Sewing Quarters

We have had the area ready for a few days now, however, it seems that I am unable to find time to sit and sew.  Today it happened.  I worked on the quilt that I was working on the day of the tornado.  I have added the inner border and have the outer piano key border ready to press and measure to sew on the quilt then it will be complete with the exception of the quilting.  I have no idea when the quilting will take place as I now have a boat, a beat up golf cart and tons of other items in my shop and no power to run the machine.  It was fun to sit and listen to the purr of the machine today, like music to my ears.  I have missed sewing.  I had a time when nothing I used to do was any fun anymore then as I slowly began to get back into my hobby...Kaboom, the tornado hit.  Things are slowly beginning to come back together, very slowly.  Anyway, wanted to post pics of my temporary sewing quarters.  Thanks to daughter for making room for me to sew.  Mom has her machine in her room and has been sewing almost since we moved in here.

tornado videos

I just found videos on the internet about our tornado back on 5/24/11.  I can only say that these storm chasers have some mighty big "kahunas" to get that close to these monsters with video equipment just so us "fraddie cats" down in the "hiddie hole" can see the thing that destroyed our homes.  All I can say is thanks to you brave folks, I enjoyed watching them and appreciate the cold chills they brought to me on this very hot day. 
I am beginning to see some progress on my house.  Seems like the more they repair, the more damage they are finding.  We are hoping that they got the decking on today so they will be able to put the shingles on soon, the work can also begin on the inside of the house, as well as the outside and barn. 
DH took the day "off" from working at the house and we played a round of golf.  Now mind you that my 1, 5 and 7 woods were bent in the storm as well as my 5 iron.  The way I played today I think the remainder of my clubs got the shooie scared out of them and they did not want to come out to play.  Anyway, it was fun.
DD just brought me a nice warm brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.  Guess I better go eat it.

June 17, 2011

My day began with taking the Schnauzers to the groomer.  We decided to give them summer cuts, keep the Schnauzer face but do away with the skirt and furnishings, besides, Abby looks like her sock has fallen down on one leg since they shaved a portion of her leg at the vet for IV.  They just get too hot with all that hair.  It will take us a little while to get used to the new look, and if we don't like it, heck, it is hair and it will grow back.
Went by the house while I was in that area and DH was way out back working on digging up tree stumps so he could get a fence row ready for our new fence.  He said he came upon a GREAT BIG SNAKE wrapped around a tree stump.  Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike snakes, they just send cold chills all over me, make my insides shiver and I can not get away from them fast enough.  I'm just glad it was not me finding the thing.
DH also said they were suppose to deliver our shingles today, he was not sure where they were going to put them since our yard seems to be full of all kinds of BIG containers for storage and trash and a 16' trailer loaded with wood for decking the roof.  It still looks like they are days away from being ready to roof the house.  But I guess once it is roofed the inside work will begin.
Mom is doing well.  She works on her quilt at times, then she will repair the dogs toys that have been sent to the dog toy hospital.  The dogs are really excited when they get a toy from the hospital, they think it is something new.  I brought one in from outside this morning that had a leg missing and Mom said that she had just repaired that one yesterday.  I am really proud of how well she is doing.  She seems to be getting more confidence every day.  She is washing dishes, making her bed, and getting her breakfast in the mornings.  She is still on the heart monitor, not sure how many more days of her 21 days that she has left.  Her heart rate still drops into the 40s at times, and I am not sure if it is a heart problem, or just her meds that need readjusting again.  We will see what the Doc thinks at her next appt in July.
I NEED to sew something, but can't find time or space to do so.  I have one quilt that I was working on before the Big Wind and my challenge for the Renegade retreat needs to be started.  It probably would help if I had an idea of what to do for the challenge.  Oh well, maybe next week I will set up a spot somewhere.   I did Bobbin Lace yesterday, but it does not look right, so I have not yet put the starch on it.  I need a refresher course on Bobbin Lace.

Step One

I met with the contractor today and was instructed to go (I chose Lowes) to pick paint colors and a new gas stove.  I realize that there are a million things for them to do first and this will be way down the list, but at least I feel like they are beginning to do something to the house.  We have discussed ceiling fans, canned lights, windows, brick, siding and the roof, but no moves have been made to replace or rebuild the wall on the south side of the house so they can rebuild the roof.  That has to be done before anything can be done on the inside.  We will not have the gable on the garage, the one that was there is now "Gone with the Wind".  DH had the "tree people" come today to remove our two beautiful pine trees from the front yard.  They have survived 25 years, numerous neighborhood boys (jumping over them when they were first planted) and two ice storms, but the Big Wind has brought them to their knees, so to speak.  There is just too much damage to save them this time.  I think I might replace them with a Bradford Pear or something like that.

25th Anniversary

Yesterday, DH and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  We are not much on big shindigs, much to our children's dismay, so we enjoyed Chinese food with our immediate family and spent a very relaxing day at home.  I took a nap, which I rarely do, and was enjoying it until the dogs began to bark.  One barks to sound the alarm and the remainder of the pack are off to help.  This particular bark, from our precious Abby, is very shrill and makes it's way to the bad part of the brain.  When she barks this way, it means "I need help and I need it right now".  Well, Mister Frog from King Manor had made an appearance in the afternoon, normally it is after dark before he shows up.  I look out to see Abby and Lucy batting this poor frog back and forth between them like they were playing ping pong.  I watch Lucy pick him up by the leg and give him a fling and when he lands Abby will hold him down with her nose.  I call the dogs in the house in hopes that the frog will find his way back home.  He went somewhere because the "girls" could not find him when they went back out.
Today, I will do some rearranging in Mom's room so I can get her back to her sewing.  She keeps hinting about it, but I just have not taken the time to get it done yet.  I made some copies of patterns for my Bobbin Lace, so hopefully I will get to do that before I forget how.  I may need to call my friends for help, good thing I have them on speed dial.

After the Big Wind

It has been 2 weeks and 3 days since the tornado.  We have been very busy with clean up and establishing a new "residence".  There have been so many friends coming over to help pick up trash from the yard, helping me go through clothes, giving words of encouragement and prayers.  Our friends are truly friends and I love each and every one of them and already miss them.  Although our new residence is only 12.9 miles from our house it seems like it is hours away.  I have made countless trips to the house to get those things we just "can not live without", I think we may have to rent a U-Haul to get it all back home when it is livable again.  I did notice yesterday that the trash people have been by to pick up the stuff we had piled by the road, however the tree people have not been by to shred the trees.  Seems that the tree people work for OEC and they were only clearing and shredding the trees that were in the way of the power lines.  Wonder who is going to take care of the trees now.  Our gracious town of Newcastle is charging a $1000.00 contractor fee.  So anyone in need of construction on their homes due to the tornado has to pay said $1000.00 for a permit to have repairs done.  IMHO tornado damage should be exempt from this $1000.00 permit, it is not like we just decided to re-model.  

Big Wind

May 24, 2011 is when the Big Wind came through Newcastle, OK...Let's back up a few hours.  The Renegades arrived about 10am for sew day at my house.  V was talking about how she had packed all her important things in just in case she had to go to the cellar.  She said they were predicting bad weather with "Super Cells" beginning at 3pm.  We had a good sew and lunch and the girls gathered their things and left at 3pm (before the Super Cells arrived).  I finished my top and pressed it when my DH came in and said "Let's go get the car".  I left the quilt top draped over the ironing board and off we went to Norman.   The car had been in the shop for 11 days due to a shimmy in the steering wheel.  I put Mom in her room with all the things she needed until we got back.  DH had picked up our daughter's pups earlier in the afternoon so they would not be home alone when the storms came.  When we got back with the car, I put it in the garage and DH put the truck in the garage also.  When daughter arrived we watched the weather and decided we better eat a bite and gather things in case we needed to go to the "Hidie Hole" (our bedroom closet).  I told daughter she either needed to go home now or prepare to stay with us.  She said she really did not have any place to go at her house if the storms did come and she would just stay with us.  I said to her "you should put your car in the barn so it won't get any hail damage", so we did.  Just about the time we got back in the house DH said that we were going to the community shelter and I told him to take Mom to the shelter and daughter and I would go to the cellar across the street and take the dogs with us.  When we got there, there were two people outside and three people and 4 dogs inside the cellar.  Add daughter, myself and our 5 dogs to the mix.  Within 5 minutes 2 more neighbors arrive and finally the 2 that were outside came in and closed the door.  9 people and 9 dogs all together in a very tiny closed in space with no air movement and no room to wiggle.  The dogs were extremely well behaved.  We did not have long to wait until the rain came and the hail began to fall,  it sounded like the hail was about the size of softballs.  Then all of a sudden it got really cool in the cellar and the pressure change was such that my ears were popping much like being in an airplane.  The noise was quite loud and the there was a big bang on the cellar door, then as soon as it came it was gone.  We sat very still and quiet for a bit then decided that it was over.  One man attempted to open the door, but it was not to be and was soon joined by another man to help, but still it was not to be, we were trapped in this very hot, tiny, underground space with no air movement what so ever.  It seemed like hours, but I am sure it was only about 5 to 10 minutes when a neighbor came to the vent to see if we were ok.  We told him yes, but the door was jammed and we could not get out.  He said the back wall of the house was on the door and he would get help to get it off, to not go anywhere that he would be right back.  One neighbor asked about her house and he said it was fine, I asked about mine and he said it too was fine, but the house where the cellar was was gone.  I am guessing that it was about 45 minutes before there were enough folks to get the wall off the door so we could get out.  At last we were out of the very hot, tiny, underground space with no air movement into the fresh air that was cool, at least for a moment.  As we walked out, it looked like a war zone, but I am thinking that my house is fine cause the man said so...not so much.  Half of the barn is demolished, I walk toward my back door and hear a hissing sound and smell gas, so I turn around thinking that at any moment my house is going to blow up.  I meet up with daughter in the street along with the 5 dogs and 2 that are running loose only to see trees, limbs, fence, and debris all over the place.  I see my kitchen window curtains flapping in the breeze and my garage roof and door crashed in on my new car that we just got out of the shop less than 2 hours ago.  Daughter's car and our Tahoe are in the barn, the half that is no longer there, and both are smushed really bad, but there is no hail damage on either.  I begin to walk toward the community shelter where DH and Mom are when I meet them driving down the street.  I tell them what I have seen and that there is no way he can drive down the street because of the trees that he should turn around and try another street and come in the other way.  Cell phones would work at times and not at other times.  We decided that Mom and I would go to my brother's house to stay the night and DH stayed at the house.  We gave daughter the little truck to drive and the guys managed to get our car out of the garage, and to my surprise, it had very little damage to it. We gathered a few things to stay the night and off we went.  I felt like a burglar breaking into my brothers house even though I had a key.  I had to turn the water on because brother had turned it off before they left for their trip.  Here I am with the water meter key and a flash light out in the front yard looking for the water meter.  After about 15 minutes of this, I finally gave up and called him in Colorado for directions to the meter.  Finally we had water, but my arms were not long enough to reach around the big water heater to turn it on so we could have hot water, so we did without that.  Mom did not have any problem sleeping, but I did not sleep well at all.  More later about the clean-up.