Saturday's Stuff

Yay!  It's the weekend!  I know, I know ... I'm retired, so EVERY day is a weekend day, right?  Well, it's true ... but old "habits" die hard after spending 30+ years so I'm still relishing the weekends. And I'm looking forward to this weekend.  I've got plenty planned ... all good stuff.

I'm hoping to finally be able to get some quilting done today.  I had planned to quilt on Wednesday & Thursday, but DD needed my help ... and helping DD with the Ts always wins out over quilting (or anything else!).  ;-)  I watched the 3 bigger Ts while Mama had to take T#4 to the pediatrician ... Wednesday for the initial visit (diagnosis: double ear infections - bad ones) and Thursday for a follow-up visit (the Motrin wasn't bringing the fever down - she had to have antibiotic via injection).  And yesterday, I was invited to join DD & the 4 Ts on a Christmas wishlist trip to Toys R Us.  It turned out to be a CRAZY evening, but like always, ANY time with DD & the Ts is a GOOD time! 

Yesterday DH bought the materials for a jigsaw puzzle construction tray, and with the help of our friend/neighbor John, he put it together.  I'll paint it and then put the felt pads on the under side.  What's a puzzle construction tray, you ask?  It's a sheet of MDF with shallow moldings tacked along the top edges (to keep the pieces from sliding off the MDF).  It's an easy way to convert your table to a puzzle table ... without sacrificing being able to use your table for its intended purposes (like eating ha!) for the days weeks it might take to finish a puzzle.  If we need the table, we'll just pick up the tray (with puzzle pieces on it - the molding will keep the pieces from sliding off) and carry it to another room (or slide it under the bed if we need the table for a longer period of time). We cut the MDF about 2 inches wider and longer than our table (44"x62"); we like to work the bigger puzzles, so this will give us plenty of room to lay out the puzzle along with the unused pieces.  I saw this on someone's blog ... I wish I could remember whose blog it was!  I'd love to give her credit.  I have a photo that I snagged from that blog post (so I could show DH what I was talking about); I'd insert it here so I could show you all what I'm talking about, but because I don't know who to ask, I don't have permission.  :-(  If the you're the blogger, please let me know ... I'd LOVE to give you credit!  My sister sent us a 2000-piece puzzle, and I'm itching to get started on it, so I'm going to do my best to get this tray done this weekend!  ;-)  If I can remember (don't forget: I have CRA ha!), I'll post a picture of my finished product, if anyone's interested.

I'm going to try a new recipe this evening and make a pot of white chili tomorrow.  Fall-like weather has definitely returned, and it's time for fall foods!  I LOVE fall!