Category Archives: Twists and Turns

Old Memories=New Quilt!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Several months ago, I came across some quilt squares my Nanny had painted over 10 years ago. My mom had sent them to me in one of her many care packages throughout the years. Both my grandparents, Nanny and Pawpie (otherwise known as Eva and Ed), died in 2000 within four months of each other. I remember watching Nanny work on these same quilt squares a long time before 2000. She taught me to quilt, but I can’t cut or sew straight. I still feel closer to Nanny when I try. Since I was not about to ruin my Nanny’s last project, it was time to call in the big guns.

After asking around town, I found the go-to person for putting quilts together—Judy R. Judy put the top together, and her out-of-state, long-arm quilting connection took this project to the next level. Her friend received my precious quilt and put the top, batting and back together. I refer to it as the quilt sandwich. After she quilted it, she sent it back to Judy who completed the project by adding the binding. The result is a stunning new quilt that I may never put on my bed! It’s simply too beautiful to expose to possible damage. This is a quilt that will be passed down for years.

Judy must have been proud of this quilt as well because she took it to show the quilters guild members in Valentine. I’m ready to show it off, too…..just maybe not on my bed!

This is the finished project! I could never have done this!

This is the finished project! I could never have done this!

Can you see the quilting details?

Can you see the quilting details?

Oh, the details!

Oh, the details!

Judy R., quilt expert!

Judy R., quilt expert!

Back to Denver

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

I am seriously going for the mom of the year title. Ysabela’s birthday is coming up, so I got us tickets for a concert. She had been talking nonstop about bands she likes, but one of her current faves is Blood on the Dance Floor. To make her birthday even better, her best friend is going with us!

We already have our room reserved at the same hotel we stayed in this weekend. I figure even if the downtown area is 15 minutes away, I can get there in good time, find parking and still have time to grab dinner before the concert. The downtown hotels are quite a bit more expensive, too. We always travel on a “shoe string budget.”

I’m sure Ysabela, Gen and I will have some awesome concert pictures. I will probably have fun watching the girls’ reactions to the concert. I’ll be sure to get some candids of them enjoying the show!

Mission Accomplished

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nobody in Bela’s group got one of the coveted call backs, but the lady said she heard some great voices, keep singing and come back to try out again. Ysabela is very interested in doing just that. I’m glad her experience was so cool. People in line broke into spontaneous songs, others joined in…it was just a fun time. Right as the first few raindrops fell, the line started moving and we went it the building. I was thankful for that because there was some wicked lightning with those clouds!

I figured I would be worn out after the grueling day of playing the waiting game, but Bela and I both felt energized. On the way out of Denver, I thought I got turned around, but it worked out fine. We ate at McDonald’s, checked directions and got on our way. I was watching the clouds. They looked threatening, but I hoped we could get close to home before we got totally hammered by the weather. Close to Ogallala, the sky was lighting up like police lights. Jagged flashes made me jump. Bela spent most of the trip with headphones in singing to her favorite tunes. We got some rain, but it was over soon enough.

Once we took the North Platte exit, I stopped for gas. I may be underestimating the bug count, but I say there had to have been at least a gazillion flying around. We stretched our legs and loaded up for the last leg of the trip home. Halfway there, Bela heard me say, “Alright, you little %$#%^! Get out of my pants!” She said, “Mom?” There was a bug inside my pant leg! Fortunately, I did not wreck the car.

I would like to tell you all that I am thankful for a safe trip. Any time you drive 12 hours round trip, there are so many things that could go wrong. I am also thankful for the many friends and family members who encouraged Bela on this endeavor. Thank you so much.

Audition Day!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I wanted to leave around 10, but the ladies in the room beside ours said we could follow them to Magness Arena. Colleen and Charlene were leaving close to 1. I decided we’d follow them, so we waited. According to Masha, the receptionist, many of the guests had already gone for early auditions.

Ysabela was happy to wait since she could spend time chatting with Mohammad. The funniest thing was that they were sitting in the same hotel room not five feet from each other having a Facebook conversation. That cracked me up! Before you get the wrong idea, Kemila and little brother Azume were also present, and the door was open. In between frequent smoke breaks, I told Kemila if Bela was bothering her, kick her out. Kemila responded, “She’s my daughter.”

Colleen (Charlene’s hypnotist) told me they had an extra room we could have if we needed it since we checked out at 1. I told them I’d pay for it, but Colleen said it wasn’t necessary. I told her to get her money back if we didn’t come back to La Quinta. My plan was to let Bela audition and drive straight home.

We met some really cool people on this little adventure. The open call did bring out the good, the bad and the ugly! There had to have been at least 1000 people waiting for a chance to sing.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

I was following Colleen and Charlene as planned when a black Escalade pulled between us. The girls made the turn, we had traffic and lost them! OH, NO! I can get lost in a paper bag! NOOOOOOOOOOO! So I took a deep breath, made the turn and saw a pay-per-hour parking lot. The Escalade turned in, and I followed. (Are you seeing a pattern in my travels?) I took the space right beside the Escalade. Out of the vehicle came three people. I knew right away someone was there to sing. Melissa was the one auditioning. Her husband and her mother were there for moral support. We waited in line together. As we chatted, one of the security people made an announcement that we needed to make sure we didn’t have matches, lighters, knives or any other “dangerous” things. It suddenly dawned on me that I had a knife in my purse. I was not about to walk back to the car and leave my knife there. I was afraid the line would start moving, and Bela would go in without me! I turned to Melissa’s husband and asked if he would stick my knife in his pocket since he couldn’t go in with his wife. He was such a kind person! He laughed and took it. Melissa’s mom was sitting in the shade holding a sign that said, “Missy J. All the Way!”

An announcement was also made that, once in line, the wait time was from two to four hours. That proved true. Outside there were four roped off lanes with three lines in each. Identification and audition passes were checked, purses were searched and everyone was “wanded.” I had expected to accompany Bela up to the door for her audition, but I was allowed to go in with her and her group! WHOOHOO! She sang with Taylor, Julia, Angelina and a few others. Some hopefuls had made the rounds from X Factor, American Idol and The Voice. There were a lot of awesome singers, and Bela, inexperienced but hopeful, did as well as anyone else. She represented well.

There is a major confidentiality clause in the contract everyone had to sign, but I can tell you I can’t break it because I don’t know anything beyond our experience. It was absolutely positive, and Ysabela hopes to go again.

The wait was almost over to sing!

The wait was almost over to sing!

Melissa ended up in another group, and when we got back to the car, their Escalade was gone. I looked on my windshield, and there was my knife. Pretty cool people….

Strange Night, Interesting Morning

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

I slept fitfully due to being in a strange place. The two-hour nap early in the evening had something to do with it as well. 🙂 I attribute my nightmare to keeping the TV on the Weather Channel’s Tornado Alley all night. During the two hours I slept, I dreamed about a tornado. I was working at the nursing home when a tornado warning came on the television. It was heading straight for our town! For some reason, the nursing home looked more like a warehouse, and there were kids all over the place.

Bela’s friend was in there, too, so she was reluctant to run home with me to wait out the danger in our basement. Somehow our dogs ended up in the nursing home “warehouse.” The tornado hit, I went flying through the air and apparently landed miles from home. I met some people, someone took me back to my town and I began looking for my crew. I found my dogs. Chance had also been picked up by the tornado; he had a cut on his shoulder, but both dogs would be fine. By the time I woke up, I still hadn’t found Bela. I finally went back to sleep…this time, without dreams.

Happy shower curtain advice

Happy shower curtain advice

I beat the wake-up call, and was up before 7. That gave me time to shower and grab breakfast. I was a bit disappointed because there were no scrambled eggs. Isn’t it amazing how spoiled we can get? I helped an eccentric fellow named Steven make his breakfast waffle. He didn’t want to muss his fancy red jacket. He also had an audition at 2. According to him, red is the magic color because it sizzles. If you see Steven and his red jacket on The Voice this season, you’ll know it worked.

By the time my breakfast was done, Bela had had her shower and was ready to schmooze with the family down the hall. Turns out, there was a budding love connection happening. Mohammad is 16, gorgeous and friendly. His mom, Kemila, is a very nice lady. The little brother, Azume, is absolutely adorable. They are from Libya. Mohammad’s older brother, Tohi, is attending grad school at the University of Denver. Ysabela introduced them all (except the dad) to me. Kemila claimed Bela as her daughter. Does this mean she’s engaged? (Note to self: Google Libyan culture.) The family has been in the hotel for a month to be close to Tohi while he is getting settled.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

Denver!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , | 1 Comment

We left home this morning a bit before 6. By lunch, we were checking into the hotel. I had booked a room at La Quinta for two nights, but I decided to stay only tonight and roll home after the audition tomorrow. We were happy to get into our room, turn on the air and contemplate what was for dinner. After I booted up the ever-present computer, I ordered pizza from Dominos. While we waited, I checked my grad class homework, and made sure everything was caught up. Dinner arrived in about 30 minutes, but it took a lot less time than that to eat it!

Silliness

Silliness

After the pizza was gone, Bela went into a pizza-induced coma. 🙂 It didn’t last long. We spent a (very) few minutes outside, then back into the cool room. I had to have a smoke break.

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

The plan for tonight is to get a good night’s sleep, have breakfast and head to Magness Arena mid-morning. I won’t post tomorrow, but I will do my best to post Sunday.

Overstimulation?

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Currently, my daughter and I are bonding over FIFA, watching it on Channel 50. Mexico and Brasil are tough teams! It’s been a pretty exciting game so far. Ysabela’s favorite player on the Mexican team is Giovani Dos Santos. I think it’s because he had hair like hers before he cut it! 🙂 On the Brasilian team, the favorite so far is Dani Alves. Just because his hair is adorable. She also thinks Neymar, Jr. is cute. Alrighty then.

Before our soccer extravaganza, we spent time together at the desk in the living room with me on the computer doing homework. While I was busy with that, Bela played a few games on her Nintendo. She has new ones thanks to her sis. We both checked texts on our phones, I emailed and she played a game on the computer when I finished my assignment. Lots of multitasking happening here. All before lunch time.

Maybe a time will come when we put our electronics to the side, but I don’t think it will be anytime soon. We’ll see how things develop!

Ready, Set, SING!

by in Twists and Turns and tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Voice audition passes were supposed to be available Saturday via email, a week before the audition. Bela’s pass was not there. I was so stressed! Darci, a gal from town who has been through this drama before, was a key support person. She kept me from having a panic attack meltdown this morning! Thank you, Darci!

I happened to find the Facebook page and read the announcement that audition passes would be available at 12 today. Whew! After checking my email a million times, I left work to find a printer at school. It’s official! Ysabela has her pass, and I have the release forms to sign. Everything is in a folder, ready to grab and go. We’ll be having a (hopefully) leisurely drive Friday. Saturday should find us well rested and ready! Whoohoo!

Ysabela and her artist pass!

Ysabela and her artist pass!

Oh, Nuts!

by in Twists and Turns | Leave a comment

My day started out strange and went weird from there. I had planned to get up at 4:20, take a shower and head across the street to work. Alas, it was not to be. A bit before 3, the dogs started going nuts, so I woke up. I heard someone knocking, so I went into the kitchen to see who was at the door. My daughter was (supposed to be) sleeping upstairs, but it turns out she was awake. She had texted Gen, her best friend, to tell her she was dizzy and had a horrible headache. Good thing Gen was watching movies at that time! Gen’s mom, Stacey, drove her here to wake me since they didn’t know if it was an emergency or not. Gen and I went upstairs to find Bela on the bed, afraid to try to get up and come downstairs. She didn’t want to fall down the stairs. (At this point, I would like to say that I nominate Gen as best friend of the year.)

We helped Bela to the living room, Gen and Stacey went home, and I tried to evaluate the situation. Her temperature was normal, but her head was really hurting. She tried to sleep, but I was wide awake, so I threw the dogs out long enough to feed the cats. Since Bela was semi-resting on the couch, I left the dogs to guard her and took my shower. I went to work early, but I was home frequently to see if Bela was any better or worse. Her headache lasted quite a while, but now she is feeling much better. My friend and fellow blogger, Laura, suggested that Bela could be dehydrated. You’ll hear more about Laura later.

Once I got to work and the cook arrived, I had a cup of coffee. I was thinking about getting another cup when I heard Tammy rummaging around downstairs near the laundry room. She said, “We don’t have coffee!” I thought maybe the kitchen had run out, but the store would be open soon, so I wasn’t worried until she started explaining why we had no coffee. There was a problem with the cord of the coffee maker! Tammy said it sounded like a shotgun being fired when the coffee maker gave up the ghost! It scared the stuffing out of her. The maintenance man came in and worked some magic. He must have good repairman juju because the coffee maker was revived!

In between sips of coffee and loads of laundry, I walked home (again) to check on Bela. Her headache finally let up, but she said she was really tired. She drank some water and went to sleep. Again, Chance and Boxi were guarding her. When I say “guarding” her, I really mean to say they were taking up as much space in the bed as possible, burrowing under the covers and kissing her at every opportunity. Boxi is the master of stealth kissing.

I went on about my business and finally finished laundry. Laura was having her yard sale for the second day, so I went over to hang out with her so she wouldn’t get bored. She informed me that one of the goats was sold. I saw the crate, so I peeked in. Sure enough, there was the goat. He was lying quietly which surprised me. I would have expected him to be bouncing around like a kid. (Yeah, I know!) Artis, neighbor and friend, was also on hand. The fellow who bought the goat loaded him up and left.

We hadn’t been chatting for long when a huge, dark cloud headed our way. The wind was blowing the clothes off the tables, so we just knew rain was soon to follow. Laura’s youngest woke up right around the time we figured we better pack it in. Artis grabbed baby and supplies and headed for her house. Laura and I would box things up and put everything in the garage. As Artis was leaving, I heard Laura say, “Thanks for helping me cut the goat.” After I made sure I heard what I thought I did, I decided that would explain why the goat (kid) was so quiet in the crate. Laura and Artis had taken his dreams away when they castrated him. (Shudder!) Poor little guy. I did ask Laura if she had plans to fry those mountain oysters for dinner. They weren’t on the menu, but she pointed them out to me. Eeeewwwww.

My day did not turn out as planned, but it sure was interesting. Guys, if you see these two ladies, RUN!

Artis, castration expert

Artis, castration expert


Laura, mom, friend, blogger, castration expert

Laura, mom, friend, blogger, castration expert

The Chicken Chick