Tuesday check in

I took two days off from any piecing and quilting but couldn't quite decide just what I wanted to work on---ah, too many choices. I thought about finishing up my Santa redwork piece that has hung in the sewing room for so long it has become part of the landscape. (Dec. 99 APQ mag if you got it in your library) All it needs is the pieced border, after all. Nope, don't feel like dealing with little bitty sew and then cut HST's. Next though--some 7 inch pineapple log cabin blocks that I piddle with every once in a while---scrappy and a good choice for the odd bits and strips. Nope, I like foundation piecing but just not quite in the mood for that either. Odd since I would rather piece.

You can see what I ended up doing but with some obstacles, LOL. Pippi was up on the quilt and testing it out before it hits the bed at some point---not once but twice. Since then she has been cycling around the room---on the project basket, on her OWN quilt on the cutting/pressing table and now on her perch. I had quilted a few blocks some time back and set the whole thing aside to do, I don't remember, but in the meantime it has stayed parked on top of the armoire. I counted up the status when I quit for the night---15 of 30 blocks are quilted but I think I might go back and do a tad of hand quilting in some of the block centers. The 4 inch block at center of a few of the blocks is begging for a little flower or something and I probably will hand quilt the cable around the outside edge that I would like to do----or NOT, LOL. I want this on the bed sometime!! So does the cat apparently.

I delivered the 3 commissioned quilts this morning and ran several errands before coming home just before lunch. Vaughn had gotten a couple of large gift bags to put the SEC quilts in so I helped him get the right quilt in the right bag and gave him a suggestion on how to add the tissue paper around them. He called the office staff in to see the quilts laid out on the conference room table. This was interesting to me when we got to the t-shirt quilt since I got a little more of the stories behind the shirts. I had commented that he must have been saving them for this day most of his son's life since they ranged from child's small to adult medium to large--from little league clear up to high school activities and interests. I guess this is total surprise for the young man---apparently he did not realize that his shirts were missing yet.

So it was fun going around the webrings and other friend's blogs yesterday and catching up---everyone getting ready for the holidays, be it Christmas or Hannukah. I never did get around to putting any decorations up but I'm okay with that. Not sending any Christmas cards either or doing any baking. No shopping as we don't exchange gifts and the adults opted out of the Christmas drawing some years ago. DJ takes care of his own cards and whatever he does for her grandson. Children are what make the holidays fun--seeing the excitement and wonder in their eyes. It will be a special day because I am spending it with DJ and will make us a special meal.

I am excited about getting together with my family for our family gathering and crossing my fingers that the weather behaves itself. My brother, sister-in-law and niece have invited us all to Tennessee the weekend after next. We have quite a few of the family in the medical related field so it has always been a juggling act to get the hospital shift workers schedules to mesh. I used to be one of them. Then one sister and I moved out of state and now, one brother. DJ has agreed to go along with me---boy, he better!! Pippi will be okay with a full bowl of food and fresh water when we leave. Might appreciate us more when we get home too.

Guess that's about it for now----