Fun Shopping Day

I finally got to Fiber on a Whim and Nicholas Kniel today. And yes, Nicholas's shop is to die for. Ribbons, ribbons, everywhere. I had a hard time choosing. I cannot wait to go back when I have no kids with me. (Does that ever happen? Yes, but not very often.) Anyway, I got 6 different ribbons. My two year old has absconded with one of them. She is very into rainbows, and this one qualifies. So I have enough ribbon to make ten flowers to put on the Nursing Mom piece.

At Fiber on a Whim, I picked up this gorgeous piece of fabric. I don't know what I will do with it. I bought all that was left on the bolt. I have a sneaky suspicion that I bought a yard before. I'll have to look. I also got this thread to do some thread painting in Nursing Mom's hair. And this gorgeous bug to put on the piece somewhere, too.

But for now, I will get to work on the Trip Around the World. I hear Walter Reed needs quilts. So I will get this one done for them. And then maybe start another one...

Last Night at Fiber Art Fusion

Last evening, Fiber Art Fusion met at Fiber on a Whim. It was a blast. Nicholas Kniel was there. He has the most wonderful ribbon shop on the continent, I am told. I will find out later today. Anyway, he taught us to make gorgeous ribbon roses. He brought a ton of ribbons from which to choose, and we all made two roses. The one on the right was made with a plaid ribbon, which I just thought was crazy cool. Today, I am going to get some smaller ribbon and make some roses to go on my nursing mom piece. That way she can be sitting in a flower garden. He has a book that I am going to order so I can make some different flowers, too. It is back ordered right now, but I'll let you know what I think when I get it. I am also going to go to Fiber on a Whim to figure out a better way to do her hair. I think it needs to be more 3-dimensional.

Sharon Serrano Ahmed brought some of her wonderful pieces for show and tell last night. Sharon does the neatest 3-D felting things. I love her faces that she has been doing. I just love that she creates all the time. I can almost see the creativity flowing out of her. And she is so willing to share her knowledge and time with people. I really admire her.

Now, do you quilt a piece before you embellish it? Or do you quilt after you embellish? Or both? I quilted the heart before I embellished it. I did not put a back on it. I just quilted the top to the batting, and I am planning to add a back when the whole thing is done. I just thought it would look messy otherwise. My grandma and mom both taught me to have nice backs on my needlepoint and cross stitch pieces. So I am kind of in that frame of mind.

In other news, I did the Couch to 5k again this morning. I ran inside the house again. I don't even want to know how many laps around my first floor I do. I think I will have to invest in a treadmill after we replace the carpet. Otherwise I will wear out the carpet. My two year old walks with me for a good portion of the time. Sometimes I carry the baby during the walking parts. He thinks it is funny. Then he gets deposited in different area each time. Sometimes in the bouncy seat. Sometimes on his quilt. Sometimes in the excersaucer. (Thanks Rebecca!)

Dave threw me for another supper loop tonight. He agreed to meet someone after soccer practice. So salmon is on hold for another night. I think we will go with the Curry Chicken Salad tonight. It is from the In the Kitchen with Rosie cookbook by Oprah's former chef.

Nothing Exciting

I just realized how long it has been since I posted. I have not done anything on the quilt below, but hopefully will get back to it tomorrow. We were in Florida on Spring Break for a week. That was a lot of fun. I got to see my parents and hang out at their house. I still feel weird about visiting them in Florida instead of Columbia, Maryland, where I grew up. But, they are happy down there. They are healthier. And they have made a ton of friends. Not to mention, they pretty much have a revolving door for their old friends coming to visit. And even some really old (not in age, but from high school and college) friends have come to stay with them. But, I want to visit home sometime, too. Maybe next year for my 20th high school reunion. (Has it really been that long?!) Just another weight loss motivator.

I walked this morning. And Sunday. This morning, I did the couch to 5k program for 30 minutes. It is the same idea as when I started running in December. I hope I will keep it up this time. I had to do it inside this morning. While I own a double jogger stroller, I don't think the baby is quite big enough for it, yet.

And yesterday, I planned out a menu for the week and went shopping. Unfortunately, I mixed up which kid has soccer practice which day. It wouldn't be a problem except I have my Fiber Art Fusion meeting this evening, which means I will not be here to cook after everyone gets home from soccer practice. So now I am in a quandary for tonight. I really don't think Dave will be up to cooking salmon and asparagus when he gets home from coaching soccer for two hours while keeping up with our little people, too. I just figured it out. I will make tomorrow's macaroni and cheese casserole tonight. I will cook it, and turn off the oven when I leave. That way, it will stay warm in the oven. Everyone loves mac 'n' cheese, so Dave won't have any fights about food when they get home, either.

For the rest of the week we have:

• salmon, broccolini, and rice
• curry chicken salad, jalapeño cheddar cornbread, and asparagus
• corn chowder, cheese and crackers, salad, and maple baked beans (these were to go with the mac and cheese, but they need all day in the crock pot)
• low country boil with shrimp, corn, and potatoes
• fiesta quesadillas from Wolfgang Puck's kid cookbook

Hopefully I can stick to it. Oh, I just remembered, Saturday we have a late soccer game at the Northwest Y. That means, dinner at Five Guys. So I have an extra meal planned. YAHOO!

Inverted

(Sorry about the bad picture. I took it at 11:30 last night.) As I was sewing all those strips together, I remembered that the shop sample was an inverted trip around the world. And it was stunning. (It had to be, or I wouldn't have bought the kit, right?) So I decided to try that setting. Well, I think we have a winner. While watching Independence Day, I ripped the extra seams and laid this out on the floor. I really think it looks sharp. It is going to take a while to sew because I feel the need to pin every intersection. But I really think I will be proud to donate this quilt to Quilts of Valor when it is done.

More Update

All the strip sets are sewn, pressed, and now have been made into loops for me to cut. I am writing out the layout before I move to the next step because I don't understand the one that I have. It's a good thing my sixth grader needed graph paper the other evening to understand slope and intercept, so I know where the graph paper is located.

On a completely different note... I got accepted into the Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program, which is the certification program to which I applied. I won't know for another few weeks if I passed the test. However, this program works with the school systems to place teachers from their program. So it is definitely a step in the right direction. Yea for me!

Updates

First off, kindergardener's first art class was this week, and he had a blast! He freaked out at first because it was not his normal routine to stay after school. However, his teacher called me from her cell phone and she and I managed to calm him down. I ran up to the school in case it started again, but the art teacher said things were great, so I went grocery shopping. They made clay animals that they will glaze in a couple of weeks. He is all set to go back. He said he made an elephant and a dinosaur.

What is it with my kids and elephants and dinosaurs? When my oldest was little, we didn't need a membership to the whole zoo, just the elephants. Of course, they don't sell them that way. Newt Gingrich has been known to hang out at the elephant compound at Zoo Atlanta. I try to keep a large distance between us. I have a gorgeous pair of ceramic elephant earrings. I stopped wearing them after someone asked me if it was a political statement. What? Only Republicans like elephants? So now I wear my stegosaurus earrings when I visit the boys' schools.

I have 5 of the 6 strip sets done for the Trip Around the World. My plan is to finish the last one today, do the sub-cutting, and tonight, while I veg in front of the TV, re-open the tubes. Hopefully this weekend I will get the quilt laid out.

Now I have a dilemma about this quilt. I am making it for the Quilts of Valor project, with which I am very excited to be involved. However, the quilt is from a kit, so it is not one of a kind. Is that ok? I feel like I should be doing something unique and wonderful for this young woman who has given a limb, eyesight, uterus, something for our country. I must say, it is haunting me a little.

Quotable Quotes

I took the test last weekend in an English classroom. The following quote was hanging on the wall:

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
~Rick Bradbury


I am currently reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I was inspired to read this book after hearing about a mom who successfully got an AP English teacher to take it off the syllabus. Nothing like a good book banning to make me want to read. I am not that far into the book, and I have yet to find it offensive. After all, it is just a book. I am not saying that if there is a book on your child's reading list you don't think they are ready for, by all means tell the teacher you want your child to read a different book. Suggest another book that will accomplish the same goals. But I don't think one parent should be able to change the reading list for an entire AP English class. We had a parent in my son's elementary school that tried to get a number of books removed from our library. She was told that she could say her child was not allowed to check out those books, but that they would not be removed from the library. I have yet to check if The Higher Power of Lucky (see Dorothy's post) is in my kids' school libraries. I suspect it is. If not, maybe I'll donate it...

Well, I had another quote, but it was pretty political, and I decided I didn't want to go there today. I am too fragile about things like that right now.

Back in the Studio

I went back into my sewing room today. I am working on a top for the 40 Quilts of Service. This one is for a wounded female soldier via the Quilts of Valor project. It is a kit from many years ago of a blue and white Trip Around the World. I already have 2 of the 6 strip sets put together. I have spent today ironing everything, since it has been in a bag for over two years. I am looking forward to getting it all together.

My houses and Nursing Mom are up on my design wall begging to be worked on. When I get this top together, I'll get back to them. Looking at the houses, I really don't think they need a lot more. Maybe some stars in the night sky or some trees or maybe a surfboard.

And don't let anyone fool you... Life with four kids is very busy. We have soccer Monday-Wednesday, an orchestra concert Thursday, a birthday party for both older boys to attend on Friday, soccer games Saturday morning and afternoon, and a soccer game to attend Saturday evening. Next Monday starts art classes for Ed, to add on to that above schedule. I am still hanging on to the whole family eating dinner together, but it is getting harder and harder. That was so important to my parents when we were growing up, and it is important to us now.

Thanks!

Thank you for all the good thoughts and prayers. I won't know if I passed for a month. And then, they only say pass or fail, not a score. So, I will do my best to relax for a month and do some fun things like reading and starting a garden and, of course, sewing.

Good Thoughts, Prayers, whatever appreciated

The certification test is tomorrow afternoon. I am getting nervous. I know I can do this math. I know I can. But, if you have a minute tomorrow, and you think about it, I would appreciate all of your good thoughts and prayers. Thanks!

And Monday, the little people and I will be in the studio!

I's Friday, I'm in Love

Who gets that musical reference? Amy?

Well, I am signing Ed up for the art class. It is about 3-D art, and I think he will have a blast. One of the little girls in his homeroom class is also taking the class, so that should be fun for them. Yes, he claims girls are ooey, but he just does that because he is supposed to.

We went to the school production of Oklahoma last night. I thought it was very good for 4th and 5th graders. The sets were very elaborate. The costumes were, too. I better practice my garment sewing before my kids get that age. Oh, and where do you find chaps for 5th graders? I guess they won't be doing Oklahoma again for Ed, but by the time Sam is there they may recycle it, and I might need some.

I think I will take today off studying and do some fun stuff. Maybe I will finish the heart quilt. Maybe I will work on my little houses. I probably will end up studying some, just because I will feel the need.

Have a great day!

Art Classes

I am signing my kindergartener up for an art class. It will be interesting to see what comes out of it. He is excited. The proceeds go to a good cause, the school foundation which pays for us to have an extra art teacher. I do hope the art teacher makes some money, because I am sure we don't pay her enough to begin with.

So what is your take on art classes? I never took an art class in my life. I did take piano lessons, ballet lessons, viola lessons, acting classes, etc. Are art classes similar?

(And I know some of you are thinking I was one of those overscheduled kids. I was not. My folks kept us busy. It was their keep us off drugs program, I am sure. However, at no time were we stressed out about all we were doing. It was a lot of fun.)

WIP Wednesday

Did you know they have Cliff Notes for EVERYTHING? When I was in high school, my parents would not let us use Cliff Notes for English class. Yes, we had to read all of those books, cover to cover. My husband, on the other hand, well, his mother would go buy the Cliff Notes for him. So it will be interesting to see what our household rule on Cliff Notes will be. With our oldest in 6th grade, I have a feeling it will come up pretty soon.

But, I have found out that Cliff makes notes about things besides literature now. I have been studying the Algebra II one today. It is pretty interesting. It tells you how to do the problems, but not a lot of the why. For example, it gives all the rules for logarithms, but it never explains why they work. Anyway, they are still the same bright yellow books they used to be. They just cover a lot more topics.

So what does this have to do with my Work in Progress? I am working on getting certified to teach high school math. So that is what is in progress.

Sparkles

As much as I have always wanted to make fun quilts, I have never really done any surface embellishing. Well, I have been having a blast adding beads and sequins to my watercolor heart quilt. My two year old helps pick out the sequins and beads. I am about 3/4 of the way done with it. I have not been working on it much because I am studying for my teacher certification exam. But that is in two weeks, so after that I should have some breathing time again.

So I am curious, what do you all add to quilt surfaces? What are your favorite things? Where do you get them? What are some of your favorite on-line resources?

The Amazing Reading Race

One of our family's favorite television shows is The Amazing Race. We have been watching it for a number of seasons. We even bet on it. I am not liking this "all-star" season as much as other seasons, but I am watching it.

I have been trying to think of ways to make the boys want to read. So today, we started The Amazing Reading Race. They chose the first book for the race. The sixth grader is reading "Spell for Chameleon" by Piers Anthony and the kindergartner is reading a Magic Tree House Book. I wrote them each a clue, which tells them how many chapters to read. When they finish those chapters, they will get a prize. The younger one is getting baseball cards. I think the older one will get a song from i-tunes. Or maybe he can get points towards a gift card to Target. When they finish the books, the prize will be bigger, like a movie night with Dad or their aunt and uncle, who like to take the boys to kids' movies.

If anyone has any ideas for prizes, let me know...

WIP Wednesday

I have two WIP's to show you today.

First is a UFO started about 6 years ago. I remember buying the fabric at the Superbowl Sunday Sale. It was made with Quilter's Grid, which I really do not like. I would rather line up the squares and sew them individually. So it was just a top until Monday. Then I added batting and quilted it. Now I am going to add beads and sequins to make it flashier. Then, I will add a back. It won't be done today for Valentine's Day, but it is nice to get a UFO out and working on it.

When it is done, it will hang in the powder room. Rebecca and I were talking about bathroom art the other day. Both of us grew up with art in the bathrooms. I called my mom the other day to ask where the poster is now located. She says it is somewhere in their house put away. So I called it. When they find it, if it is not going to hang in their house, and they are fast running out of wall space, I get it. Ha Ha my dear sisters! (I don't even think they read this blog, but just in case, HA HA!)


The second WIP is my attempt at a small series inspired by Deborah Boshert's book. These are just tiny little tops at the moment. They need some help. I am planning to frame them together to hang by my front door. They are perfectly rectangular, unlike the picture shows. They are supposed to be the same style house in different settings and different times of day. The only shape that is different on all of them is the landscaping. Everything else was cut together.

That is all from windy Georgia.

Don't Have A Lot to Say

Well, I have been just keeping up with life lately. My six year old is learning to read and write. He has been writing Valentine's Day cards left and right. He wrote to his dad, "You are the best dad ever. I wish you cood be in the book. But I still wont you here." By the book, we think he means the Guinness Book of World Records for the best dad category. I find glue, paper, scissors, markers, paint, etc. out all the time. Who am I to stifle creativity? Thank goodness for Crayola washable stuff. By the way, Windex can remove Sharpie from some surfaces, too.

I received Deborah Boschert's book in the mail last week. It is really wonderful. I am working slowly on a series of 4x6 pieces based on her instructions. It is more than instructions, it is inspiration, too. I am a fan of her art. When I go back to work, I am buying some, definitely.

Rebecca has great news over on her blog. I'll let you read it there. Suffice it to say, I get to say, "I knew her when..."

I am embroidering the fingers and nose on Nursing Mom. Then I have to figure out where to go next. I have to figure out what to do with her when she is done, too.

Funny From My Dad

I got an email from my dad this morning with this in it...

"Did you know your Mom has a drawer full of UFO's? When she told me I thought about heading to the pantry to get out the tin foil so I could make a hat to ward off the ET's. But she lessened my fears by telling me UFO's refer to unfinished objects. I was quite relieved."

I wrote back to ask is she has any PIGS.

What would you do with a visitor?

I got this from Amy's blog and thought it would be an interesting exercise for me.

Visitor to Your Hometown
1. Your visitor wants to see something historical. Where would you take her and why?
I would take her to the Martin Luther King Center. I find it amazing how many people refuse to go there because they don't want people to think of the South 'that way.' Anyway, being a child of the 70's, I found it very interesting and like to share it with other people. My mom taught at an HBCU (historically black college/university) when I was growing up, so I met a lot of very educated black women. Having visited the King Center, I have an even greater admiration for these women than I did before.

2. She wants to see something hysterical…well, mildly amusing anyway. She’d even go for cute, quirky, odd, or unique. Where would you take her and why?
The Big Chicken. Can you get more odd, quirky, and unique? It is a KFC that actually still claims the word "fried". I have even made quilt blocks of it.

3. She wants to take some beautiful and/or interesting photos to fill her albums when she gets home. Where would you take her?
The Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I LOVE this place.

4. She’d like to buy a souvenir that will remind her of your area every time she sees it. What would you suggest and where would you go to get it?
Something from the World of Coca Cola. What could be more Atlanta than Coke?

5. Wow, it’s been a long day and you’re both ready for a snack, or maybe even a meal. Where would you take her to really get the flavor of your area?
Williamson Brothers BBQ. I took some visitors from Australia there once and they didn't order barbeque. The waitress informed them that grilled chicken and Polish sausage were not what you ordered at a BBQ restaurant and proceeded to bring them a pulled pork open-faced sandwich, beef brisket, beans, and brunswick stew. No complaints were heard from the Aussies.

Any takers?

Do Other People Really Want My Art?

I enjoyed making those post cards yesterday. And I started working on a couple more today. I guess I am really working on finding my style. I have plans to send these post cards to friends to say hello and tell them I am thinking of them. For example, the fish one is going to a friend who is undergoing treatment for cancer. Then I started thinking. I am foisting my art on them. What if they really don't want it? I mean, I will never know if they just throw it away, I suppose. I have never given a quilt that has not been well received. But, I pick my recipients carefully. I don't just give quilts willy nilly. So, what do you think? Have you ever given art that has not been well received? Have you ever been given a piece of art you just cannot stand? And then, what do you do?

A couple of other things...
A shout out to the guys at Jiffy Lube on Sandy Plains. I was in and out of there in under 15 minutes. They talked to me like I understood the workings of my vehicle, and took the time to explain the difference between the two oils so I could make an informed decision. They didn't try to sell me any services I didn't need. They were lovely to my children. And, they did all the over the grease pit driving for me, as I am scared to do that. So thanks guys!

Thanks to the lady in the Publix parking lot. She stood there and talked to the baby while I got the 2 year old in her car seat. Really just a sweet woman. I was feeling very frazzled, and she made my day by saying she thought four kids was just perfect. (You don't know how many people feel the need to tell me I have too many kids.) I did thank her at the time, but I wanted to let you all know how much we young moms appreciate and need a little help and some affirmation.

And one final thank you to the Atlanta Sewing Center for having the Bernina free motion quilting foot I needed in stock. I have misplaced my darning foot, which means no free motion quilting. I was having withdrawals. I got a different foot with a bigger hole, so if I find the other one, it won't be a repeat.

WIP Wednesday

These postcards are what I worked on today. The heart ones are kind of blah. But they will make cute Valentine's Day cards. I like how the fish turned out.

To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

Well, not Mulberry Street, but this bird here was on my neighbor's mailbox. I looked out, and there he was. I ran out with the camera and got his picture before he flew off. Then I realized it was cold outside and my bare feet were not happy.

Sunday Wrap Up

Yesterday was a long, fun day. We had a birthday party with 11 6 year old boys. What fun! We played soccer in the front yard, all sorts of stuff in the basement, and had pizza and cake. I am finally putting moms, kids, faces, etc. all together. We had friends from preschool, the old neighborhood, soccer, and the new neighborhood/school.

So I spent the morning getting ready for the party, the first part of the afternoon having the party, and the middle part of the afternoon cleaning up.

Then... I got to have a girls' night out. I went to dinner with 12 delightful women and then we went to see "Menopause, The Musical". What a hoot! First of all, dinner was so much fun. All the women were PTA types, with local council, district, and state officers all represented. We had a couple of teachers there. And everyone was a mom. I was the youngest by about5 or so years. The conversation was lively, witty, and very interesting.

The show was hysterical. I haven't laughed that hard in years. And I really don't think it was the two cosmos I had at dinner. The show was just that funny. The actresses were incredible. It really is great. If you have a chance, you should go see it.

So this morning we are taking it easy. We have one jacket to return from the party. My husband is supposed to play tennis, but it is supposed to start raining about an hour before he is supposed to start. I think we will just lounge around and play with birthday presents today.

One last note, the blocks for the children's quilts were mailed out Friday, so they should be arriving at the next piecers' houses early this week.

WIP Wednesday

I have been working on the children's quilts for the 40 Quilts Challenge. I am making 112 4 1/2 inch nine patches. I spent the last two days cutting the stripes, sewing them together, and pressing them. This morning I sub-cut them. Then I sorted all the pieces into baggies so they will be organized when I go sew them after lunch. (Or whenever the kids give me a chance.) My goal is to have them in the mail to the next sew-er on Friday. That's only 224 seams away! I also have all the setting squares cut. I need to cut the borders, still.


In other news in my life... I have now been running for 3 weeks, at least 4 times each week. I thought it would be boring. I thought I would hate it. Boy was I wrong. First of all, my mind is going a thousand miles a minute while I am out there running. (Not my feet, but my mind.) I certainly miss my friend Cheri, who I walked with at my old house. But I have found that I also enjoy the peace of just thinking my thoughts. I do listen to an MP3 player while running, mostly to keep me at a decent pace. So it really isn't boring, and I don't hate it. For this venture, I did invest in the priciest shoes I have ever owned. They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I wear them around the house a lot. Other than that, I haven't spent a dime. I wear old sweats and sweatshirts and t-shirts. I wore my "Top Ten Reasons to be a Materials Science Major at Georgia Tech" the other day. My oldest thought it was really geeky. It is, for sure. I mean, there is a joke about the Griffith Crack Growth Theory on there. (Anyone else out there heard of the Griffith Crack growth Theory?) Anyway, after three weeks of this, I really think it is something I can keep up.

My mind has been thinking about wearable art lately. I would like to create something I can wear and my family will still be seen with me. Anyway, that is what will be on the drawing board. Nursing Mom is still on the design wall. I have to figure out where to go with her.

Check out my friend Heidi's blog. She has some great pictures she has been working on!

Hello, again

I was so happy to see how many people took the time to comment on my last post. I have many friends who never nursed, and I had no idea that so many people did. So thank you for the support.

I am working on the 40 Quilts for the Quilt Studio charity event. I have started making a list of what I really want to make. And I am trying to finish up UFO's in between. I have two quilts ready for binding. I have fewer UFO's than I thought I did. And I certainly need to do some fish pieces!

Ok, just wanted to let everyone know I am still alive and kicking. I might get the Christmas cards sent this week. I have decided to save the cards I bought for next year and just send the picture of the kids with a letter. You think that's ok?

Nursing Mom

I wasn't there, so I don't know what really happened, but I have had a bit of a fear of nursing in public since the woman got kicked off the plane for nursing. Like I said, I wasn't there, and I don't know exactly what happened, and it is entirely possible that she was hanging out all over the place or something. However, it is also entirely possible that someone was just freaked out that she was nursing. I have been around a lot of people like that. I was even told at a Little League game by a coach that, "This is a park that has family values. We don't want you to do that here." And I had taken the baby to the car with tinted windows to nurse. This piece is my answer, because I was very young and shy at that time, and I am sure I just mumbled some apology in reply. This is still a work in progress. She needs a nose and fingers. I am planning to stitch those in. However, I need to get working on the children's quilts for the 40 Quilts Donation project, so that is what I will get done this week.

Tonight is Fiber Arts Meeting

I have my Fiber Arts Alliance meeting tonight. We are coming up with a new name for the group, so I don't know what to call it exactly. However, it will be fun. I have made a lot of progress on my first Family Values quilt top, and I post it tomorrow during WIP Wednesday. I would post it now, but I don't want to spoil the surprise for tonight.

I thought I would post these pictures for Jane Ann. She reminds me of my mom, who also smocks clothes for her grandkids. So here is my mom...

And here are Amy and Sam together on Christmas Eve...

It's Friday Already?

I cannot believe Friday is here. The kids go back to school on Monday. It will be back to the little people and me at home. I did work in the sewing room with them yesterday. We had a lot of fun. I almost finished a post card. I spent a lot of the time just admiring the room and deciding I need my kids to make some artwork to hang on the walls.

In going through my stash, I found out that I bought a lot of fish and water fabric. Now, I am a beach person at heart. I love the beach. I plan to live at the beach when I retire. I doubt I rival Amy and her cats with my fish, but I have a lot of them. (I would put a link to Amy, but I haven't gotten my links transferred to my "new" computer, so I cannot at the moment.) So, you may be seeing a lot of fish out of me this year. I also have numerous dinosaur prints. Maybe some evolution quilt is in order. I have deep feelings about evolution.

As for my final 12 Days of Christmas...

On the 12th day of Christmas, my husband brought to me...
12 more somethings of memory (in my computer)
11 hours with no internet
10 empty boxes
9 shelves of fabric
8 glasses of water
7 football games
6 garbage bags (stole this from Dorothy)
5 MP3 players
4 pretzels
3 lost socks
2 running shoes
and an X Box game just for me.

WIP Wednesday

It is done. I finished unloading all the boxes in my sewing room.




When I saw this stash of fabrics, my first thought was, "I cannot believe I spent all that money!" And then I thought about it. We have always been able to pay all our bills. We have always been able to feed our children and heat and air condition our home. Why shouldn't I buy fabric, if it is what I want to do? Also, it isn't like I bought all of it last year. This fabric habit has been going on since before I had kids. So, I decided not to feel guilty.

As for the 10th day of Christmas....

my sewing room gave to me...

10 empty boxes

9 shelves of fabric and on and on...

Whoops! I got a little behind and the Influences of Laura Cater-Woods

On the eighth day of Christmas I gave to myself...
8 glasses of water
7 football games
6 garbage bags (stole this from Dorothy)
5 MP3 players
4 pretzels
3 lost socks
2 running shoes
and an X Box game just for me

And now football is on again. My teams have not been doing well this weekend, but I am used to that. Virginia Tech did not get good until after I had left. And I never really got into Georgia Tech football when I was there. But I watch the games, somewhat, while I am doing other stuff. I am looking forward to the Ohio State-Florida game. My generation is the first not to attend Ohio State, so I grew up watching Ohio State football. You just can't get that Big Ten football out of your life.

My sewing room is almost all put together. My parents brought me their old stereo, which they replaced, so I can listen to cds. I do use my MP3 player while sewing, but not while the little ones are in there with me.

Speaking of my sewing room, you all are going to think I drank the Laura Cater-Woods Koolaide. She spoke of having her daughter in her studio with her. I have always thought of my studio time as my own, and therefore I don't get much. Now I am setting it up so the kids can be in there with me and entertained and safe. I am putting a small table in there for my 2 year old to do her crafts. The stereo will have "Free to be You and Me" in it, along with classical and popular music. There is room for the baby to play on his quilt, or swing in the portable swing, or, when he gets bigger, play in the exersaucer graciously given to me by Becca. And, I will have my grandmother's Singer Touch N Sew set up for the boys to use. They like to make pillowcases and easy straight line stuff.

I also carried this "kids with me" attitude a little further. We got the little kid version of Dance Dance Revolution from the Discovery Channel Store for Christmas, so the kids can play with me. Whenever I exercise, they want the same equipment, etc. I also got two extra yoga mats. And, my oldest is running with me a couple days a week, because he never gets time alone with me because he is the last home from school.

I have been under the weather for the past couple of days, but I think I am on the upswing. Got to grab a glass of water and back to football.

The fifth day

On the fifth day of Christmas, Santa brought to us... 5 mp3 players

(4 types of pretzels, 3 lost socks, 2 running shoes, and an x-box game just for me.)

Yes, five different people at our Christmas celebration got mp3 players. My oldest son (11 years old) asked for one to tune out his younger siblings. My older sister and I got our nephew one because both our boys were getting them. Another nephew, a niece, and my sister also got them.

Since mine is being replaced by Creative Labs (talk about great customer service!) I have been borrowing my son's to go running. It is great. He got the new tiny ipod shuffle. Mine is bigger and heavier, although it has many more features.

I will get back in the studio tomorrow. I promise. Did I mention I got new shelves for it and I have been sorting fabric? I have more than I thought. I need to make it useful!

4th Day of Christmas

My sister brought to me...
4 different kinds of pretzels dipped in chocolate
3 leftover socks
2 running shoes
and an X-box game just for me....

12 Days of Christmas

Ala Dorothy...

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

3 leftover socks
2 running shoes with insoles
and a X-Box game just for me (Dance Dance Revolution!)

Very Quickly

I just wanted to say hello to everyone. Last week, I hosted 3 soldiers (my brother-in-law and two of his men) who were up here for laser eye surgery before going back to Iraq in a couple of months. Apparently eyeglasses and war do not go well together. (By the way, they really encouraged me in the Quilts of Valor area, so now I have even more motivation.) We had 12 extra people in our house for Christmas. It was a blast, but very busy. We had a family picture made with all 18 of us on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning was delightful with 10 kids and 8 adults.

Back to getting the house back in order. There are lots of dirty sheets and towels.

About the Quilts of Valor project, the soldiers said it was nice to know that the people at home had their backs. They were touched that strangers would work so hard to make something to comfort a soldier in his/her time of need.

Christmas at Our House

Christmastime has come to our house. We were a little slow getting around to it this year, but the tree is now up and decorated. Most of the Nativities are out. And the stockings have been found, but not yet hung.

Here is a Nativity I got in one of those White Elephant swaps one year.


This Nativity, a good friend from grad school slip cast and glazed for me. It even has a little drummer boy, because I could not convince my dad that I needed the little drummer boy for my large set to which my parents were adding a piece or two every year.


And here is the one my parents have been buying me slowly. My two year old has decided they needed to perform "A Chorus Line." They have been singing and dancing all day, mostly to a mix of "Jingle Bells" and the alphabet.


I also have some pieces from the Department 56 Dickens Village. The Nativity my friend made fits right in, as though it is display in the village. I have more pieces, but my mantle is not big enough. They are spread throughout the house, on any high enough surface.


Our tree is they typical family tree with ornaments the kids made and other various ornaments we have collected all our lives. I am expecting a box from Browners under my tree with Sam's first Christmas ornament. That is my mom's job.


And finally... the most annoying Christmas decoration ever... And to think I was in Hallmark today and declined to buy this year's version...

Where has the time gone?

That is a good question. I don't think I have anything to show for the last two weeks. It has been a time of just keeping my head above water. My husband was out of town for a couple of days, and that was crazy.

We did get a new kitchen table and chairs this week. I went to Ikea last week to scope things out. I figure with 4 kids, we don't need a $3000+ kitchen set. My kitchen table is used for painting, playdough, cutting and pasting, etc. more than for eating. So I decided semi-disposable was the way to go. I took Dave back on Thursday, and he brought home the table and eight chairs. Since it is wood, it added to the log cabin look in our kitchen. I have decided to wait until after the holidays to redo the kitchen. It was just too much stress in an already busy time.

Monday I am going outlet shopping. I hope to find Christmas table cloths for both the dining room and kitchen tables. The dining room table is an odd size, and the only table cloth that I have that fits it correctly was made from a sheet by my mother, probably 40 years ago. (Can you imagine that a white table cloth has lasted that long?) I also need Christmas presents for a number of people. I am just not very organized this year.

I did manage to get baby announcements sent this week. I had visions of doing something artsy and wonderful, ala Debra's Christmas booklets last year. (I was going to link to the post from last year, but I cannot find her archives. Suffice it to say, in true Debra style, these were wonderful!) Ha Ha Ha! We went with some from Target that could go through the computer printer. This week I am going to do the Christmas cards, which are from Hallmark, and not so artsy, either. I just need to get a decent picture of the kids. I tried at the aquarium a couple of weeks ago. However, in the ones the kids look good, the Belugas are no where in sight and it looks like the kids are standing in front of an empty tank of water. In the ones with the whales, the kids are looking the wrong way because, well, there are whales behind them that they want to see. I may morph two pictures together. You know, cut the whales out of one and add them to the good one of the kids.

On the quilting front, I did draw out the first in the series of family values political quilts that I have planned. I also made a list of themes for 3 more in the series. I am very jazzed about these quilts that will probably hang no where but my house.

My friend Becca will have a quilt in the Houston show next year. Check out her blog to see her wonderful seashore quilt. I love that crab. Also, when you read about her communications volunteer work, that was my job last year, but she has taken it to the next level. So far, my volunteering this year has consisted of baking some cookies and reading to the class twice.

That is all from here. Now I am going to go make tyvek snowflakes with the kids to hang on the back porch.

Finished the Rag Quilt

I finished the animal print rag quilt. I wanted to give it to its recipients on Thanksgiving, but that didn't happen. They will get it this Sunday. I am glad to have it done.

Done At Last

Here is the finished dining room. We finished about 8 o'clock last night. It looks like I was drunk when I took this picture. I wasn't, but it is crooked. The chandelier actually hangs straight. When I came downstairs this morning and saw this room, I thought, "Wow, this room looks like our house now. No longer is it our furniture in someone else's house. Let's get started on the kitchen!"
I recycled the curtains that were already here. They are a little "fancy" for my taste, but they look good in the room, so they will stay. Here is my china hutch. It was my mom's. Then my older sister had it. Now I have it.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just want to wish all my friends a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day.
Here is the dressing I made. I thought the colors were really neat together, so I took a picture.

Laura Cater Woods

Laura Cater Woods talked to the Fiber Arts Alliance of which I am a member last Thursday. She is a wonderful woman. She really got to know the audience in the two hours we were there and she spoke personally to every one. I found her very inspiring and have been looking at my plans for next year differently after meeting her. She gave a weekend long workshop, which I could not attend. However, if she is ever in town again, I will make every effort to be there. Rebecca attended the weekend workshop and you can read about it on her blog. I am excited about getting together for coffee with her and seeing where she is going with her new found inspiration. Anyway, the political quilt is coming out of my brain and onto paper and cloth. Last night during the 3 am feeding, I designed two in my head. Now I have to see if I still like them in the morning and if I can get them out of my head and onto paper.

WIP Wednesday

This week I will share a work in progress that is not a quilt after a quick update on my last two WIP Wednesday posts. I have not done anything with the batik piece, yet. Hopefully next week I will have the courage and time to mess with it. As for the rag quilt, it is almost done. I am more than halfway through snipping it. I will finish that today and wash it, so I can give it to its recipients tomorrow.

This week we started painting the dining room. Here is the before:
Here is the current state:
We are going to finish painting around the bottom in white. It is amazing how cold this grey looks next to my warm Sweet Persimmon. The chandelier will come down and this one will go in its place.
The old curtains will go back up. They are ivory and look fine with the new paint.

I took Debra's advice and we simply primed and painted right over the wallpaper. It really looks great.

Since that was so successful in the dining room, and Dave is on a roll, next comes the kitchen. It is going to be one of these tans in the third row with white trim and possibly white cabinets.
I am going to make red curtains for the bank of windows in the breakfast nook. I will also get new light fixtures for the kitchen and a new faucet. Also we will replace the drawer and cabinet pulls. Home Depot has just expanded their kitchen design center near us. I have not been in there yet because the parking lot is a mess as they expand the rest of the store. I am hoping they have more choices than they did in their old space. Certainly they expanded for a reason, right? Eventually, I want granite counters, but that is a while off.

What's in My Purse?

Rian wanted to know what us big purse women carry in our giant bags. So here are the contents of my purse...

For the kids I carry two sizes of diapers, a box of wipes, various toys including multiple vehicles, books, and games, two pacifiers, and some extra pieces of clothing like socks and hats. I also carry hair bows in the hope that one day my daughter might actually wear one for me.

For myself I have my wallet, my check book, lipstick, lip balm, various gift cards and coupons, always some piece of paper work from either the pediatrician or one of the schools or my daughter's medical study, and lots of pens. I also have my keys and cell phone at all times. I have only recently started carrying a lipstick. I never used lipstick until I moved south.

When I get ready to leave the house, I add juice boxes or sippy cups, fruit snacks, crackers, and sometimes the camera.

I just emptied a bottle of hand sanitizer and have not put the new one it, so that is one more thing.

My keys--we have three cars and two houses, each with two keys, so that is nine keys right there. Plus I have keys to the houses of my brothers-in-law since I water their plants when they are out of town. I have also been known to stick dinners in their fridges or other little presents for them or their wives during the day. I guess I do have a lot of keys.

I really love this diaper bag that my sister-in-law gave me. It has fabric from one of my favorite designers, Amy Butler. I made my sister-in-law a hand bag with this fabric in another colorway for her birthday after she had ordered this bag. I guess we have similar tastes.

WIP Wednesday...a little late

Yesterday, I went to Rebecca's house to try out making my own batik. Apparently at one time I thought I might be Amish, and I had a surprising amount of solids in my stash. I decided to try out this teal one. Now, all I have managed to do so far is put the wax on it. But hopefully tomorrow I can discharge it and see how it looks. Drawing with wax was completely relaxing. I must have worked for over an hour just playing with it. Next time, and there will be a next time, I will have a plan.

Testing 1,2,3

Ok, I should have made the switch over. I am ready to figure out the new stuff. Maybe after everyone goes to bed...

Sam and I are Blessed

I am overwhelmed at the moment, so this post will be very crazy, I am sure. The most beautiful quilt arrived at my house today. It was made by my blogging friends for Baby Sam. It came with a beautiful handmade book of inspirational messages, which I will photograph later and post. The quilt even contains a block made by me, which I think is very clever. Anyway, the people who worked on this quilt are... Deb H, Debra, Rian, Amy the Calico Cat, Barbara, Allie, Jen, Dorothy, Suze, Jane Ann, Kay, Deb G, and Granny Fran. I don't know what to say. Thank you so much ladies. And I need mailing addresses so I can send out thank you's.

The blocks are incredible. The quilting is exquisite. I would love to know who all did what on this quilt.

Sam has already laid on his quilt for a brief moment. He will spend more time on it after his siblings go to bed, as they tend to over-love him if he is on the floor.

I don't know what to say. I am overwhelmed. I have tears.

WIP Wednesday on time

I have been working on my knitting. I tried the purl stitch. My first row looked awful. My second row looked a little better. I am going to try again tonight, I think.

Yesterday, inspired by Amy, I decided to work on a rag quilt. I have never made one before, but I bought this kit 5 years ago from The Unique Spool. I thought it would make a nice thank you gift for my brother-in-law and his wife for all the help they gave us while I was in the hospital. And, since I bought it so long ago and am using batting scraps, it is like it is free, except my time. (I feel my time is actually worth money, just like if I had a paying job. I think it is from billing time as an engineer when I was working.) I got all the pieces cut and layered yesterday. I hope to get all the X's sewn today and the pieces all laid out.

I did go out in the rain and vote yesterday. The kids had the day off school. I took the two youngest with me to vote. Thank goodness we didn't have long lines because both of them were fussy by the time I was done. I just wanted to let you know I did vote. I did not, however, do any of my other errands. I will do them today without rain.

Curious About the Metric System

When I was in elementary school, President Reagan told us we should all convert to the metric system. So I was taught the metric system growing up. We always used metric measurements in science classes. When I think units of measure, except in the sewing room and cooking and body weight, I think in metric. Temperature I can go back and forth on. Since I majored in materials science and engineering in college, I used SI units all the time. (And 1600K, 16ooF and 1600C are very different temperatures. Just ask a ceramic engineer.) My kids do not do only metric in school. They go back and forth, although science is mostly metric. In fact, the first project my son did this year was to convert the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe from metric to American units. (Are they American units? I don't even know what they are called.)

So I am curious about what units everyone else uses. Do you think in metric? Can you convert in your head? What units were you taught in school? Is your local pool measured in yards or meters? I think the only thing that every really switched to the metric system was the plastic Coke bottle.

Life Rolls On

Life is moving forward, so I had to get back at it this weekend. I managed to attend a soccer game and had a great time. A first grade boy saw the baby and said, "Wow! So that is why your tummy was so big." Thank goodness he went home with his parents to ask them how the baby got in there.

I have also started cooking for real again. Tonight's menu is beef roast, home made noodles, and whipped potatoes. The noodles are rolled out and drying. The roast is in the crock pot. I don't need to do the potatoes until later.

It is time to start painting this house. We will start in the dining room to get rid of the peacock wall paper. My task for the next two weeks is to come up with a color scheme. So I will be spending time at the Home Depot and looking through magazines.

Ok, life is calling me. Loudly!

WIP Wednesday...a little late

I am a little late with the WIP Wednesday. This week, I decided to learn to knit. I spend a lot of time at soccer games, swim practices, swim meets, PTA meetings, etc. Since my quilting is pretty much done by machine, and I really did not enjoy my short foray into crazy quilting, quilting is just not portable for me. Knitting, on the other hand, looks very portable.

On Tuesday, my best friend called to see if I wanted an outing to our favorite french fry place, Five Guys Burgers. These are great french fries. They are almost as good as Boardwalk Fries, for those of you who live in the Maryland area. (My husband assures me that they are not quite as good as Boardwalk, and it is not just the nostalgia factor influencing my opinion.) On the way, we needed to stop by a knitting store, Cast-On Cottage in Roswell, Georgia, so she could return a skein of yarn and pick up another one. Well, I fell in love with the yarn selection. Who knew there were these awesome fibers out there? (I am sure everyone but me knew.) So I got a book called Knitting Basics and a skein of sock yarn. But, I cannot knit socks, yet. So, my wonderful friend gave me a ball of yarn and some needles, and I have been playing. Here is what I have accomplished.

I know it isn't perfect. Heck, it isn't even very good. But I did it. And it was fun. And I am going to continue and get better. And I like it better than crazy quilting.

In other news... I am wearing my skinny jeans today. It feels pretty good. I may put on my new boots later, if we go out to eat.

One more note on Maryland food. (I think I am homesick right now. Anyone want to go to the Columbia Mall with me?) Ledo's Pizza. I agree with Oprah's friend Gayle on this one. She said it was the best in America. I love Ledo's Pizza. And they have now franchised, and the franchise pizza is as good. So if you are in Maryland, go have some Boardwalk Fries and some Ledo's Pizza, not together though, and think of me. Oh, and hit Holly's for some crab cake sandwiches. Ok, I am going to go eat some Halloween candy.

Wonderful Present

This beautiful quilt showed up in my mail yesterday. It was made by a group of quilters with whom I have been corresponding and sharing since 2001. I love these little boats. They are so much fun. The blocks came from quilters on three different continents-- Europe, Australia, and North America. The top was designed and pieced in Oklahoma. It was quilted in Australia and Florida, and bound in Illinois and Florida. (I am not sure how that worked, but that is what the label says...) It is such happy quilt. I am sure it will get years of use.

My parents left for home this morning. They sure were a huge help these last two weeks, but I suppose I need to stand on my own, now. But they made sure I had a fridge and freezer full of food before they left. Mom even made a fresh batch of peach flavored iced tea for me. While they were here, they made sure the big kids did not have to miss a soccer practice or a Lego Robotics meeting. They watched the little ones so I could go to my oldest's first orchestra concert. Mom and I cleaned out the kids' dressers and went through the boxes of stored clothes. I don't know what I would have done without them. And they also brought my kids to visit me in the hospital, which was a tall order.

On the list of people who came to my rescue... My husband's younger brother who started sleeping with his cell phone so he could come take care of our kids in the middle of the night if I went into labor. We left for the hospital at 2am, so he came in the middle of the night and saw the kids off to school the next morning. My former neighbor and best friend, also a quilter, who came and rescued my brother-in-law who needed to go to work. She took the kids for the rest of the day, until my brother-in-law and his wonderful wife came and got them. She spent a lot of the day running back and forth between our two houses getting kids off buses and making sure no one was home alone for any length of time. How she did it? I don't know. But I owe her big. Both of my husband's brothers and their wives brought me food in the hospital so I didn't have to eat gross hospital food.

So this week I will learn how to function with four kids. I have a couple of easy errands planned. Halloween costumes are all taken care of. I need to plan out some meals with the food I have. And I need to learn to take things easy. Oh, and Jorge Cruise's 8 Minutes in the Morning needs to start again. I want to get back into my skinny jeans soon!

He's Here!

Here is a picture of our new arrival. I hope to be back into a routine soon, but we'll have to see how that goes. He is sleeping pretty well and enjoying life with his siblings.

On My Doorstep

I found these on my doorstep Thursday evening when I opened the door to call the kids in for bed. They are from Mr. Dave next door. He has a beautiful lawn and garden. We watch him working in his garden in the evenings while we eat dinner. Anyway, I have one recipe that I make from fresh tomatoes, so we had that for dinner last night. It is called Southwestern Pasta. You chop up the tomatoes, add olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, chili powder, white pepper, salt, and garlic. Let that sit all day on the counter. I shake the container every once in a while. Then, serve that over spaghetti with some blue or feta cheese on top. The kids don't eat it, but I just give them spaghetti with freshly grated parmesan instead. I use one tomato per person. I usually serve Sister Schubert's rolls with it.

I just heard that my quilt top and backing arrived at its destination. I have to say, I wasn't really worried. Maybe I just have too many other things on my mind these days.

I got started on my Little Treasures. These are a lot of fun to make. A hint from my friend Rebecca... She traced the pattern onto card stock and then modified it until she liked the shape. She then scanned that into her computer. Now she has a template that she can make any size. She didn't like the shape of the top on the original. I thought that was a great idea. Oh, and her children enjoyed decorating the card stock boxes.

Fabric Shopping

A friend picked me up for lunch today, and we decided to hit Tiny Stitches on our way home. I really was just going to browse a little bit, but I found these great batiks that I just couldn't leave there. They only had it in 7 colors, which seems a little odd. But I am sure I can figure something out. I did search on the internet for other colors when I got home, but I could only find a mint or sage green, and I really didn't like it. I was hoping for a yellow.


I also found this great pirate fabric. It was actually the backing fabric for a kit, and they didn't have any more in the store. I really didn't want the rest of the kit, so the owner sold me the two yards that were in the kit. I thought that was very sweet of her, since I don't know what she will do with the rest of the kit. I don't know what I will do with this fabric, either, but it is great fabric.I have not been buying a lot of fabric recently, so today was a big splurge. It was fun, though. I also went to Target, but that isn't very exciting...

It Got Mailed

I mailed the quilt top and backing and thread this morning. Now to sit back, relax, and enjoy someone else doing the quilting. Right?

Baby Blankets Galore

I finished 5 baby blankets yesterday afternoon. These are so easy, but so useful. I use a 45 inch square piece of flannel. I then use either another 45 inch square piece of flannel or regular cotton. I sew them together pillowcase style, turn them, and then top stitch around the edge. They are great because they are so big and soft. So many baby blankets you buy are only 30 inches. The extra 15 inches allows you to really swaddle up that baby good. I tend to buy my flannel in 5 yard pieces at JoAnn's using a coupon. That is why so many of them are the same. They are going to different families. I may have to go back and get more of the monster flannel though, because I really fell in love with it.

The refrigerator is fixed. The disposal is fixed. It is nice to have everything working in the kitchen again. I bought gallons of milk yesterday, and we drank a whole gallon last night. I guess we were all missing milk, even though I was buying a new half gallon every day. I guess everyone just wanted to pour from the big jug. I also bought frozen food. The kids were happy to have their French Toast Sticks back for breakfast this morning.

Tonight at the Contemporary Quilt and Fiber Arts Alliance meeting we are going to work on Little Treasures from Quilting Arts Winter 2005. So I will spend part of today getting some things layered together for that. I think we will spend tonight embellishing them. I can see this as a great gift box for earrings, a gift card, or something else small.

Finished One and Sending One Out

I finished the binding on the Brown Bag Lady quilt. A little background... Our local store has a program called the Bag Lady program. You join for $25. Three shopping visits during the year, at your choosing, you get 15% off your purchase. For your birthday, you get 25% off of your purchase. And then, every other time you buy something, you get 5% off. Each month they offer a Bag Lady Quilt. It is a kit that you buy that comes pretty much cut out. And you come into the shop and sew all day or all evening for $5. And, it includes a meal. Anyway, one year, a few years ago, I decided to do a couple of these. And, well, they didn't get done. So now I am trying to finish them up. I love the colors in this one. And I used it last night to cuddle up in while watching "The Amazing Race" and eating my popcorn.

This second quilt is just a top and was a block of the month at the same shop. You know, one of those where you pay $5 the first month, and then, as long as you get your block done by the next month it is free... It also has been sitting around for a couple of years. So I decided to send it out to be quilted. It is going out today. I have never done that before, but I really need to let things go. So it will go out Priority Mail in about an hour. I am pretty excited as it will make a great Christmas present for my niece. And, it is on my Pick 4 list, even though it is one of the ones I bumped.

I have yet to figure out where to take quilt pictures in this house. For these, I spread them on the floor in the foyer and then took the picture from upstairs. It didn't quite work. They look catywampus, but really are square. The pictures are also a little dark, but that is because it is cloudy. The foyer usually has great sun in the mornings. I am just going to have to set up a clothes line somewhere to use.

I found enough batting in my sewing room to layer the twins' quilts, so that will definitely get done today. (If I can find the basting pins or the rain holds off so I can spray them outside. ) I also have a few baby blankets to stitch up for a couple of friends. And, the fridge guy is coming to fix the fridge today. I will move the sewing machine upstairs for the afternoon, so I can sew and listen for the door at the same time.

Edited to add: It is Columbus Day, so the quilt will have to go out tomorrow. I went to the bank, noticed it was closed, but just used the ATM. Then I went to the post office where it dawned on me that the bank was closed because it it is a federal holiday. So, Happy Columbus Day to everyone. I sure hope my middle child comes home from school having learned about Columbus today.

One more thing... This Friday, October 13th, the last Lemony Snickey Series of Unfortunate Events book comes out. Just a heads up to the moms out there whose kids will think they are so cool for getting them this book first!

Clearing History

I have been really upset this week. I have been uptight and out of sorts. I just realized what it was. I started reading a blog about school policies and testing. It is a subject I am interested in. What I didn't realize, because I didn't look closely enough, was that the writer had an agenda to abolish public education. On Monday, she started using the tragedy at the Amish School to explain why people should not attend public school. This reasoning really upset me. And, like an idiot, I kept going back to the blog to read what the author was saying and what comments were coming up. Well, I just cleared the history on my browser. I have no idea what the web address for this blog is, and I will never read it again. I feel like a new person.

I am going back to reading about quilting and the lives of the quilters I have come to think of as friends. It isn't that I don't want to read opposing points of view. It isn't that I don't want to read what reasonable people are thinking. I have especially enjoyed Dorothy's blog this week. She and I tend to be on the same side of the political fence. But I have also, in the past, enjoyed reading Teri's blog on political stuff, and she and I tend to be polar opposites. I am very intrigued by Teri's miniatures, by the way. I was very uplifted by Tracey's blog this week, and am so glad that she is fine. She and I are the same age, pretty much, so her health issue put my taking my health for granted in perspective. And, when my fridge died, I thought of Rebecca's post from September 18th and decided that a broken fridge wasn't so bad after all. Oh, and I love the shirt Debra and her mom are making. Jane Ann's post about talking Southern really made me laugh. As a person who is considered a Southerner up North and a Yankee down South, it really struck me as funny. No, I am sure I don't have an accent!

Tonight, while I watch Lost, I will finish the binding on my brown bag lady quilt. Tomorrow, I will get the twins' quilts layered, and maybe visit JoAnn's for some black fabric to make the boys' NFL quilts. And Friday, I will get my hair cut. Too bad he doesn't work in a full service salon anymore because I could use a spa pedicure. Just to make my life easier, I am sending my first quilt to a long arm quilter. I just need to get up the nerve to do it. (The quilt is not the first quilt I ever made, just the first quilt to get sent out. Don't want to confuse anyone. The first quilt I ever made, well, I may finish it one day.)

And I will continue to enjoy Dorothy's trip through Vermont. And I will start reading the John Adams book because I have a huge thirst for historical knowledge right now.