Creality Ender 3 Adventures

We did a Kickstarter 3 years ago for an Obsidian 3d printer.  Notice it isn't in the title because we are still waiting.

Also we subscribed to Makersgeek Filament of the month club.  The company died but the filament has been working out well.  We now have had about 20 rolls waiting on the machine. 

I saw that there is a big group of people on Facebook that have Ender 3 printers.  The people are helpful so when the 3d printer was about $180 I got one.  

Then Ryan put it together and told me to be in charge.  That means unless something falls off I have to figure out how to run it.  It is my hobby now.  Thankfully the Facebook group helped me when all I could get were prints going on the nozzle for a ride.

I needed alcohol, well rubbing alcohol for cleaning the bed.  Thankfully my quilting cloth is near by for lint-less rags :)

Turns out my bed needed to be 60c vs 50c and I turned my nozzle temp from 200 to 215.

Now I am getting a good print, well its only 15% done but looks much better than others.  Not curling up and such.  I hope this articulating cat from Thingiverse will work out for me.

Ten Year Perspective

Just got the call that our truck driver's girlfriend just died.  He and the truck are on their way to Michigan.  My heart breaks for him.

This is where the 10 year Perspective comes.  In ten years will it matters we slept in the floor four days or nine?  Not really.  It's like indoor camping.  We are fine. 

It's just stuff.

I think of our driver.  I am praying for him.  Safety, patience, clarity in mind and driving.  In ten years this will still hurt him.  I do pray he and his girlfriend know God and trust in Him.  If so he will see her I in heaven.  That's the hope of Jesus.  Being in heaven with Him.

Texas Part #2

We close on the Michigan house at the end of March.  The next day we will close on the house in Fort Worth.  Right now Ryan is up here in Michigan with me. 

Ryan was sent "home" to do work like most of his associates.  Some of his people are working in their garages.  That won't work here since it was 27 degrees this morning.  Ryan actually put a heater up in our room.  He has a desk and 2 to 3 computers up and running up there.

I got him outside for a walk today.  Then he went upstairs for long underwear and a winter coat.  Maple enjoyed the time outside too.


We are packing like nothing will happen to stop trucks from traveling the USA.  I think we will go thru 3-5 states to get to our new home.  I have no idea.

God is the only one who knows what is going on now. 

Not sure the kids will be going to finish the year online with Michigan or in a Texas school.  They can't even go out to make new friends.  This is really weird folks.

Shopping

So the world is shutting down due to the Corona Virus.  We went to my step-moms this weekend.  I got her some groceries to keep her inside. 

I was amazed at the lack of toilet paper.  I included some pictures from South Bend and Fenton near where I live.

There are alternatives. I have a lot of fabric that can be reused.  It is not all packed yet. 

I remember my time in India (water bucket) and 2 out of 3 kids were in cloth diapers.

Walmart South Bend Indiana

Aldi South Bend Indiana

Grandma and Maple

Target Fenton Michigan

Packing

We are packing for Texas.  We did a ton before putting the house on the market.  Ryan packed a lot of his stuff before he left in January.

Home Depot is the place to buy boxes.  I have moved so many times and it is worth the cash to get all the boxes the same size and to know that they are sturdy.  I did get my tape at Meijers on sale.  That is a grocery store up here.  I just run out of tape after using 6 rolls.  I tape the tops and bottoms 3 times each.  I have some stretch plastic that I used on a baby doll bed I took it apart.

We close on the 26th for the house in Michigan and Close on the house in Dallas on the 27th.

Now that I know what kind of house we are getting and there will be some room for canning and quilting I am packing.  I got 4 dozen quart jars in a Medium Home Depot Box.  I used cardboard to separate each jar.  I have so many that I am not worried about losing one or two.  I also sold 14 dozen jars before this.

It is March 4th and we have 3 weeks left here.  Do I pack the snow pants?  We went sledding Sunday at Clover Beach and now it is in the 40's.

I packed some food today that I knew I would not use till I am down there like Maple Sugar and sprinkles.  Yes we do eat healthy.

My box cutter is my friend in all of this packing.

Where is God in this move to Texas Part #1 Calm

Ryan interviewed with this company in June.  He felt calm with the interview.  He came back and after praying said "I am going to get a job with this company." 

First of all we are from Michigan.  I have never been to Texas.  I had no interest in going there either.  Absolutely nothing drew me there.  

He did not get that job.  Some one retired like the CO or President and they quit hiring.  He kept feeling Gods leading that he would be working for this company.  

He was laid off in November.  Time to interview and send out his resume.  We both felt calm.  

Unlike when he was laid off in Pennsylvania I did so many Mystery Shops that I made $2000 in reimbursements and such in a month.  Normally I do less that $100 a month.  

Ryan was blessed with a severance package and we had almost filled our Emergency Fund from replacing the Malibu after 21 years.  God had us calm.  

Also my dad had been in and out of rehabilitation places and the hospitals since June.  I was in my own little world.

At it again

I working on that quilt for my step mom out of my dad's pajama pants.  I decided the number of colors doesn't have to be equal.  I can do what I want so I added more of the palm tree pattern and another pelican piece.

It is one of those things I hope she likes it.  If she doesn't I will claim it or give it to my brother.  I am doing it for the experiance because my friend Claire asked for a t shirt quilt.  Also I feel closer to my dad.

Dad pushing the kids on his walker around. 

Times we would have a morning breakfast and leisurely staying at the table just talking.

Hundreds of phone calls asking about fixing mowers, cars and kids.

I am blessed to spend evenings just chatting with him and Diane.

I got five

of nine 25 patch blocks done.

Moving to Texas

Ryan started work in Dallas Texas at the beginning of February.  Here I am with the kids, the dog and the cat.  We put our house up for sale. 

That means:
- Vacuum to the garage
- Trash cans to the garage
- Move toilet brushes out to the garage
- Move most of the kids toys to the garage

 

- Install new carpet
- Make sure all walls are all touched up
- Shovel the driveway so they don't think the snow sticks to it or something
- Don't cook anything that smells or makes a mess

Basically make it look like you don't live here.

Guess what, right now we are have gotten to the point there has been an inspection of the house.  Its looking good to selling the house but we need to find a place to land there too.  The girls don't want to share a room and a pool would be a bonus.

Heart Quilt

My dad passed away New Year's Eve.  He had been sick so long.  When I got to his home his shirts were gone and I helped get rid of a lot of holy jeans.  I ended up with ten pairs of pajama pants.  I think the coolest ones have pelicans and palm trees.

I called Rockin Bobbin my local quilt store and they told me to use a stabilizer with all the fabric so it won't stretch too much while I work with it. Treated like a t-shirt quilt.   And I had to find a pattern.


January the Missouri Star Quilt Company had a pixelated heart pattern.  It was perfect and it didn't need a lot of the fabric. About 70 squares of the patterns and then white. My step mom really likes white. when I met her she had white carpet, white couches, white tables, white bed frame and  she's even brave enough to wear white pants.  Pixilated Heart

Did I mention that were in the process of moving to Texas. Ryan is in his third week of working down there. I figured that I would work on the quilt as much as I can before I move. I'm hoping to get it quilting done maybe even this week.

Thursday I leave for Diane's house.  She gets the kids and I fly down to Texas.

Not sure what's possible but I can try.