I’ve been doing a ton of the above around here…sneazing, hacking, sniffling…you name it!  Pretty much all of the things that come with a summer cold & flu, that’s what I’ve been dealing with for the last 2 weeks.  Yes, two weeks! I’m ready to be done with this already, lol.  😛  It’s one of those kind that for the first week, I was down for the count in bed, unable to move, let alone accomplish even the smallest of tasks.  But now I’m feeling much better, and have been working up to doing more things each day, and the shaky feeling is slowly diminishing.  This one really has taken everything I have to pull out of!  But, I’m glad I’m finally here visiting with you again. 🙂

I have been working on getting some more Gettinitpegged Gear baggies up for sale, and was in the process of creating  six new ones when, sad but true, my sewing machine decided to fall apart on me!  This is my long treasured machine that my hubby brought home as a surprise for me the very first year we were married…20 years ago, lol.  It’s a simple Singer, but it has been a great reliable machine…ready and game for whatever I wanted to whip up next.  I love that thing!  I’ll have to take it in and see if it can be repaired, or if it’s time to have a little funeral ceremony for it, lol.

Though, I have to say, I’m not at all adverse to the idea of looking for a new one, now that the thought has been put into my noggin’.  I see that they’ve come a long way since the last time I really looked, 20 some odd years ago!  I must admit the idea is really growing on me… anybody have a great deal to offer??  I’m open to suggestions, lol!  😉

While I’ve been under the weather, I’ve been catching up on my reading…I had the chance to read 2 books: The Host, and Isaac’s Storm.  Both of them were pretty good.  I enjoyed The Host, science fiction type reads are always pretty engrossing to me.  But Isaac’s Storm was the one that I couldn’t put down!  This is an incredible work that is written in such a way that pours true historical facts into pages that are tense with drama.  It tells the story, using all the surrounding facts, historical events, and scientific data in a way that unfolds like watching a “grip you to your seat” drama/thriller.  I loved it!  I had no idea that Galveston, TX was the scene of such a devastating hurricane in the year 1900…the most deadly ever to hit the North American continent!  You’ve got to read this to know what I’m talking about…very intense!  Erik Larson has also written a few other historical dramas that my hubby has read and highly praises for the same reason: his talent of weaving the story and facts together in such a gripping way.  I’m going to have to put these titles on my next to read list.

I’ve also been able to complete another loomy item.  This is one I’ll keep under my hat for now, as it’s definitely going to be a part of the book project.  But…let me tell you…Oh-So-Cute! 😀  …and it’s a perfect match for these cuties!  My list of goodies is growing and it’s so difficult to keep the secrets to myself!  I so wish I could share, but there will come a time soon that I’ll be able to unveil all the fun stuff in the upcoming book. 🙂  Can’t wait!

Oh, yeah!  One more piece of excitement!  I won a contest over at Carol’s Crochet Place for a $40 gift card!  How cool is that??  Not only that, but I took the contest as an opportunity to snag some of her crocheted fun-ness from her Etsy shop for my very own.  I picked out a cute lime green dish cloth that looks like a ruffled dress and some white cotton face pads…love them! 🙂  Thanks, Carol!

Well…I think that’s all I have to say for now.  I just wanted to give you a little catch-up as to why I’ve been so silent lately (well…silent for you, but lots of “hachoo, sniff-sniff, groans, cough-coughs” around here, lol).  My next-up post will be about the Pooch Parka, and ways to make the project more easily successful…so stay tuned!

Bethany~