Delaware Quilts

Mission accomplished!

2012-01-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

I finished all three bindings that I set out to do today. Quilt #3 is my Just Squares sample, one of the Mysteries For Relay. The pattern is for sale on my pattern page. I’ve made two of these, and this one is my favorite so far. (I have fabric for a third one set aside)

So this dreary day turned into a very productive one! Tomorrow, who knows!

Interruptions

2012-01-27T14:40:00.001-05:00

Had to do some retreat work, I was negotiating about future retreats. That’s all done now, as well as the one load of laundry. And one more quilt too. But I’m not going to show you this one yet, you will have to wait till I do my monthly report next week.

But for now I’m calling it quits for the day. I’ve had enough. Time to do something new!

Reporting in

2012-01-27T10:30:00.003-05:00

One Quilt Finished!!

And one load of laundry, LOL!

Today’s forecast

2012-01-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

Dreary with a chance of finishes!

What else can I do on a dreary day like this? I have three little quilts, one a UFO and two still WIPs, which are sitting here next to me waiting to have the bindings finished. Since it is such a dark and dreary day, I think I will just sit right in this chair and do some hand work. When my fingers start complaining I’ll do some other work and get back to those bindings as soon as possible!

Stay tuned…..

Strange predicament

2012-01-26T13:41:00.000-05:00

I came upstairs to start a new quilt. This one is not one of my charity projects for this year, but a sample for an upcoming mystery. I kind of know what I am making, but I was trying very hard to choose fabrics like I had no idea what I was making. I accomplished that after about an hour of pulling fabrics from the shelves, putting them back, pulling more, trying this with that and so on. I finally decided on three fabrics, a white-on-white, a light purple and a dark purple. (Yea imagine that, another purple quilt)

This could be a mystery to me really, since I wrote this pattern when I was unable of sewing back in 2009. I had quite a few ladies who tested the pattern for me, and have quilts and blocks to show for their work. However, I have not looked at them, I’ve only looked at the pattern as I will be presenting it to the group.

So I followed my own mystery directions very carefully. The directions say “You may use three different colors for this mystery, or three different values of the same color. If you choose to use three different colors, you will want them to contrast with each other.” OK, done.

Moving on I decided what size I would make… that took another half hour. I don’t need another purple bed quilt, I don’t need another bed quilt period. I could make this and donate it to a charity, good idea. So I can make it a lap quilt, suitable for someone in a wheelchair, or someone undergoing treatments, just something to keep someone warm.

Next step, pre-cutting. So I press all the fabric neatly. Can’t work with shelf wrinkled material can I? Ironing done.

And I go over to the cutting table… ready to cut…. And I don’t want to make this quilt any more. Not now at least. I have no idea why… but something is keeping me from making that first cut.

So I’m going downstairs to do some hand work.

Today’s accomplishments

2012-01-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

Today went much better than yesterday, not nearly as many distractions. Of course I have no idea what we’re having for dinner, but I got a lot of sewing done! I totally finished quilting both heart quilts and got the bindings put on part way. Now I have some hand work to do to finish them up. But they are small quilts so that shouldn’t be a problem, if my fingers cooperate.

I had a companion in the sewing room most of the afternoon, Mufasa just didn’t want to be alone downstairs. First he tried to get into trouble, exploring places he hasn’t been in yet. Of course I kept reminding him “No” and most of the time he understood what that meant. He still really wants to jump up on the dresser to see what is there, but quickly jumps down when I say “NO!” I thought he’d gone downstairs, given up on exploring, but found him sleeping in the sun coming in the front window. He was so comfy there he didn’t want to come downstairs with me when I was finished.

Now to get to that handwork, I have six days to finish so I’d better get busy!

I wonder if anyone else is making hearts quilts for charity along with me?

Not much done today.....

2012-01-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

I started off the day sewing, quilting one of my heart quilts. Then all of a sudden I remembered that my hair dresser was headed to Florida next month, and if I didn’t get my hair cut before she left I would be quite shaggy by time we could get together again at the end of March. So I called and was lucky enough to get in today.

After my haircut, short to last a while, I went to the grocery store and then home. John had been asking for spaghetti and meat balls, so today I baked a batch of meatballs, froze enough for five meals, and had spaghetti and meat balls for dinner.

It was beautifully sunny and unusually warm, so I took a little walk, exploring the yard mostly. I was amazed to find daffodils with big fat buds on them, and a few crocuses that looked like they would pop open any second. (Forgot to go look and see if they did, I’ll try to remember tomorrow)

Tomorrow I hope to get back to my quilting, the end of the month is creeping up on me!

Today’s progress

2012-01-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

I finished the not so ugly hearts top and pin basted it. I pin basted the ABC hearts and have them 3/4 of the way quilted. I also did two loads of laundry and worked a little bit on the next mystery, which doesn’t come up until the end of March.

I think that’s pretty good progress for a pretty gloomy day. Anyone seen the sun lately? Been so long since we saw it I’m starting to forget what it looks like.

Odd...

2012-01-23T14:35:00.002-05:00

Last night Mufasa was in a different kind of mood, one I haven’t seen before. After we went to bed he meowing in the saddest tone I’ve ever heard from a cat. It didn’t sound like he was in pain, but odd enough I had to get up from my warm bed and go check on him. He was sitting in his favorite corner of the couch, just sitting there meowing. I sat down next to him and he quieted down. I petted him until he started to purr and we just sat there together until my eyes started to close and I got up and went to bed.

This morning Kelly had to put down her other kitty, Freckles, who was 21 years old. She was a happy kitty right up to the last few days, and it was her time.

If these two events had anything to do with each other I don’t know. But Mufasa was certainly feeling someone’s hurt and needed company. I was happy to give it to him.

Another finish and an almost

2012-01-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

Another dreary day here, so I spent some time in the sewing room. Last fall the retreaters brought fat quarters they thought were ugly to the retreats and we/I made a few charity quilts with them. I also pulled out some FQs I thought I could use in a project, and today I started the second one. I have 16 heart blocks finished using some so called uglies… I can’t wait to show everyone how lovely they look now.

And last night I finished another UFO…. Almost a year in the making, started on 1/26/11 and finished.. well last night, LOL! It was my second sample for Mystery # 18, Just Squares. This sample really doesn’t do the pattern justice, so I think I’ll finish my first sample next, all it needs is the binding!

A finish

2012-01-21T09:09:00.001-05:00

Happy to say my hands finally finished something, LOL! They don’t work very well, and a certain cat doesn’t help either, trying to climb in my lap all the time. But despite it all, I finished a small UFO list night. Small but colorful, and I like it. I think I’ll put this one up for sale, I need some quilting money. If I can get some larger quilts quilted then I will have more hand work to do… endless cycle!

TGIF.....

2012-01-20T15:48:00.000-05:00

OK it is Friday, end of the week and ten more days to go in the January project challenge. What have I accomplished? I started the month with one finished hearts quilt. I made a second, start to completely finished and I’ve finished another top. Tomorrow I hope to sandwich it, and then quilt it, which should be a quick job, if I stick to it.

I also have started and finished completely one of the February projects, after all I have to have a sample to show when I start the month. I’ve also made a second top because I really like this pattern.

I’ve also been doing some handwork at night, trying to get some of my UFOs done. I am pretty sure I will have two done by the end of the month, although one of them is the second hearts quilt, a UFO only because I set it aside to make the February projects.

One more Friday this month, hope I have more to show for it!

A sewing day!

2012-01-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

I decided that I really needed to make another heart quilt for charity before the end of the month, so I went upstairs with that goal this morning. Mufasa on the other hand had other ideas. For some reason today was “Be Ornery in the Sewing Room Day” and that is exactly what he did, almost all day.

He started off trying to get into the closet. He doesn’t like closed doors and he’s only briefly seen inside this one, so he decided he was going to get in one way or another… “NO” wasn’t enough to stop him, so I had to get out the trusty spray bottle. That stopped him and he went back downstairs to sulk.

After lunch he followed me back upstairs and decided that he wanted to help me sew… so he climbed up on my lap. Of course as soon as my foot went to the foot control, he slid off. But that was OK, he jumped back up and purred to let me know it was OK..

Well it was OK with him, but not me… I wanted to sew. So I gave him a few minutes of petting and talking and then showed him what I wanted to do. He was very interested in it, and even tried to touch the fabrics… A stern no stopped that… but his curiosity really was getting the best of him.

Eventually he got bored and I got back to sewing. I finished nine more heart blocks, now to decide how to set them!

Progress

2012-01-17T14:31:00.005-05:00

Despite the gloomy day and rotten start to it, I’ve made some progress today. I promised that I would update the BOMs page and the 2011 Sampler, so I did. I just added the Four Patch Snowball. It’s really not that terrific on its own, but when combined with some of the other 2011 BOMs it makes some great quilts. Check the bottom of the web page to see what I mean. My favorite is the Game Cocks combined with the Four Patch Snowball

And I am making progress on some hand work. I have quite a few UFOs that only need binding, so I’m working on those. Here’s one of those UFOs finished, also one of my January projects, Scrappy Floral Hearts.

Why?

2012-01-17T07:58:00.002-05:00

Did you ever get up in the morning and wonder why? That’s how I’m starting the day. I have a headache, it is raining outside so the house is as dark as night, and I have a runny nose, still. It would be a good day to stay in bed all day, but I’m up. Why I haven’t quite figured out yet.

Morning funny...

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you about my morning so far. I jumped up and went straight to sewing, I had a booboo to correct. Last night as I was putting together rows I found a block which was assembled bass-ackwards. After I ripped out all of the quilting and found the booboo block I proceeded to take it out of the quilt. But then I found another one and another one.

Then I said to myself I don't remember this many mistakes and I don't remember finishing this quilt, I thought I was just putting the rows together. Stupid me, I was taking apart the wrong quilt. Well that really made me mad. So mad, I woke up from that stupid dream.

So a few hours later, I finally get upstairs to sew. I have three rows finished, only three more blocks to sew together, after I correct the booboo block. But I had to make sure which way the block should go, light center or dark center. I look at the other two blocks… and sure enough, another booboo block to match the first one.

Maybe my dream was trying to tell me something?

Quick Apple Dumplings

2012-01-15T12:50:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe in an email from some one who said “These sound mighty GOOD!! I think someone needs to try them and let me know!” Well I tried them and found them quite delicious and the family agreed. I’ve made them five or six times since getting the email the end of November.

Apple Dumplings
1 can crescent rolls
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 8th, peeled
1/2 stick butter melted
1/4 cup sugar
cinnamon
3 oz. Mountain Dew
Roll out crescent rolls, place apple wedge on it and roll up. Place them in a greased 8X8 pan. Pour the melted butter and sugar, which have been mixed together, over the apples. Then pour the 3 oz. of Mountain Dew around the dumplings. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake 350 approx. 45 min

We like ours warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Oh woe is me

2012-01-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

I went to mend something on my Singer 404 and she’s all locked up. I sewed most of the summer on her and she performed beautifully, not one problem. Today, she just won’t move. So I’ve taken her out of the cabinet and will make a trip up to Dover to drop her off.

Pathetic thing, we were in Dover for the first time in months yesterday, never realizing we’d need to go back again so soon. Yesterday was clothes shopping for John, he needed some new work clothes. Can’t remember the last time we bought him some, so I’m not complaining… except I hate clothes shopping, even when it’s not for me. But we were in and out speedily so I won’t complain.

Someone just told me it was playoff Sunday, whatever that means. In this house it is Pop Sunday, John will be taking his Dad to visit Arden in the nursing home and then we’ll have dinner. Dinner can be a challenging issue, since Pop requires “soft and easy to go down” food. So far I’ve been lucky, except on Christmas day when my prime rib was too tough. (Not to the rest of us, thank goodness.) Tonight’s dinner will be chili dogs, since I know Pop likes my chili, or at least he did the last time I served it to him. We’ll also have mac and cheese and applesauce, can’t get much softer than that. And since he always wants something sweet after dinner, I have some Quick Apple Dumplings.

I’m off to the sewing room, I have another mystery to finish from yesterday, and then I want to make another Scrappy Hearts, and then I have some BOMs to do and then …. Well you know what I mean!

Today was Mystery Day

2012-01-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today was the first mystery of the year on my Mysteries For Relay group. This one was really unexpected but the ladies were willing and I know of at least eight ladies who sewed along. Now normally I would show the finished quilt, but not today. Why? Because this quilt will be one of my February charity quilts.

I made the first sample and enjoyed it so much I decided to share it with the Mystery group. I also decided to make a second one along with the rest of them as they sewed today. So hopefully I will have two quilts already when February starts.

I have two Scrappy Hearts finished, and I think I might start another one as soon as I finish the one I am working on now.

Words of Wisdom for today

2012-01-14T10:02:00.001-05:00

Don’t try harder.
Do harder!

2012 Kidney Walk

2012-01-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

I’d like to put a plug in for Kelly and Michael Gordon who are walking in the 2012 Baltimore Kidney Walk on May 6th.
They are walking to raise awareness of kidney disease and money for patient services as Momma E. struggles with kidney problems. Please consider making a donation to help Momma E and others who are fighting kidney disease. (You can link to their donation pages from their Kidney Walk Link here)

Thank you.

A retirement idea

2012-01-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine just put a wild idea in my head. We were talking about retirement homes, assisted living etc and how the Amish live. They take care of their elders, putting them in their own little space in the back of or side of the big main house. She said to me, “A quilt retreat seems the best medicine in the world. OR buy a great big house for only quilters and we all can take care of each other.”

So let’s think about that…

When you apply to live in a retirement community they ask you about your finances. We would do that too of course, after all we would have expenses, shelter, food, etc. But of course we’d have to ask important questions…

How large is your stash?
Do you have your own sewing machine?
Are you willing to share both and your quilting tools and accessories?

Another part of the application would deal with type of quilting you like.. well if I was running the place it would. I do not like paper piecing or appliqué and I dislike the quilting process itself. Someone talented in appliqué would be nice to have around and anyone who enjoys the quilting process, either hand or machine, I would certainly welcome in my old age quilters’ home. Then I could piece to my heart’s content and not have to worry about finishing.

I guess another question might be how many UFOs do you have? We would need to make sure that the balance of UFOs and quilters is not too lopsided, can’t have our quilters over worked you know.

Another question I would like to include would be how good is your hearing. I don’t like a lot of noise and if I’m running this place everyone would have to have good hearing, I don’t want a lot of shouted conversations or loud TVs in my retirement community.

I’m sure there would be more to this screening process….

Snow and quilting

2012-01-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

The white stuff which I have been told is snow is gone, washed away by the rain in the middle of the night. I said it wasn’t cold enough to snow and the rain proved me right.

And I am quilting, you know, the process of sewing all three layers of a quilt together. Have I ever said how much I dislike quilting? Well I do. Give me a million pieces to put together into a top and I am happy. Give me three big pieces to put together by quilting and I am not.

No, it has nothing to do with the pins. I pin basted and then hand basted, something else I really don’t enjoy much, but I do it to avoid being a human pin cushion.

I just don’t enjoy quilting. But these are quilts that I need done and can’t afford to pay someone to do them, so I carry on… whining and complaining all the way.

What's this?

2012-01-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

I looked out the window and noticed a little white bug falling past the window, shortly joined by another one and another one until…

Now I know that can’t be snow, after all it was in the 60s all weekend and my out door thermometer says it is 40 out there now…and the Weather Channel says it is 39.. but maybe?

How can I get in on a retreat?

2012-01-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

I was just asked a very interesting question. “How can a new person get in on a retreat if everyone keeps signing up for them before you even announce them?”

Let me go back a bit and explain history. This all started with just one retreat which was held Veterans Day weekend. 36 ladies came and had a good time and went home and online and talked about it. Most came back year two, and the empty spots were quickly filled by ladies who wanted to see what it was all about.

Forward six years and the conference room was overfull, two ladies to a table, tripping over each other every time you wanted to move and I decided that it was time to limit the number of ladies to the number of tables that would fit in the conference room. And since there were more ladies than there were tables I added a second fall retreat. That same year I added the spring retreats.

2005 rolls around and a group of friends wanted their own retreat, so I added a third fall retreat and tried a later spring retreat. The later spring retreat didn’t fill up so I quit offering a second spring retreat.

For the last few years every retreat has filled up quickly, so I added another one in the fall, and it filled up. This year I will have four consecutive fall retreats, and the spring retreat, all booked to conference room capacity. If you want to attend one of them, the best way to get in is to ask to be placed on the waiting list for the retreat of your choice. If I get a cancellation, you will be notified of it and have the opportunity to sign up.

This year’s retreats all booked faster than any other year and honestly, I am surprised. I have already added a second spring retreat in 2013 and I have contacted the Inn to see what dates are available to add another fall retreat.

If you would like to attend any of the 2013 retreats you may send me an email and let me know your preference, spring or fall and I will put you on the waiting list. As soon as this year’s retreaters decide if they want to come back again or not, I email everyone on the waiting lists. After those quilters have had the opportunity to take available spaces, I will announce openings for everyone else.

Late night

2012-01-07T22:59:00.003-05:00

Here it is almost 11, an hour past my normal bedtime. I should be exhausted, and I am, but I’m wide awake. I was up early, sewed for a bit, went to the family Christmas party for an hour or so, came home and sewed some more, then went out to dinner with John and Pop and then came home and did some organizing and so on and so on. It wasn’t until John came home a little before ten did I sit down. And I am tired, drained and wide awake. It finally hit me, today was a prednisone day… it always makes me hyper. Two sleeping pills aren’t doing a thing… and I don’t trust myself to sew any more… what other kind of mischief can I get into?

I sewed!

2012-01-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

I sewed today despite the drippy nose. I not only sewed, but I finished my February sample. Well… almost finished it. The top is done but I want to try to add borders. It was made from some donated fat quarters and there isn’t a lot left, but I’m going to try to get a checkered border from what I have. I’m very pleased with the top and am thrilled to be back in the sewing chair again.

I want to sew!

2012-01-05T17:02:00.002-05:00

The urge is in me, and I really think tomorrow I will attempt to do some sewing. I might need to put a bowl under my nose to catch the drips, or put a cork in my nostrils, but I’m going to sew one way or another.

I have a quilt to quilt, one of my January Heart quilts. I’d love to get it quilted so I can gift it in February. And I have one of February’s projects under way, I think I have six or eight blocks done.

Today I took down the Christmas candles, big deal. Four downstairs and four up, and that took all of ten minutes. It would have taken less, but I had a hard time reaching one of them. Still need to put away the Santas, but they look cute so they might stay out a while.

I also updated the family pages today, since our Christmas is over. http://delawarequilts.com/Family/2011/ I had a great time looking at all of the wedding photos and that’s a lot. The photographer had over 1700 and I think family and friends took that many also. It was hard picking my favorites, but I did.

Here’s one of those favorites… my over exuberant husband whom I love dearly, just as much as the day I married him.

Thoughts

2012-01-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

Couple of things first, Arden is improving, more every day. That’s good news and we are all very thankful for every day. However she still has a long way to go.

Second, I went to see the rheumatologist yesterday for my check up. Good news, my polymyalgia rheumatica is pretty much under control and I can go off the prednisone by the end of the month. (YIPPEE!) Bad news, we’re not done yet, the blood counts were still not satisfactory, but she said they may have been off because of my bronchitis, but just incase she wants to see me again in three months… then she will declare it done and over with… I hope! More bad news, the pain I have now is not from polymyalgia rheumatica but from old age and gravity and there isn’t much she or anyone else can do about it, LOL!

As for the bronchitis, I’m still fighting it, and while I’d like to say I feel better, I really can’t. I can barely talk, and breathing hurts, and I’m averaging a box of tissues every other day. I am sleeping better thanks to meds, so I guess that’s improvement.

Sewing, nope, not now. I’m really doing a lot of nothing and am bored, truly bored. I haven’t even undecorated yet, not that there is much to do, candles in the windows and a few Santa’s here and there. But no energy to pack them up, so we’ll stay decorated a while longer.

Reading, nope to that too. The glare of the computer screen bothers me. I did some blog hopping today, trying to catch up with friends and people I like to read. That’s what brought me here to write… I was reading about a friends NYE trip to teach, and noticed another fellow designer was also on the road teaching NYE, and then another…

Our NYE was certainly no big deal, honestly, those of us left at home were half asleep and ready for the countdown and bed. We were watching puppies and kittens on the animal channel until five to the New Year, then watched the countdown and then went to bed. Like I said, nothing exciting…

But what made it so important to me and so very very special was that we did nothing together! Yes, two of us were missing, off in the big city celebrating, but I know not everyone is a homebody like us. But the four of us were here and that made it a very special NYE to me. No way in heck would I want to go out and be with a bunch of strangers and miss that time with my family. I understand some people enjoy it, and good for them, you should do what you enjoy, life is too short not to. But me, I’ll stay home!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

Boy has this week flown by, yesterday was Christmas and it’s the New Year aleady! We had a wonderful day yesterday, shorter than I had hoped our holiday would be, but full of catching up and just plain enjoying each other’s company.

The first gift opened, after enjoying John’s delicious sticky buns, was Mike and Kelly’s bee quilt. I got a good giggle when Kelly saw the back first and said “Oh look bees” and then saw the front. As you can tell it fits both laps nicely and I hope it will be a good snuggle quilt as I intended it to be.

After it was gifted I got busy finishing the hand work and it did indeed go home completed when they left for New Year’s Eve celebrations early (too early) in the evening. When they were on the road the rest of us enjoyed playing games and relaxing.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T14:37:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Christmas and New Year’s Eve rolled into one day of celebrating at our home and we will celebrate for sure. And since I plan to be busy off line, even if it is just sitting back in my recliner and enjoying my family, I have updated the web site for 2012. Starting on the homepage, almost every main link has been updated. The Family pages of course will be updated a little later.

I am happy to tell all that I am declaring 2012 as My Year to Give! Each month I will post a free pattern which everyone can use to make charity quilts. During that month I personally will try to make at least ONE quilt using that pattern for one of the charities that I have on my personal charity list. At the end of the month/beginning of the next month, I will report on my progress. I am welcoming anyone who would like to join me, even giving you a logo to post on your site if you feel like it.

There will not be a new BOM in January so everyone can try the January project.

Because all the fall retreats filled up we’ve added a fourth retreat for fall 2012. It’s a mini-retreat and details can be found at http://www.delawarequilts.com/Retreat/ It is filling up fast too!

So whatever holiday you are celebrating tomorrow, have a wonderful time. The best of everything to you all for 2012!

2012 UFO list

2011-12-30T01:13:00.001-05:00

I made myself sit down and carefully go over my master list and make sure all of the quilts were listed properly. Mistake… I found more UFOs, LOL!

However I am pleased with my 2011 progress. I may have slipped in the UFO numbers but I accomplished a lot.

Finished in 2011

Lighthouse wall hanging 3                                         Finished April 19, 2011
Lighthouse wall hanging 4                                         Finished April 30, 2011
Hearts baby quilt                                                       Finished April 14, 2011
Fantasy Flowers OW BOM project                            Finished Jan 27, 2011
Snowmen quilt in purples                                          Finished Jan 12, 2011
Tea Garden Bullseye                                                 Finished March 13, 2011
Crooked Baby Stars, Aunt Graces                             Finished April 9, 2011
Any Size You Want mystery                                       Finished April 10, 2011
November Stars Red & White                                     Finished March 6, 2011
2011 BOM blocks or sampler                                      Finished March 31, 2011

Started AND finished in 2011
Green Green                                                                  Finished May 26, 2011
Fall Retreats sample                                                      Finished October 12, 2011
Fall Retreats sample                                                      Finished October 13, 2011
Christmas project ;^)

Donated in 2011
Orphan Sampler (made from orphan blocks)              donated to Wilford Hall
Barb's Broken Dishes (ditto above)                             donated to Wilford Hall
Orphan MishMash (ditto above)                                  donated to Wilford Hall
Barb's Pinwheels (ditto above)                                    donated to Wilford Hall
Next Generation nine-patch                                        donated to Linus
Swirley Eye Spy, made from Marge's scraps             donated to Linus
Green Pinwheels                                                        donated to Linus

As for my 2012 UFO list, well if you really want to see it you can here. 51 UFOs and one WIP. And if you look carefully, that last one under started and finished doesn’t have a finished date on it yet… it will be finished this year! I guarantee it!!!

PS and yes I posted this when it says I did, 1:14 AM, dang prednisone!

Working on the secret project?

2011-12-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

No I wish I was. Seems I got an unwanted present for Christmas, bronchitis. It’s knocked me off my sewing chair, computer chair and flat on my back since Tuesday. I’m up now, but barely. The meds the doc gave me yesterday are working some, but far from the miracle she promised me. I just called the office to see if there is something else I can do… the cough is killing me.

And apparently some people are mixing up two secret projects, sorry. One is a Christmas gift, which was to be started at the November retreat but wasn’t, then was to be quilted by me, but wasn’t, but thanks for a kind-hearted friend it got done except the hand work. That is half done and will be done before it leaves this house on Sunday come heck or high water.

And that other secret project… I will be posting the web page on New Year’s Eve, if I am up.

I can't say Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T13:02:00.002-05:00

Why? Because we haven’t had Christmas yet! My ~~boys~~ men are with their other families this weekend so our Christmas won’t be until the 31st. Yep we’re celebrating Christmas and New Years on the same weekend. Should be a great holiday!

Now to finish that secret project, I haven’t even started the hand work yet. And I haven't wrapped a single thing!

Disney 2011 cont.

2011-12-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

The next day we headed to the Animal Kingdom with one goal, to see the Festival of the Lion King again. We were lucky and got into the first show of the day and had stage seating right up front.

While walking around park I couldn’t help but notice all the beautiful plants and flowers, including this unusual plant…

And some really strange looking bugs too!

We had lunch at Flame Tree Barbeque and I had one of the best turkey sandwiches I’ve ever had away from home. And we had a nice view from our seats while we ate.

We then changed parks to get in some good Epcot time. Unfortunately the crowds were there too, and all the popular rides and attractions had huge lines. So we did what wasn’t popular and had a good time anyway. We visited Spaceship Earth, Figment, Captain EO and then went into The Seas. I could spend hours in there just watching the fish.

Then we did something different, we rode the monorail around to different resorts to see the Christmas decorations. I liked the decorations at Grand Floridian best, and the smell from that giant gingerbread house was just yummy.

We then headed back to our resort for dinner at Shutters. Dinner was very good, but the room was so cold even my hot tea got cold before I was half way through the first cup.

The next morning we were back at Epcot again. First we fast-passed Soarin’ and then went looking for short lines. We found one at Ellen's Energy Adventure so we took the ride. After that it was lunch time so we checked into the Coral Reef Restaurant and were lucky enough to get seats right up front near the aquariums… or I guess I should say tanks.

When we were finished eating we went into The Seas again, visiting Turtle Talk which is another audience interactive show.. I love watching the little kids.

Then we headed into World Showcase, riding through Mexico then meandering through Norway, China, Germany, Italy. Then we stopped for a bit to listen to some of the Candlelight Processional before passing by US, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and finally Canada.

After a snack of some yummy fried shrimp we found a good spot to watch Illuminations. Always a must for us when at Disney, this one was even better with the added segment for the holidays, and what a fabulous finale of fireworks!

Early the next morning we headed home, but extended our fun by having lunch in downtown Norfolk.

Way too soon this vacation was over and it was back to reality for us. To me the best part of this whole trip was watching John truly relax, something he can never do at home. We had no schedule, except for food reservations, and went where we wanted to go when we wanted too. We slept in several mornings and stayed up way past our bedtime most nights. And for the first time in two years I had my sweetheart all to myself for seven glorious days. And that is what made this vacation the best one ever!

Catching up

2011-12-26T11:47:00.000-05:00

Where to begin? I guess I should report on my mother-in-law Arden… she is still in a nursing home and not making much if any progress at all. She wants to go home but is still unable to take care of herself at all, can not walk and can barely do anything. Prayers still appreciated there.

And as I said in my last post, ten whole days ago, John said we needed to get away and get away we did. We left Friday morning for our Disney vacation slightly postponed. Our drive the first day was nice, not too much traffic and no wet stuff at all. We didn’t rush to get on the road the next morning, we were taking a relaxing vacation, and I tried to stick to that schedule the whole trip.

We stopped at our favorite BBQ place for lunch and then hit the road again, arriving in time for dinner before checking into our room. We were supposed to be in Jamaica at the Caribbean Resort, but there wasn’t room for us there, so we were moved to Aruba. It would have been fun to be in Jamaica because Mike and Kelly were headed there on their honeymoon, the real Jamaica that is.

The next morning we were off to the park, our first one was Hollywood Studios. We started off with breakfast, John had to have his coffee and well we both needed to eat something, we had late lunch or early dinner reservations. The Starring Rolls Café had just what we needed, and even available seating which was nice. After that we waited in line for Toy Story Mania, long line but worth the wait. I actually managed to beat John’s score and had a fun time doing it!

We did the Studio Backlot Tour and didn’t get wet and then decided to see Lights, Motors, Action! It wasn’t as loud as I thought it would be and kind of fun to watch. Then we went to see how long the line was for Muppet*Vision 3-D, too long, so we checked in at Mama Melrose's, our favorite place to eat in Hollywood. We had about a 20 minute wait and then were seated in the exact same spot we had two years ago, and had the same waiter too! Lunch was delicious and filled me up for the rest of the day.

After we ate we got in line for the Muppets then meandered over to Fantasmic! We had special seating as a part of our dinner package and got seats right smack in the center, something we’d never managed to do before.The show was great as always.

When it was over we headed to see the The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights WOW is all I can say, I think it gets better every year.

Now let me say one thing here… if you don’t like crowds you should avoid Disney World the week before and after Christmas. I don’t and will admit to having more than one panic attack despite the magical pink pills the Doctor gave me. At one point on the way out of the park after seeing the lights I thought I was going to be crushed by the crowds… John made sure I wasn’t.

The next morning when we finally got up we headed to the Magic Kingdom. After a yummy breakfast snack we got in line for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. John was looking for revenge for me beating him the day before. I let him win, and concentrated on taking photos.. not each in a spinning car… however that’s my fault, I kept it spinning to keep his score low, LOL! After that ride we headed to see Laugh Floor. If you haven’t seen this, I think it’s a must. Characters from Monsters, Inc. do an interactive comedy show which includes members of the audience and can be quite a good laugh.

Next was Pirates of the Caribbean but the line was too long for my comfort so we skipped it and went instead to the Enchanted Tiki Room. Yes it’s old, but it’s still enjoyable to us.

Then we found good seats to view Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade and then just kind of wandered around looking for short lines.We found one at the Laugh Floor, so went in to see it again.Yes, it is that funny to us, but it depends on the audience.

We had dinner reservations at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort so we hopped on the Monorail and checked in for dinner. We had a short wait, less than ten minutes and were soon enjoying the buffet. (Yes, Chef Mickey’s is expensive, but not if you are on the dining plan and the food has always been good there)

I even got a special birthday cup cake during the “celebration” and got kisses from Mickey himself as well as Minnie, Donald and Pluto.

After dinner we headed back to the Magic Kingdom to see the Electrical Parade and when it was over we headed back to our rooms… too tired to wait for the Nighttime Spectacular fireworks. However, we got to see the air fireworks from Epcot at our resort when we got back there.

More to come, next post!

TGIF

2011-12-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Thank Goodness It's Friday and that is all I'm going to say. Vacation here we come!!

What a difference a day makes!

2011-12-14T18:34:00.003-05:00

Arden is no longer in the hospital, she is now at a nursing home in our area. Still a long road to recovery, but better every day.

And John said he needed to get away, something I never thought I would hear him admit… so we’re going to make it happen. I’ve made new Disney reservations and we’ll try again. Cross your fingers for us!

I did get six blocks done today for February’s project, maybe I can finish it this ~~week~~ year, LOL! I just need to keep on sewing and forget about everything else, like the holidays, vacation, etc.

OK OK so I haven’t posted…

2011-12-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

I forgot that’s all, really. Thanks for asking now let me answer some questions that have come via email and Facebook.

First Arden is out of ICU but still in the hospital. She has no strength at all, and needs to get that back so she start taking care of herself. She is on soft foods, a big step forward. Keep the prayers coming please, she has a long road to recovery.

Second, Jamie asked if Mufasa is still living with us, since I hadn’t mentioned him lately. Oh yes, he is still here. He made one very important step forward, access to the sewing room. He actually finds it boring in there, especially when I won’t let him up on the sewing machine table… imagine that. When I go up he runs up ahead of me, makes the rounds then comes back downstairs where things are apparently more exciting. He made a step backwards when he decided to chew on my two brand new Christmas cactuses.

Third, one of the retreaters asked me how my Disney Birthday was… well actually it wasn’t. We cancelled our trip due to Arden’s hospital stay. However I had breakfast on Sunday with some characters anyway, four of John’s sisters. Actually, three of us have December birthday’s which is why we went out to breakfast.

And I had dinner with another real character, John…. He took me out for prime rib and lobster at our local Outback, it was very yummy.

Yes, I am sewing. I finished the top secret can’t say what it is project, except for the handwork on the binding. I made a sample of my January project, and started a second one, and just because I wanted to see what it would look like I made one block for my February project. I’m using some so called ugly tie dyed fabrics which are making great blocks… I can’t wait to get back to them.

And today I made two more ten minute table runners and a camera strap for myself.

I've been sewing

2011-12-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, despite everything going on around me I’ve been sewing. (No change since the other day sadly) At first it was just some mindless sewing aka string blocks but when things starting looking better at the hospital I worked on some projects. Yesterday I picked up a quilt and did some more work on it, can’t say or show what because it’s a secret… but it’s coming along nicely. (THANKS Jackie!)

I also started on my 2012 projects… yes I said projects. I have a new and hopefully exciting idea for 2012 and I wanted to get a head start on it, so I made my first sample. I’m going to try to make another one today… well today and the next few days as it takes me about four days total from cutting to finishing the binding. And if you read between the lines, yes I am quilting them myself…

While I can’t say exactly what is it I am making, I will say that I am using so called ugly fat quarters which were donated at the fall retreats this year. I separated them, made a pile of graphic patterns and another pile of floral patterns, and am making quilts with them. The first quilt certainly shows that not one of those fat quarters was ugly when used properly! I can’t wait for the retreaters to see this quilt!

Changes

2011-12-08T14:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who have sent well wishes and prayers. I can happily report that Arden has finally made a turn for the better. On Tuesday they reduced her sedation level and yesterday they took her off the ventilator. Last night they wanted her to sleep with a C-Pap mask, but she fought it so went without. Regardless she made it through the night safely.

Today they cleaned her up and got her out of bed for the first time since she went in to the hospital for a knee cleaning on the 22nd. She is still in ICU and may go straight to rehab from there, but only time will tell.

We cancelled our trip to Disney for my birthday, there was no way even Disney could distract us from what was going on here at home, so we’ll save that trip for another time. I’ve been doing some mindless sewing to distract me from the hospital and have made some progress. I finished that project that I can’t talk about, and I’ve made one of my charity quilts for January. Well the top is done, maybe I will quilt it today, since my head is a little straighter and I can concentrate on what I am doing…. I put a whole row of the secret project together bass aackwards.

I will try to get back to a more normal self now… but still have my heart with Arden and family 100%.

Update

2011-12-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

A few ladies have asked me to make an update, so I will. Arden is still in ICU and off and on the ventilator, more on than off though. She was awake when John and Pop went to see her last night (Friday) and seemed happy to see them. Still not the good news I want to report, but hopeful.

And yes, thanks to Ginny I remembered it was the beginning of the month and I updated the BOMs page. This month’s block is Game Cocks, and it’s prettier than the name. http://delawarequilts.com/BOMs/GameCocks/index.html

I will try to do better in updating.

What's happening

2011-11-29T09:18:00.001-05:00

Well… first, I am OK. Nothing wrong with me, I am healed, recovered and everything is almost back to normal. I see the rheumatologist next week and will know how my “counts” are doing, but I guess that means first I have to visit the vampires again soon.

Arden, John’s step-Mom, is still in the hospital, in ICU. She went in for simple outpatient knee cleaning a week ago. They found she had pneumonia after the surgery while in recovery, no signs before. She has been on a breathing machine, and every time she even slightly wakes up she pulls all the tubes and needles out and they have to re-sedate her and start over.

That made for a not very joyful Thanksgiving, we missed her at the table and in the festivities. However we did the best we could to keep things normal for Pop. Both ~~boys~~ men were home with their ladies and Eric joined us for dinner too. After dinner and some football they all went to the movies, and after the movies started their shopping.

Mike and Kelly went back to Maryland late Friday night and Jon and Steph stayed until Sunday afternoon. Yesterday was court with John’s mother, the judge dismissed all of her objections to the accounting.

And until there is something joyous to talk about, I think I’m going to take a break. Prayers appreciated if you are so inclined.

Sharing a favorite recipe

2011-11-23T11:08:00.000-05:00

Since I'll be making this today, one less thing to cook tomorrow, I'm sharing this family favorite recipe with you.

Sweet Potato with Coconut

Serves 10 – 12 (Can be halved easily)

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup white sugar

1 stick butter or margarine

½ cup milk (or orange juice)

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup coconut

2 eggs slightly beaten

Topping:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup nuts (I use pecans)

¼ cup flour

Mix thoroughly, (I blend in food processor.)

1 stick margarine or butter

Heat sweet potatoes, sugar, one stick butter and ½ cup of milk in saucepan. Add eggs, vanilla and coconut. Mix thoroughly. Pour into 13 X 9 inch baking dish.

Top with topping. Slice stick of butter over topping, and bake at 350º until brown, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Enjoy, I know my family certainly will.

AOK for me at least

2011-11-22T14:55:00.003-05:00

Just returned from my Doctor’s appoint and have been given the all clear, everything is OK and no further ~~butchering~~ surgery is required. I see the rheumatologist early in December and am hoping she will say the same. I’m tired of seeing so many Doctors and want to get my normal life back.

On the other hand John’s Dad is not well, just returning home from a short visit at the hospital and now Arden is in with pneumonia. Say a prayer they both recover and soon. Their life is one Doctor’s appointment after another and that is a horrible life to life.

And I can happily report I got that Christmas project all cut out yesterday and about a dozen blocks finished. More after Thanksgiving

Today I plan to sew!

2011-11-21T13:42:00.001-05:00

Well that was my plan when I got up this morning, but so many things have interfered. First I was checking email and noticed some of the keys on my keyboard aren’t working right. I cleaned it off and then noticed my hinge row was off completely, so I called Dell. The nice guy did some updates but that didn’t help, so they’ve ordered me a new keyboard and say it will be here by Wednesday. I am not worried, because so far most of the keys are working, and I still have my traveling lap top as a backup. But just incase, I am backing this one up today.

Then there was laundry to do, three loads. Between loads I did a little more cleaning up around here, and now I am ready to go sew. Wonder how many ten minute table runners I can get done before the dryer buzzes again?

To the rescue!

2011-11-20T12:15:00.000-05:00

This morning a hero came into our house and within ten minutes had our electrical problem solved. Yes, ten minutes. John worked on that problem off and on for two months… and it was fixed in ten minutes. We tried to give our hero a check for his troubles, since we would have had to pay to get fixed if he hadn’t helped us, but he wouldn’t take it. He refused to take it, even when I threatened to send it to his wife. He said that’s what family is for, helping each other.

Hearing that from a family member was strange for me… very strange. That on top of the recent “reunion” at the retreat has given me a new look on family, that part of the family anyway. I’ve not had a warm “family” feeling in years and finally the family glow is returning.

Well.... not completely, but at least we know that not all the family hates us anymore.

And yes, I am mailing the check and I sure hope she cashes it, or else I will have to try something drastic.

Yes I took a few days off.

2011-11-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

Whoops sorry, meant to mention that in my last post. I am OK, still recovering but doing better, I think.. I hope… I see the ~~butcher~~ surgeon on Tuesday and am hoping he will be happy with his work and not have to repeat the procedure.

I’ve been catching up on housework, straightening up so we can be ready for a house full of company next week. All the kids are coming home for dinner.

I’ve washed all my purchased fabrics, not that much this last retreat, but some, and put everything away where it belongs. I even did some straightening up in the sewing room. I hope to get up there to do some sewing soon, I have a quilt to make in the next 30 days. Wish me luck!

Boy do I have a lot to be thankful for

2011-11-19T13:32:00.000-05:00

I got an email this morning, the subject was “Deposit of $30.5 Million‏”. What a pity there was an attachment that was to be opened to get all the details and that attachment set off virus alarms on my lap top. Do you think I should email them back and tell them?

So today I am thankful that I am not that gullible and that I have a good virus blocker.

And I am thankful that our gas fireplace has decided it can work another winter.

And I am thankful that an electrician is coming by to fix the kitchen for us. I’ve only had half a kitchen for two months and will certainly need every outlet on the counters next Thursday. And I am thankful we have $ in the bank to pay the electrician too!

Warning to ALL politicians

2011-11-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

Don’t call me.

That you think you can is another annoying thing you politicians get away with that us common people can’t. There is only one thing worse than a political phone call, and that is one from "Rachael at card services with an important message" about my credit card.

So take this warning… if I get a phone call from you it is a guarantee that I will not vote for you.

Retreat report

2011-11-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

A couple of people have asked me to make a report on the November Retreat and I’ve even had a few phone calls asking about it… so here’s my report.

First, my problems. I had a flare up of polymyalgia and another annoying problem which just made things more complicated…. I wasn’t allowed to drive. So my dear husband drove me up to my son’s in Newark, and my dear son picked up my friend Anne from the airport and brought her to his home, and then she drove me to Lancaster for the retreat. I had a great nurse Cindy on duty the whole retreat and Anne did a pretty darn good job of taking care of me too. They, along with all the retreaters and the hotel staff made darn sure I was doing OK, and I did!

The retreat was a very special one, the 15th November retreat. There were three of us who are still original retreaters, Candy, Mariann and myself, all still retreating after all these years. There were also two retreaters who have attended 14 retreats, one ten, one eight and a total of 153 retreats for the whole bunch of us. There were seven ladies who were attending their very first retreat, but you could hardly tell…. They fit right in like they’d been retreating for years.

I’m sad to say we didn’t do much project wise; my early bedtime sort of spoiled that. However some of the ladies made pinwheels, and I finished one pinwheel quilt which I turned over to Candy for the shops charity. There was a lot of other quilting done and even a few projects were finished. And of course shopping, everyone contributed greatly to the local economy.

There were three sisters in attendance, Candy, Cindy and Dawn and six other sisters were sort of there too, Deby, Pat, Cheri, Geri, Tesa and Cheryle. It was funny for me to keep running into family at the retreat, and I’m glad they got to see I do have another life other than Relay.

We had a celebration dinner, raised over $300 for Relay For Life, had a fun Pollyanna and then it was all over. Everyone’s signed up to come back again next year, along with the missing few and a few others, we’ll have a full house next year, but I bet it will be another year of fun!

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

2011-11-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this email, and I thought it was a great idea, so I’m sharing it with you all. I for one will be giving all made in the USA gifts for Christmas this year. Not saying what, because I know my family reads this!

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Oh.... Yes there is! It is time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates. How about giving either your local animal shelter a nice donation to help feed and care for the homeless animals that are being taken care of.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamins on a Chinese-made flat-screen TV? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a gazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.

Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip.

And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community.If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US (We the People), encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we could not imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition!!

Please pass this around we can make a difference, can't we?

And I have to add, anyone want a new fish tank? Support the growing Terra Reef company by installing a beautiful tank in your family room. Then instead of sitting around the boob tube you can sit and watch your fish and corals.

Another successful retreat

2011-11-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

I think…. Have I had a good time? Certainly, despite the pain which bothered me occasionally. I have had two excellent nurses, one real and one just learning but she did a great job, and the pro did a pro job. I feel much MUCH better than I did when I got here, but I am so ready to go home.

This retreat was only four nights, but I’ve been here five and I am quite worn out. I didn’t do a lot of sewing, but I did finally finish one of those ten minute table runners, it only took me three retreats.

The ladies here have been very understanding of my mood swings and early nights and I certainly appreciate it. Much of the retreat is a blur in my mind, but I have photos of most of it to remind me of what I missed out on.

If you were here, thank you. If you missed it… sorry.

15th Annual Quilters Retreat

2011-11-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

OK. So someone suggested a group photo. We gathered together and pushed and shoved everyone until they fit in the camera. I set the timer and ran to my seat… Candy sitting next to me put her arms up as I sat down and I thought I’d bumped her. Camera clicked and I got up and went to the camera. Got everyone lined up again and started over. Same thing, Candy put her arms up when I sat down, camera flashed, I got up and started again. Third time, I sat down, Candy’s arm went up and someone else said “Mine fell off” and I looked right and saw the moustaches… And about died laughing. I could not stop; as a matter of fact I hurt from laughing… but it as so worth it!

The idea was Marji’s although I have no idea why she thought I was into moustaches?

So far so good

2011-11-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

Retreat going well, me so so. I'll live and despite it all am enjoying myself

Double whammy, big owie and Bird-in-Hand look out

2011-11-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

Yes I know I haven’t posted.
Yes I have had some “problems”
But no, they are not keeping me away from the 15th November retreat.

I will explain later, maybe, maybe not.

Fall in my backyard

2011-11-04T14:46:00.002-04:00

Dreary Friday

2011-11-04T14:02:00.000-04:00

No sun today, and no energy either. Guess they go together. So what am I doing to keep myself busy? I’m reading a good book. I’m a little behind on The Elm Creek series, so I’m reading “A Quilter’s Holiday” to catch up. I started it a while ago but it got set aside for something else. Yes, set aside, a real paper book. I have “The Aloha Quilt” in paper too and then the ones after that are on my Nook.

I’m one of those people who swore she would never read a book on the computer, but I do and I enjoy them just as much as the paper ones. And when my fingers hurt it is easier to turn the pages on the Nook!

Haircut and heartbreak

2011-11-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

I first went to my current hair salon when we were visiting home before heading to Europe in 1987. Michael got his first real haircut there, the “buzz” he wanted to get rid of all the blonde curls I loved so much. When we returned from Europe six years later I would make appointments when we were home visiting. Then we moved here and I was happy to have a salon I knew. Hairdressers came and went, but I stayed there because I knew the owner and liked all of the ladies who worked there. They moved and I moved with them.

My current regular hairdresser has been cutting my hair almost as long as I can remember, a year or so before they moved to their current location. I trust her with my skinny hair and odd cow licks and I know she will always do what I want done. (Well except for the wedding but she did what she knew had to be done to keep my hair looking good all night, even if it did take a whole can of hairspray.)

When I returned home from the retreat I had a message to call my hairdresser, and I just now got around to doing so. The shop is closing. Such a sad thing, I hate seeing small businesses closing down, especially one I love so much. I will miss them all.

I need a hair cut now, but can't go in there because I know everyone will be sobbing and sad. However my gal has told me where she will be working for now on and I will follow her there…. I hope it is even half as nice as the old shop was although I don’t think that is possible.

Houston Quilt Festival

2011-11-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me a link to the winners at Houston Quilt Festival. http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

I looked… a lot has changed in the quilting world

A lot of them are appliqué. Appliqué does not inspire me, instead it frustrates me.

Many others are art quilts, beautiful in some cases, not so much in others and again they do not inspire me.

I am not saying they did not deserve the awards they were given, I am just saying that I was not inspired to try to make one for myself.

Although, I have to agree with the judges of the Traditional Pieced category, I LOVE the Barcelona Crow's Nest by Patricia Delaney, now that’s my kind of quilt! I would love to see that in person. And that might just inspire me to try that myself.

I wish they had a category for quilts that just keep you warm.…. I seriously doubt any one of those award winners will ever keep anyone warm. I’ll just keep on making my plain old ugly but extremely warm and usable pieced quilts and the rewards I will get from making someone warm and happy is good enough for me!

November BOM

2011-11-01T09:25:00.000-04:00

The November BOM is The Best Friend

What an adventure!

2011-11-01T09:18:00.000-04:00

The Angels retreat is over and will go down in the history books for sure, at least mine! This was the first retreat that no one, not one single person, seemed to care that we had an itinerary. Apparently they don’t follow schedules when on retreat, LOL! They just kept on going like energizer bunnies, making their own schedule as they went along.

The conference room was empty more than it was full. I honestly think there was not once the entire retreat that everyone was in the room. And there were some people who hardly did any sewing. Retreat projects… totally ignored, they all had other more important things to do. And boy did they do… I saw quite a few projects reach completion.

Shopping, wow! Those women can shop! They even went out in the snow!

Yes, I said SNOW… lots of it. Enough to cause an almost 12 hour power outage. About the only panic I saw was when the ladies realized their Pollyanna gifts were still in the dark conference room and honestly, it took some convincing on my part to keep them from venturing down there to get them!

The Inn served us dinner. The ladies spent most of the time getting to know each other better, reading, chatting and playing cards. Not one complaint… thank goodness.

Sunday morning all was almost back to normal again, Pollyanna was just as funny Sunday as if it was still Saturday night… but as soon as it was over everyone packed up and headed home.

And almost everyone wants to do it again next year… minus the snow and power outage of course!

Click here if you want to see the retreat photos, and here if you’d like to see some scenic snow photos.

Guess what!

2011-10-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

A first after 15 years of retreating!

Having a wonderful time

2011-10-28T11:32:00.000-04:00

The Patchwork Angels' retreat is certainly a different one…. all the ladies know each other, I’m the stranger in the group. Well that was on the first day, I hardly feel a stranger now. I am really having a good time and I am pretty sure they all are too. At least there is an awful lot of laughter going on.

I'm here

2011-10-26T14:28:00.001-04:00

Here being the glorious world of Bird-in-Hand PA. This is just one of the lovely farms in the area. Had a great drive up now just waiting for the ladies to arrive.... I’m sure they are all out shopping.

Car empty and almost full

2011-10-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

All that is left to go in the car is my briefcase and purse and me. Since I don’t have a passenger this trip there is plenty of room, even enough room for the two totes I left at the hotel. But boy am I glad I don’t have to move them in and out!

Tomorrow Tomorrow

2011-10-25T08:21:00.000-04:00

The sun'll come out tomorrow
So you got to hang on till tomorrow, came what may!
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow
You're always a day away ...

Well truthfully the sun is out today too, which is a good thing since I have to pack the car. But first I have a few errands to run.

First is the post office to mail some T-shirts, then I have to go to the drug store. No I don’t need drugs, I need my shampoo. The giant store that begins with a wal and ends with a mart has stopped carrying my shampoo so I have to go to a drug store to find it.

Then I need to get gas. Well I might need to get gas first, since my gas light went on last night which didn’t make John happy, I’m not supposed to let it get below a quarter of a tank. But hey, I knew I needed gas and I knew I needed it before leaving for Lancaster and I wasn’t planning on running around…

And then I will pack the car. This time I will take before and after photos… or should I call them empty and full photos. But since I left two huge totes at the hotel, I should have some spare room in the car.

Appliance report

2011-10-24T11:31:00.000-04:00

I ran the new dishwasher last night, right after dinner. That meant it was also prime time TV, we watched 60 Minutes report on Steve Jobs which I found very interesting. I was more amazed at the bit at the end telling how the I-Pad is helping autistic children communicate.

And totally remarkable was the fact that the dishwasher ran the full cycle and I barely heard it! I sit closest to the kitchen and could hear the TV at normal volume and not hear the dishwasher. Best of all, it cleaned the dishes very nicely, LOL!

So this morning I decided to try out my new Steam & Sweep. I took it out of the box, put it together and swept the kitchen floor and then steamed it clean! The floor looks cleaner than it has in years. (We have Armstrong linoleum which is going on 19 years old)

So… knock on wood… everything is back in order again! Well not quite everything… only half the kitchen has power and none of the back porch does. House is also going on 19 years old and you know what that means…

Lowes shopping

2011-10-23T13:52:00.001-04:00

You know how when we run to a fabric store for one piece of fabric we ~~usually~~ always come out with more than one piece? Well I’m finding the same thing happens when we go to Lowes. John and I went for a GFCI replacement, the one in the kitchen went bad on us, and you would be amazed at all the goodies we found.

A new surge protector for the office. John wanted to plug in something and found that all the plugs were taken up with fat plugs that took up more than one space, so we decided to get one that holds fatter plugs.

A back door key. We realized one day when the power went out that if the garage was closed when it happened and we were out, there was no way for us to get in the house… well without breaking in that is. The front storm door is locked and we don’t have a key, so that door is useless. And somehow John didn’t have a back door key and I did. Since we’re not always together when we get locked out, we had to remedy that.

Sliders for the buffet on the back porch. I like to rearrange furniture and can’t push it by myself any more, getting weaker in my old age. So we got some nifty furniture sliders. And while we were right there in the slider section, we got new slider feet for the sofa back there too. Now hopefully I can rearrange any time I want to.

Steam&Sweep™ Hard Floor Cleaner OK, I saw it advertised on TV and it sounded like a good idea. “The head of the Steam&Sweep™ can sweep and mop your floor at the same time – so you can clean in half the time! The rotating soft bristle sweeper brush sweeps dirt and debris into the Easy Empty™ Dust Bin. When you press the Steam on Demand Trigger, the mop releases powerful steam that will loosen grime while the washable microfiber mop pad wipes it away. This entire process can be done simultaneously, so you only have to go over your floors once.” Still to be tested but I will keep you posted. Anything to give me more sewing time!

New door knob for the front door. When locked out I noticed the front door had tarnished badly and when I finally got in and tried to use my key in it, I realized it was broken. So even though we can’t get in that way because the storm door is locked we replaced the door knob… one can’t have a tarnished broken door knob you know.

And yes, we did remember what we went in for. We even got a spare… just incase.

More orphans

2011-10-22T14:02:00.001-04:00

Orphan [noun] someone or something who lacks support or care or supervision

An orphan is a child abandoned by his or her parents.

In the quilting world an orphan is a block or project which has been abandoned by its owner. Yesterday I got another box of orphans delivered to my doorstep. Abandoned just like a child in a ~~basket~~ cardboard box, left there to be discovered by us upon returning from dinner.

Does that make you sad… well get over it! I was tickled to get this box, and I am all ready for this baby! When I was in Lancaster last week I bought lots of brown yardage to be the borders, backing and bindings of all the quilts I plan to make from this box, and the box that preceded it.

And this box like the one before it was full of goodies, some instant quilts just waiting to be finished. And these will be a great start to My Year of Giving which starts in January.

Thank you my dear friend!

I am sooooo happy!

2011-10-21T16:27:00.000-04:00

It takes so little to make me happy

Meet my new dishwasher, cute and quiet. Bet you can't even hear it running... neither can I.

What didn’t I do today?

2011-10-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

I was up about my normal time, even though the sun was hiding and it would have been a good day to sleep in. I checked email, did some on line work and then started my errands. I had a pretty long list today and I think I got everything done!

Drop off cleaning √ John doesn’t like the way I iron shirts and since he’s paying, I take them to the cleaners.

Staples for ink √ Printing patterns takes a lot of ink, printing color patterns takes even more and I don’t like giving out B&W patterns so I’ve been using a lot of ink… and I ran out of color.

Bank to make deposit and withdrawal √ Deposit money in retreat account and take money out of personal account. Can’t buy groceries etc with retreat money, then I wouldn’t have any to pay the hotel bills when they come due.

Look for dishwasher √ No I didn’t lose mine, it broke. It broke back in February and I haven’t had the extra money to get a new one. With the holidays coming up I decided I’d better start looking for a new one. Being the savvy shopper I am I researched them… depends on what you want and how much you want to spend but I narrowed it down to a few models. And the first place I went had one of the ones I was looking for so I got it. I had to, it had a $100 rebate on it making it cheaper then I had planned on paying and the rebate is almost out of time, so I got it. Now I have to remember to mail in the rebate form.

Pick up T-shirt order √ That was probably the easiest thing and I always love stopping at the print shop.. they are fun people and oh so very generous to me and my cause.

Wal-Mart shopping √ I actually for almost everything on my list. Almost but not quite but it isn’t Wal-Mart’s fault, the manufacturer discontinued my shampoo. And I found color socks, not plain white, actually real colors like blue and purple and navy! I haven’t seen colored socks at Wal-Mart in years… they are always sold out by time I remember to look for them. (For the last three years I’ve bought white and died them purple… I’m throwing them all out tonight!)

Do more packing for Angels Retreat √ All the “prizes” are packed, all wrapped up nicely in some lovely fabric… well sorta lovely… maybe

And here is it 4:00 and I’m finally taking a break. √ I think I deserve one!

Bob’s Blankie Brigade

2011-10-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

Last year at one of the fall retreats I met Helaine who was making small quilts for something she called Bob’s Blankie Brigade. Her energy and enthusiasm for the project really impressed me and I decided I would add Bob’s to my list of charities I give quilts to.

I like Bob’s because they give to many different groups, not just one. They make knitted and crocheted blankets, wraps and covers, and knitted and crocheted caps too, as well as many quilts of all sizes.

Their goal is to provide a warm and loving touch to children and adults in need. I like that so I am adding Bob’s to my list of charities.

And I have decided that in 2012 I will have a charity quilt-in every month, giving a free pattern or project that is easy and quick and suitable for any of the charities on my list.

Check back for more information as 2012 sneaks up on us!

More learning

2011-10-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

I learned that some people truly do read what I write here, and sometimes what I write even influences someone to make a life changing decision.

I learned that people care about what I write even if they don’t agree with what I say all the time.

I learned that people are learning about me as I write, maybe even as much as I am learning about myself.

I also learned that there are some truly generous people who read my blog and in turn give me the opportunity to be generous to someone else.

I learned that many honestly worry if I don’t write daily, and at least a few now understand why I don’t write when I am retreating.

I learned that blogging is just as important as Facebook, and to many people even more important!

And at lunch today I learned that Mufasa likes turkey. How did I find that out? I made myself a sandwich and set it on my table in the living room. I went to check the laundry, came back and half the sandwich was on the floor minus the turkey.

Before and After

2011-10-17T09:43:00.000-04:00

These photos show my car packed before and after the retreat.

Imagine how packed it would be if I had to bring back those two totes the hotel is storing for me?

What I learned at the retreat

2011-10-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Normally I am the teacher, this year I was definitely the student. I learned a lot about people and came home with a greater knowledge of the ladies from the October Retreat. They are a truly generous bunch of ladies.

We had an ugly fat quarter contest at the retreat. Each quilter was to bring three ugly fat quarters. Quite a few had to go out and buy their uglies, since they had none in their stash. Others had many in their stash and some brought many more than three.

Many of the fat quarters were only ugly to the person who brought them. There were lovely floral fabrics, far from ugly, but perhaps the owner was tired of making floral quilts. There were some very graphic fabrics, not everyone’s taste, but not necessarily ugly either. And there were some camouflaged fabrics, they bordered on ugly but certainly won’t to the boy who gets this quilt.

Any fabric can be ugly to someone, we all have different likes and dislikes. But what is ugly to one person can be beautiful to another. Not everyone likes the same thing, and that is what makes us who we are. Not everyone likes 30s reproductions and not everyone likes metallics. But we all love quilting and that is what brings us together.

Almost done

2011-10-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

Well this retreat is ALMOST over, just a few ladies still packing up their stuff from the conference room. I've taken one of four (or 5) loads out to the car and will be heading south sooner or later. The retreat went very well and I think everyone had a great time. I haven't stopped except to sleep and my body feels like I forgot to do that.... my roommate would tell you all otherwise.

Good news, the hotel is allowing me to keep two large totes here so I have two less things to load in the car, unload at home, reload week from Wednesday, unload at the hotel... you get the idea. Have I said how much I love this hotel?

Having fun!!

2011-10-15T12:32:00.001-04:00

Having so much fun I've forgotten to post here OR on my groups!
Report in on Monday, I promise

Home Sweet Bird-in-Hand

2011-10-11T16:18:00.000-04:00

Arrived safely, only one buggy the whole way up. Now to get sewing!
Or shopping… or both!

Anyone interested in making a log cabin?

2011-10-11T08:23:00.000-04:00

I had to share this before I got on the road to Lancaster. Someone apparently searched for log cabin and came up with my web page. Me thinks this is a little larger than I want to make a log cabin... image all those strips!

Hello.

According to our survey in the market of China,it shows that the log cabin have a prospect market in China, we hope that we can joint together to develop this market.

The specification of the log cabin we required are :70 ㎡ for 5 suits; 80 ㎡ for 8 suits; 100 ㎡ for 10 suits; 120 ㎡ for 5 suits ; 150 ㎡ for 3 suits , and the height is 3.5m. Please design the pattern and foundation figure.

If you have similar designs,pls sent them to us for reference by email. And pls offer us a good scheme and competitive price, so that we can have a long-term cooperation.(The style of the log cabin should be classical and novel, and the appearance should be elegant.)The valid time is 30 days.

Thanks for cooperating.

Best Regards

I think I will pass on this one, too busy right now!

Printing again

2011-10-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

Yes, again. I have already printed three patterns for the retreats but when I was looking at my idea sheet I decided to add a fourth. I hope the ladies are all willing and ready to sew a lot of different blocks this retreat.

The car is more packed today than it was yesterday. I added my slotted ruler and my Featherweight table. Fortunately they both are flat and don’t take up much room. Actually they fit quite nicely behind my seat.

I think all that is left to go in the car is my purse and my briefcase. I hope, because there isn’t much more room!

Packed and loaded, almost

2011-10-09T16:28:00.000-04:00

I am amazed at what all we fit in my little car. Oh that photo doesn’t show half of it believe me. I should have taken a picture from the inside looking out, LOL!

On the bottom you can see two cutting mats. Rulers are behind the seats where they won't get damaged, hopefully. The big red container has in it risers to make the conference room tables higher, irons and a few miscellaneous other retreat necessities. Behind that is the electrical container with nine rolled extension cords and six surge protectors. Then there are the three Featherweights. One of the ladies at this retreat wants to purchase one, so I am bringing three for her to choose from. And of course I need one to sew on while up there. The basket is my sewing supplies as is the smaller tote bag has other miscellaneous supplies in it.

In front of the Featherweights are three huge tote bags, one with all the ordered retreat apparel, one with prizes and the last one with other miscellaneous supplies. (There is way too much miscellaneous in there, LOL!)

I still have to put in there a quilt, my suitcase, my computer bag and my passenger’s suitcase and sewing machine and supplies. I will TRY to remember to take a picture of everything in there… but no promises. We’ll be in a big hurry to get on the road!

Four More Days

2011-10-08T09:51:00.000-04:00

Only four days left before the first fall retreat. I can’t wait, but I will have to because I am not ready yet. I have one page of six printed… ink ran out of the printer just about the time I ran out of energy last night. So I’ll have to finish printing today, then staple them all together….

That’s actually the part I dislike the most, stapling them. I used to have an automatic stapler, you just put the papers in and it stapled and it was easy. Now I have to do it manually… so old fashioned and slow. (Oh tell me I am not spoiled by modern gadgets, LOL!)

There is a pile of “stuff” in the back room, all waiting to be put in the car. I’m not sure it will fit this time…. And I have to leave room for my passenger and her stuff too. Packing will be interesting… very interesting indeed.

Following blogs...

2011-10-07T09:48:00.002-04:00

I use Google Reader to follow my most favorite blogs. Not all are quilting related, some are family, some are friends but a huge chunk are quilters. Recently I’ve noticed a trend on Google Reader… many quilters are showing only the first three or four lines on their blogs forcing you to go read the entire entry on their web page. And then when you get to that web page, it’s almost impossible to find the entry among all the ads, followers, maps, weather reports and who knows what else.

So let me analyze what I am spending my time on… I read three lines of Ms Quilters’ blog and want to see more, so I click on the URL. It takes 34 seconds for the page to open fully because she has so much on there. (And I am on high speed net) At the top of the page is a HUGE header, takes up my entire 17 inch screen. So I scroll down a bit, more of that same header, followed by her tabs, which there are so many of you can barely read what they say. Scrolling down some more I find two ads, one on the left and one on the right. On one side the ad is quilt related, on the other, far from it. I am not real sure what THAT has to do with quilting so I’m not sure why she has ads like that on her site.

Scrolling down some more I find on one side of the screen a list of blogs she likes to read, a list of her key words, the blog archive, every day every month for the last twenty years, a list of her finished quilts, a list of her unfinished quilts, her local weather report, and another advertisement. On the other side of the page is her calendar, not one month, but three with where she was every single day for the last three months.

Now let me pause here to say something… if I was a burglar who lived in her area I would pay close attention to this calendar. She is gone to this club every Tuesday and that organization every Wednesday and has her hair done every Friday morning. How convenient of her to tell me when she’s not going to be home.

Back to the other side of the page where under the three months of her calendar the burglar so enjoyed I see a Live Traffic Feed with where the last 200 readers came from, photos of all her blog followers, a list of the swaps she participating in, a list of all the blog rings she belongs to (I didn’t know there were that many!) and a list of her favorite web sites.

And crammed in between those lists is her blog entry for the day, in the tiniest font possible to publish

Apparently she doesn’t think people come to read what she has to say anymore, so I guess I will just delete her from my list of favorites. And I think I will check my own blog and see how I can unclutter it!

Interesting Thursday

2011-10-06T16:02:00.000-04:00

Day started out normal and went downhill fast.

I got up, showered, got dressed and sat down with my morning coffee to check the internet.

At 8:45 I started to leave for my Doctor’s appointment and the power went out.

Regardless I had an appointment so I had to leave. Only I couldn’t open the garage door. No power no opener. So I pulled the magic red handle and managed to get it open manually… how old fashioned.

Then I went to drive out, only I’d left my car keys in the house. No problem, I had a house key in the car. Hadn’t used it in several years, but I found it. Problem was, door and key weren’t cooperating with each other so I had to go use the back door. Fortunately that opened for me, and I hadn’t locked the inner door, so I was in.

Found car keys, right where I left them by my coffee and went out through door that wouldn’t open from garage. Locked it again and pulled car out of garage. Got out of car to close garage door… I couldn’t reach it. So I reached for a broom John had up on a nail and pulled it down to use as a handle and got hit in the head when a mop decided to come down at the same time. Ouch

I managed after all that to get to the Doctor’s on time. Not that it mattered, she was running late already. My 9:15 appointment didn’t start until 10 and I was finished by 10:15. Went and got the car washed, it needed it, and headed home.

Power was still out so I entered through back door, locked it, went in house and… power was still out. Called power company, they said it would be back on at noon. Called at 12:10 and they said it would be back on at 1:00. Called at 1:15 and they said it would be back on at 3:00. Called John and he came home and started up the generator, hooked up the frig and went back to work.

I had dry cereal for lunch, finished my cold coffee and read for a while. Thank goodness I still had some real books. Then I got thirsty. Fortunately what is in the frig was still cold.. and I enjoyed a nice tall glass of ice tea. Only that made me want to you-know-what and with no power we have no water pump and that means no flushing.

Fortunately power came back on at 2:59 and now life is back to normal… if there is such a thing.

Now I am mad!

2011-10-05T15:34:00.001-04:00

If you read me often you may remember that Extreme Home Makeover recently did a build in my neighborhood. The Rev Dale Dunning was built a lovely home, commercial kitchen and more in support of her Jusst Sooup Ranch. Dale feeds hundreds of people in many locations all around our area.

Now her new neighbors are fighting her to keep her from serving people at the Jusst Sooup Ranch. One says “it’s possible that sex offenders, mental patients and substance abusers would be in the area”

Excuse me, this is a rural area on a main road. Any hitchhiker on that road could fit that category. And believe me, I’ve seen many hitchhikers on that road and in that neighborhood too.

Anyone in your neighborhood could fit that category too. You can’t know everyone who lives around you, not in a rural area like that. When you bought your house did you knock on each door in your neighborhood to find out the details of all of your neighbors and everyone who might ever visit them? Do you ever go out in public and stand in line at the grocery store. You could easily run into a sex offender, mental patient and/or substance abuser at the grocery store, local dollar store or heaven forbid, even your Doctor’s office or the local hospital.

There are all kinds of people in life, the good and the bad, the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy. If you want to avoid those people, move somewhere where you won’t run the risk of running into someone you might not like or who might be one of those people.

Try the moon.

No hummers today

2011-10-04T17:08:00.002-04:00

Last night it went down to 42 around here. Today I have not seen any hummingbirds at all, not one. Fall is certainly in the air, even the maple leaves are falling all over the yard.

Getting closer to retreat time. I still haven’t done anything with the samples, but at least I know where they are now. I organized some more things today too, slowly but surely getting ready.

I did get an inspiration for a new quilt today. I was looking at some photos a friend had posted on Facebook and one really talked to me. It said make me a quilt, so I’m working on that. Well the design part of it anyway, no time for sewing right now.

Spoke too soon, an hour later and we've seen both hummers from yesterday again, one at a time.

Hummers again

2011-10-03T12:15:00.000-04:00

There is a reason they don’t keep track of when hummingbirds leave an area… that’s because the minute you think they are gone one shows up. The other day I said we have one left…. Today at the feeder I see two.

Not missing after all!

2011-10-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

Remember the missing retreat samples which were put away during the wedding frenzy? I found them!

Now if I can get my fingers to cooperate maybe I can get the hand work finished before the first retreat in just 8 days. Wish me luck, this fall chill has made these poor arthritic fingers achy. Not to mention my toes cold… I even had to put on socks today. And we turned the heat on too. Burrrrr

Hummers

2011-10-02T10:20:00.001-04:00

The birds not the car. I never liked that car, looked too much like a tank to me, even when painted bright colors. But anyway, I’m not talking about them today, I’m talking about my hummingbirds.

We had a lot this summer, first one arrived on or about April 15th like they do every year. And I really think there were more babies this summer then in some years past. It seemed like there was a new batch at the feeder all summer.

Photo taken in July.. the later hummers have been camera shy.

Mufasa has been kept entertained by their antics outside the window. He sat there day after day watching them. Early in September one actually was watching him, getting right up to the window and hovering there almost nose to bill with him. Both John and Mike got to see this happen, but the hummer was very camera shy and took off before I could catch a picture.

As September rolled on they started disappearing. By the wedding there were just a few left visiting the feeder. And now it is October and we have just one who is here enjoying having the feeder all by his or her self. I’m not sure who is going to miss them more, Mufasa or me.

Happy October

2011-10-01T18:32:00.000-04:00

October already, this year is flying. I love fall, the leaves changing colors, the chill in the air and of course quilters retreats! This year there will be two retreats in October, both fully booked with quilters who are ready to shop and socialize. Yes we will do some sewing, and hopefully the ladies will all enjoy what I have lined up for them.

I am looking forward to both retreats, but both will be different. The first retreat will have 23 ladies and all but two are repeat retreaters. It will be like old home week for this group and I know it will be an exciting week. Guaranteed laughs with this crowd and hopefully great weather for our shopping.

The second retreat will be unique to me, eight of the 23 ladies will be new to me, but unlike years past they will all know each other before they come. That’s because that retreat is a “private” retreat, reserved for a group of women from upstate NY. (Well they call it upstate, but that’s still being debated.) Since they all know each other already, I’ll be the stranger in the crowd. But I’m sure this retreat will have plenty of laughs also, and I’ll let you know how much sewing gets done.

I’m looking forward to all the retreats, and wish this first week of October was over so I could start heading to Bird-in-Hand now!

Update time

2011-09-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is a beautiful time of year and I hope the colors in nature inspire you to make some lovely quilts. The BOM is Maple Leaf http://delawarequilts.com/BOMs/MapleLeaf/ which I think is the perfect block for October.

Because we had a waiting list for the fall retreats NEXT year, I have added another retreat which hopefully will accommodate everyone’s schedules. I will announce openings for each retreat after this year’s is over, giving the current retreaters the chance to book first. Dates and details as know for now are on the main retreat page, http://www.delawarequilts.com/Retreat/ You can always get on the waiting list now and be the first notified of openings.

The Delaware Quilts team is off to a great start for the 2012 Relay For Life year. You can keep up with our progress at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Delaware-Quilts

If you are in the Lower Slower Delaware area be sure to stop by Serendipity Quilt Shop today for their Grand Opening celebration. If you haven’t been there yet you will be amazed at the new store, it’s lovely! http://www.serendipityquiltshop.com/

Finally, I just posted a brand new quilt pattern on the Mysteries For Relay group. This is not a mystery, but a full pattern everyone will hopefully enjoy. You can get this pattern for a $5 donation or you can join the group for a whole year for just $30. I post new patterns and/or mysteries about every six weeks. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MysteriesForRelay/

Too much ado about nothing

2011-09-29T16:24:00.001-04:00

That’s what kind of day I’m having AGAIN…. I’ve been doing since I got up and nothing is done yet and I’ve had a hundred interruptions and I am all alone… well except for Mufasa.

Speaking of… he learned a hard lesson today, you can not run and jump on a wet floor. I had just finished mopping the kitchen floor when he decided he needed a snack. He noticed his bowl wasn’t on the floor but up on the counter so he took off running to jump up there and landed on his rump on a pile in the corner of the kitchen. He’s not allowed on the counters so I’m glad he missed and hopefully he learned his lesson. Maybe he learned more than one, no jumping on the counter, no running on wet floors and Pine-Sol tastes funny when you try to wash it off your paws.

And I learned a valuable lesson too, it doesn’t hurt to ask for a discount. When you are a good customer businesses will do something nice for you if you ask. I really appreciate this discount, it adds up. And these days every dime counts.

Am I getting any quilting done…. No although I did pick up four quilts from the quilter yesterday. They are still sitting on the kitchen table where I put them when I came home. But the kitchen table is in the living room right now while the kitchen floor dries.

And I have more work to get done so I’d better get at it!

We have a short URL

2011-09-28T19:13:00.001-04:00

https://www.facebook.com/DelawareQuilts

Once you have 25 likes on Facebook you can have a short URL. In less than 24 hours I got the required likes and now have a nice short easily remembered (I hope) URL.
https://www.facebook.com/DelawareQuilts You can check there for monthly updates and who knows when I might put a special quilt pattern on sale or something such.

Since I am sort of Facebook illiterate I’ll confess, I think you have to be signed in to see that page. Regardless, if you get on please “like” us!

What did I do yesterday?

2011-09-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

I did a lot of some things, a little bit of nothing and some more of not much. But I got a lot accomplished. I am making progress in getting ready for the retreats, working on dates for future years’ retreats, and even working on a brand new retreat. The new one was sort of on demand. So many people wanted to come in the spring, but that retreat is booked year to year, so I’m contemplating adding a second spring retreat. No, it won’t be the same time as the show, but there are so many ladies who don’t care about the show and would honestly prefer retreating when there isn’t a show on, making shops less crowded.

I also did something I said I would never do… started a Delaware Quilts page on Facebook. If you read me often you know I don’t really like Facebook. But after the wedding, when I got lessons on Facebook, and when people started posting personal photos of the happily married couple, I started to have a second opinion of it.

And then someone started pushing me to do a Delaware Quilts page. Her suggestion was a good one, more people see Facebook than the blog, and possibly I could drum up some more Mysteries For Relay business. DS#1 has been after me to start a Delaware Quilts facebook page to, so he was happy. And if I make one of my boys happy, it was worth all the trouble, LOL!

For now I don’t have a short URL for the facebook page, but if you want to follow it or like it or whatever you do… you can search in the facebook search box for Delaware Quilts. As soon as I get the short URL I will post it on the right!

I see the sun!

2011-09-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

I see the sun, it’s so bright and shiny and pretty. It’s been a long time since I saw it; I was starting to forget what it looked like.

Another thing I am starting to forget is quilting… seems like forever since I did any and things keep popping up keeping me from it. Two weeks from tomorrow like it or not I will be back in quilting mode, with friends, old and new. Can’t wait!

To whom it may concern

2011-09-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

I got this email..

UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE,
PO BOX 555, NEW YORK NY

This is to inform you that we have intercepted your parcel, UPS COURIER SERVICE is making the delivery and we have stopped the delivery process for some security reasons stated below:

1. Our scanning system has detected that your parcel contains an ATM CARD that has the sum of $1,000,000.00 (one million dollars only) in it.
2. Such ATM CARD coming from Europe, Africa, Asia, must be verify by the postal inspection service which we have directed our inspection team to verify the authenticity of this ATM CARD. After the verification on the Parcel / ATM CARD we contacted the issuing institution who made it known to our office that the ATM CARD is a Genuine and not illegal acquired. We also forward the Serial number of the ATM CARD to the United States Treasury Department and they confirmed that the CARD is authentic and ready for use in any ATM machine in the world.

Of course they want some personal information I don’t wish to give them, so… to the dear person who sent me the ATM Card with a million on it, thanks but no thanks. I am not that stupid although I sure could use the money!

Rainy Saturday

2011-09-24T17:47:00.002-04:00

And Friday too, I think the rain may never stop... I'm going to build an ark soon.

Of course John was there!

2011-09-22T11:54:00.000-04:00

Smarty pants Sue asked me if my husband attended the wedding since she didn’t see him in any pictures. He was there, and he took many of the pictures I’ve shared on here, which is why he isn’t in them. He was in the first look video too, but you only see his back, since he was standing in the hallway making sure no one came in the room. However, Sue was right there wasn’t much photographic evidence of John being present. However, a friend of the bride and groom caught us coming into the ceremony and again coming into the reception. Both are a little fuzzy, but proof John was indeed there. (And I am sure photographer Issa Michel got many more of John)

Yes another post already

2011-09-21T10:56:00.001-04:00

I just got an email from a friend through facebook, something I thought couldn’t be done. I went on facebook to see why, and found lots of posts from friends complaining about changes. But for the first time ever I managed to maneuver all around facebook easily and even found everything I was looking for, LOL!

While on there I noticed my security was low, extremely low according to them. So I clicked to change it. They ask you to answer one of those security questions. So what if you don’t know the answers to a single one of their top secret security questions? How is that going to make it more secure?