A Long Vacation

I haven't posted in ages!! I've had a rough year - especially the last half! I've been sick a good bit - getting old, I guess. Last month my mom fell and broke a bone right above her right wrist and crushed some bones in her hand. She ended up having to have surgery and spent 2 nights in the hospital. This all happened when I was too sick to go see her or help at all. Also, I was having trouble with my car.

Back during the hottest part of the summer, DD and I were driving over to a friend's house and on the way, the car choked down and would not start back up. We had to sit in a hot car for quite a while. We guessed it had overheated. We finally got it started again and made it to a little store down the street before it conked out again. No one could come and get us right away; so, we ended up spending almost 2 hours in the store. A neighbor finally came and picked us up. DD took me back to the car the next day, and it started. I was able to make it home with DD following me. I really couldn't afford to have it fixed right then, and I got sick - so - I just didn't drive and stayed around the house. Luckily, my brother used to be a car mechanic. So, after Mom got out of the hospital, he came over and worked on it 2 days. It turned out to be the thermastat, a hole in a hose, and some expensive control thingy for the radiator. I had to force him to take some money for his labor. I had to pay a good bit for the parts, but he really saved me a lot of money. At a mechanic shop, the labor would have cost me a small fortune. He ended up having to take almost all the motor apart! Then I was on my way to visit mom and had a flat tire on the interstate. At first, I didn't realize it was a tire; I thought the motor had blown or something. Luckily, I was near an exit and was able to stop at a little market and call my brother. He came right over and put the spare on. The next day he took my car and picked up a new tire for me and put it on. I am so glad my brother moved so close to me! Needless to say, I'm driving my car as little as possible!

This is not all the problems I have had, but I'll save the rest and tell about more in my next post.

Now for some less depressing news. We have a new little grandnephew in the family. My nephew and his wife had Elijah, their second son, in July. He was small - only 6 lbs., which is the smallest baby born in our family in a long time! He is precious.

DD is still in college. She's doing much better on her grades. She is working in a daycare with afterschool kids. She loves it and is now thinking about being a teacher! She's really a natural, and she gets it honestly. Two of my mom's sisters were teachers; my mom substituted some; four cousins are teachers; one cousin is a teacher's aide; and I am a retired teacher! She really didn't have a choice. lol

Now - finally- a cross stitch update! I really wish I could post some pictures, but we still haven't gotten a new monitor. DD got a thingy that wirelessly connects her laptop to the printer, but it's not working right now. I got the pieces for the baskets for my mom and niece finished, but ran out of time and didn't get my sister's finished in time. I put the first 2 on the tops of the baskets, and just taped the unfinished piece to my sister's so she could at least open it at the family Christmas party. Hers is an angel. It is really gorgeous. I brought it back home and have almost finished it. I ran out of a color and haven't gotten to the store to get another skein. She had a fit over it and really didn't want to give it back to me! lol I'll get DD to fix the wireless thingy so I can scan it and post a pic later.

Guess I'd better go. Neighbors are shooting fireworks, and the furry babies are going crazy! They want to sit in my lap! HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!! Have a day full of happy moments, and may God bless you!