Pictures, Old Stories, and an "A" grade

First, the pics...

These are a few of the star struck blocks I have been making.  I like the way they look. 

The rest of the star struck blocks are halfway sewn together and are waiting for me to get back to them.  They go together pretty quickly.  I could have done a better job on the white parts, because the seams don't match perfect.  I don't think the baby will mind... 

And, for my babies, even though they are all grown up, a couple of Easter bags.  They are waiting to be filled with goodies.  Not sure what all is going in them, but I know for sure they will each get a chocolate rabbit!

Today I visited with my Uncle Ray for a bit.  I took him a pie I had bought since I haven't baked any pie lately and was feeling a little guilty.  I also felt guilty because I had a piece of said pie when I was visiting...with ice cream.  Not on my diet, but what can I say... 

Last week when Uncle Ray and I went to dinner we drove around a little, visiting some familiar areas.  One area we drove past was some land that the coal mining company used to own.  It was right across from the mine that my Great Grandpa and family worked in.  My Great Grandpa is Uncle Ray's father (technically, Uncle Ray is a great uncle, but that gets a little long in the tooth).  Anyway, I remember my family telling stories of living in the 'company houses'.  These where homes built by the coal mining company that they rented out to miner's.  Uncle Ray was telling me that they were built from scrap lumber that the mine company purchased when they tore down the 1904 World's Fair in Chicago.  Those houses must have been horrible.  Cheap, to say the least.  Sure have come a long way from those days.

I went up to Springfield today and took another test for a State position.  I received an "A" grade, thankfully, and it's good for an entire year, so I don't have to go through that again anytime soon.

While in Springfield, I stopped in the new JoAnn Superstore.  I don't know if it's just me, but it seems that the JoAnn stores fabric areas are shrinking again.  They have so much other stuff that I'm not interested in in the store.