I'm Back

When I looked this morning, I couldn't hardly believe that it's been almost a year since I posted on the blog.  I decided that it's time to get back to it! There have been a lot of changes in my life over the past year.  First, the big announcement.  Mr. Mouse and I have officially retired!  I have to admit that it's not quite what I expected.  We had originally planned to retire on November 1, but the company where he had worked for 14 years suddenly decided on Friday, April 6 that his services were no longer needed.  What a shock!  Our entire life changed at that moment.  We waited until Monday and filed for unemployment and social security. We qualified for both, but as of today, we have received nothing.  I had always thought that all social security checks were dispensed on the 4th of the month, but evidently that changed and we will be receiving ours on the 4th Wednesday of the month.  So for now, we are trying to live as frugally as possible.

The grandkids have grown so much.  Krissy is now 17 and driving.  In two weeks she will be going to her junior prom.  It's so hard to believe.  She's been in the high school musical, plays in the band, sings in the chorus, plays on a fast pitch softball team, and this year started to throw javelin and discus on the track team.  James (whom we used to call Bubby) is now 14.  He still plays baseball in the Southwest Pennsylvania Miracle League, and now also plays on the Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey team.  It's really quite amazing to watch.  Izzy has also grown and is active on the swim team.  Jake is probably one of the smartest kids that I've ever known, and definitely has the key to his Grammy's heart.  He and Izzy both sing in the church choir.

The sales in my Etsy shop have increased in the last year.  I've added some new items, and am dreaming up some more.  I have started purchasing fabric from some new sources and the designs are exciting and the colors are vibrant.  Come back and check out The Frozen Mouse.

New Items on an Old Blog

It's been a while since I posted on this blog, but I have been busy adding several new items to the Etsy store.  As many of you know, due to limited mobility, I use an ECV (electric scooter) when I go out.  I had been looking for a bag that I could put on the tiller.  With my old scooter, I could just hang my bag from the handlebar.  However, my new scooter has a looped tiller.

I had made some Zip and Go crossbody bags, and decided that, if I used lobster claw clasps on the strap, I could unhook the strap, feed it through the loop on the tiller, and re-hook the strap.  It worked perfectly.  It can also be used on a walker, a wheelchair, or a stroller.  After using mine for a few months, I felt that a skinny strap would take up less room on the tiller, and more comfortable for those of us whose "girls" are a little on the large size. I loved the way they turned out. These are some of the bags currently listed on my Etsy store:  Stop by and see if there's something for you.

Mickey Mouse

Wicked Queen

Nightmare Before Christmas

Minnie Mouse in Black

My Granny Wore an Apron Every Day

THE HISTORY OF APRONS

THE PRINCIPAL USE OF GRANDMA'S APRON WAS TO PROTECT THE DRESS
UNDERNEATH, BUT ALONG WITH THAT, IT SERVED AS A POTHOLDER FOR
REMOVING HOT PANS FROM THE OVEN.

IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR DRYING CHILDREN'S TEARS, AND ON OCCASION
WAS EVEN USED FOR CLEANING OUT DIRTY EARS.

FROM THE CHICKEN COOP, THE APRON WAS USED FOR CARRYING EGGS,
FUSSY CHICKS, AND SOMETIMES HALF-HATCHED EGGS TO BE FINISHED
IN THE WARMING OVEN.

WHEN COMPANY CAME, THOSE APRONS WERE IDEAL HIDING PLACES FOR
SHY KIDS.

AND WHEN THE WEATHER WA COLD, GRANDMA WRAPPED IT AROUND HER
ARMS.

THOSE BIG OLD APRONS WIPED MANY A PERSPIRING BROW, BENT OVER
THE HOT WOOD-STOVE.

CHIPS AND KINDLING WOOD WERE BROUGHT INTO THE KITCHEN IN THAT
APRON.

FROM THE GARDEN, IT CARRIED ALL SORTS OF VEGETABLES. AFTER THE
PEAS HAD BEEN SHELLED, IT CARRIED OUT THE HULLS.

IN THE FALL, THE APRON WAS USED TO BRING IN APPLES THAT HAD
FALLEN FROM THE TREES.

WHEN UNEXPECTED COMPANY DROVE UP THE ROAD, IT WAS SURPRISING 
HOW MUCH FURNITURE THAT OLD APRON COULD DUST IN A MATTER OF
SECONDS.

WHEN DINNER WAS READY, GRANDMA WALKED OUT ONTO THE PORCH, 
WAVED HER APRON, AND THE MEN KNEW IT WAS TIE TO COME IN FROM
THE FIELDS TO DINNER.

IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE SOMEONE INVENTS SOMETHING THAT
WILL REPLACE THAT 'OLD-TIME APRON' THAT SERVED SO MANY WORTH-
WHILE PURPOSES.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN APRON, CHECK OUT THESE APRONS.

It Didn't Look That Big. . . .!!

Years ago when Mr. Mouse and I were first married, we would go to the Christmas tree farm and choose our tree.  He always allowed me to choose the tree, and invariably when we got it home, it was huge.  My comment was always, "It didn't look that big in the field."

A few years ago, Mr. Mouse made me a table so that I could sew in the living room while watching the kids.  It wasn't pretty, but it was exactly what I needed.  It was the right height, really sturdy, and had casters so that it would move easily.  But as time passed, it became harder to move.  The amount of stuff I stored on it might have had a great deal to do with it, but also the casters just weren't rolling very easily.  So, I decided it was time to order new casters, more heavy duty casters.  Needless to say, I'm not a very good judge of size.  I found the set that I liked and ordered them.  They arrived yesterday, and Mr. Mouse opened the box and prepared to put them on the table.  Holy Shnikes!!! Those casters were huge.  Mr. Mouse wanted to know if I couldn't find a larger set.  I replied, "They didn't look that big online!"  And they didn't!

With the addition of these enormous casters, my table now is much higher that it was before.  I may need to use a booster seat to comfortably reach my sewing machine now, But at least that table will roll!

Life is Change

This is certainly the truth of life.  And today my life changes again.  For nearly 16 years I have provided day care for my grand kids while their parents worked.  It's been a wonderful experience - without regular hours.  I was available whenever I was needed, whether it be earlier than usual in the morning or later in the evening.   I have loved watching all of them grow up. It's been a learning experience.   I learned to cath Bubba and hook him up to IV meds when he came home from the hospital. I've learned to recognize the signs of a pending seizure, and what to do when it actually happened. I've learned to make "octopus hot dogs on a bed of sea weed".

We've made corn dog muffins.

We've made heart shaped pancake bites,

When they were all here in the summer, we had movie days where the lunch food coordinated with the movie we watched.  We did cotton candy on pixie sticks for "The Lorax".  They performed 'plays' for me.  They designed costumes.  

But today, a big change is happening.  Jake is starting kindergarten tomorrow.  His Mom took today off to spend the last day of summer vacation with the kids.  Yesterday, he kept hugging me (more than usual) and telling me that he's going to miss me.  When I reminded him that he will still be coming here after school, he replied, "wow, and we'll be smarter too."

To combat any sadness, I've been concentrating on the good things.  I will no longer have to watch children's programming all day long!  I will no longer have kids arguing over the Wii games!  There will be no  more battles over Minecraft games on their phones.(they are old phones that only play games).  But then again, my morning will not start off with hugs and kisses.  No one will ask me to open their drinks.  No one will help me fix lunch.  

And as I move on from what has been 'normal' for so long, I realize that Life is Change.  And I look forward to what the future holds.

Three Weeks and Counting Down

The next Mouse Family vacation is just three weeks away.  I feel like time is moving so fast, and I'm not near ready.  I've ordered some things off Amazon - a nightlight for in our room, a three-outlet surge protector with USB ports for charging our phones, new socks, a water bottle/misting fan, and eyeglass holders for Mr. Mouse's glasses when he rides coasters.  I make "touring cards" for the family.  These have our fast pass times, our meal times and confirmation numbers, and any other pertinent information.  Most of these are done, I just have a few more days to finish.  I also design and make Tip Envelopes for Mousekeeping, and they are done.

One of the things that we do is make our own shirts for the trip.  I like to design my own shirts and some for my family.  Here are some of the designs I did for this trip:

This is for our first day when we are doing the Star Wars Dessert Party

The Cheshire Cat is one of my favorite characters, and this was one of my Dad's favorite sayings.

I love Dory and sometimes I feel like I also have short term memory loss.

We always have so much fun with the Mad Hatter at 1900 Park Fare, and I'll wear this shirt to breakfast there.

The grandkids call me Fairy Grandmother because I try to make all their wishes come true!

I designed this one for my twins.

We can't really start to pack because we're still wearing our hot weather clothes.  I haven't done much sewing because I desperately need an eye exam which I have scheduled for Friday.  Have a good week.

What This Little Mouse is Up To

After finishing the Zip and Go bags in 4 fabrics, I have now decided to add to the wristlets.  So many have sold out and so I'm going to add some old and some new.  Currently, I've gotten two new Star Wars and two 101 Dalmation bags that I'm finishing up and they should be posted to the Etsy site by tomorrow afternoon.  After that, I have two Tinkerbelle and two Olaf bags that are ready to sew.  They should be posted by the end of the week.  After that, I'm planning on using some of the many new fabrics that I have purchased and not used.  Keep following - there's new items in the future.

New Items In the Mouse House

I have been really working, honest.  I got a fairly large order two weeks ago, and finished it on Tuesday night.  I had been working on some first aid roll ups. There's tissues, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, moleskin, Advil, and Pepto Bismal tablets.  I really love how these turned out, and think they would be great to carry in your bag to the parks.

Contents of each first aid roll ups

All rolled up and tied with a bow

Items stuffed into the pockets

Last weekend we went to a local animal park with my daughter's church group.  While we were eating our picnic lunch, one of the park employees walked by.  I was attracted to the shoulder bag she was carrying, and decided that I needed to make one of them.  I found the pattern, and started working on one after I finished the large order. The shoulder strap is fully adjustable, and the bag is fully lined.  Here's what they turned out like:

They are bigger than the wristlets, but smaller than the crossbody bag.  I can't wait to do some in other Disney fabrics.  You can find them here. 

Have a great weekend!

A Very Exciting Day

I love new things.  Even if they are old to others, they can be new to me.  I  love chocolate, especially chocolate milk.  Mr. Mouse has been buying me no fat or low fat chocolate milk.  And, I also love peanut butter.  Put chocolate milk with peanut butter, and I'm in heaven.  My first year in college, I practically lived on chocolate milk and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unfortunately, the extra 25 pounds that I went home with weren't so great!

I recently discovered that JIF, my favorite peanut butter, has a line of natural nut butters.  I love the almond butter.  I like to have a protein shake for breakfast; but unlike many others, I don't like mine thick or frozen.  Last Friday, I made my shake with chocolate milk, a large tablespoon of almond butter, and my protein powder.  OMG, it was heaven - like a chocolate covered almond in liquid form.  This morning's shake was with the chocolate milk and Jif Natural Peanut Butter (which hardly separates - a good thing).  Today, I'm excited about my new discovery.

I also love black olives - not the expensive ones at the deli counter, just the black ones in a can.  Friday, I discovered that Pearl makes Olives to Go.  Mr. Mouse found them at Walmart, and it made me so excited.  They are so good!

And now for the most exciting thing of all today.  We have a Disney trip booked for September of thi year.  And . . . . .  this morning Disney released free dining for select dates.  Our travel agent emailed me to let me know that we now have free dining for our trip.  It saved us $740, and saving money always excites me.  Have a good week.

New Items in My Life

I just love something new.  It makes me feel like Christmas.  Today I'm so excited about the fact that Spring seems to have arrived here in Western Pennsylvania.  I've been able to enjoy my back deck this week.  The fish in the pond are doing well, and we have several new babies. We bought 4 new water lilies, and I'm excited to see them bloom.  They're going into the pond today.  Mr. Mouse mowed the lawn over the weekend and the clover smelled wonderful.

We went to the Model Railroad on Thursday, and my mobility scooter died.  With my asthma and bad knees, I don't get around too well, and the scooter has provided me with freedom that I wouldn't have otherwise.  It was pretty old, so it's no crime.  Mr. Mouse and the Mousekids all advised me to get a new one.  So on Sunday, the new scooter was ordered.  It arrived today, and it's got the be the Rolls Royce of Scooters.  It has extra suspension to make for a smoother ride.  It has turn signals,a headlight and seat that adjusts like the seat in a car.  I will certainly be riding in style with this one.

And, finally, there are new water bottle holders on the etsy site.   I am a huge Star Wars fan, and had received an order for a Star Wars bottle holder.  The buyer is sending it to her grandson in Dubai.  

Have a great rest of the week.

Say Whaaat!!!

Today is April 8 - it's supposed to be spring.  My daffodils and forsythia are blooming. The lilacs have buds on them.  Signs of spring, right?  But just wait a second.  We woke up here in western Pennsylvania to snow - yep, two inches of snow.  Is Mother Nature having a bout with menopause?  If so, where are the hot flashes.  But life must go on.

Mr. Mouse is a train collector.  He has a layout in a room in the basement, and it's a work in progress.  Since these photos were taken, he has added a Boy Scout camp area and a waterfall and lake.  Next weekend is the Eastern Division Train Collector's Show in York, PA.  We always attend, and this year is no exception.  It's always a fun weekend for us - time away, no phones, just us.

This year, the show happens to fall on Tax Weekend.  This is a big plus for you.  While we're away, you are the big winners.  We are offering a 10% discount on purchases from The Frozen Mouse if you enter the coupon TaxMan16 in the box for coupon codes when you check out.  Hope this discount can ease some of your tax pain.  Have a great weekend.

April Fool's Day

I've never been a big fan of April Fool's pranks.  I think it's because of the worst prank that I ever fell for.  I was a freshman at Clarion University, and very naive.  I awoke early to make it to my 8:00 am class, and, still half asleep,  trudged to the bathroom.  These were the "olden days" when you had one bathroom per floor.  There were several stalls and showers, but you shared with every room on the floor.  I went into a stall, sat down and proceeded to tinkle.  Some sick individual had stretched plastic wrap across the toilet under the seat.  I woke up in a big hurry when I realized what was happening.  I was so angry - now I needed a shower.  Needless to say, I didn't make that class and my entire day was ruined.  I became a walking, scowling grump!

Enough of April Fool's Day.  I've been working on items for the etsy shop.  I made 4 wristlets with the polka dot Mickey heads.  They've been really popular since the Disney Fashionista featured them on her blog on March 12.  I'd never heard of the Disney Fashionista, but am now a follower of her blog.  Check out her blog and if you comment, tell her The Frozen Mouse sent you.

I also just finished 4 wristlets out of a fun, new fabric.  It's the wallpaper from The Haunted Mansion.  I love them.  

I'm going to make a couple of chemo caps for one of my daughters' friends.  Her mother will be starting chemo in the next few days, and Brittany is putting together a Chemo Survival Kit for her.  

My next project after that will be portable first aid kits.  These will be perfect for camping, sporting events, and of course, touring the Frozen Mouse's favorite parks.  Have a great weekend.

The Mouse Returns

The Frozen Mouse is coming out of hibernation!  Unlike Pennsylvania's groundhog, it takes me a little longer to emerge from my "winter sleep".  I can't believe that my last post was in September, 2015.

I've gotten a lot of new Disney fabrics.  I haven't used most of them, so I'm getting into gear.  I'm cutting back on game playing big time (it's such an addiction), and spending more time at the sewing machine.

I've starting making some cross body bags.  These are two that are currently in stock.

I have also obtained some Haunted Mansion fabric, and need to decide what to make with it.  Stop by to see the new items that are now in the store.

The Frozen Mouse Has Returned

Yes, the Frozen Mouse (FM) has returned from a 7 day vacation to Walt Disney World.  Let me say, first off, that I will NEVER make another trip to Florida in September again!!!  The heat and humidity were almost unbearable for this FM, who doesn't handle the heat well to begin with.

Our first day began with a 7:00 am flight, which arrived in Orlando at 9:00 am.  Our twin daughters took Magical Express with all our bags, and my Mr. Mouse and I headed to pick up our rental car.  It was a Ford Taurus, a hybrid.  Our personal car is a Ford C-Max which is also a hybrid.  We had not been notified that our room was ready, so we headed to Magic Kingdom to meet up with another of our daughters and her family.  FM has really bad knees, and uses her own personal scooter, also known as an ECV.  It was the first problem of the day.  Although we knew that the scooter was fully charged, it had no power.  As my granny would say, it's "get up and go had got up and went".  I've never liked the TTC; but when Mr. Mouse has to push the scooter to get it up the ramps, it makes me irritable.  We had a pleasant day with the three girls, the two grandkids, and Jimmy (the son-in-law who is a natural born comedian.  No matter what the problem, Jimmy finds a way to brighten the day. We all had lunch together at Columbia Harbour House, one of my favorite places to eat in Magic Kingdom.  We visited the Hall of Presidents, air conditioned and as the girls say, a great day to take a a nap.  And then we walked across the street to the handicapped viewing area to watch the 3:00 parade.  We met Gaston, posed for photos and got autographs. We went to see Philharmagic, one of my favorite shows.  As I'm writing this, I just realized that I didn't get to the Big Top Souvenir store, another of my favorites. Not only do they have great souvenirs, but they sell incredible caramel apples and fudge.

Mr. Mouse, the twins and I had reservations for dinner at Be Our Guest.  Usually when we eat there, we are seated in the West Wing, but this year we ate for the first time in the grand ballroom.

We were seated down near the windows at the end of the room, and you could sit and watch it snowing in the windows.  It was very beautiful, but also very noisy.  We didn't eat too much because we were scheduled for the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party.  We arrived around 8 p.m. and were welcomed with a champagne flute of apple cider.  So far, so good.  The tables were beautiful -

but they were soo close together.  Once I was at the table, Mr. Mouse had to move my scooter out of the way, and my chair was tight against the rope that separated the dining area from the food restocking area.  In order for the people at the table next to us to get up to go to the buffet, Mr. Mouse had to stand up and slide his chair in to give them room to pass.  The desserts were mediocre at best.  The cannoli were soggy on the bottom, the chocolate covered strawberries were mushy in the middle, and the canteloupe was hard. Without the scooter, I had to depend on the rest of my party to get my desserts.  The selection of beverages were also limited.  I chose milk, because I couldn't see having hot chocolate in 90 degree weather.  And for this we paid $50/person!  The view of the fireworks was amazing, but I don't think it was worth the $200 for the four of us.  The dessert party was probably the biggest disappointment of our trip.  

We had reserved a room with a roll in shower.  We got back to our room after the dessert party to find that our room did not have a roll in shower. We had been up since 3:15 that morning, and I didn't feel like fighting for a shower, so I adapted the Scarlett O'Hara attitude. I'll think about it tomorrow.

Tomorrow - Day 2

Getting Closer

As of today, we are 29 days out from our next trip to Walt Disney World.  I'm getting more excited by the day, but I have so much to get done in the next month.

I've been working on designing tip envelopes for Mousekeeping. and am pleased with what I have so far.  I think I've done a total of 10 envelopes, although I only need six.  I also decided to do some cast member thank you cards.  These are examples of two that I've done.

I've also been sewing, and have finished two new wristlets - One themed Beauty and the Beast, and the other is a Bright Pink Floral with Minnie Mouse.  After a quick clean up of my sewing area, I've going to start a couple of cross-body bags with a Disney theme.  Check out the shop.

What a Mom Won't Do For Her Kids

Daughter Mary and her family are huge fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Jimmy jokes that he's caught more baseballs at games than he has caught fish in his lifetime.  We're talking serious fans here!

When Mary discovered that MLB had released approved fabrics for the teams she asked if I would make her a wristlet (she would order the fabric).  I said sure, I've made dozens of the wristlets that you see in my Etsy shop and figured it wouldn't take much time at all.  The fabric is really impressive. And before I had a chance to start on the wristlet, Mary looked at me with her big brown eyes and in her sweetest voice said, "What I'd really like to have is a cross body hipster similar to my Vera Bradley one."  How does a mom say no?   I've yet to figure that out.  I had a pattern for a cross body hipster that I bought from Dog Under My Desk, but always figured it was to difficult.  But for my daughter . . . .  So I printed out the pattern, and started working on the bag.  I spent one day just cutting out the pattern, the main fabric, the lining, and the interfacing.  Tuesday, I fused all the interfacings onto the fabric, and double checked that I had all the pieces.  I also hunted out the zippers and prepared them for the bag.  Today I started to sew the bag.  I have the outside done and it's ready to attach the straps.  Tomorrow, I will make the lining and hopefully finished the bag.

I don't think it looks too bad for my first try.  The second bag will most likely be less difficult and go faster.  It's been interesting, and I have to admit, it's been fun.  But don't tell Mary, I want her to think it was a difficult task of love!

Some of My Favorite Disney Food . . . Ooh It's So Good!

Since I'm not a roller coaster fan, I spend most of my time at the shows around the park and thinking about the food.  One of our must-do places to eat on every trip is the Kona Cafe located in the Polynesian Resort.  Most of the people in our party love the steaks there, but I'm more of a chicken person.

On the one occasion that we had lunch there, I got the Polynesian Plate lunch.  It was coconut chicken with sticky rice and macaroni salad.  I loved the macaroni salad and the chicken, but didn't eat the rice.  When we go for dinner, I have to order the pork pot stickers, and I do get the steak for dinner. The pot stickers are served with a ginger sauce, and although I'm not a big fan of ginger, I like this sauce.  And the banana-chocolate creme brulee is to die for.  

Another of our favorite places to eat is the Captain's Grille at the Yacht Club Resort.  On our last visit, I ordered their gnocchi appetizer. They are house made potato-cheese gnocchi served with toasted walnuts, julienne pears and truffle butter.  I thought it was food for the gods!

For my entree, I chose the snow crab legs served with new potatoes and corn on the cob.  The crab legs nearly covered the plate, and that was OK by me.  

So there you have my selections from two of our favorite dining places.  More picks in another post.

Beating the Heat

We are preparing for our next Disney vacation, which will be in September.  September is certainly NOT my favorite month to travel to Florida, but we got preferred rooms at Riverside with free dining. So it was a no-brainer that we would go then.  We plan to leave the day before Labor Day, so Rod will only have to use 4 days vacation as we return home Saturday evening.  Now I just have to figure out some ways to beat the heat.

Let me just say that I have never been in a pool at Walt Disney World.  Because of my weight, I am embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit.  I do have one, I just never pack it.  The twins have tried to convince me that this year, since I will probably never see the people who see me at the pool, I need to pack that suit.  I'm thinking on that.  I do have to admit though, that it would be nice to relax in some clear, cool water in the afternoon heat.  So, maybe,

I've made some neck coolers, which I may put on my Etsy site.  They are made of cotton and are filled with polymer crystals.  You soak them in water overnight, and the polymer crystals swell and when you put them around your neck, they really do help to keep you cool.

 I also want to purchase a cooling mist fan - it's a spray bottle with a fan attached.  This one is available at Walmart.  I'm thinking that I might need to figure out a pattern for a holder that I can hang on the handles of my scooter.

My favorite way to keep cool in the parks is to visit the indoor shows that are air conditioned.  In Magic Kingdom, it's that Hall of Presidents; in EPCOT, it's the American Adventure. Both of these are great places to sit and cool off, and Rod and the twins can attest that they are both great places to catch a short nap.  I know that a lot of people don't care for the Living with the Land ride in EPCOT, but I love it.  Not only is it a nice cool boat ride, but you get a chance to see some really innovative ways that Disney is growing vegetables.

Have a great weekend, and keep cool.

Sometimes Revisions Must Be Made

I was so proud of the Busy Buddies that I had made and listed on my Etsy shop.  But after my grandkids played with them, I felt that they just weren't what I wanted. The pencils kept falling out, and my grandson had trouble with the loop and button.  So I searched for other ideas and modified them to fit what I wanted.  Now, the new ones, which I call Crayon Wallets are in the shop.  They are more compact, and there is room for a 6" ruler in addition to the crayons, notepad and pencil that were in the former ones.

I'm more pleased with them, and they are "grand kid approved".

I want to make 4 quilt blocks for the quilt along that I joined, and then I'll get on to my next project.