Saturday check in

No quilting or much of anything productive has been going on around here. Not like I don't have quilting to do---in fact, another challenge type thing cropped up today. Another top to pin and get quilted for a different quilt group is added to the list of "things to do".

I thought I would share a few shots from the around the house since I have no new quilty ones I can share. Shown DJ's crazed cosmo plant. I cannot believe all the blooms it still has on it and more appearing daily. Perhaps he should not have planted the whole seed package in one spot but this thing continues to shoot up and out. He tied a rope to the fence to try to keep it erect. Still it one of the few things in bloom around the house. One small white crepe myrtle has some blooms but clear down at the end of our lane.

The leaves have not really started to change yet. Here and there you might see some but not the vivid colors that I remember from IL. It is still a little early for us. I've been all over Etowah, St. Clair and Calhoun County in the past couple days so I think it is safe to make that generalization, LOL.

The dwarf nandina bushes are planted and most of the black paper we need is down. DJ and I ran up to Gadsden yesterday and picked up 4 bags of these marble chip rocks as he could not find what he wanted locally. Initially we thought 3 bags might do it and at the last minute we told the guy to load in one more. Barely a drop in the bucket. I was gone to Pell City to quilt group this morning and 4 didn't even cover the entire length of the space. We looked at some edging material too but he was not entire sure of the measurement required. We may be able to find this same rock in Jacksonville but he won't know till he goes up there in person. It has been a little breezy the last two days so he wanted to put down what he could to weight the paper down.

We had started off the day fairly early with a trip into the Masonic Lodge to the pancake and sausage breakfast. Our friend Jane had given us tickets and her husband Hugh is a member there. I had just barely gotten home from that when I needed to meet Jane, Aline and Terry in Alexandria to go to quilt group.

I had barely walked in the door when a friend from Friendship Quilters handed me this bag of goodies. I had done her a small favor and shared a couple patterns I had already done. She wanted to do something in return. I think that red and white fabric may work will for some QOV things. The messenger tote kit should be fun as well. I had to wonder how she knew I had a busted a couple of Singer needles recently for that machine, LOL.

I took my two QOV tops for show and tell---shown HERE. The woman who is the out going secretary of the group is also the head of the Alabama QOV project and spearheading the area guild's efforts for the veteran's home project. She has been long arming the quilt tops or turning them over to other long arm volunteers. Two less tops will be hanging in my closet for a time! Make that 3 less tops---I am pulling out that gordian knot of mine to pin on Tuesday's Belles' meeting.

Mostly the meeting was about preparations for the quilt show which will occur before the next guild meeting on November 5-6 and set up on the 4th. As expected, I got a bit more stitching done on my basket block----onto the honey stirrer area now, LOL.

I barely got home and was off to get some groceries. One spot where I shop has a 5 buck off coupon with purchase of $25 or more. It helps when the list is long for things I normally get there. Busy day.

Lastly, here is a Skyler shot. I feel like flopping down with him as I still have some issues after my tooth extraction. Meds messing me up plus a few other things going on. UGH! Anyway doesn't he look comfortable if a little bed hoggy? All stretched out and relaxing on the bed after a stint in the window perch. He must get too hot or something and moves over the bed.

I've got my "World Series" quilt on the bed. I hope it continues to bring my team some "good luck". My mom made this one back in 1985 when my St. Louis Cardinals played the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. The name fits because there is a lot of red and blue in it. Originally she had planned it would go to my youngest brother but I said I was the Cardinal fan and had even been to Game 4 of the series games. We barely saw the center fielder all night and sat in the nosebleed section but by golly, DJ and I were there. Unfortunately it was not to be----umpire Denkinger bad call didn't help but they didn't win the 7th deciding game either.

Now in 2011, somehow my beloved Cardinals beat the Phillies to advance to the league championship series. Next up they are facing their national league central division foes the Milwaukee Brewers. Back in 82 the Cards won 4 games to 3 and Milwaukee was the American League representative. What a year both teams have had! Go Cards!

Till next time--------