been very busy the last week with Hubby

He had his cataract surgery Monday morning and so far everything is fine. He had an appointment to see the surgeon on Tuesday morning to check to see what he could see. Has to have drops put in 4 times a day. 3 different one. That takes a bit of time since they have to be 5 minuets apart.As of this afternoon he could see the TV and read on it without his glasses. Next comes a couple more visits to the doctor and then getting his new glasses so both eyes will look the same.

We've been pretty lucky weather wise compared to a whole lot of the mid-west and North. The past couple days have been very cold though , in the teens. Got up to 25 today with a little snow. No school either.

I've also been working on some swap blocks for the Hollow so that is a little sewing I've done. Also spent an afternoon in the basement quilting on that quilt that has been patiently waiting to get finished. That's about it. Until another time. Thanks for stopping and leaving a comment.

I've Been Tagged

OH, I've been tagged by Becky at Quilter Me Me, sorry I don't have the link for it. Haven't learned that yet,

This picture is the fourth on in my photos and is the back of my sons home in Conifer Co. They have just finished a big job of lifting the roof and enlarging their master bedroom, The long stairs are so their big dogs can be chased out of the bedroom at night without going down stairs. Sure would love to go see it as it's almost finished now.

Here is what you have to do:

Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.3) Explain the picture.4) Tag 4 people to do the same.

I just don't have the time to tag anyone. All my friends that read this are special and consider yourselves tagged if you want.

Trees Up, Lights On

Yes, I have finally finished this quilt top. Yes just a top but I did add a different border to it. Wanted to use up some of the strips left over but didn't want to do it all the way around. Just had to be a little different.



Like Kim said when she was making hers, these blocks are addictive. So much so that she sent me another pattern by Pieces of Heart, called Chance of Flurries. Guess she figured I needed this as that is what we sometimes have. Just a chance for flurries.



She sent me some FQs for it also so I've been waiting to get the trees done so I could start on the next one. Spent the last two days preparing to cut. This is a much more complicated pattern but after making one it really goes together pretty easy. So one down and another start ed. Will just have to wait until I get a couple made to show them.

Not much else going on right now.Had a little ice storm yesterday and lost the cable and my broadband for about two hours in the afternoon but just took the opportunity to take a nap. Usually do that after supper is all over. So now I'll get back to sewing some snowflakes. Thanks for stopping by the porch.


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The INN BoonsBoro

This is the way it looks today. A front view from across the street. She has done a wonderful job trying to be as much like the original as possible. For those who have not been following the progress of this old Hotel. It was in bad condition when Nora Roberts bought it and while restoring it last winter there was a terrible fire. You can see those pictures in previous posts. Can you see the lower porch there in the front on the ground level? That is new, hasn't been a porch there for the last 50 years that I know of. There were stone steps that went up to the front door. I imagine that they have an old picture that shows a porch like that back when the road was dirt and of course no stop light.

This is a view of the side and I wanted to try and get the dormers. They have fancy work over the windows and The roof isn't the only thing that is copper. So are the gutters and drain pipes coming down the side of the building. This stone is the original building. The brick on back farther was added sometime later.
This is the very back and notice all the fancy stairs and railing.

The straw on the ground. I talked to the man that was standing there cutting brick for the people that were laying brick walks and the garden area in the back. They had it covered with plastic and straw on top to try and keep it from freezing before they could get it finished. I commented about the fancy railings all over it and he said that when they did the first renovation they found one of the original railing so she had it duplicated. Really makes for a terrific looking building.

Here's a better view of it. There was a big wall like there in the fore ground . It's a planter. Course will look a whole lot better when they get the burned out house next door restored also.

See how the stairs wind around going up to each floor.

Going on back to the front this is another view of the little porch. Have no idea what kind of steps they are going to put there.

There was an article in the paper a few days ago that said she had an opening date of Feb.17. Guests could Begin booking reservations on line on Sat. The date of her first book signing is Feb 21. Several guest, mostly Roberts fans have booked online at www.innboonsboro.com. Rates range from $220 to #300 a night. There is 8 rooms. Seven are themed rooms after literary couples. The 8th is a penthouse. The Inn-keeper will also live at the Inn once her apartment is finished. I know she has used many local people for this work. The cabinetmaker that did my home did some of the work. They have had the furniture bought and in storage at the local furniture store for over a year.

Here is another front view from the other side of the street which shows the side as well. She bought that burned out home next to the Inn and will restore it after the Hotel in complete. Someone said into a honeymoon suite

I will have a final on this when it is complete with sign on the front. Hope you enjoyed visiting our little town and this historic building. This road is the original Route 40 going from San Fransisco to Baltimore. Now is know as Alt. 40. Hope you can visit one day.

Something OLd in the New Year

Here is a quilt top that I found in the basement among my daughters things, She has a habit of latching onto something that she really liked. It is completely hand done. even the borders and sashing is hand stitched For 30's lovers it is the ultimate. In the closeups below you can see the stitching, Each petal has been buttonhole stitched by hand in the color matching the petal.

--------- This would be neat to get quilted,by hand of course and maybe someday she may get it done. I used to buy this type of thing and sell it. Unless she happened to see something she wanted to keep.

Here's a diferent one in a better closeup.

Ah, I managed to get these pictures in myself. Have been pretty busy this past week with taking hubby to see the eye surgeon for cataract surgery a week from tomorrow. This will be his second so he knows what to expect. The sight in this eye has gotten bad so it really needs to be done.

I;m doing pretty good on my laptop I think. Now have canceled my MSN2 service and am getting rid of my second user as it's too complected. My Big Bro. said it would be. He uses Vista also .But I have had lots of help both online and with a couple friends here. I really love my Laptop. Love to have you visit. Now tomorrow or the next I'm going to have an update on the Boonsboro Hotel. Have some good pictures and talked to one of the workers and got some good tales. So come back soon.