News Flash!! The GO will be on the move Monday

WOOOO HOOOOO    I am doing the happy dance here, It took me awhile and quite a few phone calls, but a GO has been found, purchased and will be shipped Monday.... I am dancing, dancing, dancing...
I might be a little early on this celebration, after all the GO is not yet here, and with the way my luck was running it might get lost en route and end up in Alaska somewhere... NO< NO> I will not think of such a thing, my go will leave Panama City Monday and I should have it in my hands before the end of the week.  I am so excited... Thank You Rascal, Roxy, Sissy and of course my wonderful husband Sean...
Why am I thanking my dogs, you ask.... Well, lets say Rascal gets a little sporty now and then.. and needless to say the population increased at the house... Well, the puppies are ready to go, a ad was placed and they are selling really quickly this weekend... which meant I had the extra money to purchase the GO. Hubby said order it and I did...
After all my hassles with the JoAnn's web site and not getting any response from any Representative of JoAnn's, I blogged about my site problems, posted on the JoAnn's site and the Accuquilt site. I received advice in emails from my quilting friends who had read the posts.  I followed their advice and I called my local JoAnn's store, told the girl my story, she said they didn't have any more GO's left, but the girl took the time to check to see what other store had the GO's still in stock... Panama City store listed three, I got the phone number and I called that store, talked to the girl, she said there might be one left as they sold some today.... Sue Harrison came on the line and the answer was one, they had one in the store.... that's all I want is one.  Sue asked if I would be picking it up.... NO  I live three hours away, please ship it to me.... She was a little worried about the shipping but I talked her into it... SO She would call back when she had the paperwork ready and was at the front of the store... SHE DIDN'T CALL, and DIDN'T CALL and I started to get worried that there was a problem, so after awhile, I called the Panama Store again, and it was Sue who answered the phone.  She didn't forget about me, she was getting all the paperwork together... WHEW, big load off my mind..  OPPS another glitch, her register wasn't taking the shipping charge *yes I had to pay shipping charges even though the web site offered free shipping*  She said she would again call back and she did.  Only took a few minutes to make the transition, but it is now paid for and will be on its way... I am keeping my fingers, legs, arms, eyes and anything else I can cross crossed just to keep the jinx monster away...and hoping that my GO will make it here safe and sound... 
I am a little disappointed with the JoAnn's site and all the problems they have an that it is the customer who has to do a follow up. I am disappointed that I had to pay shipping charges which I wouldn't have paid if the site was working.... But I am pleased with the employees who are answering the phones in the Pensacola and Panama City Stores... I know they put up with a lot, but they have helped me so much when I had problems with the web site and trying to order and yes this is not the first time the site and I were at odds.  But to the ladies at JoAnn's and especially to Sue Harrison... Thank you for all you do.. You ladies are the reason I still shop the store...  OH, and if you are wondering if Corporate offices will know about this ordeal, OF COURSE... I always let corporate know what is going on in their stores and web sites... If you don't tell them how will they ever know what needs fixing... I email Corporate offices all the time..and I do get responses from them for the most part, you do if the company cares about their customers...
Have a great day, I will now that my bad luck streak seems to have come to an end...
Now on to look for dies...
Nana Bonnie

Accuquilt Go! Cutter is gone

I must be doing something terribly wrong or I have no luck at all. You all know how much I want the Accuquilt Go Fabric Cutter but the price has just been way to high for our budget $349. to be exact, plus there is the cost of the Dies and they can be $29. to a hundred or so .. I have in the past year entered every GO contest I could find with no luck... You can imagine my total delight when I spotted the ad for JoAnn's Fabric that they will have the Go cutter for $199.  that is a savings of $149....WOW, I can do that, and the time was right, The puppies were to the age they could be sold and the money would go to pay for my GO, which would be so helpful to me as I am making my charity quilts.... I was ready, all set, yesterday I went into the JoAnn's Fabric site and YES there it was my machine.  I put one in my cart and oh no, problem #1 Hubby was at work and he had the credit card, which meant I would have to wait till he got home... NO problem..  I waited and when he came home, I again went to the JoAnn's Site, Now let be back track a little here, Thanksgiving Day I went to the site and saw the problem screen, JoAnn's have in the past had major problems during their online sales.  OK that being said, jump back to the story... So Hubby is home, I go to the site and there it is the dreaded problem screen... I keep trying and finally I get in, I headed straight to the GO page, click the buy button, and there it is, in my cart, but wait there is a $17.00 shipping charge..OK now I know I saw the free shipping for totals over $75.00. The GO is in my cart and safe and I head out looking for the code for free shipping, after all that will save me $17.00.  Then it happened, the site started to freeze, then it shut down,,,, NO< NO<  I hurry and type in the JoAnn's address and NO, I just can't believe this is happening, there it is the web site down page... so I close the page and try and try again.  I am determine to order my GO....  Finally, success  I am back on the site, but wait, my cart is now empty, where did my GO, go..... OK, no big problem, go to the GO page and once again put it into my cart.  BUT WAIT,  NO, NO, NO,  I can not believe this is happening,.... my GO, the page says the GO is no longer available....WHAT, I was just there, I had it in my cart, OK is this a conspiracy against my buying a GO, was this sale just to good to be true. So thanks to a glitch in the JoAnn's site, I don't get my GO....  I wonder about the JoAnn's site, this happens everytime they have a sale, the last time it was with the Simplicity Bias tape maker... Oh and just for those who wonder why I didn't just go to the store...Well the GO cutter was a online only sale....and I am not the only person who has problems with the site, just go to their facebook page and there are lots of complaints about them. One day JoAnn's might just get wise and either get a web master who can keep their site up and running or when the have a sale hold it in the store only and forget about the web site sales. Either way JoAnn's needs to really look into their web site, they are making so many of their customers unhappy, and when your customers are unhappy they will bash your site and that causes you to lose customers.... I shop at JoAnn's all the time, but if this continues, I will go down the block and shop Hobby Lobby or make the short trip to Michael's or AC Moore, after all who needs the stress the JoAnn's site is causing, not me..... So unless Santa got into the site and managed to order a GO before the Glitch, then I am not getting the GO under my tree this year.....

Its Over,

Thanksgiving is now over, Once more dinner was a total success..... there was mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls with sweet butter, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, a butter pecancake and of course the main attraction, Mr. Tom Turkey....
As I was making the dinner, I thought of past Thanksgivings, the successes and the not so successful ( year I burned my hand with the gravy comes to mind, spent hours in the ER).. I thought of all the family recipes that have been handed down generation to generation.... Case in point is the stuffing recipe... This recipe came from my Nanny, who got it from her Mother... When I was little I would watch as my Nanny made the stuffing for the bird.  The night before she would do all her prep work for the big day. The smell I remember the most was when she would Sauté the onions and celery in butter, she would add salt and pepper and the aroma would fill the house. She would take white bread and tear it into cube sizes, pour the onions, celery, and butter over the bread cubes, then add eggs and mix. It might be a simple recipe but it was so good.   Back then it was OK by their standards to stuff the bird the night before, and sit it in the refrigerator.  Early the next morning Nanny could be heard putting the bird in the oven... She would rub the bird with butter and slow roast it till golden brown.  My Nanny never used a written recipe, She only had one cookbook in the kitchen and I never saw her use it. She would cook and bake from memory... My Mother was the same way, she could make just about anything without a recipe book, I think the only thing my mother made from a recipe book was cookies.  I learned from these wonderful ladies, I learned that some of the best recipes are past on from watching and helping... When my son and step children were little I would take the extra time to have them help me with dinner. Today all the kids know how to cook and bake, thanks to the time they spent by my side... Yesterday my son called me and he was making the turkey for dinner, It was funny as he said he was making my stuffing. No there isn't a written recipe for the stuffing , just a memory of a wonderful family tradition past on from generation to generation... I just hope one day my grand daughter will be making the stuffing and her child will be watching and keeping the tradition going. Take that extra few minutes and let your children help you in the kitchen, remember Memories last forever....

Black Friday,  NO I did not get up before the sun to go and shop, I don't know of anyone who did.  But I know there were crowds at the mall and stores just waiting for the special deal.  I hope all the shoppers got the deals they went for and that this years Black Friday was a safe one for the shopper's and the employees.... After all even the biggest discount isn't worth someone getting hurt for..  As for me, if I want the deals, I might just shop on line, no lines to wait in, no pushing and shoving, just my machine and me....

Turkey Day

Turkey Day

Cranberry Glazed Turkey Recipe

Courtesy of Butterball.com

If this bird looks good you can go to the Butterball web site for the recipe. Don't forget if you have a question or a problem that needs solved regarding your Holiday Turkey, go to Butterball.com for all your Turkey answers... 

Turkey Day is right around the corner, and I just can not believe that it is upon us already.  Didn't we just watch the fireworks on the 4th...  I am ready for the Turkey and all its fixing's, Stuffing, Mashed Potato's, Sweet Potato's, Corn, Cranberry Sauce, Biscuits, and of course Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream, there is also a Butter Pecan Cake hanging out in the fridge.  Yes, I think I will be ready.... I baked the cake yesterday, baking pumpkin pie today, Cleaned the turkey *had to make sure this guy was defrosted because we just picked him up Sunday* I made the stuffing and it is now sitting in a bowl waiting to stuff the bird tomorrow... YES I think I am ready, and while the Turkey is roasting tomorrow DH and I will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade....

What will you be doing on Thanksgiving Day... Our original plan was to go out to dinner, Hubby said I didn't need to cook, that I could take it easy this year and he would take me out.  I almost went for it, but then I remembered all the years we made the trip to our parents house for Thanksgiving and when we returned home the fridge was bare...I like the left overs, nothing better then raiding the fridge and finding all those containers with the little treasure locked inside. So I declined my day out and I AM COOKING... We will have our dinner watch the parades, and find a good holiday movie.  We always try to find A Christmas Carol to watch and if it isn't on we will pull one of our many versions to watch... I also love the Miracle on 34th street and It's a wonderful life... Classic Holiday Movies
I am still working on the Lap quilts for the nursing home, I have six just about ready and they will be delivered before Christmas, I know those will be appreciated...

Tiny bit of Christmas

As you all know by now the Christmas Quilt Show is in full swing, beautiful quilts and other things for you to see.  There is a list on SewCalGal's blog for all the entries in the show. Just click on the link and you are taken to their blog and their wonderful entries.

And so with out further ado....here is my Teenie, Tiny Little Entry.......

My Little Christmas Table Runner

Beautiful Christmas fabrics with a touch of gold
quilted areas are done with embroidery machine designs
and accented with fancy machine stitches

This little Table Runner along with a Cranberry scented candle
 will be heading to my Mother in Laws house for her Holiday Table Decor

The Back of the Table Runner

I wanted to enter a quilt or a wall hanging, but time just slipped away this year and before I knew it the show time was here and I didn't have anything to enter. So last night I whipped up this little Table Runner. I am so glad I have the embroidery machine as this runner is quilted with embroidery quilt designs and fancy machine stitching, super fast and easy.

 Darlene puts so much effort into her shows and I wanted to support her effort by having something entered.

I had gotten this wall hanging kit this past year at This and That Fabrics and I had hoped to enter it, but as you can see it never got done.

I have this wall hanging panel all ready to be quilted, but alas it too is not finished, but it might get done in time for Christmas.

Then there is the sad part, ALL these beautiful Christmas Fabrics that will once again will go into storage because I didn't get around to using them this year. Poor little kids.....

But I do have a genuine excuse on not getting my Christmas Projects done. I quilt for a charity group and I currently have just finished 4 tops which are now waiting for quilting, and I have another two that I am hoping gets finished in time for this years December Delivery.  I hope you enjoy my little entry in the Christmas Quilt Show. 

Enjoy the Show

and to visit all the other entries you can use the icon on my side bar or follow this link

Christmas Quilt Show

UPDATE:  I have been to each and every site on the list, if you haven't take the time to visit these sites, well then you really need to just go and visit them.  There are some fabulous quilts, some pieced, some applique, some scrap, some whimsical,  some new quilters, some expert quilters, all sharing their work. These quilter's have all done a fantastic job. If you have a Christmas Quilt, take a picture and enter it in the show there is still time, join the fun and get a chance to win some great prizes.  Heck I am lusting over the FQ's SewCalGal and some others have donated to the prize list, oh and there are EQ software, tools, patterns, books the  list just goes on and on..
Hope to see ya there.

Nana Bonnie

Whew!!!!!! Puppies can wear you out

Remember those sweet little puppies I posted about.... WELL, They are surely making me old before my time.  The boys have a playpen in the living room were they spend the day and they are just fine.  However they sleep in our bathroom at night and at times they wake us up with their playing. Open the door and it is just like a horse race.. The two boys are off and running.
The sweet little girls no longer sleep in the back room with their Mom as they have learned how to escape from that pen, so they now sleep in the main bathroom and like the boys are off and running when the door opens.  The girls have a little makeshift pen in the living room and I might as well not even bother putting them in it.  The minute I turn my back they are up and over the little fence.  So I tried switching the pens, putting the girls in the playpen and the boys in the other one.  Well the boys stay put but the girls, Let's say I think they are part monkey and being that the playpen is about three foot tall I am afraid they might get hurt if they climb out.
Today was bath day for all the puppies and they did rather well.  The boys had been to the vet the other week and got their health certificate so they are ready to go.  The girls will be going next week for their appointment and then they will be ready for their new homes.  I will be so glad to see them go, all I do is change puppy pads, get them food and water, chase them all over the house, get them more food and water, fresh puppy pads, more chasing, and then they sleep for a little while, but then more food, more water, more pads, more chasing... I tell you it is worse then having a two year old running around the house... So keep your fingers crossed that they will soon find new homes and I will get some needed rest.  Puppies are advertised and we have had many responses on the girls, but the poor boys haven't had anyone ask about them yet.

Just for your information  SEWCALGAL's Christmas quilt show is in full swing and there are some really pretty quilts to see, I just started on the list and haven't seen them all yet.  So stop by her site, you can used the Christmas Quilt button on my side bar and support these ladies and their beautiful quilts, after all you might just get a few ideas of your own....

Relief and my Saturday

I am so lucky, I went to the foot doctor expecting to get another of those injections in my heel and I was so relieved to get the news that he wasn't going to stick me... YEA...  Since the heel is doing much better, the doc decided to just do the strapping of the foot, add a wedge to my inserts and see how that helped, plus still doing the exercises and ice. 

Saturday we also got to head out and visit some yard sales, DH somehow managed to have the day off (he has been working overtime on weekends). We spent the entire day just around our little town, there were so many yard sales really close to home and we hit some really good ones. One place I bought a large box of fabrics for a dollar, plus lots of sewing notions that were in big baggies and priced at .25. Another place I bought some sewing items and the woman gave me a box of fabrics, she was ready to close up and wanted things gone. These fabrics will end up in my charity quilts, they are now being washed, dried, ironed and stored for future projects. I love shopping at yard sales and sometimes you find the best deals.

We also stopped at a estate sale and sometimes these sales just make me so sad. I get strange feelings when I go into a Estate sale home and start looking around, I think of the past owners and wonder where they are and why are their things being sold. I think of how they must have spent many hours purchasing these items and how upset they would be to have strangers going thru the things they loved. I think of the lady who picked out the fabrics and had planned on making something special but never got to start the project. She might have started a quilt and never finished, like my Mom did. To get through the feelings I think that I am helping that lady by buying her items and finishing them. The items won't go to where she planned they would go, but they will either be loved by my family or they will be donated to a senior somewhere and I am sure they will bring a smile.

We also stopped at some craft shows where I got some great ideas for new crafts. I bought a new towel for my stove, you know the kind where they knit the tops and it buttons over the stove handle. I did check out some of the quilts that were bring offered for sale, some were beautiful, some were just thrown together and there were some I would have ripped out and started again.  So lots of candles, soaps, jewelry, paintings, sewn items, knitted items, wood items and Christmas items were offered for sale, some good, some not, but it was fun and I love getting new ideas and visiting these crafty ladies.

We did stop by the grocery store on the way home and I was so tired and lazy and really didn't feel up to cooking when we got home. So I bought Hormel's Apple glazed pork chops and Bob Evans mashed potato's that I found in the meat section. Normally we don't like this pre cooked type meals as they just have a strange flavor or texture, but I was willing to give it a try.  I followed the directions, which were really easy. Remove cardboard sleeve, micro wave 4 minutes, let sit for 2 and then serve.  So how was dinner you asked.   REALLY GOOD, I was so surprised.  The pork chops were tender, juicy and had the wonderful apple glaze on them, the mashed potatoes were almost as good as real mashed potatoes, much better then the box kind.  I prefer real mashed potatoes, will make the box type if I am in a hurry, but now I have another choice and that is the deli style ones.  I will be buying these items again, Dinner cost $ 8.00 for the two of us last night so I would say that is a pretty good value as well, plus we had leftover mashed potatoes and corn, DH finished off the pork chops. 

Only problem  with my day was I think I over did it with all the walking, as last night it was hard to walk on that foot again. I broke down and late last night took my pain meds and went to bed. I really hate the pain meds as the next day I feel like I am walking in a fog all day, but it was necessary.




I am still in my blue phase, but I am more like a light blue now rather then the dark blue I was feeling the other day.  I need to get back to being in the pink again, oh and a special thanks to my friends who sent emails trying to cheer me up, loved the jokes... Thanks... 

Special notice, check the Nanbon's corner site next week as I will have a giveaway listed, I don't know what just yet, but I will get it posted after I decide and get some pictures taken..

Nana Bonnie

BLUE

I GOT THE BLUES

I am blue, not the color but the feeling and I just don't know why.

I might be blue because two weeks have past and I now have to go back to the foot doctor tomorrow and possible  get another shot in the heel, and as you may recall I HATE NEEDLES and they hurt.

I might be blue because Winter is on its way and that means cold and I don't like cold weather. Cold outside and you have to have the heat on which just dries everything out including my skin.

I might be blue because the holidays are fast approaching and I have nothing done and to be truthful at this point I think I will cancel Christmas until a later time, I just can not get in the mood.

I might be blue because hubby has been working every Saturday, which is our normal out and about day. Maybe I am not blue, maybe I just have a case of cabin fever????

I might be blue because the bathrooms and my bedroom still needs to be finished, I am so tired of looking at the unfinished mess

I might be blue because I have entered every Accuquilt Go! fabric cutter giveaway I can find and I still haven't won one and I sure could use one with all the charity quilts I need to finish.

I might be blue because I haven't won anything lately....OH right you have to enter to win and I just don't have a interest in entering the contests.  I also haven't hosted a giveaway in awhile either. SEE something is really wrong when I don't do the contests because they really make me happy when I win.

I might be blue because Mel and the kids decorated the house for Halloween and we only had three groups of kids show up trick or treating.

I might be blue because the two boy puppies are ready to leave us, and in two weeks the 4 girls will be ready to go.  NO that is not why I am blue, might be because I am so tired of cleaning up after these little ones and they are just so spoiled, MY FAULT well almost my fault, hubby helped in the spoiling.

I don't know why I am Blue, but I am, I want to cry and I don't know why. I want to just go back to bed and cover my head until these feelings go away. Well that ain't gonna happen, the dogs get me up early and there are just to many things that need done during the day. Besides I hate wasting my time just sleeping my life away.

But enough of my being Blue, just so you don't feel blue too, here are some pictures to make you smile, enjoy....

The Girls

   6 week old Maltese/Pomeranian puppies

The Boys

  8 week old pomeranian puppies