Chatbug Karen

to the land of brrrr! It is 43 degrees here in Indiana.

We spent last week in Jacksonville, Florida. We visited some of the restaurants my husband saw on the show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I will tell you about those later. For now, I just want to say, I enjoyed the beautiful weather in Florida. It wasn’t too hot, as I know it can get very uncomfortable. I didn’t notice any bugs and I did not have one headache the whole trip!

We were unable to find a hotel room so we drove the entire way home. I’ll have to ask my hubby but I think the trip was around 17 hours. I recommend making hotel reservations during spring break season. Lesson learned.

One of the best things my folks did for my sisters and me was that they made music available to us. I took guitar lessons, my sister took accordion lessons and all three of us girls were involved in the band program in school. We also enjoyed singing. My dad liked to get us started singing gospel hymns. We would sing The Church in the Wildwood and try to sing all the parts. The harmony we arrived at was not always the best but we had fun. We loved it when Dad would sing You Get a Line, I’ll get a Pole.

Martin guitars are a great guitar for beginners and experienced players. They have a wide price range to enable a youngster to start with a great guitar and move up to a model that suits their ability. I remember learning to handle my guitar with respect. I didn’t want anyone putting their finger prints on it! I’m telling you, once you get a child interested in music, their life changes!

I can remember going to my bedroom and learning songs on my guitar. I’m sure mom and dad enjoyed it when we girls found something to do besides fight over clothes. I found so much enjoyment in playing my guitar. As a parent, I recommend that kids learn about music. Music is a way for children to learn discipline and pride. Once they learn how to strum a guitar, they will never lack a way to make friends.

It has been unseasonably warm here in the mid-west. We usually have 40 degree weather with chances of snow here and there. We have been having 70 degree weather. Our trees have budded out and our daffodils and tulips have begun to bloom. What will happen when it frosts? For now, I am enjoying the energy the sun gives me. I have been pulling weeds and picking up sticks. My dog loves taking a nap in the sunshine.

I am trying to think of the poem everyone quotes around St. Patrick’s day. Something about may the road rise up to greet you during your oxycontin detox addiction. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Hmmm. I don’t think that is quite how it goes.

Let me share some great Etsy St. Patrick’s day items!

I have been sewing a lot lately and that means sitting in our “lodge room”. While sewing, I have been aggravated by stinky brown Asian lady bugs. They are awful. I looked up information about them and while the articles say they don’t bite, they do if they feel trapped. If they fly under my collar, they bite. It is very irritating.

I have done some research on getting rid of the bugs and it doesn’t seem like an easy fix. Maybe I can offer some kids exercise incentives and have them work on this problem. Vacuum up lady bugs, walk to field to empty vacuum. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I finished this quilt! Scallops were a bit disappointing as they should have been a bit more pronounced. Next time!

I put the label on while traveling in the car. Wouldn’t you know it, I put the label on the front of the quilt! I’ll be changing that.

My sister, who lives near Dallas, has not been checking car title loans Dallas. She has been checking for airline tickets! She is going to join the rest of us girls for a yahoo time in Cincinnati during the big quilt festival in April! I am getting so excited.

If you want the best sounding guitar, you must try one of the Hohner acoustic guitars. Built for exceptional playability, these guitars have a rich history that began in the 1970′s. The simple design might fool you but once you begin playing, the rich sound will amaze you! If you are thinking of starting your child in the study of music, the guitar is the instrument of choice. A guitar is the instrument that they will enjoy the rest of their life. Start your child off with a quality Hohner acoustic guitar. They will love you for it!

The last step to creating a quilt should always be making a quilt label. Think of the stamp on perdomo cigars, a quilt needs an identification all its own. I used to dread this chore until I discovered fabric that could be printed with an ink-jet printer. It makes it so easy to put the maker of the quilt, the person who did the quilting, the technique of making the quilt, the date the quilt was made and the location of the quilt maker.

I am determined to finish a king size quilt I have been working on the past few months. It had been so long, I had forgotten how to cut fabric to make a bias binding. I had to watch a video to refresh my memory.

I made a slightly scalloped border on this quilt. First time for me, making a scalloped border.

I finally figured out how to get my son’s apartment in St. Louis and now he doesn’t live there any longer! I will have to learn how to get to his new house. It is hard when my husband takes a different route each time we visit. I have no idea how a wedding photographer philadelphia bound is able to find his clients. Big cities scare me. I can’t imagine having a job that requires me to be at a certain place at a specific time. Ai yi yi!