Happy Birthday/general chatter

Happy Birthday to my dear husband--though it really is tomorrow. Also one of my nephew's is the 29th and a dear friend's is today (you know who you are!) Actually he wanted to just skip it this year but I told him "no cake" in that case. LOL, he wanted cake. I told him what kind I would make if it were my birthday----so he had a couple choices. Come to think of it, I didn't get one as I refuse to make my own. I just finished frosting this---I used the banana cake recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor . (The author Anne Bryn was a first cousin to one the Bama Belles, now deceased.) I think I used a different recipe when I have made banana cake before--probably one that used some leftover buttermilk or some such thing. This uses a non pudding'd yellow cake mix as a base. It is topped with her "Quick Caramel Frosting" recipe which I have made before. Normally I would not mess with toasting pecans but hey, it is his birthday and the recipe DID call for them. DJ had to come help me top the cake while I worked to get the frosting on before it hardened. Stuff tastes like penuche or maple fudge.

He wanted to celebrate today by a trip out to the golf course--rent a cart, play nine holes and have me along as "caddie/cheerleader". I really should have taken my camera as there are some really pretty spots on the golf course with the "mountains" off in the distance etc. We got done in plenty of time to take a 2 lap (about 1 1/2 miles) course around Oxford Lake on a gorgeous, breezy day in the high 60's. He wanted to go to Cici's for pizza buffet. I didn't quite know how to take it when the manager rang it up as two "seniors" but DJ corrected him. I'm not sure what the cutoff is for the senior discount but I am reasonably sure I'm not quite there yet.

Here is the birthday boy in his reading spot. (Jan, he said to thank you for the Patterson book---it saved us a stop at the library on the way home) Oh, he also said that he is going to start counting those birthdays backwards. I said he should repeat the last number again then---can't have him catching up with me at some point, after all!

Quilting wise, I finished up the last 6 blocks on Aline's "54-40 and Fight variation" quilt in those lovely batiks on Wednesday. Yesterday I pulled fabrics for my part of the row quilt that needs to be sent out by Tuesday. Joy had requested 6 or 12 inch blocks that will total 48 inches finished and had sent a section of Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. The green she chose for the "paths" is similiar to 30's green but the blocks themselves almost had a jewel toned look to me so I didn't go with 30's colors but did chose a 6 inch pointy bladed fan that might be faithful to the period taht GFG suggests to me. Technically called "Mary's Fan" -- Brackman number 3328. The blades are all cut but I need to sew and prep the quarter circle thing that covers the base for applique---what do you call that thing????

Weirdest thing---the colors that to me seemed to "go" best with this project were some of my prized Civil War Repros and the Smithsonian "Grooms Quilt" pieces from 12 plus years ago. The stuff that I would rarely cut into. I raided my reds, purples and my quilt shop yardage in the tealy range that I would get a yard of each trip to a particular shop. Proving yet again, that fabric is meant to be used---not stored---and they will make more. Besides, I only had to rough cut about a 5 inch square of any of it---plenty left for something else. I'll get a picture when the project is done.

I'll get busy on the sewing after we have supper----another 20-30 minutes and I'll have to head out there start meal preparations. Seems like I just left, LOL. Ham, candied sweet potatoes (his choice) , green bean casserole (another fav). He only wants a pot of vegetable beef soup for the real birthday meal. I live to serve, LOL.

After I took the picture of Ms. Pippi she decided to flop on the rug in front of the door and soak up some sun. She always stops at the end of the hallway and looks towards the door as she approaches the living room like she expects something or somebody to be standing there. There never is, LOL. The catnip scratching pad is her "safe" spot. DJ had recently cut down the overgrown bush that was almost directly in front of the door so there is plenty of light streaming in. Not sure how we will get the stump out though----he already tried chopping it up a bit with an axe and destroying some of the roots. I vote that the next one he takes out is the other one that is blocking air, light and visibility from my sewing room. He was not amused---go figure.

I think that I have finally been around to all the blogs on my list, not always commenting. but just trying to get caught up with y'all. That's what happens when I get myself chained to the machine quilting---limited computer access and when I am done, I just want to get off my butt and rest my legs and back and not sit some more in front of the computer. You all continue to inspire and challenge me in ways you will never really know.............