May Sewing Group

Well for some reason, I truly shut my brain off after May 2nd, to the point that I walked into my sewing class with a pattern I had put together a few hours before and hadn't sampled yet. I was 95% sure it was going to work. First because it was all math and 2nd because I used Garment Designer to print out the pattern Pieces so that double checked my math.

It was the sewing instructions that had only been practiced in my head that was the unsure 5%.

Well I was so happy that it worked, now I have to write up the directions and finish up the pattern, to pass it along to those that couldn't attend.







Thank you all for coming, and helping me wake up before the month is over!

Happy Memorial Day

I am very blessed this Memorial Day. My husband is alive and out of the hospital. My Son is alive, out of the Army, home and making plans for college! My daughter is graduating from High School and was accepted into the school of her dreams (Cal Maritime) I'm really glad she was because if she didn't get in she was going to join the Navy.

The story of the Buddy Poppy:

Among all the flowers that evoke the memories and emotions of war is the red poppy, which became associated with war after the publication of a poem written by Col. John McCrae of Canada. The poem, "In Flander's Field," describes blowing red fields among the battleground of the fallen.

For more than 75 years, the VFW's Buddy Poppy program has raised millions of dollars in support of veterans' welfare and the well being of their dependents.

The VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922, becoming the first veterans' organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

It was during the 1923 encampment that the VFW decided that VFW Buddy Poppies be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with some form of financial assistance. The plan was formally adopted during the VFW's 1923 encampment. The next year, disabled veterans at the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh assembled VFW Buddy Poppies. The designation "Buddy Poppy" was adopted at that time.

In February 1924, the VFW registered the name "Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office. A certificate was issued on May 20, 1924, granting the VFW all trademark rights in the name of Buddy under the classification of artificial flowers. The VFW has made that trademark a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name "Buddy" Poppy.

Today, VFW Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals.

The minimal assessment (cost of Buddy Poppies) to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's veterans.



In Flander's Field
by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

Lake Hemet

Well we spent Thursday night and all day Friday by the lake, the boys went fishing (they didn't catch anything), it was still fun. None of us used sun screen so we all turn red. It was cold the first night, so we didn't stay the second night. Plus there were coyotes howling all night, which made the dog bark all night - so I didn't sleep at all, and well that just wasn't relaxing.

I think I need to plan a one nighter more often. Just go veg by the lake!

I'm in a rut!

After several months of going and going, I now seem to be in a rut. I have time in the mornings especially since I seem to be getting up earlier and earlier, like today it's only 6:30 AM and I've already walk the dog 2 miles, taken a shower and checked the cochenille email.

But yet, here I sit, with a long list of projects that could get finished before 9:30 AM when I start answering Cochenille phones and I'm not doing them I've checked every list, chat group and everything else on the internet I belong to except for facebook still haven't done that one this morning (see stephanie i'm not addicted).

I need something to get me out of Auto-pilot. We are going camping tonight and tomorrow night, we have to be back Sat AM for my husbands Dialysis (His kidney's shut down a couple of months ago, so he goes to Dialysis 3 times a week).

I really hope the Camping trip help. I'll be taking some knitting, Yay the first time I'll have a couple of hours to sit and knit in a very long time, I better take my Stitch n Bitch book incase I forgot how to Cast on, Knit or Purl - I've always needed a cheat sheet to bind off - for some reason I can't seem to commit that one to memory, I guess it only comes with Pratice.

Here's a few pictures of a field trip to MOPA in San Diego a few months back that I forgot to blog about:

Baseball, baseball and more baseball

Well I have enjoyed my 'nothing to do' in the month of May. I even actually had time to go see my nephew's play baseball. I had stayed away from the fields for a couple of years, because I'm loud, rude and intense! My nephew's became overwhelmed and my Brother's kept asking me to calm down and let the coach - coach them.

I'm so bad that when my child played soccer I wasn't allowed to go, so Dad went he even coached one year, I think they let me go to the last couple of games, with a bunch of rules, of course!

Any whoo- I found something that kept me quite - taking pictures - it also kept me focused on something other than what the kids where or where not doing. I was to busy looking thru the camera view finder to get wrapped up in the game.

Well both Adrain (Roy's son) and Marco (Alberto's Son) played on the same team and my brother Alberto was one of the coach's. They went all the way, they played 2 championship games the first they won, and made an undefeated team loose there title, and the 2nd they lost, which still gave them 2nd place in the league and there little trophy's were to cute.

May 11th, game - They won!






May 15th Game, They won!






May 16th Game - They lost - but are 2nd in the league.

Michelle & Roy's Sealing

My little brother was sealed to his Wife and Children in the San Diego temple, They were married in Las Vegas the first time, so My Sister in Law asked me to make her a wedding dress, so they could have 'Wedding Pictures' They came out wonderfully.

May Day - Loyalty Day

May 1st - is known as May Day - or Loyalty Day.

Cornell University Defines it as:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/36/usc_sec_36_00000115----000-.html
TITLE 36 > Subtitle I > Part A > CHAPTER 1 > § 115 § 115. Loyalty Day

(a) Designation.— May 1 is Loyalty Day.

(b) Purpose.— Loyalty Day is a special day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.

(c) Proclamation.— The President is requested to issue a proclamation—

(1) calling on United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Loyalty Day; and

(2) inviting the people of the United States to observe Loyalty Day with appropriate ceremonies in schools and other suitable places.



Michael & Sonia Barton cooking Carne Asada:



Our Local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3699 and it's Ladies Auxiliary - put together a Loyalty Day Dinner where we invited Local Civil Services officers and other member of the community that dedicate there lives to providing there Country with great service. I would have loved to print the write ups I received from there chief's - they describe the great service and hard work each individual performs on a daily basis. (I didn't think to get permission) It's our first event so it was all a learning experience.

Indio Fire Dept - Andrew Barbosa
Indio Police - Sergeant Johnny Romero & Corporal Lisa Corton
California Highway Patrol - Officer Michael Sorg

Officer Michael Sorg:



Sheriff Dept - Corporal Myers & Deputy Anderson

Corporal Myers:



Deputy Anderson:



Border Patrol - FOS Tammy Herrera & Agent Julian Valdivia

FOS Tammy Herrera:



Agent Julian Valdivia:




Paramedics - Joshua Roberts & Michael Rojo

EMT/Paramedic Joshua Roberts:



EMT Michael Rojo:


Teachers - Jesus Angel Gallegos, Yessenia Garcia, Kandy Michelle Guerra & Ed Ogimachi

Jesus Angel Gallegos:


Yessenia Garcia:



Ed Ogimachi:



Girls Scouts - Juliet Badillo, Courtney Alacano, Miah Montigny & Mercedes Eylicio

An Award was given to the Herman Granados Post and it's Ladies Auxiliary - for there great help over the years, and allowing us to meet and have events at there building, before we were able to find a building of our own.

Doris Hein - American Legion Ladies Auxiliary President:



I forgot to excuse my husband who was in the hospital, and therefore I was on the mic. I would like to Thank all our Local Agencies for there support in returning phone calls and emails, to provide me with the information that I needed to be able to finish the job my husband started. Thank you all - and we hope this will be a yearly tradition.