maybe I'm back?

So here we are starting another year. Hard to believe that I have been blogging since 2006; it will be 8 years come sometime in February. A family member once asked what I would find to talk about when I started. Well, I guess recently I sort of did run out of much to say and share but hey, it took 8 years.  There is still not a lot going on but I'm done with my break.

I got the Christmas decorations put up, except for a straggler or two.  Seems like something always gets left out.  We had another casualty.  A second decapitation. First, Skyler knocked the Inn Keeper on the floor and that laminate flooring is unforgiving to ceramics.  I handitacked everything in the nativity set down.  Then when I hauled one of the boxes in from the shed, I found that the Linda nurse figure should have been padded in some manner.  Mom made these years ago for DJ and I.  They were lamp bases.  Recently I ditched the lamp part and the figures have been in the living room instead of the night stands.  The glue seems to be holding on both broken items.

It has been quite rainy this past week with higher temps.   When not raining, it was quite overcast and gloomy.  Saturday night we had quite a rain with wind, southern Alabama had tornadoes so it could have been worse. Trust me, I was awake dealing with a whimpering dog and heardnthe storm.  I emptied 3 inches from the gauge the next morning.  The drought situation at least here in this part of the state as I read via the ABC 33-40 weather newsletter that the 1-20 corridor is now 200-300% ahead in the rainfall totals.  Still, depressing.  Now the sun is out but the temps are dropping like a rock with 10's predicted for over night come Thursday morning.   It figures then that camellia bush is starting to gear up to bloom.  This bloom IS open but there are at least a dozen starting to show color.  The bush is loaded with buds.

This past Wednesday Jane, Aline and I made a run over to Pell City to pick up a comfort quilt.  The Friendship Quilt Guild's small group mets midweek and it happened that the past donation quilt chairs were passing off to the incoming one.   Our friend Terri's husband is quite ill and has been in ICU since Christmas Eve.  Today they had some better news but he is not out of the woods yet.

They insisted that this little quilt came home with me as our little Lily had to have surgery the day after Christmas to remove a large egg sized mass removed from her low bowel.  Further treatment may be required depending on the biopsy report.  She is home recovering.  I mailed the quilt to my niece and it should be arriving today or tomorrow.

If you are inclined to pray, please add Frank and Lily to your list?  
My aching back situation seems to have improved.  I could at least dust, vaccum and bend over enough to do laundry.  Still, the only thing I have managed to sew in weeks was a a mending job yesterday.    Those pants had been over my sewing room chair since Dec. 26th.  I am thinking about sewing though---a start anyway.

We have a guild challege to buy a children's book and then make a quilt using a theme or character in the book.  Then the book and the quilt will be passed on to the clown ministry at UAB Children's Hospital.   The husband of the member issuing the challenge is involved in the clown group and Jill has helped with his costumes.  Terry will come to pick up the quilts at the March meeting.  Clever idea, I thought.

To that end, I found a little animal themed book and have a few ideas that requires dragging out the novelty prints out of the tote in the bedroom closet.  Actually I am considering a variation of something I saw posted on Facebook yesterday.  Have you seen the Tipsy Tumbler Tutorial from Jenny Doan of Missouri Quilt Company?  She says it will work for any shape though those tumblers are cute!  It wastes some background fabric but a slick trick.   I may try it but use squares, providing I have the stuff in the stash.  After I shared it with my FAB yesterday in chat, Norma took the idea, ran with it and whipped up HER guild challenge top.

Now, to carve out a little time to sew and cut.   This little guy keeps me busy walking but the weather has not been too conducive to his being outside for a few hours so Doggie Mama can play.  He sure is cute though.  (Skyler was in the bedroom testing out the clean laundry so no picture of him)

Guess that's it for now.  Jane, at least there are some new pictures, LOL.