Sally's Week

I thought I would dedicate a little blog to Sally Piles, and tell people what she has been up to. As you can see, she just finished a VERY difficult 1000 piece puzzle of her favorite painting--"The Kiss" by (Gustav??) Klimt. I think it is Gustav. Anyway, this is a painting she has loved since before I ever met her, and she worked diligently on this puzzle. I have never done a jigsaw puzzle in my life--I have not the patience, skill, desire, or time. But Amanda truly gets lost in her puzzles; I could literally pick her up, carry her downstairs to her puzzle table, and leave her there for hours--and she would work without interruption on it. I guess it is addictive to her; I cannot fathom how. Like I said, this was a 1000 piece puzzle. But look at the sides--either side of the two lovers in an embrace. How did she do this part? THAT looks difficult--there are no differentiating characteristics. Anyway, congrats babycakes--we'll get you a frame and you can hang it in our room.

Sally was also the chairwoman on the entertainment subcommittee at work for "Employee Recognition Day." You KNOW you work for a bureaucratic entity when you need a SUBCOMMITTEE to have fun--yes, yes? Each year, the state rents out the Augusta Civic Center, and all the employees from her "agency" go for a day of fun, fellowship, and recognition--awards are given out, food is eaten, and games are played. This year's theme was "country fair," and as you can see, my little farmer girl was all decked out for her day in state government. She also has a straw cowgirl hat, but if she put that on too, you would have to be over 18 to view the blog. Just kidding. She went all out, and was responsible for many of the activities that transpired during the day--she went to Mardens to buy a "jumbo bowling set," she brought a tarp from home to put into a kiddie pool to simulate a fishpond, and there were sheets hung on clotheslines for a makeshift "fortune teller" booth. Speaking of which, why dont you ever see any rich fortune tellers? Can't they predict what the powerball numbers will be? HA! Caught in your web of lies! I digress . . .

She did a great job. Besides that, Amanda has a new hobby of refinishing old furniture. We have been given a bunch of cool stuff lately--an end table from my mom, and a coatrack/shelf and a bench from the Greenlaws. We'll put these things out in Thomas's new room, but Amanda is sanding and repainting them all. She is getting much more into her crafts in general, in fact, as she is taking a couple of adult education classes at Lawrence--"applique pillow making" and "quilted table runner crafting." And just this afternoon, she woke me up from a perfectly good nap to show me the patterns she bought at Jo-Ann fabrics--she has some blazers, shirts, and dresses she is excited to sew. I hope she does all these things--as she is very talented. And maybe, just maybe she'll finish the sweater she started for me in 2001 (I had to throw that in . . sorry).

Finally, it was a busy week on QVC. I have included a picture of the television station that is on in my home for 12-14 hours per day. Amanda was glued to the screen for the "Bare Escentuals" make up special from 7-10 on Thursday. Lisa is my favorite host--she's pretty. I think Amanda has an addiction problem, and I am looking for people to join me in the "intervention" I have planned . . .ha ha

And oh yeah . . .there is Thomas taking a nap with his "baby" Constance.