Chatbug Karen

My husband and I are having a date day. We are going to the movies to see The Help. I have read the reviews and I am excited to see this movie. It might rate right up there with Fried Green Tomatoes as one of my favorites.

I look like a dork today. My left foot has been swelling up and throbbing. I don’t know what is causing it but yesterday, I started wearing tennis shoes that have better insoles. My foot felt a ton better last night. I am going to look into enzo angiolini shoes so that I can wear quality shoes and not look so dorky.

I hope everyone who is affected by the hurricane has found shelter and stays safe. I’m praying for you.

An earthquake? I thought earthquakes were local to California. Seriously, I know that they can happen anywhere but who would have thought yesterday’s earthquake would be felt in Washington DC and as far away as Ohio. My sister felt it at the local Dairy Queen in Kentucky. It makes one think about the structure of buildings, underground storm shelters and where one would go if building started collapsing around us. What would you do?

Yesterday was spent driving to Indianapolis. I took our work van that has NO AIR CONDITIONING. I think I should receive hazardous duty pay. I forgot how tiring driving with the windows down could be. The wind blowing in my face all day made for a tiring trip. I did get to stop at two quilt shops and the mall so I am thankful for that!

I have not set foot outside today. My husband tells me it is really hot and I believe him. Our son lives near St. Louis where the temperature was 106! We live in the mid-west not the desert! What is happening with our weather.

We are eating leftovers from the grilling my hubby did this weekend. I think it is time to buy him an electric grill. He was burning the grease off the grates in his gas grill and caught the whole thing on fire! Flames were shooting out the sides and top of the grill. Thankfully, he was able to put the fire out but his grill looks really bad. He won’t let me show you a picture.

Today is my son and daughter in-laws second wedding anniversary. Where has the time gone? It seems like we were just getting things organized and enjoying the festivities of the wedding. Hubby and I will celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary on Wednesday so I know that time truly flies!

You may remember me talking about the road construction crews working on the road in front of our house. Well, it didn’t get finished last fall so we have been dealing with all the trucks and dirt this spring and now it has gone into summer. I think it will be done in a few days. In the meantime, I thought I would share what happened to one of the road worker’s truck when he left it on the site overnight.

When the weather breaks and turns nice, I feel like a chicken with its head cut off. I have a list of things I want to get done so I can relax. Trouble is, I never relax. I am always adding to my list of things that need to be done. Why can I not sit and enjoy some free time?

I have heard that Debbie Macomber has written a new book, One Simple Act.

One Simple Act is a moving blend of true stories that motivates and delights as readers see that offering the gifts of time, hope, laughter, forgiveness, and prayer often have a life-changing impact not only for the recipient—but for the giver as well.

from Kyria.com

You may know of Debbie’s other books, A Turn in the Road or Between Friends. She is a terrific author.

My hairdresser has been attending zumba dance classes. Have you heard of this? I am assuming that it is what replaced aerobics as a popular way to exercise. If it takes coordination, count me out. I cannot keep up! Billy Banks would have given up on me. I gave all those videos to my sister. Has anyone tried the zumba dance? Do you get a good workout from it? Does it take coordination?

I only work until noon on Wednesdays. I love my afternoon off, although, it is usually filled with so many errands that I am worn out by the end of the day. I also schedule my hair appointments at my favorite beauty shop on Wednesdays. I get many beauty tips and catch up on what is going on in our little town while sitting in the shop chair. Think Mayberry’s barbershop and Floyd being the town crier. That is my beauty shop.

The elder folks in our town meet at McDonalds on Tuesdays. If you want to find out if the road will be finished or who the latest eligible senior is, go to Micky D’s on Tuesday morning.

Have a great Wednesday!

Our regular quilt guild leader was in Paducah attending the big quilt convention being held there. I hope she hasn’t had too much trouble getting around because of the floods. I heard that they had to move all of the vendors out of the convention center because it flooded there. They had to find other spots. What a mess and a big undertaking to get everyone moved. Ai yi yi!

Since our fearless leader was away, it was left to some of us other quilters to get the meeting going and steer it the way it needed to go. I am not a leader and don’t want to be! It is one of the jobs I do not want! My mind goes blank and my knees turn to jello. We made it through the meeting and actually had a good time. Then it was off to a pizza restaurant where we had food and many laughs.

Please keep my son in your prayers. He is having some health issues. It is exam time and he does not need this added stress. Thanks.

Guest post by Jessica Carter. Jessica Carter is a professional freelance writer with over 10 years of experience in the diamond industry. She is currently writing for www.DiamondPriceGuide.com as one of the diamond experts, as well as for a variety of jewelry blogs and portals.

Like the fashion industry, the jewelry industry is subject to trends, both from consumers and retailers. Currently, one of the more popular trends is for customers to design their own engagement rings. There are two different ways for customers to design their own engagement ring: to start with a diamond center stone or to pick the band out first.
If you decide to choose diamonds first, most retailers will ask for how much you are prepared to spend along with the carat size, the quality of cut, color and what degree of clarity you would like your center stone to have. In addition, many retailers list their diamonds together with their specs. However, many of these specs are confusing. For this reason it is generally a good idea to read whatever you can about diamonds. The vast majority of retailers have this information on their websites and it is highly recommended that you make use of this tool.
Upon selecting a diamond, you will then be able to choose the setting and band as well as any side stones or accenting stones you would like in your ring. One thing that customer should keep in mind is that once you have selected a diamond, you will have to make sure your band can hold whatever sized gems or diamonds you choose for your ring. Otherwise, you will have to restart your order.
Picking a setting or band is the more common route and is generally simpler and more preferred because the customer generally already has an idea of what the ring will look like with the diamonds set in it. In addition, the setting generally has listed in its specs what sized diamonds can be used with it. This makes the next step, diamond selection rather simple as you will already know which diamonds fit with your diamond and which do not.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people in Japan and Hawaii. I also hold in my prayers, the people along the west coast of the US. The earthquake in Japan is one of the largest ever recorded. I cannot imagine the devastation. Hawaii and the west coast of the US are under a tsunami warning.

My aunt lives near the coast in the state of Washington. Luckily, she spends her winters with my mom in Arizona and is there now. She used to drive her motorhome to Arizona each year but after a few motorhome repair sagas, she sold the beast and drives her car to the land of warmth. Most of my cousins live in eastern Washington. I do worry about my cousin, Tammy, who lives in Portland, Washington. Stay safe Tammy!

Ahhhh! A big sigh of relief has been emitted from my being. Does that sound too intense? Not if you knew about all that has been happening around here. I am too old to worry about my children but too emotional not to. Thankfully, they have worked out their roadblocks and all is well. Sorry to be evasive but I don’t want to put their personal lives out there for all to read. I know that many of you can relate to the saying that you never stop worrying about your children.

Today must be comfort food day. My husband just made waffles and threw butterscotch chips into the batter. I will be looking at those best way to lose belly fat ads in a whole new light today!
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My daughter just moved from her apartment. I have been thinking about how awful it would be to move. We have lived in this house for twenty-five years and have accumulated so much stuff. I keep sorting and cleaning but the stuff keeps multiplying.

Have a great weekend everyone!