Starting again and Good Morning

Wow! I completly forgot about this blog! Came across it while reading another blog about chronic knee pain. So, Good early morning! I will start again. I will tell a bit about what I have been up to these past few years and why I was reading a blog about knee pain.

I am now….. need to go back and see where I left off. BRB……

Here is a link to my Facebook profile. I have been mostly using this lately.

https://www.facebook.com/sspryte

I mostly sew for a hobby now. I have not done any cardmakin i

7/1/2018 Ok, trying this again. I need to work on the settings and the look for this. Got a surgery coming up. Going in for a hysterectomy on the 3rd. Wish me luck. I have been sewing for income as well. Just got finished making these two little outfits.

Crochet and starting this again

Ok, here we go again. Will try to keep this up to date. I can not seem to post here regularly. LOL
Here is what has been happening in my life since the last time I posted.
Late last year my husband received a phone call stating that his mom had a stroke and was in the hospital and not expected to make it. We arranged to have him fly out to Arizona to help take care of her. What started out to be a 3 week trip ended up being a 3 month trip. His office had him stay there to do some work for them on the base there. His mom managed to pull through. When he left to come back home she was recovering. That trip ended up costing us nearly $6000!!!! While he was there we also had to pay to have my eldest son's wisdom teeth pulled. He had gotten to the point he could not even close his mouth or eat because it was so painful. He does not have any health or dental insurance. That was not cheap. But thank god Dave was there to help out.
Dave made it home in time for us to go to Garmisch for New Years. We had a great time. It is always so pretty there. I love going to that area. I got loads of wonderful winter photos. It was a nice time together. We needed it to recover from the trip to Az.
We had a few months of quiet before we recieved another phone call from his cousin, in the middle of the night. Dave's mom was back in the hospital. She had actually made it back home for a few weeks after spending about 3 months in the hospital. But they put her back in again because she was having breathing difficulties and thought she might have pneumonia. But she went downhill really fast. My youngest son had just been to see her in the care home about 3 days before this and said she was doing really good, talking, eating, and even doing a little bit of walking with help. When they got her in the hospital they found out she had leukemia and sepsis. We were able to talk to her on the phone for a minute that night but we could hardly understand her, she sounded really bad, but she asked for Dave to hurry home. We hung up the phone and went back to bed and about 2 hours later we received another phone call stating that she had just passed away. It happened April 6th over a holiday weekend. We spent the whole weekend trying to arrange a emergency trip back to arizona. They would not pay for a ticket for me so my folks helped me out with that. I flew out about a week after him. I had to arrange for the dogs to be kenneled and for the car to be parked in long term storage. We were both there for 3 weeks trying to get her estate cleaned up and close up her house. We did not do it. Ugh!!! She had soooooo much stuff in her place. She had a living trust but she really did not fill it out with everything. So the best we could do was tear through her place and find anything that we wanted to keep and put that in a storage unit till we get back to the US. We left the house a huge mess. I hated doing that but there was nothing we could do about it. We had to get back to Germany. So Dave's cousin, Bud, is going to do the rest of the sorting out. We put the house on the market but I doubt that it will sell, it needs too much work and she owes too much on her reverse mortgage. We will probably end up just foreclosing on it.

Now we just spoke to the boys and found out that Rob is moving out of the condo that he shares with his brother and two other guys. They are all going to have to move out now as the lease is in Rob's name and it is up. Which means Chris is now homeless. Rob is going to move in with his best friends dad, as he will not charge him any rent and he is trying to save money. He and Ray are planning on moving out to College Station, Tx the beginning of August and they need some savings. But Chris can only affoard to pay $200 a month in rent. So he and Rob had a blow up. But Rob wants to get on with his life and grow up and quit partying and such. We told Chris he could temporarily live in Grandma's place till he can find a new place. But I am worried about him. Ugh!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,,Germany

Crochet and tags

I have been super busy lately. I have been making a bunch of tags. I had to wait to bag them up till today. I had to order more. I think I should get even more. I ordered 100 clear bags and had to use 54 of the ones that came in today. Lol I have tons that I need to photograph. I finally opened my Etsy store and have a few things up there but need to get a lot more up. I had made a BUNCH of orders over the past week or so and finally recieved 15 packages!!!! It was like Christmas. hahaha It was a lot of stuff I had been waiting on. I ordered a bunch of different colors of crochet thread to use for my tags instead of twine. It is much cheaper. Loads of pretty colors. :-)

I also was able to finally teach myself how to crochet. At least the basic stitch. hahaha I am making a blanket for hubby. So it is going to be 55" wide and who knows how long. hahaha I have 6 inches in length crocheted right now. I want to try to learn another stitch so it will not be just one stitch.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

Crochet

I bought a teach yourself how to crochet kit. It finally arrived in the mail yesterday. I want to try to make a blanket for my husband for Christmas. If I can learn I can work on it during the day while he is at work. But I sure wish I knew someone who could help me out if I have questions or problems. I need to pick up a light colored skine of yarn so I can start next week. Wish me luck!!!! hahaha


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Busy with Tags

Oh boy! I have been busy making tags to add to my collection of stuff to sell at bazzaars when we get back to the states. I have also ordered some bookmark tassels and sleeves so I can make bookmarks.
Here are photos of what tags I have made so far. Hope you like them.























-
































Wow, I have been busy. Each bag has 4 tags. I am going to make many, many more. :-)

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

More Cards

I have a bunch more new cards for you to take a look at. I hope you like them. I have also started to make sets of gift tags to sell as well. I will post some photos of those next week.

We went and saw the last Harry Potter movie last night. It was very good. Tied up all the loose ends very well. Geese those movies have been around for a long ti e. Some of the kids that were coming out of the theater had not even been born yet when the first movie was released!!!! hahaha

I am sitting here in my kitchen waiting for country style hash browns to cook while posting this! hahaha Breakfast Yum!! It is also wet and rainy here today. Ick!!!!

Do you ever remember your dreams you had at night? I woke up to a very detailed and odd dream this morning. I dreamt I was in Hawaii and some one was going to show me how to scuba dive. I remember telling the person that I know you had to wear surf mocs because the lava crusts in the sand are super sharp and cut your feet. They then told me I had to remove all my jewelry and rings and such. I remember the feel of the sand as I sat to put my wet suit on. I remember thinking that Dave (my husband) and the boys were at the house. I woke up as I was getting ready to put my suit on. I remember I had some sort of kids sand bucket and little shovel with me to take under the water with me. This was just odd. I have not thought about anything to do with the beach in years!!! hahaha






All of the elements from this card are from my Cricut except the flowers. They are Prima.





















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

Cards

Hey there, I know it has been a while since I last posted. I just have not felt up to it. I have had a lot on my plate lately. We finally got renters in our place in Mississippi. Yippie!!!! So at least that payment is covered. So, it looks like I will not have to move out there early after all. Now we just need to find out if they are going to offer us a two year extension here. I think it might be best for us to stay here if they do offer it. It would allow us to put a bit more money into savings. If they do not offer it, this time next year I could be back in our place there in Mississippi.
I have a bunch of new cards to show you that I have been working on. I think some of them turned out really cute. The first set was all made using a freebie kit I got in with one of my Scrapbooking magazine I get from England.





The flowers on this one are by Prima.






The cream border on this one is by Martha Stewart.



I embossed the background one this one with my cuttlebug.





This one is completely made with my E2 and CCR. The card base is from elegant edges, I welded two shapes together to make the card. The curious are from the wild west cart. I think this one turned out really cute.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

25th Anniversary

Wow! Hubby spoilt me yesterday. He gave me a white gold, diamond and opal anniversary ring, some new perfume, and a HUGE bunch of flowers. They smell wonderful! The whole house smells. We then went on base and had dinner and a movie. Taco Bell and Hanna. Haha I gave him a silver ID bracelet with his name engraved on it and a silver tie bar with his initials engraved on it as well.
Here are some photos:



























- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

Packing

Well, I have started to pack up and organize my scrap room. I am not sure if I am going to have go. Between you, me and the wall; I think I am going to have to. I do not want to have to go back early but someone has to take care of the house. It can not sit empty for a long period of time. I just made an appointment for the dogs to get their rabies shots up to date. They will have to come with me. I think I get 500 lbs of stuff I can bring with me. I was packing a bunch of my scrapstuff up so I will have something to do while out there. I am trying to also sort out linens, and a few pieces of furniture to take as well. We have our bedroom suite in storage along with all the appliances, and yard tools. So I will have to arrange to have that delivered when I get out there. I will also have to look for a car when I get there. But I will only have about $5000 to spend on one. I am going to have use the inheritance I get from my Grandad to get that and give up on getting a iMac. :-( I will also have to look for work when I get there. This is not going to be very fun. It would be the first Christmas I have spent away from Dave since we got married. 


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

House and Az fire

It is looking more and more like I may have to fly back to the MS house in a couple of months. If we do not get any renters in it we can not just let it sit empty for 9 months. It is not what I really want to do but....if I have to I have to. We may try and bring our youngest son over here while I am gone to help my husband prepare for the move back to MS next summer since I would not be here to help. I would not have much furniture to live with while there. Only what we have in storage and I may be able to get the gov to ship about 500 lbs of stuff from here to MS. So that would have to be any scrap stuff I want, towels, sheets, any dishes that we could split up and any winter clothes that I would need.Ugh!!!! So much to think about.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Cards

Here are a few new cards that I have been working on. I hope you like them. The first one is a sympathy card I made for a fiends who's mother just died. I used my Imagine and the French Manor cart to cut out the bird and the branch. The pink flower is by Prima and I colored it using my Cherry Blossom glimmer mist.








The bird cage was cut using my Imagine and a Cricut cart. Not sure which one though. lol The flowers are Prima. The paper is from a paper pack is from Craftworkcards and it is the botanical collection. It is from England.




I love the colors of this one. The butterfly is by Jolees.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Breslauer Straße,Bad Schwalbach,Germany

Family squabbles

Don't you just love them? I called my MIL last night to check on her because of the fire in Sierra Vista and to let her know that we put her birthday package in the mail. All she did was yell at me because my youngest owes her $200 for two months rent. She called them trash. That really hurt. Since she thinks they are trash that must mean I am trash as well because I raised them. Every time we call all she can do is bitch and complain. I hung up on her and went to bed in tears. My kids are good boys they just do not dance on attendance for her. Every one I talk to tells me that they have good manners. They are her damn grandkids....how can she say that about them? We have bent over backwards to help her over the years! I bet we have spent over $50 thousand on her or the house but did we get a single word of thanks? No. She has always belittled me over the years. I am so upset about this. I called my eldest, Rob last night and he was in the process of helping a friend's parents evacuate because of the Monument fire outside of Sierra Vista. My husband has a cousin that owns a house in the area that has been evacuated. We are not sure of the status of it yet.
And to top it off my Mom is in the hospital to repair a botched knee replacement that she had done two years to the day ago. I worry about her. She does not do well with the anesthesia or pain meds. She starts talking gibberish, drops off to sleep in the middle of a word or forgets everything. It is almost like she has alzhiemers. So I am worried about her as well.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Feeling Blue

Just been sitting here thinking that we have never had friends close enough to give us any birthday parties or anniversary parties. :-( Just feeling kinda lonely today. Our 25th anniversary is the 22nd and we do not know anyone here to invite over so we could have a party to celebrate. It has been like that all my life. I guess I am not very friendly or something. This is what comes from being on the move so often. I have never been invited to any parties. I have tons of scrapbook supplies that I would love to be able to share with friends. The closest friends I have are old high school friends and they are not all that close. The only person I really talk to often is my Mom. I try to call her every other day. Just feeling kinda sad today. I guess most people do not like me. I would love to have a close girlfriend that I can share giggles and laughs or even tears with. It comes from not liking going out and trying to make friends because I do not like rejection so it is a catch 22. I am just afraid people will not like me. I just want to get back to the US so at least I can be in the same country as my old high school friends and can call them with out waking them up in the middle of the night.
If I died do I have anyone besides Dave and my mother who would care? I slowly realize this as I sit here with tears slowly slipping down my face. No, I do not have anyone who would. I do not think that even my kids would. I am just tired of being alone.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Castle Pics and mail haul

Here are a couple of photos that I took the other day on our ride along the Rhine river. It is a famous area for all kinds of castles. It is a really pretty area.










Here are photos of my mail haul today. I got in all my smash book stuff!!!! I also got a box of K&company supplies. I love their Abrinna(sp) line and the watercolor line. The colors are really bright. Some of my favorite colors are in that line. I just need to figure out what to make with all that stuff. Any suggestions???? Haha









I will sit down tomorrow and pull out all my souvenirs and stuff I have been saving to put into a scrapbook.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Cherries

I am sitting in the sunshine eating a huge bag of fresh cherries. Yum! We are in Lemler, I think. LOL It is right on the edge of Rhine river. It is a great day for a ride on the bike. Sunshine and cool breezes. The cherries are wonderfully sweet Just have to remember to keep my fingers off my WHITE tshirt!!!! I would end up with red splotches everywhere. Back on the bike.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Neat Idea!

I was just sitting here reading through my new Creative Cardmaking magazine from England when I stumbled across a really neat idea. I am always wondering how I could stamp or print on vellum and not have it smear. Well, I found a way!!! Stamp the image using any ink that stays wet then you could either sprinkle clear or colored embossing powder on the image. Then use your heat gun to set it!!! I can see all kinds of uses for this idea. You could stamp text with black ink and then use clear embossing powder on it, then you could use that on a card if you wanted the paper's design to show through. Here is a quick photo of what it would look like embossed.






I think that would look really pretty!
Here are also a couple of cards I have finished. All images were cut using my new E2. I used French Manor for the peacock and the word Merci. I used Mini Monsters for the little monster. I attached him to the card using a wobble, so that when you tap him, he jiggles!!!







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

E2 Arrived!!!!

Here is a photo of my new E2. Yippie!!! It is sooooo pretty. This is also a photo of my Imagine, my Pazzles, and my E2. Grin I am so lucky to be able to own these great cutting machines. But I sure wish I had some friends that I could share them with. Maybe when I get back to the states.



Here is also a photo of my SUPER messy desk. I think I need to do some major clean up!!!! LOL



I tried to make an appointment today to get a refill on my ADD meds but the soonest I can get one is June 13. Yikes!! I only have enough meds to last till Thursday. I need to talk to the doc about changing my perscription. It is costing me $400 a month for those damn things!!!!! They took my number and said something about setting up a teleconference to talk with a doc on another base. I will call back tomorrow to see what they have to say.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad