Chatbug Karen

Yesterday, in an effort to avoid yard work, my husband decided we would hit the road. He only planned to go down highway 29. We invited both of our moms to go and they enthusiastically accepted the invite. They always love it when they can ride without having to decide what time to be somewhere and how to get there. I do too!

We were told there would be a test. We had to remember the names of all the little towns we went through. Ha! I don’t think my husband could remember the names himself. It was fun looking at the beautiful farmhouses. The flower beds are at their peak right now and have beautiful blooms and huge sunflowers.

One sight that we happened upon that surprised us was hundreds of cigars with fans that were popping out of the ground near Reynolds, Indiana. I am not exaggerating when I say there were hundreds of windmills all across the country side. As far as our eyes could see, there were these majestic towers with their huge blades turning in the wind. They produce electricity.

I read in our local paper just last week, farmers in our area are being approached to see if they would agree to have windmills placed on their land. There are pros and cons to having these giant monstrosities placed near ones home. I have heard that they are loud but then other people who have them near their homes say they are not noticeable. I think we will see more of them across the flat land here in Indiana. Do you have them where you live?

For a year, I had a “save the date” magnet on my refrigerator announcing that my nephew and his fiance had set the date of their wedding. That day arrived this past weekend and we all had a wonderful time.

The wedding and reception were both held at the Mavris Arts & Event Center in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It was an evening wedding so we were treated to an exceptional view of the skyline. The ceremony was held outdoors and we were treated to a train blowing its whistle during the bride’s portion of the vows. It broke the tension and was very funny.

We all moved indoors for the reception. The building was a restored warehouse so the ambiance was beautiful with soft lighting, brick walls and wood floors. We enjoyed horsdoeuvres and drinks and helped ourselves to slices of a beautiful wedding cake. Dancing ensued along with the traditional throwing of the bouquet and garter.

The bride and groom make a good fit, in my opinion, and are happily honeymooning in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado.

My husband likes to look nice when wearing casual clothes but he never likes to take the time to shop. A few weekends I gently prodded him to the men’s department of JC Penney and helped him pick out a new suit. We are going to a wedding tomorrow. He found some nice navy slacks and a beige blazer that will look nice. He also bought a new shirt and tie. He does need new socks but we forgot about them. He will have to wear his old ones and hope no one looks hard at them. LOL

I was shocked when he picked out a pair of shorts. He has worn them every day after he takes off his work clothes. He even had me wash them and dry them so he could put them back on! I decided he needed more than one pair so I checked out the codes for online coupons and ordered him two more pair plus a pair of docker type shoes to go with. He is stylin’!

Sometimes, a wife just has to push a little.

Mothers Day is a special day for honoring Mothers through out the world. The Mother’s Day holds great significance for all of us. As usual, the Mothers Day 2010 will be celebrated on May 09th, 2010 in the U. S. whereas the U. K. will celebrate the Mothering Sunday (Mother’s Day) , 2010 on date March, 14th.

I hope that each of you enjoy the specialness that Mother’s day holds. Whether you are a mom of grown children like me, or you are kicking the tires of that bob revolution duallie while fixing up the nursery for that long awaited child, this holiday is for families of all types.

After debating about what food to fix for our meal tomorrow, we decided to make reservations. No dishes for me! My son and daughter in-law are at the grocery while I type this. They are making tonight’s dinner. They are both good cooks. I am off to add another border to my quilt.

My nephew is getting married in July and so begins the celebrations! Tomorrow I am attending a bridal shower. It seems like just yesterday I was attending a bridal shower for my son and his wife.

I have to tell you that I am thrilled with the way Bed, Bath and Beyond is set up with their gift registry department. It was so easy to get a copy of my nephew and future niece in-law’s gift requests. I simply went down the list which included everything from canisters to door hangers for any wreaths they wish to hang on their front door. It made it so easy to pick out gifts that they truly want.

Many of you know that my son is attending law school. Law school is very demanding and challenging. I think my son and daughter in-law needed a diversion from all the tension that comes with studying, attending classes and general living with the constant pressure.

Let me introduce you to the cutest diversion, Phoebe.



Phoebe is a two year old Boston Terrier who was living in deplorable conditions until she was rescued by the Humane Society. She has joined a loving household complete with a friend, Chandler, who is a Boston Terrier mix of some sort. They are getting used to each other and I hear it is quite comical.

Lawyers tend to be the brunt of many jokes because of some of the people they must represent. I suppose a lawyer gets used to the remarks and just remembers all the hard work it took to become someone who defends people and protects the laws of our land. From the moment a person takes lsat prep courses, they are determined to learn the most about their field.

The LSAT is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all ABA-approved law schools. If someone you know is interested in knowing how to prepare for the LSAT, please direct them to Knewton. Knewton is an online learning company that offers preparation courses for standardized tests, such as the GMAT, LSAT, and SAT. They offer live, interactive LSAT classes taught by the industry’s top teachers. It is important, if a student wishes to gain entrance into a top law school, to get a high score on an LSAT test. Knewton is able pinpoint and prioritize exactly what one needs to maximize each student’s score. Don’t leave your future to chance. Get the best preparation available by checking out Knewton.

After Knewton prepares you and after you start your law classes, I recommend a diversion. The Human Society has many animals that will make you smile.

I hope my friends in the southern states are safe. I read at CNN online that they are having severe storms. A tornado touched down at a mall near St. Louis today. I haven’t heard from my son to find out if the mall was near where he and his wife live. I will be glad when he calls me. A mother never stops worrying does she? I just watched a documentary about Kaskachia, Illinois and how it survived flood after flood. Not a good show to watch when worrying.

I am happy to say that I got most of a quilt machine quilted last night, ripped out mistakes and am ready to finish quilting it. I am a novice at machine quilting so it is rare that I am satisfied with my work. I made a lot of progress and am getting better at making flowers with dark circles and swirls. The more I made, the better they looked, imo. I did tire of working on it and cut fabric to make another quilt top. You can see the fabric at Kreated by Karen. It is an easy pattern to sew and I can’t wait to finish cutting and pressing. I like the sewing part!

My sister and her husband just got two, adorable puppies. They are 8 weeks old and are not in need of any
prenatal vitamins! They are very busy and cute. Sis and her hubby are going through the trials and tribulations of potty training two puppies at the same time.
Bichons are noted as being very sociable and lovable dogs. They do have a high pitched bark that is sometimes irritating. Bichons have a curly coat that doesn’t shed (one of the best breeds for allergy sufferers).

I had an enjoyable week last week while visiting my daughter in Florida. She lives in what used to be an office building. In fact, half of the building is still offices. The rest of the building has been turned into loft apartments.

I felt at home in her spacious home even though it was completely opposite of the carpeted, drywall to the ceiling type of home in which I live. Her entertainment centers hold all her game programs such as Wii and whatever else the others are. I am not up on all those things. Her furniture fits the decor of cement and pipes, adding just the right amount of fabric to give the place a homey feel.

Those of you who know me know that I am a quilter. Well, Stacy would not be my child if she did not have a few quilts around her house. They add warmth yet are just eclectic enough to maintain the modern feel of her space. Full of brushed chrome and wide open spaces, her place felt like a place I could call home.

Our family has always loved camping. When I was a little girl, our family would camp in a big brown tent. I loved the way the canvas smelled and how the lantern made everything in our tent feel cozy and safe.

When our own children were around 7 and 11 years old, we bought a pull camper. We took it to the reservoir that is not far from where we live. We also used it at a KOA campground where friends of ours also camped. If you want to get together and camp with an awesome group of people, check out, www.goodsamers.com. You can meet some awfully nice people through that organization.

Our daughter talks about getting an Airstream camper someday. We surprised her with this Hallmark Keepsake Christmas ornament this year.

Isn’t it cute? It measures approximately 3″x 2″ and the awning pulls out just like a real awning on a camper.