I made something - I made something

Oh man life has been just way to busy, I haven't had a chance to finish any of the gazillion projects I've started. It's probably because I'm now in a 10 X 12 bedroom instead of a two car garage, man I miss having a garage for an office, I wish I could rent someone's garage, as I'll still be at my Mother's house for a while. Until we get used to figuring out college payment schedules.

But any who I made something! I love bags, any shape any size. What's odd is that I don't use them other than on Sunday. Hum, there's got to be something behind that - but I'll leave that to for the therapist!

Monica did you come up with a name for our bag?

This is what we will be sewing for sewing group on Sat March 21st. 10 AM Indio church building.

Stephanie's Graduating

Wow, my child is really graduating from High School and going off to college. The deadline for the Year book adds was due while we were in Seattle, but they let me squeeze it in anyways. I love nice people!

I'm running out of time, I don't think she's ready for the real world. Heck there isn't anything real about life in the Barton household.

Well at least she picked a career path she nows well - the Ocean, because of the Ocean (ie. Navy) she has had more homes than any child her age. So maybe she is ready for the real world.

I know I'm not ready for the real world bill! First due date is May 1st. She hasn't graduated Yet, and I'm already paying.

Any ways! Congratulations - child of mine - it was a little iffy there for a while!



wow that picture looks bad - it didn't look like that in Photoshop!

NASA - Jet Propultion Lab in Pasadena

When they told me I had to do a science with a lab in order to get an AS degree in Fashion Desgin - I almost didn't do it, I was going to stick to my Certificate. I hate science I don't understand it, I don't like cutting into slimmy things, and I don't like playing with beekers and chemicals. When they said "you can do Astronomy that has a Lab" I was so happy!

I had a great teacher, the Labs were awesome - we would drive just outside the San Diego City limits, and could look south and east. The one thing I love about the desert is you don't have to drive anywhere - zero light pollution - the sky is clear year round.

I had no clue that there was a NASA center in Pasadena - I found out that there name is missleading. They have never worked with Jet's - they came up with this name for the center back in the 30's when they were dealing with Rocket's - and because they wanted to be taken seriously they called it the 'Jet Propultion Lab' instead of the 'Rocket Propultion Lab' because the word Rocket at the time would bring up images of a futuristic 'your crazy to believe in Rockets' attitude.

They don't play with Rockets anymore - Our local center builds all the Robots, Satelites, and Rovers. All the cool stuff.

There was high security to get in. No there is no T-rex on the other side.


We go to visit the Space Flight Operations Facility - this is the room you see on the TV with all the people jumping and screaming when everything goes right! This is where they track all there currently working satelite's. I didn't know that Voyager is currently so far away that it is almost to the end of our universe and looking for the begining of the next!




It takes 12 hours to send it a signal and 12 hours to get the answer back. Even with a 70 Metter diameter Antena! Simply Amazing!



The count down screen for Keepler was on the screen while we were there, it lauched before we could get out of traffic and make it home! I think I want to move to space!




They are building a new robot - called the Mars Science Labratory - scheduled to launch in 2010. The Mars Rover's mission was a 6 month mission - it is now 2 years later and still alive and collecting data and information. They are hoping that it will still be working when then launch the new one. They didn't allow flash - so I had to autofocus. One shouldn't autofocus when your blind and not wearing your glasses - what looks good to you doesn't to others.

We got to look into the clean room where they are building it.


There is also a museum there. This is Cassini (I hadn't heard about this mission) but it's an awesome looking robot. It's collecting data around the rings of Saturn.









Here's a model of Voyager. It has a Gold 'Record' on the front of the base, that is a time capsule. We have given information, data, pictures, to whatever life out there that will find it - or even our future generations - that may find our space debrie. All these robots basically become space trash when they stop working, as they are all one way missions. We can't afford to go retrieve them.

Seattle was good for me

I'm back and it was great. We arrived on Wednesday early, Stephanie and I set up the booth, then went for a drive. Seattle is a beautiful city the views are amazing.

Stephanie doesn't like to take pictures of buildings, I love buildings, so I made her take this picture and now she loves it, it's about 8AM and the sun is shining on the buildings at an angle, and the skies where the perfect shade of blue - to make the whole picture turn blue.

Stephanie wanted me to drive to Forks - I wasn't about to since there was probably lots of snow up there, about an hour an a half to two hour drive from where we were. Sorry all you Twilight people I didn't bring back pictures of 'Vampires'.

But I was right about the snow - because the next morning we woke up to this view out or window.

and this is what the cars looked like.

The tradeshow was colorful - color everywhere:


I have gone to this tradeshow in Seattle every year for the past 5 years, and every year there is only one picture I would like to bring back and that is a picture of Mt. Rainier - a big majestic mountain. Well it's not really a mountain, it's a Volcano, but they call it a Mountain. I have seen the whole thing only 3 or 4 times, the times I saw it - I didn't have a camera - and the days I had a Camera, the mountain was under clouds.


In southern CA our Disaster preparedness is for EarthQuakes in Seattle there Disaster Preparedness involves a Valcano Evacuation Route. I'm glad I don't have to plan for that!

Where did my Organization skills go.

I seem to have lost my organizational skills, I need to find them, as I'm knee deep in a couple of serious jobs. There is of course the job that pays the bills Cochenille Design Studio. I'm happy to say that Susan and Carol are all set and ready for Stitches West, that was a regular work week plus one 12 hour day. And now after another 12 hour (7am to 7pm) I'm all set and ready for my tradeshow in Puyallup, WA. Now I hope I can sell it all.

Then there is my Church calling Enrichment Coordinator. I'm happy to say that if people fill in the lines on the sign-up sheet on Sunday, then I will have nothing to worry about when I land at the Palm Springs airport on Monday night March 2nd, the Day before our Activity - Relief Society Birthday Around the world. That would be nice - so help me out if you can!

Then to my demise I scheduled a Super Craft Saturday on April 18th which is the Saturday Our family will be driving up to Vallejo, CA for Stephanie's College Open House for incoming Freshman. But We (Lisa, Jean & I) have got all the crafts partial planned, I have several samples to make.

Here's the wood project:

and the knitting project:

The sewing sample is coming from Lisa - so I don't have to worry.

and we still don't have supplies for the beading sample but they should be here when Stephanie and I return from Seattle, and The necklace and earings are quite easy, so it won't take Stephanie very long to string them up.

I will have to write up detailed instructions - and I will need to find people that will head up the project the day of the event as neither Stephanie and I will be there - but I'll deal with that when I get back. For know I have costed, sampled, and need to print some sign up sheets for March 3rd.

And then there is my volunteer job as Ladies Aux. VFW treasurer, that I just haven't gotten the hang of, I understand the money part - I've been keeping books for companies since 1989, on old lotus spreadsheets. It's the other stuff, Membership applications, what money goes to state and which goes to National. I really need to spend some more time with this one.

I remember when I was 25 - I had 2 part time jobs, 3 kids, and went to college part time. And during all this Randy would leave for six months at a time. I don't know how I did it, but I need to find my mojo!!! I don't know where it went.

Only 8 days left of February

Where did it go? I seem to have been going around in circles all month and not accomplishing anything. I still haven't knit my skirt, I still haven't finished 3 baby blankets that are sitting on my sewing machine, probably because the sewing machine got pushed sideways in order to temporarly set up another computer, so I can print flyers for 2 different tradeshows happening on the same weekend. (way long story)

I'm teaching a sewing class tomorrow and I still haven't finish writing up the pattern. I have 2 partial done cigarbox purses, that were supposed to be finished and put up on etsy so our shop doesn't look abandoned.


I finally went grocery shopping yesterday, and the laundry is half way there - it's washed, it's dry, and sitting in the basket and dryer, waiting to be folded, and put away.

Wow, I think I need a vacation. I leave for Seattle on Tuesday, but that's not a vacation. It is a change of sceneri so maybe that will help.

I've never had such disorder in my life. I need to fix this. I even scheduled a Super Craft Saturday on the Saturday that we have to drive to San Francisco for Stephanie's College Open House. Man my brain is cluttered.