Another 5AM morning

I really need to figure out why this cat needs to be up at 5AM every morning.  And I really need to find out why he has to get me up with him!  I still have those “Mother of teenage boys ears” and hear everything that creeps around at night.  I most certainly hear Mufasa galloping around the house…. he runs from the office in the back of the house, down the hallway, all around the kitchen into the living room, up the stairs and then does the whole thing in reverse… at TOP speed. 

Fortunately I went back to sleep when his 5AM run was over, and slept until the second round, which was immediately after John left for work at 7AM.  So I was up early for me, went to the grocery store, and now have the rest of the day to sew… if the porch doesn’t get too hot. 

Sandi in CT wanted to know what I was working on…. I can’t reveal that yet, but I think I’m going to call it Duck Hunt… maybe

Anybody know what day it is?

I certainly don’t, LOL!  I’ve been busy updating all the appropriate web pages thinking it was the end of the month.  I updated the 2011Projects page, the Photo BOM index and the main BOM index and as I was working on updating my UFO list the phone rang….

It was one of my quilter friends who wanted to know what I was doing.  I told her, and she laughed at me.  She asked me if I knew what day it was, and I assured her I did, it’s Wednesday June 30.  She told me to look at my calendar… well I was half right wasn’t I, doesn’t that count? 

SO.. the web pages are all updated, a day early, and now I’m going to sew. 

Another Mufasa day

At 5AM Tuesday morning Mufasa wanted to do laundry… or at least he wanted to get in the laundry closet.  He clawed and clawed until he woke me up and I chased him away.  He was back at it as soon as I went back to sleep, so I gave up and opened the door… he inspected then wandered off.  Later I realized the wind probably was blowing against the vent, making a noise he had to check on…. Or so I thought. 

He was good all day long, curled up out here on the porch and watching while I sewed, looking up every time I moved from machine to ironing board until he had the routine down and fell asleep.  He greeted John happily when he came home from work, and then again every time John went and out.  (I think he’s planning his escape) 

I got some sewing done, and some writing.. I’m working on the retreats project, something I think the ladies will like, fun and easy.  I had an idea for one of my own samples and got busy working on that too. 

First photo taken with new phone, not great but OK. 

Later in the evening John was watching TV and Mufasa was too…  sort of.

This morning at 5AM again Mufasa wanted to check the laundry closet…. Note to self… open laundry closet before going to bed every night. 

Mufasa adventure begins



Mufasa Nov 2008

Remember this little fellow?  

Well he’s turned into a huge guy, and he’s come to live with us for a few months.  Mike has moved to Maryland and started a new job in Virginia, and is temporarily living in his future mother-in-law’s basement.  (At least until the wedding when Mike and Kelly hope to find a place of their own somewhere between her job in Rockville MD and his in Sterling VA.)  Since that home has two cats already, Mufasa has come here to live.

Yesterday before his move, he escaped from the trailer and was missing for hours.  He finally showed up all covered in cob webs and dirt and was packed up and brought here.  He did fine last night, and I never heard him until John was up getting ready for work this morning.  After John left Mufasa went back to bed and was still there when I left the house to run errands at 11.  However he was waiting for me at the door when I came in, loudly demanding to know where I had run off to.   

He followed me everywhere I went after that.  When I was in the living room he made himself at home on the quilt chair, and when I was out here on the porch he took up hummingbird watching duty.   

So far so good, let’s hope it continues.

Get over it!

Sorry friends, I am just not blogging every day… I will try to do better

Right now I am fighting quilters block.  Well not really block, more like indecision.  I have too many choices and can’t decide what to do next.

I have 41 UFOs, none that interest me in finishing this very minute. 

I have plenty of untested patterns, I can’t decide which one to try next.

I have a ton of fabric, I can’t decide what I want to use up next. 

Yesterday I closed the designer in me and spent a whole day without doing anything quilted related.  I read a book cover to cover and enjoyed my lazy day. 

As for my block or indecision, I will get over it, eventually. 

I just forgot, honest!

Kathy wanted to know what the heck was wrong with me, I’d missed two days in a row.  Why I have no idea, I just forgot to post.  I posted twice on Monday, doesn’t that count for anything? 

Let’s see, what did I do… Tuesday I sewed all day, on my possible BOMs.  OH… this may explain why I forgot to post… I got into a good book on Tuesday night and read it from cover to cover.  It was called Life’s a Beach by Claire Cook, I downloaded it from Barns and Noble. 
 
Yesterday was a day out of the house.  My sister-in-law was having some dental work done in Dover so I volunteered to drive her.  We left early and the dental work was quick, and she was feeling no pain, so we did some sightseeing.  We went to Port Mahon to see what we could find… not much this time of year, but there was an osprey in her nest with two chicks and Dad was feeding them.  Interesting  and fun to watch.  We did a few other side roads coming south and had a nice time. 

John and I went out to dinner to make up for the lousy lunch we had on our anniversary, TGIF, where we knew there would be food we liked, and we did.  My burger was yummy and I was so full that I couldn’t eat my dessert… neither could John, two pieces of cheese cake in the frig for tonight’s dessert. 

Today I plan to finish sample #2… I have the blocks laid out and have one row finished so I’m getting off of here to finish the rest! Maybe a photo later, maybe not…

Discombobulated

Discombobulated ....I think that describes today… the whole day has been totally discombobulated.  First the weather spoiled our beach plans.  Then the realtor called, no sale.  Then we went out to lunch at a fancy smancy place in town and neither John or I were happy with our meals.  I sent mine back, he ate half of his.  The manager came over and offered us a free dessert, and she meant just that “”A” as in one… the blueberry pie was good but it would have been a lot better if I didn’t have to share. 

Got home and there was a troubling letter in the mail from the IRS, infernal revenue service.  My tummy is still complaining about lunch so there is no way we can do dinner and John goes back to his lovely job tomorrow…. Perhaps will we celebrate our anniversary later. 

At lunch John asked if I thought we’d come far in our lives together.  We’ve gone far, that’s for sure, all over the USA and Europe too.  And we’ve gone further in debt.  When we got married I was only making payments on our bed and rent was $85 a month.  But I wouldn’t change a thing… well except many the sale of the trailer, I would have liked that to go through.  Yes, I’ve had 41derful years with him, and I love him just as much today as I did the day we were married.
 

We are responsible

If your weather is like ours today, John and I are responsible.  See.... we made plans for today, we were going to play tourist and take a day at the beach.  We haven’t been to the beach together in years, so today was going to be the day.  We were going to play in the sand, sit in our chairs under our beach umbrellas slathered in sunscreen and gawk at the ocean and people. 

We’d need another kind of umbrella today, and I think the sand would be a little too soggy for me.  But we can’t complain too much, we desperately needed this rain and a whole lot more. 

So what are we going to do for our 41st anniversary…  we haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know. 

Almost!

Today I came close to winning the lottery.  Let me explain, I normally don’t play.  However I recently found my Father’s wallet which was given to me at the hospital when he passed away nine years ago.  I remember going through it looking for anything important, destroying his one and only credit card.  The only other thing in it was $30 something in cash.  I stuck the wallet in a drawer and forgot about it. 

A few weeks ago I found it again and decided it was time to spend Dad’s last money.  I decided I would buy four lottery tickets for every Powerball drawing until the money was gone.  Any little winnings would go back to buying more tickets. 

The first week I won $13, so I bought more tickets.  Then I won another $7 and bought more tickets. 

Today on Father’s Day I had five winning numbers!  According to the Powerball web site, five numbers would win $200,000. 

What a pity the five numbers are spread out over all four tickets!

Why I haven’t posted

Early Friday morning the realtor called and she had an offer on the trailer. Not a good one, but it was an offer. I discussed it with the guys, the two who did all the work making it a livable and decent place to live, the two who think we should be asking a million bucks for it… and they had mixed feelings about the offer.

We put the trailer on the market at $34,900 at the end of April. I lowered the price to $29,900 last week after Mike found a job in Virginia and pretty much ended the need for a place to live over here. The offer was way below what we wanted and they wanted the furniture, which was not included in the sale… Mike and Kelly need furniture in their future home and don’t have a lot of money to buy new…. Truthfully they don’t have any money, wedding and all.

So I countered and said they could keep all but one bed, which is brand new and just bought for the bride and groom. The realtor went back to the buyers and they decided they wanted to look at it again…. Understandable….

We cleaned some, emptied the closets, which was on the schedule anyway since Mike is moving next week, and brought Mufasa Kitty here for the day…

And we waited what seemed like an eternity for the realtor to call us….

Finally she did, and said they were concerned about the age of the heat pump, it’s original, and were going home to think about it. Home by the way, is Lancaster County PA, imagine that.

So I’m still holding my breath and hoping someone takes it soon… we don’t need it anymore and we sure could use the money.

Now I have to figure out how I can sew with the kitty in the house who likes to get into everything and be on top of everything you are doing…

More sewing

I worked on the second sample today, getting a few more blocks done.  I am finding it’s a good thing I am checking them, I’ve found a few things I’d like to change. 

And honestly I am skeptical that this is a good candidate for future BOMs… I think it’s an OK project for people who like this kind of quilt, but just not the right thing as a BOM.   I’ll let the group give me their honest opinions when I show it to them.  If anyone on there wants to do it I will give them the pattern… but I think this will just be a “for me” pattern.  Maybe… maybe not.  Time will tell.

For Better or For Worse?

When I read this morning's comic it made my mind jump back many many years to eighth grade.  My teacher’s name was Mrs Roach… yes that was really her name.  She didn’t like me, and I knew that from day one in her classroom.  She treated me like I was an alien child from Mars.  I was an extremely well behaved alien.  I sat in the front of the room so she could keep an eye on me, I was always asked the hardest questions, and I was never chosen for any good stuff, like being #1 in line.  I was so happy to finish 7th grade and be done with Mrs Roach. 

On day one of eighth grade I knew I was in trouble… my teacher was the one and only Mrs Roach.  Nothing changed, she went out of her way to make me miserable.  My personal life was hell and so was school… my only escape was graduation then summer and I couldn’t wait for it to start.  I couldn’t wait for graduation and to be free of Mrs Roach.   

After graduation my brother and I went to the beach to live with my Grandmother for the summer as we had most of my life.  One day since I had enough money to get in I was spending the day at the Steel Pier.  I loved going to the movies and the shows, and did it as often as I could.  It was a big part of my summer every year. 

This one day I was there I walked around a corner and there were ALL of the girls from my 8th grade class, every single one of them.  We laughed at running into each other and giggled and talked and then… Mrs Roach was there.  She had brought ALL of the girls to the Pier for a graduation gift…. all of them but one, me.  And just who did they happen to run into while there, the outcast, me, all by myself having the time of my life.  Even as an immature 8th grader, almost a high schooler, I could tell she was embarrassed.  She said she didn’t know how to get in touch with me…  funny since she always knew how to call my Grandmother when she wanted to complain about something for two years in school. 

And I graciously put her right in her place… I said something like this was no big deal for me, I practically lived at the Pier and was there all the time.  They all went their way and I went into the nearest ladies room I could find and had a good cry.  Life’s lessons are sometimes hard and cruel, and that was Mrs Roach.  She was no Mrs. Hardacre.

Yesterday and today

Yesterday I finished the first project.  I really do like it and I sure hope other people do too. 

Today I didn't sew, but I did some quilting related stuff, does that count? I printed all the patterns so I can follow them like other people will and find mistakes if there are any left. I went upstairs and took back all the big pieces of fabric I brought down for the first project.  And I pulled and brought down more for the next quilt. And I swept the floor of all the clippings and threads from the last three projects I did.... sure was a lot, I'm amazed at what the fans threw on the floor.

Super Sunday

Why super? Because I can say I am almost done my secret project… well the first sample of it anyway. All of my blocks are done and I’ve started putting the quilt together. It’s cute, at least I think so. My plan is to finish this sample, and then make another one… and then I will show it off. If enough people like it, I will make it my 2012 BOM… and if not, I know they will make great charity quilts and I know who I’m going to send them to.

Dreary day

Thunder woke me up early this morning, and rumbled around for several hours before it moved on.  Not a drop of rain came from all the racket, at least not in our neighborhood.  We are under severe drought conditions in most areas of the county.   

Since I was up early I started work early on my secret project.  I remade two blocks, my way of checking my written directions.  I like those two so much that I made two of each. 

Then the thunder started again, first off in a distance and gradually getting closer and closer.  Radar showed rain in the clouds and sure enough it has started raining.  Right now it’s just a light shower… I hope there is more up there to come down. 

Are you going to show what you are making?

That was an email I got this AM from a lady who says she reads my blog every day. I thought I’d said that I would show the project when finished, but then thought no, I wanted to keep it a secret until the end, and then had to go back and read what I’d wrote so I knew for sure. I never said either way.

I just started these blocks on Monday and I have 11 finished blocks. Since I don’t have any patterns it’s a complicated process but so much fun. I draw the block in Electric Quilt, then make a sample based on the EQ drawing. Then I tweak the EQ if needed and then take all the notes I wrote while making the block and put them in Word.

I am also taking photos of each step in each block to use as my diagrams. The EQ block and my finished block sometimes don’t look anything alike, and my photos will show each step exactly as I did it, better than the usual EQ drawings.

So I have 11 blocks done but not all will go in my quilt. And I have more to make, and I have to decide how I want to lay them out. And then I will show something, but probably not all the blocks, just a teaser to get people interested.


In the meantime, here’s a snapshot of some of the fabrics I am using.

Another block finished!

Moving right along, and still thoroughly enjoying these blocks. I really want to put the quilt together, but I still have a few more blocks to make first.

It’s another scorcher out there today, my deck reads 100 and that’s in the shade. I have the fans going and I am comfortable, thankful for a working AC.

Hot Wednesday

I was up past midnight last night and I actually got some work done. I wrote two new BOM patterns based on what I “thought” the cuttings would be.

This morning when I could trust myself to rotary cut I tested the patterns. I did OK in guessing what cuts should be, and only had a few little changes. I did two new blocks today, tweaked the patterns for both, adding photos as graphics. I’m really enjoying these blocks and can’t wait to put them together into a quilt.

I have realized that perhaps these blocks are a wee bit small, so when I get these all done, I will start over again with the same thing only larger.

I have a group of ladies who are willing to test for me and I sure hope they enjoy them as much as I am.

Photo today is a portulaca we were given as a gift. I love the yellow flowers.

Wacky Tuesday

Guess there isn’t a song for that, probably a good thing. My day started off strange and it kept right on that way. AC maintenance man was to be here sometime between 8 and 5 today, and he showed up at 7:35. I was still in the shower, but fortunately John had over slept so he was just leaving the house when the guy showed up.

Little bit of lighthouse work came in this morning’s email, got that done while the guy was here making sure we stayed cool all summer. Then I started another BOM for the new series, got the block done and the pattern written. Was going to make a second block but it was quitting time. 9 hours of work is enough for one day.

Mike came here when he got off work, more serious talking about his future, jobs in the MD/VA area and living over there and lots more. After he left we had dinner and John went to check on Pop and Arden, both are fine.

And now it’s almost Wednesday and I am wide awake… dang prednisone again. Don’t think I will sew though, not that awake!

Monday Monday… so good to me

Monday morning was all I hoped it would be.. ba da, ba da da da (Laughing wildly at word trying to auto correct that… bad a bad a dad a )

Yesterday I finished my sample for the summer mystery and went right to work on a new BOM… Well I did clean up the summer mystery fabrics, taking all the left overs except binding fabrics back upstairs. And while up there I pulled some scraps and little bits to work on samples for a new BOM series.

I’ve had this idea in the back of my head for a while, and for reasons which I can’t quite explain right this minute, I knew I had to start it now. Yesterday while it was still cool I started the first block. This morning I wrote the pattern and made a second block following the pattern.

After some chores I started the second block, made a sample, wrote the pattern and made a second sample. I like the second block even better than first one, although they both are cute.

So now I am moving on to the third block, except I can’t decide which one I want to do next, or which fabric to use with it.

I’m having way too much fun!

Summer mystery is finished!

I have made two samples, tweaked the pattern until I think it is perfect and it is ready to go. If you would like to get in on it, please join our Fabricaholics Anonymous group for just this one mystery.

OR if you really like participating in mystery quilts, join Mysteries For Relay. In exchange for a $5 donation for one mystery, or $30 for a whole year’s worth, I present at least six mysteries a year. The summer mystery will be Mystery #20 and I have five lined up for the future, and at least a dozen in the works. (Really lots more!)

NOW… I have an idea for a new kind of BOM which I want to work on so that will be my next project.

Good intentions

I had good intentions when I got up this morning, finish sample 2. I was feeling a little better and was pretty sure I had it in me. However, other things happened which interrupted my day totally.

First, good news, Arden is home from the hospital. Her back surgery was Thursday and I’m amazed she is home already. Nurse Pop is taking care of her nicely. When she came home they wanted help going in the house, but honestly… she didn’t need me. There were prescriptions to be filled, so I was off to the pharmacy to do just that. The pharmacist said it would be about 15 to 20 minutes, but other customers kept interrupting it so it took more than a half hour.

While I was there the realtor called, someone wanted to look at the trailer. I called Mike, he’s in Maryland job interviewing, and asked him how the place looked… typical young male, he said it was fine, except… the bed in the back bedroom wasn’t made and there was a basket of laundry on the dryer.

After delivering the drugs I headed over to the trailer and made the bed, even though the bed spread was still slightly damp (and the dryer full so I couldn’t dry it). I also took a quick sweep of the floor, dusted just a little (needs a lot more) and opened all the blinds.

I came home to sew… but John came in from a Lighthouse trip and we had to catch up. Then I sat down to sew and decided I needed to really clarify something in the pattern, how to sew blocks together, and that needed a new diagram. And diagrams from the wrong side showing all the seam allowances take time… too much time. But I did it and now it’s done and now it’s almost dinner time.

I have one row together.

Yesterday and today

Yesterday.. it wasn’t as hot as it had been the days before, but it wasn’t “normal” either. We had wind gusts all day long, kicking up the dust and pollen.

Yesterday I didn’t sew much, I'm having a flare up. And oddly what I did sew was wrong, so while I relaxed in the recliner last night I was reverse sewing, rip rip rip.

Today it is beautifully cooler, only 62 out there now at almost 9:15AM. It’s so nice out side I have some windows open. Only some because I don’t have the strength to open any more. I have one open here on the porch and am enjoying listening to the birds singing and the wind chimes clanging.

These are pretty chimes, their song is magical.. They are “Music of the Spheres” chimes and their music compliments nature. I love wind chimes, and if I didn’t have neighbors would have them all over my yard. However out of respect to my neighbors, and my husband who doesn’t exactly love them as much as I do, I only have three outside.

Upstairs in the sewing room I have wind chimes hanging in front of the air vent. They are shells and make a very magical ring when the fan blows. Here in my downstairs sewing room a.k.a. the back porch I have five sets of chimes, but only two get to sing. I have a West Minister Chime which gently rings when the AC blows. The other one is solar powered, and will ring after it builds up enough energy to turn the chimer. I wish they were more musical, I’d face them right in the sun. But they are kind of tinny so they face away from the light.

Well I’d best get started on my sewing while I have the energy, maybe by some miracle I can finish this sample today.

Still hot

Yep, heat wave continues. This morning we had clouds but the temperature shot up despite them. Looked like rain, which we desperately need, but all we got was more heat.

So I’m taking advantage of it and staying inside and sewing. I have a beautiful view of the back yard, can watch all the birds, and even get to see baby praying mantis adventuring out in the world. I tried to get a photo of one this morning, but it was so small the camera couldn’t focus on it!