Monday Humor

Just a little humor for today!

Two older gentlemen were sitting on a bench in their favorite park,reminiscing.
Suddenly one asked the other:"Have you made your final arrangements?"
"Final arrangements?"
"Yeah, you know, have you got your final resting place?"
"I am hoping to have my ashes scattered at the fabric store.
That way, I know my wife will come and visit me."

What a considerate husband!!

Sunday Catching Up

Well, today started out so cold and windy. We took the dogs to the beach for a walk and I said no way, I am going home after I sneezed a few times and was chilled to the bone. I told Eddie, i worked too hard getting well, to get sick again. So we came home and decided to go looking at houses. We had searched the internet and found several to drive by. we have to have a space to park a fishing boat and not in front of the house, thank you very much! So we eliminated about half of the ones we found online. We have three in the running. We actually looked at a bank repo today with an agent. It is huge...loads of room for the future long arm (hey, a girl can wish!) This one had some foundation issues and would require a major structural inspection. I like it, it is the one I want but of course, we have to keep looking. We also have to keep a budget in mind, since Eddie is retiring in 4-5 years. I will have to work till I die, haha. So, it really isn't very fun looking for a house in a budget around here. Those houses are mostly trashy looking and yucky neighborhoods. Anyway, that was most of the day blown on that.

I did cut the borders for the pink and brown mystery that I have finally decided to make into a duvet cover. I got one border sewed on. The other is cut and ready to go. I think I will piece a cornerstone for the last border. The two borders are not fabrics from the quilt top, but they coordinate pretty good. So I think a little block in the corners will carry the colors out. I think nothing fancy since this is a very basic quilt of large half squares and four patches. I will never take a mystery class at that un-named shop again. The owner insisted that you buy ALL the fabrics at her shop. Do all shops do that? So $70 for a top fabric (double size) and $40 for an all night mystery class with strangers, and it is still not one of my favorites. Oh, well, it is on it's way to being done! That is the main thing.

I did sew a little on the string blocks yesterday. don't feel like I got much done. I cut about 10 more foundation blocks from some scrap muslin I found. i also found two more boxes of little scraps that I need to cut up! I guess I need to tackle it a little at a time!

I saw this today and cracked up. ***Take the name of your pet as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last name. That's your Porn Star name. *** My name would have been Sugar Slade. ROFLOL!!!!

Wednesday's wonderings

Sometimes I wonder why God puts certain people in out life if they only cause you pain. Sometimes maybe the pain is all you can see. Sometimes maybe that is all you want to see. I know that I am a worthy person, worthy of more than this pain I am in now. I just need to find a way to get out of it. And believe me I will.

On a quiltly note, they is nothing new to report. everything sits right were it was last night. I don't know where those sewing fairies went, but they didn't come here.

It was absolutely beautiful here today and tomorrow promises to be a better day. In the upper 80's. Oh, how nice! This is the reason I moved down here.

Tuesday's Musings

I got up at 6:00 and did computer work for work and then hit the streets by 8:00 this morning. I was home by 2:00, then worked on the computer another 2 hours, emails and catching up stuff. Without going into too much boring detail, I had a very good day booking goal wise.

I had a rough night last night. I think I really screwed up and now I don't know what to do. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and re-evaluating today. My peace of mind is shattered and I am trying to piece it together. I don't think I can make any long term decisions in one day. Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

So after I worked awhile this afternoon and since I wasn't in the mindset to do anything taxing,I turned on HGTV and got the string blocks out and got the middle stripe in and one more on the side. I think I counted thirty blocks. I made them 9 inch square. I think that will make a nice top. I can always add more blocks if I need too.

The dogs are napping now. I think I will too.

Sunday Photos

That is Happy, my adopted dog who smiles with her teeth, giving her approval of the doggie quilt top before it was layered and quilting. The Irish chain photo does not really show the true colors. It is a soft mint and a soft yellow and the print has lady bugs and really soft pastel colors in it. The Sedona Stars is so cool. The cornerstones don't really "pop" that much, the cornerstones really bring out the yellows and golds in the other blocks. Enjoy!

Sunday Notes

It was a beautiful day here on the coast. Eddie went fishing, but I am still recovering from the upper respiratory coughing and nose stuff, so I begged off. I am glad I did. I was outside all day Saturday in the wind at a book sale. I did not get halfway warm till I got home and got in the shower. I was so chilled my back muscles were aching. The sale did good, but I needed to recovery today.

I spent the day doing some sewing and quilting after I set my table back up (took it down to use for the book sale). Anyway. I got the yellow and green baby Irish Chain machine quilted. Used my walking front on my old New Home machine. It did a pretty good job. I was going to try to freehand the open block, but I was doing so good on the straight lines, I just kept on going. Now all it needs is binding! This is a gift for a co-worker who is due in March. Talk about cutting it close!

I also got the binding sewn on the Scrappy Sedona Stars. That is a Marti Michell pattern. http://www.frommarti.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FMM&Product_Code=8016&Category_Code=P_OQP I just love the way it turned out and had planned to give it to Eddie, but he didn't seem to thrilled with it. So I may just keep it and drape it on the couch in the fall. So, just some hand stitching and this one will be DONE!

Also, got one of the baby doggie quits quilting on the machine. I just worked that walking foot out today! I used four bobbins of thread today! It just needs some binding on it too. It is a gift for my cousin David's daughter's new little boy. Andrea and her husband are stationed in California and David and his wife live in Florida. Andrea is an only child....so you can imagine the long distance bills. Anyway, I need to write David and get the address to send this little doggie quilt to. I hope to have it finished by the weekend.

I really need to put a dent in my strip scraps. So I am cutting some 10 inch muslin bases and then will make a few string blocks. This can be an ongoing project till I have enough squares to make a top.

I was going to upload some photos of the quilts I worked on today, but the Kodak program saves the darn photos in some well hidden file and I can't find them quickly. I will search and add them in a bit.

Eddie got home from fishing, with no fish I might add, and said he wished he hadn't gone coz he got cold. Hmm, sounds like i made a good decision to stay home.

Thought I would post a photo of another UFO that I forgot about. It is a top that is finished, that is the backing in the lower right hand corner. It is from a mystery all nighter class. I love the colors, pink and browns with a little bit of soft green. It fits the queen size bed really good. I think to get this one done quick I will make this one into a duvet cover for my comforter, since I really don't like the comforter. I have enough scraps to make pillow covers too. That shouldn't take very long to finish. yea, Right! Maybe I will get motivated next week or Sunday during the drag races.

What a Week

well, I have survived the yuckiest (is that a word?) week of my life. This upper respiratory stuff has settled into my lungs and made my life a living heck. I have coughed so much my throat hurts. I sleep well on elevated pillows, then the minute I am up and about, I start coughing. It is so irritating. I worked from home the last two days, there was no way I was going to cough on my customers. I have to venture out tomorrow for sure to set up a customer and put some signs out for her. Of course, never fails, tomorrow will be the coldest day of this week. I have felt better today, I only hope I don't relapse after being out tomorrow and Saturday. At least I will be off Monday so will Eddie. Maybe I can get some things done around here. He has been a good nurse. Although I can't take alot of the over the counter medicine due to blood pressure, he made sure I had plenty of water to drink. Of course, he feels guilty coz he brought this stuff home to me.

Anyway, I haven't sewn on the machine all week and I had to take the table the machine sets on out to the car to use at this sale on Saturday. I did sew a little on some embroidery squares that I got at Houston Quilt show. The company is called Plum Creek Collectibles. here is the website http://www.plumcreekcollectibles.com/index2.html I met the owner, Tammy, at Houston and she was a joy to talk with. I am doing #161 Annie's Calendar Quilt, but I am going to do mine all in redwork. I have January block about halfway done. I got a tip from a lady at quilt group to trace the designs with a red pigma pen and if you stray with your stitches, it is not as obvious. I thought, well, I like it just as traced, I may quilt it like this, no stitches at all....haha I am not very good with hand stitching, so this a real stretch for me. But I really want a redwork quilt!!

Not much else is going on. I got caught up on Young and Restless the last two days. Also discovered that I can watch that days episode at 6 in the evening my time on Soap channel. The wonders of cable. I have watched that soap since 1973. It amazes me all the stuff that has gone on and is developing now.

I made some taco stew yesterday out of a cookbook I had. Eddie is not much of a soup eater, he wants his meat and potatoes. Well, with us both being sick and it was cold here yesterday, I wanted something hot to warm our bodies. So I got some homemade tamales out of the freezer and made this stew. Man, it was so good. It was almost like a chili. It really hit the spot. We had it for leftovers tonight.

I am hoping that Amber and my girlfriend Debi are going to be able to come down soon. They had talked about this weekend, like leave there on Sunday drive down and stay a couple of days. I would love that. I told them they have to sleep on the air matteress. They said they didn't care as long as they can see me and the beach! haha

Have still had trouble logging into this blog and finally emailed for help. I haven't had any response yet. Guess will wait and see.

Thursday Thoughts

Wow, seems like forever since I have been here. I had trouble logging into the blog website, so that slowed me down. And then of course, I got busy with work and just life.

This is a picture of my quilting buddies. We all met in Houston for festival. This was the first class I have taken. The teacher was Cindy Walker, in the center, of Snippets fame. From left to right, me, Julie from Granbury, Texas, Cindy, Sherry from Veracruz and Winnie from Navarro, Florida. We sure had fun in that class. I was the Angel, meaning I got to chase down the iron and sign in sheets and help the teacher. Cindy is a real sweet person and her work is amazing and inspiring.

Status on the doggie quilts - both are layered and pinned. I bought some of the Golden Threads pattern tracing paper. I like it so far. However, someone suggested that I layer it and stitch though the pattern and it will make several patterns with the punches. Well, i thought that was a really cool idea, but didn't really help me out too much since the paper is the same shade as my fabric, the pattern gets kind of lost. Plus you can't really "see" the pattern, just feel the holes.

Weather here has been glorious. Upper 60's with clear skies! Just beautiful! I am digging out my capris this weekend and packing all these long pants away! When I first moved down here, I did not own one pair of capri pants. Now I have 27 pairs! haha

Shop Hop

Well, I drove and hit the four stores on the Cruising the Coast Shop Hop. I had not been in two of the stores before (Port Lavaca and Blessing) The shop in Blessing, Blessing Fabric and Bead Studio, also had a bead room. Wow, it was just amazing. They also had a king size new Gamil in the huge back room. It was just a really nice shop. The shop in Port Lavaca, Beefore It's a Quilt and Gifts, had a great assortment and selection of fabrics. I found a companion print to a line I knew was out of date. The funniest thing that happened was at the first store in Victoria. I was just browsing and checking out everything. There was this group of ladies with red shirts on that had Stitching Chicks, Corpus Christi embroidered on them. So I asked them where they were from. They were all school teachers from Flour Bluff which is south Corpus Christi close to South Padre Island. I saw one lady and said I know you from somewhere. She works at the high school library. I said that's it. I had a community book sale at the high school and she had shopped in there. Anyway, they were so friendly and invited me to eat lunch with them (I think they felt sorry for me, since I was by myself.) We ate at a fantastic seafood restaurant in Palacios, called the Outrigger. Then I ran into another librarian that had taken a bus tour from Rockport for the shop hop. We saw the Shop Hop Quilt done at each store in different fabrics. It looked beautiful in the stores. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for me, hoping that I win the machine. I need to get some work done around here. I will try to post later.

Friday Thoughts

First of all, I will spell "thoughts" correctly! I saw that yesterday immediately after I posted! haha I guess I learned to proof read before clicking "post". Tomorrow morning is Thimbleberries at the Quilt store in Corpus Christi. It is nice to go and see everyone. I haven't been since November. December was just out of the question and January I was in North Texas. If we take in a show and tell, we get a free fat quarter. The show and tell doesn't have to be a Thimbleberries item. So I think I will take one of my scrap quilts brown rail fence that Winnie quilted that still need binding. Yes, it is on the UFO list. The meeting starts at 10:00.

Here is my dilemma. The quilt shop hop last day is tomorrow. But the hours for the shop hop are 9 to 8. The first shop is about 39 miles away, then 35 more miles, then 35 more miles, then about 50 miles, then about 95 miles home. If you get your passport stamped at all four shops, you can enter a drawing for a Janome 9500. Wow, wouldn't that be too cool to win that! I have been looking and pricing used Pfaff machines. So keep your fingers crossed for me so I can win this new machine! So, it looks like tomorrow is a all day quilt shop day! Wow, haven't had one of those in a long time.

Had a long day at work today. I was at my first school at 7:30 and didn't get home till after 4:00 and I felt bad, so I laid on the couch and in walks Eddie. So I didn't get a nap or much peace and quiet. Hope I will sleep good tonight. Oh, speaking of sleeping good. Mom gave me some Christmas money so I went to Kmart (Yes, we still have a Kmart in our little Texas town.) and bought Martha Stewart 300 count sheets. Oh, man! You have to get some.They are like sleeping on the softest smoothest fabric, but not slippery like satin or silk. Just wonderful!

Thursdays Thoughs

Today is the first of the month in case all you normal adults have forgotten. Sorry, just a sore point with me today. We live in a condo and our landlord lives next door. He called Eddie on the phone at 7 and left a message regarding the rent. He rang the doorbell at 7:30 and again at 7:45. I believe this is called harassement. I told Eddie our rent is due ON THE FIRST, it can be in his little rent box at 11:59 and it will not be considered late. Of course, Eddie hasn't been a renter for a long, long time and doesn't understand that we as tenants have rights and one of those rights is not to be harassed. The landlord called my cell phone at 11:00 one night to tell me the garage door was open and I wasn't even home. I told him that it was none of his business if our garage is open and not worry about it. I also told him if he ever calls me after 8:30 again, I will pursue charges. That is when he said "you know, you really are a piece of work". At which I hung up on him. ARGHHH.....oh, to be a home owner again.

Someone asked about that disco grill. Here is a picture of one. They are so cool. I would love to get one for Eddie! He loves to grill out. I think it is a guy thing. http://www.bbqblanton.com/wokabbq.htm

Enough of that....geez, didn't know I had all that stored up in me! I got all three of the baby quilts layered. So cute. I can't wait to take pictures of them. I wanted to post a picture of a wallhanging that I gave to Eddie, the fisherman of my life. Sorry the picture is not the best quality. It is a McKenna Ryan pattern. I had so much fun picking out the fabrics with Winnie, using some scraps and then getting the guts to free motion quilt it. Man, I just know I was going to ruin it with the free motion quilting! ha, Eddie doesn't know "good quilting" from bad, so he was a good subject to practice with. Sorry, hon! Love Ya!