SOPA Is Censorship
I Got The Sewing Machine Set Up Today
I spent the first part of the day moving my sewing stuff out of the trailer and into the house. I set up the sewing machine and other sewing stuff in the living room temporarily. I have sooo much room now to sew. I was ready to make something, anything, and Emily asked me to make her a breast feeding cover, which is a pretty drape to use when you are breast feeding baby in public.
We shopped for fabric while we were out yesterday, and got enough of this cute fabric to make the cover, a diaper bag, a zippered bag, and a changing pad. Monkeys!
After I got the sewing area set up, I started on the cover. It was such an easy pattern to make. Of course, the the thing that took the longest was the cutting. After that, it was all straight lines, and some gathering for the ruffle. Finished in about two hours.
This one has a piece of boning in the top so that it will stay open. That lets Mom see what’s going on with baby but prevents everyone else from seeing in.
I used D rings to make the strap adjustable. This was really quick and easy to make, and will be quite useful for Emily when Baby Rascoe gets here.
Congratulations Are In Order!
This was a very special day for me. Yes, I know I just had a special day last month when we closed on our house, but this is even more special-er than that! Today I was invited to go to my daughter, Emily’s, OB appointment with her. Today was the day that she got to see, via ultrasound, that there is indeed a little Fab-grandchild a baking away! While this will be grandchild number six, I have never been in the right place at the right time to get to be there when the ultrasound was done. We both cried. Yeah, we are silly like that.
She was a very good sport and allowed me to take pictures of her in the exam room. Can you tell how happy she is?
The doctor was a very nice and pleasant guy. He answered all of Emily’s questions to her satisfaction. He explained to her that whenever someone over 35 years old is pregnant, they call her an “elderly mother”. We got a huge laugh out of that, because if SHE is elderly, what does that make ME??? OH, and baby is due August 26th.
Update On The Hitch
This morning I had a response to the tweet I sent to Progress Manufacturing, the company who manufactures the Equal-i-zer hitch, with a phone number and name for us to call. Fabgrandpa called and talked to Daniel, who was very nice and said that they are sending a brand new hitch along with all the brackets and sway bars and other stuff that goes with it. They are also sending a prepaid shipping label to return the one that broke. They have been so nice and easy to work with. Just wanted everyone to know this because people rarely broadcast good customer service interactions. It is also good to know that if this had happened while we were traveling instead of when we are just parked in our yard, that this company would have us back on the road in no time! Thank you, Daniel and Progress Manufacturing!
There’s A Reason Why That Hitch Has Chains
This morning when we got up, I told Fabgrandpa I wanted to go over to the house to pretend we lived there for the day. No, the driveway is not fixed yet, and it was not in the works to get fixed today, but I was getting anxious to actually live in my house (or in the back yard). We took the laundry and drove on over. While the clothes were washing, Fabgrandpa scouted out the yard.
He came back in the house and told me he thought he could bypass the unusable driveway and pull the trailer through the yard. I agreed with him that he probably could, but I wanted him to drive the truck over that route first just to make sure there were no mushy spots. He got in the truck and went from the upper driveway, down the road, and turned in the lower driveway, and got the truck stuck in the mud immediately.
While he was sitting there putting the truck into 4 wheel drive mode, a neighbor stopped to see if we needed any help. It turns out that he is related to the guy who owns the grader. He said he would come tomorrow to spread out that pile of slate in the driveway for us, and gave Fabgrandpa his card with his phone number on it, and went on his way. Fabgrandpa then drove the truck up through the yard, and decided that yes, we could pull the trailer in that way.
On the way back to the campground, Fabgrandpa said “I don’t think I’m going to bother with the sway bars and chains for such a short trip.” and I said, “Yes, we will hook up just like we do for a 2,000 mile trip. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” So we did.
We got all the way to the house, and three fourths of the way up the yard to the back of the house, and heard a weird noise, and felt a weird motion. Fabgrandpa stopped the truck, and we got out to investigate. The hitch had broken! We couldn’t believe our eyes! We only bought that Equal-i-zer hitch about two years ago, and paid quite a bit of money for it. There we sat, with a broken hitch, just about 120 feet from our newly installed hookups.
Fabgrandpa decided to call the guy we met this morning, and see if he had a hitch that would work, and he did. Jonathan came right over, and not only loaned us a hitch but helped us get the trailer hooked up again and parked in the spot intended for it. And you better believe I am going to be writing to that hitch company! We have driven thousands of miles between Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona in the not quite two years since we bought that hitch. I am just so so thankful that we were not on an interstate highway going 65 miles an hour when it happened. I am also so thankful that we attached the chains and sway bars today.
Always always always use those chains! Even if you are only going a couple of miles. You never know when something may happen!
Out And About: Hillcrest Farms Store
One of the first things Fabgrandpa and I do when we arrive in a new area is search the internet for places that sell fresh, locally grown foods. I noticed Hillcrest Farms Store in Tallapoosa a couple of weeks ago when we were on our way to the house, but we didn’t have time to stop in until today. The store, located at 2160 US Hwy 78 in Tallapoosa, Georgia, has been open for only two and a half months, but the farm has been in business for more than three years.
Gayle Smith, the owner and manager of the store, was happy to talk to me about all the products available in the store. They sell beef, pork, chicken, and goat meat raised on their farm in Buchanan, Georgia. As a family-owned and operated farm specializing in grass-fed, antibiotic-free livestock and exceptional meats, Hillcrest Farms caters to a rapidly growing segment of consumers that recognize the tremendous value that high quality, grass-fed meats present, especially when you consider family health, overall nutrition and taste preferences.
The store sells meats that are supplied bytheir farm or other local farmers, locally made goats milk cheeses produced in Carrollton, jams,jellies, and cow’s milk cheeses from Roopville, pickles, honey from Newnan, and fresh local eggs. There was also some hand made soap available for sale.
We bought two New York strip steaks, a whole chicken, some honey, blackberry jam, and some goat cheese. The cheese was much like a spreadable cream cheese with blueberries and peaches in it. It was delicious on gluten free raisin toast!
To find out more about Hillcrest Farms Store, you can check out their website here, or give Gayle a call at 770-574-7400. I definitely recommend shopping there if you are in Tallapoosa. If you are in the Altanta area it is well worth the drive.
Thrifty Thursday
Today we went to a thrift store on Main Street in Cedartown, Georgia. It was a small store, cram packed with stuff. We found a few interesting things but the only thing we bought were some DVD movies.
This ironing board hangs over a closet door, and folds up out of the way when not in use. I need a new ironing board, but I’m not sure I want this kind. He had several more of the regular kind, for $8 each but I don’t know what ironing boards cost new so I don’t know if that was a good deal or not.
I liked this little shelf unit. It would be nice to put in the bathroom, but I didn’t buy it. I need to measure the place where I want it go to see if it will fit.
This could have been a nice coffee table, but it was sitting outside in the rain. There also wasn’t a price on it.
That was it for this week–I may go back another time to check out those ironing boards.
Lots Accomplished Today
We got a call early this morning from the man at the thrift store where we bought the dining room furniture. He wanted to deliver it today, so we quickly got dressed and drover over to the house. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor so that it would be ready to put the furniture in. This furniture looks so good in our house!
I really wanted to eat lunch there but there is no food over there yet. Dang it! But I do look good sitting there, don’t ya think?
Oh, and those dishes the guy threw in for free? Noritake Adagio China! There is service for eight, plus sugar bowl, creamer, oval platter, and vegetable bowl. There is one saucer and one cup missing. This has got to be my BEST thrift shop find, ever! FREE!
We have been wanting to fire Bank of America for quite some time, and when I found out there was a credit union nearby I was ready to do it. We drover over to Coosa Valley Credit Union in Cedartown to open an account. Rick, the branch manager helped us get our account open in no time. Because it is a credit union, you have to open a savings account and keep a small balance in it, but then your checking account is free if you have good credit. They have online bill pay at no charge, too, so it will just be a matter of changing everything over from BOA. Thank goodness we are getting away from them.
After Rick finished setting up the account, he had me sit at his desk and create my online account too! That to me was very good customer service. I was ready to do my banking online as soon as I walked out the door! The last thing to do was to see Teresa, who handled our first deposit. She was so nice and friendly too! I think we are going to like our new credit union.
The next stop was at the Haralson County Government Complex to file for homestead exemption on the house. We also talked to the tax assessor’s office about reassessing our house. The house was assessed at $97.000 last year, but we only paid $45,000. The closing attorney told us they can’t assess the house for more than we paid for it the first year. We got that handled today too.
A short hop down the street took us to the Farm Bureau Insurance office. They are the ones who provided the homeowners insurance policy that we needed at closing, but we hadn’t yet received our policy in the mail. I wanted to check on that and talk about having them insure our truck and trailer as well. It was a good thing we stopped there, because the policy had been returned to them because there was no mailbox installed yet when the post office tried to deliver it. We got all that stuff handled, then finally got on our way home. It was a long, busy day, but we accomplished quite a lot that was on the “to do” list. Only problem is, I am making a fresh new “to do” list tonight.
